Reevaluating the Commander Ban List: Part 1

Not Counting the Conspiracy, Ante, or offensive cards that are banned in all formats, there are 45 cards officially banned in EDH. I do say officially because people and playgroups are as always able to make their own addendums for personal play, but let's talk about a few of these today and make our way through why everything on here is on here.

Before we begin I would like to mention the only change to this list that ever really bothered me in my time playing. Back in the day there was a ban list for cards in the 99 and a Commander ban list i.e. cards that could be in your deck but not in your command zone. I very much liked this version of things as it let people play big dumb creatures like Griselbrand in the 99 without the extra power it provided without it being your commander. (I am not saying Griselbrand should be unbanned, I very much am not advocating that but we will get there.)

First on our Alphabetical Journey is Ancestral Recall! It's banned everywhere and limited in vintage. One mana draw three is very strong, one could say too strong, particularly when you compare it to its cycle. If you were not aware, Ancestral Recall is in a cycle of one mana cards most of which have been at least mildly playable. Try and see which one is not playable. We have Ancestral Recall, Lightning Bolt, Dark Ritual, Giant Growth, and Healing Salve.  Is this too strong for commander? Yes. Draw three for one mana is a bit too much.

Balance is a card I have to read every time I see it. To be fair, I only saw it on magic online cube back when I played on that client. This card is in a group on this list that is the "no fun" for anyone grouping. At two mana, board wipe, potential mass land destruction and mass discard is a very powerful thing. Knowledgeable people may already know that Balance's younger brother Restore Balance is not banned in Commander. Why? I honestly am not sure. You could build decks around either or both of these cards, the issue with the original Balance is that its two mana with no warning whereas Restore Balance technically has a 6 turn warning system. Do I think Balance should be banned? Uhhhh probably? While it certainly "balances" some board states, mass land, creature, and hand destruction on a two mana card is not fun for many groups. I do think Restore Balance is probably fine though, it has suspend six or, if they cheat around it, it takes some extra work so, that's probably enough to keep it around.

Biorhythm is the first card on our rundown that I believe should not be banned. 8 mana, each player's life total becomes the number of creatures they control. This card is silly, this is a silly 8 mana card that someone lost super hard to at some point in the past and they banned it. In a world of counterspells and removal, this card doesn't need to be banned. Are there fringe cases where a mono green player can ramp out to 8 mana really quick and win on the spot? Yes. But that is no stronger than high end decks that have turn 3 or 4 instant kill combos. This effect is also attached to a creature in Shaman of Forgotten Ways, but there the effect costs 11. Formats evolve, and I think that this card doesn't need to be banned anymore. The only issue is, if nobody has any creatures in play, who dies first? (It's a draw.)

Black Lotus is almost certainly the most famous card in Magic: The Gathering. Current events at time of writing may lead some to believe that "The One Ring" is the most famous card in the game, but that's not really fair. Lord of The Rings has been around a lot longer than this card game, but we aren't talking about that card right now. We are talking about a 0 mana artifact that gives 3 mana for the low low cost of sacrificing it. Fast mana is very good, just ask Commanders favorite card Sol Ring. Look at all the similar cards that see play, Lion's Eye Diamond, Jeweled Lotus, Lotus Petal, the list does go on. This, like Ancestral Recall is banned everywhere but vintage, and that's as it should be. Cards that are that powerful would be auto includes and reduce variance in what should be the format where card variety should be at its apex. Edh is already considered by some to be a 98 card format, but we will talk about that in a later article going over what probably should be on the ban list. But that's a discussion for another day. Should it be banned? Of course it should, its Black Lotus, all star card of all star cards. 

Braids, Cabal Minion is our last card of today and is the only card on this list that I accidently sleeved up in a deck because I didn't know or have a reason to think that it would be banned in Commander. This is one of the cards that I think should be banned as a commander but not necessarily banned in the 99. It is powerful, 4 mana to start making everyone sacrifice permanents every turn is very strong, but it's at its strongest when she is your commander and the consistency of that slot can be taken advantage of at its fullest. This card is a "no fun" card plain and simple. Is it less fun than Balance? I don't think so? Braids is at her best when you are able to get her in play before anyone else can develop. So are most stacks pieces. Should Braids be banned? As we are on one ban list for Commander, yes, but if the return to separate lists for the 99 and commander ever happens then Braids spot should be re-evaluated. 

Next time we'll talk about Chaos Orb and some other interesting cards. (At time of writing I fully do not know what Chaos Orb does but I look forward to finding out.) I believe that evaluating ban lists every once in a while is a healthy thing to do, and I always encourage playgroups that want to try no ban list or a modified list to give it a shot. Discover something new!