Storm Genesis
Bryant's Pile of Broken introduces Dimir storm to cEDH with Tendrils, Tidespout Tyrant, Ad Nauseam, and High Tide.
Zur & Sharuum Primer Era
Sharuum and Zur get primers, showcasing early stax and Necropotence-based strategies.
Hermit Druid Awakens
Scion Hermit Druid combo emerges with Necrotic Ooze and Dread Return.
Lab Maniac & New Legends
Lab Maniac boosts Doomsday and Hermit Druid decks. Mimeoplasm, Animar, Karador, and Edric join the format.
Deadeye Loops
Deadeye Navigator and Mikaeus enable new infinite combos. Scion Hermit Druid becomes infamous.
Commander Explosion
Jeleva, Derevi, Prossh, and Marath emerge as strong commanders. 1v1 bans follow.
Boonweaver Dominance
Boonweaver combo puts Karador on top. Teferi/Chain Veil, Narset Turns, and Sidisi FC rise. Brago and Yisan debut.
Refinement Phase
Tasigur and JVP see play. Meta begins to stabilize after explosive changes in prior years.
Engine Era Begins
Dramatic Scepter, Partners, Gitrog, Leovold, and Food Chain Tazri decks take off. Selvala joins the pool.
Hulk Returns
Protean Hulk is unbanned and Leovold is banned, opening the Flash Hulk era.
The Partner Era
Partner commanders from Commander 2016 (Thrasios, Tymna, Kraum, Vial Smasher) become the backbone of the meta.
Paradox Engine Banned
Paradox Engine is banned. Commander 2019 brings Dockside Extortionist.
Thassa's Oracle and the Flash Ban
Thassa's Oracle (January) turns Demonic Consultation and Tainted Pact into two-card wins. Flash is banned in April, ending Flash Hulk. Ikoria brings Kinnan, and Commander Legends (November) brings Rograkh and Jeweled Lotus.
Settling In
Partner pairs built around Rograkh, Thrasios and Tymna lead the field, alongside Kinnan and Najeela.
Bowmasters
The Lord of the Rings brings Orcish Bowmasters (June), which quickly becomes a staple.
The Big Bans
Modern Horizons 3 (June) brings Borne Upon a Wind and Nadu, Winged Wisdom. On September 23 the Rules Committee bans Mana Crypt, Dockside Extortionist, Jeweled Lotus and Nadu. On September 30 it hands the format to Wizards of the Coast, which forms the Commander Format Panel in October.
Brackets
Wizards introduces brackets and the Game Changers list in February; cEDH is Bracket 5. In April it unbans Gifts Ungiven, Sway of the Stars, Braids, Coalition Victory and Panoptic Mirror. In October it redefines brackets by how long a game should last.
First Unbans Under Wizards
In February Biorhythm is unbanned and Lutri becomes banned only as a companion.