Dashing into Victory: Can You Dash Your Commander From the Command Zone?

Yes, absolutely! You can dash your commander from the command zone. However, there’s a crucial caveat: the commander tax applies. The dash ability provides an alternate casting cost, but it doesn’t circumvent the additional {2} mana you must pay for each previous time you’ve cast your commander from the command zone this game. Think of it this way: dash doesn’t dodge the taxman; it just offers a different route while still being subject to the same toll.

Understanding Dash and the Commander Tax

Dash is an alternative casting cost that allows you to cast a creature spell, usually with haste, and have it return to your hand at the end of the turn. This can be a powerful tool for applying early pressure, generating value, or simply pushing damage through when a permanent threat isn’t desired.

The commander tax is the escalating cost of recasting your commander from the command zone. Each time your commander enters the battlefield from the command zone, it costs an additional {2} generic mana. This rule is designed to prevent commanders from being endlessly recast without any meaningful resource commitment.

When you combine these two mechanics, you get a fascinating interplay. Let’s say you’re playing a Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer deck. Ragavan’s dash cost is {1}{R}. The first time you cast Ragavan from the command zone via his dash ability, it costs {1}{R}. But if Ragavan is removed and you want to dash him out again, it will cost {1}{R}{2}. A third time? {1}{R}{4}. And so on. Therefore, when a commander dies or gets exiled, the commander tax only applies to the subsequent cast from the Command Zone and has no effect on the amount it cost to initially cast the commander.

Strategic Implications of Dashing Your Commander

Despite the commander tax, dashing your commander can still be a strategically sound play.

• Early Game Aggression: Dashing out a commander like Ragavan in the early game can provide valuable tempo and generate resources (in Ragavan’s case, Treasures).
• Evading Removal: If you anticipate removal, dashing your commander can be a way to get value before your opponent has a chance to react. Since it returns to your hand at the end of the turn, it avoids most sorcery-speed removal.
• Maintaining Board Presence: In situations where you need a quick blocker or attacker but don’t want to commit your commander permanently, dashing is an excellent option.
• Baiting Out Counterspells: Sometimes, dashing your commander can force an opponent to use a counterspell, clearing the way for a more impactful play later in the game.

Commanders with Dash

A select few commanders possess the dash ability natively, making this interaction particularly relevant for those decks. Besides Ragavan, other creatures with the dash ability include Mardu Strike Leader and Alesha, Who Smiles at Death.

Commander Dashing: Rules and Nuances

Knowing the rules surrounding dashing your commander is key to playing it effectively. Don’t get caught off guard by a rules interaction. As described by the Games Learning Society website, “serious games are about the intersection of play, learning, and social change.” Understanding the rules is paramount to playing the game. Visit https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/ to learn more about games-based learning.

Here are some important rules considerations:

• Timing Restrictions: You can only dash your commander during your main phase when the stack is empty, unless a card effect allows you to cast it at a different time.
• Stack Interactions: Dashing your commander puts the spell on the stack, meaning it can be countered like any other spell.
• State-Based Actions: If your commander would be put into your hand, graveyard, or exile from anywhere, you can choose to return it to the command zone instead. This choice occurs as a state-based action.
• Commander Damage: Damage dealt by your commander still counts as commander damage, even if it was cast with the dash ability. Deal 21 combat damage with your commander to an opponent, and that opponent loses the game.
• “Dies” Triggers: If your commander is dashed and then destroyed while on the battlefield, it “dies” and any triggered abilities that look for a creature dying will trigger.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are 15 frequently asked questions related to commanders and the command zone:

1. Can you flash a commander from the command zone? Yes, if your commander has flash or you have a card that gives it flash, you can cast it from the command zone whenever you could cast an instant.
2. What can a commander do from the command zone? A commander can be cast from the command zone for its normal costs, plus the commander tax. It can also be returned to the command zone from the graveyard, exile, hand, or library (at its owner’s choice).
3. Can you counter a commander being cast from the command zone? Absolutely. A commander cast from the command zone is a spell like any other, and can be countered with cards like Counterspell or Swan Song.
4. Can you target a commander in the command zone? No. A commander in the command zone is not on the battlefield and therefore cannot be targeted by spells or abilities.
5. Can you return your commander to the command zone from the battlefield? Yes. If your commander is in the graveyard or in exile, you can choose to return it to the command zone as a state-based action. Certain effects may also return the commander to the command zone.
6. What is Commander Rule 11? Commander Rule 11 restricts bringing cards in from outside the game to only Companions.
7. Can your commander do commander damage to yourself? Yes. If your commander deals 21 or more combat damage to you, you lose the game.
8. Can you permanently exile a commander? While you can exile a commander, its owner can choose to return it to the command zone instead of leaving it in exile.
9. Why is Flash banned in Commander? Flash is banned due to its interaction with other cards (specifically Hulk), which created a powerful and easily assembled combo that warped the competitive EDH meta.
10. Can I steal a commander? Yes, you can take control of someone else’s commander with cards like Mind Control. However, the commander’s owner still retains the right to return it to the command zone if it would be exiled, put into their hand, graveyard, or library.
11. Can you bounce a commander to your hand? You can never return an opponent’s commander to their hand. Cards that return cards to hands always specify “owner’s hand.”
12. Can Ragavan dash from the command zone? Yes, Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer is a commander with dash. The commander tax applies to his dash cost.
13. Does a copied commander count as commander damage? No. Commander-ness is tied to the physical card that was designated as the commander at the beginning of the game.
14. Does fog stop commander damage? Yes. Fog prevents all combat damage, including damage dealt by a commander.
15. What happens if a commander goes to the hand? If a commander would be put into its owner’s hand from anywhere, the owner can choose to return it to the command zone instead.
16. Does Commander tax reset when a new game starts? Yes, the Commander tax resets to zero at the beginning of each game. It only applies to the specific game in progress.

Conclusion

Dashing your commander from the command zone is a viable strategy that can offer tempo, evasion, and aggressive plays. Remember to factor in the commander tax when calculating the overall cost. By understanding the nuances of dash and the command zone, you can make informed decisions that will help you dominate the battlefield and emerge victorious in your Commander games.