An update to the SRL list released just under a week ago, with a wide range of changes to dive into. With top decks continuing to get poked down in power, a returning powerhouse package getting shafted, and a few decks seeing some power pieces and sideboard options return. With six legions and even more decks getting nerfed and buffed, this SRL update is certain to give the metagame a great shakeup.
Volac's Document Of The Damned
One of the most versatile tutors available in the game, Volac's is no stranger to the SRL list, already previously restricted to just a single copy. With even this single copy however, Onoskelis's consistent string of top placements has warranted Volac's joining the ranks of Fallen Inferno on the Suspended list. This suspension will significantly impact Onoskelis's ability to tutor out powerful cards like Treasury Of The Fallen Priestess or Rapture On Mount Bane, or feel-bad cards like End Of Days.
Advance Of The Fallen Armies
Volac's Document was a card I expected to see the SRL list, but Advance was one case where I wasn't 100% sure. It's another incredibly powerful tutor and setup card for Onoskelis, trading the ability to find anything, for grabbing up to four cards from your deck. Most competitive lists only ran two copies of the card, so a Limitation on the card wouldn't have made a significant impact, but I wasn't sure how heavily Onoskelis would be hit. Ultimately, this is another SRL hit that Onoskelis will definitely feel, and will limit how consistently the deck can pump out powerful controlling board states.
Paymon's Ceremony Of The Fallen
The last of Onoskelis's piece to see a hit, Paymon's ceremony is another card that I expected to remain untouched, or get Restricted. Paymon's Ceremony offers Onoskelis a good way to recover DCM, with both discard and steal utility as well. With Volac's being Suspended, and both Advance and Paymon's being Restricted, the Fallen archetype was hit notably harder than I expected. Whilst this may be an over correction, it's definitely welcome with Onoskelis' constant domination, and could easily be corrected in the next SRL update.
Black Magic Insanity
With a hit to the other top tier Demon deck, Adramelech has seen a hit to his recovery tools with Black Magic Insanity going down to two copies. Whilst not the largest change to the deck, it will help to hinder the deck's ability to recover DCM to avoid getting rushed down after making an aggressive push.
Welcome To The Grimm Graveyard
Mortis and Mal'ady's very own "End Of Days at home", Welcome To The Grimm Graveyard, has seen a full suspension going from three copies to zero in the blink of an eye. Grimm Graveyard was a standout card in the Undead archetype, allowing both Warlords to combine their usual explosive starts with the ability to rip a hand to shreds. Unlike End Of Days, Grimm Graveyard was also a card that could be found with incredibly consistency, as Undead builds can rip through most of their deck on turn one, and Grimm Graveyard has that line of text that adds it to hand when milled. This combination made for a card that felt far more consistent with the complaints frequently levelled against End Of Days as a brutally punishing and consistent card which also enabled additional synergy. Whilst a full suspension is an incredibly heavy hit that may be an over-correction, it's not one that I'm complaining about. I'm quite happy to have my starting hand stay where it belongs: In my hand.
Spores From The Suffering Cyprus
Another Undead card that I certainly won't miss, Spores has gone from three copies to just one. A less brutal hit than with Grimm Graveyard, but still a huge hit to the strategy. The combination of these two bans should completely kill off the combo-burn style Mortis decks which were picking up in popularity, pushing Mortis back into a grindier midrange strategy with Slow But Grimm Decay returning as the premier Undead win-condition.
Spores will likely remain a solid alternative win-con for these decks, but as a slow burn card rewarding grindy control game play rather than fast combo-burn. Mal'ady Mausoleum Combo may be a much more unfortunate victim of this SRL update however, as Slow But Grimm Decay is a slightly more awkward fit in the deck. Regardless the deck still has it's Mausoleum combo kill, and has shown the ability to adjust and adapt, so it may still see meta success.
Haunted Labyrinth
A small light in the tunnel, Labyrinth has been brought back to two copies, a change that I advocated for alongside a heavy handed adjustment to the burn style Grimm decks. The return of Lab will help to provide more consistency to the Undead archetypes with it's on-mill ability, and in a later game can act as a strong defensive tool against a board of warriors and an empty library. This should help the Grimm decks transition back to the afformentioned more grindy style midrange gameplay seen before the proliferation of Spores.
Outer Rim Exclusion Zone
The other Warlord who can't seem to escape an SRL list update, Sharn has seen Exclusion zone get Restricted back to a single copy once more. Exclusion Zone was experimentally brought back from the list two lists ago, but has evidently proved too powerful in multiples, providing Sharn with a little bit too much consistent power. Whilst Outer Rim Exclusion Zone is the only Orc card to make the list, the now nerfed Viviana package was one that saw a large degree of success in Sharn builds recently.
Welcome to Alburdunn & Alburdunn's Trader District
The Viviana package hasn't received too much attention since EOR until recently, only showing up as the occasional sideboard plan against aggressive lists. Alburdunn's Mayoral Announcement offered a significant buff to the package, but it wasn't until the recent Nerdz Cafe BFG event where one Sh'Lara list sporting the package and two Sharn decks made top 8, with a top 4 match between the two Sharn decks resulting in a lengthy game one with both players nearly endlessly looping fogs, only broken by The Twilight Gardens providing an out.
This sudden appearance earned Alburdunn's Trader District an emergency watchlist addition, with both Welcome To Alburdunn and Alburdunn's Trader District being put to a single copy each. whilst Trader District may look somewhat innocuous at first glance, multiple copies of the card can continuously loop each other back into deck alongside with mist effects for easy continuous damage prevention. This change will prevent Viviana decks from being able to continuously draw out games, but Viviana will likely remain a solid sideboard strategy against aggressive lists with the ability to consistently find various mist effects.
Primordials Released From Shackles
A powerful consistency piece for Prometheus, Released From Shackles lets you eradicate your top 4 cards whether activated or eradicated, and can revive warriors and buff your board when activated. With Welcome To Alburdunn going to one and Released From Shackles going back to two, Prometheus isn't recieving the most changes, but is certainly looking like the biggest winner from this SRL list update.
Oath To The Lost Messiah
Oath To The Lost Messiah was initially Restricted due to concerns surrounding Castiel decks built around burning opponents out before veil pierce. For traditional Castiel builds, the additional copy of Oath isn't the most crucial addition, but can be a solid sideboard card to bring in against eradication based strategies to burn them out sooner than expected, or to force them to use a Mist effect early.
This SRL list has been surprisingly proactive, taking aggressive action against both consistently top performers, and newer over performing strategies. With such a lengthy SRL list it will take a bit of time to figure out how the metagame will settle down, especially with the strategies that are seeing a large