Can You Proliferate Commander Tax? Unpacking the Rules of Commander
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The short and definitive answer is no, you cannot proliferate the Commander tax. Proliferate specifically affects counters, and the Commander tax is an additional cost associated with casting your Commander from the Command Zone. These are fundamentally different game mechanics. Let’s dive deeper into why this is the case and explore the intricacies of the Commander tax.
Understanding the Commander Tax
The Commander tax is a crucial element of the Commander (EDH) format, designed to balance the power of having a readily available, repeatable Commander. Without it, games could devolve into repetitive cycles of casting and recasting the same powerful creature or planeswalker.
The rule is simple: A commander cast from the command zone costs an additional {2} (two generic mana) for each previous time the player casting it has cast it from the command zone that game. This cumulative cost is what players refer to as the Commander tax.
Why Proliferate Doesn’t Work
Proliferate is a keyword action in Magic: The Gathering that allows you to choose any number of permanents and/or players with one or more counters on them, then give each another counter of each kind already there.
The Commander tax is not a counter. It’s an additional cost you pay when casting your commander from the command zone. There are no counters involved in this process. Proliferate only targets entities with existing counters, so it’s irrelevant to the Commander tax.
Commander Tax FAQs: Your Questions Answered
To further clarify the Commander tax, let’s address some of the most frequently asked questions about this important Commander rule.
1. How does the Commander Tax work with two Commanders (Partners)?
If you have two partner Commanders, the Commander tax applies to each of them individually. If you cast Commander A once, the next time you cast Commander A, you’ll pay an additional {2}. The cost to cast Commander B remains unaffected until it is cast from the Command Zone.
2. Does the Commander Tax go away if my Commander goes to exile?
If your Commander goes to exile and you choose to cast it from exile (as with cards like [[Omen of the Sun]]), you do not have to pay Commander tax. The tax only applies when casting from the Command Zone. However, certain cards like Adventure spells will exile the commander and then allow them to be cast from exile. So the commander tax will not apply here.
3. Does Rooftop Storm cancel Commander tax?
No. Alternative costs like Rooftop Storm’s ability or other cost reduction mechanics like Dash, Mutate, Blitz, or ninjutsu do not negate the Commander tax. The Commander tax is an additional cost, and these costs stack. You pay both the alternative cost and the Commander tax.
4. Does Leadership Vacuum cause Commander tax to increase?
No. Leadership Vacuum only returns a commander to the command zone. The Commander tax only increases when you cast your commander from the Command Zone, not when it’s simply returned there.
5. Is Commander tax {1} or {2}?
The Commander tax is {2}. A commander cast from the command zone costs an additional {2} for each previous time you’ve cast it from the command zone in the game.
6. Does the Commander Tax apply to both sides of a transforming double-faced card Commander?
Yes. The Commander tax is associated with the card itself, regardless of which face you cast. For example, if you cast Valki, God of Lies, and it dies, casting Tibalt, Cosmic Impostor will incur the tax that was associated with Valki.
7. What increases the Commander tax?
The only thing that increases the Commander tax is casting your Commander from the Command Zone. Each time you do, the additional cost increases by {2}.
8. Does a Background get Commander tax?
Yes, a Background card used as your Commander is treated separately for the purposes of Commander tax. If your Commander is a Background, the Commander tax applies to it independently of your other creature Commander.
9. Does Affinity reduce Commander tax?
Yes, Affinity can reduce the total cost of casting your Commander even after the Commander tax is applied. Affinity is a cost-reduction mechanic, so it reduces the overall mana you need to pay.
10. Does Commander tax count towards Converted Mana Cost (CMC)?
No. Commander tax is an additional cost, not part of the card’s CMC. The CMC is determined solely by the mana symbols printed on the card itself. 117.8d: Additional costs don’t change a spell’s mana cost, only what its controller has to pay to cast it.
11. Can I take a Commander with Necromantic Selection?
Yes, you can target a commander with Necromantic Selection. The owner of the Commander can only move it from the graveyard to the Command Zone as a state-based action, and those actions aren’t checked while spells are resolving.
12. Can The Prismatic Bridge be my Commander?
Yes, The Prismatic Bridge can be your commander as well as any other double-faced card that meets the color identity rules of the deck.
13. Can you pay Commander tax with Powerstones?
The Powerstone can only pay for the Tax if the Commander Spell is an Artifact Spell. The Tax is part of the Total Cost, which is what you pay to Cast a Spell. The Total Cost is figured out in a 4 step proccess.
14. How does Commander tax work with Partner Commanders?
The commander tax applies to the two partners separately, and commander damage is also tracked separately. A player must deal the full 21 damage with just one partner or the other to knock out an opposing player; they cannot combine their damage.
15. Does Fires of Invention ignore commander tax?
To answer your question, Fires of Invention will not allow you to offset the commander tax. The costs for casting a spell can generally be divided into a few different categories. The relevant categories for your question are “mana costs” and “additional costs”. Fires of Invention only allows you to pay costs with mana of any color and prevents you from paying it from any other mana. You will still have to follow all mana costs.
Strategic Implications of the Commander Tax
Understanding the Commander tax is vital for effective deckbuilding and gameplay in Commander. It forces players to consider:
- Mana curve: High-CMC commanders can become prohibitively expensive with even a couple of recastings.
- Ramp: Decks often rely on mana ramp to afford the increasing cost of the Commander.
- Resilience: Strategies need to account for board wipes and removal spells that send the Commander back to the Command Zone, increasing its tax.
- Alternative Strategies: Build up a strategy outside of the commander to save on commander tax.
The Commander tax helps shape the strategic landscape of Commander games, promoting diversity and preventing repetitive gameplay.
Conclusion
The Commander tax is a fundamental aspect of the Commander format, designed to balance the power of having a readily available, repeatable Commander. Remember, proliferate cannot affect the Commander tax because the tax is an additional cost, not a counter. By understanding the nuances of the Commander tax and how it interacts with other game mechanics, you can improve your deckbuilding and gameplay skills in the Commander format.
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