Farewell, Commander

Inspiring Commander card art

I hadn't intended to do another farewell post this month, but a tragic event made me pivot: Shedon Menery passed away. He was well-known in Magic circles, but even if you don't know the name, you'll recognize his contribution to the Magic community: he came up with the Commander format, which some consider the most popular format in the game. RIP, Shedon.

As I briefly mention on my formats page, Commander's singleton rule (decks can contain only 1 copy of any unique card, except for basic lands) transformed the game. It didn't diminish the original Magic format/experience—it gave the game a fun new area to explore, using the entire Magic card base (vs. the rotating sets of Standard) and keeping things casual. One of the things I love about this game is just how flexible it is; Menery's creation was seminal in proving that.

I also enjoy how Commander came to be. Its original name was "Elder Dragon Highlander," or EDH, and it began as a grassroots effort in local game stores. This was not a Wizards employee pitching an idea to the company; it was players exploring the game's possibilities and developing something that became so popular the company recognized it and made it official (in 2011). In the ensuing years, Wizards has released preconstructed Commander decks, sets geared towards Commander drafts, and other products centered around this format. Impressive.

A final note: even the Commander format has spawned an 'internal' variant. The original Commander format is designed to be casual: players can strive to build synergistic decks, but there is a greater focus on social interaction and enjoying the odd or unexpected situations that come with playing singleton across a huge card pool. It is a chance to play those 'janky' cards that wouldn't see play in competitive environments. Competitive EDH (cEDH) is a spinoff. It has all the same rules, but the goal is to win as quickly as possible. To make a powerhouse deck that can win in just a few turns. TCGPlayer and TheGamer have good introductions to that concept; the former points out that it "is regular Commander with a different social contract," while the latter states that "the decks are built to be as powerful as they can be." I'll look more at those concepts—social contracts and power levels—another time. For today, we mourn Mr. Menery's passing but celebrate his contributions.