<p>You cannot use channel from the command zone. Channel is an ability that has both a mana cost, and the requirement to <strong>discard the card</strong>. Discarding a card is only from your hand, not from the command zone.</p>

<p>This means you need to somehow get your commander into your hand (<a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=o%3Aput+o%3A%22command+zone%22+o%3A%22into+your+hand%22" rel="noreferrer">such as with</a> <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bCommand%20Beacon%5d">Command Beacon</a> or <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bRoad%20of%20Return%5d">Road of Return</a>). Once they're there you can activate their Channel ability and discard them, and this wouldn't involve the commander tax since it doesn't involve casting your commander from the command zone.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-18T18:42:01.743Z
I added a second paragraph to your answer. I hope that's OK.
doppelgreener
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-18T18:52:40.530Z
@doppelgreener I was considering adding something along those lines, but it felt like it wasn't really necessary for the answer. Now that it's there, I'm not going to remove it though!
CollinB
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-18T20:37:12.847Z
Worth noting that if you do discard your commander from hand, you can choose to put it in your command zone instead of your graveyard.
GendoIkari
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-18T20:55:18.550Z
@GendoIkari and still be able to activate channel, correct?
CollinB
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-18T21:30:13.120Z
@CollinB Correct; you still paid the cost of discarding it; even though the card was put into command zone instead of graveyard.
GendoIkari
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-18T22:58:51.043Z
The relevant rule for that is 118.11: "The actions performed when paying a cost may be modified by effects. Even if they are, meaning the actions that are performed don’t match the actions that are called for, the cost has still been paid."
murgatroid99
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-19T12:28:06.337Z
@GendoIkari Than, in that case, what is the difference between that and Elenda, the Dusk Rose's ability? Why is it that you need to put Elenda into your yard and not command zone to activate their ability?
CollinB
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-19T14:13:12.503Z
Because "Dies" is defined as "put into the graveyard from play"; so it triggers specifically when it actually is put into the graveyard. There's 2 differences: Discarding for channel is a cost, not a triggered ability. And the cost is discarding; not actually having it in your graveyard.
GendoIkari
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-19T15:17:29.890Z
@GendoIkari So then is discarding not defined as putting it into your graveyard from your hand? Does a card actually have to hit yard to count as being discarded? My intuition says no based on how madness works, but still...
CollinB
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-19T15:23:47.663Z
In English, it's the difference between an action and a result. "Dies" is a result; "Discard" is an action. "Destroy" would be more analogous to "discard". To destroy a permanent is defined as moving it into the graveyard, yet you can still destroy it without moving it to the graveyard if something changes where it goes when it is destroyed.
GendoIkari
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-18T17:38:07.510Z
2020-02-18T18:38:43.043Z
2020-02-18T18:38:43.043Z
CollinB
<p>How does Channel (<a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=oracle%3Achannel+block%3Akamigawa" rel="nofollow noreferrer">the Kamigawa mechanic</a>, not the card) work when your commander has such an ability, such as <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bArashi%2c%20the%20Sky%20Asunder%5d">Arashi, the Sky Asunder</a>?  Can I use it from the command zone? Do I pay the tax when I use channel? Does it increase when I use channel?</p>

<magic-the-gathering><mtg-commander>
How does a Channel ability work with my commander?
Oliver A.
# How does a Channel ability work with my commander?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-02-18)

How does Channel ([the Kamigawa mechanic](https://scryfall.com/search?q=oracle%3Achannel+block%3Akamigawa), not the card) work when your commander has such an ability, such as [Arashi, the Sky Asunder](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bArashi%2c%20the%20Sky%20Asunder%5d)? Can I use it from the command zone? Do I pay the tax when I use channel? Does it increase when I use channel?

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering, mtg-commander


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-02-18. Score: 10

You cannot use channel from the command zone. Channel is an ability that has both a mana cost, and the requirement to **discard the card**. Discarding a card is only from your hand, not from the command zone.

This means you need to somehow get your commander into your hand ([such as with](https://scryfall.com/search?q=o%3Aput+o%3A%22command+zone%22+o%3A%22into+your+hand%22) [Command Beacon](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bCommand%20Beacon%5d) or [Road of Return](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bRoad%20of%20Return%5d)). Once they're there you can activate their Channel ability and discard them, and this wouldn't involve the commander tax since it doesn't involve casting your commander from the command zone.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: I added a second paragraph to your answer. I hope that's OK.  
> **username_1**: @username_2 I was considering adding something along those lines, but it felt like it wasn't really necessary for the answer. Now that it's there, I'm not going to remove it though!  
> **username_3**: Worth noting that if you do discard your commander from hand, you can choose to put it in your command zone instead of your graveyard.  
> **username_1**: @username_3 and still be able to activate channel, correct?  
> **username_3**: @username_1 Correct; you still paid the cost of discarding it; even though the card was put into command zone instead of graveyard.  
> **username_4**: The relevant rule for that is 118.11: "The actions performed when paying a cost may be modified by effects. Even if they are, meaning the actions that are performed don’t match the actions that are called for, the cost has still been paid."  
> **username_1**: @username_3 Than, in that case, what is the difference between that and Elenda, the Dusk Rose's ability? Why is it that you need to put Elenda into your yard and not command zone to activate their ability?  
> **username_3**: Because "Dies" is defined as "put into the graveyard from play"; so it triggers specifically when it actually is put into the graveyard. There's 2 differences: Discarding for channel is a cost, not a triggered ability. And the cost is discarding; not actually having it in your graveyard.  
> **username_1**: @username_3 So then is discarding not defined as putting it into your graveyard from your hand? Does a card actually have to hit yard to count as being discarded? My intuition says no based on how madness works, but still...  
> **username_3**: In English, it's the difference between an action and a result. "Dies" is a result; "Discard" is an action. "Destroy" would be more analogous to "discard". To destroy a permanent is defined as moving it into the graveyard, yet you can still destroy it without moving it to the graveyard if something changes where it goes when it is destroyed.  

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