Commander is a way to play Magic: The Gathering with a group, usually four players around one table. Each person brings a 100-card deck led by a single legendary card, called the commander, and everyone plays for themselves. You start on 40 life, attack whoever you like and try to be the last player standing. Wizards calls it Magic’s most popular multiplayer format, and you will find it at kitchen tables and in shops alike.
To play Commander you only need one ready-made Commander deck and a few basics of how Magic works. This guide covers the rules that make Commander different, the pre-game chat about how strong decks are, what to buy and what a Commander night at a UK shop is like.
Looking for a table? Our Commander page lists UK venues that run regular Commander nights.
The key Commander rules
Commander uses the normal Magic turn structure, so if you are brand new, start with our guide on how to play Magic: The Gathering. On top of that, Commander adds a handful of rules.
Your deck and your commander
- 100 cards exactly. That is your commander plus 99 other cards.
- Singleton. Only one copy of each card is allowed, apart from basic lands. This is why every game of Commander feels a little different.
- Your commander is a legendary creature or artifact. It sets the theme of the deck, and you build the rest around its colour identity and abilities.
- Colour identity. Every card in your deck must only use mana symbols that also appear on your commander, counting both its casting cost and any mana symbols in its text. Colourless cards are allowed too, so a red and green commander means red, green and colourless cards.
The command zone
Your commander starts the game face up in its own space beside you, called the command zone, rather than in your library. You can cast it from there whenever you could normally cast it. If your commander would be put into your library, hand, graveyard or exile from anywhere, you can return it to the command zone instead, so it is never really gone.
Commander tax
Each time you cast your commander from the command zone, it costs two more mana than the last time. A five-mana commander costs five the first time, seven the second and nine the third. This is the commander tax, and it is a good reason to think about when to bring your commander back.
Life totals and commander damage
- Everyone starts on 40 life.
- Commander damage: if the same commander deals you 21 or more combat damage over the course of a game, you lose, whatever your life total. Keep a note of how much damage each commander has dealt you.
- The usual ways of losing a game of Magic still apply too.
Turns and attacking
Players sit in a circle and turns pass clockwise around the table. You can attack any opponent, wherever they sit, or several opponents in the same turn, and spells and abilities can target any player. Wizards suggests allowing about 20 minutes per player, so a four-player game takes around 80 minutes.
The banned list
Commander has its own list of banned cards, which Wizards of the Coast publishes on its official Banned and Restricted List. Check it whenever you start adding new cards to a deck.
Brackets and the pre-game chat
Before a Commander game, players take a minute to talk about their decks so the whole table enjoys a similar kind of game. Wizards calls this the pregame conversation, and its Commander Brackets give that chat a shared scale from 1 to 5:
| Bracket | Name | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exhibition | Socially focused play |
| 2 | Core | Socially focused play |
| 3 | Upgraded | Socially focused play with stronger decks |
| 4 | Optimized | High-power play |
| 5 | cEDH | Competitive Commander |
Brackets also refer to a list of especially powerful cards called Game Changers. Bracket 1 and 2 decks leave them out, Bracket 3 allows up to three, and Brackets 4 and 5 have no limit. Each bracket also sets expectations for two-card infinite combos, extra turns and mass land denial, though the intent behind each level matters most. The system is entirely optional and is currently in beta.
A simple way to join in is to say something like: “This is a ready-made deck straight from the box, and it is my first time. Which brackets are your decks?” That tells everyone what they need to know, and the group can match you with a fair game.
What to buy first
A preconstructed Commander deck (often called a precon) is the best first purchase. It is a complete, legal 100-card deck that you can play straight out of the box, and it sits comfortably alongside other ready-made decks at the table.
Current options from Wizards include:
- Foundations Commander decks. Five beginner-friendly decks released alongside Reality Fracture on 2 October 2026. Each is a single-colour, 100-card deck with an easy-to-grasp plan, such as Calling All Angels, and Wizards pitches them as the next step after Magic Academy events.
- Multiverse Reforged Commander deck. Jace leads this deck of alternate-reality versions of familiar Magic creatures, in keeping with the Reality Fracture story.
You will also want some card sleeves, a deck box that holds 100 sleeved cards, and a die or pen and paper to track life. Independent game shops across the UK stock Commander decks, and staff are usually glad to help you choose.
What a Commander night at a UK shop is like
Commander nights are a regular fixture in many UK shops. Many run on a regular weekday evening, and Commander is a popular choice at Friday Night Magic, which Wizards calls the weekly heartbeat of in-store play. Start times and entry fees vary, so check each venue listing before you go.
Shops in the Wizards Play Network also run special Commander events. Commander Party adds a set-themed twist to casual Commander games, and any legal Commander deck can join in; for Reality Fracture the windows are 9 to 15 October and 23 to 29 October 2026. Two-Headed Giant Commander Night, where you team up with a friend for two-on-two games, runs once a month during the season, which lasts until 5 November.
How the evening runs
- Sign in. Ask at the counter how the shop registers players. Setting up a Wizards Account and the Magic: The Gathering Companion app at home makes this quicker.
- Pods. The organiser groups players into pods, usually of four, sometimes three or five. Some shops let you pick your own table.
- The chat. Each pod has a quick bracket conversation before shuffling up.
- Play. A four-player game often takes over an hour, so most evenings fit in a couple of games. Some events hand out promo cards for taking part, while supplies last.
Table etiquette
- Say what you are doing. Announce each spell and what it targets, and keep your cards where everyone can read them.
- Keep the game moving. Plan your turn while others play, and let the table know when you have finished.
- Track life and commander damage clearly, out loud or on paper.
- Ask before touching other players’ cards.
- Be a good loser and winner. Saying “good game” to the whole pod is a friendly habit.
- Ask the organiser if a rules question comes up. They are there to help.
Finding a Commander night
Browse Magic venues across the UK, or start with the city pages for London, Manchester and Exeter. The Manchester events calendar shows what is on each night of the week. You can also search the official Wizards Store and Event Locator for Commander events near you.
Your first Commander night checklist
- One ready-made Commander deck, sleeved and in a deck box.
- A Wizards Account and the Companion app, set up at home.
- A die, counters or pen and paper for life totals and commander damage.
- The entry fee, and a drink or snack if the shop allows it.
- A sentence ready for your pod: “It is my first Commander night and this is a precon straight from the box.”
- Arrive ten minutes early so you can register calmly and meet the organiser.
- Read each card aloud the first time you play it, and ask questions freely. Everyone at the table was new once.
Common questions
What is Commander in MTG?
Commander is a multiplayer way to play Magic, usually with four people at one table. Each player brings a 100-card deck led by a legendary card, the commander, and everyone plays for themselves. Wizards suggests about 20 minutes per player, so a four-player game runs for over an hour.
How much life do you start with in Commander?
Everyone starts on 40 life, double the 20 of a normal game. The higher total suits a table of several opponents and gives big plays time to happen.
What is commander tax?
Each time you cast your commander from the command zone, it costs two more mana than the time before. The first cast is at its printed cost, the second adds two, the third adds four, and so on.
Can you have more than one copy of a card in Commander?
No. Commander is a singleton format, so your deck can include only one copy of each card. Basic lands are the exception, and you can include as many as you like.
Where can I find the Commander banned list?
Wizards of the Coast publishes the Commander banned list as part of its official Banned and Restricted List on the Magic website, alongside the other formats.
Which Commander deck should a beginner buy?
A ready-made (preconstructed) Commander deck is the easiest start. The five Foundations Commander decks, released on 2 October 2026, each use a single colour and an easy-to-grasp plan, and Wizards describes them as an ideal entry point.