According to a trusted anonymous source, there'll be a slight fix to the "spider" (aka "web") ability in 9th edition. This goes along with all the other wording fixes WotC has been slowly leaking into the game. (Again, I ask, why don't they fix the "return" wording?)
The allows a non-flying creature to block a flying creature. Previously, "may block" implied a choice to block or not block, whereas the ability is intended to make blocking possible without regards to choice. The new wording uses "can block" and does not address the choice players might make. Errata will change all blocking related cards to match the reworded template.
There is a slight functional change with regards to creatures the must block or be blocked. Previously, the "may" wording implied that a player could optionally choose not to block though the possibility of blocking existed. The "can" wording retains the possibility and does not make the choice optional.
Therefore, if a player attacks with a Leonin Skyhunter enchanted by Lure, a Tree Monkey that "can block as though it had flying" is required to block the Skyhunter.
"Sufficiently advanced experience is indistinguishable from clairvoyance." -Carsten
"Ah those eyes, those horrible creepy eyes!" -Chaosof99
DCI Level 3 Judge & TO "I do not consider myself a hero. I know only what the Vec teach:
justice must always be served and corruption must always be opposed."
Go read! I am one of the three authors of Cranial Insertion.
But seriously, if you can't remember "Woapalanne", just call me Eli.
From a playerly point of view, I doubt many people will even notice. The Lured flyer issue has never come up in my play group, but if it did, we'd probably have played it the way the new wording implies anyway.
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Vive, vale. Siquid novisti rectius istis,
candidus inperti; si nil, his utere mecum.
Not bad, although I expect that most players won't even notice the difference.
This seems to be going along with their recent trend towards cleaning up the rules. First they fixed walls, and then enchantments. Now they are changing this. These are only minor changes that clean up edge cases and consitancy. I wonder how much of this is coming directly out of the level 5 discussions. I'll have to ask Sheldon the next time I see him.
There must be a subtlety I'm missing here in the change from may to can (I'm not a native English speaker, so please, bear with me)... Does the change mean that a webbed creature has to block a flier every time one attacks? (That's what I understand from the post, but it doesn't seem logical to me)
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"You know that a conjurer gets no credit once he has explained his trick; and if I show you too much of my method of working, you will come to the conclusion that I am a very ordinary individual after all." - Sherlock Holmes
This means that spiders are now forced to block as though they had flying?
So if a Dense Canopy is in play:
A Giant Spider can no longer block non-flying creatures (such as another Giant Spider). (a *judge* correct me if i'm wrong)
That seems mildly unintuitive (and non-flavorful, which is irrelevant to rules discussions). Not sure if that is an improvement over the strange Lure interaction with the old style spider. Then again, there are many more cards with the Lure ability than the Dense Canopy ability.
No, the spider can block as if it flew, but it doesnt actually have flying so dense canopy (looking for the keyword specifically) doesn't care.
The difference between "may" and "can" are very very small. "May" means it is allowed to, "can" means it is possible for it to.
The only problem is people thinking that it was a "may" ability (such as "you may draw a card") thus being an ability you could ignore which im sure was never the intention.
The only time this matters is with lure affects, nothing else. And it is simply a clarification, the rule works exactly the same way.
The only problem is people thinking that it was a "may" ability (such as "you may draw a card") thus being an ability you could ignore which im sure was never the intention.
The only time this matters is with lure affects, nothing else. And it is simply a clarification, the rule works exactly the same way.
...
It was a "may" ability. That's how it had been ruled by several NetReps for years.
Does this change the interaction between Spiders and cards like Elven Riders? I don't think it would, but perhaps someone else would have keener insight. I've always thought that the current ruling made no sense, anyhow.
"Sufficiently advanced experience is indistinguishable from clairvoyance." -Carsten
"Ah those eyes, those horrible creepy eyes!" -Chaosof99
DCI Level 3 Judge & TO "I do not consider myself a hero. I know only what the Vec teach:
justice must always be served and corruption must always be opposed."
Go read! I am one of the three authors of Cranial Insertion.
But seriously, if you can't remember "Woapalanne", just call me Eli.
I'd like to see them keyword "Bounce". That is, return a permanant to its owners hand. Boomerang would be "Bounce target permanent". Unsummon would be "Bounce target creature". Upheaval would be "Bounce all permanants." Etc. Just cleans things up a bit.
What's funny is taht the wording around 5th edition was more or less the same way it is now in 9th edition rules. Why they changed it from Giant Mantis's wording is beyond m,e but the Mantis's wording makes the most sense. Any "spider" ability from Mirage forward had something I call "Flying complacency."
Shivan Dragon: "Rarg! I'm flying in to **** up yo masta, biznitch!"
Giant Spider: "Enh *shrug*"
Shivan Dragon: "Come on you pansy, jump in front of me!"
Giant Spider: "Would you like a cup of tea instead?"
Shivan Dragon: "Oh you...GRARG! *slaps up the Spiders' masta*"
Ghetto Magic = leet
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'buster
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What's funny is taht the wording around 5th edition was more or less the same way it is now in 9th edition rules. Why they changed it from Giant Mantis's wording is beyond m,e but the Mantis's wording makes the most sense. Any "spider" ability from Mirage forward had something I call "Flying complacency."
Shivan Dragon: "Rarg! I'm flying in to **** up yo masta, biznitch!"
Giant Spider: "Enh *shrug*"
Shivan Dragon: "Come on you pansy, jump in front of me!"
Giant Spider: "Would you like a cup of tea instead?"
Shivan Dragon: "Oh you...GRARG! *slaps up the Spiders' masta*"
Ghetto Magic = leet
I think the reason they stopped using that wording is because it's a little unclear if you have a creature with Flying, and another ability that would not allow the "spider" to block it, like Fear. Of course, "can't" always wins out over "can", but I think they just wanted to avoid confusion.
put as many keywords on cards so they can be spammed up with useless reminder text and thus intimidate the new players. look at how regeneration got overly cluttered up. seems like a way to drive people away to me.
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The allows a non-flying creature to block a flying creature. Previously, "may block" implied a choice to block or not block, whereas the ability is intended to make blocking possible without regards to choice. The new wording uses "can block" and does not address the choice players might make. Errata will change all blocking related cards to match the reworded template.
There is a slight functional change with regards to creatures the must block or be blocked. Previously, the "may" wording implied that a player could optionally choose not to block though the possibility of blocking existed. The "can" wording retains the possibility and does not make the choice optional.
Therefore, if a player attacks with a Leonin Skyhunter enchanted by Lure, a Tree Monkey that "can block as though it had flying" is required to block the Skyhunter.
Giant Spider now has the card text:
Giant Spider can block as though it had flying.
.
"Sufficiently advanced experience is indistinguishable from clairvoyance." -Carsten
"Ah those eyes, those horrible creepy eyes!" -Chaosof99
DCI Level 3 Judge & TO
"I do not consider myself a hero. I know only what the Vec teach:
justice must always be served and corruption must always be opposed."
Go read! I am one of the three authors of Cranial Insertion.
But seriously, if you can't remember "Woapalanne", just call me Eli.
candidus inperti; si nil, his utere mecum.
I always had problems with the 'may' wording on that ability, and this just fixes that up.
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This seems to be going along with their recent trend towards cleaning up the rules. First they fixed walls, and then enchantments. Now they are changing this. These are only minor changes that clean up edge cases and consitancy. I wonder how much of this is coming directly out of the level 5 discussions. I'll have to ask Sheldon the next time I see him.
athelred
Level 1 Judge
This wasn't the change I was hoping for, although it does clean up the "english" on it.
Perhaps in 10th they'll actually keyword it...
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Yah, when I saw the topic title I thought this was talking about a keyword for the ability.
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So if a Dense Canopy is in play:
A Giant Spider can no longer block non-flying creatures (such as another Giant Spider). (a *judge* correct me if i'm wrong)
That seems mildly unintuitive (and non-flavorful, which is irrelevant to rules discussions). Not sure if that is an improvement over the strange Lure interaction with the old style spider. Then again, there are many more cards with the Lure ability than the Dense Canopy ability.
No, the spider can block as if it flew, but it doesnt actually have flying so dense canopy (looking for the keyword specifically) doesn't care.
The difference between "may" and "can" are very very small. "May" means it is allowed to, "can" means it is possible for it to.
The only problem is people thinking that it was a "may" ability (such as "you may draw a card") thus being an ability you could ignore which im sure was never the intention.
The only time this matters is with lure affects, nothing else. And it is simply a clarification, the rule works exactly the same way.
Whatever, not that it changes much, but is probably better that way.
...
It was a "may" ability. That's how it had been ruled by several NetReps for years.
Also, as much as we don't really need a keyword, it's helpful. Anything that clears up card space is ok in my book.
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If it's "~ can block as though it had flying", as the rumour says it'll be, then yes, it can block the elves.
"Sufficiently advanced experience is indistinguishable from clairvoyance." -Carsten
"Ah those eyes, those horrible creepy eyes!" -Chaosof99
DCI Level 3 Judge & TO
"I do not consider myself a hero. I know only what the Vec teach:
justice must always be served and corruption must always be opposed."
Go read! I am one of the three authors of Cranial Insertion.
But seriously, if you can't remember "Woapalanne", just call me Eli.
...In other words, we've gone back to the sixth edition wording?
*Does not find this all that new or exciting.*
Shivan Dragon: "Rarg! I'm flying in to **** up yo masta, biznitch!"
Giant Spider: "Enh *shrug*"
Shivan Dragon: "Come on you pansy, jump in front of me!"
Giant Spider: "Would you like a cup of tea instead?"
Shivan Dragon: "Oh you...GRARG! *slaps up the Spiders' masta*"
Ghetto Magic = leet
HR Analyst. Gamer. Activist | Fearless, and forthright | Aggro-control is a mindset.
Elspeth and Jhoira rock my world.
I think the reason they stopped using that wording is because it's a little unclear if you have a creature with Flying, and another ability that would not allow the "spider" to block it, like Fear. Of course, "can't" always wins out over "can", but I think they just wanted to avoid confusion.
so they thought they were prgressing, but the wording was so confusing, they were regressing. haha
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