I can think of less than 3 blocks in the history of the game that were better than Shards. 2 if being an overpowered degenerate mess is included in the decision making.
You know how sometimes people say something that's really outrageous and then they put it in their sig? That's kind of what I feel like doing.
I've only been playing since Mirrodin and I can name more blocks that were better than Shards. IN FACT, with the obvious exception of Kamigawa, every single block I have ever played with is better than Shards.
And unless Worldwake and Prosper are utter failures, I can almost guarantee ZEN will be better than Shards too.
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Although always playing a deck I think is fun, I'm also always trying to win the tournament.
Currently playing: M13 Draft GGGGG Dungrove................(STANDARD) GWGWG Maverick..................(LEGACY)
Jon Finkel on the PWP System:
Quote from Jon Finkel »
Occasional Player? Hold on, because we're sending a Level 3 judge over to your house to kick you in the balls right now! -With Love, WOTC
jump the shark much? i cant see buying one of these and im kinda disapointed with some of the recent decisions lately from wotc, it just seems like a 3 year old took over the company and started to do random stuff while watching sponge bob
For 10 dollars I can get 4 M10 packs. As with everyone else I'm thinking that I'll probably only buy 1 or 2 just for the hell of it. But I'm not going to be spending anymore than that. Playing Magic is already expensive enough.
However, I hate how most people react to things like this. When anything like this is announced most of the time all we hear is people complaining about Wizards. "Wizards are ********!" or something else along those lines. Point in case: the post right above mine.
A few pointers:
1. Wizards is a business, it wants, no needs, to make a profit.
2. Despite all their obvious cashgrabs they still put a lot of effort into making us HAPPY, I'm with Patrick Chapin when he says Wizards are doing a better job now than ever before.
3. Even though this product is overpriced, it still caters to a niche market, and after a while these packs should come down in price.
4. Are you truly telling me you wouldn't buy a Zendikar block all foil booster? I know this hasn't been announced, but now the possibility DOES exist.
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe when Wizard's uses the term "Premium Foil", they are referring to the foiling process they have thus far used for the From the Vault series, see link:
This leads me to believe that these packs will in fact not contain regular foils, but premium foils as we have previously seen in From the Vault sets. If this IS in fact true, I for one am personally interested in getting a few packs of these.
I doubt it. They've never really used the term "premium" to describe a whole product, and it's a term a lot of people don't know, so calling these "premium foils" just ends the possibility of any confusion.
Sorry, I don't understand your reasoning here:/
The way I see it, the wording they used stays consistent with previous products (FTV, Premium Decks: Slivers) and also, the way the foil Slave of Bolas looks in the promotional picture also seems to support my theory:/
I don't think that this is really a big deal. It doesn't affect the actual Magic secondary market much, because foils aren't in any kind of particularly high demand. Will foils in regular packs be worth less? Yeah. But that's not really relevant, because they're just freebies anyway.
This isn't really any different from the FtV things. They're all obvious cash grabs and gimmicks, and that thought is just unsettling in it's nature, but in reality they don't hurt anybody.
My friend is almost done with her foil Alara block so this will definitely help. And I'm a sucker for the shinies. Hopefully this will also mean no more $80 foil fetches in the future.
ugh. people keep saying that "these are probably for edh" but these and the all foil decks just piss me off. Foils aren't really special if you can just buy a pack that ONLY has them. Besides, foiling out an EDH (any deck really) should take some effort. Its not worth anything if you didn't have to work at it.
and i really hope they DON'T do this for any other set, EVER. Foil fetches should STAY at 80$ where they belong.
wow do foils cost wizards x3 more to print? odds are there is only one foil that's worth $2 or more from one pack. I don't think these will sell for this the alara block.
There's running a business and there's running a business. Wizards could do what diamond cartels do and hoard product, only releasing a little and causing the prices to skyrocke for a piece of cardboard/condensed charcoal (depending on the metaphor used). They have a monopoly on Magic cards, it's not like I could buy Magic cards made by, I dunno, Disney or something. Of course they have the right to try and make a profit, and some people will like this endeavour, but it's creating a lot of ill will in the community, as evidenced on this thread.
Now MaRo or whoever will give his usual "no matter what we do, there's a portion of our fanbase that isn't happy". I'm not sure if they can differentiate between 5% and 45%, though.
This just reeks of bad business though. Wizards is coming off as a pushy door-to-door salesman. You don't want anymore Zendikar? Well can I offer you some additional Core set? How about a Planeswalker duel deck for the kids? Or a Divine Vs Demonic for grandma? Say, wouldn't you like to get some planechase location hopping? No? Well what if I could offer you exactly what you already had, but shinier! Would you be interested then!?!?
Disclaimer: I actually liked Planechase, the rest of the promos I skipped over, as I will with this ridonculous experiment. What's that expression about **** on a wall and see what sticks?
They should have done this with m10. Alara Block was...turbulent...when it came to player reception. Some hated it, some liked it. m10 seemed pretty universally well received, and a chance at foil lightning bolts or your "vanilla" planeswalkers would be more enticing than a court homunculus and an Immortal Coil...
Stories are told of boosters with all rares, or all foil premium cards. But those stories are strictly rumors. Legends. Tales told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Until now.
Take one last trip to Alara and collect all 539 foil premium cards, in this handsome foil booster. Each of these boosters contains fifteen foil, black-bordered cards from Shards of Alara, Conflux, and Alara Reborn.
These boosters will be available for a limited time, starting on January 8, 2010. And they're only $11.99!
I like the part about tales told by an idiot when I busted an all foil pack with proper rarity in prophecy and my friends all saw me do it. So they actually are trying to tell people those packs never existed until now which is completely false.
I'm not a huge fan of foils due to the warping and how the post-8th process tends to obscure the art, so most of the appeal left for me is from their rarity. I feel like spamming them everywhere (hello, foil Sliver deck) is going to diminish that a bit. Whatever, if some people like it, buy it, and Wizards makes a profit, we all benefit in the end.
I have despised foils ever since Lightning Dragon. Even for foil lovers this product doesn't make sense. The value multiple for foil cards is almost always less than 3x. So why pay 3x more for an all foil booster?
Wait, I know. In regular packs they randomly insert foils. In foil packs they will randomly insert DOUBLE FOILS. Double foils are like foils on steroids. Available only in these packs.
To my mind this will make foils less special, which is bad.
Good thing is that there are soooooo many cards in "block" - 500+
Another good thing is that they are not $6.99 per pack ... so not any1 is going to buy them.
All in all, not a product for me, and generally a bad idea of devaluation of foil cards :/
You know, the other day I came up with an idea for a new product: one that guaranteed any Mythic Rare in the set... to compensate it'd have fewer cards, like 6, and all the rest would be commons, and the price would go for like $12 (it'd be bad, I know, but no one can say it'd be too broken)... and then they came up with this. Apparently I suck at predicting things, but I'm AWESOME at knowing when something similar to what I just thought about will happen. Happens all the time.
I think I like this all-foil idea better. I think I'll buy one in my whole life (one for each block, I mean...:uhh:, at least until I have enough money to buy singles), mostly just for the heck of it!
Hmm, I kinda like the idea. Niche product for niche market.
I play highlander style games with my friends (but with rainbow colours and about 300+ cards), and I have strived to foil out my deck+500 card sideboard. Only missing Goblin welder, Rishadan port and Misdirection.
So, one would think this product would be good for me. However, for one boosters price, I can find 2-3 foil rares as singles. I can get most of the mythics as foil with the price of 1-3 boosters.
I don't need uncommons, except some few specific ones, and I definitely don't need commons. Thus, getting the foils separately from single sellers is still better than buying this.
However, if these really are FTV-style "premium" foils, then I will be waiting them to hit the single seller lists so I can buy the ones I have in my deck at the moment :). I do hope these are normal foils though, so I would not need to bother.
Drafting one game per "Block-foil" release could be fun though. Some chance for trade material, and drafting would be interesting as each booster could have cards from whole block.
They're experimenting, which is good. Magic is their cash cow, and they're finally starting to actually invest in it instead of creating mediocre licensed CCG after CCG.
Gut tells me that these packs are overpriced by at least $3 from where they should be, though.
You know how sometimes people say something that's really outrageous and then they put it in their sig? That's kind of what I feel like doing.
I've only been playing since Mirrodin and I can name more blocks that were better than Shards. IN FACT, with the obvious exception of Kamigawa, every single block I have ever played with is better than Shards.
And unless Worldwake and Prosper are utter failures, I can almost guarantee ZEN will be better than Shards too.
Currently playing:
M13 Draft
GGGGG Dungrove................(STANDARD)
GWGWG Maverick..................(LEGACY)
Jon Finkel on the PWP System:
However, I hate how most people react to things like this. When anything like this is announced most of the time all we hear is people complaining about Wizards. "Wizards are ********!" or something else along those lines. Point in case: the post right above mine.
A few pointers:
1. Wizards is a business, it wants, no needs, to make a profit.
2. Despite all their obvious cashgrabs they still put a lot of effort into making us HAPPY, I'm with Patrick Chapin when he says Wizards are doing a better job now than ever before.
3. Even though this product is overpriced, it still caters to a niche market, and after a while these packs should come down in price.
4. Are you truly telling me you wouldn't buy a Zendikar block all foil booster? I know this hasn't been announced, but now the possibility DOES exist.
Sorry, I don't understand your reasoning here:/
The way I see it, the wording they used stays consistent with previous products (FTV, Premium Decks: Slivers) and also, the way the foil Slave of Bolas looks in the promotional picture also seems to support my theory:/
Thanks to Spiderboy4 at High~Light Studios for the AMAZING signature.
This isn't really any different from the FtV things. They're all obvious cash grabs and gimmicks, and that thought is just unsettling in it's nature, but in reality they don't hurt anybody.
My friend is almost done with her foil Alara block so this will definitely help. And I'm a sucker for the shinies. Hopefully this will also mean no more $80 foil fetches in the future.
and i really hope they DON'T do this for any other set, EVER. Foil fetches should STAY at 80$ where they belong.
Lyzolda, the Blood Witch | Maga, Traitor to Mortals | Mayael the Anima | Rafiq of the Many | Rhys the Redeemed
Sasaya, Oorochi Ascendant | Sygg, River Cutthroat | Thada Adel, Acquisitor | Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre
There's running a business and there's running a business. Wizards could do what diamond cartels do and hoard product, only releasing a little and causing the prices to skyrocke for a piece of cardboard/condensed charcoal (depending on the metaphor used). They have a monopoly on Magic cards, it's not like I could buy Magic cards made by, I dunno, Disney or something. Of course they have the right to try and make a profit, and some people will like this endeavour, but it's creating a lot of ill will in the community, as evidenced on this thread.
Now MaRo or whoever will give his usual "no matter what we do, there's a portion of our fanbase that isn't happy". I'm not sure if they can differentiate between 5% and 45%, though.
This just reeks of bad business though. Wizards is coming off as a pushy door-to-door salesman. You don't want anymore Zendikar? Well can I offer you some additional Core set? How about a Planeswalker duel deck for the kids? Or a Divine Vs Demonic for grandma? Say, wouldn't you like to get some planechase location hopping? No? Well what if I could offer you exactly what you already had, but shinier! Would you be interested then!?!?
Disclaimer: I actually liked Planechase, the rest of the promos I skipped over, as I will with this ridonculous experiment. What's that expression about **** on a wall and see what sticks?
Sig and avi by Darth Monkey and SGT Chubbz of Damnation Studios!
Feeling generous? Help my little bro pay for college!
I like the part about tales told by an idiot when I busted an all foil pack with proper rarity in prophecy and my friends all saw me do it. So they actually are trying to tell people those packs never existed until now which is completely false.
Feel free to bid on my cards here!
Wait, I know. In regular packs they randomly insert foils. In foil packs they will randomly insert DOUBLE FOILS. Double foils are like foils on steroids. Available only in these packs.
they were usually all from apocalypse :S
well, with this they're halfway there. almost living the dream...
Good thing is that there are soooooo many cards in "block" - 500+
Another good thing is that they are not $6.99 per pack ... so not any1 is going to buy them.
All in all, not a product for me, and generally a bad idea of devaluation of foil cards :/
It usually just means I have about 15 minutes to get a sleeve before it warps, which isn't always easy.
I think I like this all-foil idea better. I think I'll buy one in my whole life (one for each block, I mean...:uhh:, at least until I have enough money to buy singles), mostly just for the heck of it!
I like 4/4s for 7.
"Put aside all the foils".
"Dammit, another common"
Yes, Grubs of the Coast are at it again. Or is it Ha$bro?
I play highlander style games with my friends (but with rainbow colours and about 300+ cards), and I have strived to foil out my deck+500 card sideboard. Only missing Goblin welder, Rishadan port and Misdirection.
So, one would think this product would be good for me. However, for one boosters price, I can find 2-3 foil rares as singles. I can get most of the mythics as foil with the price of 1-3 boosters.
I don't need uncommons, except some few specific ones, and I definitely don't need commons. Thus, getting the foils separately from single sellers is still better than buying this.
However, if these really are FTV-style "premium" foils, then I will be waiting them to hit the single seller lists so I can buy the ones I have in my deck at the moment :). I do hope these are normal foils though, so I would not need to bother.
Drafting one game per "Block-foil" release could be fun though. Some chance for trade material, and drafting would be interesting as each booster could have cards from whole block.
/sarcasm
I guess you can get these cheaper online from ebay and the like.
BUWGRChilds PlayGRWUB
BUWGR Highlander GRWUB
UBSquee's Shapeshifting PetBU
BW Multiplayer Control WB
RG Changeling GR
UR Mana FlareRU
UMerfolkU
B MBMC B
While there are several cards I'd love to have foil, I'd rather just trade and/or buy them.
Gut tells me that these packs are overpriced by at least $3 from where they should be, though.
Current post- Grand Prix KC Modern Postmortem (7/7/13)