What is Kenrith’s Transformation on a Commander?

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Kenrith’s Transformation, an aura enchantment from Throne of Eldraine, is a card that has a profound impact on creatures it enchants in the Magic: The Gathering format. When cast on a commander, its effects are multifaceted, creating a situation that might confuse even seasoned players. The essence of its impact is this: Kenrith’s Transformation turns your commander into a 3/3 green Elk, stripping it of its previous colors, creature types, and base power and toughness, while leaving it with a single activated ability. It also overwrites any other abilities the commander originally possessed, but crucially, it does not remove the card’s status as a commander.

The Specifics of Kenrith’s Transformation

Kenrith’s Transformation has a deceptively simple text box: “Enchanted creature is a green Elk with base power and toughness 3/3 and loses all abilities.” It doesn’t say “your commander” anywhere on it, yet it has a significant impact on a commander creature. Let’s unpack what this really means.

Base Power and Toughness Overwrite

The aura’s most immediate effect is the change in base power and toughness. It sets it to 3/3. This means that any previous base stats of your commander are ignored while Kenrith’s Transformation is attached. Furthermore, any other effects setting power and toughness before this enchantment will be removed. However, any subsequent effects that adjust power and toughness, whether they are static bonuses or temporary boosts, will still apply to your Elk-ified commander. For example, a +1/+1 counter would turn your enchanted commander into a 4/4 Elk.

Ability Removal

Kenrith’s Transformation also removes all abilities from the enchanted creature. This means all static, activated, and triggered abilities of the original commander are lost, except for the ability to tap for one green mana. It is essentially turned into a vanilla 3/3 creature with only one way to be useful on the field, by attacking, blocking, or being used as a body to sacrifice.

Color and Creature Type Change

Crucially, the enchanted creature also becomes a green Elk, losing its previous colors and creature types. If your commander was a legendary blue dragon, it is now a simple green Elk in terms of color identity and creature type.

Retention of Supertypes and “Commanderness”

Despite the drastic changes in color, creature type, and abilities, a crucial fact remains: the enchanted commander retains its supertypes, such as “legendary,” and also its core designation as your commander. It is still your commander, and all rules associated with that designation continue to apply. For instance, it still deals commander damage, and if it would be removed from the battlefield, you still have the option to return it to the command zone instead. This distinction is crucial, as the game views the card itself as your commander, not the creature it represents on the battlefield. Therefore, even though it is now an Elk, the rules treat it the same.

FAQs About Kenrith’s Transformation and Commanders

Here are some of the most common questions regarding Kenrith’s Transformation and its interaction with commanders:

1. Does a commander enchanted by Kenrith’s Transformation still deal commander damage? Absolutely. Even though the commander is now a green Elk, it’s still your commander as far as the rules are concerned, meaning it will still deal commander damage as it attacks.

2. If my commander is transformed into an Elk, can I return it to the command zone if it’s removed from the field? Yes. The transformation does not change the fact that it is still your commander card, so the normal rule to return a commander to the command zone still applies.

3. Does Kenrith’s Transformation remove the commander’s color identity for purposes of deckbuilding restrictions? No, it does not. Kenrith’s Transformation changes the color of the creature, but does not affect the color identity of the card which was used to build your deck. Your commander still has its original color identity.

4. What happens if my commander has a static ability that modifies its power and toughness before being hit with Kenrith’s Transformation? Kenrith’s Transformation overwrites any effects that set a base power and toughness. So, if a static ability on your commander was making it a 4/4 before the enchantment, it will become a 3/3 Elk.

5. If I use a pump spell on my Elk-commander, does it still deal commander damage? Yes. The transformation into a 3/3 Elk with Kenrith’s Transformation only affects the base power and toughness, meaning that any further adjustments will count toward commander damage.

6. If my commander was an artifact creature, does it still count as an artifact after Kenrith’s Transformation? No. The transformation changes the creature type, and more importantly, card types. It loses any card types other than creature, and is thus not an artifact anymore, and is now just a green Elk creature. It does however still have the supertype, legendary, if it had it before being affected by Kenrith’s Transformation.

7. Can I use Kenrith’s transformation on my opponent’s commander? Yes, you can target an opponent’s commander with Kenrith’s Transformation. It will still function as their commander, but it will be a 3/3 green Elk without abilities.

8. Does Kenrith’s Transformation prevent my commander from being targeted by spells or abilities that would affect legendary creatures? No, Kenrith’s Transformation doesn’t remove the legendary supertype. Your commander, even as an Elk, remains a legendary creature.

9. If I copy an Elk-commander with a clone effect, will the copy also deal commander damage? No, clone effects will not make the copy a commander, so the copy will not deal commander damage. Clone effects copy the card, not the status as the commander. Only your actual commander card can deal commander damage.

10. If my commander is face down (due to a morph or manifest effect) after being transformed by Kenrith’s transformation, can I return it to the command zone? Yes, the card itself, even if face down, is still considered your commander and can be moved to the command zone.

11. If a card states “all creatures lose all abilities” does it remove the “commanderness” from my commander? No, “commanderness” is an attribute of the card and it is not an ability, so the commander still has that attribute.

12. If I bounce my transformed commander, will it still be a commander when I replay it? Yes. The moment the commander leaves the battlefield the card is no longer enchanted, but its “commanderness” is still valid. Therefore, when you cast the commander again it will retain the status as your commander.

13. If my commander is transformed into an Elk, does that change how my commander specific cards work in the deck? No, having Kenrith’s transformation on the commander will not change the way that commander specific cards work. For example, if your commander was Rielle, the Everwise, the card Rielle’s Directive will still work as it did before, even though the commander is now a green elk. The card Rielle, the Everwise is still your commander, and the rule on that card applies to that card.

14. Does an effect that “removes all abilities” from a creature prevent a commander from dealing commander damage? No. Effects that “remove all abilities” do not remove the characteristic of the card that it is the commander. Therefore, it can still deal commander damage, even as a 3/3 vanilla creature.

15. Can I have two commanders if one of them is transformed into an Elk by Kenrith’s Transformation? You cannot have two commanders unless both commanders have the partner ability. Kenrith’s Transformation does not make it possible to have two commanders.

Conclusion

Kenrith’s Transformation on a commander is a complex interaction that showcases the intricate rules of Magic: The Gathering. While the commander undergoes a radical transformation into a green Elk, its fundamental status as a commander remains intact. This means it still deals commander damage and retains the ability to return to the command zone if it leaves the battlefield. The core takeaway is that the game recognizes the card as the commander, not just its current representation on the board. This principle is important to understand, as the rules treat the card itself as the commander, no matter how it is currently displayed on the battlefield.