How commander damage works
Commander adds a second way to lose. Alongside running out of life, a player loses if a single commander has dealt them 21 or more combat damage across the whole game.
The two words that decide most arguments about it are “combat” and “same”: the counter only moves on combat damage, and every commander tracks its own separate total against every player.
The short answer
- 21 or more combat damage from one commander makes that player lose the game
- Only combat damage counts — burn spells and abilities from the commander do not
- Each commander tracks a separate total against each player
- It accumulates across the whole game, not per turn
- Losing this way is a state-based action, checked automatically
- Commander damage is tracked alongside your life total, not subtracted from it separately
The 21 damage rule
A player who has taken 21 or more combat damage from the same commander over the course of the game loses, regardless of their life total. Someone sitting comfortably at 30 life still loses if one commander got them to 21.
Because it is a state-based action, nobody has to notice or announce it. The moment the total reaches 21, the game checks and that player loses the next time state-based actions are performed.
A player who’s been dealt 21 or more combat damage by the same commander over the course of the game loses the game. (This is a state-based action. See rule 704.)
Combat damage only
The rule counts combat damage specifically. If your commander deals damage by attacking or by being blocked, it counts. If it pings someone with an activated ability, deals damage through a triggered ability, or you point a burn spell at them, none of that counts toward the 21 — even though it is damage from the same card.
This is why a commander built around direct damage can take someone from 40 to 0 without ever putting a single point on their commander damage total.
Tracked per commander, per player
The rule says “the same commander”, which means totals never merge. If two different commanders each hit you for 12, you are on 12 from each and neither has reached 21 — you have simply taken 24 damage to your life total.
Each player also tracks their own total against each commander. A commander that has dealt 15 to one opponent and 15 to another has not eliminated anyone.
- Two commanders dealing 12 each is 12 and 12, never 24
- One commander needs 21 against a single player on its own
- Damage carries across the whole game, including from earlier turns
- Damage dealt before a commander changed zones still counts
Commander tax
The other Commander-specific rule people mean when they say "commander rules" is the tax. A commander can be cast from the command zone rather than from hand, but each time you have already cast it from there this game, it costs an extra {2}.
The tax counts casts from the command zone only. Casting your commander out of your hand, or from the graveyard, does not raise it — and the tax it does add applies no matter which zone the extra cost is being paid from.
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 casting it has cast it from the command zone that game. This additional cost is informally known as the “commander tax.”
Frequently asked questions
Does non-combat damage count as commander damage?
No. Only combat damage counts toward the 21. Damage from your commander’s activated or triggered abilities reduces life totals normally but never moves the commander damage total.
Do two commanders’ damage add together?
No. Each commander tracks its own total against each player. Two partner commanders dealing 11 each leave you on 11 and 11, not 22, so neither has eliminated you.
Does commander damage reset if the commander dies?
No. The total is tracked for the whole game. Sending a commander to the command zone and recasting it does not clear the damage it has already dealt.
Is 21 commander damage a loss even at high life?
Yes. It is a separate loss condition, so it applies no matter how much life the player has left.
How much is commander tax?
An extra {2} for each previous time you have cast that commander from the command zone this game. The second cast costs {2} more, the third {4} more, and so on.
Does casting my commander from my hand increase the tax?
No. Only casts from the command zone count toward the tax.
Rules referenced on this page
Quotations are from the Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules, published by Wizards of the Coast. Search the full rules for anything not covered here.
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How the legend rule works in Magic: The Gathering — what happens with two legendary permanents of the same name, why it compares names rather than characters, and how it applies in Commander.
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How planeswalker cards work in Magic: The Gathering — activating loyalty abilities, attacking a planeswalker, dealing damage to one, and the two planeswalker rules that no longer exist.