Cultivate
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Sorcery
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Secrets of Strixhaven Commander (SOC)
Cultivate appears in 17% of tracked Commander decks on Playgroup Live. When drawn, it's cast 64% of the time, with a median first-cast turn of 4 and a win rate of 42% in games where it resolves.
Cultivate sits in 17% of the 1,707 Commander decks tracked on Playgroup Live, appearing across 292 distinct decklists. That figure understates its reach: the card is a green staple, but it competes with a crowded ramp slot and is only available to decks running green.
64% of drawn Cultivates are cast before the game ends. That draw-to-play rate is slightly below the format's most auto-include staples, and the timing data explains why: the median hand-wait before casting is 1 turn, and only 40% of instances are cast the same turn they're drawn. Players are frequently holding it one extra turn to sequence lands optimally or to avoid tapping out at a dangerous moment. Of 74 observed casts, 31 came in winning games, a 42% win rate compared to 36% when the card never left the library. That +6 point delta is directional at this sample size, consistent with ramp doing what ramp is supposed to do.
Cultivate is legal in Commander, Pauper Commander, Duel Commander, and every other multiplayer format where it's eligible. Its color identity is mono-green, so any commander touching green can run it. The top commanders on Playgroup Live running it span Golgari, Temur, Naya, and five-color builds, confirming it's a format-wide ramp piece rather than a synergy-specific include.
- 17% of tracked Commander decks include Cultivate
- 64% of drawn Cultivates are cast before the game ends
- T4 median first-cast turn, peaking across turns 2-7
- +6pt win rate delta when cast vs. when it stays in the library
- 40% of cast instances played the same turn they were drawn
- 292 distinct decks including Cultivate across 356 tracked games
First-cast turn
n=88The "good card" funnel
592 broughtOf 442 Cultivates brought to games, 104 were drawn, 74 of those were cast, and a 64% draw-to-play rate confirms players are acting on it the majority of the time they see it.
Players who cast this card win 41% of the time (n=88) , vs 37% when it never left the library (n=452).
Final zone distribution
592 instances329 of the tracked Cultivate instances never left the library, the expected outcome for a singleton in a 100-card deck, and 81 ended in the graveyard after resolving as intended.
Top commanders running this card
by deck count-
1
Dina, Essence Brewer
32 decks
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2
Me, the Immortal
13 decks
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3
Pantlaza, Sun-Favored
13 decks
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4
Quandrix, the Proof
13 decks
-
5
Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait
12 decks
-
6
Hearthhull, the Worldseed
12 decks
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7
Ashling, the Limitless
11 decks
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8
Bello, Bard of the Brambles
11 decks
-
9
Rin and Seri, Inseparable
10 decks
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10
Frodo, Adventurous Hobbit
9 decks
The top commander runs 24 decks, but the list spreads quickly across Golgari, Temur, Naya, Simic, and five-color builds, reflecting how broadly green ramp is adopted regardless of archetype.
How often is Cultivate drawn in a Commander game? ▾
Across 439 deck participations tracked on Playgroup Live, Cultivate was drawn in 23.5% of instances. That's a normal draw rate for a singleton in a 100-card deck. Of the 104 times it reached a player's hand, 74 instances were cast, a draw-to-play rate of 64%.
What turn does Cultivate usually get cast? ▾
The median first-cast turn is 4, which lines up with its 3-mana cost and typical Commander ramp sequencing. The distribution is fairly flat from turns 2 through 7, with most casts clustered in turns 3-6. Only 3 casts were recorded on turn 1, likely via acceleration from other ramp pieces. The p90 cutoff is turn 7, meaning 90% of all casts happen by then.
Does casting Cultivate actually help you win? ▾
The data is directional. In participations where Cultivate was cast, the win rate was 42% across 74 observations. In participations where it sat in the library all game, the win rate was 36% across 329 observations. That +6 point delta is consistent with ramp improving game outcomes, but the sample size is not large enough to treat it as statistically conclusive. Treat it as an early positive signal.
Why do players sometimes hold Cultivate for a turn instead of casting it immediately? ▾
Only 40% of Cultivate instances were cast the same turn they were drawn. The median hand-wait is 1 turn and some instances sat as long as 5 turns. At 3 mana in a multiplayer game, casting it often means tapping out during another player's threat window. Players frequently wait one turn to keep up interaction, or hold it to guarantee they hit a specific land type on their next main phase.
Is Cultivate legal in Commander and Pauper Commander? ▾
Yes. Cultivate is legal in Commander, Pauper Commander, Duel Commander, Legacy, Modern, Pioneer, Vintage, Pauper, Historic, Timeless, and several other formats. It is not legal in Standard, Alchemy, or Standard Brawl. Its mono-green color identity means any Commander deck that includes green can run it.
Which commanders run Cultivate most on Playgroup Live? ▾
The top Cultivate commanders on Playgroup Live are Dina, Essence Brewer (24 decks), Me, the Immortal (12 decks), and Pantlaza, Sun-Favored (12 decks). The list spans Golgari, Temur, Naya, Simic, and five-color builds, showing that Cultivate is treated as a generic green ramp piece rather than a synergy-dependent include. Any commander with access to green is a candidate.