Commander (EDH)
The most popular way to play Magic. Commander is a multiplayer, singleton format built around a legendary commander, 100-card decks, and 40 life — social, expressive, and endlessly customizable.
What is the Commander format?
Commander, also known as EDH (Elder Dragon Highlander), is a casual-first, multiplayer format that has grown into the most popular way to play Magic. Each player builds a 100-card singleton deck — only one copy of any card except basic lands — led by a legendary creature designated as their commander. Games usually start at 40 life and are played in pods of three or four, and the commander lives in a special zone so it is always available. Commander’s emphasis on big plays, politics, and self-expression makes it the format most players build for, and it drives a huge share of the singles market as collectors chase staples for their decks.
Color identity and singleton rules
A Commander deck can only include cards whose color identity fits within its commander’s colors. Color identity is every colored mana symbol on a card — in its cost and its rules text — plus any color indicators, so a card with a red symbol in its ability counts as red even if its mana cost is colorless. This rule is why a mono-white commander cannot run a card with a blue activation cost. Combined with the singleton restriction, color identity shapes the entire deckbuilding process and is the single most common legality question in the format. Universes Beyond and supplemental cards are all Commander legal as long as they fit the color identity.
The Commander banned list
Commander has its own banned list, historically maintained by the format’s rules committee. It is short relative to the enormous legal pool and targets cards that undermine the format’s social, multiplayer feel — fast mana, oppressive locks, and instant-win effects. Notably, Sol Ring is legal and beloved in Commander even though it is banned or restricted almost everywhere else, while cards like Griselbrand are banned. In a major update, several pieces of fast mana including Mana Crypt, Jeweled Lotus, and Dockside Extortionist were added to the banned list. Because the list evolves, confirming a card’s current Commander status before adding it to a deck avoids surprises at the table.
How to check if a card is Commander legal
Scan a card with Tappr and its legality panel shows the live Commander status from Scryfall, so you instantly see whether it is legal or banned. Just as importantly, Tappr helps with color identity: the card page shows the card’s colors and mana symbols, letting you confirm it fits your commander before you sleeve it up. And since Commander drives so much singles demand, seeing the current TCGplayer and Cardmarket price alongside legality makes it easy to value the staples in your collection.
Common questions
01 What is color identity in Commander?
Color identity is every colored mana symbol on a card, including in its rules text, plus color indicators. Your deck can only include cards whose color identity fits within your commander’s colors.
02 Why is Sol Ring legal in Commander but banned elsewhere?
Sol Ring is a defining, iconic piece of Commander and the format embraces it despite its power, whereas rotating and eternal constructed formats ban or restrict it. Scan any card with Tappr to see its status across every format at once.
03 How many copies of a card can I run in Commander?
Only one copy of each card, except for basic lands and a few cards that specifically say otherwise. Commander is a singleton format, which is central to its variety.
04 How do I check the Commander banned list?
Scan the card with Tappr. Its Scryfall-sourced legality table shows the current Commander status, reflecting the latest banned-list updates.
Related Formats
The eternal format where nearly every card ever printed is legal. Legacy is powered by dual lands, Force of Will, and decades of the game’s most efficient spells.
VintageThe most powerful format in Magic, where almost every card ever printed is legal — including the Power Nine. Vintage tempers its broken cards with a restricted list rather than bans.
PauperThe commons-only format that proves cheap doesn’t mean weak. Pauper builds decks entirely from cards printed at common rarity — accessible to build, but competitively deep.
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