Vivi Ornitier Card Banned in Standard Magic: The Gathering Update

In a recent update, Wizards of the Coast (WotC) enacted significant changes in the Banned and Restricted announcement, targeting multiple Magic: The Gathering formats. The focus was on addressing the dominance of a specific Standard deck centered around Vivi Ornitier.

Banning Vivi Ornitier in Standard

Vivi Ornitier’s control over the Standard format has come to an end with its ban. For months, the Izzet Cauldron deck, combining Vivi with Agatha’s Soul Cauldron, led to unbalanced gameplay. This deck accounted for over 50% of the Top 8 slots in several recent Standard events, such as those in Orlando and Baltimore.

Impact on the Meta

This deck’s success was attributed to its high win and play rates, significantly affecting the gameplay environment. Jadine Klomparens, a representative from WotC, noted that the deck prevented a diverse metagame due to its overwhelming efficiency and lack of counterplay options. Despite only winning one event in the Spotlight Series, the deck’s undesirable gameplay patterns necessitated its removal.

• Deck Composition:
• Creatures: 18
• Lands: 23

Additional Bans in Standard

Alongside Vivi Ornitier, Proft’s Eidetic Memory was also banned for its role in enhancing the Izzet Cauldron strategy. In a surprising twist, Screaming Nemesis faced the banhammer as well. This card reduced counterplay options against aggressive decks like Mono-Red Aggro, which is another major player in the Standard format.

Effects on Mono-Red Aggro

The decision to ban Screaming Nemesis is aimed at preventing Mono-Red Aggro from becoming the dominant deck following Vivi’s removal. Klomparens believes that with this change, the meta will stabilize, allowing various strategies to thrive.

Changes in Pioneer

In Pioneer, Mono-Red Aggro has emerged as the most successful deck. To reduce its win rate, WotC is targeting key cards like Heartfire Hero, which adds pressure on players to control the board early on.

Bans in Legacy and Pauper

In Legacy, the long-discussed ban of Entomb has finally occurred. This card has facilitated overly consistent Reanimator strategies, prompting WotC to reevaluate its presence in the format. In Pauper, the card High Tide returns to the banned list, concluding its trial after being deemed too powerful and unfun for gameplay.

Updates for Digital Formats

The Banned and Restricted announcement also affected digital formats. Several cards from the Avatar: The Last Airbender set have been pre-banned in Historic, alongside four additional bans in Brawl. The next update to the banned and restricted list is scheduled for February 9, 2026.