Key things
- The new bans in MTG's Commander format caused an uproar among fans due to the unexpected removal of valuable cards like Jeweled Lotus and Mana Crypt.
- Bans have already reduced the value of cards, affected the pace of play for better or worse, and leveled the power levels of the commander deck, but they have also divided the community.
- Players have started petitions to lift the bans and have shown a significant impact on both the game's economy and game dynamics.
Magic: The Gathering is undergoing big changes right now with the release of Duskmourn: House of Horrors, which takes place after the highly successful Bloomburrow, and Wizards of the Coast recently shook things up even more with a blog post discussing the four big bans coming to MTGCommander format. The commander is often described as Magic: The GatheringThe best format with a newbie friendly approach with pre-made decks that come out with every release and the sheer fun of theoretical decks for 4 player games. However, while Commander remains the star format for MTGthe recent bans have caused a huge uproar among fans for various reasons.
Wizards of the Coast will usually ban one card, perhaps occasionally unbanning another at the same time, which keeps fan expectations in check and ensures constant rule updates. Additionally, some gaming groups will go through “rule 0” discussions before playing Commander, which essentially self-regulate games by setting deck performance levels and asking if certain cards are good to play. So, Magic: The GatheringThe new wave of bans wasn't really something fans were expecting, especially for two of the four cards that were supposed to get the treatment. Banned cards in Commander include:
- Port extortionist
- Lotus with jewels
- Crypt of Mana
- Nadu, Winged Wisdom
Magic: The Gathering Commander disables Kill Card value for large staples
MTG Commander bans explained
as a result Magic: The Gathering players started petitions to overturn commander bans or even remove the WotC committee dedicated to balancing the game, showing how deeply this decision affected the community as a whole. Of the four, three were pretty valuable cards, with Dockside Extortionist at around $90 before the ban (now $20-30 and likely to drop), Jeweled Lotus at around $100 (now around $40 and likely to drop), and Mana Krypt at around 190 –$200 (now around $70 and likely to go lower).
One could argue that bans are good and healthy for the game for various reasons, such as the cost and availability of cards, or the speed and power level of some decks surpassing most others. Dockside Extortionist, for example, was one of the best Magic: The Gathering cards in Commander thanks to an incredibly powerful ETB (Entry to the Battlefield) effect that creates several one-time “mana stones” and then is able to speed up the game even more with mechanics like recursion or flashing, repeating the ETB effect.
Likewise, the Mana Crypt was probably one of the most powerful mana stones Magic: The Gathering thanks to its incredible turn 1 potential, allowing the owner to have up to 5 mana on the second turn with cards like Arcan Signet or various loyalty-themed talismans. Jeweled Lotus is also very powerful, allowing players to cast their commander very early in the game and even acting as a way to reduce the impact of commander tax later, all for 0 mana. Finally, Nadu is a very problematic card that was explored for other formats before Commander, so it was probably less of a surprise that it was banned given how strong it can be in Simic decks or other combos that use blue and green cards.
While Dockside Extortionist and Nadu were scrutinized and known to be problematic cards, many fans were taken aback by the sudden banning of Mana Crypt and Jeweled Lotus.
Still, these bans hurt many players, regardless of their interest in Commander, because of the value of the card – which can be a huge problem for small businesses and retailers who suddenly have to take thousands of dollars in losses due to the drop in these cards. card prices have increased. Not only that, but casual Commander players may have to go through uncomfortable discussions about Rule 0 if they really want to play a banned card. With the Chucky doll Magic: The Gathering there will be no shortage of new commander staples in the game alongside the other Secret Lair sets, but the banning of these four cards will likely sting for a long time – especially if nothing comes of the petitions.
Magic The Gathering
Magic the Gathering is a tabletop and digital collectible card game created by Richard Garfield and published in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Players take on the role of a planeswalker and use various cards to battle other players by casting spells, summoning creatures, or using artifacts. It contains two main categories of rules, created or limited, and can be played by two or more players simultaneously.
- Franchise
- Magic: The Gathering
- Original release date
- 1993-00-00
- Age recommendation
- 13+
