Since this is thread is meant to be used for a discussion, I would like to respond to Silberhases post here, since I don't really understand the reasoning behing your suggested bannings.
You wrote that you think Combo is too strong at the moment, but I think that a lot of your suggested Bans would push combo even more. Even if most Cards are used by combo Decks, they are crucial to all the fair decks running around.
I would love to see some opinions on this:
Also, thank you Jan (Berlinballz) for your article on Metagamemasters.eu. I like your suggestions and I do agree with you. Bannings should happen on tournament based Data - not on gut feelings we have. If a Deck becomes oppressive we should think about measures to keep it in check - not "randomly" ban cards because we think they are too strong in general.
You wrote that you think Combo is too strong at the moment, but I think that a lot of your suggested Bans would push combo even more. Even if most Cards are used by combo Decks, they are crucial to all the fair decks running around.
I would love to see some opinions on this:
Quote from: Silberhase on 26-02-2018, 11:52:03 AM
Back to Basics/Blood Moon: I think Price of Progress is the most problematic Non-basic-hatecard. While Back to Basics and Bloodmoon are useless when opponent got a solid board, PoP just can win from nowhere.
Totally Agree. If there's one Non-Basic hate card that could be removed from the format, it is Price of Progress. This Card doesn't only punish you for putting non-basic lands in your Deck, but also punishes you for playing them. It win's out of nowhere and can only be interacted with via counterspells (or dromokas command i guess). I don't think it has to be banned, but watchlisting it, could be a fine move.
Demonic Tutor: I still can't understand why people say this card beeing healthy in this format. It's played in every black deck and often wins games on its own by searching for the best card or finish up with your combo. So please ban this card and noone would consider to unban it anymore.
I can't stress enough, that in terms of bannings/unbannings, you shouldn't only look at individual Cards and decide arbitrarily which card is too strong and which isn't. How do you decide what powerlevel is too much for highlander anyways? A strong feeling you got, because you often lose to a certain card or win with it? Taking into account, what a ban or unban would do to the format and certain archetypes is the much better way and can be understood by way more people.
Regarding Demonic Tutor I see it this way: Yes Demonic Tutor is the best Tutor in highlander, but only combo decks can use this card as an "oops I win" card. Fair decks often get their best anwers to the opposing threat with it or another realtively fair threat in order to close out the game. For control and even more so for Midrange, this card is essential when it come to beating non-interactive combo decks, since you can only put that much narrow silver bullets in your deck without weakening you other matchups too much. Combo Decks on the other hand will still have an abundance of other fringe tutors available (crop, rotation, entomb, fabricate, imperial seal, personal tutor, enlightened tutor, transmute artifact, tolaria west and other transmute cards, expedition map... the list goes on). Those are often too weak (slow) for fair decks. So taking away one (the best) Tutor wont reduce the combo decks consistency very much but will hurt Fair decks and push combo decks even more in comparison.
Dig Through Time/ Treasure Cruise: I think, people underrate this cards immensely. It's just too easy to fill your own graveyard. Even cards like Phyrexian Furnace have hard times to keep this in check. Therefor Treasure Cruise feels too close beeing just an Ancestral Recall and I think Dig Through Times is even better then Cruise. These cards are banned in every other format, even DuelCommander and I guess they also should be banned in Highlander.
Comparing Highlander to other 60 Card Formats and even duel Commander doesn't work out in my opinion. Being able to put four copies of a card in a 60 Card Deck compared to one copy in a 100 Card deck is a big difference. Even the effect of the two cards is much weaker in highlander than in 60 Card formats since the chance of not finding what you need is way higher.
In duel Commander decks always have access to their general, which grants a big boost in consistency. Games play out totally different because decks are built around synergies with that general.
And as I've stated above: I think Removing those cards would kill the control archetype in Highlander completely.
Entomb: I'm totally fine with that card, but it's very hard to say, if this ban was right. It gives reanimator a big boost and it's definitely t1, but of course, combo decks never should be the deck to beat. I just would keep it on the watchlist and observe the meta.
Agree
Tainted Pact: This card is far away from beeing an Demonic Tutor and Im totally fine with that card. So just keep it unbanned.
Agree, there's a real cost to playing Tainted Pact. Trying to use this as a Demonic Tutor is often wrong. Instead you need to rethink after every card you see if that revealed card might do the job for you or if you risk exiling other important parts of your deck in order to get the right card.
Tolarian Academy: I understand that it's not always fun for the opponent to play against, but Highlander is an eternal format and imo non-interactive combo decks should also take part of the metagame. There are enough powerful banworthy cards, that would also weaken academy decks so a ban of the academy itself is not necessary Imo.
Yes, banning Academy would be a big hit for the Deck since it's a card that archetypes are built around. Thus I don't think it should be banned either. However this is the card I am least sure about.
What other cards would you suggest Banning in order to weaken Academy decks while keeping the splash damage to other Archetypes to a minimum?
Yawgmoth's Will: I don't see any reason to ban it.
I don't either.
Gifts Ungiven: I'm not sure if its correct to unban it, but this card is far weaker than cards like Demonic Tutor and Treasure Cruise/DTT for example. So if you ban these cards I think I'm fine with an unban.
Gifts may be weaker overall, but it's mainly a combo card. Taking away DT/DTT/TC in order for Gifts to enter the Format would push combo decks over the top I think. Even without the suggested Bans.
Mystical Tutor: The ban was correct Imo and there is no reason to unban it again.
You said that the ban of mystical made Terminus completely unplayable. Don't you think it would be better to have Terminus and Entreat the Angels back in the Format in order for Decks like UW Control to be good again? Why do you think it should stay banned?
I also would mention some cards not beeing at the watchlist at the moment:
Fastbond: While Tolarian Academy is a build-around-card that creates new archtypes, Fastbond doesn't help making any t3 lands decks more consistently. Its only beeing abused in various combo decks beeing more ridiculous and more frustrating for the opponent. I think it should be banned.
Isn't consistency the bigger Problem when it comes to Combo Decks? To me, Fastbond is mostly a combo Piece, that can also lead to busted start sometimes. If you don't have anything to do with you mana however, this card is stone dead. You mostly need a draw 7 in Order for it to be good. I've seen too many Fastbonds that did nothing than damage my opponent and I'd rather take away cards that increase the consistency of combo decks, than taking away the combo itself.
Karakas: this card becomes more and more problematic while even more powerful legendary creatures gets printed. This card is an absurd answer to many legends and almost a stable in every deck, not only in white decks.
I Agree that many people might underestimate the powerlevel of Karakas. It's a manasouce that can win games on it's own. Rendering a hand - with Tasigur and flip Jace for instance - totally useless often feels too strong. I've lost to this card as much as I've won just because of it and it always felt random. This Cards keeps a lot of otherwise playable and strong creatures out of the Format. BUT! With reanimator being a stong Player in the Format now, I think this Card is needed to keep it in check. If that wasn't the case, I'd be happy to see this card watchlisted and talked about at least.
True-Name-Nemesis: This card should be at least on the watchlist. This card is very hard to answer and I think its too painful for aggro decks. Although I hardly played decks, who has big problems with that card, I don't think it's very healthy for our format.
Compared to all the busted and non-iteractive cards we have discussed in this thread, TNN truly is the least powerful. You don't even have to get it off the board to beat it. Aggro Decks can race this, Flyers can race this, Trample Creatures don't care about it, Doran laughs at it and there are enough cards to kill TNN, which are played in decks already even if this card didn't exist (Liliana, Toxic Deluge, Persecution, Council's Judgement, Diabolic Edict, Sweepers, Skullcrack). I don't see this thing as problematic at all.
Also, thank you Jan (Berlinballz) for your article on Metagamemasters.eu. I like your suggestions and I do agree with you. Bannings should happen on tournament based Data - not on gut feelings we have. If a Deck becomes oppressive we should think about measures to keep it in check - not "randomly" ban cards because we think they are too strong in general.