Just in the spoilers thus far, Avacyn Restored has 5 cards that flicker or otherwise recur a creature, all at low enough rarity to be frequent in limited:
Cloudshift
Restoration Angel
Emancipation Angel (not truly flickering, but similar applications)
Ghostly Flicker
Nephalia Smuggler
It just feels weird that so many similar cards are in a set and block that can barely use them.
While a fun mechanic, it doesn't even play well with the rest of the block's mechanics:
It is actively bad with DFCs like werewolves,
and with the +1/+1 counter theme, EDIT: Except for Undying. I admit it plays great with that.
and with the token theme.
It doesn't interact at all with the many "when dies" triggers in this block,
which caused this block to have far fewer "enters the battlefield" triggers than most blocks, so there are hardly any interesting flicker targets.
Theories on why there are so many 'flicker' cards? Is there some cool combo or theme I've missed?
I forgot to mention that it does interact a bit with Soulbond, but not too strongly.
It allows you to re-pair at instant speed, and just re-pair in general (but so does playing any creature).
This was very deliberate. MaRo said that in development they gave the "good" creatures ETB effects and the "evil" creature death effects. Flickering creatures lets you retrigger ETB effects, re-do soulbond pairs, and reset undying creatures.
EDIT: Also AVR is technically separate from Inn and Dark. Flicker is supposed to play well with AVR, it's not really concerned with the rest of the block.
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Well, as far as the flickering having no synergy with the rest of the block, that depends on your perspective. It still helps undying creatures by letting them undie a whole lot more.
Also, keep in mind that WotC said that this set was going to slightly contradict the other two, just because white cards are regaining the power from the other two black-centric sets.
Lastly, the set isn't even close to spoiled yet, so I'm sure there will be plenty of tricks exposed with the blink effects that we just haven't seen. I know one thing: My Venser lock deck is going to go nuts!
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I love ETB triggers and I imagine this set is going to be plentiful of them. The set is taking the time out of its way to fine tune some mechanics that were broken (Banding) and re-up the quality of ETB cards. Not to mention helping out various mechanics like Vanishing and Undying with flicker effects.
The set seems out of place but generally, I think its doing more for stuff outside of the block then anything.
I know magic is indifferent of older formats but Keldon Marauders likes it if he could leave and enter the battlefield repeatedly.
[card=Dismal Failure]"Two magi could trade spells all day and never crown a victor.
The real battle is not one of power but of will.
If your confidence breaks, so too shall you." —Venser[/card]
In the worst-case scenario, all of the flicker effects let your soulbound creatures dodge removal, then flicker back in to keep the soulbound going and keeping your opponent from completely wrecking you during combat. I expect that to be HIGHLY relevant in limited, possibly more so in constructed if soulbound makes an impact (which seems likely).
If we get even a couple of good ETB creatures, this theme will likely form a new archetype, limited or otherwise.
Just in the spoilers thus far, Avacyn Restored has 5 cards that flicker or otherwise recur a creature, all at low enough rarity to be frequent in limited:
Cloudshift
Restoration Angel
Emancipation Angel (not truly flickering, but similar applications)
Ghostly Flicker
Nephalia Smuggler
It just feels weird that so many similar cards are in a set and block that can barely use them.
While a fun mechanic, it doesn't even play well with the rest of the block's mechanics:
It is actively bad with DFCs like werewolves,
and with the +1/+1 counter theme, EDIT: Except for Undying. I admit it plays great with that.
and with the token theme.
It doesn't interact at all with the many "when dies" triggers in this block,
which caused this block to have far fewer "enters the battlefield" triggers than most blocks, so there are hardly any interesting flicker targets.
Theories on why there are so many 'flicker' cards? Is there some cool combo or theme I've missed?
1) There is a set[block*] after this, and they will be played together, don't underestimate the dev's ability to plan ahead.
2) there are what, 180 cards unspoiled? I'd say you could have some synergy there.
3) there are enough cards with powerful ETB effects to build whole decks around that mechanic in standard right now, so flickering sounds good to me, even as is.
Im realativly new to magic so bare with me. But in the flicker cards it dosent say when you return the card, un like others when it says at end of turn. Does this mean it get returned right after flicker resolves? Oh and another card think about is village bell ringer, and tower geist.
This was very deliberate. MaRo said that in development they gave the "good" creatures ETB effects and the "evil" creature death effects. Flickering creatures lets you retrigger ETB effects, re-do soulbond pairs, and reset undying creatures.
EDIT: Also AVR is technically separate from Inn and Dark. Flicker is supposed to play well with AVR, it's not really concerned with the rest of the block.
This feels like rebels and mercenaries all over again. So rebels get 1 above their casting cost. Mercenaries only go down in casting cost. Who the hell designed this? But black has the removal they can just kill the rebels. Go Go R&D.
So white gets flicker effects that generate card advantage. Black gets sac a creature generating card disadvantage. Sometimes R&D you amaze me how utterly stupid your design of planned interactions within colors is.
So white gets flicker effects that generate card advantage. Black gets sac a creature generating card disadvantage. Sometimes R&D you amaze me how utterly stupid your design of planned interactions within colors is.
That's a stupid statement. The fact that black works "at card disadvantage" doesn't mean the effects it produces aren't big enough to offset the loss. And the fact that white gets to flicker its cards for "card advantage" doesn't mean the effects will be big and game breaking enough to justify running said cards in the first place.
You need to see the complete set before making that asumption.
GF Skinrender and Snapcaster Mage: do three more damage, cast another spell
GF Sphere of the Suns and Batterskull: refill SotS, Batterskull is not destroyed by Ancient Grudge or Revoke and is still attacking next turn.
And so on. Against aggro decks I get to recycle effects and against Black, Red, and White it is just gorgeous to avoid their targeted hate (or even to insta-recycle Snapcaster to get another counter out of the grave (plus I set a land back to untapped to help!)
So to me, Flicker is excellent for U/x and W/x, and that x can include any other color else given the way the lands are going, though admittedly Mono-R/B/G won't benefit from it and neither will decks with those combos, but they have their own aggro stuff anyway.
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Standard
Tempo Modern
Eldrazi and Staxes
Whir Prison Legacy
5c Humans
DnT
"I'm a lead farmer... !" Quote ruined due to policy.
"Fringe Playable" Enters the battlefield cards in standard: Karn, Silver Golem
Eh? Did you mean the other Karn? Not quite sure what you're going for. Liberated doesn't have an ETB effect, but maybe you mean recharging his counters and/or getting to use his -3 twice in one turn?
This feels like rebels and mercenaries all over again. So rebels get 1 above their casting cost. Mercenaries only go down in casting cost. Who the hell designed this? But black has the removal they can just kill the rebels. Go Go R&D.
So white gets flicker effects that generate card advantage. Black gets sac a creature generating card disadvantage. Sometimes R&D you amaze me how utterly stupid your design of planned interactions within colors is.
Right, because death triggers are costed the same way as ETB triggers. That's why Farhaven Elf and Viridian Emissary are so similar.
Eh? Did you mean the other Karn? Not quite sure what you're going for. Liberated doesn't have an ETB effect, but maybe you mean recharging his counters and/or getting to use his -3 twice in one turn?
Yup! OP edited.
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Cloudshift
Restoration Angel
Emancipation Angel (not truly flickering, but similar applications)
Ghostly Flicker
Nephalia Smuggler
It just feels weird that so many similar cards are in a set and block that can barely use them.
While a fun mechanic, it doesn't even play well with the rest of the block's mechanics:
Not yet....
It allows you to re-pair at instant speed, and just re-pair in general (but so does playing any creature).
Read this for more info.
EDIT: Also AVR is technically separate from Inn and Dark. Flicker is supposed to play well with AVR, it's not really concerned with the rest of the block.
This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move."
Comic Book Set
Archester: Frontier of Steam (A steampunk set!)
A Good Place to Start Designing
Also, keep in mind that WotC said that this set was going to slightly contradict the other two, just because white cards are regaining the power from the other two black-centric sets.
Lastly, the set isn't even close to spoiled yet, so I'm sure there will be plenty of tricks exposed with the blink effects that we just haven't seen. I know one thing: My Venser lock deck is going to go nuts!
The set seems out of place but generally, I think its doing more for stuff outside of the block then anything.
I know magic is indifferent of older formats but Keldon Marauders likes it if he could leave and enter the battlefield repeatedly.
:symr::symu: Reality Bites
:symr::symu: Delver Cyclops
:symr::symu: Niv Control EDH
:symg::symw: Sigarda EDH
The real battle is not one of power but of will.
If your confidence breaks, so too shall you."
—Venser[/card]
If we get even a couple of good ETB creatures, this theme will likely form a new archetype, limited or otherwise.
1) There is a set[block*] after this, and they will be played together, don't underestimate the dev's ability to plan ahead.
2) there are what, 180 cards unspoiled? I'd say you could have some synergy there.
3) there are enough cards with powerful ETB effects to build whole decks around that mechanic in standard right now, so flickering sounds good to me, even as is.
We have one already with Zealous Conscripts, threatening a permament seems darn good. The R/W intro deck is about flickering and ETB.
Man I bet limited is going to be so fun!!! Yea I know we only have 1/4 of the set, but high hopes.
AVR is a standalone set. The next set to come is M13. It will be drafted and sealed alone.
Because that completely precludes the printing of cards with ETB effects in RTR and M13 for use in constructed. . . .
This feels like rebels and mercenaries all over again. So rebels get 1 above their casting cost. Mercenaries only go down in casting cost. Who the hell designed this? But black has the removal they can just kill the rebels. Go Go R&D.
So white gets flicker effects that generate card advantage. Black gets sac a creature generating card disadvantage. Sometimes R&D you amaze me how utterly stupid your design of planned interactions within colors is.
That's a stupid statement. The fact that black works "at card disadvantage" doesn't mean the effects it produces aren't big enough to offset the loss. And the fact that white gets to flicker its cards for "card advantage" doesn't mean the effects will be big and game breaking enough to justify running said cards in the first place.
You need to see the complete set before making that asumption.
http://alteredartmagic.blogspot.com/search/label/Nicolarre
or in my Humble Alter Gallery at DeviantArt: http://nicolarre.deviantart.com/gallery/
GF Skinrender and Snapcaster Mage: do three more damage, cast another spell
GF Sphere of the Suns and Batterskull: refill SotS, Batterskull is not destroyed by Ancient Grudge or Revoke and is still attacking next turn.
And so on. Against aggro decks I get to recycle effects and against Black, Red, and White it is just gorgeous to avoid their targeted hate (or even to insta-recycle Snapcaster to get another counter out of the grave (plus I set a land back to untapped to help!)
So to me, Flicker is excellent for U/x and W/x, and that x can include any other color else given the way the lands are going, though admittedly Mono-R/B/G won't benefit from it and neither will decks with those combos, but they have their own aggro stuff anyway.
Tempo
Modern
Eldrazi and Staxes
Whir Prison
Legacy
5c Humans
DnT
"I'm a lead farmer... !" Quote ruined due to policy.
"Good" Enters the battlefield cards in standard:
Blade Splicer
Acidic Slime
Champion of the Parish
Dungeon Geists
Fiend Hunter
Geralf's Messanger
Grave Titan
Huntmaster of the Fells
Inferno Titan
Massacre Wurm
Primeval Titan
Snapcaster Mage
Solemn Simulacrum
Sun Titan
Trinket Mage
"Fringe Playable" Enters the battlefield cards in standard:
Brutalizer Exarch
Contagion Engine
Entomber Exarch
Frost Titan
Geist-Honored Monk
Geralf's Mindcrusher
Karn, the liberated
Lashwrithe
Leonin Relic-Warder
Myr Battlesphere
Nevermore
Phyrexian Revoker
Precursor Golem
Puresteel Paladin
Rune-Scarred Demon
Skinrender
Spine of Ish Sah
Sphere of the Suns
Stonehorn Dignitary
Sunblast Angel
Treasure Mage
Tumble Magnet
Viridian Corrupter
Volition Reins
Warstorm Surge
Cards that play nicely with Enters the Battlefield" Effects:
Living Weapons (Batterskull, Bonehoard, Flayer Husk, Mortarpod)
Mimic Vat
Venser, the Sojourner
Stonehorn Dignitary works too.
Eh? Did you mean the other Karn? Not quite sure what you're going for. Liberated doesn't have an ETB effect, but maybe you mean recharging his counters and/or getting to use his -3 twice in one turn?
Right, because death triggers are costed the same way as ETB triggers. That's why Farhaven Elf and Viridian Emissary are so similar.
Standard: W/R Aggro
http://alteredartmagic.blogspot.com/search/label/Nicolarre
or in my Humble Alter Gallery at DeviantArt: http://nicolarre.deviantart.com/gallery/
Yup! OP edited.