How to Stop Commander Damage in Magic: The Gathering

Commander damage. Those two words can strike fear into the heart of any seasoned Commander (EDH) player. In a format defined by big plays, complex board states, and political maneuvering, the specter of being taken down by a single, relentless commander is ever-present. So, the burning question remains: How do you stop commander damage?

The most direct way to stop commander damage is through damage prevention and life gain. Cards that grant you protection from the attacking commander’s color can be extremely effective. For example, a card like “Progenitus” provides protection from all colors making them a great blocker in the format. Additionally, cards that grant you hexproof or indestructible can make it extremely difficult for an opponent to target or destroy your defensive creatures, allowing you to continually block and prevent commander damage. Beyond that, increasing your life total can buy you more time to establish your defenses or find a way to deal with the problematic commander.

However, it’s crucial to remember that simply having a high life total doesn’t automatically negate the threat of commander damage. You still need to actively prevent the damage from being dealt in the first place. Let’s dive deeper into strategies and answers to frequently asked questions.

Understanding the Threat

Before we delve into specific strategies, let’s solidify our understanding of what commander damage is.

What is Commander Damage?

In the Commander format, a player loses the game if they have been dealt 21 or more combat damage from a single commander over the course of the game. This damage is tracked separately for each commander. This means that a player could have 40 life, but still lose if they have taken 21 commander damage from a specific commander.

Practical Strategies to Mitigate Commander Damage

Here are some ways to effectively reduce, prevent, or mitigate commander damage:

• Prevention: This is the most direct approach. Cards like “Fog,” “Darkness,” and similar effects completely prevent all combat damage dealt during a turn, effectively nullifying an opponent’s attack. “Ghostly Prison” and other tax effects can discourage attacks altogether.

• Protection: As mentioned earlier, cards granting protection from a specific color are extremely valuable. If you know the color identity of the opposing commander, you can use protection to make your creatures virtually untouchable in combat.

• Lifegain: While not a direct solution, a healthy life total provides a buffer against commander damage. Cards that grant significant lifegain, such as “Aetherflux Reservoir” or “Beacon of Immortality,” can buy you valuable time.

• Removal: The most obvious solution is often the best. Removing the opposing commander from the battlefield entirely prevents it from dealing any more damage. “Swords to Plowshares,” “Path to Exile,” and other instant-speed removal spells can shut down an attack at a crucial moment.

• Control Effects: Cards that steal, exile, or return commanders to an opponent’s hand or library (e.g., “Hinder”, “Cyclonic Rift”, “Control Magic”) not only stop damage but change the board state.

• Blocking: Using your own creatures to block the attacking commander is a viable defensive strategy. Ensure your blockers have sufficient power and toughness to survive the encounter, or use combat tricks to boost their stats.

• Commander Tax: Each time a commander returns to the command zone, it costs two additional mana to cast it again. By repeatedly removing the commander, you can significantly increase its casting cost, making it more difficult for your opponent to deploy it.

• Toughness Boost: Many strategies exist where you increase your life total, but if your life total is high enough, you can mitigate and even prevent some commander damage.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Does Protection Prevent Commander Damage?

Yes! Protection prevents damage from sources of the specified quality (e.g., protection from red will prevent damage from a red commander). However, if an effect states that damage cannot be prevented, protection will not stop commander damage.

2. Is Commander Damage Only From Combat?

Absolutely. Commander damage is exclusively from combat damage. Damage dealt by a commander through spells or abilities does not count as commander damage.

3. If I Steal a Commander, Does It Still Deal Commander Damage?

Yes. If you control an opponent’s commander, any combat damage it deals to an opponent counts as commander damage from that commander, even if it’s targeting its original owner! It’s all about the commander, not the controller.

4. How is Commander Damage Tracked?

Commander damage is tracked separately for each player and each commander. Many players use life counters, dice, or dedicated apps like Moxtopper to keep track. Both the player taking the damage and the controller of the commander are responsible for accurately tracking it.

5. How Much Commander Damage Can I Take Before I Lose?

You lose the game when you have accumulated 21 or more combat damage from one single commander. Your overall life total is irrelevant in this calculation.

6. Does Commander Damage Stack From Different Players?

No. Commander damage is tracked separately for each commander. If two opponents are attacking you with their respective commanders, you need to track the damage from each one individually.

7. Do Partner Commanders Deal Commander Damage Together?

No. Each partner commander deals their commander damage separately. You can’t combine the damage dealt by both commanders to reach the 21-damage threshold.

8. Does a Token Copy of a Commander Deal Commander Damage?

No. Being a commander is a property of the physical card, not a copy or token. A token copy will not deal commander damage.

9. Can Planeswalkers Deal Commander Damage?

Normally, no. However, with the introduction of cards like Luxior, Giada’s Gift, planeswalkers can be turned into creatures, allowing them to attack and deal commander damage.

10. Does Worship Prevent Commander Damage?

Worship does not prevent damage. It only prevents damage from reducing your life total below 1. The damage is still dealt and tracked for commander damage purposes.

11. What Happens if a Commander Goes to My Hand or Library?

If a commander would be put into its owner’s hand or library from anywhere, its owner may put it into the command zone instead. This is a replacement effect, meaning they have the option to do so.

12. Can I Counter a Commander?

Yes! A commander cast from the command zone can be countered just like any other spell. Cards like “Counterspell,” “Negate,” and “Swan Song” are effective ways to stop a commander from entering the battlefield.

13. Can I Prevent Damage From a Commander Using an Ability Like Fog?

Yes! “Fog” effects prevent all combat damage dealt that turn, including commander damage.

14. If I Exile a Commander, Does the Commander Damage Reset?

No. Commander damage is tracked throughout the entire game, regardless of how many times the commander leaves the battlefield.

15. What is the Rule 0 in Commander and How Does It Affect Commander Damage?

Rule 0 refers to pre-game discussions amongst players about any house rules or deck modifications. While Rule 0 itself doesn’t directly affect commander damage, it can be used to discuss adjusting the 21 damage threshold, using banned cards, or other customizations to the game. This offers flexibility in the game and encourages discussion and fair play.

Conclusion

Stopping commander damage requires a multifaceted approach. A combination of damage prevention, creature removal, lifegain, and strategic blocking is often necessary to survive the onslaught of a determined commander. By understanding the rules and employing a variety of defensive strategies, you can significantly increase your chances of success in the Commander format. Remember to engage with your playgroup and embrace the social and strategic aspects of the game, possibly learning more through research at sites like Games Learning Society, GamesLearningSociety.org, where gaming is examined from the perspective of education. The key is to anticipate the threat and be prepared to react accordingly. Good luck, and may your commander never fall!