Recently WOTC announced a new system for determining the power level of a commander deck, and with this new system comes some great opportunities for both rule zero discussions and a lot of fun! So, what is the new system and why should you use it? The power scale consists of five main brackets: Exhibition, Core, Upgraded, Optimized, and CEDH. In addition to these brackets, a game changers list has also been announced, a list of cards that either are very powerful or fundamentally change how a game of Commander is played. Now, let’s break down the five brackets even further.
Remember, however you and your playgroup decide to play, the most important thing is to ensure that everyone at the table is having fun!
Bracket 1: Exhibition
This is the bracket for all of the kitchen sink players who want to have fun with their super low-powered decks and care much more about the gathering aspect of the game than any powerful combos or winning the game. Notable things that make your deck a 1 are the exclusion of infinite combos, game changers, extra turns, tutors (except for a Kodama’s reach or the like), or mass land destruction. While not explicitly stated by WOTC, I am personally under the impression that decks of Power Level 1 often consist of mostly bulk, or do something funny, like arts of people with funny hats or people sitting down. Most of these games end in turns 7+.
Bracket 2: Core
As stated by WOTC, most decks that fall into power level two are either official preconstructed decks, or something of similar value/gameplay. These decks, much like 1s, consist of no mass land denial, infinite loops, or game changers. However, unlike two, a few tutors (often getting a wider variety of cards, such as Nature’s Lore or Diabolic Tutor) and extra turns may be taken provided it’s not too many. The exact number is mostly up to your playgroup, but remember to always ask other players when you sit down for a game at your local LGS what they consider too much. Most of these games end in turns 7+.
Bracket 3: Upgraded
Now this is where we begin to spice up some decks, notable differences from the previous section include no limitations on tutors, some infinite combos (think Sanguine Bond & Exquisite Blood), and up to three game changers. In this tier, you might see a Smothering Tithe or a Rhystic study as a normal card and should expect some higher-level gameplay including some reactive plays and removal. Most of these sorts of decks have used a preconstructed deck as a starting base, and are now getting into the territory of purchasing singles, or pulling them from packs, to enhance how the deck plays. Most of these games end in turns 6-7.
Bracket 4: Optimized
So you have made it to bracket 4, congratulations! In this bracket, you don’t need to follow any of the deckbuilding restrictions of the previous 3 tiers and can put pretty much whatever you want into your deck, excluding the ban list. You can expect to see very powerful cards such as free spells and interaction, and better infinite combos. In this tier, the rule zero discussion is especially important because you don’t want to sit down at a table expecting all fours and accidentally crush the hopes and dreams of a newer player. Many players at this level still just play the game for fun, and enjoy the gathering aspect with friends, but want to play with high-powered cards. Most of these games end between turns 4-6.
Bracket 5: CEDH
You have made it to the big leagues kiddo, CEDH is an entirely new beast to conquer and enjoy playing. The most notable difference from bracket 4 is that when sitting down at a CEDH table, expect nobody to hold back and to be making the best plays for any given moment. Often these games can end before turn 4, and those four turns may take just as long as a 10-turn normal game. Large amounts of interaction and stack knowledge are used in this tier. It is not uncommon for these decks to be running many of the powerful mana rocks such as the Moxen and have very large amounts of tutors to find pieces and assemble a win.
Game Changers
Now that you understand the brackets, you can have an even better time playing Commander with your friends at home or at your Local Game Store, so get out there and enjoy some games! With that said, I highly encourage you to check out our Sunday Commander events at 11 am & 2 pm to test the new system out!
