Raffine, Scheming Seer
Raffine, Scheming Seer is quite a hard card to evaluate in terms of acceptability. Long has Esper been a very popular color combination, well suited for the systemic changes that Magic The Gathering is taking.
It always was quite a nice option, over the years, from older Merieke Ri Berit, Sharuum the Hegemon, Zur the Enchanter, through Oloro, Ageless Ascetic, partner-based combinations, to Tivit, Seller of Secrets, or Aminatou, the Fateshifter... The list goes on.
Why Raffine Crossed Multiple Thresholds
As usual, some cards end up being over the average against a concordant range of thresholds being trespassed. Raffine, Scheming Seer combines multiple problematic elements:
⚔️ Combat Advantages
- Evasion through flying
- Self-protection via Ward {1}
- 4 toughness dodges cheap removal
💎 Card Quality
- Filters entire hand for control players
- Stacks additional damage each turn
- Quick deadly win condition
🎨 Color Identity
- Minimal mana cost for color identity
- Top protective colors (Blue/White)
- Reactive spell access
- Decent creature toolbox
📊 Metagame Dominance
Raffine, Scheming Seer has been dominant in the world for months, as very few decks with such a wide, distributed range of advantages also have access to most of the currently top played cards in Duel Commander.
of the Top 50 most played cards
were accessible to Raffine decks
This unprecedented access to the format's most powerful cards, combined with Raffine's inherent advantages, created a situation where the deck had very few bad matchups and could adapt to virtually any metagame challenge.
🏛️ Esper Commander Legacy
The Esper color combination has a rich history in Duel Commander, with numerous successful commanders over the years. However, Raffine, Scheming Seer distinguished itself by combining more advantageous elements than any of its predecessors, making it uniquely problematic in the current metagame.
🚫 Ban Decision
All those summed up characteristics ended up with the decision of pushing Raffine, Scheming Seer out of legal commanders.
This ban aims to restore diversity to the metagame and create more interesting decision-making opportunities for players choosing Esper commanders.