What's your opinion on banding in commander

I’m not sure I understand the question. I’m all for players using cards with banding in the Commander format if they so desire.

Hi Mark!Which is more likely?• Functional banding on attack only• Functional banding on defense only?It could be as small as a single card or as big as keyworded mechanic, and exactly banding or simply a cleaner functional way to say either "If any member of the group becomes blocked by a creature, they all become blocked by that creature", or "when blocking a creature with a group, you assign combat damage" l.

The offensive quality of banding was much better gameplay than the defensive quality. I doubt we’ll bring back a functional replacement, but we’ll make inspired mechanics like enlist.

Should it still be called the storm scale when new cards in standard sets occasionally have almost the exact rules text for storm written out on them? Thousand year storm and show of confidence are both cards that were put into standard that either have or grant an ability that is (almost) just storm. I know storm counts any spell and those two cards only see instants and sorceries, but in modern and legacy, storm decks tend to run almost exclusively instants and sorceries, with the only permanent spells being cards that enable them to cast more instants and sorceries. I know inertia is a powerful thing and you almost certainly won’t rename it, but I feel like a better name would be something like “the ante scale” or “banding scale”. What do you think?

Things that are 10 can appear in Standard-legal sets. Die-rolling is the example. So, even if exact Storm showed up in a premier set, I’m not planning to change the name of the scale. Word equity is important.

Banding is my favorite mechanic. Is there a chance we ever see it again in something that is legal in commander/legacy?

I never say never, but it is a longshot. Souvenir T-Shirt from Unhinged for a while had the mechanic “branding” which was exactly banding. We had a few playtests with it, and it made it clear that banding is a hard mechanic to play properly.

As a banding expert, does it ever irk you that people think banding is entirely useless?I find it cool defensively as one of the few anti-trample techs even if I never use it personally

The problem with banding, beyond most players not knowing how it works, is that it’s too good on the defense.

Hello Mark! If/when/already happened: card with an ability that is a very obvious nod to banding for those who know, but won't confuse the general player base?

Already happened. Enlist from Dominaria United was basically a “fixed” banding.

Will the keyword Banding ever come back as a plane mechanic? Also Shadow?

The former is highly unlikely, while the latter is just unlikely.

Trivia question for you. Complete this sequence: white taps creatures, blue bounces islands, black pays life, red sacrifices mountains...

Green gives the opponent life.

Nature's Blessing has only one paper printing and its text is: "{G}{W}: Choose and discard a card from your had to have target creature gain banding, first strike, or trample or get a +1/+1 counter." Since before keyword counter were a thing I used glass beads with 'banding' or the other keywords to mark this change to the creature since this effect lasts indefinitely, and the wording (although cumbersome) does suggest using counters. What do you suggest I do to avoid misrepresenting the card?

Using glass beads is fine. Just be aware they aren’t technically counters for cards that mechanically care about counters.

when people ask for a maybe it basically means nothing, right? I could ask for a maybe for banding coming to standard soon, and you could answer 'maybe'

It gives them hope. : )It’s not a promise of anything.