Magic: The Gathering is a game of identity. You pick a legendary creature, build a ninety-nine card pile around it, and hope your friends don’t salt out when you drop a turn-three Rhystic Study. But things got weird—and arguably better—when Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur’s Gate dropped. It introduced a mechanic that basically lets your general have a side hustle. It's called MTG choose a background, and if you’re still sleeping on it because you think it’s just "diet Partner," you’re missing out on some of the most customizable deck-building the game has ever seen.
I’ve seen players stare at a card like Wilson, Refined Grizzly and laugh. He’s a bear. He’s two mana. He has reach and trample. Cool, I guess? But then you realize Wilson can have a job. You give him the Cultist of the Absolute background, and suddenly that polite bear is a flying, deathtouching ward-machine that sacrifices your smaller creatures for dark powers. That’s the magic of this mechanic. It isn't just about power creep; it’s about modularity. It’s about taking a mono-colored legend and deciding mid-brew that they should actually be a Rakdos aristocrat or a Selesnya token generator.
How Choose a Background Actually Works (The Nitty-Gritty)
Let’s get the technical stuff out of the way before we get into the spicy tech. You can only use the MTG choose a background ability if your legendary creature specifically says those words on its text line. You can’t just slap a background onto Attla, Palani's Fury and call it a day. If your commander has the ability, the Background—which is a legendary enchantment—starts the game in the Command Zone alongside them.
Think of it as a specialized version of the Partner mechanic from the original Commander Legends. It solves the "Partner problem" where every deck eventually became Thrasios, Triton Hero and Tymna the Weaver. By forcing you to pick one specific creature and one specific enchantment, Wizards of the Coast reigned in the power level while actually increasing the "flavor" of the decks. When you cast your background from the command zone, it counts toward the "commander tax." If someone blows up your Sword Coast Sailor, it’s going back to the command zone and costing two more mana next time.
Taxation sucks. But having a permanent in the command zone that isn’t a creature is a massive tactical advantage. Board wipes like Wrath of God or Blasphemous Act usually leave your enchantments alone. While everyone else is rebuilding their board from scratch, your background is still sitting there, ready to buff your commander the second they re-enter the battlefield.
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Breaking the Mono-Color Barrier
The biggest draw here is the color identity shift. Commander players used to be locked into whatever colors were printed on their legend's card. If you liked a mono-blue legend but wanted to play green ramp, you were out of luck. MTG choose a background fixed that.
Take Gale, Waterdeep Prodigy. On his own, he’s a solid mono-blue wizard who lets you cast spells from your graveyard. He's fine. But pair him with Scion of Halaster, and now you’re playing a Dimir (Blue/Black) graveyard engine that lets you look at the top card of your library every time you draw. Or pair him with Raised by Giants, and suddenly your nerdy wizard is a 10/10 powerhouse.
Flavor or Power? Pick Both.
Honestly, the names of these cards are half the fun. Shameless Charlatan? Acolyte of Bahamut? Far Traveler? They sound like Dungeons & Dragons character tropes because they are. But don't let the flavor text fool you; some of these are high-tier competitive pieces.
- Noble Heritage is a political nightmare for your opponents. It gives people +1/+1 counters, but if they take them, they can't attack you. It’s a protection spell disguised as a gift.
- Veteran Soldier creates 1/1 tokens every time your commander attacks. In a deck built around "enter the battlefield" triggers or sacrifice outlets, this is a goldmine.
- Dungeon Delver doubles your room triggers. If you’re the guy who actually enjoys the Venture into the Dungeon mechanic (god bless you), this is your best friend.
Why People Underestimate Backgrounds
People love creatures. We like turning things sideways. We like the big, flashy dragons. Because a background is "just" an enchantment, people often ignore them until it's too late. I’ve seen games where a player has Burakos, Party Leader out. People ignore the background, Folk Hero, because it just looks like a value piece. Then, three turns later, that player has drawn six extra cards and has a board full of treasures.
There's also the "Commander-Centric" risk. If your commander is tucked or repeatedly removed, your background does... nothing. It’s a dead card on the field. This is the trade-off. You are putting all your eggs in one basket. If you're playing Lulu, Loyal Hollyphant and someone keeps killing her, your Master Chef background is just sitting there looking pretty.
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The strategy? Protection. If you're running a background deck, you need Lightning Greaves, Swiftfoot Boots, and maybe a Malakir Rebirth or two. You have to keep the "vessel" for the background alive, or the whole deck stalls out.
The Most Explosive Pairings You Should Try
If you’re looking to build something new, don’t just go for the most popular stuff on EDHREC. Everyone knows Sivriss, Nightmare Speaker and Cloakwood Hermit is a graveyard powerhouse. Try something a bit more off-kilter.
Karlach, Fury of Avernus + Sword Coast Sailor: Karlach gives you extra combat phases. Sword Coast Sailor makes her unblockable if you're attacking the player with the most life. You are basically guaranteed two unblockable swings with a heavy hitter. It’s a ticking time bomb for the table.
Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward + Candlekeep Sage: This is one of the blink-est decks you’ll ever play. Abdel exiles your other permanents and makes soldiers. When he leaves, they come back. Candlekeep Sage says whenever your commander enters or leaves the battlefield, draw a card. You end up drawing your entire deck while creating an infinite army of soldiers if you have a way to blink Abdel repeatedly.
Ganax, Astral Hunter + Feywild Visitor: You’re making dragons, which makes treasures. But Feywild Visitor makes 1/1 Faerie Dragons whenever your non-token creatures deal combat damage. This creates a loop of resources that is incredibly hard for opponents to track.
The Budget Reality
Magic is expensive. We all know it. But the MTG choose a background cards are mostly dirt cheap. Because Battle for Baldur's Gate was opened in such massive quantities, you can pick up most of these for cents. Even the "good" ones like Raised by Giants or Passionari Wyrm are usually under five dollars.
It’s the perfect entry point for someone who wants a unique deck without spending $500 on a mana base and a "top tier" commander. You can buy a few different backgrounds and swap them out between games. It's like having three different decks in one box. One game you play Wilson as a green/white tank, the next you play him as a green/black assassin. It keeps the game fresh for you and your playgroup.
Common Misconceptions and Rule Gaps
A lot of people ask: "Can I use a background in the 99?" Yes. Absolutely. You can put Hardy Outlander in your Ruric Thar deck if you want. It just won't start in the command zone, and it won't give you a second color identity unless your actual commander says "Choose a Background."
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Another one: "Do backgrounds work with any legendary creature?" No. Only those with the specific keyword. This is the most common mistake I see at local game stores. People try to pair Agent of the Iron Throne with Krenko, Mob Boss. I get it, Krenko would be broken with that. But the rules don't allow it. It has to be a "Background-compatible" legend.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Deck Build
Don't just read about it—go build it. If you want to master the MTG choose a background system, start with these specific moves:
- Audit your "Draft Chaff": Go through your Baldur's Gate bulk. Look for legends like Volo, Itinerant Scholar or Erinis, Gloom Stalker. These are powerhouses waiting for a home.
- Pick a Color Pair First: Instead of picking the creature, pick the colors you want to play. Want Orzhov (White/Black)? Look at all the white legends and black backgrounds, then do the reverse. See which synergy actually feels fun.
- Focus on the "Whenever your Commander Attacks" triggers: These are usually the strongest backgrounds. They force you to be aggressive, which makes for faster, more exciting games.
- Don't over-rely on the Commander: Build a deck that functions (at least slightly) if your commander is off the board. Use other enchantment synergies like Enchantress's Presence or Sythis, Harvest's Hand to get value from your background even when your legend is in the bin.
- Experiment with "Rule 0": If your playgroup is chill, ask them if you can try a background with a legend that doesn't technically have the keyword. Just for a game. See how it feels. Magic is about fun, after all.
The modular nature of this mechanic is a glimpse into the future of Commander. It moves away from "one-size-fits-all" legends and toward a "build-your-own-adventure" style of play. Whether you're trying to win a tournament or just make your friends laugh with a very buff bear, backgrounds are the way to go.