Ramp in Commander: Accelerate Your Mana, Dominate the Game

Ramp is the backbone of Commander decks. While your opponents are stuck at 3-4 lands by turn 5, a deck with good ramp can be casting 7- and 8-mana spells on turn 4. Ramp lets you accelerate your mana development, cast expensive spells early, and overwhelm your opponents before they can establish their game plan.

How Much Ramp Do You Need?

The amount of ramp you need depends on your deck's average mana value and strategy. Here's a general guide:

• Low-curve decks (average MV 2.0-2.5): 6-8 ramp sources. You don't need much ramp since your spells are cheap, but a little acceleration helps you go wide faster.
• Mid-curve decks (average MV 2.6-3.2): 8-12 ramp sources. This is the sweet spot for most Commander decks. You need enough ramp to cast your 4- and 5-drops on curve.
• High-curve decks (average MV 3.3-4.0): 12-15 ramp sources. You need significant ramp to cast your expensive spells on time. Consider cutting some high-cost cards if you can't find enough ramp.
• Very high-curve decks (average MV 4.0+): 15+ ramp sources. You need maximum ramp to function. Consider running fast mana like Sol Ring and Mana Crypt.

Types of Ramp

There are several types of ramp in Commander, each with its own strengths and weaknesses:

Mana Dorks

Mana dorks are creatures that tap for mana. They're the cheapest form of ramp but are vulnerable to removal.

• Llanowar Elves: 1G, tap for G. The classic mana dork.
• Birds of Paradise: G, tap for any color. Excellent mana fixing.
• Noble Hierarch: G, tap for W, U, or G. Also provides exalted.
• Fyndhorn Elves: G, tap for G. Another classic mana dork.

Mana Rocks

Mana rocks are artifacts that tap for mana. They're more resilient than mana dorks but often cost more.

• Sol Ring: 1, tap for 2 colorless mana. The most powerful mana rock in the format.
• Arcane Signet: 2, tap for any color in your commander's color identity. Excellent mana fixing.
• Talisman of Progress: 2, tap for W or U, but deals 1 damage to you. Good for two-color decks.
• Signet cycle: 2 mana, tap for one of two colors. Excellent for two-color decks.

Land Ramp

Land ramp spells put lands directly onto the battlefield. They're the most resilient form of ramp since lands are hard to remove.

• Cultivate: 2G, search your library for up to 2 basic lands, put one onto the battlefield tapped and one into your hand.
• Kodama's Reach: 2GG, search your library for up to 2 basic lands, put them onto the battlefield tapped.
• Rampant Growth: 1G, search your library for a basic land, put it onto the battlefield tapped.
• Farseek: 1G, search your library for a Plains, Island, Swamp, or Mountain, put it onto the battlefield tapped.

Fast Mana

Fast mana is the most powerful form of ramp. It produces more mana than it costs and is available on turn 1.

• Sol Ring: 1, tap for 2 colorless mana. The most powerful mana rock in the format.
• Mana Crypt: 0, tap for 2 colorless mana, but you lose 1 life at the beginning of your upkeep.
• Chrome Mox: 0, imprint a nonartifact, nonland card, tap for one mana of that card's color.
• Mox Diamond: 0, discard a land, tap for 3 mana of any one color.

Color-Specific Ramp

White Ramp

White has access to land ramp and some mana rocks:

• Weathered Wayfarer: 1W, search your library for a basic land, put it onto the battlefield tapped.
• Land Tax: 1W, search your library for up to 3 basic lands when an opponent casts a spell.
• Smothering Tithe: 3W, create a Treasure token whenever an opponent draws a card unless they pay 2.

Blue Ramp

Blue has access to mana rocks and some unique ramp effects:

• Sol Ring: 1, tap for 2 colorless mana.
• Arcane Signet: 2, tap for any color in your commander's color identity.
• Fellwar Stone: 2, tap for any color a land an opponent controls could produce.

Black Ramp

Black has access to mana rocks and some unique ramp effects:

• Sol Ring: 1, tap for 2 colorless mana.
• Dark Ritual: B, add BBB. The classic fast mana spell.
• Cabal Coffers: Land, tap for B for each Swamp you control. Excellent in mono-black decks.

Red Ramp

Red has access to mana dorks and some unique ramp effects:

• Simian Spirit Guide: 2R, exile Simian Spirit Guide from your hand, add R. Excellent for combo decks.
• Elvish Spirit Guide: G, exile Elvish Spirit Guide from your hand, add G. Excellent for combo decks.
• Mana Flare: 2R, whenever a player taps a land for mana, that player adds one additional mana of that type.

Green Ramp

Green is the king of ramp. It has access to all types of ramp:

• Llanowar Elves: G, tap for G. The classic mana dork.
• Cultivate: 2G, search your library for up to 2 basic lands, put one onto the battlefield tapped and one into your hand.
• Genesis Wave: XGGG, reveal the top X cards of your library, put all nonland permanents onto the battlefield, then put the rest into your hand.

Checking Your Ramp with Rate My Decks

When you analyze your deck with Rate My Decks, we categorize every ramp source in your deck and calculate its impact on your power score. We also compare your ramp count to the optimal range for your target bracket. If you're running too little ramp for a high-curve deck, we'll flag it as a weakness. If you're running too much for a low-curve deck, we'll recommend cuts.