The Hobbit Format Update - Banlist and Watchlist Announcement
Summary of Changes Flawless Maneuver – Banned Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh – Added to Watchlist Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful – Added to Watchlist Flawless Maneuver - Banned Over a year and a half ago, in November of 2024, Flawless Maneuver was added to the watchlist for the first time. It stayed there for six months, until we ultimately decided that it wasn’t a problem because it was simply a protection spell. There are many free spells in the format, but most come with a significant alternative cost, such as exiling a card from your hand or sacrificing a creature. Flawless Maneuver is different. In the current format, its alternative cost is effectively nonexistent. In addition, data on the format’s most-played interaction shows that Flawless Maneuver cleanly blanks 7 of the 15 most-played removal spells and 6 of the 15 most-played sweepers. Combined with the increasing number of low-mana-value threats, this gives Flawless Maneuver an enormous impact for a card that costs n...