Summary

Effective Date: Friday, December 5th, 2025
Next B&R: December 22nd, 2025

Summary: New card added to Proxia's Vault, Mantle of the Abyss. Mercenary's Blade shifted to Category 2 from 1. Polaris removed from Watchlist.

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.

Proxia's Vault

Mantle of the Abyss

Rile the Abyss was a card that shook up Grand Archive meta disproportionately from the more limited niche we had designed the card for. The balance of the card designed with Fire Alice Specter archetypes in mind. As a result, we are trying to explore a more limited scope of the card specifically for the archetype by giving Alice decks access to Rile. While Rile the Abyss is itself banned from play, this only limits the card from its inclusion in decklists within tournament formats, but not from being played in a match if it were to be generated into the game. We hope that this will allow Alice decks to be explored more within their original scope of design and will expectantly look at the meta shifts with the launch of Phantom Monarchs today.

As a reminder, Proxia's Vault is a new way we're addressing specific meta issues by releasing cards that players are allowed to proxy, even for use in competitive events. Proxia's Vault is being updated to allow cards to be proxied indefinitely as long as the card is in Proxia's Vault. The policy guide will be updated accordingly. Read about the Proxia's Vault policy 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, Dissonant Fractal, Erupting Rhapsody, Icebound Slam, Lost in Thought, Sword of Avarice, Reckless Conversion, and Rile the Abyss 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. Chalice of Blood, Crystalline Mirror, and Mercenary's Blade are the only cards in Category 2.

We have decided to upgrade Mercenary's Blade's position within the watchlist to reflect our stance on evaluation material deck activation design space and philosophy. As previously mentioned, this weapon has been incredibly versatile, offering a weapon at a nominal opportunity and activation cost. We are cosolidating our stance on the appropriate design space of such effects, especially within the domain of material deck activations paired with Preparation counter mechanics. This kind of interaction will continue being more important as Preparation counters become more incidental to generate as much as they are ubiquitous and core to the Assassin class' theme.

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 two cards: Tidestone Bovine and Dream Fairy.

After evaluating Polaris' place in Arisanna decks over time, we have decided that the card is in line with the impact of its design space and intent. As a result, we are removing it from the Watchlist.

That's all for this B&R update! The next B&R will be December 22nd.