The more things change, the more they stay the same.

That's an old adage, but it often rings true. This week we got news that Wizards of the Coast is introducing a new bracket system to try to help players to have more balanced and fun games. They understand Commander is a casual format, and that the goal is paradoxically both to win and to have games where everyone feels like they are basically playing at the same level.

It might be oddly entertaining to watch the USA Dream Team take on a group of grade school basketball players, but in this format the goal is primarily to have fun and mismatched power levels simply aren't that fun. You could play your Turbo Ad Nauseam cEDH list against precons all day long, and you might win one or two of those games before anyone else even cast a spell, but the bottom line is that Commander isn't really about winning.

This format isn't about the destination, it's about the journey we have and the twists and turns we experience along the way to someone eventually winning the game.

Brackets and Game Changers

Before I dive into my thoughts on this new system, it's worth a quick rundown on what's been presented by Gavin Verhey and Wizards of the Coast.

We now have five brackets, which can be thought of as power levels for our EDH decks. I'll provide my own interpretation of each level, but you can and should check out the official post here.

1: Exhibition

This first level is the place where you find jank decks that are more focused on goofy ideas and odd experiments than on winning, synergy, and value. Ladies Facing Left or Men in Chairs might be able to be built as strong EDH decks, but the concept for a level 1 deck is about building lower powered decks that are not really about strong plays and winning games.

2: Core

This second level (low power) is where a precon deck might be found. You're not focusing on optimized wincons and you're probably not running the best cards, but you are trying to build a functional commander deck that has answers, threats, some synergy and an idea of how it is going to try to win.

3: Upgraded

This middle level equates to mid-power, though you will find precon decks that belong in this bracket. Here you are playing more optimized cards, some tutors, and even the occasional combo. You can go infinite, but that probably shouldn't be happening early or often.

4: Optimized

High powered EDH decks belong in this fourth bracket. You're definitely optimizing your list and you may even be able to compete against cEDH decks, but you aren't building specifically to engage with the current cEDH metagame. This murky territory will find both very strong casual decks and off-meta fringe cEDH decks. You may not be optimizing everything about your deck, but if things go well your deck might feel like a cEDH list.

5: cEDH

This top level is for the most competitive decks in the format. Not only are you playing with no restrictions other than the banlist, you're building with the current cEDH meta in mind and you are probably going to be paying attention to or even competing in cEDH tournaments.

Wizards of the Coast has introduced the concept of "game changers" which is effectively a watchlist for cards that are so powerful they might eventually be considered ban-worthy. The bracket system restricts the use of these cards. You aren't supposed to play any game changers in brackets 1 and 2. You can run up to 3 game changers in bracket 3, and you can run as many as you like in brackets 4 and 5.

The actual list of game changers is going to change over time, and will likely be updated more often than the format's official banlist.

Now that I've gone over the basics of our new power level system, let's get down to business. The world loves top 10 lists, so let's do it in the form of a list!

10 Things to Remember about the Bracket System

In no particular order, here are a few things to keep in mind as we enter into this new world in Commander.

1. Nothing Has Really Changed

You can still play EDH with your friends with whatever sensible or ridiculous house rules and agreements you have been playing by. None of this has to have any impact on your games, whether you play at home, at an LGS, or even at a convention. The bracket system is probably going to be used for official events, but most players haven't ever played EDH in any official setting and are likely to keep playing at the kitchen table for years to come. Wizards of the Coast won't be calling the Pinkertons on you... at least not for how you choose to play Commander.

2. It's a Tool for Balancing Power Levels

We have always tried to create balanced games because balanced games are more fun. This isn't anything new, and is simply a tool for us to use to try to have better conversations about the games we are playing. It's a step, and it's a step in the right direction. Before this we really had nothing but the suggestion of a pre-game conversation about power levels.

3. Fragile - Handle With Care

There is no system that can't be broken. You can absolutely build a powerhouse of a deck that will win a huge percentage of its games at any of the lower power levels, but that's not the point. The goal in the lower brackets isn't to build the strongest deck possible. It's to have fun. If your group is all in on picking a bracket and then applying a cEDH mindset to building decks at that power level, that's great. If you're building a powerhouse deck to pubstomp casual decks at lower power levels just because you think that's fun, that's not great and you're missing the point.

4. It's a Work in Progress

I've already looked through the current list of "game changer" cards and have raised my eyebrow at a few of their choices, but this isn't a final list and it isn't written in stone. It will change as new cards get introduced, and it will change as Wizards of the Coast gets feedback on how things are going.

5. The Devil's in the Details

I didn't really see why they'd put Trouble in Pairs on the list. I might own a copy, but it just never seemed that strong. I also didn't see why Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite would be left off the list of game changers, as it effectively wipes the board and keeps you from playing the game if you happen to be on a deck that is focused on small creatures. We all have our own perspective on what is and isn't powerful or oppressive, and we'll get to watch as this new system evolves over time. It probably won't exactly match your idea of what it should be, but that's OK. They say the Devil is in the details. You'll never get a consensus on every card in the game changers list or even in the format's banlist.

6. Focus on MLD / Resource Denial

I've been mostly positive so far, but it's worth mentioning that I think there is a misplaced focus on mass land denial. I really don't enjoy when my lands get blown up or locked down, but I also don't see that happening that often. By placing a restriction on "no mass land denial" at bracket 3, but not including Blood Moon, Magus of the Moon, or Harbinger of the Seas in their game changers list, Wizards may have over complicated things. Greedy mana bases should run the risk of getting punished, even in mid-power bracket 3 games.

7. Chaining Extra Turns

Extra turn spells can be backbreaking, but they can also just result in an extra land drop and not much else. If taking too many extra turns is too oppressive for lower power levels, why isn't there a restriction on too many boardwipes or too much removal? Players want to be able to play their decks, and extra turns can absolutely be a problem, but this is a point that they may need to refine a bit as this system evolves. Are they trying to avoid extra turn combos? Are they trying to avoid everyone sitting watching someone play solitaire? Should they be restricting storm decks in the same way? I'll be interested in seeing where this goes because it feels like some of these bracket definitions need more work.

8. When Exactly Is Late Game?

If there is a suggestion that you shouldn't be doing certain things until the late game, that begs the question of when exactly is the "late game". If Wizards tells you late game is turn seven, but in your playgroup that really just feels like the mid game for most of your decks, who is right? I'd suggest that Wizards is in an impossible situation and is trying their best to cast a wide net to cover the majority of Commander games. I personally think turns 1-4 are early game, 5-9 are mid game and 10+ is late game, but that will absolutely vary depending on the deck I'm playing and the people I'm playing with. Don't worry about what I or Wizards of the Coast is telling you. Focus on what makes sense for you and your playgroup. That's what matters.

9. False Promises

The concept behind any power level system or bracket system is to make sure that you're going to able to have fun, balanced games of Commander. I'm here to tell you that is a false promise. There will always be games that are so wildly unbalanced that you feel you might be pubstompling, or you're being pubstomped. The amount of variance in playing a 100 card singleton deck - especially at lower power levels, is just enormous. For many of us, that's part of the fun of Commander. You never know what you're going to get! Don't be fooled - it's nice that we're going to have this bracket system to try to get a handle on having balanced matchups but there will never be a promise of a fun or balanced game. Just do the best you can and try to make both your fun and the fun of your tablemates a priority.

10. Know your Decks

While I think you shouldn't necessarily let this system interfere with how your group enjoys playing Commander, I do think it's worth understanding where your decks fall within it. You will eventually encounter players who are very focused on playing at a certain bracket, and it's not that hard to figure out where your decks belong in this new system. If you plan on playing with strangers, at an LGS, or at a convention, being able to play in the right bracket is about as polite as not playing banned cards. Brackets aren't silos. You can play any bracket deck against any other bracket deck. It's just nice to be able to honestly say to a tablemate where your deck falls in this new system.

Final Thoughts

I don't know how much more I can add after squeezing out 10 takeaways, but it's worth noting that this system will probably cause some harm along with a lot of good. Where you might have heard "hey - I thought we were playing low power!" now you might hear "hey - I thought we were playing bracket two decks!" The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I try to focus on more than just a single game. If you got crushed a few times but you eked out a win, on the whole that's a good day. I've had plenty of times where I got shut out over four or five games, I've also had those rare times where I went undefeated for a whole day. An afternoon or evening of nothing but winning is very, very rare, but I also play a lot of Commander and have for many years. I think statistically it should probably happen a few times a year.

You might follow the new bracket system from afar, watching it evolve but not having it impact your playgroup at all. You might also strap in for the ride, let it impact your games and affect how you build your decks. Whichever path you choose, make sure you keep having fun. Commander is an amazing format and there's no reason you can't keep enjoying it for years to come, no matter what Wizards of the Coast decides about how they want to structure EDH power levels.

Thanks for reading!