Earlier today, WOTC announced changes to three of Magic’s constructed formats. Players have been taking advantage of Lurrus of the Dream-Den since its release, so perhaps it’s no surprise to see it banned. However, there are also a number of changes to Pauper to increase the diversity of the format.
Modern and Pioneer
Lurrus of the Dream-Den has been banned in both Modern and Pioneer. Of course, it isn’t too surprising to see Lurrus get the axe. Not only is it the most powerful companion, but it’s no longer legal in Legacy, one of Magic’s most powerful formats.
WOTC stated that Lurrus’s high play rate led to the homogenization of Modern. This is especially concerning because Modern Horizons 2 is still a fairly recent set. The goal of any Modern Horizons set is, at least partially, to shake up the format. If one card sees play across multiple, winning archetypes, then it goes against the idea of an exciting and diverse new metagame.
Interestingly, Lurrus’s banning in Pioneer seems to be preemptive. While WOTC acknowledged that Lurrus’s design is problematic, they also acknowledged that the card isn’t dominant in Pioneer yet. Still, they anticipate that it will become even more popular as the format expands. Since they assume they’ll have to ban it eventually, they’ve decided to just ban it today, as well.
Pauper
WOTC also announced a number of changes to Pauper. In addition to two bans, one previously banned card is now legal and will hopefully boost a classic archetype.
Galvanic Relay
First, we have one of the new storm cards from MH2. Chatterstorm has already gotten the axe, and now it’s Galvanic Relay[/]’s turn. [c]Galvanic Relay didn’t see much play after its release, but that was because it didn’t have the right shell around it. With Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, it received exactly what it needed.
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Experimental Synthesizer is an extremely efficient source of card advantage that many decks can use. When paired with Galvanic Relay, rituals, and even more card advantage, however, it created a non-interactive boogeyman.
The synthesizer isn’t the real problem, though. After all, there are other, healthier decks that are using it to great effect. Instead, the Pauper Format Panel thinks Galvanic Relay needs to go. This card could create another broken storm deck if the right piece comes out, and they’d rather stop that from happening now.
Disciple of the Vault
Next, we have another ban targeted at affinity. In January, the deck lost Atog, but that didn’t slow it down: Affinity is still the most popular deck in the format.
The PFP doesn’t want to eliminate the deck. It’s an archetype players enjoy, and it’s been a part of the format for years. Still, it’s clear that something has to change. While there were lots of options, the PFP decided to ban Disciple of the Vault. They hope this ban will shift affinity away from killing opponents with a big, explosive turn, and more towards a slower plan built around card advantage.
Expedition Map
Lastly, Expedition Map is once again legal in Pauper! Tron lost a lot whenProphetic Prism and Bonder’s Ornament became banned, and it hasn’t seen much play since. The PFP hopes that Expedition Map will give Tron a small bump in power.
With that being said, they aren’t going to make more changes with Tron in mind, at least not in the short term. If Expedition Map makes Tron viable, then great! If it doesn’t, they’ll likely leave it be.
End Step
And those are all of today’s changes! Not only is Lurrus banned in two more formats, but Pauper also has another wave of changes. Hopefully these bannings (and the unbanning!) help make MTG a healthier game across multiple formats.
Read the official Banned and Restricted announcement here.
Read the official Pauper changes here.
