Summary

Effective Date: Immediately, April 7th, 2025
Next B&R: April 28th, 2025

Summary: Crystalline Mirror is added to Category 1.

The Watchlist only contains cards that were either previously legal in the Standard format or are currently legal for Standard.

See the entire list of banned cards here.

Watchlist

Category 3

This category will contain all cards that are banned and restricted, proving to be too powerful or too impactful, and limiting tournament deck diversity and meta health. Currently, Baby Gray Slime, Crystal of Empowerment, Corhazi Outlook, Erupting Rhapsody, Icebound Slam, Sword of Avarice, and Reckless Conversion are banned.

Category 2

This category contains cards that we consider very problematic and are heavily watched for potential future legality changes and category shifts. This category currently has two cards.

Category 1

This category consists of cards that we don’t consider problematic in the current environment, but are unhealthy for future balance and game design space. This category currently has five cards with the addition of Crystalline Mirror.

As of this B&R, we are adding Crystalline Mirror to this category and will be paying closer attention to this card in the developing meta. Since the design of the card, our philosophies regarding the interaction toolbox allowed to each element has changed and matured. Regalia destruction is something we feel does not quite mesh well with Water's identity from this perspective. As far as the effect itself, we feel that, with the amount of support phantasia strategies have received in recent sets, the threshold for achieving the Mirror's destruction effect is too accessible compared to the meta in which the card was initially released. As a result of both our stance on design philosophy and Mirror finding its place in this meta, we are going to be more watchful for this card and cards like it.

That's all for this B&R update! The next update will be on April 28th, 2025!