Jeffrey W Kramer
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jeffreywkramer.bsky.social
Jeffrey W Kramer
@jeffreywkramer.bsky.social
1.3K followers 2.3K following 1K posts
Psychotherapist, nerd, Magic the Gathering (especially commander) and TTRPG player (DnD, Call of Cthulhu), LGBTQIA+ ally. He/him.
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Who I am/what I'm into:
- psychotherapist
- nerd
- MtG player (especially commander)
- TTRPG player
- comics fan
- cat lover
- kinky
- poly
- cooking
- LGBTQ+ ally
Is that first one Sydri? If so, I would love to own that alter. Either way, it's beautiful.
I think the two issues overlap. Standard’s size is increasing because they are dumping more sets into it than used to be the case, especially all of the UB ones, and as Kibler pointed out, UB licensing issues create balancing and planning issues.
Commander players by and large are also complaining of too many releases. Blame Wizards/Hasbro. They want everything to appeal to commander players yet also be in standard in hopes that shoving it all together will maximize sales.
I don’t think, for example, mono-red needs access to Manamorphose or to mana dorks like the new Spider Manifestation or to hybrid fight or bite effects like Rhino’s Rampage or Stump Stomp (though presumably the latter would still be restricted, I expect we will see non-MDFC versions in the future.
Count me as a big no re: banning Rhystic Study and changing color identity rules regarding hybrid cards. Let Commander have some format-specific rules. The idea that mono-colored decks need access to hybrid cards is patently absurd.
Also, the whole “you can choose to bow out of games with those commanders” doesn’t apply to them in the 99, as they are less likely to come up in the pregame conversation. Those two are usually gonna be much more potent in the 99 than, say, Winota or Yuriko.

Glad Swat came off the list though.
As I have written elsewhere, I’m not sure taking Urza and Kinnan off the GC list makes a lot of sense so long as Seedborn is still a GC. All three do very similar things in different ways, and both of those can be super-busted in the 99 in decks that would run them in the first place.
The “too big” thing is definitely an issue. Brian Kibler put up a really good video recently about the negative impacts of UB on standard and how the number of sets and how UB impacts design makes it impossible to design/curate a balanced standard.
Mono-colored decks already have plenty of options, it is fine to reserve some cards to decks running all of the relevant colors.
Color identity is one of the few significant limitations to deck construction in commander, as well as one of the few things that makes it distinct from other formats. Regardless of the design intent of hybrid, commander is its own distinct thing, and it is the better for it.
2) I am fine with Deflecting Swat coming off the list. It is strong, but not broken.

re: Rhystic Study - the idea of banning it is patently ridiculous.

re: Hybrid mana in commander: I strongly oppose the idea of changing the color identity rule.
#MTGCommander

My thoughts about the changes to the brackets and commander changes being considered.
1) If Urza and Kinnan aren't considered game changers, I'm not sure it makes sense for Seedborn Muse to be listed as a game changer. They do similar things - lots of mana - in different ways.
Yeah, I really hate this idea with a passion. The color identity rule, and the way it interacts with hybrid in commander, needs to stay as it is.
If Urza and Kinnan aren't considered game changers, I question whether Seedborn Muse really belongs on the list. I am in favor of Deflecting Swat being removed, though.
They are well-known for being terrible on pretty much every possible level.
They are propagandists for and active collaborators with this fascist regime.
Another example of why Jeffries is unfit as House minority leader. More business-as-usual bullshit, more normalizing Trump's pathology, more cowardice and weakness. He should step down. Actual leadership, preferably progressive, is desperately needed. Schumer is equally worthless.
#MCAtlanta

I am going to be at MagicCon Atlanta all weekend and hope to meet and play some commander games with other Bluesky folk.
It's nice to see someone in the MSM calling out Trump's lies for once.
Likewise. I think his heart may be in the right place, but he does not seem to comprehend at all the realities of these times, and he is not at all progressive.
Same. I am donating to individual candidates, but F the DNC.