You Are Doing It Wrong! | Exile Effects In Commander
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- OK, so you might not be doing this wrong but I certainly was. The purpose of this video is to understand a little more about the rules involved in this complicated game without me quoting rules at you.
Thank you TCGPlayer.com (Jumbo Link: bit.ly/2GE8AR6)
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I had a busy weekend but then again so did all of you in the comments. In the future I'll put a post like this in the description ... for now I'll pin it here.
First I don't want to get super into the rules in the video so it can be less technical and more accessible. Let me know if you want more technical answers I'm good at copy+paste from real judges. It was a mistake to not throw in some sources so here are some now.
I don't think many people are discussing the difference between Fiend Hunter and Banisher Priest but here is some info including the Spell Queller interaction: magicjudge.tumblr.com/post/150449941559/not-a-fan-of-fairgrounds-warden-why-did-you
Also about duration and why the Banisher Priest doesn't blink a creature it is targeting if sacrificed in response to the etb trigger: magicjudge.tumblr.com/post/154863718109/i-took-a-call-at-work-last-week-about-how
Here is the REAL argument ... a commander can reenter play from the command zone, without payment or tax, after a card like Banishing Light has exiled the commander when that Banishing Light is destroyed.
Answer in Judge Blog: magicjudge.tumblr.com/post/127878974954/if-banishing-light-is-used-on-a-commander-and-the
I asked a judge live in judge chat before the video but didn't screen shot it or anything. Kenyan Lee confirmed in judge chat and screenshotted the results and tweeted it at me. Here is a link to the tweet where you can read the judge conversation: twitter.com/KeiruKeiruRNG/status/924060838989774848 (you should follow me on twitter as long as you are there)
Summary for people who don't like twitter: The actual rule cited is 400.7h which basically says that Banishing Light can track your commander into a "Public Zone" like the command zone and it goes to the command zone because of Rule 614.6. That rule essentially replaces the text of Banishing Light to read "Put Creature in Command Zone" instead of "Exile Target Creature"
I hope that helps. Feel free to message me other rules interactions that will cause huge arguments
Cheers
I didn't see this in the comments last night and didn't think it's worth it's own comment, but in trying to find other interactions that would make it easier to convince my playgroup it works I found this. Roon's one and only ruling (which is from 2013) completely back up everything you're saying.
gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=376474
Yeah, same principal. Like I mentioned I played this incorrectly for years so it's still interesting to see it works in different situations like with good ole Roon here. Very cool. Thanks
Thnkas for the interesting video. You could have also mentioned that if the same copy of banisher priest enters and leaves the battlefield multiple times during the course of a game, he will not bring back cards he exiled previously.He essentially forget about them and only care about the last time he was on the battlefield.
I don't believe that judge's answear for banishing light, becouse exile and command zone aren't the same entities anymore (they were at some point so that may be the reason for confusion). As it stands now there is specific difference in the description of exile and command zone in the comprehensive rules.
Shataraterevar I agree with you. removed from the game and the command zone are NOT the same zone, using a replacement effect cancels the trigger that would return it.
These are the tech videos i was talking about. We try to improve are decks and neglect to improve gameplay
I know right! It can be really difficult to make quality content that addresses this issue. Hopefully people like this kind of stuff. I'm glad you like it :D
Jumbo Commander what rules allow the commander to be in command zone and returned to the field from there
I remember one rule that doesn't, and that's the memory rule/thing.
I didn't believe this at first, but it came up in MTGA's Brawl. Someone used Deputy of Detention on my commander and when it died, the commander came back.
It took me awhile to grasp the reasoning behind this, but it's because moving your commnader to the command zone is a replacement effect (which I could have sworn it wasn't). When an object changes zones it becomes a "new" entity of itself, thus undoing it's attachments to cards (banishing effects). If the command zone is a replacement effect, then when a commander is put into the command zone, it does not trigger any dying effects as well
I've had this come up in a couple of games and people tried to explain it. At that time it was just a wall-of-text in vocal that had me merely going "Eh, you know your deck so you're probably right", but now it actually makes sense to me. Thank you :)
Excellent work! Sharing this to my Commander play group!
Love the idea of videos about rules. You are correct that there aren't a lot of videos about how rules interact. Killer idea for a series!
+Anthony Pedroza let's hope that people like it because I don't think that intricate rules interactions will cause the views to flood in. I'm hoping people thumbs up eventhough the views will be small
"Nightmares" (like the Mesmeric Fiend you showed) were an entire archetype in Torment, sacrifice interactions included. It wasn't until so many Nightmare-like effects moved into white where they were paired with Flicker-like effects that the need for the redesign came about.
Yeah. They were aware of it too. I remember getting a fat-pack for Torment and within it they advised you to do just that to permanently remove a target from the game. It was a little counter intuitive and most people don't come up with such a use for those abilities unless someone tells you, usually when they are using it on you which makes you have every reason to doubt them, specially during a tournament. I assume they found it preferable to have the entire functionality of a card be explicitly stated rather than have something hidden through rules interactions.
Thank you!!! I've been doing research about this but it wasn't entirely clear. You made this easier to understand.
+John Mobley glad you liked it, weird huh
One more thing about playing Oblivion Ring-like effects in Multiplayer - If player lose the game when he owns Oblivion Ring, the exiled permanent stays in exile. That's because upon losing the game OR leaves the battlefield, and then all spells and abilities controlled by defeated player leaves the stack. That's not true for Banishing Light-like effects.
So, it's a bit political choice to run Oblivion Ring - "kill me, and you will never see your beloved permanent again"
I learnt this from my friend who plays Norin the Wary as his commander.
I have a list and there is also this list that I used to build off since its not very budget friendly:www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/commander-edh/multiplayer-commander-decklists/217201-norin-the-wary-heads-i-win-tails-you-lose If you want I can send you my list or put it up somewhere and give you the link.
Morty Smith I'd love to see your list!
Confusion in the ranks makes norin very strong
So I clicked on your link because you challenged me. I did know all of this, (while my play and deck building both have plenty of room to improve I spend so much time on MTG that my knowledge of cards and rulings is extensive.) While I found your voice grateing. The quality of the content was excellent. You spoke methodically with out dragging it out, while also having excellent visual aids. You got my sub.
lol I knew from the title that this was the example coming up. Thank you for explaining it all. Too many times have I done this and spent the next 10 minutes trying to explain why this works.
You should add that you target when the triggers goes on the stack, for clarity's sake. Good video, I learnt something here!
When doing these kinds of rule videos, I think putting an information source or two in the description would be a good idea. Nice video!
+Aarhg I'll do that in the future
Thanks, really didn't know this. Immediately forwarded it to my playgroup.
The interactions of exile effects, and commanders are really cool. Notably, the interaction between Reyhan, Last of the Abzan and Deadeye Navigator gives Reyhan the ability 1U: put three +1/+1 counters on target creature you control. Things like that make the game super fun.
I like you! You're a good egg. There needs to be more videos explaining these oddly specific rules and how to improve people's gameplay in general.
+Ebony Aries I like you too, I also like eggs. I will make more of these videos. I already have another one in mind. Hopefully people like these because the intracacies of magic rules don't boost the youtube stats as much as you might think.
I just found your vids and I love them! Keep up the killer work!
This is an awesome video!
If you happen to make other like this one that explains simply other cornercase rules, it would be even better to mention the rule numbers that make this interaction possible (in the video description for instance). This is for people like me who love knowing why exactly and for people that don't believe you. Keep up those quality content!
I didn't want to mention the actual rules in the explanation but I should include that in the description. I should have sources as links too. Really good advice. The next video should be better. Cheers.
I remember hearing about this a couple of years ago... Glad you sorted things up
6:40 the stack would resolve backwards tho meaning the last part is the exile of your commander so you will always know if the ring is on the battlefield when your commander gets exiled so you never have to worry about that. They bounces/saced/removed the ring? command zone. Ring still on field? Let commander get put under it. OR command zone if you want.
This sort of interaction is one that Death and Taxes used to do a lot of:
Step 1: Play Mangara of Corondor or any exile creature.
Step 2: Activate Mangara (next turn if he wasn't vialed in at opponent's EOT)/exile trigger goes on the stack.
Step 3: Aether Vial in a Flickerwisp/activate an Eldrazi Displacer/flash in a Stonecloaker targeting the exile creature.
Step 4: keep your creature while opponent loses theirs.
Thanks for this. I tried explaining this to my friends a few weeks ago. But I couldn’t explain it well enough.
MIND BLOWN! Man, thanks for this.
Cooooooool Jumbo!!! Thx.. something to pass along to others.
This was a very helpful video for me, thanks DJ!
That return from command zone thing blew my mind.
Such a great video. Thanks for making this. I hate this rule but atleast I understand it now.
thought this might just be click bait but i was pleased thanks for the new bit of tech!!
Thanks!!! This is an awesome rule to know.
Wow! I didn't know about that rule with cards like Banishing Light! That is very good to know! Also I have never heard of Fiend Hunter before! The fact that you can target your creatures with it means that you could also use it on your creatures with enter the battlefield effects and get more triggers by sacrificing or blinking Fiend Hunter. Although you might as well just blink the creature with an enter the battlefield effect.
DJ you seem like the nicest guy. Glad I found your channel through the command zone, working my way backwards through your content 👍
Thank you so much! Please do more vids like this
I didn't have an ashnods altar but when I started playing Commander I used isochron scepter with unsummon horror similar bounce ability but that was also in a deveri stax deck
I don't get anxious over not knowing all the rules - I love it
there's always something new to find out, be it the workings of a new mechanic or a new way to use an old one. it's not that puzzles show up in matches, the game itself is sort of a puzzle. kind of reminds me of how complex fantasy stories make magic look
Question. As far as I know I can use an eldrazi processor to put a card into the graveyard that I banished with Banishing Light. And that causes the card to become a different card because it changes zones afterwards -> Banishing Light can't find it. What you staid was just one special case for commander because they basicly replace exil with put into command zone.
For people seeing this video this is outdated. In 2020 they updated the rules. Your commander will hit exile and then go to the command zone if you want it to and becomes a new object. The banisher priest then won’t be able to find the commander it exiled because it’s not the same object anymore. It specifically states now that it’s only a replacement effect if your commander goes to hand or library. Exiling and graveyards now work off state based actions.
Almost all info you will see about this interaction online is pre 2020. Post 2020 it does not work anymore.
You can also do some exile shenanigans with parallax wave and parallax tide. Basically put all the exile triggers on the stack and then blink/sac them.
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING. THE BANISHING LIGHT EXPLOIT!
Dude i totally appreciate the video i learned alot from it!
Thanks man!, as I always say: Commander is the place where the Judge's thesis are made.
You can also use cards like Cloudshift on fiend hunter, as then you can target an extra creature to exile when it comes back onto the battlefield while keeping the first target in permanent exile
+thedanath that's right, that would've been a cool thing to mention, thanks
Thank you for making this video, it got me interested in your channel and you even got a nice voice man!
Awesome! Thanks for the info
Oddly enough, the nightmare creatures in the Torment block worked the same way as Fiend Hunter, and the precon deck Waking Nightmares built around them KNEW this, even including sacrifice outlets to abuse it.
Could you name a couple of specific cards?
I already knew about that stacked second paragraph exile effect, but holy crap, if someone banishing lights your ur dragon and you blow it up, free 9 drop back into the battlefield? Holy crap, that's a game changer
Great video, DJ
Thanks
My friend uses that Fiend Hunter interaction in his Karador where he targets something on ETB sacs it and then the second half of the card triggers trying to bring something back has no target which results in whatever he targeted being stuck in exile.
You could also use the older card to blink creatures with enter the battlefield effects because it doesn't specify an opponent's creature.
You can now send you commander to the command Zone even when he gets put in or onto your library because before it was possible to Exile a commander completly with putting him onto the library and then using a Card like Pyxis of Pandemonium to Exile the top Card faced down.
Thank you for making Me a better Magic player.. with this knowledge. Thx
Oh Panaharmicon how it loves ETB effects. Stacks!
This is why I'm glad I run in a playgroup that understands things like this so I don't get into arguments with them about it.
The Fiend Hunter interaction can also be used with Though-Knot Seer.
A typical thing for Eldrazi decks to do is play Thought-Knot Seer and when the ability is on the stack blink it with Eldrazi Displacer
Thought-Knot Seer never returns anything, so the reason to apply that isn't the same. "Displacing" Thought-Knot Seer just allows for more information and the ability to repeatedly take care of potential answers in the opponent's hand.
... and ensure they don't draw a card... which is the entire point...
Mitch no I think you are missing a step or something with describing this. Even if you blink Thought-Knot Seer, the draw will go on the stack with a second instance of an exile on top of it. So you aren't accomplishing much by blinking it with the first instance of an exile on the stack. Admittedly getting to exile 2 cards is better than 1, even if they get a random card in the process.
Nice addition. I love how political Thought-Knot Seer can be in multiplayer too.
Thanks for the rules - you got a new subscriber
fiend hunter + altar.. nah i feel better using my Parallax Wave then sacrifice it to exile a bunch of stuff :P . btw is always awesome to learn about rules. thanks for this video.
Why stop there? How about Parallax Tide °O°
My mind has been blown. Can't wait to use this, especially the first in my human sacrifice deck.
I was actually under the opposite assumption with commander exile, I thought it worked with all exile effects like O Ring, always something to learn.
This entire video essentially was about how Banishing light and Banishing priest are bad cards in commander.
If I were to sack the banisher priest, would the creature I exiled be blinked? Or would it never leave the field since banisher is already gone?
So, I have not looked this up I'm just answering this on my phone lets see if I get it right. I believe that you do not "break up" Banisher Priest's single trigger and the exile is tied to a duration (in this case a duration of zero). You resolve the whole whole trigger so your creature never sees exile. If you did want to blink the other creature you could just wait until the stack is cleared and the creature does enter exile. Then sacrifice the priest to get your creature back. I think this is the correct explanation. Please correct me if I'm misleading anyone.
Jumbo Commander Thanks, That sounds right, but I'm no judge.
It is exactly that. you exile it until it leaves the battlefield. you can't exile something for a negative amount of time. it is just treated as 0, e.g. never left the battlefield and never saw exile
To be absolutely precise, here we are :
611.2b: Some continuous effects generated by the resolution of a spell or ability have durations worded "for as long as . . . ." If the "for as long as" duration never starts, or it ends before the moment the effect would first be applied, the effect does nothing. It doesn't start and immediately stop again, and it doesn't last forever.
Example: Master Thief has the ability "When Master Thief enters the battlefield, gain control of target artifact for as long as you control Master Thief." If you lose control of Master Thief before the ability resolves, it does nothing, because its duration-as long as you control Master Thief-was over before the effect began.
Been doing the Fiend Hunter trick since before Fiend Hunter was printed. Narrow Escape + Journey to Nowhere back in og Zendikar.
Thanks Jumbo!
You sort of left out the best bit... If you play a 2-trigger exile permanent on an enemy commander while having an sacrifice/bounce effect for it, you can threaten your enemies commander with permanent exile! Meaning that they almost have to send it to the command zone, because if they sent it to exile and you would restack the triggers... it will stay in exile forever. Roon of the Hidden Realms sends his greetings. :)
Came here to ask this. If they let the commander get exiled, it would be possible with fiend hunter to lock their commander in exile.
So would this play be legal?
1. Banishing light on commander
2. Send commander to the command zone
3. Cast commander for it's appropriate CCM
Then as the commander dies again, later destroy banishing light and return the commander after having cast it
tldr: no you cant, that would be illegal
that is a great question, go to 9:10 he explains that if you cast your commander again while it's in the command zone from Banishing Light's exile effect, or your commander goes somewhere else, Banishing Light will not remember your commander as the "exile target" anymore.
Assuming you control your commander, targeting it with your own Banishing Light isn't a legal play to begin with.
>903.9a If a commander is in a graveyard or in exile and that object was put into that zone since the last time state-based actions were checked, its owner may put it into the command zone. This is a state-based action. See rule 704.
Putting a Commander into the Command Zone occurs *after* the Commander is placed in the GY or Exile. It is NOT a replacement effect.
This does *not* work.
Yeah I discovered this when building roon his effect also returns the creature even if they put it in the command zone
Question, banishing light hits the commander and sends it to the command zone. The commander is played from the command zone and enters the battlefield. Banishing light leaves the battlefield with the commander it exiled in play, does the commander flicker or not. I assume not because it isn't going anywhere it just goes to the battlefield from the battlefield
It doesn't, because Banishing Light lost track of it when you cast it from the command zone. The only reason Banishing Light can return it to the battlefield in the first place is because the command zone decision you made changed the text "exile" to "put into the command zone" on BL's ability. Normally cards like that can't track cards they exiled if they change zones.
I’ve been playing competitively for 4 years. Knew about the fiend hunter ruling did not know about the exile rule on the new cards.
I'm honestly baffled as to why someone would downvote this? Like, do they just hate being informed of how the rules actually work? I'm as confused by that as they are with the rules probably
Ran into this problem against Reyhan, Last of the Abzan with me having an Angel of Condemnation. Crazy stuff. :))
Thanks for walking through the Fiend Hunter shenanigans. I've known about it for a long while now, but I never understood it no matter how many times I read through the process. Does this also apply for "flicker" effects on Fiend Hunter?
Yes, instead of a sacrifice effect you can use instant speed flicker (like an eldrazi displacer) this will end up with you permanently exiling one creature and exiling another under the fiend hunter. You can repeat this trick over and over (as long as you can keep flickering).
My favourite thing in my "I dont need friends" deck is Sundial of the Infinite with stuff like Sudden Disappearance. Exile commanders like theres no tomorrow.
wait, I am confused, people can cast Inala? I have never seen that happen.
Wow, that's right. Goddam complicated rules.
Good old Oblivion Ring exploit. I remember back in the day when people thought I'm cheating while I was explaining how it works.
I'm glad they changed the rule so that all this weirdness doesn't get encountered by new players in standard sets anymore. But I love to abuse it in Commander :D.
Same reason why they removed combat damage from the stack. People felt cheated when you killed two creatures with Mogg Fanatic.
Kinda sad they couldn't figure out a good version for Spell Queller :/.
Well Spell Queller is the first card to interact with Spells like that so it could be tricky to template it to be just one effect.
I was under the impression that the Command Zone is different than Exile. So if a card tells you to exile your commander and you replace the effect with command zone, they are two different things. You do not get the flexibility to blow up the O-ring or Banishing Light for a free commander, because the card was never exiled. The exile effect was replaced with command zone.
Adam Nickel if you replace the exile word on banishing priest with commandzone there is no mention of exile left.
On the ob.ring it doesnt work since the second trigger wasnt replaced with command zone
I pinned a clarifying comment with some links.
Torment was full of creatures that abused this interaction. Faceless Butcher and Mesmiric Fiend being the strongest.
this also works with flikering feind hunter if you do it right you can start to exils lots of things
This was helpful!
Whoa, ok. That's crazy
i feel like exiling your own commander to cheat it back into play would be a pretty fun build around xD
I love the Fiend Hunter interaction if I'm honest. Always have xD Using Tidehollow Sculler in the same way atm, because I don't even like having friends.
I love that sculler exiles too.
*Opponent goes to put their card in the graveyard*
"Sorry, Exile" I remind them.
*Opponent lets out a small sigh of frustration*
"Sorry" I repeat quietly as my inner monologue chuckles like Jabba the Hut.
Jumbo Commander Tbh, I'm more like Jar Jar. I take all pleasure in knowing how annoying I am loudly reminding people of the exile betcha betcha.
I'm still a lil lost on that. You played out the triggers of the cards you had however if someone responds with a boomerang or even a counter the exile effect shouldn't take place as to either the card not being there or it being cancelled. I don't know what it is exactly I'm missing. I chose those two as typically those are the easiest to run into in a game response.
Epic I wonder how these cards would be read online under these circumstances.
Thanks!
Hi. recently watched this video and i have a question. When bishop of binding exiles commander and as you suggested i should send my commander into command zone. but does bishop gets +X equals to zero or to commanders power even if it is in command zone?
Would you mind citing your source for that second interaction with the banishing light command Zone Tech please?
No prob. (magicjudge.tumblr.com/post/127878974954/if-banishing-light-is-used-on-a-commander-and-the).
Jumbo Commander That's cool.
That judge is wrong. Banishing light does not track the card to the command zone.
Matt Miszewski why wouldn't it?
+Matt Miszewski Normally it wouldn't, especially if the card went to the exile zone and then changed zones, but the command zone redirection is a replacement effect, which changes the "exile" on Banishing Light's ability to "put into the command zone". Banishing Light tracks the card in the command zone (losing track of it if it changes zones) and returns it because the return effect never mentions the exile zone or indeed any specific zone at all.
I got. But at my point of view it shold work aldo for the ring. If Banish light could find the commander at his zone the ring should be able to do so.
1 or 2 triggers isnt enough to change this.
Can someone explain the sacrifice portion of the first interaction. I thought a permanent had to resolve on the battlefield in order to be sacrificed?
I think the source you provided for the ask a judge is out of date, which may explain the confusion. The question was answered in 2015, which, admittedly brought about some important changes (i.e. clarifying the "tuck" rule). My go to rule to explain why the banishing light doesn't work the way it does is 903.9. I think this highlight a few problems commander format has. Because it's aimed towards casual players, house rules often trump dci. Also, the format wasn't even officially recognized by MtG judges, it was made by third party folk who were influenced by player input. This meant that rules were constantly changing and being adjusted even before the commander format was recognized
903.9 If a commander would be exiled from anywhere or put into it's owner's hand, graveyard, or library from anywhere, put it into the command zone instead. This replacement effect may apply more than once to the same effect. This is an exception to rule 614.5
Don't forget that the rule you cited says that this is a "may" ability. The player chooses whether to place the commander back into the command zone if it would be placed into one of the zones you specified.
Roon of the Hidden Realm's rulings make it clear that the interaction between the commander replacement decision and duration-based exile effects has been considered and ruled on by the DCI as far back as 2013.
Opalesence + Parralax Wave is one of the more brutal ways to exploit effects like on Fiend Hunter.
HAHAHAH yeah, I love it.
So hang on, why doesn't banishing light prevent you from casting your commander from the command zone? If you replace it's text to "...enters the battlefield, exile to the command zone target nonland permanent an opponent controls until banishing light leaves the battlefield", doesn't that imply that it stays there until Banishing light gets blown up? Or is that because of the nature of the command zone?
You can cast your commander from the command zone, so even if banishing light put it there directly you could still do so. Just like you can cast a Misthollow Griffin that has been exiled under a banishing light.
Great video! But what is that captivating art in the background?
OOOOOHHH! It's Oblivion Ring, but by far the best version. It's by Chuck Lukacs he only has a handful of mtg pieces but I love them. So stylish and unique.
I started playing Brago because how he breaks hexproof rules. When enchantments return to the battlefield, they are no longer targeting. Therefore, they can be attached to any creatures.
Probably a dumb question, but just in case: are you trying to enchant your own hexproof permanents?
If you are, you don't have to find a way around it---hexproof only applies to your opponents:
702.11b “Hexproof” on a permanent means “This permanent can’t be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.”
Like I said, probably a dumb question, but just in case.
I think he is thinking of shroud, I hope
Maybe auras against hexproof foes.
I dont get it...
If I bounce a "Pacifism" I can attach it to anythin including something with shroud?
Can a Judge confirm that?
MonasAlex that is what he is saying, i dont think its accurate though because to return it to play the origional target would have to be in play, if its not then said enchantment cannot be returned to play. See the card "open the vaults" it clearly says enchantments wothout an origional target dont come back.
You should have talked about worldgorger dragon (~leonin relic warde) + animate dead (dance of the dead, necromancy) too. That is one strange exile interaction. It's one of the few interactions that can force a draw in the game.
And you could have said sth about face up and face down exiled cards. That's a thing not many are aware of.
Those can be cool followup video topics. Thanks
one of the few? There are plenty. Any infinite loop consisting of mandatory triggers can cause game to draw.
I know it is late, but i have a question still about the Banisher Priest thing.
The "enter the battlefield....until Banisher Priest leaves the battlefield" effects may be chained together, but is it really checking if the Priest is still on the field, or if it leaves the battlefield?
i was thinking, if the Priest effect finally resolves, because it was the lowest on the stack, the Priest cannot leave the battlefield anymore, so the exiled card should remained exiled.
Since the wording is, "until B. Priest leaves the battlefield.", i think it checks for leaing the battlefield, not for presence on the battlefield, and the same shenanigan as with fiend hunter should be possible.
But am i wrong?
It did in fact leave the battlefield. "it leaves the battlefield" occurred already, so "until" returns 0 of any unit of time. The target is exiled for 0 of any unit of time, i.e. not at all.
~8:00 : would you like to cite which, or which set of, rule(s) it is that covers this situation.
I pinned a comment with some clarifying links. Cheers
So assuming that you commander is in the command zone from banishing light, if you then cast it from there and it returns to play, if it winds up back in the command zone, will killing the banishing light then return your commander to the battlefield?
It will not, since the commander is no longer considered the same object from when it was sent to the command zone as a result of Banishing Light.
How is that interpreted from the card text? It's still in exile either way, so how does it know? I assume this correlates with a ruling on it?
Effects that target or keep track of locations of certain things only keep track of a particular instance of a card, permanent, etc. When a card/permanent moves location and then returns to that location, it is not considered the same instance of that card/permanent as the instance that was there to begin with. This same logic is why exiling a permanent and immediately returning it to the battlefield (with something like Deadeye Navigator, for instance) will cause a spell or ability targeting only that permanent to be countered.
More videos like this please