Golgari "Control"

[Bruce2006]

Golgari "Control"

my first commander deck :0

[ApothecaryGeist]

Welcome to the Commander format!!!


I can tell this is your first deck.  Good attempt.  Cards with decent effects.  There's no cohesion to the deck; no theme.  You'll want to decide exactly how you want the deck to perform.  How do you want to win.


A thing that I learned early on playing Commander is The Rule of 8s.  I don't hear it mentioned anymore.  It is a really good tool for when your just figuring out how to assemble a Commander deck.


The rule of 8s is that you should have 8 categories of cards (more on that in a bit).  Each category should contain 8 cards.  That's 64 cards.  Plus 35 lands.  Plus your commander is 100.


The 42 lands you have is A LOT!  Most decks have 33 to 36 lands.  I usually play 34 in a two-color deck that has green.


So each of the 8 categories is a different aspect that your deck can do.  Each card should go into at least one of these categories.  If it fits into more than one, don't sweat it, just pick one - generally the primary reason you will play the card.


Every deck needs Ramp.  Sol Ring and Arcane Signet are conspicuously missing from your decklist.  Elves of Deep Shadow, Wood Elves, Rampant Growth, Cultivate are all good. Green is the best ramp color.


Every deck needs Card Draw.  Elvish Visionary is a popular Elf draw.  There's also Harmonize and Read the Bones.  Skullclamp will be great, since you're making a bunch of 1/1's.


Every deck needs Removal.  Naturalize and Putrefy go here.  Reclamation Sage is good removal on an Elf.


After that, you have deck specific categories.  For this commander I would suggest:


Discard.  Effects that make only one player discard, like Duress, aren't very good in Commander.  See things like Syphon Mind, Elvish Doomsayer, Dark Deal.  And with this commander, more value.


Make Elves.  This is more of what your commander does.  Imperious Perfect fits nicely here.


Pump Elves.  Things like Canopy Tactician or Overrun.


Green/Black is great for graveyard Recursion.  Things like Entreat the Dead and Eternal Witness.


and that leaves you one last category.  This could be More Elf Value with things like Poison-Tip Archer or Abomination of Llanowar.  Or this could be things to protect your field, like Lightning Greaves and/or Swiftfoot Boots.  Or some combination of them.


The Rule of 8s aren't a hard and fast rule.  Once you become familiar with assembling Commander decks, you'll be able to build without it.  It makes a great starting point.

[Rhoderick_45s]

They are some really good constructive points and you have made a real effort to give advice. I agree with everything you say. I like the idea of the Rule of 8s and will give that a go myself when I am next making a commander deck.
I think however the creator of this deck might be looking at making the deck under $10 which is pretty impressive! I dont think I have ever seen a commander deck as cheap as this before!