Commander mulligan: opening hand rules

In a multiplayer Commander game, the London mulligan has a specific rule: the first mulligan of each player does not count when determining how many cards to put into the library. You begin with a seven-card hand; if it doesn't satisfy you, you can return it, shuffle, and draw seven new cards. If you keep that second hand, you keep the seven cards. If you take another mulligan, you draw seven more, and when you finally decide to keep the hand, you place one card into your library for each mulligan counted after the first. This rule applies independently to each player, and decisions follow a defined order.

Before the mulligan: initial hand and order

A typical Commander game starts with a commander in the command zone, a 99-card deck, and a seven-card initial hand. The initial hand size may vary if a card or variant specifies otherwise, so the rules refer to "initial hand size," usually seven. First, it's decided who starts the game and the table is set up. Then, each player looks at their hand and decides whether to keep it or take a mulligan. The first player declares first; the others follow in turn order. Once everyone has made their decision, those who chose to mulligan do so simultaneously.

This order prevents a player from waiting to see the new seven cards of another before deciding what to do with their own hand in that round. It's not a joint vote or a requirement that everyone redraws if someone is dissatisfied. One player may keep their first hand while another takes two mulligans. Each player maintains their own count. If a player decides to keep their hand, those cards become their definitive starting hand and cannot be changed in a future round because the opponent drew a better hand.

How to physically perform a London mulligan

When you decide to take a mulligan, mix your current hand with your library and shuffle. Then draw a new hand equal to your initial hand size, normally seven cards. If you take another mulligan in the next round, repeat the process from that new hand: return it, shuffle, and draw seven. You do not remove a card from the library before drawing as in the old "draw six" method. The defining feature of the London mulligan is that you always choose your final hand from seven drawn cards, even if you end up keeping fewer.

When you finally decide to keep your hand, place the appropriate number of cards into the bottom of your library, in the order you choose. The first multiplayer mulligan is free of this count. So, if you took one mulligan, place zero cards; if you took two, place one; if you took three, place two. The fact that you drew seven cards during each attempt does not mean you end up with seven. The selection of which cards to discard happens after you decide to keep your hand, and you choose their order in the library.

Example with three players

Ana, Bruno, and Carla each draw seven cards. Ana announces she keeps her hand; Bruno and Carla announce mulligan. Bruno and Carla mix their hands with their libraries, shuffle, and draw seven. Bruno sees a hand that works and announces he keeps the seven: it was his first mulligan, which does not count toward placing cards in the library. Carla wants another chance. In the next round, she takes another mulligan and draws seven again. If she now decides to keep it, she will place one card from that hand into the bottom of her library and begin with six cards. Ana maintains her original seven cards throughout the process.

If Carla is still unsatisfied and takes a third mulligan, she will shuffle again and draw seven. When she finally keeps that hand, she will place two cards into the bottom of her library and begin with five. Bruno does not redraw his hand to match hers, nor does Ana. This example illustrates three distinct ideas: the first attempt is free in multiplayer, subsequent attempts reduce the final hand size, and each player independently decides when to stop. Keep track of mulligan counts alongside each player's name, not a single shared count for the table.

Why "free" does not mean looking at cards without cost

The first mulligan does not reduce your final hand size, but it requires you to return your previous hand and shuffle it before drawing again. You cannot keep your two best initial cards and replace only the other five. You also cannot choose between your first and second hand after seeing both; once you take a mulligan, you have already rejected your first hand. "Free" refers only to the number of cards you place in the library and the limit on mulligans allowed by rule 103.5c. It is a complete new attempt, not a combined selection of fourteen cards.

The decision also has a cost in terms of information and table time. Your new hand might be worse, and a Commander deck with one copy per card offers many possible combinations. Therefore, it's best to use the free mulligan to correct hands that genuinely don't execute your deck plan, not as an automatic excuse to chase a perfect combination. If the table plays with time limits, shuffling well remains necessary. The rule supports games where players can participate from the very first turn, but it does not eliminate strategic judgment.

How to choose what to put in the bottom

In a counted mulligan, first look at your new seven-card hand and decide whether that is the hand you will keep. Then choose the appropriate number of cards to place in the bottom of your library and order them as you wish. You do not send them to the graveyard or exile them; they remain in your library. This matters if you later shuffle or reach the last cards. Your opponent does not choose which pieces you lose. If a card in your hand has a feature related to starting the game, check its text and the mulligan rules before using it; do not treat it as justification for skipping the bottom card procedure.

For a six-card hand, the practical question is which of the seven cards is least necessary in the early turns. Perhaps you have two expensive cards you won't be able to play soon and must discard one. Perhaps your hand lacks sufficient lands and no choice of bottom cards fixes the problem; in that case, another mulligan might be worth it even if you end up with fewer cards. There is no universal formula that works for all decks. The sequence of rules—draw seven, decide to keep, place the correct number in the bottom—is fixed; strategic selection depends on your mana curve, colors, plan, and the level of the table.

Hands with lands: evaluate without a false rule

There is no rule that requires you to take a mulligan if you draw zero, one, or seven lands. You can reject a hand for any reason. A hand with three lands is not automatically good—what matters is whether they produce the colors you need and whether the rest of the cards allow you to play in early turns. In Commander, where each card is usually unique, consider whether you have access to early resources, whether you can develop your plan without relying on a single card, and whether the hand gets stuck with high costs. The free mulligan opportunity lets you search for a more functional foundation without losing hand size on your first attempt.

Example: a hand with four lands and three playable spells might be suitable in a deck that needs to reach high-cost spells safely. Another hand with one land and several expensive cards might require too many specific draws to function, even if it contains your favorite card. Also consider whether your commander helps provide resources once you can play it; don't count on it as a substitute for the lands needed to reach that point. The goal of the mulligan is not to get the ideal hand from a published list, but a hand with a plausible plan for the game ahead.

Commander multiplayer versus two-player game

Rule 103.5c grants the first mulligan as not counted in multiplayer games and in Brawl. A two-player Commander game remains Commander, but it does not meet the general condition for multiplayer. Before starting a two-player game, check the official format rules and any additional rules set by the event or casual agreement of the table. If your group decides to grant a free mulligan in a casual setting, it can be done in friendly play, but it's best to state it before drawing hands so no one assumes it's the same as the official multiplayer rule.

The difference is easy to overlook because many Commander tables have four players and the phrase "Commander mulligan" is often used as shorthand. The rules text refers to the number of players in the game. In normal multiplayer, the first mulligan is free for each player; in a two-player game, the standard London mulligan begins counting from the first attempt unless otherwise specified by a rule or agreement. Do not extrapolate a multiplayer experience from one night of Commander to any format with the same commander.

When does the mulligan phase end?

The process repeats in rounds until no one decides to take another mulligan. Once you announce you're keeping your hand, you can no longer return to the process in a future round. After everyone has finalized their starting hands and placed the appropriate cards into the bottom of their libraries, the special card actions that start in play or reveal from the initial hand are performed in the predetermined order. Only then does the first turn begin. Do not play a land or draw the turn card while another player is still choosing their final hand.

The rules allow continuing mulligans until the resulting starting hand would be zero cards; it's not required to reach that extreme. If a deck repeatedly fails to produce playable hands, the long-term solution usually lies in deck construction: land count, curve, color fixation, and redundant pieces. The mulligan can correct a specific distribution issue, but it does not fix a structurally insufficient mana base. Keep a simple record in testing: how many hands you reject and why. That information is more useful for improving your deck than simply remembering the last time you drew a bad hand.

Common mistakes at the table

The most common is "drawing six on the second attempt." In the London mulligan, you draw seven cards, and after deciding to keep the hand, you place cards in the bottom based on the count; in multiplayer, the first mulligan does not count. Another error is placing a card immediately into the bottom after the first free mulligan. If that is the hand you keep, you end up with seven cards. There's also confusion about order: do not look at another player's new hand before deciding whether to redraw your own in that round. Announcing decisions in order and performing mulligans together avoids this.

Finally, do not mix up each player's bottom: each player orders the cards they place into their own library. Do not unnecessarily reveal chosen cards, and do not undo a decision to keep a hand because another player took a third attempt. The game setup simplifies if each player says "first mulligan," "second mulligan," and "I keep; I place one below" when appropriate. This way, everyone can verify the final number of cards without inspecting private hands.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the first mulligan in Commander always free?

In a multiplayer game, the first mulligan of each player does not count when placing cards into the library. In a two-player game, check the applicable rule and any prior casual agreement.

Do I draw six cards after my second multiplayer mulligan?

You draw seven cards. If you decide to keep that hand, you place one card into the bottom of your library. You begin with six cards.

Can I take another mulligan after announcing I keep my hand?

No. Once you decide to keep your hand, your remaining hand becomes your initial hand and you no longer participate in future mulligan rounds.