Banned
Force of Will
Instant · {3}{U}{U}
Rationale
Why banned
Force of Will is free interaction — a hard counter you can cast for 1 life and a blue card instead of its mana cost — letting combo and control decks defend their plan or stop yours without ever tapping out. Banned at the format's founding to keep interaction mana-based and honest.
Oracle text
What the card does
! This card is currently banned in Premodern. The oracle text is shown for reference only.
You may pay 1 life and exile a blue card from your hand rather than pay this spell's mana cost. Counter target spell.
Format authority
Cited from premodernmagic.com
Per Martin Berlin's Premodern format-authority site: premodernmagic.com/rules . premodernmtg.com mirrors the canonical banlist within 24 hours of any update.
Full analysis
The combo, the data, and the new metagame
Banned 2003-05-26. Rationale: Force of Will is free interaction — a hard counter you can cast for 1 life and a blue card instead of its mana cost — letting combo and control decks defend their plan or stop yours without ever tapping out. Banned at the format’s founding to keep interaction mana-based and honest. Source: Martin Berlin, premodernmagic.com.
See also: /force-of-will/