Key Takeaways
- Some game shops are offering refunds on recently banned Magic: The Gathering commander cards, upsetting players.
- The bans were aimed at controlling “fast” mana access, surprising many players and causing a drop in card value.
- Fans were caught off guard by the bans, as some cards were seen as staples in the Commander format.
Some game shops have been offering full refunds on four recently banned Magic: The Gathering cards to players who purchased them recently. Considering that some of these cards were worth nearly $100, many owners of these Magic: The Gathering cards have felt cheated by the newest bans.
Every so often, some cards in Magic: The Gathering are banned from legal play in particular formats. Cards in Magic: The Gathering can be banned for a variety of reasons, but mostly, the reason any given card is banned is to maintain both fun and balance for the game. Bans usually happen quickly in response to gameplay trends following the release of new sets, meaning the community can sometimes predict when a card will get banned. The most recent bans for the Commander format, however, surprised many players of Magic: The Gathering, stirring a great deal of unrest from fans who suddenly found some of their decks not usable for legal play.
In response to this, some game stores have been offering refunds to fans who recently purchased any of the banned cards from their stores. Reddit user Aandaas shed light on a store offering full refunds on purchases as far back as three months ago, and another user in the post said another game store near them offered a similar refund policy for any purchases within the past few weeks. The cards being banned has caused a lot of debate in the Magic: The Gathering community, and considering Commander is seen as the most approachable format for players, to have cards banned from it significantly lessens their worth and in some cases makes the cards useless. This has been a point of contention for players who paid the very high prices these cards would sell for before the ban.
Some Game Stores are Offering Refunds on Recently Banned Commander Cards
The reason cited for these bans was to control the amount of “fast” mana players have access to, especially when it is free or reimburses itself, which is what Jeweled Lotus, Mana Crypt, and Dockside Extortionist all did. Nadu, Winged Wisdom is the only card to not directly fit this philosophy, but was still seen as a nuisance enough in recent play to warrant a ban. Nadu’s ban was the only one that many of the community actually expected, given it’s caused huge stirs since being released earlier this year, but the other cards blindsided a lot of the fan base. Rumors of Dockside Extortionist getting a ban have always been rotated, but Mana Crypt and Jeweled Lotus have always been notable powerhouses for fast mana in Commander for years, leaving many players shocked at their sudden ban, especially when considering Jeweled Lotus is effectively unplayable outside the Commander format.
This ban hits a lot of big staples in the Commander format for Magic: The Gathering, and has left the fan base polarized. The monetary value of these cards has dropped significantly, but thankfully, it seems some local game stores are working with players to mitigate the financial effects of these bans.
Magic The Gathering
Magic the Gathering is a tabletop and digital collectable card game created by Richard Garfield and released in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Players take on the role of a Planeswalker and use various cards to battle other players by casting spells, summoning creatures, or utilizing artifacts. It features two main rule categories, constructed or limited, and can be played by two or more players at a time.
- Franchise
- Magic: The Gathering
- Original Release Date
- 1993-00-00
- Age Recommendation
- 13+
