Thread by @ChrisKMooney

Ok, let's talk about Planeswalkers in Commander.

Usually I give a standard #wotcstaff disclaimer about certain topics not being my area, but CMD *is* my area. In just over a year, I've worked on four CMD products and am heavily involved with all of our ongoing discussions.

1/

I want to explore the common arguments against PWs as commanders and why, bluntly, none of them hold a lot of water to me. I want to start by saying that I have a very long-term view. If we want CMD to exist in 50 years, we can't hold it to what it's done in the first 25.

2/

"PWs are inherently problematic from a power level standpoint."

This just isn't true. Nothing about PWs makes them categorically more powerful than creatures. Yes, there are certain PWs that would probably need to be banned. The same is true for creatures.

3/

"PWs would fundamentally change the way players need to build decks in order to combat them."

Yes. A format that isn't open to being changed at that level can't stand the test of time. I don't think players playing more attacking creatures and PW removal is bad.

4/

"The cards that deal with PWs aren't good enough, so I'd just be forced to play bad cards all the time."

"A lot of PWs that currently exist would make for miserable commanders, (therefore, future ones will too)."

Both of these are self-fulfilling prophecies.

5/

Since PWs currently can't be used as commanders, we as designers spend no time thinking about it. Comparatively, we spend a LOT of time thinking about legendary creatures. There's a reason most banned legends are from before WotC started making CMD products.

6/

Similarly, we don't make a lot of PW removal aimed at CMD because the card type is already not-very-good in the format on average, so we really don't want to punish players further. That would definitely change if we had a reason to prepare for more PWs.

7/

"If you want to play PWs as your commander, go play a different format."

Really not interested in engaging with these kind of club-house arguments. Within reason, we should be trying to make our formats the most fun for the most people, and this is a very reasonable topic.

8/

"PWs add life to the game and make it take way longer."

This is the only argument I agree with. It would take active effort on design to come up with solutions for it. (Part of this involves a shift towards more combat relevant creatures, but that's just one solution)

9/

"It just wouldn't feel like commander anymore."

I really want you to challenge yourself here. PWs have now existed for half of Magic's lifespan. They will continue to exist forever. How long is it before the majority of Magic players have never known a world without PWs?

10/

For anyone who started playing in the last TWELVE YEARS, PWs are the cards that represent the biggest characters. Yet, they can't be used in the format that's most about character. I'm more interested in what will feel natural in the next 25 years than the past 25 years.

11/

"I just really hate PWs."

You're free to feel the way you do. Luckily, CMD is a format that already puts a huge weight on social contracts. Different groups feel differently about things like mass land destruction and tutors. This will be one of those things.

12/

The difference is that we allow people to opt in or out of those things. Why don't we allow people to opt in or out of this?

Yes there will absolutely be growing pains, I'm not denying that, but time spent now opens doors that stay open forever.

13/

I've spent a lot of time talking about the arguments against. What about the arguments for? What is there to be gained by doing this?

CMD is about a lot of things, but to me, the heart of the format is about expressing yourself.

14/

For many, that's about building a cool deck. But for MANY others, that's getting to play a casual format with their friends using their favorite character. Like it or not, PWs are our biggest characters. They have been and will continue to be at the forefront of our story.

15/

People have powerful emotional attachments to their commanders, and to me it is a failing of CMD as a format that it won't allow players to play with the character they're MOST likely to be attached to.

16/

This will only become more true as we see new fans coming to the game from places like Netflix. It's truly meaningful to me that some kid out there will fall in love with Chandra and just won't be able to make a Chandra commander deck. That kind of stuff breaks my heart.

17/

Maybe that sounds schmaltzy to you, but those kinds of emotional connections are what truly makes Magic so special. It what makes being a fan of ANYTHING so special. And CMD is the format that captures that the best. I just wish it would take the leap into the modern era.

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