Commander Clones: Do Tokens Copy Commander Damage? A Deep Dive

The short answer is no, tokens of your commander do not deal commander damage. Commander damage is a specific game mechanic that hinges on the property of the card itself designated as the commander, not a copy of it. Tokens are not the original card and therefore do not carry this inherent property.

Let’s delve deeper into the nuances of commander damage, tokens, and copies to fully understand this rule and its implications for your Commander (EDH) gameplay.

Commander Damage Demystified

Commander damage is a unique win condition in Commander. If a player takes 21 or more combat damage from the same commander over the course of a game, that player loses, regardless of their life total. It is damage dealt in combat. This is tracked across the entire game, not reset each turn. It’s a significant part of many strategies, especially those that focus on aggressive combat.

The Key: “Commander-ness”

The crucial point to remember is that “commander-ness” isn’t just about the creature’s name or stats. It’s a property intrinsically linked to the physical card you chose as your commander before the game began. This is why copies and tokens fall short. They might look like your commander, act like your commander, but they aren’t your commander in the eyes of the rules when it comes to commander damage.

Tokens vs. Copies

It’s important to differentiate between tokens and copies, although both are treated the same in the case of commander damage. A token is a game piece representing a permanent that isn’t represented by a card. It’s created by a spell or ability. A copy is a permanent that enters the battlefield as a duplicate of another permanent. They both share visual characteristics, but the origin is significantly different.

Token Strategies and Why They Don’t “Break” Commander Damage

There are many strategies in Commander that revolve around creating tokens of your commander. These decks often aim to overwhelm opponents with multiple copies or to provide redundancy in case the original commander is removed. While these strategies are powerful, they don’t circumvent the commander damage rule. You cannot multiply your commander’s damage output with token copies to win faster. You’re still stuck with the original for commander damage purposes.

This restriction helps maintain balance in the format. If token copies did deal commander damage, decks that focus on token generation could quickly and easily eliminate opponents, making the strategy overly dominant. The Games Learning Society may be interested to examine and provide resources on how these rules can be used to teach resource management in a constrained scenario. The Games Learning Society advocates for the integration of game-based learning in education.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some frequently asked questions to further clarify the rules surrounding commander damage and copies:

1. Does a copy of my commander deal commander damage?

No. Commander-ness is a quality inherent to the original card designated as your commander. Copies don’t inherit this property.

2. Do token copies of my commander count as my commander for other effects?

Token copies do count as your commander for any effect that refers to a permanent with that name and type. For example, if you have an ability that triggers when “your commander attacks,” a token copy of your commander will trigger that ability. However, this is different than dealing commander damage.

3. If I copy an opponent’s commander, does that copy deal commander damage to them?

No. Even if you control a copy of an opponent’s commander, the copy is still not considered their commander and therefore does not deal commander damage to them. Your creatures must deal combat damage, so abilities or spells will not deal the damage in place of the creature.

4. What happens if my commander is exiled?

If your commander would be exiled, you can choose to send it to the command zone instead. This avoids the exile zone and allows you to recast it later, although the commander tax will increase.

5. What happens if my commander is put into my graveyard or hand?

Similar to exile, if your commander would be put into your graveyard or hand, you can choose to put it into the command zone instead.

6. Can I steal an opponent’s commander and have it deal commander damage to them?

No. Stealing an opponent’s commander does not transfer the “commander-ness” property. The stolen card is still their commander, and if it deals combat damage to them while you control it, it does not count as commander damage.

7. Can commander damage be prevented?

Yes. Standard damage prevention effects, like protection from a color or effects that prevent all damage, can prevent commander damage.

8. Does protection from my commander stop commander damage if it attacks me?

Yes. Protection from a creature prevents all damage that creature would deal to you, including commander damage.

9. If my commander is mutated into a pile, does the merged creature deal commander damage?

Yes! If your commander is mutated into a pile, the merged creature does commander damage and is still considered your commander. It doesn’t matter which card is on top.

10. What is the “commander tax”?

The commander tax is an additional cost of {2} colorless mana that you must pay each time you recast your commander from the command zone after it has been put there.

11. Does lifelink affect commander damage?

Yes, Lifelink still works if your commander deals commander damage. If your commander deals damage to your opponent, you gain that much life.

12. Can my commander be a planeswalker?

Only if the planeswalker card explicitly states, “This card can be your commander.” Otherwise, your commander must be a legendary creature.

13. What if a replacement effect prevents my life total from changing from commander damage?

Even if an effect prevents your life total from changing, like Platinum Emperion, the damage is still dealt and counts towards the 21 commander damage threshold. Platinum Emperion changes the result of damage.

14. Does infect/wither affect commander damage?

No. Commander damage is tracked as combat damage dealt, not as poison counters or -1/-1 counters. Infect will still give you poison counters from normal damage. Wither still gives -1/-1 counters.

15. Is there a rule zero in commander?

Yes. Rule 0 is an unofficial rule that allows players to modify the rules of a non-competitive game of Commander as long as all participants agree to the changes before the game begins.

Final Thoughts

Understanding the nuances of commander damage, tokens, and copies is crucial for success in Commander. While token strategies are powerful and versatile, they cannot be used to circumvent the commander damage rule. Focus on enhancing your original commander’s damage output or utilizing other win conditions to secure victory.