MTG Commander Format: The Complete Guide for Australian Players

Commander is the most popular way to play Magic: The Gathering, and for good reason. It's social, creative, and every game tells a different story. If you've been playing Magic in 60-card formats and you're curious about Commander, or you're completely new to MTG and want to dive into the format most people are actually playing, this is your guide.

What Is Commander?

Commander (also called EDH — Elder Dragon Highlander — its original fan-created name) is a 100-card singleton format. Each deck is built around a legendary creature called your Commander, which starts in a separate zone called the Command Zone and can be cast from there during the game. The format is designed for multiplayer — typically four players — and games are longer and more social than competitive 1v1 Magic.

The key rules that define Commander:

• 100 cards exactly, including your Commander
• Singleton — only one copy of each card (except basic lands)
• Colour identity — every card in your deck must match the colour identity of your Commander. A Commander with only green and white mana symbols means your entire deck can only contain green, white, and colourless cards.
• Commander Tax — each time your Commander is sent to the graveyard or exiled, you can return it to the Command Zone. Recasting from the Command Zone costs an extra 2 colourless mana each time (the "Commander Tax")
• Starting life total — 40 life, not 20
• Commander Damage — if a single Commander deals 21 or more combat damage to a player over the course of a game, that player loses regardless of life total

Choosing Your Commander

Your Commander shapes your entire deck. Everything you build radiates outward from that single card — its colours, its abilities, its play style. Picking the right Commander is the most important decision you'll make.

For Beginners

Start with a Commander that:

• Has a clear, simple ability you understand
• Is in 1–2 colours (fewer colours = easier to build and more consistent mana)
• Has an obvious deck-building direction

Solid beginner Commanders include mono-coloured legends with straightforward abilities — Commanders that say "when X happens, do Y" are much easier to build around than complicated multi-part abilities.

The Pre-Built Option

Wizards of the Coast releases official Commander preconstructed decks for almost every new set. These are 100-card ready-to-play decks built around a specific Commander and strategy. For a new player, a precon is the fastest path to playing. They're available from around $50–$80 AUD and are designed to work out of the box while giving you plenty of room to upgrade.

Deck Building Fundamentals

Once you've chosen your Commander, here's how to structure your 99 other cards:

Lands: 36–38

Commander games go long. You need consistent mana. 36 lands is the minimum for most decks; 37–38 is safer. Add mana rocks (artifacts that produce mana) to supplement — Sol Ring is the most iconic and goes in almost every Commander deck.

Ramp: 10+

Ramp means cards that let you produce extra mana or get extra lands into play. In Commander, you want to hit 4–5 mana by turn 3–4. Signets, Talismans, and green land-tutors all count as ramp.

Card Draw: 10+

You're playing a 100-card deck. Without consistent card draw, you'll run out of gas. Staples like Rhystic Study, Sylvan Library, and Phyrexian Arena provide ongoing draw engines. Treasure Cruise, Harmonize, and similar spells provide burst draw.

Removal: 10

You need to interact with the other three players at the table. Aim for a mix of targeted removal (kill one creature, enchantment, or artifact) and board wipes (destroy all creatures). Don't go into a multiplayer game without interaction — it's not fun for anyone.

Your Strategy: 40–45 cards

The rest of your deck supports your Commander's gameplan. These are the creatures, spells, and permanents that advance what you're trying to do — whether that's casting huge creatures, generating infinite combos, building a token army, or controlling the board.

Essential Commander Staples Worth Owning

Certain cards are so universally good in Commander that they go in almost any deck. Building up a collection of these staples saves you money long-term because they slot into any future Commander deck you build:

• Sol Ring — 1 mana, taps for 2. Goes in everything.
• Arcane Signet — Produces mana matching your Commander's colours
• Commander's Sphere — Ramp plus card draw
• Swords to Plowshares / Path to Exile — Best white removal in the format
• Cultivate / Kodama's Reach — Green ramp staples
• Cyclonic Rift — Blue board wipe that returns all opponents' non-land permanents to hand. Highly powerful, widely used.
• Demonic Tutor — Search your deck for any card
• Rhystic Study — Draws you a card whenever an opponent casts a spell unless they pay 1

Power Level and the "Social Contract"

Commander is a social format, and one of the most important things to understand is the concept of power level. Games are most fun when all four decks are at a similar power level. Before sitting down, it's common practice to have a quick conversation about power level — "I'm running a casual mid-power deck, no infinite combos." This helps set expectations and ensures everyone has a good time.

The Commander Rules Committee defines power levels roughly as:

• 1–4 — Budget, precon-level, casual
• 5–7 — Mid-power, some synergistic builds, limited interaction
• 8–9 — High power, consistent combos, strong interaction
• 10 — cEDH (competitive EDH) — hyper-optimised decks designed to win as fast as possible

Playing Commander in Australia

Commander is widely played across Australia. Most local game stores (LGS) run Commander nights, Commander leagues, and casual open-play sessions. It's a welcoming format and the Australian Magic community is generally friendly and inclusive.

For building and upgrading Commander decks without breaking the budget, buying singles is far more cost-effective than opening booster packs. You buy exactly what you need at market price rather than gambling on packs.

Get Your Commander Cards at HOKO Collectables

Building your first Commander deck or upgrading an existing one? HOKO Collectables stocks MTG singles, Commander staples, and sealed product including Commander precons. Browse our Magic: The Gathering range for fast Australian shipping on everything you need to build your next Commander deck.

Commander is genuinely one of the best games you can play. Get a deck built, sit down with three friends, and see why this format has taken over Magic completely.