"Given the opportunity, players will optimize the fun out of a game." - Soren Johnson and Sid Meier

Hello, everyone! I'm Levi from The Thought Vessel Show, and today I want to discuss two different decklists. Neither of these are my own; I found them online, and I'm sure a quick search will lead you to them as well. These lists were created in response to Wizards of the Coast's announcement of their bracket system. While they approached the system differently, both decks highlight interesting points. The first is a Bracket 1 Sisay, Weatherlight Captain cEDH deck, which you can see below.

Bracket | Commander

• Commander (1)
• 1 Sisay, Weatherlight Captain

• Creatures (29)
• 1 Basim Ibn Ishaq
• 1 Birds of Paradise
• 1 Bloom Tender
• 1 Delighted Halfling
• 1 Derevi, Empyrial Tactician
• 1 Emiel the Blessed
• 1 Enduring Vitality
• 1 Ertai Resurrected
• 1 Esika, God of the Tree // The Prismatic Bridge
• 1 Esper Sentinel
• 1 Faeburrow Elder
• 1 Faerie Mastermind
• 1 Ignoble Hierarch
• 1 Ioreth of the Healing House
• 1 Jegantha, the Wellspring
• 1 Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar
• 1 Lotho, Corrupt Shirriff
• 1 Marvin, Murderous Mimic
• 1 Noble Hierarch
• 1 Orcish Bowmasters
• 1 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer
• 1 Ruby, Daring Tracker
• 1 Seedborn Muse
• 1 Selvala, Heart of the Wilds
• 1 Silence
• 1 Simian Spirit Guide
• 1 Skrelv, Defector Mite
• 1 Tymna the Weaver
• 1 Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler

• Planeswalkers (6)
• 1 Aminatou, the Fateshifter
• 1 Dihada, Binder of Wills
• 1 Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God
• 1 Nissa, Resurgent Animist
• 1 Saheeli Rai
• 1 Teferi, Time Raveler

• Instants (12)
• 1 Abrupt Decay
• 1 An Offer You Can't Refuse
• 1 Deadly Rollick
• 1 Deflecting Swat
• 1 Fire Covenant
• 1 Flusterstorm
• 1 Force of Negation
• 1 Mental Misstep
• 1 Mindbreak Trap
• 1 Resculpt
• 1 Swan Song
• 1 Swords to Plowshares

• Sorceries (4)
• 1 Farseek
• 1 Green Sun's Zenith
• 1 Nature's Lore
• 1 Three Visits

• Enchantments (7)
• 1 Blind Obedience
• 1 Cultist of the Absolute
• 1 Mystic Remora
• 1 Oath of Teferi
• 1 Rhythm of the Wild
• 1 Rising of the Day
• 1 Touch the Spirit Realm

• Artifacts (7)
• 1 Arcane Signet
• 1 Chromatic Orrery
• 1 Fellwar Stone
• 1 Lotus Petal
• 1 Mox Amber
• 1 Relic of Legends
• 1 Sol Ring

• Lands (34)
• 1 Arid Mesa
• 1 Badlands
• 1 Bayou
• 1 Bloodstained Mire
• 1 Boseiju, Who Endures
• 1 Breeding Pool
• 1 City of Brass
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Exotic Orchard
• 1 Flooded Strand
• 1 Gemstone Caverns
• 1 Hallowed Fountain
• 1 Mana Confluence
• 1 Marsh Flats
• 1 Misty Rainforest
• 1 Mount Doom
• 1 Otawara, Soaring City
• 1 Overgrown Tomb
• 1 Plateau
• 1 Polluted Delta
• 1 Savannah
• 1 Scalding Tarn
• 1 Scrubland
• 1 Stomping Ground
• 1 Taiga
• 1 Tarnished Citadel
• 1 Temple Garden
• 1 Tropical Island
• 1 Tundra
• 1 Underground Sea
• 1 Verdant Catacombs
• 1 Volcanic Island
• 1 Windswept Heath
• 1 Wooded Foothills

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It's important to note that this deck was later recalibrated as a minimum Bracket 2 deck. However, I firmly believe there isn't a Bracket 2 pod in the world where this deck would be a fair matchup. But that's precisely the point. This deck, despite being an extremely consistent combo generator, does not technically violate any of the initial Bracket 1 rules. It utilizes a three-card combo rather than a two-card combo, avoids game-changing cards, does not include mass land denial or extra turns, and features only three tutors, including Sisay herself. Was this deck built to compete in a lower-level pod? Absolutely not. Its purpose was simply to prove a point, just like our second decklist - a Bracket 4 Commander deck assembled for less than a dollar.

"Bracket 4" Butterbur | Commander

• Commander (1)
• 1 Butterbur, Bree Innkeeper

• Enchantments (1)
• 1 Fall of the Thran

• Lands (98)
• 98 Forest

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Ironically, this deck runs 98 lands but is literally incapable of casting a single spell because it cannot generate White mana. The reason it qualifies as a Bracket 4 deck is that any instance of mass land denial automatically categorizes a deck as optimized, preventing such strategies from appearing in lower-bracket games. Technically, Fall of the Thran's first chapter does destroy all lands, even if subsequent chapters eventually return them to play. While this deck is obviously a parody and not a legitimate Bracket 4 deck - or even a playable deck - sometimes absurdity is the best way to illustrate a point.

There are two sides to this argument, and my goal isn't to convince you one way or the other but rather to present the full picture. Let's start with the benefits of decks like these. As of this writing, the bracket system is still in beta, and Wizards of the Coast is actively seeking feedback. This system has sparked a wide range of opinions, from calls to "Ban Sol Ring or at least put it on the Game Changers list," to demands to "Unban everything and let people figure out their own playgroups." When the conversation is filled with such extremes, finding middle ground can be difficult.

Building decks like these is a way of putting your money where your mouth is, demonstrating what can be done rather than merely theorizing about it. We may eventually see decks like the Bracket 1 cEDH list evolve into their own competitive format, one with fewer staples and a lower cost than traditional cEDH. While the bracket system is designed as a general guideline, further clarity is often necessary. This is similar to a famous quote from Louis Litt in Suits: "The rules dictate that you must be precise, as the law is a precise endeavor." In Magic, what isn't written on a card is often just as important as what is. Players instinctively seek creative synergies to maximize power, and additional restrictions are sometimes necessary. Ultimately, this beta phase is the perfect time to stress-test the system, break things, and reveal areas that need adjustment so Wizards can make informed corrections.

The opposing argument hinges on one word: "intent." As I previously mentioned, the bracket system serves as a broad guideline to facilitate Rule Zero discussions. It is not perfect and never will be. As Gavin Verhey stated in his initial article introducing the system, "This system (nor really any system) cannot stop bad actors. If someone wants to lie to you and play mismatched, we can't prevent that. However, a lot of people just want to play games in earnest with other decks like theirs, and this aims to help in that regard."

With this in mind, "angle shooting" with decks like these can actually cause harm if players mistake them for serious builds and attempt to replicate them. Additionally, it becomes difficult to accurately assess the bracket system's effectiveness in beta if players constantly seek to exploit it. At its core, the bracket system is meant to assist with Rule Zero discussions - not serve as an absolute solution for power level mismatches.

So, who is right? Is stress-testing the system a way to make it stronger, or does this kind of behavior undermine the bracket system's intent? There's no definitive answer, as it largely depends on the context. Just as some players try to sneak a Bracket 4 deck into a Bracket 2 pod, others believe that adding a single Armageddon effect to a precon doesn't automatically make it a Bracket 4 deck. Ultimately, I leave that judgement up to you. The best thing we can do is provide Wizards of the Coast with meaningful feedback to refine the bracket system before its full implementation in April. At the same time, we should strive to play with integrity and, most importantly, have fun. Until next time, happy gaming!