Hey everyone, I just started getting into EDH/Commander and had a couple of questions about casting from the Commander zone.
My first question is, can a cast commander be countered by something like Cancel? Do countering spells work on Commanders - I would assume so, since they are still being 'cast', just wanted some clarification.
Another question is if you use a card like Unsummon on a Commander, does anything special happen? Can you choose to have it go back to the Command Zone instead? Does playing a Commander from your hand have any different ramifications? Does it still cost an extra 2 mana to recast?
And finally, if your Commander does get put in your hand at some point and you choose to discard it because of your hand size, does it go to the Graveyard or to the Command Zone?
Thanks in advance
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I make art!
Sorry for any grammar/spelling errors, I mostly post from my tablet/smartphone.
Currently playing: Standard: UBRControl
Commander:
White Makes Right (Mikaeus, The Lunarch)
Izzet Fun Yet? (Jhoira of the Ghitu)
The Perfect Storm (Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge)
Dead Grave Walking (Skullbriar, the Walking Grave)
How Could You Be So Heartless? (Heartless Hidetsugu)
Since commanders are cast, yes they can be countered. Instead of casting them from your hand, you cast them from your command zone. Also, Unsummon effects return commanders to their hands, just as tuck effects, like Oblation put them in the deck. The only times you get to choose to return a Commander to the Commander zone is as a replacement effect of going towards either the Graveyard or into Exile.
If for some reason, you choose to discard them, then you may have it go to the Command Zone rather than the GY. Remember, you'll still have to pay 2 more to cast your general again.
A Commander that is cast from the command zone can be countered in the same manner as if it had been cast from your hand. This is what makes Hinder and other similar cards so valuable in decks that can suport them.
If a Commander becomes returned to your hand by a spell such as Unsummon, it must go to your hand. The same goes for "tuck" effects like Oblation and others that target a creature and shuffle it back into your library. As for the way that the cost works, I am unsure how that works.
If you discard your general from your hand and it goes to the graveyard or exile, I would assume that the same rules apply as anytime that happens: You may, as a replacement effect, you may have it go to the command zone. If you choose this option, the general never enters the graveyard or exile, it goes to the command zone directly.
Hope that helps.
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Thanks to DarkKnightCavalier For the awesome banner! Currently Playing: RWUZedruuRWU (G/U)Momir Vig(G/U) Works In Progress WBGGhaveWBG RUGRikuRUG GRStonebrowGR RWBrionRW
Thanks, that makes sense. Kinda what I thought would happen.
So that means that even if the Commander is countered, it costs another 2 mana to play, right? Since you still paid the mana cost to actually summon it once already? So by doing something like Cancel, you effectively hinder your opponent's Commander casting cost as well?
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I make art!
Sorry for any grammar/spelling errors, I mostly post from my tablet/smartphone.
Currently playing: Standard: UBRControl
Commander:
White Makes Right (Mikaeus, The Lunarch)
Izzet Fun Yet? (Jhoira of the Ghitu)
The Perfect Storm (Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge)
Dead Grave Walking (Skullbriar, the Walking Grave)
How Could You Be So Heartless? (Heartless Hidetsugu)
Yes, when you cast it and they counter it, the card would go to the graveyard, but as a replacement effect, you send it to your Command Zone. This may be important because you may choose to not send it to your command zone if it gets countered, maybe because you want to reanimate it, etc.
So that means that even if the Commander is countered, it costs another 2 mana to play, right? Since you still paid the mana cost to actually summon it once already? So by doing something like Cancel, you effectively hinder your opponent's Commander casting cost as well?
Yeah, this is actually a pretty simple rule once you get it down, but I see new players have trouble with it all the time.
The easy way to remember is: Your commander costs 2 more for every time you've cast it from he command zone.
So if I cast Cromat, he costs WUBRG. Then if he gets hit with Hero's Demise and I send him back to the command zone, he costs 2WUBRG, next command zone cast will be 4WUBRG etc.
If instead, when he dies, I choose to have him go to the graveyard and then Reanimate him, that reanimate doesn't increase his casting cost. It's the act of casting him from the command zone, not him dying, that makes the mana cost go up.
My first question is, can a cast commander be countered by something like Cancel? Do countering spells work on Commanders - I would assume so, since they are still being 'cast', just wanted some clarification.
Another question is if you use a card like Unsummon on a Commander, does anything special happen? Can you choose to have it go back to the Command Zone instead? Does playing a Commander from your hand have any different ramifications? Does it still cost an extra 2 mana to recast?
And finally, if your Commander does get put in your hand at some point and you choose to discard it because of your hand size, does it go to the Graveyard or to the Command Zone?
Thanks in advance
Sorry for any grammar/spelling errors, I mostly post from my tablet/smartphone.
Currently playing:
Standard:
UBRControl
Commander:
White Makes Right (Mikaeus, The Lunarch)
Izzet Fun Yet? (Jhoira of the Ghitu)
The Perfect Storm (Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge)
Dead Grave Walking (Skullbriar, the Walking Grave)
How Could You Be So Heartless? (Heartless Hidetsugu)
If for some reason, you choose to discard them, then you may have it go to the Command Zone rather than the GY. Remember, you'll still have to pay 2 more to cast your general again.
RGodo, Bandit WarlordR
GSeton, Krosan ProtectorG
BGJarad, Golgari Lich LordGB
A Commander that is cast from the command zone can be countered in the same manner as if it had been cast from your hand. This is what makes Hinder and other similar cards so valuable in decks that can suport them.
If a Commander becomes returned to your hand by a spell such as Unsummon, it must go to your hand. The same goes for "tuck" effects like Oblation and others that target a creature and shuffle it back into your library. As for the way that the cost works, I am unsure how that works.
If you discard your general from your hand and it goes to the graveyard or exile, I would assume that the same rules apply as anytime that happens: You may, as a replacement effect, you may have it go to the command zone. If you choose this option, the general never enters the graveyard or exile, it goes to the command zone directly.
Hope that helps.
Thanks to DarkKnightCavalier For the awesome banner!
Currently Playing:
RWUZedruuRWU
(G/U)Momir Vig(G/U)
Works In Progress
WBGGhaveWBG
RUGRikuRUG
GRStonebrowGR
RWBrionRW
So that means that even if the Commander is countered, it costs another 2 mana to play, right? Since you still paid the mana cost to actually summon it once already? So by doing something like Cancel, you effectively hinder your opponent's Commander casting cost as well?
Sorry for any grammar/spelling errors, I mostly post from my tablet/smartphone.
Currently playing:
Standard:
UBRControl
Commander:
White Makes Right (Mikaeus, The Lunarch)
Izzet Fun Yet? (Jhoira of the Ghitu)
The Perfect Storm (Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge)
Dead Grave Walking (Skullbriar, the Walking Grave)
How Could You Be So Heartless? (Heartless Hidetsugu)
RGodo, Bandit WarlordR
GSeton, Krosan ProtectorG
BGJarad, Golgari Lich LordGB
Yeah, this is actually a pretty simple rule once you get it down, but I see new players have trouble with it all the time.
The easy way to remember is: Your commander costs 2 more for every time you've cast it from he command zone.
So if I cast Cromat, he costs WUBRG. Then if he gets hit with Hero's Demise and I send him back to the command zone, he costs 2WUBRG, next command zone cast will be 4WUBRG etc.
If instead, when he dies, I choose to have him go to the graveyard and then Reanimate him, that reanimate doesn't increase his casting cost. It's the act of casting him from the command zone, not him dying, that makes the mana cost go up.