Commander is the format that turns “I brought a deck” into “I brought a story.” It’s multiplayer, it’s chaotic, and it’s where a weird pet card can be just as memorable as the “best” staple.
But it also has a learning curve. The rules feel different than 60-card Magic. Deckbuilding is different. And if you don’t understand the social side, you’ll end up in mismatched pods where nobody has fun.
This guide is the straight-ahead version. You’ll learn the rules that matter, how to pick a commander, how to build your 99, and how to find games that fit your vibe in 2026 (including the newer bracket language people are actually using now).
What Commander is
Commander (also called EDH) is a 100-card singleton format where you build around one legendary “face card” called your commander. Most games are 3–5 players, and you start at a higher life total than other formats, so decks get to do bigger things.
If you’re coming from Standard or Modern, the biggest mindset shift is this: Commander isn’t just “who plays the tightest.” It’s also “who reads the table,” “who times their interaction,” and “who doesn’t become the obvious archenemy too early.”
And because it’s singleton, your deck will feel more varied. You’re not drawing the same opening sequences every game. That randomness is part of the charm.
The Commander rules that actually matter
You can go deep on edge cases later. For now, here are the rules you’ll bump into every single game:
Deck size and singleton. Your deck is exactly 100 cards total, including your commander. You can only play one copy of a card by name (basic lands are the main exception).
Starting life. You start at 40 life. That extra cushion is why big spells and slower engines can exist.
Your commander starts outside the deck. Your commander begins in the command zone. You can cast it from there.
Commander tax. Each time you cast your commander from the command zone again, it costs 2 more mana than last time. This is why commanders don’t just come back forever for free.
Color identity. This is the rule that controls deckbuilding more than anything else. Every card in your deck has to fit within your commander’s color identity, which is based on mana symbols on the card (including in rules text).
Commander damage. If a single commander deals 21 combat damage to a player over the course of the game, that player loses. It doesn’t matter if that player gained a bunch of life. Commander damage keeps combat relevant.
That’s the core. If you understand those six ideas, you can sit down at most tables and follow what’s happening.
Choosing a commander you’ll actually enjoy
New players often choose a commander like they’re drafting a thesis statement. Don’t do that. Choose a commander that makes you want to shuffle up.
Here’s a better way to pick:
1) Pick a plan you like repeating
Ask yourself what you want your turns to feel like.
Do you want to:
build an army of tokens and swing?
cast big spells and copy them?
grind value and outdraw the table?
play graveyard recursion and keep coming back?
suit up one creature and go tall?
When you pick a plan first, the commander choice becomes easier, because you’re selecting a leader for that style, not forcing yourself into a strategy you don’t even enjoy.
2) Be honest about complexity
Some commanders are “easy to play, hard to master.” Others are “hard to play, hard to track, and you’ll miss triggers all night.”
If you’re newer, start with something that plays cleanly. You can always level up later. Commander is a long game. Your first deck doesn’t need to be a puzzle box.
3) Let color identity do some of the work
Color identity isn’t just a rule. It’s a filter that defines your tools.
White tends to do balance, board wipes, and protection.
Blue gives you card draw, counterspells, and tempo.
Black gives you tutors, recursion, and life-as-a-resource plays.
Red gives you burst mana, aggression, and chaos.
Green gives you ramp, big creatures, and “play extra lands” engines.
You don’t need to memorize color philosophy. Just know this: the more colors you add, the more flexible your answers become, but the harder your mana base gets.
A two-color deck is often the sweet spot for a first build. It still feels expressive, but it won’t punish your lands as much.
Building your first Commander deck (a real-world blueprint)
Commander deckbuilding is where most people get stuck. They add 40 cool cards, 20 pet cards, and then wonder why their deck doesn’t function.
Here’s the blueprint that keeps you from bricking.
Step 1: Start with lands and mana
If your deck can’t cast spells, nothing else matters.
Most decks want enough lands to hit early land drops, plus ramp to get ahead. If you’re unsure, start a little higher on mana sources. It’s easier to trim lands later than it is to enjoy games where you never cast your commander.
Also, build your mana base to match your deck’s actual needs, not your hopes. If your deck is heavy on double-pips (like BB or UU), you need better color fixing than “a few duals.”
Step 2: Add ramp that fits your deck’s speed
Ramp is how you stop falling behind the table.
Green decks ramp with land search and extra land drops. Non-green decks lean more on mana rocks, treasures, and cost reducers. The key is timing: if your table is playing fast, you need ramp that matters early, not ramp that looks cute on turn seven.
Step 3: Add card draw and card advantage engines
In Commander, you don’t lose because your opponent had one more card. You lose because the other player had ten more cards over the course of the game.
So you want a mix of:
burst draw (refill your hand now)
repeatable draw (draw every turn, or whenever you do your thing)
If your deck is built around creatures, you want draw that triggers off creatures. If your deck is spell-heavy, you want draw that rewards spell casting. Match your draw to your plan.
Step 4: Add interaction (more than you think you need)
New Commander players often underplay removal because it “feels mean.”
But interaction is what keeps games from ending to the first unchecked engine.
You want answers to:
creatures
artifacts/enchantments
graveyards (yes, graveyards)
“this will win next turn” situations
You don’t need to be the fun police. You just need enough interaction that you can stop the one card that would ruin the game.
Step 5: Add a way to actually win
Value is not a win condition. Drawing cards is not a win condition. “I’m doing my thing” is not a win condition.
You need a closer. It can be combat. It can be a big spell. It can be a combo (if your table is into that). But you should know how your deck ends games when it’s ahead.
A good gut-check: if you goldfish ten turns and your deck never creates a “this would end someone” moment, you probably need a finisher.
Step 6: Leave room for the table
Commander isn’t solitaire. Your deck should be able to pivot.
This is the most underrated skill: building a deck that can still play when your commander gets removed twice, or when the board gets wiped, or when someone exiles your graveyard.
Don’t build a deck that only functions when everything goes perfectly. Commander is the format where nothing goes perfectly.
Power levels in 2026: Rule Zero, Brackets, and Game Changers
People still say “my deck is a 7,” and it still means nothing.
That’s why pregame conversation matters. Commander is wide. You can have a relaxed precon pod, a tuned mid-power pod, and a competitive cEDH pod all in the same store.
Rule Zero (still the most important rule)
Before the game starts, do a 30-second check-in:
“How fast does your deck try to win?”
“Any infinite combos?”
“Extra turns? Mass land denial?”
“Are we doing chill vibes or high power?”
This isn’t about policing anyone. It’s about matching expectations.
Brackets and Game Changers (the newer shared language)
In 2025, Wizards introduced a bracket system (still described as beta) to help people communicate deck intent without the fake precision of a 1–10 rating. Brackets are meant to be optional, but they’re becoming common vocabulary in stores.
The basic idea: there are five brackets, from the most socially focused games up through cEDH. There’s also a “Game Changers” list, which is basically a flag for cards that can dramatically warp games. Lower brackets generally avoid those cards, while higher brackets allow them.
You don’t need to memorize lists to benefit from this. Even just saying “this deck is in the Upgraded/Optimized space” (or “it runs a few Game Changers”) is often enough to land you in a better pod.
How to play Commander better (fast)
Here are the skills that win more games than “having better cards.”
Don’t look scary too early. In multiplayer, being ahead is a liability. Develop without becoming the obvious target until you can defend yourself.
Use removal like a surgeon. Save your best answers for the thing that ends the game, not the thing that’s mildly annoying.
Track who is actually ahead. The player with the most permanents isn’t always the threat. The real threat is often the player with untapped mana, a full grip, and a plan you can’t see yet.
Know when to end it. If you can win, win. The table will thank you more than you think. Long games are fun until they’re not.
Testing decks and upgrading fast with PrintMTG tools
Commander is expensive if you try to “buy first, learn later.” Most players do better with the opposite approach: test first, then spend money on what actually improves the deck.
On PrintMTG, you’ve basically got three fast paths that map to how Commander players build:
Start an order from a decklist when you’re testing a full build or doing a batch of upgrades.
Browse sets when you care about a specific printing or want your deck to match a certain era/frame vibe.
Use the card maker when you’re doing custom commanders, alt-art themes, or you want consistent “readable” versions for table play.
One important note (because it matters): proxies are for casual play and playtesting where your group/store allows them. If you’re going to a sanctioned event, bring real cards and follow the organizer’s rules.
FAQs
Is Commander the same as EDH?
Yes, functionally. EDH is the older community name. Commander is the official name.
Can i play Commander 1v1?
You can, and some people do, but most Commander is built around multiplayer. If you’re learning, 4-player Commander is the baseline experience.
Why does everyone care so much about “power level”?
Because mismatched pods are miserable. When one deck is trying to win on turn four and another is trying to cast eight-drops on turn ten, nobody gets the game they came for.
What if my commander keeps getting removed?
That’s normal. Build your deck so it can function without your commander, and treat commander tax as part of the game, not a personal attack.