Happy, happy, happy, HAPPY New Year, my friends.

We've made it. We're here. 2020 is over.

Let that sink in a bit.

*lets it sink in*

Ahhhhhhh that's the stuff.

Last week, I reflected on 2020, and with this article hitting on January 1, it seemed only appropriate to use this time to look ahead.

What will 2021 bring for Commander, and for Magic writ large? I have no ACTUAL idea, other than Kaldheim will be out soon and, like, 724 Secret Lair drops will happen. So, let's discuss what I think might happen and what I hope will happen.

A Change is Gonna Come

I'm neither a doctor nor a scientist nor a statistician. I have no way of knowing when the pandemic will ease up enough to allow the return of in-person Magic events.

But I have a feeling we'll be able to gather within the next 364 days.

However - there's always a "however", isn't there - I think we all need to prepare for the likelihood that The Gathering won't be quite the same. I don't anticipate MagicFests and CommandFests in multiple locations every weekend. Hell, I don't know if they'll come back at all in 2021.

I do think, though, that as more and more of us are vaccinated, in-store events at our local game stores will begin to resurface. Actual prereleases will happen again, along with Friday Night Magic and league nights and all the things we took for granted in the past.

When they do, as long as it's safe, I implore players of all formats to patronize their local LGS in a big way. Some stores won't have made it through the pandemic, and the ones that will are going to need all the help they can get. So, get back out there, spend what money you can afford to spend, and enjoy The Gathering again... safely. Always safely.

Process Stories

One thing I don't expect to change in 2021 is Wizards of the Coast's track record of gaffes and blunders. This company will absolutely continue to pander, exploit, and prey on its players in order to goose its bottom line. It will keep printing broken cards that force bans, it will keep vomiting product on us at a relentless pace, and the damned foils will still curl.

As we are apt to do, when these things happen we will complain, and THE DISCOURSE will focus on these ultimately minor yet also completely predictable bonehead moves. And honestly? Wizards won't mind a bit, because that'll keep us distracted from the bigger issues.

In 2021, I sincerely hope Wizards makes significant, public efforts to address the ongoing issues plaguing Magic and Wizards itself. I sincerely hope this company stands up and makes it clear, in no uncertain terms, that it is banishing systemic bigotry within its offices and in this community. I hope we see more art - a lot more - by BIPOC artists. I hope we see talented individuals from marginalized communities elevated to positions of influence in the company, and unequivocal support for players and creators whose voices are challenged and silenced by those who fear what they don't understand.

Wizards had a pretty poor 2020. I hope it does better in 2021. A lot better.

Let Commander Be Commander

Speaking of, I have a request for Wizards:

Please, I am begging you yet again, leave Commander alone.

Commander Legends didn't implode the format, and for that I'm grateful, but Wizards had more fingerprints on our format in 2020 than a toddler on a freshly cleaned window. Some of it was fine, even good - but some was worrisome at best, disastrous at worst.

I've made my feelings quite clear on my preferred level of Wizards involvement in Commander - namely, zero involvement - but we don't get everything we want and I'm not here to re-litigate these issues all over again. I do want to take this opportunity, should anyone in Renton happen to read this, to look at Commander in its totality. Even in the "Year of Commander", much of the lasting change in our format came from us - the shift to online webcam play, the explosions in grassroots Commander content creation and the continuing evolution of what this format is and how we make it our own.

That's the key - how WE make it our own.

Wizards will keep printing cards and products designed especially for Commander; I doubt that'll ever change. I do hope, though, that the company will begin to understand that Commander became cool and popular because we did it ourselves, not in spite of that fact. I'd also posit that Commander is just fine - it's more popular than it's ever been and still growing. Our house is not on fire. Wizards needs to tend to its own house. Don't spend thousands of human hours trying to figure out how to get Commander players to spend money - we're going to spend the money anyway.

Spend the time putting out the fires in Standard, and in Pioneer and Modern and Historic and on Arena and in what passes for organized play these days. Because as I've said many times before, Commander will live on for a long time when - not if - Magic ceases to exist as we know it. Don't worry about us. You've got us. Worry about the players who don't play our format, the ones who've become conditioned to hesitate spending money on product out of fear that it'll be banned, and who've spent months or years of their lives trying to reach the apex of competitive Magic only to find it doesn't look at all like they hoped it would.

Tend to your own house, Wizard. Just let Commander be Commander. We'll be fine, I promise.

Game On

My final and perhaps most personal hope for 2021 has nothing to do with the company that makes Magic, and everything to do with those of us who play.

Commander isn't just a big tent, it's a huge one. We have all manner of players, play styles, deck-building philosophies and desired outcomes. Put 100 random Commander players in a room and you'll have 100 unique profiles. I love that about this format, perhaps more than anything else.

Problem with all that individuality and uniqueness is that it can pit us against one another. At every level, we - passionate, flawed human beings all - are prone to drawing lines in the sand. We like this, we don't like that, and nothing will change our minds.

That's gotta change, y'all. And that's on us.

We, as players, need to do a better job of being tolerant of each other's perspectives, likes, dislikes and opinions when they differ from our own. We're really good at saying things like, "That's not how I play" and "I always do this and never do that". We gotta cut that out.

I've written thousands upon thousands of words here and elsewhere about my belief that Commander's vast diversity is its greatest strength, but it isn't enough for that to just be the way it is. It's up to each of us to make that mean something.

What does all this mean? It means I have a 2021 challenge for you: Explore the roads not taken.

It's all too easy to take refuge in the familiar, to find a groove and just snuggle up there forever. There's a lot to be said for that. But in the end, it limits our ability to understand and appreciate everything this format and its players can be. We can all stand to get outside our bubbles a little bit more.

We can read articles, watch videos and streams and listen to podcasts outside of our regular "rotation" of content creators. There are many voices in the Commander community just waiting to be heard - hear them.

We can play with people outside our established playgroups, one of the best ways to expand our appreciation for the myriad types of players, decks and philosophies Commander has to offer. If you're only ever playing with the same small group of people, you're missing out. Big time.

And when we do that, we can try things we've never tried before. Build around that card or mechanic that always scared or confused you. Choose the kind of commander you'd normally avoid. Build a deck that's way more or less powerful than you're used to playing.

The depth and breadth of Commander is astounding. This format is a universe of infinite possibilities - so go explore it. Why limit ourselves to a tiny fraction of what Commander has to offer?

I've gotten a head start. I built this deck the other day because, quite frankly, the idea of building it scared the hell out of me. This is not how I normally play Commander. I'm much more comfortable building janky decks that might work but usually don't. I'm an avowed social Commander player.

But upon reflection, I realized that on more than a few occasions other players wanted to amp up the power and I was the reason they had to hold back - or, worse, they didn't hold back and I and my jank had a miserable time. I realized I owed it to them and to myself to be able to play on their level, even if it's not where I'm comfortable.

For me, that meant this nascent monstrosity you see below - so far, it's built entirely from cards I had on hand, but I absolutely intend to optimize it more. For you it may mean something entirely different - powering down, perhaps, or taking out a card or cards that have cause bad feelings in your opponents. Maybe you're fortunate enough that money is no object and you can buy any card you need for any deck at any time; give yourself a $75 budget for a deck and don't spend a penny more. Build around colors you don't normally dig, or build without the color you usually go out of your way to include.

Whatever form it takes, I challenge you to do something new and different in 2021. There's a great big Commander universe just waiting to be discovered. Let's see what's out there together.

Lavinia, Azorius Renegade | Commander | Dave Kosin

• Commander (1)
• 1 Lavinia, Azorius Renegade

• Creatures (22)
• 1 Angel of Sanctions
• 1 Archon of Coronation
• 1 Aven Mindcensor
• 1 Azorius Guildmage
• 1 Callaphe, Beloved of the Sea
• 1 Cloudblazer
• 1 Deputy of Acquittals
• 1 Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker
• 1 Isperia, Supreme Judge
• 1 Keeper of the Accord
• 1 Mother of Runes
• 1 Niambi, Esteemed Speaker
• 1 Palace Jailer
• 1 Portal Mage
• 1 Spellskite
• 1 Sun Titan
• 1 Suture Priest
• 1 Talrand, Sky Summoner
• 1 Thalia, Heretic Cathar
• 1 Tithe Taker
• 1 Voracious Greatshark
• 1 Willbender

• Instants (22)
• 1 Absorb
• 1 Aetherize
• 1 Akroma's Will
• 1 Archmage's Charm
• 1 Brainstorm
• 1 Counterspell
• 1 Cryptic Command
• 1 Cyclonic Rift
• 1 Dramatic Reversal
• 1 Emergency Powers
• 1 Fact or Fiction
• 1 Mana Drain
• 1 Mana Tithe
• 1 Momentary Blink
• 1 Mystic Confluence
• 1 Opt
• 1 Path to Exile
• 1 Return to Dust
• 1 Rewind
• 1 Spell Swindle
• 1 Sphinx's Revelation
• 1 Swords to Plowshares

• Sorceries (7)
• 1 Austere Command
• 1 Cataclysm
• 1 Citywide Bust
• 1 Council's Judgment
• 1 Discontinuity
• 1 Preordain
• 1 Supreme Verdict

• Enchantments (4)
• 1 Banishing Light
• 1 Conclave Tribunal
• 1 Confounding Conundrum
• 1 Oblivion Ring

• Artifacts (12)
• 1 Arcane Signet
• 1 Azorius Locket
• 1 Azorius Signet
• 1 Commander's Plate
• 1 Isochron Scepter
• 1 Lightning Greaves
• 1 Scroll Rack
• 1 Smuggler's Copter
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Staff of Domination
• 1 Swiftfoot Boots
• 1 Wanderer's Twig

• Lands (29)
• 4 Plains
• 5 Island
• 1 Azorius Chancery
• 1 Blast Zone
• 1 Castle Vantress
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Emergence Zone
• 1 Hallowed Fountain
• 1 Irrigated Farmland
• 1 Maze of Ith
• 1 Mystic Gate
• 1 Nephalia Academy
• 1 Prairie Stream
• 1 Reliquary Tower
• 1 Rogue's Passage
• 1 Sea of Clouds
• 1 Skycloud Expanse
• 1 Skyline Cascade
• 1 Temple of Enlightenment
• 1 Thespian's Stage
• 1 Windbrisk Heights
• 1 Hall of Heliod's Generosity

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Dave is a Commander player currently residing in Reno, NV. When he's not badly misplaying his decks, he works as a personal trainer. You can bother him on Twitter and check out his Twitch channel.