Huge Shake-Up for Modern, Legacy, and Pioneer in Latest Banned & Restricted Update

Yesterday marked a monumental day for Modern, Pioneer, and Legacy fans alike, with the most recent Banned and Restricted (B&R) list update shaking up all three formats in ways that will have a lasting impact. The changes were significant, with unexpected unbans and carefully considered bans, setting the stage for a new era in these iconic formats.

Thijs Weytens

Modern: A New Era Begins

The One Ring: A Necessary Step for Balance

The most significant change in Modern is the ban of The One Ring. With the card appearing in 61% of all decks, it had become clear that its dominance was warping the format. Its powerful effect on games, particularly in midrange and control decks like Boros Energy and Jeskai Control was simply too much for a healthy metagame. Wizards of the Coast has acknowledged the need for balance and this ban is a step in the right direction.

Amped Raptor: A Blow to Boros and Mardu Energy

Both Boros Energy and Mardu Energy had seen a dominant share of the metagame, with their combined presence hovering around 35% at the time of the update. Opinions varied about a few different cards to ban, most notably Ajani, Nacatl Pariah, Guide of Souls, Static Prison or even Ocelot Pride. But Wizards opted to ban Amped Raptor, a key card in these archetypes that enabled some of the deck’s most explosive starts. This ban should help reduce the early-game power of these decks and give other strategies a fighting chance.

Jegantha, the Wellspring: Too Much of an Advantage

Jegantha, the Wellspring had become too easy to include as a Companion. Offering the advantage of an “8th card in hand” while enabling synergy with cards like Arena of Glory for haste made it a no-brainer in many decks. With around 40% of all Modern decks using it, this ban was necessary to increase deck diversity and ensure fairer gameplay.

Unbannings: The Return of Key Cards

Wizards didn’t stop at bans – they went further by unbanning four iconic cards that have long shaped the Modern format. These cards are making their return, much to the delight of the community, and they’re sure to shake up the metagame in exciting new ways.

Faithless Looting: Graveyard Synergies Rise from the Dead

A key card for many graveyard-centric decks like Dredge, Izzet Phoenix, and Grishoalbrand, Faithless Looting has been absent from Modern for five long years. The card was banned alongside Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis during the infamous “Hogaak Summer” of 2019, when Hogaak’s oppressive impact on the metagame prompted Wizards of the Coast to shift focus away from graveyard-based gameplay and back towards the hand and battlefield.

Once considered the “Brainstorm” of Modern, its return opens up new possibilities for graveyard-based strategies. Excitingly, it now interacts with a variety of new cards. For instance, did you know that casting Faithless Looting can flip Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student as early as turn 2? The card’s synergy with new cards and strategies promises to bring a wealth of innovation to the Modern format.

Mox Opal: Fast Mana Returns

Originally banned in 2020, Mox Opal had been a staple in artifact-based decks like Affinity, Hardened Scales, and Lantern Control. After the release of Modern Horizons, Mox Opal became a key accelerant in a strong Simic artifact deck together with Oko, Thief of Crowns and Urza, Lord High Artificer. By early 2020, the deck had a staggering 55% win rate, leading to Mox Opal’s eventual ban from Modern.

Its return is poised to have a profound effect on Modern’s artifact strategies with the addition of powerful new cards, including Urza’s Saga and Kappa Cannoneer.

In addition to fueling fast artifact-based strategies, Mox Opal could be a key upgrade for decks like Grinding Station Combo. This archetype, which revolves around milling and looping powerful combo pieces, stands to benefit greatly from the unbanning of both Mox Opal and Faithless Looting. Faithless Looting, a card known for its synergy with graveyard-based strategies, will help the combo deck filter cards and set up key pieces more effectively.

Green Sun’s Zenith: A Breath of Fresh Air for Creature Decks

Banned back in 2011 after the first Modern Pro Tour, Green Sun’s Zenith has barely seen the light of day in the Modern format. The main reason back then was its incredible versatility. It could tutor up Dryad Arbor for early ramp, but it could also search for any green creature in your deck, whether it be heavy hitters like Primeval Titan or Craterhoof Behemoth to close out the game, or utility creatures like Knight of Autumn or Grist, the Hunger Tide to provide specific answers or utility in the midgame.

Now, with green creature strategies largely underrepresented in the current metagame, Green Sun’s Zenith will breathe new life into decks that rely on green creatures. Will we see Elf decks rise again, or perhaps even a return of Devoted Druid combo?

Splinter Twin: A Fan Favourite Returns

In the winter of 2016, a wave of sadness echoed throughout the Multiverse as Splinter Twin was banned from Modern. While its power was undeniable, particularly with the combo triggering a turn-4 win, the card’s ban was deeply emotional. Players had become attached to the Splinter Twin strategy, making its removal one of the most contentious bans in Modern history.

For years, players had hoped for the unbanning of Splinter Twin, voicing their desire for its return in every Banned and Restricted update. Today, their prayers have finally been answered! The unbanning of Splinter Twin means that decks once again have access to the combo of Deceiver Exarch or Pestermite with Splinter Twin, now paired with a wider array of cards such as Preordain and Counterspell.

But the question remains: will Splinter Twin be strong enough for Modern in 2025? With more powerful answers in the format, such as Solitude, Force of Negation and Flare of Denial, Twin might face more resistance than before. However, it’s worth noting that Splinter Twin can still utilise some of these answers itself, making it a fascinating card to watch in future discussions.

A New Age for Modern

Wizards of the Coast has truly reshaped Modern with this announcement, reintroducing powerful cards and addressing format balance issues. The community is buzzing with excitement as we prepare for a thrilling new chapter in one of Magic’s most beloved formats. With the addition of Mox Opal, Green Sun’s Zenith, Faithless Looting, and Splinter Twin, the future of Modern is bright.

Legacy: Two Key Bans

While Modern took centre stage, Legacy also saw significant changes, with two cards banned:

Psychic Frog: The End of an Era

Psychic Frog has long been regarded as a major problem in Legacy, with many calling it the boogeyman of the format. This card is particularly powerful in Delver and Reanimator strategies, warping the entire metagame around its dominance. The presence of Psychic Frog forces every deck to either deal with it quickly or attempt to outpace it with faster combos, leading to an unhealthy and narrow format. It discourages players from diversifying their Delver builds by limiting their colour choices and empowers Reanimator strategies to be incredibly resilient, often disregarding the graveyard.
As of now, Psychic Frog appears in 30% of all Legacy decks, making its presence overwhelming. Due to these concerns about the health of the format, Psychic Frog has now been banned.

Vexing Bauble: An Overpowered Tool in Combo Decks

Vexing Bauble has quickly gained traction, especially in Mystic Forge combo and Mono-Red Stompy decks. Its rise in popularity comes from its ability to disrupt one of Legacy’s core strategies: free counter magic. The card efficiently punishes this playstyle by denying key spells and even offers the flexibility to cycle itself away when it isn’t useful. As of now, Vexing Bauble is included in around 33% of Legacy decks, and the decks that use it are boasting alarmingly high win rates. Because of its overwhelming impact on the format, Vexing Bauble has been banned.

Pioneer: Jegantha Banned

Pioneer is in a healthy place right now, but for similar reasons as in Modern, Jegantha, the Wellspring has met its fate with the banhammer. While there is no clear-cut combo like Arena of Glory to exploit with Jegantha, its ability to be easily included as a Companion limits the strategic depth of the format. By reducing the number of cards a deck can use, Jegantha restricts the diversity of options available, which has ultimately led to its ban in Pioneer.

This decision aims to keep the format vibrant and prevent dominant, overly efficient strategies from stifling the creative possibilities within the format.

Exciting Times Ahead for All Formats

With these sweeping changes across Modern, Legacy, and Pioneer, the upcoming months are shaping up to be a thrilling time for Magic players. Whether you’re a Legacy veteran, a Modern enthusiast, or a Pioneer aficionado, there’s never been a more exciting time to dive into Magic’s vibrant and ever-evolving formats.

Upcoming Fanfinity Magic Events: RC Prague & Spotlight Series Utrecht

The recent B&R list update naturally also affects Fanfinity events. The upcoming Regional Championship in Prague and Spotlight Series Modern Utrecht are both modern events, so be sure to adjust your decklists.

Don’t have a ticket for the events yet? They are already on sale!

Regional Championship Prague: Ticket sales are live. Tickets are available with packages and without. Get your ticket here.

Spotlight Series Modern Utrecht: Ticket sales are live. Get your ticket here.