Hmm, I did buy those 3 Azusa foils when they were low (way back during Kamigawa). I wonder how the value would compare and how much of a difference I'd need to trade for one of these.
That Mana Drain art is god awful. I'll stick with the jellyfish.
Since I'm pretty sure you're in the minority here, I'd love to see some elaboration on this stance.
I think it's piss poor as well.
To me it's a generic blue type art that is obviously digital in creation. It strikes me as bland and uninspired. Original art was definitely WTF is going on, but it was at least unique and cool.
In general I find Magic art has lost it's soul.
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Currently Playing: Standard:
Nothing, the format Bores me! Legacy: RBurn (Made on the Cheap!)R RGBelcherRG WSoldier StompyW BReanimatorB EDH: BUGRWSliver OverlordWRGUB BGeth, Lord of the VaultB
I think it is exceptionally generic. It's like...well, if you were a child of the '80s, you'll understand this entirely....you remember how cartoons used to look vs what they look like now: generic, computer-generated, lacking detail.
It's an okay interpretation of the spell...a blue mage extracting the mana from an opposing spell. But Jace looks flat, the art is bland. Where is he even standing? What spell is being cast? Who is casting it? What is he casting? Is he just ignoring the spell or truly draining the mana from it? It's just kind of....weak.
I think it is exceptionally generic. It's like...well, if you were a child of the '80s, you'll understand this entirely....you remember how cartoons used to look vs what they look like now: generic, computer-generated, lacking detail.
It's an okay interpretation of the spell...a blue mage extracting the mana from an opposing spell. But Jace looks flat, the art is bland. Where is he even standing? What spell is being cast? Who is casting it? What is he casting? Is he just ignoring the spell or truly draining the mana from it? It's just kind of....weak.
I don't even mind the idea behind it, but it would be cool to see it more dynamically portrayed.
That and I'm a sucker for the flavor and feel for the older stuff. I honestly don't even mind digital artwork, just make it look less stiff and polished.
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Currently Playing: Standard:
Nothing, the format Bores me! Legacy: RBurn (Made on the Cheap!)R RGBelcherRG WSoldier StompyW BReanimatorB EDH: BUGRWSliver OverlordWRGUB BGeth, Lord of the VaultB
Momir Vig, Simic Visionary
Melek, Izzet Paragon
Oona, Queen of the Fae
Bruna, Light of Alabaster
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
Rhys the Redeemed
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Sen Triplets
The Mimeoplasm WUBRGSliver OverlordGRBUW WUBRGSliver Hivelord(Superfriends)GRBUW
As a major Blue fan, I have to agree the new Mana Drain art is lame. It's very digital and poor in quality at that. It's not even a handsome mage that's casting something awe-inspiring, or doing something interesting in the art. Compare to the Jace vs. Chandra Counterspell art, for example. Or Negate from BFZ - beautiful pieces depicting high quality art. This is just an unrealistic, genetic, unattractive scene illustrated poorly with CGI.
I do love my OG Mana Drain, even had the art altered by Tedin, but more as an extension/modification of the original art and not adding in random unrelated crap to it.
So I do still really want the judge Drain, but dunno if I'd actually run it over my original in Lazav, maybe.
Just glad prices on the promo should finally go down a bit.
An elegant, nostalgic face with a subtle yet warm smile. Reminds me indeed of some precious flowers to be found in the forest of questionable design decisions that was Kamigawa. The new art for Azusa is beautiful and well worth seeking.
Rachitic Jace taking a sun blast from behind, on the other hand, looks uninspired. You can tell the artist simply drew the literal description given to him. The old art for Mana Drain wasn't worried about promoting a certain character or achieving some fourth wall reference about what the players should be feeling when actually playing the game; it was a simple yet mesmerizing journey to the bottom of the sea where something related to the card was happening. The mana draining itself was merely a detail: it was all about taking the viewer to a different place, enticing his imagination about the unseen. Personally, i love the fact that a little "jellyslug" doing its thing happens to be one of the most powerful cards in the game.
Psssst, it isn't Jace on Mana Drain so your bit about "promoting a character" is unfounded.
Any idea what this will do to the price? Like where it will end up (mana drain)? How many are about to be injected into the market?
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EDH:ShatterStax, Only The Strong Survive
Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir Mono-U Control
Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath
Sen Triplets
Mizzix of the Izmagnus
Derevi Stax
VolThrun
Marchesa, The Black Rose
Olivia Voldaren, Vampire Tribal
Wow. Virtually every player I've ever talked to thinks the OG art sucks (too abstract, seemingly arbitrary and lacking in definition). I guess the debate is more intense than I thought.
Looks like that Azusa leaked earlier this year is finally seeing light. And now there will be more Mana Drains for everyone!
|| UW Jace, Vyn's Prodigy UW || UG Kenessos, Priest of Thassa (feat. Arixmethes) UG ||
Cards I still want to see created:
|| Olantin, Lost City || Pavios and Thanasis || Choryu ||
I like the Azusa one though
Since I'm pretty sure you're in the minority here, I'd love to see some elaboration on this stance.
I'm officially proposing we retire the word "insane" from the MtG vocabulary.
"The best way to be different is to be better" - Gene Muir
Cubes:
Modern Banlist Cube
Monocolor Budget Cube
I think it's piss poor as well.
To me it's a generic blue type art that is obviously digital in creation. It strikes me as bland and uninspired. Original art was definitely WTF is going on, but it was at least unique and cool.
In general I find Magic art has lost it's soul.
Currently Playing:
Standard:
Nothing, the format Bores me!
Legacy:
RBurn (Made on the Cheap!)R
RGBelcherRG
WSoldier StompyW
BReanimatorB
EDH:
BUGRWSliver OverlordWRGUB
BGeth, Lord of the VaultB
I think it is exceptionally generic. It's like...well, if you were a child of the '80s, you'll understand this entirely....you remember how cartoons used to look vs what they look like now: generic, computer-generated, lacking detail.
It's an okay interpretation of the spell...a blue mage extracting the mana from an opposing spell. But Jace looks flat, the art is bland. Where is he even standing? What spell is being cast? Who is casting it? What is he casting? Is he just ignoring the spell or truly draining the mana from it? It's just kind of....weak.
I don't even mind the idea behind it, but it would be cool to see it more dynamically portrayed.
That and I'm a sucker for the flavor and feel for the older stuff. I honestly don't even mind digital artwork, just make it look less stiff and polished.
Currently Playing:
Standard:
Nothing, the format Bores me!
Legacy:
RBurn (Made on the Cheap!)R
RGBelcherRG
WSoldier StompyW
BReanimatorB
EDH:
BUGRWSliver OverlordWRGUB
BGeth, Lord of the VaultB
Reprint Stasis!
Control needs more love.
EDH:
Momir Vig, Simic Visionary
Melek, Izzet Paragon
Oona, Queen of the Fae
Bruna, Light of Alabaster
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
Rhys the Redeemed
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Sen Triplets
The Mimeoplasm
WUBRGSliver OverlordGRBUW
WUBRGSliver Hivelord(Superfriends)GRBUW
BUWGRChilds PlayGRWUB
BUWGR Highlander GRWUB
UBSquee's Shapeshifting PetBU
BW Multiplayer Control WB
RG Changeling GR
UR Mana FlareRU
UMerfolkU
B MBMC B
That Azusa on the other hand. Just beautiful.
|| UW Jace, Vyn's Prodigy UW || UG Kenessos, Priest of Thassa (feat. Arixmethes) UG ||
Cards I still want to see created:
|| Olantin, Lost City || Pavios and Thanasis || Choryu ||
So I do still really want the judge Drain, but dunno if I'd actually run it over my original in Lazav, maybe.
Just glad prices on the promo should finally go down a bit.
UBBreya's Toybox (Competitive, Combo)WR
RGodzilla, King of the MonstersG
-Retired Decks-
UBLazav, Dimir Mastermind (Competitive, UB Voltron/Control)UB
"Knowledge is such a burden. Release it. Release all your fears to me."
—Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver
And with that a nice artwork of Nicol Bolas "Mana draining" would be way more fitting the card (as hes the way stronger planeswalker anyway).
WUBRG#BlackLotusMatterWUBRG
👮👮👮 #BlueLivesMatter 👮👮👮
Psssst, it isn't Jace on Mana Drain so your bit about "promoting a character" is unfounded.
UBBreya's Toybox (Competitive, Combo)WR
RGodzilla, King of the MonstersG
-Retired Decks-
UBLazav, Dimir Mastermind (Competitive, UB Voltron/Control)UB
"Knowledge is such a burden. Release it. Release all your fears to me."
—Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver
Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir Mono-U Control
Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath
Sen Triplets
Mizzix of the Izmagnus
Derevi Stax
VolThrun
Marchesa, The Black Rose
Olivia Voldaren, Vampire Tribal
Modern: Fish, JUND/Junk
--------
RIP Twin
Commander players.
I'm officially proposing we retire the word "insane" from the MtG vocabulary.
"The best way to be different is to be better" - Gene Muir
Cubes:
Modern Banlist Cube
Monocolor Budget Cube
I think the Jace (looks like Jace to me) Mana Drain is ugly as all hell.
EDIT: And I do actively like the OG Mana Drain art.
UR Blue-Red Control
Modern:
UBR Grixis Control
UWR Jeskai Control