MTG Arena has chosen to ban one March of the Machine card before its release. Wizards of the Coast shared an MTGA YouTube video on April 12 showcasing the ‘Multiverse Legends’ being reprinted for the set – and quietly mentioned midway through that Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer won’t be legal in the Historic MTG format.
First printed in Modern Horizons 2, Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer is a 2/1 red one-mana creature. When your Ragavan deals combat damage to a player, it can create a Treasure token, exile the top card of the damaged opponent’s library, and cast that card until the end of your turn. You can also cast Ragavan for its Dash cost to give it Haste and return it to your hand after the end step.
As part of March of the Machine’s bonus sheet, Ragavan already isn’t going to show up in Standard MTG Arena decks. It’s also already on the Legacy MTG banlist, and its power in other formats caused some concern for MTG Arena fans when the incoming monkey Magic card was first announced. Back in February, a Wizards of the Coast employee hinted on Reddit that a preemptive Ragavan ban was already a distinct possibility – one that has now been realised.
For more details ahead of the March of the Machine release date, keep an eye on our dedicated guide. We can also keep you up to speed with all the latest MTG Arena codes.