This post helps proxy buyers choose upgrades that actually change games by ranking staples by impact, so you don’t blow the budget on shiny nonsense.
TLDR
- The best MTG proxies to start with are the boring cards that make every hand work: ramp, draw, removal, protection, and lands.
- A simple “deck skeleton” baseline to aim at (then adjust for your strategy): ~48–50 mana sources, ~10 draw/advantage, ~10 removal, ~5 protection.
- Good / Better / Best here is about table impact, not price. Proxies remove price. Your pod does not remove feelings.
- Upgrade what you do every game: cast spells on time, refill your hand, answer threats, keep your plan alive.
- Skip “win-more haymakers” until your deck stops stumbling in the first 5 turns.
You can proxy a hundred cards and still have a deck that plays like it’s wearing flip-flops in a snowstorm. The usual culprit is “I proxied the cool stuff” and skipped the parts that make the cool stuff happen.
So here’s the fix: a Good / Better / Best staples ladder. It’s designed to help you pick upgrades you’ll actually see in games, not just in your imagination at 2:00 AM while goldfishing.
How to use this Staples Ladder
Think of the tiers like this:
- Good: Clean, consistent upgrades that make your deck function better without warping the whole table.
- Better: Stronger, more efficient, more swingy. You feel it immediately.
- Best: The highest-impact staples. These can change the pace of the game and push your deck into a different room.
One more thing: “Staple” does not mean “auto-include.” Sometimes your deck has a real reason to skip a famous card, and that’s allowed.
The best MTG proxies to start with are boring on purpose
If you upgrade only one thing first, upgrade consistency. “My deck does its thing every game” beats “my deck does its thing once every five games, but it’s glorious.”
Quick checklist before you pick any single staple:
- Do you reliably hit your early land drops?
- Do you have enough ramp to cast your commander on time?
- Do you draw enough cards to avoid topdeck mode?
- Do you have answers for problem permanents?
- Do you have a way to protect your plan from the first board wipe?
If any of those is “ehhh,” start there.
Ramp Staples Ladder
Ramp is the least exciting upgrade category, which is exactly why it wins. It turns “I hope I draw my fourth land” into “I’m playing Magic now.”
Good ramp (solid, widely accepted)
- Sol Ring
- Arcane Signet
- Fellwar Stone
- Talisman cycle (pick the ones that match your colors)
- If you’re in green: Rampant Growth, Farseek, Nature’s Lore, Cultivate
These are the “your deck feels smoother immediately” cards.
[mtg]Sol Ring[/mtg]
Better ramp (more efficient, higher ceiling)
- If you’re in green: Three Visits, Wild Growth, Utopia Sprawl
- Big “value ramp” in the right shells: Smothering Tithe, Black Market Connections
- “Explode from nowhere” options in some decks: Dockside Extortionist (table-dependent)
Better ramp is where you start doing the thing earlier, and more often.
Best ramp (fast mana and big accelerants)
- Mana Crypt
- Jeweled Lotus
- Chrome Mox
- Mox Diamond
- Mana Vault
This tier can move your deck into a different speed bracket. If your goal is “keep up with high-power pods,” awesome. If your goal is “we all play 10-turn games with snacks,” this tier can make you the villain in someone’s group chat.
[mtg]Mana Crypt[/mtg]
Card Draw Staples Ladder
If ramp is “cast spells,” draw is “keep casting spells.” Most decks feel “bad” because they run out of cards and start pretending a 2/2 is a plan.
Good draw (steady, honest, gets the job done)
- Repeatable value in lots of decks: Phyrexian Arena, Skullclamp (creature-heavy), Idol of Oblivion (token decks)
- Efficient one-shot draw: Night’s Whisper, Sign in Blood, Harmonize
- Red rummage to fix clunky hands: Faithless Looting, Thrill of Possibility
This tier won’t usually take over a game, but it stops you from bricking.
[mtg]Fact or Fiction[/mtg]
Better draw (high-efficiency engines)
- The One Ring
- Sylvan Library
- Esper Sentinel
- Mystic Remora
- Necropotence
These cards turn “I drew two extra cards” into “I have a real resource advantage now.”
Best draw (table-warping staples)
- Rhystic Study
- “Refuel the whole table (and usually yourself more)” wheels (deck-dependent): Wheel of Fortune, Windfall
This is where the table starts asking “Are we paying the one?” and the answer is usually “no,” followed by consequences.
[mtg]Rhystic Study[/mtg]
Removal Staples Ladder
Removal is how you prevent the game from becoming a one-person TED Talk. Yes, you need both targeted removal and at least one reset button.
Good removal (cheap, flexible, no drama)
- Swords to Plowshares
- Path to Exile
- Beast Within
- Chaos Warp
- Generous Gift
- Counterspell (yes, it counts)
Add one board wipe that fits your colors, even if you hate doing it.
[mtg]Swords to Plowshares[/mtg]
Better removal (premium efficiency)
- Assassin’s Trophy
- Anguished Unmaking
- Abrupt Decay
- Cyclonic Rift (not “targeted removal,” but it absolutely removes friendships from the stack)
Best removal (reset buttons that change the whole game)
- Cyclonic Rift
- Farewell
- Toxic Deluge
These don’t just answer a problem—they often decide what the next five minutes look like.
[mtg]Farewell[/mtg]
Protection Staples Ladder
Protection is how you keep your deck from folding to the first person who drew interaction. You don’t need a full bunker—just enough to make your plan stick.
Good protection (boots + a couple saves)
- Swiftfoot Boots
- Lightning Greaves
- “Save my commander” instants in your colors: Tamiyo’s Safekeeping, Slip Out the Back, Boros Charm
This tier is about not losing to one removal spell.
[mtg]Swiftfoot Boots[/mtg]
Better protection (big swing, big relief)
- Heroic Intervention
- Flawless Maneuver
- Deflecting Swat (if your commander is central)
Best protection (the “nope” buttons)
- Teferi’s Protection
- Free protection/counters in the right shells: Fierce Guardianship, Force of Will
This tier can make your deck feel invincible. It can also make you the reason the game goes long. Use responsibly (or at least with snacks).
[mtg]Teferi’s Protection[/mtg]
Mana Base Staples Ladder
Lands are not exciting until you play a three-color deck with twelve taplands and discover what true suffering feels like.
Good mana base (fixing without getting fancy)
- Command Tower
- Exotic Orchard
- Path of Ancestry (tribal)
- Pain lands (fast, simple)
- A reasonable number of basics (because the game still punishes greed sometimes)
[mtg]Command Tower[/mtg]
Better mana base (the “my deck feels smooth” tier)
- Shock lands
- Battlebond lands (excellent in Commander)
- Triomes (especially for 3+ colors)
- Check lands / slow lands if your curve supports them
Best mana base (the “I always have my colors” tier)
- Fetch lands
- Original dual lands
- Fetch + shock packages (in decks that want perfect early colors)
This is the tier where your opening hands stop lying to you.
What to skip until later (sorry, random 8-drop you love)
If you’re trying to get the most gameplay improvement per proxy, these usually wait:
- Win-more haymakers that only matter when you’re already ahead
- Niche synergy pieces that do nothing without the rest of the engine
- Overpriced mana rocks (4+ mana) in decks trying to be proactive early
- Cute alternate win-cons before you have enough draw and interaction to survive to cast them
- Bling-first choices before your deck can consistently play the game
Proxying is the one time in Magic where you can fix the boring stuff first. Take the gift.
Quick-start: 15 staples that upgrade most Commander decks
If you want a “starter pack” approach, here’s a strong baseline (swap by color identity and archetype):
- Ramp (5): Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Fellwar Stone, +2 ramps that fit your colors (Talismans / green ramp)
- Draw (4): 2 repeatable engines + 2 efficient one-shot draws (or tutors-to-advantage in your colors)
- Removal (4): 2 targeted answers + 1 flexible “hits anything” + 1 board wipe
- Protection (2): Boots + one “save my board/commander” spell
- Then spend your next proxies on lands until your early turns stop being awkward
FAQs
What are the best MTG proxies to start with for Commander?
Start with staples that affect every game: ramp, draw, removal, protection, and your mana base. The flashiest card in your deck is irrelevant if you can’t cast it on time.
How many staples should I run in a Commander deck?
A useful baseline is ~48–50 mana sources, ~10 draw/advantage, ~10 removal, and ~5 protection, then tune based on your commander and game plan.
Should I proxy fast mana first or lands?
If your deck frequently stumbles on colors, lands first. If your colors are fine but you feel a full turn behind, ramp first. If you’re not sure, start with the “Good” tier of both.
Do staples make every deck feel the same?
They can, if you overdo it. Think of staples as the skeleton—your commander, synergies, and win lines are the personality.
What’s the biggest “wasted proxy” mistake?
Proxying only bombs and ignoring the boring parts. It’s the deckbuilding version of buying a sports car and forgetting tires.