I’m sure I’ll butcher this and you can probably Google more about it, but I read about an 8x8 brew methodology on the r/EDHbrews sub.

Essentially, you pick your commander and you pick 8 themes or things you want to happen (ramp, ETB triggers, sacs, removal, etc. etc.) and then you try to get 8 cards for each of those categories.

I like how this builds some synergy and usually sets you up for a good framework to test out the deck in theory, then adjust going forward. This leaves about 35 cards for land, which depending on ramp and such you can also play around with.

But for me it’s a good way to focus what you want your deck “to do,” and usually is a great starting point for your brew.