Important takeaways
- Some game stores are offering refunds for recently banned Magic: The Gathering commander cards, angering 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 certain cards were seen as staples of the Commander format.
Some gaming stores have offered full refunds for four recently banned games Magic: The Gathering cards to players who have recently purchased them. Considering that some of these cards were worth almost $100, many owners of these Magic: The Gathering cards have felt cheated by the recent bans.
Every now and then, a few cards in Magic: The Gathering are banned from legal play in some formats. Card in Magic: The Gathering can be banned for a variety of reasons, but most of the time the reason a certain card is banned is to maintain both fun and balance in the game. Bans usually happen quickly in response to game trends after the release of new sets, meaning the community can sometimes predict when a card will be banned. However, the recent bans for the Commander format caught many players by surprise Magic: The Gatheringwhich caused quite a bit of concern from fans who suddenly found that some of their decks could not be used for legal play.
In response, some game stores have offered 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 for purchases as far back as three months ago, and another user in the post said another gaming store near them offered a similar refund policy for all purchases in recent weeks. The cards being banned have caused much debate in the Magic: The Gathering community, and given that Commander is seen as the most accessible format for players, having the cards banned from it greatly diminishes their value and in some cases renders the cards unusable. This has been a point of contention for players who paid the very high prices these cards would sell for prior to the ban.
Some game stores offer refunds on recently banned Commander cards
The reason for these bans was to control the amount of “fast” mana players have access to, especially when it's free or pays for itself, which is what Jeweled Lotus, Mana Crypt, and Dockside Extortionist all did. Nadu, Winged Wisdom is the only card that doesn't directly fit this philosophy, but was still seen as enough of a nuisance in recent games to warrant a ban. Nadu's ban was the only one that many in the community actually expected, as it has caused a huge stir since its release earlier this year, but the other cards blindsided quite a bit of the fan base. Rumors of Dockside Extortionist getting banned have always been in rotation, but Mana Crypt and Jeweled Lotus have always been notable fast mana powerhouses in Commander for years, leaving many players shocked by their sudden ban, especially considering that Jeweled Lotus practically unplayable outside the game. Commander format.
This ban hits many major staples of the Commander format too Magic: The Gatheringand has left the fanbase polarized. The monetary value of these cards has dropped significantly, but thankfully it appears that some local gaming stores are working with players to mitigate the financial impact of these bans.
Magic The Gathering
Magic the Gathering is a board game and digital collectible 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 using artifacts. It has 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+
