So, the commander team released a beta for the Bracket system for commander, which is a guideline as to the powerlevel of EDH decks and the gameplay patterns which make up said brackets.
This deck is not only a fun little experiment but ALSO a critique of said bracket system, I do not mind it as a whole because the idea is actually fantastic, its better than the horrid 1-10 system we really used to have, but I have of course quite a few issues with how unspecific this is.
RULES AS WRITTEN, this is a Bracket 1 deck.
To be bracket 1; Exhibition, it needs the following requirements...
1. No mass land denial or extra turns (their are no mass land denial cards here, like mishra's helix or armageddon or winter orb or stasis)
2. No 2 card infinite combos (theirs not even a single infinite here to my knowledge)
3. No game changers (as per the most recent game changers list this has literally 0)
4. Few Tutors (what does this even mean? How many is few? Does it count fetch lands or terramorphic expanse? Does it count evolving wilds? This has 5 tutors and a few fetchlands, I think any table WOULD say 5/100 cards is in the catagory of Few tutors and I can't see a play group EVER truly saying that fetch lands are in the same catagory as tutors, and most the other tutors are JUST for lands, does farseek count as a tutor? Who knows.)
Meaning that, with the loose rules that the bracket system has, this is a bottom of the barrel Bracket 1 super casual deck...
Now lets dissect this.
1. Dark Depths + Thespian's Stage;
Just unsummon it I guess, or stifle the effect. Essentially with what Bracket 1 expects you to bring to the table however, these probably wont even happen. And with Crucible of Worlds, you can make a Marit Lage every turn if you have exploration up or Azusa.
2. Manabond + Field of the Dead
Turboing out in a 47 land deck your field of the dead and as many lands to activate it, plus something like Mikokoro or Mariposa Military Base is a one way ticket to taking over the game very quickly, and this isn't counting second sunrise and replenish plays off Zuran orb.
3. Bonney Pall, Amaranth, and Scroll Rack
This engine allows you to play as many lands per turn as possible to feed Field of the Dead or Mikokoro or anything else you want, leading to an immense amount of pressure especially with strip mine and wasteland and dust bowl. You can absolutely deny mana without making it "Mass Mana Denial" with these on the board which are pretty easy to get to all things considered.
4. Power cards like Sylvan Library
Why in God's name is green basically allowed to get away with war crimes on the Gamechanger list? Sylvan Library sets up Amaranth and Pell as well as Scroll Rack.
5. Reveal the top X cards...
This runs very little tutors, but it runs a lot of things that are in a way "searchers" where you can look at the top X cards and FIND something. This being said, it isn't a tutor, but with how much this deck CAN shuffle and use Fetch Lands to reset either Jace Brainstorm or Scroll Rack, the consistency is pretty good.
All in all, I beleive the Bracket system has a LOT of flaws that allow people to angle shoot as hard as humanly possible, compare this to any deck you would consider Bracket 1 and it's night and day what the capabilities can be. I hope the team either restricts what is truly on the Gamechanger list (why is force of will here? I get Fierce Guardianship but, really?). I like the Bracket system as a whole, but I couldn't help but point out something that autistic card game players will look at and take at face value as Rules as Written rather than the spirit of the game, ex; I'm autistic and did as such to show a percieved flaw.
With that being said, if you see something like this in your Bracket 1 playgroup, I am sorry, but it probably will happen unless you can explain to them the intent and spirit of Bracket 1. If not, then let's hope they are WAY more clear on what being in a specific bracket entails. I want to see a specific number for tutors, I want to see WHAT counts as mass land denial. I want to see what they think of 3 card infinite combos. Etc. Theirs a lot here that is nice, but it can of course be better.