Should WotC be uninvolved in EDH
Commander (EDH) forum
Posted on March 15, 2022, 6:47 p.m. by _Moonie_
I've played Magic for several years now but never got too into all of the lore, the gameplay history, the strict rulings, or competitive play; mainly just sticking to casual play in Standard or Modern with my buddies.
I somewhat recently transitioned to the Commander format and was surprised and a little amazed to find out it was a format conceived not by WotC but by some random players who invented their own unique way of playing.
Knowing this, I've also seen that WotC has basically accepted this format and now even goes out of their way to make EDH decks or cards specifically targeted for use in EDH or an increase in the number of legendary creatures to be used as Commanders. I can't help but feel that, IMO at least, this somewhat degrades this style of playing or cheapens it. I feel like the fun of building an EDH was working with the cards WotC put out for regular gameplay and finding ways to make them work for EDH not having cards specifically designed for it.
Does anyone else share these sentiments? Anyone who feels them sort of butting in and getting more control over the format makes it slightly less enjoyable? Or do most people prefer that they now work to create cards specifically with Commander in mind?
Grubbernaut says... #3
I'm not sure if the dynamic is significantly different in casual, but in cEDH, Hullbreacher was MUCH stronger.
March 15, 2022 7:21 p.m.
I'll be honest and say that I do miss the days when commander wasn't the focus of design. I enjoy casual multiplayer Magic and playing competitive 60-card formats, and the number of "each opponent" effects that could have been "target opponent" or "any number of target opponents" (see: Tasha's Hideous Laughter) are starting to get on my nerves. I know it's not strictly a multiplayer thing since it's also easier to implement on digital clients, but it annoys me that some things like Modern Mill don't even have options like Blossoming Calm for counterplay. Back to two ships passing in the night.
I'unno. The less that Commander is becoming differentiated from the rest of Magic the less I feel the need to play it.
March 15, 2022 8:01 p.m.
I'm young and inexperienced, but it's my opinion that commander products are good fun. I wouldn't have gotten into the format at all if not for the Elven Empire precon. But again, I'm a young player, so I wasn't around for when it started. I just like all the commander products wizards come out with. So my opinion is skewed, because of how I got into it.
March 16, 2022 10:12 a.m.
Last_Laugh says... #6
The more commander-centric sets/cards there are, the merrier. I'd prefer battlebond sort of mixed reprint/new sets with reasonable prices over masters etc. though.
March 16, 2022 12:50 p.m.
I definitely have somewhat mixed feelings, but in the end I definitely appreciate some of the support WoTC has given in terms of staple reprints (Sol Ring etc). Precons are great starting points for people, and since EDH is a big part of what's kept me interested in MTG over the years, I think it's helpful to the player base to have at least some regular support.
Reprints can help keep things affordable and accessible to new players, so the more opportunity for useable content, the better.
I first played EDH in college when a friend who was getting me into magic had me draft my first commander deck (Lavinia of the Tenth) for a game to teach me the format. It was definitely a fun challenge, but I wanted something a little more cohesive to build off of. A few months later I ended up getting my first precon, which was the C13 "Nature of the Beast" one. I used Mayael the Anima as the commander. Ever since then, EDH has been my most played regular format.
March 16, 2022 12:52 p.m.
Last_Laugh says... #8
Ooh, even better. "Conspiracy: Hold the Crown" where Marchesa gets an Esper colored option and is more defense oriented.
March 16, 2022 1:09 p.m.
Arcane Signet, Command Tower, and Tome of Legends in Throne of Eldraine were mistakes, but I think that's been acknowledged. I believe there's too many legendary creatures in each set now, and I'm regularly frustrated to find that a unique card that would fit perfectly in a Modern or Pioneer deck design is Commander-only.
So basically, I'm not a fan. I didn't mind as much when the Commander decks were set-agnostic, but now it feels like half the cards in the Commander precons would work in the main set with no problem. They don't add much to the world-building, in my opinion, only sectioning off cards for no special gain.
Maybe I'm biased because I've never really gotten into Commander for its own sake, but I feel like it's starting to detract from the game a little bit.
TriusMalarky says... #2
It's a double edged sword. Yeah, there's a lot of cards that are just high power staples pumped into commander via the precons, but it also means they don't print cards that would be fine in standard/modern but totally ruin commander(which is hard, but making that impossible is helpful).
Well, at least outside of Hullbreacher. That was a mistake of a card. To be fair everyone, including wizards I guess, though Opposition Agent was much more busted but hey, what can ya do.
March 15, 2022 7:02 p.m.