As format originator Alex CK Szeto said on his site, General Damage Control, it all started with a tweet. A deck-building challenge, where Alex put his Twitter followers to a vote. What’s the maximum cost each card should be in a new, hypothetical format? A dollar won the day, and a format was born: 1DH, otherwise known as Dollar General. It’s still Commander, but every card must cost $1 or less via the pricing website of your choice, both commanders and the other 99. In our case, we’ll go by Cool Stuff prices.

Without some of the more effective Commander staples available to a deck-builder, including most of the popular generals, what sort of decks could a brewer come up with? Turns out there are quite a few interesting ideas to be had. Like the popular online format Pauper, the sky’s the limit when it comes to dollar Commander deck-building.

Of course, there’s one pitfall: the more 1DH spreads, especially if it gets mentioned on certain brewing sites or podcasts, the more likely some of the staple rares and Mythics will inch up above $1, making them unusable in 1DH. That just means dollar deck-builders will have to work harder to find fun ways to get their multiplayer Magic on while taking it easy on the pocketbook.

Format Staples

What cool and inexpensive Commanders and staples can be found in the 1DH format? Here are some effective choices for Commander that still make for fun and exciting games.

1DH Commander Staples ? Commander | Steve Horton

• (19)
• 1 Brago, King Eternal
• 1 Daghatar the Adamant
• 1 Dakkon Blackblade
• 1 Edric, Spymaster of Trest
• 1 Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
• 1 Kumano, Master Yamabushi
• 1 Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero
• 1 Lovisa Coldeyes
• 1 Mayael the Anima
• 1 Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
• 1 Selenia, Dark Angel
• 1 Sharuum the Hegemon
• 1 Stonebrow, Krosan Hero
• 1 Szadek, Lord of Secrets
• 1 Talrand, Sky Summoner
• 1 Thraximundar
• 1 Tsabo Tavoc
• 1 Xira Arien
• 1 Zur the Enchanter

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Here are the low-priced staples that find their way into many a Commander deck, depending on color identity.

1DH Format Staples ? Commander| Steve Horton

• (30)
• 1 Animate Dead
• 1 Armillary Sphere
• 1 Boompile
• 1 Commander's Sphere
• 1 Crux of Fate
• 1 Crystal Ball
• 1 Death or Glory
• 1 Decimator of the Provinces
• 1 Decree of Justice
• 1 Diabolic Tutor
• 1 Dualcaster Mage
• 1 Everflowing Chalice
• 1 Fact or Fiction
• 1 Flametongue Kavu
• 1 Ghost Quarter
• 1 Hallowed Burial
• 1 Mind Stone
• 1 Mnemonic Wall
• 1 Oblation
• 1 Pilgrim's Eye
• 1 Planar Void
• 1 Prismatic Lens
• 1 Red Sun's Zenith
• 1 Swiftfoot Boots
• 1 Temple of the False God
• 1 Terminus
• 1 Throne of the High City
• 1 Treasury Thrull
• 1 White Sun's Zenith
• 1 Windbrisk Raptor

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Also, the Karoo lands from original Ravnica block and the color mana rocks such as Diamonds, Cluestones, Keyrunes and Signets are musts for most any deck.

Sample 1DH Decks

Here’s a selection of 1DH decks from around the Internet that enthusiasts have found effective. Of course, half the fun of Commander in general, especially variants, is building a deck of your own. Start with one of the preconstructed decks, cut the Sol Rings and any other chase cards, and brew from there.

Ulrich of the Krallenhorde ? 1DH| amanharan

• Commander (1)
• 1 Ulrich of the Krallenhorde

• Creatures (24)
• 1 Assembled Alphas
• 1 Burnished Hart
• 1 Champion of Rhonas
• 1 Fa'adiyah Seer
• 1 Geier Reach Bandit
• 1 Ghor-Clan Rampager
• 1 Hermit of the Natterknolls
• 1 Hinterland Logger
• 1 Immerwolf
• 1 Kessig Cagebreakers
• 1 Khenra Charioteer
• 1 Krosan Tusker
• 1 Lambholt Pacifist
• 1 Nantuko Mentor
• 1 Sage of Ancient Lore
• 1 Scourge Wolf
• 1 Shefet Monitor
• 1 Silverfur Partisan
• 1 Solitary Hunter
• 1 Spirit of the Hunt
• 1 Witchstalker
• 1 Wolf of Devil's Breach
• 1 Wolfbitten Captive
• 1 Young Wolf

• Instants (5)
• 1 Ancient Grudge
• 1 Expedite
• 1 Feed the Clan
• 1 Gruul Charm
• 1 Signal the Clans

• Soreries (13)
• 1 Clan Defiance
• 1 Faithless Looting
• 1 Ground Assault
• 1 Harmonize
• 1 Map the Wastes
• 1 Prey Upon
• 1 Primal Growth
• 1 Rabid Bite
• 1 Rampant Growth
• 1 Reckless Charge
• 1 Renewal
• 1 Rishkar's Expertise
• 1 Shamanic Revelation

• Enchantments (8)
• 1 Berserkers' Onslaught
• 1 Fervor
• 1 Fires of Yavimaya
• 1 Gaea's Anthem
• 1 Gratuitous Violence
• 1 Quest for Pure Flame
• 1 Seal of Fire
• 1 Zendikar Resurgent

• Artifacts (12)
• 1 Commander's Sphere
• 1 Crystal Ball
• 1 Edifice of Authority
• 1 Fire Diamond
• 1 Firewild Borderpost
• 1 Gruul Cluestone
• 1 Gruul Keyrune
• 1 Hazoret's Monument
• 1 Horn of Ramos
• 1 Lifecrafter's Bestiary
• 1 Rhonas's Monument
• 1 Tormod's Crypt

• Lands (37)
• 14 Mountain
• 15 Forest
• 1 Blighted Woodland
• 1 Evolving Wilds
• 1 Gruul Guildgate
• 1 Gruul Turf
• 1 Rugged Highlands
• 1 Temple of the False God
• 1 Terminal Moraine
• 1 Tranquil Thicket

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Depala, Pilot Exemplar ? 1DH | Alex CK Szeto

• Commander (1)
• 1 Depala, Pilot Exemplar

• Creatures (17)
• 1 Aeronaut Admiral
• 1 Desolation Giant
• 1 Duergar Hedge-Mage
• 1 Duergar Mine-Captain
• 1 Felhide Spiritbinder
• 1 Hoarding Dragon
• 1 Kor Cartographer
• 1 Master Trinketeer
• 1 Mirror Entity
• 1 Oreskos Explorer
• 1 Renegade Wheelsmith
• 1 Restoration Specialist
• 1 Sram, Senior Edificer
• 1 Stonecloaker
• 1 Taurean Mauler
• 1 Veteran Motorist
• 1 Visionary Augmenter

• Instants (4)
• 1 Crib Swap
• 1 Starstorm
• 1 Unexpectedly Absent
• 1 Wear // Tear

• Sorceries (11)
• 1 Descend upon the Sinful
• 1 Faithless Looting
• 1 Gift of Estates
• 1 Mizzium Mortars
• 1 Open the Vaults
• 1 Phyrexian Rebirth
• 1 Planar Outburst
• 1 Scrap Mastery
• 1 Start Your Engines
• 1 Tragic Arrogance
• 1 Vandalblast

• Enchantments (4)
• 1 Bedlam
• 1 Berserkers' Onslaught
• 1 Gratuitous Violence
• 1 Rite of the Raging Storm

• Artifacts (25)
• 1 Aradara Express
• 1 Ballista Charger
• 1 Bomat Bazaar Barge
• 1 Boros Keyrune
• 1 Boros Signet
• 1 Cultivator's Caravan
• 1 Daredevil Dragster
• 1 Demolition Stomper
• 1 Everflowing Chalice
• 1 Fleetwheel Cruiser
• 1 Foriysian Totem
• 1 Guardian Idol
• 1 Hedron Archive
• 1 Honor-Worn Shaku
• 1 Mask of Memory
• 1 Mind Stone
• 1 Mobile Garrison
• 1 Ovalchase Dragster
• 1 Peacewalker Colossus
• 1 Renegade Freighter
• 1 Sky Skiff
• 1 Thunder Totem
• 1 Untethered Express
• 1 Wayfarer's Bauble
• 1 Worn Powerstone

• Lands (38)
• 10 Plains
• 8 Mountain
• 1 Ancient Amphitheater
• 1 Bant Panorama
• 1 Battlefield Forge
• 1 Boros Guildgate
• 1 Buried Ruin
• 1 Dread Statuary
• 1 Esper Panorama
• 1 Ghitu Encampment
• 1 Grixis Panorama
• 1 Holdout Settlement
• 1 Inventors' Fair
• 1 Jund Panorama
• 1 Mishra's Factory
• 1 Naya Panorama
• 1 Slayers' Stronghold
• 1 Spinerock Knoll
• 1 Stone Quarry
• 1 Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion
• 1 Temple of the False God
• 1 Wind-Scarred Crag

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Slobad, Goblin Tinkerer ? 1DH | Andrew Magrini

• Commander (1)
• 1 Slobad, Goblin Tinkerer

• Creatures (31)
• 1 Burnished Hart
• 1 Cathodion
• 1 Epochrasite
• 1 Extruder
• 1 Frogmite
• 1 Ghirapur Gearcrafter
• 1 Hellkite Igniter
• 1 Hoard-Smelter Dragon
• 1 Ingot Chewer
• 1 Iron League Steed
• 1 Juggernaut
• 1 Junk Diver
• 1 Kuldotha Phoenix
• 1 Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient
• 1 Moltensteel Dragon
• 1 Myr Battlesphere
• 1 Myr Enforcer
• 1 Myr Retriever
• 1 Pilgrim's Eye
• 1 Quicksmith Genius
• 1 Sandstone Oracle
• 1 Scrap Trawler
• 1 Shimmer Myr
• 1 Steel Hellkite
• 1 Thopter Assembly
• 1 Thopter Engineer
• 1 Toymaker
• 1 Treasure Keeper
• 1 Tuktuk the Explorer
• 1 Viashino Heretic
• 1 Workshop Assistant

• Instants (3)
• 1 Comet Storm
• 1 Shattering Pulse
• 1 Volcanic Fallout

• Sorceries (8)
• 1 Breath of Darigaaz
• 1 Disaster Radius
• 1 Earthquake
• 1 Faithless Looting
• 1 Molten Psyche
• 1 Scrap Mastery
• 1 Trash for Treasure
• 1 Vandalblast

• Artifacts (21)
• 1 Blinkmoth Urn
• 1 Commander's Sphere
• 1 Darksteel Ingot
• 1 Empyrial Plate
• 1 Hammer of Purphoros
• 1 Ichor Wellspring
• 1 Jalum Tome
• 1 Liquimetal Coating
• 1 Mask of Memory
• 1 Mind Stone
• 1 Mycosynth Wellspring
• 1 Prophetic Prism
• 1 Scrapheap
• 1 Spine of Ish Sah
• 1 Staff of Nin
• 1 Surveyor's Scope
• 1 Swiftfoot Boots
• 1 Thran Forge
• 1 Touchstone
• 1 Unstable Obelisk
• 1 Wayfarer's Bauble

• Lands (35)
• 13 Mountain
• 16 Wastes
• 1 Dormant Volcano
• 1 Evolving Wilds
• 1 Forgotten Cave
• 1 Smoldering Crater
• 1 Temple of the False God
• 1 Terramorphic Expanse

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I’d Buy That for a Dollar!

When it comes down to it, 1DH is a fun, budget-friendly Commander variant that’s great for table politics, isn’t too degenerate and is easy for anyone to throw together. As a bonus, many 1DH players play without sleeves for that old-school feel. Why not? They’re dollar cards.