gkourou wrote: ↑4 years ago
Same with today's preliminary.
The 5-0 deck plays 4 Astrolabe, all 4-1 decks, but Prowess play 4 astro or once, and there is even one Bant Snow that runs 4 astrolabe + 3 once.
All 3-2 decks, but 3 run are on once.
If Wizards bans once upon a time and leaves astrolabe alone, astrolabe will take over the format and we will be in need of a astrolabe ban.
It's a little bit premature, but I agree that Wizards makes those kind of mistakes. I believe the will only ban Once and not astrolabe, and then it will be banned post PT.
While I agree the numbers are worrying I wanna point out a few things (and I am quoting you because you had the most recent post):
1. Banning multiple cards at once is (usually) bad. Unless multiple cards are messing the format heavily (see Hogaak and Looting), I'd rather do it one step at a time. Cut one problematic card, then reevaluate within the context of the new meta. I think this will lead to better decisions, IF it is communicated and acted upon. Say, put out a statement that after evaluation X card needs to go or is safe.
2. While Astrolabe is on the edge, it's not as egregious in pushing the power level of decks above the rest of the field as OUaT does. It also enables snow-strategies to exist, which arguably wouldn't exist without it and most (if not all) are midrange-y, fair strategies and makes 5C Niv playable.
Now, true, it %$#% on the concept of picking your colors and the pros/cons of them and makes greedy manabases too easy and safe. However, I think the trade-off for now (and for Modern specifically) is worth it. Although I do think it's on borrowed time.
3. Having one card that's underpinning the format, like Bolt has in the past, isn't necessarily bad. Especially when the play style it promotes is midrange that has interaction and can be interacted that people have been complaining that has fallen out of favor. Sure, it makes Blood Moon bad (specifically in Modern), but you wouldn't necessarily side it against them. Again, at the moment, I think the calculus is on the positive, but it could certainly change with more Snow support.
I see T3feri (and Veil) as a far bigger problem.
This is for Modern. In Legacy where Wasteland plays more of a role and mana denial as a strategy is more pronounced, I can see it go sooner.