Wizards Admits Commander Precons Aren’t Beginner-Friendly — Spider-Man Set Uses New Welcome Decks

Wizards of the Coast’s Commander preconstructed decks are a huge part of Magic: The Gathering today, but the company’s lead designers say those decks aren’t the simplest way for someone to start playing. Instead, Wizards is using lighter products for new players in some crossover sets.

1. What Commander is and how precons grew
2. Why preconstructed Commander decks aren’t always beginner-friendly
3. Spider-Man, Welcome Decks, and product choices
4. What Wizards’ designers have said

What Commander is and how precons grew

Commander started as a fan-created format in the 2000s and has become Magic’s most popular way to play. In 2011, Wizards released the first official, pre-constructed 100-card Commander decks. Those early precons were widely criticized as low quality; for example, many players pointed to how the older precons performed.

Since then, preconstructed Commander decks — often called “precons” — have become a marquee product for new sets. In fact, when Magic broke previous sales records with a Final Fantasy crossover earlier this year, the precons were a major driver. Demand for some of those decks jumped, and prices briefly spiked into three-figure territory, even though the typical sale price is around $45.

Why preconstructed Commander decks aren’t always beginner-friendly

Precons can be complex. Over the years, they’ve increasingly included deep synergies and tricky cards that work well in multiplayer Commander games but can overwhelm someone who’s brand new to Magic.

Consequently, Wizards’ current philosophy has shifted. Instead of aiming precons at absolute newcomers, the company often designs them for players who already know some Magic basics and want a polished, ready-to-play Commander experience. In short, precons are popular, but not always the easiest entry point.

Spider-Man, Welcome Decks, and product choices

For this year’s Spider-Man crossover, Wizards opted not to include Commander precons. Instead, the Spider-Man set ships with Welcome Decks, which are simpler 60-card products intended for new players and the game’s original format.

Furthermore, Wizards has said future Marvel-themed sets will include preconstructed products again, but the immediate Spider-Man strategy prioritized making something accessible.

What Wizards’ designers have said

Corey Bowen, a senior game designer who has worked on over 30 precons and led design for the Spider-Man set, described the team’s ongoing debate about complexity. He said: “There’s always a pendulum swinging on our preconstructed Commander decks,” Bowen tells Polygon. “Should we be lowering the complexity? We’re constantly evolving our Commander philosophy.”

Mark Rosewater, Magic’s head designer, summed up the stance plainly. He said: “We don’t think of Commander decks as entry level,” Rosewater says. “They are nice to get people introduced to the Commander format, but if you’re starting Magic cold, Commander is not the simplest.”

Finally, Bowen highlighted the specific choice for Spider-Man: “Spider-Man being a very well known character across all age groups makes it a really good place to make products that are as new-player-friendly as possible,” Bowen adds.