If someone was ridiculously rich/unscrupulous, they could try and ruin vintage/legacy by removing the cards that define the format for what it is. I can't imagine why anyone would though.
I don't see this being about Khans. If it were, it would be announced at SDCC/Pax instead, or during the first week of previews. A special announcement the week before previews suggests that it's about something different.
GDS3 does seem the most likely possibility at this point. He's said in the past that they wouldn't do another GDS until they had an open slot to fill. Does anyone know if any Magic designers have left recently?
Billy Moreno left Wizards last Year and made this anouncement in a article, I think during BNG post preview week...
I don t know if his "slot" on design has been fill but in M15 he was head design thouht.
I think he's going to preview more of the Mono Color Commander decks, seems like a good choice..... What if they release more sets each calender year? 2 months in between new sets? or maybe making blocks 4 sets with 2 months in between releases? IDK but whatever it is i'm interested!!!!
Considering that such a product would fill the summer multiplayer slot, then no, no they do not need to announce it now. They usually announce summer multiplayer products early in the same year.
People have to know to take time off for Vegas II.
A gold bordered Cube product is indeed something that would get everyone talking, is compliant with the official reprint policy, and would be a big thing.
I'm not sure if this will be a product announcement or a personnel announcement, however.
If someone was ridiculously rich/unscrupulous, they could try and ruin vintage/legacy by removing the cards that define the format for what it is. I can't imagine why anyone would though.
I'f I ever win the lotto, eternal formats are ruined. RUINED! lol
Part of me wonders tho, would something like that (as highly unlikely as it is) force them to finally reprint the reserve list? Or would they hold firm... Hmm...
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
If it looks like a bug, sounds like a bug, and acts like a bug then it's probably working as intended.
If someone was ridiculously rich/unscrupulous, they could try and ruin vintage/legacy by removing the cards that define the format for what it is. I can't imagine why anyone would though.
I'f I ever win the lotto, eternal formats are ruined. RUINED! lol
Part of me wonders tho, would something like that (as highly unlikely as it is) force them to finally reprint the reserve list? Or would they hold firm... Hmm...
Arguably, if there are no collectors that hold the reserved list cards, I could see that meaning that the original purpose of the reserve list is moot, so they might drop it then. Doesn't make much difference to me, but it would be interesting if someone did that somehow.
A gold bordered Cube product is indeed something that would get everyone talking, is compliant with the official reprint policy, and would be a big thing.
I'm not sure if this will be a product announcement or a personnel announcement, however.
Wizards has promised that no card on the Reserved list will EVER be printed in physical form. They tightened up the loopholes after the Phyrexian Negator fiasco. That being said, a gold bordered cube without Reserved List things would be awesome. Lastly, BURN THE RESERVED LIST!
Considering that such a product would fill the summer multiplayer slot, then no, no they do not need to announce it now. They usually announce summer multiplayer products early in the same year.
Considering that such a product would fill the summer multiplayer slot, then no, no they do not need to announce it now. They usually announce summer multiplayer products early in the same year.
Also, with the whole "May Gap" thing caused by moving the third set forward, we could see Modern Masters 2 occupy that slot. Earlier release would warrant an earlier announcement.
A gold bordered Cube product is indeed something that would get everyone talking, is compliant with the official reprint policy, and would be a big thing.
I'm not sure if this will be a product announcement or a personnel announcement, however.
Wizards has promised that no card on the Reserved list will EVER be printed in physical form. They tightened up the loopholes after the Phyrexian Negator fiasco. That being said, a gold bordered cube without Reserved List things would be awesome. Lastly, BURN THE RESERVED LIST!
Their official reprint policy is that it can never be reprinted in a tournament legal form. Gold-bordered cards are not tournament legal.
MaRo personally has stated he considers non-tournament legal reprints against the spirit of the list, but it would not be against the letter.
The 'loophole' closed was that foil reprints of Reserve List cards were acceptable under the pre-2010 policy but not now, but the Reserve List has *never* even prohibited a re-issuing of the Beta Collector's Edition.
I'll be that guy. I don't realistically feel it will be this but a big deal to get everyone talking is....
Fetchland reprints being announced. Don't ask me how. Maybe in Khans, maybe part of MM2 (that just doesn't feel like an appropriate time to announce that though) or something else.
Again, I don't realistically feel it will be on fetches but no other article other than some other whacky announcement would garner that much discussion from the community.
Now, realistically, I have no clue and I can't wait until Monday. It better be good lol.
It's going to be a "Making Magic" column and not a feature, which means things like Modern Masters 2 and Pro Tour stuff should theoretically be off the table. The column is all about design. Whatever it is, it's important enough that State of Design was pushed up a week in order for this column to hit before Khans spoilers start. I'm leaning toward another Great Designer Search, but I guess we'll see in a few days.
It's going to be a "Making Magic" column and not a feature, which means things like Modern Masters 2 and Pro Tour stuff should theoretically be off the table. The column is all about design.
I agree 100% with this, and I think it also means commander is off the table. Likewise, if there are fetches in KTK, they will likely be spoiled as part of the normal preview weeks, and I would guess that Sam Stoddard spoils them in a Latest Development article, where he continues his discussions from the Mana Confluence reveal and the "Making Mana" article that discussed the painlands in M2015.
Whatever it is, it's important enough that State of Design was pushed up a week in order for this column to hit before Khans spoilers start.
I also feel that this is important, but I think your emphasis may be somewhat off. Even if they had not swapped the articles around, this "special article" would have happened before KTK previews. So it was not only to have the article be released before KTK previews, but maybe to have it be released right before.
I mean, if this a major announcement that is totally unrelated to KTK, why reveal it at that time? Wouldn't it be better to have revealed it a few weeks earlier to have the storm rage and die down, so that the community can have all its focus on KTK again once previews begin?
Considering that such a product would fill the summer multiplayer slot, then no, no they do not need to announce it now. They usually announce summer multiplayer products early in the same year.
If he pushed State of Design one week before, this article clearly needs to be read before KTK's previews and after State of Design, which (as always) announced next year's goals for R&D. I see a clear connection between these things.
I like this. I can easily see an article "Last week, I told you how one of our design goals for 2015 was BLAH, and now it is time to reveal how we will attempt that by BLAH".
Most of the guesses are wrong either because it would not really be big news, or it would not be something that Maro would announce. (I don't think Maro would be the one to announce new formats or getting rid of the reserved list, for example) The only product Maro might possibly announce would be Un3. He would not be announcing MM2 or a gold-border set. So far I think the best guesses are:
1) Un3 (though now that I think about it, it seems unlikely because Wizards wouldn't want to undercut the hype of KTK, they'd wait until the Spring)
2) Return of the Magic Invitational (Maro could announce it since this was always his baby)
3) A fundamental change in block structure or rotation schedule (I'd think it would be someone else, but Maro could announce it if it had a big impact on KTK)
4) Some crazy new feature for KTK that doesn't involve spoilers that we aren't thinking of but will be wow'd by when we hear about it. For example, if the next set was Innistrad and they announced that they will do 2-sided cards without spoiling any of them yet, I think something huge along those lines, but not actually 2-sided cards. (I think this is the most likely)
5) New rarity? eh, sure maybe. That seems more like a development topic though, but Maro often talks about rarity.
6) GDS3
edit: Another reason why I think #4 is most likely, is that Maro told us the next year is going to have a lot going on, and will be complicated even though it still follows NWO. He even went so far as to make "not confusing the players" one of the GOALS for next year. So, there's got to be something wild and wacky that they have ready for us in the next block.
The only thing that will kill Legacy/Vintage is the reserved list, and that will take at least another decade, likely several.
---
Numquam evolutioni obstes. Solum conculceris.
Pascite draconem, evolvite aut morimini.
Billy Moreno left Wizards last Year and made this anouncement in a article, I think during BNG post preview week...
I don t know if his "slot" on design has been fill but in M15 he was head design thouht.
the question is, is ONLY a khans thing? or something more?
People have to know to take time off for Vegas II.
Current post- Grand Prix KC Modern Postmortem (7/7/13)
I'm not sure if this will be a product announcement or a personnel announcement, however.
Part of me wonders tho, would something like that (as highly unlikely as it is) force them to finally reprint the reserve list? Or would they hold firm... Hmm...
Arguably, if there are no collectors that hold the reserved list cards, I could see that meaning that the original purpose of the reserve list is moot, so they might drop it then. Doesn't make much difference to me, but it would be interesting if someone did that somehow.
Modern Masters was announced in late October. Not exactly late August, but not the beginning of 2013, either.
http://archive.wizards.com/Magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/arcana/1086
Their official reprint policy is that it can never be reprinted in a tournament legal form. Gold-bordered cards are not tournament legal.
MaRo personally has stated he considers non-tournament legal reprints against the spirit of the list, but it would not be against the letter.
The 'loophole' closed was that foil reprints of Reserve List cards were acceptable under the pre-2010 policy but not now, but the Reserve List has *never* even prohibited a re-issuing of the Beta Collector's Edition.
Fetchland reprints being announced. Don't ask me how. Maybe in Khans, maybe part of MM2 (that just doesn't feel like an appropriate time to announce that though) or something else.
Again, I don't realistically feel it will be on fetches but no other article other than some other whacky announcement would garner that much discussion from the community.
Now, realistically, I have no clue and I can't wait until Monday. It better be good lol.
Otherwise why announce MM2 when so many of the format's players are hella pissed right now?
Modern
RBig RedR
GMean GreenG
WWW AlliesW
BGScavengeBG
WUVenser SilenceWU
EDH
RWAurelia 1 vs 1RW
GWURoonGWU
GWSaffiGW
I also feel that this is important, but I think your emphasis may be somewhat off. Even if they had not swapped the articles around, this "special article" would have happened before KTK previews. So it was not only to have the article be released before KTK previews, but maybe to have it be released right before.
I mean, if this a major announcement that is totally unrelated to KTK, why reveal it at that time? Wouldn't it be better to have revealed it a few weeks earlier to have the storm rage and die down, so that the community can have all its focus on KTK again once previews begin?
Cubetutor Peasant'ish-Funbox
Project: Khans of Tarkir Cube (cubetutor)
Except it is an Article by Maro and not an announcement. They use Arcana for Announcements.
---
Numquam evolutioni obstes. Solum conculceris.
Pascite draconem, evolvite aut morimini.
EDH:
Niv-Mizzet
Legacy:
The Rack
Modern
Venser, the Sojourner Control
ultra mystic diamond rare?
Cubetutor Peasant'ish-Funbox
Project: Khans of Tarkir Cube (cubetutor)
1) Un3 (though now that I think about it, it seems unlikely because Wizards wouldn't want to undercut the hype of KTK, they'd wait until the Spring)
2) Return of the Magic Invitational (Maro could announce it since this was always his baby)
3) A fundamental change in block structure or rotation schedule (I'd think it would be someone else, but Maro could announce it if it had a big impact on KTK)
4) Some crazy new feature for KTK that doesn't involve spoilers that we aren't thinking of but will be wow'd by when we hear about it. For example, if the next set was Innistrad and they announced that they will do 2-sided cards without spoiling any of them yet, I think something huge along those lines, but not actually 2-sided cards. (I think this is the most likely)
5) New rarity? eh, sure maybe. That seems more like a development topic though, but Maro often talks about rarity.
6) GDS3
edit: Another reason why I think #4 is most likely, is that Maro told us the next year is going to have a lot going on, and will be complicated even though it still follows NWO. He even went so far as to make "not confusing the players" one of the GOALS for next year. So, there's got to be something wild and wacky that they have ready for us in the next block.