How One Magic: The Gathering Modern Ban May Benefit Commander

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Summary

  • The One Ring being banned in Modern is good news for Commander fans due to a decrease in price.
  • Prior to the ban, The One Ring dominated Modern, selling for over $100 and seeing high demand.
  • The decreased price of The One Ring makes it more accessible for Commander decks in 2025.

As a seasoned Magic: The Gathering aficionado with over two decades of card-slinging under my belt, I must say that the recent ban of The One Ring from Modern has left me both intrigued and delighted. For years, I’ve watched this enigmatic artifact dominate the Modern scene, leaving us mere Commander enthusiasts in the dust with its sky-high price tag. But now, as I gaze upon the newfound affordability of this once elusive card, my heart swells with joy.

Every year, multiple Banned and Restricted posts for Magic: The Gathering‘s various formats go live, typically shaking up the meta in some way. 2024 was no exception, with Commander bans removing four of the most played and most valuable cards in Magic: The Gathering from the format, and now a huge December 2024 update that mainly affected Modern. MTG‘s Modern has seen major bans in the past, and the latest ones are nothing to scoff at. Of these new bans in Modern, one is likely the biggest of the year on par with Nadu, Winged Wisdom, and oddly enough, it may end up affecting Commander too.

In the world of Magic: The Gathering, Modern and Commander decks have distinct differences. Modern decks can include four copies of each card, starting from Eight Edition, while Commander decks limit non-basic land cards to just one copy. Although it might seem illogical that changes in one format would impact the other due to a vast array of cards dating back three decades, it’s possible. For instance, if The One Ring is banned in Modern, its reduced cost could lead to increased usage in Commander decks because of its lower price point.

How The One Ring’s Ban in Modern Could Be Good News For MTG Commander Fans

For months, there were rumors that “Magic: The Gathering”‘s The One Ring might be banned or restricted because of its overwhelming influence on the Modern meta-game. In the lead-up to the December 2024 ban list update, its price started dropping due to concerns that it could plummet further in value. Despite this, the card was being sold for over $100 throughout the year. Now, it’s going for roughly half of that original price, with a strong likelihood of decreasing even more in value in the forthcoming weeks.

Due to the massive demand for The One Ring prior to its ban, it was a common inclusion in over 60% of Modern decks, with each deck running four copies. This card has remained popular across all formats where it’s legal, but its high price, particularly in the Modern format, made it difficult for Commander players to afford even a single copy. However, by 2025, The One Ring is expected to become more budget-friendly, making it easier for both casual and serious players to incorporate it into their Commander decks.

Magic: The Gathering’s The One Ring is currently going for around $57 on TCGPlayer.

Why Now Is the Perfect Time to Start Playing The One Ring in MTG’s Commander

It can be tough for fans of Commander format since many top-tier decks utilize some of the priciest cards from Magic: The Gathering. For instance, Mox Diamond, a common card in cEDH (Competitive Elder Dragon Highlander) decks, costs approximately $800. However, The One Ring, frequently used in Commander because of its strong draw potential and “protection from everything” feature, can be beneficial even for non-competitive or budget-friendly decks.

It remains uncertain how the recent Modern ban on MTG will impact The One Ring’s price moving forward, but it’s possible that by the start of 2025, it might stabilize between $40 and $45. Compared to its peak value in 2024, this represents a significant decrease, and it won’t be much costlier than other Commander essential cards such as Rhystic Study and Fierce Guardianship, which are priced around $35 to $40 each. One of the key benefits of The One Ring, which simultaneously proved to be a drawback for its Modern use, is its lack of stringent deck-building requirements, making it easy to incorporate into any deck setup.

The One Ring requires no-colored mana for its purchase, making it conveniently adaptable to any of the 99 slots in a Commander deck.

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2024-12-19 00:13