How does Child of Alara work as a commander?
Asked by baddeckbuilder.gov 6 years ago
I'm brand new to magic and was wondering what happens if you activate Child of Alara's ability if it is your commander. It is my understanding that in order to activate its ability it MUST go to the graveyard so once its ability is activated how do you get it back into the command zone? Do decks that use Child as a commander typically try to get it back into the command zone? Are Child of Alara decks typically trash?Thanks.
baddeckbuilder.gov says... #2
Cool. Thanks for the response Tyrant-Thanatos.
Tyrant-Thanatos says... Accepted answer #1
I can't tell you much about viability or competitiveness of this particular card as a commander, however what I can tell you is this: In order for Child of Alara's triggered ability to trigger, it must die, which involves letting it move from the battlefield into the graveyard, without moving it to the command zone instead.
903.9. If a commander would be exiled from anywhere or put into its owners hand, graveyard, or library from anywhere, its owner may put it into the command zone instead. This replacement effect may apply more than once to the same event. This is an exception to rule 614.5.
Because the returning to the command zone can replace the event of the card moving from anywhere into exile, the hand, graveyard, or library, any sort of effect that would move it out of the graveyard to anywhere other than the battlefield can be replaced by returning to the command zone, so cards such as Reito Lantern, Junktroller, or Cremate can return Child of Alara (or any other commander for that matter) to the command zone from the graveyard.
November 28, 2017 7:02 p.m.