Magic: The Gathering's EDH Rules Committee Will Be "Observing" Orcish Bowmasters

It is now the first few days after The Lord of the Rings prerelease weekend, to the delight and dismay of many players who just couldn't wait any longer. As the first few card packs are opened, and the new strategies are properly tested out for the first time, the most immediate feedback and first impressions hit the forums, stores and kitchens.

Though the first bouts of feedback have been overwhelmingly positive, there are some cards which are drawing attention because of their rarity (such as the 1/1 One Ring), incredible artwork and potential in collector's troves, and, finally, because of their downright strong mechanics.

Different cards will be strong in different settings, and as Commander is one of the first formats to gather more attention as one of the most casual and accessible formats, it is to no one's surprise that the first few real complaints regarding The Lord of the Rings set have been about cards predominantly used in Commander.

These two cards have been so strong that they gathered the attention of the EDH Rules Committee, which is responsible for assessing the health of the format and handling future bans.

The two cards that have been catching the eye of players and the Committee are Orcish Bowmasters and Mirkwood Bats.

In a recent quarterly update, the Committee addressed some concerns about these two cards, which have been gathering attention on social media.

Below this description, the Committee made the argument that, overall, The Lord of the Rings set has been excellent for players who want to "tell stories through their deckbuilding".

There has been mention of another The Lord of the Rings mechanic, "The Ring Tempts You". According to the Committee, no changes are necessary for this to function, unlike Dungeons, which had to be carefully outlined.

What about you? What do you think of these cards? Are they ban-worthy? Leave your opinion in the comment section!