Magic: The Gathering fans are reacting to an extensive 174-card banlist imposed by an LGS in Grandville, Michigan, USA, specifically for casual Commander games. The banlist includes bans on cards like Armageddon and Rhystic Study, as well as other seemingly random choices that have left players puzzled. The banlist was brought to wider attention by Sad Robot Alters on Twitter, who criticized the store’s banlist as getting worse the deeper you go. Despite being in alphabetical order, the bans seem arbitrary, with powerful cards like Karn Liberated and alternate win conditions like Liliana’s Contract being banned. The banlist also includes unofficial errata on planeswalker cards, removing their ultimates. The banlist also nerfs various game mechanics like land destruction, Commander damage, poison, annihilator, storm, extra turns, and the Cascade mechanic. The banlist is not enforced for all games at the store, with three levels of play offered. Overall, the banlist highlights the challenges of implementing an extensive Commander banlist and the importance of communication and setting expectations before a game to ensure a fun experience for all players.
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Magic fans baffled by game store’s unofficial MTG banlist
