Magic: The Gathering Arena developers ban the Book of Exalted Deeds
Image Credit: Bethesda
Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
Magic the Gathering poster
Magic The Gathering Arena has doled out bans for the Standard 2022 Format. Provided By: 9to5mac.com

Magic: The Gathering Arena developers ban the Book of Exalted Deeds

In combination with Faceless Haven, this card can infinitely stall the game

On July 14, Wizards of the Coast announced that it would be banning the Book of Exalted Deeds from its Magic: The Gathering Arena Standard 2022 format.

Recommended Videos

Book of Exalted Deeds gets banned in Standard 2022

Standard 2022 was introduced by Wizards of the Coast as a transitional set that prepares players for an incoming rotation of Standard sets. The set will only allow cards from the following sets:

Arena Base Set (ANB)
Zendikar Rising (ZNR)
Kaldheim (KHM)
Strixhaven: School of Mages (STX)
Dungeons & Dragons: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms (AFR)

Wizards of the Coast banned the Book of Exalted Deeds from the Standard 2022 format. The reason for this change lies with the card’s use in combination with Faceless Haven. The primary issue with the combo was that Faceless Haven could become all creature types and turn into a land at the end of the turn, which makes the card very difficult to remove. Book of Exalted Deeds could target an Angel creature type and allow neither player to win the game. These two cards in combination allowed a player to endlessly stall a game because neither player could get rid of Faceless Haven as a land.

Book of Exalted Deeds
The Book of Exalted Deeds allows an unending combo. | Provided by Scryfall

 

Faceless Haven Card
In combination with Faceless Haven, it makes an endless loop. | Provided by Scryfall

In the current Standard 2022 format, there is one way to remove a land from the board: Field of Ruin. Additionally,  Standard 2022 is a best-of-one format, which means that players don’t get to use a Sideboard and add Field of Ruin. Unless a player specifically ran a Field of Ruin to avoid this combo, there would be no way out. Due to the volatile nature of the card, Wizards of the Coast decided to ban it from the Standard 2022 format. However, the Book of Exalted Deeds is still available in Standard and Historic formats in Magic the Gathering: Arena.

Author
Image of Kenneth Utama
Kenneth Utama
The resident Dota player of the Upcomer Team that dips his toes into League, Melee and Pokemon. A chinese-indonesian living in Vancouver, Canada. Enjoys food, fashion and movies. Just another adult who decided it would be a good idea to start their own podcast