Formation

Instant

Target creature gains banding until end of turn.

Draw a card at the beginning of the next turn's upkeep.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (8)

CannedCanOpener on Band of the Hawk

1 year ago

One card in my Banding deck that's always carried its weight is Commander Eesha - the protection from creatures (and any sort of indestructibility/protection) in a band is unbelievably powerful, as you can point any damage dealt to the band solely at her and effectively negate it when both attacking and blocking. And if you want to go all-in in banding birds, you could also run Baton of Morale, Formation, and/or Cooperation.

Muglacious_NiceFaceToad on

2 years ago

If you are still playing this deck I'd like to offer some unexpected jank which goes very well with Stuffy Doll effects. Blaze of Glory, Formation banding works on defense as well as offense, Martyrdom and Shaman en-Kor which really works in the best worst kind of way.

Cheers!

Frewsax on Feather Redeems Boros in EDH [Primer]

4 years ago

Djeru's Resolve because it untaps your commander or other creatures so you can still block. Formation was a joke, but banding is actually really useful on defense for sure.

Frewsax on Feather Redeems Boros in EDH [Primer]

4 years ago

I know that you don't run a ton of creatures, but Formation seems like a good card too if you want to go down that route. Djeru's Resolve seems good for blocks too.

Mondo1212 on Feather The Redeemed

5 years ago

Here ya go, Derrick,

Where is Gamble

Ramp or extra mana

Fellwar Stone , Fire Diamond , Marble Diamond , MindStone, Sword of the Animist , Thought Vessel , Hardened Berserker , Treasonous Ogre , Neheb, the Eternal , Neheb, Dreadhorde Champion Desperate Ritual , Pyretic Ritual , Seething Song ,

Target spells that are dope

Coordinated Assault , Enrage , Otherworldly Outburst is cool and you can loop it if the creature you buff dies making a token, Samut's Sprint , Titan's Strength , Accelerate , Aleatory , Chaotic Strike , Stun , Niveous Wisps , Carom , Formation gives banding which is spicy, Spiritualize , Stave Off , Bathe in Light , Feat of Resistance , Chaos Warp target tokens to get permanets from your deck for free, and is good removal.

Heroic/Prowess Creatures cuz value

Vanguard of Brimaz , Fabled Hero , Tethmos High Priest , Leonin Iconoclast , Arena Athlete , Akroan Line Breaker , Monastery Swiftspear , Soul-Scar Mage , Dragon-Style Twins ,

these are some cards I think you should look at, don't need all and some might not fit exactly but if you like them then put them in. Cut some lands you can go down to 34 if you add in more artifacts, which go great with paradox engine.

Cards I think you should replace: Emerge Unscathed rebound fucks with your commander it exiles them not letting you put them back into your hand; Aurelia's Fury really expensive to get any good use out of it, or if you want protection during your turns run Grand Abolisher or Silence ; Expose Evil is too slow of a draw engine Mentor of the Meek with the tokens you make is better for drawing; Burnished Hart and Solemn Simulacrum are meh, better to go with artifact ramp that can feed the paradox plan, plus artifact ramp is cheaper and faster; speaking of artifacts Boros Cluestone and Boros Keyrune are good flavor options but aren't that good as other artifacts; Inferno Titan and Sun Titan are good creatures but don't fit into the game plan as well better to put things that help with the gameplan.

Icbrgr on Modern Horizon

5 years ago

cdkime i also kinda feel that a lot of legacy staples will just stay in legacy just as you described with Counterspell ; and think that more of the "new tech" we will see thats in legacy would be things printed in Commander/other sets like Council's Judgment .... i think the reprint of Baleful Strix would make Ninjustu fans very very happy. I personally dont have any attachment to the banding mechanic however i love/welcome anything that encourages fair/combat orientated strategies.... maybe open up Formation to be used in a Arcades, the Strategist brew lol.

Balzeron on The Department of Defense

5 years ago

This is actually a deck I really want to build, and know nothing about making a commander deck, so I'm keeping a very close eye on this deck! Some card suggestions/ideas I personally have would be:

Amaranthine Wall, I played this wall in a draft game a few weeks ago and the indestructible ability pretty much won the game for me by itself, and is what inspired me to think about this kind of deck. Manor Gargoyle is another good choice for this.

Champion's Helm, Good equipment to keep our commander safe

Doorkeeper, the mill potential is pretty high here

Ezuri, Claw of Progress, since so many walls have 0 power,

Wave of Reckoning, as another board wipe

Woolly Razorback, doesn't have defender, but is cheap, becomes a 7/7, and can block literally any amount of damage 3 times

Fog Bank, Guard Gomazoa, Hover Barrier, Monastery Flock, Plumeveil, Soulbound Guardians, Wall of Air, Spidersilk Armor Tower Defense as flying blockers, as this deck seems really open to flying

Shield Bearer, Wall of Caltrops, Wall of Shields, Fortified Area, Baton of Morale, Helm of Chatzuk, Formation, Remember banding? I used to love banding! I think banding would compliment a wall deck very well. Being able to dictate where your opponents damage goes is a big plus I think

Hornet Nest, Living Wall,Mindbender Spores, are other good additions.

What do you think of these suggestions? I really want to buy the cards for a deck like this soon, and your deck is a huge inspiration to me.

Caerwyn on Boros Banding??

6 years ago

Banding is one of the most interesting mechanics in Magic's history. Tons of versatility, and could theoretically lead to some interesting plays on the right creatures. Unfortunately, it is a wordy and poorly understood mechanic, and fell out of favour as a result. I've always been disappointed in the complete lack of useful legendary creatures with banding.

Breaker of Armies is a card I would consider. While it is costly to cast, it synergies quite well as a finisher in banding decks. Combined with a banding creature, you can punch through all your remaining creatures. Where it gets nasty is when you give it banding through Formation or Cooperation. You can redirect the totality of their damage on a chump blocker or an indestructible creature (bonus points if that creature is Stuffy Doll).

Nemesis Mask performs the same function at a more reasonable casting cost.