<h6 style="text-align: right;">Parhelion II | Illustrated by <a href="https://www.adampaquettemtg.com/">Adam Paquette</a> | Image credit: Wizards of the Coast</h6>
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On Friday, June 20th, Wizards of the Coast announced a momentous Commander rules change. Starting with Edge of Eternities, legendary Vehicles and Spacecraft with a power/toughness box can be your commander! This change is massive and opens up a ton of design space for Magic: The Gathering.
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<div id="attachment_156844" style="width: 780px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/154848.hq_.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-156844" class="wp-image-156844" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/154848.hq_.jpg" alt="RMS Titanic. Illustrated by Henry Peters. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast" width="770" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/154848.hq_.jpg 551w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/154848.hq_-300x218.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 770px) 100vw, 770px" /></a>RMS Titanic. Illustrated by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/htkpeh">Henry Peters</a>. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast</div>
<h2>Why This Change?</h2>
Magic Designer Gavin Verhey sums up the change to the Commander format with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w75DcnrdoTc">a six-minute Good Morning Magic video on YouTube</a>:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Why Are We Changing the Rules of Commander with Edge of Eternities?? | Magic Vehicles &amp; Spacecraft" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w75DcnrdoTc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
In short, the rules change is one that Wizards wanted to apply for a while, but for a series of different reasons at different times, the format's shift had to wait until Edge of Eternities. Additionally, we have learned through this video that both precons from the new set contain a legendary Spacecraft to use as an alternate commander.
<div id="attachment_156846" style="width: 915px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Shorikai-Genesis-Engine.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-156846" class="wp-image-156846" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Shorikai-Genesis-Engine.jpg" alt="Shorikai, Genesis Engine. Illustrated by Wisnu Tan. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast" width="905" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Shorikai-Genesis-Engine.jpg 745w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Shorikai-Genesis-Engine-300x185.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 905px) 100vw, 905px" /></a>Shorikai, Genesis Engine. Illustrated by <a href="https://www.artstation.com/wisnutan">Wisnu Tan</a>. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast</div>
<h2>What is the Rule Change?</h2>
While the Comprehensive Rules have yet to officially update with these rules, here is the main idea:
<ul>
<li>Starting with Edge of Eternities, legendary Vehicles and Spacecraft cards will be eligible to lead a Commander deck.</li>
<li>To be fully eligible, the card has to be legendary and have a power/toughness box in its card rules.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Is This Impactful?</h3>
In a word, this is currently not a highly impactful change. It's largely just for fun, but it's still foreseeable as a permanent change to the format. This doesn't change <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shorikai, Genesis Engine" href="#" target="_blank">Shorikai, Genesis Engine</a>'s functionality, but it allows other Vehicles printed previously to share in that design space.
<div id="attachment_156847" style="width: 753px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Esikas-Chariot.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-156847" class="wp-image-156847" src="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Esikas-Chariot.jpg" alt="Esika's Chariot. Illustrated by Raoul Vitale. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast" width="743" height="559" srcset="https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Esikas-Chariot.jpg 1080w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Esikas-Chariot-300x226.jpg 300w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Esikas-Chariot-1024x771.jpg 1024w, https://edhrecstatic.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Esikas-Chariot-768x578.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 743px) 100vw, 743px" /></a>Esika's Chariot. Illustrated by <a href="https://www.raoulvitaleart.com/">Raoul Vitale</a>. Image credit: Wizards of the Coast</div>
Some of the Vehicles now affected by this change are pretty cool, though. For one, you can now play <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Esika&#039;s Chariot" href="#" target="_blank">Esika&#039;s Chariot</a> as a commander, or <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="RMS Titanic" href="#" target="_blank">RMS Titanic</a>, or even <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Parhelion II" href="#" target="_blank">Parhelion II</a>. In fact, one interviewee I spoke with in the past for <a href="https://commandersherald.com/interview-dr-wendi-sierra-bethesda-scholar-on-the-new-fallout-decks/">Commander's Herald</a>, Dr. Wendi Sierra, has a Parhelion II "Big Angel Party Bus" deck. Frankly, I'm sure she's thrilled about this new change to the rules.
In any event, we'd like to open the floor to you, dear readers! How do you feel about this new change? Are you already planning a new Vehicle-led Commander deck? Which ones if so? Sound off below, and stay tuned for a slew of new Vehicle-centric deck techs from EDHREC in the coming weeks!

Edge Of Eternities Rules Update: Vehicles Can Be Commanders

<h2>Unbelievable</h2>
Yes, you read the title correctly. No, this is not a joke. In fact, here at EDHREC we were actually thinking about doing an "Un-cards are legal!" prank for the next April Fools. Turns out the Rules Committee beat us to it and legalized silver-bordered cards in Commander until January 15th.
I'll repeat that again: Until January 15th (the date of the next banned and restricted announcement), silver-bordered cards will be legal in Commander. For more information, I highly recommend checking out <a href="http://mtgcommander.net/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&amp;t=18749">the official announcement</a>.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-13078" src="http://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Sheldon.png" alt="" width="583" height="146" />
Naturally there are some stipulations. Several cards are still banned, primarily from the original silver-bordered sets, Unhinged and Unglued. The list is as follows:
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Banned in Un-Mander" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Banned]
*1 Ashnod&#039;s Coupon
*1 Double Cross
*1 Double Deal
*1 Double Dip
*1 Double Play
*1 Double Take
*1 Enter the Dungeon
*1 Magical Hacker
*1 Mox Lotus
*1 Once More With Feeling
*1 R&amp;D&#039;s Secret Lair
*1 Richard Garfield
*1 Staying Power
*1 Time Machine
[/Banned]"></div>
That's right, The Almighty Creator <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Richard Garfield" href="#" target="_blank">Richard Garfield</a> is not legal in Un-mander. I don't know who the Rules Committee think they are, banning The Garfield like that. They sure have some nerve!
Jokes aside, these cards actually do represent some difficult-to-parse rules scenarios. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Time Machine" href="#" target="_blank">Time Machine</a> and the suite of "Double" cards are especially tough to keep track of, since they have effects in multiple. Because EDH is a multiplayer format, keeping track of which opponents you've <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Double Play" href="#" target="_blank">Double Play</a>ed and which opponents you've <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Double Cross" href="#" target="_blank">Double Cross</a>ed isn't exactly easy, so it's probably better to just not have to worry about them at all.
Thankfully, the <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashnod&#039;s Coupon" href="#" target="_blank">Ashnod&#039;s Coupon</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="R&amp;D&#039;s Secret Lair" href="#" target="_blank">R&amp;D&#039;s Secret Lair</a> combo has also been stopped in its tracks, so your opponent can't force you to pay for their drinks. Plus <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Staying Power" href="#" target="_blank">Staying Power</a> is gone, which is a huge relief. It looks funny at first, but just imagine trying to calculate the power of your creatures after the effects of a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirror Entity" href="#" target="_blank">Mirror Entity</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Agony Warp" href="#" target="_blank">Agony Warp</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Overwhelming Stampede" href="#" target="_blank">Overwhelming Stampede</a>, and a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mutilate" href="#" target="_blank">Mutilate</a>.
<hr />
<h2>Undercover</h2>
A few other cards have also been labeled as headache-inducers. They're not banned, since they don't break the game in half, but they don't exactly strengthen friendships, either.
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Un-Watch List" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Fun for Some, Not for Others]
*1 Ach&amp;excl; Hans, Run
*1 Collector Protector
*1 Incoming!
*1 Infernal Spawn of Infernal Spawn of Evil
*1 Johnny, Combo Player
*1 Mirror Mirror
*1 Topsy Turvy
*1 Yet Another Aether Vortex[/Fun for Some, Not for Others]"></div>
Though silver-bordered cards were designed with the intention of creating a super-silly, ultra-fun gaming experience, not all of them hit the mark. The above cards are allowed, but understandably aren't fun for all players. There's already a sizable population of players who dislike Group Hug strategies; just imagine what they'll say if you cast <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Incoming!" href="#" target="_blank">Incoming!</a>, the most obnoxious Group Hug spell of all time. As much as we all enjoyed <a href="https://www.channelfireball.com/articles/what-if-all-creatures-in-magic-would-enter-the-battlefield-at-the-same-time/">https://www.channelfireball.com/articles/what-if-all-creatures-in-magic-would-enter-the-battlefield-at-the-same-time/</a> this article about what would happen if all creatures entered the battlefield at the same time, it's a nightmare to actually figure it out.
Sheldon Menery, the head of the Rules Committee, has also put out a recommendation to avoid cards with the Gotcha mechanic, such as <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kill! Destroy!" href="#" target="_blank">Kill! Destroy!</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spell Counter" href="#" target="_blank">Spell Counter</a>. Though funny at a glance, these cards are famous for shutting down communication during a game. It's easier to just not speak at all than risk giving your opponent back their counterspell. Commander nights are usually a time when folks like to sit back and have fun with friends, so mechanics that discouraging speech probably won't create the best gaming environment.
I'll echo the official announcement from the Rules Committee and simply ask that if you play these cards, you play conscientiously. Not all silver-bordered cards are fun for all players. If your opponents ask you to stop that <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stop That" href="#" target="_blank">Stop That</a>, at least hear them out.
<hr />
<h2>Unleashed</h2>
There are two final pieces to this announcement:
First, Contraptions do not count against your 99. You can have as many Contraptions as you'd like in a separate Contraption deck. Per the rules for Contraptions, though, you still need to have at least 15. Since there are so many Contraption-assembling cards from Unstable, this makes sense. Without access to a Contraption deck, a bunch of the new cards would do nothing at all.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-13082" src="http://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/spike.png" alt="" width="265" height="370" />
Second, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spike, Tournament Grinder" href="#" target="_blank">Spike, Tournament Grinder</a> still operates within the confines of Rule 13. For those unfamiliar, that's the rule that discusses cards outside the game, and it states the following:
<blockquote>“Abilities which refer to other cards own outside the game do not function in Commander without prior agreement on their scope from the playgroup.”</blockquote>
In other words, if you want to run <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Burning Wish" href="#" target="_blank">Burning Wish</a> to find an emergency sorcery, you'll have to clear it with your group before the game. Some groups will allow you to find any card from your collection, while others would prefer you stick to a fifteen-card sideboard limit, and others still would rather not deal with outside-the-game effects at all. I personally run <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Spawnsire of Ulamog" href="#" target="_blank">Spawnsire of Ulamog</a> in my <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Kruphix, God of Horizons" href="#" target="_blank">Kruphix, God of Horizons</a> deck, but only because I've run it by my group and they've all agreed that it's hilarious to dump a bunch of random Eldrazi onto the battlefield.
Spike functions the same way. If you want to use her ability to find cards from outside the game, you'll need to ask the group beforehand. Since <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ashnod&#039;s Coupon" href="#" target="_blank">Ashnod&#039;s Coupon</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="R&amp;D&#039;s Secret Lair" href="#" target="_blank">R&amp;D&#039;s Secret Lair</a> are now technically banned in a Constructed format, she can assemble that nasty combo. I think that's reason enough for your opponents to have final say over what is or isn't out-of-bounds.
<hr />
<h2>Uncertain</h2>
As can be expected, this announcement has been met with mixed reactions. A great many are excited; lots of players have been asking for weeks whether legendary Un-Commanders will appear on EDHREC. (Spoiler alert: they won't.) Silver-bordered cards give us Magic players a chance to let our hair down. Rather than constantly grinding for value and min/maxing to clinch every possible chance at victory, Unstable and its ilk remind us to embrace the casualness of the Commander format and just have a stupidly good time.
Others remain skeptical. To put it simply, it is a strange world to live in where you must enforce a house rule to play regular EDH. Lots of players were planning on playing casually with Unstable cards anyway, but turning all of Commander into Un-mander forces a new dynamic onto the players that didn't want to. It appears heavy-handed, or at the very least, an inelegant solution.
It's a tough topic to discuss, since any player who complains about this announcement runs the risk of sounding like a nasty Grinch Who Hates Fun. We Magic players are famous for our resistance to change; remember how smoothly the Tuck rule change went down? There's often a “The Sky is Falling!” vibe in the air whenever a new rule comes down from on high. However, we do a disservice to our fellow players if we immediately characterize their passionate reactions as mere overdramatization. Players aren't sticks in the mud just because they want to keep playing normal EDH. Plus, as stated before, not all Un-cards are fun for all players. Some may even be deeply un-fun. For example:
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-13086" src="http://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/nerf-war.png" alt="" width="248" height="345" />
I know I'm not the only one out there who isn't comfortable with the thought of someone shooting at my cards with tiny foam darts. I own one very precious <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crucible of Worlds" href="#" target="_blank">Crucible of Worlds</a>, and if it winds up on the floor, I won't exactly be pleased. (For readers doubting whether a Nerf Blaster can knock cards to the floor, <a href="https://twitter.com/NorrYtt/status/891008225130172416">this is actual playtest footage</a> while Wizards was creating the Nerf War card.) <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crucible of Worlds" href="#" target="_blank">Crucible of Worlds</a> might be my pride and joy, but there are thousands of players out there with foils and Expeditions and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gaea&#039;s Cradle" href="#" target="_blank">Gaea&#039;s Cradle</a>s far more valuable than my Crucible, and I imagine they share my same discomfort.
Concerns have also been raised about the aforementioned <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mirror Mirror" href="#" target="_blank">Mirror Mirror</a>, which exchanges libraries and hands with another player. For players with very expensive cards in their decks—or just very expensive decks in general—letting other players handle those cards is literally a financial concern. Not all players shuffle delicately. Some flick their cards, or bend them in their hand without even noticing. This is a format where people like to play foils, and a game where any given crease, nick, or bend can reduce a card's value anywhere from $1-$100. If a player with a high-roller deck can't trust that his or her opponent will treat their cards with care, they'd sooner just concede. This probably sounds like exaggeration to some, but many of us have had opponents that bend a card through the mere act of picking it up to read it.
<img decoding="async" src="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=9765&amp;type=card" alt="Mirror Mirror" />
I'd also like to mention that not all players are lucky enough to have normal playgroups. While many of us can opt into a house rule to allow or disallow silver-bordered cards, players without a regular group must rely upon strangers they encounter in their local game stores. Their ability to play a normal game of EDH may become limited within this six-week span.
<hr />
<h2>Unreserved</h2>
This is a two-way street, of course. Just as players who dislike this announcement ask that their concerns be addressed fairly and seriously, those players should also be aware of how downright excited other players are. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Frankie Peanuts" href="#" target="_blank">Frankie Peanuts</a> is a riot. <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cheatyface" href="#" target="_blank">Cheatyface</a> is genius. The only problem with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crow Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Crow Storm</a> is that I don't own one yet. One of my buddies is practically bursting with glee at the prospect of a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Baron Von Count" href="#" target="_blank">Baron Von Count</a> deck. That unrestrained love for the game should be <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cultivate" href="#" target="_blank">Cultivate</a>d, not <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Flatten" href="#" target="_blank">Flatten</a>ed.
<img decoding="async" src="http://media-dominaria.cursecdn.com/avatars/134/984/636463693810849145.jpeg" alt="Image result for baron von count" />
The long-standing narrative of the Commander format has become the conflict between competitive and casual. Casual players want a fun time with friendly folks, competitive players want to be challenged so they can improve and grow. These goals don't match up well in gameplay, which can cause both groups to resent the other, and to talk past each other rather than with each other. A piece of me does worry that since this announcement is geared more towards casual players than competitive ones, it may become another crack in that divide.
However, for those competitive players, I'd just like to point out that the Rules Committee clearly does still agree with you; they like regular Magic too, which is why this rules change is temporary. It's not forever, it's just something silly for the holidays. We'll be back to our regularly-scheduled EDH before long. In the meantime, some of us could use a good reminder to stop tuning our decks and instead just bask in the glory of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Knight of the Hokey Pokey" href="#" target="_blank">Knight of the Hokey Pokey</a>.
<hr />
<h2>Unstable</h2>
What are your feelings about this un-nouncement? Is Un fun, or unfun? Are you unimpressed? Unconvinced? Do you find this change to be unjustifiably unnecessary and unbearably unpleasant, or are you understandably undisturbed by this unexplored new universe? Let us know your opini-un!
Til next time!

rules update

Edge Of Eternities Rules Update: Vehicles Can Be Commanders

News Update — Silver-Bordered Cards Legal Until January 15th