EDH (you can change names all you want, you're always EDH to me) is a format that has exploded in recent years. Developed by the folks over at what is now mtgcommander.net, it was adopted by Wizards and showcased in the annoying-set-to-search-on-gatherer product Magic the Gathering: Commander.
It had some basic rules and a suggested banlist, both of which were adopted whole when it was adopted. The bandits has both before and since only been tweaked sparingly, with suggestions that people create House lists rather than relying on an official one. While great in theory, in practice I want to be able to go play against people in a card shop without needing to argue about which cards are allowed each time. A unified bandits makes for a more welcoming EDH community.
EDH had always been a multiplayer format, usually a 3-5 player FFA. For me the biggest appeal was that this allowed a chance to showcase cards that would otherwise be marginalized for prohibitive mana cost or marginal gain. But a year or two ago, some Spikes got ahold of it and made the French Banlist to ensure balance in 1v1 games. This is all well and good for that, but it wasn't created with multiplayer in mind.
It is my belief that the official Wizards Banlist is not pulling its weight. I don't expect the same level of maintenance that Standard or Legacy get, but even a little would be nice. So much of the current list is based on the findings of such a small original play group, and times have changed.
As such, I have a few proposed changes to the current EDH rules and banlist. These changes are what I think will contribute most to making each individual EDH game fun and in some way unique.
As a quick aside, these changes are not trying to impose my subjective view of fun onto the game. I'm a Timmy/Johnny who loves to do wacky things. I think that tuck effects like Hallowed Burial are against the spirit of an always-accessibly Commander, that Confusion in the Ranks is fun in theory but hell in practice, and the cards like Diabolic Tutor aren't really what a Singleton format had in mind.
Also note that 90% of the games I play are fun and work fine without these changes. The reason I'm doing this is to move that number closer to 99%.
I'll first briefly lay out the proposed rules changes and banlist, then go in depth into explanation afterwards.
RULES CHANGES
1. Remove the color identity deck construction rule.
This is the rule that stated that you could not have a card in your deck with mana symbols not shared in your Commander's color identity. Instead, all vintage legal non-banned cards are legal in any deck. (Note: the rule that any off-color mana added to your mana pool becomes colorless remains unchanged)
2. Paired bannings
On the banlist, anything that reads [X]/[Y] means "you may play with cards in set X in your deck, or you may play with cards from set Y in your deck, but never both."
For a better explanation of either of these changes, scroll down to the explanation section.
The Idiot's Banlist
Banned Commanders:
Braids, Cabal Minion
Erayo, Soratami Ascendant
Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
Arcum Dagsson
Banned Cards:
Ancestral Recall
Balance
Biorhythm
Black Lotus
Channel
Coalition Victory
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
Fastbond
Gifts Ungiven
Karakas
Library of Alexandria
Limited Resources
Metalworker
The Moxen
Panoptic Mirror
Protean Hulk
Recurring Nightmare
Staff of Domination
Sway of the Stars
Time Vault
Time Walk
Tinker
Tolarian Academy
Upheaval
Yawgmoth's Bargain
(*Cards unbanned: Kokusho, the Evening Star, Painter's Servant)
Hermit Druid
Intuition
Lion's Eye Diamond
Mana Crypt
Mana Vault
Mishra's Workshop
Necropotence
Sensei's Divining Top
Shahrazad
Sol Ring
Decree of Annihilation
Jokulhaups
Mind Over Matter
Obliterate
Palinchron
Rhystic Study
Survival of the Fittest
[Painter's Servant]/[Grindstone]
[Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker; Splinter Twin], [Pestermite; Deceiver Exarch; Intruder Alarm]
[Reveillark]/[Karmic Guide]
Color code:
From the Wizards banlist (may include cards on French list)
From the French Banlist
New bannings
Explanations
The Rules Changes
1. Removal of mana symbol based deck construction restrictions
There are many strikes against this policy, most of which are explained succinctly by MaRo here. Rather than repeat him, I recommend you go read his take on it.
The biggest effect of this change is that hybrid cards like Kitchen Finks can now be played in decks of either color. Since they were designed specifically to accomplish this anyways this seems like a nice feature. Also, people have been playing "out of color" fetch lands for a long time, now it doesn't need to be frowned upon by the traditionalists (like me).
This may also increase the effectiveness of reanimator decks by allowing them to hit any target. I personally think most would be unwilling to play with an uncastable reanimation target in this format (most reanimator decks are 3 color anyways and see no need to splash for their bombs), such that the benefits outweigh the potential harm. If such decks become degenerate or overpowered as a result, then specific measures can be taken then.
2. Paired Bannings
This is something which has potential to be used in other formats, but it makes the most sense in multiplayer EDH where most combo decks are frowned upon rather than being welcomed as part of a healthy metagame. Many cards are banned because they are part of a dangerous and degenerate combo. But some of those have interesting applications on their own. Why not, with our future space-technology, allow for the greatest card selection while specifically stopping degenerate combos? Here’s an example of how it works:
Banned:
[Painter’s Servant]/[Grindstone]
This means that you can either put Painter’s Servant OR Grindstone in a deck, but not both at once. I have always thought that Painter’s Servant would be a cool and synergistic card to play with, then was constantly annoyed that it got banned purely because of its accidentally relation to some card nobody ever played otherwise.
There are also matched lists, for example:
[Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker; Splinter Twin], [Pestermite; Deceiver Exarch; Intruder Alarm]
This means you could put Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker or Splinter Twin in a deck, but not if you already had Pestermite or similar. Why you would play Pestermite alone in EDH is anyone's guess, but it's the principle of the thing.
This allows for people to play with their fun cards without the danger of stepping into the infinite. With the Painter's Servant example, say that Painter's Servant/Iona, Shield of Emeria became an unbearable combo to play against. Well, we could simply add Iona, Shield of Emeria to the Grindstone side to match that banning too.
There are a lot of cards which just have too many synergies to account for like this, and they still get the normal banhammer.
Looking to the future, paired bannings could also be used to reduce the effectiveness of an overbearing deck without completely hobbling it into submission. Say Dredge in Legacy was super powerful. What if Wizards banned:
[Dread Return]/[Ichorid]
People could then build their deck around the respective card, resulting in a metagame with two completely different styles of Dredge. The applications are possible, but that's just a potential use for this rule in some far-off future. For now, it would allow me to use fun cards in EDH while allowing us to prevent degenerate combos from ruining games.
The Banlist
First, a reminder about what games this banlist is meant to promote. This is for games of multiplayer EDH, generally FFA, which people do not want to end in infinite combos. I'm aware that some people enjoy EDH combo decks, to whom I say "this list is not meant for you have fun with another format".
Everything must be taken on a card-by-card basis, but here are general criteria which support a banning. One card may fit all these criteria and not be banned, while another may fit only one but do so very strongly.
1. The card ends otherwise fun games on the spot.
This is mainly to prevent degenerate combos and cards which stop play abruptly. They usually cause a player to win or lose with little regard to the previous board state or who is in "the lead". Being degenerate with a wide swath of cards will cause the single offender to be banned (see Mind Over Matter), while being degenerate with a few or just one other will result in a paired banning.
This rule also includes cards which reset the board state to a starting or "Balanced" position.
Note that the “without consideration for the board state” is important. Insurrection and Time Stretch are both very good, but they demand some board position or state to be effective. Compare this to something like Biorhythm, which will 90% of the time invalidate whatever has happened beforehand even with no other resources involved.
Negating factors (ones which may consider against banning):
-Being easily interruptible from a wide variety of commonly used cards in various colors.
-Requiring a turn cycle rather than affecting the game on resolution (e.g. upkeep triggers or infinite creatures without haste)
-Having wide legitimate uses outside the combo (though this can also be a ban-worthy factor if the card is powerful enough to be a control engine as well as a game-ending combo piece). Think Karmic Guide vs. Palinchron. One can be used fairly, the other has never been used for anything other than infinite mana.
-Being very fun rather than groan inducing (Warp World vs. Upheaval)
Example cards for this category include Coalition Victory, Upheaval, Panoptic Mirror, and [Painter’s Servant]/[Grindstone]
2. Power Level
Being powerful is not alone a good reason to be banned, as EDH is all about huge plays and wide swings. These are the cards that if they weren't banned would cause you to think "why the hell is this not banned". The French Banlist hits a lot of the cards for this, because it is a bigger problem in 1v1 than in multiplayer where there is more time to catch up.
There are some subcategories. Remember that only the worst offenders are banned for fulfilling only one category, and that these are general rules not ironclad restrictions.
2a. If it is an auto-include in almost every deck that can field it. This reduces the uniqueness of each game and makes decks feel samey, but those aren't the primary reasons. This is just an indicator that a card is incredibly strong.
2b. If it decks are often warped around obtaining/using the card. If you see several cards in your deck as "a second Sol Ring" or "another Cabal Coffers", that may be reason to worry.
2c. It creates unreasonably fast starts. Fast mana is the number one cause of non-interactive and unfun games in Magic, and EDH is no exception. The French Banlist hits a lot of the cards for this because it is a bigger problem in 1v1 than in multiplayer, where there is more time to catch up.
Examples: Sol Ring, Sensei's Divining Top, Tolarian Academy, Channel, Power 9
3. Substantially increases game length
Remember when Sensei’s Divining Top got banned because games kept going to time? If the card routinely causes a game to drag on, especially with repeated uses, then that is bad. This is the weakest of the considerations, but it is still a factor.
Examples: Sensei's Divining Top, Rhystic Study
4. Cards which are unreasonably oppressive to Commander
Karakas. ‘Nuff said.
Discussion of Individual Cards
From the Wizards list:
Kokusho, the Evening Star - This is a very strong card for EDH, and I'm aware it has many applications as a combination finisher. It is tentatively unbanned to see what people will do with it, but I am confident that it will more often be used fairly as a beater with an upside than as a combo piece. If it becomes a problem, it can be rebanned. However, I believe it is more important to limit the engines than the finishers. With the banning of [Reveillark]/[Karmic Guide], any combo involving this would need to be several cards long and very interruptible.
Painter’s Servant - This can have some very strong, but also very fun and wacky synergies. By using it as the standard-bearer for the paired bannings we can see if it will be too powerful on its own. My thought was no, but there is the possibility that it and Iona, Shield of Emeria or Deathgrip could become problematic. Like Kokusho, the Evening Star, this unbanning is dependent on its subsequent performance. But again, I see more reason to allow it being played than banned.
From the French list:
Most of these cards have lengthy explanations elsewhere, but what is most notable are the ones I didn't include. These were cards which can be oppressive in 1v1 games but lose power in the FFA political environment of multiplayer EDH. Strip Mine is the classic example here.
Aside on Sol Ring: This is the biggest offender for rule 2 above. There's a lot of discussion elsewhere about this card, so I'll leave it at comparing this to the Moxen. And this (before the color restriction rule change above, remember that this could be played in any deck, making it more powerful than those cards already banned!)
Aside on Sensei's Divining Top: This is an autoinclude in every deck and it makes games take too long. Also it's virtually impossible to kill. The format will be better with it gone.
New bannings:
Arcum Dagsson - This is the definition of a degenerate commander. It plays out every game identically and makes for very unrewarding experiences. The first time you see someone tutor out a Winter Orb on turn 3, you'll agree with me.
Decree of Annihilation/Obliterate/Jokulhaups - Though I'm no fan of mass LD as a rule, I saw no reason to ban cards like Armageddon or Ruination. When used correctly, those can speed up games by leaving out your one beatstick to own face unopposed. But these two cards are the biggest offenders against rule 1, causing a huge reset which invalidates most of what has happened before. I'm aware that Decree can be used fairly for its cycling purpose, but its main effect is too dangerous to allow.
Mind Over Matter - This is the card that started me on the path of creating this banlist. I wondered why it was never included on the original, then I realized that the original banlist was made based only on the anecdotal evidence of a small playgroup. If nobody brought MOM with them to play, they saw no reason to ban it (I can only assume). This card combos with so many easily accessible things to create infinite mana or draw out your entire deck instantly. And not only that, it can be used to lock down several players at once.
Palinchron - Nobody in the history of magic has looked at this and thought "finally, a 4/5 beater that lets me leave control magic up". And that would be a perfectly powerful use. No, this is used to make infinite mana.
Rhystic Study - This is the first that may surprise some people. In a normal game of magic, it is usually just a Sinkhole. But in multiplayer, it is a different beast. This is a 3 mana spell which routinely draws 20 cards over the course of games in which I've seen it played. It creates a tragedy of the commons in which just one player can defect and ruin it for everyone. Players seem not to understand just how important it is to pay the mana always rather than "when convenient for my curve".
But those reasons alone are not enough to ban it. After all, Phyrexian Arena draws almost as many cards for the same mana. But the difference is that the Arena doesn't slow down the game. Any game with a Rhystic Study (especially online games, but real life ones as well) involves repeated asking of "do you pay 1?". This card alone can slow games by 10 minutes or more in my experience. This, combined with its high power, is why I chose to ban it.
This is also an example of where I ignored personal preference. Rhystic Study was one of the first cards that I realized was an auto-include in every blue deck I made, and I've drawn more than my fair share of cards with it in my time. But to every era there is an end.
Survival of the Fittest - Often times a combo is considered fair because it involves 4 or 5 cards to work. Survival of the Fittest turns all of those into 1 card combos. It has toolbox uses, but its potential to set up every combo now known or someday to be discovered makes it more than strong enough to ban.
Kiki-Jiki suite - Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker is an incredibly strong card on its own, but got most of its fame by playing with Pestermite. Without the infinite combo it is still powerful enough to include in almost any red deck except ones with very difficult mana requirements. I considered banning him alone, but I think just pairing off the biggest combos with it are good enough. I considered briefly banning Intruder Alarm on its own, as it has a wide variety of other interactions (like Presence of Gond). However, to give the creatures haste puts it at a 3-card combo, while at 2 cards it is an interruptible one which takes a turn to complete. That, and the fact that I've never seen firsthand what it can do makes me think that it's not a problem.
[Reveillark]/[Karmic Guide] - This is the other combo which most often ruins games played under the Wizards banlist. It can be initiated easily from hand or from the graveyard, making it resistant to anything except graveyard removal (which can be dodged around). There are a lot of Reveillark interactions which are fair, and the same is true for Guide. However, every time there's a combo with either one, the other will usually show up too. Another strike is that they are in the same color, allowing them to easily played where someone like Saffi couldn't come along.
Cards considered for banning, but rejected:
Bribery - This card is super overpowered, but in the end I decided that in my experience it had never made a game less fun. Not banned.
[Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth]/[Cabal Coffers] - This was in consideration for a while, mainly because I was annoyed at how easily (especially with Primeval Titan) one could obtain massive amounts of mana originally restricted to monocular even in a 3 or 5 color deck. And with the color rule change, this could be had in any deck for colorless mana. However, while it annoys my feeble color-pie sensibilities, it is not a combo which makes the format or individual games less fun. Not banned.
Gaea's Cradle - This is nearly as strong as Tolarian Academy in EDH. However, players can interact with your number of creatures more easily, it's not as fast, and it's in a color that was meant to ramp. Not banned.
It's my hope that these rules changes can be widely adopted. If so, I am convinced that it will strengthen the format and make each game much more enjoyable. Let me know what you think in the comments!
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