The Commander Rules Committee (RC) has released their quarterly update for June, addressing new cards and mechanics from Magic’s latest set – The Lord Of The Rings: Tales of Middle-earth.
Upon being previewed, Orcish Bowmasters was quickly identified as one of, if not the best new card for Commander in the set.
In a format where tons of cards are being drawn, effects that seek to punish that are at a premium, but are often frowned upon by individual playgroups because they are simply not fun to play against. Cards like Notion Thief are typically viewed as a “feels bad”, but aren’t so inherently powerful that it warrants action from the Commander RC. Enter Orcish Bowmasters, a card which not only punishes card drawing with huge chunks of damage, but also amasses sizeable armies at instant speed. Add on the fact it only costs 1B, and you’ve got a recipe for a new staple for black-based Commander decks.
Despite the rising concerns, very few have actually had the chance to experience the card being played, and as such The Commander RC has opted to hold off on taking action against it until more evidence can be gathered.
Albeit far less concerning, Mirkwood Bats from The Lord Of The Rings: Tales Of Middle-earth is also on the RC’s radar.
With the popularity of token-based strategies in Commander, a payoff card that deals damage to the entire table makes for a scary win condition, even if it is a four-cost common.
Alongside the Commander Advisory Group (CAG), the Commander RC will observe and listen to feedback from the community over the next few weeks and decide then if action against these cards will be necessary.
The next quarterly update is scheduled for August 28 in conjunction with the release of Wilds of Eldraine.
Read the original article from the Commander RC.