What it does
Will of the council is a voting mechanic: when a spell or ability with it resolves, each player votes for one of the listed options, and the outcome is determined by the votes cast. It first appeared in the Conspiracy set on cards like Council's Judgment and Coercive Portal.
The key nuance people miss is that everyone votes, not just the controller, and crucially you can vote for the same option multiple players prefer—it's not majority-rules in the sense of breaking ties unfavorably for the caster. Also, Council's Judgment exiles whatever gets the most votes regardless of who controls it, which lets you remove hexproof or otherwise untargetable permanents since it doesn't target.
In Commander's multiplayer politics, voting is huge. You can negotiate, bribe, or threaten others to swing votes your way, and the controller often votes too, giving them an edge in close calls or ties (ties mean all tied options happen).
Iconic cards with Will of the council
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