Running two commanders sounds like it should cost twice as much as a single-commander deck, but that is not really how Partner Commander budgeting works out in practice.
Most of the original Commander 2016 Partner commanders remain inexpensive individually, since fifteen legendary creatures sharing the same design space keeps demand and prices spread out rather than concentrated on one chase card.
The real cost of any Commander deck comes from the remaining 98 cards, not the commander slot itself, so the same budgeting principles that apply to single-commander decks still apply here.
This guide covers how to build a genuinely playable Partner Commander deck for under fifty dollars total.
Several original Commander 2016 Partner commanders sit at commons-and-uncommons-adjacent prices individually, meaning a full pair often costs less combined than a single popular four-color legendary creature from a newer set.
Avoid pairs whose entire appeal rests on an expensive, hard-to-replace combo piece, since budget decks work best when the core game plan does not hinge on one card you cannot easily afford.
A deck built from commons and uncommons that all support the same clear strategy consistently outperforms a deck stuffed with expensive rares that do not actually work well together.
Removal, ramp, and card draw at common and uncommon rarity have improved dramatically over the years, making it entirely possible to fill these roles without ever touching an expensive rare or mythic.
If you can afford a small number of pricier inclusions, prioritize efficient mana rocks and universal removal over flashy payoff cards, since these roles have the biggest impact on whether your deck actually functions turn to turn.
A budget deck that can reliably remove one problematic threat and ramp toward its game plan will outperform a deck that skipped those roles entirely to afford a more exciting top-end card.
Basic lands cost nothing and remain perfectly legal, so a budget Partner deck can lean heavily on basics supplemented by a handful of inexpensive dual lands rather than chasing an expensive fixing package.
Common-rarity taplands and bounce lands from older sets are widely available for very little money and still provide real color fixing for a two or three-color Partner build.
A fifty-dollar starting point does not need to stay fifty dollars forever. Swapping in one or two upgrades at a time as your budget allows is a sustainable way to improve the deck without a large single purchase.
Prioritize upgrading your manabase and removal suite first, since these improvements tend to raise a deck's consistency more than adding a single powerful new payoff card would.
Fast mana artifacts and format-warping combo pieces are almost always the most expensive cards in any Commander deck, and a budget build is usually better off without them entirely rather than stretching to afford one.
Land tutors and expensive dual-purpose staples can also wait, since a budget deck's basic-heavy manabase gets less value out of fetch effects than a deck built with a wider, pricier fixing suite already in place.
Card prices for Commander staples fluctuate based on reprints and format popularity, so checking current prices across a few different retailers before finalizing your shopping list can meaningfully stretch a fifty-dollar budget further.
Buying commons and uncommons in bulk lots, rather than individually, is often the more cost-effective way to fill out the supporting 98 cards of a budget Partner deck.
Comparing prices across a few different online retailers, rather than buying everything from a single storefront, often uncovers meaningful savings when assembling a budget deck's remaining 98 cards.
Local game store bulk bins and bulk-rare boxes are also a reliable, often overlooked source of cheap commons and uncommons for a budget Partner build.
Not necessarily. Many original Commander 2016 Partner commanders remain inexpensive individually.
Efficient removal and ramp tend to matter more than flashy payoff cards.
Yes, basics combined with a few inexpensive duals cover most budget color needs.
Gradual upgrades, starting with manabase and removal, are usually more sustainable.
A tight budget does not have to mean a weak deck, especially with Partner Commander's spread-out original card pool keeping individual commander prices low. Once your deck comes together, a set of EVORETRO penny sleeves protects your whole 100 cards without eating into the rest of your budget.
A basic deck box keeps everything organized between games too, and the EVORETRO plastic deck box fits a full Commander deck without adding much to your total spend.
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