Is Nexus of Fate Banned in Pioneer? A Deep Dive into MTG’s Format and Card Legality
Yes, Nexus of Fate is indeed banned in Pioneer. This decision, along with the banning of Oko, Thief of Crowns, was a significant moment in the format’s history, shaping its metagame and overall player experience. The banning aimed to address not only the sheer power level of these cards but also the negative impact they had on the enjoyment of the game. Let’s explore the reasoning behind the ban and related aspects in more detail.
Understanding the Nexus of Fate Ban in Pioneer
The banning of Nexus of Fate was not solely due to its raw power, although the card’s ability to create infinite turns was certainly a contributing factor. More critically, it was the lengthy games and unfun play patterns that ultimately led to its removal from the Pioneer format. Decks built around Nexus of Fate often involved taking multiple consecutive turns, stalling the game, and creating a frustrating experience for opponents.
While Oko, Thief of Crowns, was banned primarily due to its overwhelming power and ability to invalidate opposing strategies, the Nexus of Fate ban was more nuanced. Wizards of the Coast recognized that even without Oko, the Nexus deck could potentially dominate the format, especially if other powerful threats were introduced. Furthermore, the unpopular nature of the deck and the potential for excessively long matches made it a prime candidate for a ban.
The decision highlights a crucial aspect of format management: balancing power level with player enjoyment. A card can be strong without being problematic, but when it creates negative experiences for a significant portion of the player base, a ban becomes a necessary consideration.
Pioneer Ban List and Format Overview
Pioneer is a non-rotating format in Magic: The Gathering that bridges the gap between Standard and Modern. It allows cards from Return to Ravnica (2012) onwards, excluding a curated ban list, to be played. This format offers a diverse card pool and allows for the creation of unique and powerful strategies. However, to maintain balance and promote a healthy metagame, certain cards have been deemed too powerful or problematic and are therefore banned.
The Pioneer ban list is regularly updated to reflect changes in the metagame and address any emerging issues. Cards are typically banned when they demonstrate an excessively high win rate, significantly limit deck diversity, or create unfun gameplay experiences.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Nexus of Fate and Pioneer Legality
Here are some frequently asked questions to further clarify the status of Nexus of Fate and other relevant aspects of the Pioneer format:
1. What cards are currently banned in Pioneer?
The Pioneer ban list includes:
- Balustrade Spy
- Bloodstained Mire
- Expressive Iteration
- Felidar Guardian
- Field of the Dead
- Flooded Strand
- Inverter of Truth
- Kethis, the Hidden Hand
- Oko, Thief of Crowns
- Nexus of Fate
- Underworld Breach
2. Why was Oko, Thief of Crowns banned in Pioneer?
Oko, Thief of Crowns, was banned primarily due to its overwhelming power level. It was a versatile and efficient planeswalker that could easily shut down opposing threats and generate a significant advantage. Its ability to turn creatures and artifacts into Elk invalidated many strategies and made it difficult to compete against.
3. Is Lightning Bolt legal in Pioneer?
No, Lightning Bolt is not legal in Pioneer. Pioneer only includes cards from Return to Ravnica forward, and Lightning Bolt was printed in sets prior to that.
4. Are fetch lands (like Bloodstained Mire) legal in Pioneer?
Certain fetch lands, such as Bloodstained Mire and Flooded Strand, are banned in Pioneer. The decision to ban these particular fetch lands was made due to their ability to significantly improve mana consistency and enable powerful multicolor strategies.
5. What sets are Pioneer legal from?
Pioneer is legal from the Return to Ravnica set onwards. This includes all premier sets released since then. Supplemental sets like Modern Horizons and Commander sets are generally not Pioneer legal unless they contain reprints of cards that were previously legal in Standard and therefore in Pioneer.
6. Is LOTR: Tales of Middle-earth legal in Pioneer?
No, the main LOTR: Tales of Middle-earth set is not Pioneer legal. While the Commander cards are legal in formats like Legacy, Vintage, and Commander, they do not appear on MTG Arena and are not legal in Standard or Pioneer upon release.
7. Was Nexus of Fate a buy-a-box promo?
Yes, Nexus of Fate was a buy-a-box promo for the Core Set 2019 (M19). This made it relatively scarce, as it was only available through local game stores (LGSes) and not found in booster packs.
8. Does Rest in Peace stop Nexus of Fate?
The interaction between Rest in Peace and Nexus of Fate involves replacement effects. Both cards have replacement effects, so the controller of the affected object (in this case, the player who owns Nexus of Fate) chooses the order in which to apply them. If the player chooses to apply Rest in Peace’s effect first, Nexus of Fate will be exiled instead of being shuffled back into the library.
9. Is Inkmoth Nexus a Phyrexian?
When animated, Inkmoth Nexus becomes a 1/1 Phyrexian Blinkmoth artifact creature with flying and infect until the end of the turn. It is important to remember that it retains its land status.
10. Are Pioneer Challenger Decks legal in the format?
Yes, Pioneer Challenger Decks are legal in the Pioneer format. These decks are designed to be competitive at a local level and contain cards that are already legal in Pioneer.
11. What kind of deck should I play in Pioneer?
The best deck to play in Pioneer depends on the current metagame, your personal play style, and your budget. Popular choices include Izzet Phoenix, Rakdos Midrange, Mono-Green Devotion, and various control decks. Research the current metagame and choose a deck that suits your preferences. The Games Learning Society, which explores the intersection of games and education, might even have articles analyzing strategic deck building and the psychology of gameplay that could help with your decision! You can find more information at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/.
12. Why is Balustrade Spy banned in Pioneer?
Balustrade Spy was banned because of its role in the “Oops All Spells” deck, which aimed to mill its entire library and win from there. The deck was deemed too consistent and difficult to interact with, leading to a ban of the key enabler card.
13. Is M14 Pioneer legal?
No, M14 is not Pioneer legal. Pioneer starts with the Return to Ravnica set, which was released after M14.
14. Is Power 9 legal in Pioneer?
No, the Power 9 is not legal in Pioneer. These cards are primarily legal in Vintage, where they are restricted.
15. What is MTGNexus?
MTGNexus is a community-driven website and forum dedicated to Magic: The Gathering. It offers discussions, previews, articles, a card search database, and various apps for managing collections and enhancing the game experience.