When Did Oko Get Banned? The Timeline of a Powerful Planeswalker’s Fall
Oko, Thief of Crowns, a planeswalker card from the Throne of Eldraine set in Magic: The Gathering, experienced a meteoric rise and an equally rapid fall from grace. His banning across multiple formats is a testament to his overwhelming power and flexibility, which ultimately proved detrimental to the health of the game. Let’s break down the timeline of his bannings:
Oko was initially banned from Brawl in early November 2019, just a few weeks after the release of the Throne of Eldraine set on October 4, 2019. This ban was followed quickly by his banishment from Standard a few weeks later. The ban hammer struck again in December 2019 when Oko was “suspended” from Historic and banned in Pioneer. The final blow came when he was banned in Modern shortly after. This resulted in Oko being removed from competitive play across most significant formats in a matter of months, showcasing just how significant his impact on the game was.
This rapid sequence of bans is unprecedented for a single card, highlighting the extreme imbalance Oko brought to the metagames he was a part of.
The Reasons Behind the Ban
The primary reason for Oko’s downfall was his overwhelming power and flexibility. He was a three-mana planeswalker capable of generating food tokens, turning opposing creatures into 3/3 Elks (effectively removing threats), and potentially generating an advantage through his ultimate. His ability to neutralize diverse threats made him exceptionally difficult to deal with and homogenized gameplay, leading to stagnant and predictable matches.
Here’s a breakdown of why Oko was banned across different formats:
Brawl, Standard, and Pioneer
- Brawl: His dominance was apparent almost immediately in Brawl, leading to a swift ban in early November 2019.
- Standard: Oko’s power level quickly became oppressive in Standard, resulting in a ban a few weeks after the Brawl ban.
- Pioneer: Oko’s high win rate, hovering around 60%, and near absence of poor matchups made it clear he was too powerful for the format, thus he was banned in December 2019.
Modern and Historic
- Modern: Oko’s presence limited metagame diversity and homogenized gameplay patterns in Modern. To improve the overall health of the format and weaken the then-dominant Urza decks, he was banned.
- Historic: Oko was initially “suspended” in Historic alongside other problematic cards such as Once Upon a Time and Veil of Summer due to their power level.
Oko’s impact across all these formats was so egregious, with his presence leading to a reduction in the diversity of game play patterns, creating a stale and repetitive game experience.
Oko’s Legacy
Despite being banned in almost every format, Oko continues to be a powerful card in Commander, where his utility and flexible abilities make him a popular choice for many decks. The demand for Oko in Commander has contributed to his continued value on the secondary market.
While Oko was short lived in many competitive formats, it’s impact is undeniable. The card’s presence is a cautionary tale and a great example of how a card can be printed that is too strong, resulting in the need for bans to rebalance the metagame.
Frequently Asked Questions About Oko and His Ban
1. Why was Oko, Thief of Crowns so powerful?
Oko’s power came from his low mana cost (3 mana) combined with highly versatile abilities. His +1 could create food tokens, neutralize threats by turning them into 3/3 elks, and his ultimate offered a strong advantage over the course of the game. This versatility made him difficult to answer and provided value at all stages of the game.
2. How long was Oko legal in Standard before being banned?
Oko was banned in Standard approximately 45 days after being released in the Throne of Eldraine set.
3. What other cards were banned along with Oko?
In the same announcement as Oko’s Modern ban, Mox Opal and Mycosynth Lattice were also banned. In Historic, Once Upon a Time and Veil of Summer were banned alongside Oko, with Field of the Dead being unsuspended.
4. What formats is Oko currently banned in?
Oko is banned in Brawl, Standard, Pioneer, Modern and Historic.
5. Is Oko banned in Legacy?
No, Oko is not banned in Legacy. It is still a very powerful and often played card within the Legacy format.
6. Is Oko banned in Vintage?
No, Oko is not banned in Vintage. While powerful, he is not dominant enough in Vintage to warrant a ban.
7. Why is Oko still expensive despite being banned?
Despite being banned in most competitive formats, Oko remains expensive due to its popularity and utility in Commander. Many players still need copies of Oko for their Commander decks, keeping the demand high.
8. What is Oko based on?
Oko’s character is loosely based on Puck from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
9. Is Oko considered a villain in the Magic storyline?
Yes, Oko is considered a villain in the Magic storyline, acting as the primary antagonist in the Eldraine block, using his shapeshifting and mind control abilities to cause trouble.
10. Can Oko be your commander in Magic?
Technically, Oko, Thief of Crowns cannot be your commander, as standard planeswalkers do not fit the criteria. However, Oko, the Trickster is designed to be an alternative commander and can be used as such.
11. Why was Once Upon a Time banned?
Once Upon a Time was banned to reduce how easily creature and land based combos could be assembled. Wizards of the Coast stated that it posed a design constraint, limiting future card design possibilities.
12. Why was Mycosynth Lattice banned?
Mycosynth Lattice was banned due to its low deck-building cost, appearing too often in competitive play, and reducing the enjoyability of games where it was present.
13. Was Golos, Tireless Pilgrim banned for similar reasons as Oko?
While Golos, Tireless Pilgrim, was banned in Commander for a similar reason (ease of use and high power), it wasn’t banned for the same reasons as Oko, because Oko’s presence was destructive within the formats due to the very nature of the card itself being too powerful.
14. Is The First Sliver banned in Commander?
No, The First Sliver is not banned in Commander. No Slivers are currently banned in commander.
15. Is Oko still a viable option in some formats despite being banned in most?
Yes, Oko remains a viable card in Commander, where he is played as an incredibly strong utility card, as well as in Legacy and Vintage where he does not stand out as being as overly oppressive as he was in the other formats.