Color identity is the first legality filter for a Commander deck. It is not limited to the color printed at the top of a card: mana symbols in the mana cost, rules text and some color indicators can add colors. A card that looks colorless may therefore be illegal in a mono-blue deck if its rules text contains a red mana symbol.
This guide gives you a check before sleeving a list. It complements our Magic mana-base guide: the question here is not how consistently you can produce colors, but which colors the deck is allowed to contain.
Define the allowed boundary
Your commander’s color identity defines the deck’s boundary. Every card must have a color identity contained within it. A white-blue commander allows white, blue, white-blue and colorless cards, but not a card whose identity includes black, red or green.
What counts toward color identity
To determine identity, inspect a card’s colors, colored mana symbols in its cost and rules text, and any color indicator. Reminder text in parentheses does not add colors. Color words written out are not mana symbols.
| Element | Counts for identity? | Check |
|---|---|---|
| Colored mana cost | Yes | Read every symbol |
| Rules text | Yes | Include activated abilities |
| Reminder text | No | Ignore parentheses |
| Color indicator | Yes | Inspect the type line area |
| Written color word | No | Separate words from symbols |
| Other face | May count | Inspect every face |
Cases to inspect first
Lands need extra care. A colorless land can still have a color identity because of a mana symbol in its text. Merely naming a basic land type does not by itself add that color. Check the official Oracle text when an older printing uses abbreviated wording.
A back face, Adventure or other multi-faced component can also contribute symbols. Inspect all characteristics covered by the rules, not only the face you expect to cast. For hybrid mana, both halves count: a white/red symbol makes the card white and red for color identity.
The legality checklist
After color identity, still check deck size, the singleton rule outside basic lands, the banned list and any commander-specific restrictions. Correct identity alone does not guarantee a legal deck.
- Is the chosen card legal as a commander?
- Is every card identity contained within the commander’s?
- Were nonbasic lands reread?
- Were hybrid and double-faced cards checked?
- Does the list contain the commander and the format’s required cards?
- Are illegal duplicates and banned cards absent?
The Poke-Geek three-column method
The Poke-Geek method uses three columns: card, symbols found, decision. Start with the commander, then lands, multicolored cards and activated abilities. Finish with colorless cards, artifacts and double-faced cards, where hidden identity errors often occur.
Legality and mana base are different questions
Once the list is legal, return to gameplay. Our mana-curve guide helps distribute costs. A French Magic Commander deck shows how identity frames a list, while the Magic deck collection lets you compare constructions without assuming all cards are interchangeable.
Final check
Before playing, make a final pass over rules-text symbols, both faces and nonbasic lands. Record separately any card whose Oracle text needs checking. That routine is faster than discovering an off-identity symbol after shuffling.
Try it now: open your list and highlight every colored mana symbol that does not appear on your commander.