Cali Commander is Commander for two players. Same 100-card singleton decks, same commanders, one opponent. If you've played four-player Commander, you already know most of it. This page covers what's different and gets you to your first game.
The format in one minute
- Two players, 30 life each. Kinder than the 20 life other 1v1 Commander formats use.
- Normal Commander deck building. 100 cards including your commander, singleton apart from basic lands, and every card inside your commander's colour identity. Partner and the other official pairings are allowed.
- The first player skips their first draw.
- 21 commander damage and 10 poison counters still win the game.
- The ban list belongs to the players. Changes are voted on in The Collectors Den, our Discord, and need at least 55 percent Yes.
Step 1: pick a commander
Not sure where to begin? Answer three quick questions at calicommander.gg/start and you'll get three commanders with decks you can copy.
Otherwise, start with a commander you'd enjoy playing a hundred times, not the one that tops a list. In 1v1 there's one opponent to answer, so cards that punish a whole table get weaker and cards that win a duel get better.
Here's what people are playing right now:
Cali Commander data
From 229 public decks. Updates as the format plays.
| # | Commander | decks | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raph & Mikey, Troublemakers | 14 | — |
| 2 | Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh | 8 | 60% |
| 3 | Fin Fang Foom | 4 | — |
| 4 | Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy | 4 | — |
| 5 | Light-Paws, Emperor's Voice | 4 | — |
| 6 | Minsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes | 4 | — |
| 7 | Thrasios, Triton Hero | 4 | — |
| 8 | Tifa Lockhart | 4 | — |
| 9 | Toph, the First Metalbender | 4 | — |
| 10 | Urza, Lord High Artificer | 4 | — |
Step 2: build it, and let the site check it
Build your deck in the deck builder or import a list you already have. The site checks legality live against the current ban list, so you'll know straight away if a card isn't allowed. The check runs again every time the list changes, so a deck that was legal last month shows the change the moment a vote passes.
Step 3: steal from decks that already work
Every public deck on the site shows its full list. Browse decks with your commander, see what they play, and copy the parts that make sense to you.
Step 4: test it before it counts
Open your deck on the playtest table to goldfish it, or share the room link with a friend. Want a real opponent? Find a game lists open rooms waiting for a second player.
Step 5: play for real
Certified stores run Cali Commander events. Register with a deck you've built on the site, and every completed event earns you season points on the leaderboard.
Step 6: join The Collectors Den
The Collectors Den is our Discord, where the ban list gets voted on and the format gets argued about. The Join Discord link at the bottom of every page takes you there.
One opponent. 30 life. A ban list you get a vote on. That's the whole pitch.