EDH, Degeneracy, & A New Ban List for Austere Play

This post has been moved to the EDH forums here. This version will no longer be updated, and is missing content due to blog space restrictions.

All About House Ruling
a guide for
- Understanding and Personalizing Your Games -



...the power is at your fingertips...
Fundamentals:
Firstly, read Embracing the Chaos - Vision for the Format, beginning at "Like it or not", as well as Ban List & Format Philosophy. Done? Okay, now we can continue.

Because EDH is a social format and its base rules differ substantially from that of 'normal' magic, playgroups often make their own rulings on a variety of cards and mechanics. Each group has the potential to mold the game of Magic into a game that they'll all cherish more than otherwise, but must communicate with each other about how they enjoy the game and what they believe will improve it.

Historically, games are formalized expressions of play that allow a glimpse of the societies in which they were developed as well as a structure to guide play, which can be used to encourage various skills and behaviors, one notably being competitiveness. While 'play' is often used to describe intrinsically motivated activities associated with recreation or fun, when it is employed in games to attain some outcome rather than for enjoyment in the task itself, it instead describes activities that are extrinsically motivated.
Motivation & 'Casual' vs Competitive Play

ca·su·al adj. Being without ceremony or formality; relaxed: a casual evening with friends.

com·pet·i·tive adj.
Referring to the format: Of, pertaining to, involving, or decided by competition: competitive sports; a competitive examination.
Referring to a player or playstyle: Having a strong desire to compete or to succeed

so·cial adj. Relating to or designed for activities in which people meet each other for pleasure

There is a common misconception that 'casual' and 'competitive' are two opposite ends of a play-style spectrum for MTG. Both terms misrepresent what is often meant in their use; The real difference is dependent on the motivation in playing, which can be intrinsic, extrinsic, or a mix of the two.

If 'casual' were to be an extreme in any spectrum, the other extreme would be 'formal', not 'competitive'. It is definitely possible to have both a casual and a competitive game, or be a casual and competitive player. The opposite of 'competitive' is not 'casual', but 'unambitious' or 'noncompetitive'.

In mostly intrinsically motivated playgroups, the act of playing (or participating, if socializing is a greater priority) is most important. Relatively speaking, winning is not very important. Conversely, in mostly extrinsically motivated playgroup, winning is very important. It is sometimes said that winning is more important than 'fun' in this case, but such a statement only muddles the conversation, as 'fun' is a relative and very subjective term. Of course, playgroups exist at many stages between these extremes and may be further differentiated by other factors.

In addition to the motivation in playing, other factors that affect gameplay include the resources devoted by each player. Time, money, social participation, etc. can influence how likely groups are to agree on fundamental ideas. Obviously, if players invest different amounts of time or money to the game, or give different weights to social norms and expectations regarding it, they likely have different views about the game of Magic. That isn't to say that these differences cannot be reconciled, but doing so could be much more difficult if the players don't recognize them.


House rules are rules applying only in a certain location or group, outlining deviations of gameplay from the official rules. While often used to simply personalize the game, they are also used to adjust for imbalances in the local game environment or to encourage certain playstyles.


____________________



Strata of Balance:
This is an attempt to categorize groupings of degenerate/powerful cards that differentiate levels of game balance. These levels, or strata, are intended to help foster a more effective dialogue regarding balanced play, and to provide a standardized reference for house-banning. Players can be very competitive at any of these levels, but doing so at higher strata will provide more stable games and likely a better experience for any less competitive or budget players. Please remember that card bannings are only necessary when a group otherwise neglects to form a gentleman's (or gentlewoman's) agreement concerning those cards.

stra·tum n. One of a number of layers, levels, or divisions in an organized system.
stra·ta n. A plural of stratum.

Stratum 0


No recognized list is used. Very few cards, if any, are considered for banning, though some may be avoided or discouraged. This is best used for casual, minimally competitive games. Players should be prepared to adapt their decks/playstyle for enhancing the fun of the group.


Alternatively, cards may be discouraged or banned on an individual basis, using a variety of metrics, as they appear. A higher stratum list may be used as a baseline instead, but this style of card restriction, sometimes known as 'casual play', is meant to reign in players who either stumble onto an overbearing combo or become too competitive for the groups' interests.


Stratum 1
"The following is the official banned list for commander games. These cards (and others like them) should not be played without prior agreement from the other players in the game." - Rules Committee

Total: 34 cards + 4 generals


Generals:


"Commander is played with vintage legal cards."
note: though this list will remain unchanged, some cards that appear out of place on it include Staff of Domination, Painter's Servant, & Panoptic Mirror. Cards that could replace those on this list are Sol Ring, Mana Crypt, Tooth and Nail, Intuition, Consecrated Sphinx may fit as well.
The official list is used as a baseline. This list creates a minimally balanced format and thus is only recommended for slightly competitive play, unless players prefer 'swingy' games.

Common Exceptions:
- Painter's Servant
- Staff of Domination
+ Sol Ring
+ Tooth and Nail
+ Intuition
+ Consecrated Sphinx


Stratum 2

Card Explanations
The categories here do not detail why the included cards are banned, but simply organize them by their common effects. Many of the older cards here would never be printed with a balanced design philosophy for a variety of reasons. The few newer cards here seem to have been made without regard for the EDH format, or are design mistakes if they were.

Degeneracy can appear in many forms, but generally all relate back to one idea: resources. The rules of Magic help create a balanced game by making players pay for resources. These prices are standardized to create fairness so that stronger effects aren't usable until later in the game. However, there exist a multitude of cards that allow players to 'cheat' these rules and gather resources much earlier than otherwise possible...

Casting Enablers (mana sources, ramp, alternative spell payment)
Many of these either provide an immediate increase in available mana or allow a great increase of mana per turn compared to typical lands and other mana sources.

Black Lotus
With no mana cost and the ability to generate mana immediately, this can give enormous advantage to its caster when used early. The effects of such explosive mana ramp are well documented and very often enable degenerate plays. (WWW > 0)
Moxen (Emerald, Jet, Pearl, Ruby, & Sapphire)
Though only providing 1 colored mana each, these also have no mana cost and aren't required to be sacrificed. (W > 0)
Sol Ring
Similar to the moxen in that it immediately provides a net increase of 1 mana, it's usually considered better than them for the increased mana it provides each turn. (2 > 1)
Mana Crypt
(2 > 0)
Mana Vault
(3 > 1)
Grim Monolith
(3 > 2)
Burgeoning
The ability to play additional lands so early helps provide enough mana fast enough that this functions similarly to the above cards. The effect only becomes stronger in multiplayer, as lands can be played during each opponents turn.
Exploration
While weaker than Burgeoning, this has enough of a similar effect that it can function just as well in many circumstances.
Fastbond
Even more so than Burgeoning and Exploration, this allows any amount of lands to enter play on the same turn, which can provide even more mana than cards such as Sol Ring.
Mana Drain
While counterspell is not an unfair card, the likelihood of this also being able act like a Grim Monolith can enable degenerate plays in the very early game, even at a cmc of 2.
Channel
This enables the generation of greater net mana than all of the previous cards listed here combined.
Metalworker
This 3 cmc artifact can easily and repeatedly produce 4+ mana, and is capable of producing much more. Though it is a creature and suffers from summoning sickness, it affects the game in the same way that other fast mana sources do.
Mishra's workshop
The ability to immediately generate 3 mana with a single land is far above the norm, especially when compared to the downsides that 2 mana lands have.
Tolarian Academy
This can easily generate 3+ unrestricted mana very early.


Card Advantage & Selection
Card advantage has been well documented as being important in winning games, and many of these trivialize the acquisition of such advantage.

Ancestral Recall
It outclasses all other drawing spells of similar mana costs and many of much greater mana costs, all at instant speed.
Griselbrand
Immediately drawing so many cards at instant speed is degenerate at any cost. How the card made it through design is a mystery.
Library of Alexandria
This can potentially create uncounterable, repeated card draw on turn 1 with the ability to also provide mana.
Skullclamp
This may be the most efficient widely useable card-drawing engine ever. No other colorless card comes close, and very few colored, or even multicolored cards can match it. Originally designed to function more simiarly to Infiltration Lens, the power of this card is an unintended consequence of the 'drawback' of lowering the equipped creature's toughness.
Yawgmoth's Bargain
Very similar to Griselbrand, though from a much earlier set, in that it enables practically unlimited card draw at instant speed.
Consecrated Sphinx
Given that players automatically draw at least 1 card every turn and are likely to draw more, this can compare favorably to Griselbrand and Yawgmoth's Bargain.
Panoptic Mirror
Though not incredibly dangerous in competitive metagames with lots of artifact removal, this can create incredible virtual card advantage over time.


Zone Changing (tutoring, recurring, putting-into-play, tuck effects)
In addition to their zone-changing abilities, many of these either provide extra card advantage or put cards directly into play, disregarding their mana cost or other requirements. The ability to tutor for a specific threat is much more degenerate than being able to tutor for a specific answer to another threat.

Entomb
The availability, and low cost of graveyard recursion allows this to enable degenerate plays incredibly early.
Gifts Ungiven
Outside the unintended uses of this, (only finding 2 cards so that they automatically go to the graveyard) this is a tutor with card advantage and no restrictions on what can be found.
Intuition
Extremely similar to Gifts Ungiven, this fetches multiple cards with no restrictions. The graveyard is often used as a resource.
Primeval Titan
In addition to being a moderately large creature, the ability to fetch any two lands upon entering the battlefield as well as attacking is not only very good mana ramp, but recurring pseudo-spell tutoring.
Recurring Nightmare
This can continually recur any number of creatures from the graveyard to play, dodges sorcery speed removal, and is far below the curve for necromancy effects.
Stoneforge Mystic
It's unfortunate that such a flavorful card is able to both fetch, and repeatedly put equipment into play. Though it does have this restriction to equipment, its low mana cost and ability to bypass mana requirements can enable degeneracy in the early game.
Survival of the Fittest
For an incredibly low mana cost and being difficult to remove as an enchantment, the ability to repeatedly tutor creatures for filling the hand & graveyard at instant speed is far beyond what most tutors can do.
Tinker
It both tutors and puts into play any artifact, regardless of its cost. Artifact ramp being quite good in this format only furthers the degeneracy of this card.
Tooth and Nail
While 9 mana may appear to offset this cards' abilities, the ability to tutor and simultaneously put into play any 2 creatures makes this a one-card combo and far too powerful. The fact that ramp is strong and most powerful in green only accelerates it.
Defense of the Heart
Though situational, this has the same effect as Tooth and Nail and costs a mere 4 mana.
Protean Hulk
This is a one-card combo, able to fetch and put into play multiple combo pieces. Used 'fairly', it can still provide massive card advantage.


Immediate Win / Game-state Irrelevance
These cards either win the game, reset it, or otherwise put the game to a specific setting, no matter the previous board state.

Biorhythm
As mass removal is so often used as a method for generating card advantage, this will easily and immediately kill each player. Even when mass removal isn't prevalent, this can still have the same effect.
Coalition Victory
With the constant availability of a 5 color general and the availability of dual-lands and land tutors, this can end a game before anything of interest even happens.
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
The most degenerate creature that ever was, or will be. It's a good role model for degeneracy: Zero interaction, very powerful.
Sway of the Stars
Allows, for 10 mana, the ability to set everyone's life at 7 and essentially restart the game. It can also be used to provide an incredible headstart after its' resolution with floating mana, or simply end the game.
Upheaval
Similar to Sway of the Stars, this can be used more consistently due to its lower mana cost and the fact that its caster knows which cards he or she will have in hand afterward.
Worldfire
While it leaves each player with nothing besides their commander if it's in its' zone, bringing each player to 1 life is almost worse than the previous cards as it can essentially give the game to whomever draws relevant threats first.

Resource Denial

Time Vault
If it could only be played fairly, it would still be degenerate for allowing an extra turn for 2 colorless mana, in which its' player would likely be winning the game.
Time Walk
This has the same effect of Time Vault with no 'downside' besides the single colored mana requirement.
Karakas
This is degenerate within the unique rules of EDH. Repeated, uncounterable general removal, with other functionality (mana) is too powerful.
Balance
Not designed for multiplayer, its devastating effects can easily be asymmetrical as well as extremely underpriced.
Limited Resources
Similar to Balance in that its' effects don't scale fairly to multiplayer, it only costs a single mana.



Generals
Braids, Cabal Minion
Erayo, Soratami Ascendant
Kokusho, the Evening Star
Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary


Cards that were officially banned or unbanned:

Sundering Titan (banned 20 Jun 2012):
From this post: "Sundering Titan has long been a card on the edge. The decision to get rid of it came from the combination of two points. One, it simply created undesirable game states. It was too easily both intentionally abused and unintentionally game-warping, especially since its ability triggers on both entering and leaving the battlefield. Two, there has been a fair amount of community distaste for the card, and we agreed that the card overwhelmingly creates a negative experience for players. Listening to the ever-growing and ever more-involved community is important to us."

Shahrazad (banned 20 Sept 2011):
Though this card is not vintage legal, it was presumably left off of the official ban list due to not having dexterity or ante requirements. With a situational 10 life-loss to each opponent at the low cost of 2 white mana, this card has no place in competitive magic. The fact that it is notorious for substantially extending games only furthers this reasoning.

Lion's Eye Diamond (unbanned 20 Sept 2011):
While otherwise having the same effect as Black Lotus, the downside of having to discard one's hand seems to make this a very niche card. Because of this and it's monetary value, it hasn't seen much play. However, that is no reason that it can be safely ignored. Until testing can provide evidence that it is not equivalent in degeneracy as the other cards on this list, it will continue to be watched.

Worldgorger Dragon (unbanned 17 Jun 2011):
Known as a combo piece in conjunction with Animate Dead as well as others, it may have originally been given priority for banning for its inclusion on the Legacy ban list. These types of combos are typically not degenerate enough to warrant banning.

Staff of Domination (banned 20 Jun 2010, still officially banned):
Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary & Metalworker, the two cards that were the most powerful with this, are illegal. The only other cards that create a 2 card combo with it are Bloom Tender, Elvish Archdruid, Harabaz Druid, Priest of Titania, Sacellum Godspeaker, Viridian Joiner, & Wirewood Channeler. Even still, these 7 cards only situationally produce the 5 mana necessary to create an 'infinite' 2 card combo.

Painter's Servant (banned 1 Dec 2009, still officially banned):
Grindstone & Iona, Shield of Emeria are quoted as being too degenerate with this. Teysa, Orzhov Scion also benefits greatly from it. However, these combinations are still 2 card combos, and this list does not aim to ban such things. There are many useful and interesting uses for the Servant, but playgroups are encouraged to look at the list of general + 1 card combos (below) if any combos similar to this are being considered for house-banning. It may be that EDH has become complex enough to consider general-specific card bans.

Grindstone (unbanned 1 Dec 2009):
Originally added solely for its interaction with Painter's Servant, it was removed when the other was officially added. 2 card combos such as that haven't appeared degenerate enough (or at least consistent enough) to warrant banning.
The following is the 'austere list' (now stratum 2 list) for EDH. It is meant to better facilitate fair play for austere settings and may be used as a starting point for new playgroups or groups with varying levels of competitiveness, 'austere' meaning solemn, serious, or otherwise antisocial in this instance. Talk to those you play with about what you enjoy in Magic, and how you may want to adjust the list of cards you play with.

TOTAL: 48 cards + 4 generals (You may use any of the 12,695+ other cards)

Moxen (Emerald, Jet, Pearl, Ruby, & Sapphire)


Generals (You may use any of the other 470+ generals):


Cards are banned in vintage only for dexterity requirements and ante rules text. Restricted vintage cards are not necessarily illegal in EDH, though many are.
note: Painter's Servant, and Staff of Domination, while on the official list, don't seem to warrant such and are excluded from this list. Additionally, Kokusho, the Evening Star is only included as a general.
This list (explained in the spoiler here, as well as below) may be used as a baseline. Some very degenerate cards that would otherwise be considered staples or necessary for competitive play in Stratum 0 or 1 are absent. This list creates a moderately balanced format and thus is recommended for a much wider range of players, casual or not. Games can still be swingy, but are not consistently so.

Common Exceptions:
- Entomb
- Stoneforge Mystic
- Grim Monolith
- Exploration
+ Hermit Druid
+ Ad Nauseum
+ Goblin Welder
+ Arcum Dagsson


Stratum 3

Zone Changing (tutors, recursion effects, tuck effects, etc)


Casting Enablers (mana ramp, lands, alternative spell payment, etc)


Card Advantage & Selection (draw, library manipulation)


Combo Enablers


Ubiquity & Power Level
This list is a rough draft. It builds upon stratum 2 and flattens the power level of the format even more so.

TOTAL: 80 + 3 generals

Moxen (Emerald, Jet, Pearl, Ruby, & Sapphire)


Generals:


Cards are banned in vintage only for dexterity requirements and ante rules text. Restricted vintage cards are not necessarily illegal in EDH, though many are.
Many degenerate 'staple' cards from stratum 0 or 1 are unavailable at this level, making for a much more stable format that stresses interaction and skill more than the previous strata. The most oppressive infinite combo enablers are also included. This greater card restriction reduces the availability of degenerate plays, thus allowing noncompetitive & competitive players to more easily interact. This list creates a largely balanced format and thus best used to facilitate a more stable environment for groups with players of varying competitive/budget levels. Games are considerably more fair than those in previous strata.

(see complete post)

Stratum 4
Estimated ~120 cards total, based off of previous strata.
A great number of very powerful and most degenerate cards and combos are illegal, making for a very skill intensive format that may be unrecognizable when compared with Stratum 0 or 1. Excellent synergy, tight play, and political finesse are vital here. A baseline has yet to be developed, though the list will create a very restricted format that could be used to encourage greater variation/interaction in decks, allow slower games, create a deckbuilding handicap for more competitive players, or provide a lower ceiling for deck budgets.

(see complete post)
____________________



Other Common House Rules:
This is a compilation of house rules from many different groups. They've been employed for a variety of reasons, and are not grouped here to suggest that they should be used together; Doing so is extremely ill-advised.

Please consider when creating house-rules, how complex & long you want your list of rules to be. The Rules Committee has specifically not changed some things for the format because doing so would reduce the simplicity of the game and potentially overwhelm new players. Your playgroup may enjoy a set of custom rulings, but if you want to invite a new player, he or she may not immediately appreciate or understand all of the changes.

Psychographic Profiles (Timmy, Johnny, Spike & Others)

Similarly to the idea of 'casual' gaming, many players are unaware of the specific types of motivation they and others have, or how that can help them. There are many explanations for how our brains work with regards to motivation, and that's because our brains are incredibly complicated. These 'psychographic' profiles, or archetypes, provide a visualization of the psychology behind the player.

Timmy enjoys the act of playing. (power, social, diversity, adrenaline)
Johnny wants to express something. (combo player, offbeat designer, deck artist, uber)
Spike wants to prove something. (tuner, innovator, analyst, nuts & bolts)
Bartle is another potential psycho-graphic profile that intersects the others (manipulator, achiever, explorer, socializer)

Vorthos judges cards on how they make him feel. (intuition)
Melvin judges cards on how they make him think. (sensing)


General Rules:
    Any creature can be your general (pauper EDH allows any non-rare creature as a general, with the other 99 being common)Generals are immune to the legend rule, copies are not (only the copies would go to the graveyard if both are in play)Generals that would leave the battlefield or enter the graveyard from anywhere may be returned to the command zone (stops tuck effects)Hybrid mana cost cards are usable as long as they could be cast in the general's color identity (see this thread for a discussion regarding this)The rule that a deck may not generate mana outside of its colors and generates colorless mana instead if it would is removed. (may have unforeseen consequences with cards like Sen Triplets)Cards with color identities different from your general are allowed, though only if their color fits within your generals color(s)."Generals cast from the command zone are considered to be cast from your hand. Activated abilities of generals in the command zone may be activated as though they were in your hand, but adhere to the 'casting tax' rule."
If this rule is used in conjunction with the allowance of any creature as general, creatures with other effects such as Evoke would be affected too.



    Foreign/textless cards are allowed only if an english (or accepted language) version (or printed proxy) of the card is available for reference. (the play will be deemed illegal otherwise)Players have n minutes to complete their turn; If that time is reached, the turn ends. This is generally used to encourage faster play, and will likely be better suited as a temporary rule.Before turn 8, if a player has missed 3 consecutive land drops, that player may reveal cards from the top of his or her library until a land card is revealed. That card is put into play and all revealed cards are shuffled into that player's library.Gold bordered (world championship) and/or silver bordered (unhinged & unglued) cards are legal, but still subject to ban lists (championship cards should be played with opaque sleeves.)
See the [unCommander] Project for additional info regarding un-cards.
(see complete post)
(see complete post)
(see complete post)
(see complete post)


Mulligan Rules: (Partial Paris is regular)
    Standard Paris (big deck) - regular MTG mulligan rules are used (shuffle hand into library and draw 1 less card)Partial Paris - ('exile' any number of cards and draw 1 less; shuffle 'exiled' cards into library when finished mulliganing)Free Partial Paris - One free Partial Paris mulligan is allowed, ('exile' any number of cards and draw that many) then regular rules applyGis - Hand is set aside and 7 are drawn (alternatively, only redraw for hands without 3-6 lands)All players draw 8 cards and skip their first draw step

Partial Paris Mulligan Rule (regular method for competitive play)

Because Commander games are long and usually not played in multigame matches, the format uses a modified mulligan rule designed to alleviate mana-light hands without significantly increasing the odds of finding individual cards. This is also known as the "Brittany" mulligan rule.
    In turn order, players may exile (face down) some or all of the cards in their hand.Each player then draws one less card from their deck than the number they exiled.Players who exiled at least one card may return to step 1 and repeat the process, drawing one less card each time.Players shuffle all exiled cards into their deck.

It is worth noting that even with this form of mulligan, decks playing an insufficient number of mana sources will routinely draw poor hands or insufficient mana as the game progresses.

However, the Comprehensive Rules (text/hyperlinked) state:
"800.5. In a multiplayer game, the first time a player takes a mulligan, he or she draws a new hand of seven cards rather than six cards. Subsequent hands decrease by one card as normal." This is the regular method for casual play.


Playstyle Rules:

    [Mass] land destruction mechanic limitations: This is often a valid strategy and is useful for countering lots of land ramping or ensuring victory. Though usually more present in more competitive playgroups, it can be used elsewhere. If new to using these spells, make sure to know when to use them! Some of the less expensive/more devastating mass land destruction spells include Armageddon, Ravages of War, Decree of Annihilation, Impending Disaster, Desolation, Mana Vortex, Mana Breach, Tectonic Break, Wildfire, Thoughts of Ruin, & Land Equilibrium.
      Selected [mass] land destruction cards are banned (banning all [mass] land destruction cards severely unbalances the format)A limitation is set on the number of [mass] land destruction cards usable per deck[Mass] land destruction is discouraged in the social contract

    Infinite Combo limitations: Though it may be possible to ban all infinite combos, such a list would include many cards. See here for a database of such combos. Some cards that have a large number of other cards they infinitely combo with include Palinchron, Mind over Matter, Power Artifact, Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker, Splinter Twin, Reveillark, Karmic Guide, Mikaeus, the Unhallowed, & Intruder Alarm.
      Selected combo enablers are banned (banning all combos is impossible & undesirable)A limitation is set on the number of iterations a potentially infinite combo can be used per turn/roundIf an infinite combo would win the game, all other players instead play for second placeIf a player recognizes another player's ability to use an infinite combo and he or she doesn't use it by the end of his or her turn, that player loses.Combo'ing infinitely is discouraged in the social contract

    Poison mechanic limitations
      Lethal poison damage is changed to 15Selected poison cards are banned (usually just Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon as general)Using poison as a primary win condition is discouraged in the social contract

    Time magic limitations: Like mass land destruction, these spells prevent other players from playing. Some groups really despise how it upsets turn balance, so they remove it from their games.
      Time magic cards are exiled upon resolving to prevent infinitely recurring themSelected time magic cards are banned (Time Stretch, Time Warp, Timesifter, etc)If a player would begin an extra turn, they skip that turn insteadTime magic is discouraged in the social contract


Instead of modifying rules or creating card limitations, some playgroups simply provide a set of guidelines to follow when deckbuilding. These are usually guidelines for what players should do, not what they shouldn't do. This may be as simple as the mantra "build socially, play competitively" or may include a series of more detailed criteria such as:

    Be fun to pilot and to play against.Be interactive.Play out differently every game to keep it fun over a long time.Be streamlined and fast to play without excessive upkeep, time-consuming play or unnecessarily overcomplicated board-states.Be able to win with or without your general, having multiple paths to victory.

Individual Card Rulings:

Consecrated Sphinx (not allowed to draw cards off another Consecrated Sphinx's triggered ability)
Mishra, Artificer Prodigy (text changed to "Whenever an artifact enters the battlefield under your control, if you cast it from your hand, you may put a token copy of that artifact onto the battlefield.")
Hermit Druid, or other trouble cards (cannot be found when searching a library)
Genju of the Realm (allowed as a general; other Legendaries include Elbrus, the Binding Blade, Predator, Flagship, Tatsumasa, the Dragon's Fang, & Unscythe, Killer of Kings)
The Kamigawa Flip-Legends are allowed as generals (Akki Lavarunner, Budoka Gardener, Bushi Tenderfoot, Faithful Squire, Initiate of Blood, Jushi Apprentice, Kitsune Mystic, Nezumi Graverobber, Nezumi Shortfang, Orochi Eggwatcher, Student of Elements)

Ban Suggestions for Certain Generals:

Due to the extreme synergy between specific generals and other single cards, some groups decide to ban selected cards from being used with those generals instead of outright banning either. While many of the 2 card combinations here (general + 1 other card) create infinite combos, other outcomes are powerful enough to end the game as well.

Arcum Dagsson: ?
Animar, Soul of Elements: ?
Azami, Lady of Scrolls: Mind Over Matter
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight: Heartless Hidetsugu
Grand Arbiter Augustin IV: ?
Hanna, Ship's Navigator: Second Chance
Iona, Shield of Emeria: Painter's Servant
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker: Breath of Fury, Zealous Conscripts, Lightning Crafter
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed: Triskelion, Puppeteer Clique
Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind: Curiosity, Ophidan Eye, Mind Over Matter
Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir: Knowledge Pool
Rafiq of the Many: Distortion Strike
Riku of Two Reflections: Palinchron
Scion of the Ur-Dragon: Hermit Druid
Sharuum the Hegemon: Sculpting Steel, Phyrexian Metamorph
Sliver Queen: Mana Echoes, Basal Sliver
Teysa, Orzhov Scion: Painter's Servant
Uril, the Miststalker: ?
Vela, the Night Clad: Rite of Replication
Vendilion Clique: Tunnel Vision
Zedruu, the Greathearted: Celestial Dawn
Zur the Enchanter: Necropotence


Typically Discouraged Cards:
Typically, these cards are strongly discouraged in all but the most competitive playgroups. They are all degenerate in some way, and often limit a single player's ability to play while leaving others unhindered. The importance of interaction in social games is paramount, so be extra careful when considering these for play.




____________________



Game Variants:

'Casual' formats defined by Wizards of the Coast (limited, constructed, multiplayer, alternative)
Sub-Forum for game variants
Ideas about game setup
The "8 Rules of Multiplayer"

Horde/Respawn/Zombie Magic
Mafia Variant
Shifting Alliances
Pauper Commander
Planeswalker Wars
Left and Right
Fog of War

Star Magic: Each player used a different mono-colored EDH deck, or each player uses a tri-colored EDH deck (WUB, UBR, BRG, RGW, GWU)
Zombie Magic: Instead of re-spawning with a set amount of life, players re-spawn with a percentage (50-100%, rounded down) of the life removed from them by their killer. Limits can be set on the life a zombie can re-spawn with, (20-40) as well as how many times a player (or zombie) can re-spawn. (2-3 times)
Mafia Variant: Each player has 3 tokens, 2 of which are shuffled and dealt face-down among the group. If a player receives 2 of the same token, they are re-dealt.


____________________



Origin of the stratum 2 list (previously the 'austere list'):
(see complete post)
While it's difficult to know whether banning these 20 additional cards (less than the current number of banned cards!) would create a more entertaining format for your playgroup, doing so will create a more stable format. I urge you and your playgroup to try removing either some or all of these from your own decks. You may enjoy it!


____________________



As I'd like to make these lists as comprehensive as is reasonable, please leave comments, questions, arguments for or against these ideas, card suggestions, or ideas of your own. Are any listed cards conspicuous? Do any unlisted cards deserve recognition here? Why? Are there other house rules that should be included here?

Always appreciative,
BetweenWalls
3
BetweenWalls's avatar
BetweenWalls

Comments

  • To post a comment, please or register a new account.
Posts Quoted:
Reply
Clear All Quotes