Restricted cards

From MTG Salvation Wiki

Restricted is a Magic term used to describe a card that a player may only include one of in a deck or sideboard in the Vintage format. Vintage is a format that is supposed to allow players to use as many cards as possible that have seen print, so powerful cards are restricted instead of banned.

In the past, cards were restricted in more than just the Vintage format; Standard format also once saw restricted cards. Currently, the DCI prefers to ban troublesome cards in all formats other than Vintage in order to simplify each format. This preference for banning also removes the luck element of overpowered cards, such that games are not reduced to the winner being determined by who drew a restricted card first.

Currently restricted cards as of July 1, 2009:

• Ancestral Recall has been restricted since January 1994 for providing very powerful card drawing.
• Balance has been restricted since April 1995 for providing very cheap and powerful mass destruction.
• Black Lotus has been restricted since January 1994 for providing powerful and cheap mana acceleration.
• Brainstorm has been restricted since June 2008.
• Burning Wish has been restricted since January 2004 for being a cheap and powerful tutor.
• Channel was previously banned and has been restricted since October 2000 for providing powerful and cheap mana acceleration.
• Demonic Consultation has been restricted since October 2000 for being a cheap and powerful tutor.
• Demonic Tutor has been restricted since March 1994 for being a cheap and powerful tutor.
• Fact or Fiction has been restricted since January 2002 for being a powerful draw spell.
• Fastbond has been restricted since October 1996 for providing powerful and cheap mana acceleration.
• Flash has been restricted since June 2008.
• Frantic Search has been restricted since October 1999 for having a powerful mechanic that provides cheap mana acceleration.
• Gifts Ungiven has been restricted since June 2007 for being a powerful tutor.
• Gush has been restricted since July 2003 for having a powerful mechanic that provides cheap mana acceleration.
• Imperial Seal has been restricted since October 2005 for being a cheap and powerful tutor.
• Library of Alexandria has been restricted since May 1994 for providing powerful card drawing.
• Lion’s Eye Diamond has been restricted since January 2004 for providing cheap and powerful mana acceleration.
• Lotus Petal has been restricted since October 1999 for providing cheap and powerful mana acceleration.
• Mana Crypt has been restricted since October 1999 for providing cheap and powerful mana acceleration.
• Mana Vault has been restricted since October 1999 for providing cheap and powerful mana acceleration.
• Memory Jar has been restricted since March 1, 1999 for providing very powerful card drawing. It is the only card to have been the subject of an emergency ban.
• Merchant Scroll has been restricted since June 2008.
• Mind’s Desire has been restricted since July 2003 for being the centerpiece of a powerful and difficult to stop combo.
• Mox Emerald has been restricted since January 1994 for providing cheap and powerful mana acceleration.
• Mox Jet has been restricted since January 1994 for providing cheap and powerful mana acceleration.
• Mox Pearl has been restricted since January 1994 for providing cheap and powerful mana acceleration.
• Mox Ruby has been restricted since January 1994 for providing cheap and powerful mana acceleration.
• Mox Sapphire has been restricted since January 1994 for providing cheap and powerful mana acceleration.
• Mystical Tutor has been restricted since October 1999 for being a cheap and powerful tutor.
• Necropotence has been restricted since October 2000 for providing very powerful card drawing.
• Ponder has been restricted since June 2008.
• Regrowth has been restricted since March 1994 for providing cheap and powerful graveyard recursion.
• Sol Ring has been restricted since January 1994 for providing cheap and powerful mana acceleration.
• Strip Mine has been restricted since January 1998 for providing cheap, uncounterable land destruction.
• Thirst for Knowledge has been restricted since July 2009.
• Time Vault has been restricted since September 2008. It was previously restricted in January 1994 and then banned in March 1994, but was unrestricted and unbanned in April 1996 because it received errata to fix it. It was restricted again in September 2008 because new errata reverted it back to its old powerful form.
• Time Walk has been restricted since January 1994 for providing a very powerful effect.
• Timetwister has been restricted since January 1994 for providing very powerful card drawing.
• Tinker has been restricted since October 1999 for being a very powerful tutor and providing mana acceleration at the same time.
• Tolarian Academy has been restricted since January 1999 for providing cheap and powerful mana acceleration.
• Trinisphere has been restricted since March 2005 for creating a necessary but decidedly unfun play environment.
• Vampiric Tutor has been restricted since October 1999 for being a cheap and powerful tutor.
• Wheel of Fortune has been restricted since March 1994 for providing very powerful card drawing.
• Windfall has been restricted since January 1999 for providing powerful card drawing.
• Yawgmoth’s Bargain has been restricted since October 1999 for providing very powerful card drawing.
• Yawgmoth’s Will has been restricted since October 1999 for providing very powerful graveyard recursion. Some players consider this card to be the most powerful card ever printed.

[edit] Previously rectricted cards

• All legendary permanents were restricted in (???) for flavor reasons. They were unrestricted in (???) because restriction was unnecessary and reduced the impact of legendary permanents on the game.
• Ali from Cairo was restricted in January 1994 for having a powerful effect on the game. It was unrestricted in April 1996 because more powerful cards were printed and there are many solutions to the card.
• Berserk was restricted in January 1994 for having a powerful and sometimes game-ending effect. It was unrestricted in April 2003 because the power of creatures, with which it works, has been low in the format for many years.
• Black Vise had been restricted from February 1996 to April 1996 and from July 1997 to June 2007 for providing fast and powerful damage.
• Braingeyser was restricted in January 1994 for providing powerful card drawing. It was unrestricted in September 2004 because it is not as powerful as other similar cards.
• Candelabra of Tawnos had been previously restricted.
• Chrome Mox was restricted from January 2004 to September 2008 for providing powerful and cheap mana acceleration.
• Copy Artifact had been previously restricted.
• Crop Rotation was restricted from October 1999 to July 2009 for being a powerful and cheap tutor for nonbasic lands.
• Dingus Egg was restricted in January 1994 for its combo with Armageddon. It was unrestricted in May 1994 because it was no longer considered powerful.
• Divine Intervention was banned from August 1994 to October 1999.
• Doomsday was restricted in October 1999 for being the centerpiece of a powerful combo. It was unrestricted in September 2004 because more powerful combos are now available.
• Dream Halls had been restricted from October 1999 to September 2008 for being part of a powerful combo.
• Earthcraft was restricted in April 2003 for providing powerful mana acceleration in the Legacy format. It was unrestricted in September 2004 after the Vintage and Legacy restrictions were separated.
• Enlightened Tutor was restricted from October 1999 to July 2009 for being a cheap and powerful tutor.
• Entomb was restricted from April 2003 to July 2009 for being a cheap and powerful graveyard recursion enabler.
• Feldon's Cane had been restricted from May 1994 to October 1997.
• Fork was restricted in April 1995 for having an effect that could copy powerful spells. It was unrestricted in September 2004 because it does nothing on its own and was not being used.
• Gauntlet of Might was restricted from January 1994 to May 1994 for providing powerful nonsymmetrical mana acceleration.
• Grim Monolith was restricted from October 1999 to July 2009 for providing cheap mana acceleration.
• Hurkyl's Recall was restricted in October 1999 for enabling a powerful combo. It was unrestricted in April 2003 because the combo cards it worked best with were also restricted in October 1999.
• Icy Manipulator had been restricted from January 1994 to March 1994.
• Ivory Tower had been restricted from May 1994 to October 1999.
• Land Tax had been previously restricted.
• Maze of Ith had been restricted from October 1994 to April 1999.
• Mind Over Matter was restricted in October 1999 for providing a powerful combo. It was unrestricted in September 2005 because more powerful combos are now available.
• Mind Twist was previously banned and had been restricted from October 2000 to June 2007 for providing cheap and powerful discard.
• Mirror Universe had been restricted from August 1994 to October 1999.
• Mishra's Workshop had been restricted from June 1994 to October 1997 for providing powerful mana acceleration.
• Mox Diamond had been restricted from October 1999 to September 2008 for providing cheap and powerful mana acceleration.
• Orcish Oriflamme was restricted from January 1994 to February 1994, because the misprinted Alpha version provided a powerful effect in aggressive decks.
• Personal Tutor had been restricted from October 2005 to September 2008 for being a cheap and powerful tutor.
• Recall was restricted in September 1994 for providing graveyard recursion of powerful cards. It was unrestricted in April 2003 because more powerful cards are now available.
• Replenish was restricted in (???) for being a powerful combo and kill card. It was unrestricted in (???) because more powerful combos are now available.
• Rukh Egg had been restricted from January 1994 to February 1994 for its combo with Wrath of God.
• Sword of the Ages had been restricted from August 1994 to April 1996.
• Stroke of Genius had been previously restricted.
• Time Spiral had been restricted from April 1999 to September 2008 for providing very powerful card drawing.
• Underworld Dreams had been restricted from August 1994 to October 1999.
• Voltaic Key had been restricted from October 1999 to June 2007 for enabling powerful combos.
• Zuran Orb had been restricted from November 1995 to October 1997.

[edit] Official explanations for (un-)restrictions

• "Crafting a Vintage", by Tom LaPille, DailyMTG.com, Friday, June 26, 2009
• "Behind the September 2008 B&R Changes", by Bill Stark, DailyMTG.com, Friday, September 05, 2008
• "Gone in a Flash", by Aaron Forsythe, MTG.com, Friday, June 01, 2007.