Commander Bracket Speculation Causes Massive Price SURGE for Banned Cards

Last updated on February 12, 2025

Dockside Extortionist | Illustration by Forrest Imel

Prices on several Commander staples spiked in a big way following the recent beta announcement for Commander Brackets. This increase wasn't just limited to legal cards either; Dockside Extortionist and Jeweled Lotus (which were banned last September) saw huge gains, with Mana Crypt not too far behind.

What's This All About?

Speculation, of course! While there's nothing in the official announcement about unbanning any of these cards, perhaps some players are holding out hope. After all, if the Bracket system is successful and widely adopted, both cards could end up “legal in only Bracket 4/5,” rather than outright banned everywhere. Given that most EDH takes place between the 2-4 range, this would still do wonders for their price point.

But Will it Actually Happen Though?

This is a question with an answer that only the future (and WotC) knows. As mentioned above, there's nothing concrete to go off right now, so it's definitely risky to pick up Dockside Extortonist. If you're still up for a round of speculation though, some great choices to speculate on would be EDH staples that didn't make the Game Changers list. In Gavin Verhey's discussion about the Bracket Beta, he mentioned that a card like Coalition Victory is likely to be moved from “banned” status to “Game Changer” status, and other cards will likely follow suite.

Basically if you can think of anything that's really good/popular and not here, then that could be a target for investment. Game Changers being limited to three or only higher-power decks makes them inherently a bit more niche, but “pseudo-Game Changers” (i.e., cards that are good enough for this list, but didn't make it) are the best of both worlds.

Note that cards already legal in Commander aren't as likely to spike the way the recently-banned cards have. Jeweled Lotus and Dockside Extortionist absolutely tanked in September following their banning, since Commander was the only real format where they saw any play, while Mana Crypt held some of its value due to being playable in Vintage. The price spikes are more anticipation that these cards will return to their formerly high prices, so cards that weren't hit by the September banlist won't see as big of a spike.

Towards a New Commander

Jeweled Lotus | Illustration by Alayna Danner

Moving forward, it'll be interesting to see how the new Bracket system plays out. It's going to have huge ramifications for Commander as a whole, and will likely retire the classic “1-10” system for good. If you're curious about how it develops too, keep an eye out as Draftsim meticulously catalogs each and every step towards a new Commander format!