Can a non legendary planeswalker be a commander?

Can a non legendary planeswalker be a commander?

When it comes to Magic: The Gathering’s Commander format, one of the primary rules is that the commander must be a legendary creature. But, can a non-legendary planeswalker still be a commander? In this article, we’ll explore the answer to this question and shed some light on the complexities surrounding it.

The Basics of Commander Format

For those new to Magic, the Commander format is a variation of the game where players build decks around a single "commander" card, with unique abilities and rules. The objective of the game is to reduce the opponent’s starting life total to zero, and this format emphasizes strategy and social interaction among players.

Can any Planeswalker be a Commander?

One would assume that a planeswalker must meet the same criteria as a legendary creature, with "legendary creature" being a critical element of the Commander format. However, what happens when a non-legendary planeswalker card is involved?

As we’ve learned, Planeswalkers are not creatures at all; they are a distinct game entity. They don’t have life total, can’t be blocked by regular creatures, and don’t have typical combat damage. Non-Legendary Planeswalkers, particularly, can have unique abilities that interact with other game elements, such as tokens or sacrifice effects.

The Confusing Part: Oathbreaker, Specifically

Oathbreaker, another popular format in the MTG world, allows non-Legendary Planeswalkers as Commanders. But is it any different from the standard Commander rules?

To answer this question, we have to dig deeper into the differences between the two formats. Oathbreaker builds follow the same general Command rule set as regular Commander, yet deviate in key ways (think: more freedom regarding colors, abilities, and sacrifice.) Still, in Oathbreaker, even non-legendary Planeswalkers are recognized as Commanders with full ability and effects.

New Possibilities: Can you flip it?

With Brawl and other formats offering less-restricted options, non-Legendary Planeswalkers as Commanders may not be a new novelty; instead, they could expand player possibilities and strategy. Now imagine being able to toggle flip a Planeswalker into the opposite loyalty state before flipping to creature mode!

With non-legendary Planeswalkers like Luxior, Giada’s Gift or Kaya’s Fate available, we have more tactical ways to attack and interact in our opponent’s game field, like with cards specifically aimed at creatures.

Key takeaways:

• Some non-legendary planeswalker cards have the potential for significant influence as Commanders when Brawl, Oathbreaker rules allow non-legendary Planceswalkers.
• Planeswalker interactions will always have constraints as compared to creature abilities
• Abilities that toggle between abilities won’t affect Planeswalkers; flipped back after an action with flip is complete.
• You are limited by what comes pre-packaged; build more specific and adaptable for flexibility or the Oathbreaker game experience

In conclusion:

If a non-legendary Planeswalker exists as a Commander option, specific to those Oathbreaker formats. To recap: Planeswalker in commander must have legendary capabilities otherwise in the **rules framework of Oathbreaker to utilize a non-legendary. Still, you should have been attentive in Oathbreaker card information when creating the perfect match card, since not to lose focus.