I think they should just have continued with the spoilers normally: this just seems... really weird. I guess Preview Weeks won't really exist this time around...
This set's amazing! I just feel that the colour pie got a little messed up: look at enslave, inquisitor exarch, beast within etc. But holy crap, there are so many busted cards! Common instant speed verdict etc. Def buying a box.
I absolutely agree that we're experiencing a very strong power creep. Cards from older sets are terrible compared to ones nowadays. The exceptions are basically anomolies: cards like time walk, moxen, necropotence etc., these cards are basically just screw-ups by the people who designed these sets because they didn't realise how powerful these cards were. If you compared the average common from an old set to the average common from today's set you'll observe that today's sets are far and away more powerful. When determining a set's overall power level you shouldn't look at a couple of chase rares, you should look at the bread and butter of the set.
Well, from one point of view this is a total dick move: I'm sure everyone here uses either MWS or Apprentice. In one way its very healthy for the game because it provides an inexpensive way for people to test their deck ideas and play with others. Of course, MTGO does exist and though it is more expensive it is actually sanctioned by WotC. I dunno, it was bound to happen. I kind of sympathize, a little, with WotC.
I think what they were trying to do here was to make a third set actually playable and worth buying: you know Saviours et al are generally pretty bad and the packs and boxes are never worth buying. Alara reborn seems to be much better than the other two sets in its block and will probably sell better: they were saving the best for last. But yeah, the power creep has definitely been visible in the last couple of years or so, at least in my opinion. Really, ever since Ravnica, I think things have gotten kind of crazy. They need to slow it down a little for the next two years and then slowly bring it up again.
By introducing Super Deluxe Rares, they've essentially hurt the player who likes playing tier 1 constructed but has only enough money to make the cheapest of the tier 1 decks like me. Soon, constructed will be out of my reach because I'll have to get a playset of probably at least one of these rares. Limited could get weird too, because if Mythic Rares are that good it could really skew a draft or sealed deck. This was a big mistake. Replacing a land is bs too. But the intro pack seems like a good idea. The shortening of the set size, I don't know, I thought just a while ago everyone was happy about diversity in standard etc. and its more cards that allow this.
I think that as long as Damnation is in T2, white's popularity will suffer. Aside from that, I think it's all just the flow of the game. Colors surpass each other constantly, only to be overtaken again. White will have its time again...
Absolutely true with the exception of blue. Colours are constantly getting better and worse. It's the ebb and flow of Magic. It's what makes the game interesting sometimes. Sure, white's suffering right now. But things will turn around for it in the future most likely. Even if white is your favourite colour, you just have to suck it up like green players used to. But guys, you got to stop complaining. It's pretty irritating.
4 Silvergill Adept
4 Lord of Atlantis
3 SurgeSpanner
4 Merfolk Reejerey
3 Merfolk Harbinger
3 Drowner of Secrets
2 Fallowsage
2 Skygg River Guide
2 Merfolk Commerce
3 Ponder
2 Mana Tithe
2 Summon the School
2 Cryptic Command
16 Island
4 Wanderwine Hub
4 Plains
How about something like this. I'm also thinking about Crib Swap instead of oblivion ring because it triggers reejery and it can be searched for with the harbinger.
Well I agree with most of the article, there are a lot of problems with Magic;s colour pie. A lot of abilities that people have always associated with certain colours have no place there. But changing them can't happen in one or two sets - that would completely uproot the game. So it has to happen very, very gradually and that's what we're seeing right now. WotC is fixing the problem but very subtly.
I was always a big elf player when I first started during Legions. (bad time to start i know) My friend had a goblin deck and we were always playing. I won about 40% of the time and he won 60%. Goblins were much better in Onslaught. I don't know about now though. Elves did get quite a lot of stuff. I think people are overlooking Masked Admirers. This card is very good in my opinion. It's 4 for a 3 power creature that replaces itself and that constantly comes back and draws you more cards.
Absolutely true with the exception of blue. Colours are constantly getting better and worse. It's the ebb and flow of Magic. It's what makes the game interesting sometimes. Sure, white's suffering right now. But things will turn around for it in the future most likely. Even if white is your favourite colour, you just have to suck it up like green players used to. But guys, you got to stop complaining. It's pretty irritating.
4 Lord of Atlantis
3 SurgeSpanner
4 Merfolk Reejerey
3 Merfolk Harbinger
3 Drowner of Secrets
2 Fallowsage
2 Skygg River Guide
2 Merfolk Commerce
3 Ponder
2 Mana Tithe
2 Summon the School
2 Cryptic Command
16 Island
4 Wanderwine Hub
4 Plains
How about something like this. I'm also thinking about Crib Swap instead of oblivion ring because it triggers reejery and it can be searched for with the harbinger.