Companionship

Well...

Everyone has raised quite the kerfuffle regarding the Companion mechanic, especially in Legacy.

And, I can't say they're wrong. In the first couple weeks of online events, it certainly looks like Lurrus of the Dream-Den is a massive offender, and coming in at a close second are Zidra, the Dawnwalker and Gyruda, Doom of Depths.

So, something is clearly going to have to be done about that. Maybe players will adapt and the format will evolve, just as it did with Miracles-another mechanic people insisted was 'unfun'. Maybe there's a way to blunt the impact Companions have. They haven't done anything about Oko, Thief of Crowns in Legacy yet and that card is just so...so bad.

Maybe not. But that's OK. I tend to come down on the side of Patrick Chapin here. It'll be fine and moreover, people should stop berating WotC for taking these kinds of risks. 

WotC should take risks, they should try mechanics that shake things up. Every mechanic breaks the rules. Pick your mechanic, and we can illustrate how it let's you do something that you couldn't do. That the whole point. We just don't remember most of them because they are a) uninteresting or b) not pushed very far. 90% of these mechanics are balanced for Limited, and now Commander, because that's where the money is. Insisting that they balance for Eternal formats is a logistical impossibility for Wizards to accomplish.

If everyone spends a month dealing with a mechanic that warps things because WotC took a risk and messed up the format; well, that's just the cost of doing business. It isn't the end of the world. Eternal formats need new blood and new ideas, just like Standard does and new cards that newer players can get their hands on and make weird decks with is just as important as reprints.

Other mechanics will come out of this, other mistakes will come out of this. But don't complain because they did something that "breaks the rules."

All the play has been online; how much money has been lost here, really? Nobody's having to sell Underground Seas because they aren't useful anymore. The "pillars" of the format that people invest in haven't gone anywhere. Let the format settle; if it doesn't evolve, fine call for the ban. You clearly won't be alone. But don't chastise WotC for doing things that break the rules and taking risks. That's their job.