If you’re buying a Commander preconstructed deck for the first time, you might wonder what kind of deck box are you getting alongside it. A deck box is always listed among the contents, but there isn’t much information about it. In today’s article, we’re going to look at how the typical deck box from a Commander precon looks like.
As an example, for this article, we included photos of deck boxes we provided photos of deck boxes from Lord of the Rings Commander decks. While the deck boxes will differ from one set to another, the major things, such a quality and the design, are mostly similar. So, even if you’re buying a Commander precon from another set, you should get a good idea of what to expect.
Out of the Box
When you open Commander precon you’ll get the deck box folded like this:
It’s easy to assemble it. You just expand it, and push the bottom down from inside the box. Here’s how it looks when you put it together:
The biggest thing this deck box has going for it, is the official design, which matches your commander perfectly. (Provided you decide to keep the main commander from the precon.)
Dimensions
The dimensions of the deck box are approximately 2.4 × 2.8 × 3.7 inch (6 × 7 × 9.5 cm).
One neat thing this allows you to do is to put all the Commander deck’s contents into the box, if you don’t unwrap the cards. This included the Sample Collector booster, life counter, strategy insert, +1/+1 counters, all cards, and tokens.
So, if you bought a precon, and you don’t have time to play with it, but want to save some space, you can open it, and put everything in the deck box.
How Many Cards Fit in the Precon’s Deck Box?
How useful a deck box is depends on how many cards you can fit into it.
If you put 100-cards, plus all the tokens into the deck box unsleeved, they’ll fit inside easily. The deck box will still have enough space for another 50 cards or so.
On the other hand, if you will sleeve your cards, as you probably should, the deck box has enough space for 100 sleeved cards. Perhaps, you could fit in a couple more, but the 10 tokens you get alongside the deck won’t fit, without damaging the box.
(Note that the exact numbers might vary depending on which sleeves you’ll use. We were using Dragon Shield sleeves, as we consider them one of the best MTG sleeves.)
So, while it’s nice that you can at least fit a whole sleeved Commander deck inside, it’s a shame that you can’t also have enough room for the tokens.
Quality
Now we’ve reached the worst part about the deck box that you get in a Commander precon. It’s simply not a very durable, as it’s made from cardboard not much different from that of a Magic card.
So, if you’re planning to carry your deck around in a backpack, we wouldn’t recommend you use this deck box for that. It’ll quickly get damaged, and so will your cards.
On the other hand, if you aren’t planning on carrying your deck around, then the deck box does perfectly fine. Keep it in your closet/drawer, where you have the rest of your cards, and it will last for a while. Just be careful when you’re opening the box, as you might tear it, if you’re too quick.
Alternatives
So what should you use if you are planning to take your deck to a game night at your friend’s place or the store? Well, thankfully, there are plenty of alternatives, if you’re looking for something more durable. They don’t even need to be very expensive. Here’s one example of a great budget-friendly deck box:
Budget Option: Ultra Pro Satin Tower
This deck box isn’t fancy looking, but it does its job perfectly fine. It’s sturdy, it’s durable, and it will last you for a long, long time. It has enough space for your deck, plus some tokens.
On top of that, it has an additional compartment for dice. You won’t be forgetting your dice no more. The final great thing about this product is that you can get it fairly cheap, especially considering the quality of the product you’re getting.
Best Overall: Ultimate Guard Flip’n’Tray 100+
Another great option you have is the Flip’n’Tray deck box from Ultimate Guard. It’s nicer looking, has a sleeker design, while still being very durable, and well-made.
If you want a bit nicer option, then this one is a great pickup.
You can find more options in our article about the best MTG Deck Boxes for Commander, where we went into more details on what to look for when buying a deck box.
Conclusion
To quickly recap – the deck box from Commander precon is fine, if you plan on using it just as a container for your deck at home. If you want to take your deck with you, you’ll need something sturdier.
If you’re still deciding which precon to get, you can find a list of all Commander precons here. For each precon, we also included the iconic cards, and a quick commentary on what it’s about.
Finally, if you have any additional questions about the deck boxes that come with Commander decks, leave a comment below, and we’ll get back to you.
Until next time, have fun, and may your hand always contain a turn 1 Sol Ring.