Magic: The Gathering players have been trying their hardest to break the Pioneer format. As a result, to keep the format balanced, Wizards of the Coast is doing weekly banlist updates. This week brought us three cards that are no longer legal in the format. Without further ado, let’s talk about them!
Leyline of Abundance
The green Leyline, recently printed in Core Set 2020, bit the dust with this announcement. With both Elvish Mystic and Llanowar Elves legal in the format, it was easy to pump out tons of mana with this card. In addition, it also added devotion for free to Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx. This combination allowed green decks to ramp into ridiculous creatures and spells. Any deck trying to stay low to the ground was easily run over. For those reasons, Leyline of Abundance is no longer legal in Pioneer.
Oath of Nissa
Speaking of green ramp decks, Oath of Nissa is also no longer legal because of them. The card afforded an insane amount of consistency to green decks. It’s arguable it was the most powerful cantrip in Pioneer up until now. We’ve seen how cantrips in green can get abused before (looking at you, Ancient Stirrings), so it’s understandable Oath of Nissa was nipped in the bud.
Felidar Guardian
Everyone pretty much saw this one coming. Felidar Guardian + Saheeli Rai has been the most powerful two-card combo in Pioneer to date. The combo is so good, it was banned in Standard and still sees play in Modern. The combo forces players to react to the threat immediately or die. This warps games, and because of this, at least one piece of the combo had to go.
What do you think of the new bans in Pioneer? Is there another card you would’ve liked to see go? Let us know down in the comments below! And stayed tuned to Daily Esports for more MTG news and updates!
