For a long time, nothing has really changed in the Commander format, at least in terms of bans. The last ban we saw in Commander came multiple years ago. Since then, the Commander Rules Committee announcements have been, more or less, nothing burgers. We get a few new cards ‘on watch’ every once in a while, but it never amounts to much. That said, the recent Commander Rules Committee Quarterly announcement was a little bit different. A new ‘Silver-Bordered Project’ was announced, and we now know what it means.
The Silver-Bordered Project
Today, the Commander Rules Committee finally revealed more about the Silver-Bordered Project that was alluded to in recent announcements. With the enticing suggestion that Silver-Bordered MTG cards may be coming to Commander, many were understandably excited.
To recap, Silver-Bordered MTG cards appeared in the various ‘joke’ sets that Magic: The Gathering has released over the years. These cards offer incredibly quirky effects that occasionally break the carefully curated rules system that Magic is governed under. As a result of this problematic tendency, Silver-Bordered MTG cards are not considered legal in sanctioned events. That basically means that, outside of the specific formats they are curated for, they are unplayable.
The Silver-Bordered Project promises a chance to change this… sort of. In a new update post, the rules committee has stated “This project will not change the legality of any cards with silver borders or acorn-shaped security stamps.” This means Silver-Bordered cards won’t be properly legal in Commander after all.
Instead, the rules committee is essentially creating a guide that helps players navigate which Silver-Bordered cards could be fine in a game of Commander.
What’s Next?
The Silver-Bordered Project will separate each card into three different sections. One section will contain cards that would be totally ok in the Commander format. One will contain cards that could be fine if players are willing to ‘play along.’ The last section is cards that are definitely not ok.
All of the Silver-Bordered and Acorn cards from past MTG sets will be included in this list. The recent Acorn cards appearing in Mystery Booster 2 will also be included. Playtest cards from Mystery Booster products, however, will not be included in this list.
Players can expect the list being created as a result of this Silver-Bordered Project to drop on September 30th, the day of the next Commander Quarterly Update.
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No Connections to Wizards of the Coast
According to the early post written by Jim Lapage from the Commander Rules Committee, despite some players’ suspicions, the Silver-Bordered Project had nothing to do with Wizards of the Coast. They only knew about this once the project had already been started.
So, why is this even being done? Lapage has made it clear that the Commander RC is not used to projects like this, and starting with something with defined edges can be a great way to get into the space. There are many other projects being worked on by the Commander RC that we do not know about just yet.
This isn’t necessarily a passion project started due to personal preferences, either. Lapage personally dislikes the Silver-Bordered cards themselves. The Rules Committee has instead taken this on after a lot of players inquired about the status of Silver-Bordered cards in the format. A lot of MTG players really want there to be some inclusion of these wacky designs.
How Will This Affect Commander?
Technically, there will be no rules changes to the Commander format. Silver-Bordered cards will remain illegal to play. That said, these lists are sure to increase the interest and playability of many Silver-Bordered cards. Playing with these cards, however, will always be an optional choice that’s facilitated through Rule Zero.
Interestingly, this could also have an unintended effect on the secondary market. If this really catches on, popular Silver-Bordered additions could increase in price as demand increases.
Either way, it’s certainly an interesting time to be a Commander player.
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