Commander Damage Can Get Complicated

Diving in deep with the different interactions when it comes to commander damage.
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[@casketbase7750]

The single biggest misconception about Commander Damage isn't held by players, but by WOTC. They think it's okay to print Elder Dragons with less than 7 power.

[@CardboardWarriorJeppy]

This is so real lmao. Give us back the chonky boys

[@NateFinch]

The way I like to describe it, is that the commander damage is connected to the physical piece of cardboard that is a commander. That covers copies, mutate, who controls it, etc.

[@MrMalorian]

Yup, this is the best way to think about it

[@indigosmatcha]

Not copies

[@jacksonletts3724]

@monkeybrian7057 I think he’s saying his rule of thumb explains why copies don’t work (they’re not the physical piece of cardboard).

[@oliverreeves8395]

which is why (in addition to preventing commander being shuffled in) its particularily valuable to use a different sleeve for youe commander

[@derHexenhammer]

It does not cover copies, it has to be the actual card.

[@Belena711]

A couple interactions I've seen come up and confuse someone: - Effects that don't prevent the damage, but prevent you losing life (e.g. Platinum Emperion or Archon of Coronation) -> You're still dealt commander damage, and can still lose - Effects that prevent you from losing the game (e.g. Angel's Grace or Platinum Angel) -> After Angel's grace wears off, you'll immediately lose if you have 21 commander damage. The same is true for Platinum Angel once it leaves play or loses its ability.

[@Shimatzu95]

As someone that once win a game by animating minsc and boo(planeswalker) into a creature for commander damage, this is a video that a lot of people, especially newer players should watch.

[@giocanz5222]

This video gave me this idea for your commander deck ideas: to win with commander damage BUT using background (animating...). I know it's stupid and slow but it is a different way of winning that I found out interesting (thanks to your video)

[@michaelpatalano9884]

My cousin just started playing and I put him onto your channel!!

[@nanoglitch6693]

Great video and a very good topic that benefits from this level of clarification as many people have misconceptions on it.

[@r9-core581]

Thank you so much!🎉🎉🎉

[@satchmosanzabar9023]

This topic came up last night at my LGS when a orzhov lifegain player that had been dealt more than 21 dmg from a commander had a Platinum Angel out, and I was reminded that Commander Damage will instant kill someone whenever the Angel is removed.

[@ethanboyd2981]

I've gotten into arguments several times with my Ivy Gleeful Spellthief deck which uses a lot of mutate cards. I try to explain to people that even if I mutate another creature on top of Ivy that it still counts as commander damage.

[@sunshindo3726]

Thank you for a well explained video

[@brendans1983]

I think we have all played the game against a Niv Mizzet player that pings you for one and then 'reminds' you its commander damage ☝️

[@edhdeckbuilding]

really? like that commander isn't powerful enough already.

[@ANitschkeProduction]

Also if your Commander Melds, the new Melded creature will still deal Commander damage 😂

[@Mushroomdealer91]

Thanks this actually explained a lot!!

[@jimlahey2385]

Would like some clarification, as an example if i have nicol bolas, bring in sakishima of a thousands faces as a copy of nicol bolas and then mirrorhall mimic nicol bolas because legend rule doesnt apply. Can I, under the right scenario, attack with 3 nicol bolas's to finish an opponent?

[@JamesDM4]

No because like he says, the commander damage is only done by your actual commander. Copies of your commander dont get the "commanderness" of your commander.

[@brendans1983]

8:42 🍻

[@curtiswitt5148]

@@JamesDM4 thanks for the clarification.

[@JamesDM4]

@@curtiswitt5148 you are welcomd

[@kj61768]

⁠@@JamesDM4But he said if a card becomes a copy, it’s still your commander. Or maybe I’m still not getting it

[@r3dsand65]

Does anyone know the specific rules for this interaction: teferi’s protection, Insult/Injury, commander damage. My friend says life total has to change for commander damage to apply. But I don’t think that’s right.

[@pluckyderpz7997]

Demo, I think a good one to bring up is Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar. I've seen this catch people out so many times.

[@edhdeckbuilding]

actually covering this on my next rules video

[@blipboyy]

Does anyone know what happens to a commander that gets turned face down with Ixidron? Does it still do the commander damaged as a normal 2/2?

[@edhdeckbuilding]

yes it does

[@Chickentorchic]

Does the commander damage tick off life totals off the 40? Or is it tracked completely seperate until it has 21?

[@Lomaxxx53]

Both It reduces life by the amount of damage it did And the tracking of "commander damage" goes up by the same amount

[@matthewollar9842]

Well, we’ll, well

[@Dante67C]

My question is can the commander damage by pass Lich’s Mastery enchantment since Lich’s Mastery is a card where that player can’t lose the game regardless of how much damage he or she takes even if they deck out but the only way that lose is if Lich’s Mastery is off the battlefield

[@edhdeckbuilding]

can't lose the game beats everything else.

[@crazyscalie5312]

If an opponent has 40 life and I attack them with a five power commander they gain five Commander damage but do they also take five combat damage to their normal Health bringing them down to 35

[@ianoconner6425]

yes it's cd aka commander damage still does the normal damage

[@dregenbern6810]

So would Megatrons sacrifice trigger be commander damage? He's attacking when it's triggered

[@edhdeckbuilding]

it is not.

[@JamesDM4]

Yes, the trigger happens where megatron is declared has an attacker, but the damage isnt done from attacking, it's done by an abilitie. Look at it this way, Megatron is in the field and your opponent ask hint to attack you and he charge at you, while charging, his abilitie trigger, sacrifice an artefact and get to shot with his gun at something ( you included). After all this is done, assuming you do not block him, megatron finishes charging at you and punch you, his punch is the actual Commander damage.

[@MrGaiakid]

wait, so even if you prevent the combat damage you still build up commander damage? That doesnt seem right...

[@MrMalorian]

It's not about preventing damage, it's about effects where life totals don't change, so commander damage is still done

[@connorhawkins315]

Teferi's protection doesnt prevent damage, it just keeps the life total from changing. If an effect said "you cant take damage" you wont take commander damage, but if it says "your life total cant change" you still take the damage

[@Seedmember]

The example used with Teferi's Protection was only for the "your life total can't change" part of the card, in the sense that even if you don't lose life for some reason, you still lose the game as if you had gotten 11 poison counters. To actually have that work against Teferi's Protection, you need something that says "damage can't be prevented" as well.

[@squeakyyetsneaky1444]

Wouldn’t protection from everything protect from commander damage? Protection keeps you from D.E.B.T.: Damage Enchant Block Target so how does commander damage make it through?

[@STS-qi1qy]

@@squeakyyetsneaky1444 The commander in the example is Questing Beast - damage can't be prevented. Otherwise you'd be correct.

[@redblood421]

I feel like what still doesn't make sense. Is if Magic has such a defensive game. It feels like commander damage has no purposes except to stop life gain deck. Because if it worked like poison counter then it makes team up become more dangerous. Because in the CEHD games its just looping effect damage or win conditions. So it would make sense for a social to game to say I am going to put 6-12 counters on him. So now any player can take him out. Which would make the person in control of the game have to slow down. But this is just game theory. I mean if someone can explain to me a good reason why this form makes sense. I would love to change my mind.

[@Comptonymous]

Mutate is a good piece that wasn’t covered here. Comes up a lot. What about if it’s turned face down like with the tentacle guy 5 drop? Somehow a few other scenarios in this 😂 Also Infect doesn’t do damage so commander damage won’t count there. Not sure of any other scenarios though.

[@MrGerkinz]

His name is ixidron and it does not prevent commander damage from being considered. It doesn't matter if your commander is flipped, manifested/morphed or transformed. It's still your commander and it still does commander damage

[@Sophtym211]

If a commander is turned face down (Ixidron or morph), it will still deal commander damage. Also, infect absolutely does deal damage and commander damage is applied. Creatures with infect deal damage "in the form of -1/-1 counters", but they are still dealing damage.

[@clm45320]

“This creature DEALS DAMAGE to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters and to players in the form of poison counters” Reading the card explains the card. Lol

[@JamesDM4]

Infect does deal damage, but the damage is converted into poison counter or -1/-1 counter. Otherwise, the creature wouldn't "give" counters, because the text rule says: this creature DEALS DAMAGE in form of [..]counters If you have a creature with lifelink and infect, you will also gain live equale to the damage.

[@Phavahg]

"it's" is ALWAYS "it is". Possessive case in English is "its" (no apostrophe). -Son of an English Teacher

[@jonmartin299]

For casual my group usually skips commander damage, otherwise we just make a token and put a dice on it for each person. Like poison.

[@commandervulkan]

*Looks at cloning 12 doctor deck* Well shit.

[@vincent-antoinesoucy1872]

I hate this rule, it makes Voltron play so bad in my opinion (most of the time you kill one player, the other 2 pile on your commander, one player wait, you are virtually out of the game, and only 2 players play commander) it's alot of stuff to count that barely matters, etc. Since I rule 0 that I don't count commander damage with my voltron deck, I like it so much more, games feels right, it's one of my favorite deck.

[@konata8657]

always hated commander damage. combo is my preferred way to win

[@dylanfarley8136]

Voltron is just playing commander on hard mode

[@vincent-antoinesoucy1872]

I mean when I play voltron in casual table it does as much damage as other damage based strategy and draw pretty much as much aggro, the commander damage rule is really the problem for me.@@dylanfarley8136

[@konata8657]

@@dylanfarley8136 it's just infect with extra steps

[@eewweeppkk]

All archetypes have a place. For voltton there are so many different cards that can make them basically untouchable that will require coordinated responses to take out.

[@GeneralGlitter55]

Im glad my group doesnt play commander damage its so dumb to play its like almost a rng of 6 turns w legit decks like hows that even fun to play

[@reccaman]

What if morph my commander 🥸 how do i prove it 🥸