Legend Story Studios (LSS) posted its scheduled Banned & Restricted announcement for Flesh and Blood on Monday, banning two cards from Classic Constructed, including the first legendary card to be removed from the format, and one in Blitz.
Berserk, a majestic from Dynasty, has mostly dropped out of fashion since the release of Heavy Hitters, as Kayo, Armed and Dangerous decks have leaned more into an efficient aggressive shell instead of a heavy variance build that can high roll harder than other Brute decks, but lacks consistency. Despite some success from Rhinar, Reckless Rampage decks utilizing Berserk, the card was less represented at last week’s Pro Tour as more straight-forward Kayo decks paced the field in Classic Constructed.
Senior game designer Bryan Gottlieb wrote that the Berserk ban on the surface looks absurd, but what the banning of the card does is open up design space for future Brute cards that aren’t limited by the majestic Brute action card. Not only does banning Berserk allow for more Brute designs in the future, the Berserk builds of Brute decks were more of a trap than the best way to build decks for the class.
At some point, you just have to admit certain cards are mistakes. Berserk falls into that category. If it ever achieves what it sets out to do, it reduces Flesh and Blood to a game of ‘reveal the top card of my deck until we see if my opponent is dead’. There is simply no reason to create further design constraints on the Brute class to enable Berserk to exist. We can just move on. Preemptive banning allows us to look out for players and prevent them from buying into a deck that has a high eventual likelihood of getting banned.”
Bryan Gottlieb
For the same reasons listed above for Berserk’s ban in Classic Constructed, it will also be banned in Blitz.
Crown of Seeds, on the other hand, is literally unplayable in Classic Constructed at the moment due to there not being any heroes with the Earth talent in the format. This makes this ban also look funny, but it actually makes it the prefect time to ban the legendary — a first for Classic Constructed. Crown of Seeds was an unhealthy card that allowed controlling strategies too much power and flexibility, often fueling fatigue-based decks for Oldhim, Grandfather of Eternity and Briar, Warden of Thorns. By banning Crown of Seeds now, Flesh and Blood will be able to design more Earth heroes and cards for the future without worrying about the impact of the legendary head equipment.
Crown of Seeds will be banned in Blitz in the next B&R update, but it is currently legal with Briar and considered safe for the format. LSS, however, believes Blitz will also benefit from the removal of the card from the format, so it is giving players notice that it will be on the way out soon. This means, Crown of Seeds will have to live on in the Living Legend format.
Lastly, a minor update to Living Legend points will be implemented for the ProQuest season that qualifies for Pro Tour: Amsterdam. Heroes winning ProQuests during the season will only earn three Living Legend points instead of the current four.
The next Flesh and Blood Banned & Restricted announcement is scheduled for July 8.
Read the original article from LSS.