Commander 2018

Commander 2018
Set Information
Set symbol
Symbol description	A lightning bolt over a shield
Design	Ken Nagle (lead) Jules Robins Glenn Jones Mcclane Crowell
Development	Gavin Verhey (lead) Scott Larabee Jules Robins Eli Shiffrin
Art direction	Mark Winters
Release date	August 10, 2018
Themes and mechanics	Planeswalker commanders
Keywords/​ability words	Bestow, Commander ninjutsu, "Commander storm", Constellation, Evoke, Improvise, Landfall, Lieutenant, Manifest, Metalcraft, Miracle, Retrace, Totem armor
Set size	Four 100-card decks
Expansion code	C18
Commander series
[[Commander Anthology Volume II]] '''Commander 2018''' [[Commander 2019]]
Magic: The Gathering Chronology
[[Core Set 2019]] Commander 2018 [[Guilds of Ravnica Mythic Edition]]

Commander 2018, officially styled as Commander (2018 Edition), is a product in the Commander series that was released by Wizards of the Coast on August 10, 2018.

Set details

“

Call on powerful planeswalkers and deploy their signature strategies to make sure you're the last player standing.

”

Like its predecessor, Commander 2018 consists of four preconstructed theme decks, and features twelve premium foil commanders. The four 100-card decks contain 307 different cards in total. There are 59 new cards legal in Vintage and Legacy. Each deck comes with a deck box, 10 double-faced token cards, a strategy insert and a rules reference guide.

There is no pattern of colors between the decks. The themes are:

• Exquisite Invention (, Artifacts)
• Nature's Vengeance (, Lands)
• Adaptive Enchantment (, Enchantments)
• Subjective Reality (, Top-of-Library matters)

Mechanics

Commander 2018 once again features Planeswalkers that can be used as a deck commander, as first seen in Commander 2014. Lieutenant, introduced in Commander 2014, is also a returning mechanic.

It also introduces variants for previous abilities which care about the command zone.

• Commander ninjutsu is a variant of ninjutsu, which allows the Ninja to be in your command zone or your hand.
• Commander storm is a variant of storm which takes the number of times your commander was cast from the command zone into account. The ability was not keyworded, due to R&D not being able to settle on a name, but all cards with the ability have "Storm" in the name.

The set further features several returning non-evergreen mechanics on new cards. These mechanics are:

• Bestow, introduced in Theros (Kestia, the Cultivator)
• Constellation, introduced in Journey into Nyx (Nylea's Colossus)
• Evoke, introduced in Lorwyn (Night Incarnate)
• Improvise, introduced in Aether Revolt (Saheeli's Directive)
• Landfall, introduced in Zendikar (Nesting Dragon)
• Manifest, introduced in Fate Reforged (Primordial Mist)
• Metalcraft, introduced in Scars of Mirrodin (Vedalken Humiliator)
• Miracle, introduced in Avacyn Restored (Entreat the Dead)
• Retrace, introduced in Eventide (Reality Scramble)
• Totem armor, introduced in Rise of the Eldrazi (Octopus Umbra and Estrid, the Masked)

Card types

Commander 2018 introduces the Aminatou, Estrid, and Windgrace planeswalker types.

Cycles

Commander 2018 has at least five cycles, three of which only consists of four cards:

• "Commander storm" spells: Five rare spells with 'Storm' in the title, which can copy themselves for each time the commander was cast from the command zone — Empyrial Storm (), Echo Storm (), Skull Storm (), Fury Storm (), and Genesis Storm ().
• Loyal lieutenants: Five uncommon creatures with 'Loyal' in the title and the lieutenant ability word. Each has a keyword ability, and an ability that triggers at the beginning of combat if you control your commander — Loyal Unicorn (), Loyal Drake (), Loyal Subordinate (), Loyal Apprentice (), and Loyal Guardian ().

4-card cycles

• Planeswalker commanders: Four mythic rare planeswalkers that can each be used as a commander — Saheeli, the Gifted (), Lord Windgrace (), Estrid, the Masked (), and Aminatou, the Fateshifter ().
• "Sub-commanders": Four rare legendary creatures, each of which is missing one of the colors of the deck in which they are printed, and thus can't be substituted in as commander right out of the box — Varchild, Betrayer of Kjeldor (), Xantcha, Sleeper Agent (), Arixmethes, Slumbering Isle (), and Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow ().
• Signature spells: Four rare non-creature spells featuring the planeswalker commanders — Saheeli's Directive (), Windgrace's Judgment (), Estrid's Invocation (), and Aminatou's Augury ().

Mega cycle

• Sorcery magi: Rare Wizards with the converted mana cost and abilities of iconic sorceries from Magic's past, one printed in each Commander set since Commander 2015. Commander 2018 adds Magus of the Balance (Balance, ) to the cycle, with previous members being Magus of the Mind (Mind's Desire, ), Magus of the Will (Yawgmoth's Will, ), and Magus of the Wheel (Wheel of Fortune, ).

Theme decks

Commander 2018 consists of four decks featuring twelve premium foil commanders. Each deck contains 100 cards plus an oversized foil commander card.

Theme deck name	Color Identity					Commander
Exquisite Invention		U		R		Saheeli, the Gifted
Nature's Vengeance			B	R	G	Lord Windgrace
Adaptive Enchantment	W	U			G	Estrid, the Masked
Subjective Reality	W	U	B			Aminatou, the Fateshifter

Tokens and overlay cards

Commander 2018 features 25 tokens and 1 overlay card:

1. Manifest overlay card, for Cloudform, Jeskai Infiltrator, Lightform and Primordial Mist.
2. 1/1 Shapeshifter creature with changeling, for Crib Swap.
3. 4/4 Angel creature with flying, for Empyrial Storm, Entreat the Angels and Sigil of the Empty Throne.
4. Aura enchantment named Mask with enchant permanent and totem armor, for Estrid, the Masked.
5. 2/2 Cat creature, for Ajani's Chosen.
6. 1/1 Soldier creature, for Martial Coup.
7. 2/1 Myr artifact creature, for Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer.
8. 1/1 Thopter artifact creature with flying, for Sharding Sphinx.
9. 2/2 Zombie creature, for Army of the Damned and Varina, Lich Queen.
10. 0/2 Dragon Egg creature with defender and "When this creature dies, create a 2/2 red Dragon creature token with flying and ': This creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn,'" for Nesting Dragon.
11. 2/2 Dragon creature with flying and ": This creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn," for Nesting Dragon.
12. 1/1 Survivor creature, for Varchild, Betrayer of Kjeldor.
13. 4/4 Beast creature, for Rampaging Baloths.
14. 5/5 Beast creature with trample, for Spawning Grounds.
15. 2/2 Cat Warrior creature with forestwalk, for Lord Windgrace.
16. */* Elemental creature, for Dokai, Weaver of Life.
17. 0/1 Plant creature, for Avenger of Zendikar, Khalni Garden and Turntimber Sower.
18. 1/1 Worm creature, for Worm Harvest.
19. Clue artifact with ", Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card," for Magnifying Glass.
20. 4/4 Construct artifact creature, for Retrofitter Foundry.
21. 6/12 Construct artifact creature with trample, for Ancient Stone Idol.
22. */* Horror artifact creature, for Phyrexian Rebirth.
23. 1/1 Myr artifact creature, for Myr Battlesphere.
24. 1/1 Servo artifact creature, for Retrofitter Foundry and Saheeli, the Gifted.
25. 1/1 Thopter artifact creature with flying (1 of 2), for Loyal Apprentice, Maverick Thopterist, Retrofitter Foundry, Thopter Assembly, Thopter Engineer, Thopter Spy Network and Whirler Rogue.
26. 1/1 Thopter artifact creature with flying (2 of 2).

Reception

Some elements of design, the lack of wanted reprints and the increased price attributed to a lukewarm reception of the set.