Well, some here don't think the timeshifts would be
overpowered (or prohibitively expensive), and some have concerns.
Back to my original question - if you think the timeshift cards have the potential would break the format, can you think of a simple way to keep that from happening that we might hear about at the prerelease?
This is just speculation - don't worry, it won't affect what's already been decided.
Just wondering ... is it really spam if it persuades people to avoid your site forever?
If (and it's a big if) there were some form of deckbuilding restriction (in Standard only), it would have to apply to the original cards too. I'm using "purple" as shorthand for "one of the cards on the timeshifted list."
The one-purple-per-constructed-deck rule is much cleaner than implied rules text, and would at least partially address the issue of cards that are both ultra-rare and (possibly) more powerful than alternatives.
Maybe the development process already convinced them that no special compensation was needed. But assuming it is needed, what other forms could it take?
I see some very tough choices coming in draft between a good "normal" rare (unless it's One With Nothing class) and a reprint.
The swinginess of game-breaking reprints is why I thought of making any purple card a silver bullet antidote ... every player in a draft or sealed gets to see the same number of purples. So with my example, the Javelineer could get rid of the Akroma.
As to Tormod's Crypt, I don't see that automatically hosing dredge or Haakon decks, either with my silver-bullet suggestion or with the one-per-deck limit. Either one could limit its viability as a solution. Also, there will be split-second artifact/enchantment removal, right? And there are already ways to counter activated abilities.
Of course its presence will shake up the game, but that's true of some cards in every set.
I like the one per constructed deck idea for its simplicity.
Note that I'm not complaining ... just speculating on what might balance the apparently overpowered cards.
Perhaps I'm wrong, and no special measures are needed to balance them. If there is a compensating mechanic, I'm sure it was well-tested in development.
Good point about "past-present-future" seeming inconsistent with any more purple reprints ... perhaps the last set will have orange-symbol cards right out of the FFL?
The saddest part for me: I will be traveling and unable to attend any prerelease events
Well, I vowed to not be tempted by spoilers, but this thread has reeled me back in. Stunned (like the rest of you) at the disruption to "normal" power levels and the color pie, and trying to make sense of it, a possible way out occurred to me (based only on guesswork.)
What if every reprint/purple card is exactly correct as rumored ... but there's a simple global change in the game rules (not on any single card) that offsets the disruption by making it easy for the casual player to offset the effort of a rich, dedicated player to collect (say) 4 Psionic Blast and 4 Akroma?
For example (and this may not be the best mechanic),
what if the game rules state
"Every purple card has 'pay 1, discard this card: remove all purple permanents from the game and remove all purple spells from the stack'."
[Obviously, any old card in the reprint set would have to qualify as "purple" as well.]
That means anyone who opens a booster could have an antidote to the "overpowered" cards, while still letting people play with them at their own risk.
They could also have a different wrinkle on the "purple" theme in each set of the block, but I can't imagine what.
I've got no evidence of this at all ... but reading MaRo over the last few years, he has joked about adding a 6th color (purple?), and referred to the effort to make "legendary" spells ... and they tinkered with the legend rule just a couple of blocks ago so they could include very powerful cards (i.e. the Dragons) in the design.
What do you all think - can there be some simple fix in the game rules themselves? I'd love to hear from some learned judges.
Thanks for the great article.
Just to clarify: Aetherplasm doesn't have to find a substitute not to die, because you *may* return him and then *may* put another creature into play, correct? (This is begging for CiP abuse.)
And am I right in thinking that bushido wouldn't do much because the new creature comes into play already blocking?
Nice article - part of the reason I finally got around to registering here over vacation.
I didn't see any response to your "ASTADPPY" spell-announcement acronym challenge, so speaking as a slow player, here's one:
Anyone Still Thinking About Details, Please Prepare Yourself
or if you want to get a little more pointed,
Appalling! Stalling turns, attempting draw - play promptly, you!
Thanks for the good article. I'm still new to draft so I make lots of signalling mistakes, and this helps.
This is what I would have picked, without looking ahead - all the comments are real-time.
I would feel very good about where this would leave me with 2.5 packs still to go ... of course, the choices were insanely good. Wish last night's draft had gone like this ...
1. Devouring Light over Brainspoil, Seed Spark, Screeching Griffin ...
Cheaper, quicker, more versatile removal than Brainspoil; no compelling creatures; won't see another at (U).
2. Loxodon Hierarch over Moroii, Faith's Fetters, ...
This would put me in GW even if I wasn't already W. How could anyone pass this?
3. Conclave Equenaut over Galvanic Arc, Seeds of Strength, ...
Arc is good but not enough to justify red splash by itself.
Double-white is consistent with first pick.
Seeds is tempting but I go with creature over creature enhancer.
Need to watch the curve in later picks.
4. Faith's Fetters over Fists of Ironwood, Ordruun Commando, Disembowel
In-color removal (with lifegain!) better than black splash removal.
Fists gives me pause because of mana curve, but removal's better and there will be other token-makers.
5. Oathsworn Giant over Hunted Dragon, Vindictive Mob
The red mage to left will have a field day ...
High cost, but in-color and on-theme. Still mana curve issues, but uncommon won't return.
6. Divebomber Griffin over Bramble Elemental, Dogpile, Conclave Phalanx
With no good GW 1,2, or 3-drops, I prefer the evasion of the Griffin to the muscle of the Bramble or the lifegain of the Phalanx.
Also, no guarantee of Auras for the Bramble.
7. Elves of Deep Shadow over Centaur Safeguard, Rally the Righteous, Gaze of the Goron
I like the Centaur, but need to address mana curve. No plans to use black splash yet.
8. Peel from Reality over Dogpile, Rain of Embers, Golgari Rotfarm
Comes down to choice between 2 off-color instants.
Dogpile is great if I get token generators, but no guarantee of that yet.
No black splash planned so Rotfarm's unexciting.
If I get a Wayfinder or Farseek in later packs, it will be easy to splash 1 island and a signet to support
Peel, which can save a Hierarch or Griffin, kill an opposing token, shake off a Faith's Fetters, slow down an alpha-strike
...
for the plushy, and the correction (re Enchanter.)
Maybe he's my cousin.
Considering that I thought I knew the movie, imagine the mistakes I can make in MtG-land.
See you round the forums ...
... so I hope it comes up to community standards.
Hello to Salvation! I've enjoyed the articles for a few months and finally decided to join.
I played Magic casually but seldom for a few years (my nephews introduced me to it and also told me who "TIM" was), started going to FNM at a local store partway through Mirrodin, and now look forward to each expansion. Still not very effective in competition, but I love it when a plan comes together.
As for the name, I liked the "Holy Grail" character so much I used it for a Halloween costume well before Magic was invented ... so it was a natural choice.
Thanks to all who make this a great site!
overpowered (or prohibitively expensive), and some have concerns.
Back to my original question - if you think the timeshift cards have the potential would break the format, can you think of a simple way to keep that from happening that we might hear about at the prerelease?
This is just speculation - don't worry, it won't affect what's already been decided.
If (and it's a big if) there were some form of deckbuilding restriction (in Standard only), it would have to apply to the original cards too. I'm using "purple" as shorthand for "one of the cards on the timeshifted list."
Maybe the development process already convinced them that no special compensation was needed. But assuming it is needed, what other forms could it take?
I see some very tough choices coming in draft between a good "normal" rare (unless it's One With Nothing class) and a reprint.
As to Tormod's Crypt, I don't see that automatically hosing dredge or Haakon decks, either with my silver-bullet suggestion or with the one-per-deck limit. Either one could limit its viability as a solution. Also, there will be split-second artifact/enchantment removal, right? And there are already ways to counter activated abilities.
Of course its presence will shake up the game, but that's true of some cards in every set.
Note that I'm not complaining ... just speculating on what might balance the apparently overpowered cards.
Perhaps I'm wrong, and no special measures are needed to balance them. If there is a compensating mechanic, I'm sure it was well-tested in development.
Good point about "past-present-future" seeming inconsistent with any more purple reprints ... perhaps the last set will have orange-symbol cards right out of the FFL?
The saddest part for me: I will be traveling and unable to attend any prerelease events
What if every reprint/purple card is exactly correct as rumored ... but there's a simple global change in the game rules (not on any single card) that offsets the disruption by making it easy for the casual player to offset the effort of a rich, dedicated player to collect (say) 4 Psionic Blast and 4 Akroma?
For example (and this may not be the best mechanic),
what if the game rules state
"Every purple card has 'pay 1, discard this card: remove all purple permanents from the game and remove all purple spells from the stack'."
[Obviously, any old card in the reprint set would have to qualify as "purple" as well.]
That means anyone who opens a booster could have an antidote to the "overpowered" cards, while still letting people play with them at their own risk.
They could also have a different wrinkle on the "purple" theme in each set of the block, but I can't imagine what.
I've got no evidence of this at all ... but reading MaRo over the last few years, he has joked about adding a 6th color (purple?), and referred to the effort to make "legendary" spells ... and they tinkered with the legend rule just a couple of blocks ago so they could include very powerful cards (i.e. the Dragons) in the design.
What do you all think - can there be some simple fix in the game rules themselves? I'd love to hear from some learned judges.
Just to clarify: Aetherplasm doesn't have to find a substitute not to die, because you *may* return him and then *may* put another creature into play, correct? (This is begging for CiP abuse.)
And am I right in thinking that bushido wouldn't do much because the new creature comes into play already blocking?
I didn't see any response to your "ASTADPPY" spell-announcement acronym challenge, so speaking as a slow player, here's one:
Anyone Still Thinking About Details, Please Prepare Yourself
or if you want to get a little more pointed,
Appalling! Stalling turns, attempting draw - play promptly, you!
This is what I would have picked, without looking ahead - all the comments are real-time.
I would feel very good about where this would leave me with 2.5 packs still to go ... of course, the choices were insanely good. Wish last night's draft had gone like this ...
1. Devouring Light over Brainspoil, Seed Spark, Screeching Griffin ...
Cheaper, quicker, more versatile removal than Brainspoil; no compelling creatures; won't see another at (U).
2. Loxodon Hierarch over Moroii, Faith's Fetters, ...
This would put me in GW even if I wasn't already W. How could anyone pass this?
3. Conclave Equenaut over Galvanic Arc, Seeds of Strength, ...
Arc is good but not enough to justify red splash by itself.
Double-white is consistent with first pick.
Seeds is tempting but I go with creature over creature enhancer.
Need to watch the curve in later picks.
4. Faith's Fetters over Fists of Ironwood, Ordruun Commando, Disembowel
In-color removal (with lifegain!) better than black splash removal.
Fists gives me pause because of mana curve, but removal's better and there will be other token-makers.
5. Oathsworn Giant over Hunted Dragon, Vindictive Mob
The red mage to left will have a field day ...
High cost, but in-color and on-theme. Still mana curve issues, but uncommon won't return.
6. Divebomber Griffin over Bramble Elemental, Dogpile, Conclave Phalanx
With no good GW 1,2, or 3-drops, I prefer the evasion of the Griffin to the muscle of the Bramble or the lifegain of the Phalanx.
Also, no guarantee of Auras for the Bramble.
7. Elves of Deep Shadow over Centaur Safeguard, Rally the Righteous, Gaze of the Goron
I like the Centaur, but need to address mana curve. No plans to use black splash yet.
8. Peel from Reality over Dogpile, Rain of Embers, Golgari Rotfarm
Comes down to choice between 2 off-color instants.
Dogpile is great if I get token generators, but no guarantee of that yet.
No black splash planned so Rotfarm's unexciting.
If I get a Wayfinder or Farseek in later packs, it will be easy to splash 1 island and a signet to support
Peel, which can save a Hierarch or Griffin, kill an opposing token, shake off a Faith's Fetters, slow down an alpha-strike
...
Maybe he's my cousin.
Considering that I thought I knew the movie, imagine the mistakes I can make in MtG-land.
See you round the forums ...
(although a Terry Pratchett fan, "sourcerer" is hardly standard.)
Hello to Salvation! I've enjoyed the articles for a few months and finally decided to join.
I played Magic casually but seldom for a few years (my nephews introduced me to it and also told me who "TIM" was), started going to FNM at a local store partway through Mirrodin, and now look forward to each expansion. Still not very effective in competition, but I love it when a plan comes together.
As for the name, I liked the "Holy Grail" character so much I used it for a Halloween costume well before Magic was invented ... so it was a natural choice.
Thanks to all who make this a great site!