Build a Commander Deck with Secret Lair x Garfield Cards
By Secret Lair | Magic: The Gathering | Official Online Store | Published: 2026-10-17
Category: How-to Guides
Learn how to build a Commander deck using Secret Lair x Garfield cards. Step-by-step guide with tips on theme, synergy, and avoiding common mistakes.
Quick Answer
To build a Commander deck with Secret Lair x Garfield cards, start by choosing a Garfield-themed commander that matches your playstyle. Focus on card synergy and include the Garfield cards as flavorful inclusions. Avoid overloading on joke cards; balance them with functional staples.
Understanding the Garfield Cards
Secret Lair x Garfield cards are reprints of existing Magic: The Gathering cards with Garfield-themed artwork and names. They retain the original card's rules text, so they function identically in gameplay. This means you can use them in any Commander deck that already allows those cards.
The set includes cards like "Secret Lair x Garfield: As Intended" and "Secret Lair x Garfield: Motivationally Challenged Foil Edition." These are not new cards but alternate-art versions of classic MTG cards, making them ideal for adding personality to your deck without changing its mechanics.
Choosing Your Commander
Your commander should synergize with the Garfield cards you plan to include. Since the Garfield cards are reprints, you can build around any commander that works with the original cards. For example, if you include a Garfield-themed removal spell, a commander that rewards control or removal is a good fit.
Consider commanders that match the Garfield theme of laziness or cynicism. While there's no official Garfield commander, you can choose a commander that embodies similar traits, such as a creature with low mana cost or one that encourages a passive playstyle.
Building the Deck
Start with a standard Commander deck skeleton: 35-40 lands, 10-15 ramp spells, 10-15 removal spells, and the rest as creatures and synergies. Replace some of these slots with Garfield-themed reprints for flavor. For example, use the Garfield version of a removal spell instead of the original.
Keep the deck balanced. It's tempting to fill the deck with every Garfield card, but too many joke cards can weaken your strategy. Aim for 5-10 Garfield cards that fit your game plan, and fill the rest with functional staples.
Step-by-Step Deck Building Process
- Step 1: Pick Your Commander: Choose a commander that fits the Garfield theme or synergizes with the cards you want to include. For example, a commander that rewards control or has a low mana cost works well. Checkpoint: Does your commander's color identity include all the Garfield cards you want to use?
- Step 2: Select Garfield Cards: Pick 5-10 Garfield-themed reprints that serve a purpose in your deck. Focus on cards that fill roles like removal, card draw, or creatures. Common mistake: Don't include a Garfield card just for the art if it doesn't fit your strategy.
- Step 3: Build the Mana Base: Include 35-40 lands, with enough sources of each color to cast your spells consistently. Use dual lands and mana rocks to smooth out your curve. Checkpoint: Count the colored mana symbols in your deck to ensure your land base supports them.
- Step 4: Add Synergy and Staples: Fill the remaining slots with ramp, removal, and creatures that work with your commander. Keep the deck focused on a single game plan. Common mistake: Adding too many high-cost cards can leave you with nothing to do in the early game.
- Step 5: Playtest and Adjust: Play a few games to see how the deck performs. Swap out underperforming cards for better options, and adjust the land count if you get mana screwed or flooded. Next step: Tune the deck based on your playgroup's power level and meta.
Key Products for Your Deck
- Secret Lair x Garfield: As Intended: Description Garfield has never been difficult to understand. Feed him, leave him alone, and accept that Odie is, more often than not, collateral damage. Some cats bring joy. Garfield brings appetite, cynicism, and the kind of self-assurance usually reserved for royalty and people who have never once been asked to do their own dishes. Inspired by Magic’s earliest playtest cards and the clipped newspaper-and-magazine… This product includes cards with a nostalgic, playtest-card aesthetic that can add a unique visual flair to your Commander deck while keeping the original card functionality.
- Secret Lair x Garfield: Motivationally Challenged Foil Edition: Description Garfield has strong feelings about motivational posters, and all of them are negative. Why chase your dreams when you could sleep through them? Why offer encouragement when a stare of pure disapproval gets the point across faster? Why reach for the stars when the couch is right there? Why greet the week with hope when Monday has already made its position clear? Caleb Meurer and Greg Schigiel tap into… The foil edition adds a premium finish that makes your deck stand out, but be aware that foil cards can curl in humid conditions—a tradeoff for the bling.
