Our EDH League Rules

[WWolfe]

We discussed Solemnity and infect at our last play group. We had differing opinions on how it could or should work until someone brought up the key point of the evening...we decided that starting to errata individual cards could become a slippery slope that we do not wish to travel down.

We also discussed Griselbrand and decided to give it one more season before we made a ruling on whether or not to fully ban him (already on banned as commander list).

[WWolfe]

So most of us, all but 1 who had to work late, met up tonight to play some casual games and partake in some adult beverages. Naturally we started talking about some rule changes that we'll vote on this coming weekend when we finish up our off-season play. Wanted to get some thoughts on these from some of you...

* Unbanning Primeval Titan with the agreement that he only searches for basic lands- the group mostly agreed that the worst abuse of him was to search for Cabal Coffers - Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth pairing or the Dark Depths - Thespian's Stage combo, so to try a season out with him unbanned.

* Hybrid Mana Symbols- the group is somewhat split on this, what seems to be the majority feels that it would be okay to allow the inclusion of hybrid mana symbols with part of it being in your commanders color identity (for example- Rubblebelt Raiders would be legal in either a Purphoros deck or a Rishkar deck).

* Unbanning Felidar Sovereign but his ability kicking in at 60 life instead of 40. Kind of goes against our normal desire not to errata specific cards but...

[Soren841]

I think it should be 80. 40 is double the usual 20 not +20 (technically the same in that instance but clearly not) and in commander life gain is far more prevalent and powerful. My 2 cents

[ApothecaryGeist]

* Hybrid Mana Symbols- the group is somewhat split on this, what seems to be the majority feels that it would be okay to allow the inclusion of hybrid mana symbols with part of it being in your commanders color identity (for example- Rubblebelt Raiders would be legal in either a Purphoros deck or a Rishkar deck).

I was always a little torn on that too.  There used to be two different rules that limited Commander decks.  First was the rule (that we still have) that says that a card's color identity cannot be outside of the Commander's color identity.  Second, there was a rule that said that a Commander deck could not generate a color of mana outside of its Commander's color identity.  When that rule was in place, I always felt that the hydbrid mana (among other things) should be allowed.  It was impossible to cast Rubblebelt Raiders with green mana if Purphoros, God of the Forge was your Commander.

But with the advent of colorless mana as a cost, that other rule was done away with.  Now every deck can generate all 5 colors of mana.  I am now against allowing off-color hybrid mana.

While it is usually corner cases where you steal an opponent's mana rock or something, it would permit you to cast hybrid spells using mana colors outside the Commander's color identity.

Also there's the issue of other "sometimes off-color" cards ... split cards, aftermath cards, cards with in-color mana costs, but off color activations.  I'm sure the list could go on.  It isn't a stretch to see that going down that path could allow you to abuse cards that shouldn't be in the deck to begin with.  (Although, if that is what you are going for then go for it!)

I also believe that the spirit of the color restriction in the Commander format is to inspire creative deck building choices.  The fact that people want these cards in their decks tells me that these are the superior cards for their build.  Creative deck building seeks to maximize the inferior options.

Happy Brewing!

[WWolfe]

Yea, I'm not big on the hybrid mana symbols one. To me a hybrid mana symbol indicates the card has overlap between the two different colors magic. One of which would then be out of your commanders color identity.

I think it should be 80. 40 is double the usual 20 not +20 (technically the same in that instance but clearly not) and in commander life gain is far more prevalent and powerful. My 2 cents

I'm going to be shooting for it to be more than 60. I could easily gain 20 life in the first 4 turns (3 swings from Serra Ascendant after dropping her turn 1 does it....) and then drop Felidar out with flash on your endstep and win the game at the beginning of my turn 5.

The one I'm torn on is Primeval Titan. While I agree his worst usage was those two land combos, I think he can still get pretty degenerate with just basic lands if you flash him out. Him in a Roon or Brago deck...or hell my Animar bounce deck...

[Soren841]

Its Omnath, Locus of Rage who will run him

[WWolfe]

Its Omnath, Locus of Rage who will run him

Yup, that'll be nasty.

In my Animar bounce deck I could bounce him enough times in one turn to empty all the basics out of my deck untapped by bouncing him with Palinchron, then reverse it, then repeating the process.

[homietre]

I'm a member of this playgroup as well. Im fine with the Primeval thing, going to vote against the hybrid, and vote for the Felidar if we go to 70.

[WWolfe]

I'm a member of this playgroup as well. Im fine with the Primeval thing, going to vote against the hybrid, and vote for the Felidar if we go to 70.

Test of Endurance is something we should address as well.

[ApothecaryGeist]

* Unbanning Primeval Titan with the agreement that he only searches for basic lands

My take on Primeval Titan would be:

The problem wasn't just that he can search for non-basics.  It is also that he searches for two lands AND puts them directly onto the battlefield BOTH upon entering the battlefield AND as an attack trigger.  If you can give him haste, you can ramp 4 lands in a single turn.  The repeated triggers are the problem.  There are many other spells that can get you two lands ... Hour of Promise, Hunting Wilds, Journey of Discovery (kicked), Nissa's Expedition, Ordeal of Nylea, Verdant Confluence (can get 3), Veteran Explorer (everyone gets two), and Tempt with Discovery (if one opponent is tempted).  There is no shortage of effects like Primeval Titan.  It isn't like he's a completely unique effect.  He's just easier to abuse.  I would ask why someone couldn't run any of those other cards.  If the answer is something like "because he's easy to abuse", then I would say it should remain banned.  As I said before:

I also believe that the spirit of the color restriction in the Commander format is to inspire creative deck building choices.  The fact that people want these cards in their decks tells me that these are the superior cards for their build.  Creative deck building seeks to maximize the inferior options.

[WWolfe]

Two of the three topics we have to vote on are pretty touchy. Personally I'm ok with Primeval coming back because I think our group is, not sure of the word, anti-abuse (?) enough that it will police itself, if not I'll say my thoughts about it and just find ways to abuse it until they see my point.

The hybrid mana symbol I've never been a fan of the 'either or' rule, an old playgroup before I moved here used it and it became an issue of looking for cards that were sort of out of your colors but now fit because of the 'either or' rule. (Fate transfer in an Orzhov deck is one that I remember being abused)

Felidar, ehh. If the group decides to unban him on the condition that it's a higher life total for the ability then great. If not, oh well.

[WWolfe]

So we voted this past weekend...

* Primeval Titan was unbanned on a test basis. We will re-evaluate half way through the season.

* Hybrid mana symbols "either-or rule" was voted down.

* Felidar Sovereign & Test of Endurance were both voted to errata to say "80 life" instead of the life totals the print says.

There was a half-hearted joke suggestion of making Sword of Dungeons & Dragons legal that was actually considered.  I may have actually voted for it on the condition that it be errata'd to remove the part about rolling a d20.

[homietre]

I woulda voted for the sword but the protection from clerics and rogues seems dumb

[ApothecaryGeist]

To me, the problematic part of Sword of Dungeons and Dragons is not the d20.  A 1-in-20 chance of getting a second dragon token is not a big deal.  It is the fact that the dragon token is GOLD.  This is a color that does not exist in the (non-silver-bordered) Magic Comprehensive Rules.  There are lots of rules implications with having a sixth color.  Most center around being told to choose a color.

[WWolfe]

Yea I forgot to mention that the ones in favor were talking about errata'ing that to red away from gold.