So everyone seems to have forgotten about the close call, nearly all support for modern from the WOTC side being suddenly dropped. It seems wizards adding just 1 (one) single Pro tour and 1 (one) single grand prix has everyone claiming that wizards will never drop support for modern again or ever.
Hasbro is obviously forcing their hand and getting their 20% revenue dip up with all of the changes (more standard promotional tours, change in standard that should increase sales because they cut their underperforming sets aka third set of block and core sets)and a standard format which cuts an average of exactly one (1) fiscal quarter off of the standard format life of the cards, leading to more sales.
is the final solution to the hasbro increasing of quarterly profit increase phenomenon a cash out in modern masters 2 then just dropping the format entirely pushing the competitive modern players into standard? knowing that most modern players will go to third party sources to play modern , but generally will not break away from WOTC formatting and tournament scheduling?
I also want to allude to the fact that WOTC has indeed "promised" at least one regional PTQ as being offered in the modern format, but i feel that these will only be held in nation-states that don't have much of a magic the gathering standard format presence. Russia, brazil and other emrging markets where magic has been fluctuating and where sales have not been high enough to support a nation-wide standard format event.
I am also assuming that most local game stores will offer their one time per season Prelim. pro-tour qualifier as a standard format event. This is generally the most profitable format to run (sell sealed packs, largest playerbase and sell singles at a much faster rate than modern)
It's like you were $100 away from being bankrupted, you find $50 on the ground and you go back to spending and the old habits that got you in trouble in the first place.
I currently have 2 modern decks, and some staples for modern (nothing expensive) and i don't want to be left holding worthless cardboard. when is the optimal time to start selling out of modern? it seems the prices have not budged.
Your arguments do make sense, but I actually think Wizards wants Modern to get bigger.
Little by little they're increasing important Modern staples availability. Shocklands in RTR, Thoughtseize in Theros and Remand in Duel Deck saw a significant price decrease.
Modern Masters was a greater attempt to do it, but since it was a limited print set, it didn't affect the prices that much.
Modern Event Deck, on the other hand, had greater product availabilty (you can still buy the dack for its MRSP) and consists on a perfect product for entering the format: a consistent, non expensive, easy to play deck. Of course is not a tier 1 deck, but one can play it with no changes and still win some matches.
Soon or later fetchlands (which are both among the most expensive and most essential cards for the format) will be reprinted and see their prices drop.
I think wizards change of the PT was a misguided attempt to promote their new standard rotation. Yes they did suffer a sales drop from the under powered Theros block, but compared to something like Scars of Mirrodin (as far as number of packs sold), I'm sure they are still doing fine. Modern is still healthy, and Wizards now sees )if they didn't before) that it is extremely popular. The next modern masters will probably go over better than the first, and the next set with fetches will sell like hot cakes because of Modern. As long as Wizards continues to print reprints for modern while making a decent standard environment, LGSs will not find it hard to move packs, which will keep the player base and wizards happy.
If the current power level of standard doesn't go up, I hope there will be a new non-rotating format starting with Theros or M15. One of the beautiful things about modern was that new cards used to have an actual impact on the format (unlike legacy or vintage). Nowadays modern just feels like "Legacy 2.0", and modern players don't have much to expect from new sets, which is sad.
Another solution, which might be necessary to rescue the format might be a larger banlist, with all the broken stuff on it (tarmogoyf, bob, snap, bolt etc.), so that non-broken cards can still be played and, more importantly, built around.
It wasn't a "close call" of them dropping Modern. Modern is their new baby. They just wanted the Pro Tour formats to better serve their purpose - advertise and sell the most recent set. Having a Modern PT kinda takes the gas away from the set most recently released.
They changed it because of public outcry, which is ironic considering that the actual Pros who play in the Pro Tour seemed to favor the Standard format for the tour.
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Old enough to know better, much too young to care.
If the current power level of standard doesn't go up, I hope there will be a new non-rotating format starting with Theros or M15. One of the beautiful things about modern was that new cards used to have an actual impact on the format (unlike legacy or vintage). Nowadays modern just feels like "Legacy 2.0", and modern players don't have much to expect from new sets, which is sad.
Another solution, which might be necessary to rescue the format might be a larger banlist, with all the broken stuff on it (tarmogoyf, bob, snap, bolt etc.), so that non-broken cards can still be played and, more importantly, built around.
Newer cards have affected Modern. The entirety of Return to Ravnica was the second highest set to have Modern Staples introduced into the format, the first being New Phyrexia. Not every set will have cards that change Modern so drastically that the entire meta turns head over heels for it. The Modern format has become stable and the top decks will remain the top decks, as none of them are dominating.
Anger of the Gods and Courser of Kruphix brought back the base of Jund after the Deathrite Shaman unbanning, and Courser is still getting used as a maindeck value card in the BGx Shells. Anger of the Gods is one of the best sweepers to hit the format as it plays out and dominates against Pod decks, and to a smaller extent Zoo. Ensoul Artifact and Reclamation Sage are seeing play in Modern as well.
Modern isn't Legacy 2.0, and don't say it is. I just seems as if you are not even playing it, which if that is the case you have no voice to say that it is Legacy 2.0. In Legacy, Blue is a dominating color because of Jace, Force of Will, and Brainstorm. Modern doesn't have those tools to have blue dominate. Modern doesn't even have a good spell to make Delver consistent. Jund and BGx decks are strong because of the cards such as Scavenging Ooze, from M14 and Abrupt Decay, from Return to Ravnica.
Cards do affect Modern, more than they do any other non-rotating format because Standard is the only outlet for them to port through. But the decks stay the same, top tier because of how strong and resilient they are. And Wizards is printing new tools for each deck as Standard progresses. The Banlist is only a tool to stop dominating decks from dominating and to prevents other decks from dominating. Wizards has to keep Modern in mind more than other formats when creating new sets because Standard is the only port for Modern to get cards through.
ad "legacy 2.0":
Just because blue is dominant in legacy and isn't to the same degree in modern, doesn't invalidate every comparison of modern and legacy. I was referring to the format not being impacted by new cards any more (Theros+, I wasn't referring to RtR). It's true that courser sees play in a few decks, but most Jund decks don't run her.
Ensoul artifact DOES NOT see play in any strong modern deck, because it's an invitation for a 2-for-1, with you being on the receiving side of it.
Reclamation Sage is an improvement on the sliver in pod-decks, that's true, but it hasn't "impacted the format". Pod players just play him over the sliver in the sideboard, and that's it.
ad "legacy 2.0":
Just because blue is dominant in legacy and isn't to the same degree in modern, doesn't invalidate every comparison of modern and legacy. I was referring to the format not being impacted by new cards any more (Theros+, I wasn't referring to RtR). It's true that courser sees play in a few decks, but most Jund decks don't run her.
Ensoul artifact DOES NOT see play in any strong modern deck, because it's an invitation for a 2-for-1, with you being on the receiving side of it.
Reclamation Sage is an improvement on the sliver in pod-decks, that's true, but it hasn't "impacted the format". Pod players just play him over the sliver in the sideboard, and that's it.
You must have missed the fact that lots of Affinity decks are running Ensoul, and that Junk decks are running Courser and Jund decks are using Prophetic Flamespeaker. Granted, Theros block didn't provide as much to Modern as RTR block did, but it's more than nothing.
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Old enough to know better, much too young to care.
I still said that not every set will have cards that see play in Modern, but a lot of cards have seen play and will still see play. Jund and BGx Rocks still use Courser of Kruphix. It is more of the BGx Soul decks that don't, as they only run 11 creatures (4 Bobs, 4 Tarmo, 3 Scavenging Ooze.) Return to Ravnica isn't that old of a set, and why would there be a nonrotating format of just Theros + M15 when that is even smaller than any Standard card pool? Modern already has cards. Burn became a deck because of the Great Revel. There are cards that see play, but not the entire set will see play, and that is fine since Modern already has an increasingly large card pool. The more cards that are in a card pool, the more cards that are just tools or tech than just Archetype defining.
By the end of October after they've announced either Modern Masters 2 or another printing of Modern Masters, I assume you will have forgotten about all of your concerns?
Why do people think that the trend of a "weaker standard" will not change? The power level of standard is in constant fluctuation. If you took a few minutes to do some actual research that would be pretty obvious in the amount of blatantly weak cards in the past, then the subsequent blocks being amped up in power. (Kamigawa into Mirrodin, for example.)
EDIT: Wow, I meant that the other way around entirely. Mirrodin being lowered in power into Kamigawa (and sort of Ravnica) and then being amped up again later with Time Spiral, Lorwyn/Shadowmoor, etc.
I've been finding more people enjoying Legacy more than Modern lately because people hate how the ban hammer comes down and wrecks decks. I myself instantly followed over to Legacy with the banning of Bloodbraid Elf in Jund deck, a very stupid banning. I came back with the release of Deathrite Shaman but they had to ban that too so back I went to Legacy. My friends and I have noticed they just ban anything that makes an interesting archetype in Modern these days. I'm still also annoyed Cloudpost is not legal.
As for Wizards not supporting Modern, I've been assuming it could crash and burn if not fetchlands are reprinting after this year, 2016 at the latest. Everyone is hoping for fetchlands to come out in KTK since Wizards are trying to make the block make you hurt for multicolour mana. This is what I believe is keeping Modern breathing at the moment. If they reveal the set has no fetchlands, I expect Modern to "flat-line".
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By the end of October after they've announced either Modern Masters 2 or another printing of Modern Masters, I assume you will have forgotten about all of your concerns?
no, i address this in the original post. they seem to be dropping WOTC support for the format.
if they release/announce another modern masters set in october it will just be a final cash grab on a sinking ship to to temporarily raise revenue going into the holiday season, so it will make potential hasbro shareholders think MTG is stronger than it really is (the standard format anyways)
investors don't know modern masters from born of the gods all they know is people play magic professionally and if they have sets that sell like modern masters why not invest!!!!! then get let down when they see standard set sales figs which are good but not modern masters good
Is it completely out of the question that Modern Masters 2 wouldn't be drafted with Modern Masters 1? Having draft be like: MM1/MM2/MM1 or even MM1/MM2/MM2 or something like that?
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Old enough to know better, much too young to care.
I've been finding more people enjoying Legacy more than Modern lately because people hate how the ban hammer comes down and wrecks decks. I myself instantly followed over to Legacy with the banning of Bloodbraid Elf in Jund deck, a very stupid banning. I came back with the release of Deathrite Shaman but they had to ban that too so back I went to Legacy. My friends and I have noticed they just ban anything that makes an interesting archetype in Modern these days. I'm still also annoyed Cloudpost is not legal.
As for Wizards not supporting Modern, I've been assuming it could crash and burn if not fetchlands are reprinting after this year, 2016 at the latest. Everyone is hoping for fetchlands to come out in KTK since Wizards are trying to make the block make you hurt for multicolour mana. This is what I believe is keeping Modern breathing at the moment. If they reveal the set has no fetchlands, I expect Modern to "flat-line".
I feel that wizards does nothing to keep legacy players playing.
Sure they have a banlist on their website, and they have a cash grab grand prix in the legacy format (but that is just because that region has a really strong legacy base they want MONEY)
but star cityy games picked up the slack, star city games is a business but they don't run it the greedy way hasbro/wotc runs it. better streaming, better anouncers, they are keeping legacy alive on their own and are doing a better job at coverage and running a tighter more effective tournament structure than WOTC/Hasbro can ever dream of.
the promotional tour for m15 looked like a goddamn joke, the bumbling on camera, the announcers questioning whats going on. you have that dude wearing cargo shorts and sandals with a suit jacket, shirt and tie on
it just seems like a bad SNL sketch making fun of high school geeks running a tournamet
SCG has some issues but come off as more professional, more streamlined and aware of how to run an event
they act like they have been there before
i notice legacy players have the luxury of ignoring (largely) what wizards does, because that company is so damn mismanaged and mark rosewater doesn't have a clue as to what is going on (he likes the high prices, he thinks lower prices = less players. if you notice the best sets over time are the ones where mark rosewater is not actually the creative director. (seriously go back in time and look)
maybe the answer is to actually ignore what WOTC wants to do with modern, and switch over to SCG events to play the format.
it is evident that wizards is in it strictly for the money rather than the health of the game
but star cityy games picked up the slack, star city games is a business but they don't run it the greedy way hasbro/wotc runs it. better streaming, better anouncers, they are keeping legacy alive on their own and are doing a better job at coverage and running a tighter more effective tournament structure than WOTC/Hasbro can ever dream of.
Every business is "greedy" in the sense that the #1 concern is the bottom line (i.e. the revenue stream). Making money is what matters, period. Most good businesses realize that good customer service is a revenue stream in itself. You have to please your constituents.
SCG is no more or less 'greedy' than WOTC, one is just better at appealing to their customers than the other.
Granted, SCG's customer base is considerably smaller than WOTC's.
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Old enough to know better, much too young to care.
i notice legacy players have the luxury of ignoring (largely) what wizards does, because that company is so damn mismanaged and mark rosewater doesn't have a clue as to what is going on (he likes the high prices, he thinks lower prices = less players. if you notice the best sets over time are the ones where mark rosewater is not actually the creative director. (seriously go back in time and look)
I agree so much with this. Mark Rosewater has to go for the good of the game. A lot of the entrenched idiots at wotc are just turning up for the pay check and not for the good of the game. Our best hope is for them to lose in court vscrytozoic and face stiff copetition Iin the gaming space. Once they cant compete and go out of business a REAL COMPANY can get the mtg IP cheaply and start making this game for players.
If the current power level of standard doesn't go up, I hope there will be a new non-rotating format starting with Theros or M15. One of the beautiful things about modern was that new cards used to have an actual impact on the format (unlike legacy or vintage). Nowadays modern just feels like "Legacy 2.0", and modern players don't have much to expect from new sets, which is sad.
Another solution, which might be necessary to rescue the format might be a larger banlist, with all the broken stuff on it (tarmogoyf, bob, snap, bolt etc.), so that non-broken cards can still be played and, more importantly, built around.
This is a horrid idea. If WotC did this no one would believe it. they simply cannot axe Modern now or they will lose a large amount of their player base. If they kill modern sales will plummet more and more as people realize all they cards that rotate will be worthless.
Honestly, I expect to see it, but it wont show up for 5+ years. And it may well start with the '2 set blocks' rather than Theros.
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Ensoul artifact DOES NOT see play in any strong modern deck, because it's an invitation for a 2-for-1, with you being on the receiving side of it.
Ensoul Artifact sees play in Affinity, which is one of the strongest decks in the format. This is like saying that Brainstorm doesn't see much play in Legacy. It's so blatantly false it makes everyone wonder if you actually understand the format.
Also, it's a lot harder to 2-for-1 when Ensoul Artifact goes on Darksteel Citadel.
Fetchlands showed up even sooner than I thought. And they're Onslaguth fetches, so now we have 10 on the format. Not sure if this will affect the Zendikar lands price, but KTK fetches will surely been found by a reasonable price.
I don't see Wizards taking a bunch of every expensive card in modern and saying "Here it is, all free, let's play Modern". But they are surely working on making it more affordable.
ad "legacy 2.0":
Just because blue is dominant in legacy and isn't to the same degree in modern, doesn't invalidate every comparison of modern and legacy. I was referring to the format not being impacted by new cards any more (Theros+, I wasn't referring to RtR). It's true that courser sees play in a few decks, but most Jund decks don't run her.
Ensoul artifact DOES NOT see play in any strong modern deck, because it's an invitation for a 2-for-1, with you being on the receiving side of it.
Reclamation Sage is an improvement on the sliver in pod-decks, that's true, but it hasn't "impacted the format". Pod players just play him over the sliver in the sideboard, and that's it.
Ensoul Artifact actually was in the finals at GP Kobe a week ago. As for Theros, while I agree that it is underpowered, some cards from it do see play. Burn (which just won GP Kobe), runs Eidolon of the Great Revel. Merfolk runs Master of Waves and often Thassa. All-In Twin runs Swan Song. Deadguy Ale runs Brimaz. And Stormbreath Dragon sometimes sees play instead of Thundermaw. While that isn't a ton, the format has been changed somewhat (and I am sure that I am forgetting some cards).
ad "legacy 2.0":
Just because blue is dominant in legacy and isn't to the same degree in modern, doesn't invalidate every comparison of modern and legacy. I was referring to the format not being impacted by new cards any more (Theros+, I wasn't referring to RtR). It's true that courser sees play in a few decks, but most Jund decks don't run her.
Ensoul artifact DOES NOT see play in any strong modern deck, because it's an invitation for a 2-for-1, with you being on the receiving side of it.
Reclamation Sage is an improvement on the sliver in pod-decks, that's true, but it hasn't "impacted the format". Pod players just play him over the sliver in the sideboard, and that's it.
Ensoul Artifact actually was in the finals at GP Kobe a week ago. As for Theros, while I agree that it is underpowered, some cards from it do see play. Burn (which just won GP Kobe), runs Eidolon of the Great Revel. Merfolk runs Master of Waves and often Thassa. All-In Twin runs Swan Song. Deadguy Ale runs Brimaz. And Stormbreath Dragon sometimes sees play instead of Thundermaw. While that isn't a ton, the format has been changed somewhat (and I am sure that I am forgetting some cards).
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Anger of the Gods see some play in sideboards, as well as Courser in some zoo builds? I'm not big on Modern personally, but I have seen them pop up.
ad "legacy 2.0":
Just because blue is dominant in legacy and isn't to the same degree in modern, doesn't invalidate every comparison of modern and legacy. I was referring to the format not being impacted by new cards any more (Theros+, I wasn't referring to RtR). It's true that courser sees play in a few decks, but most Jund decks don't run her.
Ensoul artifact DOES NOT see play in any strong modern deck, because it's an invitation for a 2-for-1, with you being on the receiving side of it.
Reclamation Sage is an improvement on the sliver in pod-decks, that's true, but it hasn't "impacted the format". Pod players just play him over the sliver in the sideboard, and that's it.
Ensoul Artifact actually was in the finals at GP Kobe a week ago. As for Theros, while I agree that it is underpowered, some cards from it do see play. Burn (which just won GP Kobe), runs Eidolon of the Great Revel. Merfolk runs Master of Waves and often Thassa. All-In Twin runs Swan Song. Deadguy Ale runs Brimaz. And Stormbreath Dragon sometimes sees play instead of Thundermaw. While that isn't a ton, the format has been changed somewhat (and I am sure that I am forgetting some cards).
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Anger of the Gods see some play in sideboards, as well as Courser in some zoo builds? I'm not big on Modern personally, but I have seen them pop up.
Thanks for mentioning Anger of the Gods. That card is huge in Modern. Hateradio already mentioned Courser, which sees a lot of play in BGx Midrange decks. Also, Keranos sees play in Blue Moon, WUR Control, Splinter Twin, and most other URx decks in the format.
Hasbro is obviously forcing their hand and getting their 20% revenue dip up with all of the changes (more standard promotional tours, change in standard that should increase sales because they cut their underperforming sets aka third set of block and core sets)and a standard format which cuts an average of exactly one (1) fiscal quarter off of the standard format life of the cards, leading to more sales.
is the final solution to the hasbro increasing of quarterly profit increase phenomenon a cash out in modern masters 2 then just dropping the format entirely pushing the competitive modern players into standard? knowing that most modern players will go to third party sources to play modern , but generally will not break away from WOTC formatting and tournament scheduling?
I also want to allude to the fact that WOTC has indeed "promised" at least one regional PTQ as being offered in the modern format, but i feel that these will only be held in nation-states that don't have much of a magic the gathering standard format presence. Russia, brazil and other emrging markets where magic has been fluctuating and where sales have not been high enough to support a nation-wide standard format event.
I am also assuming that most local game stores will offer their one time per season Prelim. pro-tour qualifier as a standard format event. This is generally the most profitable format to run (sell sealed packs, largest playerbase and sell singles at a much faster rate than modern)
It's like you were $100 away from being bankrupted, you find $50 on the ground and you go back to spending and the old habits that got you in trouble in the first place.
I currently have 2 modern decks, and some staples for modern (nothing expensive) and i don't want to be left holding worthless cardboard. when is the optimal time to start selling out of modern? it seems the prices have not budged.
What do you guys thik?
Little by little they're increasing important Modern staples availability. Shocklands in RTR, Thoughtseize in Theros and Remand in Duel Deck saw a significant price decrease.
Modern Masters was a greater attempt to do it, but since it was a limited print set, it didn't affect the prices that much.
Modern Event Deck, on the other hand, had greater product availabilty (you can still buy the dack for its MRSP) and consists on a perfect product for entering the format: a consistent, non expensive, easy to play deck. Of course is not a tier 1 deck, but one can play it with no changes and still win some matches.
Soon or later fetchlands (which are both among the most expensive and most essential cards for the format) will be reprinted and see their prices drop.
Commander: WUBRG Superfriends, GW Rhys Tokens, WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon
Kitchen Table (now that's real Magic): WUBRG Domain, GU Biovisionary, UB Korlash Grandeur, UW Merfolk Mill
This should help with your concerns. Wizards is not cancelling Modern any time soon, if ever.
Storm Crow is strictly worse than Seacoast Drake.
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Another solution, which might be necessary to rescue the format might be a larger banlist, with all the broken stuff on it (tarmogoyf, bob, snap, bolt etc.), so that non-broken cards can still be played and, more importantly, built around.
They changed it because of public outcry, which is ironic considering that the actual Pros who play in the Pro Tour seemed to favor the Standard format for the tour.
Newer cards have affected Modern. The entirety of Return to Ravnica was the second highest set to have Modern Staples introduced into the format, the first being New Phyrexia. Not every set will have cards that change Modern so drastically that the entire meta turns head over heels for it. The Modern format has become stable and the top decks will remain the top decks, as none of them are dominating.
Anger of the Gods and Courser of Kruphix brought back the base of Jund after the Deathrite Shaman unbanning, and Courser is still getting used as a maindeck value card in the BGx Shells. Anger of the Gods is one of the best sweepers to hit the format as it plays out and dominates against Pod decks, and to a smaller extent Zoo. Ensoul Artifact and Reclamation Sage are seeing play in Modern as well.
Modern isn't Legacy 2.0, and don't say it is. I just seems as if you are not even playing it, which if that is the case you have no voice to say that it is Legacy 2.0. In Legacy, Blue is a dominating color because of Jace, Force of Will, and Brainstorm. Modern doesn't have those tools to have blue dominate. Modern doesn't even have a good spell to make Delver consistent. Jund and BGx decks are strong because of the cards such as Scavenging Ooze, from M14 and Abrupt Decay, from Return to Ravnica.
Cards do affect Modern, more than they do any other non-rotating format because Standard is the only outlet for them to port through. But the decks stay the same, top tier because of how strong and resilient they are. And Wizards is printing new tools for each deck as Standard progresses. The Banlist is only a tool to stop dominating decks from dominating and to prevents other decks from dominating. Wizards has to keep Modern in mind more than other formats when creating new sets because Standard is the only port for Modern to get cards through.
Just because blue is dominant in legacy and isn't to the same degree in modern, doesn't invalidate every comparison of modern and legacy. I was referring to the format not being impacted by new cards any more (Theros+, I wasn't referring to RtR). It's true that courser sees play in a few decks, but most Jund decks don't run her.
Ensoul artifact DOES NOT see play in any strong modern deck, because it's an invitation for a 2-for-1, with you being on the receiving side of it.
Reclamation Sage is an improvement on the sliver in pod-decks, that's true, but it hasn't "impacted the format". Pod players just play him over the sliver in the sideboard, and that's it.
EDIT: Wow, I meant that the other way around entirely. Mirrodin being lowered in power into Kamigawa (and sort of Ravnica) and then being amped up again later with Time Spiral, Lorwyn/Shadowmoor, etc.
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As for Wizards not supporting Modern, I've been assuming it could crash and burn if not fetchlands are reprinting after this year, 2016 at the latest. Everyone is hoping for fetchlands to come out in KTK since Wizards are trying to make the block make you hurt for multicolour mana. This is what I believe is keeping Modern breathing at the moment. If they reveal the set has no fetchlands, I expect Modern to "flat-line".
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no, i address this in the original post. they seem to be dropping WOTC support for the format.
if they release/announce another modern masters set in october it will just be a final cash grab on a sinking ship to to temporarily raise revenue going into the holiday season, so it will make potential hasbro shareholders think MTG is stronger than it really is (the standard format anyways)
investors don't know modern masters from born of the gods all they know is people play magic professionally and if they have sets that sell like modern masters why not invest!!!!! then get let down when they see standard set sales figs which are good but not modern masters good
I feel that wizards does nothing to keep legacy players playing.
Sure they have a banlist on their website, and they have a cash grab grand prix in the legacy format (but that is just because that region has a really strong legacy base they want MONEY)
but star cityy games picked up the slack, star city games is a business but they don't run it the greedy way hasbro/wotc runs it. better streaming, better anouncers, they are keeping legacy alive on their own and are doing a better job at coverage and running a tighter more effective tournament structure than WOTC/Hasbro can ever dream of.
the promotional tour for m15 looked like a goddamn joke, the bumbling on camera, the announcers questioning whats going on. you have that dude wearing cargo shorts and sandals with a suit jacket, shirt and tie on
it just seems like a bad SNL sketch making fun of high school geeks running a tournamet
SCG has some issues but come off as more professional, more streamlined and aware of how to run an event
they act like they have been there before
i notice legacy players have the luxury of ignoring (largely) what wizards does, because that company is so damn mismanaged and mark rosewater doesn't have a clue as to what is going on (he likes the high prices, he thinks lower prices = less players. if you notice the best sets over time are the ones where mark rosewater is not actually the creative director. (seriously go back in time and look)
maybe the answer is to actually ignore what WOTC wants to do with modern, and switch over to SCG events to play the format.
it is evident that wizards is in it strictly for the money rather than the health of the game
SCG is no more or less 'greedy' than WOTC, one is just better at appealing to their customers than the other.
Granted, SCG's customer base is considerably smaller than WOTC's.
i notice legacy players have the luxury of ignoring (largely) what wizards does, because that company is so damn mismanaged and mark rosewater doesn't have a clue as to what is going on (he likes the high prices, he thinks lower prices = less players. if you notice the best sets over time are the ones where mark rosewater is not actually the creative director. (seriously go back in time and look)
I agree so much with this. Mark Rosewater has to go for the good of the game. A lot of the entrenched idiots at wotc are just turning up for the pay check and not for the good of the game. Our best hope is for them to lose in court vscrytozoic and face stiff copetition Iin the gaming space. Once they cant compete and go out of business a REAL COMPANY can get the mtg IP cheaply and start making this game for players.
Honestly, I expect to see it, but it wont show up for 5+ years. And it may well start with the '2 set blocks' rather than Theros.
Also, it's a lot harder to 2-for-1 when Ensoul Artifact goes on Darksteel Citadel.
I don't see Wizards taking a bunch of every expensive card in modern and saying "Here it is, all free, let's play Modern". But they are surely working on making it more affordable.
Commander: WUBRG Superfriends, GW Rhys Tokens, WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon
Kitchen Table (now that's real Magic): WUBRG Domain, GU Biovisionary, UB Korlash Grandeur, UW Merfolk Mill
Ensoul Artifact actually was in the finals at GP Kobe a week ago. As for Theros, while I agree that it is underpowered, some cards from it do see play. Burn (which just won GP Kobe), runs Eidolon of the Great Revel. Merfolk runs Master of Waves and often Thassa. All-In Twin runs Swan Song. Deadguy Ale runs Brimaz. And Stormbreath Dragon sometimes sees play instead of Thundermaw. While that isn't a ton, the format has been changed somewhat (and I am sure that I am forgetting some cards).
Storm Crow is strictly worse than Seacoast Drake.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't Anger of the Gods see some play in sideboards, as well as Courser in some zoo builds? I'm not big on Modern personally, but I have seen them pop up.
Thanks for mentioning Anger of the Gods. That card is huge in Modern. Hateradio already mentioned Courser, which sees a lot of play in BGx Midrange decks. Also, Keranos sees play in Blue Moon, WUR Control, Splinter Twin, and most other URx decks in the format.
Storm Crow is strictly worse than Seacoast Drake.