DUEL COMMANDER COMPREHENSIVE RULES
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREAMBLE
This document represents the complete rules regarding Duel Commander rules. It is not designed to be read in one shot, especially for new players. Please turn to the Duel Commander quick start Guide for this.
Should one ever want to ask precise questions regarding playing, special questions, or concerns, please have a look at the document named āFrequently Asked Questionsā, which is excluded from this document and serves as a complementary source of information for common mistakes, questions, and information.
This document is based on many other ones and represents an exhaustive and comprehensive guide and rules reference for any player, judge, and tournament organizer in the world who would like to follow official Duel Commander rules. This document may be updated as time goes on, without any warning (even though changes might be broadly announced to the community), and will be maintained by the Duel Commander Committee only.
The document youāre reading is based on the work of the Duel Commander Committee, which has changed over time, but the people who helped this existing and made this be brought to light remain. Please note that Duel Commander game is not affiliated to, maintained by, nor having any support from Wizards of the Coastā¢.
We would like to thank everyone who made Magic The Gathering possible (because without Wizards of the Coastā¢ / Hasbroā¢, we would certainly not be here today), but also the makers, maintainers and communities of Singleton formats, Elder Dragon Highlander and Multiplayer Commander teams, as well as some people who made this game possible, such as Kevin Desprez, Damien Guillemard, Claire DuprĆ© and Daniel Kitachewski for their advice, their initial support and involvementn as well as Damien Jantzen, Jordan Raiber, Manuel Le Marec, Martin Cuchet, Pierre-Guillaume Bardin and Thomas Mechin. Though theyāre not part of the committee anymore, people might remember the time they all spent in making this game to be known. We also want to thank all the other people who got involved once into the Duel Commander Committee, those who are still involved in it, advisors and regional coordinators, and everyone who helps building the community. We would also like to thank Martin Cuchet and Jordane Lacombe for their time invested working on these rules.
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1. GENERIC CONSIDERATIONS
100. Refering To Duel Commander and Using Abbreviations
- 100.1. Duel Commander Abbreviations
100.1a Please note that every time the āDuel Commander" game will be mentioned further in this document or in official sources, it might be noted as āDCā so as to reduce the number of word to read. "DC" is also a common way to refer to āDuel Commanderā, that is tolerable from anyone, players, judges, tournament organizers, etc.
100.1b Any other abbreviation or references cannot be used to refer Duel Commander.
- 100.2. Other Miscellaneous Abbreviations
100.2a The Banned And Restricted list may sometimes be refered as "B&R" on official sources.
101. Numbering the Rules
- 101.1. About the Numbers in this Document
101.1a We tried to follow Wizards of the Coastās way of writing rules so as players and judges can refer faster to them while in a tournament or while discussing. Rules number follow the number of this documentās section as the hundreds digit, the unit/tenths digits are to be incremented as rules definitions go on, and some specific and divided rules might be iterated with letters in addition to numbers (example: 210.1a).
102. Referencing Official Documents
- 102.1. Citing DC Rules
102.1a Please be aware that this document on our website (MTG Duel Commander) is the only official source of information and real-time maintained reference. Anything else one may find on the internet is to be considered as possibly edited, outdated or a scam, even if its contents look the same.Ā
102.1b If one is to make references to the DC Rules, please refer to this document. The URL of this document is public and accessible to anyone and is the following: https://www.mtgdc.info/comprehensive-rules.
- 102.2. Citing the Banned and Restricted (B&R) List
102.2a Should anyone refer the the list of cards legality in DC, there is an additional, separate, dedicated page for that on on our website (Banned And Restricted), and only at this place. Anything else one may find on the internet is to be considered as possibly edited, outdated or a scam, even if its contents look the same.
- 102.3. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and Rules
102.3a Some specific questions are commonly asked by players or judges. A Frequently Asked Questions page is maintained on our website as an intent to quickly address those questions with additional explanations that would take longer to find in the Comprehensive Rules, and only at this place. Anything else one may find on the internet is to be considered as possibly edited, outdated or a scam, even if its contents look the same.
103. DC Against Magic The Gathering Format Definitions
- 103.1. The Nature of DC
103.1a DC is a game by itself, with its own definitions.
103.1b DC uses Magic The Gathering material as game material.
103.1c DC uses Magic The Gathering content, like The Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules and Tournament Rules
103.1d DC is not a sanctioned Magic The Gathering format, nor is it a Magic The Gathering casual format variant. All those formats and definitions belong to Wizards of the Coast.
- 103.2. The Nature of Playing DC
103.2a Playing DC can be considerered casual Magic The Gathering play in the sense of what Wizards of the Coast defines in the Tournament Rules. Therefore, it cannot count as sanctioned playing (and for anything that results from this statement), as Wizards of the Coast allows organizing friendly events using Magic The Gathering material, on condition that organizers respect both legal statements and fan content policies.
103.2b It is possible to find out DC tournaments as a core even, but also on Magic The Gathering Premium and non-Premium sanctioned tournaments (as side events, for example).Ā
103.2c In all cases, Tournament Organizers are responsible for establishing, promoting and handling tournaments, and these organizers could be Wizards of the Coast or its partners as well.Ā
103.2d As legal owners of Magic The Gathering, Hasbro, inc., represented by Wizards of the Coast, takes final precedence over any decision related to their brands, products, copyrights and legal deposits. The Duel Commander Rules Committee only handles considerations within its own domain. This could alter the contents of this document at any time.
- 103.3. The Competitive Aspect of DC
103.3a DC is built upon the promise of being a competitive game by design. In the sense that it is thought, developed and maintained as a support for competition. This clearly defines what one can find in announcements, in this document and in tournaments. Should anyone have to decide anything regarding local DC considerations, this should be the leading idea.
- 103.4. DC Concepts and Default Inheritance
103.4a DC inspires from Magic The Gathering Commander format by default. Unless replaced in this document, any Commander concept applies to DC.
103.4b DC inherits the color identity concepts from Magic The Gathering Commander.
103.4c DC inherits the command zone concepts from Magic The Gathering Commander.
103.4d DC inherits the deck building constraints concepts from Magic The Gathering Commander, like 100-card count in total and singleton rules.
103.4e DC inherits the commander card events rules replacement effects and state-based actions concepts from Magic The Gathering Commander.
103.4f DC does not inherit the Banned And Restricted list from Magic The Gathering Commander. See section 404. of this document.
103.4g DC does not inherit the commander damage rule the from Magic The Gathering Commander. See section 506. of this document.
104. DC on Magic The Gathering Onlineā¢
- 104.1. Specificities for Applying DC Rules on Magic The Gathering Onlineā¢
104.1a Magic The Gathering Onlineā¢ uses its own deployment timings and synchronizes its rules and available card pool among the complete Magic The Gatheringā¢ card pool with a "best effort" approach. When playing on Magic The Gathering Onlineā¢, games are played according to the software-managed rules, which always precede this document. Magic The Gathering Onlineā¢ is always considered to be right, as it follows its own lifecycle and is not placed under the Duel Commander Rules Committee's authority.
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2. TOURNAMENTS
200. Extending Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules
- 200.1. The Nature of Duel Commander, General Structural Philosophy
200.1a Before anything else, DC is a game based on Magic The Gathering material. Which means it follows all the generic rules defined by Wizards of the Coast (that one can find here) in order to understand its objects, and thus, any rule here is to be considered as an extension of these rules, preceding over them if explicit.Ā
200.1b For any question regarding generic Magic The Gathering rules, please refer to those official documents above all things should any concern one faces would not find an answer in this present document.
201. Comprehensive Rules
- 201.1. Following Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules
201.1a Note that the official rules of Magic The Gathering are by default followed by all certified judges, as it would happen to be in any other Magic The Gathering-based game.Ā
201.1b Should anything not be ruled explicitly by the present document, please refer to the official comprehensive rules by default.
202. Tournament Rules
- 202.1. Following Magic The Gathering Tournament Rules
202.1a Please note that all DC tournaments should be ruled like any other Magic The Gathering tournaments: which means the only source of authority is the one one would expect on any kind of tournament. That means: Judges, Head Judges, and in certain cases and Tournament Organizers.Ā
202.1b All the official procedures of Magic The Gathering should apply, including Magic The Gathering Tournament Rules, which take precedence over the Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules (people may find documents regarding those procedures here).
202.1c This document lists additional ruling tips and explicit statements at section 6., that overlap any other source.
202.1d When applying Magic The Gathering Tournament Rules, assimilate DC as a "constructed format" from these documents by default.
202.1e This implies following Magic The Gathering Tournament Rules to determine how many rounds a tournament should have.
- 202.2. Duel Commander Tournament Pairing
202.2a By default, tournaments are assumed to follow the Swiss pairing algorithm.
202.2b The tournament pairing algorithm can be changed prior to the tournament by the Tournament Organizer.
202.2c The pairing structure for playoff rounds or final rounds can be different and can differ from the main rounds.
- 202.3. Duel Commander Match Structure
202.3a By default, the number of winning games required to win a DC match is two.
202.3b The required number of games to be won for any portion of the tournament can be changed prior to the tournament by the Tournament Organizer.
202.3c The matching structure for playoff rounds or final rounds can be different and can differ from the main rounds.
202.3d The required number of games to be won for playoff rounds or final rounds can be different.
203. Tournament Organizing and Logistics
- 203.1. Keeping in Mind the Spirit of the Game
203.1a Regarding tournament organization, please note that there are no absolute rules to organizing a Duel Commander tournament. What makes this game so interesting is its originality. The main goal is therefore to propose to the players something attractive in terms of fun and/or challenge.Ā
203.1b The DC Rules Committee can be your possible ultimate source of authority in some cases, but only through a concensus. Please donāt hesitate to contact any member of the committee in case of having a question or being in need for help to organize a Duel Commander event. We are available on Magic The Gathering forums, social networks, live chats, at tournaments, by e-mail and using this Facebook Page. Weāll do our best to assist the community. Weāre also interested in hearing any feedback one may have.
203.1c Applying Magic The Gathering Infraction Procedure Guide and Tournament Rules, the Rules Enforcement Level for tournaments should be "Competitive" by default for all tournaments, although tournaments without prizes nor participating fees can follow the "Regular" Rules Enforcement Level.
204. DC-specific Tournament Timings and Time Management
- 204.1. Defining Round Timings
204.1a A few specific additions may be done to the generic Magic The Gathering Tournament Rules, though. Organizers should generally use Swiss rounds like in any other Magic The Gathering tournament (which also allows the use the official tournaments tools provided by Wizards of the Coast), and should stick to 50 minutes rounds.Ā
204.1b If needed, round time can be lengthened, up to 55 or 60 minutes for regular rounds.
204.1c If needed round time can be extended up to 90 minutes or unlimited time for possible playoff (āTop Xā) rounds or finals if desired.
- 204.2. Additional Turns
204.2a As in any Magic The Gathering game, Duel Commander games should follow the generic rules regarding time management. This means, since DC is a two-player game, that players should be allowed 5 additional turns after the current turn when time is called by tournament organizers/judges, along with the regular obligations regarding playing pace. Please note Magic The Gathering judges are well used to handling such situations.
- 204.3. Extra Time
204.3a As in any Magic The Gathering, some particular internal or external events may happen during tournaments, which may affect game playing time. Organizers should take decisions along with judges to allow some players to have a time extension between the official round ending time and the start of additional turns. Again, please note Magic The Gathering judges are well used to handling such situations, such as warning players at the beginning of their first game and handling local concerns with Tournament Organizers.
- 204.4. Expliciting Timing and Prizes
204.4a Timings and prizes have to be stated explicitly before the tournament begins to all players and Judges.Ā
204.4b Timings and prizes have to be announced and explicit prior to players registrations.
- 204.5. Tournament Rules and Latest Information Authority
204.5a Any tournament that started before or during the publishing of a new announcement from the DC Rules Committee has to follow the rules as they were before the tournament started.
204.5b DC Rules cannot change during the course of a tournament.
205. DC Players
- 205.1. DC Player Definition
205.1a As opposed to common multiplayer formats like Commander (as promoted by the Commander community and Wizards of the Coast's Commander), and as stated in its name, Duel Commander is made for 1 versus 1, individual player games (referred as ātwo-player gamesā in the Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules at section 100.1a).Ā
205.1b A player is a physical person, playing alone without any external interaction with the game (this is a change from official Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules defined in section 903.).
206. Multiplayer and Variants
- 206.1. Multiplayer Games (Free-for-all)
206.1a If one wishes to organize multiplayer tournaments (such as Free-For-All tournaments), please refer to the Commander rules instead.Ā
206.1b None of this document will apply to multiplayer tournaments (i.e. tournaments that donāt follow rule 205.1a in this document).
- 206.2. Two-Headed Giant Variant
206.2a Non-sanctioned Two-Headed Giant variant games (referred in the Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules at section 810.) can be played in DC.
206.2b All additional rules explicited by Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules replace information from this document (like starting life totals and player definitions, for instance).
206.2c Tournaments should not be organized using the Two-Headed Giant variant, but Tournament Organizers can still attempt to do so if they wish to. In that case, they take full responsibility of handling rules and sanctions.
- 206.3. Magic The Gathering Ruled Casual and Product-based Variants
206.3a Non-sanctioned games (referred in the Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules at section 9.) can be played in DC.
206.3b All additional rules explicited by Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules replace information from this document.
206.3c Tournaments should not be organized using variants defined at section 206.3a of this document, but Tournament Organizers can still attempt to do so if they wish to. In that case, they take full responsibility of handling rules and sanctions.
- 206.4. Other Variants
206.4a Any other variant (Grand Melee, Emperor...) or Commander Draft cannot apply to DC. Please refer to the Commander rules instead.Ā
206.4b None of this document will apply to other variant tournaments.Ā
207. Tournament Flow Integrity
- 207.1. Listing Decks in Duel Commander
207.1a Because of the complexity of singleton lists of 100 cards, when organizing a Duel Commander tournament, it is normally required for players to list their decks before tournaments start and present them.Ā
207.1b Decklists should be presented as 99 cards in the deck plus one card as the commander on those lists, modulated by cards that explicitely change these numbers (see official Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules defined in section 702.).
207.1c Player decklists should be readable and never lead to doubts while being checked, if provided by physical means.Ā
207.1d Failure to comply to this could trigger infractions issued from the judges during tournaments.Ā
207.1e Integrity hashes or any other modern way of validating decklists contents could also be provided in order to quickly check the decklists.
207.1f Players can list an additional 101th card if it has the companion keyword, provided their decklists remain valid regarding the commander construction rules and provided the whole deck is valid regarding to additional building constraints, as some cards with additional keywords require (at least companion use text restriction AND color identity).
207.1g Banned cards can't be listed.
207.1h Cards that are restricted can only be listed in any legal way (for instance, a card that is banned as a commander only cannot be listed as a commander).
207.1i An Attraction Deck cannot be used nor listed in Duel Commander, as opposed to what used to be legal according to this document.
207.1j Dungeon cards musn't be listed as they're considered as tokens when it comes to listing and can be used through representations (see Magic The Gathering Tournament Rules at section 3.3).
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3. DEFINING THE GAME
300. Starting a Duel Commander Game
- 300.1. Starting Life Totals
300.1a Each player begins the game with a starting life total of 20 (twenty) (this is a change from older rules, but follows official Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules defined in section 103.3 and 903.7).
300.1b If an effect would change this total it is considered valid and applies.
301. Command Zone Interactions
- 301.1. Understanding the Command Zone
301.1a In addition to other zones, Duel Commander games use the command zone, which exists in all Magic The Gathering formats (including the sanctioned ones). See official Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules defined in section 408.
- 301.2. Reminders
301.2a The game uses the command zone mechanic as defined in Magi The Gathering Comprehensive rules by default. See official Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules defined in section 408.
301.2b Command zones are public zones. See official Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules defined in section 400.2.
- 301.3. Interactions with Other Objects
301.3a Although commanders share the command zone along with nontraditional Magic The Gathering cards like Planechase planes, Archenemy Schemes, Vanguard, Phenomenon, Conspiracies and emblems, they do not share rules with those objects. Commanderās rules apply only to commanders. Same goes for other ones.
301.3b Reminder: a Commander can only be a card that can be eligible as so and stated as so before the game started to all players. For instance, nontraditional cards like Archenemy Schemes cannot be Commanders, even if they use the Command Zone.
- 301.4. Starting a Game
301.4a As stated in the Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules defined in section 103.2. Anything needs to be done in the order listed in this rules section.
- 301.5. Casting Commanders
301.5a Players can only cast the same commander from their command zones after choosing which one they cast for the first time during each game. This is a change from previous rules defined in section 903.8 of the Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules.
301.5b There is no such choice to be announced by a player prior the first cast of one of their commanders.
301.5c During a game, once a player has cast one of their commanders from their command zone, the other ones, if any, canāt be cast from this command zone.
301.5d The other commanders in that player's command zone are still subject to the rules defined in section 903.9 of the Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules and can be cast from anywhere else.
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4. BUILDING DECKS
400. Generic Considerations
- 400.1. Default Rulings and Decision-taking
400.1a If not stated in this section of the present document, any rule has to follow the official rules defined in section ā903. Commanderā in the Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules.
401. Interaction Between and Across Documents
- 401.1. Building Rules Precedence
401.1a When explicitly stated in the present document, if any rule specification differs from the ones you find in the Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules, this document contents take precedence over the Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules.
401.1b This does not include legal statements made by Wizards of the Coast / Hasbro, Inc. These take precedence over anything.
402. Duel Commander Deck Structure
- 402.1. Construction Rules
402.1a A DC deck has to follow the construction rules defined in the official Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules at section 903.5.Ā
402.1b Each DC deck must contain exactly 100 cards, one of them being the Commander and the 99 other ones being the playerās starting library, among other considerations.
402.1c Rule 402.1b might be replaced and possibly modulated only by specific keywords and mechanics, such as partner, partner with, friends forever or choose a background, for instance.
402.1d DC doesn't use sideboards, nor does it use any mechanic refering to sideboards. As a consequence, no rule that would attempt at using them will not function. See official Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules at section 903.11.
402.1e The companion ability is valid in DC and cards with this ability can be listed as cards that start outside games, but not in a sideboard on condition that the listing remains legal.
402.1f Dungeon, or companion cards are not part of a deck and are considered separately.
402.1g Casual variant cards like nontraditional cards (e.g. Vanguard characters or Archenemy schemes) are not part of a deck and are considered separately.
403. Commanders
- 403.1. Choosing A Commander
403.1a Choosing a Commander in a Duel Commander deck requires the owner of the deck to follow the construction rules defined in the official Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules at section 903.3 and the rules that follow.
403.1b Rule 301.5. in this document does not affect the deck building process.
- 403.2. Banned Commanders
403.2a Players canāt choose a card thatās banned in Duel Commander or simply stated banned as a commander in Duel Commander as their commanders. See rules 404. in this document.
404. Magic The Gathering Material Legality
- 404.1. Banned Or Restricted Cards Reference
404.1a Some cards are banned from Duel Commander. The only reference to know which cards are authorized or banned is the document namedĀ āBanned and Restrictedā on the Duel Commander official website, that one can find at this URL: https://www.mtgdc.info/banned-restricted. This is extracted from this section for better readability.
This list comes in addition to the rules 404.6. and 404.7. in this document.
Though this list is usually edited on every major set release (following Wizards of the Coastās periodicity), it might be changed at any moment if any card threatens the diversity and stability of the Duel Commander game.
- 404.2. Banned In Duel Commander As A Commander Only
404.2a When a card is stated as āBanned as a Commander onlyā, this means the card canāt be the Commander of any deck, but can still be part of the cards constituting the starting library.
- 404.3. Banned In Duel Commander In The Deck Only
404.3a When a card is stated as āBanned in the deck onlyā, this means the card can be the Commander of any deck, but canāt be part of the cards constituting the starting library. Please note there has never been any reason for this case to exist so far.
- 404.4. Banned In Duel Commander
404.4a When a card is stated as āBannedā with no further precision, "Banned in DC" or "Banned in Duel Commander", this both means the card canāt be the Commander of any deck (provided it could be an eligible one) and canāt be part of the cards constituting the starting library. Players canāt have any of these cards in a Duel Commander game in any zone of the game. They're simply not legal.
404.4b When a card is stated as āBannedā it can't be used/listed/played as using the companion ability.Ā
- 404.5. Banned Card Candidates
404.5a Any Magic The Gathering card can be banned or authorized.
- 404.6. Game-generic Banned Cards
404.6a Only cards that are playable in sanctioned Magic The Gathering formats are legal in Commander, and, therefore, in Duel Commander.
Which excludes special border cards like:Gold-bordered cards (World Events promo cards / ...).
Silver-bordered cards (found in "Un"-sets / Holiday cards / ...).
Scroll-looking cards like Conspiracies.
Square-cornered cards (Collectorās Edition / ...).
Cards with a special acorn-looking holofoil or acorn-looking printed stamp.
Oversized and other miscellaneous (usually nontraditional) cards such as Planechase Planes, Archenemy Schemes, Vanguard cards, Helvault cards, Minigames, Bounties, etc.
Cards marked offensive by Wizards of the Coastā¢. Click here for the list. This list is a work in progress.
Any card that bring a sticker or an Attraction into the game.
Any other card that will be explicited as not legal in sanctioned play by Wizards of the Coastā¢.
- 404.7. Game-specific Banned Cards
404.7a Cards that use the Ante ability are excluded.
404.7b Physical abilities cards that are Falling Star and Chaos Orb.
404.7c The fast subgame card Shahrazad is also excluded for structural reasons.
- 404.8. Considering Special Mana Symbols
404.8a As in any other game, phyrexian mana are considered the color(s) they are, including when determining color identity.Ā
404.8b As in any other game, hybrid mana are considered the color(s) they are, including when determining color identity.Ā
- 404.9. Sideboards
404.9a DC doesnāt use sideboards. Players canāt have sideboard cards. The only cards of a Duel Commander deck are the 100 cards from the main (and only) deck, possibly modulated by cards like companion ability does.Ā
- 404.10. Non-card Material
404.10a Anything that is not a traditional Magic The Gathering legal card cannot be used in DC, with some exceptions listed in this section.
404.10b Dungeons are nontraditional Magic The Gathering cards that are accepted in DC, on condition that they follow rule 404.6 in this document.
404.10c Attractions (as defined in section 717. of the Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules) are nontraditional Magic The Gathering cards that are not accepted in DC. Bringing such game material to games will be discarded and ignored.
404.10d Stickers (as defined in section 123. of the Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules) are not accepted in DC. Bringing such game material to games will be ignored.
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5. SPECIFIC GAMEPLAY CONSIDERATIONS
500. Generic Considerations
- 500.1. Following Commander Gameplay
500.1a If not stated in this section of the present document, any rule has to follow the official rules defined in section ā903. Commanderā in the Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules.
501. Precedence
- 501.1. Gameplay Rules Precedence
501.1a When explicitly stated in the present document, if any gameplay rules specification differs from the ones you find in the Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules, this documentās contents take precedence over the Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules.
502. Game Start Considerations
- 502.1. Taking Mulligans and Opening Hands
502.1a While Duel Commander used to follow a different rule for opening hands than the original one (called Paris-Normandy), then adopting another rule starting October 2nd, 2015, the game now uses the āLondon Mulliganā, widely adopted by Wizards of the Coastā¢ between June and July 2019. All Duel Commander games starting July 5th, 2019 should follow the rule 103.4. as defined in the official Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules regarding starting hands and mulligans.
503. Objects Outside the Game
- 503.1. Cards Refering Other Objects Outside the Game
503.1a Parts of game effects 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.Ā
503.1b Cards with the companion keyword are not affected by rule 503.1a as they refer to themselves, and therefore will work (see additional constraints in section 207.1. of this document).
503.1c The only time allowed to players between rounds is allowed for swapping commanders (see section 507. of this document), as no sideboarding or other kind of deck alteration is possible during a game.
504. Commander Designation
- 504.1. Reminder About Commander Designation
504.1a The commander designation does not change anything to the state-based actions, as specified. It is not a super-type, and does not appear on the card, as defined in section 704. in the Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules.
505. Colored Mana in Pools
- 505.1. Reminder About Colored Mana
505.1a While Duel Commander used to follow a different rule for colored mana into mana pools, no additional rule modifies the official Magic The Gathering rules when regarding colored mana. Please note this is not the case anymore since April 8th, 2016. All the texts that are printed on cards apply, as according to the currently reading from Wizards of the Coastā¢'s Gatherer.
If a player would add colored mana to his or her mana pool that is not in their commanderās color identity, the players effectively adds the mana to their mana pool, like in any other game, and may spend it like in any other game.
506. Commander Damage Victory Condition
- 506.1. Reminder About Commander Damage
506.1a While this used to be a rule (and as it still is in some other games, formats and variants), there is no commander damage win condition in DC, neither for 21 damage nor for any other amount. All the other regular Magic The Gathering ways of winning or losing a game apply to Duel Commander. This is an exception to rules 104.3, 704.5 and 903.10 to the Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules.
507. Playing with More Than One Commander
- 507.1. About Multiple Commander Gameplay
507.1a If more than one commander is put in the command zone at the start of a game, refer to rule 301.5 in this document.
507.1b A commander cast from any other zone than the command zone does not count in regard to rule 301.5 of this document.
Example : Command Beacon is a card that reads ā{T}, Sacrifice Command Beacon: put your commander into your hand from the command zone.ā A player put one of their commanders in their hand using this ability and didnāt cast the other commander previously. They can still cast any commander from their command zone.
Example : Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools is a card that reads ā{ā10}: gain control of all commanders. Put all commanders from the command zone onto the battlefield under your control.ā A player that did not cast any commander from their command zone before the resolution of this ability can still cast one of their commanders from that zone.
508. Swapping Commanders
- 508.1. Commander Swapping
508.1a Players are allowed to swap commander(s) after each game of the same round. Commander swapping means that only after the first game is played each round, each player may shuffle their commander(s) into their decks and present either the same one(s) or new commander(s) from the same deck before each following game begins during each round.
508.1b For the first game each round, each player puts their commander(s) from their deck face up into the command zone before shuffling (see Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules at section 103.1).
508.1c After the first game each round, each player reveals their commander(s) simultaneously by putting them willingly face up in the command zone after making choices, or by putting them face down in the command zone, then having both players turning them face up at the same time before shuffling (see Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules at section 101.4). This action can only be done once per game, for each game of a round after the first one.
508.1d Commanders must remain legal before each game begins. Players canāt change color identity in between games (see Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules at section 903.4a), and the choice of commander(s) has to follow other construction rules defined in section 403. of this document (for example: players canāt choose a banned commander).
508.1e Only commanders that are part of the original deck are legal. If the tournament uses registration deck lists, the commanders must be listed within the deck.
508.1f Players are expected to take a decent and short time to choose commanders in between games then refer to rule 301.4 in this document.
508.1g Players may change the number of commanders by swapping commanders altering the number of commanders in their command zone and library or not (see Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules at section 702.).
508.1h Each restarted game or subgame is a subpart of the current round game. Therefore, players canāt swap commanders neither for restarted games nor for subgames. If a restarted or subgame would start, all players use the same commander(s) than the current one(s) from the main game that generated a game restart or a subgame (see Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules at section 723.).
ā
6. JUDGING / COMPLEMENTARY NOTES
600. Specificities of Duel Commander
- 600.1. Judging and Sanctioning
600.1a Duel Commander games shall be judged and approached with the same philosophy as any Magic The Gathering game during a tournament. Therefore, any certified Magic The Gathering judge can be a DC judge and judges should apply the usual Magic Infraction Procedure Guide by default in tournaments.Ā
600.1b Commander swapping shall be judged and sanctioned like sideboarding (mostly Tournament Error ā Deck Problem).
600.1c Choosing commanders between games (as potential swaps) can trigger Unsporting Conduct ā Stalling or Tournament Error ā Slow Play.
600.1d A player refusing to reveal at the proper time their commander(s) before or after swapping commanders falls under Tournament Error ā Communication Policy Violation, or any relevant misinformation conduct.
600.1e Players misusing game rules from other games or formats (e,g, from Commander) shall be concerned mostly by those infractions, depending on the mistakes made (pretty much like confusing rules from Legacy and Vintage formats, for example):
Tournament Error ā Decklist Problem
Tournament Error ā Deck Problem
Game Play Error ā Game Rule Violation.
600.1f Commander(s) in the deck whilst presenting it to the opponent should be judged as a Game Rule Violation. In the event of a player who wanted to swap commanders, refer to rule 600.1b of this document.