Learning how to play Commander in Magic: The Gathering can be as thrilling as daunting, especially when learning the differences from Modern and Standard. It’s a realm where the decks are as diverse as the players themselves, offering a unique blend of strategy, creativity, and social interaction. You’re in the right place if you’re new to the game or looking to refresh your knowledge of this popular format.
Commander, also known as EDH (Elder Dragon Highlander), stands out for its emphasis on fun, flavorful play over the cutthroat competition of other formats. Here, your cherished, yet often sidelined, legendary creatures can shine as the stars of your deck. Whether crafting a deck from scratch or opting for a preconstructed one, Commander is your gateway to a more personalized Magic: The Gathering experience. Let’s delve into the basics and set you up for your first foray into this captivating format.
Card Types
Understanding the various card types is crucial to building a successful deck in the realm of Commander. Each card type brings its own strategic advantages and roles within a deck. Let’s dive into the specifics of each to better grasp their importance.
Creature
Creatures are the backbone of most Magic: The Gathering decks and Commander is no exception. They serve as your primary method of attacking opponents and defending yourself. In Commander, creatures can range from small utility creatures that offer specific benefits when they enter the battlefield to massive behemoths capable of winning the game if left unchecked. Given the diversity of Commander, it’s possible to find creatures that fit into nearly any strategy you can think of. Creatures that synergize with your Commander can exponentially increase the effectiveness of your deck.
Planeswalker
Planeswalkers add depth and strategy to the game, acting as powerful allies with multiple abilities. Unlike creatures, they can’t attack or block, but their abilities can drastically alter the game’s state. Each planeswalker has unique abilities to draw cards, destroy permanents, or even win the game outright. In Commander, where building around a theme or a set of synergies is common, selecting the right planeswalkers can turn the tide of battle in your favor.
Instant
Instant spells can be cast at any time, including your opponent’s turn, making them perfect for surprising your opponents or reacting to their actions. They range from removal spells, which can destroy or neutralize threats, to counterspells that prevent your opponents’ spells from ever taking effect. The ability to play instants adds a considerable strategic layer to the game, as timing and anticipation become key.
Sorcery
Sorceries are powerful spells that can only be cast during your main phases. While they lack the surprise factor of instants, they often offer more substantial effects at a better mana cost. Sorceries can radically change the board state, from wiping the field of all creatures to drawing many cards. In Commander, selecting the right sorceries can often mean setting up for a win or recovering from a precarious situation.
Artifact
Artifacts are versatile cards that can be anything from equipment that boosts your creatures to mana rocks that accelerate your mana production. Many artifacts are not tied to any specific color, making them universal tools that can fit into nearly any deck. Given their ability to provide utility or power regardless of your deck’s color identity, artifacts are some of the most game-changing cards in Commander.
Enchantment
Enchantments offer ongoing effects that can bolster your strategies or hinder your opponents. While some enchantments are attached to creatures or lands, granting them specific abilities or buffs, others sit on the battlefield, affecting the game’s broader state. Like artifacts, enchantments can significantly impact the game, providing long-term advantages that can accumulate overwhelming effects.
Tokens
Tokens are not cards in the traditional sense but rather are created by other spells and abilities. Depending on what generates them, tokens can represent creatures that can attack and block, like any creature card, or symbolize different game elements. In Commander, many decks focus on generating large numbers of tokens to overwhelm opponents, making understanding how to efficiently create and utilize tokens an essential skill.
By familiarizing yourself with these card types, you can confidently navigate the complexities of Commander, crafting decks that reflect your personal playstyle and stand a chance at winning in this format’s diverse and dynamic environment.
Deck Rules
Your Commander
Your Commander is the centerpiece of your deck strategy. Commanders must always be legendary creatures or planeswalkers. This rule roots the deck in the vast lore of Magic: The Gathering, allowing you to tailor your play style around a character with a rich backstory. An intriguing aspect is the introduction of the “Partner” mechanic. This allows for an innovative deck-building approach since you can choose two commanders instead of one. Having two commanders opens the door to diverse strategies and complex synergies, significantly enhancing the deck-building experience.
Commander Color Identity
Understanding a commander’s color identity is crucial—it determines the colors of the cards that can be included in a deck. Color identity isn’t just about the colors in the Commander’s casting cost; it consists of all colors found in the card’s mana cost and rules text. Before the game begins, color identity is set in stone and remains unaffected by in-game effects. This means your deck cannot include cards whose color identity falls outside your Commander’s.
100 Cards
Commander decks are known for their iconic 100-card structure. The requirement of 100 cards adds an extra layer of complexity and creativity to deck building. One of the fundamental rules your commander deck must adhere to is the uniqueness of each card – except basic lands, no two cards can share the same English name. However, some cards break this mold. Cards like _Relentless Rats_ have specific rules text allowing them to bypass this restriction. This unique aspect of Commander allows for some out-of-the-box strategies and makes each deck distinct.
Mana Curve & Mana Ratio
Optimizing your mana curve and mana ratio is essential. Your commander deck needs a balanced mix of low, medium, and high-cost cards to ensure you can effectively play throughout the game. Likewise, maintaining an appropriate ratio of mana-producing cards guarantees you’re not left unable to cast your spells. This balance is a fine art, central to crafting a deck that performs consistently across all stages of a Commander match.
Commander Play Rules
As we dive deeper into how to play Commander, it’s crucial to grasp the unique rules that frame this format as it differs from Modern and Standard formats. Figuring out these guidelines isn’t just about keeping the game fair; it’s about strategizing and leveraging these rules to carve out your path to victory. Let’s break down some of the core rules that define Commander play.
Starting Life Total
Unlike traditional Magic: The Gathering (Modern & Standard) matches, where players start with 20 life, Commander games kick off, each boasting a hefty 40 life. This increased starting life total considerably changes the game’s dynamic, fostering longer, more engaging matches. It allows players to explore more complex strategies that might not be viable in faster, more aggressive formats. The added buffer lets you experience the full breadth of your deck’s capabilities, making for a richer gameplay experience.
Commander Damage
One of Commander’s most game-defining rules is the concept of Commander Damage. If a player receives 21 or more combat damage from a single commander throughout the game, that player is eliminated. This rule adds an exciting layer of strategy, as it creates a unique win condition centered around your Commander. It emphasizes the significance of your Commander, not just as a strategic cornerstone of your deck but as a potent threat that opponents can’t ignore.
Command Zone
The command zone acts as a home base for your Commander. It’s where your Commander begins the game and can return to it through various game actions. One key aspect of the command zone is its visibility and accessibility—your Commander is always available to be cast as long as you can pay the mana cost, including any extra Commander Tax. This rule ensures your Commander can always influence the game, reinforcing its role as the heart of your deck. Commanders that are exiled, sent to your graveyard, placed in your deck, or even returned to your hand can instead be placed in the command zone by the controller of the Commander.
Commander Tax
Speaking of commander tax, it’s a rule designed to balance the recurring playability of your Commander. Casting it again costs two more mana when your Commander is sent back to the command zone. This cost accumulates, making each subsequent casting more expensive than the last. For example, if your Commander’s original mana cost four, the first recast would cost six, the next eight, and so on. This mechanic prevents players from relying too heavily on their Commander without consequence, adding an element of cost-benefit analysis to the strategy of recasting your Commander.
Phases & Steps of Your Turn
Playing Commander in Magic: The Gathering requires a good grasp of the game’s structure, segmented into various phases and steps during a player’s turn. Let’s dive into each phase and step to ensure you’re well-equipped for your matches.
Beginning Phase
Untap Step
Your turn starts with the Untap Step. This is where all your tapped cards from the previous turn are refreshed and ready to be used again. It’s automatic, meaning you don’t need to play any spells or abilities for this to happen.
Upkeep Step
Next comes the Upkeep Step, a crucial moment for triggering any abilities that activate “at the beginning of your upkeep.” It’s critical timing for strategic plays, as many cards have effects that either benefit you or require maintenance costs.
Draw Step
Following the upkeep, you draw a card. This simple action provides you with new opportunities and options each turn. It’s also the moment when many effects that dictate drawing additional cards or skipping this draw come into play.
First Main Phase / Pre-Combat Main Phase
This is where you can cast sorcery spells, summon creatures, and activate abilities that don’t specify otherwise. It’s your first opportunity in the turn to develop your board and prepare for combat. Strategic planning here is vital for setting up what’s to come.
Combat Phase
Beginning of Combat Step
Things start to heat up when you enter the combat phase. The beginning of the combat step is your last opportunity to cast spells or use abilities before declaring attackers. It’s a moment to buff your creatures or tap down potential blockers.
Declare Attackers Step
Next, you declare which of your creatures are attacking and whom they’re attacking. Once attackers are declared, they’re locked in, and you can’t take them back, making this a step requiring careful consideration.
Declare Blockers Step
Here, your opponent chooses their blockers. Understanding potential blocking scenarios is crucial for anticipating how combat will unfold.
Combat Damage Step
This is where all the action happens. Attackers and blockers deal damage simultaneously, except when first-strike or double-strike is involved. Knowing how damage is assigned and calculated is critical to combat victoriousness.
End of Combat Step
Combat wraps up, but it’s not just a formality. Some abilities trigger “at the end of combat,” making this a unique opportunity for last-minute moves before transitioning out of the combat phase.
Second Main Phase / Post-Combat Main Phase
This phase mirrors the first main phase but offers a chance to play creatures you didn’t want to risk in combat or additional lands if effects allow. It’s a second opportunity to further establish your board state and prepare for your opponent’s turn.
Ending Phase
End Step
Here, you wrap up your turn. This step triggers “at the beginning of the end step” effects. It’s your last chance to use any mana you have left or to cast instants before moving to the final step of the turn.
Cleanup Step
The last phase of the turn, cleanup, is primarily a formality. You discard to your maximum hand size and remove any “until end of turn” effects. However, if any abilities are triggered during this step, you’ll get another cleanup step right after.
Understanding how these phases and steps work is fundamental to playing Commander effectively. It lets you strategically plan your moves and react confidently to your opponents’ actions.
Understanding The Stack
Understanding The Stack is crucial when playing Magic: The Gathering, especially in Commander format. It’s the game’s backbone, controlling how spells and abilities interact and resolve during the heat of battle. Let’s break down this fundamental mechanic to ensure you’re armed with the knowledge to navigate your matches successfully.
Spells
The stack is where the magic happens, quite literally, when it comes to casting spells. Whenever you cast a spell, it doesn’t take effect immediately. Instead, it enters the stack, a virtual space waiting for its turn to come to life. This system allows for an interactive game where opponents can respond with their spells or abilities. The last spell or ability added to the stack is the first to resolve, creating strategic depth and decision-making opportunities. For instance, casting a Giant Growth in response to an opponent’s Lightning Bolt can save your creature from destruction, showcasing the importance of timing and stack management.
Activated Abilities
Activated abilities, those requiring a cost to be paid, also use the stack. This includes everything from tapping a creature for a beneficial effect to sacrificing artifacts for an explosive outcome. Like spells, when you activate an ability, it goes onto the stack, awaiting resolution. This adds another layer to the strategic gameplay, as activated abilities can be responded to by both you and your opponents. Understanding which abilities can be activated at what times and how they interact on the stack is crucial to maximizing their effectiveness.
Triggered Abilities
Triggered abilities are slightly different from activated ones. They automatically happen whenever specific conditions are met without a cost being paid. These abilities also use the stack. If your creature with a “whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player” ability hits an opponent, that ability triggers and goes on the stack. Like with spells and activated abilities, you and your opponent can respond to these triggers, adding an intriguing dimension of predictability and surprise to the game.
Priority
Priority is crucial in understanding how and when you can act in MTG. It’s essentially the game’s asking, “Do you want to do something right now?” Whenever the stack is empty and you have priority, you may cast spells, activate abilities, or play lands. However, you must wait for priority to respond to an opponent’s actions. The game automatically passes priority between players, and understanding when you have it allows you to interact effectively with the stack. Whether defending against an opponent’s strategy or setting up a complex series of spells and abilities to secure victory, mastering priority is critical to leveraging the stack.
So You Learned How to Play Commander – Start Playing!
Mastering “The Stack” and understanding priority are crucial steps toward becoming a skilled Commander player in Magic: The Gathering. These concepts enrich your gameplay and equip you with the strategic depth needed to navigate complex interactions and outmaneuver your opponents. As you dive deeper into the game, remember that practice makes perfect. So, gather your decks, rally your friends, and test your newfound knowledge. Let the magic begin!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do you draw on your first turn in Commander?
Yes, in Commander, all players draw a card on their first turn, unlike in other Magic: The Gathering formats. This rule applies due to the multiplayer nature of the game, ensuring all players start with equal resources.
2. What is the Commander Format?
Commander, also known as Elder Dragon Highlander (EDH), is a casual, multiplayer Magic: The Gathering format. It revolves around a 100-card deck led by a legendary creature, the Commander. This format is unique because it has specific rules focusing on the Commander and the principle of only one copy of any card except basic lands.
3. How do I get started in Commander?
To begin playing Commander, select a legendary creature you enjoy as your Commander and build a 100-card deck supporting its abilities. For newcomers, purchasing a pre-made Commander deck from Wizards of the Coast is a recommended and straightforward option.
4. How many players do you need for Commander?
Commander is ideally played with four players, each with a unique 100-card deck. While it’s designed for multiplayer play, variations can accommodate more or fewer players.
5. What is Rule 0 in Commander?
Rule 0 in Commander refers to an informal agreement where players discuss and allow certain modifications or exceptions to the official rules before starting a game. Examples include using banned cards, incorporating silver-bordered cards, or applying unique mechanics not officially recognized by the game’s rules.