The command zone, in the context of the EDH Commander format in Magic: The Gathering, is a unique game area reserved for your commander card. Your commander is a legendary creature that you choose at the beginning of the game and represents your deck's leader. Unlike other cards, your commander starts the game in this area instead of your hand or deck.

From this area, you can cast your commander as if you were casting it from your hand, with the same timing and restrictions. However, each time you cast your commander from the command zone during the game, it incurs a commander tax, which increases its casting cost by an additional two generic mana for each previous time you've cast it from this area during that game.

This area is a crucial element of the EDH Commander format, and it allows players to build decks around their chosen commander, shaping the strategies and themes of their decks.

Green Stuff World's command zone trays represent a new level of customization for players when it comes to representing the commander's play area in your Magic The Gathering games, with which you can keep track of different factors that occur during the Commander game, such as the times you have played your commander, the lives you have, during the game, the enemy damage counters.

command zone trays

Uses and advantages of playing with an MTG command zone tray?

They, MTG commander trays or playmat sections, can offer several advantages and enhance your experience when playing the Commander format in Magic The Gathering:

Organization: Commander trays help keep your cards separate from the rest of your battlefield. This clear distinction ensures that you and your opponents can easily identify who is leading your army and its associated cards, reducing confusion during the game.
Visibility: Placing your leader card in this dedicated place makes it highly visible to all players. This is especially important in multiplayer games where multiple leaders may be on the battlefield. It prevents accidental mixing of leader cards and ensures everyone knows who the active commanders are.
Commander Tax Tracking: You will be able to count how many times you have played your Commander, which increases the casting cost each time you play it from there. This helps you and your opponents keep track without the need for additional counters.
should start the game and where it returns when it leaves the battlefield, reducing the likelihood of rule violations.
Convenience: It provides a convenient and organized space, making it easier to manage and access them throughout the game. You won't have to worry about accidentally shuffling your leader card into your library or losing track of its tax cost.
Customization: Many players enjoy using them because they have artwork or designs that reflect the theme or style of their deck. They add a personalized touch to your game setup. With our Command zones, you can take your deck customization to the next level by representing the identity of one of the five MTG colors.
Multiplayer Games: In multiplayer games, where there can be multiple leader cards on the battlefield, this helps prevent confusion about which one belongs to each player. It highly simplifies tracking.
Protection: Placing it in a designated tray can help protect it from being damaged or shuffled into your library accidentally. This is especially important if you have a valuable or rare commander card.

Overall, an MTG command zone tray offers convenience, organization, and clarity when playing this multiplayer game format. It ensures a smoother gaming experience and helps players adhere to the format's unique rules and requirements.

Other related and compatible products that can be purchased at Green Stuff World will be as follows: Card deck holders, Life Counters, Card Sleeves, Trading Card Storage Boxes, and Board Game Dice.

What are the rules of the command zone mtg rules?

This designated game place is set aside for unique entities that exert influence over the game but don't take the form of permanent spells on the battlefield, rendering them impervious to destruction. Emblems are generated within the command zone, and unorthodox Magic cards, along with cards bearing distinctive designations in formats like Commander, Planechase, Vanguard, Archenemy, and Conspiracy Draft, commence the game within this specialized place.

Emblems serve as our means of depicting lasting effects on the battlefield, often resulting from a planeswalker's ultimate ability. They possess a unique quality in that they don't fall into the categories of cards, tokens, or even permanents. Instead, they function as mere reminders that the effect has a presence. Their unique nature makes them challenging, if not impossible, to interact with due to their distinct role in the game.

While this special area itself is subject to minimal rules, the cards that interact with it are governed by an array of specific regulations and mechanics.

Here are the key commander rules:

Card Placement: In this format of MTG, the leader starts the game in this area, not in your hand, library, or any other place. You choose your leader before the game begins.
Casting from there: You can cast your leader card from the command zone during the game. When doing so, follow all the usual rules for casting a creature spell, including paying its mana cost. Casting it this way is similar to casting it from your hand.
Commander Tax: Each time you cast your leader card from there, it incurs an additional cost. This is an additional cost of two generic mana (colorless) for each previous time you have cast it during that game. This means that the more times you cast it, the more expensive it becomes.
Returning to the Command area: When it dies, gets exiled, goes to your hand, or is shuffled into your library (in other words, when it's removed from the battlefield), you have the option to place it back in the same place instead. This choice is available whenever it moves between places.
Choice to Leave in the Graveyard: If your leader is going to the graveyard due to being destroyed or sacrificed, you can choose to let it remain in the graveyard if it serves a purpose, like facilitating revival or triggering certain abilities.
Interaction with Exile: If, otherwise, it is exiled, its owner can choose whether to leave it in exile or return it to this area. Most often, they are returned.
Not In Exile or Hand: This is a unique game area with its properties and interactions. It is neither considered "in exile" nor part of your hand.
Abilities from there: Some have abilities that work in this specific area. For example, leaders with the "Eminence" ability have effects that are always active in this place. Other cards may have abilities that can be used from or are active in the command area.
Dash Mechanic: If the leader of your deck with the dash mechanic is returned to your hand at the end of the turn, it doesn't trigger commander tax, making it an efficient way to repeatedly cast it at a low cost.
Special Cases: Some cards, like Oloro, and Ageless Ascetic, have card text explicitly stating their function from there. These exceptions are specified on the card itself.

It is a fundamental element in this MTG format, shaping the way players build their decks and strategize throughout the game. Understanding these rules is essential for playing effectively.

Where Is the Command Zone Located?

They are placed in a specific location on the playmat or game surface. While there isn't a strict requirement for its placement, it is commonly positioned in front of your deck or library. Placing it here makes it easily visible to both you and your opponents, ensuring that everyone can keep track of its status and any taxes that may apply.

In practice, They are placed in a location that is convenient for all players to see and access, typically somewhere near the common center of the play area. The exact positioning may vary based on personal preference or the layout of the play area, as long as it remains easily accessible and visible to all players.

When are you allowed to put your Commander in the Command Zone?

At the outset of the game, your leader card, a legendary creature of your choosing, takes residence here. The advantage is that you possess the liberty to cast your commander directly from this area whenever the usual conditions for casting a creature are met. However, bear in mind the existence of the commander tax rule: with each successive casting from the command zone during the game, you must augment its casting cost by an additional two generic mana.

This isn't a one-time occurrence, since it remains a flexible asset, capable of returning to that place whenever it meets its demise and finds itself in the graveyard, exile, your hand, or even shuffled into your library – essentially, any removal from the battlefield. It's important to note that should you choose to return your leader card when it would otherwise be sent back to your hand or shuffled into your library, it bypasses those places entirely. While the standard trajectory would often lead to the graveyard or the exile, this isn't the case when it concerns your hand or library. While the specific circumstances where this distinction becomes crucial are uncertain, it's a valuable piece of knowledge to have at your disposal.

Is the command zone considered to be the same as the "in exile" zone in Magic: The Gathering?

No, it is not equivalent to the "in exile" area in Magic: The Gathering. The command area and the exile are distinct and separate zones within the game with their own unique rules and interactions.

If it were treated as part of the exile, it would create situations where these places could overlap and potentially result in unusual interactions, depending on rule interpretations. Fortunately, the clear separation of places in Magic: The Gathering ensures a straightforward and organized gameplay experience, which is appreciated for its simplicity in tracking game elements.

Is the Command Zone considered equivalent to your hand?

No. Just like the command zone is distinct from "outside of the game" or "in exile," it also stands apart from your hand. Abilities and spells that interact with your hand do not extend their influence to your leader card. While it may seem inconvenient, this is the established norm within the game.

Is Moving to the command zone considered as dying?

The answer is no. Moving there does not qualify as a creature's demise, as the commander has already left the battlefield in some manner. However, if the leader was defeated by a spell or in combat, it did indeed die, and the game acknowledges this fact. In such cases, the creature is sent to the graveyard first, and subsequently, its owner has the option to relocate it to the command zone if they choose to do so. The critical point here is that the creature's death has already occurred.

Is it permissible to include more than one commander card in my deck?

Certainly, you have the option to include more than a single one in your deck. However, there are specific rules to follow:

Only one of these cards can be designated as the primary commander.
The additional ones beyond the primary ones are considered part of the 99-card deck.
It's essential to note that the guidelines regarding multiple commanders in a deck are somewhat flexible and may vary depending on your playgroup's preferences. Some playgroups allow for multiple commanders to be designated as primary commanders, while others permit any legendary creature to serve as a commander.

If you are considering constructing a deck with multiple commanders, it's advisable to select commanders whose abilities complement each other or share a common theme. For instance, you might create a deck featuring both Niv-Mizzet, Parun, and The Locust God as commanders, as they both possess abilities triggered by card drawing.

What is the color identity of a commander?

The color identity is a rule that dictates the permissible cards in a Magic: The Gathering deck associated with a specific commander. The color identity of a card encompasses the colors represented by any mana symbols found in the card's mana cost or rules text, in addition to any colors defined by its characteristic-defining abilities or color indicator. When constructing a deck, you are only allowed to include cards that fall within the color identity of your commander. To illustrate, if your commander possesses a color identity of red and green, you can exclusively include cards that require red or green mana (or both).

The color identity rule is a distinctive feature exclusive to the Commander and Brawl formats. It serves as a thematic element, prompting deck builders to craft their decks within certain constraints and encouraging creativity within the chosen color palette.