Hi everyone. For those who may not know, I have been conducting an annual survey about the Commander ban list and some of the more controversial and debated rules of the format. This year however, I'm both widening the scope of the survey as well as conducting it on a medium that I hope will result in much more feedback for the Rules Committee.
The questions are a mix of ones that i have asked in previous years, questions i see brought up constantly, as well as ones that I crafted based on reading feedback the RC has given similar polls in the past.
The poll should take five to ten minutes to fill out, so hopefully you'll participate. And please, share this with your friends and other players, because the larger the sample size the better the data will be for the RC.
Done, and done. I like this idea(must have missed it previous years), and I look forward to the data that results. Will you share said data after the polls close?
This is a great idea. The 'banned as Commander' question didn't have a place to expand, but I would like to see a number of the banned cards banned as commanders but legal in the 99. Rofellos is busted as a commander, but it would just be another good ramp card in the 99
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This is a great idea. The 'banned as Commander' question didn't have a place to expand, but I would like to see a number of the banned cards banned as commanders but legal in the 99. Rofellos is busted as a commander, but it would just be another good ramp card in the 99
I feel that way about Erayo as well, although I neglected to vote for her in the unban category. I mostly want to see Gifts Ungiven unbanned. Prophet of Kruphix and Sway of the Stars as well, although I am less optimistic about those.
Done, and done. I like this idea(must have missed it previous years), and I look forward to the data that results. Will you share said data after the polls close?
I will. If you attempt to open the survey again it will take you to a "you already completed this survey" page that has an link to view all results.
This is a great idea. The 'banned as Commander' question didn't have a place to expand, but I would like to see a number of the banned cards banned as commanders but legal in the 99. Rofellos is busted as a commander, but it would just be another good ramp card in the 99
I feel that way about Erayo as well, although I neglected to vote for her in the unban category. I mostly want to see Gifts Ungiven unbanned. Prophet of Kruphix and Sway of the Stars as well, although I am less optimistic about those.
Paradox Engine was the only unban I voted for, I thought that was a terrible mistake or a money grab, but mostly because I haven't been playing for that long and haven't gotten a firm grasp on which banned cards are a joke.
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Great, thanks Cryo! I was linked to this poll on social media by one of my friends, before I realized you posted it. Hopefully that means your broadened outreach is working!
Can't wait to see the numbers from a more general audience. Right now it looks like Flash is a big contender (offender?), which surprises me since I don't hear much about it outside cEDH.
Can't wait to see the numbers from a more general audience. Right now it looks like Flash is a big contender (offender?), which surprises me since I don't hear much about it outside cEDH.
The survey got linked on the cEDH subreddit, which explains why flash is at it's current percentage.
Completed. Mostly I left everything alone. Some changes I voted for.
BRING BACK THE TUCK RULE. Deck building becomes so lazy when everyone knows their Commander is safe and can go to the command zone with any zone change. Yes it may create more tutoring, but players need to now how to build a deck that will function without the commander on the battlefield the entire game.
I voted to unban Gifts as well. It wasn't on my radar until someone here reminded me its still banned. The format may have progressed enough to allow this card to come off. If Protean Hulk can get unbanned, Gifts should not be far behind.
I voted to Ban Flash, Expropriate, and Blightsteel Colossus. Flash because I have never once seen it in a casual game, so the casual impact should be near zero. Although its not the only instant "I win" card in the format, so I understand completely if we don't want to open that can of worms. Expropriate and Blightsteel because the exist solely to ruin casual games of Commander.
Over all I am extremely satisfied with the format as a whole, with minimal changes over the last 10 years and the ban list remaining manageable. I will not be upset if none of my changes are made.
I'm so confused by people that want to ban tabernacle. I HAVE a tabernacle, and I struggle to find places to play it where it's not mostly just a useless hate-magnet. I've used it in two decks out of about a hundred, and that's only because I'm dying for an excuse to show it off.
I mean I'm sure it's annoying but it basically never comes up and it's not that good when it does. It's only really good in a deck that's already running a ton of other stax pieces, and you aren't fixing that problem with one ban.
I voted to unban a whole bunch of things. It seems to me that the new banlist philosophy is geared towards only avoiding unfun, and interacts badly with the format. With that in mind, things like gifts, prime time, the power 9, leovold, recurring nightmare, among probably a bunch of others.
It seems to me that the RC wants the banlist to be a list that local groups should be able to use as a starting point for their local meta, right? So if someone has an oppressive blightsteel colossus deck, then the local group should be able to just ban that or whatever enabler they have instead of it being a worldwide thing.
But if the banlist is a starting point, then it needs to be as lean as possible. I don't think any of those above mentioned cards inherently causes any oppressive gamestate in and of itself. In fact, i'd guess even channel could be ok (though it's asking to be broken in half).
I can't remember who said it, but it's a lot more common for people to locally ban cards than for them to unban cards. To that effect, shouldn't the aim be to make the banlist as lean as possible and ONLY focus on the unfun cards? I mean sure, the moxen are expensive, but so is tabernacles and workshops. It's not close in cost, but to me, anything costing more than 600 dollars is crazy money category. And it's not like it actually stops people from playing EDH.
I'm so confused by people that want to ban tabernacle. I HAVE a tabernacle, and I struggle to find places to play it where it's not mostly just a useless hate-magnet. I've used it in two decks out of about a hundred, and that's only because I'm dying for an excuse to show it off.
I mean I'm sure it's annoying but it basically never comes up and it's not that good when it does. It's only really good in a deck that's already running a ton of other stax pieces, and you aren't fixing that problem with one ban.
Just in case anyone was curious about the results and had a hard time seeing the individual data, I have posted all the results (excluding every single write in). You can see them in the first post of this thread: https://www.mtgnexus.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=500
Hi everyone. For those who may not know, I have been conducting an annual survey about the Commander ban list and some of the more controversial and debated rules of the format. This year however, I'm both widening the scope of the survey as well as conducting it on a medium that I hope will result in much more feedback for the Rules Committee.
The questions are a mix of ones that i have asked in previous years, questions i see brought up constantly, as well as ones that I crafted based on reading feedback the RC has given similar polls in the past.
The poll should take five to ten minutes to fill out, so hopefully you'll participate. And please, share this with your friends and other players, because the larger the sample size the better the data will be for the RC.
Thanks!
Misc. EDH Stuff: Commander Cube | Zombies (Horde)
Resources:Commander Rulings FAQ | Commander Deckbuilding Guide
Follow me on Twitter! @cryogen_mtg
EDH decks: 1. RGWMayael's Big BeatsRETIRED!
2. BUWMerieke Ri Berit and the 40 Thieves
3. URNiv's Wheeling and Dealing!
4. BURThe Walking Dead
5. GWSisay's Legends of Tomorrow
6. RWBRise of Markov
7. GElvez and stuffz(W)
8. RCrush your enemies(W)
9. BSign right here...(W)
|| UW Jace, Vyn's Prodigy UW || UG Kenessos, Priest of Thassa (feat. Arixmethes) UG ||
Cards I still want to see created:
|| Olantin, Lost City || Pavios and Thanasis || Choryu ||
I will. If you attempt to open the survey again it will take you to a "you already completed this survey" page that has an link to view all results.
Misc. EDH Stuff: Commander Cube | Zombies (Horde)
Resources:Commander Rulings FAQ | Commander Deckbuilding Guide
Follow me on Twitter! @cryogen_mtg
Paradox Engine was the only unban I voted for, I thought that was a terrible mistake or a money grab, but mostly because I haven't been playing for that long and haven't gotten a firm grasp on which banned cards are a joke.
Can't wait to see the numbers from a more general audience. Right now it looks like Flash is a big contender (offender?), which surprises me since I don't hear much about it outside cEDH.
Draft my Mono-Blue Cube!
lichess.org | chess.com
The survey got linked on the cEDH subreddit, which explains why flash is at it's current percentage.
BRING BACK THE TUCK RULE. Deck building becomes so lazy when everyone knows their Commander is safe and can go to the command zone with any zone change. Yes it may create more tutoring, but players need to now how to build a deck that will function without the commander on the battlefield the entire game.
I voted to unban Gifts as well. It wasn't on my radar until someone here reminded me its still banned. The format may have progressed enough to allow this card to come off. If Protean Hulk can get unbanned, Gifts should not be far behind.
I voted to Ban Flash, Expropriate, and Blightsteel Colossus. Flash because I have never once seen it in a casual game, so the casual impact should be near zero. Although its not the only instant "I win" card in the format, so I understand completely if we don't want to open that can of worms. Expropriate and Blightsteel because the exist solely to ruin casual games of Commander.
Over all I am extremely satisfied with the format as a whole, with minimal changes over the last 10 years and the ban list remaining manageable. I will not be upset if none of my changes are made.
I mean I'm sure it's annoying but it basically never comes up and it's not that good when it does. It's only really good in a deck that's already running a ton of other stax pieces, and you aren't fixing that problem with one ban.
EDH Primers
Phelddagrif - Zirilan
EDH
Thrasios+Bruse - Pang - Sasaya - Wydwen - Feather - Rona - Toshiro - Sylvia+Khorvath - Geth - QMarchesa - Firesong - Athreos - Arixmethes - Isperia - Etali - Silas+Sidar - Saskia - Virtus+Gorm - Kynaios - Naban - Aryel - Mizzix - Kazuul - Tymna+Kraum - Sidar+Tymna - Ayli - Gwendlyn - Phelddagrif 4 - Liliana - Kaervek - Phelddagrif 3 - Mairsil - Scarab - Child - Phenax - Shirei - Thada - Depala - Circu - Kytheon - GrenzoHR - Phelddagrif - Reyhan+Kraum - Toshiro - Varolz - Nin - Ojutai - Tasigur - Zedruu - Uril - Edric - Wort - Zurgo - Nahiri - Grenzo - Kozilek - Yisan - Ink-Treader - Yisan - Brago - Sidisi - Toshiro - Alexi - Sygg - Brimaz - Sek'Kuar - Marchesa - Vish Kal - Iroas - Phelddagrif - Ephara - Derevi - Glissa - Wanderer - Saffi - Melek - Xiahou Dun - Lazav - Lin Sivvi - Zirilan - Glissa
PDH - Drake - Graverobber - Izzet GM - Tallowisp - Symbiote Brawl - Feather - Ugin - Jace - Scarab - Angrath - Vraska - Kumena Oathbreaker - Wrenn&6
It seems to me that the RC wants the banlist to be a list that local groups should be able to use as a starting point for their local meta, right? So if someone has an oppressive blightsteel colossus deck, then the local group should be able to just ban that or whatever enabler they have instead of it being a worldwide thing.
But if the banlist is a starting point, then it needs to be as lean as possible. I don't think any of those above mentioned cards inherently causes any oppressive gamestate in and of itself. In fact, i'd guess even channel could be ok (though it's asking to be broken in half).
I can't remember who said it, but it's a lot more common for people to locally ban cards than for them to unban cards. To that effect, shouldn't the aim be to make the banlist as lean as possible and ONLY focus on the unfun cards? I mean sure, the moxen are expensive, but so is tabernacles and workshops. It's not close in cost, but to me, anything costing more than 600 dollars is crazy money category. And it's not like it actually stops people from playing EDH.
Legacy - Solidarity - mono U aggro - burn - Imperial Painter - Strawberry Shortcake - Bluuzards - bom
But that price tag, yo.
Misc. EDH Stuff: Commander Cube | Zombies (Horde)
Resources:Commander Rulings FAQ | Commander Deckbuilding Guide
Follow me on Twitter! @cryogen_mtg
Thanks again to everyone who participated!
Misc. EDH Stuff: Commander Cube | Zombies (Horde)
Resources:Commander Rulings FAQ | Commander Deckbuilding Guide
Follow me on Twitter! @cryogen_mtg
Retired EDH - Tibor and Lumia | [PR]Nemata |Ramirez dePietro | [C]Edric | Riku | Jenara | Lazav | Heliod | Daxos | Roon | Kozilek