Can a Commander be Returned to Hand?

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A Commander cannot be returned to its owner’s hand from anywhere, as cards that return other cards to their owner’s hand always specify that they return the card to its owner’s hand, and a card’s owner is not the same as its controller. The Commander rules state that if a Commander would be put into its owner’s hand, graveyard, or library from anywhere, its owner may put it into the Command Zone instead, but it cannot be returned to its owner’s hand.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Commander Rules

Rule 0 and Commander Tax

1. What is Rule 0 in Commander?: Rule 0 is an unofficial rule in Commander that allows players to modify the rules of a non-competitive game, as long as everyone participating agrees to the changes before the game begins.
2. How much does it cost to bring a Commander back?: A player may cast a Commander they own from the Command Zone, and the Commander costs an additional {2} for each previous time the player casting it has cast it from the Command Zone that game, known as the “Commander tax”.
3. Can a Commander be returned to the deck?: A Commander can be cast from the Command Zone for its normal costs, plus an additional two mana for each previous time it’s been cast from the Command Zone this game, and if a Commander would be put into its owner’s library, hand, graveyard, or exile from anywhere, its owner may return it to the Command Zone instead.

Commander Interaction and Rules

4. What happens when a Commander dies?: If a Commander moves to the graveyard or exile, its owner may choose to put it into the Command Zone as a state-based action upon it entering said zone.
5. Is a Commander a permanent MTG?: A Commander is considered a permanent on the battlefield, and if an effect refers to controlling a Commander, it refers to a permanent on the battlefield that is a Commander.
6. Can a planeswalker be a Commander?: A planeswalker can only be a Commander if it specifically states on the bottom of the card, “this card can be your Commander”.

Banned Cards and Commander

7. Is Wish banned in Commander?: Wish cards, such as Living Wish and Wish, are banned in Commander because they can bring other traditional cards from outside the game into the game.
8. Why is Braids banned in Commander?: Braids was banned in Commander because it was too strong and could create unfun gameplay experiences.
9. Why is Iona banned in Commander?: Iona was banned in Commander because it could make the game significantly less fun for other players when it entered the battlefield.

Commander Zone and Ownership

10. Can a Commander be returned to the Command Zone?: If a Commander would be put into its owner’s library, hand, graveyard, or exile from anywhere, its owner may return it to the Command Zone instead.
11. Can two players have the same Commander?: There is no rule in Commander that prevents two players from using the same Commander or any of the same cards, except in the case of teammates in 2HG games.

Other Commander-Related Questions

12. What is the 21 damage rule in Commander?: A player that’s been dealt 21 or more combat damage by the same Commander over the course of the game loses the game.
13. Can an opponent steal your Commander?: Yes, an opponent can take control of a Commander, and the Commander can be moved to the Command Zone if it would be put into its owner’s hand, graveyard, or library from anywhere.
14. Is Infinity legal in Commander?: Unfinity eternal cards are legal in Commander, Legacy, and Vintage formats, and Unfinity cards printed at common rarity are also legal in the Pauper format.
15. Are sideboards allowed in Commander?: The Commander format normally has no sideboard, but a companion is the only card that can exist in a sideboard, if both the cards in the library and the Commander card meet the companion criteria.