Council’s Judgment – Double Masters MTG Review

David
Fanany
Player
since
1995

I’m not surprised to see Council’s Judgment in the new Masters set, as it was an absolute game-changer in eternal formats. You’ll notice that voting doesn’t target, and neither does the exile effect – Paliano’s bureaucracy is so powerful that it can sometimes bypass indestructibility, hexproof, and even protection! In 1v1 games, it’s most often a near-unstoppable one-for-one, as your opponent will most likely vote for the same thing you did to avoid losing more than they have to. In multiplayer, it very quickly leads to chaotic situations with unexpected alliances (or at least temporary agreements!). All in all, Council’s Judgment is a very strong addition to white’s arsenal, and is relevant in almost any format or situation.

Constructed: 5/5
Casual: 4/5
Limited: 5/5
Multiplayer: 4/5
Commander: 4/5 

Despite its initial appearance in the multiplayer-centric Conspiracy, Council’s Judgment has shown up most often at Legacy tables (though it can still be quite good in Commander!). The key here is that it’s more or less a Vindicate that doesn’t target. It can’t hit lands, but anything else is fair game, and it’s a cool way to say “this is gone” for the low price of three mana. While it loses some gas in a multiplayer game, you can still force hard decisions as people decide which thing most troubles them, and something is going away all the same. It’s definitely a potent tool in the hands of a white player, and a reprint is lovely, as it’s always been a card where demand has remained slightly ahead of supply.

Constructed: 5
Casual: 3.5
Limited: 5 (removal is great, and this might be the best one in the set)
Multiplayer: 3.25
Commander: 3.75

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