[CLASSIC] MAY 2018 RULES / BANLIST UPDATE
During the last quarter, many decks, ideas, archetypes and changes have affected the results in tournaments, both in top ranked decks and in general, when observing the metagame, that latter really spread out and it seems more and more decks are being played, rogue decks or meta decks, which creates more diversity (recent tournament results show a broader scattering in decks, which is a proof of health).
This is exactly what we could qualify as a healthy situation, except for one dissonance among this whole satisfying and balanced environment, which goes along with a slight improvement we’re adding (see below).
Changes:
👉 Individual card changes:
Zurgo Bellstriker is now banned as a commander only.
👉 Gameplay rules changes: Commander Swap rule.
Players can now swap their commanders between each game of the same round.
Swapping commanders means: exchanging previous commander(s) with one or more eligible cards from their decks.
In detail, as of the date this announcement applies, the following rules updates will apply:
400.6. Sideboards
DC doesn’t use sideboards. Players can’t have sideboard cards. The only cards of a DC deck are the 100 cards from the main (and only) deck. The only time allowed to players between rounds is for swapping commanders (see section 400.7 of this document).
400.7. Swapping commanders
400.7.1. Players are allowed to swap commander(s) after each game of the same round. This means that after the first game is played each round only, each player may shuffle his or her commander(s) into his or her deck and present either the same one(s) or new commander(s) from the same deck before each following game begins during each round.
400.7.2. For the first game each round, each player puts their commander(s) from their deck face up into the Command zone before shuffling (see Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules at section 103.1b).
400.7.3. After the first game, each player reveals their commanders simultaneously by putting them willingly face up in the Command zone after making choices, or by putting them face down in the Command zone, then having both players turning them face up at the same time before shuffling (see Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules at section 101.4a). This action can only be done once per game.
400.7.4. Commanders must remain legal before each game begins. Players can’t change color identity in between games (see Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules at section 903.4a), and the choice of Commander(s) has to follow other construction rules defined in section 400.4 of this document (for example: players can’t choose a banned Commander).
400.7.5. Only Commanders that are part of the original deck are legal. If the tournament uses registration deck lists, the commanders must be listed within the deck.
400.7.6. Players are expected to take a decent and short time to choose Commanders in between games.
400.7.7. Players may change the number of Commanders by swapping Commanders with Partner ability and a single Commander without this ability (see Magic The Gathering Comprehensive Rules at section 702.123).
👉 Don’t forget to check out our Current Lists for a recap of all the currently banned cards.
These changes apply on June 1st, 2018. The next announcements will be published on August 27, 2018 (applying on August 31, 2018).
Until then, we wish you all many good games! 🙂
25 Responses so far
yo
May 28th, 2018
that’s pretty refreshing without breaking the game too much. love it.
Toby
May 28th, 2018
Oh mottin!!!
Jacob
May 29th, 2018
I’m confused what’s so broken about Zurgo Bellstriker? Looking at edhrec it’s just mono red burn which could be accomplished with any mono red legendary…
Stefan
May 29th, 2018
Cool idea for the commander swap, great job.
Only one complaint though, the partner mechanic is still not banned, or nerfed in any way 🙁 The sheer card advantage of partner commanders is just unfair.
Hi
May 29th, 2018
This seems to be a classic example of “It’s not broken, so let’s repair it”.
1) Zurgo representing (about) 15% of top8 decks shouldn’t raise such a massive red flag, particularly when the rest of the field is becoming more diverse, which is evidence, as you yourselves say, that the metagame is healthy, which by extension means that no deck is excessively oppressive.
2) Allowing for commander swaps seems to be a neat idea, it may refresh the format without breaking anything (at least I hope so). However, it would be nice if this rather major change were explained in more detail. I for one would like to know if and how you tested this, what the results were, etc. This seems like a huge boon for partner decks while bringing nothing to commander-specific decks (think Karlov, Titania, Gitrog, etc).
All in all, these changes may be good for the format, just take care of not breaking a format that was working just fine by introducing to many changes at once.
(Also, consider throwing a bone to mono-red players with an unban or two now that Zurgo is gone).
Hoping this doesn’t fall on deaf ears,
Cheers.
moutz
May 29th, 2018
can you stop your stupid BS and let wizards banlist take over ?
Van
May 30th, 2018
Wizards banlist is not suited for paper magic …. and do not permit aggro decks (or so few compared to control, and combo in paper magic). So this is not stupid at all !
When Wizards will make a banlist where aggro can do something and combo not permitted due to MTGO where also banned for paper magic, yes it will be time for DC to stop. But until that commander 1VS1 MTGO is not a diversed format.
David
May 30th, 2018
Mtgo is a joke. Look at their diverse and heathly format http://www.mtgtop8.com/format?f=EDHM&meta=155 . i dont want ot be part of this. I want to play something fun and thats not possible in control meta.
judas goldrich
May 30th, 2018
what van said couldn’t be said often enough. at the moment there is no alternative for DC. in the last major mtgo 1v1 tournament there was like 7times the same deck in the top 8. so the wiizards banlist is totally broken on a level much worse than it ever has been for DC.
in fact DC works better than ever competetive-deck-diversity wise. moutz clearly has no idea about the game.
stda
May 31st, 2018
Zurgo ? OK… so why is narset OK ? or mindsculptur jace ?
Jh
June 2nd, 2018
Seems like all of this trouble began when you radically cut life totals from 30 to 20.
Note that the dust has apparently settled time to think about looking at some UNbans.
judas goldrich
June 4th, 2018
@Jh look at the trouble mtgo 1v1 is having. https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/mtgo-standings/commander-1-v-1-challenge-2018-05-20#standings
DC is working better than ever especially if you look at the diversity of competitive decks which MTGO 30hp 1v1 commander doesn’t have.
30hp 1v1 commander is basically for people who love to play blue-based control decks against another blue-based control deck which basically plays all the same staple cards and then play counterspell vs counterspell. super boring.
Some dude
June 9th, 2018
I find the number of QQ people on here complaining about blue in a completely different format with a completely different banlist, different life total, and all around different meta entertaining. This isn’t even about that. This is duel commander, where aggro trumps all and combo and control can’t do shit. Why are y’all so butthurt about getting countered in a different format on the thread to discuss a different format entirely?
judas goldrich
June 14th, 2018
do you realize this discussion started because someone who seems to love the wizards banlist came here only to complain first without providing any arguments?
control is very balanced in duel commander in a very similar way as it is in modern. source-> mtgtop.8.com
modern=52% aggro decks. DC=55%.
MTGO 1v1 commander=19% and you still have to subtract Edgar Markov which still was the only really good aggro deck. Aggro based strategies have been a part of magic since its existence. To me personally, any MTG format that doesn’t allow aggro based strategies to be a competitively viable part of the game doesnt feel like MTG to me.
Roland
June 21st, 2018
Hey guys,
you know whats sad?
Duel commander has completely vanished in a 200 km radius around me. All the stores dropped it from all their events. Not even in FMN anymore. I’m really sad about this and need to ask: Is this was you intended with all the changes?
mfg from a lonely duel commander player
Aaron
June 28th, 2018
Same here, Roland. It had just begun to pick up steam when they announced the life total change, and was pretty much destroyed when they a) banned pillars of the format and b) took too long to ban degenerate cards.
This format has been mismanaged to oblivion, and I can’t seem to find anyone who cares about the format anymore.
Bendoq
June 29th, 2018
I haven’t played in a single RL even for DC since the 20 life change. A few weeks ago I thought hey, why not dust off the ol’ deck and give it a try.
Went to my shop, asked what’s going on. Found out that nobody plays DC anymore, and that there had not been an event in over a year. The last event before that had 5 people sign up.
Fun.
wat
July 3rd, 2018
@Aaron it’s still the by far best-managed 1v1 format. In comparison MTGO 1v1 is still pretty much the worst of all mismanaged format as it has like only 5 playable t1 decks and 4 of them use blue and all are control decks.
According to MTGTOP8 there are not a single viable aggro deck that’s viable and competitively playable in MTGO 1v1 commander. So whats a well managed 1v1 commander format in your eyes? Is there any real alternative to DC which I am not away of? DC pretty much has the best deck diversity it ever had. Why do you think 20hp destroyed the format?
Velocipède Centripète
July 21st, 2018
So with MTGO banning partners as commanders, can we look at this for here too please?
Their other changes are crazy though; no thanks to all that fast mana and tutors.
Also, maybe unban Fireblast and/or Sulfuric Vortex, think those are fine with all the new stuff coming into Commander nonstop.
New stuff in M19, Commander 18 bringing tons of change.
Remove partners as they were meant for multi.
Give red a little, maybe give control something to compensate, go until October?
Tyneic
August 8th, 2018
Hey I’m sure some people remember me.
I’ve been on a break for quite some time and am wondering right now.
Do you still hate combo decks enough or will you think about unbanning a few commanders that were banned in 30 life total for the reason of them having enough time to assemble their combo, which will be inevitably more difficult with 20 life, or is it simply you not going back on those choices?
I always see people talking about a healthy meta in here, which I don’t quite see. There’s three different archetypes in MTG, Combo, Control and Aggro.
Combo has been nonexistant in Duel Commander for quite some time.
Is this still intended? I mean I’m pretty sure if it wasn’t intended, the people at the DC commitee were capable enough to make changes to the format so combo would become at least a little bit more prominent.
Anyways, I’ll keep in touch.
Yours truly,
Tyneic,
Darius,
A lonesome Combo player
Tanis
August 19th, 2018
Hey, I am wondering if you see the same solution to the partner mechanic that I see, swappable commanders, that while they cannot be played in the same game, they can be swapped to add utility between games and still keep those 4 color decks viable!
Velocipède Centripète
August 27th, 2018
So….if changes today, possible bye bye partners of all sorts, unban Price of Progress and/or Sulfuric Vortex, ban Yuriko now or down the road?
MeAmato
September 5th, 2018
I’m interested in how the meta reacts to yuriko. Seems too much like a “better” ub Edric.
yaya el loco
September 20th, 2018
I never played against Yuriko tho 3 top 1 in one month according to mtgtop8.
Card draw while pushing damage and the commander ninjutsu tech seems too good honestly.
What do you think ?
Yeetus
January 11th, 2019
Ban decimate for the love of jesus
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