Commander (designation)

For other uses, see Commander (disambiguation).

The commander 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.

The term general is sometimes used instead, although commander is the formal term according to the rules.

Description

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.

• The commander of a deck is usually a legendary creature.

• However, a small number of planeswalker cards have an ability stating that they can serve as commanders and with the Brawl option, every planeswalker can be commander.

• Players can have two commanders if both have partner.

• A player's choice of commander determines which other cards can be played in the deck by determining that deck's color identity.

Rules

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Being a commander is not a characteristic but a property of the card.
4. 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.
5. 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. If a player chooses to have two commanders, each is counted separately. This is called the commander tax.
6. If a commander would be put into its owner's graveyard, be exiled, or returned to a player's hand or library from anywhere, that player may choose to put it into the command zone instead.

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.

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).

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.