Sylvan Primordial Banned.
Let's start with the most recent move, the banning of Sylvan Primordial in Commander.
While I was fully expecting Deadeye Navigator and possibly Tooth & Nail to hit the banned list, SyPrime had been getting a ton of hate and generating enough animosity over the past while that the EDH had enough. As they said, if it had only killed a permanent or only ramped or had an option to destroy permanents it would have survived, but it did too much, too early and there had been a mounting uproar over it for the past year or so. Goodbye Sylvan Primordial, say hi to Primeval Titan in the dustbin of history.
EDH Invitational
Gilles Labelle, who should probably be just named the Patron Saint of EDH at this point for his tireless organizing and playing, was gracious enough to set up an Invitational event for the top placing players at his events and much fun and destruction was had. Dan Lanthier crushed dreams and annihilated hopes with his Captain Sisay build and took home a snazzy looking katana. Sword of a nice prize if you ask me...Other prizes ranged from a Star Wars stormtropper jacket to a 100% marble chess set, Ascension the game, a framed Dr. Who portrait with all the doctores and a full-size talking Ted doll. Here's our winner with his new toy. As the French would say: "Temps de Jitte les gants..."
Commander Tax Tweak
There's been a fair amount of spitballing on the EDH forums about a potential alternative to the current Commander tax. At the moment, if your commander dies you pay its CMC + 2 colorless for each time it's been placed in the command zone. While this is fairly easy to handle, the issue (if it is an issue at all...) is that the abundance of mana rocks and ramp in the format obviate the purpose of the tax, which is to put somewhat of a throttle on Commander availability and have it available, presumably, occasionally rather than permanently.
So here's the rules text. I'd very much enjoy some data from you on the topic. If you get around to it, try a few games with this and PM me commanders, times removed and impact of the delay on your game.
So, the proposal:
"While the commander is in the command zone with no time counters on it, it may be cast. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter from your commander. If a commander would be put into a graveyard or exile, its controller may put it in the command zone with X time counters on it, where X is the number of times it has been cast from the command zone."
Reaction has been mixed so far. We tested it twice at Wizard's Tower and while Sydri had four time counters on her at one point, the first death is inconsequential. After four it got a little dicey, but still manageable due to other threats in my library. Bear in mind that under this scenario, the commander is always played at its original cost. Also note that you can't use Clockspinning or cards that remove counters since it's not a spell or permanent.
What does this do in real life? If you're piloting Vorel and it dies once, you put it in the command zone with a time counter. At the beginning of your upkeep, you remove the time counter and can play it as normal. The second time it gets two time counters and so on. While there are valid concerns that you could be locked out of your commander, it becomes a question of giving it hexproof or shroud or protecting it by other means. Basically, with an increased awareness of your commander's availability you may be more likely to go "all in" or play something with Hexproof or other innate protection.
That's all for this week. Next week we take a look at Born of the Gods and its impact on the format.
Until then, may your never have to mull to three to start a match.
EDH in Ottawa this week:
Comic Book Shoppe - 232 Bank Street (613) 593-3042: Sunday, February 9. 1 v 1 event, $5 entry. Signups at 11:00 to 11:45. Store credit prizes.
Wizard's Tower - 3350 Fallowfield Road (613) 843-0705: Saturday, February 8. 1 v 1 event, $5 entry. Signups at 3:45 - 4:00 p.m. Store credit prizes.
Algonquin College - 1385 Woodroffe Avenue, Student Commons: Wednesdnay, February 5. 1 v 1 event, $5 entry. Signups 5:00-5:30.
