MTG Commander Deck Color Identity Calculator
Analyze your Commander deck's color identity, verify card legality, and calculate your recommended mana base distribution based on your color pip requirements.
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Formulas Used
Land Count: Land Count = Total Cards − 1 (Commander) − Non-Land Cards
Recommended Lands (Frank Karsten): Recommended Lands = 37 + (Average CMC − 3.0) × 3
Color Source Recommendation: Sources(Color) = round((Pips(Color) / Total Colored Pips) × Land Count × Multicolor Factor), where Multicolor Factor = 1 + (Color Count − 1) × 0.05
Pip Ratio: Pip Ratio(Color) = Pips(Color) / Total Colored Pips × 100%
Mana Base Deviation: Deviation = Actual Lands − Recommended Lands
Assumptions & References
- Commander format uses exactly 100-card singleton decks (1 Commander + 99 cards), per official Commander rules.
- Color identity is determined by all mana symbols and color indicators on the Commander card(s), including rules text.
- All 99 non-Commander cards must have a color identity within the Commander's color identity.
- Land recommendations are based on Frank Karsten's mana base research (How Many Lands Do You Need in Your Deck?, Channel Fireball), adapted for 100-card Commander decks.
- The baseline of 37 lands assumes an average CMC of ~3.0; each 1.0 increase in average CMC adds ~3 recommended lands.
- Pip-weighted source recommendations assume dual lands and fetch lands can satisfy multiple color requirements simultaneously.
- Ramp recommendations follow the Commander community standard of 8–12 ramp pieces depending on curve height.
- Color identity names (Azorius, Dimir, etc.) follow the official Ravnica guild and shard/wedge naming conventions used by Wizards of the Coast.
- This calculator does not account for card draw, tutors, or specific combo lines that may alter optimal land counts.