Is there any chance of tainted peak being reprinted in this set? It is the only "tainted" land that has not yet been reprinted in the modern card frame, and each other land of that cycle was reprinted in a Duel Deck or other supplementary product, so I believe that it would be very nice, indeed.
Probably not, because tainted peak needs a deck with swamps dominating it to make a good home (which is why it couldn't go in Tibalts deck, which was mainly red). The Speed deck will be WBR, with red as the dominant colour (and in any case there wouldn't be enough swamps in a three colour deck to justify it). Sadly it will probably have to wait until next years duel deck, or a supplementary product.
That Treefolk is surprisingly efficient. 12 Power spread out over two bodies for a mere cost of 6 mana? There is no "Cast from your hand" clause either, making the card all the more worthwhile.
It's worse than Armada Wurm's 10 power spread out over two trampling bodies and that never saw play. Sweet card but the format would have to be super slow for it to see play IMO.
I thought that Armada Wurm DID see play, especially in early RTR block standard before dragons maze and gatecrash.
Why do you think its just a 1/1 for 5? Its only that if you control a sliver, and if you control a sliver its much better than a 1/1, unless your sliver is a metallic sliver.
If they print something like elixir of immortality in CNS, and you pick one up, there is that problem gone. But you'd probably try and win before you deck yourself.
It is clear that his -2 ability has only one text line, so there is certanly no room for "until end of turn. Untap it and it gains haste until end of turn." clause. So, -2 ablility is to steal something forever. The best guess is that it's an artifact.
Wouldn't "gain control of target permanent" be pushed and too strong for standard?
Maybe, just maybe, this new block structure will be similar to Return to Ravnica's Large Large Small structure, but when you draft the third set, that is, a small set, there won't be a booster pack from the first set.
Remember Zendikar and Innistrad blocks, with the third large set being drafted alone, and the first and second sets drafted together? Maybe this time, the first set is drafted alone, and the second and third sets are drafted together.
Dragons maze was DGM-GTC-RTR. Because GTC and RTR were both large sets, and DGM had support for all 10 guilds, it made more sense than DGM-GTC-GTC or DGM-RTR-RTR, since that would leave half the guilds in DGM with no support outside of DGM.
Re-assembling skeleton is nice for something to sacrifice, (although the only sacrifice outlets are Victimize and Painwracker Oni), but there are only 5 creatures in the angel deck that it can block (the 5 Kor). Maybe something like Grimclaw Bats or Stinkweed Imp?
It does seem a little weird that the angels deck has more ressurection than the demon deck does. Maybe some graveyard hate for the demons (Withered Wretch?)
I think the : is just an artefact of the new forum. It happens when you put anything that isn't either t, wubrg, X, hybrid or 1-9 within [mana] tags (I may have missed some).
You could swap Amrits +1 to be gain life for each opponents creature, the -2 to be a fog effect, and make the ultimate either "All/opponents creatures lose all abilities" or "Creatures cannot attack or block unless controller pays 1 mana". Most planeswalker ultimates are meant to be very powerful, but even nuking all creature abilities will give you a huge advantage.
Can't wait for some aspiring upstart to buy this, enter an FNM and go 0-X, then file a million-dollar lawsuit against Wizards.
After all, people could already file a lawsuit against McDonald's over napkins; I don't see why the same couldn't be done here. Be careful of the word usage when promoting your stuff, Wizards.
Do they say anywhere that this deck is 'sure to win'? I thought all they say is something along the lines of 'ready to play', which more or less means you have a curve, appropriate amount of lands and some sort of deck strategy.
I think you answered your own question. WotC doesn't print multiple Tainted lands in a single product. They're basically sticking to a pattern of 1-per year.
I'm not sure that is entirely the reason, even if it is partially. A tainted land works when you have a swamp - it generally needs you to be more black than your secondary colour. Sorin's deck is (land split: 12 B, 9 W) whereas Tibalts deck was 14 R, 6 B. With only 6 swamps and no evolving wilds, tibalt would have no access to red OR black from a tainted peak a lot of the time.
Vraskas deck is split 11B, 9 G, plus two basic land searchers (which, if you can play them, will almost always be getting a guildgate or a swamp) - making tainted wood a good candidate for a dual land.
Probably not, because tainted peak needs a deck with swamps dominating it to make a good home (which is why it couldn't go in Tibalts deck, which was mainly red). The Speed deck will be WBR, with red as the dominant colour (and in any case there wouldn't be enough swamps in a three colour deck to justify it). Sadly it will probably have to wait until next years duel deck, or a supplementary product.
I thought that Armada Wurm DID see play, especially in early RTR block standard before dragons maze and gatecrash.
This looks like a top down design, for mining, and mining gets you resources, not damage.
Isn't Conspiracy not standard legal?
Dragons maze was DGM-GTC-RTR. Because GTC and RTR were both large sets, and DGM had support for all 10 guilds, it made more sense than DGM-GTC-GTC or DGM-RTR-RTR, since that would leave half the guilds in DGM with no support outside of DGM.
It does seem a little weird that the angels deck has more ressurection than the demon deck does. Maybe some graveyard hate for the demons (Withered Wretch?)
You could swap Amrits +1 to be gain life for each opponents creature, the -2 to be a fog effect, and make the ultimate either "All/opponents creatures lose all abilities" or "Creatures cannot attack or block unless controller pays 1 mana". Most planeswalker ultimates are meant to be very powerful, but even nuking all creature abilities will give you a huge advantage.
Do they say anywhere that this deck is 'sure to win'? I thought all they say is something along the lines of 'ready to play', which more or less means you have a curve, appropriate amount of lands and some sort of deck strategy.
You might want to rethink the word literally.
I'm not sure that is entirely the reason, even if it is partially. A tainted land works when you have a swamp - it generally needs you to be more black than your secondary colour. Sorin's deck is (land split: 12 B, 9 W) whereas Tibalts deck was 14 R, 6 B. With only 6 swamps and no evolving wilds, tibalt would have no access to red OR black from a tainted peak a lot of the time.
Vraskas deck is split 11B, 9 G, plus two basic land searchers (which, if you can play them, will almost always be getting a guildgate or a swamp) - making tainted wood a good candidate for a dual land.
Kiora vs Ashiok would be pretty cool, too.