Comprehensive Rules
This page outlines the specific rules for the Centurion Commander format.
For the official comprehensive game rules, please refer to the Magic rules website at Magic.Wizards.com/Rules.
Download the Centurion Commander Comprehensive Rules, including the full rules, banlist, and FAQ.
1000 – Basic rules
1000.1 – Commander selection
- Players choose a legendary creature or a specific planeswalker (the ones with “can be you commander” wording) as the commander for their deck.
1000.2 – Color identity
- A card’s color identity includes its color plus the color of any mana symbols in the card’s rules text.
- Established before the game begins, a card’s color identity cannot be altered by game effects.
- The cards in a deck must not feature colors outside the commander’s color identity.
1000.3 – Deck composition
- A Commander deck must be exactly 100 cards, including the commander(s).
- If using a companion, it must follow color identity and singleton rules, counting as the 101st card.
- Except for basic lands, no two cards may share the same English name, unless allowed by specific card rules.
- In addition to their deck, a player may have a “lessonboard” (see 1200 – Lessonboard).
1000.4 – Starting life total
- Each player begins the game with a starting life total of 25.
1000.5 – Gameplay
- A player may cast a commander they own from the command zone. A commander cast from the command zone costs an additional {2} for each previous time the player has cast a commander from the command zone that game. This additional cost is informally known as the “commander tax.” This is the Centurion commander variant to MTG CR 903.8 (see 1100.1 – Partner Tax).
- If a commander is in a graveyard or in exile and that object was put into that zone since the last time state-based actions were checked, its owner may put it into the command zone. This is a state-based action [see MTG CR 903.9a]. If a commander would be put into its owner’s hand or library from anywhere, its owner may put it into the command zone instead. This replacement effect may apply more than once to the same event [see MTG CR 903.9b].
- Being a commander is not a characteristic [see MTG CR 109.3], it is a property of the card and tied directly to the physical card. As such, “commander-ness” cannot be copied or overwritten by continuous effects. The card retains its commander-ness through any status changes, and is still a commander even when controlled by another player.
- A player loses if they receive 21 combat damage from a single Commander.
- Commanders adhere to the Legend rule; no player can control more than one legend of the same name.
1000.6 – Tournaments
- Matches are best-of-three.
- Recommended time limit is 50 minutes.
- No sideboards are used.
1100 – Shared commander tax
1100.1 – Partner tax
- A commander cast from the command zone costs an additional {2} for each previous time the player has cast a commander from the command zone that game. This additional cost is shared among all commanders that player owns.
1200 – Lessonboard
1200.1 – Definition of lessonboard
- A lessonboard can contain up to seven cards with the subtype Lesson.
- Cards in a player’s lessonboard are outside the game.
- Cards in a player’s lessonboard must follow the commander’s color identity.
- Cards in a player’s lessonboard cannot have the same name as any card in their starting deck.
- Cards in a player’s lessonboard must each have a unique name.
1200.2 – Outside the game zone
- A player is allowed to take cards from the lessonboard and bring them into the game [see MTG CR 400.11b] solely by the Learn keyword [see MTG CR701.45a].
- Other types of cards that allow players to take cards from outside the game and bring them into the game without using specifically the Learn keyword don’t function in Centurion.
- The lessonboard is not a sideboard, consequently no cards can be switched between the deck and the lessonboard between games (see 1000.5 – Tournaments).
1200.3 – Lessonboard management
- Before each game begins, players must present their lessonboard (if any) face down. Opponents may count the number of cards in their opponent’s lessonboard at any time.
- Other items (token cards, double-faced cards represented in the deck by a substitute card, etc.) should be kept separate from the lessonboard during game play.
- During a game, players may look at their own lessonboard, keeping it clearly distinguishable from other cards at all times. If a player gains control of another player, they may not look at that player’s lessonboard, nor may they have that player access their lessonboard.
