It is December 16 and the new Bans and Restricted announcement has dropped. Some time ago I talked about my predictions on what I thought ought to happen and what actually would - you can read them here.

Today, let's examine my predictions, see what actually happens and what it means for Modern going forward!

My predictions

Let's start off by what I said I thought would heal the format. To quote myself:

With all that said, what would I do if I had the power to? With the knowledge I have and as a long-term Modern player?

I would combine bits and pieces from the statements above.

1. Ban Ring

2. Ban Amped Raptor (and maybe something else) from Energy

3. Unban iconic Modern cards like Splinter Twin, Umezawa's Jitte, Faithless Looting.

Then I went on to say that what I actually would realistically expect to happen would be:

1. The One Ring is banned

2. Ajani, Nacatl Pariah is banned

And what happened actually? Well, my prayers have been answered!!!! All three points that I thought would be needed to get Modern back on its tracks have been fulfilled and even 2 out of 3 examples of unbans I mentioned materialised!

The One Ring is banned

I talked about it at length in my previous piece. I am happy that Wizards recognised it as well with statements such as: We believe it is clear, as it has been for many of you, that Modern would be a more enjoyable format without its inclusion.

Amped Raptor is banned

Another bet of mine that I am very happy materialised. This is Wizards' take on it: Amped Raptor allows for some of the deck's most explosive starts, acting as an energy enabler and a payoff, and often amounting to an extra one to four mana in the early turns of the game.

Jegantha, the Wellspring is banned

This one caught me off guard! I thoroughly agree with the ban though but I'd never expect them to actually pull the trigger on it.

Jegantha has been ever-present and it had almost no real restrictions or interesting deck-building decisions. You typically built your deck and just realised that you might as well shove a Jegantha in. At some points, you'd trim a single card that'd otherwise be conflicting and call it a day.

Ultimately, the decision to avoid cards that have more than one of the same mana symbol isn't a very interesting or fun one to make. By making a couple swaps in deck building, you can get access to a mostly free 5/5, earning you a couple of percentage points in the win column. This reduces the pool of options you might consider when building decks, which in turn makes for an overall less-diverse format.

I am happy to see it go and glad they kept Lutri still legal!

Mox Opal is unbanned!

Well, that's a shocker! Some say that Mox Opal died for KCI's sins but here we are with Opal back on the menu!

This is one of the most powerful Moxen cards to ever exist and I am absolutely taken aback that it's here to stay.

It revitalises, bolsters, and creates more decks than I can list but to provide just a couple of examples: Affinity, Hardened Scales, Lantern Control, Grinding Station Combo, Song of Creation, and the list continues. I fully expect it to be paired with Urza's Saga for as long as both remain legal.

It is also a piece of fast mana which Wizards tended to be against so that's a curious change of heart.

Another banger! A card that everyone has been waiting for. It does so much in Modern, from getting a turn one Dryad and finding mid game Azusas to getting Primeval Titan on board. On top of that, you get tutor out green (anti)hate cards of which there are plenty - Reclamation Sage, Collector Ouphe, Endurance.

I'd expect it to easily slide into Amulet Titan right now but I also foresee people toying with Maverick and Cradle Control style decks, akin to what we see in Legacy.

Graveyard wizards rejoice! Faithless Looting is a card that, similarly to Mox Opal, will create a true brewers' paradise for so many different shells. 

Arclight Phoenix, Dredge, Oculus, Reanimator, Vengevine, Hollow One.

Some might see this as an issue as all of them are largely linear, so this might increase the speed and consistency of those all-in decks. On the other hand though, we haven't had too many graveyard-focused decks in a while so I say - let them have fun!

In my humble opinion, Mox Opal and Looting are two insanely strong cards that I am thoroughly surprised are seeing the light of day. Fingers crossed to see whether they break Modern in half!

NOW THIS IS HUGE

We've been saying for so long that the format has long outgrown the past Twin's domination. Wizards seem to agree:

Answers exist that once didn't, including several zero-mana cards that can keep you alive if the opponent decides to tap out for their four-mana enchantment. Solitude, Force of Negation, Force of Vigor, and Flare of Denial have all seen competitive Modern play, and each of them can solve the play patterns that Twin decks once exhibited.

While I personally have been asking and praying to get Twin back, my bet is that it's going to get overplayed due to hype and nostalgia but will end up being an okay tier 2-2.5 deck like Elves, Merfolk, or Mill. I do not have high hopes and I think there are stronger things to be doing than trying to win on turn four that loses to any piece of interaction.

Conclusion

I am elated, excited, over the moon. I applaud Wizards for their decision to let so many cards out of their cage, regardless of how it ends up being. I wanted to see them more open to releasing cards and they did it.

Now, the whole Magic world is buzzing, playtesting, brewing, and plotting new strategies. Wizards - good job! You revitalised a dead format.