How to Mulligan in MTG Commander (Free Mulligan Explained)

October 11, 2026

A bad opening hand in Commander can mean watching three opponents play while you wait for land. The mulligan rules exist to fix that, and Commander's multiplayer setting makes them a little more generous than in one-on-one Magic: The Gathering. Knowing when to use them is just as important as knowing how.

The short answer: Commander uses the London mulligan: shuffle your hand away, draw a fresh seven, then put one card on the bottom of your library for each mulligan taken. In multiplayer games your first mulligan is free, so you draw seven and bottom nothing. Mulligan any hand with fewer than two or more than five lands, or with no way to do anything in the first few turns.

Keep or mulligan? A quick guide

Opening hand	Usual verdict	Reason
0–1 lands	Mulligan	Too likely to miss early land drops
2 lands plus cheap ramp	Usually keep	Ramp helps you catch up
3–4 lands with playable spells	Keep	The ideal opening
5 lands, 2 spells	Borderline	Keep if the spells are strong or draw cards
6–7 lands	Mulligan	Nothing to do for several turns

How does the London mulligan work?

You shuffle your hand back into your library and draw a new hand of seven. Once you're happy, you put a number of cards on the bottom equal to the mulligans you've taken. Players decide in turn order, then everyone takes their mulligans at the same time.

Is the first mulligan really free in Commander?

In multiplayer games, yes. The official rules make the first mulligan free in multiplayer, so you draw a fresh seven and put nothing on the bottom. Later mulligans count normally, so your second mulligan means bottoming one card. Many casual groups also give a free first mulligan in two-player Commander by agreement.

What makes a hand worth keeping?

Two to four lands, something to do on turns two and three, and ideally the right colours to cast it. A hand full of powerful seven-drops with two lands looks exciting but rarely works. Our guide to how many lands to run helps make keepable hands more likely in the first place.

Should I keep a hand without my colours?

It depends on how many colours your deck uses. In a two-colour deck, a hand missing one colour is often fine if you have ways to fix it. In a four- or five-colour deck, a hand that can't cast its spells is usually a mulligan.

Are there house rules for mulligans?

Yes, many groups agree extra-generous mulligans in casual play, such as redrawing hands with no lands at all. Agree any variation during your pre-game chat; see what is rule zero. None of these apply at events with their own rules.

Do I need to shuffle properly after a mulligan?

Yes, a full randomising shuffle every time. With 100 cards, riffle and mash shuffles are easier than overhand. Our guide to shuffling a Commander deck covers methods that don't damage sleeves.

Do mulligans happen before or after the commander goes in the command zone?

Your commander starts in the command zone and is never part of your opening hand, so it is always available whatever you draw. That's one reason Commander mulligans are slightly more forgiving than in other formats.

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