When the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Magic: The Gathering Commander deck was announced, it was unusual to see only one deck revealed instead of one for each turtle. This is because the Partner keyword is making a comeback, allowing players to choose two commanders instead of just one.
Since its first appearance in Commander 2016, the Partner keyword has been included in multiple sets such as Doctor Who, Commander Legends, Assassin’s Creed, and now in the TMNT set, on five different cards.
### What Is Partner?
Partner is a keyword that lets a legendary creature be played alongside another legendary creature, meaning you can have two commanders instead of one. Both cards must have the partner keyword to do this.
In some cases, only certain cards can be partnered together, which will be specified on the card itself. Sometimes, the cards need to share the same ability, as is the case with the TMNT gang, which have an ability called “character select.”
Unlike Sneak, a new keyword introduced in the TMNT set, Partner is a returning keyword that has been part of the Commander format for about ten years.
### How To Use Partner
At its simplest, Partner just requires you to choose two Commander-eligible cards that include the partner keyword. This allows you to have two commanders instead of just one.
Your deck still needs to have 100 cards total. So, if you’re using two commanders with Partner, your deck will consist of 98 other cards. You still pay the regular costs to cast each commander, and damage dealt to other players from commanders is tracked separately for each card, not combined. The same applies to Commander Tax, which increases by two each time you recast a commander from the command zone.
### Will Partner Show Up in Future Sets?
Because Partner has been featured in several sets since 2016, it’s likely to appear again in future products, especially if it fits the theme, much like how it’s been included in Assassin’s Creed and TMNT sets.
Partner tends to be used mainly in Commander or Universes Beyond sets. However, recent cards sometimes feature it in regular sets or even in Secret Lair drops, indicating it might continue to appear across different types of releases.
