In late January 2025, we sat down to record an episode of this show. The wheel gave us Fastbond and we did a whole episode on it. Then, something went wrong with one of the cameras, and we had to scrap it. Cut to a couple months later and the wheel once more provided us with Fastbond. If you're worried that we just rehashed the same talking points as the first time around, think again. Neither of us remembered any of what we said, so check this video out for some hot, fresh takes on Fastbond and its status on the Commander banlist!

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/oggPrNwNNMA

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It feels like we've talked a lot about board wipes recently, especially with the recent set of cards getting unbanned in Commander. Upheaval is one that has never seen play in Commander, and it seems like there might be good reason for that. We talk about what a card like Upheaval would do to a game of Commander, how it stacks up against similar (legal) board-clearing effects, and whether there's a way to fix it. Heave ho!

Gramps' Aminatou miracle decklist: https://moxfield.com/decks/aF9NIhhJNEWi9B7U4E0WGw

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/-DMI8rSp0j4

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Nearly two weeks ago, the Commander Format Panel released the first update to the Brackets beta, as well as taking 5 cards off of the Commander banlist. Immediately, this means we've got a whole lot of new cards on the Game Changers list. These articles also included clearer guidance on what the goal or intent for Brackets is. We're here this time to quickly walk you through the changes and what we think it means for the near-term state of Commander.

Also, did anyone else notice anything weird about the order these unbanned cards were listed in the article?

Commander Banlist update: https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/commander-bans-and-restrictions-april-22-2025

Commander Brackets update: https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/commander-brackets-beta-update-april-22-2025

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/V9ocZZKf4XE

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It feels like so long ago that Jeweled Lotus got banned, what with all the tumult and disruption that follow its ban and that of Mana Crypt, Nadu, and Dockside Extortionist. It's pretty fitting that this would be the first one to come up for us, seeing as this card was so emblematic of the Commander format as a whole. Could we really unban this card after everything that happened?

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/MVQTF3vkOxo

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We're pleased to resume our regularly scheduled programming with a look at another card on the Commander banlist - and this time we brought the wheel back to choose it! This time, we're talking about Lutri, the Spellchaser. One little otter, a chill little guy, a fiesty wee companion. Lutri just wants to help you copy instants and sorceries. How much trouble could Lutri really cause?

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/3iPg6856kKU

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Gramps is back in the interview host chair, this time chatting with Tomlin. We met Tomlin playing together on a live Commander game for Cozy Magic Fest 2024 and have been big fans of his energy ever since. One of the nicest guys around, he approaches Commander with the kind of social mindset we love. Additionally, he's a BIG anime and Final Fantasy fan, so it's an exciting time for both him and Gramps. Expect to hear a lot about all of the above in this episode!

Find Tomlin on the internet at:
https://www.instagram.com/tomlin_au/
https://bsky.app/profile/tomlinau.bsky.social

You can find an video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/ZlMhRAK_Yf0

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Get your tinfoil hats and Reddit logins ready, it's Conspiracy time! A special case on the Commander banlist, Conspiracy refers not to the card named Conspiracy, but to the entire card type of Conspiracy. This card type also shares its name with the Magic sets that included them, the first of which was Magic's first ever set designed for drafting into multiplayer games. Just to make this one extra special, we also got our hands on a sealed box of Conspiracy and did a draft for research purposes. This one was a lot of fun to finally put together and we hope you enjoy it too.

A big thank you to Sam of Rhystic Studies for sharing his thoughts with us on Conspiracy for this video!

A list of all Conspiracy cards: https://scryfall.com/search?q=t:conspiracy

chillybin's Conspiracy draft deck list:
https://moxfield.com/decks/YmP6icb6OkO9NQ0eDj4G2w

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/Oi2xDeuZ-4c

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We liked interviewing people so much, we're doing more of it! Now in a dedicated format, we bring you Casual Chats: interviews with interesting folks with some relation to Magic: the Gathering.

In our first instalment, Gramps talks to RubeePlays of Cozy Magic Club fame. They discuss her journey of discovering Magic, rediscovering it after moving to a new city, and building the kind of community and content she wants to see in the world.

Check Rubee and Cozy Magic Club out at these links:
https://linktr.ee/RubeePlays
https://linktr.ee/cozymagicclub

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/iQbuZvn4Who

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Oh boy, an emergency Casual Compliance release! Earlier today, we were treated to a major update from Gavin Verhey, on behalf of the Commander Format Panel. This update contained the release of the beta version of the Commander Brackets matchmaking system - a tool intended to improve your "rule 0" pre-game conversations.

We've got some first impressions and early opinions on Brackets. Find out if we agree with you in this episode!

Read the Brackets announcement for yourself here: https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/introducing-commander-brackets-beta

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/aaXZBv2avfA

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(Editor note: due to a scheduling snafu at our new recording space, there was someone recording guitar in the next room while we recorded this one. We didn't realise until afterwards that the mics picked it up and we've guaranteed that this shouldn't happen again in future. Big oops!)

Boy oh boy, do we have an exciting new episode for you! Not only is this the first episode we shot in our new recording space, but we brought on a dear friend of ours to give us an extra pair of eyes on this episode's banned card. RubeePlays has been a big supporter of ours since the beginning and we are so pleased we could finally have her on our show, and it just so happened to coincide with us talking about a card Gramps loves: Paradox Engine.

Are you a cool enough guy to play Paradox Engine? Have you had a milky Commander experience recently? Find out more in this episode!

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/m-oc4oISgU4

Be sure to check out RubeePlays and Cozy Magic Club on your favourite platforms:
https://linktr.ee/RubeePlays
https://linktr.ee/cozymagicclub

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You might be familiar with the Imprint mechanic from our repeated mentions of Isochron Scepter. Our card from the banlist this episode is another Imprint classic in Panoptic Mirror. What could possibly go wrong if you could pay for each instants and sorcery once and play one of them for free on every future turn?

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/veSHVmBp-Uc

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There are many ways to win a game of Magic - at least 20 - but one of them has been on the Commander ban list for a long time. We take a look at that very card in this episode with Coalition Victory. An 8-mana sorcery that lets you win the game sounds like a reasonable thing to have, right?

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/LuQ-DBS-bLE

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In the last instalment of Casual Compliance Nights, we discussed Wizards of the Coast taking over management of the Commander format, and teased that we'd be back for Part II of that discussion with someone who's actually on the new Commander Format Panel. This video is just that, as we welcome Tom from AttackOnCardboard to the show. He's here to talk us through his relationship to the format, how the Commander Format Panel came to be, and what's been happening in the 2 months since it was formed.

A link to Part I of this discussion: https://casualcompliance.transistor.fm/episodes/september-24-banlist-update-and-wotc-taking-over-commander

Follow the great work AttackOnCardboard does: https://www.youtube.com/@AttackOnCardboard

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/Dr4C1Gd2WUk

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Like Emrakul in our previous episode, Braids is a character that has cards in Magic: the Gathering both in and out of the Commander banlist. The banned one - Braids, Cabal Minion - is the subject of this episode of Casual Compliance, and she's a bit of a bad lady. It might not sound like a lot at first blush, but is she really too powerful for Commander?

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/JUdsDWVYsGo

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It finally happened! In our 13th episode discussing cards on the Commander banlist, we hit Emrakul, the Aeons Torn. Gramps has this as his favourite card in all of Magic, and yet it has been banned in Commander for years. She's got a whole lotta words, and brings a whole lotta hurt, but do we think that's enough to keep her banned? Stay awhile and find out, friends.

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/OfErIOT33wI

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Cozy Magic Club Commander Show episode featuring both of us (mentioned in this episode): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJgb8CVVHd8

This one has been a month in the making - it's finally time for us to talk about the September 2024 Commander banlist update and the waves of fallout that followed. We've got a lot of ground to cover between the banned cards themselves, the fallout that immediately followed their bans, and the further fallout and eventual result of a complete change in management of the format. What a month!

Stay tuned towards the end of this episode for a preview of Part II of this discussion, coming soon to a Casual Compliance near you.

You can find the video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/pIwfK7GpA0k

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He's big. He's bad. He's Griselbrand. You've probably heard the name at some point if you've been playing Magic for even a little bit, but did you know he copped an almost immediate ban in Commander after his initial release? We've got the scoop on why Griselbrand got banned, as well as our usual dives into reasons for and against keeping him banned.

Cozy Magic Club Commander Show episode featuring both of us (mentioned in this episode): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJgb8CVVHd8

Disclaimer: we recorded this episode prior to the September 2024 Commander banlist update. We're planning to put an episode together soon to talk about all of that, but between our busy schedules right now and wanting to wait for more to be known about how that all plays out, we're not ready yet. Stay tuned for more on this.

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/P6Hif6Sgsm4

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If you ask Gramps, a little bit of land destruction never hurt anybody. There are some powerful lands out there and sometimes you just want them gone. But what if there was a card that made it extremely difficult to keep basic lands on the battlefield? Enter: Sundering Titan. This big boy hates basic land types and is the latest card that Gramps will try to save from remaining banned in Commander.

Disclaimer: we recorded this episode prior to the September 2024 Commander banlist update. We're planning to put an episode together soon to talk about all of that, but between our busy schedules right now and wanting to wait for more to be known about how that all plays out, we're not ready yet. Stay tuned for more on this.

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/hOsHct_hJ5I

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Local Elevator by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1300012

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

This episode of Casual Compliance is a special one, as you're getting two cards for the price of one! Well, two cards with identical ban reasons, so we just decided on-the-fly to do them as a single episode. Just in time too, because this week saw 4 more cards get added to the Commander banlist in the September 2024 update (we'll talk about it eventually, chillybin is finally in the process of moving house right now).

Check out Cozy Magic Club and all the wonderful things they do to make Magic more accessible: https://www.youtube.com/@CozyMagicClub

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/1-tLLX0Ev5Q

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Everyone loves a tutor in Magic the Gathering. You've got a card in mind, you play a little spell, you go get that card and put it in your hand or on top of your library. What's that? There's a spell that let's you just put it straight into play? Surely, there's no way something like THAT can be abused, right? Uh oh, it's Tinker time.

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/RvnixiOd0u8

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