Wizards of the Coast has revealed plans for a new Magic: The Gathering product, Mystery Booster Commander, which seeks to merge the excitement of drafting with the widely played Commander format. This announcement was made as part of the company's 2027 roadmap for Magic: The Gathering during MagicCon Amsterdam.
Mystery Booster Commander will feature packs of 20 cards, designed for drafting to create impromptu Commander decks. The set aims to include a variety of reprints from Magic's history, alongside 59 entirely new cards exclusive to this product. Two of these new cards were previewed during the MagicCon panel: Joven and Chandler, a legendary creature combining two characters from the 1995 Homelands set, and Tolabow, Loch Rascal. Tolabow introduces a new mechanic called Rulebreaker, which allows a creature designated as the commander to bend certain Commander format rules. Specifically, Tolabow, a mono-blue creature, can incorporate instants and sorceries from an additional color not present in its identity, and can utilize basic land cards to pay for spells of that secondary color.
Mystery Booster sets, known for their curated collections of reprints often featuring special frames or first-time printings for certain cards, have previously been available at MagicCon events and through Secret Lair's website. The Commander iteration is expected to continue this tradition with a focus on casual play.
The potential for reprints in Mystery Booster Commander has sparked speculation about which cards would best suit the set. Desirable inclusions could feature staples of the Commander format, expensive cards that could benefit from reprints, or cards that complement the drafting experience. Highly sought-after reprints such as the Fetch Land cycle, the Ancient Dragon cycle from Battle for Baldur's Gate, and powerful mana-producing artifacts like Mox Amber, Mox Opal, and Chrome Mox are frequently mentioned as potential candidates. Additionally, cards like Imperial Seal, a potent tutor effect, could see a welcome reprint.
The inclusion of new cards with the Background mechanic, which allows non-creature permanents to serve as commanders, is also a possibility, offering new deck-building avenues within the Commander format.