Happy birthday !

Brawl

It’s basically 1v1 commander. The only other major difference is that you have 25 HP. Well, I think the ban list is different, but I don’t know enough to tell you if it is or not

Double headed troll

That’s also a fun one !
Basically, it’s a standard game, but you play 2v2. And if a card say you can give a buff to one of your creatures, just know that you can also target your teammate’s creatures. I haven’t seen it since years, but my most fun mtg memory comes from this mode

It’s also the type of game where you can get infinite combos. If people play fair, they will be quite rare, but yeah, it can get crazy

And yeah, as I mentioned, it’s the kind of mode that gets stupid quite fast if you build your deck around your commander. I remember pulling a creature with 20 smth atk and hp with trample, lifelink, double initiative, deathtouch that can generate more atk points with my deck based on equipment

In fact, I think the most accurate term is negociation. For example, if you decide not to kill me now, then I promise that I would help you to kill player 3´s big scary dragon because I have something you don’t. Or if you kill player 4´s big monster rather than mine, I’ll help you later in the game

The game begins with 40 HP instead of 20. With how crazy this mode can get, 20 would be too low. The turns go as usual and the players play their turn clockwise. The other bigger strength of this mode is what we call politics. Don’t worry, it’s not about picking a president or anything

For example, if Terra is your commander, the first time you play her, it costs a red, a white and a black (so basically 3 mana), but the second time it would cost 5 mana (the 3 usual + 2 colorless). And the third time it would cost 7 (3 + 2 x 2)

You don’t put it in your deck, but in a special zone called the command zone. The first time you summon your commander, it costs the normal amount. If it ever dies, it goes back to the command zone. However, if you want to summon it again, you must spend 2 more colorless mana than last time

Side note : It’s any card from any extension. Not only those from the last 2 years. It’s one of the reasons why commander is so popular
Anyway, what is a commander ? It’s a special card that will be the cornerstone of your deck. It must be a legendary creature card.

Commander

The one exception. Depending on where you play, it might even be more popular than standard.
You generally play this mode between 3 and 4. If you ask me 4 is the best if you want the full experience. You play with a 99 cards deck and a commander. The cards must have the commander’s color

Ok, but how does the katana stay in place ?

The card seems scary for commander

Haste : This creature can attack the turn it was summoned
Protection from… : This creature is immune from damage from x type of monster and x spell color
Landfall : When you cast a land, X effect happens

Initiative : This creature deals damage before a regular creature does
Double initiative : This creature attacks twice : Once as if it had initiative and once on the regular attack turn

Lifelink : When this creature deals combat damage, get healed by the amount of damage that this creature dealt (wether it’s blocked or not)
Reach : This creature can’t block creatures with flying
Vigilance : This creature isn’t tapped when it attacks
Flash : Can be cast as if it was an instant

Trample : If this creature is blocked, all excess damage is dealt to your opponent anyway (if your creature deals 8 damage and the blocker had 5 HP, your opponent takes 3 HP)
Deathtouch : When this creature deals combat damage to another creature, the opponent’s creature gets immediately destroyed