MTG: Is Commander the New Primary Format? (Or Should It Be?)
Everything must adapt to survive, including massive gaming properties, but does that mean consumers are left behind?
Whatever your feelings about Wizards of the Coast, it’s hard to deny that they’re responsible for two of the most successful gaming franchises in the world. D&D is the biggest TTRPG around, but even it has evolved multiple times over its lifespan. Magic has remained relatively unchanged, though various “formats” have popped up to offer players new ways to play.
Undeniably, the most popular alternative format is Elder Dragon Highlander, more commonly known these days as Commander. It is a decidedly casual format with loose rules, but the primary core is the same. However, in recent years, WotC has released Commander boxes for each new set, and cards are being judged based on their interaction with the format (looking at you, Elesh Norn). This begs the question: has EDH become the primary format for Magic? And if it hasn’t…should it?
Casual vs. Competitive
While games of EDH can undoubtedly get heated, it is, at its core, a casual game. Even when your buddy Marcus pulls out a Krikk/Gray Merchant combo that makes you want to pull your hair out, he can’t take that to the Pro Tour circuit and expect the same results.
Modern, the most common playstyle of Magic and the one used at big events, is the formation on which the game is built. However, the hyper-competitive nature and restrictive card pool mean that there are only four or five “viable” decks, and everyone knows how to play around them. While there are variations in exact cards, the basic premise of every 60-card deck of a particular type is the same. This can make playing in Modern a bit tedious since if you aren’t playing one of the chosen decks, you probably aren’t going to win.
Commander, however, gives you access to almost every card ever printed. Even with a commander everyone knows, your playstyle could be wildly different than what your opponent expects. With a library of 100 unique cards (not counting basic lands), the likelihood of drawing the same combo every game is extremely low. This leads to a greater variety of play, and a better chance for deck builders to try out wacky combos. The format may be casual, but the wider variety of playable cards means players will want a wider variety in their collection. This leads me to my next point…
Profit vs. Proxy
When I first started playing Magic back in Invasion, every set release came with a few pre-constructed 60-card decks based around one of the central themes of the set. Back then, you wanted to fill your deck with as many copies of the good cards as you could, or at least something close to them. You could of course proxy cards for gaming with your friends, but you could never take that to a big tournament. Commander is much the same, but a lot of the big “chase” cards for EDH are a bit higher price point. Every set gets at least two pre-constructed Commander decks these days, and they can range in value from $40 to $120, depending on the cards. Since Commander is a casual format, however, proxies are more common, with some players building entire decks out of proxies to fit a theme.
On the surface, that makes Commander seem like the less profitable option, but I say thee nay. While proxy cards are viable among friends, and you certainly don’t HAVE to have the snazzy foils, there’s just something about owning a deck worth the same as a small car that clicks with some people. Commander, in that case, is the MORE profitable option since the deck is larger and more diverse. If Wizards opened up Commander on a more professional circuit, it could easily make a huge profit margin on single-card resales.
Printing for EDH
So the big question is; should Wizards be printing cards with EDH in mind? Short answer, no I don’t think so. If a card is too strong for EDH, simply add it to the ban list, or find a way to play around with it. Since those cards are not as powerful in other formats, banning them from the game entirely feels unfair, especially since EDH already has so many exclusive cards.
Should EDH be the primary format? Maybe, but I don’t think that means abandoning the other formats entirely.
