We are thrilled to witness the continued growth of the Gladiator format over the past few months. Particularly, with the establishment of the Gladiator Council, which comprises individuals from the community responsible for shaping the rules and banned list of the best format on Arena. After careful deliberation, we now embark on the next phase, as the Gladiator Council has reached a unanimous decision on a card, leading to a new addition to the exclusive group of cards deemed “too powerful” for our format.
Banned List Update
Banned in Gladiator
Demonic Tutor
Demonic Tutor has long held a prominent place in discussions concerning its suitability for the format. Undoubtedly, it is one of the most powerful cards of all time. It managed to maintain its position in the format based on the premise that it offered increased consistency and utility to lower-powered strategies, relative to the dominant ones at the time. This rationale held true during the time following its introduction, but the Gladiator Council believes that circumstances have changed.
As Gladiator has evolved, reaching a point where mana efficiency and card quality intersect, Demonic Tutor has emerged as the definitive solution to any problem, resulting in anticlimactic game states by swiftly addressing permanents or entire opponents. Unfortunately, this dynamic has disproportionately elevated the strength of black-based strategies compared to other options. Consequently, the Gladiator Council has decided to ban Demonic Tutor to temper the power level of these strategies, while still preserving other tutor options like Assemble the Team and Tainted Pact.
The voting results on the ban were unanimous, with all five council members in agreement:
- Effie—Yes
- Elle—Yes
- Ellesandra—Yes
- Justin—Yes
- Wheeler—Yes
The issue of Demonic Tutor’s legality has been an ongoing topic of conversation within the Gladiator community, and the council’s decision reflects the culmination of thoughtful discussion. We acknowledge the impact this change may have on deck building and gameplay strategies, and we encourage players to explore alternative avenues and adapt to the evolving metagame.
As always, we urge everyone to maintain a civil and respectful discourse surrounding this announcement. If you have any questions or require further clarification, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or one of the other council members. We’d be more than happy to talk.
Thank you for your continued support and dedication to the Gladiator format.
See you in the Arena, Gladiator 💖