Kaiju Rules

Kaiju Commander #

Kaiju Commander is a custom Magic: The Gathering format built for big plays, dramatic turns, and a test of threat assessment, without the cheesy, instant-win combos.

It’s still Commander: 100-card decks, one copy of each card (except basics), and a legendary creature leading your army. But Kaiju adds a few important rules:

❌ No infinite combos. If your deck tries to "go infinite", it is not allowed. (Underworld Breach lines, Isochron Scepter lines, Displacer Kitten lines, Dualcaster + Twinflame, Hullbreaker Horror + Sol Ring, Devoted Druid lines, or any combination of card effects that results to a player generating infinite mana and/or drawing infinite cards in the same turn)

❌ “You win the game” effects don’t work. You’ve got to win the old-fashioned way: combat, spells, or grinding it out. (Thassa's Oracle/Laboratory Maniac lines, Approach of the Second Sun, etc.)

❌ No “hard lock” strategies. Resolving a combination of cards that hard locks a player or multiple players out of the game is not allowed. (Knowledge Pool + Rule of Law or similar lines, Mycosynth Lattice + Karn the Great Creator or similar lines, Decree of Silence + Solemnity, Isochron Scepter + Silence + Unwinding Clock, etc.)

✅ Explosive turns, value engines, and strong synergies are still welcome.

For a wide starting coverage on what is NOT allowed, you can check the combos in this list.

A true Bracket 3 game experience #

In addition to the above, Kaiju Commander format utilizes Commander Bracket 3 from the Commander Matchmaking System.

❌ No mass land denial strategies.

Cards that prevent untapping of 3 or more lands of a single player on their next untap step. (Stasis, Winter Orb, Static Orb, etc.)

Cards that remove 3 or more lands of a single player. (Armageddon, Jokulhaups, Ravages of War, etc.)

Cards that change the mana produced of 3 or more lands of a single player. (Blood Moon, Magus of the Moon, etc.)

❌ No chaining of extra turns.

A player cannot cast spells or activate abilities that grant extra turns in the same turn cycle.

‼️ Up to three (3) Game Changer cards only.

Find more details about the Commander Matchmaking System and its brackets here.

A refresher on Commander basics #

New to the Commander format? Tap here to learn the basics.

Comprehensive Rules Addendum #

🟢 MTRA 1.1: Loop Prohibition #

MTRA 1.1.1 A player may not perform or attempt to perform any combination of actions that would result in an infinite loop. An infinite loop is a sequence of game actions that results in the game state returning to a previous configuration and that can be repeated indefinitely.

MTRA 1.1.2 If a player performs or attempts to perform an infinite loop, or demonstrates intent to do so, the action is considered a severe tournament violation. The result is an immediate game loss, or disqualification even if deemed unintentional.

MTRA 1.1.3 This restriction applies regardless of the number of cards involved, whether the outcome is deterministic or optional, or whether a winning condition is immediately achieved.

🔹 MTRA 1.1A - Loop Definition and Detection #

MTRA 1.1A.1
An infinite loop is a sequence of game actions that can be repeated to return the game to the same or functionally equivalent state. This includes visible actions (casting spells, activating abilities) and zone changes (e.g., recursion from graveyard or exile) if the result is replicable without penalty or cost to the one doing the loop.

MTRA 1.1A.2
A game state is considered functionally identical if:
The same cards are in the same zones and configurations.
The same player has priority.
The available game actions and choices are unchanged.

Examples (not exhaustive):

A player uses Deadeye Navigator to repeatedly exile and return Peregrine Drake to generate infinite mana.
A player uses Freed from the Real to untap a mana creature an unbounded number of times.
A player uses a persist loop (e.g., Mikaeus the Unhallowed + Blood Artist) to drain all opponents indefinitely.

MTRA 1.1.4 Any line of play that results in the recursive use of cards from non-battlefield zones (e.g., graveyard, exile, library) in a functionally repetitive manner is considered a prohibited loop, even if the game state changes incrementally.

🔹 MTRA 1.1B - Recursive Zone Loop Clarification #

MTRA 1.1B.1 A Recursive Zone Infinite Loop involves cards moving between non-battlefield zones (graveyard, exile, hand, library) in a deterministic but repeatable pattern that enables recurring effects.

MTRA 1.1B.2 Such a loop is illegal if:
The same cards are reused each cycle.
Outcomes are predictable and do not advance game state without effective penalty or cost.
There is no meaningful change or endpoint declared.

Examples:

A player uses Underworld Breach + Brain Freeze where cards are milled and replayed.
Sun Titan recursion chains with sac outlets.
Infinite “Escape” loops.

🟢 MTRA 1.2: Suppressed "Win the Game" Effects #

MTRA 1.2.1 If an ability of a card causes a player to instantly win the game, that effect does nothing instead.

MTRA 1.2.2 This includes static abilities, triggered abilities, activated abilities, and replacement effects that specifies an instance of "You win the game".

MTRA 1.2.3 These effects are still considered to have resolved for the purposes of rules that care about resolution, but the “win the game” instruction is nullified.

Examples (not exhaustive):

Revel in Riches: Even if a player controls ten or more Treasure tokens, the triggered ability does not cause that player to win the game.
Felidar Sovereign: The upkeep condition triggers and resolves, but the player does not win.
Biovisionary: The end step win condition does not occur.

🟢 MTRA 1.3: Hard Lock Prohibition #

MTRA 1.3.1 A player may not resolve or attempt to resolve any combination of cards or effects that would result in an unsolvable or repeatable game state where it completely suppresses opponents' ability to cast any spell or activate any ability when cards or mana is available.

MTRA 1.3.2 Soft lock allowance - A lock or control effect is considered a soft lock and therefore legal if it can be broken by cards that are castable from hand and the interaction is within the battlefield (e.g., spot removal including bounce spells targetting permanents on the battlefield, or board wipes that can be casted from the hand), even if the affected players failed to include such cards in their deck.

MTRA 1.3.3 A deck that contains both halves of a known hard lock combination is assumed to be attempting to execute a hard lock. Tournament officials or judges may rule such a deck illegal prior to or during gameplay.

❌ Hard Lock Examples (not exhaustive) - Banned:

Mycosynth Lattice + Karn, the Great Creator - shuts off all opposing permanents.
Rule of Law or Teferi, Time Raveler + Knowledge Pool - prevents opponents from casting spells.
Decree of Silence + Solemnity - counters all spells permanently.
Isochron Scepter + Silence + untap engine - indefinite spell suppression.
Winter Orb + Stasis + Teferi - prevents opponents from untapping lands or acting.

The scenarios above are considered hard locks due to even while having the necessary removal in hand, it is still impossible to interact with any of the lock pieces.

❌ Bracket 3 Reminder: No Mass Land Denial (not exhaustive) - Banned:

Stasis, Winter Orb, Static Orb, Vorinclex Voice of Hunger, Hokori Dust Drinker etc. - Cards that prevent untapping of 3 or more lands of a single player on their next untap
Armageddon, Apocalypse, Devastation, Jokulhaups, Ravages of War, etc. - Cards that remove 3 or more lands of a single player.
Blood Moon, Magus of the Moon, etc. - Cards that change the mana produced of 3 or more lands of a single player.

✅ Soft Lock Examples (not exhaustive) - Legal:

Narset, Parter of Veils + Wheel of Fortune
Smokestack + Token generators (still escapable)
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben + additional escapable/removable Tax effects
Rule of Law + Ethersworn Canonist (players can still interact with removal)
Opposition Agent + ramp lock (disruptive but not a full lock)

The scenarios above are considered soft locks due to it being solveable by casting the necessary removal card from hand to interact with any of the lock pieces.

Samples of what's allowed #

Overwhelming Midgame Tempo Engines

The format allows value engines or snowballing incremental advantage.

Examples:

Muldrotha, the Gravetide: Casting one permanent per type per turn feels fair, but grinds opponents into the dirt.
Korvold, Fae-Cursed King: Can still draw 10+ cards per turn just by playing Treasure and sacrifice synergy.
Yuriko, the Tiger’s Shadow: One or two ninja hits = 15+ damage and massive card advantage.
Tymna + Thrasios / Kraum: Can outvalue entire pods by turn 4.

Run highly synergistic commanders that aren’t “combo” but can’t be stopped unless answered quickly.
These decks will win consistently on turn 7-8 without ever “going infinite.”

Mass Card Advantage Compression

"Drawing 15" isn't a combo.

Examples:

Wheel of Fortune + Narset, Parter of Veils → backbreaking even without a “combo.”
Toski, Bearer of Secrets + tokens = draw 5+ cards/turn.
Guardian Project / The Great Henge + 1-drop spam.
Aetherflux Reservoir + storm-lite turns, win from 50 life after “just” 7-8 spells.

Players push toward hyper-efficiency: decks filled with 1and 2-drops that generate cascading value.

“Combat Combo” Decks

Chaining of extra combat phases are allowed as long as it is not an infinite loop

Examples:

Moraug, Fury of Akoum + Scapeshift = 5+ combats.
Xenagos, God of Revels + Malignus = one-shot player kills.
Krenko, Mob Boss decks going wide for 200 damage.
Winota, Joiner of Forces cheating in 3-4 attacking creatures by turn 4.

Build around explosive alpha strikes that aren't infinite but functionally unstoppable unless answered that exact turn.

Soft Locks or Denials

Soft locks are a form of control

Examples:

Narset, Parter of Veils + Windfall / Wheel of Misfortune = players lose hand.
Collector Ouphe, Drannith Magistrate, Hushbringer → hatebears deck.

Lean into prison / hatebear tactics and suppress opponents until a combat win is trivial.
Most of these don’t break any Kaiju rules.

Cheating Curve with Fast Mana

Race to out-tempo the table.

Examples:

Chrome Mox, Mox Diamond, etc.
Turn 1: land + fast mana → commander + draw engine.
Turbo-Kinnan: generate 6+ mana turn 2 and deploy Eldrazi by turn 3-4.

Fast mana instead of infinite mana