A new challenger approaches!

Actually, several new challengers.

A few weeks back, Wizards of the Coast announced a huge Commander update. Now completely in control of the format's reins, Gavin and company unbanned powerhouses like Gifts Ungiven and Panoptic Mirror. In addition, they rolled out new additions to the Game Changers List. If you recall from a previous article, Game Changers are cards only allowed on the upper tiers of the Bracket system rolled out in early 2025. The idea is to provide newer players an on-route to Commander, where worries of hyper-efficient cards, land denial, infinite extra turns, and two-card combos are less likely to rear their ugly heads. Now that the format has had a few months to adjust, Wizards took another look at contenders that initially dodged the Game Changers List to see if their power level warranted inclusion:

In February 2025, I wrote about predictions for what cards could end up on the Game Changers List, which brings us to the subject of today's article: What did I get right vs. wrong, and why?

I based my predictions on efficiency, sheer power level, and fun-factor (or rather, lack thereof).

Let's dive in and discuss.

Not Added: These two are of no surprise, as the Bracket System frowns on mana-denial at lower levels. Still, I assumed the classic mass land destruction spell - Armageddon - would be included as a clear example of such an effect, helping newer players get familiarized. Gavin and crew must've felt the Bracket's clause was enough, for neither Armageddon or its functional reprint Ravages of War got added to the Game Changers List. Anyone bold enough to nuke everyone else's real estate is probably running at Levels 4 or 5 anyhow, as Commander's unspoken social contract has silently discouraged mass land destruction for ages.

Added: This felt like a safe call, as spells that allow you to bypass their casting costs are notoriously strong. What's more, Fierce Guardianship made the Game Changers List on its initial rollout. While Deflecting Swat is more situational than its counterspell-counterpart, it's power is still undeniably high. 99% of the time, Deflecting Swat is netting you a 2-for-1, turning an opponent's removal spell back against one of their own, or perhaps another opponent's, resources. It's a true feel-bad experience to see a player tapped out, and thus potentially open to interaction, only to have that player fire your own removal spell back at you without so much as spending a single mana. All they had to do was keep their general on the field, something commander decks already want to be doing, anyhow.

Not Added: Much like the aforementioned Armageddon/Ravages of War, Static Orb likely dodged the Game Changers List due to mana denial. At this point, I think it's fair to consider some of the higher-powered clauses on the Game Changers List (no MLD, multiple turns, 2-card combos, etc.) as functional inclusions on given cards played at lower levels. Thus, there was no need to add them to the Game Changers List. Armageddon is about as clear as it gets when talking mana denial, but other sources of lockdown also fall into this category.

Winter Orb is a great alternate example, dramatically slowing down everyone's ability to cast future spells. Static Orb functions similarly, but I assumed its allowance of 2-lands per turn (as opposed to untapping anything else), constituted it as more of a strong Stax piece than pure source of mana denial. Traditionally, powerful Stax effects are miserable to play against, so their presence on the Game Changers List would've relegated them to the realm of higher-level play. Static Orb's omission leads me to believe the Commander panel felt it wandered close enough to the land of mana denial to count as a 'bracket soft-ban'.

Not Added: Back to the free-spell discussion: While Force of Will is on the Game Changers List, the newer Force of Negation is safe. For now. The noncreature-clause on Force of Negation is likely what saved it, as the counter cannot hit most enemy commanders (watch out, Eliminster!). Both Forces have similar drawbacks for their alternate cost (paying 1 life is of little impact in Commander), but the more efficient standard cost of Force of Negation is the factor I'd initially thought might land it on the Game Changers List.

Yes, you can pitch a Blue card to cast the spell for free, but paying 3 mana to simply cast it normally is a world apart from the 5 mana needed to hard cast Force of Will. Force of Negation also has the added bonus of exiling the countered card. These bonuses on top of an already potentially-free counter spell, even one not quite as powerful as its forebear, seemed to be potent enough to hit the Game Changers List. Time will tell if this card ultimately makes it on there.

Not Added, but Watched: Let's call this prediction half-correct. Mana Drain dodging the list genuinely surprised me, as the swing it provides for a mere two mana is enormous. Plus, having your spell countered only for its mana cost to essentially feed your opponent's next big spell is a major feel-bad that seemed ill-suited for lower brackets. However, while Gavin decided to spare Mana Drain for now, he did note it was still on their radar. The justification was that the biggest bursts of mana would likely be generated in the latter-half of a game, where things are already more swingy. Mana Drain's in the clear for now, but only because the team wanted more time to see how the card plays out in the current environment. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the next update to the Game Changers List saw Mana Drain make its debut.

Added: If this one's inclusion surprised you, think of it this way: Despite doing nothing on its own, any deck running Aura Shards is going to be more than capable of erasing all enemy artifacts/enchantments. Be the builds naturally creature-heavy or capable of token-generation (yup, Aura Shards triggers off creature tokens), Aura Shards easily becomes a one-sided artifact/enchantment board wipe. Especially when token-makers trigger each turn (Tendershoot Dryad) or scale over time (Assemble the Legion, Rhys, the Redeemed, Anim Pakal, Thousandth Moon). Much like Rhystic Study, it's a must-destroy sort of enchantment that doesn't immediately generate crazy value, but doesn't take very long to become an explosion of card advantage. Remember, card advantage isn't just drawing new cards. If your single Aura Shards takes out multiple permanents, you're very much ahead on cardboard.

Not Added: 8-mana is a steep cost, and while numerous sources of recursion can sneak in Possessed Portal from the graveyard, that lofty mana cost coupled with an effect that also hits you is likely what kept this card off the list. Another factor could be how often the card comes up. Smothering Tithe is incredibly powerful, and thus pops up everywhere in Commander, thus there are multiple eyeballs on the card at any given time. Possessed Portal, while both powerful and Staxy in nature, dual factors that weigh into a card's potential to end up on the Game Changer's List, doesn't see a great deal of play. Thus, there's little motivation for inclusion.

The portal also takes some time to get going, as opponents will start off by sacrificing excess lands and/or tokens before the artifact really starts to eat into their board/hand. This timing does provide a window of opportunity in which opponents can remove the portal, provided removal is already in their hand or stapled onto their commander, as they're not drawing any new cards. But then again, neither are you.

Added: As a Reserved List card from 1997, Humility is in short supply, so it's not exactly a common threat. While its impact is no-doubt powerful, something any creature-light deck would love to blunt enemy commanders and their armies, I'd wager Humility's sheer complexity is what landed it on the list. Keeping track of timing in regards to how effect layer on top of each other is key, as are the specific manners of those effects.

For example, when Humility enters play, any creature equipped with Loxodon Warhammer loses the abilities, but keeps the +3/+0 stat boost from the equipment, as Humility changes only its base power-toughness. However, that creatures controller then un-equips and re-equips the Warhammer, the creature gains Trample and Lifelink back, as that second attachment happened after Humility entered play. Further complicating matters, Humility impacts an ocean of triggered abilities. Any ETB's effects (Mulldrifter, Solitude, etc.) are removed, leaving players with a simple 1/1 fish or incarnation. Creature stats that scale with cost (Walking Ballista, Hangerback Walker, etc.) lose the "this creature enters with X +1/+1 counters", but still manage to survive as meek 1/1's. However, any +1/+1 counters placed onto them after would buff their power/toughness. They just wouldn't be able to cash-in these counters for damage or death-trigger thopter tokens, as abilities are still wiped clean.

This is only the tip of the rules iceberg, as there are many other Humility scenarios that'd give even veteran players a headache, so its inclusion makes sense.

Humility by Phil Foglio. Liches and dragons gotta make a livin', too.

Additional Takeaways: As we wrap things up, I wanted to take a moment and note some other interesting takeaways from the Game Changers update. For one, Gavin and company are still watching certain keys for potential removal from the Commander Ban List. Although Iona, Shield of Emeria and Sylvan Primordial weren't removed this time, both were noted as possibly up for parole in the future. In addition, while bans/unbans will still primarily occur on schedule, emergency-bannings could still take place under the "Nadu Contingency", whereby a card that immediately warps the format can get the axe. Given the silly power level and miserable play pattern of Nadu, Winged Wisdom, I think this is a great idea. Most folks were already clamoring for Nadu's lockup prior to banning, and that's likely to also be the case for any future card that requires an emergency ban.

These considerations all point to one thing: WotC is paying close attention, which bodes well for the health of the format. It'll be interesting to see what future bans, unbans, Game Changer removals, and Game Changer inclusions roll out as the months wander by.

Thanks for reading, and may your favorite cards one day escape the ban list!

-Matt-

@Intrepid_tautog

@intrepidtautog.bsky.social