Beyond the Format : Oathbreaker

Every Sunday, we’re switching things up with a different way to play Magic!

Each month will feature a unique MTG format, giving players a chance to build something new, try different strategies, and experience Magic outside of our usual events.

Our Fall Lineup:

• September — Pauper Commander

Build around a legendary uncommon creature with a deck made from commons.

• October — Oathbreaker

Choose a Planeswalker as your Oathbreaker, pair it with a Signature Spell, and battle with a 60-card deck.

• November — Tiny Leaders

A faster 50-card singleton format where every card in your deck has a mana value of 3 or less.

Join us every Sunday and try something different!

Oathbreaker

Oathbreaker is a multiplayer Magic format similar to Commander, but built around a Planeswalker and its Signature Spell. Each deck contains 60 total cards, players start at 20 life, and games are typically played with 3–5 players.

Deck Construction & Legality

• The Deck: Your deck contains exactly 60 cards: 1 Oathbreaker, 1 Signature Spell, and 58 cards in the main deck.
• Singleton: Other than basic lands, you may only have one copy of each card by name.
• The Oathbreaker: Your Oathbreaker must be a Planeswalker and begins the game face-up in the command zone.
• Signature Spell: Choose an instant or sorcery as your Signature Spell. It also begins in the command zone and must fall within your Oathbreaker's color identity.
• Color Identity: Every card in your deck, including your Signature Spell, must fit within your Oathbreaker's color identity.
• Card Pool: Oathbreaker is a non-rotating format using cards from throughout Magic's history, subject to the format's banned list.
• Partners: Planeswalkers with an appropriate Partner ability can be used together as Oathbreakers. Each Oathbreaker then has its own Signature Spell.

The Command Zone

Your Oathbreaker and Signature Spell both begin in the command zone.

Your Oathbreaker can be cast from the command zone. Each additional time you cast it from the command zone, it costs {2} more for each previous cast.

Signature Spell Rules

• You may only cast your Signature Spell while your Oathbreaker is on the battlefield under your control.
• Your Signature Spell can be cast repeatedly from the command zone.
• It costs an additional {2} for each previous time you've cast it from the command zone.
• Your Oathbreaker's tax and Signature Spell's tax are tracked separately.
• After your Signature Spell resolves, it returns to the command zone rather than going to your graveyard.

Gameplay

Oathbreaker is generally played as a free-for-all multiplayer format with 3–5 players.

Each player begins at 20 life. Players can attack any opponent and may attack multiple opponents during the same combat. The last player remaining wins.

Unlike Commander, Oathbreaker does not use the commander-damage loss condition.

Banned Cards

Oathbreaker maintains its own banned list, so a card being legal in Commander does not automatically make it legal in Oathbreaker. Players should check the current Oathbreaker banned list when constructing their decks.