Top 5 Magic: The Gathering Decks for Beginners

Top 5 Magic: The Gathering Decks for Beginners

Starter Commander Decks – Best Beginner Commander Decks in Magic: The Gathering

Meta Title: Magic: The Gathering Starter Commander Decks – Best for Beginners (Full Set Breakdown)
Meta Description: Discover the best Commander decks for new Magic: The Gathering players. We break down each of the five Starter Commander Decks and explain why they’re perfect for beginners.

What Are Starter Commander Decks?

Wizards of the Coast released the Starter Commander Deck – Set of 5 (SCD) as a perfect entry point into Magic’s most popular format: Commander. Each preconstructed deck includes:

  • A 100-card Commander-legal deck

  • A foil legendary Commander

  • A complete game-ready experience for multiplayer

  • No deckbuilding required to start playing

These decks are budget-friendly and balanced against each other—perfect for teaching new players or hosting your first Commander night.

Deck 1: First Flight (White-Blue Flying Creatures)

  • Commander: Isperia, Supreme Judge

  • Theme: Flying Tribal / Defensive Control

Why it’s great for beginners:

  • Teaches combat tactics using evasive creatures

  • Offers card draw through Isperia’s ability

  • White and blue colors help players learn about control, tempo, and defense

  • Easy to understand: creatures with flying = hard to block

Playstyle: Build a flying army, stall aggressive players, and win with aerial attacks.

Deck 2: Grave Danger (Blue-Black Zombies & Graveyard)

  • Commander: Gisa and Geralf

  • Theme: Zombie Tribal / Graveyard Recursion

Why it’s great for beginners:

  • Introduces the graveyard as a resource

  • Consistent strategy: replay zombies from your graveyard

  • Great synergy with tokens and sacrifice mechanics

  • Teaches value-based gameplay and recursion loops

Playstyle: Swarm with zombies, bring them back again and again, and overwhelm opponents.

Deck 3: Chaos Incarnate (Black-Red Aggro & Sacrifice)

  • Commander: Kari Zev, Skyship Raider

  • Theme: Aggro / Sacrifice / Chaos Effects

Why it’s great for beginners:

  • Encourages fast, aggressive play—easy for new players to grasp

  • Introduces sacrifice mechanics and creature value

  • Fun, unpredictable gameplay with lots of combat interactions

  • Black-red colors teach pressure tactics and resource trade-offs

Playstyle: Apply early pressure, burn down opponents, and use death triggers to generate value.

Deck 4: Token Triumph (Green-White Tokens)

  • Commander: Emmara, Soul of the Accord

  • Theme: Token Generation / Go-Wide Strategy

Why it’s great for beginners:

  • Very simple: make lots of creatures and turn them sideways

  • Reinforces core Magic mechanics like combat, buffs, and synergy

  • Easy color pairing for new players—green and white are the most accessible colors

  • Great introduction to synergistic builds (creatures that benefit from each other)

Playstyle: Flood the board with small creatures, use anthem effects to boost them, and swing for victory.

Deck 5: Draconic Destruction (Red-Green Dragons)

  • Commander: Atarka, World Render

  • Theme: Big Creatures / Dragon Tribal

Why it’s great for beginners:

  • Epic and exciting theme—who doesn’t want to play dragons?

  • Teaches mana ramp and big creature strategies

  • Red-green offers explosive gameplay and large threats

  • Great introduction to combat-based win conditions

Playstyle: Ramp up your mana, drop huge dragons, and destroy opponents with flying double strike damage.

Why These Are the Best Commander Decks for New Players

  • Prebuilt and Balanced: No deck construction needed—just shuffle and play

  • Themed Playstyles: Each deck teaches a unique Magic concept (tribal, ramp, tokens, aggro, control)

  • Playable Together: Perfect for group teaching, family game nights, or casual playgroups

  • Budget-Friendly Entry Point: All five decks offer value without overwhelming card complexity

Final Thoughts

If you're new to Commander or want to teach friends how to play, the Starter Commander Deck – Set of 5 is the best place to start. Each deck is thematic, easy to pilot, and balanced for fair multiplayer games.

Ready to command your first battlefield?
[Shop the full MTG Starter Commander Deck Set here]
or
[Buy individual decks to match your playstyle]

Back to blog