Personally I think the "Block structure" is actually going to be something akin to odyssey/torment/judgement where the color distribution of cards is uneven per set but even across the block.
It could also, alternately, be something akin to Legions where it's card type distribution rather than color distribution, although I am unsure how well that block sold and thus how good of an idea they'd consider it. Personally I liked drafting that block but ymmv.
Personally I think the "Block structure" is actually going to be something akin to odyssey/torment/judgement where the color distribution of cards is uneven per set but even across the block.
It could also, alternately, be something akin to Legions where it's card type distribution rather than color distribution, although I am unsure how well that block sold and thus how good of an idea they'd consider it. Personally I liked drafting that block but ymmv.
uneven color distribution would screw up limited so bad, wizards wont be doing that again
As I keep saying, they aren't going to reprint the fetchlands in M15. Deathrite Shaman and the Shocklands would both be in Standard still, as would a large amount of cards that would be used to create a BGx deck that would be able to dominate in the format.
Okay, so now you must admit you were wrong about the 10 land objection. So now you're only objection is DRS, and that's easily resolved with banning or specific anti-DRS answers in M15.
What was the 10 land objection again? Also, Wizards is not going to ban a card in Standard just so that they can reprint a few cards. Wizards cares about Modern, but they try to avoid bans in Standard whenever possible. As for hate cards, what hate cards could they possibly make that could beat one of the strongest creatures ever printed?
if M15 has fetchs it will be soo crazy this rogues mounths before rotation...
From multi to mono and to multi back again esper player will be happy URW player will be kind glady those naya decks will be glad those GW agros will be happy ,mono B will be ***** and mono U ( Splashed or not) will be just as usual ( ) hahaha
And BG, Jund, Junk, and BUG will be happiest of all.
Maybe, just maybe, this new block structure will be similar to Return to Ravnica's Large Large Small structure, but when you draft the third set, that is, a small set, there won't be a booster pack from the first set.
Remember Zendikar and Innistrad blocks, with the third large set being drafted alone, and the first and second sets drafted together? Maybe this time, the first set is drafted alone, and the second and third sets are drafted together.
Maybe, just maybe, this new block structure will be similar to Return to Ravnica's Large Large Small structure, but when you draft the third set, that is, a small set, there won't be a booster pack from the first set.
Remember Zendikar and Innistrad blocks, with the third large set being drafted alone, and the first and second sets drafted together? Maybe this time, the first set is drafted alone, and the second and third sets are drafted together.
Dragons maze was DGM-GTC-RTR. Because GTC and RTR were both large sets, and DGM had support for all 10 guilds, it made more sense than DGM-GTC-GTC or DGM-RTR-RTR, since that would leave half the guilds in DGM with no support outside of DGM.
[quote from="Valanarch" url="http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/magic-fundamentals/the-rumor-mill/547462-huey-dewey-louie-confirmed-new-plane?comment=111"]As I keep saying, they aren't going to reprint the fetchlands in M15. Deathrite Shaman and the Shocklands would both be in Standard still, as would a large amount of cards that would be used to create a BGx deck that would be able to dominate in the format.
Okay, so now you must admit you were wrong about the 10 land objection. So now you're only objection is DRS, and that's easily resolved with banning or specific anti-DRS answers in M15.
What was the 10 land objection again? Also, Wizards is not going to ban a card in Standard just so that they can reprint a few cards. Wizards cares about Modern, but they try to avoid bans in Standard whenever possible. As for hate cards, what hate cards could they possibly make that could beat one of the strongest creatures ever printed?
It was hjerk's, which I thought you were agreeing with. As long as we both agree 10 land cycles are doable in core then we're fine there. And since you have to reprint the fetches, this is a case where avoiding the ban is not possible. (Well, I mean, they could not ban it, but if they're concerned, they will ban it rather than not reprint fetches.) It's easy to construct hate cards, for example: Enchantment: Cards in graveyards cannot be the target of spells or abilities.
[quote from="Valanarch" url="http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/magic-fundamentals/the-rumor-mill/547462-huey-dewey-louie-confirmed-new-plane?comment=111"]As I keep saying, they aren't going to reprint the fetchlands in M15. Deathrite Shaman and the Shocklands would both be in Standard still, as would a large amount of cards that would be used to create a BGx deck that would be able to dominate in the format.
Okay, so now you must admit you were wrong about the 10 land objection. So now you're only objection is DRS, and that's easily resolved with banning or specific anti-DRS answers in M15.
What was the 10 land objection again? Also, Wizards is not going to ban a card in Standard just so that they can reprint a few cards. Wizards cares about Modern, but they try to avoid bans in Standard whenever possible. As for hate cards, what hate cards could they possibly make that could beat one of the strongest creatures ever printed?
It was hjerk's, which I thought you were agreeing with. As long as we both agree 10 land cycles are doable in core then we're fine there. And since you have to reprint the fetches, this is a case where avoiding the ban is not possible. (Well, I mean, they could not ban it, but if they're concerned, they will ban it rather than not reprint fetches.) It's easy to construct hate cards, for example: Enchantment: Cards in graveyards cannot be the target of spells or abilities.
I wasn't agreeing with the 10 land objection. In fact, I think 10 land cycles will be the norm in core sets in the future. I just think that they would rather wait a few months to reprint the fetchlands instead of preemptively banning a card in Standard. Also, the cards would have to either be more broad hate or maindeckable hate. In hypothetical Standard Jund, that would only hit DRS. Even if it hurts the strongest card in the deck, that doesn't change the fact that it would only hit that card and thus not be worth bringing in. It is like the Modern players who bring in Stony Silence to stop Birthing Pod. It just doesn't work really well.
Remember Zendikar and Innistrad blocks, with the third large set being drafted alone, and the first and second sets drafted together? Maybe this time, the first set is drafted alone, and the second and third sets are drafted together.
That would hinder sales of the second set since it can't be drafted until the 3rd set gets released, so I doubt it. I do think you're on to something, though. Maybe it will be a Large-Small-Large block just like Innistrad, except that the draft format goes 1st set/1st set/1 set; 1st set/1st set/2nd set, 3rd set/3rd set/3rd set, and 2nd set/3rd set/3rd set. That way, the 2nd set gets a little more time in the limelight.
Remember Zendikar and Innistrad blocks, with the third large set being drafted alone, and the first and second sets drafted together? Maybe this time, the first set is drafted alone, and the second and third sets are drafted together.
That would hinder sales of the second set since it can't be drafted until the 3rd set gets released, so I doubt it. I do think you're on to something, though. Maybe it will be a Large-Small-Large block just like Innistrad, except that the draft format goes 1st set/1st set/1 set; 1st set/1st set/2nd set, 3rd set/3rd set/3rd set, and 2nd set/3rd set/3rd set. That way, the 2nd set gets a little more time in the limelight.
Dark ascension would hinder sales of Innistrad since it can't be drafted until Dark Ascension gets released, so I doubt it.
Hate to break it to you, but imagine Avacyn Restored was set 1, Innistrad was set 2, and Dark Ascension was set 3, and the packs used to draft the sets was how it always was when ISD was set 1, DKA was set 2, and AVR was set 3.
That's what I am trying to get at. I mentioned dragon maze because it was drafted along with the first and second sets with the block. Innistrad and Dark Ascension were always drafted together but they were the first and second sets. Avacyn restored was drafted alone, but that was the third set. So what happened if the first set was drafted alone, and the second and third sets were drafted together?
Likewise, what did they do with Innistrad draft before Dark Ascension was released? Triple Innistrad? So what do you do with the second set draft before third set gets released? Triple second set?
If you can't figure this out, just think of rather than the third set being standalone, the first set is standalone.
Let's say for some reason that the first set was drafted with the third set, and the second set was standalone. In that case, I don't think that would work, as I feel that it breaks the flow of drafting, unless you are drafting the second set along with the first and third sets. So out of the 3 permutations with one set being drafted by itself, without any set being drafted with it at any point in time, like Rise of the Eldrazi and Avacyn Restored, only the second set cannot be drafted by itself, unless people actually like drafting a first set first set third set. We've done the third set being drafted by itself, but never ever the first. You may say that the first set is drafted by itself all the time, but remember that as time goes on, the second set is always drafted with it once it was released. We have never ever seen the first set drafted by itself, second set drafted by itself, and then the third set being drafted without the first set.
Remember Zendikar and Innistrad blocks, with the third large set being drafted alone, and the first and second sets drafted together? Maybe this time, the first set is drafted alone, and the second and third sets are drafted together.
That would hinder sales of the second set since it can't be drafted until the 3rd set gets released, so I doubt it. I do think you're on to something, though. Maybe it will be a Large-Small-Large block just like Innistrad, except that the draft format goes 1st set/1st set/1 set; 1st set/1st set/2nd set, 3rd set/3rd set/3rd set, and 2nd set/3rd set/3rd set. That way, the 2nd set gets a little more time in the limelight.
Dark ascension would hinder sales of Innistrad since it can't be drafted until Dark Ascension gets released, so I doubt it.
Hate to break it to you, but imagine Avacyn Restored was set 1, Innistrad was set 2, and Dark Ascension was set 3, and the packs used to draft the sets was how it always was when ISD was set 1, DKA was set 2, and AVR was set 3.
That's what I am trying to get at. I mentioned dragon maze because it was drafted along with the first and second sets with the block. Innistrad and Dark Ascension were always drafted together but they were the first and second sets. Avacyn restored was drafted alone, but that was the third set. So what happened if the first set was drafted alone, and the second and third sets were drafted together?
Likewise, what did they do with Innistrad draft before Dark Ascension was released? Triple Innistrad? So what do you do with the second set draft before third set gets released? Triple second set?
If you can't figure this out, just think of rather than the third set being standalone, the first set is standalone.
Let's say for some reason that the first set was drafted with the third set, and the second set was standalone. In that case, I don't think that would work, as I feel that it breaks the flow of drafting, unless you are drafting the second set along with the first and third sets. So out of the 3 permutations with one set being drafted by itself, without any set being drafted with it at any point in time, like Rise of the Eldrazi and Avacyn Restored, only the second set cannot be drafted by itself, unless people actually like drafting a first set first set third set. We've done the third set being drafted by itself, but never ever the first. You may say that the first set is drafted by itself all the time, but remember that as time goes on, the second set is always drafted with it once it was released. We have never ever seen the first set drafted by itself, second set drafted by itself, and then the third set being drafted without the first set.
Triple drafting a small set has major limited problems. It's why they don't make the first set small.
Remember Zendikar and Innistrad blocks, with the third large set being drafted alone, and the first and second sets drafted together? Maybe this time, the first set is drafted alone, and the second and third sets are drafted together.
That would hinder sales of the second set since it can't be drafted until the 3rd set gets released, so I doubt it. I do think you're on to something, though. Maybe it will be a Large-Small-Large block just like Innistrad, except that the draft format goes 1st set/1st set/1 set; 1st set/1st set/2nd set, 3rd set/3rd set/3rd set, and 2nd set/3rd set/3rd set. That way, the 2nd set gets a little more time in the limelight.
Dark ascension would hinder sales of Innistrad since it can't be drafted until Dark Ascension gets released, so I doubt it.
Hate to break it to you, but imagine Avacyn Restored was set 1, Innistrad was set 2, and Dark Ascension was set 3, and the packs used to draft the sets was how it always was when ISD was set 1, DKA was set 2, and AVR was set 3.
That's what I am trying to get at. I mentioned dragon maze because it was drafted along with the first and second sets with the block. Innistrad and Dark Ascension were always drafted together but they were the first and second sets. Avacyn restored was drafted alone, but that was the third set. So what happened if the first set was drafted alone, and the second and third sets were drafted together?
Likewise, what did they do with Innistrad draft before Dark Ascension was released? Triple Innistrad? So what do you do with the second set draft before third set gets released? Triple second set?
If you can't figure this out, just think of rather than the third set being standalone, the first set is standalone.
Let's say for some reason that the first set was drafted with the third set, and the second set was standalone. In that case, I don't think that would work, as I feel that it breaks the flow of drafting, unless you are drafting the second set along with the first and third sets. So out of the 3 permutations with one set being drafted by itself, without any set being drafted with it at any point in time, like Rise of the Eldrazi and Avacyn Restored, only the second set cannot be drafted by itself, unless people actually like drafting a first set first set third set. We've done the third set being drafted by itself, but never ever the first. You may say that the first set is drafted by itself all the time, but remember that as time goes on, the second set is always drafted with it once it was released. We have never ever seen the first set drafted by itself, second set drafted by itself, and then the third set being drafted without the first set.
Triple drafting a small set has major limited problems. It's why they don't make the first set small.
You assume the second set was a small set. If you read one of my previous posts, the second set is a large set.
We have already done this, and all cases here, sets drafted with 3 of the same set come from a large set:
Drafting 3 first sets
Drafting 1 second set and 2 first sets
Drafting 3 third sets
Drafting 3 first sets
Drafting 3 second sets
Drafting one of each of third, second, and first sets.
This is where people here seem to get confused, and we have NEVER EVER seen this before.
Drafting 3 first sets
Drafting 3 second sets
Drafting 1 third set and 2 second sets.
How is Large Large Small hard to understand?
I'll make it easier for you. Draw 3 squares. Each representing a set. Circle the first two together, and circle the last one by itself. What you have here is an example of Zendikar and Innistrad blocks.
Draw 3 squares again. Circle the first one alone, and circle the other two together. This is what I think might happen. It is unique, but I just think it would be something more outrageous than this.
So you may say, how the heck are you supposed to draft sets 2 and 3 before set 3 was released? How do you think you were supposed to draft sets 1 and 2 with Innistrad and Zendikar block before set 2 was released? You draft set 1 alone. Likewise here, you draft set 2 alone.
I also came up with something off the wall that doesn't work as well as what I said before.
Draft 3 set 1's alone.
Draft 2 set 2's alone. Set 2 is a large set.
Draft 1 set 3, and 2 set 1's, and set 3 is a small set.
This might work if people like the idea of not drafting set 1 at all when set 2 is the newest set, and then set 2 is never drafted once the third set is released, and set 1 comes back, which is weird and disrupts the flow.
Some may say Warlords of Khanar was the "beta" title of the set, while Khans of Tarkir is the real name. Khans of Tarkir could also be the name of the second set, while Warlords of Khanar is the first set.
So how I said the first set being drafted by itself, and the second being a large set, also being drafted by itself, and the third set being drafted with the second set? It first the whole Khanar and Tarkir thing, if you believe that Khanar isn't "beta" Tarkir.
I'll make this simple. Khanar has some mechanics and stuff. Tarkir has similar but different mechanics from Khanar, because somehow Khanar became Tarkir in the story. Then the third set adds cool dragons.
Since Zendikar, every other block has been a re-visitation of a plane that an old block took place in, so it's a little disappointing to me that we aren't going back to Lorwyn, which would have seemed like the obvious choice. I want to play a Chameleon Colossus in Standard again
wizards has repeatedly stated that there is no pattern for returning to planes, twice is too small to be a pattern. lorwyn is considered a failure so a return there is doubtful anyway
Also i think --unique block structure is not equal to unique draft formart(or structure)-- for reasons like: draft is a format/limited and has not a rule that everyone uses (for what boosters will be opened)(there is the oficial but there is alot people that like to draft for exemple bng-bng-ths instead of bng-ths-ths )
Oh so them saying it automatically makes it true? I think the idea is that they don't want to cause speculation, not necessarily that they aren't actually doing it. Anyways I think Lorwyn may not have that successful because there was not a ton of balance, and a couple strategies were outright broken, which could easily be fixed in a new block.
Dark ascension would hinder sales of Innistrad since it can't be drafted until Dark Ascension gets released, so I doubt it.
Illogical. Innistrad was draftable by itself and Dark Ascension was ONLY draftable with Innistrad.
Hate to break it to you, but imagine Avacyn Restored was set 1, Innistrad was set 2, and Dark Ascension was set 3, and the packs used to draft the sets was how it always was when ISD was set 1, DKA was set 2, and AVR was set 3.
OK, that's more clear. Mentioning Innistrad, RTR, and Zendikaar block together in your initial post just muddled things up rather than explained your point IMO.
So basically your proposed draft order is A/A/A, B/B/B, or B/B/C. I'm not confident on that format either. One of the complaints for RTR block draft was that the second set abandoned the first set too soon compared to older blocks.
What do you think is the likelyhood that this unique block structure would so each of the following things?
1. Change the amount of main set releases in a year. A main set release in a given year would be the typical last 2 sets in one block, the core set, and the first set in the block after.
2. Outright remove the core set for one year.
3. Change the core set release from the third set in the year to either the first, second or fourth set in the year.
The reason why I say set release dates and not sets is because they could do something where they shove 2 sets in one release date. It isn't completely impossible as DFCs weren't impossible either.
Seems unlikely to me, since Wizards will probably prefer people to buy and draft only 1 "main" set at a time so that sets don't get into each other's way in terms of sales.
I'd personally much prefer it if Wizards abolished core sets completely and instead made the "pre roation set" a prievew of sorts of things to come after rotation.
The core set is there to help add balance to Standard, by giving Pre-Rotation decks a last hurrah, and seeding in cards that interact with the Post-Rotation Standard. They also are ways for them to expand on the broad storyline of the entire multiverse (Chandra's story being built upon with M14) while giving each color another walker that they can use.
Personally I'd like to see them do away with the yearly core sets and return to the ways of old by only releasing a larger more meaningful core set every 2-3 years or so. They could then fill the gap with more supplementary products like Conspiracy, Modern Masters, Planechase, Commander, Cube?, etc... I know this is very unlikely, but I can dream
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~A golden helix streaked skyward from the Helvault. A thunderous explosion shattered the silver monolith and Avacyn emerged, free from her prison at last.~
A new plane for the next block? I am not a fan. I sat around for a while just looking at previous sets/blocks and noticed a kind of theme.
Zendikar - 09/10 (new plane)
Scars Of Mirrodin - 10/11 (Return)
Innistrad - 11/12 (new plane)
Return To Ravnica - 12/13 (Return)
Theros - 13/14 (new plane)
Now what do Scars and RTR have in common besides being returns? The return sets were released 7 years after the originals were released. Now if you follow the 7 year model they kinda set themselves into, the next logical return for this next block would be Lorwyn/Shadowmoor.
A new plane for the next block? I am not a fan. I sat around for a while just looking at previous sets/blocks and noticed a kind of theme.
Zendikar - 09/10 (new plane)
Scars Of Mirrodin - 10/11 (Return)
Innistrad - 11/12 (new plane)
Return To Ravnica - 12/13 (Return)
Theros - 13/14 (new plane)
Now what do Scars and RTR have in common besides being returns? The return sets were released 7 years after the originals were released. Now if you follow the 7 year model they kinda set themselves into, the next logical return for this next block would be Lorwyn/Shadowmoor.
The seven years is a coincidence. Scars was the final block of the 6 year plan and MaRo just asked the Creative team which plane they'd like to return to, the time that had passed since the original does not appear to have been a consideration (there's also the complication that it was originally pitched as New Phyrexia and the fact that it was Mirrodin was intended to be a surprise). Original Ravnica was the first block of the 6 year plan and it was not known until after its release that they would want to return to it. So the Return had to be after the 6 year plan, but it couldn't be immediately after because then it would be too close to both Scars (as I mentioned, the final block of the 6 year plan) and Alara (Alara had already taught them not to redo multicolour themes too quickly). The earliest opportunity was the second year of the 7 year plan, which by coincidence was seven years after original Ravnica. It wasn't planned, it was just the earliest they could do it.
Also for the fans of lorwyn /shadowmore if you keep asking for a return and development desides to do it then you ll be *******ing with the plane you love...
wizards has repeatedly stated that there is no pattern for returning to planes, twice is too small to be a pattern. lorwyn is considered a failure so a return there is doubtful anyway
Let's get this right shall we. Lorwyn (the world/plane) isn't a failure. It's the mechanics, and namely the tribal aspect that failed the set. But that's according to the statisticians at WotC. I for one love Lorwyn and its intricacies. Perhaps some of its aspects have been too parasitic and ain't good enough on its own. Compare Champion a "Insert Tribe" to "Champion a creature"; the latter would make the cards and set better off when played with other cards from various sets.
Changelings, for example, is an excellent tool to augment tribal strategies. Just look at the card Avian Changeling and see its impact on MM.
They're are many fans of Kamigawa too; the only thing that makes it look worse than Lorwyn was the lack of knowledge on Japanese culture (by the rest of the world). But for those who knew, they absolutely love it.
I would think exploring new worlds would be a good thing. What I won't like to see is the same robotic, systematic template set out for us this time round. And let there be no fillers for limited!!! Grrrrr thinking of this makes me hate on BNG so much...
I always find very interesting to see all of the hate on Lorwyn and Kamigawa...they are my two favourite sets.
especially lorwyn. i love tribal, elves and i absolutely WORSHIP kithkins
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Huey, Dewey and Louie are always dressed in RUG. it is CLEARLY going to be the wedges block Pioneer: WURFaerie fires BRGDragons ModernBGElves WRBurn UR Fires Turns URGift Storm UG Twiddle Storm
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It could also, alternately, be something akin to Legions where it's card type distribution rather than color distribution, although I am unsure how well that block sold and thus how good of an idea they'd consider it. Personally I liked drafting that block but ymmv.
What was the 10 land objection again? Also, Wizards is not going to ban a card in Standard just so that they can reprint a few cards. Wizards cares about Modern, but they try to avoid bans in Standard whenever possible. As for hate cards, what hate cards could they possibly make that could beat one of the strongest creatures ever printed?
And BG, Jund, Junk, and BUG will be happiest of all.
Storm Crow is strictly worse than Seacoast Drake.
Maybe, just maybe, this new block structure will be similar to Return to Ravnica's Large Large Small structure, but when you draft the third set, that is, a small set, there won't be a booster pack from the first set.
Remember Zendikar and Innistrad blocks, with the third large set being drafted alone, and the first and second sets drafted together? Maybe this time, the first set is drafted alone, and the second and third sets are drafted together.
Dragons maze was DGM-GTC-RTR. Because GTC and RTR were both large sets, and DGM had support for all 10 guilds, it made more sense than DGM-GTC-GTC or DGM-RTR-RTR, since that would leave half the guilds in DGM with no support outside of DGM.
What was the 10 land objection again? Also, Wizards is not going to ban a card in Standard just so that they can reprint a few cards. Wizards cares about Modern, but they try to avoid bans in Standard whenever possible. As for hate cards, what hate cards could they possibly make that could beat one of the strongest creatures ever printed?
It was hjerk's, which I thought you were agreeing with. As long as we both agree 10 land cycles are doable in core then we're fine there. And since you have to reprint the fetches, this is a case where avoiding the ban is not possible. (Well, I mean, they could not ban it, but if they're concerned, they will ban it rather than not reprint fetches.) It's easy to construct hate cards, for example: Enchantment: Cards in graveyards cannot be the target of spells or abilities.
I wasn't agreeing with the 10 land objection. In fact, I think 10 land cycles will be the norm in core sets in the future. I just think that they would rather wait a few months to reprint the fetchlands instead of preemptively banning a card in Standard. Also, the cards would have to either be more broad hate or maindeckable hate. In hypothetical Standard Jund, that would only hit DRS. Even if it hurts the strongest card in the deck, that doesn't change the fact that it would only hit that card and thus not be worth bringing in. It is like the Modern players who bring in Stony Silence to stop Birthing Pod. It just doesn't work really well.
Storm Crow is strictly worse than Seacoast Drake.
Dark ascension would hinder sales of Innistrad since it can't be drafted until Dark Ascension gets released, so I doubt it.
Hate to break it to you, but imagine Avacyn Restored was set 1, Innistrad was set 2, and Dark Ascension was set 3, and the packs used to draft the sets was how it always was when ISD was set 1, DKA was set 2, and AVR was set 3.
That's what I am trying to get at. I mentioned dragon maze because it was drafted along with the first and second sets with the block. Innistrad and Dark Ascension were always drafted together but they were the first and second sets. Avacyn restored was drafted alone, but that was the third set. So what happened if the first set was drafted alone, and the second and third sets were drafted together?
Likewise, what did they do with Innistrad draft before Dark Ascension was released? Triple Innistrad? So what do you do with the second set draft before third set gets released? Triple second set?
If you can't figure this out, just think of rather than the third set being standalone, the first set is standalone.
Let's say for some reason that the first set was drafted with the third set, and the second set was standalone. In that case, I don't think that would work, as I feel that it breaks the flow of drafting, unless you are drafting the second set along with the first and third sets. So out of the 3 permutations with one set being drafted by itself, without any set being drafted with it at any point in time, like Rise of the Eldrazi and Avacyn Restored, only the second set cannot be drafted by itself, unless people actually like drafting a first set first set third set. We've done the third set being drafted by itself, but never ever the first. You may say that the first set is drafted by itself all the time, but remember that as time goes on, the second set is always drafted with it once it was released. We have never ever seen the first set drafted by itself, second set drafted by itself, and then the third set being drafted without the first set.
Triple drafting a small set has major limited problems. It's why they don't make the first set small.
You assume the second set was a small set. If you read one of my previous posts, the second set is a large set.
We have already done this, and all cases here, sets drafted with 3 of the same set come from a large set:
Drafting 3 first sets
Drafting 1 second set and 2 first sets
Drafting 3 third sets
Drafting 3 first sets
Drafting 3 second sets
Drafting one of each of third, second, and first sets.
This is where people here seem to get confused, and we have NEVER EVER seen this before.
Drafting 3 first sets
Drafting 3 second sets
Drafting 1 third set and 2 second sets.
How is Large Large Small hard to understand?
I'll make it easier for you. Draw 3 squares. Each representing a set. Circle the first two together, and circle the last one by itself. What you have here is an example of Zendikar and Innistrad blocks.
Draw 3 squares again. Circle the first one alone, and circle the other two together. This is what I think might happen. It is unique, but I just think it would be something more outrageous than this.
So you may say, how the heck are you supposed to draft sets 2 and 3 before set 3 was released? How do you think you were supposed to draft sets 1 and 2 with Innistrad and Zendikar block before set 2 was released? You draft set 1 alone. Likewise here, you draft set 2 alone.
I also came up with something off the wall that doesn't work as well as what I said before.
Draft 3 set 1's alone.
Draft 2 set 2's alone. Set 2 is a large set.
Draft 1 set 3, and 2 set 1's, and set 3 is a small set.
This might work if people like the idea of not drafting set 1 at all when set 2 is the newest set, and then set 2 is never drafted once the third set is released, and set 1 comes back, which is weird and disrupts the flow.
Some may say Warlords of Khanar was the "beta" title of the set, while Khans of Tarkir is the real name. Khans of Tarkir could also be the name of the second set, while Warlords of Khanar is the first set.
So how I said the first set being drafted by itself, and the second being a large set, also being drafted by itself, and the third set being drafted with the second set? It first the whole Khanar and Tarkir thing, if you believe that Khanar isn't "beta" Tarkir.
I'll make this simple. Khanar has some mechanics and stuff. Tarkir has similar but different mechanics from Khanar, because somehow Khanar became Tarkir in the story. Then the third set adds cool dragons.
UW Approach UW
EDH
U Azami, Lady of Scrolls U
UW Approach UW
EDH
U Azami, Lady of Scrolls U
OK, that's more clear. Mentioning Innistrad, RTR, and Zendikaar block together in your initial post just muddled things up rather than explained your point IMO.
So basically your proposed draft order is A/A/A, B/B/B, or B/B/C. I'm not confident on that format either. One of the complaints for RTR block draft was that the second set abandoned the first set too soon compared to older blocks.
1. Change the amount of main set releases in a year. A main set release in a given year would be the typical last 2 sets in one block, the core set, and the first set in the block after.
2. Outright remove the core set for one year.
3. Change the core set release from the third set in the year to either the first, second or fourth set in the year.
The reason why I say set release dates and not sets is because they could do something where they shove 2 sets in one release date. It isn't completely impossible as DFCs weren't impossible either.
The core set is there to help add balance to Standard, by giving Pre-Rotation decks a last hurrah, and seeding in cards that interact with the Post-Rotation Standard. They also are ways for them to expand on the broad storyline of the entire multiverse (Chandra's story being built upon with M14) while giving each color another walker that they can use.
When asking for if something was stolen on Kamigawa:
Have some irony:
Zendikar - 09/10 (new plane)
Scars Of Mirrodin - 10/11 (Return)
Innistrad - 11/12 (new plane)
Return To Ravnica - 12/13 (Return)
Theros - 13/14 (new plane)
Now what do Scars and RTR have in common besides being returns? The return sets were released 7 years after the originals were released. Now if you follow the 7 year model they kinda set themselves into, the next logical return for this next block would be Lorwyn/Shadowmoor.
The seven years is a coincidence. Scars was the final block of the 6 year plan and MaRo just asked the Creative team which plane they'd like to return to, the time that had passed since the original does not appear to have been a consideration (there's also the complication that it was originally pitched as New Phyrexia and the fact that it was Mirrodin was intended to be a surprise). Original Ravnica was the first block of the 6 year plan and it was not known until after its release that they would want to return to it. So the Return had to be after the 6 year plan, but it couldn't be immediately after because then it would be too close to both Scars (as I mentioned, the final block of the 6 year plan) and Alara (Alara had already taught them not to redo multicolour themes too quickly). The earliest opportunity was the second year of the 7 year plan, which by coincidence was seven years after original Ravnica. It wasn't planned, it was just the earliest they could do it.
Let's get this right shall we. Lorwyn (the world/plane) isn't a failure. It's the mechanics, and namely the tribal aspect that failed the set. But that's according to the statisticians at WotC. I for one love Lorwyn and its intricacies. Perhaps some of its aspects have been too parasitic and ain't good enough on its own. Compare Champion a "Insert Tribe" to "Champion a creature"; the latter would make the cards and set better off when played with other cards from various sets.
Changelings, for example, is an excellent tool to augment tribal strategies. Just look at the card Avian Changeling and see its impact on MM.
They're are many fans of Kamigawa too; the only thing that makes it look worse than Lorwyn was the lack of knowledge on Japanese culture (by the rest of the world). But for those who knew, they absolutely love it.
I would think exploring new worlds would be a good thing. What I won't like to see is the same robotic, systematic template set out for us this time round. And let there be no fillers for limited!!! Grrrrr thinking of this makes me hate on BNG so much...
UR Melek, Izzet ParagonUR, B Shirei, Shizo's CaretakerB, R Jaya Ballard, Task MageR,RW Tajic, Blade of the LegionRW, UB Lazav, Dimir MastermindUB, UB Circu, Dimir LobotomistUB, RWU Zedruu the GreatheartedRWU, GUBThe MimeoplasmGUB, UGExperiment Kraj UG, WDarien, King of KjeldorW, BMarrow-GnawerB, WBGKarador, Ghost ChieftainWBG, UTeferi, Temporal ArchmageU, GWUDerevi, Empyrial TacticianGWU, RDaretti, Scrap SavantR, UTalrand, Sky SummonerU, GEzuri, Renegade LeaderG, WUBRGReaper KingWUBRG, RGXenagos, God of RevelsRG, CKozilek, Butcher of TruthC, WUBRGGeneral TazriWUBRG, GTitania, Protector of ArgothG
especially lorwyn. i love tribal, elves and i absolutely WORSHIP kithkins
Pioneer: WURFaerie fires BRGDragons
ModernBGElves WRBurn UR Fires Turns URGift Storm UG Twiddle Storm