The Commander variant of Primordial
Prim’Ander (“Commandial” for some irréductibles Gaulois) was designed to blend the restrictions of Primordial with the spirit of Commander. Initially created by a group of players in the east part of south west of France (while original Primordial is coming from the west part of south west of France, not that it has any importance, but I like to tell stories), it now has its own place in the Primordial world.
Prim’Ander uses the official Magic: the Gathering comprehensive rules / Commander variant (rule 903.x), with the following exceptions. Do not hesitate to join our Discord server if you have any questions (ping Herbette Joyeuse).
Deck rules
A Prim’Ander deck must contain exactly 50 cards, including its commander, all cards come from the same block or standalone set (same set codes), and is composed of:
- A legendary card designated as its commander (that card must be either a creature card, a Vehicle card, or a Spacecraft card with one or more power/toughness boxes)
- No more than 1 of any card with a particular English name
- Exactly 3 mythic rare or rare cards
- Exactly 8 uncommon cards
- Any number of common cards
- Any number of basic lands
- The Prim’Ander variant uses no color identity
Your commander counts towards the mythic rare, rare and uncommon restrictions.
Starting Life Total and Commander Damage Rules
- Starting Life Total: 30
- A player who’s been dealt 16 or more combat damage by the same commander over the course of the game loses the game
Banned Cards
All Primordial generic bans apply (ante cards, dexterity cards, Shahrazad, and the seven racist or culturally offensive cards — see the full list here).
Prim’Ander has no additional bans of its own.
Legal BLOCKS AND STANDALONE Sets
- All blocks or standalone sets that are legal in Primordial (see full list here)
- Remastered Editions (TSR, DMR, RVR, INR)
- Direct to Modern Editions (MH1, MH2, MH3, LTR)
- Commander Legends Editions (CMR, CLB)
- Legal Unset (UNF)
Herbette Joyeuse (Prim’Ander Lead Designer) comments on the format:
“It was designed to blend the restrictions of Primordial with the spirit of Commander. We found that 50 cards is the sweet spot. 40 cards felt too thin for 4 players multiplayer games as games sometimes became a bit stale, and we didn’t want players getting decked too often. 60 cards made it too hard to keep the format truly singleton and felt bloated. Dropping color identity was a tough decision, but it really opens up deck-building. Many sets simply don’t have a Legendary creature that supports every archetype. Removing color identity also creates unique and creative deck-building possibilities, which makes the format stand out. I’d be happy to discuss it further or answer any questions!“