“But if I’m still around”
Art:Primeval Titan
by Aleksi Briclot
We are getting controversial today! Unbanning and banning commander cards is a very hot topic within the community and is something that is discussed very often. I think that there are a lot of cards on the list that are not as good as they once were and deserve to be unbanned, with the huge amount of power creep in both card design and the format, a lot of these cards just aren’t what they used to be, some of these cards have been hanging around the ban-list forever and really wouldn’t change the format if they were unbanned. With the meteoric rise of cards like ,Thassa's Oracle
, and other really quick-win conditions, a lot of these cards don’t seem so bad anymore and should be unbanned. Without further ado, let’s get it!
This list is in no particular order and is just ten cards that I think need to come off of the banlist.
#5: Biorhythm
Biorhythm is not a card that needs to be banned anymore, in my opinion; even at lower power tables, the format is quite quick compared to what it once was. An eight-mana card even if ramped into really doesn’t change the game all that much, setting everyone to really low will end the game quicker, but there are so many amazing counterspells in the format as well as creatures decks that pump up the board like crazy, I see how this card can be oppressive but don’t think it would be format warping. I think Biorhythm should be unbanned.
#4: Sylvan Primordial
Back when this was banned, it was really good and a card that was game-warping and arguably format-warping. Pretty much every deck that could play this did play it. With how much power creep has occurred since the gatecrash, I don’t even know how much play this would see these days. This card is not bad at all, but a little bit of ramp and permanent destruction for green will not do that much to move the needle. This card absolutely needs to be unbanned and should have been a long time ago.
#3: Primeval Titan
Prime Time is a great card, there is absolutely no doubt, but many people act like the entire commander format is going to fall apart if this card is put into, but in reality, it really won’t change that much. Prime Time is good, and decks that want it will run it, but it will not ruin the format. In my opinion, I think it’s high time that Prime Time got back into the spotlight and came off of the banlist.
#2: Upheaval
Upheaval is good and changes the game, but with the prevalence of cards like Cyclonic Rift
already in the format and really strong within the format but this card really won’t impact lower power tables and will mostly be played at higher power tables which it can be really strong at. More than anything else I see this card as a CEDH card than anything else and don’t think very many decks outside of CEDH would run this. In my opinion, I think it is safe to unban.
#1: Coalition Victory
Coalition Victory is a really cool card and a card that I think can be safely unbanned. There are a lot of people who argue against it, but if you are playing a deck with any form of removal or counterspells, this will rarely be used. I also think that in a format with such quick wins like Thassa's Oracle + Demonic Consultation
, I don’t think adding Coalition to the format will change very much and will allow for some interesting outlets and different play patterns for five-color strategies, I think this will cause no problems and really won’t effect much of the format.