Last updated on April 22, 2025
Gifts Ungiven – illus. Chris Rallis
Gifts Ungiven is Unbanned
Coalition Victory is Unbanned
Panoptic Mirror is Unbanned
Sway of the Stars is Unbanned
Braids, Cabal Minion is Unbanned
Isn't Change a Necessary Part of Every Game?
Sol Ring – illus. Lindsey Look
In an address to Commander players everywhere, Gavin Verhey announced a few changes coming to Magic's most popular format. In an attempt to create parity, the Commander Format Panel introduced the Bracket System – a gargantuan task.
Certain cards were denoted as Game Changers; cards that definitively push the player who wields them over the edge. It's a soft banlist of sorts, a means by which players having pregame conversations can determine what kind of game they're looking to play. Only a couple Game Changers in your deck? That's a lower bracket deck. Tons of Game Changers in your deck? You're probably playing cEDH (aka Competitive Commander).
These cards were added to the list of Game Changers:
- Humility
- Narset, Parter of Veils
- Intuition
- Consecrated Sphinx
- Necropotence
- Orcish Bowmasters
- Notion Thief
- Deflecting Swat
- Gamble
- Worldly Tutor
- Crop Rotation
- Seedborn Muse
- Natural Order
- Food Chain
- Aura Shards
- Field of the Dead
- Mishra's Workshop
- Teferi's Protection
This is one of the first mass unbans we've ever seen in Commander. The last card set free was Worldfire in 2021, but the announcement today feels significantly more consequential than that. The game is about to change, big time. Let's dive in.
Fast Mana Lockdown
Jeweled Lotus illus. Alayna Danner
The banning of Mana Crypt and Jeweled Lotus were met with nearly universal backlash. People were filled with emotion, and vitriol, which materialized in a ton of inexcusable behavior. These are expensive cards that defined the landscape of cEDH. The ban was controversial, as both Mana Crypt and Jeweled Lotus were chase cards from their Lost Caverns of Ixalan and Commander Masters respectively. These cards are the definition of busted, so it's no surprise they WotC decided to keep them locked down.
Commander Aces are Ready to Rumble
Coalition Victory
There was a ton of speculation on this one after WotC took control of Commander last year. It's been on the banlist for 15 years, and a variant of it was just printed in Tarkir: Dragonstorm. It's a sorcery, it costs 3WUBRG, and it's an alt wincon. In the era of Thoracle combos, is this one actually that bad? Maybe, maybe not, but it's definitely a Game Changer.
Gifts Ungiven
It's an Entomb stapled to a Demonic Tutor at instant speed in blue. Tutors come on MDFCs now, but few of them are as powerful as Gifts Ungiven. This one is absolutely and undeniably a Game Changer.
Braids, Cabal Minion
Everyone's favorite evil upkeep sac trigger is back!
Sway of the Stars
This one is basically a blue Worldfire, and that one was unbanned several years ago.
Panoptic MIrror
It's a more expensive and versatile Isochron Scepter that enables pure combo shenanigans.
In Conclusion
Balance illus. – Kev Walker
The Commander Brackets system is still in Beta, the kinks are still being ironed out. A ton of classics were unbanned, but many players are surely sore about fast mana still being on lock. Who knows, maybe they'll print Space Lotus in Edge of Eternities? Stay tuned for the next official B&R on June 30th!
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13 Comments
Not unbanning fast mana kills my interest in commander again. Hopefully next time they’ll reverse the RCs mistakes and this game can be something to come back too
It’s a tough spot given what happened after those cards were banned. My guess is they want to but they’re worried about the repercussions with the community (people who sold those cards at a loss, mostly).
Trash decisions
Weak af move. Put people in charge who don’t make scared decisions.
I respect your opinion. But, no one not even you will not be affected if you make a decision and the players do not like it. If you do you will not make any money. From loyal players in fact they might boycott the game if you make a casual format to competitive.
I find it weird that Thoracle remains legal despite being possibly the least interactive and most prevalent wincon in cEDH
Game Changer seems fine for Thoracle, it’s kind of important to cEDH. Not sure how much that figures into their conversations about what to ban/unban.
Keep Crypt and Lotus banned. While cEDH staples, they warped the lower level decks (7-8 power) that didn’t want to go into CEDH or couldn’t afford too. I get proxies are a thing, but not everyone allows proxies and official shop tournaments don’t allow them either. I’m glad they were banned and hope they stay gone.
Right there with you Josh, I prefer them gone.
Thought I sympathize with people who invested into them just to have them banned.
Personally, Im happy to see the fast mana cards remain banned, there is always two sides to these issues.
Im of the opinion, that it doesnt feel fun to win, because you drew your fast mana engines, and the opponent didnt, and its just as bad a feeling, when you see your opponent get all the mana engines, and they win because of it. I love how it forces Commander to try and add a bit more diversity to their mana base than just seeing the same damn mana sources over and over again.
I agree with you. On that note I am wondering what you think about the unbanned cards. Should they have remained banned? Should something else have also been unbanned?
im disappointed with WoTC. Unban MY FASTBOND already!!!! I want that card back, and even if its not banned, i will play it in a deck. I love this card, my favorite green card! Also, not very bad with how I PLAY. every card is how it plays unless its like primetime. (primeval titan) or something equally as evil. THAT should stay banned. I would unban mana crypt, were i them. I would unban fastbond. Everyone would be running it if it werent banned. If youre going to ban a card, why print it!? All i have to say!!!! BUT side of other coin? Some cards deserve to stay banned.
Fastbond’s a pretty messed up card, not sure that one’s in consideration!
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