Commander Clash Tests Oddball Decks, Shares Updated House Bans

The Commander Clash crew staged a kitchen table style experiment, asking whether decks that look bad on paper can actually shine at a four player table. The episode centered on intentionally unusual and seemingly suboptimal commander builds, with the playgroup testing interactions, timing, and emergent strategies that only appear in live multiplayer play.

Alongside the gameplay the episode published a companion writeup that lists each player’s deck and an updated set of house bans the pod used for the season. The house bans named by the crew include Sol Ring, Mana Vault, Gaea's Cradle, Ancient Tomb, Smothering Tithe, Rhystic Study, Trouble in Pairs, Field of the Dead, Glacial Chasm, The One Ring, and Teferi's Protection. That list is the headline takeaway for many viewers because pod and house bans are a common reference point when playgroups set expectations for power level and table etiquette.

The practical value is immediate. You can use the specific banned cards to start a conversation about what your group finds repetitive or unfun, and to build a consensus list that matches your local meta. The episode also shows how self imposed restrictions change deck construction choices and in game dynamics, which can guide you when tightening or loosening rules in your own pod. Expect different outcomes depending on how competitive or casual your group is, and adapt the list accordingly rather than adopting it wholesale.

For community relevance, the episode doubles as entertainment and a template. It offers concrete examples of how limiting commonly played power pieces shifts the spotlight to creative deckbuilding and social play. If you want to replicate the experiment, review each deck listed in the companion writeup, discuss which bans address balance versus boredom, and agree on enforcement and consequences before shuffling up. The episode underscores that small rule changes can produce large differences in how Commander games feel at the table.