Watchlist changes Jan. 1st, 2014

[Vazdru]

Valid during January 1st, 2014 0:00 CET until April 14th, 2014 24:00 CET.

Changes to the present list, effective 1/15/2014:

Watchlist:

    * Sensei's Divining Top
    * Tolarian Academy
    * True-Name Nemesis
    * Free Mulligan

Unban-Watchlist:

    * Entomb
    * Mystical Tutor

Single card explanations:

We cover here the new cards that have entered the list, (True-Name Nemesis and Entomb). Reasonings for the past cards (Sensei's Divining Top, Tolarian Academy and Mystical Tutor) have not changed. To review them, please the recent announcements.

True-Name Nemesis

True-Name Nemesis has struck Legacy reducing the deck diversity, but the situation is not that clear in Highlander. The card does not invalidate any of the strategies, especially combo, but it pushes the luck of early turns in creature match ups reducing the interaction on board. It does require specific removal, but so far we haven't seen the card selections or meta to tie itself around this card. However, we want to add it to the watchlist should corrective measures be taken.

Entomb

Entomb has been regarded as one of best cards of various reanimation strategies, as it can in tandem with a two mana reanimation spell introduce the best selected second turn threat from a deck. However, Enbomb was not originally banned due to the few second turn reanimation spells of the format, but due to the increasing number of good reanimation targets that entered the format constantly, Iona, Shield of Emeria being the last one.
We feel this may have been a wrong approach, and not enough peer review time from community was given to see whether the card is disturbing for the format. At the time when Entomb got banned, renanimator was not that heavily played, and this is still true. Also meanwhile, various graveyard based hosers (Deathrite Shaman, Scavenging Ooze) have been printed that see play.
Furthermore along reanimator, Entomb is visioned to enable various other graveyard based decks (Hulk, Loam) and in this light it is positively reviewed to push deck diversity.