Armageddon as a win-con after you've set up a winning board state? Cool.
Armageddon in a deck that can use stuff to make it one-sided (Life from the Loam, Crucible of Worlds)? Sure.
Armageddon as a counter to mass land ramp decks? Go for it.
Armageddon as a "I'm not winning so I'm going to make it so no one else gets to play either" move? Go to hell. Stay there.
One shop I frequent has players with long memories. If you pull that move, they will ensure you never enjoy a game of EDH there ever again.
Sounds like a scrub-fest. MLD as a panic button is totally legit. Hell, if I have a mana rock and 2 lands in my hand I will definitely turn-4 Armageddon as a value play. I probably just 12-for-1ed (or more) the table. If they want me, come and get me. I know enough to pack a ton of answers and sweepers in my deck. Anyhow, my point is that if you limit yourself strategically, it's just poor play. It's not a matter of opinion, it's a matter of optimization. If you want to purposely limit yourself with rules not included in the game itself, it's just scrubdom. Also, I'm soooo glad that I don't play at your store.
I would consider taking a different alternative win condition if you're determined to do so. Making him a creature opens him up to a lot more tuck. The Purphoros decks that are the most successful where I play are usually pretty careful to keep him an enchantment. Just some food for thought.
I was "hit"(not spanked, I think it was more on the hand) as a kid, mostly by my father. And as I got older, and saw other kids. I am convinced that he did the right thing. I'm not talking about the fact that I was well behaved and that other weren't. I'm talking about the fact that he used spanking as way to inflict pain, which no one likes, to those who wouldn't understand other types of information transmission. Stuff like kids who can't talk yet. If they do something they shouldn't and get hit on the hand and go "owwhhh", as long as they understand why, they won't do it as much.
I have a feeling the spanking families (where you'd hit your kids after 3) would have more aggressive kids. I don't think it's because of the spanking. I just think that those families would probably have an environment that would make kids more aggressive.
The problem with your anecdote is that from a psychological and neurological standpoint, children under the age of 3 are incapable of learning from consequences. Their brains simply aren't developed enough to understand "why". That doesn't occur until ages 5-7, depending on child, but mostly in the 7-ish age range. I'm sure you have anecdotes that you think prove me wrong but I would contend that it's a kind of projecting or anthropomorphization like when people talk to dogs and think they can understand their actual words.
Yep, that's why I told you to read the studies. Despite your quibbles there's so much negative effects correlated to corporeal punishment that you have to ask the question: Why *would* we use corporeal punishment?
EDIT: Also, AP's son was 4 so you kind of help my case.
The thing is that from a science standpoint, corporeal punishment is nearly completely ineffective in children and results in a lot of mental, emotional and very likely neurological damage in children. The link I'm posting is from Huffpost (which varies on reliability) so you can read the article if you want but there are hyperlinks to the actual studies in article.
I can kinda dig this card. I only play EDH so having another sort of this effect is pretty sweet. Only a few decks might want this type of card like Zedruu or Enchantment/Enchantress decks but redundancy goes a long way in Commander. 1.5/5 Stars
Anyone who tries arguing that Vexing Devil is bad after it wins a tournament goes against what a good card is: If a card wins a tournament, it is by definition a good card, at least, it was in that metagame.
This is a really good starting guide to helping you understand EDH deckbuilding as well as what makes cards good. It touches on a lot of topics and although I don't agree 100% with what's in it, it was very useful to me when I first started.
In a dream world?
Camael, Supreme Arbiter 3RWU
Legendary Creature - Angel
Flying
When Camael, Supreme Arbiter enters the battlefield each player chooses a number of lands he or she controls equal to the number of lands controlled by the player who controls the fewest, then returns the rest to their owner's hands. Players return creatures, enchantments and artifacts the same way. Then each player discards their hand and draws seven cards.
6/5
What I'm really hoping for is something that helps and furthers a control plan without having to jump through a lot of hoops or something that furthers a sweeper-heavy game plan. I would also be happy with a blink or hate-creature. No matter what, it can't be worse than Ruhan.
If you argue it like that Strip Mine and Crucible of Worlds would also be helpful additions..... Furthermore, you classified it as a walking wipe. Nothing wrong with admitting that it was a honest mistake.
Not tot say that your other suggestions weren't helpful, because they were. And you made a ton. Just saying that this is stretching it a bit.
I think this is more of a case of context. I read what Giodante said like this, with parentheses denoting separate items: If you want to be proactive against Iona, Shield of Emeria, you can try (Lethal Vapors), (Grave Pact effects), ("assassins" such as Dark Impostor/Avatar of Woe/Visara the Dreadful), (walking wipes such as Kagemaro, First to Suffer/Hythonia the Cruel), and (Helldozer).
Anime is a style, not really a genre, and frankly... You haven't seen much good anime. I can definitely recommend you some stuff that is not at all like any of that if you want to try to get into it. Things specifically comfortable for western audiences, things with great characters or plot - hell there's even a (semi-faithful) adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo with beautiful art.
I'll agree with you about new horror, I haven't really seen anything I like and The Thing is my favorite movie. I tend to try to stay away from it though.
I'm willing to give it a shot but I haven't liked the anime movies and series I tried to get into including Ninja Scroll, Ghost in the Shell, Vampire Hunter D, Soul Eater, Basilisk, Gundam Wing, Full Metal Alchemist, Samurai Champloo and Macross+. I didn't mind some of Darker Than Black and Kogepan, though, so it's possible I just have "bad" taste in anime *shrug* I'm not really sure how those are seen among the greater anime community. I see what you mean about style but there seems to me to be a lot more common tropes in anime than in western style animation. Maybe it's due to my lack of exposure, though.
The biggest one for me is anime. There's like 3 character personalities and they're all actively annoying. Tsundere seems like the only type of character "development" that the genre is capable of. On top of that there's so much inane dialogue and needless exposition. Most of the plots that I've seen are about FF7 level as well.
The other big one is straight slasher and made-you-jump horror. Also, anything with a shaky hand-held camera style. I love horror-comedies and thrillers but I just can't get into most straight horror. Gore does nothing to me at all and the art of building atmosphere seems to have been lost entirely. I'll take Rosemary's Baby or Silence of the Lambs over any of the new breed of horror schlock.
Sounds like a scrub-fest. MLD as a panic button is totally legit. Hell, if I have a mana rock and 2 lands in my hand I will definitely turn-4 Armageddon as a value play. I probably just 12-for-1ed (or more) the table. If they want me, come and get me. I know enough to pack a ton of answers and sweepers in my deck. Anyhow, my point is that if you limit yourself strategically, it's just poor play. It's not a matter of opinion, it's a matter of optimization. If you want to purposely limit yourself with rules not included in the game itself, it's just scrubdom. Also, I'm soooo glad that I don't play at your store.
The problem with your anecdote is that from a psychological and neurological standpoint, children under the age of 3 are incapable of learning from consequences. Their brains simply aren't developed enough to understand "why". That doesn't occur until ages 5-7, depending on child, but mostly in the 7-ish age range. I'm sure you have anecdotes that you think prove me wrong but I would contend that it's a kind of projecting or anthropomorphization like when people talk to dogs and think they can understand their actual words.
EDIT: Also, AP's son was 4 so you kind of help my case.
By this rationale, Goblins of the Flarg, Iron Claw Orcs and Dwarven Trader are all good cards. L. O. L.
Camael, Supreme Arbiter 3RWU
Legendary Creature - Angel
Flying
When Camael, Supreme Arbiter enters the battlefield each player chooses a number of lands he or she controls equal to the number of lands controlled by the player who controls the fewest, then returns the rest to their owner's hands. Players return creatures, enchantments and artifacts the same way. Then each player discards their hand and draws seven cards.
6/5
What I'm really hoping for is something that helps and furthers a control plan without having to jump through a lot of hoops or something that furthers a sweeper-heavy game plan. I would also be happy with a blink or hate-creature. No matter what, it can't be worse than Ruhan.
I think this is more of a case of context. I read what Giodante said like this, with parentheses denoting separate items: If you want to be proactive against Iona, Shield of Emeria, you can try (Lethal Vapors), (Grave Pact effects), ("assassins" such as Dark Impostor/Avatar of Woe/Visara the Dreadful), (walking wipes such as Kagemaro, First to Suffer/Hythonia the Cruel), and (Helldozer).
I'm willing to give it a shot but I haven't liked the anime movies and series I tried to get into including Ninja Scroll, Ghost in the Shell, Vampire Hunter D, Soul Eater, Basilisk, Gundam Wing, Full Metal Alchemist, Samurai Champloo and Macross+. I didn't mind some of Darker Than Black and Kogepan, though, so it's possible I just have "bad" taste in anime *shrug* I'm not really sure how those are seen among the greater anime community. I see what you mean about style but there seems to me to be a lot more common tropes in anime than in western style animation. Maybe it's due to my lack of exposure, though.
The other big one is straight slasher and made-you-jump horror. Also, anything with a shaky hand-held camera style. I love horror-comedies and thrillers but I just can't get into most straight horror. Gore does nothing to me at all and the art of building atmosphere seems to have been lost entirely. I'll take Rosemary's Baby or Silence of the Lambs over any of the new breed of horror schlock.