<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student" href="#" target="_blank">Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/magali_villeneuve/?hl=en">Magali Villeneuve</a></em></p>
<p><em>Salutations et bienvenue</em>, my dear brewers, to a somewhat different piece than usual. Today, I'm not making a tight budget deck, nor am I building Power Rangers X Teletubbies (seriously, please don't ask for that).</p>
<p>No, today, I'd like to share my thoughts as a somewhat seasoned player with both American and French communities. While I believe any Commander player shares something with the rest of the base, there are some differences, significant enough that I feel like sharing some thoughts. And since most of you are probably more used to playing with people from the United States of the North of America That Stands Under Canada And Above Mexico On A World Map, I'm going to focus more on the French behaviour.</p>
<p>Please bear in mind these considerations are 100% empirical, and are not based on any scientific study or statistical analyses.</p>
<p>I only hope you'll take all of this with a grain of salt.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Difference #1 – Power Creep</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Apex of Power"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Overpowering Attack"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Power Matrix"></div></div>
<p>Let's start with what I believe is the most obvious trait. The one major, massive, humongous difference between American and French players is the latter's propensity to play powerful decks.</p>
<p>Now don't get me wrong. I've encountered several players here and there in the Anglosaxon world that enjoyed taking their super-duper cEDH-or-almost-there deck for a spin. But my general experience has been skewed towards Bracket 2 to mid-Bracket 3 decks, rather than going Bruce Almighty.</p>
<p>That's not quite the case with French people. Be it in local game stores or online, most of the players I've encountered have had a huge tendency to play powerful and oppressive strategies.</p>
<p>Allow me to share three anecdotes to illustrate this.</p>
<p>1) I used to play with a very nice guy. Let's call him Lionel. Lionel was what you may call <em>"un builder fou", </em>a mad brewer. He liked to try wild strategies and was skilled enough to turn them into real churning machines.</p>
<p>I distinctly remember him coming to my house one day with what he called a "<em>tame <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student" href="#" target="_blank">Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>". "Don't worry, I've built this with what I had lying around, it's not that good", </em>he said, as I was trying to play my <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Edric, Spymaster of Trest" href="#" target="_blank">Edric, Spymaster of Trest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> very low-to-the-ground budget brew. Suffice it to say the game did not last more than six turns before he soft-locked us all.</p>
<p>2) Sacri is another such example. This hunk of meat is one of the kindest guys I know (not to mention a phenomenal medieval fencer, but I digress). He also likes to play with power. <em>"This deck? Nah, it only has six or seven combos, it's not that fast. Huh, what's a Bracket?" </em>I would love nothing more to tell you that all of this is pure invention. But my bottom still remembers the double-smacking it received when he proceeded to win two games in a row on turn 4. And that wasn't even his best.</p>
<p>3) How about random groups then? During summer holidays in Southern France – just left of the middle of nowhere – I heard about a group that played on Friday evenings.</p>
<p>Let's slide over the guy who insisted on playing Duel with his tuned deck against my B2 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Shirei, Shizo&#039;s Caretaker" href="#" target="_blank">Shirei</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, to focus on the one I'll call <em>Mr. Stax. </em>I was already nervous when I saw <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oloro, Ageless Ascetic" href="#" target="_blank">Oloro, Ageless Ascetic</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in the command zone. Again, he told the table <em>"everything's fine". </em>Before casting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Armageddon" href="#" target="_blank">Armageddon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and then <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Limited Resources" href="#" target="_blank">Limited Resources</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>When I pointed out that card was actually banned in commander, he almost started to sulk for not being able to play annoying cards. Again, true story.</p>
<p>I could go on with the local commander tournaments that focused on fun-plays-and-no-cEDH-because-no-way-but-please-vote-for-the-funniest-deck-oh-wait-why-are-you-comboing-off. Or that very nice guy who could not help but chuckle when someone played something sub-optimally.</p>
<p>I'm not trying here to compete for the Bolas among Bolases. My point with all this is rather simple : most French players love their power plays. So if you ever happen to play with random people in a French LGS, make sure you do a thorough Rule 0 talk before starting, or you may be in for a nasty surprise.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Difference #2 – Language and manners</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Saltblast"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Brash Taunter"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rowdy Crew"></div></div>
<p>This one may come (or not) as a surprise. French people are known for being rowdy. I've met Americans that consider us downright offensive and rude. To whom I'll respond that we simply don't beat around the bush, but I digress (again).</p>
<p>Well, Commander is no different. We call ourselves names <em>–Ah mais t'es un gros enculé en fait ; Ah le bâtaaaard !!!* – </em>and trash talk is rather commonplace, much more so than with Americans.</p>
<p>I have a hypothesis that can partly explain this. In French, we distinguish the "tu" and "vous". The first is colloquial, for close friends, and the "vous" is more formal, when there's a distance between the speakers.</p>
<p>In English however, there's only the "you", used for all situations. Since <em>Magic</em> is a social game, players always use the "tu" around the table. This leads to more relaxed social interactions, and possibly extended banter and name-calling. That's just an idea, and I'm no scholar, so feel free to prove me wrong if you have more knowledge on this!</p>
<p>Now, I'm not saying that's never the case elsewhere. But in almost all my games online on American servers, be it with newcomers or old chums, I've never ever heard that kind of language (barring a couple of bad experiences).</p>
<p>To a foreigner, this might seem weird, appalling even. I can't blame you. Nevertheless, in most cases what happens at the table stays at the table. I may occasionally call someone a haemorrhoidal asshole, that won't stop us from sharing a beer afterwards.</p>
<p>Don't take everything that French people say too seriously, and most of all don't expect us to sugar-coat anything.</p>
<p>*No, I won't translate this, not here. If you're that curious, Gtranslate it.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Difference #3 – Duel Commander</h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Keen Duelist"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Dueling Grounds"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Trueheart Duelist"></div></div>
<p>It's no coincidence that Duel Commander is also colloquially called French Commander, and is played basically only in France, aside from a few other exotic locations.</p>
<p>I was there when the format began, and while I haven't played in a while, I've battled against a few decks, enough to make up my own mind.</p>
<p>What first started as a 30-life duel quickly went down to 20, with some of the most brutally oppressive strategies I've seen in this game. It's also a format that openly bans some cards as commander only, but not in the 99.</p>
<p>I won't delve too deeply on this topic, as I've lost interest rather quickly. I'm also not going down the rabbit hole of the endless controversies it has suffered, especially the various shitstorms against the rules committee. Like all formats, it has its ups and its downs.</p>
<p>What I find most interesting is how closely it ties in with the first point. Duel Commander is an extremely competitive format, eager to beat down on whatever stands in its way.</p>
<p>Somehow, I find it not too dissimilar to what Legacy has become, only with singleton 100-card decks rather than the usual 60. This is rather fitting with what I was illustrating above, with the French propensity to lean towards high power.</p>
<hr />
<h2>Conclusion – <em>Cordialement de va te faire cuire un oeuf</em></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Taunting Elf"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jabs, Mistress of Mockery"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Impractical Joke"></div></div>
<p>I hope you enjoyed this somewhat tumultuous journey in the French meta.</p>
<p>Again, I insist that you should take all of this with a grain (or a teaspoon) of salt. These few comments are based solely on my experience in the 30 years or so I've been playing this game.</p>
<p>I'm positive there are a bajillion counter-examples to everything I've said. And I'm not saying that each and every French player answers to those criteria.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, I'm rather positive on the general trend.</p>
<p>How about you? Have you had similar experiences with the <em>Gaulois</em>? Have you played with the most charming and exquisite persons?</p>
<p>Let me know in the comments below, and I'll see you next week!</p>


The Sodium Content Difference Between USA and France

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emeritus of Woe" href="#" target="_blank">Emeritus of Woe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://jodiemuir.squarespace.com/">Jodie Muir</a></em></p>
<p>Are you a fan of salty food? A good potato chip, or maybe a nice hot pretzel? Everyone likes a different amount of salt on their food, just as everyone enjoys a different level of salt in their game of Commander. Every year, EDHREC puts out a vote to gauge how un-fun (i.e., salty) cards are to play against. That vote is then turned into the <a href="https://edhrec.com/top/salt">Salt Score</a>, and every single year the same type of cards rise to the top of the rankings. But should they? I have taken it upon myself to tell you, <em>the community</em>: you got it wrong!</p>
<p>That's right, the 2025 votes may be in, but they are not as salty as you think. So let's change up the seasoning of this dish while I tell you the 10 High-Salt Cards the Community Got Wrong last year.</p>
<h2>The Cards</h2>
<h3><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclonic Rift" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclonic Rift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></strong></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cyclonic Rift"></div></div>
<p><strong>Salt Score: 2.36</strong></p>
<p>Time to start with the biggest and baddest card on the list: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclonic Rift" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclonic Rift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. One of the saltiest cards year after year, a card on the <a href="https://edhrec.com/top/game-changers">Game Changers</a> list, and a constant topic of a card that should be banned. So why would I say that the community got this one wrong?</p>
<p>There are a few reasons. The first is a bit of a memory issue. There was a time when Cyclonic Rift might have been the single best card in Commander. Today, I don't think that could be said with any real seriousness. Crazy cards are printed multiple times a year, and while Rift is still good, it has fallen off as the years go on.</p>
<p>Secondly, people play this card wrong all the time. While overloading this card and bouncing everyone's boards, using this as just a <span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-1" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> bounce spell is often better than hoping you can hold out and get to the overload.</p>
<p>Lastly, decks today don't need to branch out to as many permanent types as they used to when searching for specific effects.</p>
<p>Redundancy in card effects means that for some decks it might be better to run cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Evacuation" href="#" target="_blank">Evacuation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Wash Out" href="#" target="_blank">Wash Out</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and get that Game Changer slot back.</p>
<h3><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aura Shards" href="#" target="_blank">Aura Shards</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></strong></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Aura Shards"></div></div>
<p><strong>Salt Score: 2.18</strong></p>
<p>When was the last time that you saw this card in play? When you did, how long did it take for the person controlling this card to stop using it?</p>
<p>I'd say the answer to my first question is no, and the answer to the second is very quickly.</p>
<p>The easiest reason the community got this card's salt rating wrong is that it comes with a may ability. Most decks would be better off running creatures or single-target removal to pick off pesky artifacts and enchantments.</p>
<p>You don't need this card in your decks. If anything, it puts a massive target on your back for the other three players because the effect is strong, but the person who should be salty about it is the card's controller.</p>
<h3><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mindslaver" href="#" target="_blank">Mindslaver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></strong></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mindslaver"></div></div>
<p><strong>Salt Score: 1.98</strong></p>
<p>The only situation where this card should be considered salty is if a player can loop it and turn a Commander game into a true game of solitaire.</p>
<p>I'll admit I don't like my turn being stolen, but when you get down to the nitty-gritty of it, this card is not that much different than someone taking all your creatures with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Insurrection" href="#" target="_blank">Insurrection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. If a player wanted to make a four-player pod a single-player experience, they should just play cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temporal Manipulation" href="#" target="_blank">Temporal Manipulation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nexus of Fate" href="#" target="_blank">Nexus of Fate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>Cards like Mindslaver and others sharing the same effects (<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Worst Fears" href="#" target="_blank">Worst Fears</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emrakul, the Promised End" href="#" target="_blank">Emrakul, the Promised End</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>) make for some of the most memorable game moments.</p>
<h3><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deadpool, Trading Card" href="#" target="_blank">Deadpool, Trading Card</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></strong></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deadpool, Trading Card"></div></div>
<p><strong>Salt Score: 1.90</strong></p>
<p>Is this card a bit of an annoyance? Yes, but not for the reason that you want it to be.</p>
<p>The effect is pretty trivial. When used on your commander, it is about the same as getting hit with a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Darksteel Mutation" href="#" target="_blank">Darksteel Mutation</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Song of the Dryads" href="#" target="_blank">Song of the Dryads</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. What actually makes you think this card is salty is the strategy that often dominates red deck strategies: <a href="https://edhrec.com/tags/clones">clones</a>.</p>
<p>Yes, you are reading that correctly: clones in red. While blue will never be outdone when it comes to clones, just look at some of the top commanders for the strategy.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Etali, Primal Conqueror"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Obeka, Brute Chronologist"></div></div>
<p>My point is that you don't hate Deadpool, Trading Card, because it is good. You hate playing against clones, and to a lesser extent, you might hate this card because it is a Universes Beyond card, and I don't have time to get into that.</p>
<h3><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Boil" href="#" target="_blank">Boil</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> / <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Boiling Seas" href="#" target="_blank">Boiling Seas</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> / <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tsunami" href="#" target="_blank">Tsunami</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></strong></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Boil"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Boiling Seas"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Tsunami"></div></div>
<p><strong>Salt Score: 1.87 / 1.76 / 1.64</strong></p>
<p>For as much as people say they hate the color blue, I was surprised that all of these destroy-all-Island cards were not higher on the list.</p>
<p>Could it be that all of these cards are bad? Or maybe, thanks to the <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/wotc-introduces-new-bracket-system-for-edh?utm_source=edhrec">Bracket system</a>, mass land destruction is relegated to Bracket 4 and above, and these cards are even worse at higher power?</p>
<p>The answer is yes to both. If you truly want to play some land hate similar to the cards above, here is what you should play.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Acid Rain"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Return of the Nightstalkers"></div></div>
<p>Why are both of these just okay cards, and why should you play them? You can force them to work against the entire table no matter what colors they are or aren't playing, thanks to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth" href="#" target="_blank">Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth" href="#" target="_blank">Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p>While I wouldn't suggest playing any of this land-type hate, playing the ones you can force to work is better than the ones you can't.</p>
<h3><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emrakul, the World Anew" href="#" target="_blank">Emrakul, the World Anew</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></strong></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Emrakul, the World Anew"></div></div>
<p><strong>Salt Score: 1.83</strong></p>
<p>One of the weakest of the giant spaghetti monsters, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emrakul, the World Anew" href="#" target="_blank">Emrakul, the World Anew</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> doesn't need to be close to the salty cards.</p>
<p>It is one of the worst ways to steal all of the creatures that a single player controls. There are many better things that you can do for 12 mana.</p>
<p>Sure, it has a madness cost, but even then you need six ◊ mana specifically to cast it that way. If this card is your commander, then it might as well not even have the madness ability.</p>
<p>If this were any of the other versions of the Eldrazi Mom, I could see them making the list — even the brand new one, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Emrakul, the Exigent Doom" href="#" target="_blank">Emrakul, the Exigent Doom</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. But not here, not the World Anew.</p>
<h3><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Consecrated Sphinx" href="#" target="_blank">Consecrated Sphinx</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></strong></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Consecrated Sphinx"></div></div>
<p><strong>Salt Score: 1.80</strong></p>
<p>This card only draws cards.</p>
<p><span class="mana-container-container"><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-4" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span><span class="mana-container"><i class="ms ms-cost ms-u" style="margin-left: inherit !important;"></i></span></span> for a 4/6 flyer that draws you some extra cards. I'd never call this card bad, but seeing this card on not only the <a href="https://edhrec.com/top/game-changers">Game Changers</a> list, but the saltiest cards list is baffling to me.</p>
<p>Like Cyclonic Rift, this card holds a spot deep within the minds of long-time Commander players. Those who were around when the game was referred to as EDH exclusively still remember this card being a menace.</p>
<p>But as I said above for Rift, this card just hasn't held up over time. Unlike Rift, this card has held up even worse. I haven't seen this card hit a table in more than five years, and I don't expect to see it outside of a Cube Draft or someone playing Sphinx typal.</p>
<h3><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oko, Thief of Crowns" href="#" target="_blank">Oko, Thief of Crowns</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></strong></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oko, Thief of Crowns"></div></div>
<p><strong>Salt Score: 1.71</strong></p>
<p>We all need to forget the crimes this card committed when it was legal in Standard.</p>
<p>In a one-vs.-one setting, this card is a menace to society and should be treated with the highest hostility. When it comes to Commander, this card should see more play.</p>
<p>This is an underplayed card in Commander because it is better than most planeswalkers at staying alive thanks to high loyalty and two abilities that add loyalty.</p>
<p>However, with how little people play planeswalkers, and for the few who reach for this card when they do, it shouldn't be considered a salty card. I can't stop you from punishing it for the crimes it committed in other formats, however.</p>
<h3><strong><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale" href="#" target="_blank">The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></strong></h3>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale"></div></div>
<p><strong>Salt Score: 2.68</strong></p>
<p>I try my best to avoid factoring in price when talking about cards. But for this card, you have to consider price.</p>
<p>This isn't a card you see at the table. If you tell me that you see it at the table, I don't believe you. If you tell me you play this card, I want you to show it to me. After that, I require a detailed essay on why this card is worth running in your deck above anything else you could play. Sure, it can cripple a token deck, and if for some reason you are playing no creatures at all, then why not run it?</p>
<p>Maybe because it costs $3,000.</p>
<p>For a land that doesn't tap for mana and, in most cases, doesn't push your game plan forward, this card is not even worth it to Sharpie onto a basic land. While MLD is frowned upon, more people should be playing single-target land hate, not for this card but for <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx" href="#" target="_blank">Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cabal Coffers" href="#" target="_blank">Cabal Coffers</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Pack a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ghost Quarter" href="#" target="_blank">Ghost Quarter</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Field of Ruin" href="#" target="_blank">Field of Ruin</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, or any of the other cards like them, and hit someone who plays this card where it hurts: their wallet.</p>
<h2>Wrap Up</h2>
<p>The Salt Score will look different for every player. Something that bothers me might be no big deal to you. But as a community of players, we need to admit that some of these cards may be on the list because of overreactions or misplaced feelings. Subpar play, memories of a time gone by, misplaced format hate, and some people just being wrong have affected the rankings found on the list.</p>
<p>I believe we can fix this in 2026 if we work together. So this year, vote with your head, not just your heart. When you see <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vivi Ornitier" href="#" target="_blank">Vivi Ornitier</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Tergrid, God of Fright" href="#" target="_blank">Tergrid, God of Fright</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> come up during the vote, please vote accordingly. When <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> appears on the screen, vote... the same way you always do; that card is the worst.</p>
<p>Don't for a second believe that I would tell you how to vote. Vote with your heart and your head. I promise you that if Zacama, Primal Calamity comes up, I will give it the highest score possible. Use salt sparingly when cooking and voting on <em>Magic</em> cards.</p>
<h3>The <a href="https://edhrec.com/salt">2026 Salt Score polls</a> are now open. Vote now! Vote often!</h3>


10 High-Salt Cards the Community Got Wrong

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teferi&#039;s Protection" href="#" target="_blank">Teferi&#039;s Protection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.chasestoneart.com/">Chase Stone</a></em></p>
<p>It’s Salt Score voting week at EDHREC, and this time of data collection is also a time of data reflection! I've pored over 2025’s Salt Scores and dug up the 10 most played of the Top 100 Saltiest Cards. I'm here to note how salty they are and why they still see so much play in comparison to others on their list. Let’s drink a big glass of water and dive in.</p>
<h2>#10 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Orcish Bowmasters" href="#" target="_blank">Orcish Bowmasters</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Orcish Bowmasters"></div></div>
<p><strong>Deck Count: 405,957</strong></p>
<p><strong>Salt Score: 2.07</strong></p>
<p><strong>Salt Ranking: 46</strong></p>
<p>Commander players love drawing cards. Out of the top 50 creatures played in the format, 20 of them only have 1 toughness, so the Orc can usually kill something valuable outright. And if there isn’t a target when the card is drawn? It can still go face. All while growing its Orc Army!</p>
<p>Why the salt? It’s too much value for too little mana — and on a reactive, controlling piece to boot.</p>
<h2>#9 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Force of Will" href="#" target="_blank">Force of Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Force of Will"></div></div>
<p><strong>Deck Count: 473,002</strong></p>
<p><strong>Salt Score: 2.01</strong></p>
<p><strong>Salt Ranking: 55</strong></p>
<p>Can anything new be said about Force? It’s the first free counterspell ever printed and remains one of the best. Needing to have another blue card in hand isn’t hard (but not a cakewalk, as demonstrated by it being in the bottom half of salty).</p>
<p>Why the salt? It’s a free counterspell. Looking for a shields moment in the blue player(s) and going for it only to hear “Force” is gut-churning.</p>
<h2>#8 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Farewell" href="#" target="_blank">Farewell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Farewell"></div></div>
<p><strong>Deck Count: 518,178 </strong></p>
<p><strong>Salt Score: 2.13</strong></p>
<p><strong>Salt Ranking: 41</strong></p>
<p>This is the newest card of the top 10. It is a true board wipe, getting rid of basically every major permanent type and graveyards for good measure. For six mana, it’s very attainable in most games. Its high usage can also be attributed to being included in several different commander precons across the last few years.</p>
<p>Why’s it salty? Compare this to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Worldfire" href="#" target="_blank">Worldfire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sway of the Stars" href="#" target="_blank">Sway of the Stars</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Farewell isn’t a full game reset in the same way that those cards are, but this is damning with faint praise. “Choose up to two modes” would have gone a long way to making this card feel better to play against.</p>
<h2>#7 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Drain" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Drain</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mana Drain"></div></div>
<p><strong>Deck Count: 706,609</strong></p>
<p><strong>Salt Score: 1.89</strong></p>
<p><strong>Salt Ranking: 69</strong></p>
<p>Interesting note: this is the least salty card in the list.</p>
<p>This is the most busted counterspell that’s not free. Before Wizards of the Coast started making supplemental draft products, Mark Rosewater famously said that all of R&amp;D would have to be run over by a bus for this card to be reprinted. Even if you don’t have a use for the mana, it’s still <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Counterspell" href="#" target="_blank">Counterspell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, one of the most played cards of all time. “You're welcome for the convenience.”</p>
<p>This being on the lower end of salt feels like it’s being compared to the free counterspells.</p>
<h2>#6 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teferi&#039;s Protection" href="#" target="_blank">Teferi&#039;s Protection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Teferi&#039;s Protection"></div></div>
<p><strong>Deck Count: 731,446</strong></p>
<p><strong>Salt Score: 2.13</strong></p>
<p><strong>Salt Ranking: 39</strong></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teferi&#039;s Protection" href="#" target="_blank">Teferi&#039;s Protection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a three-mana <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fog" href="#" target="_blank">Fog</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>… or a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Heroic Intervention" href="#" target="_blank">Heroic Intervention</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> that also dodges <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Farewell" href="#" target="_blank">Farewell</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. And for good measure, it protects you from <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Banefire" href="#" target="_blank">Banefire</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> of all things, a card that can’t be countered and whose damage can’t be prevented. This card looks at both of those lines of text and laughs. It’s shockingly versatile and that versatility brings with it a sense of “oh, of course, this card again”.</p>
<p>This versatility is why it’s so salty. Counterspells are commonly cited as the most frustrating card type that R&amp;D consistently supports, and the big T-Prot here acts as a counterspell in most situations while also being able to interact with a developed board state.</p>
<h2>#5 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The One Ring" href="#" target="_blank">The One Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="The One Ring"></div></div>
<p><strong>Deck Count: 798,000</strong></p>
<p><strong>Salt Score: 2.55</strong></p>
<p><strong>Salt Ranking: 14</strong></p>
<p>What do you mean it’s an insane draw engine stapled to half of a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teferi&#039;s Protection" href="#" target="_blank">Teferi&#039;s Protection</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and it costs generic mana? Look, the card is at its best when you can untap it or flicker it, but even a “fair” One Ring is going to take over the game by drawing an obscene amount of cards in no time flat.</p>
<p>Most likely reasons for saltiness: the price tag, generic mana cost, and everything written on the card.</p>
<h2>#4 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Fierce Guardianship" href="#" target="_blank">Fierce Guardianship</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Fierce Guardianship"></div></div>
<p><strong>Deck Count: 855,000</strong></p>
<p><strong>Salt Score: 2.30</strong></p>
<p><strong>Salt Ranking: 27</strong></p>
<p>The second card in this list to be originally printed in a precon! The cycle of “if you control a commander” free spells from<em> Commander 2020</em> have had a big impact on the format, to say the least. Not only is this comparable to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Force of Will" href="#" target="_blank">Force of Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, it compares favorably because I wouldn’t feel terrible about hard-casting this in a pinch.</p>
<p>Why the salt? A free counterspell, and easier than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Force of Will" href="#" target="_blank">Force of Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The high amount of play despite the high amount of salt can mostly be chalked up to relative availabilities. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Force of Will" href="#" target="_blank">Force of Will</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is in just a little over half as many decks, so it isn’t as visible.</p>
<h2>#3 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smothering Tithe" href="#" target="_blank">Smothering Tithe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Smothering Tithe"></div></div>
<p><strong>Deck Count: 932,000</strong></p>
<p><strong>Salt Score: 2.58</strong></p>
<p><strong>Salt Ranking: 12</strong></p>
<p>Here we are, in the big 3, with a card that’s nearly in the top 10 saltiest cards. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smothering Tithe" href="#" target="_blank">Smothering Tithe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> turns your opponents’ draws into taxation or Treasure for only four mana, with one white pip to be seen. That obscene tax rate of two mana per draw makes this a Treasure-dumping machine. The high splashability means there’s virtually no cost of inclusion for deckbuilding.</p>
<p>Why the salt? Too much value for its mana cost, and the constant questioning is like driving on a highway that suddenly has speed bumps.</p>
<h2>#2 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Cyclonic Rift" href="#" target="_blank">Cyclonic Rift</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cyclonic Rift"></div></div>
<p><strong>Deck Count: 1,008,000</strong></p>
<p><strong>Salt Score: 2.36</strong></p>
<p><strong>Salt Ranking: 22</strong></p>
<p>The first card of the list to break a million decks, Cyclonic Rift used to be <i>the</i> salt-inducing card. It was a consistent top 10 for the first few years of the Salt List.</p>
<p>The instant speed one-sided board wipe in blue for seven mana, or a perfectly serviceable <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Disperse" href="#" target="_blank">Disperse</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> in a pinch. The best C-Rifts are those used to clear the way for victory, but… all too often it’s a dead card because the player isn’t actually at seven mana, or else they deploy it while behind and just grind the game to a halting “do it again, but more frantically”.</p>
<p>Yeesh. The only thing worse than this is…</p>
<p>Oh dear sweet mother of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The Ur-Dragon" href="#" target="_blank">The Ur-Dragon</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (61st-saltiest card, by the way, at 1.97)… Let’s take a break first.</p>
<h2>Honorable Mentions</h2>
<p>The EDHREC Salt Score list includes every card that has some salt votes on it. I chose to limit my scope to the Top 100 for reasons of breadth of coverage as well as cohesiveness. (Did you know <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Not on My Watch" href="#" target="_blank">Not on My Watch</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> has a 1.14 Salt Score… making it higher than <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait" href="#" target="_blank">Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> at 1.13? Strange!) However, I will take a moment to highlight some of the most-played cards from the general list here (and note where they would have roughly been placed had they been included).</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Mystic Remora"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Esper Sentinel"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Deflecting Swat"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mystic Remora" href="#" target="_blank">Mystic Remora</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (pseudo #9)</p>
<p><strong>Deck Count: 774,166</strong></p>
<p><strong>Salt Score: 1.54</strong></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Esper Sentinel" href="#" target="_blank">Esper Sentinel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (pseudo #7)</p>
<p><strong>Deck Count: 872,000</strong></p>
<p><strong>Salt Score: 1.67</strong></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deflecting Swat" href="#" target="_blank">Deflecting Swat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (pseudo #6)</p>
<p><strong>Deck Count: 887,000</strong></p>
<p><strong>Salt Score: 1.72</strong></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mystic Remora" href="#" target="_blank">Mystic Remora</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Esper Sentinel" href="#" target="_blank">Esper Sentinel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> both interrupt the game with “do you pay the (number)” but at least Remora blows itself up in a few turns and Sentinel is a fragile artifact creature. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Deflecting Swat" href="#" target="_blank">Deflecting Swat</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> only just missed the Top 100, taking 102nd place — free interaction is always trouble, but at least this one has a “you deserved that” element.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Ancient Tomb"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Demonic Tutor"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Sol Ring"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Ancient Tomb" href="#" target="_blank">Ancient Tomb</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (pseudo #4)</p>
<p><strong>Deck Count: 972,000</strong></p>
<p><strong>Salt Score: 1.41</strong></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Demonic Tutor" href="#" target="_blank">Demonic Tutor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (pseudo #3)</p>
<p><strong>Deck Count: 948,000</strong></p>
<p><strong>Salt Score: 1.58</strong></p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> (pseudo #1)</p>
<p><strong>Deck Count: 8,401,000</strong></p>
<p><strong>Salt Score: 1.46</strong></p>
<p>These three are clearly here due to ubiquity and value. None of them have crazy lines of text, they just do one thing a little too well for most play groups. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> as a number one most-played “salty card” would have felt a little silly, if we’re being honest.</p>
<p>There’s one final card to talk about, the card from the Top 100 Saltiest list that’s the most played. It also does one thing a little too well, but that one thing is <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/the-intersections-of-salt-and-rhystic-study">really, <i>really</i> annoying</a>…</p>
<h2>#1 <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span></h2>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rhystic Study"></div></div>
<p><strong>Deck Count: 1,105,000</strong></p>
<p><strong>Salt Score: 2.73</strong></p>
<p><strong>Salt Ranking: 5</strong></p>
<p>The fifth-saltiest card is also the most played saltbomb. It’s a little jarring, on some level.</p>
<p>You know it, you hate it, and you apparently play it anyway, it’s Rhystic Study. The three mana enchantment that originated the “do you pay the 1?” memes. In bad pods, no one pays the one, and the Rhystic player wins. In solid pods, the game is slowed by the tax until someone draws removal and then plays their own Rhystic. And everyone groans as they keep having to answer a question with no good answer before they can finish playing a spell.</p>
<h2>What Can We Learn From This?</h2>
<p>Magic players aren’t logical, that’s for sure. My first thought was that the most played salty cards would all be the least salty of the bunch. Instead I found the opposite — the fifth-saltiest is the most played of that category. I think prevalence may be a big factor here! It’s hard to find something salty if you don’t see it at all.</p>
<p>Most of the cards on this list have unique qualities when compared to a lot of the other salty cards. Instead of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smokestack" href="#" target="_blank">Smokestack</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stasis" href="#" target="_blank">Stasis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> effects, we have reactive pieces — counterspells, effects which can protect your game plan, or ways to disrupt your opponents in short bursts rather than keep them from playing outright.</p>
<p>Some of these reactive pieces are great, but they just drag the game out if the caster doesn’t have a win on the way. When not reactive, they are turbo value engines that quickly outpace all else. Magic players don’t like their games to be too slow, or too fast.</p>
<p>They need it to be… well…</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Three Bowls of Porridge"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Flaxen Intruder|ELD|155"></div></div>
<h3>The EDHREC Salt Score voting <a href="https://edhrec.com/salt">is now open</a>! Cast your votes today!</h3>


The 10 Most-Played Salty Cards in Commander

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><a href="https://edhrec.com/salt">2026 Salt Score polls</a> are now open!</em></p>
<p>Get out your blood pressure pills, everyone! <a href="https://edhrec.com/salt">EDHREC's Salt Score 2026 polls are now open</a> for public voting! In this community-oriented exercise of tilted fun, readers are encouraged to vote on the cards that make them feel the most salty. Read on for more about this!</p>
<h2>How Our Salt Score Polls Work</h2>
<p>As I mentioned in <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/the-salt-score-polls-are-coming-next-monday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the article I put out on Oct. 2nd</a> in preparation for this fun poll series, the Salt Score polls are fairly straightforward. <a href="https://edhrec.com/salt">On the requisite webpage for voting</a>, you'll see a card and vote on how tilted it makes you, on a scale from 0 to 4. 0 is relatively safe on your sodium intake, while 4 theoretically gives you more salt than the Dead Sea.</p>
<p>We'll take it from there. Overall, we extrapolate the data and give it right back to the community with a bit of analysis on voting trends and the cards' Salt Score rankings! By the way, to reiterate, this is all community-driven, for fun, and has nothing whatsoever to do with bans or changes to any part of the Bracket system. But hey, the cool part is you'll get to voice your opinions on some seriously frustrating cards!</p>
<p>Voting lasts until October 9th, so go on and make your voice heard!</p>
<h2>But Wait...</h2>
<p>There's more!</p>
<p>In addition to our polls, we are going to be including some fun Salt themes in our Games hub, which you can find by clicking <a href="https://edhrec.com/games/crossword?utm_source=edhrec&amp;utm_medium=navbar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here for our Crossword</a>, <a href="https://edhrec.com/games/spellify" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here for Spellify</a>, and <a href="https://edhrec.com/games/quiz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here for personality quizzes</a>. These are, as always, added fun for your daily or weekly browsing experiences.</p>
<p><em>...But wait!</em></p>
<h2>There's <em>More!</em></h2>
<p>That's right! If you head over to our Merch Store <a href="https://shop.spacecowmedia.com/collections/edhrec?utm_source=edhrec&amp;utm_medium=navbar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">by clicking here</a>, you'll find a variety of Salt Score-themed EDHREC merchandise to sate your need for that rich, savory sodium chloride goodness.</p>
<p>These special merch items are only available during the week of Salt Score voting, so don't drag your feet. This year features:</p>
<ul>
<li>An exclusive <a href="https://shop.spacecowmedia.com/products/edhrec-salt-week-2026-playmat?utm_source=edhrec&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=salt">EDHREC Salt Vote playmat</a></li>
<li><a href="https://shop.spacecowmedia.com/products/edhrec-salt-week-2026-logo-tee?utm_source=edhrec&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=salt">a Salt Vote 2026 logo tee</a></li>
<li><a href="https://shop.spacecowmedia.com/products/edhrec-salt-week-2026-tee?utm_source=edhrec&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=salt">a Salt Vote 2026 spooky tee</a></li>
<li>and a <a href="https://shop.spacecowmedia.com/products/edhrec-salt-week-2026-sweatshirt?utm_source=edhrec&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=salt">Salt Vote 2026 spooky sweatshirt</a></li>
</ul>
<p>So if you feel so inclined, head on over to the Merch Store and order some fun items, and they'll be shipped, ideally, before you can say "monosodium glutamate"*!</p>
<p><em>(Author's Note: We cannot guarantee shipping speeds won't, in actuality, exceed the length of pronunciation of an eight-syllable term for that scrumptious, umami chemical. It's just a bit, readers; read less into it. Sheesh!)</em></p>
<p><a href="https://shop.spacecowmedia.com/products/edhrec-salt-week-2026-playmat?utm_source=edhrec&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=salt"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-194253" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/saltplaymat.png" alt="" width="998" height="998" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/saltplaymat.png 2048w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/saltplaymat-300x300.png 300w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/saltplaymat-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/saltplaymat-150x150.png 150w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/saltplaymat-768x768.png 768w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/saltplaymat-1536x1536.png 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 998px) 100vw, 998px" /></a> <a href="https://shop.spacecowmedia.com/products/edhrec-salt-week-2026-logo-tee?utm_source=edhrec&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=salt"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-194254 size-full" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/saltshirt1.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="1200" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/saltshirt1.jpg 1200w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/saltshirt1-300x300.jpg 300w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/saltshirt1-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/saltshirt1-150x150.jpg 150w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/saltshirt1-768x768.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></a> <a href="https://shop.spacecowmedia.com/products/edhrec-salt-week-2026-sweatshirt?utm_source=edhrec&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=salt"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-194255 size-full" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/saltsweatshirt.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="1200" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/saltsweatshirt.jpg 1200w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/saltsweatshirt-300x300.jpg 300w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/saltsweatshirt-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/saltsweatshirt-150x150.jpg 150w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/saltsweatshirt-768x768.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></a> <a href="https://shop.spacecowmedia.com/products/edhrec-salt-week-2026-tee?utm_source=edhrec&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=salt"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-194256 size-full" src="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/saltshirt2.jpg" alt="" width="1200" height="1200" srcset="https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/saltshirt2.jpg 1200w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/saltshirt2-300x300.jpg 300w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/saltshirt2-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/saltshirt2-150x150.jpg 150w, https://cloudflare.edhrec.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/saltshirt2-768x768.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px" /></a></p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>So with that, I turn to you, dear readers. What card do you think will be the saltiest of 2026? Will Stasis remain undefeated for a third straight year? Plus, what new card will be the most tilting in your eyes? Sound off in the comments below!</p>
<h3><a href="https://edhrec.com/salt">The 2026 Salt Score voting</a> is now open! Vote now, Oct. 5-9.</h3>


Salt Score Voting is Now Open!

<p style="text-align: right;"><em><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tatakirgetova/?hl=en">Tatiana Kirgetova</a></em></p>
<p>I'll be honest, when I sat down to write this article initially, I had one intention: a desire to parse through the difference between powerful cards and salty cards, and if there was a distinction there.</p>
<p>I even had what I thought was a cool introduction formulating in my mind. But before just jumping in with my own ideas, I went to Bluesky and made a post. I like picking the brains of the community so my conclusions are informed by people other than myself.</p>
<p>And quite by accident, or precisely for a reason, the card <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> came up over and again. The community's fascination with this card, or revulsion of it, perplexed me. I noticed there was something unique about this card when talking about salt. On multiple axes, this card upset players.</p>
<h2>The Power of Oppressiveness</h2>
<p>It's funny, actually seeing this card come up so much in the post. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was precisely the card I thought of when mulling over powerful cards that resulted disproportionately to salt in players. I didn't consider it a particularly oppressive card, but definitely powerful. It's why I wondered in the first place if salt had to do so much with power or with oppressiveness.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rhystic Study|wot|71"></div></div>
<p>In my article<em> <a href="https://edhrec.com/articles/is-my-deck-strong-or-just-oppressive">Is My Deck Strong or Just Oppressive?</a></em> I define oppressive decks, and by extension cards, as presenting a level of denial. It takes something away or doesn't allow something. Sometimes cards can be both powerful <em>and</em> oppressive, but some are just powerful. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Expropriate" href="#" target="_blank">Expropriate</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is powerful but doesn't exactly deny someone anything.</p>
<p>Sometimes a card is just oppressive and not particularly strong in most situations. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rest in Peace" href="#" target="_blank">Rest in Peace</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, for example, is a card that denies one particular type of strategy but doesn't forward your own, necessarily.</p>
<p>Sometimes a card is both powerful and oppressive. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger" href="#" target="_blank">Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a card that is both. It denies mana from opponents and provides extra mana to its controller.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Expropriate"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rest in Peace"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger"></div></div>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smothering Tithe" href="#" target="_blank">Smothering Tithe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are in a funny little position though. They give opponents the option to choose between oppression, mana deceleration, or power, with the power coming to us in the form of cards or extra mana. The goal with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is to get the cards, but players have to put themselves behind to stop it.</p>
<p>In a way, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> salts players out because of the way it <em>can</em> be oppressive or <em>can</em> be powerful. We can all agree that denial can make us all a little upset. Not being able to do something fun in a game — the feeling of not being able to play — can be upsetting. I think this sentiment is typical among most players about most salty cards, but there is something insidious about the optional-ness of the Stax — that optional oppression — that we have to discuss in relationship to salting players out.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rhystic Study|wot|25"></div></div>
<h2>The Power of the Redirection of Blame</h2>
<p>There is something psychological happening with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. The design of this card messes with our minds. Consider this: giving players the option with every cast of a spell to choose between their own poisoning creates a cloud of blame. When our opponents don't pay for someone's Rhystic, we turn our anger on them. When we can't pay for an opponent's Rhystic, we feel guilty or irresponsible. When we pay and others don't, we feel like we're fighting uphill alone.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> giving the option to pay or not to pay encourages us to neglect its true effect on us. When we do pay for the Rhystic, we feel responsible, but ignore how mana inefficient our cards have become. We wonder why we're behind. We blame ourselves. It separates our ire from the effect of the Stax.</p>
<p>We wouldn't feel the same way if we faced a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grand Arbiter Augustin IV" href="#" target="_blank">Grand Arbiter Augustin IV</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Our anger, salt, or outrage would be easily directed to the card, and by extension, the player. We wouldn't feel as responsible. We'd see it as it is: a piece that needed to be removed, an obstacle laid out in front of us by our opponent, something that must be played around until it's removed. We are unable to lose our focus when the threat has presented itself so clearly.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rhystic Study|j18|7"></div></div>
<p>But we're not completely oblivious to <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>'s little effect, even if we don't realize the full extent of how it warps our thinking. The negative way we feel when we sit across from the "choice" of <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is apparent to us. We hate it, but we must wrangle with the fact that the choice isn't to pay or not to pay, but to be affected or remove it.</p>
<h2>The Power of Annoyance</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> was in the <a href="https://edhrec.com/top/salt">Top 5 Saltiest Cards</a> in existence. We knew it was powerful, seeing constant play in cEDH, but there are many powerful cards that don't crack the top 10 saltiest cards. The same is true about cards that deny like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Grand Arbiter Augustin IV" href="#" target="_blank">Grand Arbiter Augustin IV</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> — though bro is at spot 11. So these two elements individually don't make a Top-10 salty card. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger" href="#" target="_blank">Vorinclex, Voice of Hunger</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is in the Top 10 and has both elements — power and denial — but it is significantly lower than Rhystic. It sits at spot 9, while Rhystic claims spot 5.</p>
<p>There have to be more elements to why it is so high on the list. The one that strikes me as unconsciously ignored, is the most obvious. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is an annoying card. Every spells cast leads to a question. Every action you take is micromanaged by the table and by what you're willing to pay. It's annoying. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Smothering Tithe" href="#" target="_blank">Smothering Tithe</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Esper Sentinel" href="#" target="_blank">Esper Sentinel</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> are similarly annoying, but their interruptions are less prevalent, typically. Maybe a player draws one card a turn? With Rhystic, it can be constant.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rhystic Study|j22|114"></div></div>
<p>Players will get so frustrated and/or overstimulated by the nagging that they sometimes insist on removing this annoyance from their mind completely. "I'm never going to pay," is such a devastating thing to hear when having to also deal with the Rhystic in the pod. It allows the card to move uninhibited by a player simply saying they're not going to ask and be answered throughout the process of another player's turn.</p>
<p>I think this annoyance seems small in the grand scheme of things. There are far more annoying cards, like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Share the Spoils" href="#" target="_blank">Share the Spoils</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Possibility Storm" href="#" target="_blank">Possibility Storm</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, that don't make it to the upper rungs of the saltiest cards. But you couple minor annoyance with Stax-lite and power, and you've got a perfect storm for salt.</p>
<h2>The Power of Price</h2>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is about $80 for a basic copy. This is not a cheap card. There is a long history of resentment in some players that the price of a card dictates how efficiently they can play. Cards that are game-warping to someone's advantage like Rhystic being out of the average player's price range creates a pay-to-win dynamic. Most players don't want to pay to win, or feel like they're playing against someone's wallet versus their ability to build or strategize.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rhystic Study|sld|478"></div></div>
<p>Not all the picks in the Top-10 saltiest cards are expensive, but I'm certain if you ask any player about their feelings on expensive cards, or the cost of playing cEDH, and they'll tell you they feel priced out of the format. These kinds of emotions aren't positive or uplifting. I think this is another factor into why players feel a lot of salt surrounding <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<h2>The Power of Ubiquity</h2>
<p>Over 1 million decks, <a href="https://edhrec.com/cards/rhystic-study">according to EDHREC</a>, play <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. This overshoots every other card in the Top-10 saltiest cards by at least 20,000 decks. This means that this card is common in our ecosystems. The frustration, and power, is so irresistible that it's a card that we can't avoid engaging with across the table often, because we insist on playing in <em>our</em> 99. We "hate" this card, but we <em>all</em> play it.</p>
<p>I think this is why it becomes the subject of conversation about power and bans so often. We might not know intimately the anxiety and frustration of playing against a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Stasis" href="#" target="_blank">Stasis</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> — it only being run in fewer than 20,000 decks — but we all have experience with a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. I don't know if this makes Rhystic a saltier card necessarily, but it factors in how many people know of the salt. We all know the talking points, the ins and outs, and the concerns, all from personal experience.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rhystic Study|jmp|169"></div></div>
<h2>The Power of Power</h2>
<p>We've beat around the bush enough. Let's just talk about how Rhystic Study is probably the most powerful draw spell in the Commander format. Sometimes players salt out simply because of how disparate the power of a card is.</p>
<p>I don't think this is the primary reason there is so much salt surrounding this card, but it is definitely part of the reason. Powerful cards make us feel helpless. It feels like the game is getting to a point where our efforts no longer matter. We're so behind that it'll take a lot to rebalance our position.</p>
<p>We see this salt surrounding power when we talk about fast mana cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> — some player refusing to play the card at all out of spite — and cards like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mana Vault" href="#" target="_blank">Mana Vault</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Chrome Mox" href="#" target="_blank">Chrome Mox</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Sol Ring" href="#" target="_blank">Sol Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is some of the best fast mana in the format and that is upsetting for some players. Access isn't the concern here, and neither is ubiquity, cost, oppressiveness, or even annoyance.</p>
<p>Sol Ring doesn't make it to the Top-10 saltiest cards, but I've heard plenty of resentment for it.</p>
<p><span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="The One Ring" href="#" target="_blank">The One Ring</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is another card that is some of the best card draw in the format. It gets some heat in terms of hate, being snugly at spot 14 on the top saltiest cards. Some say this is more a matter of time and access that it's so low on the list, but still I find so little discourse surrounding the salt of this card, that I was surprised to even see it in the top 20.</p>
<p>Rhystic has infinite haters online, very publicly.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Rhystic Study|fca|31"></div></div>
<p>I think that the reason for this is beyond just power. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Rhystic Study" href="#" target="_blank">Rhystic Study</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> is a card that on every possible axis of salt has a stake in the game. It messes with our mind. It's designed to induce salt. I'm convinced of it. That's what I think. What do you think? I'm <a href="https://linktr.ee/strixhavendropout">@strixhavendropout</a> on everything.</p>
<h3><a href="https://edhrec.com/salt">2026 Salt Score voting opens at 9 a.m. EDT</a>! Vote now from Oct. 5-9.</h3>


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