Commandeer MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost7
RarityRare
TypeInstant

Key Takeaways

  1. Commandeer enables a significant shift in control by allowing you to cast spells your opponent intended for themselves.
  2. Its instant speed grants flexibility, enabling strategic play and the preservation of mana for other uses.
  3. Despite its power, Commandeer requires careful hand management due to its discard cost.

Text of card

You may remove two blue cards in your hand from the game rather than pay Commandeer's mana cost. Gain control of target noncreature spell. You may choose new targets for it. (If that spell is an artifact or enchantment, the permanent comes into play under your control.)


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Commandeer allows you to seize control of a noncreature spell using just blue cards from your hand instead of mana. This creates an unexpected shift in card dynamics, giving you the upper hand and the benefits of spells your opponent intended to use.

Resource Acceleration: While Commandeer itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, it effectively saves your mana pool for other uses and can give you the effects of powerful spells without their mana cost. This enables a more efficient resource expenditure, as well as potential tempo gains.

Instant Speed: The ability to cast Commandeer at instant speed offers tremendous flexibility. You can adapt to the evolving game state and wait until the most opportune moment to disrupt your opponent’s strategy, all while leaving your options open for other reactive plays during their turn.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Commandeer necessitates discarding two blue cards as an extra cost to play it for free. When hands are depleted, this could be a strategic setback, forcing players to give up other valuable resources or crucial counterspells.

Specific Mana Cost: If opting to pay its mana cost, Commandeer requires a significant investment of three blue mana. This requirement can strain mana bases, particularly in multi-colored decks where blue mana could be scarce or needed for other plays.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a regular casting cost of seven mana, including the specific three blue, Commandeer’s conventional casting route is costly compared to other control spells. This makes it less flexible in fast-paced games where mana efficiency is key.


Reasons to Include Commandeer in Your Collection

Versatility: Commandeer offers a unique opportunity to turn your opponent’s key plays into your advantage. It’s not just a counter spell—it’s a game-changer that can take over noncreature spells of all kinds, making it a versatile addition to blue-focused control decks. Whether it’s sneaking in a planeswalker or redirecting a game-winning sorcery, the fluidity of this card is undeniable.

Combo Potential: This card opens the door for various combo interactions. Blue decks that manipulate or rely on casting an opponent’s spells can benefit greatly. Using Commandeer in conjunction with cards that reward you for casting or copying spells can spiral into victories from seemingly unwinnable positions.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment where crucial spells and high-impact plays define the tempo, Commandeer aligns perfectly by disrupting your opponent’s strategies. It’s particularly relevant in the current meta, where control decks strive for dominance and pivotal moments hinge on successfully resolving key spells. Integrating Commandeer into your arsenal ensures you have a say in those critical turns.


How to beat Commandeer

Commandeer is a unique blue instant from Magic: The Gathering that enables a player to seize control of noncreature spells by exiling two blue cards from their hand. This shift can drastically alter the course of a game, catching an opponent off guard and turning their own spells against them. To effectively navigate against Commandeer, it’s critical to bait out the opponent’s counter before committing your most crucial spells to the stack. Awareness of open blue mana and potential cards in exile can signal a Commandeer play.

Consider playing less impactful spells to draw out Commandeer, saving your high-value targets for later. Additionally, cards that can’t be countered, such as Abrupt Decay or Supreme Verdict, maintain their effectivity against Commandeer. Implementing discard strategies may also help since Commandeer requires card advantage to function effectively. Hand disruption tools like Thoughtseize or Inquisition of Kozilek can remove Commandeer before it becomes a threat, securing a safer path for your vital spells.

Cognizance of these strategies ensures your powerful spells find their mark, mitigating the disruptive power of Commandeer and maintaining control over the direction of play.


BurnMana Recommendations

If you’re captivated by the strategic depth Commandeer adds to the MTG experience, we encourage you to dive deeper into its potential. Understanding when and how to play this impactful card can be a game-changer, especially in control matchups. Equipping yourself with the knowledge of not only using Commandeer but also playing against it effectively is crucial. Every card you include in your deck adds to your narrative as a player – and Commandeer can be a defining chapter in that journey. Visit us to explore comprehensive strategies, deepen your gameplay, and become adept at turning the tide in your favor with Commandeer and similar spells.


Cards like Commandeer

The uniqueness of Commandeer in Magic: The Gathering lies in its ability to seize control of noncreature spells without spending mana by exiling two blue cards from your hand as its alternative cost. It echoes the functionality of cards like Spelljack, which also allows you to take control of a spell, but requires a significant mana investment to do so. However, Commandeer’s instant speed and cost-free activation is a strategic advantage.

Contrastingly, we observe cards like Aethersnatch, offering a similar spell commandeering effect, requiring six mana, but capable of targeting any spell, not just the noncreature ones. While Commandeer provides a swift response without tapping out, the wide scope of Aethersnatch can’t be overlooked. Similarly, Desertion steps into the scene with the ability to change the tide of battle by not only commandeering an opponent’s spell but also putting it onto the battlefield under your control, though at a higher mana cost.

Thus, within Magic: The Gathering’s vast arsenal, the tactical benefits of Commandeer become apparent by affording players preemptive control with the distinctive advantage of conserving mana reserves, positioning it as a potent tool in blue control decks.

Spelljack - MTG Card versions
Aethersnatch - MTG Card versions
Desertion - MTG Card versions
Spelljack - MTG Card versions
Aethersnatch - MTG Card versions
Desertion - MTG Card versions

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Commandeer MTG card by a specific set like Coldsnap and The List, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Commandeer and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Commandeer Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2006-07-21 and 2023-08-04. Illustrated by John Matson.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12006-07-21ColdsnapCSP 292003NormalBlackJohn Matson
22020-09-26The ListPLST CSP-292003NormalBlackJohn Matson
32023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 802015NormalBlackJohn Matson
42023-08-04Commander MastersCMM 4842015NormalBlackJohn Matson

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Commandeer has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Commandeer card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2006-07-15 After Commandeer resolves, you control the targeted spell. Any instance of “you” in that spell’s text now refers to you, “an opponent” refers to one of your opponents, and so on. The change of control happens before new targets are chosen, so any targeting restrictions such as “target opponent” or “target creature you control” are now made in reference to you, not the spell’s original controller. You may either change those targets to be legal in reference to you, or, if those are the spell’s only targets, the spell doesn’t resolve for having illegal targets. When the spell resolves, any illegal targets are unaffected by it and you make all decisions the spell’s effect calls for.
2006-07-15 If the targeted spell has a triggered ability that copies it (for example, replicate or storm), the copies will be controlled by the player who cast that spell.
2006-07-15 If you don’t have two cards of the right color in your hand, you can’t choose to cast the spell using the alternative cost.
2006-07-15 If you gain control of an instant or sorcery spell with Commandeer, it will still be put into its owner’s graveyard when it resolves.
2006-07-15 You can’t exile a card from your hand to pay for itself. At the time you would pay costs, that card is on the stack, not in your hand.
2006-07-15 You may change any of the targeted spell’s targets. If you change a target, you must choose a legal target for the spell. If you can’t, you must leave the target the same (even if that target is now illegal).
2006-07-15 You may pay the alternative cost rather than the card’s mana cost. Any additional costs are paid as normal.
2007-02-01 If you Commandeer a spell for which Buyback has been paid, the card returns to its owner’s hand.

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