Lurrus of the Dream-DenLurrus of the Dream-Den | Art by Slawomir Maniak

In late October, Wizards announced an update to the Game Changers roster, fleshing out some details on how format philosophy in the process. Tucked in towards the end of that announcement, however, was one of the more exciting bits of Commander news we've gotten in a while: Wizards is open to changing the way hybrid mana works for color identity purposes.

To sum it all up, the potential rules change would allow for hybrid mana to be counted as either of its two colors when evaluating color identity; currently, it is counted as both ( counts as black and red now, rather than black or red).

So, how would such a change shake up cEDH landscape? Let's dig in and take a look at five of the most playable hybrid mana cards currently hanging around the format.

#5 - Fiend ArtisanFiend Artisan

Fiend Artisan is a great card that has historically been limited by its Golgari color identity. For , this 1/1 Nightmare presents a very rare ability: the option to just repeatedly tutor creatures straight into play. Just pay , tap Fiend Artisan, and sacrifice another creature. In exchange, you can tutor up any creature with mana value X or less and put it right onto the battlefield at sorcery speed.

Repeatable tutors are pretty rare in cEDH; Survival of the FittestSurvival of the Fittest immediately comes to mind as the best parallel here, as that card has the same mana value and the card-cost requirement, asking that you discard a card to find a creature to put into hand, rather than sacrifice a creature to put that card into play.

By allowing Fiend Artisan to be played as either a black or a green card, it could very well be another great contender for the bevy of creature-based decks running around the format right now (my first thoughts go to RogThras builds, where having a free commander to sacrifice further supports this card).

#4 - Lurrus of the Dream-DenLurrus of the Dream-Den

Lurrus is a reasonably affordable creature that makes one of the most broken cards in cEDH all the better, while simultaneously smoothing out the average cEDH deck's resilience to interaction. To see how, let's talk about Underworld BreachUnderworld Breach and Orcish BowmastersOrcish Bowmasters. But first, the actual abilities of Lurrus.

For , Lurrus is a 3/2 Cat Nightmare with lifelink that allows you to, once on each of your turns, cast a permanent spell with mana value two or less from your graveyard. Lurrus also has companion, but that's not terribly relevant for why this card is going to matter in cEDH if the hybrid mana rules change.

First off, Underworld Breach. Lurrus allows you to cast one of cEDH's premier win-cons, meaning that Underworld Breach's end-of-turn sacrifice clause is essentially moot. With Lurrus out, all you need to do is have and Underworld Breach in your graveyard in order to start escaping spells until the game is over.

Normally, resolving Underworld BreachUnderworld Breach once is enough for a player to win the game; with Lurrus out, Underworld Breach becomes a repeatable strategy in the events that the first attempt fails.

Speaking of failsafes, let's talk about Orcish BowmastersOrcish Bowmasters. Not only is this guy castable off of Lurrus, but the damage dealt by an Orcish Bowmaster's trigger represents the other side of the Lurrus's value - as a way to retain card advantage despite persistent interaction.

Facing down an opposing Orcish Bowmasters, the minimal amount of value that Lurrus has is in enabling persistent recasts of low-cost creatures (mana dorks, Esper SentinelEsper Sentinels, you name it), presenting your opponent with a value question: get rid of Lurrus, get rid of the dorks, only for them to be recast, or get rid of someone else's stuff?

The more decks that can play Lurrus, the more resilient decks there will be in the meta. For Rakdos+ colored decks, that means recasting Underworld Breach and Thassa's OracleThassa's Oracle. For Golgari+, that means mana dorks. The list goes on.

#3 - ManamorphoseManamorphose

Arguably the second most ubiquitous pick on our list, Manamorphose is a spell that asks cEDH players just how important color-fixing is (or, if you're playing Krark, the Thumbless, how many triggers you can wrack up).

For , Manamorphose is an instant that adds two mana in any combination of colors to your mana pool and draws you a card. While it might not be a ritual, the ability to change red and/or green mana - some of the easiest to produce but the least valuable to spend - into blue and black mana is not inconsequential.

A good chunk of cEDH wins these days occur at instant speed, when mana is tight and every color matters. Manamorphose allows players to turn Rite of FlameRite of Flame into Borne Upon a WindBorne Upon a Wind, or to draw an extra card off a top-deck tutor while in the endstep of a NecropotenceNecropotence turn.

In short, it makes tricky situations more navigable with minimal deckbuilding cost, and for plenty of decks that'll be worth a card slot.

#2 - Zirda, the DawnwakerZirda, the Dawnwaker

Next up on our list is a card that I can readily see making Thrasios, Triton HeroThrasios, Triton Hero players very happy, plus just about any deck in either white or red that wants an infinite mana combo: Zirda, the Dawnwaker.

First, the combo case. Zirda's static ability reduces the activation costs for activated abilities of permanents you control by (that mana can't reduce the costs to less than one mana). This is a two-card combo with Grim MonolithGrim Monolith, as Grim Monolith now only costs to untap while still providing when you tap it. A monocolored infinite mana combo? Yes please.

Secondly, the synergy with Thrasios. Thrasios is most commonly played these days in two forms: everything-but-red, as partnered with Tymna the WeaverTymna the Weaver; and Temur, as partnered with Rograkh, Son of RohgahhRograkh, Son of Rohgahh. Both of those decks love making a ton of mana, can readily benefit from another infinite mana combo, and - even without Grim Monolith - can use Zirda's discount to turn Thrasios's activation into a cost ability.

#1 - Guttural ResponseGuttural Response

Topping off the list is the simplest contender, but also one that has the potential to be the most ubiquitous: Guttural Response.

For , Guttural Response is an instant that counters target blue instant spell. Basically a counterspell-only counterspell, allowing Guttural Response to be played in any green or red deck could see it rapidly join the ranks of Red Elemental BlastRed Elemental Blast and Veil of SummerVeil of Summer - the instants that allow for nonblue decks to wage a stack battle when their win attempts are being flustered by blue's premier interaction package.

Additionally, it's worth noting the role of counterspells more broadly as the meta shifts faster and faster. cEDH is experiencing a bit of a turbo resurgence these days, with Grixis decks running just about every counterspell they can find - including DazeDaze and DispelDispel, cards that fell out of fashion during the midrange madness of these past few months. That context only further bolsters the case for Guttural ResponseGuttural Response even in blue decks, as it's one more way to stop a loss - or protect a win.

Wrap Up

Ultimately, if the hybrid mana change makes it through, it looks like the biggest gains for cEDH will be in the world of resilience. Guttural Response, Manamorphose, and Lurrus of the Dream Den are all examples of cards that allow players to push through tricky situations and bounce back from potential setbacks.

As far as exciting combo potential is concerned, however, I've got my eyes set on Zirda. A monocolor infinite mana combo that also synergizes with one of the best commanders in the format should not be discounted, and Zirda might just be the next big thing for the world of Thrasios players.