Modern Banlist Update - 1/19/15
Modern forum
Posted on Jan. 19, 2015, 10:58 a.m. by GlistenerAgent
Banned: Birthing Pod, Dig Through Time, Treasure Cruise
Unbanned: Golgari Grave-Troll
Holy shit.
Epochalyptik says... #3
Now we wait for 20 other threads to pop up.
This is going to be a long day.
January 19, 2015 11:01 a.m.
GoldGhost012 says... #8
Holy fucking shit. Dose Legacy bannings wknd unnbannings too. And the Vintage restrictions and unrestrictions. They went all out this time.
January 19, 2015 11:03 a.m.
Now I can finally justify buying a Birthing Pod for future EDH's even though I have no current plans. How much do you expect Pod to go down and Troll to go up?
January 19, 2015 11:06 a.m.
GoldGhost012 says... #13
I wasn't expecting both Cruise and Dig to get the banhammer, let alone Birthing Pod. Yeesh.
January 19, 2015 11:07 a.m.
lemmingllama says... #15
I'm not surprised, still sad that Dig Through Time got the axe. Ah well
January 19, 2015 11:07 a.m.
slovakattack says... #16
I don't think Pod is really an archtype in formats that aren't Modern (except as a 1-of in some EDH decks.)
If Wizards really sticks with this Pod ban, then it'll go down, imo.
January 19, 2015 11:07 a.m.
Nigeltastic says... #17
Troll likely won't go up, dredge is still probably a niche deck still. I'm excited that dredge could exist in modern now though.
January 19, 2015 11:08 a.m.
VampireArmy says... #18
I want to hear the reason behind pod. There's never been a true reason before to ban it. why now?
January 19, 2015 11:08 a.m.
I mean, they did have a point. Ban just Cruise and you'll just play Dig without really changing much.
January 19, 2015 11:08 a.m.
could someone post an official link from wizards showing this update from the banlists?
January 19, 2015 11:08 a.m.
While I didn't expect them to ban Treasure Cruise in Modern, I'm at least happy they didn't leave them legal while unbanning Golgari Grave-Troll. Delve+Dredge has too much synergy to be unbroken for long.
January 19, 2015 11:09 a.m.
@VampireArmy The article said it was banned because as time went on it was just getting better targets, namely Siege Rhino and becoming too oppressive, winning almost half of the GP's.
January 19, 2015 11:09 a.m.
GlistenerAgent says... #23
The source is in the original post. You can find the reasoning behind the bannings there.
January 19, 2015 11:09 a.m.
Epochalyptik says... #24
@VampireArmy: Read the article.
tl;dr: Pod was banned because there's a growing power gap between Pod decks and other kinds of decks (Pod only gets better as stronger utility creatures are printed), and because it was putting up very strong results.
January 19, 2015 11:10 a.m.
GoldGhost012 says... #25
VampireArmy, apparently because Pod decks won the mass majority of GPs compared to others and are completely outnumbering other decks. 5/12's quite a bit.
January 19, 2015 11:10 a.m.
Oooh, maybe this foreshadows the printing of powerful utility creatures in DTK.
January 19, 2015 11:11 a.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #27
Except for restricting Treasure Cruise in Vintage, all of this is exactly the opposite of anything I would have expected. I really don't know what else to say.
@patrice: It's the link labeled "Source" in the topic starter. Literally the very first word of the conversation.
January 19, 2015 11:13 a.m.
VampireArmy says... #28
Okay okay. I understand that the targets have been getting better over time but does that warrant it to be currently banned? From what I understand, It was only doing so well in the format currently due to the amount of Delver. Otherwise, it still looses to a host of other decks right?
January 19, 2015 11:13 a.m.
GoldGhost012 says... #29
Apparently not, probably because the decks that hose Pod are getting crushed by Delver.
January 19, 2015 11:14 a.m.
GlistenerAgent says... #30
Well, Pod has been growing increasingly unbeatable of late. Anger of the Gods doesn't shut it down anymore, and there will always be more bullets and value cards to play.
January 19, 2015 11:15 a.m.
VampireArmy says... #32
Well that just makes me glad I decided on Lingering Abzan over pod at the last minute
January 19, 2015 11:17 a.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #33
@VampireArmy: Birthing Pod offers that insidious kind of advantage that you don't really start to perceive until it's way too late and the game is almost over. It's very consistent, and difficult to stop once it gets going. Even getting 1 activation is a lot more powerful than it looks. In this respect it's on the level of cards like Jace, the Mind Sculptor, Stoneforge Mystic, Necropotence, and other subtly powerful effects. To be honest, the banning shouldn't have caught me off-guard like it did.
January 19, 2015 11:18 a.m.
Holy fucking shit. Pod? Cruise and Dig? Fucking shit, WoTC. They went nuts with Modern.
January 19, 2015 11:18 a.m.
fluffybunnypants says... #37
inb4 all Twin all the time at the Pro Tour.
January 19, 2015 11:18 a.m.
I really don't see why Dig Through Time needed to be banned. 
makes it a lot more difficult to abuse than Treasure Cruise.
January 19, 2015 11:18 a.m.
At least I can dismantle my Delver deck and rejoin the good guys playing U/R Storm.
And I'm not sad about Pod being banned. I wasn't one of the people championing it to get banned, but I'm not going to hold the door open for it.
January 19, 2015 11:21 a.m.
Servo_Token says... #41
FUCK MY LIFE!!!
Well, at least I had a decklist in mind for that 1% margin where a world with no Birthing Pod was a thing. Good thing I picked up like 97 copies of siege rhino...
Honestly, you could fit like four jam jars side by side in my butt right now. WotC really went elbow deep on this one...
January 19, 2015 11:21 a.m.
Yea, Scapeshift basically just wins now since not even Burn is gonna be as consistent with Cruise out.
January 19, 2015 11:21 a.m.
fluffybunnypants says... #43
Basically all that is happening is that the Modern meta is reverting to pre KTK minus Birthing Pod. I don't really foresee Dredge being a real thing... at least not yet.
Top decks in the format?
RUG Twin and Lingering Rock with a possible chance of Scapeshift.
January 19, 2015 11:22 a.m.
GlistenerAgent says... #44
Scapeshift actually seems totally nuts. Burn won't be as prevalent, Jeskai Ascendancy (which was a bad matchup) is probably not as popular. Delver was more bad than good, and that's going to decrease as well. Pod was a good matchup, but the fact that Twin will see a rise means that Scapeshift is positioned extremely well. If you've got a plan for BGx, you're golden.
January 19, 2015 11:24 a.m.
nighthawk101 says... #45
People are fairly divided. Most think that banning Dig Through Time makes little sense and that unbanning Golgari Grave-Troll makes sense, but Treasure Cruise and Birthing Pod are hot topics. Quotes from the MTGS thread:
"Well then. Pod being banned was the one that everyone saw coming but no one expected."
"One thing is for sure: we are now playing a brand new Modern. We'll see which decks will rise to the top"
"I'm firmly convinced Wizards blew it... punting a deck right in the jewels (even if it earned it) and banning a pair of good cards whose biggest crime was being good, that's a direct assault on my principles."
"The next few months should be interesting to say the least."
"I'm very very sad as I spent God knows how much on my foil Pod deck recently and now it is worthless."
"Yeah, good to see Wizard are going to keep modern healthy! Still Delver still got an upgrade with Swiftspear and is now a fair deck again. Also super happy GGT is off the list, it really had no reason to be on it!"
"So this means Liliana of the Veil will be $100+ soon."
"So I have to have 4 Tarmogoyfs if I want to play green? Thanks WOTC."
"I already had Bloodbraid Elf Jund sleeved up and ready to go... ;_;"
"Pod had a large meta percentage and kept winning tournaments. Dig Through Time's ban puzzles me."
"There are no words. But I'm sure I'll come up with some later on."
"I predict many will start to lose faith in Modern..."
"Well, I always thought 95% of the posts in the banlist thread were silly, but now, I don't know anymore. Suggestions like banning Kitchen Finks, Abrupt Decay or Gitaxian Probe aren't so ridiculous anymore. Anything is on the table, let's have another four months of the wildest speculation 'cause who knows what gets banned next."
"I don't understand the DTT ban. This quote from Wizards is flat out untrue:"In Modern, these cards are easy replacements for one anotherwhile a Delver deck might use Treasure Cruise over Dig Through Time, banning one but not the other would do little to change the deck. Dig Through Time and Treasure Cruise are banned." TC and Pod ban make sense. Lack of meaningful unbans is ridiculous."
"Well I am no longer playing modern... I don't have a deck any more. Do I quit?... I mean I spent several years trying to collect a birthing pod deck.. and it was all for naught I mean I couldn't even get it to an acceptable compedative level before it got banned. Pretty much wasted a lot of time and money since MM1, I am stunned. I just don't know what to do now. What do I do with the wreakage of the deck?"
"Boom. Christmas came a later than I was expecting, but it came. 2 overpowered draw cards and a tutor card that has been dominating for years. Plus an unbanning that has been a long time coming."
"I 100% agree with Wotc's decisions... I would have liked some more unbans, but well, overall I am happy."
"This is easily the worst announcement I've ever seen."
"Anybody want to buy some Dig Through Times and Pods? I'm not surprised by the bans... To all Pod players out there, I'm truly sorry. My best friend plays Pod, and when I gave him the news, he just sighed and said "...guess I need to buy some Goyfs now...""
January 19, 2015 11:30 a.m.
So BG/x is the only midrange deck now?
Wtf wizards.
Surprised at the U turn on treasure cruise after they specifically said they wouldn't ban it haha.
This is actually a dark day.
January 19, 2015 11:31 a.m.
GoldGhost012 says... #47
And today marked the day many people decided to drift away from Modern. And by drift away I mean sprinting away, screaming in rage.
January 19, 2015 11:35 a.m.
VampireArmy says... #48
So yeah i agree with this comment to a degree "So I have to have 4 Tarmogoyfs if I want to play green? Thanks WOTC"
January 19, 2015 11:35 a.m.
fluffybunnypants says... #49
I actually fully disagree with the outright banning of Pod, it removes a whole archetype from the game and it was the only other successful midrange deck other than B/G/x Rock/Jund/whatever.
I didn't really expect BBE to be unbanned, but I was assuming that maybe the Rhino would be as it is as good as/better than BBE 95% of the time.
inb4 Goyf reaches $250
January 19, 2015 11:35 a.m.
TheAnnihilator says... #50
I want to see Doran, the Siege Tower become a real deck now. Hell yah!
But, ??!?!?!?! Birthing Pod ban?! I really didn't expect that.
sergiodelrio says... #2
Holy cow!
January 19, 2015 11 a.m.