How many cards are in an Oathbreaker deck?

Exactly 60, including your oathbreaker and your signature spell. Apart from basic lands, every card can appear only once.

What's a signature spell?

An instant or sorcery that starts in the command zone alongside your oathbreaker. You can only cast it while your oathbreaker is on the battlefield, and it keeps returning to the command zone.

Is there commander damage in Oathbreaker?

No. The official rules have no rule for damage dealt by your oathbreaker; you win by bringing your opponents to 0 life or by any other way to win.

Where's the Oathbreaker ban list?

At oathbreakermtg.org. Oathbreaker has its own ban list, separate from Commander's.

Oathbreaker: the format explained

Like Commander, but with a planeswalker and smaller.

Entry-level · €€ · Multiplayer

Deck: 60-card singleton, a planeswalker as your "oathbreaker" + 1 fixed "signature spell".
Card pool: Almost every card ever printed.
Notable: You start with 20 life; faster and cheaper than Commander.

Rules that differ from the basics

A 60-card singleton deck.
You choose a planeswalker as your "oathbreaker" plus one instant or sorcery as your "signature spell"; both start in the command zone.
You may only cast your signature spell while your oathbreaker is on the battlefield.
You start with 20 life.
The command zone works like in Commander: {2} extra each time you recast it.

Who is it for?

A fun alternative to Commander if you love planeswalkers and want shorter, cheaper games.

Getting started with Oathbreaker

Wizards recognizes Oathbreaker as a format, but its rules and ban list are maintained by the format's creators, and Wizards doesn't sell preconstructed Oathbreaker decks. So you build your own, and that's less work than it sounds: 60 cards is a lot fewer than 100, and most players start with a planeswalker and cards they already own. That makes it one of the cheapest formats to play with friends.

You'll mostly play it at the kitchen table and at casual store nights, often with the same group that plays Commander. With SpellTable you can also play online with paper cards. The official rules and ban list are at oathbreakermtg.org; give them a quick read, since they differ from Commander on a few points.

Building a Oathbreaker deck

An Oathbreaker deck is exactly 60 cards, including your oathbreaker and signature spell. Apart from basic lands, every card can appear only once. Your oathbreaker is a planeswalker, and every card has to fit its color identity. Your signature spell is an instant or sorcery within that same color identity. You can only cast it from the command zone while your oathbreaker is on the battlefield, and afterward it returns to the command zone instead of going to the graveyard. You don't need a sideboard.

Plan on about 20 to 23 lands, depending on your curve. You start at 20 life and play with several players, so games move faster than in Commander and a low curve pays off. Pick a signature spell that works with your planeswalker: that pairing is the heart of your deck, and you can cast it again and again.

Your oathbreaker is a planeswalker, so it gets attacked. Make sure you have creatures that can block, or removal that keeps attackers off it. Don't forget the tax: both your oathbreaker and your signature spell cost {2} more for each previous time you cast them from the command zone, and each has its own tax.

Common mistakes

Not protecting your oathbreaker. Without blockers or removal, your planeswalker dies as soon as it lands, and your signature spell goes offline with it.
Picking a signature spell that only works when you're already ahead. A spell that helps in any situation does more than a flashy one that rarely fits.
Bringing Commander habits. At 20 life games are faster, so seven-mana cards and a slow setup cost you the game.
Forgetting the tax on your signature spell. It stacks up just like your oathbreaker's, separately.

Frequently asked questions

How many cards are in an Oathbreaker deck?: Exactly 60, including your oathbreaker and your signature spell. Apart from basic lands, every card can appear only once.
What's a signature spell?: An instant or sorcery that starts in the command zone alongside your oathbreaker. You can only cast it while your oathbreaker is on the battlefield, and it keeps returning to the command zone.
Is there commander damage in Oathbreaker?: No. The official rules have no rule for damage dealt by your oathbreaker; you win by bringing your opponents to 0 life or by any other way to win.
Where's the Oathbreaker ban list?: At oathbreakermtg.org. Oathbreaker has its own ban list, separate from Commander's.

Other formats

Commander (EDH)Standard Pioneer Modern Pauper Legacy Vintage

See which of your cards are Oathbreaker-legal →

Last updated: 26 October 2026