Build Commander Decks in Icarian
I’ve been playing Commander for years, and the actual deckbuilding process has always been the weakest link. You’re juggling a spreadsheet, Scryfall tabs, your physical collection, Reddit threads and a notes app—all to answer one question: can I actually build this deck with the cards I own?
Most deck builders treat your list as abstract. Icarian treats it as real.
Start With Your Commander
Pick your commander and Icarian tracks the color identity for you. Every card you add gets validated in real-time—no more discovering your sweet tech was recently banned after you’ve already ordered it.
Running Partners? Select your first commander, add the second, and both contribute to your deck’s identity. The validation just works.
Building the 99
The card search is fast. Start typing, select from the suggestions, and the card appears in your list immediately. No page reloads, no friction.
Cards organize themselves by type—Creatures, Instants, Artifacts, Lands—so you can see the shape of your deck without counting. Each card shows its current market price and whether you already own a copy.
There’s also a “Considering” list for cards you’re evaluating. I use this constantly. Move cards between your main deck and considering list as your strategy evolves.
Validation That Actually Helps
The validation panel catches the mistakes that waste your time:
- Card count: Are you at 100 yet?
- Singleton rule: Did you accidentally add a second copy?
- Color identity: Is that card actually legal in this deck?
- Format legality: Is anything banned?
This updates as you build. You always know where you stand.
See What You’re Building
Live analytics show your deck’s composition as you work:
- Mana curve: Can you actually cast spells in the early game?
- Card types: What’s your creature-to-spell ratio?
- Color distribution: Does your mana base support your costs?
- Land count: Are you in the 33-40 range?
I’ve caught plenty of problems here—curves that peak at 5, colors I can’t reliably cast—before sleeving up and finding out the hard way.
The Part That Actually Matters
Here’s where Icarian differs from everything else I’ve used: it knows your collection.
Green checkmarks show which cards you own. You can see where they’re stored, whether they’re in a binder, whether they’re available for trade. When you’re building a deck, you can instantly see how much of it you already have versus what you need to acquire.
When you’re ready to sleeve up, mark the deck as “built.” This reserves specific cards from your collection—down to the exact copy and finish (foil, etched, regular). Those reserved cards get excluded from your trade pool automatically.
I can’t overstate how useful this is. No agreeing to trade away a card and realizing it was in a deck. No more wondering which copy of Sol Ring goes in which deck. No more knowing I have 3 Misty Rainforests but not remembering if they are all already spoken for.
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