The 8x8 Method
The 8x8 method gives you a structure for building a deck from scratch. The math: 1 commander + 35 lands + 64 spells. Those 64 spells go into 8 categories of 8 cards each.
It's a starting point. You'll adjust the numbers after playtesting. But when you're staring at an empty decklist and 20,000+ legal cards, having 8 boxes to fill is a lot less overwhelming than having 99.
The core four
These four categories appear in every deck, regardless of commander or strategy:
- Ramp (8 cards) — mana acceleration. Sol Ring, signets, land ramp, dorks.
- Card draw (8 cards) — sustained engines and burst refills.
- Removal (8 cards) — spot removal and a couple board wipes.
- Commander synergy (8 cards) — cards that directly support what your commander does. This category changes entirely depending on your commander.
These 32 cards are your foundation. They keep your deck functional regardless of what your strategy-specific cards are doing.
The other four
The remaining 32 cards go into four categories that you define based on your strategy. Some common ones:
- Win conditions / Finishers — cards that close the game
- Protection — keeping your key pieces alive
- Recursion — getting cards back from the graveyard
- Tokens / go-wide — creature generation for decks that want bodies
- Tribal / creature synergy — lords, anthems, type-specific payoffs
- Tutors — finding specific cards when you need them
- Evasion — making your threats connect in combat
- Enablers — cards that make your engine work (sacrifice outlets, blink enablers, etc.)
Pick four that match your deck. If you're building Aristocrats, your categories might be sacrifice outlets, death triggers, recursive creatures, and token generators. If you're building Voltron, they might be equipment, auras, protection, and evasion.
Example: Meren Aristocrats
| Category | 8 cards |
|---|---|
| Ramp | Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Sakura-Tribe Elder, Rampant Growth, Nature's Lore, Cultivate, Golgari Signet, Mind Stone |
| Card draw | Grim Haruspex, Midnight Reaper, Beast Whisperer, Phyrexian Arena, Skullclamp, Return of the Wildspeaker, Village Rites, Sign in Blood |
| Removal | Beast Within, Assassin's Trophy, Go for the Throat, Nature's Claim, Ravenous Chupacabra, Shriekmaw, Toxic Deluge, Damnation |
| Commander synergy | Spore Frog, Fleshbag Marauder, Plaguecrafter, Wood Elves, Eternal Witness, Sidisi Undead Vizier, Gray Merchant of Asphodel, Kokusho the Evening Star |
| Sacrifice outlets | Viscera Seer, Carrion Feeder, Ashnod's Altar, Phyrexian Altar, Altar of Dementia, Yahenni Undying Partisan, Birthing Pod, High Market |
| Death triggers | Blood Artist, Zulaport Cutthroat, Bastion of Remembrance, Pitiless Plunderer, Sifter of Skulls, Poison-Tip Archer, Vindictive Vampire, Open the Graves |
| Recursive creatures | Reassembling Skeleton, Bloodghast, Nether Traitor, Gravecrawler, Tenacious Dead, Ophiomancer, Bitterblossom, Jadar Ghoulcaller of Nephalia |
| Reanimation | Reanimate, Animate Dead, Living Death, Victimize, Dread Return, Journey to Eternity, Whisper Blood Liturgist, Rise of the Dark Realms |
That's 64 cards. Add 35 lands and Meren. You have a deck.
Variants
7x9 — nine categories of seven cards, plus one extra card somewhere. More categories, slightly less depth in each.
9x7 — seven categories of nine cards, plus one leftover. Fewer categories, deeper investment in each.
10-8-8-6-6-6-6-6-8 — whatever works. The point is categorization, not rigid arithmetic. Use 8x8 as a starting structure and drift from there once you know what your deck needs more or less of.
After the first draft
The 8x8 gives you a complete deck, not a finished one. After a few games, you'll find:
- Some categories need more than 8 (your Aristocrats deck probably wants 10+ recursive creatures)
- Some categories need fewer (maybe 5 removal is enough because your engine provides removal)
- Some cards fill two roles (Ravenous Chupacabra is both removal and a creature to sacrifice)
Count the multi-role cards in whichever category matters more to you, then adjust. The 8x8 got you to a playable first draft. Iteration gets you to a good deck.