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Author Topic: Oathbreaker Format  (Read 2532 times)

Morganator 2.0

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Oathbreaker Format
« on: April 18, 2019, 03:15:20 am »
Maybe some of you have heard of this new unofficial format, and I want to know what you think of it.

General rules
  • Multiplayer format, casual
  • 60 card singleton decks
  • Two cards in the command zone. First is a planeswalker, called your "oathbreaker", that acts the same way as your commander in EDH. Your deck must match the color identity of your oathbreaker.
  • The other card in the command zone is your "signature spell". This is an instant or sorcery that can only be cast if you control your oathbreaker. Each time you cast it, it cost 2 more to cast (even if you're using an alternate cost), and it must always return to the command zone.
  • Start with 20 life.

There is also a banlist. Some of it I agree with, some of it not so much. It mostly matches the commander banlist, but notable inclusions are highlighted in green.

Ad Nauseam
Ancestral Recall
Balance
Biorhythm
Black Lotus
Channel
Doomsday
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
Expropriate
Fastbond
Gifts Ungiven
Griselbrand
High Tide
Library of Alexandria
Limited Resources
Lion’s Eye Diamond
Mana Crypt
Mana Geyser
Mana Vault
Mox Emerald
Mox Jet
Mox Pearl
Mox Ruby
Mox Sapphire
Natural Order
Painter's Servant
Panoptic Mirror
Primal Surge
Primeval Titan
Recurring Nightmare
Saheeli, the Gifted
Sol Ring
Sundering Titan
Sway of the Stars
Sylvan Primordial
Time Vault
Time Walk
Tinker
Tolarian Academy
Tooth and Nail
Trade Secrets
Upheaval
Worldfire
Yawgmoth's Bargain

Notable exclusions (these cards are legal in Oathbreaker):
Braids, Cabal Minion
Chaos Orb
Coalition Victory
Erayo, Soratami Ascendant
Falling Star
Karakas
Leovold, Emissary of Trest
Prophet of Kruphix
Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
Shahrazad

What do you think of this? Do you think this format has potential? Would you be willing to try it out?

Soren841

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Re: Oathbreaker Format
« Reply #1 on: April 18, 2019, 03:46:01 am »
Basically disagree with everything not banned in EDH
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ApothecaryGeist

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Re: Oathbreaker Format
« Reply #2 on: April 18, 2019, 04:41:38 am »
Brawl was a Commander variant.  It died out very quickly.  Planeswalker "partnered" with a spell as your Commander.  Interesting twist.

I might try it IF I could find a play group for it.  I had built a Brawl deck, but never played it.  Due to lack of players. 

It doesn't seem to offer much that you can't get with Commander.  In fact, you might get less.  40 starting life allows for longer games and therefore bigger mana production, bigger spells, and, bigger combos.  20 starting life will negate much of that.

I think the popularity of the Commander format is what led to the demise of Brawl.  I see Oathbreaker going the same direction.  It might be a neat alternative to Commander for small pockets of players, but ultimately they will favor Commander as the format that gets more play.

P.S.  You have the ban list a little off.  Or rather the "not banned" list.  Their website says they start with the Vintage legal banlist.  They specifically call out "skill testing cards such as falling star" are not legal.  This would also include Chaos Orb.

Happy Oathbreaking!
:)
Happy Brewing!
:)

Morganator 2.0

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Re: Oathbreaker Format
« Reply #3 on: April 18, 2019, 05:05:38 am »
Shoot. Forgot to provide the links.

Rules:
https://weirdcards.org/oathbreaker

Ban list:
https://weirdcards.org/oathbreaker-ban-list

And good eye on the "Skill testing" cards. I didn't notice that on my first read-through. Shahrazad is still legal though.

I think that I wouldn't have any trouble getting a playgroup together for this, on the condition that the ban list gets fixed up a bit. I think it's good that all of the cards that translate to "you win the game" are out (Tooth and Nail, Doomsday, etc.) because cards like these should not be in the command zone.

But Saheeli, the Gifted? Sol Ring? It seems like this format was made by a group of people in the "ban fast mana" camp. Which is a shame, because commander is the only format where you can really use fast mana, short of Vintage. I've talked to quite a few people who were turned away on this facet alone.

So yeah, clean up the ban list, and I think this could work.

murmer

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Re: Oathbreaker Format
« Reply #4 on: April 18, 2019, 05:19:43 am »
There's a solid group playing this at my LGS. It's actually really interesting. Gonna put one together and see how I go.

ApothecaryGeist

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Re: Oathbreaker Format
« Reply #5 on: April 18, 2019, 06:12:13 am »
Shahrazad is still legal though.

Nope.  Guess again.

The first sentence on their banlist page

Quote
Cards banned in Vintage are not legal in Oathbreaker:

Shahrazad is banned in Vintage.

:)
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:)

Morganator 2.0

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Re: Oathbreaker Format
« Reply #6 on: April 18, 2019, 01:17:50 pm »
I think that the switch from 40 to 20 life will really change things up. Aggro and burn will be more viable. Even mono-white might get a chance to shine.

WWolfe

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Re: Oathbreaker Format
« Reply #7 on: April 18, 2019, 01:25:39 pm »
So there's a group at my LGS that's getting into this (including a small segment of my normal playgroup) but I'm just not sure about it. I may throw together a deck out of cards I have laying around but it's not something I'll acquire any cards for until I've played it a few times to see if it sparks my interest.
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robort

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Re: Oathbreaker Format
« Reply #8 on: April 18, 2019, 03:46:58 pm »
It's neat but ummmm....

Going to take some quotes from the page

"It provides players new and interesting deck building challenges in a faster format, with casual big spell feel."

"Twenty life makes aggro a viable deck option and forces combo players to find creative ways to survive to their combo. This is also cushioned by the damage that your Oathbreaker is going to absorb through the game"

"Sixty cards allows for players to have more focused deck building, and making harder cuts than seen in a 100 card deck."


"We often find that moving back to the base life total and library size that Wizards designs cards for was ideal for providing faster more focused game play."

"allowing us to strongly say that we do not see it as a Commander variant."

"Fun fact the command zone is a legal zone for all games of magic, not just Commander"

First of all they want it fast but don't want to use mana rocks/ accelerants go figure?

Second you can cast the signature spell if your commander/oathbreaker is on the field. Fair enough so this is where my commander/oathbreaker absorbs the damage to help salvage my life. I personally am going after your life and forgo hitting your commander/oathbreaker. Playing loads of casual table top magic I learned going after someone was and is much easier then worrying about some ones planeswalker/oathbreaker.

3rd of all Aggro style with a combo is way to easy to get to especially now I have 60 cards instead of 100. Making cuts much easier with 60 cards then 100. You want to kill people as fast as possible and be the 1st to do it. With 60 cards and 20 life makes this much much easier.

4th and I am not a blue player but I'll use Teferi, Time Raveler and good luck dealing with that. Add in Baral, Chief of Compliance. Put Force of Will as my signature spell and good luck playing cards or answers because your instant spells that are now sorceries. How about I make it interesting and use cyclonic rift as my signature spell.

5th and I will say final notion.. if it isn't a form of commander then lets go with the command zone which was taken from Commander. 60 individual different cards which was taken from Brawl. Using a Planeswalker as your oathbreaker/commander which is also taken from brawl. 20 life will not make for an hour game it will always be short and sweet.

Again neat idea but it just won't have the appeal. Brawl really didn't and neither will Oathbreaker
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Morganator 2.0

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Re: Oathbreaker Format
« Reply #9 on: April 18, 2019, 08:35:00 pm »
I can see that for the majority of people this format either has little or no appeal. What if it got switched up a bit? Life total is 40 you have a 100 card deck, and Saheeli, the Gifted, Lion's Eye Diamond, Mana Crypt, Mana Vault, and Sol Ring were all removed from the ban list and made legal.

Would this change anyone's feelings about the format?

Red_Wyrm

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Re: Oathbreaker Format
« Reply #10 on: April 18, 2019, 11:02:16 pm »
I had a well thought out reply, then I realized it didn't really apply at all. Now I'm sad.

Seems interesting. I like that they say it isn't a commander variant because it doesn't seem like they are trying to replace commander. Although it's like they're trying to resurrect brawl. Personally I never played Brawl. Didn't have too much interest in a rotating card pool seeing as how I am poor, and I think a lot of players were with me on that(the rotating card pool, not being poor, but maybe that too) and that is a big reason why Brawl failed. So maybe this will do better.

I know I just said I don't think they are trying to replace commander, but I think ultimately this is going to compete with commander. It is just so different from other formats. Modern, Standard, Legacy, Pauper, they are all similar with different allowed cards. Commander is vastly different in that it has its own set of rules. People aren't going to jump over from Modern to try out this new Oathbreaker thing, they've tried commander, and liked it or didn't like it. The only people really trying this format out are EDH players, but they play EDH for the variety, longer games, and big bombs like a 15 mana genisis wave. And also it is made for multiplayer. These are all traits that are missing from this new format.

I think this would be a great stepping stone for a new player who has played 1v1 60 card kitchen table magic, and wants to try new stuff. First get an oathbreaker deck. A precon they could pick up would be nice, but I don't think exists (were there ever brawl precons?). And then from oathbreaker they could go to commander. But I also feel buying a precon and going to the local LGS is another great way to go to get into commander. Or going to an LGS. Anyone would be happy to lend one of their 15 decks to the new guy sitting down. Maybe a mono green stompy deck that is fairly easy to pilot.

I'm sorry this was long. I think I kind of rambled over stuff we already knew.
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Izzet808

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Re: Oathbreaker Format
« Reply #11 on: April 19, 2019, 12:50:53 am »
A few players from my commander play group want to do an Oathbreaker game. What I find appealing is the signature spell and planeswalker pair since it makes the game more flavorful. We haven't played a game yet, but I already have some ideas. It's different from commander because you choose a planeswalker instead of a legendary creature and of course you get a signature spell. You can use any card, not just from Standard. I think because of these, the format is different enough from Brawl and Commander, but that's just me.

I'm thinking of doing Jace, Cunning Castaway as my commander with some kind of proliferate spell. I also am thinking of Ral Zarek with Twincast for an artifact spellslinger deck. With Ral's ability you can untap Izzet Boilerworks or Thran Dynamo. Lastly, Domri, Chaos Bringer would be a sweet Aggro deck.

Socksofgrandeur

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Re: Oathbreaker Format
« Reply #12 on: April 19, 2019, 01:56:58 am »
Just wanted to chime in that I don't generally like commander as it often just takes forever to play a game, but I have already built like 5+ decks for oathbreaker. It seems like a much faster format with the charm and flavor that commander brings.

Soren841

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Re: Oathbreaker Format
« Reply #13 on: April 19, 2019, 02:14:31 am »
I would recommend cEDH
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Socksofgrandeur

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Re: Oathbreaker Format
« Reply #14 on: April 19, 2019, 12:23:55 pm »
Lol thanks for trying but I'll pass :) oathbreaker is a way better solution to me than that.