Exploring Cali Commander: The Most Controversial New Format in Magic

If you’re a fan of Magic: The Gathering and have been active online recently, you might have come across Cali Commander, a new fan-driven format that’s been generating buzz in the community. This format, introduced by former NFL linebacker Cassius Marsh, offers a fresh take on the classic 1v1 Commander style, though it comes with its share of controversies.

Marsh, who hung up his cleats in June, has been a passionate Magic player and collector for years, even running a TCG store called Cash Cards Unlimited. In his Instagram videos unveiling Cali Commander, he explains that this format caters to players who prefer to skip the typical four-player setup, lengthy games, and the political maneuvering often found at a standard Commander table. Instead, games are played 1v1, similar to Duel Commander, an unofficial format that has been around for a while. However, there are key differences: players start with 30 life instead of the usual 20, and decks still consist of 100 singleton cards, including one or more Commanders, with the Partner mechanic available. Here’s a summary of Cali Commander in Marsh’s own words:

A major point of debate is the “curated banlist,” which is determined through votes on the Collector’s Horde Discord channel. Some online comments suggest that Marsh is looking to capitalize on cards that the community decides to unban. A screenshot shared on X shows him boasting about this in the Discord.

Given that Commander originated as a fan-made format, variations are common, and players often introduce their own rules. However, many fans seem to be more skeptical of Marsh himself than the format, with some recalling his previous business ventures, including Cameo, a platform for personalized celebrity video messages. He also teamed up with AI entrepreneur Kenneth Kuo in 2021 to launch the NFT/crypto company Ownr.

On Thursday, Marsh stirred the pot further with a post on X, inviting the Duel Commander committee to reach out, noting that they seemed “upset.” The following day, committee member Nicolas Prail responded, clarifying that there was no reason for them to be upset and that “there’s plenty of room for various community formats.”

Wizards of the Coast, the company behind Magic: The Gathering, has only officially recognized the traditional four-player Commander format since June 2011, which is generally seen as a casual way to enjoy the game, unlike Duel Commander and Marsh’s version. There’s also an official Commander Panel that categorizes decks based on their power level.

In the end, players are free to enjoy Commander however they choose, and the discussions surrounding Cali Commander appear to focus more on its creator than the format itself.