It's possible that part of the storyline is that Mirrodin is somehow split into two planes; one being Mirrodin and the other a new Phyrexia.
THIS.
Is the solution. I believe this is the best explanation, flavor/story-wise, to account for two different sub-sets belonging to one set as a whole. It would also allow for different packs to made. I would venture to say, if this does happen, to try and imagine the set more as two sets being simultaneously released. Releasing to half-small sets at the same time is something they have never done before and would, at the least, be an interesting gimmick. The problem here then becomes "is the gimmick worth it?" which depends greatly on just how balanced the power level, trash, chase rares, and Johnny/Timmy cards are between the two sub-sets.
I for one am absolutely angry that this is a utility mythic when we were outright told we would not have mythic utility cards. I know its kinda a small point and we've been there before with lotus cobra, but this really pisses me off. Mythics can be anything. There is absolutely no guideline for what is/should be mythic. Forget how bad this card is or how over pushed it is so its not broken, it should definitely be a rare and yet, its not. I hope a serious campaign to end mythic can start now.
Question: Would it even be possible to have an escaped null as a pet? For you see, it would cease to be 'escaped' if I was it's owner.
I guess my real answer in the end would have to be Skeletal Wurm cuz id never have to worry about forgetting to feed it. Also, it would be one hell-of-a badass mount.
How in the heck has no one noticed ASSEMBLE??? as in ASSEMBLE CONTRAPTION! What better contraption to assemble then a doomsday device! Long Live Steamflogger Boss!
The Mythic situation is very interesting here. I wonder if R&D will take notice and make adjustments accordingly or just say oh well and continue to allow mythics to run rampart.
Im very sad to hear that you wont be investing in ROE Mr. RE cuz it would hurt your business so savagely it would be impractical to consider. I mean your example is of the crappy Red rares in this set, but Blue isn't doing much better, nor is White (outside SoW that is).
But I do suspect this set to be comboish. Or at the very least providing the tools for it like in Training Grounds. The problem here is nothing is certain and the ability to predict which cards will take off in mass tournament play in some future combo is nigh impossible. This only adds to less people buying into the set and driving up the already marked up mythics even higher! I foresee this set turning out much like Future Sight. It has alot of "fun" cards, few 4 of future tournament staples, and one or two cards that already cost a bunch, but will cost more as time goes on.
These are sad times.....good thing i loves me some limited!
Wow so this pack looks alot what im probably going to open at the pre re...i.e. a whole lot of nothing! But there is a clear winner here and its the Knight by vast amount. Others have done a very good job of explaining exactly why so I wont even bother.
But as for how the cards are generated for these packs.....I was a bit surprised by the first one somewhat. Not because of the level of power in the pack but because ya, Fnord, posted it with only aprox 178 cards spoiled. Usually you post these prompt packs whens there's more of a set right? I think the reason why there was no black in the last pack was because there was less black (and blue) spoiled at the time versus the other colors. But even that, sometimes there are packs with one color absent, and sometimes there are packs that have huge amounts of power and others with huge amount of assness. I think randomly generating these packs is best, but a little intervention in them to create a healthy discussion is okay by me. Keep up the good work!
if "dies to removal" is a valid argument, "costs more than kozilek" is too.
But they are both valid arguments..........ooooooo I get it......very clever. haha, well i think this guy is just the timmyist card we've seen thus far. It even tops the rebound enchantment. Also the name of this card "It that Betrays" is naturally so difficult to refference in common speech that its wonkyness in its name is enough for timmys to be all giddy and excited.
Bombs like Ulamog will be available to pick up throughout the draft, but removal is scooped up quickly (wasn't the most drafted card in ZZW Hideous End?).
This type of logic is called Mirroring, where one person assumes that others will think and act in the exact same matter as themselves. The problem with this is that no, not everyone thinks the way any individual does. We all have different ways of weighing the values of cards and there uses. If you and I were at the same table, you will not get any crushers, sorry. You can have all the guard duty's tho .
Like I said in my post before removal is usually where i go for my first picks, but Guard Duty is not exactly a removal card and can still be dealt with by disenchant effects like demystify. But there does exist a category of cards i will pick BEFORE removal and that is game winners/threats. If there wasnt so much green in this pack i would have taken the aura gnarlid, but crusher is the strategically better first pick.
I really dont see why people are gushing over the looter here. In this set im certainly not going to want to throw away a (hopefully) good spell ive drafted and im definately not gonna wanna toss land if im playing with any late game sha-bang. So unless your absolutely certain you can force an agressive U/x deck then i wouldnt pick it. Espicially in this pack with all the goodness here.
I really like the Bala Ged dude here as he's a 4 power on turn three an nearly all the walls we've seen max out at 4 toughness, but there is just too much power green in this pack for me. A savvy drafter would let green go and be fought amongst the other drafters while you scoop up on something else.
The only removal we see in this pack is Guard Duty which really isnt even very good considering u just turned a big attacker into a big wall problem.
Usually for me I go with the removal, but I've spent alot of time thinking about the Crusher and I think he's the right pick. As others have mentioned he keeps u open to see what ur getting passed, it seems more than likely enough that you could cast him on turn 6, and the annihilator 2 ability is incredibly more powerful than annihilator 1. I imagine it wouldnt be that difficult to grab the red wall that can grant haste at some point in the draft which equals ultra power to combine those two cards together. So Its Crusher for me as a strategy decision.
THIS.
Is the solution. I believe this is the best explanation, flavor/story-wise, to account for two different sub-sets belonging to one set as a whole. It would also allow for different packs to made. I would venture to say, if this does happen, to try and imagine the set more as two sets being simultaneously released. Releasing to half-small sets at the same time is something they have never done before and would, at the least, be an interesting gimmick. The problem here then becomes "is the gimmick worth it?" which depends greatly on just how balanced the power level, trash, chase rares, and Johnny/Timmy cards are between the two sub-sets.
On the card, meh. Pretty much what I was expecting.
I guess my real answer in the end would have to be Skeletal Wurm cuz id never have to worry about forgetting to feed it. Also, it would be one hell-of-a badass mount.
Im very sad to hear that you wont be investing in ROE Mr. RE cuz it would hurt your business so savagely it would be impractical to consider. I mean your example is of the crappy Red rares in this set, but Blue isn't doing much better, nor is White (outside SoW that is).
But I do suspect this set to be comboish. Or at the very least providing the tools for it like in Training Grounds. The problem here is nothing is certain and the ability to predict which cards will take off in mass tournament play in some future combo is nigh impossible. This only adds to less people buying into the set and driving up the already marked up mythics even higher! I foresee this set turning out much like Future Sight. It has alot of "fun" cards, few 4 of future tournament staples, and one or two cards that already cost a bunch, but will cost more as time goes on.
These are sad times.....good thing i loves me some limited!
But as for how the cards are generated for these packs.....I was a bit surprised by the first one somewhat. Not because of the level of power in the pack but because ya, Fnord, posted it with only aprox 178 cards spoiled. Usually you post these prompt packs whens there's more of a set right? I think the reason why there was no black in the last pack was because there was less black (and blue) spoiled at the time versus the other colors. But even that, sometimes there are packs with one color absent, and sometimes there are packs that have huge amounts of power and others with huge amount of assness. I think randomly generating these packs is best, but a little intervention in them to create a healthy discussion is okay by me. Keep up the good work!
But they are both valid arguments..........ooooooo I get it......very clever. haha, well i think this guy is just the timmyist card we've seen thus far. It even tops the rebound enchantment. Also the name of this card "It that Betrays" is naturally so difficult to refference in common speech that its wonkyness in its name is enough for timmys to be all giddy and excited.
This type of logic is called Mirroring, where one person assumes that others will think and act in the exact same matter as themselves. The problem with this is that no, not everyone thinks the way any individual does. We all have different ways of weighing the values of cards and there uses. If you and I were at the same table, you will not get any crushers, sorry. You can have all the guard duty's tho
Like I said in my post before removal is usually where i go for my first picks, but Guard Duty is not exactly a removal card and can still be dealt with by disenchant effects like demystify. But there does exist a category of cards i will pick BEFORE removal and that is game winners/threats. If there wasnt so much green in this pack i would have taken the aura gnarlid, but crusher is the strategically better first pick.
I really like the Bala Ged dude here as he's a 4 power on turn three an nearly all the walls we've seen max out at 4 toughness, but there is just too much power green in this pack for me. A savvy drafter would let green go and be fought amongst the other drafters while you scoop up on something else.
The only removal we see in this pack is Guard Duty which really isnt even very good considering u just turned a big attacker into a big wall problem.
Usually for me I go with the removal, but I've spent alot of time thinking about the Crusher and I think he's the right pick. As others have mentioned he keeps u open to see what ur getting passed, it seems more than likely enough that you could cast him on turn 6, and the annihilator 2 ability is incredibly more powerful than annihilator 1. I imagine it wouldnt be that difficult to grab the red wall that can grant haste at some point in the draft which equals ultra power to combine those two cards together. So Its Crusher for me as a strategy decision.