Commander Preconstructed Decks You Can Customize
Commander precon decks are the easiest on-ramp to Magic: The Gathering Commander: you get a face commander, a real strategy, and a list that’s actually built to play. Plus use our order form to change out any card or print.
Playtest New Deck Tech and Boost Your Power Level
On PrintMTG, adding a commander precon imports the full decklist into your order editor. From there, customize the deck like you would any build: swap printings, upgrade card advantage and draw cards, smooth the mana with better lands, or push the power level with bigger threats and cleaner interaction.
Commander Power Level: What You Should Expect From Precons
Let’s talk power level without pretending we can assign a single number that means the same thing to every human.
Most commander precon decks are designed to be:
- Coherent
- Fun
- Not oppressive
- Able to win games if left alone
That usually puts the default precon power level somewhere in the casual to medium range. They are not tuned cEDH lists, and they are not (usually) trying to end the game on turn four.
Three practical ways to talk about power level that actually help:
A) How fast does it become dangerous?
- Does the deck threaten a win by turns 7 to 9 with normal draws?
- Or does it take until turn 10+ unless nobody interacts?
B) How consistent is the deck?
- Does it reliably do “the thing”?
- Or does it do three half-plans badly?
C) How punishing is it when it pops off?
- Is it “I made a bunch of value”?
- Or “you don’t get to play Magic anymore”?
If you’re using commander precon decks as your baseline, upgrading is basically a decision about power level. You are choosing how much consistency, speed, and interaction you want to add.
Upgrade Paths for Commander Precon Decks
Good: Play it out of the box
- You learn the lines
- You learn the commander
- You learn what the deck actually needs
- Your power level stays close to other precon decks
This is perfect for new players, new pods, or anyone who just wants to play.
Better: The 10-card upgrade plan
This is the sweet spot. You keep the identity, you fix the rough edges, and you don’t wake up two weeks later realizing you built an entirely different deck.
A simple 10-card template:
- 2 cards: mana base fixes (less “enters tapped” pain)
- 2 cards: ramp upgrades (better mana rocks, better early acceleration)
- 2 cards: card advantage (more ways to draw cards consistently)
- 2 cards: interaction (answers that actually matter)
- 2 cards: theme boosts (your coolest payoffs, or a real win condition)
If you want a step-by-step version with cut suggestions and a budget mindset, this is the exact playbook: How to Upgrade a Precon on a Budget in MTG.
Best: Full tune for your pod’s power level
This is where you take the face commander, keep the theme, and optimize the deck hard.
Just be honest about what you’re doing:
- If you are increasing speed and consistency a lot, the power level goes up.
- If you are adding efficient tutors and fast mana, the power level goes up fast.
- If your pod is mostly precon decks, you might want to stop at “Better” unless everyone agrees they’re upgrading too.
The Boring Upgrades That Win the Most Games
1) Better ramp and mana rocks
Precon decks often have ramp, but it is not always the ramp you want. Commander is a format where “casting your commander on time” is secretly a huge part of your power level.
If you want a shortlist of ramp pieces that actually pull their weight, use this guide: The Best Mana Rocks in Commander Format MTG.
2) More consistent card advantage
Card advantage is not just “draw a billion.” It is “I can keep playing Magic after the first big exchange.”
If your commander precon deck runs out of gas:
- add repeatable draw engines
- add burst draw that refills your hand
- add selection (scry, impulse draw, looting) if it supports your strategy
The goal is not to drown the table in value. The goal is to stop topdecking lands while everyone else is chaining spells.
3) Interaction that matches your meta
Most preconstructed decks include interaction. The question is whether it lines up with what your opponents are doing.
If your pod plays:
- big creatures: add cleaner creature answers
- engines and enchantments: add more versatile removal
- graveyard synergies: add graveyard hate that does not feel like a dead card
Again, this is a power level conversation. More interaction usually raises power level, but it also makes games better because someone can actually stop the person doing crimes.
