Commander Tax
Format rule · Commander and Historic Brawl · Increases with every recast
Commander tax is the extra generic mana you must pay each time you recast your commander from the command zone after it’s been countered, killed, or otherwise removed: an additional 2 mana for every previous cast.
Why Commander Tax Exists
Without it, commanders would be nearly free to recast every time they died, removing meaningful risk from playing a deck’s single most powerful card. The rising tax forces a real cost-benefit decision every time your commander leaves the battlefield.
Playing Around Rising Tax
Late in a game, recasting a commander for the fourth or fifth time can cost ten or more mana, so protecting it with Hexproof or Indestructible effects becomes more valuable the longer the game runs.
Strategic tip
Track how many times your commander has died. If the tax has climbed past what you can comfortably pay, it’s often correct to leave it in the command zone and win with your other threats instead of forcing a recast you can’t afford.
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