Ancient Den

Standard	Rotated out on October 20, 2005
Pioneer	Not Legal
Modern	Banned since August 12, 2011
Legacy	Never Banned
Vintage	Never Banned
Commander	Never Banned
Pauper	Never Banned
Oathbreaker	Never Banned
Extended	Rotated out on July 1, 2010

View on Scryfall

Timeline

• October 2, 2003 - Released
• March 20, 2005 - Status changed to Banned in Standard
• October 20, 2005 - Status changed to Rotated in Standard
• August 12, 2011 - Status changed to Banned in Modern

Rationale

Ancient Den has been banned in multiple constructed formats, including Standard and Modern. Its restrictions stem from its function as an artifact land, which allows for efficient resource generation through the ability to tap for multiple colors of mana. This capability was flagged during format revisions, such as the March 2005 Standard ban and subsequent Modern Modern bans, as contributing to overly explosive or excessively powerful combination decks. Its inclusion on various banned lists reflects a persistent concern regarding the acceleration of the game and the concentration of mana resources.

This summary was generated by gemma4 on September 14, 2026. It has not yet been reviewed by a human editor and may contain some inaccuracies. Learn more.

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