Magic: The Gathering Strategy Update: Commander Bans Impacting Premium Card Prices
Understanding the Latest Commander Bans
On Monday, the Magic: The Gathering Commander Rules Committee announced a surprise update to the banlist for the format. Four powerful cards have been banned, including three 'fast mana' pieces and the contentious legendary creature Nadu, Winged Wisdom.
- Dockside Extortionist: A red creature that costs two mana to play, creates one treasure for each artifact your opponents control when it enters the battlefield.
- Mana Crypt: A free artifact that taps for two mana but has a 50/50 chance to deal three damage to you during your upkeep.
- Jeweled Lotus: A free artifact that can be tapped and sacrificed to create three mana of any color, which can only be used to cast a commander.
- Nadu, Winged Wisdom: A recently printed blue-green creature, banned in several other formats.
The three fast-mana cards are available in relatively low numbers and are extremely powerful in casual and competitive MTG Commander. Price crashes are likely for all three cards, with Jeweled Lotus expected to be the worst affected. Currently, prices on MTG Goldfish start from $85 for Dockside Extortionist, $200 for Mana Crypt, and $95 for Jeweled Lotus.
Market Implications and the Casual Scene
While Commander is a casual format, competitive play heavily influences card prices. Casual players often mirror the competitive landscape. Additionally, these cards lack collector's value and could potentially reappear in future MTG releases.
This article was prepared using information from open sources in accordance with the principles of Ethical Policy. The editorial team is not responsible for absolute accuracy, as it relies on data from the sources referenced.