Summary
- Bans and unbans:
- No changes.
- Survival of the Fittest trial extended by 3 months.
- Council meeting: The council held a video meeting on 16.7.2025. Main topics were community feedback and changes in council.
- Next update: November 1st, 2025.
Bans, unbans, and trials
Effective until November 15th, 2025:
- Survival of the Fittest unban trial extended by 3 months.
Cards discussed
Trial extension: Survival of the Fittest (4 yes; 3 no)
We’ve decided to extend the trial period of Survival of the Fittest by three months. The original trial took place during the summer, a time of lower player activity and fewer tournaments, which limited the amount of meaningful data collected. Community feedback has generally been positive—describing the card as powerful but not format-breaking—though some voices have expressed concern over its potential in specific configurations. The desire for longer, more representative trial periods has also been voiced within the community, and we agree that a broader range of tournament results is needed before reaching a conclusion. With more large events happening across Europe in the coming months, we hope to better assess the card’s overall impact.
Oath of Druids (no vote)
Oath of Druids was discussed due to frequent community mentions, but no vote was proposed or held and the card will remain legal. While Oath has been a polarizing card for years, it remains one of the format’s iconic pillars. It supports dedicated strategies and is kept in check by its innate deckbuilding requirement. Though Oath can enable powerful early plays, the overall speed of the format has made these concerns less pressing by each set. We view Oath as a powerful but in-line archetype piece that continues to enrich the diversity of the format.
The One Ring (no vote)
The One Ring came up frequently in community feedback. While some players expressed concern over its ubiquity and snowballing potential, we view it as a product of modern card design—powerful, but not out of line with the current state of the format. It plays a key role in artifact-based combo strategies, and its effect comes with a meaningful cost. We see The One Ring as a strong but appropriate inclusion in the evolving landscape of European Highlander.
Council meeting
- The trial of Survival of the Fittest was discussed and extended by 3 months to gather more data during the active tournament season.
- Reanimator’s rising power level was noted as a topic to keep an eye on for the future, though no action needs to be taken presently.
- While recent trials have been popular and quite successful, we note that letting the format settle down for a bit might be a good idea.
- Discussed future council changes. As we will soon have an open position, we hope to look for a new member primarily from the blossoming Czech scene.
Change in council
Sebastian (TaZi) will be stepping down from the council due to positive life changes. Sebastian has been an active and thoughtful voice in European Highlander governance for the past five years, offering a steady commitment to the health of the format. We’re sincerely grateful for his time and effort. While we’re sad to see him go, we wish him all the best in what lies ahead.
The council will continue with six members for the time being, and we’ll hopefully get to visit possible additions in the November announcement.
Next regular update
The next regular update will be November 1st, 2025.
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