<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Balance|V09|1" href="#" target="_blank">Balance</a> | Art by <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=a%3A%E2%80%9CRandy+Gallegos%E2%80%9D&amp;unique=art" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Randy Gallegos</a>
An important factor in every Magic format is <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Balance" href="#" target="_blank">Balance</a>. The larger the format, the harder it is to find a good balance. The <a href="https://edhrec.com/banned" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banned list</a> often serves as the primary way formats are balanced. Putting cards on and taking cards off both have their own levels of effectiveness to "fix" a format. With the <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/commander-ban-list-update-feb-9-2026?utm_source=edhrec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest ban list update for Commander</a>, we saw <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Biorhythm" href="#" target="_blank">Biorhythm</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lutri, the Spellchaser" href="#" target="_blank">Lutri, the Spellchaser</a>, get taken off the list.
The next logical question is: was that enough? Currently, there are 83 cards banned in Commander. Discounting cards that use the old Ante rules and cards with the Conspiracy type, the list gets cut down to <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=banned%3Acommander+-t%3Aconspiracy+-o%3Aante&amp;unique=cards&amp;as=grid&amp;order=color" target="_blank" rel="noopener">48</a>. I took a close look at the list and asked myself "What else should be unbanned in Commander?"
<h2>If Money Were No Object</h2>
A number of the cards on the banned list are there, in no small part, because they are currently expensive. Cards such as <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Black Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Black Lotus</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Time Walk" href="#" target="_blank">Time Walk</a> would be out of most players' price range if legal. Others are on there due to having a dexterity aspect to them: <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Falling Star" href="#" target="_blank">Falling Star</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chaos Orb" href="#" target="_blank">Chaos Orb</a>. One big issue with the cards on this list is that they're also on the <a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Reserved_List" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reserved List</a> and not eligible for a reprint.
All of these factors aside, what if money were of no concern? For a moment, pretend that all cards cost a single dollar. In the world I have created, I believe that <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shahrazad" href="#" target="_blank">Shahrazad</a> could be set free.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Shahrazad"></div></div>
While this card is extremely powerful, the main downside is that it would significantly lengthen the game. Playing a sub game in 60-card formats isn't the quickest, but in Commander, you could be looking at additional hours added to a game where the result is one or more players losing half their life. If the goal is to cut life totals in half, there exists a <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?as=grid&amp;order=name&amp;q=%28oracle%3Alose+oracle%3Ahalf+oracle%3Atheir+oracle%3Alife%29+%28game%3Apaper%29+prefer%3Abest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sufficient number</a> of cards to do this at a much quicker clip.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Havoc Festival"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Quietus Spike"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Blood Tribute"></div></div>
In the defense of Shahrazad, the card is objectively hilarious, and if you've ever seen one in action, format permitting, then you know just how crazy it can make a game. Sadly this card is prohibitively expensive, but I can dream of a day when I'm trapped in a sub game after sub game by someone getting this card back and casting it over and over.
<h2>Good On Turn One</h2>
Again, imagine a world where the card price is removed from the equation. The other card that's restrictively expensive to the average player, but probably fine for the Commander format, is <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Library of Alexandria" href="#" target="_blank">Library of Alexandria</a>.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Library of Alexandria"></div></div>
Unlike Shahrazad, the Library is a legit powerhouse of a card: It comes in untapped, can give you mana when you need it, and most importantly, can draw a card. Well, it can sometimes draw a card. By that, I mean it can draw a card if a very specific condition is met: having exactly seven cards in hand.
When it comes to <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Library of Alexandria" href="#" target="_blank">Library of Alexandria</a>, the Commander format only gives an extra card draw on the first turn of the game. So, unless you can always get the Library in your opening hand every game, you won't be activating this card as much as you think. When you have it, your game will be smooth as butter, and when you draw it on the tenth turn of the game, you can at least take solace in the fact that it comes into play untapped.
<h2>The Hot Take</h2>
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Karakas" href="#" target="_blank">Karakas</a>. Yes, I'm serious. I think this card is ok to unban.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Karakas"></div></div>
You don't have to believe me right away, but before you pass judgment, think for a moment. Take out the bad beats of Vintage Cube where your opponent is bouncing your <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Lurrus of the Dream-Den" href="#" target="_blank">Lurrus of the Dream-Den</a> every turn. Don't think about them reusing a <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phlage, Titan of Fire&#039;s Fury" href="#" target="_blank">Phlage, Titan of Fire&#039;s Fury</a> every turn with the sacrifice trigger on the stack. Instead, think about you resetting your <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Atraxa, Grand Unifier" href="#" target="_blank">Atraxa, Grand Unifier</a> or <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Plagon, Lord of the Beach" href="#" target="_blank">Plagon, Lord of the Beach</a>.
What about protecting your <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tiamat" href="#" target="_blank">Tiamat</a> or <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aragorn and Arwen, Wed" href="#" target="_blank">Aragorn and Arwen, Wed</a>? White might not be as bad as it used to be in the format, but every deck should be able to deal with one pesky land. Unban Krakas and add it to the <a href="https://edhrec.com/top/game-changers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Game Changers list</a>, where it can hang around the likes of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Gaea&#039;s Cradle" href="#" target="_blank">Gaea&#039;s Cradle</a> and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mishra&#039;s Workshop" href="#" target="_blank">Mishra&#039;s Workshop</a>. Karakas would be the <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shivan Gorge" href="#" target="_blank">Shivan Gorge</a> of the lands on that list.
<h2>The Real Answer</h2>
The more I looked over the banned list, the more one card kept catching my eye. The card is extremely strong and is no doubt groan-inducing when it hits the table. However, it isn't on the Reserved List and currently isn't prohibitively expensive. That card is <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Prophet of Kruphix" href="#" target="_blank">Prophet of Kruphix</a>.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Prophet of Kruphix"></div></div>
Before you start raging in the comments or calling for my decks to be thrown off a cruise ship into the ocean, let me show my work.
First off, Prophet is a 2/3 with no inherent protection. It isn't indestructible, there's no ward or hexproof, and it doesn't have a body that stands up to combat or damage-based removal. And there are cards available now that can mimic Prophet's effects.
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Awakening" href="#" target="_blank">Awakening</a> has the same effect as the first part of Prophet of Kruphix for one less mana and in a single color . <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Drumbellower" href="#" target="_blank">Drumbellower</a> might only do creatures, and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Murkfiend Liege" href="#" target="_blank">Murkfiend Liege</a> is creatures of a specific color, but the point is that options exist.
In fact, the second line of text on Prophet of Kruphix is worse than some cards that see common play today.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="High Fae Trickster"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Leyline of Anticipation"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vedalken Orrery"></div></div>
These are just the first three cards I thought of that can let you cast anything you want at instant speed. If you get lucky enough, you can even live the dream of a turn-zero <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Leyline of Anticipation" href="#" target="_blank">Leyline of Anticipation</a>. The key thing is that Prophet is the only card that has both of these effects on one card.
Does the Simic () color combination need this card? No, they have enough toys, and the color combination is Commander with training wheels.
Should it be on the banned list? As the days go on, I think it has served its time.
<h2>Wrap Up</h2>
There are more cards I want to see added to the banned list than removed. Most of the cards on here abuse the Commander format in ways that are just not cool—providing too much acceleration too early with cards such as the Moxen, asking for the game to become a king-making scenario with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Trade Secrets" href="#" target="_blank">Trade Secrets</a> and just being far too oppressive to be worth having around, like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Limited Resources" href="#" target="_blank">Limited Resources</a>.
Some cards just should not be seen when you start at 40 life.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fastbond"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Channel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Yawgmoth&#039;s Bargain"></div></div>
I'm sure you, dear reader, have many opinions on the banned list. Believe it or not, I want to know what those opinions are. How much do you disagree with me? How little do you agree with me? What would you take off the banned list? Let me know in the comments here (be polite) or over on Bluesky @nicnax96.

What Else Should Be Unbanned in Commander?

<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeweled Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Jeweled Lotus</a> | Art by <a href="https://www.alayna.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alayna Danner</a>
With <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teecio_rTG0&amp;pp=ygUMZ2F2aW4gdmVyaGV5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gavin Verhey's recent video</a> alongside the <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/commander-ban-list-update-feb-9-2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Commander Ban List update</a>, there have been some murmurings about unbanning <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeweled Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Jeweled Lotus</a>. There is a lot to unpack about this potentiality, but before we can get into the unbanning we must talk about the banning and its fallout first.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jeweled Lotus"></div></div>
<h2>The Banning of <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeweled Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Jeweled Lotus</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Crypt" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Crypt</a>, and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dockside Extortionist" href="#" target="_blank">Dockside Extortionist</a></h2>
September 23, 2024 was a fateful day in Commander - maybe, for Magic: The Gathering in general. It created a distinct rift between players, possibly bigger than any announcement before it. It created a web of dissonance between the value of money, people, and cards. It was <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/commander-banned-and-restricted-announcement-september-23-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the announcement banning the following cards</a>:
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dockside Extortionist" href="#" target="_blank">Dockside Extortionist</a> 
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeweled Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Jeweled Lotus</a> 
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Crypt" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Crypt</a> 
<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nadu, Winged Wisdom" href="#" target="_blank">Nadu, Winged Wisdom</a>
Nadu didn't have much backlash; it was newer, and the community was happy to see non-deterministic, extremely long turns come to an end. But the other three bans were poorly received.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Nadu, Winged Wisdom"></div></div>
Cards get banned pretty regularly in Magic, though certainly less frequently in Commander. What was unique about this ban?
Tolarian Community College did <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdVRZLd7YCk&amp;t=232s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a lovely video</a> talking about some of the concerns: The Commander Rules Committee not alerting the community about potential bans, not consulting the Commander Advisory Group, and Wizards of the Coast's strict reprinting policies, making these cards incredibly expensive to come by.
The Committee's statement was, "The philosophy of Commander prioritizes creativity, and one of the ways we have historically reflected that in the rules and ban list is to encourage a slower pace of game than traditional formats. This gives decks time and space to develop and do different things. We have a goal to make it easier for players who enjoy slower, more social games to have an environment for them to explore."
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mana Crypt"></div></div>
A lot of players didn't like this reasoning. This is mainly because of the cost of this decision. I did a little digging and found that <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeweled Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Jeweled Lotus</a> was going for around $90-$100, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Crypt" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Crypt</a> for around $160–$180, and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dockside Extortionist" href="#" target="_blank">Dockside Extortionist</a> went for around $80. If you owned one of each, you were out about $360 dollars of value after the bans. That's definitely a good chunk of change.
To The Professor's point, this is what he meant about not hinting about the bans. The cards suddenly went from a ton of value to worthless, or next to worthless.
Even then, bans aren't an unprecedented event. People were angry. Things were different. It happens, but what followed from the community is what made this event unlike many before. The Professor said:
"Despite the fact that I both disagree with these bans and have a lot of criticism about how they were handled, the community reaction of intense harassment towards the individuals on the Rules Committee including an overwhelming number of death threats is beyond unacceptable and in no way justified what has happened here. It's fine to be upset...but targeting individuals with harassment, doxing, and threats of violence is absolutely shameful. There is no excuse for such behavior and it needs to stop."
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dockside Extortionist"></div></div>
Yes. The community of Commander - a casual format - had threatened lives over expensive cardboard. I don't mean to make the cards we play with seem small or insignificant. I don't. Magic: The Gathering is everything to me, more than I could explain in this article, but a person's life isn't even remotely in the same stratosphere of value as the maximum of $360 per person lost.
There is no excuse for threatening a life over losing access to a card in a format. In that perspective, these are just cards, just cardboard.
<h2>Unbanning <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeweled Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Jeweled Lotus</a></h2>
So the community reacted poorly. What's the rest of this article about? The question on everyone's mind lately is: Do we keep these cards banned?
I did some asking online specifically about whether or not <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeweled Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Jeweled Lotus</a> should be unbanned. Why just <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeweled Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Jeweled Lotus</a>? Gavin Verhey said in two of his videos (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P38DsBMs6vA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teecio_rTG0&amp;t=1213s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>) that it had been the one card discussed to be unbanned the most. I knew how I felt about this potentiality, but I wanted to ask the community.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jeweled Lotus"></div></div>
Sentiments could be broken up into a handful of camps: unban, but not now; never unban; and unban now.
<h3>Unban Now</h3>
I'm going to start with the least popular perspective. This perspective can be translated to the wider community as a whole. Just because it was small on my personal poll doesn't mean there aren't sentiments about this. The belief here boils down to: we've been punished enough.
A lot of this sentiment goes back into the sunk cost of these cards. Players want their value back, and as soon as they talked about potentially unbanning <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeweled Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Jeweled Lotus</a> it went from a $30 card back to $70. There is a strong motivator here to recoup what was lost.
Some people responding to this poll who are against unbanning replied to these comments saying that whichever way we go, money shouldn't be the motivating factor; but I think that might be difficult. People have lost money, and that is a good reason to be angry. Is it worthy of a change, though?
Some commenters believe that the community has been punished enough aren't only people wanting to unban <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeweled Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Jeweled Lotus</a>. A lot of people who are in favor of upholding the bans understand the logistics of banning <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeweled Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Jeweled Lotus</a>, some even thinking the banning decision was wrong in the first place. Some believed, in a vacuum, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeweled Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Jeweled Lotus</a> should be unbanned, but other factors play a role in why they insist on upholding the bans.
We'll get a bit more into that in the next section.
<h3>Unban, but Not Now</h3>
This is a more complicated, more popular sentiment. These players think WOTC should be firm that harassment and threats is completely unacceptable. They think they should continue to uphold a ban for these cards for a period of time. Basically, until players have learned their lesson. The reasoning here is similar to the Unban Now camp: it's not everyone's fault. They want to send a message, but not lose out on these cards.
This sentiment is an intermediary, a best of both ways, which is why people feel the most morally supported in being in this camp. It doesn't ruffle as many feathers.
I believe the Commander Format Panel and WOTC as a whole probably fall into this camp. The fact that they've been teasing <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeweled Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Jeweled Lotus</a> as much as they have sort of confirms that they're thinking about it. This is not the sentiment of the greatest subgroup of commenters.
<h3>Never Unban</h3>
This is by far the largest group for my poll. The sentiment here is pretty straightforward: Cardboard isn't more important than people's lives. The best way to send that message is keeping these cards banned in perpetuity. A lot of people who made this comment felt any leniency on this would encourage bad actors to believe that harassment would result in what they wanted: a reversal of the decision. They perceived any reversal of the bans would embolden players to be bad actors in the future.
Additionally, a lot of the commenters who agreed with above didn't necessarily agree with the other Never Unban beliefs. Some simply believe that the initial decision was correct, that <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Crypt" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Crypt</a>, <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Jeweled Lotus" href="#" target="_blank">Jeweled Lotus</a>, and <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dockside Extortionist" href="#" target="_blank">Dockside Extortionist</a> were in fact bad for the format. They believed that fast mana allowed for unsavory play patterns that weren't healthy for the format.
Some even called for <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a> bans in this vein too.
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
This is a tough position that I find myself in. I used to be a teacher, who initially didn't like to punish the whole class because of unidentifiable behavior of some stragglers. As I continued in my tenure, it became the best way to control the behavior of a group. People holding each other accountable to the rules, because it will affect the whole, is something I agree with in real life.
Everything we do as a group affects us all, and holding each other accountable for those things might feel unfair, but ultimately it's for the greater good of the whole.
So, I'm sure you want to know if I'm a Not Now or Never unban. I've thought about a lot of the points my peers have brought up and at this point I'm in the camp of Never Unban.
Hear me out before you blow me out in the comments. We don't need these cards. We know we don't need them, because we've been playing without them for a year and a half. Commander wasn't ruined. cEDH had some meta changes, but it was fine. The Commander Rule Committee is gone. I don't want to in any way suggest that threats and harassment are the sort of thing we can get over or move on from, like we do with so many other wrongs in the world.
People's lives are more important than three extra mana into <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tivit, Seller of Secrets" href="#" target="_blank">Tivit, Seller of Secrets</a> on turn two. I play Tivit and I'm fine without it in Bracket 4. I don't want to equate real lives with a couple hundred dollars. I don't want to equate people's lives with the sentiments about a card game. I don't want people to feel emboldened by a desire to appease the very community that made this horrible thing happen.
Now or later doesn't matter. We shouldn't ever unban these cards. It's not just because they're too good. It's not just because they warp the format. It's because a volunteer group of around 18 years had to close down because of death threats. We need to take that seriously. And we can't take it seriously and give the offenders back what they deserved to lose, even if that means punishing all Commander players.
Again, this is just my opinion. I want to hear yours. I'm <a href="https://linktr.ee/strixhavendropout" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@strixhavendropout</a>

The Pros and Cons of Unbanning Jeweled Lotus

<a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Biorhythm" href="#" target="_blank">Biorhythm</a> | Art by <a href="https://ronspearsart.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ron Spears</a>
Hello everyone, I'm <a href="http://linktr.ee/commandzoe">Command Zoe</a>, now covering Breaking News for EDHREC. No seriously, this isn’t satire. I'm back today to talk about <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/commander-ban-list-update-feb-9-2026" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the recent unbanning</a> in Commander of one of my favorite Onslaught era cards: <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Biorhythm" href="#" target="_blank">Biorhythm</a>. 
I played this card in Standard as a four-of all the way back in Onslaught-Mirrodin standard, and I'm glad it's back - even if it is as a <a href="https://edhrec.com/top/game-changers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Game Changer</a>. Buckle up because that means I get to info dump on you all about how it was used before it was banned, why it was unbanned, what my thoughts are on it as a card, and what commanders are champing at the bit to get their hands on it. Without further ado.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Biorhythm"></div></div>
Game: changed.
<h2>How Was <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Biorhythm" href="#" target="_blank">Biorhythm</a> Used Before It Was Banned, and Why Was It Unbanned?</h2>
Biorhythm is a powerful but expensive effect. It has a fairly straightforward card design, but due to its ability to completely kill an entire table at once it's been on the <a href="https://edhrec.com/banned" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banned list</a> for years. However, Magic has come a long way since then. An eight-mana automatic finisher isn't what it used to be, even if it is in green, the rampiest color.
There are two main ways Biorhythm was played when it was first legal. The first is to ramp up quickly, then cast an instant speed board wipe like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evacuation" href="#" target="_blank">Evacuation</a> during the end step of the turn before yours, then win in your first main phase with a cheap creature into Biorhythm, leaving everyone else at zero life and you at one.
The other way it was used was to go a lot wider than your opponents with a lot of small creatures, then cast Biorhythm and attack each opponent with more creatures than they can block. 
Explaining it like this makes it a lot easier to see why it was unbanned. Can you think of any other examples of cards that work like that? There are dozens, but the most powerful one actually outclasses Biorhythm in every way.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Craterhoof Behemoth"></div></div>
Hoof just does this job better.
<h2>My Thoughts on <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Biorhythm" href="#" target="_blank">Biorhythm</a> as a Card</h2>
This was a smart unbanning by the <a href="https://mtg.wiki/page/Commander_Format_Panel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Commander Format Panel</a> (CFP). A card that is functionally worse than cards that currently exist being on the banned list was a bad look for legitimacy. 
This was a long time coming because Biorhythm has been power crept for years, and it could have come off the banned list half a decade ago. There was a time when this was a needed ban. That time has passed, and it's nice to see a card I loved to play in Standard as a child come back to Magic.
<a href="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/br-scaled.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-176091 aligncenter" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/br-300x246.jpg" alt="4 biorhythms" width="300" height="246" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/br-300x246.jpg 300w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/br-1024x840.jpg 1024w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/br-768x630.jpg 768w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/br-1536x1260.jpg 1536w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/br-2048x1680.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a> 
Pictured: Author's Nostalgia
I'll go a step further and assert that I don’t think this card should even be a Game Changer. I have said this before with regards to <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger" href="#" target="_blank">Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger</a>, but eight-mana cards are too expensive to change the game. If they're being cheated out then the card that cheats is the problem. I see no functional difference between Biorhythm and Craterhoof, which is not a Game Changer, and I’d argue is significantly stronger. 
I predict this will be off the Game Changer list the next time the CFP looks at it.
<h2>Which Commanders Want <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Biorhythm" href="#" target="_blank">Biorhythm</a>?</h2>
There are several commanders that want this card. In competitive Commander, partners like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh" href="#" target="_blank">Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh</a> in combination with any green partner, most likely <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Thrasios, Triton Hero" href="#" target="_blank">Thrasios, Triton Hero</a>, is going to be a popular choice. This pairing gives you green for ramp, blue for protection and evacuation, and a commander you can cast from the command zone for free. 
That's everything needed to do the whole combo, one piece of which you always have on you.
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Thrasios, Triton Hero"></div></div>
At lower <a href="https://edhrec.com/guides/edhrec-guide-to-commander-brackets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bracket</a> tables, Biorhythm will likely see no play. This might come as a shock since it just came off the banned list. Why would anyone spend one of their three Game Changers on a card that's outclassed by a non-Game Changer?
The rare decks that do decide to spend a Game Changer slot on it will be looking to do so as a combo gimmick, most likely. That means they want access to an instant-speed board wipe, which means white or blue, and access to zero-mana creatures, which red gives the most access to via Kobolds - <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/naya" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Naya</a> and <a href="https://edhrec.com/commanders/temur" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Temur</a> commanders.
<h2>Cards That Work Well With <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Biorhythm" href="#" target="_blank">Biorhythm</a></h2>
There are several types of cards that work well with Biorhythm, depending on which of the two ways the deck wants to use the card.
Instant-speed board wipes are a must-have for decks looking to combo. Examples from every color include:
<ul>
<li> <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclonic Rift" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclonic Rift</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evacuation" href="#" target="_blank">Evacuation</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Arcbond" href="#" target="_blank">Arcbond</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Delayed Blast Fireball" href="#" target="_blank">Delayed Blast Fireball</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fire Covenant" href="#" target="_blank">Fire Covenant</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rout" href="#" target="_blank">Rout</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Final Showdown" href="#" target="_blank">Final Showdown</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oblivion Stone" href="#" target="_blank">Oblivion Stone</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tegwyll&#039;s Scouring" href="#" target="_blank">Tegwyll&#039;s Scouring</a></li>
</ul>
Zero-mana creatures are the other half of that combo, and the best options for it are: 
<ul>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ornithopter" href="#" target="_blank">Ornithopter</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Dryad Arbor" href="#" target="_blank">Dryad Arbor</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Phyrexian Walker" href="#" target="_blank">Phyrexian Walker</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Memnite" href="#" target="_blank">Memnite</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shield Sphere" href="#" target="_blank">Shield Sphere</a></li>
<li><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Crimson Kobolds" href="#" target="_blank">All the Kobolds</a></li>
<li>And all the man-lands like <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mutavault" href="#" target="_blank">Mutavault</a> </li>
</ul>
The <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=t%3Acreature+o%3Aplot&amp;unique=cards&amp;as=grid&amp;order=cmc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plot</a> and <a href="https://scryfall.com/search?q=t%3Acreature+o%3Asuspend&amp;unique=cards&amp;as=grid&amp;order=cmc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suspend</a> mechanics are also great ways to pre-spend mana to get around the cost of casting a creature the same turn as Biorhythm. Earthbending and land animation are interesting types of cards to look at with any board wipes that say to destroy all non-land permanents.
Moving away from the combo, go-wide style decks that want to spit out as many creatures as possible then attack will be looking to utilize mana dorks. Elves decks in particular will love the ability to ramp into this and swing for lethal before anyone else knows what hit them. 
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Wirewood Channeler"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elvish Guidance"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Elvish Archdruid"></div></div>
These jerks...
<h2>Cleanup Step</h2>
Thanks so much for taking the time to read my thoughts on the recent unbanning of Biorhythm, a card that's an absolute juggernaut in MTG Hangman. I hope you're excited to try not just it, but all the cards the most recent changes gave access to across all the wonderful formats MTG has! Shout out to the huge shakeup Historic on Arena is going through. 
Until next time, follow me across my <a href="http://linktr.ee/commandzoe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">socials</a> so you know what’s going on as soon as it happens.

Biorhythm Is Unbanned in Commander. What Now?

Commander Ban List Update - Feb 9, 2026

Image courtesy of The Command Zone
Watch Dana and Joey from the EDHRECast play 200-card Commander decks with Josh and Rachel from The Command Zone on this episode of Extra Turns.
Who will be first to knock over their deck? Will anyone win with with <a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Battle of Wits" href="#" target="_blank">Battle of Wits</a>? (Still not possible, but whatev.)
Find out by watching the video below from our friends at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@commandcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Command Zone</a>.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="200-Card Decks! | Extra Turns 67 | Magic: the Gathering Commander Gameplay EDH MTG" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xupnwElKm7o?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

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