The 40-Card Flashpoint: Inside Wizards’ New Commander List

Magic: The Gathering’s new bracket beta has arrived, and it’s left some people scratching their heads. Wizards of the Coast published a list of 40 Commander cards that might not be banned but are pretty close to the “yes, you should watch out for these” zone. Some folks are worried that this means their precious tutors and expensive lands will go the way of the Dodo. Others are relieved that – at least for now – their game-changing spells aren’t getting struck by the banhammer.

Still, if you haven’t seen the list, here it is in all its glory:

• Drannith Magistrate
• Thassa’s Oracle
• Urza, Lord High Artificer
• Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
• Opposition Agent
• Tergrid, God of Fright
• Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger
• Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy
• Yuriko, the Tiger’s Shadow
• Winota, Joiner of Forces
• Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
• Enlightened Tutor
• Cyclonic Rift
• Force of Will
• Fierce Guardianship
• Mystical Tutor
• Vampiric Tutor
• Ad Nauseam
• Serra’s Sanctum
• Gaea’s Cradle
• Ancient Tomb
• Glacial Chasm
• The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
• Smothering Tithe
• Trouble in Pairs
• Rhystic Study
• Underworld Breach
• Survival of the Fittest
• Expropriate
• Demonic Tutor
• Imperial Seal
• Jeska’s Will
• Bolas’s Citadel
• The One Ring
• Trinisphere
• Chrome Mox
• Grim Monolith
• Lion’s Eye Diamond
• Mox Diamond
• Mana Vault

According to MTG designer Gavin Verhey, these cards “dramatically warp Commander games” and can put your deck in a higher power bracket by their very presence. If you’ve got even a few of them, you might be a bigger threat than you realized.

A “Watchlist,” But Don’t Panic Yet

Wizards emphasized that this list is more of a heads-up than an actual plan to start banning them willy-nilly. In fact, none of them are probably in serious danger right now, so don’t immediately sell your Mox Diamond or fling your Vorinclex into a blender. It’s basically a transitional stage: if something ends up banned later, it’ll likely appear on this watchlist first.

The new bracket system is meant to give players a shared language. A precon-style deck sits around Bracket 2, so if your deck includes two-card combos or some of these “game changers,” you might jump to Bracket 3 or even 4. Wizards hopes this helps people figure out if they’re all on the same page before they shuffle up. Might save you some grief down the road when someone drops a Tabernacle on turn one and wipes the smug grin off your face.

The Big Question: Why Are Some Cards Missing?

Now for the controversy. This list didn’t show up without raising some eyebrows. Some powerful cards remain off the radar, and people are not exactly whispering about it. They’re yelling about it. Let’s talk about the most obvious omissions.

Where’s Esper Sentinel and Mystic Remora?

Rhystic Study made it onto the watchlist, presumably for the sheer frustration of hearing “Did you pay the one?” all game. Yet Esper Sentinel does a decent impression of that effect at one mana. If you’re not paying the tax, you’re giving away free cards. Mystic Remora is the same annoyance times ten, unless you hate cumulative upkeep so much you’ll break the piggy bank just to pay for it.

Both spells can warp how the table plays. Opponents stall or risk fueling the Esper Sentinel or Mystic Remora user. It’s basically a standoff. Does that sound casual to anyone? So the absence of these cheap card-draw all-stars is puzzling, especially when free spells like Fierce Guardianship made the cut.

Free Spells or Free Reign?

You’d think that if one free spell is on the list, the others would be too. Yet Deflecting Swat is nowhere to be seen. Getting a free red redirect seems pretty game-breaking, especially in a Commander-driven format. Mox Opal also didn’t make it, even though Chrome Mox is considered a problem. Mox Opal might not work in every deck, but in the right artifact build, it can be just as scary.

The Elephant (or Ring) in the Room: Sol Ring

We all know it. Even your grandma knows it. Sol Ring is probably the best artifact in Commander. But it’s also the most commonplace and reprinted so often you can find it in a pack of gum. Wizards decided not to include Sol Ring because it’s pretty much Commander tradition. I get it, but let’s not pretend it doesn’t warp every game when you see it on turn one. If Mana Vault is on the watchlist, it feels odd that Sol Ring got a pass. It’s like punishing one twin for talking in class while letting the other twin skip detention because he’s more famous.

Grumpy Vorinclex but No Craterhoof?

Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger definitely belongs on a list of “annoying stuff I hate seeing.” But if that’s the bar for inclusion, maybe we need to talk about Craterhoof Behemoth. When Craterhoof hits, it ends games on the spot, which is arguably a bigger deal than ramping or doubling counters. That might be less drawn out than dealing with Vorinclex, but it’s more lethal. If the frustration factor is part of the criteria, there are a bunch of other bombs that could join the party.

My Take on the Brackets

The bracket system is a good idea if it helps players talk about their deck power level. It’s supposed to prevent mismatched games, and that should cut down on whining about turn-three kills. But it’s early days, and the watchlist is far from perfect. Wizards seems willing to tweak it, though. If they keep updating this list, we might see some of these obvious omissions added or watch Vorinclex quietly step aside.

At the end of the day, I like having a quick way to figure out if your deck should be playing with the big dogs or just hanging out in a friendly precon zone. I’d just like to see more consistency in which cards are flagged. Is it purely about warping the game, or also about tradition? Guess we’ll find out when the next update drops. Until then, play your Sol Rings guilt-free, because Wizards says it’s fine. I’m sure your friends will still roll their eyes.