Overview

Partner mechanics allow you to pair two commanders into a single deck, combining their color identities and theme tags. The builder auto-detects which partner type applies to a selected commander and adjusts Step 2 accordingly.

Enable with ENABLE_PARTNER_MECHANICS=1 (default: on in Docker Compose; disabled by default in headless/CLI).

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Partner Types

Type	How it works
Partner	Both commanders have the Partner keyword. Any two Partner commanders can be paired.
Partner With	One commander specifically names their partner (e.g., "Partner with Cazur"). The canonical partner is pre-filled; you can opt out and swap.
Doctor / Doctor's Companion	Doctors list legal companions and vice versa. Role labels are shown beside each option.
Background	Choose a Background enchantment instead of a second commander. The Background picker replaces the partner selector when applicable.

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Selecting a Partner in the Web UI

1. In the New Deck modal or Step 2, select a commander that supports a partner type.
2. The appropriate partner input appears automatically:
   - A filtered partner dropdown (Partner)
   - A pre-filled name with an opt-out chip (Partner With, Doctor)
   - A Background dropdown (Background)
3. For Partner With and Doctor pairings, an opt-out chip lets you keep the canonical suggestion or clear it and choose a different partner.
4. Previews, color identity warnings, and theme chips update in real time as you make partner selections.

Partner Suggestions

With ENABLE_PARTNER_SUGGESTIONS=1, ranked suggestion chips appear beside the partner selector. These are backed by the partner synergy analytics dataset (config/analytics/partner_synergy.json, auto-generated when missing). Selecting a chip populates the partner field.

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Color Identity

The combined color identity of both commanders is used for all card pool filtering. Cards outside the combined identity are excluded, just as they would be for a single commander.

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Theme Tags

Theme tags from both commanders are merged. This means a partner pair may unlock themes neither commander could access individually.

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Headless / CLI

Supply partner settings in the JSON config or as CLI flags:

{
  "commander": "Halana, Kessig Ranger",
  "secondary_commander": "Alena, Kessig Trapper",
  "enable_partner_mechanics": true
}

CLI flags:

--secondary-commander "Alena, Kessig Trapper" --enable-partner-mechanics true

For Background pairings, use background instead of secondary_commander:

{
  "commander": "Raised by Giants",
  "background": "Acolyte of Bahamut",
  "enable_partner_mechanics": true
}

secondary_commander and background are mutually exclusive. background takes precedence if both are set.

Dry Run

Add --dry-run to the CLI command to echo the resolved pairing (names, color identity, partner mode) without running a full build:

python code/main.py --dry-run --secondary-commander "Alena, Kessig Trapper" --enable-partner-mechanics true

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Headless JSON Export

Exported configs (HEADLESS_EXPORT_JSON=1) include the resolved partner fields:
- secondary_commander or background
- combined_color_identity
- partner_mode (partner | partner_with | doctor | background)

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Environment Variables

Variable	Default	Purpose
ENABLE_PARTNER_MECHANICS	0	Unlock partner/background inputs in the web builder and headless runner.
ENABLE_PARTNER_SUGGESTIONS	0	Show ranked partner suggestion chips in the web builder.
PARTNER_SUGGESTIONS_DATASET	(auto)	Override path to partner_synergy.json inside the container.

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See Also

• Build Wizard — partner selection in the context of the full build flow
• Bracket Compliance — bracket implications when a commander is on the Game Changers list
• Theme Browser — find themes compatible with both commanders' color identity