Commander:
Omnath, Locus of Creation is now unbanned as commander
Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy is now unbanned as commander
Cards:
Oath of Druids is now unbanned
Protean Hulk is now unbanned
Flash is now banned
The One Ring is now banned
Comet, Stellar Pup is now banned
All cards that bring a sticker or an Attraction into the game are banned.
| Announcement Date: | 16 September 2024 |
| Date of entry of changes: | 16 September 2024 |
| Date of next announcement: | 11 November 2024 |
See Current Banlist (changes may not immediately be visible on the page)
Centurions,
We are excited to announce one of the most significant updates in recent times. We trust that these changes will bring a breath of fresh air and encourage the metagame’s evolution.
As you know, the philosophy of our format is closely tied to Wizards of the Coast’s development pace, which in recent years has led to a consistent increase in the power level of cards. To keep Centurion both interesting and balanced, we intervene only when a card truly threatens the metagame’s stability. At the same time, we carefully consider unbanning cards that, in light of recent releases, no longer pose the same level of concern. Today’s unbans, we believe, will revitalize the format, while the bans are necessary to maintain the integrity and quality of the gameplay experience.
Our commitment to providing valuable content for the community remains strong. With this update, you’ll find an article on our website offering a series of decklists and suggestions on how to make the most of the cards unbanned today. We hope these resources help players to get a sense of what to expect in the coming months.
Currently, our testing team is not yet able to generate a large enough data set for a fully data-driven evaluation. However, we have decided to move forward with these changes to avoid further delaying necessary adjustments. We are confident that today’s decisions will not disrupt Centurion’s balance, but should any issues arise, we will not hesitate to intervene with the next update scheduled for November 11.
Omnath, Locus of Creation
The continuous stream of high-impact product releases has increased both the variety and quality of playable decks, necessitating a constant re-evaluation of cards on the banlist.
While Omnath, Locus of Creation still retains significant power, we believe it no longer creates such a stark gap to warrant remaining banned. Much like previous unbans such as Breya, Etherium Shaper and Niv-Mizzet Reborn in 2024, we expect Omnath to find a place in the format.
There are multiple competitive and viable deckbuilding directions that can incorporate this card, opening up new opportunities for players to explore.
Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy
In evaluating Kinnan, Bonder Prodigy’s impact on the format, we compared it to Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary.
However, Kinnan benefits from access to blue, offering greater strategic flexibility, and its abilities are significantly more versatile and impactful. We believe that the current metagame is capable of handling Kinnan’s presence without requiring players to constantly answer the general.
Oath of Druids
Oath of Druids has spent a long time on the banlist, a legacy of its presence in Vintage.
However, the current speed of the format greatly diminishes its potential.
To have any real impact, this card needs to be played in the very early turns, which severely limits its effectiveness. Moreover, it demands specific deckbuilding choices that could easily backfire, without providing the consistency needed to offer a real advantage.
Protean Hulk / Flash
We have decided not to unban Protean Hulk without addressing Flash to avoid introducing particularly troublesome and unfair interactions. We believe that allowing Protean Hulk while keeping Flash banned could open up new gameplay possibilities.
Currently, Flash is primarily utilized in reanimator decks, which would continue to function well without it. Unbanning Protean Hulk could foster innovative deck designs capable of tackling previously difficult matchups.
Additionally, its power level does not appear to be significantly higher than other cards like Hoarding Broodlord, which have already been absorbed into the metagame..
The One Ring
The One Ring is a colorless artifact that, due to its versatility, can slot into a wide variety of decks, creating a disproportionate advantage for certain archetypes.
This card generates an advantage that is often difficult to overcome and forces players to polarize their deckbuilding decisions in order to adequately address this threat.
Comet, Stellar Pup
Centurion Commander is a highly competitive format, and cards like Comet, Stellar Pup, which can drastically alter the course of a game based on the randomness of a die roll, do not foster an environment that rewards skillful play and strategic management of the game.
Sticker and Attraction
In line with Wizards of the Coast’s policies, all cards referencing stickers and attractions are now banned.
Despite these cards do not significantly impact the format, this ban aligns with official Wizards policies and simplifies certain aspects of gameplay
News & Notes:
- The next Big Event will be held on Sunday 17 November in Turin. More information coming soon.
- Along with this update, we have published on our website “Cards on the Run – What to do now?”
- We have updated our Banned evaluable list (changes may not immediately be visible on the page).
- Due to technical issues, our previous Discord server was deleted. Therefore, we have decided to restructure the one dedicated to the online league and make it the official server for our format. Click here to join us on Discord! On Discord, you’ll have the chance to discuss various aspects of the format through different dedicated channels. For example, you can start a thread about a specific commander, allowing other players to join your brainstorming. Discord allows both you and us to communicate with an international community quickly and directly, building a healthy and inclusive international community.
- We are looking for volunteers to expand our staff. If you want to apply for one of the roles we need, if you think you have the skills to contribute to the Centurion project, if you believe you can produce valuable content for the website, you can get in touch with us via the email address centvrioncommander@gmail.com or by contacting us on the official Facebook page.
- The different roles we need at the moment are: one or more figures to follow and enhance our social profiles; a figure who can become the “face” of the centurion and therefore play the role of PR and manage the advertising of the format; new members for the testing team; someone who can help us create graphic content (event posters, Facebook covers and similar).
Thank you for reading.
Centurion Committee
