Yesterday’s major Commander update, delivered via Weekly MTG, really is the gift that keeps on giving. Not only did we get some spicy immediate changes, but Wizards is also essentially putting other huge shifts up to community vote. Come next year, this could lead to fresh bans, changes to hybrid mana, and even a whole new bracket. As if this wasn’t enough, the Q&A session after the Weekly MTG stream revealed even more juicy information.
For many players, the new revelations found here will be disappointing. Wizards essentially confirmed that a range of often-requested changes won’t be happening, or at least not any time soon. These bombshells did come wrapped in a couple of interesting developments related to the Silver-Bordered Project and cEDH, mind you, so it’s not all bad news. However you slice it, it’s wild that so much important information was revealed in such an easily-overlooked part of the announcement stream.
No Planeswalkers As Commanders?
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from yesterday’s Weekly MTG Q&A session was the reveal that the whole planeswalkers-as-Commanders change isn’t happening. This idea, of allowing every planeswalker in the game to be run as a Commander, was something Mark Rosewater asked players about on Blogatog back in July. While he didn’t say anything definitive at the time, a lot of players took his posting about it as a hint that it might be pursued in the future.
After yesterday’s Q&A, however, it’s clear that this change is pretty unlikely to be made. Gavin Verhey noted that the Commander panel had discussed it and was “near-unanimously against” implementing the change. As reasoning, he cited the game-lengthening effects of planeswalkers padding life totals. He also noted the fact that quite a few planeswalkers would need to be banned for power level right away.
On the bright side, Verhey also mentioned that the Commander panel is very interested in exploring new planeswalkers with the ‘can be your Commander’ ability. If you include flip walkers, we’ve seen 34 of these in the past, and they’ve proven very popular with players. Planeswalkers like these, which are specifically designed for Commander, tend to be much better fits for the format than their peers, so this decision makes a lot of sense.
Be Careful What You Wish For
In a similar vein, the topic of Commander sideboards also came up during the Weekly MTG Q&A session. As with planeswalkers-as-Commanders, Mark Rosewater reached out to players on Blogatog about this idea earlier this year. This was prompted by the fact that cards like Wish and the Learn mechanic don’t function as intended in Commander due to a lack of sideboards in the format.
Verhey noted that, while the Commander panel had discussed the idea, it has a lot of logistical problems. Once sideboards are part of the format, every Commander deck will need an extra 15-card sideboard to stay optimized. This is true even if you don’t play any cards that interact with sideboards. As with Stickers and Attractions, the chance that someone else might be running one of these cards all but requires you to bring a sideboard with you, just in case.
As a result, Verhey ultimately said that it was “more likely than not” that they wouldn’t be pursuing the Commander sideboards idea. It doesn’t sound like as much of a long shot as planeswalkers-as-Commanders, but it doesn’t sound very likely, either.
One Ban List Under God
Rounding out the list of “requested ideas that aren’t happening” from yesterday’s Weekly MTG Q&A, we have the ‘Banned as Commander’ list. This is something that used to be part of the format back in the day. In addition to the regular ban list, there was also a list of legendary creatures that were banned specifically as Commanders, but could still be run in the 99.
This list was in effect from 2006 to 2014, before being abolished. Because of the nuance it introduces to banning, players have often clamored for its return since then. When asked about it during the Q&A, Verhey noted that, while the panel is open to feedback, it’s “not super interested” in pursuing the idea right now. The main reason given for this was the fact that “the number of cards that would end up being banned as Commander is incredibly small.”
When you consider the possible confusion that another ban list could cause for such minor gain, it seems unlikely that this idea will be back in the future. That’s doubly true given how well the Game Changers system seems to be working. This list provides its own kind of ban nuance, after all.
Silver-Bordered Shenanigans
The Weekly MTG Q&A didn’t consist only of ideas being swatted down, of course. We also got some positive news. When asked about the Silver-Bordered Project, an ongoing effort to create a list of Un-cards suitable for Commander play, Verhey pointed to the updated bracket system in response.
Those who have really dug into the new system will notice that bracket one no longer really has any restrictions at all. If you can justify a card’s inclusion for thematic reasons, you can run it in your deck. This includes Game Changers, which is surprising. Even more surprising, it also includes Silver-Bordered cards. Verhey said that the panel “hopes bracket one can become a home for Silver-Bordered cards” going forward.
This isn’t exactly an update on the legality of these cards, but it is something. Those who want to experiment with Un-cards will find it easier to do so with Wizards’ blessing. Technically, this was always possible via rule zero, but this is a more official confirmation of the idea. Hopefully, we’ll get it in writing in a future update, but for now, it’s a tentative step forward.
Concerning cEDH
Finally, we also got a couple of updates on cEDH from the Weekly MTG Q&A. One of the most common requests players have regarding the format is the addition of a specific ban list for it. Unsurprisingly, then, someone raised this topic with Verhey during the Q&A. He noted that, while it is something the panel has discussed, they’re not pursuing it right now. This is because they’d rather keep Commander as a unified format as much as possible.
Another interesting cEDH point that was raised was the issue with player turn order. Players have known for a while that being the starting player is a huge advantage in cEDH. The later in turn order you start, the less likely you are to win by far. This is a serious issue in tournaments, where all players should be on an even playing field. Verhey mentioned that the panel is aware of this issue and that it even discussed it recently. A few ideas have been batted around, including giving mulligan bonuses to players who start later. Ultimately, nothing is “even close to fully-baked,” however.
All in all, while it featured a lot of disappointing news, I think yesterday’s Q&A was a big win for Commander. It highlights just how seriously the new panel is taking the format’s governance, which bodes well for future updates.
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