Commander Legends

Commander Legends

 

Commander decks

 

Trivia

 

Not to be confused with Commander or Legends.

Commander Legends
Set Information
Set symbol
Symbol description	A shield, with elements of the original Legends symbol and the legendary card frame.
Design	Gavin Verhey (lead) Shawn Main (contributions) Ethan Fleischer Robert Schuster Andrew Veen Noah Millrod
Development	Jules Robins (lead) Hugo Anquier Dave Humpherys Brandon Kreines Ken Nagle Adam Prosak Paul Cheon Sam Stoddard
Art direction	Andrew Vallas
Release date	November 20, 2020
Plane	Multiversal
Themes and mechanics	Legendary
Keywords/​ability words	Encore, partner, cascade, monarch
Set size	361 cards (141 commons, 120 uncommons, 77 rares, 22 mythic rares, 1 special) +6 Commander Deck exclusives +144 Commander Deck reprints +2 borderless planeswalkers +101 foil-etched legends +102 extended art cards +1 Buy-a-Box promo +1 prerelease promo
Expansion code	CMR
Development codename	Chevron
Commander series
Zendikar Rising Commander Decks Commander Legends Commander Legends Commander Decks
Magic: The Gathering Chronology
Kaladesh Remastered Commander Legends Commander Legends Commander Decks

Expansion symbol

CMR draft booster

Commander Legends is the first-ever Magic: The Gathering Commander set that is designed to be drafted. It was the Innovation product for 2020, and was released on November 20, 2020. Due to production delays, the planned release date of this set was pushed back from November 6 to November 20.

Set details

“

Booster Draft meets Commander

”

Commander Legends is larger than a normal set, with both oft-asked-for Commander reprints and new cards. There are 165 new cards, including 71 legendary creatures and planeswalkers. The cards are legal in Eternal formats like Legacy, Pauper, Vintage and Commander. The set contains 361 regular cards (141 commons, 120 uncommons, 77 rares, 22 mythic rares, 1 special) and includes randomly inserted premium versions of all these cards. There are no basic lands in the main set. The six new Commander deck cards are numbered #362-367, and the Commander Deck reprints are numbered #368-504. Basic lands are #504-511. Cards with alternate card frames have another collector number than the original version. The two borderless planeswalkers are #512 and #513, foil-etched cards are numbered #514-614 and extended artwork cards are numbered #615-716. Both regular and foil versions of the borderless and extended art cards may be found in the Collector Boosters (there are no variants for the foil-etched cards). The cards with numbers #717-720 do not exist; these were going to be extended-art versions of the new Commander deck cards, but they were cut from the set (at too late a point for renumbering to occur). The Buy-a-Box is #721 and the prerelease promo is #722.

The set is designed to play Limited Commander: you can play Draft or Sealed with it. It will also be available and draftable on Magic Online.

Drafting rules

Commander Legends draft uses three draft boosters per player. For every pick, players take two cards at a time. This is to ensure coherency of decks, as players will need to conform to the color identities of their eventual commanders, and for speed.

After the draft, players build a 60-card deck — much like how a traditional deck of Magic is 60 cards and a traditional draft is 40, here it's 60 to Commander's 100. All other Commander rules apply with one exception: the Singleton rule does not apply. You may play as many copies of a card as you draft of it, though given the set size compared to how many cards players get, it's not very likely to get more than 1 copy of a card. Players may always use one or more The Prismatic Pipers as a commander, even if they didn't draft one.

Storyline

The set features many known planes and characters as well as new ones. These cards can be from anywhere in space and time in the Multiverse: from Lorwyn to Alara, from the tales of the original Weatherlight Crew to present day.

Marketing

Advertisement card

Commander Legends was sold in 20-card Draft booster packs. Each booster pack contains a non-legendary rare or mythic rare, a foil and two legendary creatures (which may also be rare or higher). A 21^st card is a Marketing card. The set is available in English, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, German, French, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish. The set is also sold in 15-card Collector Boosters. Both of these types of boosters' booster boxes contain 24 booster packs. The Draft Boosters feature Jeska key art; the Collector Boosters feature art from Prossh, Skyraider of Kher.

The set introduced "foil-etched" cards, which use a brand-new foiling process that looks different from previous foils and have a special card frame. 32 popular legendary creatures reprints exclusively appear into this frame. Foil-etched cards appeared in both Draft and Collector Boosters, with a greater frequency in Collector Boosters.

The set was not a fixed print run, and thus was printed on demand. Boosters were more expensive than normal booster products but less expensive than Masters series boosters. Booster boxes are being sold for around $125 USD.

Events

• At-Home and In-Store Prerelease: November 13, 2020.
• Magic Online release: November 19, 2020.

Promotional cards

• Prerelease: alternate art Sengir, the Dark Baron by Pete Venters.
  • Only given out to players who have a Wizards Account (available via the Magic Companion app).
• Buy-a-Box: foil alternate art Mana Confluence.

Tokens and markers

The Monarch marker

Commander Legends comes with fourteen tokens and markers. Tokens and markers appear in the marketing card slot.

1. 4/4 Angel creature with flying, for Seraphic Greatsword and Court of Grace.
2. 1/1 Soldier creature, for Raise the Alarm, Captain's Call, First Response, Keeper of the Accord and Prava of the Steel Legion.
3. 1/1 Spirit creature with flying, for Alharu, Solemn Ritualist, Court of Grace, Doomed Traveler, and Thalisse, Reverent Medium.
4. 4/3 Salamander Warrior creature, for Amphin Mutineer and Gor Muldrak, Amphinologist.
5. 0/1 Thrull creature, for Szat's Will and Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools.
6. 2/2 Zombie creature, for Maalfeld Twins, Necrotic Hex, Nevinyrral, Urborg Tyrant, Null Caller and Tormod, the Desecrator.
7. 2/2 Dragon creature with flying and ": This creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn." for Dragon Egg.
8. 1/1 Elf Warrior creature, for Exquisite Huntmaster, Eyeblight Cullers, Imperious Perfect and Nadier, Agent of the Duskenel.
9. 3/3 Golem artifact creature, for Ich-Tekik, Salvage Splicer and Phyrexian Triniform.
10. */* Horror artifact creature, for Profane Transfusion.
11. Treasure, for Brazen Freebooter, Hullbreacher, Impulsive Pilferer, Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator, Prosperous Pirates, and Sailor of Means.
12. Equipment artifact named Rock, with "Equipped creature has ', , Sacrifice Rock: This creature deals 2 damage to any target,'" and equip , for Toggo, Goblin Weaponsmith.
13. Copy, for Biowaste Blob.
14. The Monarch marker, for cards with monarch.

Themes and mechanics

The set of course features many legendary creatures and planeswalkers to use as commanders, many of which are uncommon. There is also one legendary creature (The Prismatic Piper) that is printed at the new "special" rarity, replacing a common in about 1 in 6 draft packs.

In addition, Commander Legends has three returning non-evergreen mechanics and one new mechanic.

• Encore is the new mechanic, appearing only on creatures. You can pay a creature's encore cost and exile it from your graveyard to create a number of token copies of it for each opponent. Each of those tokens has haste, must attack that opponent, and is sacrificed during the end step.
• Partner, originally from Commander 2016. To facilitate deckbuilding, the set features 40 monocolor legendary creatures with partner (and one colorless partner). A player may have two commanders if each of them has the partner keyword, with the two partners together combining their color identities for the deck. The Prismatic Piper is intended to be used as a failsafe, providing an additional color for a deck when the player isn't able to draft the right commanders.
• Monarch, returning from Conspiracy: Take the Crown, specifically to facilitate multiplayer play. Only one player at a time can be designated the monarch. At the beginning of the monarch's end step, they draw a card; and whenever someone deals combat damage to the monarch, they become the new monarch.
• Cascade, originally from Alara Reborn. When a spell with cascade is cast, its controller reveals cards from the top of their library until they reveal a nonland card that costs less, and may then cast it without paying its mana cost.

Commander Legends features the following limited archetypes:

• : Flying
• : Self-mill and encore
• : Sacrifice
• : "Power matters"
• : +1/+1 counters
• : Tokens
• : Pirate tribal
• : Elf tribal
• : Equipment and Auras
• : Cascade and "CMC 6+ matters"

Card types

Commander Legends introduces the Szat and Jeska planeswalker types.

Counter types

The set introduces Aegis counters.

Cycles

Commander Legends has seventeen cycles.

Cycle name
Mythic partners	Akroma, Vision of Ixidor	Sakashima of a Thousand Faces	Tevesh Szat, Doom of Fools	Jeska, Thrice Reborn	Kamahl, Heart of Krosa
	Five mythic rare legendary creatures or planeswalkers with partner.
Mythic sorceries	Triumphant Reckoning	Mnemonic Deluge	Profane Transfusion	Soulfire Eruption	Reshape the Earth
	Five powerful mythic rare sorceries, each costing and three mana of one color.
Rare partners	Livio, Oathsworn Sentinel	Eligeth, Crossroads Augur	Sengir, the Dark Baron	Krark, the Thumbless	Kodama of the East Tree
	Five rare legendary creatures with partner.
Courts	Court of Grace	Court of Cunning	Court of Ambition	Court of Ire	Court of Bounty
	Five rare enchantments. Each makes you the monarch when they enter the battlefield, and has a triggered ability on your upkeep that gets more powerful if you're the monarch.
Wills	Akroma's Will	Sakashima's Will	Szat's Will	Jeska's Will	Kamahl's Will
	Five rare modal spells, each having two modes and letting you pick both if you control a commander. Each one is named after the mythic partner of their respective color.
Familiars	Keleth, Sunmane Familiar	Esior, Wardwing Familiar	Falthis, Shadowcat Familiar	Kediss, Emberclaw Familiar	Anara, Wolvid Familiar
	Five uncommon legendary creatures with partner. Each has an ability that affects commanders you control.
Artifact partners	Rebbec, Architect of Ascension	Glacian, Powerstone Engineer	Armix, Filigree Thrasher	Toggo, Goblin Weaponsmith	Ich-Tekik, Salvage Splicer
	Five uncommon legendary creatures with partner that each synergize with artifacts, as to account for the higher as-fan of artifacts in draft.
Vows	Vow of Duty	Vow of Flight	Vow of Torment	Vow of Lightning	Vow of Wildness
	Five uncommon auras that give a creature a power/toughness bonus, an evergreen keyword, and stops it from attacking the controller of the aura or a planeswalker that player controls. Four were first printed in Commander: the last from the cycle, Vow of Malice, used the now-obsolete keyword intimidate and thus wouldn't be reprinted.
Diamonds	Marble Diamond	Sky Diamond	Charcoal Diamond	Fire Diamond	Moss Diamond
	Five common artifacts that each cost to cast, enters the battlefield tapped, and produces one mana of the appropriate color when tapped. First printed in Mirage.
Cycle name
Crowd lands	Vault of Champions	Training Center	Undergrowth Stadium	Spectator Seating	Rejuvenating Springs
	Five rare dual lands that enter the battlefield tapped unless you have two or more opponents, completing a cycle started in Battlebond.

Six card cycles

Cycle name
Monarch creatures	Palace Sentinels	Azure Fleet Admiral	Thorn of the Black Rose	Crimson Fleet Commodore	Entourage of Trest	Staunch Throneguard
	Six common creatures that, on entering the battlefield, make their controller the monarch. Three were first printed in Conspiracy: Take the Crown.

Double cycles

Cycle name
Gold rares	Kwain, Itinerant Meddler	Nymris, Oona's Trickster	Blim, Comedic Genius	Hans Eriksson	Lathiel, the Bounteous Dawn	Liesa, Shroud of Dusk	Zara, Renegade Recruiter	Belbe, Corrupted Observer	Bell Borca, Spectral Sergeant	Gor Muldrak, Amphinologist
	Ten rare dual-colored legendary creatures.
Gold signposts	Kangee, Sky Warden	Araumi of the Dead Tide	Juri, Master of the Revue	Tuya Bearclaw	Hamza, Guardian of Arashin	Thalisse, Reverent Medium	Captain Vargus Wrath	Abomination of Llanowar	Reyav, Master Smith	Imoti, Celebrant of Bounty
	Ten uncommon dual-colored legendary creatures, each a signpost for a draft archetype.
Uncommon pairs	Radiant, Serra Archangel	Ghost of Ramirez DePietro	Keskit, the Flesh Sculptor	Alena, Kessig Trapper	Slurrk, All-Ingesting	Prava of the Steel Legion	Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator	Miara, Thorn of the Glade	Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh	Gilanra, Caller of Wirewood
	Siani, Eye of the Storm	Tormod, the Desecrator	Dargo, the Shipwrecker	Halana, Kessig Ranger	Alharu, Solemn Ritualist	Nadier, Agent of the Duskenel	Breeches, Brazen Plunderer	Numa, Joraga Chieftain	Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist	Brinelin, the Moon Kraken
	Ten pairs of uncommon monocolored legendary creatures with partner, each together making a signpost for a draft archetype.
Cycle name
Tricolor legends	Amareth, the Lustrous	Nevinyrral, Urborg Tyrant	Obeka, Brute Chronologist	Yurlok of Scorch Thrash	Jared Carthalion, True Heir	Ghen, Arcanum Weaver	Averna, the Chaos Bloom	Colfenor, the Last Yew	Gnostro, Voice of the Crags	Archelos, Lagoon Mystic
	Ten rare tri-colored legendary creatures.

Mini-cycles

Cycle name
Rare cascade creatures	Sakashima's Protege	Aurora Phoenix	Sweet-Gum Recluse
	Three rare 4MM creatures with cascade. They have powerful abilities that add more worth to playing the costly creatures with cascade.

Mega cycle

Cycle name
Sorcery magi	Magus of the Balance (Commander 2018) (Balance)	Magus of the Mind (Commander 2017) (Mind's Desire)	Magus of the Will (Commander 2016) (Yawgmoth's Will)	Magus of the Wheel (Commander 2015) (Wheel of Fortune)	Magus of the Order (Commander Legends) (Natural Order)
	Rare Wizards with the converted mana cost and abilities of iconic sorceries from Magic's past.

Pairs

Mirrored pair		Description
Soul of Eternity ()	Body of Knowledge ()	Two rare Avatars with a characteristic-defining ability that sets their power and toughness each to another value (life total and cards in hand, respectively).
Sweet-Gum Recluse ()	Sakashima's Protege ()	Two rare creatures with flash and cascade that cost MM.
Hullbreacher ()	Opposition Agent ()	Two rare 3/2 creatures with flash for M that both punish the opponent for trying to get card advantage.
Elvish Doomsayer ()	Elvish Visionary ()	Two common 1/1 Elf Shamans for M with similar art but opposite effects (dies and discard vs. enters the battlefield and draw).
Azure Fleet Admiral ()	Crimson Fleet Commodore ()	Two common Pirates for M. Both make the player the monarch and have an evasion ability to regain the title.
Lore pair		Description
Archelos, Lagoon Mystic ()	Kwain, Itinerant Meddler ()	Archelos and Kwain representing the fable of "The Tortoise and the Hare".
Rebbec, Architect of Ascension ()	Glacian, Powerstone Engineer ()	Glacian and Rebbec were married to each other and both part of the 28 leaders of the Thran Empire.
Alena, Kessig Trapper ()	Halana, Kessig Ranger ()	Alena and Halana are partners (in both work and life), who live in the depths of the dark Ulvenwald.
Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator ()	Breeches, Brazen Plunderer ()	Breeches and Malcolm are both part of the Brazen Coalition and of Captain Vraska's crew.

Preconstructed decks

Commander Legends also features two preconstructed Commander decks that are released as a regular part of a set's product line. These are meant to be on-ramps to Commander, with a few new cards (three per deck) and the rest reprints. The new cards can't be found in Draft Boosters.

Theme deck name	Color Identity					Commander
Arm for Battle	W			R		Wyleth, Soul of Steel
Reap the Tides		U			G	Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait

Changes in rarity

Rare to mythic rare

• Mana Confluence (Journey into Nyx)
• Scroll Rack (Tempest)

Rare to uncommon

• Burning Anger (Magic 2015)
• Brass Herald (Eighth Edition)
• Daring Saboteur (Ixalan)
• Gilt-Leaf Winnower (Magic Origins)
• Shimmer Myr (Mirrodin Besieged)
• Slaughter the Strong (Rivals of Ixalan)

Rare to common

• Jalum Tome (Seventh Edition)

Uncommon to common

• Sisay's Ring (Seventh Edition)

The following are all new to Pauper.

• The "diamond" cycle from Mirage
• Armory of Iroas (Journey into Nyx)
• Champion of the Flame (Dominaria)
• Eyeblight Massacre (Magic Origins)
• Fiery Cannonade (Ixalan)
• Filigree Familiar (Mystery Booster)
• Fleshbag Marauder (Conspiracy: Take the Crown)
• Flood of Recollection (Rivals of Ixalan)
• Galestrike (Amonkhet)
• Haunted Cloak (Shadows over Innistrad)
• Howling Golem (Dominaria)
• Lifecrafter's Gift (Jumpstart)
• Maalfeld Twins (Avacyn Restored)
• Makeshift Munitions (Jumpstart)
• Skaab Goliath (Mystery Booster)
• Skywhaler's Shot (Kaladesh)
• Slith Ascendant (Mirrodin)
• Spectral Searchlight (Battlebond)

Common to uncommon

• Abrade (Double Masters)
• Arcane Signet (Commander 2020)
• Thought Vessel (Mystery Booster)
• Three Visits (Portal Three Kingdoms)

Notable cards

• Magus of the Order — the green card that completes the Magus Megacycle.
• The Prismatic Piper — a Pauper Commander and the first card with the "special" rarity. It is a essentially a "basic" Commander. Like basic lands, it is always available to you, whether you drafted it or not.
• Flood of Recollection — the collector number of this blue card (#61) is out of sync, being placed between Brinelin, the Moon Kraken (#60) and Confiscate (#62). It is speculated that it was a last minute replacement for Call to Mind by Terese Nielsen.
• Three Visits — the art of this card depicts faeries from three different planes: Dominaria, Eldraine and Lorwyn.
• Ingenuity Engine — the art of this card depicts several known artifacts: Sensei's Divining Top, Behemoth Sledge, Sword of Light and Shadow, Sword of Body and Mind, Commander's Sphere, Darksteel Ingot, Rings of Brighthearth, and the classic Sol Ring. Also Door to Nothingness, Hammer of Nazahn, Vedalken Orrery , Skullclamp, Mana Vault, and Illusionary Mask.

First time foil

• Arcane Signet
• Inspiring Roar
• Loreseeker's Stone
• Marath, Will of the Wild
• Opal Palace
• Orzhov Advokist
• Path of Ancestry
• Three Visits
• Thought Vessel
• Vow of Flight
• Vow of Lightning
• Vow of Wildness
• Zedruu the Greathearted

Extended-art commons and uncommons

For the first time, 33 commons and uncommons in Collector Boosters, namely format staples, are given extended-art frames. They are all either in the set proper, or in the associated preconstructed theme decks.

• Abrade
• Acidic Slime
• Arcane Signet
• Arcane Denial
• Boros Charm
• Burnished Hart
• Coiling Oracle
• Commander's Sphere
• Command Tower
• Counterspell
• Cuombajj Witches
• Fact or Fiction
• Fleshbag Marauder
• Fyndhorn Elves
• Generous Gift
• Humble Defector
• Kodama's Reach
• Mulldrifter
• Myriad Landscape
• Opal Palace
• Path of Ancestry
• Preordain
• Reliquary Tower
• Return to Dust
• Sol Ring
• Swords to Plowshares
• Swiftfoot Boots
• Temur Battle Rage
• Terramorphic Expanse
• Thought Vessel
• Three Visits
• Victimize
• Viscera Seer

^† The regular printing of this card only appears in the precon decks, and not in draft boosters.

Foil-etched reprints

The following 32 legendary creature reprints are available in the new foil-etched treatment. All are upshifted to mythic rare and do not appear in the regular card frame.

• Brago, King Eternal
• Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker
• Silas Renn, Seeker Adept
• Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow
• Rakdos, Lord of Riots
• Vial Smasher the Fierce
• Tana, the Bloodsower
• Xenagos, God of Revels
• Karametra, God of Harvests
• Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa
• Ravos, Soultender
• Tymna the Weaver
• Ludevic, Necro-Alchemist
• Kraum, Ludevic's Opus
• Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper
• Reyhan, Last of the Abzan
• Akiri, Line-Slinger
• Bruse Tarl, Boorish Herder
• Kydele, Chosen of Kruphix
• Thrasios, Triton Hero
• Derevi, Empyrial Tactician
• Zur the Enchanter
• Nekusar, the Mindrazer
• Prossh, Skyraider of Kher
• Marath, Will of the Wild
• Queen Marchesa
• Maelstrom Wanderer
• Karador, Ghost Chieftain
• Zedruu the Greathearted
• Muldrotha, the Gravetide
• Najeela, the Blade-Blossom
• Ramos, Dragon Engine

External links

• Mark Rosewater (October 26, 2020). "Your Wish is My Commander Legends, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
• Mark Rosewater (November 2, 2020). "Your Wish is My Commander Legends, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
• Mark Rosewater (November 30, 2020). "Odds & Ends: Commander Legends". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.