Commander’s Hybrid Mana Rules Face Potential Overhaul
▼ Summary
– Wizards of the Coast is considering changing Commander format rules to treat hybrid mana cards as “or” instead of “and,” making nearly 500 cards more playable in monocolored decks.
– This proposed change would allow hybrid mana cards like Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner to be used in any deck matching one of their colors, expanding deckbuilding options.
– The change would not alter how hybrid mana cards function on the battlefield or affect cards with colored mana pips in their rules text, maintaining their color identity for interactions.
– Feedback on the proposal is being gathered via the official MTG Discord, with a decision expected by Q1 2026, and initial reactions have been mixed among players.
– If implemented, the update would align Commander with other Magic formats and support upcoming sets with hybrid mana themes, though it challenges a long-standing format quirk.
A significant potential shift in the Commander format’s foundational rules has captured the attention of the Magic: The Gathering community. Wizards of the Coast is actively considering a major overhaul to how hybrid mana cards are treated in Commander, a change that would dramatically increase the playability of nearly 500 existing cards. This proposal emerged during a recent WeeklyMTG livestream, where Gavin Verhey detailed the ongoing discussions.
The core of the issue lies in the fundamental difference between how hybrid mana functions in Commander versus other Magic formats. Originally designed by Wizards as an “or” mechanic, hybrid mana allows a player to pay one color or the other to cast a spell. In all other constructed formats, a card like Rhys the Redeemed is considered a spell that can be paid for with either white or green mana. Commander, however, has historically treated hybrid mana as an “and,” meaning Rhys is classified as both white and green, restricting him solely to decks that include both colors in their identity.
This distinction creates notable limitations for many powerful cards. While a commander like Rhys the Redeemed often finds a natural home in Selesnya (green-white) decks anyway, other cards are severely hampered. A card like Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner, with its blue/green hybrid mana symbol, is currently locked out of mono-blue and mono-green decks despite its casting cost being payable with a single color of mana. The proposed rule change would re-align Commander with other formats, allowing these hybrid cards to be played in any deck that includes at least one of the card’s hybrid colors.
Verhey was careful to clarify that this is currently just a proposal under consideration, with no final decision made. Wizards is actively soliciting player feedback on their official MTG Discord server before moving forward. The initial community reaction appears largely positive, bolstered by the straightforward logic that the change would purely expand deckbuilding options without removing existing ones. A hybrid mana commander would still be multicolored, but the individual hybrid spells in the 99-card deck would gain immense flexibility.
It’s important to understand the boundaries of this potential change. On the battlefield, a hybrid mana card would still be considered all of its colors. A card like Hydroblast, which destroys a red permanent or counters a red spell, could still target any permanent with red in its color identity, including those with hybrid red mana symbols. Furthermore, this revision would not affect other complex mana types. Phyrexian mana cards, such as Gitaxian Probe, would remain tied to their color identities and not become universally playable. Similarly, the color identity of double-faced cards is not part of this current discussion, though Verhey noted the topic is “interesting.”
The primary beneficiaries of this rules update would be monocolored Commander decks, which often struggle with a more limited card pool. A card like Beseech the Queen, which features three hybrid mana symbols of different colors, would even become effectively colorless in terms of deck inclusion, allowing it to be slotted into any deck regardless of color. This injection of new options is seen by many as a straightforward way to bolster deck diversity.
However, the proposal is not without its detractors. The current “and” interpretation of hybrid mana has been a cornerstone of Commander’s color identity rules for over two decades. For some players, this is a defining quirk of the format that should be preserved. The sentiment on platforms like Reddit and Twitch chat reveals a deeply divided player base, with some viewing the change as an unnecessary disruption of tradition. This precedent makes the final outcome difficult to predict, even if the functional benefits seem clear.
The timing of this discussion is particularly relevant. Wizards has been increasingly utilizing hybrid mana in recent set designs, and the upcoming Lorwyn Eclipsed set is expected to have a strong hybrid mana theme. This has led to speculation that Wizards may finalize the rule change to coincide with the set’s release, maximizing the impact and synergy of the new cards. A decision is expected after the feedback period, with action potentially coming in Q1 of 2026. The Magic community now awaits the final verdict from the format’s stewards.
(Source: MTG Rocks)
