This list upgrade and add more nuances and minimize any possible ambiguity interpretations on the already established system of 5 Brackets of Gavin. The biggest changes is that the game changers now are over 800 but are divided among the brackets over 24 different categories (mana, draw, combo, tutors, etc.) in a rigorous order, so that a bracket should expect some specific cards but not others (game Changers are only in Bracket 3,4 and 5).
the Brackets - still the 5 of Gavin but with the following differences:
Bracket 5 - CEDH : No ban list except for dexterity cards, ante, playtest/acorn cards, heroes of the realms or other unique or extremely rare promos not intended for constructed like 1996 World Champion or Splendid Genesis. Expect game closing within the first 3 turns of the game.
Bracket 4 - High Power: pretty close to actual banlist limitations but with some differences, allowed most cards except the one listed as competitive in bracket 5. Hardly games end the first turns of the game.
Bracket 3 - Above Precon: for players trying to optimize their deck with cards that you normally wouldn't see in precons, with cards that aren't either strong enough to be in the higher brackets or casual enough to be fun to play against. Mass Land Destruction, Extra Turns and Infinite Combos are still fair game, aren't just available the best and most efficent ones. Games are expected to last at least 7 or more turns.
Bracket 2 - Precon Level : typical edh deck made by WotC. Everything else that is not in the Game Changer list of Bracket 3,4 and 5 it's ok here. Decks made out from scratch are ok as long as they don't have Game Changers (with a special exception if you are playing it inside an unmodified precon). Games could last hours, but are still meant to end and players focus to achieve the victory.
Bracket 1 - Casual : edh deck below the efficency of a typical precon deck, basically fit the Exhibition decks definition of Gavin. It's probably safe to play them also against Bracket 2 decks as long as the multiplayer politics, and the absence of all the problematic game changers are able to self-balance a game. Personal style matters more than efficency and interaction with opponents, playing and having simply fun with friends is more important than winning.
The 24 Game Changers Categories (not all of them have the same weight and importance, in fact in many is even absent a competitive bracket, roughly divided from the most dangerous to the most innocuous):
Game Enders (9 out of 10 are meant to win the game immediately when resolved or are used only to win the game)
High Power: Ad Nauseam; Godo, Bandit Warlord; Laboratory Maniac; Primal Surge; Protean Hulk; Tooth and Nail; Worldgorger Dragon
Above Precon: Approach of the Second Sun; Biorhythm; Coalition Victory; Divining Witch; Doomsday Excruciator; Enter the Infinite; Insurrection; Inverter of Truth; Jace, Wielder of Mysteries; Leveler; Paradigm Shift; Triumph of the Hordes; Worldfire
Out of Control Commanders (they easily snowball value too much and too quickly)
Competitive: Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy; K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth; Nadu, Winged Wisdom; Najeela, the Blade-Blossom; Thrasios, Triton Hero; Tymna The Weaver; Winota, Joiner of Forces; Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow
High Power: Anje Falkenrath; Azami, Lady of Scrolls; Azusa, Lost but Seeking; Baba Lysaga, Night Witch; Belbe, Corrupted Observer; Edric, Spymaster of Trest; Etali, Primal Conqueror; Fynn, the Fangbearer; Golos, Tireless Pilgrim; Grenzo, Dungeon Warden; Haldan, Avid Arcanist; Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker; Jeska, Thrice Reborn; Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain; Kenrith, the Returned King; Kess, Dissident Mage; Emry, Lurker of the Loch; Korvold, Fae-Cursed King; Krenko, Mob Boss; Maelstrom Wanderer; Marwyn, the Nurturer; Narset, Enlightened Master; Orvar, the All-Form; Ovika, Enigma Goliath; Pako, Arcane Retriever; Pantlaza, Sun-Favored; Prossh, Skyraider of Kher; Rafiq of the Many; Rashmi, Eternities Crafter; Tayam, Luminous Enigma; The First Sliver; Tivit, Seller of Secrets
Above Precon: Abaddon the Despoiler; Adeline, Resplendent Cathar; Aminatou, the Fateshifter; Animar, Soul of Elements; Aragorn, the Uniter; Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist; Blex, Vexing Pest; Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer; Bruna, Light of Alabaster; Codie, Vociferous Codex; Edgar Markov; Ezuri, Claw of Progress; Ezuri, Renegade Leader; Feather, the Redeemed; Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant; Gishath, Sun's Avatar; Greymond, Avacyn's Stalwart; Jodah, the Unifier; Karametra, God of Harvests; Kruphix, God of Horizons; Meren of Clan Nel Toth; Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm; Minsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes; Mizzix of the Izmagnus; Myrel, Shield of Argive; Nekusar, the Mindrazer; Neheb, Dreadhorde Champion; Nethroi, Apex of Death; Omnath, Locus of Creation; Omnath, Locus of Mana; Okaun, Eye of Chaos; Otharri, Suns' Glory; Prime Speaker Zegana; Prosper, Tome-Bound; Purphoros, God of the Forge; Riku of Two Reflections; Sai, Master Thopterist; Selvala, Explorer Returned; Selvala, Heart of the Wilds; Seton, Krosan Protector; Sram, Senior Edificer; Sythis, Harvest's Hand; Talrand, Sky Summoner; Tasigur, the Golden Fang; Tatyova, Benthic Druid; Titania, Protector of Argoth; Tyvar, the Pummeler; The Reality Chip; Ureni of the Unwritten; Wernog, Rider's Chaplain; Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder; Yusri, Fortune's Flame; Zndrsplt, Eye of Wisdom
Too Efficent Tutors (Either because they are too cheap, repeatable or abused for combos)
Competitive: Demonic Tutor; Enlightened Tutor; Entomb; Finale of Devastation; Gamble; Imperial Seal; Scheming Symmetry; Survival of the Fittest; Tinker; Vampiric Tutor; Wishclaw Talisman; Worldly Tutor
High Power: Academy Rector; Beseech the Mirror; Birthing Pod; Brightglass Gearhulk; Buried Alive; Captain Sisay; Chord of Calling; Defense of the Heart; Diabolic Intent; Eladamri's Call; Eldritch Evolution; Elvish Reclaimer; Enduring Ideal; Fabricate; Knight of the Reliquary; Gifts Ungiven; Goblin Engineer; Goblin Recruiter; Green Sun's Zenith; Grim Tutor; Guardian Sunmare; Kuldotha Forgemaster; Imperial Recruiter; Intuition; Lim-Dul's Vault; Natural Order; Nature's Rhythm; Neoform; Oath of Druids; Personal Tutor; Ranger-Captain of Eos; Recruiter of the Guard; Repurposing Bay; Reshape; Spellseeker; Sylvan Tutor; Tezzeret the Seeker; Transmute Artifact; Trinket Mage; Unmarked Grave; Weathered Wayfarer; Whir of Invention; Wight of the Reliquary
Above Precon: Arena Rector; Demonic Collusion; Dwarven Recruiter; Enigmatic Incarnation; Fauna Shaman; Fiend Artisan; Magus of the Order; Moggcatcher; Oriq Loremage; Pattern of Rebirth; Planar Bridge; Planar Portal; Pyre of Heroes; Ring of Three Wishes; Seahunter; Skyshroud Poacher; Sovereigns of Lost Alara; Stoneforge Mystic; Stonehewer Giant; Vivien on the Hunt; Transmutation Font; Tunnel Vision; Wargate; Wild Pair; Woodland Bellower
Too Efficent Tutor Commanders (either they lead to repetitive patterns or directly assemble the same combos to win the game)
Competitive: Arcum Dagsson; Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy; Magda, Brazen Outlaw; Prime Speaker Vannifar; Rocco, Cabaretti Caterer; Sidisi, Undead Vizier; Zur the Enchanter
High Power: Captain Sisay; Iron Man, Titan of Innovation; Light-Paws, Emperor's Voice; Maralen of the Mornsong; Oswald Fiddlebender; Scion of the Ur-Dragon; Sisay, Weatherlight Captain; Yisan, the Wanderer Bard
Above Precon: Lagomos, Hand of Hatred; Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero; Momir Vig, Simic Visionary; Razaketh, the Foulblooded; Sliver Overlord; Tiamat; Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire; Zirilan of the Claw
Too Efficent Fast Mana (either because it's too undercosted or produce too much mana for his cost)
Competitive: Black Lotus; Channel; Fastbond; Mox Emerald; Mox Jet; Mox Pearl; Mox Ruby; Mox Sapphire; Tolarian Academy
High Power: Ancient Tomb; Chrome Mox; Dockside Extortionist; Gaea's Cradle; Gemstone Caverns; Grim Monolith; Jeska's Will; Jeweled Lotus; Lion's Eye Diamond;Lotus Petal; Mana Crypt; Mana Drain; Mana Vault; Metalworker; Mishra's Workshop; Mox Amber;Mox Diamond; Mox Opal; Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary; Serra's Sanctum; Sol Ring
Above Precon: Burgeoning; City of Traitors; Culling the Weak; Dark Ritual; Exploration; Elvish Guide; Jeweled Amulet; Lake of the Dead; Spirit Simian Guide; Treasonous Ogre
Too Efficent Draw Spells (either because too undercosted or they draw too much cards over the time compared to their cost)
Competitive: Ancestral Recall; Bazaar of Baghdad; Griselbrand; Library of Alexandria; Trade Secrets; Yawgmoth's Bargain
High Power: Consecrated Sphinx; Dark Confidant; Esper Sentinel; Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur; Greater Good; Guardian Project; Land Tax; Mystic Remora; Necrodominance; Necropotence; Peer into the Abyss; Polly*** Symbiote; Rhystic Study; Sensei's Divining Top; Scroll Rack; Skullclamp; Sylvan Library; The Great Henge; The One Ring
Above Precon: Archivist of Oghma; Argothian Enchantress; Eidolon of Blossoms; Enchantress's Presence; Mesa Enchantress; Necrologia; Puresteel Paladin; Satyr Enchanter; Setessan Champion; Trouble in Pairs; Verduran Enchantress
Snowball Value Cards (they produce too much overwhelming advantage too quickly often leading in game ending combo)
Competitive: Bolas's Citadel; Paradox Engine
High Power: Dream Halls; Omniscience; Panoptic Mirror; Primeval Titan; Recurring Nightmare; Smothering Tithe; Sylvan Primordial; Yawgmoth's Will
Above Precon: Aminatou's Augury; Black Market Connections; Living Death; One with the Multiverse
Top Combo Commanders (they end the game or do infinite game actions with multiple cards)
Competitive: Ashaya, Soul of the Wilds; Atraxa, Grand Unifier; Birgi, God of Storytelling; Heliod, Sun-Crowned; Niv-Mizzet, Parun; Old Stickfingers; Sheoldred, the Apocalypse; The Beamtown Bullies
High Power: Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward; Chulane, Teller of Tales; Dralnu, Lich Lord; Elsha of the Infinite; Emiel the Blessed; Ghave, Guru of Spores; Jhoira of the Ghitu; Krark, the Thumbless; Kykar, Wind's Fury; Mairsil, the Pretender; Marath, Will of the Wild; Muldrotha, the Gravetide; Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind; Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin; Razaketh, the Foulblooded; Saffi Eriksdotter; Sharuum the Hegemon; Sliver Queen; Stella Lee, Wild Card; The Gitrog Monster; The Mimeoplasm; Vilis, Broker of Blood; Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose; Vorinclex, Monstrous Rider; Yarok, the Desecrated; Yawgmoth, Thran Physician
Above Precon: Blim, Comedic Genius; Bruvac the Grandiloquent; Cormela, Glamour Thief; Heartless Hidetsugu; Inalla, Archmage Ritualist; Jan Jansen, Chaos Drafter; Kodama of the East Tree; Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator; Mikaeus, the Unhallowed; Mishra's Eminent One; Nekusar, the Mind Razer; Norin the Wary; Queza, Augur of Agonies; Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh; Slimefoot and Squee; Teysa, Orzhov Scion; Zedruu, the Greathearted; Zimone and Dina; Zurgo Helmsmasher
Dangerous Combo Pieces (they easily go infinite with multiple cards. Ranked from the most versatile and playable standalone to the narrowest ones )
High Power: Aggravated Assault; Aluren; Archaeomancer; Archfiend of Despair; Ashnod's Altar; Bear Umbra; Blood Artist; Bloodchief Ascension; Bloodletter of Aclazotz; Bloodthirsty Conqueror; Charmbreaker Devils; Cloudstone Curio; Concordant Crossroads; Deadeye Navigator; Displacer Kitten; Doubling Season; Dryad of the Ilysian Grove; Druids' Repository; Dualcaster Mage; Earthcraft; Eldrazi Displacer; Eternal Witness; Exalted Flamer of Tzeentch; Exquisite Blood; Gyruda, Doom of Depths; Helm of Obedience; Helm of the Host; Hoarding Broodlord; Hullbreaker Horror; Innkeeper's Talent; Jegantha, the Wellspring; Karmic Guide; Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker; Lithoform Engine; Master of Cruelties; Mind Over Matter; Nature's Will; Oath of Teferi; Palinchron; Power Artifact; Phyrexian Altar; Professor Onyx; Rest in Peace; Restoration Angel; Sanguine Bond; Saw in Half; Staff of Domination; Storm-Kiln Artist; Sword of Feast and Famine; Teferi, Who Slows the Sunset; Temur Sabertooth; The Jolly Ballon Man; Tidespout Tyrant; Timeless Witness; Valley Floodcaller; Walking Ballista; Warlock Class; Warren Soultrader; Wound Reflection; Zirda, the Dawnwaker; Zulaport Cutthroat
Above Precon: Aetherflux Reservoir; Agatha's Soul Cauldron; All Will Be One; Altar of Dementia; Auriok Salvagers; Awakening; Bazaar Trader; Blasting Station; Chain of Smog; Clock of Omens; Combat Celebrant; Conspicuous Snoop; Donate; Enchanted Evening; Enduring Renewal; Eternal Scourge; Felidar Guardian; Fractured Identity; Freed from the Real; Frenetic Efreet; Glaring Fleshraker; Glint-Horn Buccaneer; Goblin Sharpshooter; Grinning Ignus; Harmless Offering; Heartless Hidetsugu; Hive Mind; Intruder Alarm; Illusion of Grandeur; Junk Diver; Knowledge Pool; Lich's Mastery; Melira, Sylvok Outcast; Mesmeric Orb; Myr Retriever; Mycosynth Lattice; Necrotic Ooze; Omen Machine; Opalescence; Painter's Servant; Peregrine Drake; Phyrexian Unlife; Quirion Ranger; Scryb Ranger; Shrieking Drake; Skirge Familiar; Solemnity; Squee, the Immortal; Sword of the Meek; Temple Bell; The Chain Veil; Thopter Foundry; Thornbite Staff; Training Grounds; Transcendence; Triskelion; Umbral Mantle; Vizier of Remedies; Wirewood Symbiote
Mass Land Destruction (one shot spells that greatly reduce or reset most of all the mana sources and often other kind of resources of the players)
Competitive: Balance; Upheaval
High Power: Armageddon; Cataclysm; Catastrophe; Death Cloud; Decree of Annihilation; Devastating Dreams; Devastation; Jokulhaups; Obliterate; Ravages of War; Razia's Purification; Soulscour
Above Precon: Apocalypse; Balancing Act; Bend or Break; Boom / Bust; Burning of Xinye; Desolation Angel; Destructive Force; Dimensional Breach; Epicenter; Fall of the Thran; Global Ruin; Impending Disaster; Keldon Firebombers; Magus of the Balance; Myojin of Infinite Rage; Pox; Realm Razer; Restore Balance; Rite of Ruin; Ruination; Sunder; Sundering Titan; Sway of the Stars; Tectonic Break; Thoughts of Ruin; Wildfire; Worldpurge; Worldslayer
Extra Turns (either are too cheap and used as combo finisher or too unconditional with little to no deckbuild restrictions)
Competitive: Time Vault; Time Walk
High Power: Chance for Glory; Final Fortune; Last Chance; Time Sieve; Warrior's Oath
Above Precon: Alrund's Epiphany; Beacon of Tomorrows; Capture of Jingzhou; Karn's Temporal Sundering; Lighthouse Chronologist; Nexus of Fate; Part the Waterveil; Rise of the Eldrazi; Temporal Manipulation; Temporal Mastery; Temporal Trespass; Time Stretch; Time Warp; Walk the Aeons
Too Efficent Stax (either they freeze basic game actions or slow the game too much)
Competitive: Back to Basics; Humility; Limited Resources; Stasis; Static Orb; The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale; Winter Orb
High Power: Aura of Silence; Blood Moon; Chains of Mephistopheles; Contamination; Damping Sphere; Desolation; Descent Into Madness; Dictate of Erebos; Dust Bowl; Embargo; Glare of Subdual; Grave Pact; Harbinger of the Seas; Infernal Darkness; Iona, Shield of Emeria; Magus of the Moon; Mana Vortex; Meekstone; Nether Void; Nullstone Gargoyle; Opposition; Price of Glory; Possessed Portal; Shivan Harvest; Sire of Insanity; Tainted Aether; Tangle Wire; The Abyss; Trinisphere; Void Winnower; Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger; Winter Moon; Zur's Weirding
Above Precon: Aether Barrier; Aether Flash; Anowon, the Ruin Sage; Arena of the Ancients; Blind Obedience; Burning Sands; Chancellor of the Annex; Culling Scales; Damping Engine; Decree of Silence; Destructive Flow; Drop of Honey; Freyalise Winds; Frozen Aether; God-Pharaoh's Statue; Hall of Gemstone; Havoc Festival; Kismet; Land Equilibrium; Lethal Vapors; Mana Breach; Mist of Stagnation; Myojin of Night's Reach; Naked Singularity; Nettlevine Blight; Oppression; Orb of Dreams; Overburden; Overwhelming Splendor; Pendrell's Mist; Porphyry Nodes; Portcullis; Reality Twist; Rising Waters; Root Maze; Smoke; Smokestack; Spelltithe Enforcer; Sphere of Resistance; Storm Cauldron; Storage Matrix; Suppression Field; Temporal Distorsion; Ward of Bones
Too Efficent Stax Commanders (their abilities either encourage or are highly synergistic within a stax strategy)
Competitive: Braids, Cabal Minion; Daretti, Scrap Savant; Erayo, Soratami Ascendant; Leovold, Emissary of Trest; Teferi, Temporal Archmage; Urza, High Lord Artificer
High Power: Derevi, Empyrial Tactician; Drana and Linvala; Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines; Gaddock Teeg; Grand Arbiter Augustin IV; Jin-Gitaxias, Progress Tyrant; Keranos, God of Storms; Lavinia, Azorius Renegade; Meria, Scholar of Antiquity; Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir; Tergrid, God of Fright; Yasharn, Implacable Earth
Above Precon: Archelos, Lagoon Mystic; Brago, King Eternal; Hokori, Dust Drinker; Kataki, War's Wage; Maha, Its Feathers Night; Numot, the Devastator; Talion, the Kindly Lord; Thalia and The Gitrog Monster
Too Efficent Hosers (typically hatebears or usually cheap hate pieces that greatly disrupt an entire archetype or strategy)
Competitive: Drannith Magistrate; Hullbreacher; Opposition Agent; Orcish Bowmasters
High Power: Alms Collector; Archon of Emeria; Aura Shards; Aven Mindcensor; Chalice of the Void; Disruptor Flute; Doorkeeper Thrull; Clarion Conqueror; Collector Ouphe; Containment Priest; Cursed Totem; Dauthi Voidwalker; Deafening Silence; Dovescape; Ethersworn Canonist; Grand Abolisher; Hushbringer; Karn, the Great Creator; Karn's Sylex; Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar; Linvala, Keeper of Silence; Lodestone Golem; Notion Thief; Null Rod; Ruric Thar, the Unbowed; Sanctum Prelate; Spirit of the Labyrinth; Stony Silence; Stranglehold; Thalia, Guardian of Thraben; Thalia, Heretic Cathar; Thorn of Amethyst; Torpor Orb; Treasure Nabber; Voidstone Gargoyle; Vryn Wingmare
Above Precon: Angel of Jubilation; Arcane Laboratory; Archon of Valor's Reach; Ashiok, Dream Render; Charismatic Conqueror; Conqueror's Flail; Damping Matrix; Dauntless Dismantler; Demonic Hordes; Dovin, Hand of Control; High Noon; Dwarven Blastminer; Dwarven Miner; Eidolon of Rhetoric; Gideon's Intervention; Grafdigger's Cage; Helldozer; Hushwing Gryff; Kunoros, Hound of Athreos; Leonin Arbiter; Loxodon Gatekeeper; Manglehorn; Meddling Mage; Mindlock Orb; Narset, Parter of Veils; Nevermore; Oko, Thief of Crowns; Painful Quandary; Phyrexian Censor; Presence of the Master; Rule of Law; Seismic Mage; Serra's Emissary; Soulless Jailer; Teferi, Time Traveler; Tocatli Honor Guard; Weathered Runestone; Vexing Bauble; Voice of Victory
Too Efficent Pillow-Fort (either prevent or discourage players too efficently to attack or damage you)
Competitive: Glacial Chasm
High Power: Blazing Archon; Constant Mists; Dread; Ensnaring Bridge; Forcefield; Island Sanctuary; Maze of Ith; Moat; Mirri, Weatherlight Duelist; No Mercy; Reconnaissance; Solitary Confinement
Above Precon: Arboria; Archangel of Tithes; Archon of Absolution; Angus Mackenzie; Cavern of Despairs; Crawspace; Baird, Steward of Argive; Collective Restraints; Crawlspace; Dissipation Field; Dueling Grounds; Ghostly Prison; Kami of the False Hope; Koskun Falls; Onakke Oathkeeper; Oloro, Ageless Ascetic; Peacekeeper; Propaganda; Silent Arbiter; Sphere of Safety; Spore Frog; Web of Inertia; Windborn Muse
Scales Too Efficent on Multiplayer (the spells are exponentially more broken the more are the players in the pod)
Competitive: Cyclonic Rift; Prophet of Kruphix; Slicer, Hired Muscle
High Power: Deep Gnome Terramancer; Expropriate; Luminarch Ascension; Lurking Predators; Mind's Dilation; Nezahal, Primal Tide; Seedborn Muse; Toxrill, the Corrosive
Above Precon: Crypt Ghast; Exsanguinate; Grey Merchant of Asphodel; Herald of Leshrac; Kambal, Consul of Allocation; Kokusho, the Evening Star; Tendershoot Dryad
Too Oppressive Big Monsters (they are more unfun and harder to deal with in more casual pods)
High Power: Blightsteel Colossus; Breaker of Creation; Crafterhoof Behemoth; Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite; Emrakul, the Aeons Torn; Emrakul, the Promised End; Emrakul, the World Anew; It That Betrays; Kozilek, Butcher of Truth; Kozilek, the Great Distortion; Pathrazer of Ulamog; Sheoldred, the Whispering One; Terastodon; Ulamog, the Defiler; Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
Above Precon: Artisan of Kozilek; Bane of Bala Ged; Cityscape Leveler; Evra, Halcyon Witness; Flayer of Loyalties; Gisela, Blade of Goldnight; Jumbo Cactuar; Lord of Extinction; Malignus; Serra Avatar; Steel Hellkite; Ulamog's Crusher; Worldspine Wurm
Caos Magic (the less control players have over the game, the more is unfun to play)
High Power: Confusion in the Ranks; Grip of Chaos; Planar Chaos; Possibility Storm
Above Precon: Scrambleverse; The Great Aurora; Thieves' Auction; Warp World
Life Changers/Matter Cards (they refer to specific life total numbers and are greatly more powerful in a 40 life format)
High Power: Felidar Sovereign; Magister Sphinx; Sorin Markov; Test of Endurance
Above Precon: Blood Baron of Vizkopa; Caduceus, Staff of Hermes; Captive Audience; Divinity of Pride; Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant; Serra Ascendant; Tree of Perdition
Twisters Effects (They refill quickly the hand of each player, too efficent card draw)
High Power: Memory Jar; Reforge the Soul; Time Reversal; Time Spiral; Time Twister; Wheel of Fortune; Wheel of Misfortune; Windfall
Above Precon: Commit / Memory; Day's Undoing; Dragon Mage; Echo of Eons; Emergency Power; Game Plan; Magus of the Jar; Magus of the Wheel; Step Between Worlds; Temporal Cascade; Wheel of Fate
Too Efficent Thief Spells (they steal other people cards permanently or almost too easily)
High Power: Bribery; Dack Fayden; Empress Galina; Gilded Drake; Helm of Possession; Merieke Ri Berit; Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer; Thada Adel, Acquisitor; Thieving Skydiver; Treachery; Vedalken Shackles; Willow Satyr
Above Precon: Agent of Treachery; Beguiler of Wills; Blatant Thievery; Evangelize; Hellkite Tyrant; Memnarch; Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker; Old Man of the Sea; Olivia Voldaren; Preacher; Roil Elemental; Rubinia Soulsinger; Sen Triplets; Thieves' Auction; Volatile Stormdrake
Too Efficent Cheaters (either too low cost mana cards or too efficent commanders that evades big mana spells too quickly)
High Power: Animate Dead; Dance of the Dead; Eureka; Goblin Welder; Necromancy; Persist; Reanimate; Show and Tell; Sneak Attack
Above Precon: Anrakyr the Traveller; Arcane Artisan; Archpriest of Shadows; Atla Palani, Nest Tender; Champion of Rhonas; Coffin Queen; Eladamri, Korvecdal; Elvish Piper; Esika, God of the Tree; Etali, Primal Storm; Feldon of the Third Path; Howlpack Piper; Jacob Hauken, Inspector; Jodah, Archmage Eternal; Kaalia of the Vast; Kona, Rescue Beastie; Leonardo da Vinci; Master Transmuter; Mayael the Anima; Monster Manual; Nashi, Moon Sage's Scion; Oviya, Automech Artisan; Quicksilver Amulet; Satoru Umezawa; Terror of Towashi; The Infamous Cruelclaw; Thran Temporal Gateway
Powerful Lands (they either have powerful abilities or enter untapped and give multiple colors with little to no drawback)
High Power: Academy Ruins; Arena of Glory; Boseiju, Who Shelters All; Cabal Coffers; Cavern of Souls; City of Brass; Dark Depths; Diamond Valley; Eye of Ugin; Field of the Dead; Hall of Heliod's Generosity; Hall of the Bandit Lord; High Market; Mana Confluence; Minamo, School at Water's Edge; Mistrise Village; Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx; Phyrexian Tower; Rishadan Port; Scorched Ruins; Strip Mine; The Mycosynth Gardens; Three Tree City; The World Tree; Urza's Saga; Volrath's Stronghold; Wasteland; Yavimaya Hollow; Blood Crypt; Breeding Pool; Godless Shrine; Hallowed Fountain; Overgrown Tomb; Sacred Foundry; Steam Vents; Stomping Ground; Temple Garden; Watery Grave; Bountiful Promenade; Luxury Suite; Morphic Pool; Rejuvenating Springs; Sea of Clouds; Spectator Seating; Spire Garden; Training Center; Undergrowth Stadium; Vault of Champions; Fiery Islet; Horizon Canopy; Nurturing Peatland; Silent Clearing; Sunbaked Canyon; Waterlogged Grove; Adarkar Wastes; Battlefield Forge; Brushland; Caves of Koilos; Karplusan Forest; Llanowar Wastes; Shivan Reef; Sulfurous Springs; Underground River; Yavimaya Coast
Above Precon: Boseiju, Who Endures; Otawara, Soaring Song; Takenuma Abandoned Mire; Blast Zone, Cephalid Coliseum; Gavony Township; Horizon of Progress; Inventor's Fair; Mirrorpool; Kessig Wolf Run; Port of Karfell; Prismatic Vista; Tarnished Citadel; Throne of the High City; Tyrite Sanctum; Urza's Cave; Vault of the Archangel; Westvale Abbey; Indatha Triome; Jetmir's Garden; Ketria Triome; Raffine's Tower; Raugrin Triome; Savai Triome; Spara's Headquarters; Xander's Lounge; Zagoth Triome; Ziatora's Proving Ground; Celestial Colonnade; Creeping Tar Pit; Hissing Quagmire; Lavaclaw Reaches; Lumbering Falls; Needle Spires; Raging Ravine; Shambling Vent; Stirring Wildwood; Wandering Fumarole; Commercial District; Elegant Parlor; Hedge Maze; Lush Portico; Meticulous Archive; Raucous Theater; Shadowy Backstreet; Thundering Falls; Undercity Sewers; Underground Mortuary
Game Changers for Unique Reasons (everything else that doesn't fit in the other categories goes here)
Competitive: Lutri, the Spellchaser as companion; Shahrazad
F.A.Q:
- Me and my friends don't agree on several cards put in your system in the Game Changers or Bracket X. What do we do?
That's ok and Rule 0 still apply. Commander is a social philosophy based on the gentlemen's agreement between the players first and foremost so If you and your playgroup want to play within a certain Bracket but don't agree on some cards, just ask "can we play Bracket X but without those cards?" or even "can we play Bracket Y but with the addition of those other cards from higher brackets?" or "can I use this card fairly in a lower bracket and not as a commander/companion/degenerate combo?"etc. and solve the issues democratically if all or most players agree with your proposed changes. This list is needed as the default and official point of reference and ultimate authority if players can't agree in good faith on house rulings or LGS and strangers need to use a non-arbitrary system universally accepted and learned by default without further Rule 0 discussions, with the hope to minimize the chances of bad actors to succesfully exploit any fallacy of the system.
- Why are in higher brackets cards that you find in normal precons?
Because even WotC can make mistakes sometimes or simply a card that wasn't problematic once, it become one once it interact with newer cards, metas and power creep. Trade Secret is already an example of a precon card already banned in normal commander and the current and official Game Changer lists already have several cards that came from old precons, so specific exceptions should be always expected. Also even if Sol Ring is in High Power level for objective and coherent power level reasons, it is the only card that have the special and unique exception, based on the fact that is in every single precon and almost all edh players accept his inclusion, that is Rule 0 implicitly that you can play it in any bracket without pregame discussion and that are the players that don't like the Sol Ring power that must insist explicitly and pregame it with the other players to play it in his appropriate bracket level. Game Changers are also ok in Bracket 2 if they are inside unmodified precons.
- Do you expect players should memorize what to play or include of almost a thousand cards list?
Of course not and in most casual games won't even matter. The list is made in case there's controversy amongst players about one or more cards and they seek a neutral third party that tells them what to do exactly with said cards (and it's both useful for both casual players as type of cards to avoid in their games and for competitive players as a list of suggestion of the best staples to actively seek to include and brews in their decks). If you have a doubt about a particular card just use the "seek" function on your pc/phone to quicly see if it's in any list of Game Changers at all and that's why cards are ordered in specific categories and alphabetical order to help players to consult quickly the category they need to search without confusion. Also, if the enfranchised players (the primary target of this list) can handle a card pool of over 30.000 cards, a comprehensive rules of over 900 paragraphs, oracle texts difference over the printed text of a card (also in the order of thousands) and many other things, of what's already (stated by several scientific studies) the most complex game in human history, they will be also able to handle this.
- What criterias you used to make this lists of cards?
It's a mix of almost two decades of experience of playing edh with pods of all types, the use of tools like EDHrec that contains the most popular and more common cards used/hated (especially the saltiest and combo sections of the site) among millions of decks registered and also including more obscure and niche cards that for their nature would be intrinsecally unfun to play in the more casual brackets (especially in the stax/hoser/pillow fort sections)
- why there are no official game changers cards listed nowhere like Teferi Protection or Fierce Guardianship?
I believe that one-shot counterspells, removals and protections spells are healthy for the game and to increase the interaction between players no matter how much are pushed and if it's true that they could be used for non-interactive combos, what it matters even more is that the same cards they can be used also to prevent an disrupt them by the rest of the table, which I believe are the majority of the games, especially in the more casual brackets.
- Don't you think you put too many / don't enough cards in X Bracket / Game Changer Category?
Absolutely, and that's why I ask the help and feedback of all of you, to help me to make a system as coherent, definitive and rigorous as possible and then send to Gavin Verhey and the rest of the Commander Format Panel this as a model to improve the current bracket system by including my suggestions totally or partially . I tried my best to cover most things but perfection is not of this world and I could certainly had made minor or major mistakes need to be fixed (I struggled to judge especially for the Stax, Pillow-Fort and Hosers categories). Thank you for all the constructive criticisms and help. Let's make Commander great again!
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the Brackets - still the 5 of Gavin but with the following differences:
Bracket 5 - CEDH : No ban list except for dexterity cards, ante, playtest/acorn cards, heroes of the realms or other unique or extremely rare promos not intended for constructed like 1996 World Champion or Splendid Genesis. Expect game closing within the first 3 turns of the game.
Bracket 4 - High Power: pretty close to actual banlist limitations but with some differences, allowed most cards except the one listed as competitive in bracket 5. Hardly games end the first turns of the game.
Bracket 3 - Above Precon: for players trying to optimize their deck with cards that you normally wouldn't see in precons, with cards that aren't either strong enough to be in the higher brackets or casual enough to be fun to play against. Mass Land Destruction, Extra Turns and Infinite Combos are still fair game, aren't just available the best and most efficent ones. Games are expected to last at least 7 or more turns.
Bracket 2 - Precon Level : typical edh deck made by WotC. Everything else that is not in the Game Changer list of Bracket 3,4 and 5 it's ok here. Decks made out from scratch are ok as long as they don't have Game Changers (with a special exception if you are playing it inside an unmodified precon). Games could last hours, but are still meant to end and players focus to achieve the victory.
Bracket 1 - Casual : edh deck below the efficency of a typical precon deck, basically fit the Exhibition decks definition of Gavin. It's probably safe to play them also against Bracket 2 decks as long as the multiplayer politics, and the absence of all the problematic game changers are able to self-balance a game. Personal style matters more than efficency and interaction with opponents, playing and having simply fun with friends is more important than winning.
The 24 Game Changers Categories (not all of them have the same weight and importance, in fact in many is even absent a competitive bracket, roughly divided from the most dangerous to the most innocuous):
Game Enders (9 out of 10 are meant to win the game immediately when resolved or are used only to win the game)
Competitive: Demonic Consultation; Doomsday; Flash; Hermit Druid; Tainted Pact; Thassa's Oracle
High Power: Ad Nauseam; Godo, Bandit Warlord; Laboratory Maniac; Primal Surge; Protean Hulk; Tooth and Nail; Worldgorger Dragon
Above Precon: Approach of the Second Sun; Biorhythm; Coalition Victory; Divining Witch; Doomsday Excruciator; Enter the Infinite; Insurrection; Inverter of Truth; Jace, Wielder of Mysteries; Leveler; Paradigm Shift; Triumph of the Hordes; Worldfire
Out of Control Commanders (they easily snowball value too much and too quickly)
Competitive: Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy; K'rrik, Son of Yawgmoth; Nadu, Winged Wisdom; Najeela, the Blade-Blossom; Thrasios, Triton Hero; Tymna The Weaver; Winota, Joiner of Forces; Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow
High Power: Anje Falkenrath; Azami, Lady of Scrolls; Azusa, Lost but Seeking; Baba Lysaga, Night Witch; Belbe, Corrupted Observer; Edric, Spymaster of Trest; Etali, Primal Conqueror; Fynn, the Fangbearer; Golos, Tireless Pilgrim; Grenzo, Dungeon Warden; Haldan, Avid Arcanist; Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker; Jeska, Thrice Reborn; Jhoira, Weatherlight Captain; Kenrith, the Returned King; Kess, Dissident Mage; Emry, Lurker of the Loch; Korvold, Fae-Cursed King; Krenko, Mob Boss; Maelstrom Wanderer; Marwyn, the Nurturer; Narset, Enlightened Master; Orvar, the All-Form; Ovika, Enigma Goliath; Pako, Arcane Retriever; Pantlaza, Sun-Favored; Prossh, Skyraider of Kher; Rafiq of the Many; Rashmi, Eternities Crafter; Tayam, Luminous Enigma; The First Sliver; Tivit, Seller of Secrets
Above Precon: Abaddon the Despoiler; Adeline, Resplendent Cathar; Aminatou, the Fateshifter; Animar, Soul of Elements; Aragorn, the Uniter; Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist; Blex, Vexing Pest; Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer; Bruna, Light of Alabaster; Codie, Vociferous Codex; Edgar Markov; Ezuri, Claw of Progress; Ezuri, Renegade Leader; Feather, the Redeemed; Ghalta, Stampede Tyrant; Gishath, Sun's Avatar; Greymond, Avacyn's Stalwart; Jodah, the Unifier; Karametra, God of Harvests; Kruphix, God of Horizons; Meren of Clan Nel Toth; Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm; Minsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes; Mizzix of the Izmagnus; Myrel, Shield of Argive; Nekusar, the Mindrazer; Neheb, Dreadhorde Champion; Nethroi, Apex of Death; Omnath, Locus of Creation; Omnath, Locus of Mana; Okaun, Eye of Chaos; Otharri, Suns' Glory; Prime Speaker Zegana; Prosper, Tome-Bound; Purphoros, God of the Forge; Riku of Two Reflections; Sai, Master Thopterist; Selvala, Explorer Returned; Selvala, Heart of the Wilds; Seton, Krosan Protector; Sram, Senior Edificer; Sythis, Harvest's Hand; Talrand, Sky Summoner; Tasigur, the Golden Fang; Tatyova, Benthic Druid; Titania, Protector of Argoth; Tyvar, the Pummeler; The Reality Chip; Ureni of the Unwritten; Wernog, Rider's Chaplain; Yidris, Maelstrom Wielder; Yusri, Fortune's Flame; Zndrsplt, Eye of Wisdom
Too Efficent Tutors (Either because they are too cheap, repeatable or abused for combos)
Competitive: Demonic Tutor; Enlightened Tutor; Entomb; Finale of Devastation; Gamble; Imperial Seal; Scheming Symmetry; Survival of the Fittest; Tinker; Vampiric Tutor; Wishclaw Talisman; Worldly Tutor
High Power: Academy Rector; Beseech the Mirror; Birthing Pod; Brightglass Gearhulk; Buried Alive; Captain Sisay; Chord of Calling; Defense of the Heart; Diabolic Intent; Eladamri's Call; Eldritch Evolution; Elvish Reclaimer; Enduring Ideal; Fabricate; Knight of the Reliquary; Gifts Ungiven; Goblin Engineer; Goblin Recruiter; Green Sun's Zenith; Grim Tutor; Guardian Sunmare; Kuldotha Forgemaster; Imperial Recruiter; Intuition; Lim-Dul's Vault; Natural Order; Nature's Rhythm; Neoform; Oath of Druids; Personal Tutor; Ranger-Captain of Eos; Recruiter of the Guard; Repurposing Bay; Reshape; Spellseeker; Sylvan Tutor; Tezzeret the Seeker; Transmute Artifact; Trinket Mage; Unmarked Grave; Weathered Wayfarer; Whir of Invention; Wight of the Reliquary
Above Precon: Arena Rector; Demonic Collusion; Dwarven Recruiter; Enigmatic Incarnation; Fauna Shaman; Fiend Artisan; Magus of the Order; Moggcatcher; Oriq Loremage; Pattern of Rebirth; Planar Bridge; Planar Portal; Pyre of Heroes; Ring of Three Wishes; Seahunter; Skyshroud Poacher; Sovereigns of Lost Alara; Stoneforge Mystic; Stonehewer Giant; Vivien on the Hunt; Transmutation Font; Tunnel Vision; Wargate; Wild Pair; Woodland Bellower
Too Efficent Tutor Commanders (either they lead to repetitive patterns or directly assemble the same combos to win the game)
Competitive: Arcum Dagsson; Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy; Magda, Brazen Outlaw; Prime Speaker Vannifar; Rocco, Cabaretti Caterer; Sidisi, Undead Vizier; Zur the Enchanter
High Power: Captain Sisay; Iron Man, Titan of Innovation; Light-Paws, Emperor's Voice; Maralen of the Mornsong; Oswald Fiddlebender; Scion of the Ur-Dragon; Sisay, Weatherlight Captain; Yisan, the Wanderer Bard
Above Precon: Lagomos, Hand of Hatred; Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero; Momir Vig, Simic Visionary; Razaketh, the Foulblooded; Sliver Overlord; Tiamat; Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire; Zirilan of the Claw
Too Efficent Fast Mana (either because it's too undercosted or produce too much mana for his cost)
Competitive: Black Lotus; Channel; Fastbond; Mox Emerald; Mox Jet; Mox Pearl; Mox Ruby; Mox Sapphire; Tolarian Academy
High Power: Ancient Tomb; Chrome Mox; Dockside Extortionist; Gaea's Cradle; Gemstone Caverns; Grim Monolith; Jeska's Will; Jeweled Lotus; Lion's Eye Diamond;Lotus Petal; Mana Crypt; Mana Drain; Mana Vault; Metalworker; Mishra's Workshop; Mox Amber;Mox Diamond; Mox Opal; Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary; Serra's Sanctum; Sol Ring
Above Precon: Burgeoning; City of Traitors; Culling the Weak; Dark Ritual; Exploration; Elvish Guide; Jeweled Amulet; Lake of the Dead; Spirit Simian Guide; Treasonous Ogre
Too Efficent Draw Spells (either because too undercosted or they draw too much cards over the time compared to their cost)
Competitive: Ancestral Recall; Bazaar of Baghdad; Griselbrand; Library of Alexandria; Trade Secrets; Yawgmoth's Bargain
High Power: Consecrated Sphinx; Dark Confidant; Esper Sentinel; Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur; Greater Good; Guardian Project; Land Tax; Mystic Remora; Necrodominance; Necropotence; Peer into the Abyss; Polly*** Symbiote; Rhystic Study; Sensei's Divining Top; Scroll Rack; Skullclamp; Sylvan Library; The Great Henge; The One Ring
Above Precon: Archivist of Oghma; Argothian Enchantress; Eidolon of Blossoms; Enchantress's Presence; Mesa Enchantress; Necrologia; Puresteel Paladin; Satyr Enchanter; Setessan Champion; Trouble in Pairs; Verduran Enchantress
Snowball Value Cards (they produce too much overwhelming advantage too quickly often leading in game ending combo)
Competitive: Bolas's Citadel; Paradox Engine
High Power: Dream Halls; Omniscience; Panoptic Mirror; Primeval Titan; Recurring Nightmare; Smothering Tithe; Sylvan Primordial; Yawgmoth's Will
Above Precon: Aminatou's Augury; Black Market Connections; Living Death; One with the Multiverse
Top Combo Commanders (they end the game or do infinite game actions with multiple cards)
Competitive: Ashaya, Soul of the Wilds; Atraxa, Grand Unifier; Birgi, God of Storytelling; Heliod, Sun-Crowned; Niv-Mizzet, Parun; Old Stickfingers; Sheoldred, the Apocalypse; The Beamtown Bullies
High Power: Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward; Chulane, Teller of Tales; Dralnu, Lich Lord; Elsha of the Infinite; Emiel the Blessed; Ghave, Guru of Spores; Jhoira of the Ghitu; Krark, the Thumbless; Kykar, Wind's Fury; Mairsil, the Pretender; Marath, Will of the Wild; Muldrotha, the Gravetide; Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind; Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin; Razaketh, the Foulblooded; Saffi Eriksdotter; Sharuum the Hegemon; Sliver Queen; Stella Lee, Wild Card; The Gitrog Monster; The Mimeoplasm; Vilis, Broker of Blood; Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose; Vorinclex, Monstrous Rider; Yarok, the Desecrated; Yawgmoth, Thran Physician
Above Precon: Blim, Comedic Genius; Bruvac the Grandiloquent; Cormela, Glamour Thief; Heartless Hidetsugu; Inalla, Archmage Ritualist; Jan Jansen, Chaos Drafter; Kodama of the East Tree; Malcolm, Keen-Eyed Navigator; Mikaeus, the Unhallowed; Mishra's Eminent One; Nekusar, the Mind Razer; Norin the Wary; Queza, Augur of Agonies; Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh; Slimefoot and Squee; Teysa, Orzhov Scion; Zedruu, the Greathearted; Zimone and Dina; Zurgo Helmsmasher
Dangerous Combo Pieces (they easily go infinite with multiple cards. Ranked from the most versatile and playable standalone to the narrowest ones )
Competitive: Basalt Monolith; Food Chain; Isochron Scepter; Underworld Breach
High Power: Aggravated Assault; Aluren; Archaeomancer; Archfiend of Despair; Ashnod's Altar; Bear Umbra; Blood Artist; Bloodchief Ascension; Bloodletter of Aclazotz; Bloodthirsty Conqueror; Charmbreaker Devils; Cloudstone Curio; Concordant Crossroads; Deadeye Navigator; Displacer Kitten; Doubling Season; Dryad of the Ilysian Grove; Druids' Repository; Dualcaster Mage; Earthcraft; Eldrazi Displacer; Eternal Witness; Exalted Flamer of Tzeentch; Exquisite Blood; Gyruda, Doom of Depths; Helm of Obedience; Helm of the Host; Hoarding Broodlord; Hullbreaker Horror; Innkeeper's Talent; Jegantha, the Wellspring; Karmic Guide; Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker; Lithoform Engine; Master of Cruelties; Mind Over Matter; Nature's Will; Oath of Teferi; Palinchron; Power Artifact; Phyrexian Altar; Professor Onyx; Rest in Peace; Restoration Angel; Sanguine Bond; Saw in Half; Staff of Domination; Storm-Kiln Artist; Sword of Feast and Famine; Teferi, Who Slows the Sunset; Temur Sabertooth; The Jolly Ballon Man; Tidespout Tyrant; Timeless Witness; Valley Floodcaller; Walking Ballista; Warlock Class; Warren Soultrader; Wound Reflection; Zirda, the Dawnwaker; Zulaport Cutthroat
Above Precon: Aetherflux Reservoir; Agatha's Soul Cauldron; All Will Be One; Altar of Dementia; Auriok Salvagers; Awakening; Bazaar Trader; Blasting Station; Chain of Smog; Clock of Omens; Combat Celebrant; Conspicuous Snoop; Donate; Enchanted Evening; Enduring Renewal; Eternal Scourge; Felidar Guardian; Fractured Identity; Freed from the Real; Frenetic Efreet; Glaring Fleshraker; Glint-Horn Buccaneer; Goblin Sharpshooter; Grinning Ignus; Harmless Offering; Heartless Hidetsugu; Hive Mind; Intruder Alarm; Illusion of Grandeur; Junk Diver; Knowledge Pool; Lich's Mastery; Melira, Sylvok Outcast; Mesmeric Orb; Myr Retriever; Mycosynth Lattice; Necrotic Ooze; Omen Machine; Opalescence; Painter's Servant; Peregrine Drake; Phyrexian Unlife; Quirion Ranger; Scryb Ranger; Shrieking Drake; Skirge Familiar; Solemnity; Squee, the Immortal; Sword of the Meek; Temple Bell; The Chain Veil; Thopter Foundry; Thornbite Staff; Training Grounds; Transcendence; Triskelion; Umbral Mantle; Vizier of Remedies; Wirewood Symbiote
Mass Land Destruction (one shot spells that greatly reduce or reset most of all the mana sources and often other kind of resources of the players)
Competitive: Balance; Upheaval
High Power: Armageddon; Cataclysm; Catastrophe; Death Cloud; Decree of Annihilation; Devastating Dreams; Devastation; Jokulhaups; Obliterate; Ravages of War; Razia's Purification; Soulscour
Above Precon: Apocalypse; Balancing Act; Bend or Break; Boom / Bust; Burning of Xinye; Desolation Angel; Destructive Force; Dimensional Breach; Epicenter; Fall of the Thran; Global Ruin; Impending Disaster; Keldon Firebombers; Magus of the Balance; Myojin of Infinite Rage; Pox; Realm Razer; Restore Balance; Rite of Ruin; Ruination; Sunder; Sundering Titan; Sway of the Stars; Tectonic Break; Thoughts of Ruin; Wildfire; Worldpurge; Worldslayer
Extra Turns (either are too cheap and used as combo finisher or too unconditional with little to no deckbuild restrictions)
Competitive: Time Vault; Time Walk
High Power: Chance for Glory; Final Fortune; Last Chance; Time Sieve; Warrior's Oath
Above Precon: Alrund's Epiphany; Beacon of Tomorrows; Capture of Jingzhou; Karn's Temporal Sundering; Lighthouse Chronologist; Nexus of Fate; Part the Waterveil; Rise of the Eldrazi; Temporal Manipulation; Temporal Mastery; Temporal Trespass; Time Stretch; Time Warp; Walk the Aeons
Too Efficent Stax (either they freeze basic game actions or slow the game too much)
Competitive: Back to Basics; Humility; Limited Resources; Stasis; Static Orb; The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale; Winter Orb
High Power: Aura of Silence; Blood Moon; Chains of Mephistopheles; Contamination; Damping Sphere; Desolation; Descent Into Madness; Dictate of Erebos; Dust Bowl; Embargo; Glare of Subdual; Grave Pact; Harbinger of the Seas; Infernal Darkness; Iona, Shield of Emeria; Magus of the Moon; Mana Vortex; Meekstone; Nether Void; Nullstone Gargoyle; Opposition; Price of Glory; Possessed Portal; Shivan Harvest; Sire of Insanity; Tainted Aether; Tangle Wire; The Abyss; Trinisphere; Void Winnower; Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger; Winter Moon; Zur's Weirding
Above Precon: Aether Barrier; Aether Flash; Anowon, the Ruin Sage; Arena of the Ancients; Blind Obedience; Burning Sands; Chancellor of the Annex; Culling Scales; Damping Engine; Decree of Silence; Destructive Flow; Drop of Honey; Freyalise Winds; Frozen Aether; God-Pharaoh's Statue; Hall of Gemstone; Havoc Festival; Kismet; Land Equilibrium; Lethal Vapors; Mana Breach; Mist of Stagnation; Myojin of Night's Reach; Naked Singularity; Nettlevine Blight; Oppression; Orb of Dreams; Overburden; Overwhelming Splendor; Pendrell's Mist; Porphyry Nodes; Portcullis; Reality Twist; Rising Waters; Root Maze; Smoke; Smokestack; Spelltithe Enforcer; Sphere of Resistance; Storm Cauldron; Storage Matrix; Suppression Field; Temporal Distorsion; Ward of Bones
Too Efficent Stax Commanders (their abilities either encourage or are highly synergistic within a stax strategy)
Competitive: Braids, Cabal Minion; Daretti, Scrap Savant; Erayo, Soratami Ascendant; Leovold, Emissary of Trest; Teferi, Temporal Archmage; Urza, High Lord Artificer
High Power: Derevi, Empyrial Tactician; Drana and Linvala; Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines; Gaddock Teeg; Grand Arbiter Augustin IV; Jin-Gitaxias, Progress Tyrant; Keranos, God of Storms; Lavinia, Azorius Renegade; Meria, Scholar of Antiquity; Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir; Tergrid, God of Fright; Yasharn, Implacable Earth
Above Precon: Archelos, Lagoon Mystic; Brago, King Eternal; Hokori, Dust Drinker; Kataki, War's Wage; Maha, Its Feathers Night; Numot, the Devastator; Talion, the Kindly Lord; Thalia and The Gitrog Monster
Too Efficent Hosers (typically hatebears or usually cheap hate pieces that greatly disrupt an entire archetype or strategy)
Competitive: Drannith Magistrate; Hullbreacher; Opposition Agent; Orcish Bowmasters
High Power: Alms Collector; Archon of Emeria; Aura Shards; Aven Mindcensor; Chalice of the Void; Disruptor Flute; Doorkeeper Thrull; Clarion Conqueror; Collector Ouphe; Containment Priest; Cursed Totem; Dauthi Voidwalker; Deafening Silence; Dovescape; Ethersworn Canonist; Grand Abolisher; Hushbringer; Karn, the Great Creator; Karn's Sylex; Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar; Linvala, Keeper of Silence; Lodestone Golem; Notion Thief; Null Rod; Ruric Thar, the Unbowed; Sanctum Prelate; Spirit of the Labyrinth; Stony Silence; Stranglehold; Thalia, Guardian of Thraben; Thalia, Heretic Cathar; Thorn of Amethyst; Torpor Orb; Treasure Nabber; Voidstone Gargoyle; Vryn Wingmare
Above Precon: Angel of Jubilation; Arcane Laboratory; Archon of Valor's Reach; Ashiok, Dream Render; Charismatic Conqueror; Conqueror's Flail; Damping Matrix; Dauntless Dismantler; Demonic Hordes; Dovin, Hand of Control; High Noon; Dwarven Blastminer; Dwarven Miner; Eidolon of Rhetoric; Gideon's Intervention; Grafdigger's Cage; Helldozer; Hushwing Gryff; Kunoros, Hound of Athreos; Leonin Arbiter; Loxodon Gatekeeper; Manglehorn; Meddling Mage; Mindlock Orb; Narset, Parter of Veils; Nevermore; Oko, Thief of Crowns; Painful Quandary; Phyrexian Censor; Presence of the Master; Rule of Law; Seismic Mage; Serra's Emissary; Soulless Jailer; Teferi, Time Traveler; Tocatli Honor Guard; Weathered Runestone; Vexing Bauble; Voice of Victory
Too Efficent Pillow-Fort (either prevent or discourage players too efficently to attack or damage you)
Competitive: Glacial Chasm
High Power: Blazing Archon; Constant Mists; Dread; Ensnaring Bridge; Forcefield; Island Sanctuary; Maze of Ith; Moat; Mirri, Weatherlight Duelist; No Mercy; Reconnaissance; Solitary Confinement
Above Precon: Arboria; Archangel of Tithes; Archon of Absolution; Angus Mackenzie; Cavern of Despairs; Crawspace; Baird, Steward of Argive; Collective Restraints; Crawlspace; Dissipation Field; Dueling Grounds; Ghostly Prison; Kami of the False Hope; Koskun Falls; Onakke Oathkeeper; Oloro, Ageless Ascetic; Peacekeeper; Propaganda; Silent Arbiter; Sphere of Safety; Spore Frog; Web of Inertia; Windborn Muse
Scales Too Efficent on Multiplayer (the spells are exponentially more broken the more are the players in the pod)
Competitive: Cyclonic Rift; Prophet of Kruphix; Slicer, Hired Muscle
High Power: Deep Gnome Terramancer; Expropriate; Luminarch Ascension; Lurking Predators; Mind's Dilation; Nezahal, Primal Tide; Seedborn Muse; Toxrill, the Corrosive
Above Precon: Crypt Ghast; Exsanguinate; Grey Merchant of Asphodel; Herald of Leshrac; Kambal, Consul of Allocation; Kokusho, the Evening Star; Tendershoot Dryad
Too Oppressive Big Monsters (they are more unfun and harder to deal with in more casual pods)
High Power: Blightsteel Colossus; Breaker of Creation; Crafterhoof Behemoth; Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite; Emrakul, the Aeons Torn; Emrakul, the Promised End; Emrakul, the World Anew; It That Betrays; Kozilek, Butcher of Truth; Kozilek, the Great Distortion; Pathrazer of Ulamog; Sheoldred, the Whispering One; Terastodon; Ulamog, the Defiler; Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
Above Precon: Artisan of Kozilek; Bane of Bala Ged; Cityscape Leveler; Evra, Halcyon Witness; Flayer of Loyalties; Gisela, Blade of Goldnight; Jumbo Cactuar; Lord of Extinction; Malignus; Serra Avatar; Steel Hellkite; Ulamog's Crusher; Worldspine Wurm
Caos Magic (the less control players have over the game, the more is unfun to play)
High Power: Confusion in the Ranks; Grip of Chaos; Planar Chaos; Possibility Storm
Above Precon: Scrambleverse; The Great Aurora; Thieves' Auction; Warp World
Life Changers/Matter Cards (they refer to specific life total numbers and are greatly more powerful in a 40 life format)
High Power: Felidar Sovereign; Magister Sphinx; Sorin Markov; Test of Endurance
Above Precon: Blood Baron of Vizkopa; Caduceus, Staff of Hermes; Captive Audience; Divinity of Pride; Rune-Tail, Kitsune Ascendant; Serra Ascendant; Tree of Perdition
Twisters Effects (They refill quickly the hand of each player, too efficent card draw)
High Power: Memory Jar; Reforge the Soul; Time Reversal; Time Spiral; Time Twister; Wheel of Fortune; Wheel of Misfortune; Windfall
Above Precon: Commit / Memory; Day's Undoing; Dragon Mage; Echo of Eons; Emergency Power; Game Plan; Magus of the Jar; Magus of the Wheel; Step Between Worlds; Temporal Cascade; Wheel of Fate
Too Efficent Thief Spells (they steal other people cards permanently or almost too easily)
High Power: Bribery; Dack Fayden; Empress Galina; Gilded Drake; Helm of Possession; Merieke Ri Berit; Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer; Thada Adel, Acquisitor; Thieving Skydiver; Treachery; Vedalken Shackles; Willow Satyr
Above Precon: Agent of Treachery; Beguiler of Wills; Blatant Thievery; Evangelize; Hellkite Tyrant; Memnarch; Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker; Old Man of the Sea; Olivia Voldaren; Preacher; Roil Elemental; Rubinia Soulsinger; Sen Triplets; Thieves' Auction; Volatile Stormdrake
Too Efficent Cheaters (either too low cost mana cards or too efficent commanders that evades big mana spells too quickly)
High Power: Animate Dead; Dance of the Dead; Eureka; Goblin Welder; Necromancy; Persist; Reanimate; Show and Tell; Sneak Attack
Above Precon: Anrakyr the Traveller; Arcane Artisan; Archpriest of Shadows; Atla Palani, Nest Tender; Champion of Rhonas; Coffin Queen; Eladamri, Korvecdal; Elvish Piper; Esika, God of the Tree; Etali, Primal Storm; Feldon of the Third Path; Howlpack Piper; Jacob Hauken, Inspector; Jodah, Archmage Eternal; Kaalia of the Vast; Kona, Rescue Beastie; Leonardo da Vinci; Master Transmuter; Mayael the Anima; Monster Manual; Nashi, Moon Sage's Scion; Oviya, Automech Artisan; Quicksilver Amulet; Satoru Umezawa; Terror of Towashi; The Infamous Cruelclaw; Thran Temporal Gateway
Powerful Lands (they either have powerful abilities or enter untapped and give multiple colors with little to no drawback)
Competitive: Karakas, Arid Mesa; Badlands; Bayou; Bloodstained Mire; Flooded Strand; Marsh Flats; Misty Rainforest; Plateau; Polluted Delta; Savannah; Scalding Tarn; Scrubland; Taiga; Tropical Island; Tundra; Underground Sea; Verdant Catacombs; Volcanic Island; Windswept Heath; Wooded Foothills
High Power: Academy Ruins; Arena of Glory; Boseiju, Who Shelters All; Cabal Coffers; Cavern of Souls; City of Brass; Dark Depths; Diamond Valley; Eye of Ugin; Field of the Dead; Hall of Heliod's Generosity; Hall of the Bandit Lord; High Market; Mana Confluence; Minamo, School at Water's Edge; Mistrise Village; Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx; Phyrexian Tower; Rishadan Port; Scorched Ruins; Strip Mine; The Mycosynth Gardens; Three Tree City; The World Tree; Urza's Saga; Volrath's Stronghold; Wasteland; Yavimaya Hollow; Blood Crypt; Breeding Pool; Godless Shrine; Hallowed Fountain; Overgrown Tomb; Sacred Foundry; Steam Vents; Stomping Ground; Temple Garden; Watery Grave; Bountiful Promenade; Luxury Suite; Morphic Pool; Rejuvenating Springs; Sea of Clouds; Spectator Seating; Spire Garden; Training Center; Undergrowth Stadium; Vault of Champions; Fiery Islet; Horizon Canopy; Nurturing Peatland; Silent Clearing; Sunbaked Canyon; Waterlogged Grove; Adarkar Wastes; Battlefield Forge; Brushland; Caves of Koilos; Karplusan Forest; Llanowar Wastes; Shivan Reef; Sulfurous Springs; Underground River; Yavimaya Coast
Above Precon: Boseiju, Who Endures; Otawara, Soaring Song; Takenuma Abandoned Mire; Blast Zone, Cephalid Coliseum; Gavony Township; Horizon of Progress; Inventor's Fair; Mirrorpool; Kessig Wolf Run; Port of Karfell; Prismatic Vista; Tarnished Citadel; Throne of the High City; Tyrite Sanctum; Urza's Cave; Vault of the Archangel; Westvale Abbey; Indatha Triome; Jetmir's Garden; Ketria Triome; Raffine's Tower; Raugrin Triome; Savai Triome; Spara's Headquarters; Xander's Lounge; Zagoth Triome; Ziatora's Proving Ground; Celestial Colonnade; Creeping Tar Pit; Hissing Quagmire; Lavaclaw Reaches; Lumbering Falls; Needle Spires; Raging Ravine; Shambling Vent; Stirring Wildwood; Wandering Fumarole; Commercial District; Elegant Parlor; Hedge Maze; Lush Portico; Meticulous Archive; Raucous Theater; Shadowy Backstreet; Thundering Falls; Undercity Sewers; Underground Mortuary
Game Changers for Unique Reasons (everything else that doesn't fit in the other categories goes here)
Competitive: Lutri, the Spellchaser as companion; Shahrazad
F.A.Q:
- Me and my friends don't agree on several cards put in your system in the Game Changers or Bracket X. What do we do?
That's ok and Rule 0 still apply. Commander is a social philosophy based on the gentlemen's agreement between the players first and foremost so If you and your playgroup want to play within a certain Bracket but don't agree on some cards, just ask "can we play Bracket X but without those cards?" or even "can we play Bracket Y but with the addition of those other cards from higher brackets?" or "can I use this card fairly in a lower bracket and not as a commander/companion/degenerate combo?"etc. and solve the issues democratically if all or most players agree with your proposed changes. This list is needed as the default and official point of reference and ultimate authority if players can't agree in good faith on house rulings or LGS and strangers need to use a non-arbitrary system universally accepted and learned by default without further Rule 0 discussions, with the hope to minimize the chances of bad actors to succesfully exploit any fallacy of the system.
- Why are in higher brackets cards that you find in normal precons?
Because even WotC can make mistakes sometimes or simply a card that wasn't problematic once, it become one once it interact with newer cards, metas and power creep. Trade Secret is already an example of a precon card already banned in normal commander and the current and official Game Changer lists already have several cards that came from old precons, so specific exceptions should be always expected. Also even if Sol Ring is in High Power level for objective and coherent power level reasons, it is the only card that have the special and unique exception, based on the fact that is in every single precon and almost all edh players accept his inclusion, that is Rule 0 implicitly that you can play it in any bracket without pregame discussion and that are the players that don't like the Sol Ring power that must insist explicitly and pregame it with the other players to play it in his appropriate bracket level. Game Changers are also ok in Bracket 2 if they are inside unmodified precons.
- Do you expect players should memorize what to play or include of almost a thousand cards list?
Of course not and in most casual games won't even matter. The list is made in case there's controversy amongst players about one or more cards and they seek a neutral third party that tells them what to do exactly with said cards (and it's both useful for both casual players as type of cards to avoid in their games and for competitive players as a list of suggestion of the best staples to actively seek to include and brews in their decks). If you have a doubt about a particular card just use the "seek" function on your pc/phone to quicly see if it's in any list of Game Changers at all and that's why cards are ordered in specific categories and alphabetical order to help players to consult quickly the category they need to search without confusion. Also, if the enfranchised players (the primary target of this list) can handle a card pool of over 30.000 cards, a comprehensive rules of over 900 paragraphs, oracle texts difference over the printed text of a card (also in the order of thousands) and many other things, of what's already (stated by several scientific studies) the most complex game in human history, they will be also able to handle this.
- What criterias you used to make this lists of cards?
It's a mix of almost two decades of experience of playing edh with pods of all types, the use of tools like EDHrec that contains the most popular and more common cards used/hated (especially the saltiest and combo sections of the site) among millions of decks registered and also including more obscure and niche cards that for their nature would be intrinsecally unfun to play in the more casual brackets (especially in the stax/hoser/pillow fort sections)
- why there are no official game changers cards listed nowhere like Teferi Protection or Fierce Guardianship?
I believe that one-shot counterspells, removals and protections spells are healthy for the game and to increase the interaction between players no matter how much are pushed and if it's true that they could be used for non-interactive combos, what it matters even more is that the same cards they can be used also to prevent an disrupt them by the rest of the table, which I believe are the majority of the games, especially in the more casual brackets.
- Don't you think you put too many / don't enough cards in X Bracket / Game Changer Category?
Absolutely, and that's why I ask the help and feedback of all of you, to help me to make a system as coherent, definitive and rigorous as possible and then send to Gavin Verhey and the rest of the Commander Format Panel this as a model to improve the current bracket system by including my suggestions totally or partially . I tried my best to cover most things but perfection is not of this world and I could certainly had made minor or major mistakes need to be fixed (I struggled to judge especially for the Stax, Pillow-Fort and Hosers categories). Thank you for all the constructive criticisms and help. Let's make Commander great again!