The Reanimator Problem — Entomb, Fatty Flood, and 3 Real Fixes

Written by Zac Clark, Co-Host of the Eternal Durdles podcast.

Legacy is in a rough spot. Other formats (e.g., Modern and Pauper) are actively curated with thoughtful banned and restricted (B&R) updates. Wizards of the Coast's (WotC) management of Legacy feels akin to autopilot.

We’ve endured three B&R cycles with no effective changes to evolve the format beyond a never-ending combo winter. UB Reanimator continues to shape the meta around its hyper-efficient blend of a game-ending combo in a tempo shell.

Grief, albeit an entire cycle B&R cycle late, was banned on Aug. 16, 2024, followed by Psychic Frog on Dec. 16, 2024, followed by Troll of Khazad-dûm on March 31, 2025. According to MTGTop8.com, at the time of this article's publication, UB Reanimator remains 20% within a combo's 54% metagame share.

The culprit behind Reanimator's continued reign atop the format is Entomb. Or maybe its the monsters it tutors to the graveyard. Or maybe its the Daze-Wasteland shell, which has perpetually been the base of the best deck since the format switched from Type 1.5 to Legacy. Or maybe its the most efficient threats ever printed not getting banned fast enough as demonstrated by the past three B&Rs.

Let’s examine three potential solutions WotC could implement and what each one means for the format's health.

Option 1: Ban the Fatties

The nuclear option: keep Entomb but ban the game-ending creatures that ostensibly win the game when they enter:

• Atraxa, Grand Unifier
• Archon of Cruelty
• Griselbrand
• Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
• Iona, Shield of Emeria
• Serra's Emissary
• Hullbreaker Horror
• Tidespout Tyrant
• Blazing Archon
• Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
• Ulamog the Ceaseless Hunger
• Sphinx of the Steel Wind
• Ancient Silver Dragon

Why so many? Because Entomb makes any of them a one-mana tutor target. Banning one invites Reanimator to simply replace it with the next-best option, which still results in the game ostensibly ending on the spot.

Kneecapping the toolbox Entomb has access to might sound extreme, but it’s not without precedent. Aside from the three cards banned from UB Reanimator in the past year, Daze's continued legality has come at the cost of Deathrite Shaman, Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer, Expressive Iteration, Dreadhorde Arcanist, Oko, Thief of Crowns, Lurrus of the Dream-Den, and Wrenn and Six.

Yes, all those cards may have been in a variety of decks, but the best versions of the decks that compelled their bannings included Daze and Wasteland. WotC has historically banned cards for the sake of "pillars" before, of which WotC has eluded to include Force of Will, Brainstorm, and Ancient Tomb. If Entomb is a sacred cow, the fatties should go.

Option 2: Ban Entomb

My preferred solution.

Entomb is too efficient. With it, Reanimator is really 10-card splash in otherwise the best tempo deck. It enables turn-two wins with minimal commitment and compels the entire metagame to speed up since the critical turn is turn two.

Without Entomb, Reanimator would have to operate as a dedicated combo deck with discard outlets and a density of reanimation targets that increase inherent fail rate that dedicated combo decks should have to take on for the tradeoff of winning the game when it comes together.

Option 3: Ban the Blue Shell

This is the worst idea that people love shouting about on Reddit: “Ban Brainstorm!” “Ban Ponder!” “Ban Force of Will!”

These spells don’t break Legacy — they stabilize it. They give players tools to interact, sculpt hands, and defend against degeneracy. They’re counterweights. Without them, Legacy would become glass-cannon roulette.

If you’re mad at Daze in 2025, it’s time to accept reality.* Yes, Daze shouldn't be legal, but were past the paradigm and Legacy format is better for it. Stop blaming the glue for the cracks in the wall.

*Editor ForceofPhil's note: Daze should absolutely be banned. I refuse to accept reality as a meaningless pit of endless suffering.

Final Thoughts

Reanimator is a problem. That doesn’t mean the deck should be erased, but its tools need to be examined more effectively. Either ban the big creatures or ban Entomb.

About the Author

Zac Clark is the host of Eternal Durdles, a Legacy/Vintage/Premodern content hub. Watch the podcast and gameplay content on YouTube, and support the channel on Patreon.

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Featured image: Reanimate by Robert Bliss