#1
Does the reminder/lore text count when defining the color identity of a card?
No. As defined by Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules at sections 903.4c and 207.2, reminder text is ignored when determining the color identity of a card.
For example, Blind Obedience has a color identity which is white (only).
From MTG Comprehensive Rules 903.4c:
"Reminder text is ignored when determining a card's color identity."
#2
Does the back face of a double-faced card count when defining a Commander's color identity?
Yes. Absolutely. As defined by Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules at sections 903.4c and 711, the back face of a double-faced card is included when determining a card's color identity. However, meld cards, such as The Mightstone and Weakstone, are affected by this rule and can be played in any deck.
For example, Garruk Relentless is green and black.
From MTG Comprehensive Rules 903.4:
"The Commander variant uses color identity to determine what cards can be in a deck with a certain commander. The color identity of a card is the color or colors of any mana symbols in that card's mana cost or rules text, plus any colors defined by its characteristic-defining abilities or color indicator."
#3
Certain cards state that a deck can contain as many of them as I wish. Is that true for Duel Commander?
#4
How does the "Commander" designation work?
Easy! It works everywhere, it's not part of the card, and it only applies to the card that is your commander, never to any other card.
The commander designation only applies as long as the commander is revealed and the information has been publicly trackable. For example,
hidden information prevents this. Being a morph, manifest, or being exiled face-down will work, except when players are unable to track the information (like using abilities from Shared Fate or Gonti, Lord of Luxury).
From MTG Comprehensive Rules 903.3:
"Each deck has a legendary creature card designated as its commander. This designation is not a characteristic of the object represented by the card; rather, it is an attribute of the card itself. The card retains this designation even when it changes zones."
#5
If I choose to put my commander back to the command zone instead of any other zone, is it a normal replacement effect?
One may say : not totally. If a commander is in a graveyard or in exile and was put there since the last time state-based actions were checked, its owner may put it into the command zone. It is a state based action. But, if a commander would be put into its owner's hand or library from anywhere, it is a replacement effect. Note that this changed in 2020, as opposed to how it used to work previously.
It basically means now you draw with Skullclamp equipped on your dying commander. However, Fool's Demise still won't let you take control of a commander that died when attached with it (their owner will likely chose to put it back to the command zone before fool's demise trigger would resolve).
From MTG Comprehensive Rules 903.9a:
"If a commander is in a graveyard or in exile and that card was put into that zone since the last time state-based actions were checked, its owner may put it into the command zone. This is a state-based action."
#6
What do cards that refer to "outside the game" cards do?
In short: nothing. With the exception of cards that have the "Companion" keyword.
If cards try to bring cards from outside the game (like the "wishes" and cards with the Learn keyword), they will resolve but do nothing. You can still choose to discard and draw a card instead with Learn.
Companion keyword works in Duel Commander, but cards like Karn, the Great Creator's third ability won't do anything with cards outside the game. As a rule of thumb, if you can do something, do something.
Important Note: Yorion, Sky Nomad cannot be a legal companion when playing Duel Commander, as Duel Commander enforces a total starting deck size of exactly 100 cards.
From Duel Commander Comprehensive Rules 503.1:
Spell and abilities which refer to other cards owned outside the game do not function in Commander. If an effect would bring another card from outside the game, it will do nothing upon resolving. Cards with the companion keyword are not affected by this as they refer to themselves.
#7
Can I control a copy of a commander AND the original commander at the same time, since the copy doesn't have the "commander" designation?
So far, you can't. All commanders are either Legendary Creatures, Planeswalkers, or Artifacts/Enchantments that explicitly state they can be a commander. The "legend rule" applies in all Duel Commander games, as in other Magic games. Only the original card that was in your CZ has the commander designation
However, cards like Mirror Gallery, Mirror Box, Helm of the Host, and Spark Double still work and can allow you to have multiple copies of your commander on the battlefield.
Examples of cards that bypass the legend rule:
- Mirror Gallery/Mirror Box: Allow multiple legendary permanents with the same name
- Helm of the Host: Creates non-legendary token copies
- Spark Double: Removes the legendary supertype from itself when copying
#8
Someone plays Karn Liberated. Can we really restart the game according to its third ability?
Yup, and it's still the same game in the same round.
If there are commanders previously exiled by Karn Liberated when its third ability resolves, you will have them on the battlefield as well after it resolves. They won't start the game in their respective command zones, but they will still be commanders.
Be careful though: If commanders are exiled by Karn's first or second ability (meaning the SBA wasn't applied to put them back in the command zone), they will remain in the exile zone once the ability resolves.
Also: Players can't change their commanders when restarting a game, they can only do so when a new game starts.
#9
My commander's color identity is red. Can I add non-red, non-colorless mana to my mana pool?
Indeed! If anyone controls Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, for example, you can tap a Mountain you control to add {B} (one black mana) to your mana pool.
You could then cast Radiant Flames for X=2 different colors! Cool, ain't it?
Important: Color identity restrictions only apply to cards in your deck, not to mana you can produce or spend during the game.
#10
What happens to the cost modifiers in the game when I cast my commander?
Well, they all apply normally. According to Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules 903.8, the commander tax is an additional cost that applies when casting from the command zone.
Complex Example with Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger:
Battlefield state:
• Urza's Incubator (naming "Giant")
• Sphere of Resistance
• Heartless Summoning
• Lodestone Golem
• Trinisphere
• Mycosynth Lattice
Kroxa's initial cost: {B}{R}
Commander tax (2nd cast): +{2}
Sphere of Resistance: +{1}
Lodestone Golem: +{1}
Total so far: {4}{B}{R}
Urza's Incubator: -{2}
Heartless Summoning: -{2}
After reductions: {B}{R}
Trinisphere minimum: {3}
Final cost: {1}{B}{R}
#11
What zones are affected by the "return to the command zone choice" rule?
All the "obvious" destination zones:
Zones WHERE you can return to command zone:
- ✔ Graveyard
- ✔ Exile
- ✔ Library
- ✔ Hand
Zones WHERE you CANNOT return to command zone:
- ✘ Battlefield
- ✘ Stack
- ✘ Command zone
What matters is the destination zone: If your commander dies and you let it go to the graveyard, then someone exiles all graveyards (like Rest in Peace entering), you can still choose to put it back to the command zone.
If someone plays Pull from Eternity on your commander in exile, you can choose to put it back in the command zone or to let it in the graveyard.
But if someone plays Animate Dead on it, you can't choose to put it back to the command zone. However, once it resolves and your commander is back on the battlefield, if someone then plays Boomerang on it, you can choose to put it back in the command zone!
#12
What is the cost of commander cards if they're not in the command zone?
Assuming there's no other effect, the cost is the printed cost.
The "commander tax" defined in section 903.8 of the Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules only applies to commanders cast from the command zone.
For example, if you cast your commander from your graveyard using Yawgmoth's Agenda, you don't pay the commander tax - just the printed mana cost.
MTG Comprehensive Rules 903.8:
"A player may cast a commander they own from the command zone. A commander cast from the command zone costs an additional {2} for each previous time the player casting it has cast it from the command zone that game."
#13
Do you have recommendations regarding tournament organization?
If you'd like to organize a Duel Commander tournament, here are some recommendations:
- Turn to Magic The Gathering judges - they have basic or advanced knowledge for handling tournaments
- Contact the DC Committee if you need contacts, ideas, precision, or further information
- Follow the Tournament Rules and other Wizards of The Coast / DCI guidelines
- Make sure you have access to the Duel Commander comprehensive rules
- Try to find a certified DCI Judge who could accept to be your Head Judge
- Find additional DCI Judges if you think you need more or if the Head Judge tells you you need more
- Try to stick to the Regular REL (Rules Enforcement Level) for your tournaments
- If your tournament exceeds a very large number of players (and a lot of prizes), consider using Competitive REL, with precaution
- Go to Wizards of The Coast official websites (corporate, WPN, DCI, etc.) for more resources
#14
My opponent takes control of my current turn and makes my commander die. Who chooses what zone it goes to?
According to rule 903.9 in the Magic the Gathering comprehensive rules, this is a state-based action. The owner chooses, but the controller of the effect is the player controlling the turn.
Therefore, the opponent controlling your turn gets to choose for you whether your commander stays in the graveyard or back to the command zone.
This applies to effects like Mindslaver or Emrakul, the Promised End.
#15
Can I "swap" with the same Commander after game one?
Yes! According to rule 507.1, you can choose any legal commander for swapping... Including the same one as for game one!
This rule was added in the May 2018 announcement, allowing players strategic flexibility in best-of-three matches.
Commander swapping allows you to:
- Keep the same commander for all games
- Switch to a another partner commander in your deck if you're playing partners
- Adjust your strategy between games while maintaining the same deck
#16
I want to promote a Duel Commander tournament I'm organizing, can you help?
Sure! Just send us promotional material for your tournament. Make sure that:
- You are the tournament organizer in person, not anyone else
- The material is easy to share (a picture, Facebook post or event, a video) - no plain text
- The material describes your tournament well enough
- Everything in your material is in English at least
- Your tournament attendance is known and over ~30 players
Note: We now have a dedicated Discord here and soon a dedicated directory on our website! Contact us if you need!
#17
How do cards that alter the number of cards as commanders work in Duel Commander?
Cards with keywords like "Partner", "Partner With", "Friends Forever", and "Choose a Background" all work in Duel Commander.
Best thing to do is read our February 2022 announcement and the Comprehensive Rules. Duel Commander is a 100-cards format. 99+1 if you have one commander card, or 98+2 if you have any partner/background... And even a 101th card is legal if (and only if) it's your companion.
Duel Commander uses special rulings for those types of cards. Basically, they are all legal, but there are some rules limiting how you play them.
Partner mechanics include:
- Partner: Generic partner ability allowing two commanders
- Partner With: Specific pairing of two legendary creatures
- Friends Forever: Partner variant from Secret Lair
- Choose a Background: Pairs with Background enchantments
#18
Can I have the same card as a Companion AND as a Commander?
Unfortunately, you can't.
When building your deck, you have to follow all constraints, and the Commander constraint applies to cards chosen with the Companion keyword.
This means if you want to use a legendary creature with Companion as your companion, you cannot also use it as your commander (and vice versa).
Example: You cannot use
Umori, the Collector as both your companion and your commander in the same deck.
#19
Is a mutated/melded Commander still a commander?
Absolutely! If your Commander has the mutate keyword ability, or it has been mutated with another card with this keyword, it will still be your commander.
Examples:
In any of those cases, when you activate Sanctum of Eternity, if you choose to do so, you could return both cards to your hand. The resulting object on the battlefield is your Commander, as long as it's under this state.
#20
What happens if a Commander card was not returned to the Command zone while changing zones but can't be cast anymore from that new zone?
Well, unfortunately, it will remain there until the end of the game, or until an effect moves it from that zone or allows you to cast it again from that zone.
Imagine a game effect would instruct you to move your commander to, let's say, the exile zone. If you choose not to put it back to the command zone, it will probably stay there until the end of the game.
Example: If an opponent plays
Induced Amnesia, targeting you with its ability, and then someone resolves
Erase targeting it, your whole hand, including your Commander if it was in your hand, would remain exiled for the rest of the game.
Always consider carefully whether to return your commander to the command zone when given the opportunity!
#21
How do dungeons work in Duel Commander?
There are two abilities that enable using dungeons in Magic The Gathering:
- Venture into the dungeon
- Take the initiative / have the initiative
Those abilities will make you play with dungeons, symbolized with special Magic cards that are not tokens. They will start outside the game and be put in the command zone upon their first use.
Important notes:
- Dungeons can't be cast
- They're not one of your commanders
- They begin games outside of them, but not in a sideboard
- You can have dungeons available even if you don't play cards that can put them in use
- Some dungeons might have dedicated rule sets (like The Undercity)
#22
Do background cards work like cards with "partner", "friends forever" or "partner with" keywords?
Absolutely, each of them with their specificities.
When a card uses the "choose a background" keyword, the matching background you will choose will normally do nothing in a game while added to your list, even though it can:
- Increase the deck color identity (like adding a white background to a green commander)
- Reduce by 1 the size of your library (you have 98 cards + 2 commanders)
You will either choose your non-background commander or your background commander and "freeze" the other one until the end of the game.
See our Comprehensive Rules for more details on how background commanders work.
#23
Can I use multiple companions? Can I do a "companion swap"?
The first question is explicitly forbidden by Magic The Gathering comprehensive rules:
MTG Comprehensive Rules 702.139a:
"Companion is a keyword ability that functions outside the game. It's written as 'Companion—[Condition].' Before the game begins, you may reveal one card you own from outside the game with a companion ability..."
The key word here is "one" - you can only have a single companion.
Regarding companion swapping: No, you can't swap companion cards between your starting (main) deck and your "outside the game" space. Additionally, you can only list one companion.
This is tackled in Commander rule 3: A Commander deck must contain exactly 100 cards, including the commander. If you're playing a companion, it must adhere to color identity and singleton rules. While it is not part of the deck, it is effectively a 101st card.