5, Feb, 25

Lord of the Rings Character Dominates MTG Format After Questionable Bans

Over the past few months, Duel Commander has been growing in popularity. Following its emergence as a sanctioned format on Magic Online, many players have gotten in on the fun. Unlike traditional EDH, Duel Commander is a one-versus-one singleton format where both players start at 20 life. This format also has its own unique ban list.

Speaking of bans, last week, a handful of cards got the axe in an attempt to make the format more diverse and exciting. Yet, in two Magic Online Duel Commander Trials that took place last Sunday, the same legend dominated both events.

Today, we’re going to look at what makes this particular Commander such a powerhouse in the format and discuss whether last week’s bans ultimately fell short of expectations. If Duel Commander continues down this path, it might not be long before another series of bans enters the picture.

Aragorn is a Force to be Reckoned with

Aragorn, King of Godnor

The legend that has been on an absolute tear is Aragorn, King of Gondor. In last Sunday morning’s Duel Commander Trial, Aragorn secured first, second, and third place. Then, in Sunday night’s Duel Commander trial, Aragorn got first, second, and third place again! It’s clear that Aragorn is an elite option, but what makes the card so good?

The strongest aspect of Aragorn is its versatility. The card does so much for four mana. Its most important feature, of course, is that it lets you become the monarch when it enters. If the opponent doesn’t have an on-board advantage, the card advantage alone will run away with the game.

However, even in the face of a quick burst from the opponent, this 4/4 body with Lifelink stops a lot of creatures in their tracks. Simultaneously, thanks to vigilance, Aragorn can attack and provide a life buffer without giving up anything on the defensive end.

If you ever do get to maintain the monarchy for any elapsed period of time, the fact that opposing creatures can’t block means the game should end in no time. These decks play a ton of evasive creatures, from Faerie Mastermind to Malcolm, Alluring Scoundrel, that do a great job battling over the monarch in case you lose out on the powerful effect at any point.

Most of the threats this style of deck utilizes are super cheap, and many of them also have flash. This lets you have an easier time reacting to what the opponent does with Counterspells and removal.

Once you’re able to stabilize the board, Aragorn will take over, but you aren’t forced to cast the legend on curve if the board state doesn’t favor you. All the flexibility lies with you, which is part of what makes Aragorn such a beating.

An Interesting Development

Ezio Auditore da Firenze

What’s most intriguing about Aragorn’s incredible run is less so that Aragorn is great (we already knew that to an extent) but more so that last week’s ban announcement only made Aragorn a more appealing option. In addition to the banning of generic all-stars like White Plume Adventurer, Ezio was banned specifically as a Commander.

This sparked some controversy right away, with many players wondering why these bans were necessary. Based on the explanation given by the panel that oversees the Duel Commander format, Ezio was banned for a couple reasons. First, Ezio opens the door for players to utilize all the best cards with no color constraints.

Second, Ezio can end games singlehandedly if left unchecked when its final activated ability is taken into account. These issues combined caused the panel to take action, as Ezio’s superiority to other competitive options posed “a diversity problem.”

However, by getting rid of Ezio, many players simply flocked to Aragorn instead. Aragorn has more in common with Ezio than you might think when it comes to gameplay. Obviously, you can’t play all five colors with Aragorn, which is a downside. Nonetheless, you still get access to a slew of elite efficient threats and pieces of interaction.

Much like Ezio, Aragorn is fully capable of taking over games by itself. Aragorn may not have Ezio’s final activated ability, but Aragorn’s ability to prevent opposing creatures from blocking still forces the opponent to remove your creatures or perish all the same.

The difference is that Aragorn doesn’t have to survive to create a big advantage in this case. Playing Aragorn on an empty board and becoming the monarch is a surefire way to win. Your opponent can kill Aragorn, but the damage is done.

The Future of Duel Commander

White Plume Adventurer

The reality is, even prior to the bans, Aragorn was the most popular Duel Commander general according to mtgtop8. If the goal truly is to promote diversity and allow players to think outside the box, banning Ezio and not taking action on Aragorn feels like a mistake.

Aragorn itself lines up well against aggro, midrange, and control, making it difficult to plan for the archetype. With this in mind, it’s hard to foresee a situation where the metagame is self-correcting to the point where playing Aragorn isn’t just the best thing to do.

The next scheduled Duel Commander ban announcement is set to release March 31. All things considered, a ban to Aragorn as a Commander seems quite likely. So, if you’re hoping for a bigger shakeup, make sure to mark your calendars and hope for the best.

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