Hello Rulers!
In this update, we have focused on cards that are defining how Force of Will is being played. We want the maximum diversity possible, so, we have decided to remove from the banned list one of the most popular cards of the history of Force of Will. We hope you like it.
Also, as this is the first update of this year for Force of Will, we want to give new and updated explanations about the reasons of why the cards on the banned list are on the banned list. Please, read them carefully.
This is the new update to the banned list and combination banned list!
Effective date: 24/02/2023
· Wanderer
No longer Banned
o Invitation to Purgatory (DBV-079)
o Speaker of Eternal Night // Scheherazade of the Catastrophic Nights (TSW-109)
o The One Magic Stone (GRV-089)
Banned
o Mariabella, Sincere Engineer // Heart-to-Heart Talk (ROL-013)
o Spirit of Decay (GRV-060)
o Zeus, the First Olympian // Order of the Olympians (GRV-087)
o Prototype Magi Trooper (NWE-095)
o Deathmetal, Sea of Metal (TUS-061)
No longer in the Combination Banned List
o Magic Stone of Moon Shade (MPR-100) + Sealed One-eyed Dragon (NWE-079)
o Mikage Reiya (AO3-046) + The Final Stance (POFA-111)
o Wind Servant of Ragnarok (EDL-076) + Ragnarok, Invading Dragon Lord (EDL-096)
o Almerius // Almerius (MSW-002) + Moojdart // Moojdart (MSW-042)
o Mariabella, Sincere Engineer // Heart-to-Heart Talk (ROL-013) + Violet, Atomic Automaton // Violet, Atomic Automaton (ADW-O30)
o Mariabella, Sincere Engineer // Heart-to-Heart Talk (ROL-013) + Hyde, Solitary Assassin (TUS-068)
o Excalibur Genesis // Faria, Swordsmaster of Creation (ADW-003) + Shining Heart, Scorching Hero (ADW-026)
o Castle of Beatrice (TST-078) + Spirit of Decay (GRV-060)
o Spirit of Decay (GRV-060) + Asuka (HSD-020) & Asuka, Gravekeeper of Tsukuyomi (NWE-058)
o Arena Expansion: Mount Olympus (GRV-073) + Zeus, the First Olympian // Order of the Olympians (GRV-087)
Combination Banned
o Pumpkin Witch (CMF-088) + Asuka (HSD-020) & Asuka, Gravekeeper of Tsukuyomi (NWE-058)
o Machina, the Machine Lord // Machina, the Mechanical Emperor (SKL-087) + Little Maria, Archaic Legacy (TWS-042)
o Lailah, Maiden of the Swamps (AOA-092) + Child of the Ethereal Moon (TUS-025)
o The Last Secret Sword (AO3-085) + Raging Messiah (TWS-028)
o Selective Decapitation (TST-060) + Painter Gears (TUS-097)
o Inferno (TST-086) + Summon the Dragon of Death! // Unknown Mother Goose Chronogear (TWS-084)
o Phantasmal Ascendant (DSD-006, GOG-026) + Magic Stone of Eclipse (TWS-101)
o Guinevere, Space-Time Watcher (GRL-030, D2 Buy a Box) + Dexia's Advice (TUS-026)
o Setting the Stage for Providence (GRL-034) + Magic Stone of Reign (TWS-098)
o Eins (NWE-090) + Raging Messiah (TWS-028)
This is how the Combination Banned List and the Banned List look like: (as of February 24th, 2023)
Wanderer Banned List
1. Change the World, Orb of Illusion (TTW-006)
2. Interdimensional Vessel, Apollo (TMS-094)
3. Laevateinn, the Demon Sword (TTW-099)
4. Warhorse (HSD-004)
5. Milest // Milest (MSW-026)
6. Sudden Manifestation of Power (GOG-031)
7. Alecto, Unstoppable Fury (TST-024)
8. Captain Hook, the Pirate (CFC-037, L3 - BB)
9. Mariabella, Sincere Engineer // Heart-to-Heart Talk (ROL-013)
10. The Cheshire Cat's Assistance (ENW-049)
11. Umr-at-Tawil (ENW-051)
12. Fiethsing // Fiethsing (MSW-053)
13. Gretel (CMF-069)
14. Law of Silence (CMF-071, VIN001-054)
15. Lykeion, the Magic Academy (EDL-062)
16. Magic Beanstalk (MSW-056)
17. Magical Dragon (EDL-064)
18. Otherworld Dreams (ADK-106)
19. Severing Winds (ENW-063)
20. True Blade of Spirits (ADK-113)
21. Wall of Wind (TMS-064) (WL005)
22. Demonic Dead (ENW-074)
23. Echidna, Mechanized Monster (GRV-051)
24. Sacrificial Altar (AOA-100)
25. Spirit of Decay (GRV-060)
26. Vergilius, Rebel Against Satan (TST-063)
27. Belial // Belial (TST-073)
28. Carlina // Carlina (TST-075)
29. Deathmetal, Sea of Metal (TUS-061)
30. Sigurd, the Covenant King (AO3-082)
31. The Origin of the Seven Lands (PofA-112)
32. Zeus, the First Olympian // Order of the Olympians (GRV-087)
33. Prototype Magi Trooper (NWE-095)
34. The Magic Stone of the Six Sages (MSW-102)
Wanderer Combination Banned List
1. Pumpkin Witch (CMF-088) + Asuka (HSD-020) & Asuka, Gravekeeper of Tsukuyomi (NWE-058)
2. Whisper from the Abyss (TAT-090) + Inferno (TST-086)
3. Whisper from the Abyss (TAT-090) + Typhon, the Infinite Monster // Order of Infinity (GRV-085)
4. Gherta, the Tear of Passion (MPR-094) + Ki Lua, Fossil Girl of Melted Ice (TUS-070)
5. Machina, the Machine Lord // Machina, the Mechanical Emperor (SKL-087) + Little Maria, Archaic Legacy (TWS-042)
6. Excalibur, the God's Sword (TTW-097) + Ayu, Multidimensional Wanderer (GRL-006)
7. Laurite, Seven Luminaries Astrologian (TSW-094) + Persephone, the Eleventh Olympian (GRV-082)
8. Null Magic Stone (TSW-149) + Zhuge Liang, Perfect Strategist (GRV-026)
9. Lailah, Maiden of the Swamps (AOA-092) + Child of the Ethereal Moon (TUS-025)
10. Mikage Reiya (AO3-046) + Zombie Returning from the Paramita of the Dead (NWE-086)
11. The Last Secret Sword (AO3-085) + Raging Messiah (TWS-028)
12. Welser, the Progenitor of Magic (EDL-074) + Pricia, Seeker of Friends // Pricia's Big Show (ROL-018)
13. Atomic Bahamut (ADW-016) + Atomic Turbulence (ADW-020)
14. Selective Decapitation (TST-060) + Painter Gears (TUS-097)
15. Inferno (TST-086) + Summon the Dragon of Death! // Unknown Mother Goose Chronogear (TWS-084)
16. Phantasmal Ascendant (DSD-006, GOG-026) + Red Wine and Bread (DSD-008)
17. Phantasmal Ascendant (DSD-006, GOG-026) + Magic Stone of Eclipse (TWS-101)
18. Isis, Heat of the Sand (GOG-023) + Magic Stone Dance of Chaos (GOG-024)
19. Hanzo, Ninja of the Moon (GOG-050) + Kaguya, God of Cats and the Moon // Order of the Moon (GOG-078)
20. Guinevere, Space-Time Watcher (GRL-030, D2 Buy a Box) + Dexia's Advice (TUS-026)
21. Setting the Stage for Providence (GRL-034) + Child of the Light Moon (NWE-003)
22. Setting the Stage for Providence (GRL-034) + Magic Stone of Reign (TWS-098)
23. Back to Nature (GRL-039) + Painter Gears (TUS-097)
24. Alice, Tales of Creation // Order of Genesis (GRL-067) + Tales of Phantasia (GRL-083)
25. Conclave at Dragon Mountain (GRV-012) + Zhuge Liang, Perfect Strategist (GRV-026)
26. Typhon's Antibodies (GRV-066) + Typhon's Blood (GRV-067)
27. Themis, Mechanized God of Law (GRV-064) + Typhon, the Infinite Monster // Order of Infinity (GRV-085)
28. Child of the Light Moon (NWE-003) + Child of the Fire Moon (NWE-013)
29. Dragon of Solari (NWE-014) + Chronopawns (NWE-088)
30. Squirrel of Solari (NWE-045) + Reconnaissance Gears (TUS-098)
31. Engineer of Eternal (NWE-063) + Falchion, Solitary Scientist (NWE-066)
32. Eins (NWE-090) + Raging Messiah (TWS-028)
Mariabella, Sincere Engineer // Heart-to-Heart Talk (ROL-013)
When we developed “Mariabella, Sincere Engineer” // “Heart-to-Heart Talk”, we wanted it to be used with “Violet, Atomic Automaton” (ADW-030). That combination became very popular but also too powerful, and we had to combinate ban them. “Mariabella, Sincere Engineer” // “Heart-to-Heart Talk” soon began to be played with other rulers, as “Ragnarok, Invading Dragon Lord or Wolfgang”, and “Guide of the Demonic World”.
Then, when we developed “Hyde, Solitary Assassin”, we had to use the combination banned list to not recreate the situation with “Violet, Atomic Automaton”.
This will happen again in the future. As “Mariabella, Sincere Engineer” // “Heart-to-Heart Talk” is interfering with the developing of new rulers, we have decided that Mariabella, Sincere Engineer // Heart-to-Heart Talk (ROL-013) has to be banned.
Zeus, the First Olympian // Order of the Olympians (GRV-087)
We want Force of Will to be a diverse game where many different strategies can be played. When we developed “Zeus, the First Olympian” // “Order of the Olympians”, we did not expect it to become so popular that many other rulers could not be played anymore.
The ability of searching the deck and use the abilities of the New Twelve Olympian Gods, and the powerful abilities of cards with [Force Resonance] <Olympians> have changed the way players build their decks. Due to “Zeus, the First Olympian” // “Order of the Olympians”, players have to play multiple copies of “The Witch of the Fallen Kingdom” (ADW-072) to play against it. As there are no other cards yet that can be used against Zeus and we do not want every deck to be a Darkness deck only to play against Zeus, we have decided that Zeus, the First Olympian // Order of the Olympians (GRV-087) is banned.
Prototype Magi Trooper (NWE-095)
When we developed “Prototype Magi Trooper”, we wanted it to be played with “Eins” (NWE-090), to be part of the army of Gears that was attacking Cocoon. We developed the ability of “Prototype Magi Trooper” to only trigger when playing the first one, because it was a prototype.
But instead of being played with “Eins” (NWE-090), it has been used in order decks to order for free on turn one, with “Dexia’s Advice” (TUS-026) and “Charge of the Fairy Tale King” (HSD-005, NWE-023) to search one more resonator, and even with “Sprinting Steward” (NWE-021) to have one extra resonator to attack.
“Prototype Magi Trooper” has become the card number forty in every combo deck, to have access to the combo cards easily. There is another zero-cost resonator, “Painter Gears” (TUS-097). Eight copies of “Painter Gears” can be played in any deck, and even having that ability, “Prototype Magi Trooper” is more popular. With this in mind, we have decided that Prototype Magi Trooper (NWE-095) is banned.
Deathmetal, Sea of Metal (TUS-061)
When we developed the Rulers of “The Underworld of Secrets”, we did not gave them the ability of Homeland (Cocoon), as they were from the underworld, the darker place of Cocoon. But there were places in Cocoon yet to discover, as “Deathmetal, Sea of Metal”. As “Deathmetal, Sea of Metal” is an Addition (Cocoon), the Rulers from “A New World Emerges…!” can choose it with their Homeland (Cocoon) ability, gaining the ability of producing two extra wills at the beginning of the game. We changed the rules of Force of Will to prevent this extra will to be used in the Main Phase, but there are still many other ways to use them even before any player can call the first Magic Stone of the game to gain advantage, and that can be frustrating.
As we do not want to add seven different Rulers in the combination banned list with “Deathmetal, Sea of Metal” and the Rulers that produce will at the beginning of the game are on the banned list, we have decided that Deathmetal, Sea of Metal (TUS-061) has to be banned.
Speaker of Eternal Night // Scheherazade of the Catastrophic Nights (TSW-109)
This has been a complicated decision. “Speaker of the Eternal Night” was one of the most powerful and popular Rulers of the game. It has been more popular than any other Ruler in the game. But that happened back in 2018. Five years later, there are many new Rulers and ways to play Force of Will. We expect “Speaker of the Eternal Night” to be popular, but not as much as it used to be, as today, there are many Resonators way more powerful than the Doll Resonators.
As “Speaker of the Eternal Night” was especially powerful, if it proves to be too powerful, we will put it back on the banned list. But for now, we have decided that Speaker of Eternal Night // Scheherazade of the Catastrophic Nights (TSW-109) is no longer banned.
Remember that Speaker of Eternal Night // Scheherazade of the Catastrophic Nights (TSW-109) is still banned from all sideboards.
