Casual Compliance

In this episode we take a look at Sylvan Primordial, which is part of a cycle of 5 Primordials from Gatecrash, but stands out from the other 4 a bit. Come and find out why!

We shot this one back in December when ScottNoMana was in town for Commandfest Melbourne and we really enjoyed having him come through! Go and follow him everywhere for deckbuilding insights and other MTG updates:
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You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/75...

The first conversation we ever had about what would become Casual Compliance was about whether or not Karakas could be unbanned in Commander. Finally, the spin wheel has blessed us with that very card and we're going to talk about it properly!

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/RchbqsnPy_w

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While the Avatar: The Last Airbender set didn't have any preconstructed Commander decks, it did have something new and relevant to our interests in the Commander's Bundle. This focused bundle box, including a selection of Commander staple cards with special Avatar art treatments, was a great starting point for building a deck. We set out to build our own idea for an Avatar precon using what we found inside and this video walks you through what we did.

Huge thanks to Wizards of the Coast for supplying us with all of this amazing stuff for #MTGxATLA

The Avatar The Last Airbender set for Magic: the Gathering recently dropped and we're very thankful to Wizards of the Coast for sending us some of it to crack open and build decks with. As is tradition around these parts, the first video is a Deck% - our occasional series where we try to build a Commander decklist around a random Commander in 30 minutes. Come watch us explore some new and interesting card design from this set!

Huge thanks to Wizards of the Coast for supplying us with all of this amazing stuff for #MTGxATLA

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The idea of permanents providing access to repeatable counter-magic isn't all bad in Commander, but this one in particular is just a bit too much.

Would you unban Erayo, Soratami Ascendant?

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/qroCzRelbVs

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It's been almost a month since our last regularly-scheduled banlist episode, but it's good to be back! This time we're talking about Limited Resources, an absolutely brutal way to bring an entire game to a standstill, as early as turn 2.

We shot this episode on the same day as our last banlist episode on Golos, and is the last video we shot before we upgraded our remaining 2 cameras, so a couple of the shots are a little rough. Look forward to a better looking show very soon!

You can find a video version of this...

Here's a bonus third interview from our time at PAX Australia 2025 - a brief but fascinating discussion with Mark Fredrick from Reaction Audio Visual!

When it comes to PAX, both in Australia and the US shows, Mark takes care of production for the Main Theatre, which sees some of the largest and most technically demanding performances at the show. As if that wasn't enough, Mark also handles a variety of technical production roles for Magic Pro Tour events around the world.

Mark was kind enough to give us some of his time between rehearsals during...

Here's the second full interview from our time at PAX Australia 2025 - the incredibly funny crew from Good Games Morley!

Known for their hilarious sketch comedy videos based in the game store they actually work in, Good Games Morley have taken off on the global stage in the past 6 months. While in town for PAX Australia this year, we got some time to chat to them about the origins of Good Games Morley, their comedic influences and proclivities, their recent explosion, and even a little bit of Magic and Commander banlist talk towards the end.

...

Here's the first full interview from our time at PAX Australia 2025 - none other than Ify Nwadiwe!

Known for hosting Um, Actually on Dropout.tv, Commander Party on Good Time Society, and a bevy of other shows and roles, Ify was in town for PAX Australia and sat down for a chat with us during the show. We spoke about the live Commander game he played in at the show, what he loves about Commander, how he builds decks, and his experience with Um, Actually and Dropout. We also made sure to ask what changes he'd make...

What's this? A second Deck% video for Spider-Man? You better believe it! In honour of the new Pick 2 Draft format introduced alongside this set, we're mixing up our Deck% format a little bit. Instead of building with a random Commander from a pack, we each open a Play Booster and pick 2 cards for the other person to build around, with one of them being the Commander. It was a fun twist on this challenge, come and see what we came up with!

A big thank you to Wizards of the Coast for slinging us these Spider-Man packs!<...

Hey there, web-slingers! Wizards of the Coast very kindly sent us a bunch of booster packs for the Marvel's Spider-Man set that just dropped, and we were eager to run 2 of the Collector Boosters through our Deck% process and see what came out the other side. This set has a lot of interesting legendary creatures, so come and see what we cooked up in 30 minutes!

A big thank you to Wizards of the Coast for slinging us these Spider-Man packs!

#gifted #MTGxMarvel #MTGxSpiderMan

chillybin's Gwenom, Remorseless deck: https://moxfield.com/decks/q7Mih-2...

We were so thrilled to have Kira from RaiseMTG join us for this episode where, for better or worse, our banned card du jour was Golos, Tireless Pilgrim. Any card that is both a way to fetch ANY land from your library when it enters and has an ability that gives you the top 3 cards of your library for free would be a problem, let alone one that is just available in your command zone. Tune in to find out about similar cards that actually are legal in Commander, as well as seeing how someone with a Standard-focused mindset...

Library of Alexandria is one of the most interesting cards we've talked about yet. It's so simple in what it does that the reason why it's a problem might not be immediately obvious. Sure, it's expensive to try and get one, but it goes much further than that. Find out more in this episode!

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We're back from outer space and it's time to return to our regularly scheduled programming! This time, we're looking at Flash - a 2 mana instant that'll let you just drop a creature into play. There's a little more to it, but that's the gist. Seriously. What's the problem with that?

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You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/NRvZWGPcqAE

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A new set means new Commander decks to build! With the launch of Edge of Eternities recently, we take another crack at finding a random Commander from a Collector Booster each and building a deck around it within 30 minutes.

A big thank you to Wizards of the Coast for sending us the #MTGEternities goods!

#gifted #ad

chillybin's Syr Vondam, the Lucent deck: https://moxfield.com/decks/Eiu3XD31qkmSYUQrmhYEHA
Gramps' Tannuk, Memorial Ensign deck: https://moxfield.com/decks/nfx_LyUxY0KN4j8BNomrrQ

You can find a video version of...

A new set has landed in Edge of Eternities and we're back again with another round of Precon Precon. Wizards of the Coast kindly sent us the World Shaper deck from the set, and we took a run at it with our Moxfield tags and analytical minds. We've grouped the cards by their functions and we'll give you an idea of how well balanced this deck is and how likely it is to hit its stated goal, as well as a few cards to consider when looking to upgrade the deck.

Check out the tagged decklist here...

Getting in just as prerelease week starts for #MTGEternities, we've got a new banlist episode featuring our first card from the Power Nine: Time Walk. Extra turns are a hot button issue with the recent advent of the Brackets system, but what about an extra turn spell for only 2 mana?! Get in here and find out just what we think about the idea of unbanning Time Walk.

Cozy Magic Club episode mentioned in this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJgb8CVVHd8

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A truly wild Magic card, Shahrazad asks you to pause the current game and play an entire new game all the way through to determine how the spell will resolve. It's been banned in Commander for quite some time, but maybe not as long as you might think? Either way, we look at whether this card could work in Commander, and some of the weird situations we'd need to consider when playing it.

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You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/F0m6plTQzAo<...

It's been a minute, huh? After a couple of weeks detouring through #MTGxFinalFantasy, we're back to our bread and butter with another episode on a card from the banlist. This time, we're looking at: Hullbreacher.
If you thought Orcish Bowmasters was bad, wait until you get a load of this guy.

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You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/B3_86e4E5rE

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We had some hot Final Fantasy Collector Boosters we were itching to open, and it wouldn't be a Casual Compliance video if we didn't make it about Commander somehow. Like the Precon Precon before this, here's a new occasional series we're calling Deck%. We each open a booster pack, randomise it, take the first available Commander we see, and then try to build a full deck list for that Commander within the time limit. For this first iteration we gave ourselves 30 minutes and let me tell you: it was TOUGH. Come and see the fruits of our labours!

It's been a long time coming - mainly because we said ages ago we'd do this and then procrastinated for months - but we've finally launched our own website and membership platform! To state the obvious: no, it's not Patreon, but it's basically the same sort of thing.

Head to https://casualcompliance.fun/ to find out more and support the show!

You can now sign up to financially us, and in return, there are some special benefits you will receive. If a monthly subscription isn't your jam, keep an eye on the site anyway, as...

We were lucky enough to be sent the Counter Blitz Final Fantasy Commander deck, and we've got a very special video for you based on it: in a new occasional series we're calling Precon Precon, we'll take you through a Preconstructed Preconversation about this deck and how it works. We'll organise the cards according to how they support the deck's stated goals of "adding counters and moving them around" to give us a better perspective on how well built it is. At the end of all of that, we'll give you our thoughts on how good this deck is...

In late January 2025, we sat down to record an episode of this show. The wheel gave us Fastbond and we did a whole episode on it. Then, something went wrong with one of the cameras, and we had to scrap it. Cut to a couple months later and the wheel once more provided us with Fastbond. If you're worried that we just rehashed the same talking points as the first time around, think again. Neither of us remembered any of what we said, so check this video out for some hot, fresh takes on Fastbond and its status on...

It feels like we've talked a lot about board wipes recently, especially with the recent set of cards getting unbanned in Commander. Upheaval is one that has never seen play in Commander, and it seems like there might be good reason for that. We talk about what a card like Upheaval would do to a game of Commander, how it stacks up against similar (legal) board-clearing effects, and whether there's a way to fix it. Heave ho!

Gramps' Aminatou miracle decklist: https://moxfield.com/decks/aF9NIhhJNEWi9B7U4E0WGw

You can find a...

Nearly two weeks ago, the Commander Format Panel released the first update to the Brackets beta, as well as taking 5 cards off of the Commander banlist. Immediately, this means we've got a whole lot of new cards on the Game Changers list. These articles also included clearer guidance on what the goal or intent for Brackets is. We're here this time to quickly walk you through the changes and what we think it means for the near-term state of Commander.

Also, did anyone else notice anything weird about the order these unbanned cards were listed in the...

It feels like so long ago that Jeweled Lotus got banned, what with all the tumult and disruption that follow its ban and that of Mana Crypt, Nadu, and Dockside Extortionist. It's pretty fitting that this would be the first one to come up for us, seeing as this card was so emblematic of the Commander format as a whole. Could we really unban this card after everything that happened?

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/MVQTF3vkOxo

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We're pleased to resume our regularly scheduled programming with a look at another card on the Commander banlist - and this time we brought the wheel back to choose it! This time, we're talking about Lutri, the Spellchaser. One little otter, a chill little guy, a fiesty wee companion. Lutri just wants to help you copy instants and sorceries. How much trouble could Lutri really cause?

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/3iPg6856kKU

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Gramps is back in the interview host chair, this time chatting with Tomlin. We met Tomlin playing together on a live Commander game for Cozy Magic Fest 2024 and have been big fans of his energy ever since. One of the nicest guys around, he approaches Commander with the kind of social mindset we love. Additionally, he's a BIG anime and Final Fantasy fan, so it's an exciting time for both him and Gramps. Expect to hear a lot about all of the above in this episode!

Find Tomlin on the internet at:
https://www.instagram.com...

Get your tinfoil hats and Reddit logins ready, it's Conspiracy time! A special case on the Commander banlist, Conspiracy refers not to the card named Conspiracy, but to the entire card type of Conspiracy. This card type also shares its name with the Magic sets that included them, the first of which was Magic's first ever set designed for drafting into multiplayer games. Just to make this one extra special, we also got our hands on a sealed box of Conspiracy and did a draft for research purposes. This one was a lot of fun to finally put together...

We liked interviewing people so much, we're doing more of it! Now in a dedicated format, we bring you Casual Chats: interviews with interesting folks with some relation to Magic: the Gathering.

In our first instalment, Gramps talks to RubeePlays of Cozy Magic Club fame. They discuss her journey of discovering Magic, rediscovering it after moving to a new city, and building the kind of community and content she wants to see in the world.

Check Rubee and Cozy Magic Club out at these links:
https://linktr.ee/RubeePlays
https://linktr.ee/cozymagicclub<...

Oh boy, an emergency Casual Compliance release! Earlier today, we were treated to a major update from Gavin Verhey, on behalf of the Commander Format Panel. This update contained the release of the beta version of the Commander Brackets matchmaking system - a tool intended to improve your "rule 0" pre-game conversations.

We've got some first impressions and early opinions on Brackets. Find out if we agree with you in this episode!

Read the Brackets announcement for yourself here: https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/introducing-commander-brackets-beta

You can find a video version of...

(Editor note: due to a scheduling snafu at our new recording space, there was someone recording guitar in the next room while we recorded this one. We didn't realise until afterwards that the mics picked it up and we've guaranteed that this shouldn't happen again in future. Big oops!)

Boy oh boy, do we have an exciting new episode for you! Not only is this the first episode we shot in our new recording space, but we brought on a dear friend of ours to give us an extra pair of eyes on this episode's banned card...

You might be familiar with the Imprint mechanic from our repeated mentions of Isochron Scepter. Our card from the banlist this episode is another Imprint classic in Panoptic Mirror. What could possibly go wrong if you could pay for each instants and sorcery once and play one of them for free on every future turn?

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/veSHVmBp-Uc

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There are many ways to win a game of Magic - at least 20 - but one of them has been on the Commander ban list for a long time. We take a look at that very card in this episode with Coalition Victory. An 8-mana sorcery that lets you win the game sounds like a reasonable thing to have, right?

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/LuQ-DBS-bLE

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In the last instalment of Casual Compliance Nights, we discussed Wizards of the Coast taking over management of the Commander format, and teased that we'd be back for Part II of that discussion with someone who's actually on the new Commander Format Panel. This video is just that, as we welcome Tom from AttackOnCardboard to the show. He's here to talk us through his relationship to the format, how the Commander Format Panel came to be, and what's been happening in the 2 months since it was formed.

A link to Part I of this discussion: https://casualcompliance...

Like Emrakul in our previous episode, Braids is a character that has cards in Magic: the Gathering both in and out of the Commander banlist. The banned one - Braids, Cabal Minion - is the subject of this episode of Casual Compliance, and she's a bit of a bad lady. It might not sound like a lot at first blush, but is she really too powerful for Commander?

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/JUdsDWVYsGo

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It finally happened! In our 13th episode discussing cards on the Commander banlist, we hit Emrakul, the Aeons Torn. Gramps has this as his favourite card in all of Magic, and yet it has been banned in Commander for years. She's got a whole lotta words, and brings a whole lotta hurt, but do we think that's enough to keep her banned? Stay awhile and find out, friends.

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/OfErIOT33wI

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This one has been a month in the making - it's finally time for us to talk about the September 2024 Commander banlist update and the waves of fallout that followed. We've got a lot of ground to cover between the banned cards themselves, the fallout that immediately followed their bans, and the further fallout and eventual result of a complete change in management of the format. What a month!

Stay tuned towards the end of this episode for a preview of Part II of this discussion, coming soon to a Casual Compliance near you.

You...

He's big. He's bad. He's Griselbrand. You've probably heard the name at some point if you've been playing Magic for even a little bit, but did you know he copped an almost immediate ban in Commander after his initial release? We've got the scoop on why Griselbrand got banned, as well as our usual dives into reasons for and against keeping him banned.

Cozy Magic Club Commander Show episode featuring both of us (mentioned in this episode): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJgb8CVVHd8

Disclaimer: we recorded this episode prior to the September 2024 Commander...

If you ask Gramps, a little bit of land destruction never hurt anybody. There are some powerful lands out there and sometimes you just want them gone. But what if there was a card that made it extremely difficult to keep basic lands on the battlefield? Enter: Sundering Titan. This big boy hates basic land types and is the latest card that Gramps will try to save from remaining banned in Commander.

Disclaimer: we recorded this episode prior to the September 2024 Commander banlist update. We're planning to put an episode together soon to talk about all of...

This episode of Casual Compliance is a special one, as you're getting two cards for the price of one! Well, two cards with identical ban reasons, so we just decided on-the-fly to do them as a single episode. Just in time too, because this week saw 4 more cards get added to the Commander banlist in the September 2024 update (we'll talk about it eventually, chillybin is finally in the process of moving house right now).

Check out Cozy Magic Club and all the wonderful things they do to make Magic more accessible: https://www.youtube.com/@CozyMagicClub

Everyone loves a tutor in Magic the Gathering. You've got a card in mind, you play a little spell, you go get that card and put it in your hand or on top of your library. What's that? There's a spell that let's you just put it straight into play? Surely, there's no way something like THAT can be abused, right? Uh oh, it's Tinker time.

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/RvnixiOd0u8

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A pattern we've started to notice with the Commander banlist is cards that can easily or reliably give you infinite amounts of anything will usually end up banned. This episode's card is one of those types of cards. Time Vault is a funky little artifact that seems like it has a downside attached to it giving you an extra turn, but tune into this one to find out how real that downside actually is.

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/ESbco9F_7YU

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Gaea's Cradle has appeared on our show before, as a powerful way to generate mana if you have a lot of creatures. This episode's featured banned card, Biorhythm, asks the question: how can I punish everyone else for not having as many creatures as I do? Is that a bad thing? Find out in this episode!

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/7jk-2q9waS8

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Sometimes, what a good game of Commander needs is a board wipe of some kind. But what if we take that idea further? What if, instead of a board wipe, we effectively reset the whole game? Sway of the Stars is a card that does just that, but does it in a way that the Rules Committee don't like. Come and see what we think of it!

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/uO06nuAIpv4

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Last time on Casual Compliance Nights we spoke about "Rule Zero" and in that episode we briefly discussed a system known as Spirit of the Game. This is a rating system from the sport of Ultimate (Frisbee) that seeks to ensure a fair and positive competitive environment in one of the world's only self-officiated sports. In this instalment of Casual Compliance Nights, we dig deeper into Spirit of the Game, and explore whether a system like this could have benefits in the world of casual multiplayer Magic.

You can find the video version of this episode at...

Just like speed limits, tapping creatures and lands is something put there by THE MAN to slow you down and stop you from doing things when you want to. Prophet of Kruphix is here to say that's nonsense! You should be able to play Magic whenever you want! What's that? That's illegal? Find out in this episode if we agree with the judgment cast upon this absolute untapping machine.

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/W8bYGRH0yiU

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Gaea's Cradle takes the fact that green loves having lots of creatures and asks "what if they all generated mana?" Now, imagine that same design was applied to blue, and instead of creatures we care about artifacts. If that sounds like a powerful idea to you, you might be onto something. Something very much like Tolarian Academy. Find out in this episode if we think this could ever see the light of day outside of Vintage.

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/Fk2XRbOYDrQ

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Who doesn't like getting exactly what they need? What if you could have two of exactly what you need? Someone made a Magic card that does something like that in Gifts Ungiven, and Commander said no thank you. Do we think they should change their mind on this one? Come and find out.

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/MI_lWdS-KAA

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There's been a lot of talk online lately about "Rule Zero" and its place within Commander. We're going to try and unpack the main themes of that discourse here in this, the first instalment of our alternate programming: Casual Compliance Nights.

We look at what some of the loudest voices in the room (mostlyTwitter, let's be honest) have been saying and discuss how those points stack up against the experience of your typical casual Commander player.

You can find the video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/mPIH3flzUao

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You've probably heard of reanimate effects in Magic: the Gathering before, but you've probably never seen one quite like this. Come and see what we thought of this sneaky little enchantment and whether or not we think it could get unbanned any time soon.

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/NBBZOkGx3Vo

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Here it is: the first episode proper of Casual Compliance. In this, the main format of the show, we take a look at the Commander banlist one card at a time. We'll tell you what we think of it, we'll each do a little research, and then we'll see if our minds have been swayed or strengthened in the process. This time we're looking at Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary.

You can find a video version of this episode at https://youtu.be/X2gLzhgYuCA

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Welcome to Casual Compliance, a new show about Magic the Gathering's popular Commander format, but through an Australian lens looking at topics like:
- what's on the ban list and could we unban some stuff?
- social and play group etiquette how to look after yourself and others
- deckbuilding tips for better vibes

Strap in and meet your new friends Gramps (Lewis) and chillybin (Mike) for this rambling intro to who we are and what we're looking to do here.

You can find a video version of this episode at https...