Hold onto your spellbooks, Magic: The Gathering fans, because the Commander format is about to get a lot more expensive—literally. Inflation has finally caught up with our beloved game, and the Commander Tax is now set to cost a whopping 3 mana per recast. Yes, you read that right. Last updated on February 14, 2026, this change is as inevitable as a Solemn Simulacrum’s march toward progress. But here’s where it gets controversial: the Commander Format Panel has decided that tough times call for tougher rules, and not everyone is happy about it.
A 50% Increase Across the Board—But Why?
This new rule kicks in immediately with the release of the South Park Universes Beyond Commander decks. It applies to all cards eligible for the command zone, with two notable exceptions. First, Lady Orca gets a free pass because, let’s face it, only three people are playing that deck, and the Panel didn’t want to crush their spirits. Second, spacecraft commanders are exempt—not because of any strategic reasoning, but because the Panel simply forgot they could be in the command zone. Oops.
But that’s not all. The Panel has also loosened the hybrid mana rules even further, allowing players to include any hybrid card in any deck, regardless of color identity. Their reasoning? A cheeky “Why not?” that’s sure to spark debate. And this is the part most people miss: Commander damage has also been hit with a 50% increase, meaning a single commander now needs to deal 31.5 damage to be lethal. The Panel calls this “inconsequential,” but is it really?
Derevi Takes the Hit—Hard
One of the biggest casualties of this change? Derevi, Empyrial Tactician. The Panel has errata’d Derevi’s activated ability to cost an additional four mana per activation, citing their exhaustion with “that bird’s bullshit.” Ouch. Eminence commanders, like Oloro, Ageless Ascetic, aren’t off the hook either. Their abilities now cost mana to trigger from the command zone, a change the Panel admits “doesn’t actually make any sense”—especially for The Ur-Dragon. Will this finally clear Gavin Verhey’s name for creating the ability? Only time will tell.
Partners: A Double-Edged Sword
Partner commanders were a hot topic, and the Panel’s solution is… interesting. If you run partners or pairings like Friends Forever or Johnson & Johnson (yes, that’s a real Secret Lair collaboration), both commanders will be subject to the new 3-mana tax. But here’s the twist: you can now play 50% more commanders in the command zone, meaning three partners can team up at once. Is this a fair trade-off, or a recipe for chaos? That’s up for debate.
The Bigger Question: Is This Too Much?
These changes are bound to be divisive. While they’re not as controversial as the infect damage reduction to two poison counters, they’ll still stir up plenty of backlash. But here’s the real question: Are these changes necessary, or is the Panel overreacting to inflation? And what does this mean for the future of Commander? Let us know your thoughts in the comments—we want to hear from you!
Follow Draftsim for more thought-provoking articles and set updates. And remember, in the ever-evolving world of Magic, change is the only constant.
Timothy Zaccagnino
A Magic enthusiast since 2012, Timothy loves Limited and Commander. Co-creator of Jank Diver Gaming and co-host of The Deep Dive podcast, he’s always brewing his next EDH deck or cubing with friends on Arena.
