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Just two weeks after the launch of the new Explorer Format in MtGA, WOTC bans Winota, Joiner of Forces, and Tibalt's Trickery in Explorer.
Explorer is Magic the Gathering's latest format, an expanded Standard that covers all digital cards legal since October 2012, and is officially only legal in the digital format on MtGA. It's meant to be the Pioneer on digital, except that not all cards that exist on paper already exist in digital, so Explorer will eventually become identical to Pioneer once all digital versions of cards have arrived on MtGA. However, just two weeks in, players already found both janky and highly effective decks that could wreck other players on the format.
As a result of these highly-destructive and very winnable decks, WOTC decided to ban two cards, just two weeks since the launch of the new format.
In a statement, Donald Smith and Andy Clautice explain the banning decisions:
Winota, Joiner of Forces is a known powerhouse, allowing aggressive decks to quickly present overwhelming boards against unprepared opponents. Although decks centered around Winota currently coexist alongside other viable archetypes within the full Pioneer format, she has proven to be just as effective when working within the confines of Explorer's smaller card pool. Decks built around her are showing both an extreme amount of play and high win rates across Explorer game modes, and the card has quickly dominated the format. As a result, Winota, Joiner of Forces is banned in Explorer.
Explorer has once again given Tibalt's Trickery access to the cost-effective enablers and powerful payoffs required to threaten a very early combo kill. Even without Throes of Chaos to provide a backbone of consistency, these decks still aim to finish the game as quickly as possible, win or lose, without any opportunity for meaningful interactions from the opposing player. This creates an extremely negative experience when playing against the card, and its play rate is growing quickly. As a result, Tibalt's Trickery is banned in Explorer.
Meanwhile, fans of Winota shouldn't be too worried, as the article states that Winota could be unbanned as soon as the next set, Dominaria United, comes out. Tibalt's Trickery, though, won't be re-evaluated. These bans aren't surprising for anyone who has played the format over the past week, as these cards have been very prominent in many players' decks. Affected players who own these cards before their ban would receive corresponding Wildcards as compensation.
The bans will take into effect on May 12, 2022.
