The release of Edge of Eternities will be bringing a multitude of really powerful cards to MTG Arena. The cards from the main set aren’t anything to worry about, but the same cannot be said about the Stellar Sights Bonus Sheet cards.
As is common for Bonus Sheet and Special Guest super-staples, Wizards is preemptively banning three cards in Historic. Seeing these three cards get the axe isn’t too surprising. That said, many players feel the announcement fell short of expectations.
Strip Mine
The first card to eat a Historic ban is Strip Mine. Strip Mine is an absurdly strong piece of land destruction that comes at very little cost to play. Unlike Wasteland, Strip Mine can hit basic lands, so there’s no escaping getting your lands blown up turn after turn if the opponent has a Crucible of Worlds effect lined up. This card was already banned in Legacy and restricted in Vintage.
While today brought us the official ban announcement, we actually already knew last week that Strip Mine was going to get the hammer. Wizards of the Coast employee Jay let everyone know that Strip Mine was going to be banned ahead of time along with “all efficient land destruction/denial,” a common practice for Historic.
Jay also mentioned last week that the plan was to leave Strip Mine legal in Brawl and Timeless, at least for a little while, and continue to monitor the card’s effect on those formats. In today’s announcement, Wizards made it clear that they would “keep a close eye” on the cards getting banned in Historic and their effects on Brawl and Timeless following release, with the intention of taking action as required.
So, for now, players can enjoy shoving four copies of Strip Mine in their Timeless decks with no stipulations!
Ancient Tomb
Another obvious addition to the Historic banlist that could also shake up Timeless in a big way is Ancient Tomb. Ancient Tomb is one of the best lands ever printed. Dubbed a “Sol” land due to its resemblance to Sol Ring. As a land that taps for two mana in exchange for a very acceptable drawback, Ancient Tomb is an excellent accelerant.
Sure, the life loss adds up, but when you’re casting prison pieces like Chalice of the Void or efficient threats a full turn ahead of schedule, it’s well worth the pain. Ancient Tomb will undoubtedly become a staple in Brawl and Timeless for as long as it remains legal, and its pre-ban in Historic felt inevitable.
Magus of the Moon
Where things get a little bit interesting is with the third card that was pre-banned. Magus of the Moon will be joining Strip Mine and Ancient Tomb on the banlist.
From a power level perspective, Magus of the Moon is far less dangerous than the other two cards. The creature is not a difficult card to remove. Even if your opponent is completely locked out of creating mana that isn’t red, cards like Dismember do the trick just fine.
That being said, Wizards has been consistent when it comes to banning any form of cheap land denial. Both Blood Moon and Spreading Seas remain on the banlist, so Magus following suit isn’t shocking.
That hasn’t stopped players from voicing their opinions on the matter, though. Four-color Soin decks are incredibly prevalent in Historic right now, and punishing greedy manabases might be the step needed to get the format under control.
Playing around Magus of the Moon’s effect in a format without Fetchlands isn’t always easy, but there are definitely benefits to keeping the card around, especially when you factor in a new addition to Historic that didn’t earn a ban.
A Surprising Choice
By far, the card that seems to have the most players talking following the bans is Eldrazi Temple. This land is another “Sol” land, though this time it’s restrictive to helping Eldrazi strategies in particular.
Many players are worried about the health of the format moving forward, given that Eldrazi decks are already quite strong. Now, players will have access to both Eldrazi Temple and Ugin’s Labyrinth, along with many of the best Eldrazi spells that exist in Modern.
The fact that Wizards is allowing these “Sol” lands to stay while banning the cards that punish the decks that run them is frustrating to a lot of people. Some players think the format has become too degenerate, with Sorin strategies, Reanimate decks, and Eldrazi ruling over everything.
It’s still early, and perhaps the format will evolve further once Edge of Eternities releases. Regardless, it’s hard not to address the elephant in the room. Hopefully Wizards continues to monitor the Historic environment closely and make additional changes as necessary.
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