The Commander Rules Committee (RC) has released their quarterly update for April.
While the update contains no changes to the format’s rules or banned & restricted list, it does detail a series of updates made to the Commander Philosophy document – a page which summarizes the the ideals and principals upon which decisions for the format are based.
According to Jim Lapage, the current head of the Commander RC, a conversation between himself and the late Sheldon Menery before his passing last year sparked the movement to revise the document. It’s important to note that these updates do not “change any fundamental tenets of the format, nor is it a change in vision…” but what it does do is make the goals and purposes more clear and easier to understand for players that are new to the Commander community and those who are considered “less enfranchised.”
In the years following Commander’s official release in 2011, it has become Magic’s most popular and fastest growing format. The casual environment and large card pool is a huge draw for those looking to enjoy Magic without the pressures of competition – a trait prevalent in the game’s traditional constructed formats. Additionally, the recent inception of the Universes Beyond sets has also brought (and continues to bring) a whole new audience to the game, so it’s understandable that the Commander RC would be motivated to simplify the format’s rules and philosophy.
For more information on the philosophy of Commander, you can read the full document here.
