This answer (in addition to just being pompous) highlights two horrendous issues, one of which is more personal to me, and one of which is very, very egalitarian in its reach.
The first is the idea that we have to not just introduce "diversity" into the game to match the representation of players, but to artificially over-inflate to correct "years of inadequacy" or whatever phrase you want to use. THIS is what I meant by escapism. People do not want to play Magic to be told, constantly, how "woke" we have to be, or how we have to "check our privilege" or how "disadvantaged" other people allegedly are and how we must devote ourselves to making them feel welcome. We get enough of this nonsense in other forms of media. I play Magic for myself, not for charity. The artificial and seemingly subliminal messaging (like how Lyra is randomly black/latino when I cannot honestly recall one original Serran not being white as a cloth) is bad enough, but being told that this is a crucial thing we MUST do to make the world a better place does not make me agree with Mark Rosewater; it just makes me not spend money on his game.
The money aspect is the second issue this brings up: the ludicrous and myopic blindness that he has to the price of his game. He suggests that it is unfair that one kid (with successful parents) can buy cards the other cannot. Putting aside the unlikely suggestion that a Magic EBT card is in our future (so poor kids can play Type 1), Mark seems to be oblivious to the fact that the game is artificially price-inflated. He just printed Imperial Recruiter as a mythic rare solely because of "scarcity" and the average mana base in Modern costs as much as a used car. Mythic rare cards marked the end of my interest in competitive play, and for good reason.
End of diatribe.
TLDR Version: We do not want to be lectured on egalitarian forced inclusivity while being artificially price-gouged by your product. Make the game accessible. Ironically, minorities are probably kept out of Magic by the price, and not by their not being enough transexual goblins in the artwork. I easily have the disposable income to spend $2,000 and upwards a year on Magic, but do not for the same reason I do not read Salon or MSNBC.
Ah, thinly-veiled racism and bigotry on a Magic forum - just what this site was lacking. Why not head over to Breitbart so you can keep making America great? Seriously, anything of value you may have to contribute to this (or any) discussion is completely invalidated by your hate speech.
I find the Magic Community to be one of the most annoying aspects of the game, on MTGO and paper. Maybe I'm in the minority, but with the amount of mill, burn, and discard, along with the militant and socially-inept people this game attracts, it usually makes for an unpleasant and annoying experience to play. This is nothing new, however, and MTGO is a toxic environment regardless.
The complaints about pricing and card selection is a funny one - the consumer base for this game is one of the most hypocritical I've come across - they whine and complain about products, but still go on out and buy them. They continue playing, and continue whining.
Standard is one of the quickest ways to throw money away in this game - with the watered-down power level and quick rotations, I don't see why anyone would make the effort to play it competitively. Most new sets released in the last three years are worthless.
I haven't had much success with this deck on MTGO - it seems unable to ramp or draw cards, and often I'm sitting with a hand that has three expensive spells that don't do anything for the next seven turns. With the low number of lands, the deck seems to take ages to do anything at all while the opponent plays a (usually)faster and more focused strategy.
I've been playing a budget version (no LOTV) and the deck is quite solid. I disagree with Garruk Wildspeaker being cut - he singlehandedly can win you the game after a Death Cloud. Untapping lands with attached Utopia Sprawls is such a big game with a Deathcloud or Grave Titan on deck.
Though I do enjoy these sets for the reprints (but not the high cost), I will say that this one missed the boat on a few points. There were rumors that JTMS was going to be reprinted as a rare this time around, which I was quite impressed with, as this would have solved both the availability and high price problem with the card. Sadly, this was not to be. Another gripe I have is the choice not to include Liliana of the Veil, a card desperately in need of another reprint, and honestly, a card I feel should have been included, both to increase the set's value and to increase availability for the player base.
On another note, does this set REALLY feel like a "celebration" of Magic to anyone? I fail to see how. I wholeheartedly agree with previous posters saying that a complete removal of the restricted list would do wonders for the game. This set feels like it should have had iconic cards from the most powerful sets and famous tournament decks throughout the game's history, far more than have been included. Instead, we have something that feels watered down and like "just another reprint set".
After trying out a more budget version of this deck, I can honestly say that unless you have the Voices/Nobles/fetches, this thing is an inconsistent nightmare to pilot. I have 2 Thalia, Heretic Cathar in my deck, and I can honestly say that I've been impressed. She really slows down your opponent, from making blocking worse, slowing down their non-basics, and providing a nice defensive body. Highly recommended.
Then WotC could make somewhat functional reprints and ban the originals. Levels the playing field and preserves the format.
This is actually an interesting idea, and one that would help immensely with the cost of the RL cards. Making them illegal in tournament play would cause their prices to crash, meaning far less demand for tournament players. I also like the idea of a functional reprint (one that doesn't infringe on WotC's ill-conceived "promise"). Probably all academic, but there are certainly things WotC could do to help Legacy.
I agree, and I ended up picking up two Khans boxes for a decent price over the weekend. I'll probably buy one of each of SoI and BfZ just for the flavor alone.
Hey all, looking to buy a few booster boxes to stash in my closet for a few years, and I'm looking to get opinions on what sets look likely to appreciate over time. I have narrowed down the list to:
Return to Ravnica (shocklands, but I have two boxes put away already)
Khans of Tarkir (fetchlands)
Battle for Zendikar (Expeditions)
Oath of the Gatewatch (Expeditions)
Shadows over Innistrad (flavor)
Kaladesh (Masterpieces)
This set...looks like a stinker. Really disappointed in the lack of playables and the amount of filler-type cards. Without the expedition gimmick, not sure how well this set sells.
Considering the amount of Origins being opened, and the fact that Languish is being played in Standard right now, just what could the floor on this card be? Is $5 realistic? I don't know that it has a future in Modern, where Damnation is just better, but who knows?
ZEN fetchland prices are unreal right now = between 70-90 each. This isn't just absurd, it's pathetic that there are people out there willing to pay that price.
I suspect at some point some people are going to want back the 1000's the spent buying up Blood Moons, and the price will begin to drop.
Yes, something is definitely fishy with the prices and availability of some of these cards - even the fact that Remand is still 8-10 on most sites is strange to me. The market was just flooded with tens of thousands of boxes in three different countries of these cards, and prices have only dropped a bit.
It's nice to see articles like this, especially in a game where a bigger wallet = access to better cards. It's the main reason why I've decided to avoid getting back into playing after a four year hiatus.
Interesting article. I don't think many players would deny that variance is also one of the most frustrating things about playing Magic, especially where getting mana-flooded/mana-screwed is involved.
Ah, thinly-veiled racism and bigotry on a Magic forum - just what this site was lacking. Why not head over to Breitbart so you can keep making America great? Seriously, anything of value you may have to contribute to this (or any) discussion is completely invalidated by your hate speech.
The complaints about pricing and card selection is a funny one - the consumer base for this game is one of the most hypocritical I've come across - they whine and complain about products, but still go on out and buy them. They continue playing, and continue whining.
Standard is one of the quickest ways to throw money away in this game - with the watered-down power level and quick rotations, I don't see why anyone would make the effort to play it competitively. Most new sets released in the last three years are worthless.
On another note, does this set REALLY feel like a "celebration" of Magic to anyone? I fail to see how. I wholeheartedly agree with previous posters saying that a complete removal of the restricted list would do wonders for the game. This set feels like it should have had iconic cards from the most powerful sets and famous tournament decks throughout the game's history, far more than have been included. Instead, we have something that feels watered down and like "just another reprint set".
This is actually an interesting idea, and one that would help immensely with the cost of the RL cards. Making them illegal in tournament play would cause their prices to crash, meaning far less demand for tournament players. I also like the idea of a functional reprint (one that doesn't infringe on WotC's ill-conceived "promise"). Probably all academic, but there are certainly things WotC could do to help Legacy.
Return to Ravnica (shocklands, but I have two boxes put away already)
Khans of Tarkir (fetchlands)
Battle for Zendikar (Expeditions)
Oath of the Gatewatch (Expeditions)
Shadows over Innistrad (flavor)
Kaladesh (Masterpieces)
Any advice would be helpful.
Really dig this card, definitely gonna snag a set when they release.
Yes, something is definitely fishy with the prices and availability of some of these cards - even the fact that Remand is still 8-10 on most sites is strange to me. The market was just flooded with tens of thousands of boxes in three different countries of these cards, and prices have only dropped a bit.