The Commander Rules Committee (or RC) was an independent group of Commander fans and players who maintained the rules and an official banned list for the Magic: The Gathering Commander format at MTGCommander.net.[1][2][3] In response to an extreme backlash against its banning decisions in September 2024, the RC made the decision to hand control of the Commander format to Wizards of the Coast and dissolved itself on September 30th, 2024.[4][5]
Independence
As the EDH format, as it was known at the time, was invented in its original form in the late 1990s by a playing group in Anchorage, Alaska, Wizards of the Coast agreed to let it stay in the hands of the people that made and nurtured it into what it had become.[6][7] Wizards did approve of any changes made to it by the rules committee, which was established in 2006. As they were consulted on Commander designs they had an impact on the yearly products, though the original design work was still done at the company.[8]
Independence ended a year after the death of its leading man Sheldon Menery when the decisions made by the Committee were met with an extreme backlash by the Commander community that made their volunteer job untenable.[5][9][10]
Members
At the time of its dissolution, the Commander Rules Committee were:
- Scott Larabee: member of WotC Organized Play, tournament manager for the Pro Tour, responsible for the Magic Tournament Rules. Began playing in 1993.
- Gavin Duggan: L3 judge, began playing in 1996.
- Toby Elliott: former L5 judge, holds the record for most Pro Tours as Head Judge. Responsible for modern tournament policy, maintainer of the Infraction Procedure Guide and Magic Tournament Rules. Began playing in 1993.
- Olivia Gobert-Hicks: Well known streamer. Started playing in 2014, joined the Committee in 2022.[11][12]
- Jim Lapage: Streamer, started playing in 2011, joined the Committee in 2022.[12]
In September 2023, Sheldon Menery, face of the format and former L5 judge who began playing in 1993, passed away from cancer.[13][14]
Advisory Group
In January 2019, the RC established a Commander Advisory Group (CAG). These well-known community members help broaden the range of voices that guide the Commander format.[15][16][17]
At the time of its dissolution in 2024, the Commander Advisory Group members were:
- Adam Styborski
- Charlotte Sable
- Rachel Agnes
- Shivam Bhatt [18]
- DeQuan Watson[19]
- Rachel Weeks[19]
- Gregory Sablan[19]
- Elizabeth Rice[20]
- Rebell[21]
- Benjamin Wheeler[21]
- Tim Willoughby[21]
Past members
Rules Committee
- Duncan McGregor
- Kevin Desprez
- Alex Kenny
- Devon Rule
- Sheldon Menery† [22]
Advisory Group
- Ron Foster (Jan 2019 — Mar 2020)[23]
- Jim Lapage (Jan 2021 — Sep 2022)[19]
- Josh Lee Kwai (Jan 2019 — Sep 2024)[24]
- Kristen Gregory (Jul 2021 — Sep 2024)[25]
- Olivia Gobert-Hicks (Nov 2019 — Sep 2022)[26]
Founding members
Pre-formation:[1]
- Sheldon Menery
- Gavin Duggan
- Duncan McGregor
Official EDH Rules Committee formation:
- Sheldon Menery
- Gavin Duggan
- Alex Kenny
- Toby Elliot
- Kevin Desprez
- Scott Larabee
Honorable Mention: Darren Gamble: Webmaster since inception
References
- ↑ a b Sheldon Menery (November 26, 2009). "Embracing The Chaos - Meet The Committee". StarCityGames.
- ↑ Sheldon Menery (April 12, 2018). "Ask The Commander Rules Committee (Other Than Me!)". StarCityGames.
- ↑ Edh rules committee. Reddit.
- ↑ Commander Rules Committee (September 30, 2024). "As a result of the threats last week against RC members, it has become impossible for us to continue operating as an independent entity.". Twitter.
- ↑ a b On the Future of Commander. magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast (September 30, 2024).
- ↑ Charlie Hall (May 28, 2024). "Commander: The definitive history of Magic’s most popular format". IGN.com.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (December 14, 2015). "Why does Wizards use an external rules committee in regards to the commander format instead of doing it in house?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (June 06, 2017). "What role, if any, does the Commander rules committee play in the creation of Commander products?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Charlie Hall (September 30, 2024). "Magic: The Gathering fans push volunteers out with alleged threats of violence". IGN.com.
- ↑ Nick Wolf (September 30, 2024). "Commander Rules Committee Dissolves". Commander Herald.
- ↑ Toby Ellott. "Who is on the EDH Rules Committee?". Reddit.
- ↑ a b Toby Elliott (September 12, 2022). "ANNOUNCING NEW RC MEMBERS – OLIVIA GOBERT-HICKS AND JIM LAPAGE". Commander RC.
- ↑ Gretchyn Melde (September 8, 2023). "Sheldon Menery". Facebook.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (September 8, 2023). "Remembering the Legend of Sheldon Menery". magicthegathering.com. Archived from the original on September 8, 2023.
- ↑ Sheldon Menery (January 21, 2019). "Introducing The Commander Advisory Group". StarCityGames.
- ↑ Ryan Sainio (January 21, 2019). "The Commander Advisory Group". Hipsters of the Coast.
- ↑ Official Commander Website
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (July 24, 2020). "Drive to Work #760 - Shivam Bhatt". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ a b c d Sheldon Menery (January 25, 2021). "Announcement: 2021 January Update". Commander RC.
- ↑ Sheldon Menery (July 12, 2021). "Announcement: 2021 July Update". Commander RC.
- ↑ a b c Sheldon Menery (August 29, 2022). "2022 August RC Quarterly July Update". Commander RC.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (July 24, 2020). "Drive to Work #759 - Sheldon Menery". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Sheldon Menery (March 31, 2020). "SheldonMenery". Twitter.
- ↑ Josh Lee Kwai (September 26, 2024). "A statement regarding my resignation from the Commander Advisory Group:". Twitter.
- ↑ Kristen Gregory (September 27, 2024). "Statement on my resignation from the Commander Advisory Group:". Twitter.
- ↑ Kristen Gregory (November 6, 2019). "Olivia Gobert-Hicks Inducted to the Commander Advisory Group". Hipsters of the Coast.
External link
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