Obviously the part where I didn't read the article, I just read the list of cards. I'm not the only one who had that response. Should I have read the article before asking that question? Yes, because now I understand. You didn't need to be so antagonistic about it, though.
5 cards out of 7 are from kaladesh...boy did that design team screw up...
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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
My concern as a Modern player is that Wizards might (and most likely will in their announcement) aggressively target modern will ban and unbans.
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I'm actively maintaining a comprehensive article to help explain to new cube players how some complex vintage level cards work in a cube environment. Vintage Cube Cards Explained
Drastic times call for drastic measures. They needed to do something. And doing something is the right thing, Standard was indeed miserable. The real question though, is whether their changes are well calculated or not. If their intervention causes standard to get worse, then the bans are calamitous. And if standard just shifts over to another oppressive deck, lets say ramunap-sans-ramunap, then this ban wave is still a major black mark for wizards because any time you're invalidating people's cardboard and destroying secondary market value and eroding confidence in the format, you need to show big payoffs. This change needs to make standard healthy, anything less is failure.
From the more abstracted viewpoint, I think this is just a consequence of their intentional focus on turning magic into a creature-centric game where everything revolves around turning beaters sideways, where creatures-with-abilities replace spells, where non-creature spells get underpowered.
5 cards out of 7 are from kaladesh...boy did that design team screw up...
I honestly don't feel that they did. Look at the cards, none of them are ever going to matter past Standard. None of them would have been too powerful in previous Standard formats. Those cards aren't too good, they didn't design anything brutal. The problem lies higher up, with whoever decided that answers were not something Standard should have anymore. Counterspell would have been amazing for Modern and kept most of those things in check. Wrath of God would have helped, Doom Blade, Path, StP. Modern has only gotten Push in the last few years because of 'too strong for Standard' or 'not balanced for Limited' when the cards we have asked for would have been the salvation of Standard every single week since BFZ. The design team didn't put anything bad in Standard, they just haven't been allowed to check or balance. Remember the Titan cycle? Those would generate a bunch of decks, create more deck diversity....but they would steamroll any deck not built for them.
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Project Booster Fun makes it less fun to open a booster.
attune doesn't surprise me at all, guess refiner shouldn't either. Guess the other two got banned to prevent mono red from becoming best deck. 9 cards banned in standard right now. Standard was already struggling in my area, I'm gonna avoid the format now. Wonder how long it will take the format to recover from all these bannings
5 cards out of 7 are from kaladesh...boy did that design team screw up...
Just like Urza's Block, Mirrodin, Scars of Mirrodin... really, the solution seems to be for Wizards to stop printing artifact blocks
(Yes, I know Urza's was supposed to be an Enchantment block, pedants)
Except that the only artifact I recall from Kaladesh that did anything in Standard that made it banworthy on its own was Aetherworks Marvel, and that card would have been fine if sane design decisions were made (aka, not letting a 4-mana artifact that basically has no activation cost with how easy 6 energy is to produce cast anything ever for free). Smuggler's Copter would have been easier to deal with if Fatal Push and Abrade were cards at the time.
Cat combo used a creature and a planeswalker, and Temur Energy doesn't need artifacts. Energy by itself is an OK (you could even say interesting) mechanic, but it has had no direct answers except for maybe one card that has been ineffectual against it, and in Temur, it's stapled on undercosted value creatures like Rogue Refiner and Bristling Hydra.
Maybe it's not the artifacts themselves that tend to do artifact blocks/sets in, but the almost laissez-faire design philosophy that tends to accompany them. Shards of Alara block also had an artifact focus with the Esper cards, but it wasn't a black mark on the game's history.
Maybe it’s just me, but I’m inclined to not claim the sky is falling just yet. I think the current state of standard is due to more than any one single reason. The energy mechanic is super-synergistic in and of itself and not particularly easy to balance. The entire Kaladesh block was relatively pushed as a whole compared to the blocks before and after it. The change to a two set block rotation threw off the flow of sets in standard, and then they changed their minds midway through and went away from it. The answers present in standard don’t match up to the presented threats. There was an admitted complete whiff on the existence of the copycat combo. It feels like they had a lot of different factors all surface at once, and they kept trying to address them individually rather than trying to fix The whole. With the announcement of Play Design being added from Dominaria on, Kaladesh block finally closing in on its rotation, and their attempt to do away with blocks to keep things fresh, they’re going to have a good opportunity to rebuild Standard from scratch. If these problems all still persist down the road and they learn from nothing, then I’ll truly be concerned.
There's really no point in asking if the cards are some of the worst on the ban list because context always defines something like that. Attune is a glue card that looks innocent, but performs a vital and efficient function that drastically increases the reliability of a deck like that. Cards like that are anything but weak.
The problem I have with the bannings is that aggressive bannings won't make things better. The problem is that the format lacks certain cards to make it better and taking away options in an already limited pool of choices does not expand a format. For example, I think that banning Scorched Desert would probably have been a better attempt at balancing ramunap without killing the deck. Also Rampaging Ferocidon being banned has left me a bit divided. I see the points they are pushing, yet at the same time it was one of the few ways red had to deal with a lot of the life gain and token strategies. Energy is likely going to go Grixis now as it has the better options to run and never ran the banned cards to begin with.
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1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
First, why is this in the Rumor Mill? Like, it's not a rumor. It happened. It's real.
Anyway, bannings like this are a double-edged sword. I like that they're trying to fix things, but I'm very resentful that it got to this point. Crafting a Standard environment is clearly a tall order with a lot of moving parts, but I can't remember a time when I was this disinterested in Standard.
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Can you name all of the creature types with at least 20 cards? Try my Sporcle Quiz! Last Updated: 6/29/20 (Core Set 2021).
First, why is this in the Rumor Mill? Like, it's not a rumor. It happened. It's real.
The Rumor Mill has transcended being a literal rumor mill (if it ever was in the first place) a long time ago, considering set spoilers aren't rumours either.
I wouldn't feel sorry for Maro. The nerfing of counters and removal with the rise of Magic the Creaturing is his baby. It's an utter failure.
^This is my absolute biggest gripe when it comes to Magic. I hate the fact that removal and counters got slapped with a nerf, but creatures are pushed so hard it's insane.
I don't feel like the banning of attune and refiner will destroy energy decks like some people think (or hope), just weaken them. What I'm curious about is what will fill the space. Any ideas on what would be comparable?
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EDH:GWTrostani, Selesnya's Voice GUEdric, Spymaster of Trest GWURafiq of the Many GWU Roon of the Hidden Realm WUBRGKynaios and Tiro of Meletis
The problem I have with the bannings is that aggressive bannings won't make things better. The problem is that the format lacks certain cards to make it better and taking away options in an already limited pool of choices does not expand a format. For example, I think that banning Scorched Desert would probably have been a better attempt at balancing ramunap without killing the deck. Also Rampaging Ferocidon being banned has left me a bit divided. I see the points they are pushing, yet at the same time it was one of the few ways red had to deal with a lot of the life gain and token strategies. Energy is likely going to go Grixis now as it has the better options to run and never ran the banned cards to begin with.
Did you read the banning article? Because making sure that decks that go wide or use life gain can fight back against RR was why the card was banned. /facepalm
I don't feel like the banning of attune and refiner will destroy energy decks like some people think (or hope), just weaken them. What I'm curious about is what will fill the space. Any ideas on what would be comparable?
I'm pretty sure we're going to see UW Approach get to obnoxious levels of play. It was already happening in my local meta. Against certain colors/strategies, they just auto-win game 1 based on not having a good answer to your opponent only having to cast a spell successfully to win. The non-interactivity of this card should have been considered when looking at bans, quite honestly. If you want people back in Standard, having a groan-worthy, non-interactive feel-bad card as the win condition of a deck that only counters and board wipes every other turn is not the way to do it. They're not fun games to watch or play against, and I think control players are only using it because of the lack of an evasive finisher creature in the format. I'd like to believe they're not so swept up in the need to win that they actually like a card that makes everyone losing to it want to flip a table at you.
I have been a successful control player for a long time (until the recent 2 year doldrums) and I will agree with you. Approach as a finisher is lame.
When I read that card for the first time I thought to myself 'that's broke to just cast a card and win. Just like Aetherworks Marvel casting CMC anything for freaking 4 energy or winning with an infinite loop on turn 4.'
Makes decks without counters painful to play. Are there lots of cheap partial counters out there? Sure. But it's have the answer in your hand or lose the game. It's have blue in your deck or expect to lose at any time past turn 7.
I think the meta will shape up better now with bans but UW does have strong mana at the moment. We should have had enemy fetches in this set. Testing tribes with this mana base is painful.
Sure, there is a chance of spending $4 on a booster and getting the Mythic Rare $30 super card. There is also a chance of surviving putting your tongue in a light socket.
Not sure if this really fixes anything. If you must ban, do it Mirrodin style: ban hydra, cub, Hazoret, and the Scarab God as well. If you think approach will be the new unbeatable bogeyman, off that too.
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G Azusa, Lost but Seeking G UG Tishana, Voice of Thunder GU UBW Sen Triplets WBU WUBGAtraxa, Praetors' Voice GBUW WUBRGJodah, Archmage Eternal GRBUW GWR Mayael the Anima RWG RWB Edgar Markov BWR WG Gaddok Teeg GW W Oketra the True W
--- My Decklist Folder
Just like Aetherworks Marvel casting CMC anything for freaking 4 energy or winning with an infinite loop on turn 4.'
I know it's nitpicking, but Marvel needs 6 energy.
Maybe if energy was something that you had to use energy rocks/dorks for instead of having a bunch of ETB effects that generate 2+ energy, and thus was something that had a proper curve like mana, the energy costs might have meant more.
My concern as a Modern player is that Wizards might (and most likely will in their announcement) aggressively target modern will ban and unbans.
Why?
They are not doing this to 'shake up standard' they are doing this to SAVE standard.
Modern, is the best format they have, for anything. Views, Playing, Collecting, Brewing, whatever.
In what world would they choose to ruin that?
In the world where they need to shake up the pro tour *cough* twin ban *cough*
Unless the pro's find a way to break Modern in the next Pro Tour, I dont see it happening. People after what, 2, 3? Years still give them ***** over twin.
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UW Spirits
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5 cards out of 7 are from kaladesh...boy did that design team screw up...
Pioneer: WURFaerie fires BRGDragons
ModernBGElves WRBurn UR Fires Turns URGift Storm UG Twiddle Storm
Vintage Cube Cards Explained
Here are some other articles I've written about fine tuning your cube:
1. Minimum Archetype Support
2. Improving Green Archetypes
3. Improving White Archetypes
4. Matchup Analysis
5. Cube Combos (Work in Progress)
Draft my Cube - https://cubecobra.com/cube/overview/d8i
From the more abstracted viewpoint, I think this is just a consequence of their intentional focus on turning magic into a creature-centric game where everything revolves around turning beaters sideways, where creatures-with-abilities replace spells, where non-creature spells get underpowered.
I honestly don't feel that they did. Look at the cards, none of them are ever going to matter past Standard. None of them would have been too powerful in previous Standard formats. Those cards aren't too good, they didn't design anything brutal. The problem lies higher up, with whoever decided that answers were not something Standard should have anymore. Counterspell would have been amazing for Modern and kept most of those things in check. Wrath of God would have helped, Doom Blade, Path, StP. Modern has only gotten Push in the last few years because of 'too strong for Standard' or 'not balanced for Limited' when the cards we have asked for would have been the salvation of Standard every single week since BFZ. The design team didn't put anything bad in Standard, they just haven't been allowed to check or balance. Remember the Titan cycle? Those would generate a bunch of decks, create more deck diversity....but they would steamroll any deck not built for them.
Just like Urza's Block, Mirrodin, Scars of Mirrodin... really, the solution seems to be for Wizards to stop printing artifact blocks
(Yes, I know Urza's was supposed to be an Enchantment block, pedants)
Except that the only artifact I recall from Kaladesh that did anything in Standard that made it banworthy on its own was Aetherworks Marvel, and that card would have been fine if sane design decisions were made (aka, not letting a 4-mana artifact that basically has no activation cost with how easy 6 energy is to produce cast anything ever for free). Smuggler's Copter would have been easier to deal with if Fatal Push and Abrade were cards at the time.
Cat combo used a creature and a planeswalker, and Temur Energy doesn't need artifacts. Energy by itself is an OK (you could even say interesting) mechanic, but it has had no direct answers except for maybe one card that has been ineffectual against it, and in Temur, it's stapled on undercosted value creatures like Rogue Refiner and Bristling Hydra.
Maybe it's not the artifacts themselves that tend to do artifact blocks/sets in, but the almost laissez-faire design philosophy that tends to accompany them. Shards of Alara block also had an artifact focus with the Esper cards, but it wasn't a black mark on the game's history.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
Anyway, bannings like this are a double-edged sword. I like that they're trying to fix things, but I'm very resentful that it got to this point. Crafting a Standard environment is clearly a tall order with a lot of moving parts, but I can't remember a time when I was this disinterested in Standard.
My 720 Peasant Cube
The Rumor Mill has transcended being a literal rumor mill (if it ever was in the first place) a long time ago, considering set spoilers aren't rumours either.
^This is my absolute biggest gripe when it comes to Magic. I hate the fact that removal and counters got slapped with a nerf, but creatures are pushed so hard it's insane.
BG/x BG
Standard: UBBlue/Black Midrange
Modern: GWBogles
Did you read the banning article? Because making sure that decks that go wide or use life gain can fight back against RR was why the card was banned. /facepalm
I'm pretty sure we're going to see UW Approach get to obnoxious levels of play. It was already happening in my local meta. Against certain colors/strategies, they just auto-win game 1 based on not having a good answer to your opponent only having to cast a spell successfully to win. The non-interactivity of this card should have been considered when looking at bans, quite honestly. If you want people back in Standard, having a groan-worthy, non-interactive feel-bad card as the win condition of a deck that only counters and board wipes every other turn is not the way to do it. They're not fun games to watch or play against, and I think control players are only using it because of the lack of an evasive finisher creature in the format. I'd like to believe they're not so swept up in the need to win that they actually like a card that makes everyone losing to it want to flip a table at you.
Why?
They are not doing this to 'shake up standard' they are doing this to SAVE standard.
Modern, is the best format they have, for anything. Views, Playing, Collecting, Brewing, whatever.
In what world would they choose to ruin that?
Spirits
When I read that card for the first time I thought to myself 'that's broke to just cast a card and win. Just like Aetherworks Marvel casting CMC anything for freaking 4 energy or winning with an infinite loop on turn 4.'
Makes decks without counters painful to play. Are there lots of cheap partial counters out there? Sure. But it's have the answer in your hand or lose the game. It's have blue in your deck or expect to lose at any time past turn 7.
I think the meta will shape up better now with bans but UW does have strong mana at the moment. We should have had enemy fetches in this set. Testing tribes with this mana base is painful.
In the world where they need to shake up the pro tour *cough* twin ban *cough*
UG Tishana, Voice of Thunder GU
UBW Sen Triplets WBU
WUBGAtraxa, Praetors' Voice GBUW
WUBRGJodah, Archmage Eternal GRBUW
GWR Mayael the Anima RWG
RWB Edgar Markov BWR
WG Gaddok Teeg GW
W Oketra the True W
---
My Decklist Folder
I know it's nitpicking, but Marvel needs 6 energy.
Maybe if energy was something that you had to use energy rocks/dorks for instead of having a bunch of ETB effects that generate 2+ energy, and thus was something that had a proper curve like mana, the energy costs might have meant more.
Unless the pro's find a way to break Modern in the next Pro Tour, I dont see it happening. People after what, 2, 3? Years still give them ***** over twin.
Spirits