Practical workflows for getting the most out of the MTG MCP server. Each recipe shows the prompts you would type, the real tool output you will see, and how the server's tools chain together behind the scenes. For installation, see the README.
All examples use natural language. The server's tools are invoked automatically by your AI assistant based on your request -- you never need to call tool names directly. The example outputs below are real responses from the server.
You are considering building a deck around a commander and want the full picture before committing.
Tools involved:
commander_overviewspellbook_find_combos
Prompts:
Tell me everything about Muldrotha, the Gravetide as a commander.
This pulls card data from Scryfall, top combos from Commander Spellbook, and staple cards from EDHREC into a single overview.
Example output:
Muldrotha, the Gravetide {3}{B}{G}{U}
Legendary Creature — Elemental Avatar (6/6)
EDHREC Rank: #1137 · Price: $0.69
During each of your turns, you may play a land and cast a permanent spell
of each permanent type from your graveyard.
--- Top Combos ---
1. Muldrotha + Kaya's Ghostform + Altar of Dementia + Lotus Petal
→ Infinite death triggers, Infinite ETB, Infinite LTB
2. Muldrotha + Displacer Kitten + Lotus Petal
→ Infinite colored mana, Infinite storm count
3. Muldrotha + Mindslaver
→ Control one opponent on each of their turns (Lock)
4. Muldrotha + Phyrexian Altar + Kaya's Ghostform
→ Infinite death triggers, Infinite ETB, Infinite LTB
5. Muldrotha + Displacer Kitten + Lion's Eye Diamond
→ Infinite colored mana, Infinite storm count
--- EDHREC Staples (22,460 decks) ---
High Synergy:
Spore Frog synergy +53% inclusion 60% (13,486 decks)
Seal of Primordium synergy +45% inclusion 49% (11,116 decks)
Kaya's Ghostform synergy +43% inclusion 48% (10,887 decks)
Top Cards:
Eternal Witness synergy +27% inclusion 53% (11,971 decks)
Animate Dead synergy +29% inclusion 42% (9,416 decks)
The Gitrog Monster synergy +27% inclusion 42% (9,368 decks)
Follow up to dig deeper into combos:
What other combos does Muldrotha enable in Sultai? Show me up to 20.
Tips: If you want to see how a commander stacks up against alternatives, jump to the "Compare Commanders" recipe below.
You bought a precon and have $30 to improve it.
Tools involved:
precon_upgradedeck_validate
Prompts:
Here is my Enduring Enchantments precon decklist with Daxos the Returned as commander. Suggest 10 upgrades under $30 total:
1 Daxos the Returned 1 Sol Ring 1 Sigil of the Empty Throne ... (paste full decklist)
The server identifies the weakest cards by synergy score and pairs each cut with a budget-friendly replacement. Once you have made swaps:
Validate this updated decklist for Commander with Daxos the Returned as commander:
(paste updated decklist)
What you get: Ranked swap pairs (cut this, add that) with reasoning. The server scores each card by EDHREC synergy and inclusion rate, protects combo pieces, and suggests replacements ranked by synergy improvement. This is followed by a legality check covering deck size, color identity, copy limits, and banned cards.
Tips: Adjust the budget parameter by being specific: "under $50 total" or "no card over $5". Use the upgrade_precon prompt for a guided multi-step session.
Starting from zero with a commander in mind.
Tools involved:
commander_overviewtheme_searchbuild_aroundcomplete_decksuggest_mana_basedeck_validate
Prompts:
Start with the big picture:
Give me a commander overview for Atraxa, Praetors' Voice.
Identify your theme:
Search for cards with a "proliferate" theme in WUBG colors, legal in Commander, under $5 each.
Example output (from theme_search):
Theme: counters (mapped from "proliferate")
10 cards found in WUBG, Commander-legal, under $5.00
Greta, Sweettooth Scourge {1}{B}{G} Legendary Creature $0.16
Pteramander {U} Creature $0.09
Warden of the First Tree {G} Creature $0.25
Yorvo, Lord of Garenbrig {G}{G}{G} Legendary Creature $0.33
Long List of the Ents {G} Enchantment — Saga $0.17
...
Build around your key pieces:
Find cards that synergize with Atraxa, Deepglow Skate, and Doubling Season for Commander.
Fill gaps in your partial list:
Here are my 45 cards so far. What am I missing to complete this Commander deck with Atraxa?
(paste partial decklist)
Add lands:
Suggest a mana base for this Commander decklist.
Validate everything:
Validate this decklist for Commander with Atraxa, Praetors' Voice.
What you get: A complete 100-card deck built step by step -- theme cards, synergy pieces, gap analysis with category suggestions (removal, card draw, ramp), land base with dual land recommendations, and a final legality check.
Tips: The build_deck prompt walks you through this entire flow interactively. You can also use tribal_staples instead of theme_search if building a tribal deck.
Torn between 2-3 commanders for a new deck.
Tools involved:
commander_comparison
Prompts:
Compare Muldrotha, Meren of Clan Nel Toth, and Karador Ghost Chieftain as graveyard commanders.
Example output:
Muldrotha Meren Karador
Mana Cost {3}{B}{G}{U} {2}{B}{G} {5}{W}{B}{G}
Color Identity BGU (Sultai) BG (Golgari) BGW (Abzan)
Stats 6/6 3/4 3/4
EDHREC Rank #1,137 #1,476 #9,894
Total Decks 22,460 19,919 6,305
Combo Count 10 1 10
Top Staples:
Muldrotha Spore Frog (+53%), Sakura-Tribe Elder (+36%), Eternal Witness (+27%)
Meren Spore Frog (+70%), Sakura-Tribe Elder (+55%), Viscera Seer (+52%)
Karador Karmic Guide (+51%), Satyr Wayfinder (+49%), Sun Titan (+48%)
Shared across all: Sakura-Tribe Elder, Eternal Witness, Spore Frog
Unique to Muldrotha: Blue card advantage, plays ANY permanent type from graveyard
Unique to Meren: Lower mana cost, experience counter scaling
Unique to Karador: White removal/recursion, cost reduction from graveyard size
Tips: Follow up with commander_overview on whichever one interests you most. The compare_commanders prompt adds combo and staple analysis on top.
You want to improve an existing deck without spending much.
Tools involved:
budget_upgradeevaluate_upgradecard_comparison
Prompts:
Suggest budget upgrades for my Atraxa deck where each card costs under $3.
Example output (from budget_upgrade):
Budget Upgrades for Atraxa, Praetors' Voice (under $3.00/card)
Rank Card Synergy Inclusion Price Synergy/$
1 Thrummingbird +20% 51% $0.20 0.80
2 Astral Cornucopia +19% 45% $0.30 0.63
3 Tezzeret's Gambit +20% 48% $0.32 0.63
Review the top suggestions in detail:
Evaluate adding Thrummingbird to my Atraxa deck.
Compare your top candidates head-to-head:
Compare Flux Channeler, Grateful Apparition, and Thrummingbird for Atraxa.
What you get: A ranked list of upgrades sorted by synergy-per-dollar, followed by detailed per-card evaluations with combo potential and EDHREC data, then a comparison table for your finalists.
Tips: The find_upgrades prompt automates this full flow. Adjust the budget ceiling to match your comfort level.
You want to study a format before sitting down to draft.
Tools involved:
set_overviewdraft_archetype_stats
Prompts:
Show me the top commons and uncommons for Foundations Premier Draft.
Example output (from set_overview):
Foundations (FDN) — PremierDraft
Median GIH WR: 54.7%
--- Top 10 Commons ---
Rank Card Color GIH WR ALSA IWD Games
1 Bake into a Pie B 58.4% 3.1 +5.3% 354,741
2 Burst Lightning R 58.2% 3.3 +3.0% 338,888
3 Refute U 58.1% 5.3 +4.3% 321,280
4 Stab B 57.9% 3.4 +4.5% 376,569
5 Dazzling Angel W 57.8% 3.2 +2.4% 317,648
6 Luminous Rebuke W 57.7% 3.9 +2.4% 293,089
7 Helpful Hunter W 57.6% 3.5 +2.0% 346,467
8 Bigfin Bouncer U 57.6% 4.5 +3.8% 330,544
9 Banishing Light W 57.5% 2.8 +2.5% 302,846
10 Felidar Savior W 57.4% 3.7 +2.1% 304,559
--- Top 10 Uncommons ---
Rank Card Color GIH WR ALSA IWD Games
1 Dreadwing Scavenger UB 61.4% 4.1 +9.2% 133,795
2 Mischievous Mystic U 60.4% 2.7 +6.8% 152,402
3 Micromancer U 59.3% 4.5 +5.1% 124,194
4 Faebloom Trick U 59.3% 3.2 +5.1% 151,980
5 Empyrean Eagle WU 59.2% 4.2 +4.0% 100,637
--- Trap Rares (below median GIH WR) ---
Doubling Season G 39.4% ← Iconic card, terrible in limited
Thousand-Year Storm UR 35.2% ← Lowest win rate in the set
Painful Quandary B 45.0%
Niv-Mizzet, Visionary UR 47.0%
...and 25 more rares/mythics below 54.7%
What are the best color pair archetypes in Foundations? Use dates from February 1 to March 15, 2025.
Tips: The draft_strategy prompt gives you a structured study session including heuristic thresholds for what counts as a good ALSA or IWD. Use keyword_explain if you encounter unfamiliar set mechanics.
Mid-draft, staring at a pack, not sure what to take.
Tools involved:
draft_pack_pick
Prompts:
Rank these cards for my Foundations draft pack: Serra Angel, Pacifism, Air Elemental, Giant Growth, Llanowar Elves, Mind Rot, Cancel, Elite Vanguard. Set code FDN. My picks so far are Pacifism and Serra Angel.
Example output:
FDN PremierDraft — Pack Rankings (current picks: Pacifism, Serra Angel → W)
Rank Card Color Rarity GIH WR ALSA IWD Games
1 Llanowar Elves G common 56.9% 3.4 +2.9% 232,793 [off-color]
2 Serra Angel W uncommon 54.8% 3.3 +0.4% 87,260 [on-color]
3 Giant Growth G common 54.1% 6.7 -0.2% 111,372 [off-color]
No 17Lands data: Pacifism, Air Elemental, Mind Rot, Cancel, Elite Vanguard
What you get: A table ranking each card by GIH Win Rate with color, rarity, ALSA, and IWD. When you provide your current picks, cards are tagged as on-color or off-color based on your draft direction.
Tips: Include your current picks for color-fit analysis. Cards with fewer than 500 games in the 17Lands dataset will show "no data." Use the full card name as printed -- 17Lands uses Arena card names which may differ from some reprints.
You opened your sealed pool and need help building the best 40-card deck.
Tools involved:
sealed_pool_build
Prompts:
Build a sealed deck from this Foundations pool (set code FDN):
Serra Angel, Pacifism, Air Elemental, Llanowar Elves, Giant Growth, ... (list all 84-90 cards)
What you get: Up to 3 two-color build suggestions ranked by total card quality score, with each build showing the full card list grouped by type, mana curve, and counts of bombs and removal. Scoring uses 17Lands GIH Win Rate data when available, with a heuristic fallback.
Tips: The sealed_session prompt guides you through the full session including sideboard planning.
You want to learn from a completed draft.
Tools involved:
draft_log_reviewdraft_signal_read
Prompts:
Review my Foundations draft picks in order from P1P1 to P3P14:
Serra Angel, Pacifism, Air Elemental, ... (list all 42 picks in draft order)
Then analyze what signals you may have missed:
Read the draft signals from those same picks for Foundations.
What you get: A pick-by-pick table with each card's GIH Win Rate and a verdict (great pick, fine, questionable), an average quality score, and a letter grade (A through F). The signal read shows which colors were open based on ALSA data and whether you stayed in the right lane.
Tips: The draft_review prompt chains both tools together automatically.
You have a decklist and want to make sure it is legal and has a solid mana base.
Tools involved:
deck_validatesuggest_mana_base
Prompts:
Validate this decklist for Modern:
4 Lightning Bolt 4 Monastery Swiftspear 4 Goblin Guide 4 Lava Spike 4 Rift Bolt ... (paste full decklist)
Example output (from deck_validate):
Format: Modern
Status: ✓ VALID
Total cards: 60
Unique cards resolved: 14/14
Legality issues: None
Copy limit violations: None
If it passes, optimize the lands:
Suggest a mana base for this Modern decklist.
What you get: A VALID/INVALID verdict with specific issues (banned cards, too many copies, wrong deck size), followed by a land base recommendation showing color pip analysis, basic land counts, and format-legal dual land suggestions.
Tips: For Commander, include the commander name: "Validate this for Commander with Muldrotha as commander." For Pauper, the validator also checks rarity restrictions. Use rotation_check to see which cards are about to rotate out of Standard.
Your deck feels off and you want a comprehensive health check.
Tools involved:
deck_analysissuggest_cuts
Prompts:
Analyze this Commander deck with Muldrotha as commander:
1 Muldrotha, the Gravetide 1 Sol Ring 1 Spore Frog ... (paste full decklist)
Then find what to cut:
What are the 5 weakest cards I should cut from this deck?
Example output (from suggest_cuts):
Cut Candidates for Muldrotha, the Gravetide
Sources: Spellbook ✓ EDHREC ✓
Rank Card Score Synergy Inclusion Combo?
1 Nihil Spellbomb 1.88 +6% 6% No
2 Vessel of Nascency 1.87 +6% 7% No
3 Caustic Caterpillar 1.73 +13% 14% No
4 Reclamation Sage 1.66 +12% 22% No
5 Life from the Loam 1.58 +13% 29% No
Higher score = more cuttable. Combo pieces are protected (score -2.0).
What you get: A full health report with mana curve distribution, color pip requirements, combo and bracket analysis, total deck budget, the 5 lowest-synergy cards, and a data sources summary. The cut suggestions rank cards by synergy and inclusion rate while protecting combo pieces.
Tips: The deck_health_check prompt runs both analyses together and provides prioritized recommendations. Follow up with budget_upgrade to find replacements for the cards you cut.
Mid-game, someone played a card and nobody is sure how it works.
Tools involved:
rules_interactionrules_scenariokeyword_explain
Prompts:
Start with the mechanic interaction:
How do deathtouch and trample interact when blocking?
Example output (from rules_interaction):
--- Deathtouch (Rule 702.2) ---
"A creature with toughness greater than 0 that's been dealt damage by a
source with deathtouch since the last time state-based actions were checked
is destroyed as a state-based action." (702.2b)
"Any nonzero amount of combat damage assigned to a creature by a source
with deathtouch is considered to be lethal damage for the purposes of
determining if a proposed combat damage assignment is valid, regardless
of that creature's toughness." (702.2c)
--- Trample (Rule 702.19) ---
"The controller of an attacking creature with trample first assigns damage
to the creature(s) blocking it. Once all those blocking creatures are
assigned lethal damage, any excess damage is assigned as its controller
chooses among those blocking creatures and the player..." (702.19b)
--- Interaction ---
Only 1 damage needs to be assigned to each blocker for lethal (702.2c + 702.19b).
A 6/6 with deathtouch and trample blocked by a 5/5: the attacker assigns
just 1 damage to the blocker (lethal due to deathtouch per 702.2c) and
the remaining 5 tramples through to the defending player.
Get a ruling for the specific board state:
My opponent attacks with a 6/6 trample creature. I block with a 2/2 deathtouch creature. How is damage assigned and what happens?
If a keyword is unfamiliar:
Explain the ward keyword and how it works.
Example output (from keyword_explain):
Ward (Rule 702.21)
"Whenever this permanent becomes the target of a spell or ability an
opponent controls, counter that spell or ability unless that player
pays [cost]." (702.21a)
Ward is a triggered ability, not a static one — it goes on the stack
and can be responded to. The cost varies by card (mana, life, discard, etc.).
Note: Ward only triggers from opponents' spells/abilities. Your own spells
targeting your creature with ward will not trigger it.
Tips: The rules_question prompt guides a full rules inquiry with citations. Use combat_calculator for complex multi-creature combat scenarios where you need the full step-by-step combat phase breakdown.
You want to see what people are playing in a competitive format.
Tools involved:
metagame_snapshotarchetype_decklist
Prompts:
What does the Modern metagame look like right now?
Example output (from metagame_snapshot):
Modern Metagame Snapshot
Tier 1 (>10% meta share):
Boros Energy 20.3% 142 decks ~$348
Mardu Energy 11.5% 80 decks ~$412
Tier 2 (3-10%):
Azorius Control 5.2% 36 decks ~$520
Jeskai Control 4.8% 33 decks ~$485
Golgari Midrange 3.9% 27 decks ~$380
Tier 3 (<3%):
Living End 2.1% 15 decks ~$290
Goryo's Vengeance 1.8% 12 decks ~$325
...
Drill into a specific deck:
Show me the stock Boros Energy decklist for Modern.
Tips: The explore_format prompt chains metagame exploration with archetype details automatically.
You have a mainboard and need a sideboard plan.
Tools involved:
suggest_sideboardsideboard_guidesideboard_matrix
Prompts:
Suggest a sideboard for this Modern deck:
4 Lightning Bolt 4 Monastery Swiftspear ... (paste full mainboard)
For a specific matchup plan:
Give me a sideboard guide for my deck against Azorius Control.
For the full matrix:
Generate a sideboard matrix for my deck across the top Modern matchups.
What you get: suggest_sideboard provides 15 categorized cards (graveyard hate, removal, counterspells, etc.) with format staple markers. sideboard_guide gives an in/out plan with reasoning per card. sideboard_matrix shows a grid with each sideboard card vs. each matchup as IN/OUT/FLEX.
Tips: The build_constructed_deck prompt walks through the full flow from metagame analysis to sideboard construction. Archetype names use fuzzy matching -- "boros energy" and "Boros Energy" both work.
You want to see what won recent events.
Tools involved:
spicerack_recent_tournamentsspicerack_tournament_resultsspicerack_format_decklists
Prompts:
What Legacy tournaments happened in the last two weeks?
Show me the top 8 standings from that tournament.
Show me the top-finishing decklists in Modern from the last two weeks.
What you get: Tournament listings with dates and player counts, full standings with Swiss and bracket records, and links to top-finishing decklists on Moxfield.
You want to find decklists for inspiration.
Tools involved:
moxfield_search_decksmoxfield_user_decksmoxfield_decklist
Prompts:
Search Moxfield for Modern decks.
Show me all public decks by user "aspiringspike".
Fetch the decklist from this Moxfield URL: https://www.moxfield.com/decks/abc123
What you get: Paginated deck search results with format, author, colors, and dates. User deck listings. Full decklists organized by board (mainboard, sideboard, commanders).
This cookbook covers the most common workflows. For the full list of all 69 tools, 19 prompts, and 21 resource templates, see TOOL_DESIGN.md.