Lets look at the Commander Ban list

Well I'm home and can't make Aether Revolt Prerelease...fuck it lets make an article

The commander ban list is something that gets a ton of attention from players around the world. There are tons of discussion on if X should be banned or if Y is too powerful and blah blah blah.
I'm here to talk about the ban list and if some cards are prime ideas for unbanning. I'm gonna discuss the cards in both a casual and competitive meta and how they may fit in there and what impact they may have if unbanned.  I know there isn't only one ban list but competitive and casual decks are completely different so talking about both impacts makes sense to me
I'm also not gonna bother with the Ante, Conspiracy, or dexterity cards cause duh.

There are currently 40 banned cards in commander so let us not waste any more time.



Power 9 (Minus Timetwister)

Power 9 (Minus Timetwister)

For Casual: NO NO NO. These cards are way too strong for casual players and shouldn't even be considered for unbannings there. You can argue this all you want but you're wrong and stupid.


Competitive: Timetwister is a staple in decks and it's not destroying the format, however, I think adding the rest may make the multi-colored decks too strong. Let me explain. Right now a majority of the strongest decks are 3+ colors. Giving them 4 to 6 extra cards compared to some decks only getting potentially 2 gives them a massive boost over the others. Pretty much all the best decks already run Mox Diamond and Chrome Mox so there isn't any reason to not put them in your decks and the fact that the many colored decks are getting so much more of a boost than this makes me hesitant.
I don't think it's too powerful since competitive EDH is pretty much singleton vintage but giving certain decks a massive boost while others get far less makes me wonder if it's worth testing out. What's the worst that could happen?!

Verdict:
Casual: Ban forever
Competitive: Test it out but be keep an eye on...probably not


BALANCE

BALANCE

Casual: Far too strong. Being able to Mind twist, Geddon, and wrath for two mana is far too strong for casual groups. Every white deck will want this and I feel like it's power is too strong, even for...


Competitive: No, this card must stay banned. The turn one or two wipe of hands for all opponents is super strong. Dumping your hand into a balance cripples everyone and pretty much ends the game for two mana. Sure you could argue that flash/rector will do the same but this is one card.


Verdict:
Casual: No way, Jose
Competitive: No chance, Lance

BIORHYTM

Casual: Is this card even good? I get that ending the game out of nowhere is frowned upon but Tooth and Nail and Shaman of the Forgotten Ways are fine in the meta and aren't that absurd. I'm not even sure this card would be played if it was unbanned.


Competitive: This card wouldn't even be played. Nowhere good enough to handle tier one or two decks at all.


Verdict:
Casual: Unban
Competitive: Unban but still wouldn't see play









BRAIDS, CABAL MINION

Casual: The removal of the "banned as commander" list was dumb. I'm sorry but if having people remember a list of 40 cards isn't too hard then remembering that a few cards are just banned as commander is fucking stupid.


Competitive: Braids would likely see play in Stax decks and would be either tier one or two as a commander. I don't think she would be a more powerful than Brago, Teferi, Derevi but would likely impact the format as a general and as a solid part of the 99.

Verdict:
Casual: Banned as commander
Competitive: Unban entirely







COALITION VICTORY

Casual: Like Biorhythm I don't think this will really see play. Sure you win if you have your general out and a basic of every color but again it's 8 mana to win and only when conditions are met. Any opponent can just bounce the general or strip mine a land to stop this, not to mention counter the damn spell.

Competitive: This card is shit and if unbanned wouldn't impact competitive in the slightest.


Verdict:
Casual: Unban
Competitive: Unban







CHANNEL

Casual: No. Turn one Ugin, Emrakul, Karn, Kozilek or whatever is far too strong. The fact that such a powerful card is on the same list as bad cards like Coalition Victory or Biorhythm makes me wonder how those two are even close to being banned.

Competitive: Ummm....I think it may be too strong. I'm not certain on this but giving storm this much more power or adding more things to just hard card Eldrazi or threats like Ugin as early as turn one may be too strong even in competitive. Sure you could get Ugin out with Treasonous ogre but that's more than two cards and costs you over half your life. I think it's pushing it but maybe it could see a unban and just be watched super closely?

Verdict:
Casual: Ban forever
Competitive: Unban? But probably not




EMRAKUL, THE AEONS TORN

Casual: Admittedly I never got a chance to play with this card when it was legal but I think it's safe to say that it's real powerful. Eldrazi are often at most tables and this gives the player with a Bribery a big advantage. This pretty much says, well I hope you have a wrath. And if hard cast in elves or artifact heavy decks it will likely end the game by itself. Probably too strong for that.

Competitive: Eldrazi don't see much play outside of decks like Selvala, Animar, and Sisay so putting this guy in would give those decks some help. I don't think it would warp the format as it doesn't help out stax or combo decks out too much and gives "Fair" decks more of a shot to take them out before combo or lockdown happens


Verdict:
Casual: Ban
Competitive: Unban



ERAYO, SORATAMI ASCENDANT

Causal: Like I said for Braids the banned as commander thing is stupid. While she may be too oppressive as a commander I don't think she ever saw play outside of the general slot. Bring back banned as commander


Competitive: This will likely be another contender for tier one or two stax decks that stop opponents from playing but against three players I think it can be managed. There is tons of removal and enchantment destruction so I'm sure even as a general it would be ok. If not banned as commander for sure


Verdict:
Casual: Banned as commander
Competitive: Unban





FASTBOND

Casual: Hahahahaha....no. If you need me to explain why this is too strong go watch some gush vintage lists with fastbond in it.


Competitive: Eh...probably not safe to unban. Fastbond + Crucible is insane. Add any fetch to search up a ton of lands, add Strip Mine to kill all your opponents lands, Add wheels to make sure you keep drawing cards and this card is doomed for a forever ban


Verdict:
Casual: No
Competitive: No






GIFTS UNGIVEN

Casual: I don't see the appeal. You could easily give yourself piles where you are gonna do the desired effect regardless of what your opponent gives you but that's true for Intuition as well. And even so, you could get Unburial rites or whatever for easy reanimation of Jin-Gixatais or Iona....well you could also Survival of the fittest a Loyal Retainers in your hand. I don't understand this ban.


Competitive: Would likely see play in combo decks but those decks are already running lower CMC tutors. May not even see play

Verdict:
Casual: Unban
Competitive: Unban




GRISELBRAND

Casual: Man, this ban list is so unbalanced. You have insane cards like Balance next to garbage like Coalition Victory. Then you have Griselbrand, which is likely the most insane creature ever printed. The mere fact that you can draw instantly and over and over until you have an answer to whatever makes this card an easy ban. Drawing 35 cards end of turn is too strong.


Competitive: Also likely too strong. If he was unbanned most decks would want to get him in play as fast as possible and then draw 35 cards and combo out. It would be super easy and he may warp the format.

Verdict:
Casual: Ban forever
Competitive: Ban




KARAKAS

Casual: An uncounterable ability to bounce generals...hm....next


Competitive: I actually maybe could see it getting unbanned but I think it would be safer banned forever. Being able to remove generals instantly and at no cost would make this played in every deck that can and it's just too abusable.


Verdict:
Casual: Ban
Competitive: Probably ban









LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRA

Casual: The price tag alone makes me wonder if it's too strong but then again things like Tabernacle, Workshop, and Bazaar are not banned. I don't get why this one is banned. Yes, it will likely see play in most decks where it can but that's not enough reason to ban a card. You want to be playing cards and that reduces your hand size so I'm not certain on this one.


Competitive: Likely a safe unban, netting an extra card off a land is strong and all but the colorless mana isn't exciting and in a world of combo and lockdown decks I don't see the card draw happening too often

EDIT: So, after posting this I got a lot of people telling me how there is no way this one is safe and that it's oppressive even in Vintage.
I went ahead and played some games, really focusing on Library as much as I could and it's fair to say that I'm insane and this card should never be unbanned.

Verdict:
Casual: Probably Unban
Competitive: Unban




LIMITED RESOURCES

 Casual: Yeah it's hard to play without lands and doesn't scale super well in games with tons of players so keeping this banned makes sense.

Competitive: Well...if your opponents can't stop you while this is on board then you're likely not playing at a competitive table anyway. Most decks can win from 2-3 lands so this probably wouldn't see too much play and in a world where removal is often one mana it's not gonna be hard to kill when needed.


Verdict:
Casual: Banned
Competitive: Unban







PAINTER'S SERVANT

Casual: You could argue that this guy would be too strong but the eleven mana investment for Servant + Iona or ten mana for Ugin + Servant to wipe lands doesn't seem much more powerful that other legal combos already in the format. Sure he can go in every deck but that doesn't mean he will. Yes there is the kill with Servant and Grindstone but that's only one player and you could also kill a single player with Rest in peace and Helm. I don't thin that's enough reason to have this guy banned.

Competitive: I don't think he would see play in the competitive field at all. The mana cost to lock out the table is too high and killing just one player at a time is kinda slow when other cards that work well by themselves and not only with certain other cards exist.


Verdict:
Casual: Unban
Competitive: Unban




Well, that's it for today guys, we will continue with the remainder of the list next time. Is this a cop out? Probably.

Let me know what you think, do you agree or disagree? Let me know and lets start a discussion.


Also, if you haven't already put your predictions on which Planeswalkers are the best for EDH here:
http://diestodoomblade.blogspot.com/2017/01/ranking-planeswalkers-giveaway.html


Doomblade, Signing out.


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