I don't have a personal opinion of this Sheldon person but the ten card banlist article you linked is a mental exercise he put forth in the case of needing to bring the banlist from 38 cards to 10. So because he has to release 28 cards back into the format, he's theorised which cards would actually be part of that 10 banlist.

I don't think it's fair to make a judgement about someone's character based on a theoretical exercise they do for fun and post for others to enjoy reading. And I did enjoy reading it, the reasoning for his 10 cards was sound:

TL:DR for the 10 cards if people are curious

Channel: Being able to do whatever you want on turn 2 because of the extra starting life is really bad.

Balance: His problem with the card is the mana cost when combined with the effect. It's simply too strong in MP EDH.

Griselbrand: Lose 7, draw 7, attack for 7, gain 7. Too strong.

Limited Resources: Stops people from playing the game single handedly. Not good.

Then he explains that bringing back a banned as commander list would solve some of the problems associated with Rofellos, braids and Erayo. That way they could be part of your 99 again. Though he notes he's kinda iffy about rofellos since green doesn't need more help with explosive mana.

Karakas: It interacts so poorly with the format that it must stay banned. Being able to bounce commanders instantly for example does not create a fun gaming environment.

Now at 5 banned cards out of 10.

Tolarian Academy: Should be obvious for everyone I think but the ability to repeatedly create tons of blue mana is not good so this should stay banned.

Prophet of Kruphix, Primeval Titan and Sylvan Primordial: They ruin games, so they stay banned.

Finally Yawgmoth's Bargain should be the 10th banned card because the ability to exchange life for cards at a 1:1 ratio is completely busted. Unlike Necropotence, you get the cards immediately.

I'm not judging his character, I'm judging his priorities for the format. The fact that he thinks Black Lotus and Tinker are okay to set free but Primeval Titan and Prophet of Kruphix aren't shows that his priorities are utterly fucked. His rationale on what would happen if Tinker was unbanned was ridiculous too - He thought that people would tutor for Blightsteel Colossus instead of a combo piece or Memory Jar.

I definitely agree with Gates88 on this one. 7-9 are laughably weak when compared to Tinker and Black Lotus.

Read the article...

I did before I commented. I just disagree with his logic.

I meant that to be in past tense. That was meant to indicate my reaction.

I for one also agree that believing Primeval Titan, Sylvan Primordial, and Prophet of Kruphix are more ban worthy than Tinker, Black Lotus, or even Protean Hulk or Time Vault shows that Sheldon's priorities are pretty off at least as far as those go.

It's because he values recurring effects like what those 3 cards have differently than you do. He believes that effets on cards that can keep happening over and over are more valuable than 1 shot effects like Tinker. Tinker is a combo piece. You need things for it to sac + something to go get. You also do it once and then it's over. Vs, the effects of those 3 cards can happen multiple times before they are dealt with. That's the issue I think. He's seeing it as multiple procs of the effects vs single effect.

I mean, yeah. Those cards are super nasty in certain circles. There's a Tasigur deck I like playing in my meta when I want to chill and play dumb stuff. My meta has a different ban list, so I get to use Primeval Titan to fetch up Cabal Coffers and Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth one turn and Library of Alexandria and The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale the next. With Volrath's Stronghold, Prophet of Kruphix, and Tasigur, the Golden Fang's ability, I get to absolutely nuts in value every turn. It just feels dirty...

Obviously these things aren't the most bonkers things you can do in EDH, but the value chain that cards with recurring abilities on the level of Primeval Titan can sometimes feel backbreaking given the right circumstances.

Just imagine that you're playing in a fairly battlecruizer-oriented group where players are pretty knowledgeable and skilled. Then yeah, I guess cards like prophet become bonkers.

Just my 2 cents.

I want it to be Prime-Time again. :(

Also, can we comment reset? My iPhone can't load this page right now.

There was a Reddit AMA I stumbled across earlier today from 2014 with one of the original EDH players (he was introduced to the format by the guy who created it, was the third person to play the format), and while he said he and his friends treated the format as a casual format (because they wanted a break from the competitive formats they played), none of the original players would have had an issue with the concept of cEDH, as long as everyone at the table knew what they were getting in to.

Yes, Sheldon was the judge that took the format, introduced it to SCG, and pushed its popularity, but I hate the fact that he's in charge of saying what the format should/shouldn't be when he was not one of the true originals, and the true originals say otherwise.

Yeah, Sheldon isn't the easiest person to work with. He's narcissistic, and he has a vision for the format that he refuses to deviate from no matter how out of touch it is with popular opinion or common sense. Its lead to a lot of arguments and headaches. At some point you just have to throw up your hands and accept that there's no reasoning with it.

I for one like Sheldon's vision, as both a player that plays "normal to 75%" EDH and a player that dabbles in tuned "cEDH" lists. The format from rules is supposed to appeal to the casuals. For competitive players who understand the game, balance and fairness means something very different. Every other format in Magic is designed for the competitive balance and fairness. As the only format dedicated to the social, and typically casual, crowd, I don't think Sheldon or anyone else on the RC should budge to you or anyone in the cEDH community.

Also, FWIW, I think cEDH is better served by the ban list leaving just about everything legal anyway. I don't play it for the balance. If I wanted that, I'd be playing Legacy or Modern. I want to do stupid shit with crazy powerful, admittedly broken cards. That is the essence of cEDH. I don't think players quite realize what they are asking for when they demand a competitively balanced list, which is really the only alternative to what it is now.

Super glad I found this list and discussion. I am currently running Teferi as my tier 1 deck and loving it. I don't know why more lists don't run Padeem. I have never been unhappy to draw him. He comes out early and protects my stuff while usually getting me extra draw. I don't find that he takes up a turn unnecessarily or that mana would have been better spent.

I noticed that you don't have a Maelstrom list for your tier two set. I would like to volunteer mine. It is missing some of the pricier cards (like the dual lands), but it comes out fast and hard with a ton of interaction along the way. I think the deck can currently turn two Maelstrom and very often casts him on turn three. It's not running as a dedicated combo list but more of a toolbox aggro list. But a turn three hastey Bane of Bala Ged can put a damper in any decks gameplan. Again it can play at a table with tier 1's but obviously isn't as consistent. Check it out here.

That being said it won't look like most other "competitive" lists. Maelstrom is so toolboxy its hard to nail him down. I'm basically running some "bad" stuff because Maestrom will get it and it generates massive value so it becomes pseudo good? Stuff like Sphinx Ambassador. The basic premises of my Maelstrom is much like any other. Ramp into Wanderer and see what happens with a sub theme of cloning and using eldrazi for their combat triggers. The deck likes to steal things from other players....I once combo'd off using another players Mizzix deck by casting my knowledge exploitation to get his knowledge exploitation to cast his spelltwine to recast both knowledge exploitations...using one to grab all his copy spell effects to copy the other while it was still on the stack to finally end with casting his blatant thievery and Mind's desire with a storm count of like 12 or so. =)

Anyways TLDR: check out the deck as a possible for your tier two submission and if it's not good enough then tell me how to make it better because honestly I wouldn't know.

PS: can't wait to jump into the convo!

Comment reset would be nice :)

You could make another deck as the full optimized list (with duals and all). Would probably have a better chance of being accepted.

If you notice there are some decks that have Timetwister and Candlesticks so price isn't supposed to be an issue

Thoughts on the list as is?

I'm not sure how to take Maelstrom into the fine-tuned competitive direction most of these commanders want to go. And I think he makes some cards playable that would other wise be unplayable so its really a weird situation.

please for the love of god reset comments it takes me an hour and breaks my thumb to scroll on my phone please and thanks

Sram, Senior Edificer - 1W

Legendary Creature - Dwarf Advisor (Rare)

Whenever you cast an Aura, Equipment, or Vehicle spell, draw a card.

2/2

Mono white gets a pretty decent commander. Hatebear equipment beatdown now a thing?

That and the new artifact convoke tutor. I'm just sitting here like

Welp black removal is getting a new auto include:

http://www.magicspoiler.com/mtg-spoiler/fatal-push/

???????????

Anybody else upset about the new Masterpiece cards? The first set had great cards that were put in top tier decks.

I'm just feeling let down by the second wave. There aren't any cards I use.

There might be cards that people use, but I am just feeling extremely let down. I am not counting the additional Swords as that was an obvious inclusion.

i see value in many of them but not many are for edh use. they are more for modern and eternal (excluding the swords which see both). However there are many cards that can see edh use from this set. paradox engine, scrap trawler, most planeswalkers, ajani oath, trophy mage, quicksmith spy.

and ###cough cough### this

http://www.mtgsalvation.com/cards/aether-revolt/28115-whir-of-invention

Affinity and tron LOVE these new ones and there are so many stax pieces it's not even funny. This new wave may not have any "omg mana crypt!"S but the overall value is MUCH higher.

Agreed on Whir of Invention. As a Breya player, Wat?