A Commander game is best enjoyed as a Free-for-All game among 3–6 players, although two-player games are also common. The game is a freewheeling back-and-forth battle in which alliances are formed, friends are betrayed, and grudges are repaid with a vengeance. Entire battlefields of creatures are wiped out with regularity, and anyone who gains an advantage also gains some new enemies. In the end, only one player will be left standing, and only one commander's name will be etched into the annals of eternity . . . until the next game begins, of course! Get ready to battle. It's going to be an historic day. A Commander game uses all the normal rules for a Magic™ game, with the following additions.
Setup - Each deck is led by a legendary creature designated as that deck's commander. At the start of the game, each player puts his or her commander in the command zone (that is, face up next to his or her 99-card library). Each player's life total is set to 40. The first time a player takes a mulligan in any multiplayer game (a game with three or more players), he or she draws a new hand of seven cards rather than six cards. Subsequent mulligans decrease the hand by one card as normal. If mana would be added to a player's mana pool and that mana isn't a color in that commander's color identity, that amount of colorless mana is added to the player's mana pool.
Using Your Commander - Each of the three oversized cards included in this Magic: The Gathering—Commander game pack can serve as a deck's commander, but it's best to use the commander that's listed first in the deck list on the other side of this sheet. At the start of the game, remove the traditional version of your commander from your deck and set it aside, then put the oversized version into the command zone. When your commander is visible to everyone, use the oversized card. If your commander gets put into your hand or shuffled into your library, use the traditional card. If a player's commander is in the command zone, that player can cast it by paying its mana cost and any additional costs. Casting a commander this way costs an additional o2 for each time it's been cast from the command zone previously. If a player's commander would be put into a graveyard or be exiled, that player can put it into the command zone instead. Each time your commander deals combat damage to a player, make a note of it. If a player is dealt 21 or more combat damage by a single commander, that player loses the game.
Building a Commander Deck - If you decide to personalize your deck or build a new one, first choose your commander. (It's okay if you don't have an oversized version of that card.) - Each Commander deck must have exactly 100 cards, including its commander. The commander must be a legendary creature. -Other than basic lands, each card in the deck must have a different English name. -Commander uses color identity to determine which cards can be included in a deck. A card's color identity is determined by its color(s) and by the mana symbols in its mana cost and rules text. A card can't be included in the deck if any color in its color identity isn't in the commander's color identity. Learn more at: Wizards.com/Commander
