Set Size
We have received a tremendous amount of feedback from fans that the volume of cards released each year is too high. After evaluating the set sizes, we have decided that card sets will be smaller than they have traditionally been. For example, the set size for the Shards of Alara block is as follows:
Shards of Alara: 249
"Paper" (codename): 145
"Scissors" (codename): 145
The set size of the core set to be released in July 2009 is still to be determined. Rarity
In conjunction with the reduction of set sizes, Wizards will also be introducing a new level of rarity called mythic rare. The mythic rare cards will appear in approximately 1 out of every 8 booster packs instead of a rare. Here is the rarity breakdown for Shards of Alara:
Mythic rare – 15
Rare – 53
Uncommon – 60
Common – 101
Basic land – 20
For "Paper" and "Scissors," the rarity breakdown is as follows:
Mythic rare – 10
Rare – 35
Uncomon – 40
Common – 60
There are more planeswalkers coming also its just about all but confirmed in the article.
so do the mythic rares = Planeswalkers
MOD POWER NOTE: Read the article carefully and understand the posts about how the new rarities work before responding. A mythic rare will be as rare as a Tenth Edition rare or Time Spiral timeshifted card, a "regular" rare more common than a regular rare now. Complaints about mythic rares that do not express understanding of how the new rarity scheme works are likely to be deleted. -charlequin
So then it's going the way of other tcg's and making ultra rares? That... blows.
Here's hoping it's just an experiment. Here's hoping it's more balanced than it seems, cards and distribution. Here's hoping this isn't total BS, as far as it being a good thing.
And here's hoping my hopes are good, because I have the sinking suspicsion that they aren't.
Wow, this is quite the change, from the smaller set sizes to the new rarity. I have to agree with the excessive number of cards that are being released a year; it is becoming overwhelming.
Also, I am wary of the new rarity; however, I believe that Wizards will able to execute the new rarity with an elegance that would prevent this card game being degraded to something to the like of Yugioh.
PS. Though I am fearful of the prices of the new rarity >.<
This is the first idea I just can't agree with. Imagine tarmogoyf as a mythic rare, have fun with that one guys. Only 150$ per goyf? Sign me up. Funny after all the people saying "Wizards is trying to make competitive easier to get into for poor folk." How is this helping? This is just making it harder to get into competitive magic.
1) Mythic Rares are only 2x as rare as regulars. Which still sucks, but not as badly as you would otherwise think.
2) They are reserved for "epic" and "legendary" cards, meaning half of them will be timmy fodder, while basic utility such as Mutavault remains regular rare.
That said, paying 2x for Garruks and Commands will bite.
NINE MORE planeswalkers
That's insane.
If it's a full cycle, they will hit all 5 ally colors. But they already stated they don't have to do walkers in full color cycles all the time.
The smaller set sizes offset the fact that the Mythics are more difficult to find. The end resuilt is intended to be that "Chase" rares stay higher in value while "Staples" like Duals stay lower. With the rare size reduction, no individual Mythic rare is any harder to find than a 10th edition rare.
The math works. And it's an expiriment. If there's tremendous backlash, they'll do something else the next year.
Less cards - less fun for casual players. (less work for them)
Mythic rare - an artificial way to make cards more expensive.
- and a way for us to buy more packs.
Replacing a card with a basic land - Effectively less cards per pack.
Grisxis Undead is one of the "Intro Packs".. thats new info I guess.
EDIT:
On second thought: Mythic rares, I didnt notice at first how drastically rares have diminished in number.
Say we have 120 packs:
15 (1 out of 8) will have Mythic rares.. that means with 15 MRs, you will get 1 of a specific MR for every 120 packs.
105 (7 out of 8) will be Rares... that means with 53 rares, you will get 2 of a specific rare for every 120 packs. (or 1 in 60)
Mystic rares are just a little harder to find (just twice, not 8 times harder)
Compare this to Lorwyn, you will get a rare one in 80 packs.
I'm getting the point now. Basically some rares got got rarer and some (as they say, staple rares) got less rare.
I guess its ok. Really some rares like Duals, Char, are too staple to be rare. Hopefully this experiment works.
For Uncommons
No change in uncommon pilicy except they became less. So easier chances of opening a specific uncommon (chances increase by 33%, not bad)
For Commons
Also decreased in number (now 101) so you will get approx 1 of a specific common for every 10 packs.
In lorwyn, its a bit less: its one in every 11 packs.
So in summary:
Lorwyn Alara
C one in 11 one in 10
U one in 26 one in 20
R one in 80 one in 60
MR one in 120
Overall, the reduction of cards in the set proved to be a benefit for all.
Have a rarity level higher than one per pack is the thing I hate most about EVERY OTHER TCG OUT THERE. It's ridiculous. Math-wise, you will now have "Mythic rares" at 1/120 packs, and regular rares at 1/60.5 packs. This can serve to do nothing more than sell more packs, and although the mythic rares are really only twice as rare as the regular ones, the perception will drive their price beyond all logic and sense. If any of them become tournament staples, even Tarmogoyf will be chump change by comparison.
Well, we all have fun when we draft 4+ copies of a favorite common. I like the smaller set size idea. Keeping dual lands and stuff at normal rare levels is also good.
This now leads us to the next question: How are cards split between rare and mythic rare? Or more to the point, what kind of cards are going to become mythic rares? We want the flavor of mythic rare to be something that feels very special and unique. Generally speaking we expect that to mean cards like Planeswalkers, most legends, and epic-feeling creatures and spells. They will not just be a list of each set's most powerful tournament-level cards.
We've also decided that there are certain things we specifically do not want to be mythic rares. The largest category is utility cards, what I'll define as cards that fill a universal function. Some examples of this category would be cycles of dual lands and cards like Mutavault or Char. That also addresses a long-standing issue that some players have had with certain rares like dual lands. Because we're making fewer cards per set, in the new world individual rares will be easier to acquire because each rare in a large set now appears 25% more often.
This is his opinion on Mythic Rares, from his article today. I still have issues seeing this as anything other than a money-grab attempt by Wizards, however.
Seeing that Planeswalkers are already outside my price point I find the mythic rare makes me sad. I was hoping that with all the talk of bringing in new players they would have the mythic rare be the realy wordy confusing cards and make the rares the limited bombs whilst making them a little more common. Sadly, as a Flavor-Nut player who likes to use the splashy cards, I won't be able to afford them anymore. Well, maybe its time for another hiatus from new sets, we'll have to see what they pull out of their hat, though.
Edit - I agree, Velict, about it comming off as just a cheap way to get money. (Yes, I know that Wizards is a business and that the whole point of capitalism is to get money, but this just seems cheap.) I can't buy into the whole idea that just because everyone is doing it, that wizards should, too. Maybe we'll see all the other card games stop designing new cards so Wizards will, too, because everyone else is doing it. Core Sets ftw! (Yes, I realize that that is an extreme example, I am just using hyperbole to make a point.)
I would like to point out that I am not the kind of player who gripes and prophesizes the end of days whenever something is changed in Magic. I have been playing magic since 1995 and have never seen a problem with anything they have done, not Masques, not the new card face, not the rules overhaul, nothing, but for some reason the Mythic Rare and the realy forced reasoning just rub me the wrong way.
If there's tremendous backlash, they'll do something else the next year.
The way it sounded to me that this was not, in fact, an experiment like the Future Sight borders. The way they were talking about conforming to the other TCGs makes it sounds like they want to make this permanent.
Besides gee people its not the end of the world if they add a new rarity symbol :roll:
No, it's not the end of the world. People got upset with the Sixth Edition rules overhaul. People got upset with the new card face (Eighth Edition). People got upset at the hybrids when they first debuted. People got upset with the purple rarity symbol of Time Spiral. And not once has the game come to a screeching halt and driven its entire fan base away.
But this isn't a new mechanic, per se, or a new card face to make the game look sleeker. This is a way to conform to other card games to try and draw new players in. The game always wants new players, sure, but it seems unecessary to make this big of a change. And the land thing, too, pisses me off. This turns draft in 42 cards instead of 45 because no one will EVER take the land. It may only be three cards, but it changes the whole dynamic of the format.
On top of all this, why the **** does Magic have to conform to the other card games? As was stated in MaRo's article, Magic started it all. Magic was the big first that put TCGs on the map. Why the **** aren't the little kid card games, like Yu-Gi-Oh, conforming to us, the grandfather of the games you know and love?
By the way, I don't care who I offended with that last statement. If you're going to force Magic to have to demean itself to this crap, then I have full right to be pissed at you.
Guys, it really sounds as though the 'Mythic Rare' is a bit less than we're making it out to be.
It's going to replace the Rare in the pack. Which makes it rare. They're just going to call certain rares Mythic Rares for kicks and giggles.
Think of it this way.
You bust a Lorwyn pack. What are the odds it is a Planeswalker vs. another rare? Now, call the Planeswalkers Mythic Rares.
I have to say though, I was fairly shocked to see SO many changes. The fewer cards thing is a good thing, but as a limited player I died a little inside when they said ALL boosters would have a basic land in it in PLACE of a common.
I have a huge qualm with this. MaRo said the reasoning was because they feel that new players have trouble getting basic lands. So.....if we're tinkering with Boosters how about we add a 16th card as a land? Draft wouldn't be a problem.....when you open your pack take the basic and toss it in the middle of the table, then pick your card. Sealed will indeed be a problem, though.
Finally, my comments on the 'Intro packs'.
A step in the right direction. I like how no two intro pack are truly the same, as they come with a random booster. However, there's a very good chance that the fun rare the new player gets in his booster doesn't match the deck he got.
I don't know.....I think we should all brace ourselves for a major make-or-break couple of years for MTG.
So, here's my votes:
Fewer cards per year: :rate5:; Thank God. My wallet will love this.
Mythic Rare: :rate3:; Not amazing, but I'm not gonna cry over it either.
Land over common in booster: :rate1:; I would give it a 2 if the lands were premium.
Intro-packs: :rate3.5:; As I said, a step in the right direction, but still a bit off, IMO.
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Waiting patiently for MTGO Leagues to become a priority again. It's been 4 years :sick:.
Drop by my Helpdesk if you have any questions/concerns on the Limited forum.
Excited for M13 Limited? What do you think the format will look like? Head over to the limited forum and let us know what you think.
Yeahhhh it's Yu-Gi-Oh all over again, they might as well start making a tv show called Magic the Gathering with a perpetually young boy. I think this is about the time I stop playing magic. Nah... I always say that but I keep coming back for some reason.
Having the ultra rare was pretty much inevitable. While it might add something to the game, it's ultimately about booster sales. On the other hand, my understanding is that the game needs it, so I guess it's ok.
Set Size
We have received a tremendous amount of feedback from fans that the volume of cards released each year is too high. After evaluating the set sizes, we have decided that card sets will be smaller than they have traditionally been. For example, the set size for the Shards of Alara block is as follows:
Rarity
In conjunction with the reduction of set sizes, Wizards will also be introducing a new level of rarity called mythic rare. The mythic rare cards will appear in approximately 1 out of every 8 booster packs instead of a rare. Here is the rarity breakdown for Shards of Alara:
so do the mythic rares = Planeswalkers
MOD POWER NOTE: Read the article carefully and understand the posts about how the new rarities work before responding. A mythic rare will be as rare as a Tenth Edition rare or Time Spiral timeshifted card, a "regular" rare more common than a regular rare now. Complaints about mythic rares that do not express understanding of how the new rarity scheme works are likely to be deleted. -charlequin
This is total BS.
Some people just don't need any more land... and I struggle to find that new players can't find enough lands to play with...
Lvl 2 Judge
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/20080602
Then again they could be lying, but I highly doubt it.
And usually when you try to mix and match the five colors you end up with 10 results so yes I am guessing their will be NINE MORE planeswalkers
Besides gee people its not the end of the world if they add a new rarity symbol :roll:
So then it's going the way of other tcg's and making ultra rares? That... blows.
Here's hoping it's just an experiment. Here's hoping it's more balanced than it seems, cards and distribution. Here's hoping this isn't total BS, as far as it being a good thing.
And here's hoping my hopes are good, because I have the sinking suspicsion that they aren't.
This is a Shivan Ampersand
EDH:
UBGThe MimeoplasmUBG
Also, I am wary of the new rarity; however, I believe that Wizards will able to execute the new rarity with an elegance that would prevent this card game being degraded to something to the like of Yugioh.
PS. Though I am fearful of the prices of the new rarity >.<
Don't get too presumptuous. They could well be allied-colors only, here.
1) Mythic Rares are only 2x as rare as regulars. Which still sucks, but not as badly as you would otherwise think.
2) They are reserved for "epic" and "legendary" cards, meaning half of them will be timmy fodder, while basic utility such as Mutavault remains regular rare.
That said, paying 2x for Garruks and Commands will bite.
That's insane.
If it's a full cycle, they will hit all 5 ally colors. But they already stated they don't have to do walkers in full color cycles all the time.
The smaller set sizes offset the fact that the Mythics are more difficult to find. The end resuilt is intended to be that "Chase" rares stay higher in value while "Staples" like Duals stay lower. With the rare size reduction, no individual Mythic rare is any harder to find than a 10th edition rare.
The math works. And it's an expiriment. If there's tremendous backlash, they'll do something else the next year.
Current post- Grand Prix KC Modern Postmortem (7/7/13)
Less cards - less fun for casual players. (less work for them)
Mythic rare - an artificial way to make cards more expensive.
- and a way for us to buy more packs.
Replacing a card with a basic land - Effectively less cards per pack.
Grisxis Undead is one of the "Intro Packs".. thats new info I guess.
EDIT:
On second thought:
Mythic rares, I didnt notice at first how drastically rares have diminished in number.
Say we have 120 packs:
15 (1 out of 8) will have Mythic rares.. that means with 15 MRs, you will get 1 of a specific MR for every 120 packs.
105 (7 out of 8) will be Rares... that means with 53 rares, you will get 2 of a specific rare for every 120 packs. (or 1 in 60)
Mystic rares are just a little harder to find (just twice, not 8 times harder)
Compare this to Lorwyn, you will get a rare one in 80 packs.
I'm getting the point now. Basically some rares got got rarer and some (as they say, staple rares) got less rare.
I guess its ok. Really some rares like Duals, Char, are too staple to be rare. Hopefully this experiment works.
For Uncommons
No change in uncommon pilicy except they became less. So easier chances of opening a specific uncommon (chances increase by 33%, not bad)
For Commons
Also decreased in number (now 101) so you will get approx 1 of a specific common for every 10 packs.
In lorwyn, its a bit less: its one in every 11 packs.
So in summary:
Lorwyn Alara
C one in 11 one in 10
U one in 26 one in 20
R one in 80 one in 60
MR one in 120
Overall, the reduction of cards in the set proved to be a benefit for all.
this is total BS
i bet more people quit than when MM came out
i too feel like im playing Yu-Gi-Oh
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This is his opinion on Mythic Rares, from his article today. I still have issues seeing this as anything other than a money-grab attempt by Wizards, however.
EDH:
UBGThe MimeoplasmUBG
Edit - I agree, Velict, about it comming off as just a cheap way to get money. (Yes, I know that Wizards is a business and that the whole point of capitalism is to get money, but this just seems cheap.) I can't buy into the whole idea that just because everyone is doing it, that wizards should, too. Maybe we'll see all the other card games stop designing new cards so Wizards will, too, because everyone else is doing it. Core Sets ftw! (Yes, I realize that that is an extreme example, I am just using hyperbole to make a point.)
I would like to point out that I am not the kind of player who gripes and prophesizes the end of days whenever something is changed in Magic. I have been playing magic since 1995 and have never seen a problem with anything they have done, not Masques, not the new card face, not the rules overhaul, nothing, but for some reason the Mythic Rare and the realy forced reasoning just rub me the wrong way.
GENERATION 11: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig and add 1 to the generation. social experiment.
My Have/Want list (MTGO)
But this isn't a new mechanic, per se, or a new card face to make the game look sleeker. This is a way to conform to other card games to try and draw new players in. The game always wants new players, sure, but it seems unecessary to make this big of a change. And the land thing, too, pisses me off. This turns draft in 42 cards instead of 45 because no one will EVER take the land. It may only be three cards, but it changes the whole dynamic of the format.
On top of all this, why the **** does Magic have to conform to the other card games? As was stated in MaRo's article, Magic started it all. Magic was the big first that put TCGs on the map. Why the **** aren't the little kid card games, like Yu-Gi-Oh, conforming to us, the grandfather of the games you know and love?
By the way, I don't care who I offended with that last statement. If you're going to force Magic to have to demean itself to this crap, then I have full right to be pissed at you.
GAH! -Jack The way it sounded to me that this was not, in fact, an experiment like the Future Sight borders. The way they were talking about conforming to the other TCGs makes it sounds like they want to make this permanent. No, it's not the end of the world. People got upset with the Sixth Edition rules overhaul. People got upset with the new card face (Eighth Edition). People got upset at the hybrids when they first debuted. People got upset with the purple rarity symbol of Time Spiral. And not once has the game come to a screeching halt and driven its entire fan base away.
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It's going to replace the Rare in the pack. Which makes it rare. They're just going to call certain rares Mythic Rares for kicks and giggles.
Think of it this way.
You bust a Lorwyn pack. What are the odds it is a Planeswalker vs. another rare? Now, call the Planeswalkers Mythic Rares.
I have to say though, I was fairly shocked to see SO many changes. The fewer cards thing is a good thing, but as a limited player I died a little inside when they said ALL boosters would have a basic land in it in PLACE of a common.
I have a huge qualm with this. MaRo said the reasoning was because they feel that new players have trouble getting basic lands. So.....if we're tinkering with Boosters how about we add a 16th card as a land? Draft wouldn't be a problem.....when you open your pack take the basic and toss it in the middle of the table, then pick your card. Sealed will indeed be a problem, though.
Finally, my comments on the 'Intro packs'.
A step in the right direction. I like how no two intro pack are truly the same, as they come with a random booster. However, there's a very good chance that the fun rare the new player gets in his booster doesn't match the deck he got.
I don't know.....I think we should all brace ourselves for a major make-or-break couple of years for MTG.
So, here's my votes:
Fewer cards per year: :rate5:; Thank God. My wallet will love this.
Mythic Rare: :rate3:; Not amazing, but I'm not gonna cry over it either.
Land over common in booster: :rate1:; I would give it a 2 if the lands were premium.
Intro-packs: :rate3.5:; As I said, a step in the right direction, but still a bit off, IMO.
Drop by my Helpdesk if you have any questions/concerns on the Limited forum.
Excited for M13 Limited? What do you think the format will look like? Head over to the limited forum and let us know what you think.
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