What Makes a Good Commander Player

Shivam Bhatt of the Commander Advisory Group joins Magic Untapped to talk about what makes a good commander player.

And, really, the answer is simple.

"A good commander player is someone who cares about the whole experience, not just winning or losing," says Bhatt.

"Commander is not like competitive Magic -- it's not one-on-one, it's not about us sitting down trying to beat each other," he further explains.  "Commander is multiple people coming together at a table to try to lift the enjoyment of each other."

The whole point, he says, is to have a gameplay experience that everybody likes and can enjoy together.


WATCH: WHAT MAKES A GOOD COMMANDER PLAYER (WITH SHIVAM BHATT)


"The reward is that your friends want to come back and play with you again," points out Bhatt.  "That's what your goal should be."

For those who do want to play a very competitive, high-stakes game of Commander, Bhatt recommends that all players involved in the game should be aware and in agreement of that going into the game.

"One of the most important things you can do is talk with the people you're gonna play with," he recommends.  "Make sure everybody's on the same page.  Know what game you're getting into."

In the end, though, Commander is about having fun and making memories.

"For me... the way you win a Commander game is when somebody does something at the table and you're like that's the coolest thing I've ever seen in my life," says Bhatt.