Too-Specific Top 10 - BANNED

by
DougY
DougY
Too-Specific Top 10 - BANNED
(Gitaxian ProbeGitaxian Probe | Art by Chippy)

A Ban by Any Other Format

Welcome to Too-Specific Top 10, where if there isn’t a category to rank our pet card at the top of, we’ll just make one up! (Did you know that Recurring NightmareRecurring Nightmare is the only banned card that returns itself to your hand before anyone can even do anything about it?)

If you hang around the r/magicTCG subreddit, you might have seen a couple posts attempting to put together a spreadsheet of every ban in Magic's history the other week. Well, after two attempts and hours of work, I think I got it all put together, and am fairly proud of the results. Now that we have all this data, what on Earth are we going to do with it? Well, I don't know about you, but I say we put on our collective Spike hats and find out the most broken cards you can play in Commander!


Top 10 Cards That Have Been Banned, but Not in EDH.

We all know and have opinions about the current banned list of EDH (free Recurring NightmareRecurring Nightmare!), but there are lots of cards that are playable in our favorite format that have been deemed too powerful for others. With that in mind, let's dig into the best of the best of banned cards that you can still play in Commander!

There are some caveats here, as you might have guessed. In this instance, we aren't counting the following as "banned" for the purposes of our list:

Chaos Orb
Jhoira's Familiar
Jeweled Bird
  • The Restricted List from Vintage: Sure, there really isn't a banned list for Vintage outside of stuff like Chaos OrbChaos Orb, but in my opinion, at least, banned is banned, and 'restricted' just isn't gonna cut it.
  • The Historic "Suspended" List: While it is cool to see a budding ban list from a new format, there's a reason that Wizards of the Coast decided not to call it a ban list. To quote them directly, "unlike how we handle banning cards, we plan to use the flexibility that the digital format provides to move cards onto and off of the suspension list more commonly." In other words, there's no stakes in the Historic Suspended List. Cards are going to move on and off of it more frequently, which isn't necessarily the case for other formats, where the ban lists are more carefully slow-going.
  • Ante/Conspiracy Cards: They're all banned in EDH anyway, but I knew that people were going to ask.

Criteria: Cards that have been banned in another official format at some time, but are not currently banned in the EDH format. As is tradition, all results are ordered by how many decks they are included in on EDHREC.

10. Strip MineStrip Mine

Strip Mine

The best among its many pretenders, from WastelandWasteland to Memorial to WarMemorial to War, Strip MineStrip Mine was first banned way back in October of 1996, having proved to be too much for even Vintage to deal with. It remains banned to this day in the eternal format to end all eternal formats, and for good reason. As for how that all applies to Commander, you'll find Strip MineStrip Mine in the deck of pretty much anyone that wants to be able to take out problem lands and has $20 floating around. Being colorless, it can fit in any deck at all, and is good enough that you'll still often even see it in four- and five-color decks despite the possibility that it might create some mana woes.

9. Ancient TombAncient Tomb

Ancient Tomb

Speaking of colorless lands that are good enough to be in any deck that can afford them, up next is Ancient TombAncient Tomb! It's hard to beat a land that immediately gives you two mana, and as such, it's no surprise that this card was banned from play in Extended back in December of 2003. Eventually Extended was abandoned in favor of Modern, and Ancient TombAncient Tomb was off the hook, as Tempest block was no longer legal. As for Commander, you may have noticed this in the hands of one Jimmy Wong more than a couple times, or possibly across the table alongside several other $20 bills which collectively crank the pace of a game up a turn or two.

8. Enlightened TutorEnlightened Tutor

Enlightened Tutor

Back in Mirage, a cycle of one-mana tutors was printed across three of the five colors, each of which searched for a certain type of card and put it on top of your library. The white version, Enlightened TutorEnlightened Tutor, was banned in Legacy in September of 1999, alongside its blue compatriot, Mystical TutorMystical Tutor. Even in those old days of insane spells being around every corner, the consistency generated by searching up any artifact or enchantment at the end of an opponent's turn was too much, and much the same can be said when it comes to Commander. For those that can afford them, the one-mana tutors are auto-includes in each of the colors they represent, and with each one of them that a player includes, the variance in their deck drops just a little bit. The question then becomes: is that a good thing? (#PlayLessTutors)

7. PonderPonder

Ponder

Despite being a sorcery, the digging power of PonderPonder proved too much for both Modern and Extended tables in September of 2011, and it was banned in both formats. Being able to dig three cards deep in your library for an answer, followed by then rolling the dice if you don't like any of the three options, is just an extremely powerful effect for a single mana, no matter what format you're playing. This is of course also true of EDH, as you've most likely seen from the Spellslinger deck across the table that likes to pay one blue mana, look at a few cards, and then... think about them for a while.

6. Sensei's Divining TopSensei's Divining Top

Sensei's Divining Top

Once your opponent is done thinking about those three cards, they may forget what they were, and decide to take a look at them again! If there's anything more powerful than being able to pay one mana to dig down three cards into your deck, it's being able to do it repeatedly. This power and the natural delays that came with it were noticed in September of 2008, when Sensei's Divining TopSensei's Divining Top was banned from Extended. Modern never even gave the Top a chance, adding it to the initial banlist in 2011, followed by Legacy also deciding too many people were going to time in April of 2017. While this problem certainly also exists in Commander, we tend to care a bit less about how much time is on a clock somewhere, and we also feel a bit more free to razz our buddy down the way if they're looking at the same three cards for the fourth time in a turn. As such, and with it again being a colorless card, SDT is a pretty common occurrence here in EDH.

5. Fetch Lands

Polluted Delta
Flooded Strand
Windswept Heath

If you're managing to sneak some cards with hefty color requirements into your decks, there's no better way to make sure that you can meet those requirements than with Fetch Lands! Unless you're really part of the money club and have actual original ABUR dual lands, the most common thing to go get with them is the "technically a basic land type" Shock Lands recently reprinted in Guilds of Ravnica. That particular combination of strong plays in the sets laid out for the brand-new Pioneer format, Wizards of the Coast went ahead and nipped the whole thing in the bud and added the Fetch Lands to the initial banlist for the format. That said, it's still a favorite move of three-, four-, and five-color decks everywhere in the Commander format, especially if they happen to be able to take advantage of having lands in their graveyard.

4. Mystical TutorMystical Tutor

Mystical Tutor

You didn't really think that the white tutor was the highest one on the list, did you? As previously mentioned, Mystical TutorMystical Tutor was banned from Legacy in September of 1999, although we didn't go over the fact that both Mystical TutorMystical Tutor and Enlightened TutorEnlightened Tutor were actually unbanned from Legacy when it became independent from the Vintage Restricted List in September of 2004. The difference between the two? Mystical TutorMystical Tutor was added right back in in June of 2009. It turns out that in blue, the restriction of a card going to the top of your library isn't much of a restriction. This is still true when it comes to Commander, as well, and it's not uncommon to see someone tutor for a crucial CounterspellCounterspell in response to an epic turn of events, only to also draw into it at instant speed and then counter the impending game-winning InsurrectionInsurrection.

3. Demonic TutorDemonic Tutor

Demonic Tutor

When Legacy was created in 1996, it was under a set of rules that bound it strictly to the Restricted List of Vintage, and as a result, Demonic TutorDemonic Tutor has never once been allowed in the format, for 23 years straight. I apologize to all those who I've just made feel old; know that I'm among you. In similar fashion, the Extended format also wanted nothing to do with the best tutor in Magic, adding it to the format's initial banlist in July of 1997. EDH, on the other hand, was made specifically with old cards like this in mind that were unplayable in practically every other format. It should come as little surprise, then, to find Demonic TutorDemonic Tutor at number three on this list. Whether it's being riffle shuffled forcefully at Magic Fests or fetching that much-needed half of your Worldgorger DragonWorldgorger Dragon + Animate DeadAnimate Dead combo, there is no doubt that Demonic TutorDemonic Tutor is and always has been one of the most powerful and iconic cards in Magic. As much as I lean on the #PlayLessTutors train, even I have trouble not smiling and chuckling to myself when someone casts this and an opponent at the table asks what they went and got.

2. SkullclampSkullclamp

Skullclamp

While not as old as the pentagrammed once-upon-a-time face of Magic: The Gathering, there is also no doubting the raw power of SkullclampSkullclamp. The most banned card in Magic, this macabre Equipment has been banned from a total of six formats, from the old stalwarts of Legacy and Extended to the weird and exotic formats of Mirrodin Block and Singleton. While the raw power of the rest of this list hasn't always directly translated to the slower pace of the average EDH table's play, this is not the case when it comes to SkullclampSkullclamp. In any deck with weenies or tokens or both, it effectively reads "Pay one mana, draw two cards" a shocking amount of the time, often also creating death triggers along the way. Even in the case of a deck with larger creatures, however, you'll often see players sticking this in just to ensure that when a combat goes bad or a board wipe goes off, they are compensated. While that may not be the best strategy all the time, it's hard to blame players for wanting to take advantage of one of the most powerful cards ever printed.

1. Sol RingSol Ring

Sol Ring

For the first time in this series, we've allowed our number one slot to be occupied by the picture we use to denote it. I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing, but there's really no arguing that Sol RingSol Ring isn't firmly in the "good" category. I'm sure you've got a player in your group like me who claims that their Rowan KenrithRowan Kenrith and Will KenrithWill Kenrith deck really only cares about colored mana and so they don't play it, but let me speak for all of them and say that they're full of crap. Turn one Sol RingSol Ring was too good for Legacy, too good for Extended, and is often too good for Commander. For every game where the whole table gangs up on the person who plays it down, there's another where the table gets destroyed by the deck that's two turns ahead before they even get going. As of this article, Sol RingSol Ring is in 192,522 of a total of 230,764 decks, totaling out at 83% of all decks tracked by EDHREC. In all likelihood, that number is only even that low because of house rules banning this powerhouse card, hipsters avoiding it for an extra card slot of originality, any 1v1 Commander decklists that EDHREC has picked up, or budget decks that can't afford the $3.50 price tag bringing their total over the benchmark. In short, Sol RingSol Ring is the reason that the name of this series is "Too-Specific Top 10", as otherwise every list would end with the big daddy of mana rocks and the number one most played card in Elder Dragon Highlander.


Honorable Mentions

Given how overboard I went with the preparation for this list, I figured why not also go overboard with the lists themselves. So here, take a gander at this Top 10 List of Banned Cards Top 10 Lists! (Look, if I can't get away with some self-serving navel-gazing during the holidays, then when can I?)


1. Top 10 Cards Historically Banned in Three or More Formats, But Not EDH.

Skullclamp
Treasure Cruise
Land Tax
  1. SkullclampSkullclamp
  2. Sensei's Divining TopSensei's Divining Top
  3. Strip MineStrip Mine
  4. WindfallWindfall
  5. Treasure CruiseTreasure Cruise
  6. Seat of the SynodSeat of the Synod
  7. Land TaxLand Tax
  8. Lotus PetalLotus Petal
  9. Gitaxian ProbeGitaxian Probe
  10. Great FurnaceGreat Furnace

2. Top 10 Cards Currently Not Banned in an Eternal Format, But Still Banned in Another Format (That Isn't EDH).

Polluted Delta
Darksteel Citadel
Birthing Pod
  1. Fetch Lands
  2. PonderPonder
  3. PreordainPreordain
  4. Faithless LootingFaithless Looting
  5. Green Sun's ZenithGreen Sun's Zenith
  6. Darksteel CitadelDarksteel Citadel
  7. Chrome MoxChrome Mox
  8. Seat of the SynodSeat of the Synod
  9. Great FurnaceGreat Furnace
  10. Birthing PodBirthing Pod

3. Top 10 Nonland, Nonartifact Cards Historically Banned in Another Format, But Not EDH.

Demonic Tutor
Fact or Fiction
Vampiric Tutor
  1. Demonic TutorDemonic Tutor
  2. Mystical TutorMystical Tutor
  3. PonderPonder
  4. Enlightened TutorEnlightened Tutor
  5. Fact or FictionFact or Fiction
  6. Vampiric TutorVampiric Tutor
  7. PreordainPreordain
  8. WindfallWindfall
  9. Faithless LootingFaithless Looting
  10. Green Sun's ZenithGreen Sun's Zenith

4. Top 10 Nonland, Nonartifact Cards Currently Banned in Another Format, But Not EDH.

Ponder
Preordain
Treasure Cruise
  1. Demonic TutorDemonic Tutor
  2. Mystical TutorMystical Tutor
  3. PonderPonder
  4. Vampiric TutorVampiric Tutor
  5. PreordainPreordain
  6. WindfallWindfall
  7. Faithless LootingFaithless Looting
  8. Green Sun's ZenithGreen Sun's Zenith
  9. Treasure CruiseTreasure Cruise
  10. Dig Through TimeDig Through Time

5. Top 10 Cards Historically Not Banned in an Eternal Format, But Still Banned in Another Format (That Isn't EDH).

Ancient Tomb
Seat of the Synod
Great Furnace
  1. Fetch Lands
  2. PonderPonder
  3. Ancient TombAncient Tomb
  4. PreordainPreordain
  5. Faithless LootingFaithless Looting
  6. Green Sun's ZenithGreen Sun's Zenith
  7. Darksteel CitadelDarksteel Citadel
  8. Dark RitualDark Ritual
  9. Seat of the SynodSeat of the Synod
  10. Great FurnaceGreat Furnace

6. Top 10 Cards Currently Banned in Multiple Formats, But Not EDH.

Dig Through Time
Frantic Search
Gitaxian Probe
  1. SkullclampSkullclamp
  2. Sensei's Divining TopSensei's Divining Top
  3. WindfallWindfall
  4. Treasure CruiseTreasure Cruise
  5. Dig Through TimeDig Through Time
  6. Frantic SearchFrantic Search
  7. Deathrite ShamanDeathrite Shaman
  8. Seat of the SynodSeat of the Synod
  9. Gitaxian ProbeGitaxian Probe
  10. Great FurnaceGreat Furnace

7. Top 10 Cards Currently Banned in Two or Less Formats, But Not EDH.

Sol Ring
Mana Vault
Mana Crypt
  1. Sol RingSol Ring
  2. Demonic TutorDemonic Tutor
  3. Mystical TutorMystical Tutor
  4. Fetch Lands
  5. PonderPonder
  6. Strip MineStrip Mine
  7. Vampiric TutorVampiric Tutor
  8. Mana CryptMana Crypt
  9. Mana VaultMana Vault
  10. PreordainPreordain

8. Top 10 Cards Historically Banned in Two or Less Formats, But Not EDH.

Mystical Tutor
Enlightened Tutor
Vampiric Tutor
  1. Sol RingSol Ring
  2. Demonic TutorDemonic Tutor
  3. Mystical TutorMystical Tutor
  4. Fetch Lands
  5. PonderPonder
  6. Enlightened TutorEnlightened Tutor
  7. Ancient TombAncient Tomb
  8. Fact or FictionFact or Fiction
  9. Vampiric TutorVampiric Tutor
  10. Mana CryptMana Crypt

9. Top 10 Cards Currently Banned in Another Format, But Not EDH.

Sol Ring
Sensei's Divining Top
Mana Crypt
  1. Sol RingSol Ring
  2. SkullclampSkullclamp
  3. Demonic TutorDemonic Tutor
  4. Mystical TutorMystical Tutor
  5. Fetch Lands
  6. Sensei's Divining TopSensei's Divining Top
  7. PonderPonder
  8. Strip MineStrip Mine
  9. Vampiric TutorVampiric Tutor
  10. Mana CryptMana Crypt

10. Top 10 Cards Currently Banned in Three or More Formats, But Not EDH.

Oko, Thief of Crowns
  1. SkullclampSkullclamp
  2. Treasure CruiseTreasure Cruise
  3. Gitaxian ProbeGitaxian Probe
  4. Oko, Thief of CrownsOko, Thief of Crowns

Well, we had to get Oko on a list somehow. If that means making a Top 10 Lists so specific it only has four cards on it, then we all know what has to be done.


What Do You Think?

For the first time ever here on Too-Specific Top 10, we've made a Top 10 List that is chock full to the brim with staples of the format, the average cost of which is $18.72. Given this unfortunate event in a listicle series devoted to going out of its way to prevent just such an occurrence, it seems as good a time as any to talk about staples and cost.

Take Our Poll

Finally, which cards did I miss? What's a card you pulled out of a binder from your competitive days when you started playing Commander?

Let us know in the comments, and we'll see you at that table in the back where you traded your Recurring NightmareRecurring Nightmare for a dollar after it was banned in March of '99. Smooth move, slick.

DougY

Doug has been an avid Magic player since Fallen Empires, when his older brother traded him some epic blue Homarids for all of his Islands. As for Commander, he's been playing since 2010, when he started off by making a two-player oriented G/R Land Destruction deck. Nailed it. In his spare time when he's not playing Magic, writing about Magic or doing his day job, he runs a YouTube channel or two, keeps up a College Football Computer Poll, and is attempting to gif every scene of the Star Wars prequels.

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