Gifts Ungiven Pile Includes Griselbrand and Picture of Me Shushing You

Mike Carrozza • April 25, 2025

Opinion

MONTREAL, QC - April 22nd, 2025 - OPINION

The Commander Banned and Restricted Announcement has landed and players worldwide are rediscovering Coalition Victory and Braids, Cabal Minion to pop into the 99 of their decks. One other card being brought from the banned list to the Game Changers list is a card Frank Karsten has lots to say about. 

Gifts Ungiven coming off the banned list is a big deal for many players. Folks online are already trying to craft the perfect piles to offer their opponents. The cEDH community is likely locking itself in its room to experiment with different configurations of four cards. I think I have found the best one, but I just need one thing from everybody and that is...

Just...be cool, alright? 

Look, lots is changing in Commander and I could just really use the dopamine hit. Let me just have this. I never get to play Griselbrand and I'm basically begging at this point. Look, I know it's powerful, but he's just going into my graveyard with Dread Return, it's not a big deal. Just let it ride, it'll be fun. I love my Sedris, the Traitor King deck so much and Treasonous Ogre isn't scratching the same itch, so you know...let me please...just...cook?

Whatever! Griselbrand isn't technically unbanned, but it did get a reprint last year and new art and treatment and stuff. It's so cool and it's beautiful. Don't you want to see how beautiful my copy of Griselbrand is? I'll show you! You can see it...when I cast Gifts Ungiven.

Aw, come on, I thought we played for fun. I tried to find an actual card called "Be Cool" and then I searched Scryfall for cards with the word "ignore" in the name. Did you know when you look up "ignore" on Scryfall, you just get a bunch of Italian cards with "Signore" in the name? 

How about a classic? Bribery...and it's yours to keep! But only the Commander Masters version. I don't have the Masques one anymore. This is going to cost me a fortune. 

But look at how many cards I have in hand. 

Please don't Bolt me. 

Mike Carrozza

Mike Carrozza

Mike Carrozza is a stand-up comedian from Montreal who’s done a lot of cool things like put out an album called Cherubic and worked with Tig Notaro, Kyle Kinane, and more people to brag about. He’s also been an avid EDH player who loves making silly stuff happen. @mikecarrozza on platforms. Check out the Am I The Bolcast? podcast based on his series Am I The Bolas? where people send in stories about whether or not they're the bad guy!