Magic: The Gathering‘s Commander Rules Committee, which governs the fairness and creativity of the game, has officially added four new cards to the Commander Ban List: Dockside Extortionist, Jeweled Lotus, Mana Crypt, and Nadu, Winged Wisdom.
Going forward, these games will no longer be legal in Commander format – on an official level, and as recommended for casual player groups – to ensure that games of Commander remain fair for everyone, and no one player has an advantage for specifically purchasing and using these cards (many of which are incredibly pricey).
“The philosophy of Commander prioritises creativity, and one of the ways we have historically reflected that in the rules and ban list is to encourage a slower pace of game than traditional formats,” the Commander Rules Committee explained. “We have a goal to make it easier for players who enjoy slower, more social games to have an environment for them to explore.”
For each card, the committee has provided a clear explanation for the ban, and for why casual players should avoid including these cards in their MTG Commander Decks.
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Which MTG cards have been banned?
Mana Crypt has been banned for its potential to ramp player mana immediately, as it’s a zero-cost card that only comes with the slight risk of 3 damage, based on a coin flip. Per the committee, “Coming down for no mana on turn one, it’s quite possible to have the explosive start of Mana Crypt into a Signet or Talisman, land, and another Signet, leaving that player untapping five mana on turn two.”
Jeweled Lotus has been banned for similar reasons, as it allows egregious mana ramp to play a Commander early in games. Per the committee, “Though you’re restricted in what you can do with the mana, four- and five-mana Commanders can pack a significant punch nowadays, often drawing cards to make up for the one-shot mana, and defensive abilities such as ward can’t be interacted with that early in the game.”
Dockside Extortionist has been banned for its capacity to generate immediate Treasure, which can be sacrificed for mana. Per the committee: “Dockside isn’t normally quite as explosive in the early game as the other two cards, but it can still go mana-positive on turn two and start generating substantial Treasures after that.”
Nadu, Winged Wisdom has been banned for its powerful card draw, which can be triggered twice each turn. Per the committee: “It interacts badly with cards that are staples of casual play, most notably Lightning Greaves, meaning that decks it gets thrown into without abuse intent can still create a situation where the player is monopolising all the time in the game.”
In addition to outlining these bans, the MTG Commander Rules Committee has also provided comment on Sol Ring, another mana-ramping card which can shoot players ahead of competitors with a lucky card draw. While it functions similarly to other cards which have been banned, the committee has stated it will not be banned, as it’s an “iconic card” of the Commander format. In delivering these bans, the committee is also trying to make the game fairer for everyone, not eliminating the possibility of mana ramp entirely.
You can keep up to date with all the latest MTG Commander bans on the MTG Commander Rules Committee website.
