Decoding Colorless Commander: A Comprehensive Guide
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With a colorless commander, you can only use cards that also have a colorless color identity. This means no basic lands, no multicolored cards, and no cards with colored mana symbols in their mana cost or rules text, unless that mana symbol is specifically a colorless mana symbol {C}. This restriction makes deck building a unique challenge, focusing heavily on artifacts, Eldrazi, and cards that generate or utilize colorless mana effectively.
Understanding the Colorless Commander Landscape
Choosing a colorless commander in Magic: The Gathering’s Commander format is a bold choice. You willingly restrict yourself to a fraction of the card pool, demanding creative deck-building and innovative strategies. But with limitations come opportunities. Colorless decks can be incredibly consistent and resilient, circumventing many common Commander pitfalls related to mana-fixing and color hosers. However, the absence of traditional card draw, ramp, and interaction in colored forms necessitates careful card selection.
The core of any successful colorless Commander deck lies in its understanding of the rules governing color identity. Let’s dive deep.
Key Rule Reminders
The Commander format, also known as EDH (Elder Dragon Highlander), is governed by Rule 903. Several subrules are vital for colorless Commander deck construction:
- 903.4: If your commander has a colorless color identity, then all cards in your deck must also have a colorless color identity.
- 903.5c-d: If your commander’s color identity is colorless, neither a card with a basic land type nor a card with a color identity other than colorless can be included in your Commander deck.
These rules are non-negotiable. Failing to adhere to them results in an illegal deck.
Deck-Building Considerations
When crafting a colorless Commander deck, focus on:
- Mana Ramp: Artifacts like Sol Ring, Mana Vault, and Thran Dynamo become essential.
- Card Draw: Since traditional blue card draw isn’t available, rely on artifacts like Mind Stone, Hedron Archive, and repeatable draw engines like War Room.
- Removal: Colorless removal options include Oblivion Stone, All Is Dust, and efficient targeted removal artifacts.
- Threats: Lean heavily on powerful colorless creatures, particularly Eldrazi titans like Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre, Kozilek, Butcher of Truth, and Emrakul, the Promised End.
- Utility Lands: While basic lands are out, utility lands like Ancient Tomb and Eye of Ugin offer valuable advantages.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Colorless Commander
Here are some frequently asked questions that can help you better understand the colorless commander strategy.
1. Can I use basic lands in a colorless commander deck?
No, you cannot use basic lands (Plains, Island, Swamp, Mountain, Forest) in a colorless Commander deck. Basic lands inherently possess a color identity, preventing their inclusion in a deck where the commander has a colorless identity.
2. Can I use colored lands in a colorless commander deck?
In general, no. You cannot use lands that produce colored mana if the land itself has a color identity. This includes lands like Command Tower, which explicitly produces mana of your commander’s colors, but it can still be included to the deck. However, lands that only produce colorless mana are perfectly acceptable. Examples include Ancient Tomb or Eye of Ugin.
3. Are devoid cards legal in a colorless commander deck?
No. While Devoid cards are colorless in terms of their color, their color identity isn’t always colorless. Devoid changes the color of the card, not the color identity. The color identity is derived from mana symbols in its cost and rules text. Thus, they aren’t usually legal in a colorless commander deck.
4. Does Command Tower work in a colorless commander deck?
Officially, no. Command Tower produces mana of your commander’s colors. If your commander is colorless, Command Tower cannot tap for mana. However, some playgroups might allow a house rule where it taps for {1} (one colorless mana). The official standpoint is that it can be included, but does not generate mana if your commander has no color identity.
5. Does Jeweled Lotus work with a colorless commander?
Yes! Jeweled Lotus generates three mana of any one color that can only be used to cast your commander. It works perfectly with colorless commanders like Kozilek, the Great Distortion, providing a significant early-game boost.
6. How does War Room work with a colorless commander?
War Room‘s last ability allows you to pay life to draw cards if you control your commander. If your commander has no colors in its color identity, you pay no life to activate it. This makes it an excellent card draw engine in a colorless deck.
7. Is Morophon, the Boundless a colorless commander?
Morophon, the Boundless is colorless, but its color identity is WUBRG (all five colors). This means you cannot use Morophon as a commander for a colorless deck. You can only include it in a five-color deck.
8. Does colorless mana count as a color?
No. Colorless is not a color in Magic: The Gathering. It’s a type of object (like a colorless creature) or a type of mana (colorless mana), but it doesn’t fall within the five colors of mana: White, Blue, Black, Red, and Green.
9. Can you cast colorless mana for any color?
No. Colorless mana can pay for a colorless cost {C} or a generic cost {1}, {2}, {3}, etc. It cannot pay for colored mana costs (W, U, B, R, G).
10. Can I include cards with colored activated abilities in a colorless commander deck?
No. If the activated ability contains colored mana symbols, the card’s color identity isn’t colorless, which is a violation of the rules.
11. What are some of the best colorless commanders?
Some popular colorless commanders include:
- Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre: Powerful Eldrazi titan with annihilator and indestructible.
- Kozilek, the Great Distortion: Eldrazi that counters spells and draws cards.
- Emrakul, the Promised End: Controls an opponent’s turn.
- Hope of Ghirapur: Taxing early game commander that prevents noncreature spells.
- The Peregrine Dynamo: Reusable doubling season effect.
12. Why is white considered the weakest color in Commander?
While not directly related to colorless commanders, the article mentions white’s perceived weakness. White is often considered weaker because it lacks the card advantage, card selection, and mana ramp that other colors possess, relying more on efficient creatures and powerful but restrictive removal.
13. What is the new colorless commander being released?
The article mentions a new colorless commander precon called Eldrazi Unbound from Commander Masters, built around Eldrazi strategies.
14. Does Opal Palace work with a colorless commander?
Opal Palace adds mana based on your commander’s color identity. If your commander is colorless, Opal Palace produces no mana. It can still be used in the deck as a colorless land, but it won’t give extra counters to your commander.
15. Where can I learn more about game rules and design?
Organizations like the Games Learning Society (GamesLearningSociety.org) provide resources and a community for those interested in the intersection of games and education, including design principles and game mechanics, which indirectly inform understanding of complex game rulesets like those in Magic: The Gathering.
Mastering the Colorless Challenge
Building a successful colorless Commander deck requires a deep understanding of the format’s rules, clever card selection, and innovative strategies. While the limitations may seem daunting, the unique strengths and consistent mana base can lead to powerful and rewarding gameplay experiences. Embrace the challenge, experiment with different builds, and discover the hidden potential of colorless dominance.