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The August 3rd, 2020 Banned and Restricted announcement is live! Here's the full list of cards in every format:
Standard
Wilderness Reclamation is banned.
Growth Spiral is banned.
Teferi, Time Raveler is banned.
Cauldron Familiar is banned.
This is perhaps one of the most impactful Standard bannings that Magic has ever seen. This sweeping change is probably too little, too late, considering most of these cards were due to leave at rotation, but will be a welcome reprieve for those still playing the format on Arena and MTGO. Growth Spiral decks alone accounted for "68% of the Day 1 metagame" at the most recent Player's Tour Finals.
The looming presence of COVID-19 has suppressed the value of Standard cards across the board, but many cards are primed to see movement due to this change.
Pioneer
Inverter of Truth is banned.
Kethis, the Hidden Hand is banned.
Walking Ballista is banned.
Underworld Breach is banned.
In what is definitely the most significant banning since the inception of the format, Pioneer's metagame is given the chance to open up by removing four of the most prominent combo decks in one fell swoop. Dimir Inverter, Kethis Combo, Lotus Breach, and White Weenie (Heliod Ballista) all lose a namesake piece, save for White Weenie. This acts as a strong signal that Pioneer is geared toward fair matches of Magic, and we may not see combo decks of the same style for a long while, if ever.
A notable mention from Ian Duke on this round of bannings was the potential banning of Thassa's Oracle, which enables combo kills with Underworld Breach and Inverter of Truth. We get the privilege of seeing how the format shakes out with this potential combo enabler still intact, but time will tell if there is a viable strategy to go along with it.
Historic
Wilderness Reclamation is suspended.
Teferi, Time Raveler is suspended.
Brawl
Teferi, Time Raveler is banned.
Effective Date and Timing
Breaking with what was somewhat of a tradition, these bans have taken effect immediately as the announcement dropped. We've previously seen separate dates for bans to take effect on various platforms like Magic Arena and MTGO with a pre-announcement for action a week later. This time, we're seeing changes effective immediately with Ian Duke citing the "increased focus on digital platforms" as the primary reason for these swift changes.
Link to the full article by Ian Duke on the mothership.
