Bazaar of Baghdad: Commander Legality and Why It Matters

Yes, Bazaar of Baghdad is legal in Commander. This iconic land from Arabian Nights dodged the ban hammer despite its incredible power, making it a highly sought-after and expensive piece for Commander enthusiasts. Its ability to draw two cards and then discard three is a potent engine in the right deck, offering card selection and fueling graveyard strategies. Understanding why it’s legal, and how best to use it, is key to navigating the complex world of Commander deckbuilding.

The Allure of Bazaar: Why Is It So Powerful?

Bazaar of Baghdad isn’t just a land; it’s a card advantage engine disguised as a land. In Commander, where games often go long and resources are plentiful, turning excess mana into card filtering is invaluable. Its unique ability provides several key advantages:

• Card Selection: Digging through your deck for specific answers or combo pieces.

• Graveyard Filling: Setting up reanimation strategies or fueling delve spells.

• Enabling Threshold/Delirium: Rapidly enabling these effects, as the lands discarded count towards the required card types in the graveyard.

Because it’s a land, it’s inherently more difficult to interact with than spells or creatures. This makes Bazaar of Baghdad a resilient source of value that can consistently provide an edge throughout the game.

Why Isn’t Bazaar Banned? A Delicate Balance

Given its strength, a natural question arises: why isn’t Bazaar of Baghdad banned in Commander? The answer lies in a combination of factors:

• Availability: The sheer cost of the card significantly limits its prevalence. Its price tag acts as a natural barrier to entry.

• Deckbuilding Constraints: Bazaar of Baghdad demands a specific deckbuilding strategy to be truly effective. It’s best suited for graveyard-centric decks or those that heavily rely on card selection.

• Format Speed: Commander is a relatively slow format compared to others. While Bazaar provides an advantage, it’s often not game-breaking in the early turns.

• Counterplay: While difficult to interact with, lands aren’t entirely immune to removal. Cards like Wasteland, Strip Mine, and Assassin’s Trophy can answer Bazaar of Baghdad.

The Commander Rules Committee carefully considers these factors when making banlist decisions. They aim to foster a diverse and enjoyable play environment, and currently, Bazaar of Baghdad is deemed to fall within the bounds of acceptable power. The Rules Committee muses about banning cards frequently, but in the end most are deemed fine for the commander format.

Maximizing Bazaar in Your Commander Deck

If you’re fortunate enough to own a Bazaar of Baghdad, or you’re considering acquiring one, here’s how to get the most out of it in your Commander deck:

• Graveyard Strategies: Reanimator decks are the most obvious beneficiaries. Discarding creatures to later bring them back is a classic strategy. Examples of Commanders that excel with Bazaar include:

  • Meren of Clan Nel Toth: Provides incremental advantage by reanimating creatures from your graveyard.
  • The Gitrog Monster: Rewards you for sacrificing lands, synergizing with the discard aspect.
  • Sedris, the Traitor King: Lets you reanimate creatures for a single turn, enabling powerful plays.

• Card Filtering/Selection: Use it to find specific combo pieces or answers to your opponents’ threats. Commanders well-suited include:

  • Zur the Enchanter: Helps find key enchantments to control the board.
  • Yuriko, the Tiger’s Shadow: Needs cards in hand to maximize damage, providing card draw and selection.

• Delve and Threshold: Fuel spells like Dig Through Time or Treasure Cruise or cards with threshold.

• Lands Matter: Any commander focused on lands can find a use for it.

Commander Banlist and Rulings: A Perpetual Evolution

The Commander format is dynamic, and the banlist is not static. The Rules Committee constantly evaluates cards to ensure a balanced and fun experience for all players. Cards are banned when deemed to warp the format in a negative way, and are balanced so the game is fun for everyone.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some frequently asked questions related to card legality, the Commander format, and Bazaar of Baghdad.

1. What cards are banned in Commander?

The Commander banlist is comprehensive. Currently, some notable banned cards include:

• Ancestral Recall
• Balance
• Biorhythm
• Coalition Victory
• Crusade
• Darkpact
• Deadeye Navigator (and pairings)
• Demonic Consultation
• Edgar Markov (as a commander)
• Erayo, Soratami Ascendant
• Fastbond
• Gifts Ungiven
• Golos, Tireless Pilgrim (as a commander)
• Grindstone (and pairings)
• Hermit Druid
• Iona, Shield of Emeria
• Karakas
• Leovold, Emissary of Trest
• Library of Alexandria
• Limited Resources
• Lutri, the Spellchaser
• Mox Sapphire
• Mystical Tutor
• Primeval Titan
• Prophet of Kruphix
• Recurring Nightmare
• Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
• Sway of the Stars
• Sylvan Primordial
• Time Vault
• Tinker
• Tolarian Academy
• Upheaval
• Yawgmoth’s Bargain
• Worldfire

A complete list can be found on the official Commander Rules Committee website.

2. Is Dark Ritual legal in Commander?

Yes, Dark Ritual is legal in Commander. Its one-time burst of mana can be useful for early plays, though its impact is less significant than in faster formats.

3. Is Land Tax banned in Commander?

No, Land Tax is not banned in Commander. It’s a powerful card that helps ramp and fix mana, especially in decks with fewer lands.

4. Are all sets legal in Commander?

Yes, all sets from Magic: The Gathering’s history are legal in Commander, except for cards with the card type “Conspiracy”, and silver-bordered and acorn cards. This vast card pool contributes to the format’s diversity and unpredictability.

5. Why is Bazaar of Baghdad so expensive?

Its rarity and utility are the primary drivers of its price. Bazaar of Baghdad was printed in Arabian Nights, an early set with a relatively small print run. Its unique and powerful ability makes it a highly desirable card for Commander players.

6. Is Negan legal in Commander?

Yes, Negan is legal in Commander. The Commander Rules Committee decided against banning him, as his card does not glorify his villainous character.

7. Are Wish cards banned in Commander?

Yes, Wish spells (like Living Wish) that bring cards from outside the game do not function in Commander. This rule prevents players from using a sideboard of silver bullets to answer every situation.

8. Is Mystic Sanctuary banned in Commander?

No, Mystic Sanctuary is no longer banned in Commander.

9. Why were Braids, Cabal Minion and Erayo, Soratami Ascendant banned?

Both cards were banned because of their ability to lock opponents out of the game early on. Braids forces players to sacrifice permanents, and Erayo can flip and prevent opponents from casting spells if too many spells are cast in a single turn.

10. Why was Lutri, the Spellchaser banned?

Lutri, the Spellchaser was banned due to its easy companion requirement in Blue-Red decks, giving those decks an unfair advantage. Unless someone’s playing Persistent Petitioners or Dragon’s Approach, every Blue-Red deck naturally meets Lutri’s requirement.

11. Is Edgar Markov banned in Commander?

Edgar Markov is only banned as a commander. He can still be included in the 99 of a Mardu (white, black, red) deck led by another commander.

12. Why was Yawgmoth’s Bargain banned?

Yawgmoth’s Bargain was considered too powerful due to its ability to draw cards by paying life, similar to Necropotence, but without the discard restriction.

13. Is Mox Amber banned in Commander?

Yes, Mox Amber is banned in Commander. Its ability to provide early mana advantage, especially when combined with a cheap commander, was deemed too strong.

14. Where can I learn more about the Commander format?

The best resource for Commander rules, banlists, and community discussions is the official website of the Commander Rules Committee. You can also engage with the vibrant Commander community online through forums, social media groups, and local game stores.

15. How can Magic: The Gathering be used for educational purposes?

Magic: The Gathering provides an excellent tool to sharpen your mind. Playing the game requires problem-solving skills, critical thinking and the ability to handle probabilities. A lot of research is being done in this area. To learn more about the intersection of gaming and learning, visit the Games Learning Society at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/.