The big discussion among Commander players in the Magic: the Gathering community at the moment is a proposed rules change involving hybrid mana. From Murderous Redcap, to Kitchen Finks, and Lurrus of the Dream-Den, there’s no shortage of cards that feature this split symbol in their casting cost. Hybrid mana has been a part of the game since Ravnica: City of Guilds, which was released in 2005. Now, the way it’s used in the game’s most popular format may be changing dramatically.
Hybrid spells can be cast using one of two possible colors. Currently, they can only be included in a deck featuring a commander that is both of those colors. On the 21st October, 34 minutes into a weekly MTG stream, it was announced that Wizards of the Coast is considering changing this rule to allow hybrid cards to be played in decks where the commander is either of the two colors rather than both.
This announcement sparked a lot of debate, with fans taking their questions to the game’s design team. On November 7th, designer Gavin Verhey uploaded a video onto his YouTube channel addressing the situation.
Verhey tackled some of the biggest talking points relating to the change. Since the upcoming Lorwyn Eclipsed set will make heavy use of hybrid mana, some have speculated that the hybrid rule is being modified now to help secure more sales. Verhey argued that this was not the case, stating, “I don’t believe that hybrid suddenly being more widely applicable in Commander is really going to move the needle on the popularity of a set like Lorwyn.”
Verhey spoke in favor of changing the rules. He also noted that while he was only putting forth his own views, they were shared by many others at Wizards of the Coast. Specifically, he said, “Across Magic design, and the commander Magic design team, it is widely the common opinion that hybrid should work differently in Commander.”
After putting forth the pros of his argument and wrestling with some of the cons, Verhey concluded by noting, “Plenty of people feel both ways about hybrid.” Whatever the state of the discussion among MTG players broadly, this claim is not reflected in the comments section beneath the video. At the time of writing this piece, a significant fraction of responses to Verhey oppose the change. Of the 10 most liked comments, 9 argue against modifying the rules, while the 10th attempts to correct him on a separate point.
It’s clear that this debate is provoking very strong feelings. Whether you’re engaging with the discussion on social media or you’re sending feedback to people like Mark Rosewater and Gavin Verhey, remember to be civil. Nobody benefits from the discourse turning toxic as it did after the Dockside Extortionist ban in 2024.
What’s your take on hybrid mana? Would you find it weird sliding a Balefire Liege into an Izzet deck, or is that all just part of the game? Let us know in the Wargamer Discord.
If you’re new to Commander, check out our guide on assembling a deck.