For what it's worth ToyWiz was the cheapest online place I could pre-order the Duel Deck Anthology set and they don't charge until it ships. I don't have much experience beyond that. I will tell you that all but two of my LGS knew NOTHING about the Anthology set and thought it was just another Duel Deck so if I wasn't proactive and cognizant of the facts and listened to them I wouldn't have ended up with it or I would have paid an inflated price. This doesn't so much speak to ToyWiz being GREAT but they were the best outlet at the time.
So, when I started playing back in 2010 there was a store really really close to me, called Bad Moons Gaming. When I started going there the main guy who was always there was very kind, courteous, it was clear that customer service was a strength of his. He was educational and truly didn't rip anyone off. This was also during Zendikar block, when many other shops prowled on those with lesser knowledge of the game. Well, as time went on eventually the main guy was no longer employed and the staff changed for the worse... flash forward to today and it's a nightmare. Their stock is really limited, compared to what it once was and the staff seriously come off as though they HATE customers. Anytime they have to be pried away from their game tables it's as if they make you pay for it. I have a very low tolerance for crappy service in any capacity, let alone a hobby that I love, so I am curious if anyone local to AZ has experienced the same things with Bad Moons?
Yeah, I think the Anthology set is pretty tremendous. I need to get more sleeves though. It's a ton of fun to play twice and see if the decks are what win or the player or general luck of the draw. I really am a fan of Duel Decks. They seem to be scoffed at by elitists but they help me develop deck building techniques or at least they help me see things that I may not have otherwise.
I would like the final core to be kind of a greatest hits of cards but in a way I also don't want reprints. I would like to get new Titans, New Leylines, New kickass versions of the main 5 Planeswalkers: Jace, Chandra, Liliana, Garruk and Ajani (but since the latter two already have several versions, perhaps supplement with Nissa and Gideon or maybe give us two new mono-colored PW). I say go big or go home on this last Core set.
Playing casual after Core 2011 and I would play with a guy who would ALWAYS get his Leylines in his opening hand. Mathematically this is impossible. I also was new to Magic and didn't really think about cutting decks. Call me naive. Anyway he had ever so slightly marked with same color sharpie a corner of the sleeves so when he shuffled he knew just how far to shuffle and would always get it within the top 7. Needless to say he was no longer invited to Magic Saturdays.
Everything I have ever done with Magic has been around a kitchen table and I want to learn more but it's definitely hard to do that when people want to interpret rules as they benefit them. I really only have one close friend that I generally trust. I admit when I originally read the text "Prevent all Damage" to me that suggests I have to physically do something to prevent it, such as block with another creature or something (I still think it is poorly worded as it stands I'm really not doing anything to prevent anything). I don't really consider this cheating though. I wish there were like a comprehensive video or something I could watch that would go in detail about mechanics and such.
Prime Time already had a GP promo. It looks sweet in my cube. I think the Titans are a bad choice as they were in two fairly recent core sets and many/all have had printings elsewhere. Additionally only Prime is hard to get at all and it is Banned in EDH. I know this is a modern set but I hope they take all format demand into account. IT is much more important for me that cards that are actually hard to find become more available.
Well, Emakrul is banned in EDH and it's the second to be revealed. I bet Primeval gets reprinted. The only downside I can think of is it was reprinted the core set after it was initially released.
Damn. I admit I fell out of Magic just before Innistrad and I am hoping to go back and buy some product going as far back as Zendikar. I didn't know these existed. Wow. Awesome. Love Magic so Much!!!
So, all of us I think want to return possibly to Innistrad, though it would be a little different that Angels are revived and such. What about a block that uses the classic Universal Horror monsters as a basis? Frankenstein, Swamp Thing, Invisible Man, Mummy, Frankenstein, Bride, Wolf Man, etc? I would be so elated to see Wizards' take on the classic cinema monsters.
Well, I wasn't going to go as deep into the R&D discussion like it jumped head first into.
My response was going to basically be: Since Fate Reforged has Varkhan going back in time, thus changing the timeline for Dragons, there would no longer be any guilds, Dragons won't be extinct. Therefor it makes sense that they wouldn't have any wedge cards as the Wedges were based around the tribes and how they implemented the traits of dragons.
From a more simplistic R&D standpoint, it's because they are designing Dragons and the finale Core Set to play well together since they will be the first two paired together in the new Standard Cycle. This isn't confirmed but based on what MaRo has said about the cycle change, I just have a true feeling it's what's going to happen.
This is my theory and I am sticking with it. I know that Dragons will draft with Fate, so I know there needs to be some synergy, but considering the biggest change is in the block and cycle out format, I think Dragons will be monocolored and is being designed to work best with Core 16. I think Core 16 won't be as bland or generic as the previous ones are considered either, but I think both sets will mono colored. MaRo said that to them it was worth it to make the Tarkir block a little weird rather than wait a whole year to fully implement. To me I interpret that as meaning that Dragon's will draft well with Fates but also considering the time travel and everything being changed, they will write off any discrepancies as being because of the time change. When you consider that Fate is the time travel set and Dragons is basically the alternate future it would make sense.
So basically I am saying that I think for the sake of making their new standard cycle work best, which means that Dragons and Core 16 will be paired together... they are designing both to work well together and as a secondary making sure it drafts well with Fate and fits in the overall Khans block.
Let me just say, this is in baseless speculation for that reason. I don't have anything concrete by any means. It's a lot of observation and seeing patterns but nothing solid but I don't think Wizards would make it that obvious either, so the fact that I think there are hints... makes me wonder.
Would it be possible for Ob Nixulus to get his spark back to be a Planeswalker? I know he has a card in Commander. What if there was a set, Return to Zendikar is as good as any, where a bunch of legendary creatures get their Planeswalker spark?
As I type this, if there is somewhere to go to read the lore of Magic, I would be so happy.
I hate to beat a dead horse. I know we all want to go back to Zendikar. It's something that is going to happen, without a doubt and as I am phasing back into Magic the Gathering and I learned about the change of block format and such occurring this year.... a few things started to kinda click, and a few things that kind of made me laugh.
Firstly. We will be finishing up a wedge set, namely one that features Sarkhan prominently. Sarkhan debuted in the last wedge block, Shards of Alara and what was the block after that? Zendikar.
Secondly, it will be the best way to kick off the new format. This shake up is a huge massive thing. One that Wizards has worked out but they will want to kick it off with a bang. Zendikar is without a doubt the most popular block in modern Magic. MRW has also talked about the advantage of having 2 blocks a year allowing them to revisit favorite planes and forge new favorites. Add to this the recent comment about full land art, which is definitely cryptic.. definitely adds a bit of weight to the possibility.
Thirdly, Modern Masters 2. The focus I think is definitely going to be on Zendikar block for this set. They wanted to release MM2 so much that they moved the release of Dragons up to March. Why? Because they want to get people primed and excited for a return. For people who weren't playing during Zen block and can't afford to pick up much from those sets now, MM2 will be a gateway. Now this is weak because it's kind of Speculation within speculation... call it Specu-ception but I am looking at it from a far and these pieces add up.
For those who are more versed in Magic than I, what say you? I have been out of the game since Innistrad so I am kind of getting settled again and the notion of revisiting Zendikar relatively soon excites me. I don't mind if we don't, it's not a deal breaker for me or anything its just simply, exciting.
Would anyone venture to say that Innistrad's popularity is second only to Zendikar block? It definitely seems like it. With the new two block a year formate I would give anything to have a year where we Return to Zendikar and Innistrad.
The only negative I could say is revisiting two planes so closely together could be mundane but I don't think so, I mean creative would have to CHOOSE to repeat the same old same old.
Everything I have ever done with Magic has been around a kitchen table and I want to learn more but it's definitely hard to do that when people want to interpret rules as they benefit them. I really only have one close friend that I generally trust. I admit when I originally read the text "Prevent all Damage" to me that suggests I have to physically do something to prevent it, such as block with another creature or something (I still think it is poorly worded as it stands I'm really not doing anything to prevent anything). I don't really consider this cheating though. I wish there were like a comprehensive video or something I could watch that would go in detail about mechanics and such.
Well, Emakrul is banned in EDH and it's the second to be revealed. I bet Primeval gets reprinted. The only downside I can think of is it was reprinted the core set after it was initially released.
My response was going to basically be: Since Fate Reforged has Varkhan going back in time, thus changing the timeline for Dragons, there would no longer be any guilds, Dragons won't be extinct. Therefor it makes sense that they wouldn't have any wedge cards as the Wedges were based around the tribes and how they implemented the traits of dragons.
From a more simplistic R&D standpoint, it's because they are designing Dragons and the finale Core Set to play well together since they will be the first two paired together in the new Standard Cycle. This isn't confirmed but based on what MaRo has said about the cycle change, I just have a true feeling it's what's going to happen.
So basically I am saying that I think for the sake of making their new standard cycle work best, which means that Dragons and Core 16 will be paired together... they are designing both to work well together and as a secondary making sure it drafts well with Fate and fits in the overall Khans block.
Would it be possible for Ob Nixulus to get his spark back to be a Planeswalker? I know he has a card in Commander. What if there was a set, Return to Zendikar is as good as any, where a bunch of legendary creatures get their Planeswalker spark?
As I type this, if there is somewhere to go to read the lore of Magic, I would be so happy.
Firstly. We will be finishing up a wedge set, namely one that features Sarkhan prominently. Sarkhan debuted in the last wedge block, Shards of Alara and what was the block after that? Zendikar.
Secondly, it will be the best way to kick off the new format. This shake up is a huge massive thing. One that Wizards has worked out but they will want to kick it off with a bang. Zendikar is without a doubt the most popular block in modern Magic. MRW has also talked about the advantage of having 2 blocks a year allowing them to revisit favorite planes and forge new favorites. Add to this the recent comment about full land art, which is definitely cryptic.. definitely adds a bit of weight to the possibility.
Thirdly, Modern Masters 2. The focus I think is definitely going to be on Zendikar block for this set. They wanted to release MM2 so much that they moved the release of Dragons up to March. Why? Because they want to get people primed and excited for a return. For people who weren't playing during Zen block and can't afford to pick up much from those sets now, MM2 will be a gateway. Now this is weak because it's kind of Speculation within speculation... call it Specu-ception but I am looking at it from a far and these pieces add up.
For those who are more versed in Magic than I, what say you? I have been out of the game since Innistrad so I am kind of getting settled again and the notion of revisiting Zendikar relatively soon excites me. I don't mind if we don't, it's not a deal breaker for me or anything its just simply, exciting.
The only negative I could say is revisiting two planes so closely together could be mundane but I don't think so, I mean creative would have to CHOOSE to repeat the same old same old.