There are a bunch of rules I see people get wrong all the time in Magic, so let’s dive into a bunch of them and talk about how they work. From companion deckbuilding in commander to how the mana value of tokens is found and how cost reductions apply to X spells, these are rules that are commonly gotten wrong.
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Date Written: 10-11-26
Date Created: 10-11-26
Date Uploaded: 10-11-26
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First strike only works for combat but death touch works for fights and dealing damage? Thats so arbitrary and inconsistent
Trample identifies any damage greater than lethal as excessive.
That damage need not be dealt or killing the creature, only assigned.
Deathtouch identifies any damage as lethal, any beyond 1 can be seen as excess.
Also, some cards create tokens that are copies of creatures not in the battlefield (or even in your deck)
For example: Disa the restless creates a Tarmogoys token, that token has the mana value of 1 generic and 1 green, Disa didn't "see" a Tarmogoys to copy but the token still has all the characteristics of a Tarmogoyf card
Can we just ban companion as a mechanic?
When the text of a spell or an ability does not include the word "target", then you do not target too.
For example, with the Equipment "God's End" you can chose and exile a creature with hexproof or shroud.
Moreover, unlike targets, you do not have to announce your choice before putting the triggered ability of "God's End" on the stack.
However, if you cast a modal spell, you have to announce your chosen modes when you cast it.
And if you copy a modal spell, you also copy the chosen modes.
(I hope I got this right. Please correct me if I am wrong about anything here)
Is the colour rule just for a companion or is that for all standard deckbuilding?
I didn’t know that partner rule. I assume the same is true for backgrounds?
Why cant you run the first two together exactly? Im not sure what because of the cost means here
Ok technically you can have a companion that doesn't fit you commander's identity but you cannot bring it into the game unless it fits the colour identity of your commander
A common rule i see getting misinterpreted in my group is that creatures with their name in their oracle text do not affect copies of themselves simultaneously when their abilities trigger
I still think that Companions should be a way to increase one's color identity.
Notably for the first ruling, this is NOT true for Embalm and Eternalize copies of cards, this is because the full effect of those abilities make a token that's a copy of the creature EXCEPT it's a white/black Zombie with no mana cost (that's a 4/4 in the case of Eternalize)
I didn't understand the cost part on the companion rule, like if i want a companion they have to cost the same as my commander?
I feel like the generic cost reduction for X had to have been a change after 2015 because I took a break around 2014 and I remember having cost reductions then and that did not apply to X spells anytime I played them
So wait, the companions identity must match the commanders exactly? You can just run one inside the color identity?
on the note of copies: copies of spells also copy the choices made when casting that spell.
if i chose X = 3 than the new copy of the spell also thinks X = 3, if i choose one mode of farewell than the copy of farewell also has that same mode chosen, and usually effects that copy spells say “you may choose new targets” but if they dont then the new copy will be targeting the same thing the original spell was targeting.
No I don't give a rats ass what makes a token it can NEVER have mana cost! Giving it mana cost makes it no longer a token it's now a card that can be played from my hand graveyard or exile! PERIOD! END OF DISCUSSION!
So can I run
2 commanders (partner)
1companion
1 conspiracy and
1 background ??
What if you use a fight s0pell at instant speed during the first strike dmg assign combat phase?
Myriad myriad triggers twice twice. 😅
The first strike not counting for the fight is actually shocking to me wow.
The X spell reducing thing is like half the game ending stuff in my Sami, Wildcat Captain deck!
I need to add a card to my Cat deck
Breya is WUBR, lurrus is WB, am I missing something here?? Looks like a mistake
I think a creature built around fights that has "double strike for fights" would be interesting. I don't know if it'd be good, but I think it'd be interesting.
What do you mean first strike only applies during combat. I feel deeply bamboozled. I was taught wrong and bro would have lost A LOT of games against my fight club
Technically dont tokens already have a cmc value, but its just 0? Hence why sidisi can sac a token for a cmc 1
I would enjoy some three color commander that gives fight effects the keywords on the card (Including dealing damage to face like trample itd be funny)
Honestly, the biggest thing I see people get wrong is double strike in combat. So many people think that, if you block a double striker and your creature dies during first strike, you would still take the normal damage which shouldn't happen unless the attacker has trample
I thought they recently made a change where double mana like on Lurrus means it could be black or white or black and white, therefore valid in the tiny bones deck? I remember people getting pretty heated about that split mana thing.
Pretty falco spara in the background. My favorite commander.
Companions also exist outside the game, not in some “companion zone.”
And technically you can have a companion outside your Colour ID, since it’s not a part of the deck or its construction, you will just be unable to add it in by paying 3.
I’m pretty sure you technically CAN run a companion that is outside your color identity, there’s no rule that says you can’t announce a companion outside your identity. The rule is just that you can’t bring the companion into the game unless it fits the color identity of your commander. So if my tinybones deck fits lurrus’s companion restriction, I can announce that Lurrus is my companion, but if I were to pay the 3 mana to bring Lurrus into the game it does nothing.
Do 1 on additional costs.
Thank you for the companion not counting in the deck, I was not aware of that !
Fun fact, the last rule is the reason why Animate Dead is such a wordy card these days.
Technically because your companion is not part of your starting deck it doesn't have to conform to the rest of your decks color identity. However, you cannot bring a card in from outside the game that doesn't fit within your commanders color identity, so your Lurrus in a Tinybones deck can live the entire game in the command zone but you're not allowed to pay 3 to add it to your hand
Another common rule that I see many players get wrong is if you have a lot of cost reduction, like from Zimone, Infinite Analyst, and you play an X-spell, you do not have to make X as large as the reduction.
You choose X when you play the spell, granted you can pay for it, and then the cost reduction reduces the amount it can.
Do note that you still have to use the cost reduction if able. Like if you have a card with Sunburst, you have to use as much of your reduction as possible, even if you'd prefer to spend mana.
i did NOT know that partnering makes your deck smaller…
So Living Wish and Death Wish do have function in Commander IF you have a Companion that's within your Commander's color identity, and the deck fits the Companion's build restriction?
so a token Copy of, for example, Duskmourns "Overlord of the Hauntwoods" ({G}{G}{3}) still has CMC of 5 then? and not 0?
Follow up on the x spell rule: can I cast an X spell for a lesser x cost than the cost reducers would allow me to cast it for?