Magus of the Ur-Dragon wrote:
It seems that the majority is in favor of Fastbond getting the axe, and I agree that it is kinda sick with Crucible returning. It's nut's alone though with having 40 life to work with. The people not wanting to see a banning (and this is just my guess) might not necessarily play the card, but are concerned that every little card that causes a problem will start getting axed, making the game unenjoyable for them. It basically comes down to you can't please everyone. My suggestion is that the people behind these rules listen carefully to the concerns of both sides and make the soundest decision possible.
The thing about the banned list is that a lot of cards got the hammer simply because they overpowered in EDH, (sway of the stars etc) or too costly for the average casual player to buy (moxen etc)
I will try to analyze the ban list and determine how restrictive it really is in this casual format. Let us consider the 28 cards on the current banned list in an organized format and identify the true length of the ban list:
Too Costly and/or too broken in general:
Ancestral Recall
Black Lotus
Mox Sapphire, Ruby, Pearl, Emerald and Jet
Time Walk
Library of Alexandria
These cards should never have been printed so I think they should just be ignored as part of the "growing ban list for EDH" For the other 19 cards:
Broken/Overpowered in EDH:
Balance
Biorhythm
Sway of the Stars
Upheaval
Panoptic Mirror
Yawgmoth's Bargain
Coalition Victory
Kokusho, the Evening Star
Limited Resources
Time Vault
Once again, kind of obvious why they are here. They screw with the format and board state to varying levels. Most are unanswerable to anything other than a counterspell before they wreck you completely making the casual game unfun. I don't think anyone is pro-unfun. If you are try playing against them and see how you feel.
Combo:
Protean Hulk
Grindstone
Worldgorger Dragon
Recurring Nightmare (not sure if this belongs here or not)
Lion's Eye Diamond (almost a black lotus?)
This is where it gets a bit sticky. Combo or no combo? In my opnion it all depends on answerability and the resilience to disruption. Sure, there are many other combos out there but they are easier to answer.
Rules Specific:
Karakas
Riftsweeper
A few rules tweaks could get these cards off the ban list but as of right now it's understanable why they are here.
What's left:
Tinker
Metalworker
They are all ways to "cheat" stuff into play. This is probably the most controversial as to how they merit a swing from the ban hammer. Combo enabler or no? These ones have been identified as being just "too good." and rightly so in my opinion.
It is my opinion that any card that is resticted or banned in vintage should at least get some consideration as to the banned list. There are obvious differences in format (gush isn't nearly as good) but for the cards tha carry that sort of power over to EDH they should be on the watch list.
The ban list should reflect what the format is about. Given as this is a casual format I don't think it's about auto-win broken combos that are inmpossible to answer or spells that just leave you feeling completely helpless no matter how good of a position you were in. Obviously there are some exceptions (thieves auction, warp world,) but they aren't as extreme as losing your entire board state to an upheaval. They give you back something at least.
Fastbond, belongs somewhere between combo and mana cheaters. Lands Tax also got some attention but doesn't have a combo associated with it and gives you time to answer it before the game becomes unfun.
I don't think the expanding banned list is that restricitve. Honestly, there are only ten or so cards that are leave room for debate and the rest obviously need to be left in our collections (on the basis of the casual goals of this format.)
Sorry for any spelling mistakes. It's late and this was really long to write and it's getting really late. That's my analysis of the ban list and its the cards that deserve to be there. Also sorry if I put anything in the wrong group. These were only my speculations about where they belong.
*EDITED* Lion's Eye Diamond added to Combo Section
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