How Much Commander Damage is Lethal?
The short, sharp answer is: 21. In the Commander format of Magic: The Gathering, a player loses the game if they have been dealt 21 or more combat damage by the same commander over the course of the game. This is a separate track from their regular life total, and it’s a crucial element of the Commander experience. Let’s dive deeper into why this rule exists and explore some common questions surrounding it.
The Significance of Commander Damage
A Unique Win Condition
Commander, also known as EDH (Elder Dragon Highlander), is a unique Magic: The Gathering format known for its long, complex games, social interactions, and powerful single cards. Because of the singleton nature of the deck (only one copy of each card except basic lands is allowed), and the high life totals of the players(40 life instead of 20), game can sometimes drag on. Commander damage provides an alternate win condition to the game. Commander Damage provides a way to short-circuit those stalemates. It allows aggressive strategies to shine and punishes players who rely too heavily on pillow fort defenses.
Why 21?
The number 21 isn’t arbitrary. It’s a carefully considered figure designed to be achievable, but not trivial. In a typical Commander game with 40 starting life, dealing 21 damage from one source is a significant accomplishment. It requires a dedicated strategy, consistent pressure, and often some degree of evasion or protection to get through blockers and removal spells. The Games Learning Society explores the complex strategies and social dynamics of games like Magic, highlighting how rules shape gameplay.
Tracking Commander Damage
Tracking commander damage is indeed a little cumbersome, but it’s a necessary evil. Players typically use pen and paper, dice, or specialized apps to keep track of how much damage each opponent has taken from each commander. While it can be fiddly, it’s an integral part of the Commander experience and adds a layer of complexity to the game.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Commander Damage
1. How much commander damage is lethal in a 1v1 Commander game?
The amount of commander damage required to eliminate a player remains the same regardless of the number of players. In a 1v1 Commander game, 21 commander damage from a single commander is still lethal.
2. Why is commander damage tracked separately per commander?
Commander damage is tracked separately because the rule is designed to create a personal threat. It’s not just about dealing damage; it’s about repeatedly attacking with the same commander. This encourages players to focus their removal and disruption on specific threats.
3. Does commander damage affect your regular life total?
Yes! Commander damage is combat damage. When a commander hits you and deals damage, that damage reduces your life total, in addition to being tracked as commander damage. So, both totals are reduced by the same amount.
4. If my commander changes zones (dies, is exiled, returned to hand) does the commander damage reset?
No. Commander damage is cumulative over the entire game, for each commander individually. Even if a commander is removed from the battlefield multiple times, the damage they have dealt remains tracked.
5. What happens if I take 21 commander damage and I’m at less than 21 life?
You still lose the game. The commander damage rule is an alternate win condition that exists independently of your life total. If you reach 21 commander damage from a single commander, you lose, regardless of your remaining life. Of course, if your life reaches 0 before you reach 21 commander damage, you lose the game.
6. Can I prevent commander damage?
Yes. Standard damage prevention effects like Fog and Protection spells can prevent commander damage. These spells can buy you time or completely negate an opponent’s attack.
7. Does lifelink gain me life from commander damage?
Yes. Lifelink works as normal with commander damage. If a commander with lifelink deals combat damage, the attacking player gains life equal to the damage dealt.
8. If I control my opponent’s commander, does that commander deal commander damage to them?
Yes! If you control another player’s commander, that commander deals commander damage to its original owner. This is often a powerful strategic move, as you can potentially eliminate an opponent with their own commander. A player can lose if he or she is dealt 21 points of combat damage by his or her own Commander (ie: under someone else’s control).
9. Does commander damage count if the commander has been mutated or melded?
Yes. If your commander is mutated into a pile, then the merged creature does commander damage and counts as your commander regardless of its location in the pile. Similarly, if you have Bruna, the Fading Light or Gisela, the Broken Blade as your commander and meld them, the melded creature (Brisela, Voice of Nightmares) is still classed as your commander and its damage counts.
10. What is Rule 0 in Commander and how does it relate to commander damage?
Rule 0 is an unofficial rule in Commander that allows players to modify the rules of a non-competitive game. It’s a social contract that emphasizes communication and agreement among players before the game begins. While Rule 0 could theoretically be used to modify the commander damage rule, it’s generally not advised, as it fundamentally changes the nature of the format.
11. What is the “commander tax” and how does it affect commander damage strategies?
The “commander tax” is the additional cost of 2 generic mana for every time you’ve cast a commander from the command zone. This tax can significantly impact commander damage strategies, as it becomes increasingly expensive to recast your commander if it is repeatedly removed.
12. Can an opponent steal my commander permanently?
No. While an opponent can gain control of your commander, you can always return it to the command zone if it would be sent to your hand or graveyard.
13. Does Worship prevent commander damage?
Worship does not prevent damage; rather, it alters the way damage affects your life total. It causes some damage to be unable to lower your life total. So any damage rendered useless by Worship was still dealt and is counted by effects that track the amount of damage done to a player.
14. Does double strike mean I can hit for 21 commander damage with one hit?
Yes, double strike can speed up the commander damage count considerably. If a creature with double strike deals combat damage twice in one combat phase, that is the damage that adds to the running total. So, if a commander with double strike deals 11 damage, it’s actually 22 damage, and that player loses.
15. How does the “tuck rule” affect commander damage strategies?
The tuck rule is an older rule that prevented Commanders from being tucked into their owner’s deck. Any time an ability would cause a commander to return to a player’s hand or be “tucked” into their deck, there is a new replacement effect that allows players to simply return it to the safety of the command zone.
Commander damage remains a vital and engaging part of the Commander format. Its unique interaction with the rest of the game makes for some unique dynamics. For more on the intricacies of game design and learning, visit GamesLearningSociety.org.