# Two-Headed Commander

> A fan-made Magic: The Gathering format combining Commander and Two-Headed Giant for competitive 2v2 team play.

Two-Headed Commander (2HC) is a fan-made Magic: The Gathering format designed for local game store events and casual competitive play. Two teams of two players each compete simultaneously. Every player builds their own 100-card Commander deck following standard Commander singleton rules, but teams share a life total and take their turns together. The format was created to bring the depth of Commander into a team environment with structured, LGS-friendly event support.

Website: https://twoheadedcommander.com

## Core Format Rules

- Each player builds a 100-card Commander singleton deck (one copy of each non-basic-land card)
- Each player chooses their own legendary creature as their Commander
- Two players form a team; two teams compete against each other (2v2)
- Teams share a life total starting at 60 (not the standard 30 used in Two-Headed Giant)
- Both teammates take their turn simultaneously — they share a single combat phase
- Each player draws their own card during the draw step
- Each player maintains their own hand, mana pool, and permanents (resources are not shared)
- Commander tax (+2 generic mana per prior casting) applies individually per commander
- Commander damage is tracked per-commander per player (21 combat damage from one commander to one player eliminates that player's team)
- Poison counters are tracked per player; a team loses when either player accumulates 15 or more poison counters (scaled up from 10 to match the higher life total)
- A team loses when their shared life total reaches 0 or below
- Standard Commander color identity rules apply to each deck separately
- Teammates may freely discuss strategy, show hands, and coordinate plays openly

## Key Differences from Standard Formats

Compared to regular Commander (EDH):
- Played 2v2 instead of free-for-all multiplayer
- Teams share a 60-life total instead of each player having 40 individual life
- Turns are taken simultaneously with your teammate
- Starting life total is 60 per team (not 40 per player)

Compared to standard Two-Headed Giant:
- Each player uses a 100-card Commander deck instead of a 60-card constructed deck
- Starting life is 60 (not 30 as in standard Two-Headed Giant)
- Each player has their own Commander with its own damage tracking
- Poison threshold is 15 per player (not 10)
- Format uses Commander-specific rules (commander tax, commander damage, color identity)

## Banned Card Categories

The format maintains its own ban list separate from Commander (EDH). Cards are banned by category:

- **Banned as Commander only**: Certain legendary creatures are banned only when used as a commander but may appear in the 99-card deck
- **Extra Turns**: All cards that grant extra turns are banned — in a 2v2 simultaneous-turn format, an extra turn effectively steals two opponents' turns at once
- **Fast Mana**: Mana acceleration that bypasses normal land-based development (Mana Crypt, Sol Ring, Black Lotus, Mox cycle, etc.)
- **Tutors**: Cards that search the library for any card with high efficiency, enabling consistent turn-2/3 combo wins
- **Big Life Total Manipulation**: Cards that exploit the shared 60-life total in ways not possible in 1v1 (e.g., Hatred, Sorin Markov)
- **Life Manipulation Combos**: Cards enabling life-total win conditions that become trivial at 60 shared life
- **Combo Pieces**: Cards that enable turn-3 or earlier game-ending infinite combos
- **Hard Stax**: Cards that lock out both opponents simultaneously with no counterplay
- **Miscellaneous**: Other cards with outsized power in the 2v2 team context

## Event Structure

Two-Headed Commander is designed for local game store (LGS) events:
- Rounds are 50 minutes long
- Swiss pairings (teams are paired by win record each round)
- Recommended 3–5 rounds depending on team count
- Random team pairing at the start of each event (players do not bring pre-formed teams)
- Each team gets 10 minutes before Round 1 to discuss which of their decks pair best together
- Budget-friendly by design: no fast mana or expensive tutors in the format reduces the cost barrier

## Pages

- [Home](https://twoheadedcommander.com/): Overview of the Two-Headed Commander format, key rules summary, and format highlights for new players.
- [How to Play](https://twoheadedcommander.com/how-to-play.html): Complete rules for Two-Headed Commander — deck building requirements, shared life totals, simultaneous turns, combat rules, poison counters, and key differences from standard Commander and Two-Headed Giant.
- [Banned List](https://twoheadedcommander.com/banned-list.html): Full searchable list of cards banned in Two-Headed Commander, organized by ban category. Includes cards banned from the format entirely and cards banned only as commanders.
- [Run an Event](https://twoheadedcommander.com/run-an-event.html): Complete guide for local game stores and tournament organizers — round structure, timing rules, pairing methods, and tips for running a Two-Headed Commander event.

## About

Two-Headed Commander is a fan-made format. Magic: The Gathering is property of Wizards of the Coast. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by Wizards of the Coast.