Three Cards Banned in Recent MTG Pauper Ban Announcement

The good ol’ B&R announcements are some of the most stressful reads for any Magic player. Whenever a Ban and Restricted rumor comes across social media, every MTG player jumps to one conclusion or another about what card is getting the axe next. Modern and Legacy are typically the two main formats receiving meta-changing bans, but this time around it is the budget-friendly Pauper format that is the target of a recent announcement.

[Related: MTGA Alchemy Tier List January 2022]

Earlier this month Wizards announced the creation of a brand new entity, the Pauper Format Panel, to handle all things regarding the Pauper format. It appears as though the first order of business was to take care of a few problematic cards out of the meta game for good.

Pauper Bans: Atog, Bonder’s Ornament, Prophetic Prism

The most notable banning this time around is the key card from the Affinity deck, Atog. The focal point and main win condition of Affinity gets the axe in the first PFP ran banning, and players are surprisingly understanding. The ban announcement was partnered with a very in-depth explanation from Gavin Varney, the head of the Pauper Format Panel.

Alongside Atog were bans for Bonder’s Ornament and Prophetic Prism. The two mana rocks joined Atog on the ban list due to their presence in both Affinity and Tron decks. The combination of color-fixing and card draw put a target on these cards, and after careful consideration, they found themselves on the latest B&R article.

Community Reaction

While the bans were reasonable this time around, it was the community reaction that makes this B&R announcement worth remembering. Typically fans will read the article, and quickly move on to their day without mentioning the article accompanying the announcement. However players were notably vocal about their appreciation for the reasoning behind the bans. Pauper players on social media were pleasantly surprised about how much thought when into the removal of the selected cards. If it is a new direction Wizards is taking in terms of these announcements, then MTG players may continue to give praise to and often maligned group.

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Featured image courtesy of Wizards of the Coast

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