The Most Controversial Bans In Commander

Key Takeaways

• Nadu, Winged Wisdom’s ban was well-received and not as controversial as other cards.
• Primeval Titan’s ban raises questions about consistency in ruling on powerful cards.
• Dockside Extortionist’s ban stirred controversy due to simultaneous banning of Jewel Lotus and Mana Crypt.

It’s always news when the most popular format in the most popular trading card game gets additions to the infamous banlist, but some Magic: The Gathering bans are far more controversial than others. And though some of these announcements are met with an outcry, many bans throughout Magic’s history are taken well by the fanbase.

After all, the goal of bans is generally to make Commander more fun and accessible. What has been criticized, however, is a perceived inconsistency in rulings; many of the following banned cards are only controversial because of similar cards that are left unbanned.

9

Nadu, Winged Wisdom

A Ban We Can All Get Behind

Nadu, Winged Wisdom’s banning was only controversial because it was lumped in with Dockside Extortionist, Jeweled Lotus, and Mana Crypt. If you were to ask the average Magic: The Gathering player whether they agree with Nadu, Winged Wisdom being banned, chances are high they will.

But choosing to pair this obvious pick with three other cards that were more contentious turned what should’ve been a routine addition to the banlist into something far greater.

8

Primeval Titan

The Bigger They Are…

As with all the banned cards, it’s easy to understand why Primeval Titan (or ‘Prime Time’) made the list. But it’s important to note that it’s not just extremely powerful cards that are banned. Many cards are banned due to the notion that they make Commander less accessible to casual and incoming players.

But this would suggest that all cards as powerful as Primeval Titan should also be banned, while the reality is that similar cards like Ulvenwold Hydra and even Hour of Promise are left legal.

7

Coalition Victory

A Remnant Of A Past Magic Era

Coalition Victory faces the same problem many other cards on the banlist face, which is an inconsistent ruling. The card is from a bygone era of Magic: The Gathering, but it’s not unreasonably overpowered.

The big card players will bring up in this particular ‘why is X banned when Y isn’t?’ debate is Thassa’s Oracle, which can be more difficult to deal with if you’re not running a blue deck. Coalition Victory, on the other hand, has counter options in all colors.

6

Golos, Tireless Pilgrim

Unfair, Or Skill Issue?

Whether someone was a fan of the Golos, Tireless Pilgrim ban or not will mostly depend on whether they ran him. Most players won’t disagree that, by the time it was banned, the sheer number of decks with Golos, Tireless Pilgrim as their commander had gotten out of hand.

But others, like Commander Format Panel member and former Commander Advisory Group member Josh Lee Kwai, were very against the decision. This largely comes down to ‘Rule Zero’ in Commander, which states that players can do whatever they want as long as everyone agrees.

While some players say the beauty of Commander is Rule Zero’s flexibility, others argue that game formats should stick to firm rules.

5

Sylvan Primordial

It Became The Very Thing It Sought To Destroy

Sylvan Primordial is sometimes seen as a ‘more reasonable’ Primeval Titan, but wound up being about as powerful. But the reason for some controversy as time has gone on is the fact that Magic: The Gathering has changed a lot since Sylvan Primordial’s banning in 2014.

There’s no doubt that Sylvan Primordial would still be a threat in today’s Commander games, but Magic: The Gathering has also been on a steady trend towards faster games, lower mana curves, and more powerful creatures. To argue for Sylvan Primordial’s unbanning (and truly any card’s unbanning) would be in support of the idea that Magic: The Gathering will always eventually self-correct itself.

4

Iona, Shield of Emeria

Her Shield Could Not Protect Her From A Ban

Iona, Shield of Emeria is another card that immediately seems like a no-brainer for a ban. A commander that locks players out of an entire color every time she enters? It’s a powerful card, but many players feel like it was not so egregious that it necessitated a ban.

And as always, banning Iona, Shield of Emeria raises questions about other cards. Why are Winter Orb and Stasis allowed to remain unbanned? Because of all this, bans like Iona, Shield of Emeria leave some players simply resistant to the idea of being told how to play.

3

Dockside Extortionist

We All Knew It Was Coming

Players weren’t necessarily surprised that Dockside Extortionist was getting banned. The real controversy was in four cards being simultaneously banned without discussion with the Commander Advisory Group (and reportedly ignoring warnings from Wizards of the Coast).

Dockside Extortionist — along with Jeweled Lotus — was slightly more controversial than the other cards, because it is unplayable in the other major formats. While it can be plahyed in Vintage and Legacy, in any format with only one opponent, it becomes effectively unplayably bad.

The banning essentially renders Dockside Extortionist a useless card in terms of play, which was also a significant blow to its monetary value.

2

Mana Crypt

It Finally Lost Its Own Coin Fllip

Given the high life totals in Commander games, Mana Crypt is essentially two free mana with no downside. And it’s true that the card was a staple among pods to the point of being bothersome to many players. But, like Jeweled Lotus, Mana Crypt was not seen as a glaring problem in the way that Nadu, Winged Wisdom was.

Like the other cards banned on September 23, 2024, Mana Crypt’s controversy comes from the simultaneous bans of Jeweled Lotus and Dockside Extortionist (players were generally fine with Nadu, Winged Wisdom getting the axe).

Without warning players it was being monitored or spacing out their bans, the pot was stirred when this expensive card was banned, leaving players to wonder why cards like Sol Ring and even Mana Vault were acceptable.

1

Jeweled Lotus

You’ll Never Be Sol Ring…

One of the three fast mana cards banned on September 23, 2024, Jeweled Lotus was an especially controversial inclusion. This is due to the reasoning for the bans: to cut down on fast mana and slow games down.

But when paired with the universal presence of Sol Ring—a card arguably more powerful—a card that is too ubiquitous with Commander to ban, Jeweled Lotus seems like less of a problem. Furthermore, Jeweled Lotus was designed specifically for the Commander format, making it an expensive card that is now unusable in official games outside of the most niche of Vintage decks.