These are all very valid points, and the discontent on Twitter, Facebook groups and Reddit alike is enough to show that it's a heated topic. For
Paradox Engine, not so much
Iona, Shield of Emeria seeing as she saw little to no play by comparison.
Not that financial value should be a huge factor in the banning or unbanning of something, but it's been stated before that "Perceived barrier for entry" was a part of the reason some of the older cards aren't eligible for unbanning. An easy
Million dollars was lost today in collection value, now that these 2 cards aren't legal in Commander. Where will
Paradox Engine fall to? Previously $35-40, now to be what? $5-10? Outside of literally casual, kitchen table magic, when does this see play again with it on the banned list? Now
Painter's Servant is $50-60 each in the blink of an eye.
What gets me the most is Sheldon's recent revision to
"The Philosophy of Commander", where the criteria for banning consideration is more loose in that it's not the end all be all, but there are readily available examples of cards that, by the listing itself, are banning candidates...
"• Cause severe resource imbalances
• Allow players to win out of nowhere
• Prevent players from contributing to the game in a meaningful way.
• Cause other players to feel they must play certain cards, even though they are also problematic.
• Are very difficult for other players to interact with, especially if doing so requires dedicated, narrow responses when deck-building.
• Interact poorly with the multiplayer nature of the format or the specific rules of Commander.
• Lead to repetitive game play."
Of those
Palinchron,
Cyclonic Rift,
Omniscience and many others of other colors, have the problems of 3 or more of the bullets listed above.
Banning a powerful, value engine piece that required multiple other pieces that enabled mana production and card draw to "get there" in lieu of
Painter's Servant is a mistake. Engine is available in all colors in a format that is so easily broken by 2 card combos. Was it so ubiquitous that it overshadowed the usual offender boogeymen?
*
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed +
Triskelion*
Isochron Scepter +
Dramatic Reversal*
Exquisite Blood +
Sanguine Bond*
Leyline of the Void/
Rest in Peace +
Helm of Obedience* etc.
Grindstone,
Llawan, Cephalid Empress,
Wash Out, and
Hibernation are examples of cards that are easily abusable with Servant, and blue can tutor for 3 out of those 4 (with one being a commander option).
When that many of the Rules Committee members have been against Servant being unbanned, only for them to do a 180 years later when the only color hosing card to be banned before it got off the banned list was Iona? It doesn't add up.