FaB - December 15th Banlist Review & A Hero Leaves Classic Constructed

This past weekend, LSS updated their banned and restricted list a little earlier than usual. They hit the main decks in the meta and changed the format nicely in preparation for the Road to Nationals events in January.

Here are the changes:

Classic Constructed:

Brand with Cinderclaw (1) is banned.

Wrath of Retribution (1) is banned.

Orb-Weaver Spinneret (2), both yellow and blue, are banned.

Chart the High Seas is banned.

Rootbound Carapace (1) is banned.

The meta is not bad right now. Since the last banlist update, just a bit after Nationals, it was quite healthy and diverse. It was clear Cindra, Dracai of Retribution, Verdance, Thorn of the Rose, and Gravy Bones, Shipwrecked Looter were the best decks in the meta, but neither of them was outright the "best". This meant the meta was quite diverse, and heroes like Oscilio, Constella Intelligence, Dash I/O, Arakni, Marionette, and Kayo, Armed and Dangerous showed up quite regularly.

However, though Super Slam and the Expansion slot brought us four new heroes and an array of new cards, respectively, the meta stayed the same. For us, it felt a bit stagnated, and, to a certain point, "boring" precisely because it has been the same for six months. Compendium of Rathe, the next set (to be released in February), should change the meta completely, but before then we'll have an entire Road to Nationals season to play.

The latest banlist update will change the current state of the game, albeit slightly.

Notice that the cards that were banned weren't super oppressive nor unbalanced. They just see play in meta decks, so this update should balance the other heroes a bit. In the future, we might even end up seeing these cards being unbanned.

Without further ado, let's go through each ban!

Brand with Cinderclaw/Wrath of Retribution

Cindra, Dracai of Retribution has been the best aggro list in the format since Aurora, Shooting Star became a Living Legend. And in this period, Cindra has gone through several ups and downs. Currently, she is the best aggro list in the format, and no one doubts that. But what could LSS even ban in a deck in which all cards are Draconic Head Jab (1) with different effects?

Brand with Cinderclaw (1) is the only card Cindra uses in more than three copies (usually in red and yellow). It also fixes one of the main issues we face when we build decks for this hero: it turns non-Draconic cards into Draconic cards. This makes using her ability a bit easier, and it also enables cards like Art of the Dragon: Fire and Art of the Dragon: Blood. Now, this hero will have to give up these cards or create Fealty more consistently.

The fact Wrath of Retribution is a legendary card already says a lot about this attack. However, that wasn't enough to stop Cindra from using it consistently every match. It is the closest thing in this deck to an "unbalanced" card, so banning it could make her a bit more pleasant to play against.

Orb-Weaver Spinneret

Arakni, Marionette has been stealing the spotlight in the last few weeks because it is an excellent answer to the meta, and that was quite clear after Worlds and the most recent Callings. So, why ban cards in a deck that is still growing?

According to LSS, the data shows that Arakni could end up becoming the best deck in the format once the other main heroes are nerfed. Both in terms of win rate and because it doesn't have clear weaknesses against the less popular lists. Banning six copies of Orb-Weaver Spinneret (2) makes deciding whether to use Flick Knives on a Graphene Chelicera or a Hunter's Klaive a bit more difficult. It also forces us to use other ways to "mark" the opponent.

Rootbound Carapace

Earth heroes, particularly Verdance, Thorn of the Rose and Florian, Rotwood Harbinger, have been strong for a while. Florian was, for a long time, the best deck in the format, and we can say Verdance is something similar to that right now. As a result, LSS had to ban something that hurt both decks, and that was Rootbound Carapace (1).

These two heroes have the same goal: Decompose so that they can use their abilities. However, Rootbound Carapace (1) is the only card that lets you Decompose in a "defensive" manner, so it doesn't force you to always be proactive whenever you want to use this mechanic, either with Felling of the Crown or Plow Under. Banning this defense reaction will force new heroes to play more proactively and take a little bit more damage to actually Decompose.

Chart the High Seas

Chart the High Seas is not the most powerful card Gravy Bones uses, and can even be a bit frustrating when it fails. However, when it works, it is a bit too strong: it places an ally in the graveyard and also pitches a blue card. This "high roll" ability lets you turn the game back around in almost all situations you might find yourself in.

That alone wouldn't be enough to make LSS ban it, but right now we don't have any tools to deal with allies, and that could make Gravy Bones a bit too strong as well. If more tools that deal with allies come out for all the classes, this card could back into the format.

Before we go over how this update will impact the meta as a whole, we need to mention one hero who will leave Classic Constructed after a Battle Hardened win. Kano, Dracai of Aether won the Battle Hardened: Vienna, became a Living Legend, and as such is no longer a part of the format!

Kano was the most unique hero Flesh and Blood has ever seen. While all the other heroes (including other Wizards) play with attacks and the concept of the combat chain, Kano sets all that aside and does it his own way. Thanks to his ability and cards like Aether Wildfire, this Wizard was the best "combo" list the game has ever seen.

He played the game so differently that most players dedicated one to three slots in their inventory just to deal with him. Kano might not have been the strongest hero in the meta, but his mere presence made everyone a bit anxious.

His departure will be devastating for many of us. Unlike, for instance, Dash, Inventor Extraordinaire players (who migrated to Dash I/O or Puffin, Hightail), or Azalea, Ace in the Hole players (who migrated to Riptide, Lurker of the Deep or Marlynn, Treasure Hunter), there are no other heroes like Kano. The fact he played on the opponent's turn and set up combos at instant speed reflected an old Flesh and Blood philosophy which no longer rings true nowadays.

Though many players celebrated when Kano was set to leave, he was the one that most rewarded competent players, and always caught off guard those who undermined him.

Let's see what we can expect from the upcoming Road to Nationals season once all these changes take effect.

Who Will Be the New Aggro

As Cindra lost several cards, the new best aggro in the format is yet to be decided. Kayo, Armed and Dangerous hasn't performed too nicely in the current season, but he could end up taking this space. After all, this list is consistent, simple to play, and has a nice set of equipment to hold off other aggro lists.

Another deck that might show up is Dash I/O. She deals enough damage to compete with other decks, including Kayo. However, her success depends on how slower strategies, like Victor Goldmane, High and Mighty and Florian, Rotwood Harbinger, will fare in the new meta.

Also because Cindra will be weaker, Oscilio, Constella Intelligence might become one of the best decks in the format. Its success will also rely on how the other aggro lists perform, as they are, overall, its worst matchups.

Gravy Bones is Still a Threat

Despite the bans, Gravy Bones still has many, many tools to assure his spot as one of the best decks in the format. This could prevent other decks from seeing play, like Guardians, for instance. However, without Chart the High Seas, we might see more balanced matches involving this hero.

What do you think? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!