MTG Salvation

Next anouncemt and this could be the biggest one yet that may possibly resurrect modern

Pioneer

Banned
Jegantha, the Wellspring


Modern
Banned
The One Ring
Amped Raptor
Jegantha, the Wellspring

Unbanned
Mox Opal
Green Sun's Zenith
Faithless Looting
Splinter Twin


Legacy

Banned
Psychic Frog
Vexing Bauble

Explorer

Banned
Jegantha, the Wellspring

Click the link below for explanation)

source: Mothership

Ooooh wee those Modern unbans! They could have unbanned a lot more, but those are some cool cards! I know it won't happen, but it would be sick if mardu pyromancer could be a viable deck again now that faithless looting is unbanned. That deck was so sick

Wasn't expecting the Vexing Bauble ban, but I knew it was only a matter of time before the frog had to go.

Someone is asking this and might ask the same thing

could This make hollow one somewhat more usable in modern since faithless looting is now unbanned

and now that mox opal is back can't wait to see if affinity starts to dominate again before the ban

So can Splinter Twin still consistently win on Turn 4 in Modern or are there enough answers for it now compared to how it was then? Typically you want to cast either Pestermite or Deceiver Exarch on Turn 3 before you win with Splinter Twin on Turn 4. I know this because I used to pilot the deck before it got banned in Modern years ago where you literally had to Sideboard against the match up or you just auto lose. Back then you had cheap counterspells like Spell Pierce and Mana Leak to get momentum going for your combo on Turn 4. Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker was also another decent combo enabler with Splinter Twin If you're wanting to win late game instead.

I thought The One Ring was a much bigger problem in Legacy and Vintage than in Modern but it turned out it was equally as broken. Nice to see that it will hopefully go down in price for those wanting to build with it in Commander where you can run it in a Mono Blue deck and repeatedly bounce it back to hand to gain it's cast trigger over and over while giving it Flash. I do like the idea of running The One Ring in Multicolor for Commander via Pull from Eternity and Riftsweeper to get it back from exile. As for Green Sun's Zenith I've always liked Genesis Wave better which ironically enough got a reprint in Foundations. Kinda happy that Faithless Looting is now unbanned in Modern.

Quote from Card Slinger J »

So can Splinter Twin still consistently win on Turn 4 in Modern or are there enough answers for it now compared to how it was then? Typically you want to cast either Pestermite or Deceiver Exarch on Turn 3 before you win with Splinter Twin on Turn 4. I know this because I used to pilot the deck before it got banned in Modern years ago where you literally had to Sideboard against the match up or you just auto lose. Back then you had cheap counterspells like Spell Pierce and Mana Leak to get momentum going for your combo on Turn 4. Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker was also another decent combo enabler with Splinter Twin If you're wanting to win late game instead.

I thought The One Ring was a much bigger problem in Legacy and Vintage than in Modern but it turned out it was equally as broken. Nice to see that it will hopefully go down in price for those wanting to build with it in Commander where you can run it in a Mono Blue deck and repeatedly bounce it back to hand to gain it's cast trigger over and over while giving it Flash. I do like the idea of running The One Ring in Multicolor for Commander via Pull from Eternity and Riftsweeper to get it back from exile. As for Green Sun's Zenith I've always liked Genesis Wave better which ironically enough got a reprint in Foundations. Kinda happy that Faithless Looting is now unbanned in Modern.

My testing so far with Modern UR Wizards Twin says you need to sideboard for the match-up and you might still auto-lose. In pre-board games so far, Wizards Twin has comboed off through Boseiju + Kozilek's Command on the same turn (double Twin + Flare of Denial was the secret) as well as won with Wizards beats through Haywire Mite and Pithing Needle on Deceiver Exarch.

Expect Wizards Twin to combo off on Turn 6 or later against fair decks, though.

I hope they will unban one day Deathrite Shaman, it was just a sweet swiss-knife that is very harmless to today power creep (no combo piece, no ETB or any kind of immediate value, killable by any removal, and incidental gravehate is a pretty healthy ability to keep in check broken grave recursion based decks)

Quote from Lectrys »

Quote from Card Slinger J »

So can Splinter Twin still consistently win on Turn 4 in Modern or are there enough answers for it now compared to how it was then? Typically you want to cast either Pestermite or Deceiver Exarch on Turn 3 before you win with Splinter Twin on Turn 4. I know this because I used to pilot the deck before it got banned in Modern years ago where you literally had to Sideboard against the match up or you just auto lose. Back then you had cheap counterspells like Spell Pierce and Mana Leak to get momentum going for your combo on Turn 4. Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker was also another decent combo enabler with Splinter Twin If you're wanting to win late game instead.

I thought The One Ring was a much bigger problem in Legacy and Vintage than in Modern but it turned out it was equally as broken. Nice to see that it will hopefully go down in price for those wanting to build with it in Commander where you can run it in a Mono Blue deck and repeatedly bounce it back to hand to gain it's cast trigger over and over while giving it Flash. I do like the idea of running The One Ring in Multicolor for Commander via Pull from Eternity and Riftsweeper to get it back from exile. As for Green Sun's Zenith I've always liked Genesis Wave better which ironically enough got a reprint in Foundations. Kinda happy that Faithless Looting is now unbanned in Modern.

My testing so far with Modern UR Wizards Twin says you need to sideboard for the match-up and you might still auto-lose. In pre-board games so far, Wizards Twin has comboed off through Boseiju + Kozilek's Command on the same turn (double Twin + Flare of Denial was the secret) as well as won with Wizards beats through Haywire Mite and Pithing Needle on Deceiver Exarch.

Expect Wizards Twin to combo off on Turn 6 or later against fair decks, though.

I think it's also worth mentioning that double Auriok Champion on the battlefield is a headache for Splinter Twin combo as pro red gets around burn spells as well as sideboarding Warping Wail If you have a colorless source to pay the mana value for dealing with Pestermite and Deceiver Exarch. One of my early builds of this deck used to run Augury Owl and Ponder to scry for my combo pieces on Turn 2 or earlier while teching in Pithing Needle to deal with cards threatening to stop my combo. You only lose to Instant speed removal due to Flash since If you're opponent is already tapped out you can Flash in Pestermite / Deceiver Exarch on their end step and cast Splinter Twin for the win. Not sure If it's still possible now after the unbanning.

Lightmine Field used to be a very potent card against Splinter Twin combo with Selesnya Anti-Aggro at my locals. Drop a Soul Warden, Essence Warden, Suture Priest, Ageless Entity, and Felidar Sovereign as a win-con. One of my friends used to run Lightmine Field utilizing Gideon Jura's +2 with a way to make him indestructible or prevent all damage dealt to him. I never really had the money to afford 4 of playsets of Snapcaster Mage and Spellskite for Splinter Twin combo back when it was unbanned in Modern. I think they were about $20+ a piece back then with Scalding Tarn at $75-80+ a piece at the time? It's arguably still the most expensive Fetch in the game next to Misty Rainforest with Marsh Flats being the cheapest.

Quote from Evil Never Dies »

I hope they will unban one day Deathrite Shaman, it was just a sweet swiss-knife that is very harmless to today power creep (no combo piece, no ETB or any kind of immediate value, killable by any removal, and incidental gravehate is a pretty healthy ability to keep in check broken grave recursion based decks)

Would be cool to have Deathrite Shaman back. They could honestly unban 20 cards without having any major effect on the meta, but a lot of added fun for the players. I reckon (almost certain hehe) the Mox Opal unban happened because it's in one of the upcoming sets hehe. Why else would they unban it? It has so much potential to replace the ring as the most broken card in the format.
I'm not complaining too much though hehe, I really like the Hardened Scales deck and Mox Opal is going to give it a major boost. People will likely be sideboarding the red x spell that destroys artifacts now hehe

Glad to see One Ring go. From what i've seen this thing was way to good to be healthy. There's a video by MTGGoldfish on YT playing turbo fog with it (basically One Ring - which is a fog in itself - paired with nothing but a bunch of generic fogs and Teferi's Tutelage as wincon), which is really eye opening in regards to how absurd this card is. I mean, sure, i'd love to see turbo fog raise from the dead but the sheer consistency and speed One Ring adds is crazy. It basically carries the whole deck and there's no card coming even somewhat close as a replacement.

I also certainly didn't miss Mox Opal. While i'm not a big fan of the removal of fast mana i don't see why exactly artifact decks should get an exception. I'd much rather see Chrome Mox come off the list as the whole colorpie would be able to use it.

Having Green Sun's Zenith back is nice. Round one Zenith for Dryad Arbor has a pretty special place in my heart

Quote from lookingupanddown »

Quote from Simto »

Ooooh wee those Modern unbans! They could have unbanned a lot more, but those are some cool cards! I know it won't happen, but it would be sick if mardu pyromancer could be a viable deck again now that faithless looting is unbanned. That deck was so sick

The unban explanations did say this was just a first step, assuming we don't get a Golgari Grave-Troll re-ban situation again.

really wow


I guess when they said they will revaluate the ban list of commander they decided to do the modern format ban list first.

Quote from Ryperior74 »

Quote from lookingupanddown »

Quote from Simto »

Ooooh wee those Modern unbans! They could have unbanned a lot more, but those are some cool cards! I know it won't happen, but it would be sick if mardu pyromancer could be a viable deck again now that faithless looting is unbanned. That deck was so sick

The unban explanations did say this was just a first step, assuming we don't get a Golgari Grave-Troll re-ban situation again.

really wow


I guess when they said they will revaluate the ban list of commander they decided to do the modern format ban list first.

Probably so that they wouldn't create another financial power vacuum from the former Commander Rules Committee banning Jeweled Lotus and Mana Crypt in Commander. It's safe to assume that Wizards of the Coast / Hasbro learned their lesson from the events that led to Birthing Pod's banning in Modern years ago however the cynic in me believes that they haven't learned their lesson as in the most recent case with Nadu, Winged Wisdom.

It would not surprise me if the unbans are precisely designed to both distract from and cushion the financial impact of the One Ring ban. By unbanning cards that hold as much value as the ring, at least collectively, the monetary loss of the ring is less impactful. Mox Opal by itself is worth just as much as the ring if not more, and green sun's zenith is no slouch either. Plus people are both excited by the unbans and, for many, relieved to see the oppression of the ring gone.

Quote from pierrebai »

It would not surprise me if the unbans are precisely designed to both distract from and cushion the financial impact of the One Ring ban. By unbanning cards that hold as much value as the ring, at least collectively, the monetary loss of the ring is less impactful. Mox Opal by itself is worth just as much as the ring if not more, and green sun's zenith is no slouch either. Plus people are both excited by the unbans and, for many, relieved to see the oppression of the ring gone.

It also makes more sense why the former Commander Rules Committee chose not to unban anything in Commander to help soften the financial blow of banning Jeweled Lotus and Mana Crypt being the big heavy hitters before Wizards of the Coast / Hasbro took over the format simply because Modern has better cards they can unban to spice up the format where as Commander doesn't have anything good to unban that won't break the format aside from maybe Primeval Titan, Coalition Victory, and Golos, Tireless Pilgrim.

Also thanks to the recent Splinter Twin unbanning in Modern, U/R Eldrazi Twin is now a thing:

Credit goes to Magic Aids on YouTube.

Quote from Card Slinger J »

Commander doesn't have anything good to unban that won't break the format aside from maybe Primeval Titan, Coalition Victory, and Golos, Tireless Pilgrim.

Agreed and Primetime isn't even that big of a deal, Coalition Victory is just stupid and Golos... It's seriously not much for them to work with. They could have unbanned Emmy and Channel though. That would have certainly drawn a response

Quote from Card Slinger J »

Also thanks to the recent Splinter Twin unbanning in Modern, U/R Eldrazi Twin is now a thing:

"Eldrazi Twin"Magic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards
		1 Breaker of Creation 1 Sundial of the Infinite

Those one-of...? Not sure what a singleton 8 mana breaker brings to the deck instead of playing 4-of of others. The only use i can see for sundial is as a weird counter to removal played on your turn? Or maybe to counter the nulldrifter evoke sac ability on the stack. So two uses... for another singleton.

PS: breaker can also be pitched to Ugin's Labyrinth... maybe they needed more 7+ Eldrazi to pitch to the land.