In isolation, I can understand why some cards are strictly worse than others. WotC might want to sculpt the Limited or Standard experience in such a way that requires a bad version of an older card. That's fine...in small does.
What's not fine is how the common rarity (and, to a lesser extent, uncommons too) has become a dumping ground for draft fodder and not much else. Sure, there might be a Negate or Attune With Aether here and there, and a Thraben Inspector might slip through the cracks, but long gone are the days when a large portion of strong, format-defining cards were at low rarities. I'm not just talking about Counterspell, Lightning Bolt, and Dark Ritual; think Llanowar Elves, Man o' War, Stone Rain, Mogg Fanatic, Daze, Blastoderm, Wild Mongrel, Spell-Stutter Sprite, Blightning, Putrid Leech, Delver, or, germane to the thread, Basking Rootwalla.
And it's not like the Innistrad-forward de-powering of commons has even been good for Limited; there's been more formats that have missed the mark than been hits, with Constructed-only players soaking the costs of worse packs and effectively smaller Standard cardpools.
I'm surprised that no one has brought up power creep yet. Extra Credits does a good job of explaining what power creep is and why it's important. I hope it's okay to post a link, because it's worth a watch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxszx60ZwGw
So basically, when each new set only contains cards that are strictly better than old cards, there is little reason for players to be invested over long periods of time. (I personally am a little sad every time a card is printed that is strictly better than Norwood Ranger.)
Also, I would point out that Magic designers are making a set as a whole. They are not only making cards to be played in standard, but they are also making cards to be drafted. Perhaps at one point in development this card did have Cycling G or something, but the testers found that it made a certain draft archetype too powerful, and they decided to remove it.
Also also, As pierrebai pointed out in an earlier post, this is not the first time a strictly better card has been printed. You may be complaining that Basking rootwalla is strictly better than Frilled sandwalla, but also in this set there is Hour of Glory, which is strictly better than Final Reward in a couple of ways. And I've personally had use for Final Reward on a few occasions. If I open a pack with Frilled sandwalla and Hour of Glory I will not be sad about the Sandwalla.
Also also also, Magic design has been, for several years now, trending toward simpler cards at common. Basically, if they give too many cards too many abilities, it becomes too much for some players to keep track of. So for the last several years, there have been more common creatures with only one ability, or no abilities at all. While the uncommon and rare creatures can still have more complex designs. Asking for a Rootwalla with "Cycling 1 Return a land card from your graveyard to your hand" would be far too complex for a common card according to current design philosophy. You can read more about it in Mark Rosewater's article about the New World Order. http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/new-world-order-2011-12-02
While it may be strictly worse from a pure card power standpoint, it's art is cooler (if not cuter, as mentioned before) and it has some pretty stellar flavor text. Some players care a lot about one or both of those elements, and in their minds this card is a straight up improvement over the maybe free with madness version.
As someone who started magic during the time that Basking Rootwalla was standard legal.... I'm not upset with the Sandwalla at all.. because I don't play Standard anymore. Only playing Modern now.
Anyway, the sandwalla artwork is nice. Might buy a set and throw him in a casual "only play this at home" madness deck but still modern legal... with noose constrictor, reckless wurm, and fiery temper. Yes, mr. sandwalla has no madness,, but he's just there because Basking Rootwalla called that he couldn't make it to the party due to not being modern legal. ^^
What's not fine is how the common rarity (and, to a lesser extent, uncommons too) has become a dumping ground for draft fodder and not much else. Sure, there might be a Negate or Attune With Aether here and there, and a Thraben Inspector might slip through the cracks, but long gone are the days when a large portion of strong, format-defining cards were at low rarities. I'm not just talking about Counterspell, Lightning Bolt, and Dark Ritual; think Llanowar Elves, Man o' War, Stone Rain, Mogg Fanatic, Daze, Blastoderm, Wild Mongrel, Spell-Stutter Sprite, Blightning, Putrid Leech, Delver, or, germane to the thread, Basking Rootwalla.
And it's not like the Innistrad-forward de-powering of commons has even been good for Limited; there's been more formats that have missed the mark than been hits, with Constructed-only players soaking the costs of worse packs and effectively smaller Standard cardpools.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxszx60ZwGw
So basically, when each new set only contains cards that are strictly better than old cards, there is little reason for players to be invested over long periods of time. (I personally am a little sad every time a card is printed that is strictly better than Norwood Ranger.)
Also, I would point out that Magic designers are making a set as a whole. They are not only making cards to be played in standard, but they are also making cards to be drafted. Perhaps at one point in development this card did have Cycling G or something, but the testers found that it made a certain draft archetype too powerful, and they decided to remove it.
Also also, As pierrebai pointed out in an earlier post, this is not the first time a strictly better card has been printed. You may be complaining that Basking rootwalla is strictly better than Frilled sandwalla, but also in this set there is Hour of Glory, which is strictly better than Final Reward in a couple of ways. And I've personally had use for Final Reward on a few occasions. If I open a pack with Frilled sandwalla and Hour of Glory I will not be sad about the Sandwalla.
Also also also, Magic design has been, for several years now, trending toward simpler cards at common. Basically, if they give too many cards too many abilities, it becomes too much for some players to keep track of. So for the last several years, there have been more common creatures with only one ability, or no abilities at all. While the uncommon and rare creatures can still have more complex designs. Asking for a Rootwalla with "Cycling 1 Return a land card from your graveyard to your hand" would be far too complex for a common card according to current design philosophy. You can read more about it in Mark Rosewater's article about the New World Order.
http://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/making-magic/new-world-order-2011-12-02
There is a reason Sandwalla was printed as is.
Anyway, the sandwalla artwork is nice. Might buy a set and throw him in a casual "only play this at home" madness deck but still modern legal... with noose constrictor, reckless wurm, and fiery temper. Yes, mr. sandwalla has no madness,, but he's just there because Basking Rootwalla called that he couldn't make it to the party due to not being modern legal. ^^
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