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Hmmm... Mesmeric Fiend seems like he'd be strong in highlander. I'm not much for Bone Shredder personally, I feel like he just gets killed.

I can't believe that the [card][/card] tag doesn't do anything on this forum. D:

But anyway, I've made a couple of edits!

Clutch of the Undercity is now Vedalken Shackles
Zombie Infestation is now Oblivion Stone
Martial Coup is now Rout
Japanese Morphling is now English Morphling that has a signature and altered art from the artist, RK Post

Yep! Thanks for the suggestions, I'm working on writing descriptions for why these cards are staples, it takes a while But you know. I'll get there. ;p

Because Sword of Fire and Ice is just as good or better in this format, I think jitte should be unbanned. It's a good card and aggro will play it, it will be a bomb when it's played, but it's okay for aggro to have a bomb, the game is not over when it resolves and creatures can still still be dealt with.. SO yeah.

The thing is, people accuse Highlander of being a carebear format, of instantly banning any good card that's not a part of the pseudo-power. Especially compared to its partner, EDH, which has an impressively short banned list with the only questionable card in that format being Zur the Enchanter. I definitely agree that the banned list should be shortened and Jitte is the first and most obvious cut from it.

If trends continue, they're not going to ban shop.

Basically, they just unbanned dustbowl and Timetwister, both of which make stacks better than it was, so they're more interested in equipping that deck than disabling it right now. I have a pretty minty one myself... it's a very satisfying card, I don't think you'll have any form of buyer's remorse with it.

[White:]

So, I'm defining Staple for the purposes of this discussion as a card one can usually expect to see played (with good reason) in decks of the associated color. Demonic Tutor, for example, should be and most likely is in any deck containing black in this format so I'd consider that to be a staple.

Some of the cards that are on my list are maybe controversial, people might disagree and so I encourage people to bring up cards that are not on the list that should be or maybe make a case for why one should be removed. Or maybe cards should be added. This thread is for discussing what cards are necessary for making a deck run efficiently.

White:
Faith's Fetters - Enchants any pernement, disables creatures and all activated abilities and randomly makes you not lose to burn.
Land Tax - Fixes mana, thins deck, and gives the white player excellent hand advantage, a strong move before armageddon.
Enlightened Tutor - Fetches Top, combo pieces, or a lot of good answers as an instant.
Swords to Plowshares - Removes almost anything from the game for W at no real gain to your opponent.
Wrath of God - Gives great card advantage when it kills multiple creatures, helps control to stabilize.
Armageddon - Prevents control from stabilizing, disables a lot of strong decks. Stops bombs from being played. Usually assures victory once you have a superior board position.
Ravages of War - A second chance at drawing Armageddon.
Decree of Justice Uncounterable "put X tokens into play" at instant speed, you may draw a card. An excellent control finisher. It isn't bad when hardcasted and is deadly with cards like mana drain.
Jotun Grunt - An aggressive creature that heckles decks trying to capitalize on their graveyard. Efficient against Loam, Mindslaver, things you suspect will be Regrown, genesis, gigapede, or feeding cards back into your library you can tutor for.
Exalted Angel - 4/5 Flying Lifelinker that can feasibly come out on the fourth turn. It's an unfair advantage in the damage race, is a good control finisher and is good at outracing control decks.
Austere Command - Probably the best 'bad' wrath of god. It's very versatile and frequently will be the answer you need.
Disenchant - I find 'disenchants' always have a worthwhile target in highlander games.
Mirror Entity - It's hard to build tribal in highlander, so this fills in a lot of gaps, being a changeling, and makes creatures that were weenies in the early game much bigger to finish the game.

Blue
Mana Drain - Steals a turn and a card out of their hand, and gives you mana to set up for a win on the next turn.
Fact or Fiction Because it only has one blue in the casting cost, decks that only use blue for splash can play this amazingly powerful hand and graveyard filler. There is almost never a way for an opponent to separate a fact or fiction that won't give you a ridiculous advantage.
Deep Analysis A draw spell that can be played twice, netting 4 cards.
Dissipate - Things like to come back from the graveyard in highlander, so this counterspell is almost necessary for anyone trying to use blue for control.
Cryptic Command - A hard counter/targeted removal/turn-stealer/cantrip.
Misdirection - Changes removal targets, throws uncountable burn spells and Mind Twist back at the caster's face, counters counterspells, retargets drawspells... it's a sneaky and important move in a format where blue cannot have four force of will.
Back to Basics - If you're mana base is in vast majority basic, punishing most of the format for playing mostly nonbasics is the thing to do. It's a one-sided stasis against 90% of highlander.
Treachery- Frequently a two-for-one, is also a win condition if you steal a good enough creature.
Bribery - Denies them their card, puts a bomb into play under your control.
Intuition A good tutor that gets a life from the loam engine online, dumps genesis, gigapede, or mindslaver, and is necessary for running reanimator.
Gifts Ungiven - Good for the same reasons intuition is.
Trinket Mage - Top, Engineered Explosives, Phyrexian Furnace, pithing needle, zuran orb, and cursed scroll are all strong targets for him in this format.
Capsize Can steal multiple turns, is often "blue vindicate."
Morphling - Strictly good as a control finisher, though he's a fundamental include for any blue-based control decks in that he's an excellent blocker, attacker, has evasion, and can't be targeted.
Thirst for Knowledge - An instant speed drawspell that is good in reanimator or decks with plenty of artifacts.
Personal Tutor - Wrath, Decree, Ancient Craving, Upheval, or some red X-spell are all good targets for this card in this format. Sadly, Mystical tutor is banned but this does its job.
Opportunity -Because games tend to be long in highlander, it's feasible to cast this at the end of an opponent's turn most games and really cannot be replaced by any other card as far as something that's going to significantly increase the number of cards in your hand as an instant- Maybe stroke of Genius, however, Opportunity is cheaper costed at six.

Black:
Demonic Tutor - It's not banned yet!
Damnation - Another Wrath of God
Phyrexian Negator - Most highlander decks are too slow to handle this card.
Chainer's Edict - Removal you can play twice!
Entomb - Tutors for anything that's good in your graveyard, can be comboed with Regrowth. Necessary in reanimator.
Duress - Disrupts control, takes important burn spells, spot removal, or combo pieces.
Thoughtsieze - Good for the same reasons Duress is.
Skeletal Scrying - A really efficient instant-speed draw spell.
Withered Wretch - A low-cost threat that disrupts graveyards, good for the same reasons Jotun Grunt is.
Stinkweed Imp - Its deathtouch makes it kill things that might not be killable with spells or activated abilities or wraths, and it comes back from the dead, dumping goodies into your graveyard as it does.
Unearth A sneaky thing to do in an aggro deck, I think. It also reanimates some really big creatures like Psychatog, terravore, or tarmogoyf. Can cycle if unneeded.
Mind Twist - A really good disruption spell that just got unbanned! Watch out for misdirection.

Red:
Grim Lavamancer - Recurring burn that can come out early.
Shattering Pulse - Recurring artifact destruction. It always has  a target in highlander.
Ruination - Played for the same reason Back to Basics is.
Magus of the Moon - Played for the same reason Back to Basics is.
Blood Moon - Another nonbasic hoser.
Price of Progress - A really good game finisher in this format.
Banefire - Uncounterable X damage.
Demonfire - Uncounterable X damage.
Rolling Earthquake - Red wrath of god that deals X damage.
Goblin Welder - Combos with mindslaver, sundering titan, Smokestacks, and other silly artifacts that destroy one's opponent.
Viashino Heretic - Recurring artifact destruction that deals punishes the artifact's controller and is a small threat.
Countryside Crusher - helps you draw into burn, and he gets really big real fast.
Kird Ape - Too good for any red/green aggro deck not to play.
Pillage - There are a lot of artifacts and lands that need to be destroyed, like Maze of ith, Tabernacle, Library, Masticore, and vedalken shackles. Because it's versatile I think any red deck can play it, lando or not.

Green:
Llanowar Elves/fyndhorn elves - Puts you a turn ahead manawise, and is a creature threat.
Birds of Paradise - Another card that sets you a turn ahead.
Regrowth - Lets you play any effect multiple times.
All Sun's Dawn - Gives excellent hand advantage of quality cards.
Eternal Witness - Played for the same reason regrowth is.
Krosan Grip - Uncounterable disenchant effect.
Mirri's Guile - Played for the same reason Sensei's Divining Top is.
Garruk Wildspeaker - Can untap gaea's cradle, constantly produce threats, and overrun for the kill. Essentially costs 2 because of its first ability.
Call of the Herd - A threat you can play twice.
Life From the Loam - Recurs wasteland, is a draw engine with the cycling lands, and dredges important graveyard-based cards.
Gigapede - Cannot be maze of ithed, is not a worthwhile bribery target, cannot be thwarted with counterspells, and forces opponents to sacrifice creatures with they attack or block. Is strong with life from the loam and intuition.
Sylvan Library - Played for the same reason top is, improving green's consistency and giving hand advantage the color usually does not have.
Genesis - Constantly recurs creature threats from your graveyard.
Crop Rotation - Fetches Library, forbidden orchard, maze of ith, bazaar of baghdad, wasteland, dustbowl, tabernacle, or fixes your mana.
Desert Twister - In decks without black/white, the cost of desert twister is well worth the while of its caster for "destroy target pernement." Mono green does not have many ways of killing creatures apart from this and bad abilities like deathtouch. I see this card get played to good effect and is often a necessary draw for the decks that run it.

Multicolor
Pernicious Deed - The most efficient wrath spell in Magic, it will stop you from losing to aggro.
Army Ants - For three, this creature turns any of your lands into strip mine.
Psychatog - It's been a format wrecker in every MTG format since it was printed, and highlander is no exception. He's a terrific early game blocker and late game he's a three-costed phaige the untouchable. When he's untapped, he's Moat, when he's tapped, he's the Abyss. Any deck loaded with draw spells and protection should capitalize on this card.
Fire/Ice - either a two-for-one or a turn-stealer.
Vindicate - Well, I tried to make a case for Desert Twister. However, this is clearly the best card that "destroys target permanent."
Stormbind - It turns cards into damage, which, when aggro decks go on topdeck, this card is good for all the reasons cursed scroll is.
Figure of Destiny a one-drop that catches up with the pace of the game as you pay mana. Is a strong threat at any point in the game.
Putrefy - Instant-speed burial of any creature, or artifact destruction. Kills Swords or mana accelerators.
Mortify Instant-speed burial of any creature, or enchantment removal. Removes faith's fetters, sylvan library, or other obnoxious enchantments.
Lim-Dul's Vault The format does not have Vampiric Tutor, so this is the next best thing.
Hull Breach - A disenchant with a possible two-for-one.
Terminate - Buries any creature.

Artifact
Sensei's Divining Top
Oblivion Stone
Fellwar Stone
Mind Stone
Coalition Relic
Sword of Fire and Ice
Sword of Light and Shadow
Phyrexian Furnace
Engineered Explosives
Scroll Rack
Crucible of Worlds
Masticore

Land:
Library of Alexandria
Mishra's Workshop
Bazaar of Baghdad
Tolaria West
Onslaught Fetches
Mirage Fetches
Krosan Visage
Manlands
Karakas
Maze of Ith
Thawing Glaciers
Dust bowl
Wasteland
Reflecting Pool

*Edit: Definitions added, "yavimya ants" changed to "army ants"

Don't you have Sea Drake? =3

I should let you Borrow one, if not.

Thanks Mythrandir-

I agree that dragon would be fun, it might replace Zombie infestation. Shriekmaw is something I like as well. I agree with Moat as well though I've yet to acquire one- odd considering that I have other cards of that power level and rarity.

I am going to have to defend my decision to play Capsize as it's possibly one of the most unfair blue cards to play against ever, especially in highlander which is a slow format. It throws off your opponent's tempo, can steal multiple turns and gets rid of whatever you need to be gone. It does not discriminate, it will return lands, black creatures, artifact creatures... sometimes it's better than vindicate.

Why I play Clutch is mainly because it's a tutor that can grab me wrath, decree, cryptic command, or fact or fiction. I've rarely used it to bounce something. Mystical teachings would be played over this though it'd be nice if there was such a thing as instant speed wrath. Basically, teachings gets me one-for-one removal, a counterspell, or a draw spell. It does not get wrath or a win condition. Because clutch can get wrath I am partially in favor of clutch, though you're right that this is a good card and the decision is tough.

Opportunity is alright in highlander. I know it's a really big casting cost, but it's an instant, so you can play it end of turn or at some other strategically advantageous time. I used to run Gush but unless psychatog is on the table, I find that I'd rather hardcast than freecast it. And at that point, I can pay 5 to draw 2, or 6 to draw 4. Even though Gush is busted in other constructed formats, it's kind of a late-game draw spell in highlander that throws off my tempo if I use it too soon. I think it was taken out to be replaced by Esper Charm.

Martial Coup I understand the "Too expensive" complaint, because it costs seven and against aggro decks I prefer to resolve a wrath earlier. Alternatively I had considered Akroma's Vengance, Oblivion Stone, or Disk. I've been testing it to see if it's also a win condition like Decree of Justice, but sofar am not greatly impressed.

Morphling... hmmm. I don't think he'll get cut. Him, tog, angel, and decree are the most common ways I win. Because of the way Morphling abuses the stack during combat, and that he can untap makes him viable against other creatures assuming I've been slowing them down some other way until then. I should be better prepared for aggro, though, that is always a stressful match for me. Masticore would be cool, though he gets Krosan Gripped sometimes. Hmm! Maybe stinkweed imp.

Thanks for your insight and helping me explore my options <3

[Creatures:]

Creatures:
[card]Shadowmage Infiltrator[/card]  (Draw)
[card]Lu Xun, Scholar General[/card] (Draw)
[card]Exalted Angel[/card]
[card]Morphling[/card]
[card]Psychatog[/card]
[card]Azorious Guildmage[/card]
[card]Jotun Grunt[/card]
[card]Trinket Mage[/card]
[card]Meloku, the Clouded Mirror[/card]
[card]Venser, Shaper Savant[/card]

Other Win Conditions:
[card]Decree of Justice[/card]
[card]Zombie Infestation[/card]
[card]Upheaval[/card] (for Pyschatog, Zombie Infestation, or for clearing the board and hard casting another win condition.

Draw:
[card]Lonely Sandbar[/card] (land)
[card]Secluded Steppe[/card] (land)
[card]Barren Moore[/card] (land)
[card]Library of Alexandria[/card] (land)
[card]Brainstorm[/card]
[card]Ponder[/card]
[card]Portent[/card]
[card]Impulse[/card]
[card]Esper Charm[/card] (Answer)
[card]Compulsive Research[/card]
[card]Deep Analysis[/card]
[card]Concentrate[/card]
[card]Fact or Fiction[/card]
[card]Opportunity[/card]
[card]Skeletal Scrying[/card]

Tutor/filter:
[card]Sensei's Divining Top[/card]
[card]Lim Dul's Vault[/card]
[card]Demonic Tutor[/card]
[card]Personal Tutor[/card] (Upheaval, Wrath, Damnation, Martial Coup, Decree, Deep A...]
[card]Clutch of the Undercity[/card] [Tutors for wrath, FoF, Decree, and is an answer.]
[card]Tolaria West[/card] (maze of ith, library of alexandria, wasteland.)

Counterspells
[card]Remand[/card]
[card]Counterspell[/card]
[card]Mana Drain[/card]
[card]Hinder[/card]
[card]Dissipate[/card]
[card]Undermine[/card]
[card]Absorb[/card]
[card]Dromar's Charm[/card]
[card]Cryptic Command[/card]
[card]Desertion[/card]
[card]Force of Will[/card]
[card]Misdirection[/card]
Preemptive:
[card]Duress[/card]
[card]Thoughtsieze[/card]
[card]Castigate[/card]

Board Control:
[card]Maze of Ith[/card]
[card]Engineered Explosives[/card]
[card]Pithing Needle[/card]
[card]Swords to Plowshares[/card]
[card]Disenchant[/card]
[card]Mortify[/card]
[card]Vindicate[/card]
[card]Capsize[/card]
[card]Faith's Fetters[/card]
[card]Wrath of God[/card]
[card]Damnation[/card]
[card]The Abyss[/card][Great with Morphling or Mishra's Factory]
[card]Treachery[/card]
[card]Austere Command[/card]
[card]Martial Coup[/card]

Other:
[card]Ivory Tower[/card] (Due to the dominance of direct damage and aggro, and my tendancy to keep a full hand, this card most often buys me enough turns to win the game and can be tutored by trinket mage.)
[card]Mishra's Factory[/card] (Alternate win condition, keeps abyss going, and is a great blocker.)
[card]Wasteland[/card]
[card]Vesuva[/card]
[card]Karakas[/card]
[card]Phyrexian Furnace[/card]

Mana Ramp:
[card]Mind Stone[/card]
[card]Talisman of Dominance[/card]
[card]Talisman of Impulse[/card]
[card]Fellwar Stone[/card]

Strictly Mana Land:
7 Island
3 Plains
5 Swamp
[card]Watery Grave[/card]
[card]Hallowed Fountain[/card]
[card]Scrubland[/card]
[card]Underground Sea[/card]
[card]Tundra[/card]
[card]Underground River[/card]
[card]Adarkar Wastes[card]
[card]Arcane Sanctum[/card]
[card]Polluted Delta[/card]
[card]Flooded Strand[/card]
[card]Flood Plain[/card]
[card]Bad River[/card]





Cards with collector's value:
The Library of Alexandria and Mana Drain are real and in English. The Demonic Tutor is Foreign Black Bordered and autographed. Counterspell is Foreign Black Bordered from 4th. Cryptic Command is a textless foil, Hinder is textless, Disenchant is from the book promo. Ivory Tower is korean and black bordered. Mishra's Factory is the winter picture. Swords, Brainstorm, and Portent are from the Coldsnap precons. The deck's foils include the Talismans, Opportunity, Jotun Grunt, the cycle lands, Psychatog, Decree of Justice, and Castigate. Morphling is Japanese.

Potentially Controversal deck decisions:
Upheaval: I'm playing this card partially for sentimental reasons, partially because upheaval/tog or zombie infestation will for certain win me the game. If I get one part of the combo I tutor or draw for the other... it hasn't disappointed me. It has been countered before but it didn't devastate my game.
Zombie Infestation: It's good with upheaval and if I have a good draw engine running on a turn to turn basis. I'll be honest- a lot of the time when I draw it I don't use it.
Talismans: Some say the signants are better, but really- these aren't a bad choice. I can play it on the second turn and have mana to top, or play a duress or whatever.

[/b]Matchups:[/b]
Any control or combo: This is usually very good for me. I have a fast clock on my win conditions and have many options to disrupt them. Plus the cards I have are better than cards most people have for this deck. Decree, Library of Alexandria, duress/discard, misdirection, pithing needle, trinket mage, psychatog, remand, and draw spells are the most important cards in this match.
Aggro weenie: This match is scary. I can't afford to miss land drops or draw things that don't help me. I do have a lot of cards in my deck that help me, however, I can beat and have beaten this deck- not without shedding some sweat when I do, though. Cards that will make or break this game include: The abyss, any wrath variant, engineered explosives, vensner, an early psychatog, drawing a lot of spot removal, cryptic command, ivory towers, faith's fetters. Like I said though- It's a bumpy ride.
Burn/sligh: I have a lot of cards that gain me life. Ivory Towers means they can't kill me before they're on top deck, so, if I can tutor for that I'm fine. Absorb, Faith's fetters, discard, and misdirection also help me. Letting magus of the moon hit has been painful, though because I play a lot of basics I've been able to survive that bomb.
Lando: early counter and bounce spells and mana ramp artifacts are good in this match-up. Psychatog, exalted angel, remand, misdirection, force of will, and mana drain are nifty in this match. This match isn't a sleeper for me, though from experience I find that the odds are in my favor. They do have a lot of things I need to counter, it can beat me and I won't pretend it's easy to beat them,however I've won with tog on three lands in this match. Because some of my wins are low cost and the best things they have to deal with them are burn, I usually win this match.
Survival of the Fittest: Usually, in highlander, this works like a stompy deck which I can usually stabilize against without excruciating effort. If they resolve the enchantment that helps them combo, I better get pithing needle, furnace, grunt, disenchant, or upheaval. The abyss isn't so good against this aggro variant because they can tutor for creatures that disenchant. However, usually, resetting the board a couple of times, casting treachery on a big creature, getting capsize and maze of ith going, and ultimately playing a big flying creature will win me the game... and it happens, though I take some love in the process. Avalanch riders, genesis, uncounterable X spells, and gigapede are great for them. My matches against the rock and stompy decks go similarly to this one, usually.
Possibly popular decks I've not played against:Oath of Druids, mono black control variants.

How to play:
Usually I want Three land in my opening hand, two is acceptable if I have an artifact mana accelerator or top. I usually shuffle away the more expensive win conditions but keep tog and exalted angel. I'd rather keep a tutor than a wrath, spot removal and counterspells are usually always kept. Desertion or cryptic command might get shuffled away if I don't foresee them winning before I can cast them.
I try not to miss any land drops, I tutor for draw spells mainly except when you need something like wrath of god or spot removal. An early library or a protected "ophidian" will most likely win me the game. Psychatog is wonderful in this format- Graveyards and hands get big fast. When Tog's untapped, he's [card]moat[/card]. When he's tapped, he's [card]The Abyss[/card]. Or he's a 3-costed phaige the untouchable. But I'm conservative with him, I don't dump my whole hand into him if I suspect them of having a way of surviving one of his attacks.
Morphling's "can't be target" ability gives him protection from the Abyss, which is wonderful. He's good once you've stabilized, or he'll help you stabilize.
Mana Drain with Decree of Justice is also another very strong out.
In general, I play Exalted Angel as early in the game as possible then use my counterspells only to keep her from dying.

Comments and criticisms are welcome.