All B/R update speculation.

[btm10]

Anecdotally:
In 8 rounds of the invitational and 8 rounds of the open in one weekend last month, I faced 2 delver decks.
In 6 rounds of the open in Atlanta, I faced zero blue decks.

At GP DC last year, I faced I think 5 delver decks in a row and no non-blue decks on day one. Day 2 was a little more varied (elves x2, storm, dnt, merfolk and goblins).

Just a theory: I think miracles (and maybe elves) has pushed some of the delver decks out of the format.

With some of the new delve cards, Delver may make a come back.

-IJ

-IJ

Like I said, it's just a sort of visceral distaste for the card and the strategies it enables (and excludes). I tend to see very little Delver at the Opens I've played in, but my local is saturated with it. More than anything, I want something to change to shake up the format.

[nedleeds]

If these Delve cards really are the shit like some people have been saying, I'll be Red Blasting all of the things.

I guess it's good to own Painter's and Recruiters? That deck is stale as a day old fart also.

[Megadeus]

I guess it's good to own Painter's and Recruiters? That deck is stale as a day old fart also.

Just Dega with 4 REB side board. Our meta isn't blue enough to warrant any main yet. I'm really wondering why they only decided to push the blue delve cards. Would a double black demonic tutor with delve for like 8 have been that insane?

[btm10]

Just Dega with 4 REB side board. Our meta isn't blue enough to warrant any main yet. I'm really wondering why they only decided to push the blue delve cards. Would a double black demonic tutor with delve for like 8 have been that insane?

Probably. I also think that they've designed Standard to make it hard to Delve 6 or 7 at a time in the game where Cruise or Dig would be broken. At the same time, 8BB, Delve for Demonic Tutor would probably wreck Modern, which they clearly do care about.

[H]

Just Dega with 4 REB side board. Our meta isn't blue enough to warrant any main yet. I'm really wondering why they only decided to push the blue delve cards. Would a double black demonic tutor with delve for like 8 have been that insane?

There's always next set, I guess.

[Barook]

Just Dega with 4 REB side board. Our meta isn't blue enough to warrant any main yet. I'm really wondering why they only decided to push the blue delve cards. Would a double black demonic tutor with delve for like 8 have been that insane?

Nah, we're getting Delve Timewalk next - take old, iconic cards, slap new mechanic on it, overcost it, BAM - new blue EDH mythic.

While no changes had to be expected, a shake-up of the format would be nice.

And I don't have high hopes for GP Brainstorm. There's going to be the token 1-2 nonblue decks in the Top 16 and everybody will go "Nothing wrong here, go along!".

[theBloody]

... the brainstorm circlejerk is real fucking old.

So is Brainstorm ban train.

[testing32]

There's going to be the token 1-2 nonblue decks in the Top 16 and everybody will go "Nothing wrong here, go along!".

I disagree. The latest craze is "Why didn't you innovate that Jund deck to the top 16, American?"

[menace13]

And Vintage with its most common nonland card being in the low 90s%

You might as well count Mox and Lotus as land cards because every deck will opt to play at least the on color ones and Lotus, if not all 6. They are counted as mana sources which is why decks play around 16 lands mostly. If we are going to compare non artifact, colored cards that don't cost 0 and do not produce mana. Then Recall, Time Walk, and Misstep are low 70%. Brainstorm in legacy is 66%

[Gheizen64]

I think we should all move on from the ban Brainstorm train. It's clear now that being the only skill intensive 1 mana cantrip taht blue has, it can't be banned or the format would instantly become modern and everyone would play midrange.

I think a better target for a ban would be Island honestly. And the good thing is that if you ban island u cna probably unban Gush too.

[nevilshute]

When is/was the next / most recent update to the banned list? When I google it all I come up with is May 2014. Surely there had been one since? Or there must be one soon?

[swoop]

In b4 brainstorm needs to go

[Bobmans]

When is/was the next / most recent update to the banned list? When I google it all I come up with is May 2014. Surely there had been one since? Or there must be one soon?

There was, a link was posted on this thread.
WotC seems to have a new site, i noticed that there are two sites. So i guess that this is the correct one.

[Darkenslight]

In b4 brainstorm needs to go

No, surprisingly, this season, it's clearly Treasure Cruise! /s

[Lord Seth]

I think we should all move on from the ban Brainstorm train. It's clear now that being the only skill intensive 1 mana cantrip taht blue has, it can't be banned or the format would instantly become modern and everyone would play midrange.

I think a better target for a ban would be Island honestly. And the good thing is that if you ban island u cna probably unban Gush too.

Don't think so. Gush is most powerful in a tempo shell like RUG Delver, which as we know is not well known for playing basics and would be one of the decks least hit by the Island ban.

[wcm8]

How long do people suppose that Treasure Cruise will last? Next ban cycle? Indefinitely?

I personally don't think it's long for this format. This is a card that provides Blue with an unfair advantage over non-Blue decks. Similar to Tarmogoyf, the only 'hoop' you have to jump through to enable Delve is to play a normal game of Magic. Card draw is an extremely powerful mechanic in a game that revolves around cards as resources, and filling the graveyard is especially easy in Eternal formats due to the high density of cheap spells and non-permanent interaction.

TC has proven itself as a viable draw engine in Vintage, where it's competing with cards like Gush. Obviously, Legacy and Vintage are apples to oranges and there are very different considerations for each format. My point is simply to show that while the barrier of playability is much, much higher in Vintage, this is still a card that can step toe-to-toe with cards that are already banned in Legacy.

Personally, I'd prefer to play a format that's less swingy and where powerful draw engines require a bit more setup, e.g. Jace costs 4 mana; Ancestral Visions either needs to be suspended or cascaded into; Glimpse of Nature puts obvious restrictions on the rest of the deck. Conversely: TC is extremely swingy, requires hardly any setup beyond playing the game, and will likely end up adopted by every deck that can reasonably support it (which are numerous). TC decks might push out those that don't run it due to their more consistent game plans. The next Grand Prix results will be telling.

[btm10]

Cruise getting banned wouldn't shock me. The only caveat is that blue decks already have a huge consistency edge over nonblue decks, so that aspect might hide the signal from some people. For now, I think it's worthy of a ban consideration, but it hasn't proven banworthy yet. Unlike TNN, it's not something that can be adapted to or built around - it just draws three cards for U (or 1U, or occasionally, 2U) which is powerful and not easily counteracted.

I give it six months to a year.

[Tammit67]

How long do people suppose that Treasure Cruise will last? Next ban cycle? Indefinitely?

I'm of the opinion that if there was ever a time to hit brainstorm, it would be now. A powerful card that helps enable the breakout star of the format, a card they've probably had their eye on for a while? Seems like a simple decision to me

[Will_L]

Unlike TNN, it's not something that can be adapted to or built around - it just draws three cards for U (or 1U, or occasionally, 2U) which is powerful and not easily counteracted

You sort of contradict yourself... You say it cannot be adapted to or built around, but then later you say it can't be easily counteracted... Implying that there is a way to counteract it.

I agree Cruise is super swingy and requires basically no set up... However it absolutely can be played against and adapted too, rather easily I'd suggest... By using hard GY hate... Leyline of the Void, multiples Crypts/Relics and best of all, Rest in Peace.

I think it's super powerful, one of the most powerful spells we've seen since Delver/SCM maybe... but it certainly can be beat with GY hate.

[rufus]

...
I think it's super powerful, one of the most powerful spells we've seen since Delver/SCM maybe... but it certainly can be beat with GY hate.

Someting like DRS might help, but with most dedicated graveyard hate you'll just lose more slowly. IMO REB or Commandeer are better answers.