

This is to help fight against absurd life gain strategies, as well as just allowing for some entertaining deck designs.Ĭommander can be a lot cheaper than many other forms of MTG because you only ever have to buy one copy of any card you want instead of the four you’d need for a more serious format. If you can deal 21 or more combat damage with your Commander, over any number of turns, your opponent loses the game. The only other main difference is that Commander damage is a thing. Other than that, you draw cards and play them like a normal game of Magic: The Gathering.

If they die, get exiled or anything else that removes them from the board, you can instead put them back in the Command Zone, but you have to pay two more mana to cast them - and that cost goes up every time.

Your Commander sits in their own special zone and can be cast whenever you can afford them. In Commander, each player starts with 40 life instead of 20. Manage cookie settings Watch on YouTube How do you play Commander in MTG? To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Well, Nicol Bolas is one of the great villains of the MTG universe, but he’s an exception here. These cards got reimagined in Core Set 2019, so you might have heard of them even if you haven’t been playing that long. These are Nicol Bolas, Arcades Sabboth, Chromium Rhuell, Vaevictis Asmadi and Palladia-Mors. Lopez in July 1996.Įither way, the format was built around the five Elder Dragons cards from 1994. When did Commander start?Ĭommander was originally created by Adam Staley back in 1996, but its origins can also be traced back to an article submitted to MTG magazine The Duelist by one Jesus M. Players build a 99-card Commander deck around a single legendary creature that determines which mana colours they can include. You can’t have more than one of any card that isn’t a basic land, which makes the variables much more volatile. You can only use cards in their mana colour identity so, if you’ve got a card that is Red and White, then you can only use Red, White and Colourless cards.
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You have to have a deck of 99 cards plus your commander. In another exception, some planeswalkers can be used as your commander, but only if the card explicitly says “this card can be your commander” on it. Your Commander must be a single legendary creature, although two cards can be used as dual commanders if they both have the Partner ability. The Commander format rules say that you must choose a Commander card to build your deck around. Alright, that’s obviously a very subjective take, so how about the facts? Commander - also known as Elder Dragon Highlander, or EDH - is generally considered the most popular format in MTG. So, here’s what you need to know about Commander, and how you can get into it.Ĭommander is the best format in Magic: The Gathering. It’s not as elegant or refined as some of the more serious formats, but that’s the beauty of it. If you’re looking to make your way into your local game store and face off against players you’ve never met before, then you’d be wise to look into Commander. | Image credit: Wizards of the Coast What is MTG Commander?
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How to find cards for your Commander deckĬommander, originally known as Elder Dragon Highlander, was first built around the Elder Dragons - including the legendary Nicol Bolas.In fact, we think that, despite the size of the decks, learning how to play Commander is the best starting point for people looking to play MTG with more players. Which format is the best one to start off with once you know the rules? Does it have to be Standard or Modern? Well, we don’t think so. What you need is a little bit of knowledge. The thing is, learning about formats and legality and card sets can be a little daunting at first. You’ve been playing Magic: The Gathering for a while now, and you like it enough, but you’re ready to take it from your kitchen table with your friends/willing partner/very patient partner to somewhere more official.
