Oko, Thief of Crowns: Why the Ban Hammer Fell in Modern
Oko, Thief of Crowns, a seemingly innocuous planeswalker, became a lightning rod of controversy in the Magic: The Gathering (MTG) community. His reign of power was swift and decisive, leading to a ban in multiple formats, including Modern. The direct answer to the question, “Why is Oko banned in Modern?”, is that Oko’s immense power and flexibility stifled the metagame, homogenized gameplay patterns, and ultimately reduced the diversity of deck archetypes. His ability to effortlessly neutralize threats and generate board presence, all while never needing to use a negative loyalty ability, made him an oppressive force. He warped the format around him, pushing out other strategies in favor of those that could best utilize, or at least survive alongside, Oko. The card’s sheer efficiency and impact were deemed detrimental to the health of the Modern format.
The Core Issues With Oko
Unmatched Power Level
Oko wasn’t just a good card; he was exceptionally powerful, even by the standards of a format as powerful as Modern. His +1 ability allowed him to turn opposing threats into harmless 3/3 Elks, negating cards that were previously considered staples of their respective archetypes. This single ability removed the impact of a vast majority of threats, rendering entire strategies ineffective. Furthermore, his other +1 ability could create a 3/3 Elk, effectively providing board presence for free.
Disrupting the Metagame
Before Oko’s ban, Modern became a battleground of Oko mirrors and decks specifically designed to either play Oko early or try to get under him. This narrowed the range of viable decks, significantly reducing the metagame diversity. Decks that couldn’t consistently outpace, or deal with, an early Oko were relegated to the sidelines. Instead of a diverse field of strategies, the metagame was saturated by a few, primarily those built around abusing his powerful abilities.
Homogenized Gameplay
Oko’s presence led to homogenized gameplay patterns. Since he provided such efficient answers to almost every opposing threat, games began to feel repetitive. The initial stages of games frequently involved players attempting to land Oko and using his abilities to control the board. The nuances of each deck faded away in the face of his singular dominance, leaving much to be desired in terms of strategic depth and gameplay variance. The strategic richness that makes Modern such an enjoyable format was, for a time, lost under Oko’s control.
Undermining Deck Variety and Strategy
The card’s sheer power level forced players to re-evaluate their choices and strategies for each match. Oko’s overwhelming presence meant that decks needed to either find a way to kill him quickly, or join the ranks and play him themselves. This narrowed diversity and ultimately homogenized the format in a way that was unhealthy. Rather than facing diverse decks with distinct approaches, most encounters were reduced to who could best use Oko. It was deemed that this was counter to the spirit of the format, which encourages innovation and allows for a myriad of viable strategies.
Banning Oko: Restoring Balance
Recognizing the unhealthy impact of Oko, the decision was made to ban him. This was deemed necessary to restore the balance of the format and allow for a greater diversity of decks. The ban was not an easy decision to make as powerful planeswalkers can be game changing. However, after careful consideration it was clear to the game’s designers that Oko had to go in order to improve player experience. With the ban in place, players could move towards more creative strategies once again.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. When was Oko banned in Modern?
Oko, Thief of Crowns was banned in Modern on January 13, 2020. This ban was part of a broader update that also addressed other issues in the format.
2. Was Oko banned in any other formats?
Yes, Oko, Thief of Crowns was banned in multiple formats, including Standard, Pioneer, and Brawl. He was also suspended in Historic and eventually banned. This widespread banning indicates the extent of his disruptive impact across multiple MTG environments.
3. Why was Oko considered so broken?
Oko was considered broken because he provided overwhelming value for his cost (3 mana) with +1 abilities that had enormous board-impacting effects without having to use a negative ability. His ability to turn any creature into a 3/3 Elk, combined with his ability to generate his own threats, made him extremely difficult to manage.
4. Was Oko banned because of his color?
No, Oko was not banned solely because of his color (Simic: Blue/Green). His problematic nature stemmed from his immense power level and flexibility, not his color combination. Other powerful Simic cards have been in the game without resulting in a ban.
5. Was Oko’s banning controversial?
Oko’s banning was largely well-received by the MTG community. Although some may have enjoyed his power level, many agreed that his presence was detrimental to the format’s overall health.
6. How did Oko affect other cards in the format?
Oko drastically decreased the value of many creatures. His ability to turn them into 3/3 Elks made a significant portion of the creature base unplayable, as there was little point to playing anything vulnerable to his Elk-producing ability.
7. Is Oko still banned in all formats?
Oko, Thief of Crowns is still banned in Modern and Pioneer. He remains legal in some formats like Commander, but his impact is less dominant in those spaces. He is also banned in Historic.
8. What are some of the most toxic creatures in MTG (that aren’t Oko)?
Some of the most commonly cited toxic creatures in MTG include cards like Venser, Corpse Puppet, Necrogen Rotpriest, and Bloated Contaminator, usually due to their ability to create oppressive board states or game winning combinations.
9. What is the “Spirit of the Format” in MTG?
The “spirit of the format” refers to the intended play style, deck diversity, and strategic depth of a specific MTG format. A card that disrupts this spirit typically homogenizes the meta and diminishes the variety of playable archetypes.
10. Is Oko a villain in MTG lore?
Yes, Oko is considered a villain. He was the primary antagonist during the Eldraine block, manipulating characters and using his shapeshifting abilities for his own malicious purposes.
11. What is Oko’s creature type?
Oko is a shapeshifter fey planeswalker.
12. Is Oko good in Commander?
Oko has some uses in Commander, mainly to turn off problematic commanders. However, he is not as dominant as he was in other formats. The sheer variety of answers and higher life totals typically reduces his impact in this larger, more varied format.
13. Why is there still a demand for Oko?
Despite being banned in some formats, Oko is still sought after by players due to his utility in formats like Commander, where he remains legal, and as a collector’s piece. Many players want to experience playing him despite the ban, either casually or in more relaxed game settings.
14. What is the most powerful color in MTG?
Blue is often considered the most powerful color in Magic due to its ability to draw cards and control the flow of the game. This is especially true when considered across the full history of the game.
15. What are some of the strongest creatures in MTG?
Some of the strongest creatures in MTG include Emrakul, the Aeons Torn, Progenitus, and Blightsteel Colossus. These are usually big creatures that either win the game by themselves, or greatly impact the outcome of the game with their sheer presence and abilities.