Bracket Estimates
TableCommander automatically estimates a bracket (1-4) for Commander, Brawl, and Oathbreaker decks based on the cards in your deck. This helps players find games at a similar power level.
Bracket Levels
| Bracket | Label | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exhibition | Precons, low-power casual decks |
| 2 | Core | Includes some tutors or extra turn cards |
| 3 | Upgraded | Multiple tutors, extra turns, or game changers |
| 4 | Optimized | Heavy tutoring, mass land denial, or many game changers |
How It Works
The estimate is based on four card flags that are tagged during our Scryfall data import:
Tutors
Cards that say "search your library" — excluding basic land searches (like Evolving Wilds or Rampant Growth) and land-type cards.
Extra Turn Cards
Cards that grant extra turns. Cards that prevent or skip extra turns (like Stranglehold) are excluded.
Mass Land Denial
Cards that destroy all lands or all nonbasic lands, plus a curated list of known MLD cards (e.g., Armageddon, Ravages of War).
Game Changers
Cards tagged as "Game Changers" by Scryfall's own classification (is:gamechanger). This list is maintained by Scryfall and updated with each card import.
Bracket Thresholds
The estimate follows these rules, highest bracket wins:
Bracket 4 if any of:
- Any mass land denial cards
- 4+ game changers
- 7+ tutors
Bracket 3 if any of:
- Any game changers (fewer than 4)
- 3+ extra turn cards
- 4-6 tutors
Bracket 2 if any of:
- Any extra turn cards
- Any tutors
Bracket 1 — no flags triggered.
Why Is My Deck Bracket Lower Than Expected?
The estimate only looks at four specific card categories. It does not account for:
- Card quality or price — Sol Ring and Mana Crypt don't affect the estimate
- Combos — infinite combos aren't detected
- Fast mana — Mana Vault, Chrome Mox, etc. are not flagged
- Interaction density — counterspells, removal, and stax pieces
- Mana base quality — fetch lands, dual lands, etc.
- Overall strategy — a focused combo deck with no tutors will estimate low
A deck can be very strong and still estimate at Bracket 2 if it doesn't run many tutors, extra turns, MLD, or game changers.
Manual Override
You can always set your deck's bracket manually from the deck page. Your manual bracket takes priority over the estimate. If you know your deck plays at a higher level than the estimate suggests, set it yourself — your playgroup will appreciate the honesty.