How Much Ramp Should You Play?

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## Summary

This video explains how to design a ramp package for Commander decks around a target and timing. Ramp accelerates you in time, giving mana ahead of schedule so you hit your deck's "fundamental turn" (when it wins or becomes unfair) without falling behind the table's pace. The target is usually your commander. The core rule: play ramp with mana value two less than your target, so you cast it a turn early. One-mana dorks suit three-mana commanders; two-mana rocks (Arcane Signet, Talismans, Nature's Lore, Farseek) suit four-mana commanders; five-plus commanders want a two/three-mana mix plus rituals. Reducers, untappers, and mana doublers are situational; doublers are game-plan cards, not true ramp. For quantity, cite the dexstats analysis recommending 12 ramp + 36 lands for an 89% keepable-hand rate, refined by the "hot garbage" model: one-mana ramp is dead 22% of games, two-mana 38%, three-mana 54%, so don't cut lands. A sample 12-slot package: Sol Ring, three one-mana dorks, five two-mana rocks, three flexible three-mana rocks. Tailor slots to your deck's strategy and curve.

## Key Clips

- **[01:47]** You need to build your ramp to hit the right timing of your deck's fundamental turn and not fall behind the table's pace. And this is our target. In most cases, the target is your commander.
- **[02:30]** There's an easy rule to follow. Focus on ramp cards with mana value two less than the mana value of your target.
- **[03:01]** For three mana value commanders, one mana value ramp is ideal. Cards like Llanowar Elves or Utopia Sprawl lets you play your three mana commanders on turn two. And this is where mana dorks really shine.
- **[03:43]** Four mana commanders is the sweet spot for two mana value ramp to cast your four mana commanders on turn three. This includes rocks like arcane signet, your guild signets, talismans, or spells like rampant growth or nature's lore.
- **[04:09]** At five or more mana commanders, you'll want a mix of two mana and three mana ramp. Cards like Worn Powerstone or Relic of Legends becomes much more attractive here. This is also the range where you can start to consider rituals even more.
- **[05:48]** Based on their work, the sweet spot is 12 ramp spells, 36 lands for 89% chance success.
- **[06:27]** At 36 lands, one mana ramp is hot garbage 22% of the time, while two mana ramp is hot garbage 38% of the time. And three mana ramp is hot garbage 54% of the time. So a 40% rate for two mana value ramp means that in almost half your games, they're worse than a land.
- **[07:36]** The best one mana dorks are birds of paradise, delighted halfling, deathrite shaman, noble hierarch, and ignoble hierarch. Depending on your color access, playing three dorks gives you 45% likelihood to hit a turn two commander.

## Tags

**Archetypes/Strategy:** ramp
**Format/Bracket:** 
**Card Categories:** ramp

Summary

This video explains how to design a ramp package for Commander decks around a target and timing. Ramp accelerates you in time, giving mana ahead of schedule so you hit your deck's "fundamental turn" (when it wins or becomes unfair) without falling behind the table's pace. The target is usually your commander. The core rule: play ramp with mana value two less than your target, so you cast it a turn early. One-mana dorks suit three-mana commanders; two-mana rocks (Arcane Signet, Talismans, Nature's Lore, Farseek) suit four-mana commanders; five-plus commanders want a two/three-mana mix plus rituals. Reducers, untappers, and mana doublers are situational; doublers are game-plan cards, not true ramp. For quantity, cite the dexstats analysis recommending 12 ramp + 36 lands for an 89% keepable-hand rate, refined by the "hot garbage" model: one-mana ramp is dead 22% of games, two-mana 38%, three-mana 54%, so don't cut lands. A sample 12-slot package: Sol Ring, three one-mana dorks, five two-mana rocks, three flexible three-mana rocks. Tailor slots to your deck's strategy and curve.

Key Clips

[01:47] You need to build your ramp to hit the right timing of your deck's fundamental turn and not fall behind the table's pace. And this is our target. In most cases, the target is your commander.
[02:30] There's an easy rule to follow. Focus on ramp cards with mana value two less than the mana value of your target.
[03:01] For three mana value commanders, one mana value ramp is ideal. Cards like Llanowar Elves or Utopia Sprawl lets you play your three mana commanders on turn two. And this is where mana dorks really shine.
[03:43] Four mana commanders is the sweet spot for two mana value ramp to cast your four mana commanders on turn three. This includes rocks like arcane signet, your guild signets, talismans, or spells like rampant growth or nature's lore.
[04:09] At five or more mana commanders, you'll want a mix of two mana and three mana ramp. Cards like Worn Powerstone or Relic of Legends becomes much more attractive here. This is also the range where you can start to consider rituals even more.
[05:48] Based on their work, the sweet spot is 12 ramp spells, 36 lands for 89% chance success.
[06:27] At 36 lands, one mana ramp is hot garbage 22% of the time, while two mana ramp is hot garbage 38% of the time. And three mana ramp is hot garbage 54% of the time. So a 40% rate for two mana value ramp means that in almost half your games, they're worse than a land.
[07:36] The best one mana dorks are birds of paradise, delighted halfling, deathrite shaman, noble hierarch, and ignoble hierarch. Depending on your color access, playing three dorks gives you 45% likelihood to hit a turn two commander.