Commander’s Exile from the Graveyard: Navigating the Rules

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So, your Commander has met its untimely demise and landed in the graveyard. An opponent, smelling blood in the water, casts a graveyard exile spell like Rest in Peace or Relic of Progenitus. What happens now? The short answer is: it depends on when the exile effect is applied.

If the exile effect is a replacement effect, like Rest in Peace, your Commander never actually hits the graveyard. It goes directly to exile. The game sees it trying to move to the graveyard and immediately replaces that action with moving it to exile. In this case, you, as the Commander’s owner, then have the option to send it back to the command zone instead of leaving it in exile.

However, if your Commander has already hit the graveyard, and then a spell like Relic of Progenitus is cast to exile the graveyard, the state-based action that lets you move your Commander to the command zone has already passed. As soon as your Commander is exiled from the graveyard, you once again have the option to send it to the command zone. You make this choice when the spell or ability that is exiling the graveyard resolves.

It’s all about timing and replacement effects. Understanding this nuance is crucial for strategic Commander play. Let’s dive deeper with some frequently asked questions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Commander and Exile

Commander Fundamentals

• What happens if a Commander is exiled?

  When a Commander is exiled from anywhere (battlefield, graveyard, hand, etc.), its owner can choose to move it to the command zone instead. This is a replacement effect, meaning the choice is made instead of the card going to exile.

• Can you permanently exile a Commander?

  Technically, no. The Commander’s owner always has the option to return it to the command zone. However, if they choose to leave it in exile, it remains there. Note that choosing this option may be strategically advantageous in certain situations, such as when reanimation strategies are at play.

• If I choose to leave my commander in exile, can I cast it from exile later?

  No. Unless a specific card effect allows you to cast a card from exile (like Karn Liberated), you cannot cast your commander directly from exile. Once in exile, it’s effectively stuck unless you have a card that interacts with exiled cards.

• When can I choose to move my Commander to the command zone?

  The choice to move your Commander to the command zone happens immediately when it would be put into the graveyard or exile. It’s a replacement effect, not a triggered ability.

• Does exile count as dying?

  No, exile is different from “dying.” Dying specifically refers to a creature going to the graveyard from the battlefield. Exile is a separate zone, and effects that trigger on “dying” will not trigger when a permanent is exiled.

Interactions and Edge Cases

• What happens if my Commander gets countered?

  When a Commander spell is countered, it typically goes to the graveyard. However, as the owner, you can choose to put it into the command zone instead of the graveyard. This can be strategically bypassed if you want to reanimate it, in which case you would allow it to go to the graveyard.

• Can I pull my Commander from the graveyard using reanimation spells?

  Yes! If you allow your Commander to go to the graveyard, you can use reanimation spells to bring it back to the battlefield. This can be a powerful strategy, especially if your Commander has strong “enters the battlefield” effects or if you have ways to protect it from being exiled later.

• What happens if my Commander goes to my hand?

  If a Commander would be put into its owner’s hand from anywhere, its owner may put it into the command zone instead. This option allows you to avoid discard spells.

• What if my Commander is shuffled into my library?

  Similar to going to the hand, if your Commander is to be put into your library, you can choose to send it to the command zone instead.

• What happens if my Commander is phased out?

  Phasing out is different from changing zones. A phased-out permanent remains on the battlefield but is treated as though it doesn’t exist. You cannot move it to the command zone when it phases out. It will phase back in during your next untap step.

• If my Commander is exiled by a card like Banishing Light, and then Banishing Light is destroyed, what happens?

  When Banishing Light leaves the battlefield, the exiled Commander returns to the battlefield unless its owner has already chosen to move it to the command zone. If the owner moved it to the command zone, it stays there.

• If I clone my Commander, does the clone deal Commander damage?

  No, a clone of your Commander does not deal Commander damage. Commander-ness is a property of the physical card designated as your Commander at the beginning of the game, not a characteristic copied by clones.

Strategic Considerations

• When should I choose not to send my Commander back to the command zone?

  There are several strategic reasons to leave your Commander in the graveyard:

  • Reanimation strategies: If your deck relies on reanimating creatures from your graveyard, you might want to leave your Commander there as a target.
  • Graveyard synergy: If your deck has cards that benefit from having creatures in your graveyard, leaving your Commander there can provide value.
  • Baiting opponents: You might leave your Commander in the graveyard to bait opponents into using their graveyard removal, freeing up your other creatures from being targeted.

• How does the “commander tax” work with exile and the command zone?

  The “commander tax” increases by {2} for each time you’ve cast your Commander from the command zone. Whether it goes to exile, the graveyard, your hand, or your library before returning to the command zone, the tax still increases when you cast it again from the command zone.

• How to Prevent your Graveyard from Being Exiled in Commander?

  There are many cards that prevent your graveyard from being exiled, here are some ideas.

  • Graveyard hate: Run more exile effects in your deck than your opponent does.
  • Cards that return from exile: Have cards that can return exiled creatures to the battlefield.
  • Cards with graveyard recursion: Bring back creatures from your graveyard onto the battlefield, to keep your card presence high.
  • Cards with hexproof: Use cards with hexproof to protect them from being exiled or targeted by your opponents.

Understanding the rules surrounding Commanders and exile is crucial for success in Commander games. Knowing when you can send your Commander back to the command zone, and when you might want to leave it in exile, can give you a significant strategic advantage. So, study up, practice your plays, and become a master of your Commander!

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