Brainstorm, Flash, Gush, Scroll, and Ponder Restricted

[bluemage55]

Decks won't start with 4 BS, 4 Ponder, 4 Merchant Scroll, 4 Gush, 4 FoW anymore (plus Moxen, Lotus, recall, lands, that's already half a deck).

Out of 12 blue decks in the last SCG top8s, there were only 23 copies of Ponder played.  It's not an auto-include.

And by restricting just Scroll, and possibly unrestricting other competing engines such as Fact or Fiction and Gifts Ungiven, we would see a marked decrease in GushBond as the engine of choice.

[ForceOfWillYourBrainstorm]

Wow. These are great changes! I love losing to scrub players because I can't Brainstorm into a Force of Will to stop their lucky opening hand!! Let's be honest, magic is more fun when you lose turn 1 or when you can't play any cards because of 9 sphere effects!!!

Hey does anyone have any of these cards for my new deck? It uses one of every card from the restricted list plus four Mons Goblin Raiders to combat goblin decks!

My Deck (Legal Starting June 1, 2012):

• 1x Polluted Delta
• 1x Flooded Strand
• 1x Tundra
• 1x Underground Sea
• 1x Tropical Island
• 1x Volcanic Island
• 1x Force of Will
• 1x Misdirection
• 1x Daze
• 1x Mana Drain
• 1x Counterspell
• 1x Bazaar of Baghdad
• 1x Mishra’s Workshop
• 1x Portent
• 1x Sleight of Hand
• 1x Serum Visions
• 1x Opt
• 1x Mental Note
• 1x Intuition
• 1x Tarmogoyf
• 1x Wasteland
• 1x TheOnlyGoodCardPrintedIn2009
• 1x TheOnlyGoodCardPrintedIn2010
• 1x TheOnlyGoodCardPrintedIn2012
• 1x Brainstorm
• 1x Flash
• 1x Gush
• 1x Ponder
• 1x Merchant Scroll
• 1x Ancestral Recall
• 1x Balance
• 1x Black Lotus
• 1x Burning Wish
• 1x Channel
• 1x Chrome Mox
• 1x Crop Rotation
• 1x Demonic Consultation
• 1x Demonic Tutor
• 1x Dream Halls
• 1x Enlightened Tutor
• 1x Entomb
• 1x Fact or Fiction
• 1x Fastbond
• 1x Frantic Search
• 1x Gifts Ungiven
• 1x Grim Monolith
• 1x Imperial Seal
• 1x Library of Alexandria
• 1x Lion’s Eye Diamond
• 1x Lotus Petal
• 1x Mana Crypt
• 1x Mana Vault
• 1x Memory Jar
• 1x Mind’s Desire
• 1x Mox Diamond
• 1x Mox Emerald
• 1x Mox Jet
• 1x Mox Pearl
• 1x Mox Ruby
• 1x Mox Sapphire
• 1x Mystical Tutor
• 1x Necropotence
• 1x Personal Tutor
• 1x Regrowth
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Strip Mine
• 1x Time Spiral
• 1x Time Walk
• 1x Timetwister
• 1x Tinker
• 1x Tolarian Academy
• 1x Trinisphere
• 1x Vampiric Tutor
• 1x Wheel of Fortune
• 1x Windfall
• 1x Yawgmoth’s Bargain
• 1x Yawgmoth’s Will
• 4x Mons Goblin Raiders

Let's just say this announcement pisses me off and I don't even play type 1 that much. I am a Legacy player and I am here to tell you that Legacy is not very interesting right now unless you like playing the Threshold mirror all of the time just like Faeries in Standard!!

[Nehptis]

Best, and most grounded posts in this entire thread:

OMG the sky is falling sell your cards now ZOMGS!!!! MAGIC IS DEAD!!!111¡¡¡¡¡!!!!!!
Seriously. You'll get over it.
I welcome these changes, they might get me back into vintage more, as I haven't really played in the last 3 months.
I'm just sad they didn't take anything off the list.

Also to the people who were saying and control was just coming back, I dissagree, there hasn't been a non combo control deck in a long time, except landstill, and that deck was a true control deck and it did not run brainstorms.

To the folks who believe that Belcher will be very strong now, I ask why?  I don't see the logic that BS and Ponder were keeping Belcher in check.  Belcher may become more POPULAR because Flash players and other's who enjoy non-interactive quick win decks will migrate to it.  But, Belcher is no more effective because BS or Ponder are 1 ofs.

Lastly, to the folks who think that Ponder's axe was completely random please read BS and re-read Ponder.  The DCI clearly wanted to axe the BS EFFECT.  If they left Ponder then it would definitely have replaced the BS slots and the format would not have changed enough.  Clearly, they had some agenda for the format by restricting BS.  And to follow thru on that intent Ponder had to go, as well.  We will have to wait till Friday to hopefully understand what that agenda was.

[kombat]

Lastly, to the folks who think that Ponder's axe was completely random please read BS and re-read Ponder.  The DCI clearly wanted to axe the BS EFFECT.  If they left Ponder then it would definitely have replaced the BS slots and the format would not have changed enough.

Uh... I don't think anybody questioned that.  That seems pretty obvious.

[derek]

Just another unhappy player chiming in to say vintage is (was?) the only format I follow and the current restrictions have severely hindered my interest in Magic in general.

[bluemage55]

To the folks who believe that Belcher will be very strong now, I ask why?  I don't see the logic that BS and Ponder were keeping Belcher in check.  Belcher may become more POPULAR because Flash players and other's who enjoy non-interactive quick win decks will migrate to it.  But, Belcher is no more effective because BS or Ponder are 1 ofs.

Non-blue combo decks are now stronger because they are less likely to be stopped by Force of Will.  Without Brainstorm, Ponder, Merchant Scroll, and Gush, you will see fewer blue decks (and thus fewer Force of Wills), and the few blue decks you do see have a harder time getting to Force of Will in time.

Lastly, to the folks who think that Ponder's axe was completely random please read BS and re-read Ponder.  The DCI clearly wanted to axe the BS EFFECT.  If they left Ponder then it would definitely have replaced the BS slots and the format would not have changed enough.  Clearly, they had some agenda for the format by restricting BS.  And to follow thru on that intent Ponder had to go, as well.  We will have to wait till Friday to hopefully understand what that agenda was.

I suggest you reread BS and Ponder yourself, because clearly they do very different things.  BS's effect is quite different from Ponder's, and Ponder is significantly weaker.  Even if every blue deck replaced Brainstorm x4 with Brainstorm x1, Ponder x3 (and that certainly can't happen for decks that currently run Brainstorm x4, Ponder x4), blue decks would get weaker.

[Klep]

To the folks who believe that Belcher will be very strong now, I ask why?  I don't see the logic that BS and Ponder were keeping Belcher in check.  Belcher may become more POPULAR because Flash players and other's who enjoy non-interactive quick win decks will migrate to it.  But, Belcher is no more effective because BS or Ponder are 1 ofs.

The lack of Brainstorm, Scroll, and Ponder both slows down blue decks a great deal and also makes them less consistent.  This set of restrictions makes Belcher the fastest deck in the format, and dramatically reduces the chance that the opponent will have a Force or multiple Forces.  Once the new format shakes out, that could change, but for right now Belcher is looking pretty good.

[Darkenslight]

I suggest you reread BS and Ponder yourself, because clearly they do very different things.  BS's effect is quite different from Ponder's, and Ponder is significantly weaker.  Even if every blue deck replaced Brainstorm x4 with Brainstorm x1, Ponder x3 (and that certainly can't happen for decks that currently run Brainstorm x4, Ponder x4), blue decks would get weaker.

Whilst I agree that BS and Ponder do different things, they have a similar effect on your deck. 

BS gives you the ability to hide things on the topdeck, which has inherent advantages when you add in shuffe effects.  It also gives you a 'three-in-X' chance (where X is your deck remaining) to find the one card you need; Top card,one card in, and two cards in.  BS also has a hand sculpting ability.  Don't like that Workshop in the face of Wastes?  BS it away.  Hit three Duress of the draw?  BS is here to save the DAY!

Ponder, on the other hand, gives you a 'four-in-X' chance (Where X is your deck) to find the one card you need to win the game.  Example;  Spend U to play Ponder.  You need to find Yawg's Win in your deck.  You have the top card, the card beneath that, that card beneath that, and the card from the shuffle (should you choose to do so).  Ponder also has the text "Draw a card."   And it is this that I believe is the reason for Ponder's restriction.  The fact that Ponder acts as a pseudo-Demonic Tutor for U.

[Wagner]

To the folks who believe that Belcher will be very strong now, I ask why?  I don't see the logic that BS and Ponder were keeping Belcher in check.  Belcher may become more POPULAR because Flash players and other's who enjoy non-interactive quick win decks will migrate to it.  But, Belcher is no more effective because BS or Ponder are 1 ofs.

The lack of Brainstorm, Scroll, and Ponder both slows down blue decks a great deal and also makes them less consistent.  This set of restrictions makes Belcher the fastest deck in the format, and dramatically reduces the chance that the opponent will have a Force or multiple Forces.  Once the new format shakes out, that could change, but for right now Belcher is looking pretty good.

Agreed that there will be less Forces around, but combo decks such as Belcher have always been a little shacky and unreliable. It makes no doubt to me that people will play them regardless, but there will still be Shop decks to keep them in check and if there is too much combo, we will simply have to ajust and players will start playing will Chalice and Null Rod again like when Gifts and Slaver were king.

[bluemage55]

Ponder, on the other hand, gives you a 'four-in-X' chance (Where X is your deck) to find the one card you need to win the game.  Example;  Spend U to play Ponder.  You need to find Yawg's Win in your deck.  You have the top card, the card beneath that, that card beneath that, and the card from the shuffle (should you choose to do so).  Ponder also has the text "Draw a card."   And it is this that I believe is the reason for Ponder's restriction.  The fact that Ponder acts as a pseudo-Demonic Tutor for U.

Digging less than 4 (remember, since you shuffle before catching the last card you might see one of the same 3 again) cards deep in a 60 card deck with tons of restricted singletons is hardly similar to Demonic Tutor.  That status is reserved for Merchant Scroll.

[Razvan]

ponder is like a demonic tutor with an aven mindcensor played on you. you demonic tutor for something specific, not something random.

[Xman]

Ok, now that I have slept on it, it doesn't quite feel so bad.  I am still kind of bummed, but at the same time, intrigued.  Someone mentioned that Hulk Smash might come back which brought a smile to my face.  Can Dr. Teeth become dominate again?

But seriously, I believe Drain decks will find a way to come back.  And I also believe that the format will be more balanced.  I didn't want to play in Flash.meta, and to be honest, Scroll Painter.meta looked even less enjoyable to play in.  While I still feel Brainstorm getting the Axe was wrong, and Ponder was over the top, who knows.  Wait until Friday to see their reasoning.  I am curious to see that.

[BigBarn]

If you want to stop combo decks on turn one, just play duress, thoughtseize, and to a lesser extent, cabal therapy.  Assuming you had access to 1 mana for Brainstorm, you'll still have that same 1 mana for the 1cc disruption effects.  Duress/Thoughtseize still stops 1 card just like Force of Will does.

[bluemage55]

If you want to stop combo decks on turn one, just play duress, thoughtseize, and to a lesser extent, cabal therapy.  Assuming you had access to 1 mana for Brainstorm, you'll still have that same 1 mana for the 1cc disruption effects.  Duress/Thoughtseize still stops 1 card just like Force of Will does.

Before, blue decks had access to that AND a way to find FoW.  Now they're options are simply cut down.  All that can possibly do is make combo stronger.

Smemmen's GAT deck at the last SCG tourney serves as an extreme example.  With Duress x4, Thoughtseize x4, Brainstorm x4, Ponder x4, and Moxen -> Scroll x4, the deck had many, many ways to make sure it had protection up before Flash or some other combo deck fired a bullet.  With most of those options gone . . . it just won't be as effective.

[arctic79]

Well I've had time to digest and sleep on the current changes.
Flash, gush, MS no big deal.
Brainstorm I've accepted (although not happy) Why isn't it banned in Legacy?
Ponder I'm still trying to figure out, why not Impulse as well? Why isn't it banned in Standard and legacy?
All in all it's not horrible, new Deck ideas and options for some old designs are already coming to mind that can capitalize on these changes.  This will slow down the format by a few turns, and shake up mana bases a little bit.  The thinking player's game just got harder while the non thinkers are getting a few months of glory (ie. Ichorid, Goblins).  I think the Vintage community will suck it up and move on. 

[mike_bergeron]

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dci/announce/dci20080602a

Vintage as we know it has just rotated out. 

I am happy with the changes, and am looking forward to playing vintage again. I think everyone will be able to have enough "hate" for Ichorid or Shops to keep them in check. 

A lot of people have been talking about the golden age of vintage, but for a player like me, the golden age may just be starting.

[Duncan]

And while discarding cards to Bazaar could be seen as a disadvantage, it's not really, since they left Yawgmoth's Will in the format.

Hmmm, I thought about it, and I can't name a single deck that has used both bazaar and Will in the last 3 years.

Forino Sui Black used both Will and Bazaars (last Vintage champs: http://www.morphling.de/top8decks.php?id=637&highlight=3#place3).


At first I was shocked to read the announcement, but after some thinking and cooling down I think this can be quite good. I agree with Owen and ShockWave that most of the decks were 45 cards the same and there was little room for innovation. Strategies like Sui Black, TnT, Keeper and Mono Blue might be viable again!

[Mr. Nightmare]

Brainstorm I've accepted (although not happy) Why isn't it banned in Legacy?
Ponder I'm still trying to figure out, why not Impulse as well? Why isn't it banned in Standard and legacy?

Brainstorm serves a different function in Legacy, same as Ponder.  In Legacy, it digs for lands and answers.  In Vintage, it digs for game-ending spells.  The power of Brainstorm is a function of the power of the rest of the spells in your deck.  As the power level in Legacy is much, much lower than Vintage (on average), Brainstorm isn't the threat in Legacy that it is here.

[arctic79]

@ Mr. Nightmare

I'll accept that rationale. But by the same rationale shouldn't Bazaar have been hit because it serves the same purpose in Dredge decks by digging for a game ending spell?

[Mr. Nightmare]

@ Mr. Nightmare

I'll accept that rationale. But by the same rationale shouldn't Bazaar have been hit because it serves the same purpose in Dredge decks by digging for a game ending spell?

Well, no.  My post has nothing to do with the justifications for restrictions in type 1 - just why it isn't needed in Legacy.

[BreathWeapon]

The DCI just made a clear political statement in favor of the Iraq War, because there isn't a single deck post June 1st that wont contain 4xBazaar of Baghdad.

These restrictions went too far, restricting Merchant Scroll would have been enough to bring Flash and Gush in line while reviving control, but restricting Brainstorm just swept the rug from under Mana Drain's feet and now Storm combo will be 100% reliant on either Belcher or Doomsday. Restricting Ponder is absurd, Sensei's Divining Top is still legal and so is Sylvan Library, why not restrict those to while you're on a roll?

Are Impulse and Night Whispers suppose to be the new golden standard for library manipulation now?

[ELD]

This is really a case of restricting the Aces.  If poker players had a Banned/Restricted List, many would rally to have Aces restricted, as they hate losing to pocket Aces with their Pocket Kings.  This obviously creates some problems. 

One - With only 1 Ace in the deck, the randomness increases, with the Ace to complete a Straight being much more scarce. 
Two - Kings are the new Aces.  Now, people will hate losing with their Pocket Queens to Kings.  It is not possible to get rid of the "Best" cards, because "Best" is a concept. 

Brainstorm and Ponder created a tremendous amount of consistency for decks with reactive spells.  Without them, we will be stuck with wrong answers to the problems we face.  We will need to draw the mana we need, when we need it.  We will have no clear way to turn dead cards into usable cards.  Reactive cards like counters and removal just took a huge hit.  Sideboard cards as well, will be a difficult to balance in reactive decks. 

The Banned/Restricted list should be only Fast Mana, Tutors and Degenerate Card Advantage.  With that philosophy, we could easily say goodbye to Merchant Scroll.  I've felt that way for years.  If they had taken this rationale approach, we could have seen the impact, and then adjusted if there was still some pressing need.  I can't see the cause for this restriction in the first place.  Top 8's have been diverse.  The best players have been doing consistently well.  We really were in the middle of a Golden Age.  I will be interested to hear the explanation.  They have brought the Golden Age of Vintage to a close. 

[arkmagus]

I've been brooding over the possible reasons to gut Brainstorm and Ponder and any reason I can think of is disquieting.

Let's first consider what it is NOT.  It is not to neuter a powerful deck, nerfing Flash would have done that.  It wasn't to neuter a powerful engine, nerfing Gush would have done that.  Killing Scroll would have done both.  But neutering both Brainstorm and Ponder isn't just an attack on a color, it's an attack on the skill factor - the very thing that makes this such a cerebrally fulfilling game.

Here's what's disquieting.  If they intended to take a color (blue) down a notch, they have done so.  But to what end?  To boost other colors? In and of itself, that doesn't make sense.  Ironically, however, it does strengthen two already powerful decks: Stax and Ichorid.  To foster the attack phase?  Yes, but only marginally to the extent that it slows down the format and certainly not to the extent that restricting Flash or Gush did.

Brainstorm and Ponder are decision-critical cards that are not per se domineering.  They tend to create incremental advantages that reward playskill and encourage interaction - goals shared, I would have thought, by Wizards in their presumptive quest for a balanced format.  The recent restriction challenges this assumption and makes every staple card a candidate for inclusion on the basis of consistency or speed.  That is a subtle way of undermining Vintage, which is precisely predicated on those two principles.

[Moxlotus]

Brainstorm was restricted because it was played in EVERY SINGLE BLUE DECK EVER that's being played.  Brainstorm fetch is one of the most powerful unrestricted draw combos around.  They don't like it when a certain card or combo appears in every deck.  If it is in every deck it is clear that it is too powerful.  See Strip Mine.

People who played for a while learned to play on real mana bases.  Not using Brainstorm and now Ponder to skimp on 3-4 lands fewer.  People in other formats have learned how to play with real manabases too.  We get too used to our cheats and then get all upset and cry when we get slapped back to reality.  Boo fucking hoo.  Don't like it go sell your cards and play type 2.  You'll have to build real manabases there and not have the power of brainstorm/fetch either.  It's not making the format less consistant, its making you build a deck different.  OMG, blue decks will have to run more than 22 mana sources?!?!?!  And people might need to play more than a single Echoing Truth to deal with problematic permanents?  I remember when people were freaking out about Shops when TNT first hit the scene because they had to play with cards like Disenchant and Rack and Ruin!  As if there was some sort of unwritten rule that type 1 players shouldn't need to deal with cards like juggernaut or su-chi.

But BS made it easier to find force!  Let's examine what combo decks you'd need force turn 1 all the time.  Flash is dead.  Long is dead.  Belcher is inconsistent at best and vulnerable to the 8 duresses available.  Dragon is slow.

I am kinda surprised they did nothing for Ichorid though.  Thought Serum Powder would go out the window too.  That is what gives Ichorid its consistency.  NOt surprised about anything for Shop.  Shop decks are inherently inconsistent.

This is a golden age for deck builders.  It is pure hell for netdeckers.  In 24 hours GWS made a list of about a dozen decks that are suddenly playable and possibly amazing.  That's with about half of our not so active team logging in.  These are all decks that have made top8 at tournaments at some point.  They are out there, you just need to work to find them or maybe, possibly, build a deck for yourself!

But neutering both Brainstorm and Ponder isn't just an attack on a color, it's an attack on the skill factor - the very thing that makes this such a cerebrally fulfilling game.

No, it is an attack on decks skimping on manabases, of decks starting with the first 45 cards, and on decks simply racing through cantrips to find their fastbond/will/tinker first.

Owen might have had the best post in this entire thread.

[hyperchord24]

Around b/r time, it always makes me wonder why wizards just gets rid of the vintage category.  It doesn't make them moeny and people always cry about black loti and moxen running around (who don't have them, obviously).  Wizards even says they made power level mistakes when the game first was created.  What purpose does messing with the b/r list serve for wizards?  Just get rid of it all together if you're afraid of all that power (no pun intended) and pretend the format doesn't exist and let TOs make their own house rules.  That way when making new cards, you don't have to worry about how it would interact with older cards.

[Iron_Chef]

so, i play flash to a good finish (3rd @ scg), and i own the following:

4 foil jap brainstorm
4 foil merchant scroll
4 foil gush
4 foil ponder
4 flash (woop de doo)

i think my collection just got kicked in the nuts for like $400

on another note, anyone want 3 foil japanese brainstorm? 

[Shock Wave]

Brainstorm was restricted because it was played in EVERY SINGLE BLUE DECK EVER that's being played.  Brainstorm fetch is one of the most powerful unrestricted draw combos around.  They don't like it when a certain card or combo appears in every deck.  If it is in every deck it is clear that it is too powerful.  See Strip Mine.

People who played for a while learned to play on real mana bases.  Not using Brainstorm and now Ponder to skimp on 3-4 lands fewer.  People in other formats have learned how to play with real manabases too.  We get too used to our cheats and then get all upset and cry when we get slapped back to reality.  Boo fucking hoo.  Don't like it go sell your cards and play type 2.  You'll have to build real manabases there and not have the power of brainstorm/fetch either.  It's not making the format less consistant, its making you build a deck different.  OMG, blue decks will have to run more than 22 mana sources?!?!?!  And people might need to play more than a single Echoing Truth to deal with problematic permanents?  I remember when people were freaking out about Shops when TNT first hit the scene because they had to play with cards like Disenchant and Rack and Ruin!  As if there was some sort of unwritten rule that type 1 players shouldn't need to deal with cards like juggernaut or su-chi.

But BS made it easier to find force!  Let's examine what combo decks you'd need force turn 1 all the time.  Flash is dead.  Long is dead.  Belcher is inconsistent at best and vulnerable to the 8 duresses available.  Dragon is slow.

I am kinda surprised they did nothing for Ichorid though.  Thought Serum Powder would go out the window too.  That is what gives Ichorid its consistency.  NOt surprised about anything for Shop.  Shop decks are inherently inconsistent.

This is a golden age for deck builders.  It is pure hell for netdeckers.  In 24 hours GWS made a list of about a dozen decks that are suddenly playable and possibly amazing.  That's with about half of our not so active team logging in.  These are all decks that have made top8 at tournaments at some point.  They are out there, you just need to work to find them or maybe, possibly, build a deck for yourself!

But neutering both Brainstorm and Ponder isn't just an attack on a color, it's an attack on the skill factor - the very thing that makes this such a cerebrally fulfilling game.

No, it is an attack on decks skimping on manabases, of decks starting with the first 45 cards, and on decks simply racing through cantrips to find their fastbond/will/tinker first.

Owen might have had the best post in this entire thread.

The end.

To everyone else: While you're certainly free to continue voicing your disapproval, do keep in mind that these changes will not be undone for at least three months and likely much longer than that. Your energy would certainly be better spent actually building something playable, and if you don't intend on doing that, then perhaps trying your hand at another format. Really, it's one thing to try to influence an upcoming decision, but what's the point of sounding off after the ref has blown the whistle?

The DCI has spoken. Onwards!

[bluemage55]

Brainstorm was restricted because it was played in EVERY SINGLE BLUE DECK EVER that's being played.  Brainstorm fetch is one of the most powerful unrestricted draw combos around.  They don't like it when a certain card or combo appears in every deck.  If it is in every deck it is clear that it is too powerful.  

Then let's restrict Force of Will first, since it's the most played card in the format.  And Leyline of the Void, since it's made it's way in to almost every deck regardless of color.  And Duress and  Thoughtseize, since they're played in EVERY SINGLE BLACK DECK EVER.  

See Strip Mine.

Strip Mine was restricted because it was format warping and caused mana screw headaches for everyone (which increases luck and decreases skill), not because it was prevalent.  Prevalence is not a criteria for restriction, but it can be an indicator that a card fulfills actual criteria for restriction (in Strip Mine's case, warping the format in an undesirable way).

People who played for a while learned to play on real mana bases.  Not using Brainstorm and now Ponder to skimp on 3-4 lands fewer.  People in other formats have learned how to play with real manabases too.  We get too used to our cheats and then get all upset and cry when we get slapped back to reality.  Boo fucking hoo.  Don't like it go sell your cards and play type 2.  You'll have to build real manabases there and not have the power of brainstorm/fetch either.  It's not making the format less consistant, its making you build a deck different.  OMG, blue decks will have to run more than 22 mana sources?!?!?!

You forget that for a reactive deck to compete with the raw power available in Vintage, it needs to be efficient.  It is impossible for a blue deck with 22 mana sources and no hand sculpting to compete with aggro, because it will not be able to consistently draw answers and mana when it needs them.

And people might need to play more than a single Echoing Truth to deal with problematic permanents?  I remember when people were freaking out about Shops when TNT first hit the scene because they had to play with cards like Disenchant and Rack and Ruin!  As if there was some sort of unwritten rule that type 1 players shouldn't need to deal with cards like juggernaut or su-chi.

A reactive deck with a ton of potentially dead cards iit can't Brainstorm back is just screwed.  The end result is that playing blue decks will be much less skill based and much more luck based, as success will be contingent on drawing the proper answers at the right times and nothing else.

But BS made it easier to find force!  Let's examine what combo decks you'd need force turn 1 all the time.  Flash is dead.  Long is dead.  Belcher is inconsistent at best and vulnerable to the 8 duresses available.  Dragon is slow.

Grim Long is not dead.  Belcher is fairly consistent on the play when not facing FoW (it is indeed vulnerable to Duress on the play).

Shop decks are inherently inconsistent.

Workshop -> Sphere/Chalice/Tangle Wire is fairly consistent.

This is a golden age for deck builders.  It is pure hell for netdeckers.  In 24 hours GWS made a list of about a dozen decks that are suddenly playable and possibly amazing.  That's with about half of our not so active team logging in.  These are all decks that have made top8 at tournaments at some point.  They are out there, you just need to work to find them or maybe, possibly, build a deck for yourself!

Opening the format to deckbuilding is not criteria for restrictions.  If you like having to constantly build decks, go play t2.  Vintage is the one place that allows people to play pet decks for years.

No, it is an attack on decks skimping on manabases, of decks starting with the first 45 cards, and on decks simply racing through cantrips to find their fastbond/will/tinker first.

Hitting Scroll would have addressed that problem without the mess these restrictions will bring.

[Toad]

I'm surprised about Ponder, but all the other changes are perfectly justified. Gush should not have been unrestricted, Merchant Scroll and Brainstorm should have been restricted long ago, and Flash was just dumb.

Now I'm wondering to which charity organization Ben Carp will donate the 1000$ he promised to donate if Flash was restricted.

[bluemage55]

To everyone else: While you're certainly free to continue voicing your disapproval, do keep in mind that these changes will not be undone for at least three months and likely much longer than that. Your energy would certainly be better spent actually building something playable, and if you don't intend on doing that, then perhaps trying your hand at another format. Really, it's one thing to try to influence an upcoming decision, but what's the point of sounding off after the ref has blown the whistle?

It might be that a sufficient outcry might cause the DCI to change their minds sooner.