Can a Legend Be a Commander? Unveiling the Secrets of Commander Deck Building
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The simple answer is a resounding yes, with a few crucial caveats. In the wildly popular Commander format of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), your deck’s leader, the cornerstone around which your strategy revolves, is almost always a legendary creature. This powerful figure dictates your deck’s color identity and often provides unique abilities that shape your gameplay.
But the world of Commander is never quite that simple. While the vast majority of Commanders are indeed legendary creatures, exceptions exist, bending the rules and opening up fascinating possibilities for deck construction. Let’s dive into the specifics.
Understanding the Commander Foundation
The bedrock of Commander is the concept of a legendary creature acting as your commander. This choice dictates the colors of mana you’re allowed to include in your deck. If your commander is a mono-blue creature, for example, your deck can only contain blue mana symbols. This restriction forces strategic deck building, compelling players to find creative synergies within a defined color palette.
The commander begins the game in the command zone, a special area outside the normal battlefield. You can cast your commander from the command zone throughout the game, but each time it returns there (usually after being destroyed or exiled), the cost to recast it increases by two generic mana. This “commander tax” adds a layer of resource management to the game.
The Planeswalker Exception
The first major deviation from the “legendary creature only” rule involves planeswalkers. Historically, only legendary creatures were eligible for the Commander role. However, Wizards of the Coast recognized the desire for more diverse commander options and introduced specific planeswalkers with the text: “This card can be your commander.”
Crucially, not all planeswalkers are eligible. Only those explicitly stating this ability can be your commander. This limitation preserves the uniqueness of those planeswalkers and prevents a flood of potentially unbalanced strategies. The card must state “this card can be your commander” on it.
The “Partner” Ability
Another expansion on the commander concept is the “Partner” ability. Certain legendary creatures possess this keyword, allowing you to have two commanders instead of one. The color identities of both commanders combine to determine your deck’s color restriction. This provides increased flexibility and access to dual-pronged strategies. However, both creatures must have the partner ability to function as dual commanders.
The Oathbreaker Format: A Cousin to Commander
It is important to note the existance of a format similar to Commander called Oathbreaker. Cards that refer to “your commander” in Commander instead refer to “your Oathbreaker” in that format. Unlike Commander, Oathbreaker decks must contain exactly 60 cards (including the Oathbreaker and Signature Spell). Players start at 20 life.
FAQs: Commander Edition – Clearing Up the Confusion
Let’s tackle some common questions about commander legality, deck building, and rules nuances.
1. Can any legendary Planeswalker be a commander?
No. A planeswalker can only be a commander if it specifically states on the bottom of the card, “this card can be your commander.” If it doesn’t have that line of text, it cannot be your commander.
2. Is the legend rule in commander?
Yes, the legend rule applies. If you control two or more legendary permanents with the same name, you must choose one to keep, and the rest are put into their owner’s graveyards. This applies to creatures, planeswalkers, and other legendary permanents.
3. Do legendary creatures count as commanders?
Yes, legendary creatures are the primary and most common type of card used as a commander in the Commander format.
4. Can a legendary enchantment creature be a commander?
Yes, a legendary enchantment creature can be a commander, as long as it is a legendary creature to begin with. What it transforms into later doesn’t impact this.
5. Can a commander go to hand?
Yes, when your commander is put into the graveyard or exile, you can choose to return it to the command zone instead. You can also allow it to go to your hand and play it from there without paying the “commander tax” when you recast it from the command zone.
6. Can an opponent steal my commander?
Yes, opponents can steal your commander through spells and abilities that grant them control of creatures or permanents. The owner of the commander can only move it from the graveyard to the command zone. So it can steal commanders.
7. Why can’t all planeswalkers be commanders?
In Magic: The Gathering’s Commander format, planeswalkers need a chance to define all-new decks like legendary creatures always do. Making all planeswalkers commanders would dilute the format’s focus on specific strategies and color combinations tied to legendary characters.
8. Can you have two planeswalkers with the same name in a commander deck?
Yes, you can have two planeswalkers in your deck with the same first name, as long as they don’t have the exact same name. For example, you can have a Garruk, Unleashed, and a Garruk, Cursed Huntsman out at the same time.
9. Can Nicol Bolas, the Ravager be a commander?
Yes, Nicol Bolas, the Ravager is a legendary creature and therefore a legal commander choice.
10. What cards break the legend rule?
Currently, only a handful of cards circumvent the “legend rule”: Mirror Gallery, Mirror Box and Sakashima of a Thousand Faces cancel the rule entirely.
Cadric, Soul Kindler and The Master, Multiplied cancel the rule for tokens you control.
11. Why was Lutri banned in Commander?
Lutri, the Spellchaser, was banned due to its ease of inclusion in Blue-Red decks. Its companion requirement was too easily met, giving an unfair advantage.
12. Can you play commander 1v1?
Yes, a variant called Duel Commander is played 1v1. It often involves different ban lists and starting life totals (typically 20 instead of 40) to encourage faster, more aggressive gameplay.
13. Can you have 2 legendary planeswalkers on the field?
Yes, but planeswalkers have their own version of the Legend rule. You cannot have multiple copies of the same planeswalker, even if they are different cards. So, you can’t have two cards that have the type “Jace” for instance, but you can have as many different planeswalkers in play as you can cast.
14. What is Rule 0 in Commander?
Rule 0 is an unofficial rule that allows players to modify the rules of a non-competitive game. Everyone who’s participating has to agree to the changes before the game begins.
15. What are some legendary planeswalkers that can be commanders?
Some popular examples include:
- Aminatou, the Fateshifter
- Commodore Guff
- Daretti, Scrap Savant
- Dihada, Binder of Wills
- Elminster
- Estrid, the Masked
- Freyalise, Llanowar’s Fury
- Grist, the Hunger Tide
Beyond the Rules: Strategy and Creativity
Ultimately, Commander is a format that encourages creativity and strategic deck building. The restrictions imposed by the commander choice force players to think outside the box and find innovative ways to build powerful and synergistic decks.
Whether you choose a classic legendary creature or one of the few planeswalkers explicitly allowed as commanders, the key is to build a deck that reflects your play style and embodies the spirit of the format. Exploring the strategic depth of MTG, including innovative formats like Commander, offers unique insights into game design and complex system interactions. For those interested in delving further into the educational aspects of games, be sure to visit the Games Learning Society at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/.