Commander (designation)

Commander
[[File:{{#setmainimage:Commander.svg}}|70x70px]]
Mechanic
Introduced	EDH
Last used	EDH
Scryfall Search
fulloracle:"Commander"

For other uses, see Commander (disambiguation).

The commander (formerly general) is a designation to describe the central card of a Commander deck. It starts the game in, and is usually played from, the command zone. Being a commander is not a characteristic but a property of the card.

Description

A player's choice of commander determines which other cards can be played in the deck by determining that deck's color identity. Players may choose either a legendary creature or a planeswalker that has an ability allowing it to be chosen as a commander. Players may choose a pair of them if each has the partner ability. In Brawl, every planeswalker can be commander. The Mystery Booster test card You're in Command enables a player to change any of their creatures into their Commander (even if it is non-Legendary).

The commander's color identity restricts what cards may appear in the deck. If a player chooses to have two commanders, the color identity is the combined color identity of each.

While a commander is in the command zone, it may be cast. As an additional cost to cast a commander from the command zone, the player casting it must pay for each time that player has previously cast it from the command zone. This is called the commander tax. If a player chooses to have two commanders, each is counted separately. If a commander is put into its owner's graveyard, is exiled, or is returned to a player's hand or library from anywhere, that player may choose to put it into the command zone as a state-based action.

If a player has been dealt 21 points of combat damage by a particular commander during a game, that player loses the game. If a player chooses to have two commanders, each is counted separately.

Rules

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

Commander

1. A casual variant in which each deck is led by a legendary creature. See rule 903, “Commander.”

2. A designation given to one legendary creature card in each player’s deck in the Commander casual variant.

From the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

• 903.1. In the Commander variant, each deck is led by a legendary creature designated as that deck’s commander. The Commander variant was created and popularized by fans; an independent rules committee maintains additional resources at MTGCommander.net. The Commander variant uses all the normal rules for a Magic game, with the following additions.

From the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

• 903.3. Each deck has a legendary creature card designated as its commander. This designation is not a characteristic of the object represented by the card; rather, it is an attribute of the card itself. The card retains this designation even when it changes zones.

  Example: A commander that’s been turned face down (due to Ixidron’s effect, for example) is still a commander. A commander that’s copying another card (due to Cytoshape’s effect, for example) is still a commander. A permanent that’s copying a commander (such as a Body Double, for example, copying a commander in a player’s graveyard) is not a commander.

  • 903.3a Some cards have an ability that states the card can be your commander. This ability modifies the rules for deck construction, and it functions before the game begins. See also rule 113.6n.
  • 903.3b If a player’s commander is a meld card and it’s melded with the other member of its meld pair, the resulting melded permanent is that player’s commander.
  • 903.3c If a player’s commander is a component of a merged permanent, the resulting merged permanent is that player’s commander.
  • 903.3d If an effect refers to controlling a commander, it refers to a permanent on the battlefield that is a commander. If an effect refers to casting a commander, it refers to a spell that is a commander. If an effect refers to a commander in a specific zone, it refers to a card in that zone that is a commander.
  • 903.3e If an effect refers to a characteristic of “your commander,” it can find the appropriate player’s commander and see its current characteristics, as modified by continuous effects and other rules, in all zones, including that player’s library and hand.

Commander tax

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

Commander Tax

Informal term for the additional cost to cast a commander based on the number of times a player has cast it previously this game. See rule 903.8.

From the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

• 903.8. A player may cast a commander they own from the command zone. A commander cast from the command zone costs an additional {2} for each previous time the player casting it has cast it from the command zone that game. This additional cost is informally known as the “commander tax.”

Commander interaction cards

Some cards specifically interact with your commander. If a player has two commanders, then each is counted separately, except for abilities referring to color identity, in which case the color identity of the commander is the combined color identity of each of that player's commanders.

• Command Tower from Commander; reprinted in Commander's Arsenal, Commander 2013–Commander 2019, Throne of Eldraine (Brawl decks).
• Opal Palace from Commander 2013; reprinted in Commander 2016.
• Commander's Sphere from Commander 2014; reprinted in Commander 2016 and Commander 2018.
• Command Beacon from Commander 2015.
• Bastion Protector from Commander 2015.
• Bloodsworn Steward from Commander 2017.
• Path of Ancestry from Commander 2017.
• Geode Golem from Commander 2018.
• Forge of Heroes from Commander 2018.
• Myth Unbound from Commander 2018.
• Commander's Insignia from Commander 2019.
• Sanctum of Eternity from Commander 2019.
• Road of Return from Commander 2019.
• Skyfire Phoenix from Commander 2019.
• Arcane Signet from Throne of Eldraine (Brawl decks).
• Flawless Maneuver from Commander 2020.
• Fierce Guardianship from Commander 2020.
• Deadly Rollick from Commander 2020.
• Deflecting Swat from Commander 2020.
• Obscuring Haze from Commander 2020.
• The Familiar cycle from Commander Legends.

Commander Storm

Cards with the commander storm mechanic, introduced in Commander 2018, can copy itself for each time the commander was cast from the command zone.

Lieutenant

Cards with the lieutenant ability word, introduced Commander 2014, have an effect if your commander is on the battlefield.

Interacting with other commanders

• Crimson Honor Guard from Commander 2017.
• Leadership Vacuum from Commander 2019.