Commander (designation)
- For other uses, see Commander (disambiguation).
| Commander | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Mechanic | |
| Introduced | Elder Dragon Highlander |
| Last used | Commander |
| Scryfall Statistics | |
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.[1] Players choose a a legendary card with a power/toughness printed on its front face to be their commander. Before the Edge of Eternity only creature cards were natural candidates to be commander, but now Vehicles and some Spacecrafts might be chosen as well.
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.
Additional commander options
Several abilities have the potential to expand the options for what may be chosen as a commander. Some legendary non-creature cards (usually planeswalkers) have an ability allowing them to be chosen as a commander (cards). The two non-planeswalker are both notable in their own right:
- The Grand Calcutron — received errata to add this line due to fan request.[2]
- Shorikai, Genesis Engine — is became a natural commander due to the Edge of Eternities update.
In Brawl, any planeswalker can be designated as a commander even if it lacks the aforementioned ability allowing it to be one.
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).
Partner & partner variants
Players may choose a pair of valid commanders if each has the partner ability including matching "partner with" pairings or any of its variations like friends forever or doctor's companion.[3][4]
Choose a Background allows the second commander to be a Background enchantment instead of a normal commander.
Backgrounds and partner creatures often improve the other commander.
Rules
From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (July 25, 2025—Edge of Eternities)
- Commander
- 1. A casual variant in which each deck is led by a legendary card (usually a creature). See rule 903, “Commander.”
- 2. A designation given to one legendary card in each player’s deck in the Commander casual variant.
From the Comprehensive Rules (July 25, 2025—Edge of Eternities)
- 903.1. In the Commander variant, a variant created and popularized by fans, each deck is led by a legendary creature designated as that deck’s commander. The Commander variant uses all the normal rules for a Magic game, with the following additions.
From the Comprehensive Rules (July 25, 2025—Edge of Eternities)
- 903.3. Each deck has a legendary card designated as its commander. That card must be either (a) a creature card, (b) a Vehicle card, or (c) a Spacecraft card with one or more power/toughness boxes. 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 (July 25, 2025—Edge of Eternities)
- 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 (July 25, 2025—Edge of Eternities)
- 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 noncommander cards specifically interact with your commander. If a player has two commanders, then each is counted separately, except for abilities referring to their color identity, in which case the color identity of the commander is the combined color identity of each of that player's commanders.
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 in Commander 2014, have an effect if your commander is on the battlefield.
Noncommander interaction cards
A few cards interact specifically with noncommander creatures, making commanders immune to these abilities.
References
- ↑ Chas Andres (August 15, 2017). "How to Choose Your Commander". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-05-31.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (November 16, 2017). "Is anything preventing you from issuing a statement?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Matt Tabak (October 24, 2016). "Commander 2016 Mechanics". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (October 24, 2016). "Howdy Partner". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
