Commander 2018

Commander 2018, officially styled as Commander (2018 Edition), is a product in the Commander series that was released by Wizards of the Coast on August 10, 2018.

Set details
Call on powerful planeswalkers and deploy their signature strategies to make sure you're the last player standing. Like its predecessor, Commander 2018 consists of four preconstructed theme decks, and features twelve premium foil commanders. The four 100-card decks contain 307 different cards in total. There are 59 new cards legal in Vintage and Legacy. Each deck comes with a deck box, a foil oversized Commander card, 10 double-faced token cards, a strategy insert and a rules reference guide.

There is no pattern of colors between the decks. The themes are:


 * Exquisite Invention (, Artifacts)
 * Nature's Vengeance (, Lands)
 * Adaptive Enchantment (, Enchantments)
 * Subjective Reality (, Top-of-Library matters)

Mechanics
Commander 2018 once again features Planeswalkers that can be used as a commander, as first seen in Commander 2014. Lieutenant, introduced in Commander 2014, is also a returning mechanic.

It also introduces variants for previous abilities which care about the command zone.
 * Commander ninjutsu is a variant of ninjutsu, which allows the Ninja to be in your command zone or your hand.
 * Commander storm is a variant of storm which takes the number of times your commander was cast from the command zone into account. The ability was not keyworded, due to R&D not being able to settle on a name, but all cards with the ability have "Storm" in the name.

The set further features several returning non-evergreen mechanics on new cards. These mechanics are:
 * Bestow, introduced in Theros (Kestia, the Cultivator)
 * Constellation, introduced in Journey into Nyx (Nylea's Colossus)
 * Evoke, introduced in Lorwyn (Night Incarnate)
 * Improvise, introduced in Aether Revolt (Saheeli's Directive)
 * Landfall, introduced in Zendikar (Nesting Dragon)
 * Manifest, introduced in Fate Reforged (Primordial Mist)
 * Metalcraft, introduced in Scars of Mirrodin (Vedalken Humiliator)
 * Miracle, introduced in Avacyn Restored (Entreat the Dead)
 * Retrace, introduced in Eventide (Reality Scramble</c>)
 * Totem armor, introduced in Rise of the Eldrazi (Octopus Umbra</c> and Estrid, the Masked</c>)

Card types
Commander 2018 introduces the Aminatou, Estrid, and Windgrace planeswalker types.

Cycles
Commander 2018 has at least five cycles, three of which only consists of four cards:

Theme decks
Commander 2018 consists of four decks featuring twelve premium foil commanders. Each deck contains 100 cards plus an oversized foil commander card.

Tokens and overlay cards
Commander 2018 features 25 tokens and 1 overlay card:

• # overlay card, for Cloudform</c>, Jeskai Infiltrator</c>, Lightform</c> and Primordial Mist</c>.

• # 1/1 Shapeshifter creature with changeling, for Crib Swap</c>.

• # 4/4 Angel creature with flying, for Empyrial Storm</c>, Entreat the Angels</c> and Sigil of the Empty Throne</c>.

• # Aura enchantment named Mask with enchant permanent and totem armor, for Estrid, the Masked</c>.

• # 2/2 Cat creature, for Ajani's Chosen</c>.

• # 1/1 Soldier creature, for Martial Coup</c>.

• # 2/1 Myr artifact creature, for Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer</c>.

• # 1/1 Thopter artifact creature with flying, for Sharding Sphinx</c>.

• # 2/2 Zombie creature, for <c>Army of the Damned</c> and <c>Varina, Lich Queen</c>.

• # 0/2 Dragon Egg creature with defender and "When this creature dies, create a 2/2 red Dragon creature token with flying and ': This creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn,'" for <c>Nesting Dragon</c>.

• # 2/2 Dragon creature with flying and ": This creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn," for <c>Nesting Dragon</c>.

• # 1/1 Survivor creature, for <c>Varchild, Betrayer of Kjeldor</c>.

• # 4/4 Beast creature, for <c>Rampaging Baloths</c>.

• # 5/5 Beast creature with trample, for <c>Spawning Grounds</c>.

• # 2/2 Cat Warrior creature with forestwalk, for <c>Lord Windgrace</c>.

• # /* Elemental creature, for <c>Dokai, Weaver of Life</c>.

• # 0/1 Plant creature, for <c>Avenger of Zendikar</c>, <c>Khalni Garden</c> and <c>Turntimber Sower</c>.

• # 1/1 Worm creature, for <c>Worm Harvest</c>.

• # Clue artifact with ", Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card," for <c>Magnifying Glass</c>.

• # 4/4 Construct artifact creature, for <c>Retrofitter Foundry</c>.

• # 6/12 Construct artifact creature with trample, for <c>Ancient Stone Idol</c>.

• # /* Horror artifact creature, for <c>Phyrexian Rebirth</c>.

• # 1/1 Myr artifact creature, for <c>Myr Battlesphere</c>.

• # 1/1 Servo artifact creature, for <c>Retrofitter Foundry</c> and <c>Saheeli, the Gifted</c>.

• # 1/1 Thopter artifact creature with flying (1 of 2), for <c>Loyal Apprentice</c>, <c>Maverick Thopterist</c>, <c>Retrofitter Foundry</c>, <c>Thopter Assembly</c>, <c>Thopter Engineer</c>, <c>Thopter Spy Network</c> and <c>Whirler Rogue</c>.

• # 1/1 Thopter artifact creature with flying (2 of 2).

Reception
Some elements of design, the lack of wanted reprints and the increased price attributed to a lukewarm reception of the set.