Glossary

A

Aristocrats {#aristocrats}

An archetype built around sacrificing your own creatures for value. Named after Cartel Aristocrat and Falkenrath Aristocrat. Full guide →

B

Board wipe {#board-wipe}

A spell that destroys or exiles all permanents of a type (usually creatures). Wrath of God, Damnation, Blasphemous Act. Full guide →

C

Cantrip {#cantrip}

A cheap spell that replaces itself by drawing a card. Brainstorm, Ponder, Preordain.

cEDH {#cedh}

Competitive Elder Dragon Highlander. Commander played at maximum optimization with the goal of winning as efficiently as possible. Bracket 5.

Color identity {#color-identity}

The set of colors found in a card's mana cost and rules text. Determines which cards can go in your Commander deck. Full guide →

Command tax {#command-tax}

The additional {2} cost per previous cast when recasting your commander from the command zone. Full guide →

Command zone {#command-zone}

The zone where your commander starts the game. You can cast it from here and return it here when it would change zones.

Commander damage {#commander-damage}

If a single commander deals 21 combat damage to a player over the course of a game, that player loses. Tracked separately per commander.

E

EDH {#edh}

Elder Dragon Highlander. The original name for Commander. Named after the Elder Dragon legends from Legends (1994) and the Highlander rule (there can be only one).

Enabler {#enabler}

A card that makes your strategy function but doesn't win on its own. Sacrifice outlets in Aristocrats, blink engines in Flicker, extra land drops in Landfall. Full guide →

ETB {#etb}

Enter the Battlefield. A triggered ability that fires when a permanent enters the battlefield. "When this creature enters the battlefield, draw a card."

Evasion {#evasion}

Any ability that makes a creature harder to block. Flying, trample, menace, unblockable. Critical for Voltron strategies.

F

Fetch land {#fetch-land}

A land that sacrifices itself to search for a land with a specific basic type. Polluted Delta finds Islands or Swamps. Triggers landfall twice.

Finisher {#finisher}

A card whose primary purpose is ending the game. Craterhoof Behemoth, Torment of Hailfire, Thassa's Oracle. Full guide →

G

Game Changer {#game-changer}

One of ~40 cards on the official list that push a deck to Bracket 3+. Includes powerful tutors, fast mana, and resource denial. Full list →

Go wide {#go-wide}

A strategy that wins by creating many creatures rather than one large one. Tokens is the primary go-wide archetype.

H

Hatebear {#hatebear}

A small creature with a static ability that disrupts opponents' strategies. Thalia Guardian of Thraben, Drannith Magistrate, Aven Mindcensor.

I

Infinite combo {#infinite-combo}

A combination of cards that creates a loop with no limit. Infinite mana, infinite damage, infinite tokens. The loop repeats until you choose to stop or until all opponents are dead.

Interaction {#interaction}

Any card that disrupts opponents' plans. Removal, counterspells, board wipes, tax effects. Full guide →

K

Kingmaker {#kingmaker}

A player who, while losing, takes actions that determine which other player wins. Generally considered poor etiquette. See Rule Zero.

L

Lord {#lord}

A creature that gives +1/+1 (or other bonuses) to all creatures of a specific type. Elvish Archdruid, Lord of the Undead, Goblin Chieftain. Key to Tribal strategies.

M

Mana curve {#mana-curve}

The distribution of mana costs across your deck's non-land cards. Full guide →

Mana dork {#mana-dork}

A creature that taps for mana. Llanowar Elves, Birds of Paradise. Part of the ramp category.

Mana rock {#mana-rock}

An artifact that taps for mana. Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Signets. Part of the ramp category.

Mill {#mill}

Putting cards from a player's library into their graveyard. Named after Millstone. Full guide →

P

Payoff {#payoff}

A card that rewards you for executing your strategy. Blood Artist in Aristocrats, Craterhoof in Tokens. The card that converts your engine into a win.

Pillowfort {#pillowfort}

A defensive strategy using enchantments that make attacking you impractical. Full guide →

Politics {#politics}

The social negotiations and alliances that happen during multiplayer Commander games. Deals, threats, and table talk.

Power level {#power-level}

A measure of how optimized a deck is. Formally defined by the bracket system. Evaluation guide →

Precon {#precon}

A preconstructed deck sold by Wizards of the Coast. Comes ready to play. Good starting point for new players.

R

Ramp {#ramp}

Any effect that gives you access to more mana than your natural land drops. Mana rocks, mana dorks, land ramp. Full guide →

Recursion {#recursion}

Getting cards back from your graveyard. Reanimate, Eternal Witness, Living Death. Full guide →

Rule Zero {#rule-zero}

The principle that Commander's official rules are a baseline your group can modify by agreement. Full guide →

S

Salt score {#salt-score}

An informal measure (popularized by EDHREC) of how much a card frustrates opponents. High-salt cards include Cyclonic Rift, Armageddon, and Stasis.

Singleton {#singleton}

A deckbuilding rule requiring exactly one copy of each card (except basic lands). Commander's defining constraint.

Spot removal {#spot-removal}

Removal that targets a single permanent. Swords to Plowshares, Beast Within, Counterspell. Full guide →

Staple {#staple}

A card that goes in most decks of its color(s). Sol Ring, Arcane Signet, Swords to Plowshares, Cyclonic Rift.

Stax {#stax}

An archetype built around resource denial and tax effects. Named after Smokestack. Full guide →

Storm count {#storm-count}

The number of spells cast before the current spell in a turn. Storm cards copy themselves once per spell cast before them. Full guide →

T

Threat assessment {#threat-assessment}

Evaluating which player or permanent at the table is the most dangerous and should be dealt with first. A critical multiplayer skill.

Tribal {#tribal}

An archetype built around a single creature type. Full guide →

Tutor {#tutor}

A card that searches your library for a specific card or card type. Named after Demonic Tutor. Increases deck consistency.

V

Value engine {#value-engine}

A permanent that generates ongoing advantage each turn. Phyrexian Arena, Rhystic Study, Beast Whisperer.

Voltron {#voltron}

An archetype that wins by loading one creature with equipment and auras and dealing commander damage. Full guide →

W

Wheel {#wheel}

An effect that makes all players discard their hands and draw new ones. Named after Wheel of Fortune. Full guide →

Win condition {#win-condition}

See Finisher.