It seems like this would all be fixed by banning swamp

Never has there been a more correct Magic take. I've been pounding the table for this for ages.

Honestly I thought Bankbuster was the most likely to be banned when they announced the rotation extension due to the amount of advantage it provides while only dying to a select few removal spells and shows up everywhere.

That was, in fact, the card I was thinking of. The reason Bankbuster has a ban target on its head is not because it's too good, but because it's too ubiquitous. It's colorless so every deck that has the long game any mind (non-aggro) has to include it in order to keep up with the opponent. When every deck uses a card despite its color or overall strategy you know you have a problem card.

Bankbuster also doesn’t die to Go for the Throat or cut down. Makes removing it more difficult if you don’t run sweepers or abrade.

Ban all cards that are 3 for ones, regardless of mana cost.

Finally, someone recognizes the role Bloodtithe Harvester plays in boost BRx decks. Bankbuster is also a good pick.

Yes, I wasn't really thinking at Reckoner Bankbuster as a card to ban, but now that you pointed that out, it makes perfect sense. Among the 7 decks that played it in the top 8 of Mom Pro tour, there's an average of 3.7 copies of Bankbuster per deck, which is amazing! It really shows you the power of the card for non-Aggro decks in this format.

I think starting a Restriction list (where you can only have 1, 2, or 3 copies of each restricted card) would be super helpful in keeping cards like Fable and Bloodtithe Harvester, and Sheoldred in check. Also, if they do restrict cards, it should be a set number (2 is my choice) and not have cards restricted differently. For example, this would be super hard for a new/casual player to keep straight: WotC restricts Fable to 2, Invoke Despair to 3, and Sheoldred to 1, while Bloodtithe Harvester stays unrestricted.

He protec. He attac. But mostly… He make all the midrange decks just slightly more powerful than synergy decks.

Yes, finally! Reckoner bankbuster is a great call for a ban target, i'd like to play a mono black hand hate style deck with invasion of eldraine as a finisher but the amount of draw is making it unrealistic. I wouldn't be sad to see wedding announcement going either.

100% Bankbuster does need to go. I normally not the biggest on bans cause rotation is supposed to solve that, but if we are going to have to put up with these cards for another year there does need to be some bans to free up the format. Also with rotation of sets being 3 years I think there needs to be a set date(Maybe in Feb) where they ban over performing cards from sets that would have normally rotated out. Like if they were to do this with the current sets that would, Fable, Invoke, and bankbuster would be on the chopping block. Make it almost like a mini rotation and announce way in advanced that you are doing it so people can be prepared for it. Having powerful cards like this stay in standard for so long is not health for the format and will put a nail in it's coffin. Hell can you imagine if Throne of Eldraine stayed for an extra year, with embercleave or adventure decks? or hell Ikoria with that god awful Rogues, or Yorion decks?

I hadn’t even considered Reckoner…. I think it is genius.

I only started really playing Standard on arena towards the end of ONE. Having played a lot more than I should have in that time, it absolutely rung true when you mentioned it. Excellent take.

Bankbuster is basically Smuggler's Copter version 2.0 in that it gives card advantage to literally every deck so yeah it can go if it's not going to be rotating out

gotta give it to you. i remember watching some of your earlier videos and your presentation, persona and style of speech have improved dramatically! it feels like something clicked and youre much more comfortable. nice job dude!

Pre-Cut Down rebuttal was great!

I agree, Bankbuster can be played for every deck, and it is the reason to the Midrange winter on Standard right now.

A good name for this kind of thought exercise: theorybanning

The problem with banning only bankbuster is that yes, it is probably the most widely played card. However, it is not the thing that puts Rakdos over other decks. So with banning it, because it was in "every deck" already, I don't think the meta will get more diverse. I think it should be Shelly in the first place. I think she just puts that elemente of pressure on opp/stabilizing you into Mono B as well as Grixis/Rakdos that makes these decks so overpowered. Fable on the other hand is literally the best card in the game. Maybe a restriction would really be the best option. How often have I run into remove sheoldred -> next sheoldred. And less fables would also give less overwhelming value, but we'd keep a card that makes red more then 4 turn aggro

Very solid take Dev, I thought of bankbuster as well but with your additional points about most played in the top 8, it’s a no brainer

I would like a big ban list. Take 8 or 9 cards and see the meta overhaul quickly when rotation should happen. Noone will complain about bans if they thought those cards were gonna rotate. I hope they ban Thalia so more creative decks can be played without being forced into black removal or creature aggro races.

Watching the finals of the MOM pro tour, the guy that drew the Bankbuster beat the guy that didn't draw the bankbuster first two games. So there's that bit of backup to the rant...

As soon as you said card that should be banned in standard. The first card I thought of is Bankbuster. It is the most played card in the format. The issue with banning Bankbuster is it makes other midrange decks bad and all those players just go to Rakdos/Grixis Midrange. So the format will get less diverse.

if we are getting into the numbers argument, there is a card that placed far more copies in that top 8. Let me count again, just to make sure... yep, 51 copies. So one could make an argument that banning swamp should be the best way to hose all those black-based decks. Except, besides the fact that WotC won't ban a basic land, even if they did I think it wouldn't achieve much. Players would have to tinker their mana bases a bit further, maybe add more splashes of a third or even four color just to avoid being punished too much by Field of Ruin, but in the end of the day, I think on current standard you can build a solid mana base for a main color even without the corresponding basic land. I don't know whether that's a good or a bad thing, but it's interesting to think about.

On a side note of this topic, do you feel it's a good time to bring back the RESTRICTED list in standard "IE Type2"

The card is very strong but I think you highlighted why this card should not be banned in this video. It's a colorless 2 drop that literally any deck can add if they feel the need to. The cards that most need to be banned are overpowered cards in a certain color/archetype that skew the format in 1 specific direction. You can play this card in alot of different shells. I think fable is the one to ban. You get a 2/2, potentially multiple treasure tokens, card selection, and then a kiki jiki for 3 mana. That's multiple creatures, potentially ramp, card selection, and another creature with an ability for 1 red 2 generic. If they are going to make a 3 drop that strong, at least make it triple red to limit what decks can use it.

Can't believe two Grizzlies equate to 2 power and toughness... Just crazy.

Funny thing with Bankbuster, you can draw 2 cards off of it if you copy one with Reflection of Kiki Jiki in your opponent's end phase, so if neither go, you've another year of standard where those cards get to also draw 2 for 5 mana every turn if they're not disrupted.

The biggest problem with Bankbuster is one of the biggest problems in Magic that is not being addressed at all: universal two mana instant speed answers. Bankbuster turns every cheap answer into "and draw a card". Go For the Throat doesn't need to also draw a card, nor does Make Disappear, nor any other two many answers, let alone Cut Down (which should be sorcery speed at one mana). But in general, cheap near-universal answers force players to build decks around cards that create left over value the moment the are cast or come into play. And this just turns Standard into the boring grind fest of pure card attrition that it is.

Idk, I'm on the theory that Bloodtithe and Kiki-Jiki can be played around, but spells like Farewell and Invoke Despair just seem like turn 5 - 6 game enders that are practically impossible to work around.

Interesting - I wouldn’t have thought of Reckoner B and you make a good point.

Me before watching this video: So it's not going to be Fable, Shelly or Bankbuster since those 3 cards are what everyone is saying need to go. Turns out it was one of the big 3. I must admit I did not expect Bankbuster to be so good until this PT weekend. For the almost 2 years I just thought it only was a good card. But when you see it has 50% more ubiquity than the Smuggler's Copter and that it literally goes into anything that isn't full aggro, a playstyle that has been on life support since Kamigawa... it kinda adds up.

6:00 I did not realize it made a treasure token wait what the heck. I feel like I've been mandela effected

I completely agree. It gives decks that shouldnt have card draw card draw. It's definitely broken, but I guess a lot of people don't see it until they take a look at it and see what it's doing. It goes under the radar really easily. I noticed it a few months ago and I'm so glad it was your pick

Fable is still the top hit, Bankbuster is a pretty easy second though. I think Standard will go to a healthy place if the cards that allow midrange to beat control are dealt with. A healthy control deck in Standard would sort out a lot of the issues with crazy over the top cards like Atraxa, Breach, and that sort of thing.

Bankbuster is wild because in BRx it can basically smooth out any curve. Oh you drew a bandkbuster and fable 2 and 3 drop. Oh you drew no fable? Bankbust into harvester swing for 4. It just makes the early turns sooo consistent, especially for any deck with a 2 mana 3/2. Bankbuster also is a good ban because if you take out harvester there's a high chance that underdog immediately takes it's place for the same early turns beating.

Good call, the only other card id consider banning would be invoke, Black dosent need More tool's imho...

We dont need any bans, we need rotation

Go ahead and take it. Bankbuster doesn't trigger Hallowed Haunting and that's why I run the doggo.

If this card was banned, there's a pretty hefty shift to consistency that could be refreshing. Could be they "rotate" it when it originally would have left.

I love RB, I have since Neon Dynasty came out, but I think it is a solid ban target. As always, love the videos

I would like bankbuster out. I also advocate banning the tribe goblin, so, as a control player, these kinds of sticky starting game enders can be frustrating. I think, honestly, the best nerf for bankbuster would be to lose the whole “creature” aspect of it. It becomes a normal artifact, not a vehicle, and no pilot. Just a [3] draw for two mana and tap, that gives a treasure. [3] is, of course, not counting proliferates.

Hahaha, nice... right after I went YES! Dev calls me out for saying YES! But I'm for Restricted being brought back... heck even unban Meathook and restrict it, along with Sheoldred, Invoke, Wanderer, Kiki... I think restricted makes deck building WAY more interesting... is invoke as good if you only get 1? Also I came for Ziggy and was let down... unless you surprise me at the end of the video...

I totally get this take! Nevertheless, despite the card being everywhere, it doesn't particularly empower Rakdos/Grixis over other archetypes, as long as those are going somewhat midrange-y. For that reason, I'd rather like to see Fable or somethign black go than this. But truth be told, the card that annoys me the most is probably Atraxa. That card just feels like a cheat code. So I've built up a nice board advantage, I get my value, then boom! Opponent reanimates big A. No card in recent memory has turned games around this hard, not even Meathook Massacre.

I would rather not see any of these cards banned ( i would like to see Meat hook unbanned ). Players will always use the best cards that they can play with. So, when there's less of these cards in the format this might not fix anything because the competitive player will just use the next best thing. What I see is the problem is Wizard's overall card/game design. Wizard's does make good cards like Fable/Bankbuster but they don't make enough of them that are equally as good or make cards that are main deck worthy to counteract these cards. Cards like Invoke Despair and Unleash the Inferno do kinda counteract Fable/Bank but they don't curve at the right time. If they made a card lets say 2G instant - Destroy target artifact or enchantment, deal X damage to target creature or planeswalker. ( X is equal to the mana cost of the targeted artifact or enchantment. ). In my opinion, if this card existed it possibly would of warped the meta to the point of possibly seeing green in the protour. But the biggest problem with the game ( in my opinion again ) is allowing players to play their cards. To do this, early spells that allow you to dig deeper in your deck i feel should be encouraged to smooth out land drops but it needs to be more widely available through out all the colors. I also have a good solution for balancing out the advantage of going first and mulligan process. But I'd rather keep some of this to myself knowing that I'm not getting paid for any of this.

I agree that Reckoner Bankbuster is a meta-defiining card in standard. Banning it would remove a ubiquitous part of the format, which would lead to more card diversity among top decks. But I also feel that Red and Black, as of the pro tour, were represented way too much for a diverse metagame. Sadly, banning Bankbuster wouldn't hurt RB more than any of the decks running it, and thus RB would continue to still be oppressive. If the meta continues to be primarily RB in Standard, even after it evolves with the cards from Aftermath, the format will need a targeted ban towards RB in order to let other colors and decks see more play.

Hey Dev. I really like your take, Reckoner Bankbuster is a very strong card and I understand your points. But, in theory it should make other decks like mono green that much better too. If you ban it, the top decks are still the top decks imho...so not much would change. I'd probably just ban or restrict Fable, since it's a key component to the top decks. Just my 2 cents. Great video!

I think if you take bankbuster and fable out then you have to leave the rest of the rakdos/grixis shell in. Invoke is really the only black spell that helps with opponent enchantments. I think they should ban bankbuster, the wandering emperor, and fable…. And then probably ban three more cards from the inevitable aggro-fest that comes from those bans a couple weeks afterward

XD I knew you would go with that one, I can see it

Are they gonna push us into Alchemy MTGA with this staleness? Is that the play?

I knew you were gonna say bankbuster before you said it. Card is fucking nuts. Can go in any deck, free 4/4 if you have creatures out, and gives you a creature and treasure. All for two colorless mana?? Goddamn.

i appreciate your videos brother, hope you're well

Agree, bankbuster is stable draw or good pressure tool. Love it in my mono black sacrifice deck.

Honestly, Fable is the only thing that NEEDS to go. Highly versatile 3 drop that can be abused from multiple angles and can be a real pain to deal with. Also, get rid of Farewell. No argument. I just hate it. lol

Wow standard and pioneer rakdos midrange are both the best/ most played deck in there format both super boring to play against and share like 60+ percent of the same list and I wish wizards just ban stuff out of good midrange piles when they take up such high meta percentages and top 8 in events

I wonder if they would limit it to 1 per deck. With them so focused on $, the more cards they ban, the less cards they are likely to sell, because alot of people are buying to play the cards they get. Limiting a card or some cards is there for the better thing they could do that will still have people wanting to buy the card & at the same time change the format in a way.

I like the thought but to me the problem is the cards on the lower end of the curve arent good enough to punish the decks taking a turn off to cast this and then invest mana in it every turn. Buster is very good but does have a cost. If we had some more powerful 2-3 drop value creature threats to put pressure on decks Bankbuster would be less of a problem.

Bankbuster, fable, sheoldred, and invoke despair could all get hit and i wouldnt have a problem with it

It's interesting that so many people are advocating for a ban of emperor because it really isn't as ubiquitous as it once was. That fact it compete with Shelly means it is taking up way less slots. Rarely so i have to face the constand turn 4 threat of emperor like we did 12months ago.

I crafted 4 of these day 1one, no regrets. Fits in almost every deck

that is all true but you know rotation fixes that, Wizards keeps getting it wrong over and over and wait did i say over

Question: don't you still draw the card if there are no counters on it? Its always confused me because there is no 'instead' clause. I've always seen it as the charge counters are counting down to when you get everything not as a cost to drawing cards, though usually it would grow for that effect which is confusing me. There is also no ruling on it that doesn't say either way.

IMO WOTC's smart next move in restructuring Standard will be to wholesale restrict all third year cards so that every card gets two years at a four each limit and one year at a one each limit.

I don't quite see the Bankbuster take. While I agree that it's good, it's been too slow in a lot of the decks I've played it in. From my experience it's only as good as it seems in the slower controlling shells that play a ton of removal, but even then there's a parity between playing it on 2 and saving for removal against aggro, where these decks are best. And against aggro in particular, if you don't answer their early threats by turn 2 you're going below 10 life too quickly to answer without exactly Brotherhood's End. By then, yes, Buster can block for you, but it's probably too late. Its power truly lies, for me at least, as a sideboard option against mirrors or control where it'll make their decisions more awkward between removing it or another threat. And that certainly doesn't make it ban-worthy. I do agree with and understand the explanation on why you have the take. I wouldn't be opposed to its banning. I just don't quite agree myself. It could be the "it's always better for my opponents than me" bias talking for me, and if it is I'd be happy if it does get banned. I just don't think banning THIS of all things will freshen up Standard. There will still only be a couple aggro decks in particular that won't be hit by this leaving at all and won't leave the top of the aggro decks, meaning control and mid-range will still have to pack as much removal and board wipes as they do, if not more now, to combat them; and there are more than too many board wipes to slot in. That will leave the other synergy, or niche aggro decks just as incidentally hated out as they have been but with the knowledge that the opponent was less likely to draw the exact thing they needed to beat them with, yet it still happens 99% of the time anyway. If Wizards wanted to truly freshen up Standard, in my opinion, they'd need to ban a major piece of each of the big decks, and probably one in each color. I'd suggest Fable, Invoke Despair or Sheoldred, Farewell, Atraxa, and Haughty Djinn at least. Green isn't really strong enough to warrant a banning in that color by itself, and if nothing from it is banned then it might finally be able to move closer to the top. However, fairness is a thing and it wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing to ban something from green as well, just not sure what it could be since Snakeskin Veil already rotated. However that also doesn't touch the aggro decks that are still strong and running around in the Arena; one of whom got ANOTHER new piece in today's new set. Would that make aggro too oppressive? Maybe. Control and mid-range have tons of other things they can slot in, though, so I doubt it. Banning Brotherhood's End could be another idea instead of Fable, or maybe in addition to, to give artifacts a chance to shine some, or allow other aggro to join the fun. That might hate mid-range all the way out of the format though. The balancing act is a difficult one since Wizards has painted themselves into such a stupid corner. All they had to do was print more equally playable cards.

Before watching the video, I'd go with Fable & Invoke Despair... Both are just so obnoxious! Edit: well he already shut that down 😂

I think you hit it on the head here dude. Without going into the obvious cards that need to go, I'd even take it a step further and put corpse appraiser up here and wandering emperor

Please don’t ban Bank busters (although you make a great point) I finally have a Tezzet deck that works. Sheoldred and Fable please 🙏.

I think they should ban harvester in Pioneer. I know this is the standard video, but unlike standard I think harvester is one of the core pieces that is keeping that deck where it is. It’s an uncommon so it won’t hurt people’s wallets too much or actually kill the deck, but it will definitely shake it up a little. They will probably shift to Tenacious Underdog or something but that feels like a notable nerf in most matchups. I would follow this by Fable though. That’s a much more impactful ban however.

I also thought you were going to do harvester. Dudes hella flexible.

Just noticed that Bloodtithe Harvester is a Story Spotlight!

Yeah I knew the second I saw this video you were gonna talk about Bankbuster lol

Perhaps instead of banning we could restrict cards to 1 copy and see what happens

Wandering Emperor, Sheoldred, Fable. Then the format is much more balanced.

Really.. breaking the bank 😅.. with this spicy take! You are my spirit animal dev thanks for your thoughts as always

Bankbuster would probably be a good pick if one held my feet to the fire, I’ve lost many a match by being held hostage to Counterspell mana which was cashed in to a Bankbuster to keep me further from powering through the glass ceiling. Honestly, Standard feels very rock, paper scissors. If I play my deck, I auto win against Atraxa, Mono-Red, Mono-Black, Mono-Green, Phyrexian Tribal, etcetera but cannot for the life of me survive multiple Make Disappear. Most decks I’ve seen are the same way. Demolish one archetype but another is insurmountable.

If you ban Bloodtithe Harvester i recon Venerated Rotpriest and Haughty Djinn would run rampant.

I completely agree with you in banning bankbuster. But I still think that cards that win the game by itself if unchecked, like Sheoldred and Fable, are just bad for the game.

Bankbuster was going to be my guess. Nice choice, Dev!

Vehicles have been weak since the first set they came out in. Vehicles became a joke because the over did it we should at least have 1 good Vehicle from each set

Invoke Despair is still Public Enemy #1 on my list. But you make a strong argument for Reckoner Bankbuster.

You should have a phone call with Maro about what they want from Standard. I know you're curious. Wizards is quite transparent. With that information you could be more useful to them.

Reckoner bankbuster is good because aggro or combo aren't a real competitor in the format. In other formats you can't permit yourself to do a turn 2 do nothing artifact that will draw some cards in the future, you would play one or 2 copies of reckoner bankbuster for mid game and that's it. They are trying to revitalize monored a little, but they didn't do it, you can play against monored a lot in bo1 but it is played because the games are fast, it isn't the most competitive deck even in bo1. Soldiers are ok, but i would say that it is a tier 2 deck and it is a go-wide deck with counters. The decks are playing reanimator with 5 mana reanimator spells, the format is simply slow and grindy and value is the most important thing. You need one or two decks that don't care about value, only about temo and they are a problem for all the mid-range decks in the format, although is difficult when you give all cards incidental lifelink or lifegain extra.

What are the splinter twins?

Fable and Bankbuster are the obvious choices to me. I think that would really improve the diversity in standard right now

Bankbuster is like masticore, it’s a good card that is really good but can be played in any deck

Best Mtg content creator, keep up the good work!

Blew my mind with the Alex comment has I’m half asleep at 7am driving to work.

I love " Reckoner bankbuster"

Obliterator is annoying considering it’s not legendary at least it can be removed though

Yea, you made a valid point sir and I am inclined to agree. Very informative vid

Bankbuster was most used spell in all will be one i think, it has so much value for a 2 mana artifact

Why not restrict cards to 1 or two instead of banning? I like your take on bank buster.

Wow, that take is almost spicier than water saying water is wet

Good call

Well, the pro tour finals literally is just bankbuster on 2, draw, draw, draw. It came down to who draws the most cards till the lategame or who gets to out-tempo their opponent. I hope fable and sheoldred gets banned too

Whwn is the next ban annoucne?

Bankbuster needs to go but fable of the mirror breaker too. It "nerfs" bloodtithe harvester as it used to be super good with a flipped fable and stops the nut draw of t3 fable t4 invoque

I think this year when rotation would happen, they should ban the 1-2 most played cards from each set that would have rotated

Bankbuster is a word auto saved on my phone and I'm not sure why 🤔