Original. She's forging a weapon out of stone in that one, which kind of fits the name of the card. The new promo is a nice piece of art but not so great for this card.
The promo Stoneforge Mystic / Snapcaster Mage just feel like unused BFZ assets to me.
Yeah that's basically what happens with a lot of promos. They'll either be unused assets, or scrapped secondary artwork for the card. It's not a coincidence that promo art is often worse than the original. There are some notable exceptions, however, like Bloodbraid Elf.
Original art, not close. It's too iconic. Even if the new one had the greatest piece of art ever created by mankind on it, you have to use the original.
Agreed, I like to cube with the iconic art that everybody remembers. The BIG exception is Bloodbraid Elf. I also don't like using Modern Masters versions because I'm anal about set symbols, the only exceptions I've made were for Trygon Predator and Maelstrom Pulse.
New Bloodbraid Elf is sooooooooooooooooooo much better than original one!
Original art for Stoneforge Mystic. The promo artwork looks more like a Kor fighting Eldrazi than a Kor forging mystical weapons. It's not bad, but it doesn't really fit the card.
...
Original Fyndhorn Elves or FtV:20 Fyndhorn Elves?
Original Hymn to Tourach (specifically, the old Wizard in long coat version) or FtV:20 Hymn to Tourach?
(I wish there were non-FtV promos of those cards. Are FtV foils bad enough to stick with the old versions? Also, worst "set" symbol ever.)
1. Hoover
2. Danforth
3. Van Camp
4. Kirschner
5. White-border Danforth from Anthologies
6. A four year old scribbling on an Applebee's receipt
7. Wrench Mind
8. A Snickers wrapper
9. Anything else in the approximate size of a card sleeve
10. FTV:20
1. Hoover
2. Danforth
3. Van Camp
4. Kirschner
5. White-border Danforth from Anthologies
6. A four year old scribbling on an Applebee's receipt
7. Wrench Mind
8. A Snickers wrapper
9. Anything else in the approximate size of a card sleeve
10. FTV:20
This actually made me sad I have an FTV:20 in my cube.
Yeah I'd run any black-bordered version Hymn over the FTV:20, although the new art is pretty cool, its not worth the foiling and that hideous set symbol. That being said I DO run the FTV:20 Fyndhorn Elves, I can't even stand looking at the Ice Age version.
This might sound like heresy, but artistic considerations be damned on Fyndhorn Elves and Hymn to Tourach. I run the FTV versions of both over the black bordered versions because the more streamlined rules text is better. It was really tiresome having to explain again and again to newer players what "Play this ability as an interrupt" means, and no one needs to be reminded what to do when they need to discard two cards and random when they only have one card left in their hand.
Also, the art sucks on both versions of Fyndhorn Elves.
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This might sound like heresy, but artistic considerations be damned on Fyndhorn Elves and Hymn to Tourach. I run the FTV versions of both over the black bordered versions because the more streamlined rules text is better. It was really tiresome having to explain again and again to newer players what "Play this ability as an interrupt" means, and no one needs to be reminded what to do when they need to discard two cards and random when they only have one card left in their hand.
Also, the art sucks on both versions of Fyndhorn Elves.
I think you could Cube draft a thousand times times and the cumulative amount of time lost to people reading the second sentence of rules text on a real copy of Hymn to Tourach would be like... 30 seconds.
It's not like we're talking about some rules text mess like Preemptive Strike or a textless promo or a random foreign card in a language nobody in your playgroup speaks.
You're probably right about Hymn, but I've had enough trouble with rules text on other cards, like people Mystical Tutoring for Islands when I ran the original Mirage version, that I'm now extra-conscious about rules text. Plus, a lot of the people I play with aren't native English speakers, so anything I can do to simplify the cube helps make things go more smoothly. Don't get me wrong, I love the old frame and older art on the original Fallen Empires versions, too (the Kirschner version's my favorite), but I've come to really appreciate the smoother and up-to-date rules text on the FTV versions of several cards.
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Dark Confidant meh, I find every version of the card fugly (heresy I know) but the card is from before my time, as such, I am not drawn to it the way I am with Snapcaster mage which was the iconic card from the time I started playing.
I would go with the Judge foil though just because as a foil, all that gold makes it pop out in a way that other foils do not
I really dislike both artworks of Fyndhorn Elves. The elves on the Ice Age one look mean and ugly as hell, but the FTV one has one of the most blatantly CGI-y looking artworks in all of Magic. It would be ok if it was a reprint from a random set or precon, but adding FTV foiling and the ugliest set symbols of all time makes it a really close call.
1. Hoover
2. Danforth
3. Van Camp
4. Kirschner
5. White-border Danforth from Anthologies
6. A four year old scribbling on an Applebee's receipt
7. Wrench Mind
8. A Snickers wrapper
9. Anything else in the approximate size of a card sleeve
10. FTV:20
Okay... that is quite the brutal statement. I agree with Hoover Hymn being in first place. That is the one that I am currently running. I was just wondering how people felt about the FTV version, since it is the only foil Hymn.
You're probably right about Hymn, but I've had enough trouble with rules text on other cards, like people Mystical Tutoring for Islands when I ran the original Mirage version, that I'm now extra-conscious about rules text. Plus, a lot of the people I play with aren't native English speakers, so anything I can do to simplify the cube helps make things go more smoothly.
Same situation here. I can't believe how often I had to stop another player from using Mystical Tutor to search for a land. I generally prefer to use cards that have cleaner or more modern wordings. Helps to prevent confusion and those cards are usually better to read. (The wording on most cards from the first few Magic sets is a total mess. Alpha could even make simple cards like Winter Orb messy. And I was soooo happy to replace the old Sylvan Library with the Commander Arsenal version.)
I like the FTV Hymn, since it's the only foil version.
On the Stoneforge Mystic. The new art is very decent, but it doesn't look like a Stoneforge Mystic. It looks like a left over Ally art or something. The WWK foils are horrendous, though, and the original SFM has a dark art to start with - so I could see making the swap if the new foil is particularly nice. Not something I'll rush to check out though.
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Yeah that's basically what happens with a lot of promos. They'll either be unused assets, or scrapped secondary artwork for the card. It's not a coincidence that promo art is often worse than the original. There are some notable exceptions, however, like Bloodbraid Elf.
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mostly lost in the SFM discussion, so:
either Cultivate is beautiful
I narrowly prefer promo Farseek
Original art for Stoneforge Mystic. The promo artwork looks more like a Kor fighting Eldrazi than a Kor forging mystical weapons. It's not bad, but it doesn't really fit the card.
...
Original Fyndhorn Elves or FtV:20 Fyndhorn Elves?
Original Hymn to Tourach (specifically, the old Wizard in long coat version) or FtV:20 Hymn to Tourach?
(I wish there were non-FtV promos of those cards. Are FtV foils bad enough to stick with the old versions? Also, worst "set" symbol ever.)
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Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker R -- Maga, Traitor to Mortals B -- Ghave, Guru of Spores BGW -- Sliver Hivelord WUBRG
1. Hoover
2. Danforth
3. Van Camp
4. Kirschner
5. White-border Danforth from Anthologies
6. A four year old scribbling on an Applebee's receipt
7. Wrench Mind
8. A Snickers wrapper
9. Anything else in the approximate size of a card sleeve
10. FTV:20
This actually made me sad I have an FTV:20 in my cube.
I just need to find a nice altered one...
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Yeah I'd run any black-bordered version Hymn over the FTV:20, although the new art is pretty cool, its not worth the foiling and that hideous set symbol. That being said I DO run the FTV:20 Fyndhorn Elves, I can't even stand looking at the Ice Age version.
Also, the art sucks on both versions of Fyndhorn Elves.
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I think you could Cube draft a thousand times times and the cumulative amount of time lost to people reading the second sentence of rules text on a real copy of Hymn to Tourach would be like... 30 seconds.
It's not like we're talking about some rules text mess like Preemptive Strike or a textless promo or a random foreign card in a language nobody in your playgroup speaks.
Judge foil bob and Promo guide for me. I'm sure I'm one of he few who think this way though.
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Dark Confidant meh, I find every version of the card fugly (heresy I know) but the card is from before my time, as such, I am not drawn to it the way I am with Snapcaster mage which was the iconic card from the time I started playing.
I would go with the Judge foil though just because as a foil, all that gold makes it pop out in a way that other foils do not
Okay... that is quite the brutal statement. I agree with Hoover Hymn being in first place. That is the one that I am currently running. I was just wondering how people felt about the FTV version, since it is the only foil Hymn.
Same situation here. I can't believe how often I had to stop another player from using Mystical Tutor to search for a land. I generally prefer to use cards that have cleaner or more modern wordings. Helps to prevent confusion and those cards are usually better to read. (The wording on most cards from the first few Magic sets is a total mess. Alpha could even make simple cards like Winter Orb messy. And I was soooo happy to replace the old Sylvan Library with the Commander Arsenal version.)
Uril, the Miststalker RGW -- Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre C -- Vhati il-Dal BG -- Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer RW -- Animar, Soul of Elements URG
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker R -- Maga, Traitor to Mortals B -- Ghave, Guru of Spores BGW -- Sliver Hivelord WUBRG
Let me guess, someone named Sylvan Library with Pithing Needle?
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On the Stoneforge Mystic. The new art is very decent, but it doesn't look like a Stoneforge Mystic. It looks like a left over Ally art or something. The WWK foils are horrendous, though, and the original SFM has a dark art to start with - so I could see making the swap if the new foil is particularly nice. Not something I'll rush to check out though.
On spoiled card wishlisting and 'should-have-had'-isms:
Very impressive artwork. Does it wins over the original one?
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