Can you put planeswalkers in a Commander deck?

You can put planeswalkers in a Commander deck, and they can be a powerful addition, allowing for unique strategies and interactions, but it’s essential to understand the specific rules and restrictions that apply to planeswalkers in the Commander format. Planeswalkers have an outsized impact on almost every format in the game, and Commander is no exception, with many planeswalkers finding a home in Commander decks, especially with the release of the Commander Masters Planeswalker deck.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

1. Can you play a planeswalker in Commander?: It’s rare that a Planeswalker can be used as a commander in Magic: the Gathering, but some planeswalkers can pull double duty, and understanding the rules is crucial for effective deck-building.
2. How many planeswalkers are allowed in a Commander deck?: You can have a maximum of four planeswalkers with the same card name in your deck, just like any other MTG card, allowing for a diverse range of planeswalkers in your deck.
3. Can you have two planeswalkers with the same name in a Commander deck?: You are only prohibited from having two planeswalkers with the exact same name, so you can have a Garruk, Unleashed, and a Garruk, Cursed Huntsman out at the same time, giving you flexibility in your deck-building.

Protection and Interaction

4. How do you protect planeswalkers in Commander?: Protecting planeswalkers often means preventing creatures from attacking them, and cards like Propaganda and Ghostly Prison can help, although they tax creatures attacking you, not your planeswalkers.
5. Do planeswalkers do Commander damage?: No, it has to be combat damage to count as commander damage, unless the planeswalker can become a creature, like the new Sarkhan and Gideon, which can deal combat damage.
6. Does Deathtouch work on planeswalkers?: Deathtouch does not apply to planeswalkers because they are not creatures, so you’ll need an additional ability to affect them.

Rules and Restrictions

7. How do planeswalkers work in Commander?: A planeswalker can be attacked or dealt damage, removing loyalty counters, and a planeswalker with no loyalty counters is put into the graveyard.
8. Is there a limit on planeswalkers in Commander?: Planeswalkers follow the same restrictions as other cards, so you can have a maximum of four copies of each individual card, or one copy in Commander.
9. What is the legendary rule for planeswalkers?: All planeswalkers have the supertype legendary and are subject to the legend rule, allowing planeswalkers with the same subtypes to exist under your control as long as they are not of the same name.

Strategies and Interactions

10. Can you proliferate planeswalkers?: Yes, you can use proliferate to add counters to your planeswalkers, allowing for powerful strategies and interactions.
11. Can you use multiple planeswalker abilities in one turn?: You may activate one loyalty ability per planeswalker per turn, including during the turn you resolve a planeswalker card.
12. Can planeswalkers get indestructible?: Planeswalkers with indestructible will still have loyalty counters removed from them as they are dealt damage, and if a planeswalker with indestructible has no loyalty counters, it will still be put into its owner’s graveyard.

Commander-Specific Questions

13. What planeswalkers can be your Commander?: Certain planeswalkers, such as Aminatou, the Fateshifter, Commodore Guff, and Daretti, Scrap Savant, can be used as commanders, offering unique deck-building options.
14. Do planeswalkers have summoning sickness in Commander?: No, only creatures have summoning sickness, so you can use a planeswalker’s ability the turn it comes into play.
15. Can you target a commander like a planeswalker?: If your commander is a creature, it can be targeted like any other creature, but if it’s a planeswalker, it can be targeted like any other planeswalker, allowing for complex interactions and strategies.