Effective from July 15, 2009
Banned:
Unbanned:
Watchlist:
Reasoning:
Enlightened Tutor
If there have been any signals recently that certain cards are problematic in the format, they would be the following enchantments: Survival of the Fittest, Back to Basics, and Blood Moon, as well as the artifact Winter Orb. These cards have decided a significant number of games in the past months, as evidenced by tournament results and the personal experiences of council members. Since all three enchantments are currently considered essential for maintaining balance in the format, the council decided to ban the strongest tutor for these cards: Enlightened Tutor.
There was also discussion regarding the unbanning of Mystical Tutor, but the council unanimously agreed that Mystical Tutor is not healthy for the format. The mere possibility that Mystical could find Armageddon, Wildfire, Upheaval, Mind Twist, or Gifts Ungiven at the end of a generic turn clearly illustrates that Mystical is far too strong.
Buried Alive & Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
With recursion-based Rock decks and Reanimator decks no longer being viable in tournaments (and unlikely to become viable again in the near future), Buried Alive has seen minimal play. It was only used in combo decks involving Reveillark, Body Double, and other combo pieces. As a result, the council decided to trade out the less interesting Buried Alive for a card that is more exciting to play: Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker.
The interaction between Buried Alive and any reanimation spell, which allows a player to reanimate Kiki-Jiki, Karmic Guide, and either Pestermite or Sky Hussar to immediately win the game, was considered too strong. The ability to execute this combo with 4-5 mana, entirely from hand, in a single turn, was deemed too powerful.
However, Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker still holds significant combo potential, which is why it has been placed directly on the watchlist.
Chain of Plasma
Due to multiple player requests, the Swans of Bryn Argoll / Chain of Plasma / Conflagrate combo is being given the chance to prove how strong it really is.
With the presence of Path to Exile as a format staple, which not only destroys the combo but also exiles Swans of Bryn Argoll, and considering the upcoming Wizards rule change that eliminates access to exiled Swans via Death Wish or Living Wish, the council sees reduced potential for this combo to dominate.
Additionally, Aggro decks are now about 0.5 turns faster than they were when Chain of Plasma was initially banned.
However, uncertainty remains regarding which future cards Wizards may print that could allow access to the “Exile” zone. Furthermore, since the current metagame is dominated by creature decks, and bounce effects are likely to become less relevant in Highlander due to the M10 rules changes, Chain of Plasma will be placed directly on the watchlist.
Other Watchlist Changes
- Earthcraft removed
- Life from the Loam removed
- Oath of Druids removed
These cards have either never been a serious threat (in the case of Earthcraft) or have not displayed any problematic behavior in recent months. For this reason, they will be removed from the watchlist.
Other cards that are frequently discussed, such as Gifts Ungiven and Library of Alexandria, are also seen as non-problematic within the current creature-dominated metagame.
Note on Umezawa’s Jitte
Some players have suggested the removal of Umezawa’s Jitte from the banned list, but the council unanimously considers Umezawa’s Jitte to be ban-worthy. No council member sees any reason for it to be part of the format. The card is considered problematic, and with the upcoming rule changes, Umezawa’s Jitte is likely to become even stronger.
With Wizards’ strategy of making creatures better and stronger, we are now at a point where even 3-mana counterspells have become nearly unplayable. The council will not unban anything that would push creature decks even further.
Impact of Upcoming Rule Changes
We will also be watching closely to see how the upcoming rules changes affect the Highlander format.
Closing Remarks
We wish all Highlander players a lot of fun exploring the new possibilities. Feel free to discuss the changes in the forum or in the comments.
Frank Topel, on behalf of the council, currently consisting of:
- Timo Barwisch (malz77)
- Gerry Stahl (Vazdru)
- Frank Topel (Sturmgott)
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