MTG Salvation

So is this going to wind up banned in some formats?
This gives lots of eternal combo decks a disgusting level of consistency. You're not only starting with an 8th card in hand, but its a combo engine. You can cast this off black lotus or lion's eye diamond and then recast them the same turn, and the next turn, you'll have 6 mana available. In legacy you can cast LED -> crack LED -> cast Lurrus from sideboard -> cast LED from graveyard, next turn crack LED -> cast underworld breach from graveyard or crack LED -> cast LED from graveyard -> crack LED -> flashback past in flames with +1 mana open. All on top of whatever you're doing normally.

Burn decks with splash mana have basically 0 opportunity cost to run this, giving them extra lategame reach. All you give up is the protection of basic lands- already given up for RB- and you can start recurring goblin guides, eidolons, swiftspears, etc.

There are plenty of archetypes that can't slot this in, sure, like any stoneforge packages or gurmag angler, and combo has to give up simian spirit guide. But we're talking about deck building where black combo vintage archetypes would gladly give up their 1-of restricted necropotence if it meant having Lurrus in their sideboard recurring mox/lotus/chalice/vault/sol ring.

Just the fact you could have a completely empty hand and board in a long game with nothing but lands and mana rocks, and then cast this from your sideboard, then cast snapcaster from your bin, and use it to flashback yawgmoth's will, resolve a ton of rituals/rocks and pull a win out of nowhere- how nutty is that?

Vista is modern power level, this is standard power level.

Mythic rarity is going to cause a lot of complaints for this card in the next few rotations of standard because this thing is probably going to see high play in numerous decks until it rotates out, and a price point that keeps increasing. Its just way too efficient. In one weird way, its a lot like a blink of an eye... with kicker 0. Except the card it draws you is always a 3/1 flash cloud-flying. And like everyone already realized, this is the same reason threeferi was busted, you don't need to be an aggro tempo archetype to take advantage of that kind of pushed tempo advantage, its just good in any shell. Whether its just a threat that an opponent has to deal with or die to and thus trade a card in, or killing a planeswalker, or trading with a flyer (or just daring them to attack you), its hard to argue that "draw a brazen borrower for 0" is worse than "draw a card for 2".

Witch's Oven + Cauldron Familiar is a pretty disgusting 2 card combo in draft, both 1-drops with no further mana investment that provides you an optional instant speed ground blocker & drain 1 per turn. Your opponent could have a 10/10 beanstalk giant, only to be losing to cat pies.

Doubt that will take over standard, but I'd keep a suspicious eye on food.dec emulating aristocrats

ditto as many I lurk more than I post, and I've posted plenty
I am not looking forward to /r/magictcg being the de facto 'community'
its a terrible place, and freemagic doesn't make it any better

A social media site using 'real life' profiles is something I'd be hostile to, and a voting-driven site like reddit with weighted, temporary content is utterly antithetical to the kind of community of deckbuilding and innovation that's developed around MTG

What MTG sites even have the name recognition and roots to actually replace this forum?
Maybe if one of the major sellers or media sites like Channel Fireball, SCG or MTGGoldfish adds competent forums it could be a migration.

Quote from DudeFromDenmark »

A human that have protection from humans, lol

Fortunately he didn't have Protection from Minotaurs, Dwarves, Elves, Cats and Viashino

The doctor is in, and how!
Looks like Urza v Yawgmoth duel deck is on the menu

And it still doesn't make mana bloom playable!

Quote from Decadent Command »

Can someone else further explain why burning inquiry is so bad for the game? I mean from my perspective it's basically just used in Hollowed One decks, and those as of late aren't nearly as popular as they were a year ago.

From my perspective it gave red good disruption at the cost of card advantage. I don't see this card destroying games. And It never got the ban hammer so it can't be that bad.

The game already has a great deal of variance from the order of your deck being random, and wizards doesn't want to make games even more decided by luck by creating efficiently costed and powerful cards that have random effects. When a 1 mana spell can effectively decide who wins the game on the spot at random depending on bad luck, it creates the scenario wizards fear. Disruption is one thing, discarding your lands on turn 1 is another.

Quote from Crypt Rat »

This spoiler season was something special. Especially due to the story elements involved, it would have been neat to see the set in order as the previews were intended.

At least the fate of the big name characters weren't leaked in week one.

I think there were three problematic factors-
some cards leaked out of order from unofficial sources- something we'll always have to deal with (at least it wasn't like NPH)
some cards were oddly spoiled out of order from official sources (after act 2, we started just bouncing around randomly with no coherent storyline)
the plotline itself was predictable and very bland

I was really surprised actually because I assumed Wizards had decided that the amount of planeswalkers in the game had gotten too stuffed and they wouldn't be able to introduce too many new ones without killing off a bunch of old ones, and that they could take that moment to do some kind of radical thematic change like they did with the mending. Instead, its like the writing in TV shows where everyone gets back home in the end, except for 3 out of like 50 characters who get the axe.

I mean geez, when apocalypse ended the brothers/weatherlight sagas, everyone died. You either had to be off-screen or karn or you died, all the rules were thrown out, everything after that point started fresh. Every main character, even the godlike ones and the ones wizards used as their chief branding characters like urza, got decapitated and killed and then brought back to life and then extra-super killed to make sure they're absolutely dead, and the writers threw in explicit guarantees that death was permanent.

A card with 13 printings in Modern frame only that was never legal in Modern before...

Neat. Obviously it needs a reflavoring in a real Magic context to make it an original character (and I'm not exactly sure GS's Star Magician was... well... Human).

Glad for the "artifact" clause so dumb things with changelings do not happen.

Quote from InfinityDie »

Pen and Paper 1
Artifact (M)
At the beginning of your upkeep, each player puts a +1/+1 counter on target creature they control and draw a card. Then, if your life total is equal to or less than half of your starting life total, transform ~
Some wars are won with the diplomat speaking words of peace...
/////////////
Shield and Sword
Artifact
Creatures you control have lifelink and double strike
...and others are won when the knight stabs the diplomat

I think it is ok balanced but it has a really big impact on the game. If your opponent(s) don't play creatures they are in massive disadvantage and if everyone does, much more cads will be drawn. This would mostly fit in a commander set where the chance of removing this is higher but also can benefits a large amount of the players. (and keeps you from getting attacked.) I like it

My newest edition to the Guild Elementals. (I honestly want to think of a cool name for each of these, but I am just not good at it.
Golgari Elemental 3
Creature - Elemental
When Golgari Elemental enters the battlefield, target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn if B was cast to spend Golgari Elemental
When Golgari Elemental enters the battlefield, you gain 4 life if G was cast to spend Golgari Elemental
Evoke
2/4

This feels fine, for the most part, very utilitarian, solid concept. It *might* even be able to be a 3/5 for that cost. You know what would be a nifty twist?

Golgari Elemental 3
Creature - Elemental
When Golgari Elemental enters the battlefield, target creature gets -1/-1 for each spent to cast ~.
When Golgari Elemental enters the battlefield, you gain 2 life for each spent to cast ~.
2/4

So the evoke is severely curtailed (maybe up the evoke cost to ?), but the creature itself is a 2/4 that gives you up to 10 life and/or a creature gets up to -5/-5. That would be some pretty fancy Spike/Johnny candy. Heh, what's really cool (well, maybe "interesting" is a better word) is that you could make the Evoke cost (or in my alternate version) and it would be just as effective as (or ).

Glimpse of Desolation BB
Enchantment
Flash
Creatures controlled by opponents get -1/-1.
At end of turn, sacrifice ~. If you do, each opponent discards a card.
A moment of insanity for a lifetime of regret.

Offspring of the Maelstrom - Powerful creatures with drawbacks always get a thumbs up in my mind. Power/Toughness though? I would have it ETBF with a 1/1 counter on it. I would reword it to make it more active then passive.

~ enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it.
At the begining of your upkeep, pay 1 for each +1/+1 counter on it, if you can't sacrifice it.
1UU: Counter target spell targeting this, if you do put a +1/+1 counter on ~.

Ylgoth, Wyrm COnjurer
I do like the templating, I thin it's decent enough. I was wondering why you just didn't give the dragon the ability, but I think it is fine.


Lost in the Night - 2GB
Instant
Prevent all combat damage dealt by non-black creatures this turn. Until end of turn, whenever a creature deals combat damage to a player, put a +1/+1 counter on it.

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My concerns about Glorious Blossoming are these:

1. I think that the power level difference between the two ‘modes’ is too large. Gaining 1 life a turn is a lot less impactful than getting an extra mana.
2. This might be a little too good with lands with two land types, such as Temple Garden. While getting 1 life a turn isn’t great on its own, getting 1 life and 1 mana for a 1 CMC enchantment is quite strong.

Run and Hide
URG
Sorcery - Rare
Reveal your hand. Target opponent chooses a permanent card from your hand, then you choose a different permanent card from your hand. Each player puts the chosen card onto the battlefield under their control.
”Reinstating show and tell was a bad idea” - Naban, Dean of Iteration