Well, Have fun reading. I'm sure someone is going find a counter spell to troll their way around this one.
A well-known forum lurker makes a very strong point on the state of magic, or more it's players. Something interesting that everyone should take a gander at. It makes me a little sad to see the originality of magic dying so somberly.
Oh for God's sake! Why does everyone always start their card analysis with something that is effectively the phrase "I can't see a use for this card: therefore it's crap, oh god I hate wizards, they're killing magic." I thought it was bad during Shards spoiler season but now we're in Conflux (which looks like being a better set than Shards) and things are almost reaching epidemic proportions. I seriously believe that the following card would still be called ineffective by some people:
(Insert Name Here) Rocks0
Instant
You win the game. Your opponent and any other living human within one mile of your current location must buy you a drink.
These super-pumps are not intended for constructed play! Have you any idea how crap a set would be if every card was designed for constructed play? Domain is good in limited - it adds a whole new level to the game. In constructed play you build your deck around a certain strategy and play to prevent your opponent from scuppering said strategy - with the idea being that your strategy is better than theirs. In limited you have to build for any strategy you opponent might throw at you and build to the best strategy you can make for the cards you have. The more mechanics and features wizards build in, the more dimensions are to that process and the more fun it is to play. Imagine playing in limited and having a Dragonsoul or Paragon dropped in front of you - your opponent could easily have three out of the five mana already. What does your deck have that can stop that thing if he gets out all five? Nothing? Well you either got a bad set of cards or built a bad deck. That's what makes Limited so much fun to play, it's a level playing field and the person who can plan for the most eventuallities and knows how to make the best out of the worst of cards - wins. People don't seem to see the polar differences between these cards: Dragonsoul is your attacker, an 8/5 trampling flying monster that will smash through your enemies lines. Paragon is your defender - are you going to attack when you know they'll just pump it to a 5/5 flying with lifelink? They'll end up with more life after the attack than before it! The same idea, executed differently - and it gives two brand new situations to play against. What if you can force your opponent to tap just one of those five lands... how can my strategy acheive that? Can I goad them into attacking me so I can drop Resounding Silence?
The point is to have a full spectrum of cards in each set/block so that players have a lot to choose from and can think of multiple solutions to a single problem. The cards themselves are neither good or bad - that's the players - the more innovative and different each new card becomes, the more fun the game becomes. I really don't see why people spend so much money buying the same Fae deck as everyone else who read the decklist online - surely the fun is to build your own deck with your own tactics for your own style of play? To create a new deck that no one else has thought of and then to put in the time, find the inspiration, find the right cards and make that deck great? If you're all about winning, then wizards might as well print that card up there. If you want to enjoy the game then you need a full spectrum of cards... And if you still want to win, then you're going to have to start seeing the advantage of every card there is - because one day you might just open a booster full of Tortoise Formations.
So how about, from now on, we simply say what a card can be used for, or what other cards it might work well with. And, if you can't think of anything like that to say - unplug your keyboard until you can.
By the way, the topic was Paragon of the Amesha, and it's effectiveness.
It's understandable blue control players would be shocked and in denial at the notion of this card, since their decks have been dominating multiple formats for an eternity yet they've curiously never once had to deal with any counter-hosers that weren't ineffectual, narrow CRAP.
Appealing to people's reason is commendable, but will never catch on. This is Humanity we're talking about. Moreover, it's Humanity on the Internet. Bad combo.
1. Not everyone likes limited.
2. Constructed formats are more diverse, and to some degree more fun, if they have a wide variety of constructed playable cards.
3. If I have no interest in limited, and I want standard to be more fun, I might want a wide variety of constructed playable cards.
4. If I have no interest in limited, and I want more constructed playables, I would be a little pissed off at some of the things they're printing solely for limited.
5. Pissed off people complain more than my grandmother on a bad day.
This is why I complain about the new sets. Sure, there are some powerful cards, but there aren't that many of them. It's like trying to paint a picture with only one color of paint. You can do it, but it's much harder and much less interesting than if you had a million colors.
From where I'm sitting, I can look at my wall and see a painting done with one color. It's pretty interesting what was done with the brushstrokes to draw the eye to different parts of the work. I'm glad I have something like Incurable Ogre to make this post relevant.
So far, Conflux is just not shaping out to be that good of a set. We're halfway through; maybe something will salvage the set.
Maybe.
At least we still have that half of a set of hope. If Conflux continues to be this bad, I may not be buying Magic for a long time to come.
Wizards need to be printing awesome sets to keep people interested. Even if you didn't like it, Lorwyn was a very solid set. It had both flavor and card potency, with a good power range. That's what we need more of.
I think most people forget that magic is meant to be fun. After watching the spoiler getting more and more complete I'm really looking forward to playing casual/multiplayer with most of the conflux cards.
Word Mastachief. It seems to me that even if all you want is powerful cards to compete at tournaments, most any set will be able to fulfill your deck building needs. New sets will rarely provide something to trigger a sudden overhaul, making a deck twice as powerful. Instead they usually provide tweaked versions of known effects that need to be evaluated compared to their well known, and in-use counterparts. Unless you show up to a tournament with some amazingly metagamed home-brew like Tyrant-Oath, you're just looking at new sets to provide minor changes to decks that are known to work.
But I think the root of the arguments of "New Set Blows!" vs "New Set Rocks!", comes down to diversity in tastes. Every set has something for any player. But if you alienate any playerbase by ignoring them consistently, the game and its community will shrink. That would hurt magic, not the fact that individuals only like some cards.
I didn't buy any Shards because I was mostly interested in picking up some of the singles. This has happened with sets before, and it will happen with sets again. But right now I'm excited for Conflux, and I know that many future sets will have goodies for me.
At least we still have that half of a set of hope. If Conflux continues to be this bad, I may not be buying Magic for a long time to come.
Wizards need to be printing awesome sets to keep people interested. Even if you didn't like it, Lorwyn was a very solid set. It had both flavor and card potency, with a good power range. That's what we need more of.
And so many people are complaining that Lor block has made constructed dull and uninteresting, and too powerful.
Seriously, magic players seem to kvetch more than a room full of old Jewish women. Some will not buy Conflux, where as I will go nuts on it, and many I know are amped for it as well. Then again I'm not a Spike and like to think of Magic as fun, but some people take it way more seriously. To each their own, I guess.
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Decks
Commander
Ezuri, Renegade Leader (Aggro/Combo - Favorite) Skullbriar, the Walking Grave (Sac and Grave hijinks) Azusa, Lost but Seeking (Landfall hijinks) Kaalia of the Vast (Heavily modded)
Sets have to be made with limited in mind. You can't just put "more constructed playables" in a set. The very definition of a constructed playable is that it's the best of the best. If you made two blocks and a base set out of all of the very best cards ever printed, people would still only play 15% of them in competitive Standard because however good they are on average, something still has to be best, and that's what you're going to play.
Sets have to be made with limited in mind. You can't just put "more constructed playables" in a set. The very definition of a constructed playable is that it's the best of the best. If you made two blocks and a base set out of all of the very best cards ever printed, people would still only play 15% of them in competitive Standard because however good they are on average, something still has to be best, and that's what you're going to play.
Man oh Man do hear you on Thornling. When the CON names were released last year I was holding my breath for the next step in a mega-cycle. When they're all out, I'll probably build a Rainbow Stairwell deck for that cycle to argue over who gets my mana.:D
I am always excited to play with new cards. I don't play standard (or any competitive constructed format) so I don't mind low power levels. It makes drafts interesting. And I can always tweak my online prismatic deck.
Anyway, the best part of magic is complaining about it, so continue.
(Insert Name Here) Rocks
Instant
You win the game. Your opponent and any other living human within one mile of your current location must buy you a drink.
This is why I complain about the new sets. Sure, there are some powerful cards, but there aren't that many of them.
Ever since the invention of buying singles over the internet, I stopped complaining about the constructed playables in new sets. Unless they release a set where 80 percent of the cards are constructed playable, I'll stick to singles, and you should too. Limited is a format that can actually use 80% of the cards in that pack, therefore is the format that actually cares about most of the cards spoiled.
I'm just getting back into M:tG after a decade away from the game (I played for 1 year in middle school with me l33t mercadian masques rebel deck).
Perhaps it's because I'm very VERY much the Vorthos-type when it comes down to it, but I'm loving the Conflux cards I've seen thus far. Just getting back into the swing of things, I really have no basis to judge the power or playability of cards.
That being said, the art (continuing the Shards of Alara hotness) is generally looking good, flavor text continues to be hot, and a lot of the mechanics look to be a lot of fun to get in a deck.
Damnit people... sit back and enjoy the Magic love.
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A well-known forum lurker makes a very strong point on the state of magic, or more it's players. Something interesting that everyone should take a gander at. It makes me a little sad to see the originality of magic dying so somberly.
By the way, the topic was Paragon of the Amesha, and it's effectiveness.
2. Constructed formats are more diverse, and to some degree more fun, if they have a wide variety of constructed playable cards.
3. If I have no interest in limited, and I want standard to be more fun, I might want a wide variety of constructed playable cards.
4. If I have no interest in limited, and I want more constructed playables, I would be a little pissed off at some of the things they're printing solely for limited.
5. Pissed off people complain more than my grandmother on a bad day.
This is why I complain about the new sets. Sure, there are some powerful cards, but there aren't that many of them. It's like trying to paint a picture with only one color of paint. You can do it, but it's much harder and much less interesting than if you had a million colors.
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Maybe.
At least we still have that half of a set of hope. If Conflux continues to be this bad, I may not be buying Magic for a long time to come.
Wizards need to be printing awesome sets to keep people interested. Even if you didn't like it, Lorwyn was a very solid set. It had both flavor and card potency, with a good power range. That's what we need more of.
Thanks to spiderboy4 of High~Light Studios for the awesome banner and avatar!
Word Mastachief. It seems to me that even if all you want is powerful cards to compete at tournaments, most any set will be able to fulfill your deck building needs. New sets will rarely provide something to trigger a sudden overhaul, making a deck twice as powerful. Instead they usually provide tweaked versions of known effects that need to be evaluated compared to their well known, and in-use counterparts. Unless you show up to a tournament with some amazingly metagamed home-brew like Tyrant-Oath, you're just looking at new sets to provide minor changes to decks that are known to work.
But I think the root of the arguments of "New Set Blows!" vs "New Set Rocks!", comes down to diversity in tastes. Every set has something for any player. But if you alienate any playerbase by ignoring them consistently, the game and its community will shrink. That would hurt magic, not the fact that individuals only like some cards.
I didn't buy any Shards because I was mostly interested in picking up some of the singles. This has happened with sets before, and it will happen with sets again. But right now I'm excited for Conflux, and I know that many future sets will have goodies for me.
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And so many people are complaining that Lor block has made constructed dull and uninteresting, and too powerful.
Seriously, magic players seem to kvetch more than a room full of old Jewish women. Some will not buy Conflux, where as I will go nuts on it, and many I know are amped for it as well. Then again I'm not a Spike and like to think of Magic as fun, but some people take it way more seriously. To each their own, I guess.
Commander
Ezuri, Renegade Leader (Aggro/Combo - Favorite)
Skullbriar, the Walking Grave (Sac and Grave hijinks)
Azusa, Lost but Seeking (Landfall hijinks)
Kaalia of the Vast (Heavily modded)
Standard
Waiting for Innistrad...
Extended
Hah!
Modern
Living End Cascade (RGB)
Legacy
Burn
Vintage
None
Casual
WB Aggro-Control
Green Stompy
Pink Floyd (UWr Wall Control)
Lunch Box (Fatty ramp)
D-Bag (White Control)
Level 13 Task Mage
I think you're onto something there.:)
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Anyway, the best part of magic is complaining about it, so continue.
It isn't good enough cause it doesn't have Split Second or Uncounterability. Herbal Poultice deck wins will own this card. http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?p=3513048#post3513048
EDIT: Quoted and sigged. 1 thing off my "bucket list".
Currently offering 2 non-foil Kolighan's Command for a Date Stamped foil!
convert bulk into good cards? PucaTrade - https://pucatrade.com/invite/gift/21195
Ebay - decks/Promos/DVDs
Trade thread (constantly updated)
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/trading-post/details/337-pokerbob1s-casual-trading-emporium
You sir just won the saying awesome things game.
You have a point about the draft part though. I draft at least once a week, maybe twice. So it's nice to see cards that will be fun in limited.
Thanks to spiderboy4 of High~Light Studios for the awesome banner and avatar!
Ever since the invention of buying singles over the internet, I stopped complaining about the constructed playables in new sets. Unless they release a set where 80 percent of the cards are constructed playable, I'll stick to singles, and you should too. Limited is a format that can actually use 80% of the cards in that pack, therefore is the format that actually cares about most of the cards spoiled.
Complaining is so 2008.
Art Page
Alters for sale
Spam/Flame/Troll Infraction.
I'm just getting back into M:tG after a decade away from the game (I played for 1 year in middle school with me l33t mercadian masques rebel deck).
Perhaps it's because I'm very VERY much the Vorthos-type when it comes down to it, but I'm loving the Conflux cards I've seen thus far. Just getting back into the swing of things, I really have no basis to judge the power or playability of cards.
That being said, the art (continuing the Shards of Alara hotness) is generally looking good, flavor text continues to be hot, and a lot of the mechanics look to be a lot of fun to get in a deck.
Damnit people... sit back and enjoy the Magic love.