I think this set might be a little underpowered since zendikar block standard was the last block in which WOTC needed to ban two cards from standard. At the very least, this block won't be the best for control players. I don't think WOTC would live it down if the return of Zendikar also heralded the return of a control dominated meta in standard.
Well, to be fair, those bannings were the result of a multitude of factors, not simply "Jace and Stoneforge were printed and wrecked the meta." It's important to analyze the events that led to the advent of Caw-Blade.
Jace was pushed because, after the domination of Faeries a couple years earlier, Wizards decided to scale back the strength of blue in Standard to near-unplayable levels. After months of a Jund- and Bushwhacker-filled meta, Wizards responded to the outcry of blue players and gave them the Mind Sculptor that we all know and love.
Stoneforge was fairly innocuous when it was first printed, although with the return to Mirrodin, Wizards also revisited the iconic Swords and decided to completethecycle, thus improving Stoneforge's power considerably. With Stoneforge Mystic, the deck could afford to run only a couple copies of powerful Equipment in order to devote the rest of its card slots to its primary gameplan. However, Caw-Blade didn't become entirely dominant until New Phyrexia, where Wizards felt the need to create a flashy and powerful living weapon mythic. Caw-Blade now had the final piece that it needed: a resilient, nigh-impossible-to-answer win condition that made damage racing impossible and could hit the table as early as turn 3.
The problem with defining this format by what is "fun" is that everyone seems to define fun as what they don't lose to. If you keep losing to easily answered cards, that means you should improve your deck. If you don't want to improve your deck, then you should come to peace with the idea that you are going to lose because you chose to not interact with better strategies.
My speculation is there's a bunch of lifelinkin' vampires in the block and maybe some vampire lord.
Then, when this hits the field, you swing with your lifegaining (and probably flying) creatures, hitting very hard.
A curve-topper for a vampire tribal with lifegain, it's what I'm saying.
Still probably not usable in T2 (unless there are Eldrazi Spawns again), but at CMC6, with a bunch of lifelinking creatures ready to attack, this probably could be a serious finisher - so I guess it was bumped up to 7 to not be so dangerous.
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What's the most resilient parasite? An idea.
A single idea from the human mind can build cities.
An idea can transform the world and rewrite all the rules...
My speculation is there's a bunch of lifelinkin' vampires in the block and maybe some vampire lord.
Then, when this hits the field, you swing with your lifegaining (and probably flying) creatures, hitting very hard.
A curve-topper for a vampire tribal with lifegain, it's what I'm saying.
Still probably not usable in T2 (unless there are Eldrazi Spawns again), but at CMC6, with a bunch of lifelinking creatures ready to attack, this probably could be a serious finisher - so I guess it was bumped up to 7 to not be so dangerous.
Yeah I'm hoping there's either a lot of vampires with lifelink or there's a vampire that gives all of your vampires lifelink. Additionally, I'd like to have some good life drain/gain cards. I'm hoping there's some support for this guy!
You don't call "dying to removal" if the removal is more expensive in resources than the creature. If you have to spend BG (Abrupt Decay), or W + basic land (PtE) to remove a 1G, that is not "dying to removal". Strictly speaking Goyf dies to removal, but actually your removal is dying to Goyf.
I've never been a huge vampire guy in fiction (they're cool in their own way, but I've always loved werewolves and ghosts much more), but the design of Zendikari vampires always seemed really aesthetically cool to me. The black horns protruding from the bodies, the shamanistic culture that seems more nature-based around swamps (the monoblack aspect), and the use of blades all seemed unique to me compared to other vampires in Magic. And to know that my favorite EDH general Drana is alive and fighting and bringing more vampires to the party makes me extremely happy.
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Vorthos-player with way too much time on his hands and a love of thematic decks.
EDH - Yes, Each One is Named After a Song. I love tying music to my decks.
Meh, I'm not even sure Oloro would want this. Seven mana in a nongreen Commander deck is a lot unless I use something like Reanimate.
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Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
yeah defiant is definitely under-powered to the point of just being a cool looking card, the ONLY way bloodlord is viable is running four of those along with four exquisite blood but even then that infinite life gain and them life loss combo is only available if you have both cards on the field(THATS 12 MANA!) AND SOMETHING TO TRIGGER THE EFFECT OF EITHER (for example chaplain's blessing- 1 white gain 5 life). i think if they made him 5 casting 4/5 same ability hed be commander ready but not lifegain deck ready. in order for a infinite combo which is what first comes to mind when thinking of his ability hed either have to have haste and be 5 cost or make him like a 3 cost and a 1/2 flyer. but of course that wont ever considered being reprint.
Well, to be fair, those bannings were the result of a multitude of factors, not simply "Jace and Stoneforge were printed and wrecked the meta." It's important to analyze the events that led to the advent of Caw-Blade.
Jace was pushed because, after the domination of Faeries a couple years earlier, Wizards decided to scale back the strength of blue in Standard to near-unplayable levels. After months of a Jund- and Bushwhacker-filled meta, Wizards responded to the outcry of blue players and gave them the Mind Sculptor that we all know and love.
Stoneforge was fairly innocuous when it was first printed, although with the return to Mirrodin, Wizards also revisited the iconic Swords and decided to complete the cycle, thus improving Stoneforge's power considerably. With Stoneforge Mystic, the deck could afford to run only a couple copies of powerful Equipment in order to devote the rest of its card slots to its primary gameplan. However, Caw-Blade didn't become entirely dominant until New Phyrexia, where Wizards felt the need to create a flashy and powerful living weapon mythic. Caw-Blade now had the final piece that it needed: a resilient, nigh-impossible-to-answer win condition that made damage racing impossible and could hit the table as early as turn 3.
Caw-Blade now had access to:
-A 4-mana Swiss army knife that could bounce the opponent's best creature three times, Brainstorm every turn, or just lock a topdecking opponent out of the game
-Four copies of an Equipment tutor that could cheat these Equipment into play at instant speed, and even pick them up to use them itself
-Two-mana fliers that replaced themselves
-Two very powerful counterspells (Mana Leak and Spell Pierce)
-Flexible pinpoint removal (Journey to Nowhere) and a four-mana board wipe (Day of Judgment)
-Probably the closest thing we'll ever get to Wasteland in modern Magic
-One of the best cantrip spells ever printed
-A Serra Angel on a land
So really, it was all of these things that led to the bannings, not just Jace and Stoneforge Mystic by themselves.
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Standard Deck:
BUPirates
Modern Deck:
B8-Rack
Then, when this hits the field, you swing with your lifegaining (and probably flying) creatures, hitting very hard.
A curve-topper for a vampire tribal with lifegain, it's what I'm saying.
Still probably not usable in T2 (unless there are Eldrazi Spawns again), but at CMC6, with a bunch of lifelinking creatures ready to attack, this probably could be a serious finisher - so I guess it was bumped up to 7 to not be so dangerous.
An idea.
A single idea from the human mind can build cities.
An idea can transform the world and rewrite all the rules...
Proud father of 25 EDH decks
Yeah I'm hoping there's either a lot of vampires with lifelink or there's a vampire that gives all of your vampires lifelink. Additionally, I'd like to have some good life drain/gain cards. I'm hoping there's some support for this guy!
Dunes of Zairo
SHANDALAR
Innistrad - The Darkest Night
~THE RAVNICAN CONSORTIUM~
A Community Set
Commander: Allies & Adversaries
"OH GOD MY BRAIN IS EXPLOADING AT HOW BAD THE ART IS ON MY OWN CARD"
-A friend's first impression of Ancestral Recall
10/10, I tapped.
EDH - Yes, Each One is Named After a Song. I love tying music to my decks.
B Drana, Kalastria Bloodchief B - Fear of the Dark
WG Sigarda, Heron's Grace WG - Strength in Numbers
RG Xenagos, God of Revels RG - Fullmoon (It's werewolves)
RW Archangel Avacyn // Avacyn, the Purifier RW - The End is Nigh
60 Card Kitchen Table Decks
WUB Avacyn, Spirit Ferrier
RG Arlinn Kord's Howlpack
WUBRG: Karona - Chaos towards Divine Intervention ** WUBRG: Karona - God Tribal ** WB: Teysa - Angels, Wrath, and Return from GY ** UB: Szadek - Control and Mill ** RWU: Zedruu - Everyone Draws Cards ** BUG: Damia - Gorgon Voltron Ramp ** URG: Animar - ETB effects and Beatdown ** WUB: Sharuum - Lots of Artifacts UG: Edric - Tribal Rogues ** W: Odric - Tribal Soldiers ** B: Shirei - Shadowborn Apostle Deck ** RB: Tymaret - Kill all the things!
On phasing:
BRGKresh the BloodbraidedBRG, A box of lands and ideas.
Modern:
RG Titanshift. A deck made of cards too stupid for EDH.
Retired: Lots. More than I feel you should suffer through or I should type out.