TLR Ban list and Rules update
Hi Tiny Leaders Reborn fans!
Something really big is happening today so, without further ado, let's get into it:
- Removing the "specific mulligan rules for partner mecanic"
- From now on, Only a single commander can be cast from the command zone during a game.
- From now on, Tiny Leaders Reborn players will now start games with only 20 life points.
- Price of progress is banned
Clarification / Rules changes
Removing the "specific mulligan rules for partner mecanic"
From now on, Only a single commander can be cast from the command zone during a game.
In July 2021, we made a decision to curtail
partner advantage and dominance in TLR. We created a specific mulligan rule,
making players who play two or more commanders to put one card from their hand
on the bottom of their library for each commander they play in addition to the
first one.
This rules change was widely requested in our
2021 summer survey, so we tried it out.
Feedback has been good, but not great.
Something was "too much".
This new rule killed the card advantage from
the partner mechanic, but the mulligan is too hard to come back from. It's not
what we wanted.
We discussed the idea of a shared tax for
partners, but again, it didn't fit.
We wanted to find something that made partner
mechanic fair without killing the strategy.
So as of March 14th 2022, Duel commander committee made a decision on the new rule:
Only a single commander can be cast from the command zone during a game.
This means if you play a Keleth, Sunmane
Familiar + Tymna the Weaver deck, if you've played one of them in a game, you
won't be able to play the other for the rest of this specific game (Only
applies to individual games, not the whole match).
"Can be cast" is also tricky: with
the same deck, if you play Keleth, Sunmane Familiar form your command zone, you
will still be able to put Tymna the Weaver in your hand with Netherborn Altar,
and cast it from your hand.
We think this rules mechanic is amazing and
fits better with what we want to do for TLR.
So from now on, the specific partner rules mulligan does not apply, and only a single commander can be cast from the command zone during a game.
From now on, Tiny Leaders Reborn players will now start games with only 20 life points.
Since its creation, Tiny Leaders format (and
variations like TLR) is historically a 25 life point format (without ever
really having been explained or justified).
This rule is part of the format's identity
since the beginning. But, why? Is it for the greater good?
For months now this has been on our radar:
Those 5 more life points give slower tempo decks too much time.
Control decks have more time to take care of
threats and find their sweepers.
Combo decks have one or two more turns to
combo off.
And worst of all aggro and tempo decks are
struggling hard to even exist.
Since our return in summer 2021, we have one
main concern: make aggro decks viable.
Things have be banned for this purposed (Wren
and six as commander or mystical tutor for example) but these 5 life points are
still too much. Even the most effcient aggro deck can't make it.
Without cards like price of progress or blood
moon, burn decks would be in serious trouble.
But what could we do?
There's too much good (mass) removal for
banning one or two to make a difference.
The combo decks are strong enough without
being too strong to require a ban.
We couldn't unban something. It would either
have been broken (like Edric, Spymaster of Trest) or it would have helped other
strategies (like true-name nemesis for control deck or survival of the fittest
for combo deck).
If bans or unbans can't solve the problem, we
have to do it another way.
We came to the conclusion: The problem is
those 5 life points.
So, as of today, we making a major decision
for TLR.
Tiny Leaders Reborn players will now start
games with only 20 life points.
BAN LIST update
Price of progress is banned
As you saw above, TLR is making a drastic
change and will now be played with 20 life like any traditional 1v1 competitive
tournament format.
The idea behind this decision is to help
aggro, tempo, and burn decks reach the top 8 in competitive events.
However, Price of Progress is such a huge
direct damage threat on its own that we need to take a precautionary measure
and ban it with the implementation of this rule change.
Price of progress is an instant which for only
2 mana will inflict a large amount of damage to each player, often times being
an instant game finisher for many red aggro/burn decks (Even in 25 life version
of TLR). Over time, the card has gone from a sideboard slot in burn decks, to a
main deck card. Being able to inflict an average from 8 to 12 damage in a single spell (and often only ~2
to 8+ points of damage to the caster).
In a singleton environment with only 49 cards,
and now 20 life points, we cannot maintain this punitive card for any
multi-color strategy in the format.
Price of progress is now banned