March 30, 2015 Announcement/Update
March 30, 2015

Entomb

"Entomb enables degenerate combo strategies far earlier than the format can sustainably handle. No other card combines library searching with strategic zone placement at such an efficient rate—one mana for both selection and positioning breaks fundamental cost structures.

This unique efficiency transforms graveyard strategies from synergistic approaches into explosive combo enablers. The ability to precisely place any card into the graveyard on turn one facilitates strategies that circumvent normal game progression entirely. The card's power extends beyond reanimation targets to enable instant-win combinations, graveyard engines, and resource loops that fundamentally undermine fair gameplay.

The consistency and speed Entomb provides pushes combo strategies beyond acceptable thresholds for the format's intended pacing and interaction points.

Key ban reasons:

• Only one-mana effect combining tutoring and strategic placement
• Enables turn-one combo setup with perfect consistency
• Breaks intended pacing of graveyard strategies
• Facilitates multiple degenerate archetypes simultaneously
• Undermines format's structural balance
• Provides unmatched efficiency for combo assembly

Entomb must be banned to prevent the format from warping around hyper-efficient graveyard combos that bypass normal gameplay development."

Fastbond

"Fastbond represents dangerous acceleration potential, though its early-game deployment remains relatively uncommon. The card's effectiveness typically diminishes as games progress due to natural land depletion from hand. However, specific synergies completely break this limitation—bounce lands, mass land return effects like Upheaval and Sunder transform Fastbond into an engine of unlimited mana generation.

The emergence of new Sultai commanders provides ideal shells for these degenerate combinations, creating gameplay patterns that fundamentally damage format health. These strategies convert a theoretically self-limiting card into a consistent combo piece that ends games through overwhelming resource advantage. Land-based synergies prove particularly problematic as they operate on an axis that most decks cannot meaningfully interact with.

Additionally, the coexistence of Crucible of Worlds and Fastbond creates an explosive combination that generates insurmountable advantages. These two cards operating together enable recursive land drops that completely break resource parity.

Key ban reasons:

• Synergizes with bounce effects to generate unlimited mana
• Land-based strategies lack sufficient interaction points
• New commander options optimize its abuse potential
• Creates unhealthy gameplay patterns when properly exploited
• Interaction with Crucible effects proves too explosive
• Transforms from acceleration into combo enabler
• Breaks fundamental resource management systems

Fastbond must be banned to prevent degenerate mana generation strategies and maintain proper resource balance within the format."

Food Chain

"Food Chain's exile restriction becomes meaningless within Duel Commander's framework due to command zone mechanics and specific legendary creatures' abilities. Certain commanders circumvent the intended drawback entirely, converting the card into an infinite mana engine with additional value generation.

These commanders enable immediate recursion patterns that generate both unlimited resources and supplementary advantages. The speed at which these combos execute leaves opponents without meaningful response windows. The interaction between Food Chain and command zone rules transforms a theoretically balanced card into a degenerate enabler.

The resulting gameplay patterns prove both too fast and too difficult to disrupt through conventional means. Standard interaction points fail when combos operate through zones and mechanics that bypass traditional answers.

Key ban reasons:

• Exile restriction negated by command zone mechanics
• Enables infinite mana with specific commanders
• Generates additional value beyond just mana production
• Executes too quickly for meaningful interaction
• Circumvents normal answering patterns
• Transforms commanders into instant-win conditions

Food Chain must be banned to prevent command zone exploitation that creates uninterruptible combo victories."