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When a commander is exiled, it can go to the command zone if the owner chooses. What if a commander is exiled by an Oblivion Ring?

Oblivion Ring

I am assuming the commander can still go to the command zone. If it does, then what happens when Oblivion Ring leaves the battlefield? Does your commander return to the battlefield? Is the additional cost of casting your commander affected in any way?

Community
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Jim McKeeth
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2 Answers2

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The Commander can still go to the command zone, or exile, its' owner's choice.

903.12. If a commander would be put into the exile zone from anywhere, its owner may put it into the command zone instead.

When Oblivion Ring leaves the battlefield, it triggers an ability that attempts to "return the exiled card to the battlefield under its owner's control." When it can't find the card in the exile zone, it fails to do anything.

You do not get your Commander back on the battlefield (as he is currently in the Command Zone). The +2 additional mana cost can never loose/subtract/lower in cost, it always increases for each previous time you have cast your Commander from the Command Zone.

903.10. A player may cast a commander he or she owns from the command zone. Doing so costs that player an additional {2} for each previous time he or she cast that commander from the command zone that game.

user1873
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    Side Note - If the commander were put in the Command Zone via the Oblivion Ring, cast again as normal, and then exiled again with the player choosing to let it be exiled, destroying the Oblivion Ring WOULD NOT return the commander because it is not the same object that the Oblivion Ring targeted. – Origami Robot Jan 12 '12 at 16:54
  • Another side note: This is specifically because Oblivion Ring says "return the exiled card," meaning O-Ring will only look in the exile zone for the card it targeted. A card which says something such as "return it," "return that card," etc. would be able to pull the Commander back from the Command zone (more specifically, from the first public zone the targeted card went to). For example: Otherworldly Journey can pull a targeted Commander back from the Command zone at EOT, meaning you're not in trouble if an opponent uses Stifle on the return trigger. – Brian S Nov 15 '13 at 19:54
  • @BrianS, Incorrect. Can you cite specifically which CR rule allows Otherworldly Journey to find the exiled card in a zone it wasn't expecting? If your reasoning is correct, why can't Rancor return itself from exile if someone responds by exiling all cards in a graveyard? – user1873 Nov 16 '13 at 01:08
  • @user1873, 603.6. Trigger events that involve objects changing zones are called “zone-change triggers.” Many abilities with zone-change triggers attempt to do something to that object after it changes zones. During resolution, these abilities look for the object in the zone that it moved to... Because returning the Commander to the Command zone is a replacement effect, the Command zone is the first zone it moved to. Because OJ and others say "that" or "it"/etc. instead of singling out a zone, they track to the CZ. – Brian S Nov 16 '13 at 02:49
  • @user1873, Also, see this post by Natedogg (Wizards Net Rep) about a similar situation with Cloudshift. – Brian S Nov 16 '13 at 02:54
  • @BrianS, No, OJ is different. NateDogg is correct for Cloudshift, because it meets one of the seven exceptions. "400.7g A resolving spell or activated ability can perform actions on an object that moved from one zone to another while that spell was being cast or that ability was being activated, if that object moved to a public zone." There is no such exception for delayed triggered abilities. Otherworldly Journey will attempt to find the Commander in the exile zone, but its owner moved it to the Command Zone and it became a new object. – user1873 Nov 16 '13 at 06:01
  • @user1873, Sheldon says Mistmeadow Witch will bring a Commander back, and Natedogg retracts his ruling that Glimmerpoint Stag won't. Because returning the Commander to the CZ is a replacement effect, the result of resolving OJ is "Return target creature to the Command zone. At the beginning of the next end step, return that card to the battlefield under its owner's control with a +1/+1 counter on it." – Brian S Nov 16 '13 at 09:02
  • Natedogg spells out the ruling explicitly – Brian S Nov 16 '13 at 09:04
  • @BrianS, Reading many of the judge's rulings on the matter, I can agree with them (it is interesting they changed their mind). As for this comment by you, it is still clearly incorrect, " For example: Otherworldly Journey can pull a targeted Commander back from the Command zone at EOT, meaning you're not in trouble if an opponent uses Stifle on the return trigger." – user1873 Nov 16 '13 at 15:08
  • @user1873, Let me clarify that statement: If you sent your Commander to exile with OJ (or any similar card), and an opponent Stifled the return trigger, you'd be SOL with your Commander in exile. If you sent your Commander to the Command zone and the trigger was Stifled, you wouldn't get your Commander back for free, but you could re-cast it with the tax. – Brian S Nov 16 '13 at 16:23
  • @BrianS, you might want to post a Q&A here on BG.SE with the Otherworldly Journey and Commander interaction. Bg.SE encourages sharing what you know, and the interaction isn't obvious. You would get +1 for both your Q and A from me (+15) and likely more users would feel,the same. Much better than hidding this knowledge in the comments. – user1873 Nov 16 '13 at 17:21
  • @user1873, as requested – Brian S Nov 19 '13 at 21:56
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You can either leave the commander under the oblivion ring to begin with, so he doesn't go to the command zone or you can send him to the command zone, making him cost a normal +2, and nothing happens when the ring goes away.

Drathak
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