Ever since Modern Horizons 3 came to MTG Arena, the power level of cards across the client has grown immensely. Whether they were introduced through various Bonus Sheets, Arena Anthologies, or even through unique Powered Cube events, the best cards available on Arena look nothing like they did a few years ago.
This has led to a lot of format shifts for MTG Arena, and Gladiator, a popular 100-card singleton fan-driven format, is no exception. In fact, there are so many power outliers in Gladiator now that the current ban list is starting to feel outdated.
To that end, the Gladiator Council has ushered in a massive experimental change for the format. 10 of the 17 cards on the Gladiator banlist are now being unleashed back into the format. With how powerful the card pool on MTG Arena has become, the Council feels that they cannot judge whether these cards should stay banned without letting them see some play. Additional changes could come just a month later but, for now, Gladiator fans have new toys to play with.
White Gets Even Better
One of the most noteworthy aspects of the announcement is just how much white aggro shells improve thanks to the unbans. The decision to unban Guide of Souls, Solitude, and Tajic, Legion’s Valor is very intriguing, considering that these same three cards were added to the ban list back in June of this year. The Gladiator Council made it clear at that time that white had been a dominant color for quite some time, and the goal was to address some of the more homogenous elements white decks had access to. Now, the only white card remaining on the banlist is Ajani, Nacatl Pariah.
Anyone who enjoys playing white aggro should be thrilled with these announcements. First of all, the deadly combination of Guide of Souls and Ocelot Pride is back on the menu. If that weren’t enough, you get access again to one of the best white removal spells ever printed to back up your pressure.
Of course, if you choose to dip into red, Tajic should be an automatic inclusion. It’s extremely difficult for most black and red decks to get this card off the board, and if you can keep their blockers in check, Tajic will run away with the game. The Council really wasn’t messing around with this announcement, and we’re just getting started.
More Ubiquitous Options
As homogenous as Guide of Souls was for white creature decks, it doesn’t hold a candle to The One Ring. This colorless source of card advantage fits in aggro and midrange decks of all shapes and sizes. The only minuscule downside is that, in a Singleton format, you don’t have the luxury of playing four copies of The One Ring and using the “Legend Rule” to your advantage. Nonetheless, there are plenty of cards like Sheoldred, the Apocalypse that work to minimize the effect of burden counters.
All things considered, to many, The One Ring is among the most surprising unbans given just how easy it is to get a massive advantage out of it. It doesn’t ask much of you at all, and the reward for casting it is immense. If Invert Polarity stays banned in large part because “it can singlehandedly dominate or swing a game with little room for counter play,” there’s an argument that this Indestructible value engine that even helps you stabilize the board is worthy of remaining on the ban list.
While Treasure Cruise does require a bit more work to get going than The One Ring, it is also an elite source of card advantage that a large percentage of blue decks will play. By utilizing Fetchlands and cantrips, it isn’t too difficult to cast this card for only one mana by the time you’re running out of gas. Despite being banned in an array of formats, The Council deemed both The One Ring and Treasure Cruise worthy of being unbanned.
Insane Reanimator Tools
The other unban that’s a bit of a head scratcher, even in an otherwise powerful environment, is Demonic Tutor, which threatens to supercharge the efficiency of black combo decks like Reanimator. Even though Reanimate remains on the banlist, setting up a quick resurrection of a big creature in short order becomes a lot easier with tutors of this caliber in the mix, especially with Entomb on its way to Arena.
Not only that, but another premium reanimation effect in Emperor of Bones is coming back after its recent ban back in June. Considering the goal with banning Emperor in the first place was to weaken Reanimator, a deck that The Council felt was associated with “very problematic play patterns,” it’s interesting to see such a strong tool get unbanned so soon after. These changes are clearly an indication of a potential philosophical shift, and only time will tell whether or not these cards end up overstaying their welcome.
Incredible Planeswalkers
The final three cards to get unbanned aren’t quite as homogenous as the rest, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t powerful. For anyone who played Pioneer, Modern, or Legacy when Oko, Thief of Crowns was legal, you know how trivial it can be for the card to singlehandedly take over games. Still, given the numerous absurdly efficient powerhouses in the format moving forward, Oko’s power level no longer feels out of place.
The same can be said for Minsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes and Tasha, Unholy Archmage, two burly Planeswalkers with strong qualities. Minsc & Boo gets its appeal from its ability to apply pressure, while Tasha is at its strongest in midrange and control shells since it does an insane job protecting you. At the end of the day, though, both of these cards cost four mana. In an environment with plenty of other great four-mana plays like Pyrogoyf, adding these cards in shouldn’t feel too overwhelming.
Moving Forward
With all of these unbans taking place, that leaves a total of seven cards remaining on the banlist. The Council definitely showed its willingness to unban cards with this announcement, so it’s clear The Council believes these final cards are particularly problematic for the ecosystem of the format.
Still, it’s important to remember that the changes in this announcement are experimental, and future alterations to the ban list could very well be on the horizon after more data is collected. The Council mentioned that any additional tweaks could be made in as little as a month, so make sure to check back in later for any updates.
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