The independent committee that oversees Duel Commander has taken action against four cards in the growing Magic: The Gathering format.
According to the Duel Commander Committee, despite the format’s overall health being in a good spot, they noticed a few decks showing signs of becoming oppressive and opted to proactively ban four cards from these decks with the hope of promoting more “…in-game interactions and [reducing] the number of non-games.”
Looking at each card individually, they all carry a certain level of infamy, so it’s not surprising that they would be removed from the format. Blood Moon “…diminishes the strategic interest of games…” which is understandable considering it’s one of the most polarizing cards in all of Magic. Meanwhile, Dark Ritual gets the axe due to unpredictable play patterns that “…lead to games ending abruptly, offering little room for interaction.”
Possibly the most surprising ban is Force of Will, which the committee alleges has been acting more proactively rather than re-actively and creates too many situations where players are forced to “…ignore [Force of Will] while accepting the possibility of being punished.” Lastly, Underworld Breach adds another ban to its growing collection after having already been removed from Pioneer and Modern. The problematic enchantment has proven too polarizing for Duel Commander as well with the powers that be stating that it requires “very little setup” and is either “insignificant or too powerful.”
You can read the full explanation for these bans here.
