Banned List Changes Season IV - 2011

[Vazdru]

Valid during October 15th, 2011 0:00 CET until April 14th, 2012 24:00 CET.

Changes to the present list, effective 10/15/2011:

Banned:

   * Gifts Ungiven

Unbanned:

   * Trinisphere
   * Wheel of Fortune

Watchlist:

   * Sensei's Divining Top
   * Trinisphere
   * Stoneforge Mystic
   * Birthing Pod

Unban-Watchlist:

   * Yawgmoth's Will
   * Imperial Seal
   * Lion's Eye Diamond
   * Life from the Loam


Single card Explanations:

Gifts Ungiven

When we set the card onto the watchlist three months ago, we started to investigate the overall power level of the format, and Gifts was found from the top of the curve. The splashability of the card supported this, as well as the fact that it could be found from quite a lot of top-8 builds. And with the advent of Snapcaster Mage, we don't expect blue decks playing Gifts getting any worse.
The three most common scenarios with Gifts have been: tutor up the four best cards for any given situation (tutoring for overall quality), setup a strong graveyard based synergy, or pave a way for a combo win initiated during next turns. So in a sense, Gifts has been both a powerful tutor, as well as an instant draw on steroids at the same time in combo/control builds. When abusing this card, the most broken scenarios have been the ones where Gifts has been used to tutor up a suite of win conditions that in the end leave the opponent no way out.
So when the council is forced to ban something, we are not banning decks, but we're banning cards. And that's done on the basis that the banned list should be as short as possible. We've learned that players want the room to form the meta.

With the above, we came in the conclusion that despite the fact Gifts promotes the play skills of players, the overall power level of the card is too high in order for the format currently to bear and eventually to evolve. The card has also been long banned in Singleton and Commander, further convincing us that this is the right direction.


Trinisphere

The watchlist criteria we set for Trinisphere in our announcement last time, was largely that it was a random draw and not necessarily playable due to it's poor late game capabilities in various nowadays staxx builds. As the availability of fast mana in our format is not so omnipresent as it is in Vintage (restricted) or even in Legacy (not restricted), we want to see where this card lands in highlander. We are occasionally unbanning some cards that allows us to see if the metagame would be even more diverse, as we did with Buried Alive. Trinisphere was deemed as too powerful at one time, and so far no real attempt has been taken to have Trinisphere and Mishra's Workshop in the format at the same time. Both cards are still powerful, but we believe unrestricting Trinisphere is a reasonable risk to take.

Trinisphere will stay on the watchlist for the next three months at least, so that we can quickly remedy next time should there start to be any large scale disturbances caused by this card.


Wheel of Fortune

Wheel of Fortune with Timetwister are the two most powerful draw7 effects in the game, and so far Time Twister that got introduced first has stood the test of time fine, despite the initial skepticism. This encouraged us to investigate the unban of Memory Jar and now as the natural next step we're committed to set the Wheel free. We anticipate Wheel of Fortune to be more powerful than twister, but still not too broken as a combo engine. Wheel of Fortune's combo potential is noteworthy, as it can fill the graveyard better as part of strategy, and can also be taken into use with various red based aggro and burn decks. We believe the card to see play, but not to be game breaking.


Sensei's Divining Top

Sensei's Divining Top has spurred a healthy discussion, and we've been pleased to follow the ongoing discussion as it has been both analytical and widespread. The observations we gave during our last watch list announcement still apply, and we've come to notice that the players on this card are quite divided. Because of that reason, we leave the card under scrutiny for the time being.


Stoneforge Mystic

Right now we don't have any creature on the banned or watch list, but Stoneforge Mystic was taken into closer inspection regarding on how the meta has developed during the last weeks. While the card does not win the games outright alone, its impact is noteworthy, especially with the introduction of Batterskull. When Stoneforge Mystic becomes the prime target of various tutors, we start to see the first signs of the metagame centering around the card. People also tend to respond to this by playing more artifact and creature hate, which we've already noticed to occur. The card has gradually been banned in other sanctioned formats starting with Standard, but also in Extended and Modern, with the card making a splash into Legacy too. So we're also watching this card more closely.


Birthing Pod

With the Highlander's 100 card deck sizes and one copy rule, the tutors have been always powerful, especially those that offer perfect answers/threats while ramping up with good creatures to Titans. Something we've accustomed to get now with the power creep. In short time Birthing Pod has indicated to show the same symptoms that led to ban of Survival of the Fittest. Pod has the extra value compared to Survival that once it's active, the threats will be tutored straight into the play, both saving mana and supplying bodies for more activations.

Without immediate answer to Pod, a linear example we'd offer:

1. Fetch Glen Elendra Archmage. Counter opponent's Vindicate/Demonic Tutor/chump block/whatever threat.
2. Sacrifice a 2cc creature and fetch Deceiver Exarch/Pestermite.
3. Untap Pod with trigger and sacrifice Archmage to fetch Kiki-Jiki.

Ofcourse, real game situations are more complicated and versatile than that, but as with every powerful tutor/toolbox card making a sudden impact, we decided to take the card under surveillance.


Yawgmoth's Will

Also known as Yawgmoth's Win, has been banned from every other sanctioned format except Vintage. The beauty of highlander is that it allows playing quite a lot of cards not available anywhere else without making them overall broken, and we believe Yawgmoth's Will to be a case example. The main archetype this would be good at are pure combos (TPS/High Tide), but they are not seen currently as they've been deemed to be quite inconsistent. When Yawgmoth's Will was allowed, it was last seen in couple top-8 GP2 storm combo decks, but that has been quite some time ago when powerful and fast mana was excessive (Tolarian Academy, Mana Vault, Lions Eye Diamond). Format has evolved since those days. We believe that without the direct access to the best fast mana and graveyard tutors anymore (Entomb, Gifts), Yawgmoth's Will has a chance to increase the diversity of the format and pure combo's portion from the meta which is now very small. Control on the other hand would receive yet another regrowth effect, doubly so for marginal decks like MBC of today. But how the card eventually feels and where it ends up (if anywhere but banned list) remains to be tested during the next months.


Imperial Seal

Unofficially this format has a had price barrier, and an iconic but often silenced example of it has been Imperial Seal. When compared to power level of Demonic Tutor, which is currently allowed, we notice that Seal is clearly the weaker counterpart. So we could say we've got a paradox; inferior card is now banned while more powerful one is not.
On play, Imperial Seal can fetch that second turn threat, so we must investigate power level too. The already mentioned secondary challenge is the card's restricted availability and high price. On the other hand the format has other expensive staples, like Mishra's Workshop, The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale, Moat, Imperial Recruiter and Ravages of War, largely pushed by the popularity of Legacy.
The card is highly playable both in control and combo decks alike, and it has been taken as an unban candidate to meter the overall power level of tutors. We would like to gather some input from the community too how you feel about unbanned Seal before we come to a decision.


Lion's Eye Diamond

Didn't we just state that Yawgmoth's Will is kept in check with the lack of fast mana? Yes, and we don't expect to see these two in the format at the same time instantly. But as Yawgmoth's Will is tested, we decided to push the package. This way we are able to see further beyond the Will. Should it fail to make an entrance, what would be Lion's Eye Diamond's role then? Would Salvager/Oath combo in nowaday's meta be too powerful? If yes, is the problem with Oath, or LED (or with Salvagers)? With the current absence of TPS, would it be a healthy boost to actually have both LED and Will present, would aggro then stand a chance given the golden rule of paper beating scissors as combo should win aggro a turn faster?
With LED we have many open questions we strive to find answers during the following months.


Life from the Loam

The watchlist reasoning with Loam have not changed since the last announcement. The Gifts argument is not very strong as one doesn't need Loam to win with it, but we've noticed that part of the people feel more bad if they lose to Gifts and Loam than Gifts fetching the four best cards. A major weight on banning Loam has undeniably been the fun factor and monotonous performance of it, especially in control mirrors. But now with both Gifts and Entomb gone, cards like Intuition, Hermit Druid and Oath of Druids remain as the major enablers. Will those cards be enough to justify Loam's current ban is to be investigated.


Other announcements

At the beginning of next year, we are re-evaluating the formation of the HL-council. The potential changes to the current roster will be announced on January 1st. 2012 with the quarterly review of watchlist.


Highlander tournament deck database

Per Stilling has approached our community and made a contribution: a wiki editable deck database called mtgpulse.com now also includes our Highlander format.

In return, the council encourages the tournament organizers and players alike to orient and share the tournament deck lists in this service. The immediate gains by doing so are returned to us, as for the first time we all would have a tool at our disposal to see the metagame better than ever.

Give, and ye shall receive.