Although the note in the previous announcement was more intended for Vintage, I think Legacy players expected that "no changes" would apply to them too with the announcement scheduled right before Eternal Weekend. So really, that's no surprise. But they failed to even mention Legacy (again), and the ban list chaff continues to sit there, year after year. It is frustrating. WotC have their own approach to these decisions and sometimes their logic baffles the majority of players, but I'd normally not describe them as completely clueless. They seem to grasp which decks are successful. Their previous changes to Vintage seem like the right move. Just because I don't agree with them doesn't mean I don't think that they are egregiously wrong.
But at this point I really have to conclude that anyone who thinks that Goblin Recruiter, Earthcraft, or Mind Twist are unsafe unbans just does not understand the format at all. Years ago, it may have been a point of debate. And with CounterTop leaving the format, it may have been prudent to table the issue temporarily. But it's just so very, plainly obvious. Those cards just aren't that strong. And every announcement that goes by without evaluation of this just makes the idea that WotC are acting as steward of Legacy seem like a joke. Yes, Miracles was dominating and they banned a card from it. That shouldn't be the end of the story.
I've complained about this before. I'm not the only person who raises the issue. It seems like there's a kind of vague, general malaise about it, that the cards would be only borderline-playable even if unbanned, so there's no point anyway and none of it matters. Well, here's why it matters: as long as the obvious chaff is sitting on the list, the more interesting cases aren't even up for discussion. I strongly believe that Survival of the Fittest should be unbanned, for instance. And other cards are potentially safe too. But if we can't even get Goblin Recruiter off the list, then what hope is there for something stuck on there that would actually benefit the format?
Anyway, I'm anxious to track Bargain's progress in Vintage. By now it's clear that it was a safe unrestriction, but I'm hoping that the results it has put up are not just a fad by players who are too-deliberately going for it because it's a new toy. I'm hoping that it can have a real niche, even if it's just a small one. I guess we'll see if it makes any appearances at Eternal Weekend.
