Upcoming 7/13 Banlist Update
Wizards has announced on Twitter that the next banlist update is coming on 7/13. The full announcement is reproduced below:
On Monday 7/13 there will be an update to the Banned & Restricted list impacting the following formats: Historic, Pioneer, Modern, and Pauper.
Let's quickly break down what the likely ban targets are!
Historic
Aggro decks are running amuk in the Historic and besides Embercleave there aren't any real broken or degenerate cards that the decks themselves run. Gruul Aggro does have Burning-Tree Emissary and of course, our favorite T1 mana dork, Llanowar Elves, but even in some crazy scenario where both of these cards get banned, Aggro will still do what Aggro likes to do: play cards fast and turn sideways. I honestly can't see anything getting banned from any of the Aggro decks.
A lot of the ban conversations have been around Nexus of Fate and Wilderness Reclamation. Reclamation decks are as prevalent in the Historic metagame, so if either one or both of these cards get banned, it's due to them being unfun rather than current power level.
Ultimately, what will likely happen is that Wizards will formalize the bans of the previously suspended cards from the last Ban Announcement. Relative to other formats, Historic isn't in that bad of a place, so I can't imagine shaking up the current metagame with a banning.
Pioneer
Combo decks are thriving in Pioneer. Two of the most prevalent combo decks are Dimir Inverter and Lotus Breach. A third combo deck is also Heliod and Ballista. Combo has been a big part of the metagame ever since the release of Thassa's Oracle.
It is likely that one piece of each of the decks will banned out from under them alongside with the banning of Thassa's Oracle because Pioneer is in a very bad spot right now and hitting all of the Combo will allow other decks in different archetypes to compete.
Modern
Just like Pioneer, Modern is also currently in a bad spot with Snow decks running everywhere and suppressing most of the metagame. It's almost guaranteed that Arcum's Astrolabe will be hit in this banning, but then the question is whether or not anything else will be banned.
And, for the memes, who knows, maybe Splinter Twin will be unbanned.
Pauper
Another Modern Horizons card is likely going to get the banhammer here: Ephemerate. While I believe that Modern Horizons was a great set for Eternal formats, it definitely caused a lot of problems with multiple bannings across multiple formats.
What cards do you think will be banned in the upcoming update? Or maybe do you think Wizards will have a surprise banning in one of the formats that wasn't listed in their tweet?
About Kagros:
Aether Hub News Team member. Writing thoughts on Magic news and fun gameplay!
Nexus of Fate is SUSPENDED
Agent of Treachery is BANNED
Fires of Invention is BANNED
Winota, Joiner of Forces is BANNED
PIONNER:
Dig Through Time is BANNED
Thassa's Oracle is BANNED
Walking Ballista is BANNED
MODERN:
Arcum's Astrolabe is BANNED
Splinter Twin is UNBANNED
PAUPER:
Ephemerate is BANNED