Haven’t lost a game yet with this deck.

This video is hilarious. We are all so addicted, we can’t stop playing, no matter what Wizards does, or what they print. We can just change any rule we don’t like back to our happiness. We survived Magic 30, Pinkertons, and all the power creep over the last 5 years that has led to the most bannings in the history of the game. We’ll survive this too.

You one of those death threat guys?

Good takes.

"I dont believe the people in the RC are corporate shills" The RC immediately hands the keys over to the money-hungry corporation. I got bad news for you

And now the RC is under wizards. Welp there goes that format.

I haven’t purchased Magic cards in many years. I proxy all of my decks completely for Spelltable.

I really like the points you made in the video, and I've felt similar sentiments but have been articulating them in different ways. The thing in common is that, yes, this ban has harmed the perceived integrity and brand of the RC, which consequently felt like that stung extra hard because I did not want the RC to go away, and if the format were to splinter or change hands, I would not want to have to "re-learn" or re-evaluate other banned cards. I want to trust that cards like paradox engine and sundering titan deserve their ban, but a change of hands calls into question the status quo. I'm not sure that I agree that this is any sort of signal to wizards. Chase product, such as LCI and Commander Masters.... Wizards has already kind of made their money on. That product has already been moved, and now that people have what they want, its taken away. People feel deceived, they feel grifted, and in a weird way, this is the sort of ban I'd expect a highly cynical corporation to make. The timing around this ban feels oddly reminiscent of how konami handles its bans in yugioh. Pump and dump. The only way to really see if this move was made with financial integrity, and no influence by wizards, will unfortunately be mid-late 2025. Will wizards have to publicly delay a product because they had slotted Jeweled Lotus for another reprint? Or will they quietly release a new mechanically similar designed chase mythic that nullifies the impact of this ban? Will wizards reprint Mana VAULT... an (arguably, but maybe not) similar powered card that spiked in price after the ban, as a new chase mythic in the next masters set? The future actions of WOTC will cast a very large shadow of implication on these recent bannings, but for now, its only speculation and admittedly, nearing a slippery slope type of fallacy. Summarily, I think people want WOTC to control the commander banlist because this kind of feels like the type of ban they'd employ anyway, and they're drawn to the type of centrality and known accountability a public facing corporation has to deal with as opposed to the nebulous and hidden nature of the RC. (Which to your credit, you addressed somewhat, and that I agreed with) Regarding the communication. I do like the type of potential alternative presented here. Future forward thinking, public facing, and empathy driven. I've been personally kind of reflecting on a full range of their communication. The RC's recent words are getting a lot of attention, and members of the community are speculating what the RC SHOULD have done, but I think its equally valid to reflect on how these actions line up with their past communication. Commander operates spreading from the pillars of the RC's philosophy document. Not to get TOO longwinded, but reading through it, its not hard to pick out individual things within it that are conflicting in the kind of messaging and consequences of the bannings. Mainly meta considerations, and stability. I also think these recent actions conflict with their promises this year of being more transparent (as mentioned in one of their posts about their "goals") and they conflict with the intentions of representing player interests through members of the CAG (commander advisory group). Its not hard to come to a conclusion that the RC has said one thing, but done another. In the video, the RC is referred to as a balancing entity, and I think thats one of the things that sticks with me. For all intents and purposes, most people did NOT consider the RC a balancing entity. They did not consider commander balanced. Commander was accepted and rejoiced in the fact it was a broken and unbalanced place full of crazy powerful old cards. The RC's bannings used to be justified in keeping the game fun and diverse. Making sure that players weren't scared away by boring playpatterns or get bored by ubiquity. One could maybe argue ubiquity as a reason to ban, that people were tired of seeing these powerful cards "all the time", but I'm not sure that holds much water given the supposed price and "rarity" of these cards. Sol Ring dodged the ban despite its ubiquity, due to its "iconic nature", but I'm not sure I agree who gets to decide what is and isn't iconic (if that should be the determining factor at all).

Bad take IMO. Reason for ban: FAST MANA. Ground view: All the experts have gotten so insanely good at Ramp, none of them play Jeweled or Crypt in their decks. The bans didn't touch them at all, nor did it fix the problems suggested by the RC about fast Mana (by the fastest players). On the other hand, its dismantled another way other players can try and bridge the gap, when they don't have anywhere near as many hours to put into the game (basically, people that have a life outside of the card game). Its not a case of 'l like playing Lotus/Crypt' - its something almost required to keep up so you can actually be involved in a game and actually do something. They've not brought anyone back to the pack, they have done the complete opposite - fortified those on top, and made it hardest on those wanting casual games or just starting. The games aren't going to go longer from this, its going the other way, and the typical game now is resembling more of a continuous pattern of slaughter. Its changed a lot very quickly, none of it for the better, and never have I seen Crypt or Lotus been anywhere near the difference in winning, but they sure have been valuable in saving games from being complete duds. And even then, its usually still not good enough.

Rebel is a he.

Well it kind of hurts if you're trying to play pirates or a red deck

The rules committee should be disbanded.

Just make your own format. that's how it started in the first place

Very sensible takes, the RC should hire you as their spokesperson. 😉

lol way to make people not wanna buy wotc stuff, RC

As a player of yugioh I have to say them having Konami control of the ban list freaking suck. Rarely they hit the problem cards because there often incredibly expensive. An Konami has a history of making ban lists to force you to buy new product/ or when they reprint a expensive card to the grown so everyone can play it they just ban it after squeezing all the value out of it. So I actually like that commander banlist isn’t directly controlled by wizards. An the fact they explain why they ban cards is kinda nice to.

The RC must go and has no legitimacy left. WotC has financial incentives not to do something so stupid as to ban Crypt in EDH.

now can we get the video of you putting your jeweled lotus and mana crypt to the torch?

Wait…Riot games is player first? What are you talking about? Don’t you remember the $500 dollar Faker Ahri skin? I’m pretty sure that’s worse than gouging for festival in a box.

Trash league takes and now trash magic takes. You’re fucking talking about a third party rules committee for a table top casual format? The RC has no bearing on your play groups rules. Fuck the Rc honestly.

There needs to be someone to spot check the RC. There needs to be another entity that ensures the RC is acting in the best interest of the players and there is no corruption or collusion with WOTC.

I agree that not having WOTC run the RC is a good thing but it still stings when it feels like it's just some MTG content creators are telling us how to play the game their way or the highway. What would your response be to that?

The problem is that this rules committee has a track record of questionable ban list changes. Some are in the realm of price manipulation. This latest one hit people's pocket book and ofcourse they are upset. I would like a from scratch ban list with a full explanation, including prevailing mission from the RC. Maybe mission. Scope and philosophy

Really appreciate your takes and the organic commentary style of your videos! Thanks Travis!

Proxy cards above 40 buck. Its a card game, not an investment stock.

I'm one that's definitely upset because I can't play my Jeweled lotus anymore. I bought it on a whim because I really liked the art and always wanted to use one. Had tons of fun using it, not it's just... useless

I cracked 3 of the 4 banned cards and used them to power up old/defunct commanders so they could even be playable against modern preconstructed commander products🤣. I enjoy ppl's schadenfreude at the players who have the fiscal means to just pivot....into the next best rocks. Now mana vaults budget printings are selling for more than either crypt or lotus pre-ban. Most of my local game stores players will be ignoring this redditor council's decisions from this ban list & forward.

Congrats you are now part of the lower caste

Over hundred million dollars lost in one day don't expect people to not lose it

So happy to see someone finally address the communication between the RC and the community - and I don't mean that x member of the RC is on channel and says something, I mean like the group they represent. At the moment if you look the RC up and get to their OFFICIAL site, they can not be contacted as a group, as the organization they represent. You find who the members are and different IDs for different platforms where you might "get in touch" with each one of them. Further only putting out a post every quarter with "everything is OK" and than in third quarter hitting people with bans...is bad, see the case now. As Travis mentions, the RC should communicate more how & what they are doing or want to do. As it is at the moment, I don't really wonder that people say the RC should not exist.

These bans were great for Commander.

Jeweled Lotus never should have been printed. Fuck Commander sets. Glad it's gone.

I genuinely believe the RC is responding to something currently in the production pipeline, and I think it’s Marvel. Marvel’s going to bring in The One Ring-level cards, with my bet being on the Infinity Stones. If there’s something like, “The Power Stone, 0-cost, Indestructible, Tap for 2 mana of any color, cumulative upkeep 1-2 life,” the banning of Mana Crypt would only make sense. What? Did you think WotC was going to make cards *weaker* than LotR and MH3? What about the last 2 years would make you think that WotC wouldn’t use super-creep some more to drive short-term sales. OFC they’re making the Infinity Stones. Minimum rock bottom 54$ during prerelease.

This was collusion, the RC waited till after the chase card boxes where sold. They have talked about this for a year at least.

It is a freakin' game, and should never have been considered an investment

Only playing magic for 2 years but understand it better than a lot of people. Great video.

Some people say its just a hobby etc. First of all, yes its a hobby, and someone can spend time n money to bring value to their hobby, nothing wrong with it. Those cards being banned didnt balance shit, in fact, it helped alot of non-meta decks to catch up with the tier decks in CEDH levels. Now we are forced to literally play a current meta decks based on bans. So whats next? Ban the next best thing because everyone will shift to the next strongest card?? EDH has levels for a reason, sanctioned events by players literally can set their own rules to limit budget/cards for events. For casual play, either rule 0 or play within your level whether its CEDH, casual, precon. Not everybody wants to play casually, there are people who want to win also. Like if RC said owh EDH is meant for casual play not competitively, then let me bring my power 9 deck to a casual event, then you ll say I pubstomp etc im an ass. See what i mean, there are levels for a reason.

If no magic card ever cost more than 10 bucks then no one would care, Wotc's lack of reprints and reasonably priced products is the entire cause of this issue, not much point talking about anything else

Bad takes

Three of our local shops have agreed that they won’t uphold the bans. So least for local we can still play them

Cool video ty

Nothing that the RC does will ever effect Hasbro agenda - in fact the reverse is true . The RC is guided by and the same as the Wotc agenda . If not- Wotc will abolish the RC

Wotc already has the next new Power chase cards designed - they ordered the RC to ban these cards so that the 2025 consumer will want the new power more . Believe that the RC are benevolent innocents and not puppets of Hasbro at your own risk. In League of Legends do players lose $400+ when a champion is nerfed ?

Honestly, this was one of the most level-headed takes I've seen in this whole controversy. Appreciate your thoughts🤙

magic is not a good investment, get stocks. and i dont trust wotc to make good ban decisions when they cant even make a good standard environment

Festival in a box had cards that spiked due to nadu which needed a reprint. They had collector pacts that had jeweled lotus and mana crypt. It sold out… weeks later these bans drop…

I think there are other ways to approach what the RC believes to be "problem" cards. A point system is an idea, a tier list is another one. Ban may have been based on the intention to improve the format, but in my experience of playing the game at my local LGS with mostly other random regulars, it was unnecessary. And worst of all, I think it did a lot of damage, as many players are so bitter about this they're walking away from the game, or they're not going to buy cards anymore. What is that, just collateral damage? This ban was poorly executed and not well-thought-out, and the reasoning sucked.

I'm the player thats sad to not be able to play jeweled lotus. It was one of my absolute faves. I loved the feeling of playing the most iconic and powerfull card in MTG or at least an approximation . . .

I'm sorry to be the one to break it to you, Travis, but the MtG community can't trust you until you've eaten your body weight in Magic cards. The analysis did seem solid, though, so we'll revisit it at a later date.

#fucktheRC #minusOGH