Banning and restricting are practices that were started for Magic: The Gathering cards in 1994. Wizards of the Coast wanted a way to control the game by introducing different formats in order to have its media perceived at its maximum enjoyment. Due to this balancing, gameplay in both competitive formats and casual play has become more inclusive of strategies that prioritize a duality of speed and power, as opposed to one or the other.
Before a card is released it is difficult to predict how it will perform, how the masses will use it, or even how it will be perceived for other merits or shortcomings. There’s some crazy drama behind some of those now on the ban list.
10 Mental Misstep
The circular symbol with the line through it represents New Phyrexia, a plane in the Multiverse as well as a set released in 2011. The gimmick behind them is that they can be played with life instead of mana, a strategy that allows for some immensely broken combos due to all the mana-hoarding one could do.
Furthermore, since playing these cards is not dependant on color, they can be used in any kind of deck. Mental Misstep is essentially four free spell counters that could potentially shut down any opposing strategies. This card was banned in a few formats about three months after its release.
9 Felidar Guardian
Combinations, or combos, are interactions between different cards that generate an effect greater than they could alone. Felidar Guardian is a Creature card that allows players to abuse exile mechanics. This can result in Permanents being flung in and out of play, making the game dynamic and possibly unpredictable.
With 4 toughness, Felidar Guardian is also not going anywhere anytime soon. Well, except to the ban list for enabling unforeseen single-turn combos.
8 Mishra’s Workshop
Being released shortly after banning and restricting were introduced into the game in 1994, Mishra’s Workshop is one of the first cards to ever be restricted. Mana is the fuel of MTG, and having more of it puts a player at the advantage. Doing so early on can give one enough energy to play big strategies right out of the gate before the opponent can do anything about it.
This kind of headstart is frowned upon by Wizards because it encourages senseless power over refined gameplay. Since the mana generated can only be used for Artifacts, this card was restricted instead of banned.
7 Ivory Tower
Ivory Tower is also a card that was restricted in 1994, shortly after its release. If a player is able to sustain their forces on the field while drawing and hoarding many cards in their hand, they could make great used of this Continuous Artifact.
Being able to regenerate multiple life per turn would indeed create a fortress-like persona before one’s opponent. At least multiples of these cards cannot be found within any deck, saving many from dealing with this tedious strategy.
6 Maze Of Ith
Like Ivory Tower, Maze of Ith can make duels long and arduous as it can heavily control what happens on the field of battle. This was yet another card restricted in 1994 during the time when Wizards of the Coast were just beginning to figure out how best to adjust their game.
Maze of Ith’s versatility made it at home in any deck that’s goal was to shut down attacking opponent creatures, a strategy not too fondly looked upon because it encouraged pointlessly drawn-out conflicts.
5 Stroke Of Genius
Mana is the most crucial commodity in MTG, but cards themselves are also very important. If someone’s library runs out of cards, it means defeat. With 60 cards required to be in a deck, this does not happen often. However, there are strategies that are intended to make the opponent run out of cards this way and achieve a technical victory.
Stroke of Genius is a card that makes this type of gameplay easier than it should be. The point of this rule is to allow long duels to come to an end definitively and in a fair manner; this strategy of taking advantage of a technicality is considered unsportsmanlike enough to warrant banning cards that promote them too heavily.
4 Lingering Souls
This card was released in early 2012, during an era when token decks were dominating. It is a relatively cheap way to get more tokens onto the field and even has Flashback, which can let it also be useful in the Graveyard.
Against decks that have little response for swarms of small token creatures, this could cause a nightmare scenario. Because of this, Lingering Souls was banned less than two months after its release.
3 Memory Jar
Drawing large amounts of cards in a single turn is the kind of play that one would use for faster, harder-hitting combos. There are many strategies that can not only benefit from good draws, but more cards being present in one’s hand or on one’s side of the field. Memory Jar gives duelists accesses to two hands, one of which is a fresh one drawn from the library.
With some planning and a bit of luck, this much card-access can clinch the battle for some in a broken maneuver almost immediately halted by Wizards. Memory Jar was banned exactly 2 weeks after its release in 1999.
2 Mind’s Desire
Storm is an effect famously known for being horribly unbalanced, allowing for cards to be played multiple times. Multiple-play tactics can be considered kind of a sleazy way to get around the restrictions on certain cards.
Combined with Mind’s Desire’s ability to reduce the top card of a library to nothing, players have found ways to play a tremendous amount of cards in a single turn. It was a wonder that this was released at all. Mind’s Desire was banned merely 6 days after its release in 2003.
1 Invoke Prejudice
This is not a card banned for its gameplay qualities but for being grossly offensive. Invoke Prejudice and six other cards were banned in June 2020 for depicting racist imagery and text. The most noticeable racism is the illustration on this card that shows a very KKK-looking group of individuals. The text also conveys unpleasant thoughts.
This card was likely meant to depict the wrongness of real-world racism but did so in a very inappropriate way. It should be noted that aspects of Magic: The Gathering seem to value diversity and the creators aim to make it inclusive to everyone. Therefore, Wizards of the Coast not only banned these seven cards from play but also from being depicted on all official websites and merchandise and replaced with a message stating that racism in all its forms is wrong.
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