The Fall of Omnath: Why Was the Locus of Creation Banned?

The answer, in short, is that Omnath, Locus of Creation, was banned due to its overwhelming dominance and high win rate in various Magic: The Gathering formats, particularly in Brawl. This powerful four-mana creature, which could draw cards, gain life, produce mana, and deal damage, quickly became a format-warping threat. Its ability to generate such significant value and quickly take over games made it a target for Wizards of the Coast’s ban hammer. Let’s delve into the specifics and explore the circumstances that led to Omnath’s controversial ban.

Omnath’s Reign of Terror

Dominance in Brawl

Omnath’s most significant ban occurred in Brawl. This format, known for its emphasis on diversity and unique deck building, was quickly overshadowed by the prevalence of Omnath. The article you provided states, “Omnath, Locus of Creation is, by far, the most played Commander in Brawl and currently has the highest win rate.” This kind of format saturation directly contradicts the aims of Brawl, which seeks to foster a wide range of strategies and play styles. The card was simply too powerful, pushing out other competitive options and limiting the overall enjoyment of the game for many players. Wizards of the Coast, recognizing the issue, prioritized format health and banned Omnath to encourage diversity.

A Card of Multiple Threats

Beyond its dominance, Omnath’s inherent design contributed significantly to its ban. It wasn’t just one problematic mechanic; it was the combination of several:

• Card Draw: Omnath draws cards when a land enters the battlefield under your control, ensuring a steady stream of resources and card advantage.
• Life Gain: The card also gains life when a land enters the battlefield. It not only prolongs survival, but also provides a buffer against aggressive strategies.
• Mana Generation: The card generates green mana whenever a land enters the battlefield which rapidly accelerates the player’s ability to cast increasingly powerful spells.
• Direct Damage: Finally, Omnath can deal direct damage to the opponent if you get multiple lands entering per turn which gives it a way to end the game quickly.

This combination made Omnath a self-sufficient threat. It could generate card advantage, sustain itself, accelerate its game plan, and directly threaten to end the game in only a few turns. Its flexibility and efficiency meant that once it hit the battlefield, it was extremely difficult for opponents to recover, making it a dominant force in multiple formats.

Beyond Brawl: Standard and More

While the Brawl ban is the most widely known, Omnath’s impact was not limited to this format alone. It also exerted significant pressure on Standard immediately upon release. The article details how Zendikar Rising was released on 9/25/20, and Omnath was banned just two weeks later on 10/12/20. This swift action by Wizards of the Coast highlights the immediate recognition of Omnath’s overbearing power in the meta. The card warped gameplay by forcing decks to revolve around it and it simply had too strong a start right out of the gate.

The Final Decision: A Ban for Balance

Wizards of the Coast’s stated reason for banning Omnath, as mentioned in the article, was its dominance and high win rate. They made it clear that their goal is to foster a healthy and enjoyable gaming experience for their players. When one card, such as Omnath, proves to be so ubiquitous and game-warping, it undermines that core principle, hence the necessary ban. The primary justification was always centered on promoting diversity and balance, a key factor in maintaining long-term interest in the game.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Which specific version of Omnath was banned?

The banned Omnath is Omnath, Locus of Creation. It is the four-color (Green, White, Blue, and Red) version of Omnath from the Zendikar Rising set.

2. When was Omnath, Locus of Creation banned in Brawl?

Omnath, Locus of Creation, was banned in Brawl approximately two weeks after its release alongside the release of Zendikar Rising on October 12, 2020.

3. Why is Omnath banned in Brawl but not in Historic Brawl?

The article specifically notes that Omnath is not banned in Historic Brawl. This is likely due to the different power levels and the overall diversity already present in the larger card pool of Historic Brawl. Omnath’s dominance is less pronounced in this format compared to regular Brawl.

4. What was the primary reason for banning Omnath?

The primary reasons for banning Omnath were its overwhelming dominance, high win rate, and its ability to limit deck diversity. The card was deemed too powerful for the health of the formats it heavily influenced.

5. Was Omnath the only card banned at the same time?

While not detailed in this article, Lucky Clover was also banned around the same time due to its interaction with Omnath. This indicates that Wizards of the Coast was targeting problem cards in multiple strategies. The powerful artifact Lucky Clover synergized very well with Omnath, making it even harder to deal with.

6. How did Omnath’s abilities contribute to its ban?

Omnath’s combination of card draw, life gain, mana generation, and direct damage created an incredibly powerful, self-sufficient threat. This made it difficult for opponents to counter and made it a central card in nearly every deck it was included in.

7. Was Omnath’s banning just in Brawl, or in other formats as well?

While Brawl is the most cited ban, Omnath was also banned in Standard shortly after its release. This confirms its overbearing presence across multiple formats.

8. Does Omnath keep mana between turns?

Yes, Omnath, Locus of Creation allows players to keep green mana in their mana pool indefinitely. This means players can store green mana and use it in later turns, creating explosive turn sequences.

9. Did Omnath ever get “completed”?

Yes, Omnath was compleated as part of New Phyrexia’s invasion of the Multiverse. It gained access to corrupted black mana after being compleated.

10. What happened to Omnath after the compleation event?

The article states that it’s currently unknown what happened to Omnath after the phasing-out of New Phyrexia.

11. Is there any chance of seeing a five-color Omnath?

Based on the article, it is highly possible that Phyrexia’s influence could lead to a five-color Omnath in the future. This is hinted in the text as Phyrexia somehow getting claws into Omnath.

12. What is the Ritual Of Lights in relation to Omnath?

Omnath was imprisoned by a ritual known as the Ritual of Lights, but this was interrupted during the Eldrazi’s return, and Omnath was set loose on Zendikar.

13. Why were Ponder and Preordain banned in Modern?

Ponder and Preordain were banned in Modern because they were viewed as overly powerful cantrips that consistently enabled powerful decks. Wizards of the Coast hoped to weaken the decks by limiting their ability to find key spells.

14. What other cards have similar impact in other formats as Omnath had?

Several cards in Magic’s history have exhibited similar dominance, like Oko, Thief of Crowns and Lutri, the Spellchaser as noted in the article’s “Brawl Banned Cards” list. These cards caused similar gameplay imbalances and were also banned to preserve format health.

15. What is Wizards of the Coast’s overall philosophy on banning cards?

Wizards of the Coast’s approach to banning cards is to maintain diversity, balance, and overall enjoyment of the game. They ban cards when they deem it necessary to improve the game experience for the majority of players. They have explicitly stated that when a card has an unacceptably high win rate and is reducing diversity, they are willing to ban it.