Why is Upheaval banned?
Commander (EDH) forum
Posted on Jan. 5, 2015, 6:35 p.m. by ThisIsBullshit
So Cyclonic Rift isn't banned, and I know they're not that similar but nonetheless, why is this card banned?
Since you have no ways of playing more than one land card from hand each turn without something else on the field, the game gets fucked when someone puts every land back to your hand. So if this is played late game, where you have tons of land on the field, suddenly it's all sent back to your hand and then you have to discard anything that goes over seven cards from your hand (unless you played Praetor's Counsel earlier that game).
January 5, 2015 6:53 p.m.
Also, the ability to float mana is why this is banned and Worldpurge isn't. Tap all your lands and rocks (if you've got any), cast Upheaval, maybe play a land, have a board presence while everyone else is stuck there being sad.
January 5, 2015 6:54 p.m.
angrychains says... #6
Just to add, more often than not someone plays it just to be a tool and slow down the game even more
January 5, 2015 6:57 p.m.
TurboFagoot says... #7
It is almost impossible to lose a game after resolving Upheaval if you're playing it right.
January 5, 2015 7:01 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #9
Nobody plays a card like Upheaval without having something else to follow it.
January 5, 2015 7:04 p.m.
TurboFagoot says... #10
Yeah. Don't be fooled by thinking Upheaval is anything close to symmetrical. It might bounce your permanents too, but you're not nearly as set back by having initiative and floating mana.
January 5, 2015 7:04 p.m.
ThisIsBullshit says... #11
Oh riiiiiight they can float mana.
Never mind guys I guess I'm just dumb lol
January 5, 2015 7:06 p.m.
Ok but think of it like this: you have a Pili-Pala and a Grand Architect on the field. You use their interaction to float 9000 Mana, play that, play a land and then play everything else in your hand before ending your turn. You literally lose all need for lands, your opponents won't be able to catch back up and you could potentially have enough to win the game in the next two to three turns. That's why its not fair. If it resolves, it's an instant win pretty much b
January 5, 2015 7:08 p.m.
Countertop says... #13
or alternatively, Maelstrom Wanderer, cascade into Upheaval, Upheaval resolves first, and then you have a 7/5 to deal with everyone at the table
January 5, 2015 7:27 p.m.
I'd love to be able to play this as a strict symmetrical effect. My playgroup plays with this retarded rule of no land-destruction, meaning there's very little I can do to interact with land-based strategies. This makes people be capable of pulling out absurd amounts of mana without others being able to stop them after their ramp resolves. When things like T1 Burgeoning nets these players a huge head-start and they follow it up with a Wheel of Fortune, they end up with 10 lands on T3 or 4. I'm just about done at that point. I feel cards like Armageddon help players either secure leads or have ways to shut down decks playing with 30 lands on the table.
Upheaval's still really broken in the format.
January 5, 2015 9:05 p.m.
ThisIsBullshit says... #15
No LD? What the heck? That's my favorite way to win!
January 5, 2015 9:10 p.m.
When anyone plays any amount of LD period, the first thoughts that go through their head is your username.
Upheaval basically can turn a game into solitaire. Basically, anything that turns your deck into solitaire is denying the spirit of the format and can literally make a bad reputation bubble around your playgroup. Try it, just mention making an Azami deck and watch how many people end up not showing up for EDH.
January 17, 2015 6:25 a.m.
Schuesseled says... #17
I think it had something to do with phasing out all your stuff before hand. At least with cards like Obliterate you can make your stuff indestructible to counter.
January 17, 2015 4:40 p.m.
Because that's a cool enough play to never be able to play with the same people again. Look, just don't do LD in EDH. Ever. It's a horrible idea and people who try it desire unfun upon their friends.
Epochalyptik says... #2
Lands.
January 5, 2015 6:36 p.m.