Introduction To The Format



Tiny Leaders

A Magic: The Gathering format

The Tiny Leaders format was conceived in 2013 as a format for those who enjoy a challenge when deck building, and love EDH.  The rules are simple- 50 card decks, including your "Commander", with no more than one of each card (a "Highlander" format), and no card shall exceed converted mana cost 3.


About the Creators: The format was created by Bramwell Tackaberry*, of Winnipeg Manitoba.  It spread quickly in the local community- the official facebook page was created by Bram (and continues to be managed by him).  The format was tested rigorously in the first few months, eventually the bulk of the creative direction and online presence was taken up by Steven Hamonic**, to effect of this blog and the official subreddit.  The banlist is currently managed by Steven, with input from community testers.  Please direct any questions or concerns to Bram or Steven- our contact information is listed in the footnotes.

Elder Dragon Highlander (a.k.a. Commander) Rules: a comprehensive list of the precursor format's rules can be found at http://mtgcommander.net/rules.php .  The Tiny Leaders format ignores play rule 10: "If a player has been dealt 21 points of combat damage by a particular Commander during the game, that player loses a game." and changes play rule 13: "Players begin the game with 40 life." to "Players begin the game with 25 life."

Special Rules: Decks are constructed with 50 cards, each card must not contain mana symbols not present in their Commander's Colour Identity (ref. Rule 3, 
http://mtgcommander.net/rules.php) and every card should have a converted mana cost of 3 or less.

Tiny Leaders is presented to be a one on one format, with a best of three match, and 10 card sideboards.  Sideboarding is done in between games.  Your deck must remain 50 cards, and your commander may not change between games.

The Banned List: Our list is still undergoing changes, but the cards currently present are:

  • Ancestral Recall
  • Balance
  • Black Lotus
  • Black Vise
  • Channel
  • Chaos Orb
  • Contract From Below
  • Counterbalance
  • Darkpact
  • Demonic Attorney
  • Demonic Tutor
  • Earthcraft
  • Edric, Spymaster of Trest
  • Falling Star
  • Fastbond
  • Goblin Recruiter
  • Grindstone
  • Hermit Druid
  • High Tide
  • Imperial Seal
  • Jeweled Bird
  • Karakas
  • Library of Alexandria
  • Mana Crypt
  • Mana Drain
  • Mana Vault
  • Metalworker
  • Mind Twist
  • Mishra's Workshop
  • Mox Emerald, Jet, Pearl, Ruby, and Sapphire
  • Najeela, the Blade Blossom
  • Necropotence
  • Shahrazad
  • Skullclamp
  • Sol Ring
  • Strip Mine
  • Survival of the Fittest
  • Sword of Body and Mind
  • The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
  • Time Vault
  • Time Walk
  • Timetwister
  • Timmerian Fiends
  • Tolarian Academy
  • Umezawa's Jitte
  • Vampiric Tutor
  • Wheel of Fortune
  • Yawgmoth's Will
Additionally, these Legendary creatures cannot be used as Commanders:
  • Derevi, Empyrial Tactician
  • Erayo, Soratami Ascendant
  • Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
Play Rules: There are no "free" mulligans.  Tiny Leaders uses a modified "Vancouver mulligan" rule: Players start with a hand of 8 minus the number of cards in their command zone. If they choose to mulligan, the player shuffles his or her hand into their library and draws one fewer card than their last hand, a player may not mulligan a hand with 0 cards. After players have decided to keep their starting hand, any player whose current hand size is fewer than their maximum hand size (any number less than seven) may scry 1 in first player-second player order.

If a commander would be put into a graveyard from anywhere or exiled from anywhere (so long as it is face-up or a player can look at it face down,) it's owner may choose to put it in the command zone.

Each time you cast your commander, the next time you cast it from your command zone, it will cost (2) generic mana more to play.

*Bramwell Tackaberry: contact email thelegendofvriska@gmail.com

**Steven Hamonic: contact email shamonic93@gmail.com