Do you feel that? The Winds of Change are in the air.

No, don't discard your hand and draw 7.

I'm talking metaphorically, and in regards to new organization behind our beloved Commander format. With the beta rollout of the Bracket and Game-Changers Cards List, Wizards seeks to refine the Commander experience for players ranging from whelp to seasoned veteran. We're still early in the process, so no one knows what additional changes will come about. But that does open up entire forums worth of discussion.

Today's adventure will delve into cards that, while not currently on the Game-Changers List, could certainly wind up there at some point. Be it due to notoriety, impact, or simply being unfun to play against, there are plenty of cards that could earn a spot on the Game-Changers List in the near future. Wizards provided statements in their bracket system about mass land destruction or chaining extra turns together being outside the realm of the lower tiers. That doesn't mean there aren't a ton of ways to lock down enemy lands at a wide level, warranting discussion over what sort of cards these bracket rules really apply to.

More than anything else, this article is about discussion. You can disagree with my recommendations for cards that might end up on the Game-Changers List. In fact, I encourage it. I love chatting about various game mechanics, what is and isn't overpowered, and how things could change in response. The flux is interesting. As unsure as we all are about what's ultimately going to happen to Commander as a format, we're in an exciting era where the palette is wide open to possibilities.

So, today we'll look into what powerful cards dodged the Game-Changers List and ponder whether they might be included in the future. Levi is going to discuss game changing Commanders, so we'll cover only cards in the 99. Most all of these cards unsurprisingly made EDHREC's "100 Saltiest Cards" list, so that should give you an idea of how fun it is to play against such ruffians. Note, it's difficult to discuss a card as 'covered' by the explanation of the Bracket system without examples. To illustrate, Gavin produced the following to illustrate how lower tiers should avoid mana denial in all its forms:

You can bet land-denial will be discussed among some of the cards below, as while the Bracket system does cast a wide net over messing with enemy lands, few things are more effective than providing players with examples. Putting certain pieces on the Game-Changers list does little to affect enfranchised players, as anyone running Winter Orb is already operating at Level 4 or beyond, but it does help inform newer players what does and doesn't fall under the category.

That's actually the perfect segue to our starting point...

Armageddon/Ravages of War: The Bracket system notes how lower levels should avoid mass land destruction, but to illustrate that point, I wouldn't be surprised if Wizards placed the classic o.g. land-destroyer on the list. Armageddon is largely avoided in Commander due to social contract more than anything else. It's a powerful effect that can help set up a win with the right pieces, but most often results in the game slowing down significantly. Despite my fondness for this card, as the Portal version was one of the first Rares I've ever opened, Armageddon deserves a spot on the Game-Changers List. Not only is the effect powerful, but has the potential to seriously alter a game's fun-factor, something Wizards pays close attention to.

Deflecting Swat: I noted Deflecting Swat in my previous article breaking down the Game-Changers List. It's considered one of the best members of an incredibly powerful cycle from Commander Ikoria. These spells can be cast free of charge as long as your commander is in play. The White and Green cards - Flawless Maneuver and Obscuring Haze - are largely defensive. Useful, sure, but no where near as nasty as the rest of the cycle. Black got a free exile-removal spell in Deadly Rollick. Blue's Fierce Guardianship is already on the Game-Changers List. And for good reason. Which brings us to Deflecting Swat. While not as versatile as Fierce Guardianship, the swat creates a 2-for-1 with very little effort. For zero mana, you get to redirect a removal spell meant for your best card back at one of your opponent's best cards. They tapped mana and ended up losing a permanent. You spent zero mana, saved your best buddy from harm, and removed a threat. That's incredibly powerful, and will no doubt spark anger from your adversary.

Static Orb: Similar to Winter Orb, Static Orb casts its Staxy-shadow over permanents. But unlike its predecessor, Static Orb hits all permanents. You get to untap one more cards than Winter Orb, but you'll have to choose whether those permanents will be lands, creatures, artifacts, etc. For creature, token, and attack-centric decks, this can spell doom, as now turns are split between playing inexpensive spells or untapping two members of their army. At the minimum, it's annoying to deal with. At its worst, it significantly impacts all player's ability to advance the game state. Static Orb also has the same turned-off-if-tapped clause as Winter Orb, allowing for an escape clause for the player running the orb. Icy Manipulator is the classic example, but many more are out there.

Force of Negation: Although Force of Negation can only be cast for free on enemy turns, most Blue mages unleash their shenanigans at those times, anyhow. Force of Will can be cast at any time with only the additional drawback of 1 life, but very often, Force of Negation will function in a very way. The noncreature-clause is important, as Force of Negation won't stop someone from developing their army, but some of the most devastating spells in the game are already non-creatures. Of all the cards on the Game-Changers List, only 25% are creatures. Fierce Guardianship only hits noncreatures, too, yet it immediately ended up on the Game-Changers List. I wouldn't be surprised to see Force of Negation do the same.

Mana Drain: While we're on the subject of counter spells, let's talk about one of the most notorious. Mana Drain has the same converted mana cost as Counterspell, which is largely considered one of the strongest counters ever. It didn't become Modern-legal until 2021. There's a reason few 2-mana counter spells get printed. But Mana Drain takes that 2-mana cost and adds an amazing bonus: Whatever you counter will yield extra mana on your next turn. No "noncreature spells only" clause. Mana Drain hits everything, then pours salt on the wound by turning your opponent's massive dragon into a bunch of colorless mana for your own cause. It's variable, sure, but provides such an impact that it deserves a spot on the list. It's a strictly-better Counterspell, after all. That's one hell of a pedigree.

Aura Shards: I love this card, but have seen firsthand how much destruction it unleashes when left untouched. Any deck running Aura Shards is already packed with creatures, or has access to bursts of token generation. That means that multiple artifacts and enchantments are getting axed each turn, and a great many of those are going to be mana rocks for decks outside of Green. This can be a crippling blow to color combos that desperately rely on mana rocks for ramp. Aura Shards does nothing at first, but then begins to tear apart enemy rocks one by one as you play out creatures, something your deck was already trying to do, anyways. Take a moment to consider how many Sol Rings have been eaten by Aura Shards, and you'll understand how easily it can function as mana denial. And that's just in the early game. Later on, no pricey artifact or enchantment is safe to play with Aura Shards hanging around, as they'll immediately have a bulls-eye printed onto their heads.

Possessed Portal: I know what you're thinking: "It's 8 mana." But do you really think players are paying the full casting cost for this card to get it into play? No way. Be it via recursion or artifact-tutoring chains (Repurposing Bay, Oswalt Fiddlebender), Possessed Portal is coming down with few (if any) lands tapped to pay its cost. And once its down, the game literally changes. Players without an answer already in hand are stuck, as no new cards will be drawn as long the portal's around. What's worse, it'll slowly begin to eat away at your permanents/hand with each passing turn. Sure, that'll affect the player who controls Possessed Portal, too, but you can bet they planned for that. If a portal's coming down, the player using it has work-arounds up their sleeve.

Unnecessary side-tangent: I'm bummed this card didn't get a reprint in the Ghostbusters Secret Lair. It would've been the perfect card to represent Gozer's rooftop portal to the mortal world. Flavor text: "Choose the form of the destructor"

Humility: Immediate power/toughness impact aside, Humility can make for a nightmare of status-keeping across all boards. Anyone looking to win via Commander damage or attacking now has a serious hurdle to overcome, as Humility will not only shrink their creatures, but wipe away all abilities that would've helped them get past blockers or deal extra damage via Double Strike, a mechanic frequently gifted to Voltron-style generals to double their firepower. Abilities given by Auras and Equipment cease to exist. However, one avenue for loopholes is in the mix: +1/+1 counters will still stick onto creatures, so if you build a deck with +1/+1 counters in mind, you're bound to have the mightiest team, even in the face of Humility. On the surface, it seems such a simple effect. But in play, it's power causes even the mightiest Eldrazi to stand toe-to-toe with a Squirrel Token.

Humility by Phil Foglio

Still, you gotta love that iconic Foglio artstyle.

Were there any cards you think I missed? What powerhouses were overlooked in today's adventure?

It was surprisingly difficult to come up with a solid list, as many initial choices (Winter Orb, Impending Disaster, [card]Rising Waters[/card) were covered under the land-denial Bracket clause. I have no doubt more cards will ultimately end up on the Game-Changers List, but whether they consist of the cardboard above or entirely different pieces has yet to be seen. There are exciting times ahead for Commander. We just don't quite know what they are yet.

Thanks for reading, and may your favorite card(s) ever dodge the List

-Matt-

@Intrepid_Tautog