Special Rules

This section covers special rules and mechanics unique to the Commander format.

Contents

Commander-Specific Rules

The special rules section covers Commander-specific rules that are unique to the format:

Partners and Backgrounds

Partner mechanics allow players to have two commanders. There are several forms:

  • Universal Partners: Any two commanders with "Partner" can be paired
  • Partner With: Specific cards that can only partner with their named counterpart
  • Background: Legendary creatures that "can have a Background" as a second commander
  • Friends Forever: A variant of Partner that allows pairing any two "Friends Forever" cards

See Partner Commanders for implementation details.

Commander Ninjutsu

Commander Ninjutsu is a variant of the Ninjutsu mechanic that allows a commander to be put onto the battlefield from the command zone by returning an unblocked attacker to hand. This mechanic is currently only found on one card: Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow.

See Commander Ninjutsu for implementation details.

Commander Death and Zone Changes

In Commander, when a commander would change zones, its owner can choose to move it to the command zone instead. Special rules govern how this interacts with "dies" triggers and other zone-change abilities.

See Commander Death Triggers for implementation details.

Commander-Specific Cards

Many cards have been designed specifically for the Commander format, including:

  • Cards that reference the command zone directly
  • Cards with mechanics only found in Commander products (Myriad, Lieutenant, etc.)
  • Cards that affect the Commander tax
  • Cards designed for multiplayer political play

See Commander-Specific Cards for implementation details.

Multiplayer Politics

Commander is often played as a multiplayer format, and certain mechanics are designed for multiplayer interactions:

  • Voting mechanics
  • Deal-making abilities
  • Group effects that affect all players
  • Incentives and deterrents for attacking

See Multiplayer Politics and Politics Testing for implementation details.

Some Commander-specific mechanics interact with other systems:

Testing Special Rules

The tests directory contains test cases for verifying the correct implementation of special Commander rules and edge case handling.