Say I have something that lets me play spells for free, such as eye of the storm or isochron scepter. Those say "you MAY play that spell without paying its mana cost." Can I choose to pay the mana cost? Or does the ability to play the spell have the free thing tacked on?
Bust out your dusty ancient cards and look up a revised "How to play" book. They tell you that you are a planeswalker. Would a lowly mage be able to cast Obliterate? I think not.
Since they are revisiting dominaria, chances are they will revisit one of the major themes of old: Planeswalkers. I doubt the type 2 kiddies know the origin of magic, thinking that Loxodon Hierarch just appears out of thin air, instead of being malliciously summoned to do an evil superbeings bidding from the middle of dinner with his family.
Anyway, since this is a nostalgia block, I think they are going to do a functional reprint of an ancient favorite: Vanguard. Specifically, they will print cards that say "If this is in your library at the start of the game, you may begin with this in play. You may only have 1 planeswalker in your library." Either that or something that lets you play it from the sideboard. The other possibility is to make the planeswalkers legendary, but I think they are tired of legends by now.
Well, here is a pretty good bet as to what azorious and simic do:
counter: 48
It would have to be some combination of "counter target spell unless" and "put a counter..." Unless only shows up 10 times, but that still is a lot of possible countering.
So is it the general opinion that adding a third color will weaken the manabase enough to justify leaving those out? I understand brightflame being too costly, but leaving out Lightning Helix and Sunhome Enforcer feels like a waste.
Our group, getting tired of playing the same decks every week, decided to start a magic campaign with ravnica. We started off with a starter and 2 boosters, and every couple of weeks we would add 2 more packs. Now, each time, we drafted these cards by putting them all face up and spending bid points on them.
Anyway, we just introduced Guildpact, and upped the decksize to 60. I have been pretty lucky with a token generating control deck. However, I am at the point where I dont know where to go with my deck. Below are the cards that are most likely relevant. I have some additional blue and red cards that probably wouldnt make the cut, but chances are any non-power commons (such as last gasp or galvanic arc) would be easy to pick up. Any help in making deck decisions would be appreciated.
As you can see, there is a bunch of goodness. I have traded every rare/bid highly for anything relevant (the other person going Selesnya went creature heavy instead of token heavy). However, almost all of my good stuff costs 4-6. I tried tossing it into a deck, and it got steamrolled by faster decks. So at this point, I think I can go several ways:
Creature heavy: There are a lot of efficient creatures, but no real pounders except the loxodon hierarchs or the conclave equenauts. The Root-Kin Ally loses effectiveness, as does the glare of subdual, but this is probably the most consistant. And all the horrible horrible combat-trick lands make my guys hard to stop. I am especially tempted to use Graven Dominator with the tokens, as the tokens will trade with any enemy creature after combat.
Creature Enchantment heavy: I have a ton of creature enchantments, and although they usually give your opponent 2 for 1's, there is not much instant speed burn in ravnica, and there are only 3 last gasps divided among the 12 people in the campaign. I also have several creatures (Gatherer of Graces, Bramble Elemental) that get better when enchanted. It would be awfully sick to have a Gatherer of Graces with 2 Beastmaster's Magemark and a Fists of Ironwood slam the opponents face.
Combo: The Cloudstone Curios provide ways to go absolutely crazy. Play a Fists of Ironwood, then bounce a Fists of Ironwood: You have an unlimited token generation engine. Play Ulasht, the Hate Seed, and pay 1 to make a token. When it only has 2 +1/+1 counters on it, or in response to removal, pay 1 to make a token and bounce him back to your hand. Now when you play him again, he gets a +1/+1 counter for each token you just made. There are so many comes into play effects that the Curios could go crazy. Not to mention with all the tokens Glare of Subdual and Rally the Rightous is almost an instant win. And with all the lifegain, there is a fairly high chance I could pick up a searing meditation, if that would fit in.
Deciding which way to go, however, is very hard for me. I am leaning towards combo, because I enjoy combo, but it heavily involves getting one of the curios, and I have no searching. I would love to hear people's opinions, and especially decklists. Having 23 lands and over half of your cards a 4+ cc is a bad thing. Thanks in advance!
Alright, I think this one is straight forward, but I want to make sure:
I control an Ink-Treader Nephilim. I target it with Rally the Righteous. Even though it has radiance, it only targets one creature, right? So does that mean that each creature will get untapped, then each creature will get +2/+0 for each creature that shares a color with it?
Just because it isnt exciting, doesnt mean it isnt likely.
I would hope it would be more useful, something similar to:
Azorius Guildmage :symwu::symwu: 4W: Tap target permanent. 4U: Counter target spell unless its controller pays 2.
2/2
Simic are all about craziness, so I dont think that they will have something as banal as flying or trample. They have shown with the izzet guildmage that they dont mind going combo, so there are some neat possibilities. U/G is the color of speed combos after all.
Simic Guildmage :symug::symug: 3U: Until end of turn, spells you play cost 1 less. 3G: Until end of turn, activated abilities you play cost 1 less.
2/2
That being said, it is fairly likely to be creature related. They seem to be all about improvement, so:
Simic Guildmage :symug::symug: 5U: Until end of turn, target creature gains all activated abilities of another target creature. 5G: Until end of turn, target creature's power and toughness are equal to another target creature's.
2/2
Rakdos is kinda boring, so it isnt very fun to speculate on them. They are probably gonna blow stuff up. La-de-da.
Rakdos Guildmage :symrb::symrb: XR, sacrifice a creature with power X: Rakdos Guildmage deals X damage to target player. XB, sacrifice a creature with toughness X: Target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn.
2/2
Edit: Wugga, I didnt peruse the full list before I posted, so it is coincidence that our azorious people are similar. However, I think yours is a little too good. Look at the gruul: 4 for +2/+2 does not a favorable comparison make with locking down a permanent for 2 turns. And dimir shows us they dont like making things efficient: The dimir guildmage would have been good but not broken at 3 for each of its abilities.
I totally agree that it is a cycle. Just because they are not related, does not mean they are not part of a group. One could argue that the bleed spells were unrelated in name and effect, they just share a mechanic (Bleed: The Almost Kicker). These share a name instead. So on to wild speculation, assuming the above is true.
It looks like they are trying do something unique with each of them. They appear related only in name. The black one is a control card, the green one gets huge, and the blue one sneaks other things into play.
I think the red one will have some method of gaining couners (upkeep? Whenever combat damage is done to an opponent?) and will be able to Fling them at people.
Agroplasm 3RR
Creature - Ooze
Agroplasm comes into play with 3 +1/+1 counters on it.
Whenever an opponent is dealt combat damage, but a +1/+1 counter on Agroplasm.
T, remove a +1/+1 counter: Deal damage to target creature or player equal to the number of +1/+1 counters on Agroplasm.
0/0
The white one is much harder to guess. Life gain would be obvious, but then so would have card drawing on the blue one. I think that it will probably be spirit linked, but whatever else it gets beyond that I cant guess. It may be able to do something to attacking or blocking creatures, because that is also white.
Serenoplasm 2WW
Creature - Ooze
Defender
Whenever serenoplasm blocks a creature, remove that creature from the game.
2/2
It is just unclear wording. It could easily be interpreted either way. Thanks for clearing that up, however. It is a much better card when it hits everyone except the person with the least permanents.
It says "than any other". Does this mean that only the player with the least permanents is not affected by this, or only the player with the most permanents is affected by this?
Alek: 7 mana looks expensive at first, but consider the lategame. Your opponent plays a 4 mana spell. You counter it, and get a 6/6 at instant speed. That is pretty awesome, ignoring the benefits of more expensive spells.
Also, wizards hates making things efficient to avoid power creep. Dromad purebred, I am looking at you.
My guess is that the simic will have something to do with sneaking creatures into play. Reweave, Gamekeeper, etc. So something like:
Changoplasm 2GU
Creature - Shapechanger
Shift (You may play a creature at instant speed. If you do, return Changoplasm to owners hand. The casting cost of that creature is reduced by2GU) When you shift a creature into play with Changoplasm, put a +1/+1 counter on it.
2/2
Although this wont be keyworded, I am hoping for a mystic snake variant.
Spell Eater 4UUG
Creature - Elemental Shapechanger
You may play spell Eater any time you could play an instant.
When Spell Eater comes into play, counter target spell. If you do, put a number of +1/+1 counters on Spell Eater equal to the countered spell's converted mana cost.
2/2
Fanatical Anarchist 2(R/)
Creature - Human Berserker
Explode 2 (When Rakdos Cultist is put into a graveyard from play, it deals 2 damage to target creature or player) 1/1
Embodiment of Hate 1RBB
Creature - Elemental
Explode X (When Embodiment of Hate is put into a graveyard from play, it deals damage to target creature or player equal to the amount dealt to Embodiment of Hate this turn) 3/1
Devoted Cultist 1B
Creature - Human Cleric
Ritual Sacrifice BBB(You may sacrifice this to add BBB to your mana pool) 1/2
Infernal Channeler 2BR
Creature - Demon Cleric
Ritual Sacrifice (R/) x5 (You may sacrifice this to add (R/) x5 to your mana pool) When Infernal Channeler is put into a graveyard from play, lose 3 life.
3/3
Lesser Demonspawn 2RB
Creature - Demon
First Strike
Summon - 5 Life (You may pay 3 life to return Lesser Demonspawn from your graveyard to play. If you do, it gains haste and "Sacrifice this creature at end of turn.") 3/2
Abyssal Devourer 3BB
Creature - Demon
Summon - Sacrifice 2 creatures (You may sacrifice 2 creatures to return Abyssal Devourer from your graveyard to play. If you do, it gains haste and "Sacrifice this creature at end of turn.") 4/4
Obviously these are not playtested for power levels, but I think that one of these will be very similar to how the final mechanic turns out.
Card-tags, please! Read the Forum Guidelines and this announcement!
- Craven
Anyway, since this is a nostalgia block, I think they are going to do a functional reprint of an ancient favorite: Vanguard. Specifically, they will print cards that say "If this is in your library at the start of the game, you may begin with this in play. You may only have 1 planeswalker in your library." Either that or something that lets you play it from the sideboard. The other possibility is to make the planeswalkers legendary, but I think they are tired of legends by now.
Vanguard in an official format?
counter: 48
It would have to be some combination of "counter target spell unless" and "put a counter..." Unless only shows up 10 times, but that still is a lot of possible countering.
Ulasht, the Hate Seed: Because I have no removal.
Rally the Righteous: Saprolings will bust arse.
Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion: Trampling double striking fatties break stalemates.
Skarrg, the Rage Pits: Tample on a stick with pump, for only 3 mana.
So is it the general opinion that adding a third color will weaken the manabase enough to justify leaving those out? I understand brightflame being too costly, but leaving out Lightning Helix and Sunhome Enforcer feels like a waste.
Anyway, we just introduced Guildpact, and upped the decksize to 60. I have been pretty lucky with a token generating control deck. However, I am at the point where I dont know where to go with my deck. Below are the cards that are most likely relevant. I have some additional blue and red cards that probably wouldnt make the cut, but chances are any non-power commons (such as last gasp or galvanic arc) would be easy to pick up. Any help in making deck decisions would be appreciated.
Green:
3
Selesnya
Gruul
White
Boros
Land
Artifacts
A bunch of signets.
As you can see, there is a bunch of goodness. I have traded every rare/bid highly for anything relevant (the other person going Selesnya went creature heavy instead of token heavy). However, almost all of my good stuff costs 4-6. I tried tossing it into a deck, and it got steamrolled by faster decks. So at this point, I think I can go several ways:
Creature heavy: There are a lot of efficient creatures, but no real pounders except the loxodon hierarchs or the conclave equenauts. The Root-Kin Ally loses effectiveness, as does the glare of subdual, but this is probably the most consistant. And all the horrible horrible combat-trick lands make my guys hard to stop. I am especially tempted to use Graven Dominator with the tokens, as the tokens will trade with any enemy creature after combat.
Creature Enchantment heavy: I have a ton of creature enchantments, and although they usually give your opponent 2 for 1's, there is not much instant speed burn in ravnica, and there are only 3 last gasps divided among the 12 people in the campaign. I also have several creatures (Gatherer of Graces, Bramble Elemental) that get better when enchanted. It would be awfully sick to have a Gatherer of Graces with 2 Beastmaster's Magemark and a Fists of Ironwood slam the opponents face.
Combo: The Cloudstone Curios provide ways to go absolutely crazy. Play a Fists of Ironwood, then bounce a Fists of Ironwood: You have an unlimited token generation engine. Play Ulasht, the Hate Seed, and pay 1 to make a token. When it only has 2 +1/+1 counters on it, or in response to removal, pay 1 to make a token and bounce him back to your hand. Now when you play him again, he gets a +1/+1 counter for each token you just made. There are so many comes into play effects that the Curios could go crazy. Not to mention with all the tokens Glare of Subdual and Rally the Rightous is almost an instant win. And with all the lifegain, there is a fairly high chance I could pick up a searing meditation, if that would fit in.
Deciding which way to go, however, is very hard for me. I am leaning towards combo, because I enjoy combo, but it heavily involves getting one of the curios, and I have no searching. I would love to hear people's opinions, and especially decklists. Having 23 lands and over half of your cards a 4+ cc is a bad thing. Thanks in advance!
I control an Ink-Treader Nephilim. I target it with Rally the Righteous. Even though it has radiance, it only targets one creature, right? So does that mean that each creature will get untapped, then each creature will get +2/+0 for each creature that shares a color with it?
Azorius Guildmage :symwu::symwu:
1U: Target creature gets -1/-0.
1W: Target creature gets +0/+1.
2/2
Just because it isnt exciting, doesnt mean it isnt likely.
I would hope it would be more useful, something similar to:
Azorius Guildmage :symwu::symwu:
4W: Tap target permanent.
4U: Counter target spell unless its controller pays 2.
2/2
Simic are all about craziness, so I dont think that they will have something as banal as flying or trample. They have shown with the izzet guildmage that they dont mind going combo, so there are some neat possibilities. U/G is the color of speed combos after all.
Simic Guildmage :symug::symug:
3U: Until end of turn, spells you play cost 1 less.
3G: Until end of turn, activated abilities you play cost 1 less.
2/2
That being said, it is fairly likely to be creature related. They seem to be all about improvement, so:
Simic Guildmage :symug::symug:
5U: Until end of turn, target creature gains all activated abilities of another target creature.
5G: Until end of turn, target creature's power and toughness are equal to another target creature's.
2/2
Rakdos is kinda boring, so it isnt very fun to speculate on them. They are probably gonna blow stuff up. La-de-da.
Rakdos Guildmage :symrb::symrb:
XR, sacrifice a creature with power X: Rakdos Guildmage deals X damage to target player.
XB, sacrifice a creature with toughness X: Target creature gets -X/-X until end of turn.
2/2
Edit: Wugga, I didnt peruse the full list before I posted, so it is coincidence that our azorious people are similar. However, I think yours is a little too good. Look at the gruul: 4 for +2/+2 does not a favorable comparison make with locking down a permanent for 2 turns. And dimir shows us they dont like making things efficient: The dimir guildmage would have been good but not broken at 3 for each of its abilities.
It looks like they are trying do something unique with each of them. They appear related only in name. The black one is a control card, the green one gets huge, and the blue one sneaks other things into play.
I think the red one will have some method of gaining couners (upkeep? Whenever combat damage is done to an opponent?) and will be able to Fling them at people.
Agroplasm 3RR
Creature - Ooze
Agroplasm comes into play with 3 +1/+1 counters on it.
Whenever an opponent is dealt combat damage, but a +1/+1 counter on Agroplasm.
T, remove a +1/+1 counter: Deal damage to target creature or player equal to the number of +1/+1 counters on Agroplasm.
0/0
The white one is much harder to guess. Life gain would be obvious, but then so would have card drawing on the blue one. I think that it will probably be spirit linked, but whatever else it gets beyond that I cant guess. It may be able to do something to attacking or blocking creatures, because that is also white.
Serenoplasm 2WW
Creature - Ooze
Defender
Whenever serenoplasm blocks a creature, remove that creature from the game.
2/2
It says "than any other". Does this mean that only the player with the least permanents is not affected by this, or only the player with the most permanents is affected by this?
Also, wizards hates making things efficient to avoid power creep. Dromad purebred, I am looking at you.
Changoplasm 2GU
Creature - Shapechanger
Shift (You may play a creature at instant speed. If you do, return Changoplasm to owners hand. The casting cost of that creature is reduced by2GU)
When you shift a creature into play with Changoplasm, put a +1/+1 counter on it.
2/2
Although this wont be keyworded, I am hoping for a mystic snake variant.
Spell Eater 4UUG
Creature - Elemental Shapechanger
You may play spell Eater any time you could play an instant.
When Spell Eater comes into play, counter target spell. If you do, put a number of +1/+1 counters on Spell Eater equal to the countered spell's converted mana cost.
2/2
Fanatical Anarchist 2(R/)
Creature - Human Berserker
Explode 2 (When Rakdos Cultist is put into a graveyard from play, it deals 2 damage to target creature or player)
1/1
Embodiment of Hate 1RBB
Creature - Elemental
Explode X (When Embodiment of Hate is put into a graveyard from play, it deals damage to target creature or player equal to the amount dealt to Embodiment of Hate this turn)
3/1
Devoted Cultist 1B
Creature - Human Cleric
Ritual Sacrifice BBB (You may sacrifice this to add BBB to your mana pool)
1/2
Infernal Channeler 2BR
Creature - Demon Cleric
Ritual Sacrifice (R/) x5 (You may sacrifice this to add (R/) x5 to your mana pool)
When Infernal Channeler is put into a graveyard from play, lose 3 life.
3/3
Lesser Demonspawn 2RB
Creature - Demon
First Strike
Summon - 5 Life (You may pay 3 life to return Lesser Demonspawn from your graveyard to play. If you do, it gains haste and "Sacrifice this creature at end of turn.")
3/2
Abyssal Devourer 3BB
Creature - Demon
Summon - Sacrifice 2 creatures (You may sacrifice 2 creatures to return Abyssal Devourer from your graveyard to play. If you do, it gains haste and "Sacrifice this creature at end of turn.")
4/4
Obviously these are not playtested for power levels, but I think that one of these will be very similar to how the final mechanic turns out.