Griselbrand's Ban in Commander

Why is Griselbrand Banned in Commander?

Jacob LacknerCommander, Design

While Commander’s grassroots origins make it different from many other Magic formats, it still has a ban list like the rest of them. However, since Commander is not a format with tons of tournament data to back up banning certain cards, some players are unsure why certain offenders end up on the list. Today, I’m going to take a look …

Ten Sorcery Spells That Are New Classics in Commander

Ten Sorcery Spells That Are New Classics in Commander

Kristen GregoryCommander, Design, Strategy

What new Sorcery spells should be making the cut in your Commander decks? Kristen is here with a list of ten of the best! Last week, I looked at ten Sorcery spells that had aged really well in Commander. This time around, I will cover ten new classics: sorceries that have landed with impact, and continue to impress me.  Sorceries …

Framing a Magic Accessibility Issue

Framing A Magic Accessibility Issue

Kristen GregoryCommander, Design

It seems to be that as time goes on, Magic becomes harder and harder to decipher. Complexity creep on cards is one thing, but what about the complexity of game pieces? Kristen sits down to talk about accessibility in Magic.  For many of us, Magic’s artwork is a big draw. Without the stunning vistas, fierce warriors and heroic (or villainous) …

March of the Machine, flavor check

March of the Machine: Flavor Check

Jason KrellCommander, Design, Standard

As Magic players, most of us primarily care about how the game actually plays. However, so much more goes into a set than the cards themselves — from worldbuilding to characters and the places they intersect. Often, these qualities outside of gameplay are called flavor, and they help sets taste different, even if they are similar in some ways to what has …

Fringe Format: Wacky Races

Fringe Format: Wacky Races

Tom AndersonDesign

Arguably the best thing about Magic is the sheer variety of ways to play it. Even ignoring the growing range of officially-supported formats, Magic’s “rules engine” and massive card pool make perfect building blocks for inventing all sorts of wacky new scenarios! That’s just what a player named “Perodequeso” was up to back in 2016 when he invented Wacky Races.  …

March of the Machine: Early Look

March of the Machine: An Early Look

Chris CornejoDesign, Products, Standard

With Phyrexia: All Will Be One fully released into the wild, and the resulting disaster of the Planeswalkers’ ill-fated foray into the metal plane ready to play out, it’s time to look at what comes next. March of the Machine is the next Standard set in the Magic storyline, and here’s a look at what we know so far.  The …

Skullbombs and the Evolution of Magic Design

Skullbombs and the Evolution of Magic Design

Chris CornejoDesign, Limited, Standard

In Phyrexia: All Will Be One, we have a cycle of one-mana artifacts with activated abilities that can draw you a card called Skullbombs. This builds on a similar cycle from Scars of Mirrodin called Spellbombs, which were themselves a sequel to the original Spellbombs from Mirrodin block. It’s not often we see cycles full reiterated this many times, but …

Flavor Check, Phyrexia All Will Be One

Flavor Check: Phyrexia: All Will Be One

Jason KrellCommander, Design, Standard

As Magic players, most of us primarily care about how the game actually plays. However, so much more goes into a set than the cards themselves — from worldbuilding, to characters and the places they intersect. Often, these qualities outside of gameplay are called flavor, and they help sets taste different even if they are similar in some ways to …

How Will Magic Change in 2023?

Tom AndersonDesign, Magic Story, Products, Standard

There’s a lot on the horizon for Magic in 2023, and Tom is here to take a look at what all the different moving parts may mean! It’s a new year for Magic just as it is for you and me – and 2023 in particular stands as a tense cliffhanger moment in the game’s proud history. The narrative stands …

Universes Beyond brings Transformers to The Brothers’ War

Tom AndersonCommander, Design, Products

Wizards made an announcement on Friday which will completely transform how their Universes Beyond designs fit into the wider hobby. They announced that Set and Collectors Boosters for The Brothers’ War will be… more than meets the eye with the addition of Transformers. Yes, after dancing around the idea for years, tournament legal Transformers cards are finally going to be …