Mana Curve
Color theory · beginner
A deck's mana curve is the distribution of converted mana costs across its non-land cards. Getting the curve right is the difference between a deck that does things every turn and one that sits with a bad hand.
A reasonable Commander curve
For a typical mid-power Commander deck, this is a healthy distribution:
| CMC | Count |
|---|---|
| 1 | 5-8 |
| 2 | 10-12 |
| 3 | 12-14 |
| 4 | 8-10 |
| 5 | 5-7 |
| 6 | 4-6 |
| 7+ | 2-4 |
Plus around 35-38 lands and 8-12 ramp pieces. That puts you at 99 cards.
What "lower" decks need
Aggressive decks (Voltron, go-wide tokens, R/W aggro) want a lower curve -- 2-3 average -- so they can present threats turns 2-4.
What "higher" decks need
Big-mana decks (eldrazi, big green ramp, control) can climb to 4-5 average if they have plenty of ramp and card draw. Without those supports, the deck stalls.
Lands
Most Commander decks want 35-38 lands plus 8-12 ramp spells for a total of 45-50 sources of mana. Less than that and you'll routinely miss land drops.
How to fix a stuck curve
If your deck feels slow, count cards in the 1-3 CMC bucket. Below 25 there is likely your problem. Add early plays first, not late ones.
If your deck always topdecks lands in the late game, count your lands. Above 40 and you're probably running too many.
Related
See the Mana Base entry for color-fixing.