I'm sure this has been said before but I absolutely love the set. It's so weak that it's actually good. It doesn't look to me like there's too many broken or extremely overpowered cards in the set so far. In fact, the power level is so low that it actually forces players to innovate and come up with their own decks (gasp!!!). I think that Shards is a net-deckers worst nightmare. To me, it doesn't seem like slapping down a few hundreds bucks to buy the exact same deck that won a PTQ or a large tourney will work as well anymore. Like I said, there aren't that many standout cards and there aren't that many bombs so far. The set urges players to try new things and does so while providing beautiful art and a wonderful flavor. ALA definitely gets a thumbs up for me.
I can appreciate the decrease in power level, but I don't think shards is a deep enough set to compensate. Even a weak set can be rife with intricacies begging to be exploited, and I really don't think Alara has enough of that to satisfy me.
There is lots of talk of no more than five cards being playable in today's standard. The thing is this: Alara won't be played in today's standard because it isn't set legal. Not because it is bad. Trying to argue Alara against Time spiral cards and coldsnap cards and a standard made up partly of those cards is stupid. Even if standard somehow turns into Lorwyn block when Alara rolls ins, Lorwyn rotates later as well and unless there is huge power difference between the next block and Alara, Alara will get played.
They are slowing some things down. Deal with it. Srsly.
I'd agree here, we haven't even seen what shifts with the lack of TS/CS will bring to competetive play and what Alara will do to make up for this loss.
The easiest way to see the next standard is to look at current block constructed decks and then splash in Alara cards. Show me what cards in Alara you think will see play in current block decks, or show me new decks that you feel might emerge due to Alara.
I'm not denyting anything, but I feel alot less cards in Alara will see play than you think will see play.
I think the biggest fear comes from the fact that anything really majorly annoying in standard right now is LOR/MOR related. Time Spiral and Coldsnap really don't take anything out that wasn't already phasing out of popularity anyway with the exception of Goyf. Korlash, Martyr, Pickles, Dragonstorm? I don't think any of us can say we've seen much of any of those guys the last 6 months.
I think the problem is that people are looking for SoA cards to fit into the Lor/Sha metagame instead of thinking of what Lor/Sha cards could fit into a SoA metagame.
Another issue is that this set is easier to evaluate, at least on the surface. Sha/Eve was full of odd but ultimately unplayable things like hedge mages, silkbind and cohorts. It wasn't obvious how playable they were because they were doing things that hadn't been done often before, and thus there was little to compare them against. ALA meanwhile has bears and 7cc 5/5s + cycling, which we already know to be unplayble, and this makes it that much easier to dismiss the set.
The problem isn't Shards, its Lorwyn block. Lorwyn and Morningtide provided too much linear, powerful stuff. After Lorwyn goes out standard will have a huge vacuum to fill without Doran, Reveillark, Elves, Kelpie, Finks, etc.
This set has a lot of cards worth a second look. I'm amazed by the hidden power of the commons and uncommons. It will contribute a lot to Standard and plays VERY well with hybrid decks from Shadowmoor/Eventide. Yes, it is slower than Lorwyn - but let's face it Lorwyn needed to be extremely fast to deal with the slew of control cards Time Spiral had or else we would've had another year of Teachings decks.
Heck even stuff like Sedraxis Specter are deceptively powerful when you expect it to just be another garbage specter remake - it's actually a highlight of Grixis decks. Broodmate Dragon has been another huge highlight in playtesting!
Ethersworn Canonist is Gaddock Teeg 2.0 and will drop like a stone in value. You really get a feel for the cards when you throw some decks around.
EDIT: Oh and I think Limited is gonna be tremendous fun with this set!
What we're doing here is akin to taking the text of Moby Dick, locating specific words therein, rearranging them to create a passage from Fight Club, and concluding from this evidence that Tyler Durden is based on Ahab.
I think the biggest fear comes from the fact that anything really majorly annoying in standard right now is LOR/MOR related. Time Spiral and Coldsnap really don't take anything out that wasn't already phasing out of popularity anyway with the exception of Goyf. Korlash, Martyr, Pickles, Dragonstorm? I don't think any of us can say we've seen much of any of those guys the last 6 months.
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They have done this for years... Masque, Kamigawa are both great examples of blocks being released after powerful/heavy influensive blocks (Urza, Mirrodin) and in my honest opinion this is no Masque or Kamigawa but much better then that, is it close to Lorwyn/Shadowmoor or Timespiral? No, but it doesnt have to be!
I believe Im gonna enjoy this set for limited alot more then Lorwyn or Shadowmoor (Lorwyn was sooo luck dependent its sickening) kinda like Kamigawa. It didnt add 100s of cards to any format but it had alot of tournament stables like: Keiga, Meloku, Jitte, Pithing Needle, Sakura-Tribe elder, Cranial Extraction, Gifts Ungiven and many more, Alara will add alot of cards to existing decks and provide tools to create new archetypes and color combinations.
Naysayers: You're a fool if you tackle the issue before it even hits, please I'm begging in all honesty - give this set a try (I know that from what you have SEEN. I'm sure that you'll either change your minds or we will finally admit that its THE worst ever.
Alara lovers: Before we over commit to this set, we should too see what it holds, we never know - It might be the worst thing ever other than flavour. I love the flavour, the mechanics are iffy but fun, all in all I love the set and I know it can bring great potential to MtG.
I'm not asking to be flamed on this post - just stating that I read both the views and I will not flame the people that don't like simply cause they don't like it. Chances are even I will use a tier 1 deck that some pro made up. It's not that I hate competitive players but some people really did kill it for some noobie's that I introduced, I apologize to all competitive players.
I skipped out on most of Lorwyn and Shadowmoor block. I have a pretty big list of cards I need, and luckily for me, this set didn't really contribute to that list.
I don't know, I just wasn't a big fan of this set. I didn't like the 5 or higher power theme and I felt like a lot of the cards didn't do enough for their cost (Maybe I've just been spoiled by Ravnica, Lorwyn and Shadowmoor blocks).
I skipped out on most of Lorwyn and Shadowmoor block. I have a pretty big list of cards I need, and luckily for me, this set didn't really contribute to that list.
If that's true, I think you should just put your notions of getting LOR/SHA to rest, maybe take a gamble guessing sleepers from Alara, and cut your losses before the next rotation.
Unless you had big plans to go to town in Lor/Sha T2.
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I can appreciate the decrease in power level, but I don't think shards is a deep enough set to compensate. Even a weak set can be rife with intricacies begging to be exploited, and I really don't think Alara has enough of that to satisfy me.
They are slowing some things down. Deal with it. Srsly.
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I just finished writing my set review, and I must say that this set is growing on me.
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I'm not denyting anything, but I feel alot less cards in Alara will see play than you think will see play.
But I am sure that a Devour deck will surface shortly with persist creatures. It might not do too well, but the foundation is there.
Heck even stuff like Sedraxis Specter are deceptively powerful when you expect it to just be another garbage specter remake - it's actually a highlight of Grixis decks. Broodmate Dragon has been another huge highlight in playtesting!
Ethersworn Canonist is Gaddock Teeg 2.0 and will drop like a stone in value. You really get a feel for the cards when you throw some decks around.
EDIT: Oh and I think Limited is gonna be tremendous fun with this set!
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Rune Snag, snow lands and Skred.
Hey, you. Yes, you reading this sig. Get off your computer, go find a copy of Skies of Arcadia: Legends and play it. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.
I believe Im gonna enjoy this set for limited alot more then Lorwyn or Shadowmoor (Lorwyn was sooo luck dependent its sickening) kinda like Kamigawa. It didnt add 100s of cards to any format but it had alot of tournament stables like: Keiga, Meloku, Jitte, Pithing Needle, Sakura-Tribe elder, Cranial Extraction, Gifts Ungiven and many more, Alara will add alot of cards to existing decks and provide tools to create new archetypes and color combinations.
Alara lovers: Before we over commit to this set, we should too see what it holds, we never know - It might be the worst thing ever other than flavour. I love the flavour, the mechanics are iffy but fun, all in all I love the set and I know it can bring great potential to MtG.
I'm not asking to be flamed on this post - just stating that I read both the views and I will not flame the people that don't like simply cause they don't like it. Chances are even I will use a tier 1 deck that some pro made up. It's not that I hate competitive players but some people really did kill it for some noobie's that I introduced, I apologize to all competitive players.
See you when Alara goes big:rolleyes:
The template will be there for when Conflux comes out. Don't worry, we'll need it then too.
I skipped out on most of Lorwyn and Shadowmoor block. I have a pretty big list of cards I need, and luckily for me, this set didn't really contribute to that list.
I don't know, I just wasn't a big fan of this set. I didn't like the 5 or higher power theme and I felt like a lot of the cards didn't do enough for their cost (Maybe I've just been spoiled by Ravnica, Lorwyn and Shadowmoor blocks).
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If that's true, I think you should just put your notions of getting LOR/SHA to rest, maybe take a gamble guessing sleepers from Alara, and cut your losses before the next rotation.
Unless you had big plans to go to town in Lor/Sha T2.
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