Our EDH League Rules

[WWolfe]

There's 8 of us that play each week and we break down into randomly selected pods except for the last week of the season, that's based on point totals heading into that week (top 4 together & bottom 4 together). You do not have to play the same Commander each week except for the last week which you must play the Commander you've played the most during the season. This is still set up to be a casual environment despite the point system and there being a "Season Champion". This is the only chance many of the group have to play each week so we want it to be an enjoyable experience where they didn't drive out for a 10 minute game.

* A season is 9 weeks

* Mulligan Rule
Free first mulligan, scry 1 if under 7 after that.

* Points system
+5/3/2/1: points based on order of finish in a game
+1: Eliminate a player from the game
+1: Prevent a player from being eliminated
+1: Having the lowest life total when another player is eliminated
+1: First Blood (first damage dealt to opponent)
+1: Killing someone with Commander Damage
+1: Killing someone with Infect Damage
+1: Casting commander 4 or more times in a game
-1: Scooping (unless an opponent is going infinite)
-1: Search that lasts more than 1 minute (-1 for each 30 seconds after that)
-2: Not casting your commander during the game
-2: Taking more than 3 turns in a row
-3: Killing entire table at one time (before turn 8 )
-3: Caught looking at someone elses hand

* In between seasons there are special events with modified points system
- Five week colorless tournament (each week a different color is banned)
- Commander product release tournament (lasts a week for each new commander deck)
- One other as voted by group (last one was a Pauper tournament)

* Group does not use wish boards

* 15 infect damage is death

* Planeswalkers are legal as commanders except for:
Ajani Vengeant
Koth of the Hammer
Narset Transcendent
Sorin Markov

* Banned as commander list:
Braids, Cabal Minion
Erayo, Soratami Ascendant
Griselbrand  (considering returning to full ban)
Kokusho, the Evening Star
Leovold, Emissary of Trest
Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary

* Banned by us but not on Rules Committee ban list
Iona, Shield of Emeria

* Banned by Rules Committee ban list but not by us
Griselbrand (banned as General, not banned in 99- being considered for full ban)
Primeval Titan
Sword of Dungeon & Dragons is allowed but is errata'd so that the Dragon token is 5 color, not gold

* Cards we have errata'd
Felidar Sovereign & Test of Endurance have both been errata'd to say "80 life" instead of the life total printed on them.
Cards such as Serra Ascendant & Divinity of Pride gain their "if at this life total you get this buff" at 50 instead of what is printed on them.
Cards like Magister Sphinx & Sorin Markov that are typically used to set a players life total to a lower amount, set it to 20 instead of 10.

* Four-color commander ruling:
Nephilim are legal as commanders until more options for four-color commanders become available. (this is revisited at the beginning of each season- the C17 product gave five possible options for four-color commanders plus the different partner combinations, however many are not fans of using the partner mechanic so this was an olive branch offered to them since the Nephilim were previously legal in the group as four-colored options)

* Rule Change votes
To pass, a proposed rule change must get 6 out of 8 votes to pass to ensure that well over half the group is in favor of the change.

I was lucky enough to join this group a few weeks after I arrived in this area and have been in it for a little over two years now. They've been running it for seven years I believe. We generally meet at mine or another guys house depending on what's going on since we are the two that are the most centrally located for everyone.

[Soren841]

Lethal infect is 21..

[WWolfe]

We decided on 15. The Rules Committee has no official infect count (not that I've seen anyway). 10 seemed too low due to starting life totals being 40, but 20 seemed too high with 21 being the Commander damage threshold and since if you're playing infect your Commander is probably infect as well...

[Soren841]

The rule is 21.. just fyi idk if it changes ur view but if your deck is built around infect then 21 is very doable imo 15 is too low

[WWolfe]

Link to the rule being 21?

[Soren841]

I believe it's 21 maybe it's just a playgroup thing idk I've only ever played in this one, I'll check

[WWolfe]

903.10. The Commander variant includes the following specification for winning and losing the game. All other rules for ending the game also apply. (See rule 104.)
903.10a A player that’s been dealt 21 or more combat damage by the same commander over the course of the game loses the game. (This is a state-based action)

104.3. There are several ways to lose the game.
104.3d If a player has ten or more poison counters, he or she loses the game the next time a player would receive priority. (This is a state-based action)

[Soren841]

I,guess it's officially 10 but every single post says they use 20 lol

[WWolfe]

I don't think I've seen it come into play other than the occasional Blightsteel Colossus since I've been in the group. They do talk about someone having a Skithiryx deck but no one has played it that I've seen.

[WWolfe]

Before our play session last night we discussed the ban list. Serra Ascendant will be unbanned at the start of the next season (we're currently in an in between time where we're doing our annual colorless tournament).

[Firegriff]

With infect, I will make one recommendation.  Make it a house rule that Solemnity will remove infect from creatures when it is in effect, otherwise that one card will make the infect player have practically zero chance to win.

[WWolfe]

Good thought! I'll bring that up next time we play.

[ApothecaryGeist]

Unless you are trying to encourage poison strategies, that is supposed to be one of the inherent weaknesses of a poison strategy.  Especially in the Commander format.  Poison is typically a singularly focused strategy.  Decks of singular focus can be shut down easily.  With respect to Solemnity, most infect/poison decks run green ... Krosan Grip.

Just my $0.02
 

[WWolfe]

Unless you are trying to encourage poison strategies, that is supposed to be one of the inherent weaknesses of a poison strategy.  Especially in the Commander format.  Poison is typically a singularly focused strategy.  Decks of singular focus can be shut down easily.  With respect to Solemnity, most infect/poison decks run green ... Krosan Grip.

Just my $0.02
 

I think the counterpoint to this is that there's only two cards I can think of that counteract poison- Leeches, which removes poison counters & Melira, who takes the infect away but lets the opponents creatures still deal regular damage.

Melira still leaves infect a fall back plan in being able to deal regular damage whereas Solemnity entirely neuters the infect deck.

[Soren841]

Solemnity is 1 cards. It's a 1/99 chance to draw it and all infect decks will run green, and especially infect at least 4+ destruction for things like that, if not more