Commander Rules Reference

Commander · beginner

This is the full ruleset for the Commander format. For a gentler introduction, read Getting Started with Commander first.

Deck construction

• A Commander deck has exactly 100 cards, including the commander.
• The deck is singleton: you may include only one copy of any individual card, except for basic lands, of which you may have any number.
• Cards in the deck (other than basic lands) must each have a unique English name.

The commander

Your commander must be one of:

• A legendary creature, or
• A card that explicitly says "[This card] can be your commander."

Two special cases let you run two commanders:

• Partner. Two legendary creatures that both have the partner ability can be your commanders together.
• Background. A legendary creature with "Choose a Background" can be paired with a Background enchantment as a second commander.

When you run two commanders, your deck still totals 100 cards, including both.

Color identity

A card's color identity is every color in its mana cost and in its rules text (mana symbols, color words in abilities), counting both faces of double-faced cards. Hybrid and Phyrexian mana symbols count as their colors.

Every card in your deck must have a color identity that is a subset of your commander's color identity. A card with no colored symbols is colorless and fits in any deck. Basic lands you include should match your commander's colors.

Starting the game

• Each player starts at 40 life.
• Each player shuffles their 99-card library, places their commander in the command zone, and draws an opening hand of 7 cards.
• A typical game is a four-player free-for-all. The starting player skips their first draw step.

The command zone and casting your commander

• Your commander begins the game in the command zone.
• You may cast it from the command zone by paying its mana cost.
• Commander tax: each time you cast your commander from the command zone, it costs an extra {2} for each previous time you have cast it from the command zone this game.
• If your commander would be put into a graveyard, exile, your hand, or your library from anywhere, you may instead move it to the command zone. This choice is made each time as a replacement effect.

Commander damage

In addition to the normal loss conditions, a player who has been dealt 21 or more combat damage by a single commander over the course of the game loses. Damage from each commander is tracked separately, per source. See the Commander Damage page for detail.

Winning and losing

A player loses the game if they:

• Have 0 or less life,
• Attempt to draw from an empty library,
• Have 10 or more poison counters, or
• Have taken 21+ combat damage from a single commander.

Plus any "you win" or "you lose" effects printed on cards. The last player remaining wins.

Mulligans

Commander uses the London mulligan. Draw 7, and if you do not like your hand you may mulligan: shuffle it back, draw 7 again, and then put a number of cards on the bottom of your library equal to the number of mulligans you have taken. See Mulligans & Game Setup.

Banned cards

The format has a banlist of cards not allowed in Commander decks. It is maintained by the Commander Format Panel. See The Commander Banlist, and check the dashboard's Rules section for the live list.

Source

• Official Commander rules: <https://mtgcommander.net/index.php/rules/>
• Comprehensive Rules section 903 covers the Commander variant.