We're only ~45 cards into the set and already it's shaping up to be not only many times better than BFZ, but one of the best Return sets. The reason being is they are paying fan service to the original set. BFZ block failed in doing this, and they took a bold step in BFZ by focusing almost entirely on the Eldrazi. Zendikar was one of my favorite sets ever. Tons of iconic, classic cards like Goblin Guide, Goblin Bushwacker, Vampire Nighthawk, Steppe Lynx, enemy fetches. Excellent and flavorful mechanics like Landfall, (Good) Allies, Traps, Quests, Expeditions, Ascensions, excellent tribal synergy in Kor and Vampires. The theme of Zendikar was adventurous and fun, and the cards reflected that. Most would agree that BFZ is a fan flop. Personally I think I played one draft of it. I saw all the spoilers and looked the other way.
Enter SOI. This set is doing everything right. It's bringing back werewolves. It's bringing back horror themes from Innistrad. It's bringing back characters from the original like Delver and Geralf. It's giving us everything we loved about Innistrad.
I used to be more into Magic, but these days I'm a "casual player" in the sense that I don't play magic every day or every week for that matter. But I'll always love drafting a good set, and I'm excited to see what SOI will bring to the draft game. I watched the Pro Tour and I saw the good Eldrazi decks. I don't know if the set was good or bad for the game of Magic, but it definitely didn't scratch the Zendikar itch for me. SOI will though.
Fanservice, in my experience, ruins works. I'm glad you're excited, really I am, but maybe temper your expectations a smidgen. As you said yourself, we're only 45 cards in.
The end of the Zendikar block was the begining of the actual conflict in the plane. Zendikar didn't have any conflict until the Eldrazi got released. And seeing as they are world eating abominations they couldn't just ignore it when they returned. They had to be dealt with right away. Returning but ignoring it would have been idiotic.
Innistrad solved its conflict at the end of its block. Return allowed it to use a new conflict while using the same setting.
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WOut of the ground,I rise to grace...W BAfter the lights go out on you, after your worthless life is through. I will remember how you scream...B
I actually really liked BFZ for what it was doing, but I agree that it felt kinda weird for a return set. Zendikar was popular because it had an adventure feel. This set felt as if mostly building upon Rise of the Eldrazi rather than Zendikar, which is OK, but I have a friend myself that basically only played during Zendikar, and while I tried to get him to play with the cards this time around, they didn't hook him in. This is anecdotical and may have to do with all sorts of other things, but that's how it is.
I did like the set overall, but it didn't feel like Zendikar.
I used to be more into Magic, but these days I'm a "casual player" in the sense that I don't play magic every day or every week for that matter. But I'll always love drafting a good set, and I'm excited to see what SOI will bring to the draft game. I watched the Pro Tour and I saw the good Eldrazi decks. I don't know if the set was good or bad for the game of Magic, but it definitely didn't scratch the Zendikar itch for me. SOI will though.
Fanservice, in my experience, ruins works. I'm glad you're excited, really I am, but maybe temper your expectations a smidgen. As you said yourself, we're only 45 cards in.
This almost perfectly defines the relationship between the optimist and the pessimist.
What about the cynic? No matter how good a set looks, no matter how many people like it when it is being spoiled, on MTGsalvation, after the set is released, 1000s of complaints about how "this is the worst set ever" will be made...
Who cares if the glass is half empty, or half full, it's full of cyanide so you can't drink it either way
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I basically only play EDH:
Damia, Jenara, Xiahou Dun, Mareth, Nekusar, Oloro, Kresh, Deretti
Also notice they are not just reprinting Delver and other good cards; they are evolving and progressing the story. Now the Delver is the Abherrent researcher attempting to achieve its perfect form. A good set doesn't need the reprints of the good cards, it needs to show the flavour and not just feel like Innistrad 2.
I guess so,bit i would rather have different good cards than just get delver and snapcaster again. We can have this sequel to delver and still get other playable cards.
Also notice they are not just reprinting Delver and other good cards; they are evolving and progressing the story. Now the Delver is the Abherrent researcher attempting to achieve its perfect form. A good set doesn't need the reprints of the good cards, it needs to show the flavour and not just feel like Innistrad 2.
Dont want to be a downer but Abherrent Researcher is just so many times worse than delver though. I mean its uncommon, unlike delver and basically unplayable in constructed. The complete opposite of delver. Sure it is nice to see progression of a story but not strictly worse cards.
Strongly disagree. Delver was a busted card, and if it were to get a reprint I don't doubt we would see it at uncommon. His new interaction is dripping with flavour, which is an excellent thing (calling back to old cards) and it is fairly decent in limited, being a delirium enabler and a potentially 5/4 flyer. Cards can call back to older cards and be better (like the relentless dead / endless ranks of the dead) or worse (like old delver / new delver), but in the end this feeling of 'connection' and 'continuity' is very important for players. I'm sure there will be plenty of constructed playables (as we've seen already some spoiled) on SOI.
Overall I love what they're doing, I think this is, in fact, a much better return set than Zendikar was. They basically muderered Zendikar (and no, they didn't have to completely wipe out everything from the plane despite RoE, a nice call back for instance was Oran-Rief, the Vastwood and Ruins of Oran-Rief, more things like that would have been nice). I will play Innistrad pre-release and be very happy about it.
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Would you like to read Commander stories? Check my latest stories, coming from Lorwyn and Innistrad: Ghoulcaller Gisa and Doran, The Siege Tower! If you like my writing, ask me to write something for your commander as well!
The return to Zendikar was great because it allowed them to resolve a very important story conflict. I, for one, was more excited for the Eldrazi threat than most because a) ROE didn't finish what it started and b) Eldrazi card names are impossible not to be amused by. Sifter of Skulls? Conduit of Ruin? Most sets don't allow for such ridiculous naming conventions.
Though I am glad that the new Innistrad is still evoking the flavor that made the first two parts of the block so captivating. If there's more cards like Brain in a Jar and the like, we can be sure that we have a winner on our hands.
This set does feel alot fan service. It doesn't seem to be straying too far from the original. I don't know if their sales are down, or maybe the fact that Innistrad sold well and they're afraid of messing up something that worked.
Downside is that the cards don't really feel new.
Btw. I thought there were no werewolves on Zendikar since Avacyn came back. What happened? (No wolfir so far.)
Btw. I thought there were no werewolves on Zendikar since Avacyn came back. What happened? (No wolfir so far.)
She only changed one group, right? The Gatstaf werewolves. They were given a place by her side with the power of the cursemute. The fact she's changed/corrupted can't bode well for them. Is the cursemute even still in effect now that she's no longer her old self?
Btw. I thought there were no werewolves on Zendikar since Avacyn came back. What happened? (No wolfir so far.)
She only changed one group, right? The Gatstaf werewolves. They were given a place by her side with the power of the cursemute. The fact she's changed/corrupted can't bode well for them. Is the cursemute even still in effect now that she's no longer her old self?
The Cursemute was a one time deal and it affected werewolves plane-wide. The thing is, it only "cured" werewolves who wanted to be cured. All the others are still around and since the event they've been siring new beasts for their howlpacks.
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"Pop in, find a dragon, roast a dragon."
-Chandra Nalaar
Btw. I thought there were no werewolves on Zendikar since Avacyn came back. What happened? (No wolfir so far.)
She only changed one group, right? The Gatstaf werewolves. They were given a place by her side with the power of the cursemute. The fact she's changed/corrupted can't bode well for them. Is the cursemute even still in effect now that she's no longer her old self?
The Cursemute was a one time deal and it affected werewolves plane-wide. The thing is, it only "cured" werewolves who wanted to be cured. All the others are still around and since the event they've been siring new beasts for their howlpacks.
I'll reserve my judgment until I see the set in its entirety.
That said, we're 59 cards in and I'm convinced SOI will be the best return set yet. On par with the original? Evoking the same feeling for a Vorthos? That will require time and the full set to consider.
It's on the right track so far. BFZ, in comparison, missed the mark entirely and was indeed terrible in every way, except getting a glimpse of Thassa's Bident. Which says more about the beauty and success of Theros.
While I loathe Ravnica, Return to Ravnica was actually also a solid return block (despite how much I did not like it).
I agree Shadows Over Innistrad is a fantastic return set. The amazing flavor, the powerful uncommons, and the great rares are so far a fitting second act to the original Innistrad.
I agree that Battle for Zendikar and Oath of the Gatewatch are really successors to Rise of the Eldrazi (rather than Zenikar and Worldwake). Not a bad thing but definitely requires an expectation recalibration. While I am glad the elements of Rise of the Eldrazi got to really shine here, I also miss the Traps, Expeditions, and general excitement of the original Zendikar. Then again, I am sure the Zendikari feel the same way.
Enter SOI. This set is doing everything right. It's bringing back werewolves. It's bringing back horror themes from Innistrad. It's bringing back characters from the original like Delver and Geralf. It's giving us everything we loved about Innistrad.
I used to be more into Magic, but these days I'm a "casual player" in the sense that I don't play magic every day or every week for that matter. But I'll always love drafting a good set, and I'm excited to see what SOI will bring to the draft game. I watched the Pro Tour and I saw the good Eldrazi decks. I don't know if the set was good or bad for the game of Magic, but it definitely didn't scratch the Zendikar itch for me. SOI will though.
Your mods are terrified of me.
Innistrad solved its conflict at the end of its block. Return allowed it to use a new conflict while using the same setting.
BAfter the lights go out on you, after your worthless life is through. I will remember how you scream...B
I did like the set overall, but it didn't feel like Zendikar.
Who cares if the glass is half empty, or half full, it's full of cyanide so you can't drink it either way
Damia, Jenara, Xiahou Dun, Mareth, Nekusar, Oloro, Kresh, Deretti
Overall I love what they're doing, I think this is, in fact, a much better return set than Zendikar was. They basically muderered Zendikar (and no, they didn't have to completely wipe out everything from the plane despite RoE, a nice call back for instance was Oran-Rief, the Vastwood and Ruins of Oran-Rief, more things like that would have been nice). I will play Innistrad pre-release and be very happy about it.
Read my other stories as well (some ongoing):
Reaper King (a horror story), Kaalia of the Vast (an origin story), Sequels for Innistrad (Alternative sequels for Inn), Grey Areas (Odric's fanfic), Royal Succession (goblins),The Tracker's Message (eldrazi on Innistrad) and Ugin and his Eye (the end of OGW).
Though I am glad that the new Innistrad is still evoking the flavor that made the first two parts of the block so captivating. If there's more cards like Brain in a Jar and the like, we can be sure that we have a winner on our hands.
Downside is that the cards don't really feel new.
Btw. I thought there were no werewolves on Zendikar since Avacyn came back. What happened? (No wolfir so far.)
She only changed one group, right? The Gatstaf werewolves. They were given a place by her side with the power of the cursemute. The fact she's changed/corrupted can't bode well for them. Is the cursemute even still in effect now that she's no longer her old self?
-Chandra Nalaar
Thx.
That said, we're 59 cards in and I'm convinced SOI will be the best return set yet. On par with the original? Evoking the same feeling for a Vorthos? That will require time and the full set to consider.
It's on the right track so far. BFZ, in comparison, missed the mark entirely and was indeed terrible in every way, except getting a glimpse of Thassa's Bident. Which says more about the beauty and success of Theros.
While I loathe Ravnica, Return to Ravnica was actually also a solid return block (despite how much I did not like it).
|| 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 agree Shadows Over Innistrad is a fantastic return set. The amazing flavor, the powerful uncommons, and the great rares are so far a fitting second act to the original Innistrad.
I agree that Battle for Zendikar and Oath of the Gatewatch are really successors to Rise of the Eldrazi (rather than Zenikar and Worldwake). Not a bad thing but definitely requires an expectation recalibration. While I am glad the elements of Rise of the Eldrazi got to really shine here, I also miss the Traps, Expeditions, and general excitement of the original Zendikar. Then again, I am sure the Zendikari feel the same way.
Except return to dominaria.