Today the Commander Rules Committee announced that Hullbreacher has been banned in Commander. Hullbreacher has been a staple in both social and competitive Commander since its release last fall in Commander Legends.
In a format that can revolved around large splashy plays, Hullbreacher can create wild swings where one player will end up massively ahead while simultaneously hampering their opponents. Wheel effects, such as Wheel of Fortune and Reforge the Soul are common inclusions in decks as a way to reload. When paired with Hullbreacher they can leave other players empty handed while the caster of Hullbreacher is up cards and a copious number of treasures.
Hullbreacher joins another wheel-breaking card on the banned list in Leovold, Emissary of Trest. While not banned this time around, cards such as Narset, Parter of Veils and Notion Thief got called out in the post as potential options for future format exclusion.
The change is likely to have a massive impact in Competitive Commander. There, Hullbreacher is used as a persistent source of mana while also soft-countering common inclusions like Mystic Remora and Rhystic Study. That being said there are plenty of other game ending sequences available to the format so watching games unfold will be just as entertaining as before.
The July Commander rules update also includes notes about Dungeons. The new card type from Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms work as intended. They do not run afoul of the Commander rule against cards from outside the game (such as from Karn, the Great Creator).
The update also welcomed two new members to the Commander Advisory Group: Kristen Gregory and ChannelFireball’s own Elizabeth (Ellie) Rice. The Commander Advisory Group’s role is to help advise the Rule’s Committee on the current state of the format and provide information about potential changes. Congratulations to both Kristen and Ellie!
