MAY 2020 RULES – BANNED/RESTRICTED UPDATE
This last quarter was full of complicated times and events, sadly, around the world. It’s hard not to mention the COVID-19 situation, which has shut down most physical tournaments, favoring online games a little more, which makes most analysis sources go under the radar. Our first thoughts go to everyone still in isolation and everyone who lost people during this crisis.
Yet, in those strange times, Ikoria, Lair of Behemoths and Ikoria Commander (2020 Edition) were finally out with a little delay, and, among their new additions, new series of very interesting cards, sometimes threatening the format balance, were born.In addition to structural updates we thought were required, some other changes became necessary, after carefully observing the latest updates and changes to tournaments, metagame, and gathering some locally-focused feedback.
Changes:
👉 Rules changes:No changes.
👉 Individual card changes:
Lutri, The Spellchaser is now banned.
Deflecting Swat is now banned.
Fierce Guardianship is now banned.
High Tide is now banned.
Capture of Jingzhou is now banned.
Temporal Manipulation is now banned.
Time Warp is now banned.
Cavern of Souls is now banned.
Field of the Dead is now banned.
Wasteland is now banned.
Lion’s Eye Diamond is now banned.
Gifts Ungiven is now legal.
Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy is now legal.
👉 Other changes:No changes.
These changes apply on May 29, 2020. The next announcement will be published on August 24, 2020 (applying on August 28, 2020). Until then, we wish you all many good games! :)
Further individual explanations:
One word to introduce those changes: except the Ikoria cards, all other changes are structurally linked. They aim at trying to reduce the impact of combo-oriented blue-based decks and aim at shifting to more control-oriented blue decks. This includes weakening combos, reducing the inexorability of land strategies, and allowing some iconic blue cards that were vaulted long time ago.
Lutri, The Spellchaser
Even though Lutri, The Spellchaser is merely a worse Dualcaster Mage (a card that barely sees play in Duel Commander), the lack of deck building restriction makes it a free and automatic inclusion that will always provide useful value to any deck that has access to both colors and cheap spells to copy. The rupture of equity is the real reason to make the card stay out of the format, rather than its power level, though. But as each player must get the same building options, Lutri, The Spellchaser won’t be allowed anymore.
Deflecting Swat and Fierce Guardianship
Some other new cards recently appeared in the latest editions that were released in April. Among those additions came a new set of five cards that each have a special effect, linked to its color, and all have in common a regular cost and an alternative cost, that removes their casting costs if the controller of the spell controls a commander. There is a long history of cards designed to be fair or interesting in multiplayer that ended up being weirdly efficient in duel, like Vial Smasher The Fierce, for example. It is true that those cards are interesting in multiplayer variants, but they remain overly easy to cast in duel. We decided that giving a free non-creature counter effect and a target-changing effect for free would be too much, favoring commander-centric strategies even more than they needed to be.
High Tide
High Tide was probably one of the most hated combo cards still allowed in the format. While it is true the card is a great balancing tool against land-based or removal-based attrition strategies, it is also a card that generates a lot of frustration whenever players happen to draw the deck namesake card by turns 4 or 5. Now that land-based strategies have been nerfed, the need for High Tide to regulate the format is no more. Therefore, it is now time to say goodbye to it.
Capture of Jingzhou, Temporal Manipulation and Time Warp
Similar and functional copies/clones in Magic The Gathering cards are always a source of worries in singleton formats, for too many of them could wreak diversity and the random effect that it relies on. Some are very famous, like direct damage spells, mana-generating creatures, creature-sweepers,land-fetching lands, etc. Though this is still acceptable -especially now that Magic The Gathering has reached over 21 000 unique cards-, some redundancies in lists can sometimes lead to annoying consequences. So was it for extra turns strategies, where players could chain those spells, replay them a sufficient amount of times up to a point where they could monopolize the game state until they eventually won with attritional effects, sometimes kick-started with High Tide, sometimes cheap/free-casted with very specific mechanics. This combo-oriented win condition is not what we want players to experience anymore, therefore those three cards are now banned in Duel Commander.
Cavern of Souls, Field of the Dead and Wasteland
Field of the Dead is a land that has proven problematic in several formats ever since it was printed due to the amount of cards that can search for it in libraries, ramp spells and Regrowth-like effects available (some of them playable in the command zone, such as Uro, Titan of Nature’s Wrath or Golos, Tireless Pilgrim). It brings inevitability over any form of slow deck (midrange / control) while also providing protection against aggressive decks through a constant stream of free creatures. That makes it a strong incentive for players to lean towards combo strategies, and a major threat to the format’s balance. Thus, Field of the Dead is now banned.Cavern of Souls greatly favors commander-centric game plans. Especially when it comes to green decks that could easily find the card in libraries. Reducing interactions -yes, Counterspell is an interactive spell- is not what we think is good for a competitive format. Commander-centric strategies reduce the strategic problems encountered in the format. Our efforts to finally structure blue as a more controlling color and a less combo color would be denied if Cavern of Souls remained legal.Wasteland is used 3 ways :
- Solving very problematic lands. Most extreme lands are banned. Against strong, but not critical lands one can play slower cards like Field Of Ruin or even spells to tackle that problem. No land can solve a Winter Orb or a Blood Moon, for instance. If one’s commander-centric deck loses on Maze of Ith, is it really a problem for the format?
- Recursion with Life From The Loam / Crucible Of Worlds / etc. This is inexorability. Blue can’t be shifted from combo to control under high inexorability. In this case, players will still choose combo over control.
- Randomly mana-screwing an opponent. Which is not a great addition to the format.
These 3 problems being evaluated as “not valuable” for the format, Wasteland now joins its mentor Strip Mine in the list of forbidden cards.
Lion’s Eye Diamond
Lion’s Eye Diamond is a key card in two of the fastest and most popular combo decks in the format at least. It was already singled out as a problematic card by many players when it was only played in Tymna The Weaver + Thrasios, Triton Hero decks, and the printing of Underworld Breach added another shell in which it permits “going infinite” a bit too easy. Lion’s Eye Diamond-based combos are also harder to interact with than other creatures-based combos (such as Devoted Druid + Vizier of Remedies or Aluren + Recruiter of the Guard, for instance). So, in an effort to tone down the strength of combo archetypes, Lion’s Eye Diamond is now banned.
Gifts Ungiven
Gifts Ungiven has a very short history in Duel Commander: it was banned since day 0. For as long as the Duel Commander Rules Committee existed, the card remained illegal. It was a prior-to-preventive ban (prior to defining the format for the first time) to prevent easy access to any combos, including multiple ones in one shot or those that could share common cards to activate. It was also banned because of the time it takes to resolve when players are given too many opportunities, or on the opposite when winning becomes harder and requires different choices than straight, regular ones, pretty much in a way Sensei’s Divining Top does. But now things have changed, and in an effort to remove overly easy-access combos, we believe Gifts Ungiven is worth a try, even though a whole new mass of cards got printed since 2007 (over 14 000, actually!), which could lead to really fast victories, having most of the most dangerous ones out of the format.
Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy
Last time it was legal, Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy was mostly used as a combo engine with High Tide and extra turns. With High Tide and the cheapest extra turns banned, we feel confident that it might not be as powerful and dominant as it used to be. Therefore, Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy is now legal as a commander again.
29 Responses so far
James petznick
May 25th, 2020
Ok, so where to start…
You are killing the format. you don’t take in account what people feedback (partner IE)
Mono blue combo is played in some Kenrith twins, and some fringe Gadwick decks, while Tymna/thrasios, Uro and in a short while Kinnan will be all around the place.
What rampant deck has abused LED nowadays ? because of it’s combo with auriok salvagers ? then ban the salvagers. Banning expensive cards has an history of convicing people that invested in the format to quit.
LGS are counting on this kind of announcement to live you know, and in our times, that’s not what they needed.
We are beginning to think that people complaining about the comitee favoring certain decks are right…
Djeydjaous
May 25th, 2020
Alright, that’s the last straw, you apparently can’t stop yourselves from banning stuff left and right. I’m done spending time and money in a format so unstable. You apparently can’t see that creating such instability is bad for a format health and player confidence.
Niv
May 26th, 2020
I’m pretty sure the DC’s pity deck was ransacked by a deck with huge power level like Uro and now they are using their powers to cutthroat it to lower the power level of the game again. They have no choice since they banned the strong commanders before and now moving forward they have to continue banning things just to keep the power level at the bottom. Good job DC, you are killing the format with your crybaby ass.
FUCKTHERULESCOMMITTEE
May 26th, 2020
Thanks for banning Wasteland as it is the only way to curb against unfair land strategies like azusa and gitrog. Fuck you, RC. You’re evaluation is fucking dumb
MtGenious
May 26th, 2020
I agree mostly with all of Tour bannings, mainly because I’m a casual Player, who hates infinity combos and plays his jankie dinosaur trial deck.
Now there is the point. I Play angels / dinosaurs and Zombies all with caverns to even think of landing a hit with gishath. Now I have 200 bucks of lands I can’t play anymore. (Not top mention my wastelands, but there I COULD understand the ban)
Please reconsider at least cavern…
nzz
May 26th, 2020
Well, bye duel commander, hello EDH
nzz
May 26th, 2020
I agree with all the comments above . Fuck you.
Bendoq
May 26th, 2020
Lol, just lol.
Every time the bannings are updated I feel like surely this was the pinnacle of self-centered lunacy. And then I’m always proved wrong by the next one.
Lutri aside (which is an obvious ban that should have happened Day 0 like it did in any other Commander format), these bannings are beyond ridiculous.
Banning 5-mana Time Walks, are you serious?
Banning WASTELAND?
Why don’t you just come out and say “here’s the decks we like, let’s all only play these ok” – at least that would be honest.
I’ll be over at Centurion, I guess, where there’s at least a semblance of rationality left. If you want a format for your own private use, play on your own and by yourselves.
QKey
May 26th, 2020
Sad announcement. I am glad that i am not part of that committee any longer.
nzz
May 26th, 2020
“This combo-oriented win condition is not what we want players to experience anymore, therefore those three cards are now banned in Duel Commander.”
I think this sums it up perfectly. Just print the decklist you want us to play.
MtGenious
May 26th, 2020
I forgot to mention, that you take the combo decks as reason To ban the extra turns, but give the combo players an instant card advantage Tutor, which also fills the graveyard in exchange?
Sorry, but this doesn’t make any sense
flo
May 27th, 2020
Bonjour,
Je ne critiquerais pas les choix. Je vais faire juste 2 commentaires :
1) Le rectangle “these change apply…” semble bugger sur mon ordi. Je sais pas si ca vient que de moi
2) L’enervement de certains vient de 2 points, il me semble:
-c’est le format avec le plus de ban! ce qui est un peu paradoxal dans un format singleton.+ de 80 contre moins de 60 en Legacy et environ 40 en commander. c’est beaucoup!
-Pour tout les formats, les cartes sont bannis pour des questions de power level et non pour orienter un meta. Ici, des commentaires du type “on veut affaiblir les decks bleus parce que …” ne pourra jamais etre compris. C’est juste une question de forme pas de fond.
C’est tout, bonne continuation
Carlos
May 28th, 2020
You are complete lunatics, don’t even makes sense what you’re doing. When people say DC is a joke, it is true. Banning a protective card like Cavern of Souls just shows that you guys don’t even know what you’re doing, it’s a goodbye for me. Makes no sense at all.
mcGawel
May 29th, 2020
Really??
Banning Lutri maybe yes even if it is not format spoiler for me.
Deflecting Swat and Fierce Guardianship, it is obvious.
But the others??
Why killing mono-blue even if I dont like these decks and dislike seeing my opponents playing turns after turns..
Cavern of Souls? why ? it is the very essence of Commander deck
Wasteland? the explanation is not sufficient.
Please reconsider this!
Thanks
g
May 29th, 2020
As the time passes this format is forced to became more and more similar to brawl/casual edh as far as power level is constantly decreased by banhammer every 3 months. Banning iconic cards such as wasteland, cavern and 5-mana time walks seems a poor choice in term of metagame knowledge and playerbase respect.
ie. wasteland is used in legacy to punish greedy manabases which are very common in DC meta, arguing that manascrewing an opponent is not allowed underlines a non comprehension of the pillars of a legacy-lite format like DC. The funny thing is that wasteland can solve the so-called problem of cavern and field of the dead by itself, so obviously no need to ban everything to solve a paper-rock-scissors situation.
People have always played against green decks that can tutor for cavern of souls or a wasteland package because these were the tools a green deck can play, we have had hundreds of “destroy target artifact” spell or “exile from gaveyard” spell in the colorpie from forever, the demonstartion is that no green land based deck is a tier1 in the format – Titania is a mere 4% of the last notable events in the past 4 months.
Danzen
May 30th, 2020
Since most blue combo pieces are now banned, shouldn’t we also unban Teferi as a commander now?
Wasteland ban is ridiculous. Removing the ability to deal with nonbasics in an efficient way will do nothing but promote the use of rainbow decks like Partners which the RC loves so goddamn much.
High Tide is a good ban. It serves the principle of banning as few cards as possible to achieve maximum effect.
Lion’s Eye Diamond, as well as Mox Opal for that matter, have never been considered overpowered in this format.
A lot of the bans feel like “We can’t afford to buy these cards so we’ll ban them instead” just like what they did with Timetwister.
Screw the RC. Give the format back to Wizards. After naming this format after themselves (French EDH), they seem to feel like they own the damn game already.
ChapelGeist
June 4th, 2020
Can u now unban Baral, Chief of Compliance pls? Now is not danger because of combo part, but could exist blue counter deck. No sence to ban anymore.
Thks.
frank abignal
June 5th, 2020
I disagree with all of the ban except lutri fierce G and deflecting S. Rest is pure non sense. You killed combo decks for good. High tide wasnt so overpowered. L. E. D killed the partner combo. Dont see the point of the 3 extra turns ban. And worst of all banning one of the 2 most iconic cards not so broken wasteland and cavern of souls was the worst mistake of the update. I’ll go play another format until you fix this dam mess you have created…
Danzen
June 6th, 2020
Now that companions have been nerfed by Wizard, can we have an official statement on how companions work in Duel and how it may affect the banlist?
And if it’s an effective, workable ban for the companion mechanic, how about applying the same principle for Partners?
Bendoq
June 30th, 2020
Just wanted to congratulate the rules committee on finally killing my local DC community for good. For the first time in years, we’ve now failed to get regular rounds going – on and offline – for three weeks running. A tentative inquiry has revealed that almost no one enjoys the format anymore, and people would rather spend their time doing something else.
So great, that’s that then. Thanks.
Rob
June 30th, 2020
Instead of banning Wasteland, Cavern of Souls and Field of the Dead, maybe consider whether banning Price of Progress was a mistake and return it to the format to police strategies leaning too heavily on nonbasic lands?
U N I T E !!!
July 1st, 2020
These changes are ridiculous and show this commander variant is going the way of mtgo 1v1 commander, the RC is complety out of reality.
May I introduce you to the best way to play tournament 1v1 commander – it’s called Leviathan Commander
It’s alive! The community is growing. Most decisions by their rules commitee are great and keep making the format better and better.
Check it out: https://leviathancommander.wixsite.com/home
I think it should be the best STARTING POINT to create The Ultimate 1v1 tournament commander variant. If it had 25 instead of 30 starting life it would be 99% perfect.
Stop dividing. Unite!
Conquistadoro
July 2nd, 2020
This is the first I am hearing of leviathan and it seems good. I will check it out
Rio
July 16th, 2020
These changes are very sad. With every update it’s getting worse and worse.
Yo, check the Leviathan Commander:
1) Partners start with 1 less card in hand (fair enough)
2) Wasteland, Cavern of Souls – available
3) 30 hp starting life, 21 cmdr dmg, 15 poison damage
4) Fair banlist
5) Fair meta
I’m gonna give it a try for sure..
GiveBackDuelCommanderToWOTC
August 5th, 2020
STOP BEING FUCKING MORONS RULES COMMITTEE AND JUST GIVE BACK THE FORMAT TO WIZARDS TO SANCTION. YOU’RE DOING A SHIT JOB AT IT ANYWAY. ONE SNOWFLAKE COMMITTEE MEMBER PROBABLY GOT OWNED BY AN URO DECK AND DECIDED TO BAN ESSENTIAL CARDS LIKE A GIANT PUSSY. FUCK YOU RC!
Michael Robinson
August 16th, 2020
Was thinking of building a list for our local game store, however after seeing the out rage from the community and the nonsense rule explanations I have shifted the store away from the format before starting.
Goodbye
Nicolas NRM
August 18th, 2020
This ban list conducted by people who have not been mandated by Wizard raises questions of ethics.
As you know, decisions made on cards have an impact on their market value. Some people have bought cards for some expensive ones and the decisions made make them lose a lot of money.
In addition, members with access to the banlist have privileged information that places them in insider trading.
To be clear, I’m just starting to play again, so I was not affected by this banlist not recognized by Wizard.
Nothing forces us to comply with the injunctions of this parallel committee.
Before the HRE rules published by Wizard were almost non-existent; this is no longer the case.
For my part, I will therefore only use the rules published by Wizard.
Nicolas NRM
August 18th, 2020
this ban list has an ethical problem. It has a significant impact on the price of the cards and people with access to the list in advance can engage in insider trading.
In addition, it is established by people who have not received any mandate from Wizard.
Nicolas NRM
August 18th, 2020
This ban list has an ethical problem. It has a significant impact on the price of the cards and people with access to the list in advance can engage in insider trading.
In addition, it is established by people who have not received any mandate from Wizard.
If you are unsatisfied, you should play as all US guys.
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