What Will be on the Next Modern Banned List?
Spoilers, Rumors, and Speculation forum
Posted on March 27, 2014, 11:57 p.m. by BoromirOfGondor
Wizards of the Coast has said that there will soon be a newly adjusted version of the modern banned list. What cards do you think will receive their fated retribution, and which (if any) cards do you think will be unbanned?
My possible ban predictions:
WovenNebula says... #3
Do you have a link to where they had said that by chance?
March 28, 2014 1:26 a.m.
miracleHat says... #4
@WovenNebula, right here ;P. No but seriously, he said that there were going to be changes. He doesn't know, but he is guessing resto and mox. Whether that will happen, we will see though i doubt it.
March 28, 2014 1:31 a.m.
WovenNebula says... #5
@Droxium lol thanks, I meant where did wizards say there will be changes, as to speculation Birthing Pod maybe as my opinion but everything else seems fine where it's at. My reason for birthing pod is because it reminds me of Survival of the Fittest in its hay days.
March 28, 2014 1:49 a.m.
vampirelazarus says... #6
Everyone always speculates Birthing Pod ... which would really suck, because I really love my Melira deck. And it has been making more if a splash as of late.
Another one: Splinter Twin . I do not like playing against it, but that's because my meta had several twin decks...
March 28, 2014 1:52 a.m.
WovenNebula says... #7
Splinter twin I agree with also, birthing pod allows you to find an answer to anything but it is really fun to play tho!
March 28, 2014 1:55 a.m.
Quadsimotto says... #8
I hope they don't dump Splinter Twin that card is a beast.. If i could just stop getting outbid on it for a decent price it would be even better.
March 28, 2014 3:03 a.m.
vampirelazarus says... #9
The thing is, twin and pod aren't format warping enough, in my opinion. It's not "oh, I'm playing twin, guess I'll scoop."
Sure, that one gp saw them do really well, but we still have all of modern season to see what happens.
March 28, 2014 3:28 a.m.
NerdPounder says... #10
The thing is, they keep banning things that make the format lean in one way, so when it goes it leans another way, then they ban that. Meh.
March 28, 2014 3:57 a.m.
I would probably use this site (or other similar sites) as a guide to guess... It is a list of most used cards in Modern.
- Hard to tell which site to use, as I'm not sure where they are getting the info, nor what competitive level it represents.
I'm using the one I linked, as it's the first I came across. From it, I can see that most of top used cards are not enablers, but rather staples... i.e.: basic removal, counters, sideboard tech, etc... nothing format warping. (Lightning Bolt , Path to Exile , Relic of Progenitus ... etc.)
The main exception I see is Splinter Twin at #8 of spells (16.23% of decks). Personally, I don't think that 16% appearance is likely enough to make it ban worthy, but you also have to consider it's win % as well. - Still not a likely candidate.
Also, Wizards avoids directly banning single cards that "are" the archetype... rather they try to ban the powerful "enablers".
On the list, there are 4 creatures I view as "enablers"... Pestermite and Deceiver Exarch (@ # 7 and 8)... plus Snapcaster Mage (#1) and Kitchen Finks (#6).
Some might argue that either of Pestermite of Deceiver Exarch (but not both) might make a good option, as it would slow Splinter Twin decks, without stopping them... I'm not certain that's the case. They are controlly enough, that they could easily hold out longer for the combo... all it would do is make their games go longer.
Snapcaster Mage has the highest dominance of creatures, and arguably allows players to effectively be running up to 8 copies of some spells. - Banning this would effect Splintertwin, Storm, and just about any Blue deck.
Kitchen Finks is an interesting one... and the only enabler I can see that would effect Birthing Pod decks. - Of all the Persist creatures, it's the only 3cmc (perfect spot on the curve for Pod), that has a good ETB effect... Murderous Redcap would be the next closest, but at 4cmc, it should be better. - I would just wonder if banning Kitchen Finks would shut down other decks that run it as well...?
One thing to note is that the comment is that the ban list will be adjusted.... not necessarily "more bans".... my guess is that there would be unbannings if anything... though I would have no information to make a guess as to what.
March 28, 2014 8:25 a.m.
After having chipped away at Jund, Melira Pod has arguably taken the front running as the best deck in Modern. Birthing Pod has put multiple lists into Top 8 at the last several major events, some of which like GP Richmond hitting 5/8 of the decks. I think eventually WotC will make some move against them.
I don't however think it's reasonable to ban Birthing Pod though as it cripples the whole list. However, Chord of Calling would be a perfect target to take a little bit of steam out. It's not heavily played in any other Modern decks and it curtails a little bit of the Pod deck's consistency and resiliency to sideboard cards.
Additionally, I think we'll see more unbannings. Seeing as Wild Nacatl and Bitterblossom have failed to warp or overtake the format. Modern has proven itself resilient to powerful cards being re-introduced, and I think that frees up WotC to be more liberal with what they unban.
March 28, 2014 10:17 a.m.
I feel like any bans right now would be detrimental to the format. Sure, Pod and Twin are the top two right now, with Affinity in close third, but I feel as though banning anything is just going to continue an endless cycle. There has to be a top deck, otherwise people would basically be burning money with more bans coming out. I can see the argument for Chord of Calling but I'm really hoping that nothing gets banned. I think that banning Birthing Pod itself would be a poor move as it is a card that could, potentially, be played in any deck.
March 28, 2014 10:41 a.m.
APPLE01DOJ says... #14
DRS Unban is all I want and now kinda hoping will happen. It'll make the format that much more fun again for sure. If I get that I'll be happy.
Neither of the unbans dominated.
I cold see Tarmogoyf being banned but sure hope not. Even Twin runs him as he's a great addition to just about any deck regardless of the game plan.
March 28, 2014 12:10 p.m.
miracleHat says... #15
The thing about Tarmogoyf is that he can just be chumped blocked. He doesn't have any form of evasion or protection. I don't think that he will be unbanned, though i could be wrong.
March 28, 2014 12:18 p.m.
BoromirOfGondor says... #16
WovenNebula My local FNM judge told me about it, I don't have a link to the announcement.
March 28, 2014 12:26 p.m.
KrosanTusker says... #17
I used to see the banned list as a finished product, or as close to one as they could get. Now? I'm not sure they aren't using it as a way to change the format. We might have one year without Chord of Calling to see how that changes things, maybe ban Tarmogoyf will be banned for a bit to get people to use other creatures, then they'll bring it back and unban Golgari Grave-Troll or something to see what happens, ban it later if need be, etc. That might be a bit cynical but I think we can expect fairly frequent changes.
March 29, 2014 5:46 a.m.
Wait.. they are gonna ban more cards? I thought that was a once a year thing..
March 30, 2014 6:42 a.m.
KrosanTusker says... #19
No, this is just speculation. They may well ban more stuff next year though, and I think that's what everyone means.
InconspicuousPotato says... #2
Resto's not getting banned. It's not oppressive, overplayed, or makes a particular archetype broken. And it doesn't make games last forever. I could see Mox Opal banned as a way to cripple Affinity but Affinity isn't like crushing every PTQ and GP so I think it's unlikely.
I could honestly see Lightning Bolt getting banned (don't hate on me for this. I don't need to know that I'm stupid and it's not getting banned). It's played in nearly every deck and nearly every new creature has to pass "the bolt test" to be playable.
I could also see Snapcaster Mage getting banned but it seems unlikely.
March 28, 2014 12:07 a.m.