Is a Mass Unbanning in Modern Viable?
Modern forum
Posted on Oct. 10, 2015, 10:32 p.m. by Serendipitous_Hummingbird
The recent thread about the modern banlist going away made me think. What would happen if WotC unbanned a bunch of cards at once? Obviously if they unbanned Cloudpost it would dominate. BGx decks would oppress everyone with Deathrite Shaman. Birthing Pod would utterly outvalue so many decks. Seething Song would turn modern into a turn 3 format.
But what if we unbanned them all at once? Would the strength of BGx + DRS be matched with the value of pod? Would the speed of storm not be an issue when 12post is running around?
Obviously fringe decks would absolutely implode and fall off the face of modern, but modern isn't really a place for fringe decks as it is.
I guess I'm trying to say that WotC has been banning in an effort to maintain power levels over the years. But if they let modern become a stronger format, I think not only would the card pool increase, it could free up potential for powerful reprints, perhaps cards like Counterspell now that they would be less dangerous.
What do you guys think?
MindAblaze says... #3
They have stated turn four is the limit for what combo decks can be allowed to consistently achieve. That means leaving 3 mana up to Cancel their Splinter Twin is the standard if you're on the draw. A mass unbanning would make a disgusting combo meta with no great way to consistently stop it.
That being said I'd be all for testing it in my own meta to see what would happen.
October 10, 2015 10:37 p.m. Edited.
ThisIsBullshit says... #4
Lol nope.
It's an interesting concept, but like others have said, degenerate combo would kill the format because Modern doesn't get Force of Will
October 10, 2015 10:50 p.m.
Let me just put it this way, Counterspell hardly matters against a deck that can consistently kill T1/T2, even through hate. A mass unbanning would turn modern not into legacy lite like some want it to be, but a broken linear combofest without the free spells that keep legacy in check, such as Force of Will and Daze.
I want you to imagine a scenario where suddenly, every card is unbanned. Everyone is excited that they can use their Jace's and Deathrite's, and Birthing Pod enthusiasts come back in droves. Here's the catch though, these cards are just bad compared to the decks that would run rampant. Blazing Shoal infect, Skullclamp and artifact land affinity, Hypergenesis and everyone's favorite Spaghetti monster, a super consistent and redundant storm deck capable of T1 kills, possibly Elves in some form, maybe a Dread Return dredge, Eggs, you see where I'm going with this. Fair decks like 12post and Jund just seem inherently weak compared to these decks; would you rather be casting Tarmogoyf on T2 or comboing off and winning the game?
As fun as it would be for the first couple months, unfortunately it would be the death of modern without some serious reprinting of free counters on other cards that can help the fair decks. And at that point, you're better off playing legacy!
October 10, 2015 11:10 p.m.
dragon_slayer says... #7
Here is a no ban list modern event run by the Mox Boarding House.
Personally, I love the idea of no ban list modern, but in reality it will never happen.
October 10, 2015 11:14 p.m.
APPLE01DOJ says... #8
Just unban DRS and I'll be happy. I think Pod and a few other things should come off that list but probably not Cloudpost
October 10, 2015 11:16 p.m.
Serendipitous_Hummingbird says... #9
DMR I'm certainly not advocating taking cards like skullclamp, blazing shoal, or hypergenesis off the ban list. That would be stupid.
But I do think that there is a chance that if DRS, Birthing Pod, Sword of the Meek, and a couple others were to come off the banlist at the same time the metagame has a decent chance at stabilizing, creating a a stronger environment that isn't degenerate.
October 11, 2015 12:05 a.m.
GlistenerAgent says... #10
Bla bla bla unban this unban that bla bla format could use shake up bla bla none of this is going anywhere
October 11, 2015 12:13 a.m.
SwaggyMcSwagglepants says... #11
No, that would really cause the health of Modern to implode. Modern is one of the greatest formats because it allows for players to run up to 20 different decks with the difference of the best and the 20th best deck being only 1%-2%. That would reduce the playable decks to like, 5?
I think that Seething Song and bloodbraid Elf are fair game, since Seething Song makes T3 wins slightly possible for storm, and Bloodbraid Elf would be like Jund's Siege Rhino. I think Amulet of Vigor, Lantern of Insight and Goryo's Vengeance, just to eliminate decks that work on a tilted axis.
October 11, 2015 12:25 a.m.
I don't think it would be a really fast format. Remember, we get Mental Misstep. That can stop A LOT of explosive comboes.
October 11, 2015 5:06 a.m.
dragon_slayer says... #13
Yes. If Mental Misstep was unbanned, it would be an automatic four-of in any deck that could run it, which is every deck.
October 11, 2015 7:56 a.m.
poopiepoopiepants1 says... #14
I read the different reviews of the Mox Boarding House's No-Ban Modern Tournament and I have to say that, from what the players were saying, it seems very viable. Although everyone expected combo decks to completely rule the event, if you look over it, they were kept in check by the different control and aggro decks and an affinity deck won the tournament (although I guess that some would say that it is a combo deck). The decks played there seemed very reasonable.
October 11, 2015 7:56 a.m.
It would be hilarious to have one casual day a year where the banlist doesn't apply, but that would be to show why these cards are banned in the first place.
Actually, that would be a fantastic thing to do on April Fools. Wotc, are you writing this down? You should be.
October 11, 2015 10 a.m.
Fridays or Saturdays Cardkingdom has been doing "Powered Modern" aka no ban list modern as a streamed event.
If you want to see this idea in action, I suggest watching that. It's pretty insightful, as such to the unbanning of JTMS and the possible (but not likely) ban of Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
Flip.
JakeHarlow says... #2
Interesting idea. But I shudder when I think of the return of Eggs to Modern.
I think it could be worthy of being tested out. It would take a lot of players playing a variety of different, powerful unbanned decks to acquire enough data to determine if this would be a good idea.
October 10, 2015 10:36 p.m.