{"id":1566,"date":"2026-08-18T06:50:30","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T06:50:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/krakenthemeta.com\/blog\/mtg-banned-list\/"},"modified":"2026-08-22T06:56:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-22T06:56:34","slug":"mtg-banned-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/krakenthemeta.com\/blog\/mtg-banned-list\/","title":{"rendered":"MTG Banned List 2026: Every Banned Card in Every Format"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"A
Every format keeps its own locked door. This page lists what is behind each one.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

The last banned and restricted update landed on 10 August 2026<\/strong>, four days before the Standard RCQ season opened, and it hit three formats at once. This page is the complete, current picture: every card banned in every format Magic supports, what each ban actually means, and \u2014 the part most lists skip \u2014 where each banned card is still perfectly legal.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Every card name, mana cost, type line, price and legality below was pulled directly from the Scryfall API on 18 August 2026<\/strong> rather than copied from another list. Where these numbers disagree with the count you will see elsewhere, the reason is explained \u2014 and there are two places where they do.<\/p>\n\n

The 10 August 2026 banned and restricted update<\/h2>\n

Wizards banned three cards in Standard, banned one in Legacy, and restricted that same card in Vintage. Pioneer, Modern, Pauper, Alchemy, Historic, Timeless, Brawl and Competitive Brawl were left untouched.<\/strong> All changes took effect immediately on 10 August 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Card<\/th>Format<\/th>Action<\/th>Price (USD)<\/th><\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Badgermole Cub<\/strong><\/td>Standard<\/td>Banned<\/td>$45.30<\/td><\/tr>\n
Stormchaser’s Talent<\/strong><\/td>Standard<\/td>Banned<\/td>$3.68<\/td><\/tr>\n
Gran-Gran<\/strong><\/td>Standard<\/td>Banned<\/td>$0.30<\/td><\/tr>\n
The Fantasticar<\/strong><\/td>Legacy, Vintage<\/td>Banned in Legacy; restricted to 1 copy in Vintage<\/td>$5.06<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The Standard bans were aimed at a format that had settled into a two-deck standoff. Wizards described Badgermole Cub<\/strong> as an extremely powerful and format-defining card, and noted that the Selesnya Offense deck built around it maintained high win rates while also having high play rates. Stormchaser’s Talent<\/strong> and Gran-Gran<\/strong> were removed alongside it so that cutting green’s best threat would not simply hand the format to the blue-red spell decks waiting behind it.<\/p>\n

The Fantasticar<\/strong> is the more remarkable entry. It was printed in Marvel Super Heroes Commander<\/em> on 26 June 2026 and was banned in Legacy roughly six weeks later<\/strong> \u2014 while remaining entirely legal in Commander, the format it was designed and sold for.<\/p>\n

The next announcement is scheduled for 12 October 2026.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Banned, restricted, rebalanced, not legal \u2014 four different things<\/h2>\n

These words get used interchangeably and they should not be. Confusing them is how players turn up to an RCQ with an illegal deck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Term<\/th>What it means<\/th>Where it applies<\/th><\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Banned<\/strong><\/td>Zero copies. The card cannot appear in your deck or sideboard.<\/td>Every constructed format<\/td><\/tr>\n
Restricted<\/strong><\/td>Exactly one copy across deck and sideboard combined.<\/td>Vintage only<\/td><\/tr>\n
Rebalanced<\/strong><\/td>The card still plays, but with digitally altered text. The paper card is unchanged.<\/td>MTG Arena (Alchemy, Historic)<\/td><\/tr>\n
Not legal<\/strong><\/td>The card was never in the format’s card pool. It has not been banned \u2014 it was simply never available.<\/td>Rotating formats<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

That last row matters more than it looks. A card that rotated out of Standard is not legal<\/em>, not banned<\/em>. Only 13 cards are genuinely banned in Standard; thousands more are merely out of the pool.<\/p>\n\n

How many cards are banned in each format<\/h2>\n

Counts derived from Scryfall format-legality data on 18 August 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Format<\/th>Banned<\/th>Also restricted<\/th>Notes<\/th><\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Standard<\/strong><\/td>13<\/td>\u2014<\/td>Paper Standard. See the Arena caveat below.<\/td><\/tr>\n
Pioneer<\/strong><\/td>31<\/td>\u2014<\/td>No changes in the August 2026 announcement.<\/td><\/tr>\n
Modern<\/strong><\/td>52<\/td>\u2014<\/td>Includes the five artifact lands.<\/td><\/tr>\n
Legacy<\/strong><\/td>171<\/td>\u2014<\/td>Inflated by ante, Conspiracy and offensive-content categories.<\/td><\/tr>\n
Vintage<\/strong><\/td>101<\/td>52<\/td>Vintage restricts where other formats ban.<\/td><\/tr>\n
Commander<\/strong><\/td>83<\/td>\u2014<\/td>Only 42 are named individually \u2014 see below.<\/td><\/tr>\n
Pauper<\/strong><\/td>74<\/td>\u2014<\/td>Commons-only format with its own long history.<\/td><\/tr>\n
Brawl<\/strong><\/td>35<\/td>\u2014<\/td>Arena singleton format.<\/td><\/tr>\n
Historic<\/strong><\/td>77<\/td>\u2014<\/td>Arena eternal format; also uses rebalancing.<\/td><\/tr>\n
Alchemy<\/strong><\/td>1<\/td>\u2014<\/td>A single card: Sewer-veillance Cam.<\/td><\/tr>\n
Timeless<\/strong><\/td>0<\/td>\u2014<\/td>Arena’s most permissive format bans nothing at all.<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Timeless is the outlier worth noticing.<\/strong> Arena’s deepest format has an empty banned list. It controls power through restriction and rebalancing instead of removal, which is why cards that are unplayable-by-ban elsewhere still turn up there.<\/p>\n\n

MTG Standard banned list (13 cards)<\/h2>\n

Sorted by market price. Three of these arrived on 10 August 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Card<\/th>Mana cost<\/th>Type<\/th>Set<\/th>Price (USD)<\/th><\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Badgermole Cub<\/strong><\/td>{1}{G}<\/td>Creature<\/td>TLA<\/td>$45.30<\/td><\/tr>\n
Vivi Ornitier<\/strong><\/td>{1}{U}{R}<\/td>Legendary Creature<\/td>FIN<\/td>$37.56<\/td><\/tr>\n
Screaming Nemesis<\/strong><\/td>{2}{R}<\/td>Creature<\/td>DSK<\/td>$7.50<\/td><\/tr>\n
Cori-Steel Cutter<\/strong><\/td>{1}{R}<\/td>Artifact<\/td>TDM<\/td>$4.74<\/td><\/tr>\n
Stormchaser’s Talent<\/strong><\/td>{U}<\/td>Enchantment<\/td>BLB<\/td>$3.68<\/td><\/tr>\n
Proft’s Eidetic Memory<\/strong><\/td>{1}{U}<\/td>Legendary Enchantment<\/td>MKM<\/td>$2.84<\/td><\/tr>\n
Up the Beanstalk<\/strong><\/td>{1}{G}<\/td>Enchantment<\/td>WOE<\/td>$2.07<\/td><\/tr>\n
Hopeless Nightmare<\/strong><\/td>{B}<\/td>Enchantment<\/td>WOE<\/td>$0.39<\/td><\/tr>\n
Monstrous Rage<\/strong><\/td>{R}<\/td>Instant<\/td>WOE<\/td>$0.35<\/td><\/tr>\n
This Town Ain’t Big Enough<\/strong><\/td>{4}{U}<\/td>Instant<\/td>OTJ<\/td>$0.32<\/td><\/tr>\n
Gran-Gran<\/strong><\/td>{U}<\/td>Legendary Creature<\/td>TLA<\/td>$0.30<\/td><\/tr>\n
Abuelo’s Awakening<\/strong><\/td>{X}{3}{W}<\/td>Sorcery<\/td>LCI<\/td>$0.25<\/td><\/tr>\n
Heartfire Hero<\/strong><\/td>{R}<\/td>Creature<\/td>BLB<\/td>$0.24<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Why some lists say 14<\/h3>\n

You will find lists that add Leyline of Resonance<\/strong> as a fourteenth card. It is banned \u2014 but only in MTG Arena’s best-of-one Standard queue<\/strong>, which is a matchmaking rule rather than a format. Its paper Standard legality reads legal<\/em>, and it is legal in Pioneer and Modern as well. If you are building for tabletop Standard, the list is 13.<\/p>\n\n

\"A
A ban is a balance tool, not a verdict on a card’s design. Most banned cards remain legal somewhere.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Every Standard-banned card is legal in Commander<\/h3>\n

This is the single most useful thing on the page. All 13 cards banned in Standard are legal in Commander right now<\/strong>, including both of the expensive ones. A Standard ban usually depresses a card’s price while leaving 100-card singleton demand untouched, which makes the week after an announcement a genuinely good time to buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Standard-banned card<\/th>Commander<\/th>Pioneer<\/th>Modern<\/th>Second ban<\/th><\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Badgermole Cub<\/strong><\/td>Legal<\/td>Legal<\/td>Legal<\/td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr>\n
Vivi Ornitier<\/strong><\/td>Legal<\/td>Legal<\/td>Legal<\/td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr>\n
Screaming Nemesis<\/strong><\/td>Legal<\/td>Legal<\/td>Legal<\/td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr>\n
Cori-Steel Cutter<\/strong><\/td>Legal<\/td>Banned<\/em><\/td>Legal<\/td>Pioneer<\/td><\/tr>\n
Stormchaser’s Talent<\/strong><\/td>Legal<\/td>Legal<\/td>Legal<\/td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr>\n
Proft’s Eidetic Memory<\/strong><\/td>Legal<\/td>Legal<\/td>Legal<\/td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr>\n
Up the Beanstalk<\/strong><\/td>Legal<\/td>Legal<\/td>Banned<\/em><\/td>Modern<\/td><\/tr>\n
Hopeless Nightmare<\/strong><\/td>Legal<\/td>Legal<\/td>Legal<\/td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr>\n
Monstrous Rage<\/strong><\/td>Legal<\/td>Legal<\/td>Legal<\/td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr>\n
This Town Ain’t Big Enough<\/strong><\/td>Legal<\/td>Legal<\/td>Legal<\/td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr>\n
Gran-Gran<\/strong><\/td>Legal<\/td>Legal<\/td>Legal<\/td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr>\n
Abuelo’s Awakening<\/strong><\/td>Legal<\/td>Legal<\/td>Legal<\/td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr>\n
Heartfire Hero<\/strong><\/td>Legal<\/td>Banned<\/em><\/td>Legal<\/td>Pioneer<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Only three of the thirteen carry a second ban: Cori-Steel Cutter<\/strong> and Heartfire Hero<\/strong> are also banned in Pioneer, and Up the Beanstalk<\/strong> is also banned in Modern.<\/p>\n\n

Every Card Banned in Standard (2026) \u2014 all 13 are Commander-legal<\/h4>

13 cards \u2014 one click loads the full list into a TCGplayer cart so you can check real prices and grab the whole deck at once.<\/p>Buy this deck on TCGplayer<\/a>Affiliate link \u2014 buying through it supports KrakenTheMeta at no extra cost to you.<\/span><\/div>\n\n

MTG Commander banned list \u2014 why every site gives a different number<\/h2>\n

Search for the Commander banned list and you will be told it is 39 cards, or 42, or 83. All three are defensible, and the disagreement is the most confusing thing about this format’s list. Here is the exact arithmetic.<\/p>\n

Scryfall marks 83<\/strong> cards as banned in Commander. That number decomposes cleanly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Group<\/th>Count<\/th>Why it is on the list<\/th><\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Named individually<\/strong><\/td>42<\/td>The actual banned list, card by card. This is the one that affects deckbuilding.<\/td><\/tr>\n
Conspiracy cards<\/strong><\/td>25<\/td>A draft-only card type. These were never legal in a Commander deck to begin with.<\/td><\/tr>\n
Ante cards<\/strong><\/td>9<\/td>Cards that play for ownership of other cards. Banned as a category in every sanctioned format.<\/td><\/tr>\n
Removed for offensive content<\/strong><\/td>7<\/td>Seven cards withdrawn from all formats in December 2020.<\/td><\/tr>\n
Total<\/strong><\/td>83<\/strong><\/td>Matches the Scryfall count exactly.<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

So the number you want is 42.<\/strong> The other 41 entries are category bans no deckbuilder will ever run into \u2014 you cannot put a Conspiracy in a Commander deck whether or not anyone bans it. Every card named on the official list appears in Scryfall’s data; none are missing.<\/p>\n\n

The 42 cards actually banned in Commander<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Card<\/th>Mana cost<\/th>Type<\/th>Set<\/th>Price (USD)<\/th><\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Ancestral Recall<\/strong><\/td>{U}<\/td>Instant<\/td>VMA<\/td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr>\n
Balance<\/strong><\/td>{1}{W}<\/td>Sorcery<\/td>EMA<\/td>$1.96<\/td><\/tr>\n
Black Lotus<\/strong><\/td>{0}<\/td>Artifact<\/td>VMA<\/td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr>\n
Channel<\/strong><\/td>{G}{G}<\/td>Sorcery<\/td>IMA<\/td>$1.19<\/td><\/tr>\n
Chaos Orb<\/strong><\/td>{2}<\/td>Artifact<\/td>2ED<\/td>$1149.90<\/td><\/tr>\n
Dockside Extortionist<\/strong><\/td>{1}{R}<\/td>Creature<\/td>2X2<\/td>$10.46<\/td><\/tr>\n
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn<\/strong><\/td>{15}<\/td>Legendary Creature<\/td>2X2<\/td>$22.40<\/td><\/tr>\n
Erayo, Soratami Ascendant<\/strong><\/td>{1}{U}<\/td>Legendary Creature<\/td>SOK<\/td>$23.62<\/td><\/tr>\n
Falling Star<\/strong><\/td>{2}{R}<\/td>Sorcery<\/td>LEG<\/td>$150.71<\/td><\/tr>\n
Fastbond<\/strong><\/td>{G}<\/td>Enchantment<\/td>VMA<\/td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr>\n
Flash<\/strong><\/td>{1}{U}<\/td>Instant<\/td>A25<\/td>$1.75<\/td><\/tr>\n
Golos, Tireless Pilgrim<\/strong><\/td>{5}<\/td>Legendary Artifact Creature<\/td>M20<\/td>$1.67<\/td><\/tr>\n
Griselbrand<\/strong><\/td>{4}{B}{B}{B}{B}<\/td>Legendary Creature<\/td>INR<\/td>$7.98<\/td><\/tr>\n
Hullbreacher<\/strong><\/td>{2}{U}<\/td>Creature<\/td>CMR<\/td>$1.50<\/td><\/tr>\n
Iona, Shield of Emeria<\/strong><\/td>{6}{W}{W}{W}<\/td>Legendary Creature<\/td>MM2<\/td>$13.47<\/td><\/tr>\n
Jeweled Lotus<\/strong><\/td>{0}<\/td>Artifact<\/td>CMM<\/td>$42.71<\/td><\/tr>\n
Karakas<\/strong><\/td>\u2014<\/td>Legendary Land<\/td>UMA<\/td>$16.15<\/td><\/tr>\n
Leovold, Emissary of Trest<\/strong><\/td>{B}{G}{U}<\/td>Legendary Creature<\/td>UMA<\/td>$2.68<\/td><\/tr>\n
Library of Alexandria<\/strong><\/td>\u2014<\/td>Land<\/td>VMA<\/td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr>\n
Limited Resources<\/strong><\/td>{W}<\/td>Enchantment<\/td>EXO<\/td>$2.88<\/td><\/tr>\n
Mana Crypt<\/strong><\/td>{0}<\/td>Artifact<\/td>2XM<\/td>$41.66<\/td><\/tr>\n
Mox Emerald<\/strong><\/td>{0}<\/td>Artifact<\/td>VMA<\/td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr>\n
Mox Jet<\/strong><\/td>{0}<\/td>Artifact<\/td>VMA<\/td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr>\n
Mox Pearl<\/strong><\/td>{0}<\/td>Artifact<\/td>VMA<\/td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr>\n
Mox Ruby<\/strong><\/td>{0}<\/td>Artifact<\/td>VMA<\/td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr>\n
Mox Sapphire<\/strong><\/td>{0}<\/td>Artifact<\/td>VMA<\/td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr>\n
Nadu, Winged Wisdom<\/strong><\/td>{1}{G}{U}<\/td>Legendary Creature<\/td>MH3<\/td>$0.31<\/td><\/tr>\n
Paradox Engine<\/strong><\/td>{5}<\/td>Legendary Artifact<\/td>AER<\/td>$6.08<\/td><\/tr>\n
Primeval Titan<\/strong><\/td>{4}{G}{G}<\/td>Creature<\/td>IMA<\/td>$6.58<\/td><\/tr>\n
Prophet of Kruphix<\/strong><\/td>{3}{G}{U}<\/td>Creature<\/td>THS<\/td>$1.96<\/td><\/tr>\n
Recurring Nightmare<\/strong><\/td>{2}{B}<\/td>Enchantment<\/td>TPR<\/td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr>\n
Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary<\/strong><\/td>{G}{G}<\/td>Legendary Creature<\/td>VMA<\/td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr>\n
Shahrazad<\/strong><\/td>{W}{W}<\/td>Sorcery<\/td>ARN<\/td>$456.74<\/td><\/tr>\n
Sundering Titan<\/strong><\/td>{8}<\/td>Artifact Creature<\/td>2XM<\/td>$1.18<\/td><\/tr>\n
Sylvan Primordial<\/strong><\/td>{5}{G}{G}<\/td>Creature<\/td>GTC<\/td>$1.38<\/td><\/tr>\n
Time Vault<\/strong><\/td>{2}<\/td>Artifact<\/td>VMA<\/td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr>\n
Time Walk<\/strong><\/td>{1}{U}<\/td>Sorcery<\/td>VMA<\/td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr>\n
Tinker<\/strong><\/td>{2}{U}<\/td>Sorcery<\/td>ULG<\/td>$4.71<\/td><\/tr>\n
Tolarian Academy<\/strong><\/td>\u2014<\/td>Legendary Land<\/td>VMA<\/td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr>\n
Trade Secrets<\/strong><\/td>{1}{U}{U}<\/td>Sorcery<\/td>CMD<\/td>$1.71<\/td><\/tr>\n
Upheaval<\/strong><\/td>{4}{U}{U}<\/td>Sorcery<\/td>MH2<\/td>$0.30<\/td><\/tr>\n
Yawgmoth’s Bargain<\/strong><\/td>{4}{B}{B}<\/td>Enchantment<\/td>VMA<\/td>\u2014<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

A dash in the price column means no current market price is published \u2014 almost always a Reserved List card whose printings trade too rarely for a reliable figure.<\/p>\n\n

\"Black
Black Lotus, art by Chris Rahn. Banned in Commander and Legacy, but only restricted<\/em> in Vintage. Card image and data via Scryfall; Magic: The Gathering is © Wizards of the Coast.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

The Power Nine are banned in Commander but legal in Vintage<\/h3>\n

One of Magic’s better ironies. Eight of the nine most powerful cards ever printed are banned outright in Commander<\/strong>, the format people play at kitchen tables, while Vintage — the most powerful format in the game — merely restricts<\/strong> them to one copy. You may legally cast Black Lotus at a sanctioned Vintage event. You may not put it in your Commander deck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Power Nine card<\/th>Commander<\/th>Vintage<\/th>Legacy<\/th><\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Black Lotus<\/strong><\/td>Banned<\/em><\/td>Restricted<\/td>Banned<\/em><\/td><\/tr>\n
Ancestral Recall<\/strong><\/td>Banned<\/em><\/td>Restricted<\/td>Banned<\/em><\/td><\/tr>\n
Time Walk<\/strong><\/td>Banned<\/em><\/td>Restricted<\/td>Banned<\/em><\/td><\/tr>\n
Mox Emerald<\/strong><\/td>Banned<\/em><\/td>Restricted<\/td>Banned<\/em><\/td><\/tr>\n
Mox Jet<\/strong><\/td>Banned<\/em><\/td>Restricted<\/td>Banned<\/em><\/td><\/tr>\n
Mox Pearl<\/strong><\/td>Banned<\/em><\/td>Restricted<\/td>Banned<\/em><\/td><\/tr>\n
Mox Ruby<\/strong><\/td>Banned<\/em><\/td>Restricted<\/td>Banned<\/em><\/td><\/tr>\n
Mox Sapphire<\/strong><\/td>Banned<\/em><\/td>Restricted<\/td>Banned<\/em><\/td><\/tr>\n
Timetwister<\/strong><\/td>Legal<\/td>Restricted<\/td>Banned<\/em><\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The ninth is the exception.<\/strong> Timetwister<\/strong> is not on the Commander banned list at all \u2014 it is a legal, if eye-wateringly expensive, inclusion. If you have wondered why high-powered Commander tables see Timetwister and never a Mox, that is why.<\/p>\n

Two more oddities worth knowing. Chaos Orb<\/strong> is banned in Commander, Legacy and<\/em> Vintage, one of very few cards banned in all three, because its ability requires physically flipping it onto the table from at least a foot in the air. And Flash<\/strong>, an unassuming two-mana instant, is banned in Commander for enabling a two-card combo; we pulled that rules interaction apart in our guide to flash, priority and the stack<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

MTG Modern banned list (52 cards)<\/h2>\n

Modern’s is the most expensive banned list in Magic. Several of these still trade above $40 because they remain staples in Legacy, Vintage or Commander.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Card<\/th>Mana cost<\/th>Type<\/th>Set<\/th>Price (USD)<\/th><\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Chrome Mox<\/strong><\/td>{0}<\/td>Artifact<\/td>2XM<\/td>$164.83<\/td><\/tr>\n
The One Ring<\/strong><\/td>{4}<\/td>Legendary Artifact<\/td>LTR<\/td>$110.18<\/td><\/tr>\n
Eye of Ugin<\/strong><\/td>\u2014<\/td>Legendary Land<\/td>MM2<\/td>$59.93<\/td><\/tr>\n
Sensei’s Divining Top<\/strong><\/td>{1}<\/td>Artifact<\/td>2X2<\/td>$41.84<\/td><\/tr>\n
Mycosynth Lattice<\/strong><\/td>{6}<\/td>Artifact<\/td>BBD<\/td>$36.04<\/td><\/tr>\n
Field of the Dead<\/strong><\/td>\u2014<\/td>Land<\/td>M20<\/td>$27.56<\/td><\/tr>\n
Krark-Clan Ironworks<\/strong><\/td>{4}<\/td>Artifact<\/td>5DN<\/td>$17.40<\/td><\/tr>\n
Seething Song<\/strong><\/td>{2}{R}<\/td>Instant<\/td>C21<\/td>$12.52<\/td><\/tr>\n
Birthing Pod<\/strong><\/td>{3}{G\/P}<\/td>Artifact<\/td>NPH<\/td>$12.10<\/td><\/tr>\n
Underworld Breach<\/strong><\/td>{1}{R}<\/td>Enchantment<\/td>THB<\/td>$10.68<\/td><\/tr>\n
Tibalt’s Trickery<\/strong><\/td>{1}{R}<\/td>Instant<\/td>KHM<\/td>$10.00<\/td><\/tr>\n
Glimpse of Nature<\/strong><\/td>{G}<\/td>Sorcery<\/td>CHK<\/td>$9.64<\/td><\/tr>\n
Mental Misstep<\/strong><\/td>{U\/P}<\/td>Instant<\/td>NPH<\/td>$9.15<\/td><\/tr>\n
Deathrite Shaman<\/strong><\/td>{B\/G}<\/td>Creature<\/td>RVR<\/td>$8.32<\/td><\/tr>\n
Rite of Flame<\/strong><\/td>{R}<\/td>Sorcery<\/td>CSP<\/td>$5.80<\/td><\/tr>\n
Skullclamp<\/strong><\/td>{1}<\/td>Artifact<\/td>MSC<\/td>$5.48<\/td><\/tr>\n
Blazing Shoal<\/strong><\/td>{X}{R}{R}<\/td>Instant<\/td>BOK<\/td>$5.30<\/td><\/tr>\n
Vault of Whispers<\/strong><\/td>\u2014<\/td>Artifact Land<\/td>DSC<\/td>$5.15<\/td><\/tr>\n
Oko, Thief of Crowns<\/strong><\/td>{1}{G}{U}<\/td>Legendary Planeswalker<\/td>ELD<\/td>$4.76<\/td><\/tr>\n
Gitaxian Probe<\/strong><\/td>{U\/P}<\/td>Sorcery<\/td>NPH<\/td>$4.54<\/td><\/tr>\n
Grief<\/strong><\/td>{2}{B}{B}<\/td>Creature<\/td>MH2<\/td>$3.50<\/td><\/tr>\n
Phlage, Titan of Fire’s Fury<\/strong><\/td>{1}{R}{W}<\/td>Legendary Creature<\/td>MH3<\/td>$3.45<\/td><\/tr>\n
Dark Depths<\/strong><\/td>\u2014<\/td>Legendary Snow Land<\/td>DMR<\/td>$3.20<\/td><\/tr>\n
Uro, Titan of Nature’s Wrath<\/strong><\/td>{1}{G}{U}<\/td>Legendary Creature<\/td>THB<\/td>$3.16<\/td><\/tr>\n
Simian Spirit Guide<\/strong><\/td>{2}{R}<\/td>Creature<\/td>TSR<\/td>$3.06<\/td><\/tr>\n
Second Sunrise<\/strong><\/td>{1}{W}{W}<\/td>Instant<\/td>MRD<\/td>$2.88<\/td><\/tr>\n
Lotus Field<\/strong><\/td>\u2014<\/td>Land<\/td>SOC<\/td>$2.40<\/td><\/tr>\n
Lurrus of the Dream-Den<\/strong><\/td>{1}{W\/B}{W\/B}<\/td>Legendary Creature<\/td>IKO<\/td>$2.37<\/td><\/tr>\n
Great Furnace<\/strong><\/td>\u2014<\/td>Artifact Land<\/td>EOC<\/td>$2.35<\/td><\/tr>\n
Golgari Grave-Troll<\/strong><\/td>{4}{G}<\/td>Creature<\/td>RVR<\/td>$2.24<\/td><\/tr>\n
Up the Beanstalk<\/strong><\/td>{1}{G}<\/td>Enchantment<\/td>WOE<\/td>$2.07<\/td><\/tr>\n
Ponder<\/strong><\/td>{U}<\/td>Sorcery<\/td>TDC<\/td>$1.95<\/td><\/tr>\n
Summer Bloom<\/strong><\/td>{1}{G}<\/td>Sorcery<\/td>2X2<\/td>$1.69<\/td><\/tr>\n
Hypergenesis<\/strong><\/td>\u2014<\/td>Sorcery<\/td>TSR<\/td>$1.24<\/td><\/tr>\n
Mystic Sanctuary<\/strong><\/td>\u2014<\/td>Land<\/td>SOC<\/td>$1.24<\/td><\/tr>\n
Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis<\/strong><\/td>{5}{B\/G}{B\/G}<\/td>Legendary Creature<\/td>MH1<\/td>$1.22<\/td><\/tr>\n
Tree of Tales<\/strong><\/td>\u2014<\/td>Artifact Land<\/td>DSC<\/td>$1.11<\/td><\/tr>\n
Ancient Den<\/strong><\/td>\u2014<\/td>Artifact Land<\/td>EOC<\/td>$1.03<\/td><\/tr>\n
Once Upon a Time<\/strong><\/td>{1}{G}<\/td>Instant<\/td>ELD<\/td>$0.99<\/td><\/tr>\n
Seat of the Synod<\/strong><\/td>\u2014<\/td>Artifact Land<\/td>EOC<\/td>$0.85<\/td><\/tr>\n
Bridge from Below<\/strong><\/td>{B}{B}{B}<\/td>Enchantment<\/td>UMA<\/td>$0.79<\/td><\/tr>\n
Fury<\/strong><\/td>{3}{R}{R}<\/td>Creature<\/td>ECC<\/td>$0.64<\/td><\/tr>\n
Yorion, Sky Nomad<\/strong><\/td>{3}{W\/U}{W\/U}<\/td>Legendary Creature<\/td>IKO<\/td>$0.61<\/td><\/tr>\n
Dread Return<\/strong><\/td>{2}{B}{B}<\/td>Sorcery<\/td>CMM<\/td>$0.60<\/td><\/tr>\n
Jegantha, the Wellspring<\/strong><\/td>{4}{R\/G}<\/td>Legendary Creature<\/td>ECC<\/td>$0.32<\/td><\/tr>\n
Punishing Fire<\/strong><\/td>{1}{R}<\/td>Instant<\/td>CMD<\/td>$0.32<\/td><\/tr>\n
Nadu, Winged Wisdom<\/strong><\/td>{1}{G}{U}<\/td>Legendary Creature<\/td>MH3<\/td>$0.31<\/td><\/tr>\n
Treasure Cruise<\/strong><\/td>{7}{U}<\/td>Sorcery<\/td>SOC<\/td>$0.31<\/td><\/tr>\n
Cloudpost<\/strong><\/td>\u2014<\/td>Land<\/td>MRD<\/td>$0.30<\/td><\/tr>\n
Dig Through Time<\/strong><\/td>{6}{U}{U}<\/td>Instant<\/td>SOC<\/td>$0.28<\/td><\/tr>\n
Arcum’s Astrolabe<\/strong><\/td>{S}<\/td>Snow Artifact<\/td>MH1<\/td>$0.26<\/td><\/tr>\n
Amped Raptor<\/strong><\/td>{1}{R}<\/td>Creature<\/td>MH3<\/td>$0.21<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Modern was untouched by the August 2026 announcement. Note that five of these are the artifact lands<\/strong> \u2014 Ancient Den, Great Furnace, Seat of the Synod, Tree of Tales and Vault of Whispers \u2014 banned as a group for making artifact synergies effectively free.<\/p>\n\n

\"A
Some names stay on the tablet for decades. Others last six weeks.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

MTG Pioneer banned list (31 cards)<\/h2>\n

Pioneer also took no changes in August 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Card<\/th>Mana cost<\/th>Type<\/th>Set<\/th>Price (USD)<\/th><\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Field of the Dead<\/strong><\/td>\u2014<\/td>Land<\/td>M20<\/td>$27.56<\/td><\/tr>\n
Polluted Delta<\/strong><\/td>\u2014<\/td>Land<\/td>MH3<\/td>$19.60<\/td><\/tr>\n
Bloodstained Mire<\/strong><\/td>\u2014<\/td>Land<\/td>MH3<\/td>$18.11<\/td><\/tr>\n
Wooded Foothills<\/strong><\/td>\u2014<\/td>Land<\/td>MH3<\/td>$17.14<\/td><\/tr>\n
Flooded Strand<\/strong><\/td>\u2014<\/td>Land<\/td>MH3<\/td>$15.94<\/td><\/tr>\n
Windswept Heath<\/strong><\/td>\u2014<\/td>Land<\/td>MH3<\/td>$12.33<\/td><\/tr>\n
Walking Ballista<\/strong><\/td>{X}{X}<\/td>Artifact Creature<\/td>2XM<\/td>$11.54<\/td><\/tr>\n
Underworld Breach<\/strong><\/td>{1}{R}<\/td>Enchantment<\/td>THB<\/td>$10.68<\/td><\/tr>\n
Teferi, Time Raveler<\/strong><\/td>{1}{W}{U}<\/td>Legendary Planeswalker<\/td>RVR<\/td>$7.07<\/td><\/tr>\n
Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord<\/strong><\/td>{2}{B}<\/td>Legendary Planeswalker<\/td>INR<\/td>$5.93<\/td><\/tr>\n
Nexus of Fate<\/strong><\/td>{5}{U}{U}<\/td>Instant<\/td>PLST<\/td>$5.16<\/td><\/tr>\n
Karn, the Great Creator<\/strong><\/td>{4}<\/td>Legendary Planeswalker<\/td>RVR<\/td>$4.89<\/td><\/tr>\n
Oko, Thief of Crowns<\/strong><\/td>{1}{G}{U}<\/td>Legendary Planeswalker<\/td>ELD<\/td>$4.76<\/td><\/tr>\n
Cori-Steel Cutter<\/strong><\/td>{1}{R}<\/td>Artifact<\/td>TDM<\/td>$4.74<\/td><\/tr>\n
Veil of Summer<\/strong><\/td>{G}<\/td>Instant<\/td>M20<\/td>$4.25<\/td><\/tr>\n
Winota, Joiner of Forces<\/strong><\/td>{2}{R}{W}<\/td>Legendary Creature<\/td>IKO<\/td>$4.02<\/td><\/tr>\n
Kethis, the Hidden Hand<\/strong><\/td>{W}{B}{G}<\/td>Legendary Creature<\/td>M20<\/td>$3.78<\/td><\/tr>\n
Wilderness Reclamation<\/strong><\/td>{3}{G}<\/td>Enchantment<\/td>DSC<\/td>$3.51<\/td><\/tr>\n
Uro, Titan of Nature’s Wrath<\/strong><\/td>{1}{G}{U}<\/td>Legendary Creature<\/td>THB<\/td>$3.16<\/td><\/tr>\n
Lurrus of the Dream-Den<\/strong><\/td>{1}{W\/B}{W\/B}<\/td>Legendary Creature<\/td>IKO<\/td>$2.37<\/td><\/tr>\n
Felidar Guardian<\/strong><\/td>{3}{W}<\/td>Creature<\/td>AER<\/td>$2.36<\/td><\/tr>\n
Leyline of Abundance<\/strong><\/td>{2}{G}{G}<\/td>Enchantment<\/td>M20<\/td>$1.65<\/td><\/tr>\n
Inverter of Truth<\/strong><\/td>{2}{B}{B}<\/td>Creature<\/td>OGW<\/td>$1.30<\/td><\/tr>\n
Once Upon a Time<\/strong><\/td>{1}{G}<\/td>Instant<\/td>ELD<\/td>$0.99<\/td><\/tr>\n
Amalia Benavides Aguirre<\/strong><\/td>{W}{B}<\/td>Legendary Creature<\/td>LCI<\/td>$0.34<\/td><\/tr>\n
Jegantha, the Wellspring<\/strong><\/td>{4}{R\/G}<\/td>Legendary Creature<\/td>ECC<\/td>$0.32<\/td><\/tr>\n
Undercity Informer<\/strong><\/td>{2}{B}<\/td>Creature<\/td>GTC<\/td>$0.32<\/td><\/tr>\n
Geological Appraiser<\/strong><\/td>{2}{R}{R}<\/td>Creature<\/td>LCI<\/td>$0.26<\/td><\/tr>\n
Expressive Iteration<\/strong><\/td>{U}{R}<\/td>Sorcery<\/td>MSC<\/td>$0.25<\/td><\/tr>\n
Heartfire Hero<\/strong><\/td>{R}<\/td>Creature<\/td>BLB<\/td>$0.24<\/td><\/tr>\n
Balustrade Spy<\/strong><\/td>{3}{B}<\/td>Creature<\/td>RVR<\/td>$0.19<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Legacy, Vintage and Pauper<\/h2>\n

These three carry the longest lists, and the raw counts mislead in exactly the way Commander’s does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Format<\/th>Scryfall count<\/th>What inflates it<\/th><\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Legacy<\/strong><\/td>171 banned<\/td>Ante cards, Conspiracy cards and the December 2020 removals are all counted individually.<\/td><\/tr>\n
Vintage<\/strong><\/td>101 banned, 52 restricted<\/td>Vintage bans almost nothing for raw power \u2014 it restricts instead. Its banned list is nearly all ante and category cards.<\/td><\/tr>\n
Pauper<\/strong><\/td>74 banned<\/td>A commons-only format, so its bans track cards that became commons through later reprints.<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The August 2026 change to this group was a single card: The Fantasticar<\/strong>, banned in Legacy and restricted in Vintage on the same day.<\/p>\n\n

Arena formats: Brawl, Historic, Timeless and Alchemy<\/h2>\n

Arena manages balance differently. Alongside bans it rebalances<\/strong> cards, altering their digital text while the paper card stays untouched, which is why its lists stay short.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Arena format<\/th>Banned<\/th>How it controls power<\/th><\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Brawl<\/strong><\/td>35<\/td>Singleton deckbuilding plus a short banned list.<\/td><\/tr>\n
Historic<\/strong><\/td>77<\/td>Bans plus digital rebalancing.<\/td><\/tr>\n
Alchemy<\/strong><\/td>1<\/td>Rebalancing does nearly all the work \u2014 only Sewer-veillance Cam is banned.<\/td><\/tr>\n
Timeless<\/strong><\/td>0<\/td>Nothing is banned. Power is capped by restriction instead.<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

None of the four changed in August 2026.<\/p>\n\n

What to do the week after a ban<\/h2>\n

A ban announcement is the most predictable price event in Magic, and it moves in two directions at once.<\/p>\n