Restricted Cards/Timeline

A timeline of the history of changes in the list of Restricted Cards in the Digimon Card Game.
==English Format==
===2021===
====01 April, 2021====
Changes: and were added to the Restricted Cards (1) list.
Reasoning: Argomon (BT2-047) and Hidden Potential Discovered (BT3-103) allow green decks to easily reduce digivolution costs to zero, resulting in play patterns that are much faster than we anticipated. To bring the speed of green decks in line with other colors, we’re restricting these cards to a single copy per deck.
===2022===
====25 February, 2022====
Changes: and were added to the Restricted Cards (1) list.
Reasoning (Reinforcing Memory Boost (BT6-100): This card proved considerably more powerful than the other Memory Boost cards, and exceeded our power level estimations when used in specialized decks, such as non-yellow multicolor control decks, and D-Reaper decks. We believe the card is too generally powerful to be left unchecked, and have decided to restrict it to 1 copy per deck.
Reasoning (Ice Wall (EX1-068): Though performing as intended as a defensive card, using it every turn results in a lock situation that negatively impacts the speed of games. The resulting unenjoyable play patterns outweigh the benefits of the card’s effect, so we’ve decided to restrict it to 1 copy per deck.
Changes: was added to the Banned Cards list.
Reasoning: is a level 7 Digimon that can digivolve from a Tamer, allowing you to use this card to digivolve for free without the need for a level 6 Digimon, speeding up the metagame and restricting viable decks in the format. As such, we’ve decided to ban this card. Many games end in the early or mid-game simply by using this card to digivolve into a finisher, so we believe simply restricting this card will not be enough to fix the issue. For this reason, we’re choosing the ban this card instead of restricting it.
====May, 2022====
Changes: and were added to the Restricted Cards (1) list.
Reasoning (SaviorHuckmon BT6-015): Decks that use this card with have dominated the metagame for longer than anticipated, greatly limiting viable decks in red. For this reason, we’ve decided to restrict this card to 1 copy per deck.
Reasoning (Eyesmon BT7-072): Using and in tandem makes it easier than anticipated to cycle through your deck while playing Digimon to your Battle Area for free. Therefore, we’ve decided to restrict this card to 1 copy per deck.
====August, 2022====
Changes: and were added to the Restricted Cards (1) list.
Reasoning (JetSilphymon BT7-038): Decks that use this card have dominated the metagame for longer than anticipated, greatly limiting viable decks in yellow. For this reason, we’ve decided to restrict this card to 1 copy per deck.
Reasoning (Tommy Himi BT7-086): This card trashes multiple digivolution cards from the bottom of a Digimon for a low-cost, and can prevent Digimon with no digivolution cards from attacking or blocking each turn. This ultimately limits the gameplay experience and causes frustration. Therefore, we’ve decided to restrict it to 1 copy per deck.
====November, 2022====
Changes: , , , and were added to the Restricted Cards (1) list.
Reasoning (Calling from Darkness BT7-107): This card can delete a player’s own Digimon and collect Digimon cards from a player's own trash for a low cost. As a result, it causes various endless loops and is supporting unintended playstyles. For this reason, we’ve decided to restrict this card to 1 copy per deck. 
Reasoning (Sunrise Blaster BT9-099): This card has a powerful DP-reducing effect, along with an effect that plays a Tamer. Therefore, the output of this card's effects is greater than intended in some decks. For this reason, we’ve decided to restrict this card to 1 copy per deck.
Reasoning (DoruGreymon BT7-064): As a Digimon card with [X Antibody] in its traits, multiple copies can easily be placed as the bottom digivolution card of a Digimon by other card effects to gain Security Attack +1. Furthermore, when digivolving, it has a powerful defensive effect that prevents other effects from deleting it or reducing its DP until the end of your opponent's next turn. To adjust the game balance, we’ve decided to restrict this card to 1 copy per deck. 
Reasoning (Shoutmon X4 BT10-009): Due to its effect that allows the re-use of cards required for an DigiXros, this card can be used for a string of repeated attacks at a low cost, just by having multiple copies in a player's hand. Its effect also gives it a stronger than intended advantage to "Xros Heart" decks by increasing the number of cards in a player's hand. To adjust the game balance, we’ve decided to restrict this card to 1 copy per deck. 
===2023===
====April 1, 2023====
Changes: was added to the Restricted Cards (1) list.
Reasoning (Greymon (X Antibody) BT11-064): The effect of reducing the cost when digivolving from this card to a Digimon that has [Greymon] in its name allows you to digivolve into [BT12-068 MetalGreymon] or [BT9-015 MetalGreymon (X Antibody)] too efficiently, accelerating the speed at which the deck reduces the opponent's security and its comeback potential. Additionally, this card's inherited effect gives resistance to a number of effects, and overall increases the effectiveness of Greymon decks more than expected. Therefore, we have determined that this card narrows the range of viable decks in the format, and we have decided to restrict this card to 1 copy per deck. 
====June 1, 2023====
Changes: , , , and was added to the Restricted Cards (1) list.
Reasoning (Blossomon BT3-054): When using [Plant]/[Vegetation]/[Fairy] decks, this card can easily digivolve to level 6, even with very little memory. This limits the future game design possibilities for green cards and [Plant]/[Vegetation]/[Fairy] decks. It also removes the need for another level 5 card with <Digisorption>. For these reasons, we’ve decided to restrict this card to 1 copy per deck.
Reasoning (Impmon BT11-039): In current [Beelzemon] decks, this card has an effect that can trash an additional card from the deck when this card is trashed, making it too easy to build up cards in the trash. Additionally, it even removes the need for using cards such as [ST14-11 Ai & Mako] to place a card at the top of your deck so it can activate an effect when it is trashed from the deck, accelerating the game speed and limiting future game design possibilities for cards that reference the number of cards in your trash. For these reasons, we’ve decided to restrict this card to 1 copy per deck.
Reasoning (WereGarurumon P-008): In current decks that use [BT9-028 WereGarurumon (X Antibody)], a quick defeat is possible using this card. It doesn't have extreme power in current play environments, but this card limits the future game design possibilities for decks that reference the name [Garurumon]. For this reason, we’ve decided to restrict this card to 1 copy per deck.
Reasoning (GranKuwagamon P-025): As this card can add multiple activations of <Security Attack +1>, this card allows decks with [BT9-055 GrandisKuwagamon] to easily defeat an opponent in a short amount of time, the attacked player has few methods for defense, and this card has been used in play environments for longer than we expected. For these reasons, this card limits the future game design possibilities for decks that reference [GranKuwagamon] or [Insectoid] cards, therefore we’ve decided to restrict this card to 1 copy per deck.
==Japanese Format==
===2021===
====01 March, 2021====
Changes: and were added to the Restricted Cards (1) list.
Reasoning: Argomon (BT2-047) and Hidden Potential Discovered (BT3-103) allow green decks to easily reduce digivolution costs to zero, resulting in play patterns that are much faster than we anticipated. To bring the speed of green decks in line with other colors, we’re restricting these cards to a single copy per deck.
===2022===
====01 February, 2022====
Changes: , , , and were added to the Restricted Cards (1) list.
Reasoning (SaviorHuckmon BT6-015): Decks that use this card with have dominated the metagame for longer than anticipated, greatly limiting viable decks in red. For this reason, we’ve decided to restrict this card to 1 copy per deck.
Reasoning (Reinforcing Memory Boost (BT6-100): This card proved considerably more powerful than the other Memory Boost cards, and exceeded our power level estimations when used in specialized decks, such as non-yellow multicolor control decks, and D-Reaper decks. We believe the card is too generally powerful to be left unchecked, and have decided to restrict it to 1 copy per deck.
Reasoning (Eyesmon BT7-072): Using and in tandem makes it easier than anticipated to cycle through your deck while playing Digimon to your Battle Area for free. Therefore, we’ve decided to restrict this card to 1 copy per deck.
Reasoning (Ice Wall (EX1-068): Though performing as intended as a defensive card, using it every turn results in a lock situation that negatively impacts the speed of games. The resulting unenjoyable play patterns outweigh the benefits of the card’s effect, so we’ve decided to restrict it to 1 copy per deck.
Changes: was added to the Banned Cards list.
Reasoning: is a level 7 Digimon that can digivolve from a Tamer, allowing you to use this card to digivolve for free without the need for a level 6 Digimon, speeding up the metagame and restricting viable decks in the format. As such, we’ve decided to ban this card. Many games end in the early or mid-game simply by using this card to digivolve into a finisher, so we believe simply restricting this card will not be enough to fix the issue. For this reason, we’re choosing the ban this card instead of restricting it.
====September, 2022====
Changes: , , and were added to the Restricted Cards (1) list.
Reasoning (JetSilphymon BT7-038): Decks that use this card have dominated the metagame for longer than anticipated, greatly limiting viable decks in yellow. For this reason, we’ve decided to restrict this card to 1 copy per deck.
Reasoning (DoruGreymon BT7-064): Because it is a Digimon card with the , it can easily be used as a Digivolution card by the effects of other cards with able to be stacked. In addition, it has a strong defensive effect that lasts until the end of the next turn due to its inherited effect, and it is immune to effects which reduce DP.
Reasoning (Tommy Himi BT7-086): This card trashes multiple digivolution cards from the bottom of a Digimon for a low-cost, and can prevent Digimon with no digivolution cards from attacking or blocking each turn. This ultimately limits the gameplay experience and causes frustration. Therefore, we’ve decided to restrict it to 1 copy per deck.
==== December, 2022 ====
Changes: , , and were added to the Restricted Cards (1) list.
Reasoning (Calling from Darkness BT7-107): Because it is possible to collect Digimon cards from the trash and delete Digimon at a small cost, it has already caused many loops and is causing unexpected behaviour, so it will be limited to 1 copy per deck.
Reasoning (Sunrise Blaster BT9-099): Because it has both the effect of playing a Tamer and a powerful DP reduction effect, it showed more output than expected in some decks. As a result, it was decided to narrow the range of deck selection, so it will be limited to 1 copy per deck.
Reasoning (Shoutmon X4 BT10-009): Due to the effect of being able to re-use the cards necessary for DigiXros at , it is possible to perform consecutive attacks at a low cost depending on the cards in your hand, and its effect also increases your hand. Due to the increased effect, the ability of the "Xros Heart" deck was more than expected. As a result, this card will be limited to 1 copy per deck for balance.
===2023===
====April 1, 2023====
Changes: was added to the Restricted Cards (1) list.
Reasoning (Greymon (X Antibody) BT11-064): The effect of reducing the cost when digivolving from this card to a Digimon that has [Greymon] in its name allows you to digivolve into [BT12-068 MetalGreymon] or [BT9-015 MetalGreymon (X Antibody)] too efficiently, accelerating the speed at which the deck reduces the opponent's security and its comeback potential. Additionally, this card's inherited effect gives resistance to a number of effects, and overall increases the effectiveness of Greymon decks more than expected. Therefore, we have determined that this card narrows the range of viable decks in the format, and we have decided to restrict this card to 1 copy per deck. 
====June 16, 2023====
Changes: , , , and was added to the Restricted Cards (1) list.
Reasoning (Blossomon BT3-054): When using [Plant]/[Vegetation]/[Fairy] decks, this card can easily digivolve to level 6, even with very little memory. This limits the future game design possibilities for green cards and [Plant]/[Vegetation]/[Fairy] decks. It also removes the need for another level 5 card with <Digisorption>. For these reasons, we’ve decided to restrict this card to 1 copy per deck.
Reasoning (Impmon BT11-039): In current [Beelzemon] decks, this card has an effect that can trash an additional card from the deck when this card is trashed, making it too easy to build up cards in the trash. Additionally, it even removes the need for using cards such as [ST14-11 Ai & Mako] to place a card at the top of your deck so it can activate an effect when it is trashed from the deck, accelerating the game speed and limiting future game design possibilities for cards that reference the number of cards in your trash. For these reasons, we’ve decided to restrict this card to 1 copy per deck.
Reasoning (WereGarurumon P-008): In current decks that use [BT9-028 WereGarurumon (X Antibody)], a quick defeat is possible using this card. It doesn't have extreme power in current play environments, but this card limits the future game design possibilities for decks that reference the name [Garurumon]. For this reason, we’ve decided to restrict this card to 1 copy per deck.
Reasoning (GranKuwagamon P-025): As this card can add multiple activations of <Security Attack +1>, this card allows decks with [BT9-055 GrandisKuwagamon] to easily defeat an opponent in a short amount of time, the attacked player has few methods for defense, and this card has been used in play environments for longer than we expected. For these reasons, this card limits the future game design possibilities for decks that reference [GranKuwagamon] or [Insectoid] cards, therefore we’ve decided to restrict this card to 1 copy per deck.
==== October 27, 2023 ====
Changes: , , , , and were added to the Restricted list.
Reasoning (ST6-03 Gabumon): Digimon with effects that can attack in succession are able to send targeted cards to the trash at a faster rate than expected, and the output of effects that take advantage of the trash and the stability of the deck is higher than expected, due to the inherited effect of this card to exchange hands multiple times in one turn. In addition to the above, this card is Lv.3 and can evolve to "GABUMON X Antibody" at 0 cost, so the timing of the inherited effect is highly flexible, which narrows the range of design of active effects and effects utilizing trash. For the above reasons, we have decided to restrict this card to 1 per deck.
Reasoning (BT2-069 Gabumon): It is very versatile among the hand exchange effects due to its ability to send a targeted card to the trash while increasing the number of cards in the hand with the inherited effect. In addition, since it has this effect as a Lv. 3 evolution source, it can perform this hand exchange at a very early stage, and as a result, it is so powerful that there is no need to use other methods, thus we have decided to limit this card. For the above reasons, we have decided to restrict this card to 1 per deck.
Reasoning (BT13-012 GeoGreymon): When using [ShineGreymon] decks, [Marcus Damon] becomes central to play, and the card was intended to be a card similar to [BT12-038 GeoGreymon] that plays Tamers. However, because it can play Tamers from areas other than a hand, the speed and reliability of playing [Marcus Damon] cards was greater than predicted, leading to greater precision of one-shot wins with [ShineGreymon] decks. Because this card is a Vaccine card, [Yellow Vaccine] decks also allow Tamers to be played at speeds greater than predicted when [BT14-033 Patamon] is included. In addition, at level 4 and higher, an effect allows for playing from the security stack instead of from the hand, and because the effect specifies "red or yellow Tamer," the card design is limited to decks that use red or yellow Tamers. For the above reasons, we have decided to restrict this card to 1 per deck.
Reasoning (EX4-019 MachGaogamon): When using [MirageGaogamon] decks, pairing this card's inherited effect with the inherited effects of cards such as [EX4-015 Gaomon] or [EX04-017 Gaogamon] allowed for faster digivolutions to level 6 than predicted. As a result, interfering with opponent's moves using [BT11-033 MirageGaogamon] was faster than other [MachGaogamon] cards. In addition, the conditions for the unsuspending effect in this card's inherited effect are looser than other [MachGaogamon] cards since it activates when attacking, allowing for greater attack capabilities. As a result of these two factors, other [MachGaogamon] cards fall by the wayside, and [MirageGaogamon] decks have greater stability than predicted. For the above reasons, we have decided to restrict this card to 1 per deck.
Reasoning (BT7-069 Eyesmon: Scatter Mode): It has long been an effective card in decks that utilize trashing, but its ability to exchange a very large number of cards at Lv. 4 has greatly reduced the usage rate of other cards with hand exchange effects. In addition, the effect is so powerful that deck designs that utilize the Trash must be based on this card. For the above reasons, we have decided to restrict this card to 1 per deck.
Changes: and were removed from the Restricted list.
Reasoning (BT6-015 SaviorHuckmon): In past game environments when this card was widely used, its effect and [BT6-016 Jesmon]'s effect that played [Sistermon] cards were very powerful, and when the unsuspending effect in this card's inherited effect was paired with [BT6-016 Jesmon]'s Piercing, security stacks could be rapidly worn down without being affected by defensive strategies such as ＜Blocker＞. However, we have determined that decks that can counter these strategies have increased in recent game environments, therefore we have decided to change this card from "Restricted to 1" to "Unrestricted."
Reasoning (BT7-086 Tommy Himi): In past game environments when this card was widely used, this card's On Play effect was a factor that allowed decks that used [Hybrid] cards as main cards to immediately attack more easily than predicted and more effectively than decks that required multiple standard digivolutions, creating an imbalance in play. Even among [Hybrid] decks, effects in [Blue Hybrid] decks that prevented attacking and blocking were particularly strong, and this led to a heavy burden on other decks. However, in recent game environments, there has been an increase in cards that can counter digivolution card removals and can counter effects that prevent attacking/blocking, therefore we have decided to change this card from "Restricted to 1" to "Unrestricted."
== Chinese Format ==
Reasonings have not been translated from the Restricted Card List page.
=== 2022 ===
==== November 7, 2022 ====
Changes: and were added to the Restricted Cards (1) list.
=== 2023 ===
==== April 7, 2023 ====
Changes: was added to the Banned Cards list.
Changes: , , and were added to the Restricted Cards (1) list.
==External Links==
*https://world.digimoncard.com/rule/restriction_card/
*https://digimoncard.com/rule/restriction_card/
*https://www.digimoncard.cn/ruleinfo?id=28
Category:Rules