Lorwyn Eclipsed - Ban & Watchlist Announcement
Summary of Changes
- Edric, Spymaster of Trest – Removed from Watchlist
- Metalworker – Removed from Watchlist
- Underworld Breach – Removed from Watchlist
- Light-Paws, Emperor’s Voice – Added to Watchlist
Happy new year gamers! With the release of Lorwyn Eclipsed, we’re publishing the first Ban & Watchlist update of the year.
Overall, the metagame is in a very strong place, arguably one of the healthiest Tiny Leaders Reborn has seen in years. Deck diversity is high, multiple archetypes are competitive, and no single strategy is warping the format. That said, a few cards warranted closer discussion.
Light-Paws, Emperor’s Voice – Added to Watchlist
Light-Paws is the only card being added to the watchlist at this time.
The primary concern isn’t raw power, but play patterns. Games involving Light-Paws often hinge on a very narrow window of interaction. If the commander is answered immediately, the Light-Paws player usually loses, but if not, the game often ends shortly after. This creates extremely swingy matchups that can feel decided as early as commander reveal.
Recent printings, particularly flash auras and protection effects, have made it much easier for Light-Paws to insulate itself while presenting a fast clock. While the deck does have clear weaknesses (edicts, countermagic, enchantment removal, and sweepers), those answers are unevenly distributed across colors, and some archetypes struggle to interact meaningfully at all.
That said, Light-Paws is not unbeatable, and we want to allow space for the metagame to continue adapting before taking stronger action. For now, we believe placing it on the watchlist is the correct middle ground while we gather more data.
Edric, Spymaster of Trest – Removed from Watchlist
Since being unbanned, Edric has seen little to no competitive play.
While Edric can still snowball in ideal scenarios, this is true of many three-mana commanders in the format, and even its best draws appear to be in line with other established options. Players have also found that modern Tiny Leaders interaction keeps the classic “draw everything” patterns far less consistent than they once were.
In short, Edric has not demonstrated results or play patterns that justify continued watchlist status at this time.
Metalworker – Removed from Watchlist
Metalworker has seen some exploratory play, most notably in artifact-based shells like Zirda, but has largely proven to be fair and fragile in the current format.
It requires significant setup, is extremely vulnerable to removal, and hasn’t meaningfully revived older affinity-style strategies in a way that raises concern. While its mana ceiling is high, its consistency and survivability are not.
The committee remains aligned that card price is not a factor in ban or watchlist decisions, and Metalworker’s in-game impact simply hasn’t justified further monitoring.
Underworld Breach – Removed from Watchlist
Underworld Breach can be a powerful card in specific shells — primarily Storm — but after extended time on the watchlist, it has not put up numbers that warrant further restriction.
At present, Breach sees consistent play in only a small number of decks, and increased storm hate across the metagame has kept its impact in check. We don’t believe cards should remain on the watchlist indefinitely without clear cause, and for now, Breach no longer meets that bar.
Final Notes
There are no unbans this update.
The committee remains committed to continuing structured testing and re-evaluation of the banlist as a whole. Magic design has changed significantly over the years, and Tiny Leaders Reborn continues to evolve alongside it.
A big thank you to Committee Consultant, Adri, for this write-up. Their insight and contribution were instrumental in shaping this update.
The next Ban & Watchlist update is scheduled for March 9, the Monday following the release of TMNT, approximately six weeks from now.
Thank you for reading, thank you for playing, and as always —