From what I have observed, the Zendikar block is one of the most popular blocks in the recent history of this game, and I am wondering why that is. I understand that it certainly had many powerful and useful cards and elements, such as the new fetchlands, amulet of vigor, realms uncharted, the Eldrazi, and Jace and Sorin, plus the landfall mechanic put a great emphasis on lands, and the multikicker ability was very awesome, as well.
I certainly found many cards in that block to be interesting or awesome, but that block followed immediately after the Alara block, which is one of my favorite blocks ever, due to its major focus on multicolored cards. I personally enjoyed Alara much more than Zendikar; Zendikar simply could not compare to Alara, in my mind, with only a scarce few multicolored cards in its entirety, so I still am wondering why it was, and still is, so popular,
What does everyone else say about this? Why was/is the Zendikar block so popular?
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“When the people fear the government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”-Thomas Jefferson
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I think Zendikar was the last time that I made a decent amount of money by pre-purchasing cards, then selling later. I am also a Spike and loved RW Boros Landfall, RUG Midrange w/ Jace, GW Quest, Valakut, etc. I had Caw Blade built for play testing, but only ended up playing it once at an FNM (while playing the other decks in top 8s of PTQs and other tournaments). Sadly enough, I was 3-2, losing to the mirror and a Bant Pod deck. I loved the fetches and too many other cards to mention.
Zendikar block was probably my favorite block since Lorwyn. Making a killing selling cards and doing well in tournaments. What could be better?
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Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
I loved it. The flavor of the land and cool cards and whole feel of the set etc. Also the way the block interacted with alara block. It also had my favorite card in it rampaging baloths
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Currently Playing:
Modern: RUGScapeshift[RUG...Occasionally with goyfs RUGTarmotwinRUG(RIP)
Legacy: UWxuwr miracles and stonebladeUWx
Commander: UWRShu Yun/Ruhan SmashUWR
Best limited experience of all time imo. I liked how blisteringly fast it was an how deep the Archetypes were. This paired with full Art, awesome mechanics, and an intriguing standard made it a very praiseworthy set.
To add to what people already said, there were full art basic lands that now go for at least a dollar each nowadays, and the enemy fetchlands will be highly sought after for many years to come. This isn't even including one of the most loved and absolutely hated cards in recent memory, which is Jace, the Mindsculptor. The fact that there were also super super rare "hidden treasure" cards dating back to the days of Alpha, it certainly didn't hurt the block's popularity.
Best limited experience of all time imo. I liked how blisteringly fast it was an how deep the Archetypes were. This paired with full Art, awesome mechanics, and an intriguing standard made it a very praiseworthy set.
This was something that I forgot. It was the first time that I stuck with Aggro in Limited and did extremely well. I played Limited a LOT during this time, sticking with BW, RW, or RB almost exclusively and raised my DCI rating a good 200 points at the end of the Zendikar set (although it dropped a bunch during ROE). Although I had played since forever, Ravnica was the first time that I actually played Limited a little bit. I never wanted to play Limited before then. I had no success while trying to draft Control decks. Limited is just a different format than Constructed. During Time Spiral, I had a lot of success and raised my DCI rating to 1-2 Bye status. But, Zendikar (and stuff like Vampire Nighthawk, a card that I never used in Constructed) will always have a special place in my heart.
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Legacy - Sneak Show, BR Reanimator, Miracles, UW Stoneblade
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/ Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander - Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build) (dead format for me)
More exciting for constructed, more impact for modern/legacy/vintage and coincidentally more exciting for limited. Stuff like RTR-Theros standard is about as fun as going to the dentist for a filling.
Not to mention that was pretty much close to the *top* of the power swing they talk about, where we are near the very *boring* bottom, though KTK block looks to be pushing up
[quote from="Narvuntien »" url="http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/magic-fundamentals/magic-general/581971-why-is-was-zendikar-so-popular?comment=2"]If they loved Zendy they are probably Spikes.[quote]Couldn't disagree more. I'm one of the furthest things from a spike, and I loved Zendikar because it was fun. I've been playing for 12 years, and Zendikar was one of the two most fun limited environments I have ever enjoyed. The fact that you could build up and play Pelakka Wurm, Ulamog's Crusher, etc was awesome. Some of the cheaper creatures, like Vampire Nighthawk, were also super powerful. I play almost exclusively EDH except for when I draft to get new cards, and I had a blast in Zendikar. The only other format I play is pauper, and I do have a Zendikar block pauper Eldrazi deck.
Best limited experience of all time imo. I liked how blisteringly fast it was
Of course the wonderful thing about opinions is that someone always disagrees, and there are plenty of people for whom the blistering speed was precisely the reason they DISliked Zendikar limited so much. Like me.
But at least I loved RoE limited, so the year wasn't a total disappointment.
I feel like Theros limited WR heroic decks felt a lot like Zendikar aggro decks... you just know that if you ever block you are going to get blown out. But Theros (which I also dislike) seems to have many fewer supporters than Zen.
I Zendikar there are a lott of cards that are used in modern. Since sendicar block was printed the amount of magic players has doubeled grobaly. Since all modern decks need fetchlands, zendikar is worth a lot of playeres.
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I started playing with M10 and Zendikar, I think the fact that M10 revitalized the core set (some rules changes + new cards in a coreset) made this a really good
jumping on point. I think it's also the start of NWO as well?
I remember a lot of discussion about it not being multicolour being a good change from Alara and Lorwyn etc, making it a breath of fresh air for existing players.
There was also the Hidden Treasures competition in the first printing. Random copies of older cards (power, Candelabras, Force of Wills, etc) were hidden in random booster packs and there was a big treasure hunt.
Honestly, I hated Zendikar/Worldwake, but loved Rise of the Eldrazi.
Battlecruiser Magic and a limited format with varied and emergent draft archetypes are awesome.
Take every 2 drop you see and win formats like Zendikar/Worldwake? Not so much.
Deep in a murmuring bosk, where the trees' memories span centuries, the simple banner of green and copper signifies an elder whose rings number more than a faerie's days.
I certainly found many cards in that block to be interesting or awesome, but that block followed immediately after the Alara block, which is one of my favorite blocks ever, due to its major focus on multicolored cards. I personally enjoyed Alara much more than Zendikar; Zendikar simply could not compare to Alara, in my mind, with only a scarce few multicolored cards in its entirety, so I still am wondering why it was, and still is, so popular,
What does everyone else say about this? Why was/is the Zendikar block so popular?
“When the people fear the government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”-Thomas Jefferson
“A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of its user.”-Theodore Roosevelt
“Patriotism means to stand by one's country; it does not mean to stand by one's president.”-Theodore Roosevelt
If they loved Zendy they are probably Spikes.
Although keep in mind most people think the set in which they started playing is the best one for nostalgia reasons.
Pioneer:UR Pheonix
Modern:U Mono U Tron
EDH
GB Glissa, the traitor: Army of Cans
UW Dragonlord Ojutai: Dragonlord NOjutai
UWGDerevi, Empyrial Tactician "you cannot fight the storm"
R Zirilan of the claw. The solution to every problem is dragons
UB Etrata, the Silencer Cloning assassination
Peasant cube: Cards I own
Zendikar block was probably my favorite block since Lorwyn. Making a killing selling cards and doing well in tournaments. What could be better?
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)Modern:
RUGScapeshift[RUG...Occasionally with goyfs
RUGTarmotwinRUG(RIP)
Legacy:
UWxuwr miracles and stonebladeUWx
Commander:
UWRShu Yun/Ruhan SmashUWR
This was something that I forgot. It was the first time that I stuck with Aggro in Limited and did extremely well. I played Limited a LOT during this time, sticking with BW, RW, or RB almost exclusively and raised my DCI rating a good 200 points at the end of the Zendikar set (although it dropped a bunch during ROE). Although I had played since forever, Ravnica was the first time that I actually played Limited a little bit. I never wanted to play Limited before then. I had no success while trying to draft Control decks. Limited is just a different format than Constructed. During Time Spiral, I had a lot of success and raised my DCI rating to 1-2 Bye status. But, Zendikar (and stuff like Vampire Nighthawk, a card that I never used in Constructed) will always have a special place in my heart.
Premodern - Trix, RecSur, Enchantress, Reanimator, Elves https://www.facebook.com/groups/PremodernUSA/
Modern - Neobrand, Hogaak Vine, Elves
Standard - Mono Red (6-2 and 5-3 in 2 McQ)
Draft - (I wish I had more time for limited...)
Commander -
Norin the Wary, Grimgrin, Adun Oakenshield (taking forever to build)(dead format for me)Not to mention that was pretty much close to the *top* of the power swing they talk about, where we are near the very *boring* bottom, though KTK block looks to be pushing up
2023 Average Peasant Cube|and Discussion
Because I have more decks than fit in a signature
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Of course the wonderful thing about opinions is that someone always disagrees, and there are plenty of people for whom the blistering speed was precisely the reason they DISliked Zendikar limited so much. Like me.
But at least I loved RoE limited, so the year wasn't a total disappointment.
I feel like Theros limited WR heroic decks felt a lot like Zendikar aggro decks... you just know that if you ever block you are going to get blown out. But Theros (which I also dislike) seems to have many fewer supporters than Zen.
jumping on point. I think it's also the start of NWO as well?
I remember a lot of discussion about it not being multicolour being a good change from Alara and Lorwyn etc, making it a breath of fresh air for existing players.
Battlecruiser Magic and a limited format with varied and emergent draft archetypes are awesome.
Take every 2 drop you see and win formats like Zendikar/Worldwake? Not so much.
Eldrazi are cool villains, and enemy color fetch lands are awesome.
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Full art lands.
Enemy fetches.
Some enjoyed the limited environment. (for me personally I didnt like it, was way too fast, way too narrow)
I was just getting into standard after years of just laying casual back then but I remember seeing so many different good decks back then