Methodology: how DeckForge calculates Duel statistics
Every number on DeckForge comes from real, public Duel Commander (Duel) decklists — not editorial opinion. This page explains exactly where the data comes from and how each statistic is computed, so you can judge the numbers for yourself.
1. Data sources
Card data (names, types, mana value, color identity, and format legality) comes from Scryfall. Decklists are collected from public Duel decks on Moxfield. The dataset is refreshed weekly.
2. Which decks count
A deck is included only if it is a legal, complete Duel Commander list: every card must be legal in Duel (within the commander's color identity), and the deck must have a full 100-card mainboard with a sensible land count. Broken, incomplete, or non-singleton lists are flagged invalid and excluded from every statistic.
3. Inclusion rate
A card's inclusion rate for a commander is the percentage of that commander's tracked decks that run the card. If 80 of 100 tracked decks for a commander include a card, its inclusion rate is 80%. This is the primary "how often is this played" signal.
4. Synergy score
A card's synergy score is its inclusion rate for this commander minus its global play rate — how often the card appears across all decks that could legally run it. A high synergy score means the card is played far more with this commander than in Duel generally, so it points to cards that define the commander rather than format-wide staples everyone plays.
5. Eligible vs. actual decks
The global play rate uses eligible decks as its denominator — only decks whose commander's color identity can legally include the card. A white card isn't counted against mono-blue decks that could never play it. This keeps the comparison fair across colors.
6. Minimum data threshold
A commander needs at least 10 tracked decks before DeckForge shows full statistics; below that, the sample is too small to be meaningful and the commander is flagged as not having enough data.
7. Limitations
The data reflects public decklists on Moxfield, which is a large but not exhaustive sample of the Duel metagame — paper-only and unpublished decks aren't visible. Because the dataset refreshes weekly, very new cards take a little time to appear at their true play rate. We show real sample sizes everywhere so you can weigh the numbers accordingly.
Questions about the data? See About DeckForge.