UPDATED Version September 2024.
We will divide the categories into 3 levels :
1.) Strongly recommended. (RED). The cards in these categories are seriously impacting the game in a very special way, and allowing these cards should be discussed before playing.
2.) Recommended. (ORANGE). The cards in these categories are quite special, and will alter the game into a totally other game (e.g. a Planeshift game or a ridiculous game with UN-Sets).
3.) Mildly recommended. (YELLOW). The cards in these categories are quite „salty“ in the Team Commander format, and not everyone will enjoy playing with or against such cards.
Most playgroups we know do disallow RED and ORANGE categories, and YELLOW categories are discuss worthy.
CATEGORY THE CARDS FROM THE OFFICIAL FFA BANNED LIST
- RED: we highly recommend to keep this category disallowed – Most players know these banned lists (though they are just meant as a basis framework! as „the offical list“ and stick to it. Especially when not discussing lists before playing or playing with new players, this should be the basis line on which everyone agrees.
- all cards in the banned List category „The Untouchables from the official banned list“ are not allowed
CATEGORY CONSPIRACY
- RED: we do highly recommend to keep this category disabled, as Conspiracy cards are not easily to be included in a constructed deck at all. On the other hand, if all players agree to play a Draft, Conspiracy Cards can easily be inserted in the Draft cards and are a nice variety. Conspiracy cards will not work without playing a Draft game (as Cube-Draft for example).
- all cards in the banned List category „Conspiracy“ are not allowed.
CATEGORY ANTE
- RED: we highly recommend to keep this category disallowed! Ante cards will not work without playing a with the Ante Rules 407 onwards. Please read carefully those rules before deciding to play for Ante. Please be aware that the Ante stake is permanent. Ante games can be costy and can destroy friendships and might be seen as gambling.
- all cards in the banned List category „Ante“ are not allowed.
CATEGORY DEXTERITY
- RED: we highly recommend to keep this category disallowed! Dexterity cards will arise a lot of discussions and should only be played for a totally fun reason. Google Chaos Confetti…
- all cards in the banned List category „Dexterity“ are not allowed.
CATEGORY EXTRA TURNS
- RED: we highly recommend to keep this category disallowed! if you agree upon allowing these cards, games can get imbalanced quitefast. Extra Turn cards tend to have a „high power level and salt score“ in a Teamplay format and simply don’t scale well as the whole Team benefits and get an extra turn, so this goes nuts. Nevertheless we give you the option to play these cards – if players insist on allowing all of these cards, don’t wonder if decks get build around these massively. While other categories can be seen as „Gentleman-Rules“, Extra Turns simply don’t work well with Team Commander.
- all cards in the banned List category „Extra Turns“ are not allowed.
CATEGORY PLANECHASE
- ORANGE: we do recommend to keep this category disabled, but if all players agree to Planechase, go for it. You can either build your own Planechase-Deck or use a shared pile of Planechase cards. This change will alter the game towards a very casual luck-based style of the game with as the Planechase cards are very luck dependend and not very balanced. (as Archenemy was designed 1 versus 3 players and may not scale for other numbers, also the power level may be outdated.
- all Plane and Phenomenon cards are not allowed.
- cards with the keywords „Planeswalk“, „Chaos ensues“ and/or „Planar die/dice“ are not allowed.
CATEGORY ARCHENEMY
- ORANGE: we do recommend to keep this category disabled, but if all players agree to Archenemy, go for it. You can either build your own Planechase-Deck or use a shared pile of Planechase cards. This change will alter the game towards a 1 versus many gameand may not be very balanced. Most players like the ideas and flavour of Planes but not the randomness and their impact on the game. With Duskmourn, the rules were changed (see rules 904.13), making some scheme cards working weired (e.g. „Mortal Flesh is Weak“). There is also a „Supervillain Rumble“ version which is 2HG playable, but you should really talk about this in advance.
- all Scheme cards are not allowed.
CATEGORY UN-SETS
- ORANGE: we do recommend to keep this category disabled, but if all players agree to UN-Sets and Decks, go for it. This will alter the game towards a very casual approach of the game with a parody style / ridiculous cards.
- all Stickers and Attraction cards are not allowed.
- Cards with Acorn Security stamps or Silver-Bordered cards from previous UN-Sets are not allowed.
- cards with the keywords „Open an attraction“, the symbol „ticket“ and/or „sticker“ are not allowed.
CATEGORY BOUNTYCARDS
- ORANGE: we do recommend to keep this category disabled. but if all players agree to play such cards and games, go for it. This will alter the game totally, it is not to be seen as a 2HG game anymore..
- Cards with the cardtype „Bounty“ are not allowed.
CATEGORY FAST MANA
- YELLOW: we mildly recommend to keep this category disallowed. We know that the fastest cards (as we are proposing this for years ! like Mana Crypt and Jeweled Lotus are banned by now in the Official FFA Rules, but even a 1st Turn Sol Ring often has huge effects on games. If you agree upon allowing these cards, games can get very fast, unbalanced and luck-based. Fast mana cards tend to have a „high power level and salt score“. Nevertheless we give you the option to play these cards – if players like to see combos and commanders out there very fast, go for this here.
- all cards in the banned List category „Fast Mana“ are not allowed.
CATEGORY LAND DESTRUCTION/MANA DENIAL
- YELLOW: we mildly recommend to keep this category disallowed! Landdestruction is considered to be salty, and the most effective cards like Armageddon or Ravages of War are voted since years as the most salty cards on EDHRec. If you agree upon allowing these cards, games can get very frustrating for some players and they will feel cut out, sitting there for long periods without being able to take an action or participate in a game. Land destruction cards tend to have a „high power level and salt score“. Nevertheless we give you the option to play these cards, as LD might sometimes be the only answer to play against control decks.
- all cards in the banned List category „Land Destruction/Mana Denial“ are not allowed.
CATEGORY MASS DISCARD
- YELLOW: we mildly recommend to keep this category disallowed! If you agree upon allowing these cards, games can get very frustrating for some players and they will feel cut out, sitting there for long periods without being able to take an action or participate in a game. Mass Discard cards tend to have a „high power level and salt score“. Nevertheless we give you the option to play such cards – if players insist on Counterspell-decks, Discard Decks may be the only answer. We personally rate Mass Discard as not that much of a salty lock / oppression as LD.
- all cards in the banned List category „Mass Discard“ are not allowed.
CATEGORY OPPRESSIVE CARDS
- YELLOW: we mildly recommend to keep this category disallowed! If you agree upon allowing these cards, games can get very frustrating for some players and they will feel cut out, sitting there for long periods without being able to take an action or participate in a game. Oppressive cards tend to have a „high power level and salt score“.
- all cards in the banned List category „Oppressive Cards“ are not allowed.
CATEGORY COMBO/ENABLER
- YELLOW: we mildly recommend to keep this category disallowed! If you agree upon allowing these cards, games can get very du to combos. Combo/Enabler cards tend to have a „high power level and salt score“. Nevertheless we give you the option to do so – if players insist on more Combos for the win, enable here.
- all cards in the banned List category „Combo/Enabler“ are not allowed
CATEGORY FORMAT ABUSE
- YELLOW: we mildly recommend to keep this category disallowed! If you agree upon allowing these cards, games can get imbalanced quite fast. Format Absue cards tend to have a „high power level and salt score“ in a Teamplay format and simply don’t scale well. Nevertheless we give you the option to do so – if players insist on allowing all of these cards, don’t wonder if decks get build around these.
- all cards in the banned List category „Format Abuse“ are not allowed