Do Backgrounds Count Towards the 99 in Commander?
The short, direct answer is: yes, Backgrounds absolutely count towards your 99 in a Commander deck when they are included within your deck, and not as a secondary commander. Let’s explore this answer in greater detail, as the rules surrounding Backgrounds in Commander can be a bit nuanced. While a Background can function as a secondary commander under specific conditions, when included in your 99, it functions just like any other card in the deck, taking up a slot and subject to all normal deck construction rules.
Understanding Backgrounds in Commander
Backgrounds are a specific type of enchantment introduced in Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate. Designed with the Commander format in mind, these enchantments provide unique buffs and abilities to your commander. They often offer powerful synergies and open up new strategic possibilities. However, it’s their dual nature, functioning both as a regular enchantment within the 99 and potentially a secondary commander, that causes confusion.
The key distinction hinges on whether the Background is in your command zone or your deck. If a legendary creature with the “Choose a Background” ability is your commander, a Background can be chosen to start in the command zone alongside it. This pairing essentially gives you two commanders at the start of the game, expanding your strategic options. However, if the Background is not chosen as a starting partner, it instead becomes part of your 99-card deck.
Backgrounds as Part of Your 99
When a Background is included in your 99-card deck, it functions as any other non-commander card. This means:
- It counts towards your 99 card total: This is a crucial point; a Background in your deck takes up a card slot. You can’t include it in addition to your 99.
- It is drawn, cast, and interacts normally: Like any other enchantment, a Background in your deck can be drawn during your draw step, cast by paying its mana cost, and will enter the battlefield when resolved.
- It follows your commander’s color identity: If your commander is red and white, the backgrounds in your 99 must be either red, white, or both red and white.
- It can be removed from the battlefield: Like any other card, a Background in your deck can be destroyed, exiled, or returned to your hand. It will not return to the command zone unless it was chosen as a secondary commander initially.
- It only affects commanders: The power of a background is tied to its functionality with a commander. When in your 99 and cast as an enchantment, it will still only effect a commander creature.
Because Backgrounds only grant abilities to Commanders, it is unusual to find them in the 99 in formats outside Commander, but they certainly can be.
FAQs: Unpacking Backgrounds in Commander
To further clarify the role of backgrounds in Commander, here are 15 frequently asked questions and their answers:
1. Do Backgrounds have a color identity?
Yes, Backgrounds have a color identity determined by the mana symbols in their mana cost and any color indicators in their rules text, just like any other card. This color identity is essential when determining if a background can be included in your deck.
2. Can I have two Backgrounds in my deck?
Absolutely. As long as they adhere to your commander’s color identity, you can include multiple different Background enchantments in your 99, as you would with other cards.
3. If a Background in my 99 is destroyed, does it go to the command zone?
No. When a Background from your 99 is put into the graveyard or exiled, it does not automatically go to the command zone unless it’s being used as a secondary commander.
4. Can I play a Background as an enchantment if I didn’t start with it as a secondary commander?
Yes. If a Background is in your deck, you can play it as a regular enchantment when drawn. It will apply its abilities to your commander when it enters the battlefield.
5. What happens if my commander doesn’t have “Choose a Background” and I draw a Background?
If your commander doesn’t have the “Choose a Background” ability, any Backgrounds in your deck are simply treated as regular enchantments. They can be drawn and cast, and they will only affect a commander creature if they are on the field with it.
6. Can I use The Prismatic Piper to allow a background of a color my commander would normally prohibit?
No, The Prismatic Piper affects the color identity of your chosen commander, not other cards. You must still obey the color identity of your commander for all cards in your 99, including backgrounds.
7. Can a legendary enchantment be a commander?
Yes, but only if it is a background and is used as a secondary commander alongside a commander that has the “Choose a Background” ability, or with the Faceless One. Otherwise, a legendary enchantment cannot be a standalone commander.
8. How does the Faceless One interact with Backgrounds?
The Faceless One both has the “Choose a Background” ability and is itself a Background. This allows you to have two commanders; The Faceless One, and a legendary creature with the “Choose a Background” ability, or a legendary Background. In the case of two Faceless Ones being used, they can be used as the only two commanders.
9. Can I have two copies of the Faceless One as commanders?
Yes, in a Commander Draft, you can have two copies of The Faceless One as your commanders. This is a specific exception that does not apply in regular constructed Commander games.
10. Does a commander dying count as a Background dying?
No. A commander dying is a separate event from a background dying. Both exist on the battlefield as separate cards and each leaving the field triggers their own rules.
11. Can my commander’s ability be changed by a background?
Yes, a Background modifies your commander by granting it additional abilities. This can sometimes indirectly affect its other abilities.
12. If my commander has “Choose a Background,” am I required to start with a Background in the command zone?
No, you are not required. You can simply have your commander, and if you have a background within your deck, you may cast it from your hand as normal.
13. Can my background be stolen from the command zone?
Yes, spells that steal permanents can steal a commander from the command zone, but the commander can only return to the command zone as a State Based Action when it would leave the field in some way.
14. What are some strategies for using Backgrounds in the 99?
Backgrounds in the 99 can function as flexible enchantments, providing crucial buffs or utility as needed. They can be especially powerful if you have ways to tutor for enchantments, allowing you to find the specific Background you need at the right time.
15. Can I use more than one background with my commander at once?
No. Only one background can be chosen at the start of the game as a secondary commander. Otherwise, the backgrounds are placed in the deck and must be drawn and cast as normal.
Conclusion
In summary, Backgrounds count towards your 99 when they are included as part of your deck. They are subject to all the regular rules of card inclusion, adhering to your commander’s color identity and taking up a slot within the 99. Understanding their dual role, both as potentially secondary commanders and as enchantments within your deck, is crucial for mastering the Commander format. By incorporating them strategically, you can unlock new synergies and elevate your gameplay.