Magic: The Gathering is making its biggest format change since Partner commanders. On June 21, 2025, an X post confirmed that the upcoming Edge of Eternities set will introduce a rule change that will allow Legendary Vehicles and Spacecraft to be used as commanders. This affects Commander deck construction at every level. Prior to this adjustment, legendary artifacts like Skysovereign, Consul Flagship, and Parhelion II were powerful cards, but limited to the 99. They couldn’t lead a deck, but come August 1 with Edge of Eternities‘ release, they absolutely can.
Unlike legendary creatures, vehicles don’t function unless they’re crewed. That used to be a downside, because without support, the player’s vehicle was a dead draw. But putting one in the command zone makes it the focal point of the build, and the whole deck needs to be structured to consistently crew it. This new rule will completely change how early-game turns play out and how support creatures are valued in Magic: The Gathering.
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This Rule Changes the Way Vehicles are Played
Before this change, Vehicles in MTG required setup and were easy to disrupt if they didn’t have creatures to crew them. Now, with commander status, they return to the command zone when they die. This means players can recast them over and over, and entire decks can be built solely around enabling them. RMS Titanic, for example, becomes much more threatening. Its death trigger that creates Treasure tokens can now be exploited turn after turn because players can attack, let it die, make Treasure, then use that Treasure to pay commander tax and bring it back.
This rule also forces players to rethink their opening moves. In traditional commander builds in MTG, turns 1-3 are used for mana ramp or setup. But if the commander is a Vehicle, players need to be playing creatures early so they can crew it by turn 3 or 4. That turns utility creatures like Esper Sentinel, Weathered Wayfarer, and Thraben Inspector into activation pieces that will enable the commander to attack.
This Rule Could Go Far Beyond Vehicles and Spacecraft
A Good Morning Magic YouTube video also revealed that the rule change isn’t just limited to Vehicles or Spacecraft. The exact wording of the rule is that any MTG‘s legendary permanent card with a power and toughness box on its front face is now eligible to be a commander. This phrasing was chosen deliberately to expand design space beyond just existing card types. It lays the groundwork for new types of permanents, such as animated lands or even living enchantments, to be printed in future sets with the intent of being playable from the command zone.
Players Will Have to Build New Decks to Incorporate Vehicle Commanders
Wizards of the Coast also confirmed that two of the upcoming Commander decks releasing alongside Edge of Eternities will feature Spacecraft as their face commanders. This signals long-term support for this new card type in Commander and that players will see new archetypes form around them. There won’t be just one or two niche builds; the entire meta is shifting. Esika’s Chariot used to be a solid support card which was good for creating and copying tokens, but now it is a serious token-based commander option. Players can build green-white token decks focused on making efficient creatures, copying them with the Chariot, and using those tokens to crew it every turn. With cards like Adeline, Resplendent Cathar, Bitterblossom, or March of the Multitudes, the deck can generate constant value while keeping its commander active.
Similarly, Weatherlight Compleated can now lead mono-black decks that fuel it with sacrifice engines like Gravecrawler or Ophiomancer to rapidly stack lore counters and draw cards every turn. In colorless decks, Karn, Silver Golem, or Traxos used to be the go-to. Now, cards like The Indomitable and Heart of Kiran can be the new leads. These Vehicles are easier to curve out early and can be supported with cards like Foundry Inspector, Unwinding Clock, and Steel Overseer. That allows for more aggressive, modular-style gameplay where combat matters just as much as value loops.
- Original Release Date
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August 5, 1993
- Designer
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Richard Garfield
- Player Count
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2+
- Age Recommendation
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13+