Effective from July 15, 2008
Banned:
Unbanned:
- No changes
Watchlist:
- Hermit Druid new
- Life from the Loam new
AlurenremovedDream HallsremovedMana SeveranceremovedMishra’s WorkshopremovedYawgmoth’s Bargainremoved
Reasoning:
Cephalid Breakfast Deck
This deck, which Oliver Malina piloted to a decisive win at the most recent Highlander Grand Prix, has been found to be too powerful for the Highlander format after extensive testing. This has prompted action from the council.
Cephalid Illusionist
Unlike Hermit Druid, which is often played in decks that do not rely on it as a pure combo piece, Cephalid Illusionist serves only as a dedicated combo card. While it requires another card (like Shuko, Lightning Greaves, or an En-Cor creature) to enable the graveyard-filling combo, it has a significant advantage in that it can do so without needing to overcome summoning sickness. Additionally, Cephalid Illusionist can fill the graveyard to a precise level, whereas Hermit Druid mills the entire deck, forcing players to safeguard the combo more thoroughly.
Dread Return
Since the Hermit Druid combo is still possible, the council deliberated extensively on whether Hermit Druid should also be banned. Since many players enjoy playing Hermit Druid as a utility card and it has not been a ban-worthy issue outside of this combo, the council decided to disrupt the combo instead. Previously, Hermit Druid in combination with Narcomoeba and Acorn Harvest or Chatter of the Squirrel was a one-card win condition. Now, players must have a reanimation spell in hand to win the game. The decision was made that Dread Return must leave the format. If Hermit Druid still proves to be too strong, it may swap places with Dread Return in a future banning season.
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
Another two-card combo of concern is Buried Alive and a reanimation spell, which can place Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker, Pestermite, and Karmic Guide in the graveyard to create infinite haste creatures and end the game immediately. This combo can even be constructed as a mono-colored deck, which the council finds threatening enough to act preemptively.
Painter’s Servant
The well-known combo of Painter’s Servant and Grindstone from other formats is a two-card instant win combo. With only 6 mana, the game can end instantly. Additionally, since both combo pieces are artifacts, they can be played in nearly any deck. The council has decided that this combo is too strong and too easy to set up, so Painter’s Servant is being banned.
Chain of Plasma
The combo of Chain of Plasma and Swans of Bryn Argoll is also too strong. After testing multiple, relatively untuned builds of this deck, the council decided to prevent the potential dominance of this combo in the Highlander format. Since Swans of Bryn Argoll enables interesting board interactions, while Chain of Plasma is essentially a burn spell dealing 3 damage for 2 mana, the council opted to remove Chain of Plasma from the format.
Watchlist Changes
Life from the Loam
The upcoming Retrace mechanic, which allows spells with Retrace to be cast from the graveyard by discarding a land as an additional cost, raises concerns about Life from the Loam. Since it can return lands to hand each turn, it could become a critical enabler for Retrace spells. Because it is unknown which specific Retrace cards will be printed, Life from the Loam has been placed on the watchlist. The council recognizes that Life from the Loam is a central card in the format, so if it needs to be banned, it is likely that other cards will need to be banned as well.
Hermit Druid
While the council decided not to ban Hermit Druid at this time, the card is now on the watchlist. If further testing shows that Hermit Druid is still too powerful or enables problematic combos, it may be banned in a future banning season.
Other Watchlist Changes
The following cards have been removed from the watchlist because they have shown no problematic behavior:
General Philosophy: Combos in Highlander
While it has not been an official part of the banning policy, it has become clear from council discussions that the Highlander council does not want pure combo decks to become Tier 1 archetypes. For the majority of players, combo decks are the least enjoyable to face, as the combo player’s actions often render the opponent’s plays irrelevant. This results in minimal player interaction, which the council does not find desirable.
Although the council has strived to keep as many deck archetypes viable as Tier 1 decks as possible, the council has now decided to actively promote a more interactive format. This decision was made after weighing the preferences and interests of the player base. While the council recognizes that this move may alienate combo enthusiasts, it believes the overall benefits to the format outweigh this downside.
From now on, the goal is to ensure that Highlander remains an interactive format, with reduced reliance on non-interactive combo decks. The council acknowledges that this decision could be controversial, but it is committed to following this path.
Closing Remarks
Highlander is intended to be a fun and engaging format. Combo decks are generally seen as less enjoyable, especially for the player sitting on the opposite side of the table. The main goal of the banning policy is to promote interaction, and the council believes this step will significantly improve interaction within the format.
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