Wizards of the Coast recently conducted a successful trial of a new casual event on MTG Arena called the No Banned List event. This event allowed players to use any card in a best of one 60-card deck format. The event received an overwhelming response, with 3 million games played over a two-week period. Due to its popularity, the event is returning as the Basically No Bans event, with a few banned cards to address overpowered strategies.
The cards being banned in the upcoming event are Channel, Demonic Tutor, and Tibalt’s Trickery. Channel allows players to turn their life into colorless mana and cast powerful Eldrazi creatures like Emrakul, the Promised End for just two green mana. Demonic Tutor provides too much consistency when played in multiple copies. Tibalt’s Trickery can trigger game-ending combos and end the game on the first turn.
The decision to ban these cards was made to promote diversity in the event and prevent certain strategies from dominating. The MTG Arena team believes that these cards were being played excessively and hindering the exploration of other deck ideas. Banning them should open up the event to new possibilities.
While banning cards in a No Banned List event may seem ironic, it is a necessary step to ensure a balanced and enjoyable experience for all players. The event’s popularity suggests that it could potentially become a new format for MTG Arena in the future. However, there is no confirmation of this at the moment.
Overall, the return of the No Banned List event as the Basically No Bans event is highly anticipated, and the banning of Channel, Demonic Tutor, and Tibalt’s Trickery should create a more diverse and balanced playing field.
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