Field of the Dead ban doesn’t affect MPL Ruby Division Eldraine split

The metagame wrecker Field of the Dead has been banned by Wizards of the Coast in the Standard format. But Magic: The Gathering pro-level competition will feature it one last time due to prerecorded matches in the MPL.

Week two of the Throne of Eldraine (ELD) split airs this weekend, but the matches may have been prerecorded prior to the Field of the Dead ban. And the round-robin matches in the Ruby Division include Jean-Emmanuel Depraz playing a Bant Golos and Autumn Burchett with Golos Fires. 

Due to the Field of the Dead ban not going into effect via MTG Arena until today (Oct. 24), the MPL Ruby Division top-four matches may feature the destructive land in Bant Golos one last time. Featured in the round-robin matches were Autumn Burchett, Javier Dominguez, and Eric Froehlich.

• Autumn Burchett: Golos Fires
• Javier Dominguez: Bant Food
• Jean-Emmanuel Depraz: Bant Golos
• Eric Froehlich: Rakdos Sacrifice

It might seem unfair that Depraz and Burchett have a chance for a day-one bye to Mythic Championship VII playing a card that’s been banned, but due to when the matches were played, it may be perfectly legal. The move to air the matches after the ban, however, was a poor decision by WotC and the MPL. 

Related: Magic: The Gathering bans Field of The Dead in the Standard format

For many following the MPL Eldraine split, seeing Field of the Dead being played this weekend during the Ruby Division playoffs will be confusing. And if Depraz or Burchett win, it’ll complicate matters even more. 

Playing Bant Golos, however, doesn’t mean Depraz or Burchett will win the Ruby Division. Piotr “Kanister” Głogowski (Golgari Adventures) and Jessica Estephan (Bant Food) beat Rei Sato and his Bant Golos deck in the Sapphire Division playoffs during week one of the ELD split.

The deck as a whole also underperformed at Mythic Championship V, with Depraz being the only one playing Bant Golos to make it to the top-eight.  And the same can also be said for Golos Fires since the archetype failed to beat out the competition. But don’t count out Burchett, since they’re the first seed heading into the Ruby Division playoffs.

Find out who wins the MPL Ruby Division ELD split, and if Field of the Dead can go out on a high note, on Oct. 26 at 2pm CT via Magic’s Twitch channel.