This still doesn't make sense, because if "win the game immediately" cards are fine then they should unbanned also cards like Biorythm or Coalition Victory, also cards like Worldfire that cost tons of mana, that require a minimum of setup to win and just end games when resolve.
Doesn't matter how you see it, the unban of this particular card but not others just doesn't make sense.
It could be that they're using Worldfire as a testing ground to see if the other cards are safe to unban. If Worldfire causes too many problems, it goes back on the banlist. If it's not an issue, then maybe they move on to evaluating Biorhythm or Sway of the Stars.
I doubt Coalition Victory will be unbanned though. Its win condition is far too easy to meet: 5c commander, and then nothing but land ramp and tutors to fetch CV. Probably a consistent turn 5 win, and turn 4 is probably not unreasonable. Not the kind of deck the RC is looking to encourage.
The RC explained the reasoning in the announcement
Worldfire was once banned due to the problematic interaction with floating mana and having access to your Commander. We want to foster a Commander environment where 8- and 9-mana spells are viable and likely to show up in a game, so we evaluate the expensive ones in that context. Unlike Coalition Victory and Biorhythm, which we continue to believe are problematic in that environment, the level of effort needed to make Worldfire effective is sufficient that we suspect it will not be as much of an issue. There are already cheaper ways to do similar things in the format. We believe the social contract and robust pregame discussions will keep Worldfire out of games in which it doesn’t belong.
The general concept of winning the game immediately has never been something that brought bans by itself, else there are a ton of infinite combos that should have been banned long ago, as well as stuff like Laboratory Maniac and Thassa's Oracle. It seems to be more a question of how difficult it is to set up. Sway of the Stars does seem like it could follow to me and was not mentioned in this update, but evidently Biorhythm was considered too easy.
Now I am really keeping my fingers crossed we get The Unluckiest... I believe I read somewhere that he's a Planeswalker. Can anyone find anything that backs that up?
Well there's your middle finger to mill decks after the core of them (ROGUES!) are leaving standard. Cute design. And it triggers for EACH land, not just one or more. Will it amount to anything? Ehh, maybe? Well, with those "discard a card to do X" cards (usually lands) will become more valuable alongside this.
I guess Book of Exalted Deeds could use this as a buffer against land hate (Faceless Haven et al!) once it becomes legal in Standard following rotation.
Makes you wonder what mechanics we'll see in Crimson Vow and upcoming releases thereafter.
'buster
I feel like Mill will still have many of their key pieces from Zendikar?
The enforcer is the real hit as it was pretty much a 4 of in every build but I can see the deck surviving - if a little hobbled - with just the Zendekari rogues. As for the other cards I don't know that they were all that consistent across builds and I'm fairly sure they can be replaced.
Enforcer is the best start, Into the Story is the best late game. People only skip Lurrus to run Zareth San, the Trickster, but that version is less popular. Borrower is probably not that big a deal.
Does a bit of a Lazav, the Multifarious impression. Better base stats, but the ability's pricey and not repeatable. Nice that you can play a second after it transforms.
Well there's your middle finger to mill decks after the core of them (ROGUES!) are leaving standard. Cute design. And it triggers for EACH land, not just one or more. Will it amount to anything? Ehh, maybe? Well, with those "discard a card to do X" cards (usually lands) will become more valuable alongside this.
I guess Book of Exalted Deeds could use this as a buffer against land hate (Faceless Haven et al!) once it becomes legal in Standard following rotation.
Makes you wonder what mechanics we'll see in Crimson Vow and upcoming releases thereafter.
'buster
I feel like Mill will still have many of their key pieces from Zendikar?
Bauble ramps on turn 2. This gets land to hand on turn 3.
when you can go faster by getting something that can tap for more than 1 mana of whatever
Something that you still have to pay for. This has powerful cards it can search up, yes, but then it's an artifact tutor, not a ramp spell and therefore not a Wayfarer's Bauble replacement.
Somehow, I always have to remind myself that 3 mana 4/4s are just normal for green now. Garruk's Harbinger barely got played, but this is more splashable and can always get you a card at some point.
If Sorin is getting a card as well I’m skeptical they’d do two White/Black walkers in the same set. It looks like just the Gatewatch broadly is here.
Wrenn, Teferi and Arlinn are in the set, the rest are just in the story. Source, which leaves some room for error. Might see the others that appear in Crimson Vow.
Ok so with the blue adversary release we now know that in the art is an easter egg of one of the other adversaries.
Blue one's hand shows in white's art and Black's hand shows up in blue's art. So somewhere in this one's art is a clue about either the red or green adversary.
EDIT: The Red adversary is most likely a vampire due to the bats in the picture.
They correspond with the ally-color tribes so far, which would suggest red is vampire, green is werewolf/wolf (wolf if they didn't want to make one member of the cycle double faced).
Also, where's the hand in the blue one? I believe you that it's there, but I cannot find it and now I must know.
Edit: Saw your post in the other thread and I see it now (bottom right, extended art for anyone else looking).
The RC explained the reasoning in the announcement
The general concept of winning the game immediately has never been something that brought bans by itself, else there are a ton of infinite combos that should have been banned long ago, as well as stuff like Laboratory Maniac and Thassa's Oracle. It seems to be more a question of how difficult it is to set up. Sway of the Stars does seem like it could follow to me and was not mentioned in this update, but evidently Biorhythm was considered too easy.
American Gothic zombies. Nice!
Here you go:
https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/cursed-commander-2017-edition-art-descriptions-2017-08-22
Enforcer is the best start, Into the Story is the best late game. People only skip Lurrus to run Zareth San, the Trickster, but that version is less popular. Borrower is probably not that big a deal.
Also, I forgot Drown in the Loch.
Rogues is losing some pretty core cards in Thieves' Guild Enforcer, Into the Story, Brazen Borrower and Lurrus of the Dream-Den
Something that you still have to pay for. This has powerful cards it can search up, yes, but then it's an artifact tutor, not a ramp spell and therefore not a Wayfarer's Bauble replacement.
Bauble ramps on turn 2. This gets land to hand on turn 3.
Unrelated to the card's playability: Werewolves come in "strains?" Is lychanthropy viral on Innistrad? Or perhaps bacterial?
Wrenn, Teferi and Arlinn are in the set, the rest are just in the story. Source, which leaves some room for error. Might see the others that appear in Crimson Vow.
They correspond with the ally-color tribes so far, which would suggest red is vampire, green is werewolf/wolf (wolf if they didn't want to make one member of the cycle double faced).
Also, where's the hand in the blue one? I believe you that it's there, but I cannot find it and now I must know.
Edit: Saw your post in the other thread and I see it now (bottom right, extended art for anyone else looking).