Magic: The Gathering - Canadian Highlander Format Guide

Canadian Highlander: A Deep Dive into Magic: The Gathering's Popular Singleton Format

Canadian Highlander is a unique and popular singleton format in Magic: The Gathering, though not officially supported by Wizards of the Coast. It offers a compelling alternative to Commander for players who enjoy singleton deck construction but prefer one-on-one gameplay.

This format caters to players who appreciate the strategic depth of building a deck with only one copy of each non-basic land card. Its dedicated fanbase and engaging gameplay make it a worthwhile exploration.

Understanding Canadian Highlander

Canadian Highlander decks consist of at least 100 cards, with no duplicates allowed (excluding basic lands). It's a head-to-head format without sideboards. While you can exceed 100 cards, 100 is generally recommended. The absence of sideboards means companions are playable in the maindeck but not as companions. Cards allowing multiple copies, such as Persistent Petitioners, are permitted.

The format uses the Vintage banlist. However, unlike Vintage's restrictions, Canadian Highlander's singleton nature inherently limits card redundancy. Power level is not a factor in banning cards; only cards banned across all Magic formats are excluded.

Maintaining Balance: The Points System

Canadian Highlander employs a points system (1-8) to regulate powerful cards. A deck's total point value cannot exceed ten. Players can opt to avoid using any point-valued cards. This system dynamically adapts; overly dominant cards are added to the list to curb their impact.

The current points list:

Ancestral Recall: 8 Points	Ancient Tomb: 1 Point	Black Lotus: 7 Points
Demonic Tutor: 3 Points	Dig Through Time: 1 Point	Flash: 7 Points
Forth Eorlingas!: 1 Point	Gifts Ungiven: 1 Point	Imperial Seal: 1 Point
Intuition: 1 Point	Mana Crypt: 5 Points	Mana Drain: 1 Point
Mana Vault: 1 Point	Minsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes: 1 Point	Mox Emerald: 3 Points
Mox Jet: 3 Points	Mox Pearl: 3 Points	Mox Ruby: 3 Points
Mox Sapphire: 3 Points	Mystical Tutor: 1 Point	Natural Order: 1 Point
Psychic Frog: 1 Frog	Reanimate: 1 Point	Sol Ring: 3 Points
Strip Mine: 1 Point	Tainted Pact: 1 Point	Thassa's Oracle: 6 Points
Time Vault: 7 Points	Time Walk: 6 Points	Tinker: 3 Points
Tolarian Academy: 1 Point	Treasure Cruise: 1 Point	True-Name Nemesis: 1 Point
Underworld Breach: 3 Points	Urza's Saga: 1 Point	Vampiric Tutor: 2 Points
White Plume Adventurer: 1 Point	Wishclaw Talisman: 1 Point	Wrenn and Six: 1 Point

Completely banned cards:

Cards using the ante mechanic.	Cards with the conspiracy card type.
Cards banned for cultural insensitivity.	Cards using the sticker or attraction mechanic.
Silver-bordered/acorn-stamped cards.	Chaos Orb
Falling Star	Shahrazad

Deckbuilding Strategies

For newcomers, studying Legacy archetypes provides a solid foundation, despite the difference in card counts. Examining successful historical Legacy builds and current Canadian Highlander meta decks offers valuable insights. Analyzing cards banned in other formats can also reveal potent options for Canadian Highlander.

Unlike Commander's social nature, Canadian Highlander is competitive. While budget considerations might arise, the goal is to build a competitive and enjoyable deck.

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