Whoever is design lead or anyone who worked a lot on this set, should step back and really decide if they are terrible or not. Warleader's helix does nothing but annoy me. So scared of UWR but let's give Junk and Jund putrefy.
You don't call "dying to removal" if the removal is more expensive in resources than the creature. If you have to spend BG (Abrupt Decay), or W + basic land (PtE) to remove a 1G, that is not "dying to removal". Strictly speaking Goyf dies to removal, but actually your removal is dying to Goyf.
Hey, let's not go overboard. Emmara is bad. Mirko is a foot-high poo-poo platter made out of hardened failure.
Mirko at least has a slightly interesting ability. Emmara is has a very specific ability. And Mirko has flying which bodes well for him. Emmara is just.. horribly designed. Why, WHY couldn't the champions be more consistent in terms of power level. Consider me very disappointed.
I wish my 4/4s with haste and first strike that acted as Goblin Warchiefs were better and didn't die to instants and overshadowed all other 4 drops in the format. And that they had evasion too, and some way to dodge wrath effects.
Mirko at least has a slightly interesting ability. Emmara is has a very specific ability. And Mirko has flying which bodes well for him. Emmara is just.. horribly designed. Why, WHY couldn't the champions be more consistent in terms of power level. Consider me very disappointed.
Mirko is what happened when a team of designers honestly asked themselves "Nemesis of Reason barely saw play, how can we make it worse?"
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Level 1 Judge
"I hope to have such a death... lying in triumph atop the broken bodies of those who slew me..."
You don't call "dying to removal" if the removal is more expensive in resources than the creature. If you have to spend BG (Abrupt Decay), or W + basic land (PtE) to remove a 1G, that is not "dying to removal". Strictly speaking Goyf dies to removal, but actually your removal is dying to Goyf.
At least dimir, my favorite guild, isn't the only one that got hosed on their champion. I doubt any good dimir cards will be spoiled until the full spoiler, and even then it won't be anything standard competitive.
While sucking for constructed/casual Mirko at the very least is amazingly good in limited, Emmara isn't good in any format (even GW/x token based EDH decks don't want it).
I think I've figured it out: Wizards wants only one of the leader/champion to be generally constructed viable from each guild. Based on my novice evaluations, all the guilds but Boros and Dimir have one constructed card and one non-constructed. I think that both Boros are playable, and that both Dimir aren't, but other than that it works.
Rakdos: Rakdos - not playable, Exava - playable
Selesnya: Trostani - playable, Emmara - not playable
Azorious: Isperia - not playable, Lavinia - playable
Golgari: Jarad - borderline not playable, Varolz - borderline playable
Izzet: Niv-Mizzet - borderline playable, Melek - not playable
I wish my 4/4s with haste and first strike that acted as Goblin Warchiefs were better and didn't die to instants and overshadowed all other 4 drops in the format. And that they had evasion too, and some way to dodge wrath effects.
I think the biggest tragedy is the difference between expectation and delivery. When I think of awesome cycles that are well designed, I think of things like the triple hybrid cycle from Shadowmoor. Granted that's a much easier cycle to develop and I think there was moor leeway to give them more interesting interactions (boggart ram-gang vs wilt leaf cavaliers effectively kills both, though cavaliers leaves you with a 0/1, plumeveil is the ultimate defensive one, blocking and at least trading for every other one except sometime the stalker hag, and how gouger was the ultimate offensive one (besides maybe ram-gang), being able to trade or over power every other one).
With the champions, a few of them, like Emmara, just kind of dropped the ball. Really it's just the (ironically) "commander oriented" champions that seem like the worst offenders.
I just really hope that Wizards somehow hears the disappointment that so many people have over some of these champions. It just seems like they can never quite clutch the last set of a block. When was the last time that a third set was as universally acceptable as much as a set like Innistrad or Return to Ravnica? I really wonder why the first set of a block is generally better regarded than the subsequent two in most ways (limited environment especially).
I think the biggest tragedy is the difference between expectation and delivery. When I think of awesome cycles that are well designed, I think of things like the triple hybrid cycle from Shadowmoor. Granted that's a much easier cycle to develop and I think there was moor leeway to give them more interesting interactions (boggart ram-gang vs wilt leaf cavaliers effectively kills both, though cavaliers leaves you with a 0/1, plumeveil is the ultimate defensive one, blocking and at least trading for every other one except sometime the stalker hag, and how gouger was the ultimate offensive one (besides maybe ram-gang), being able to trade or over power every other one).
With the champions, a few of them, like Emmara, just kind of dropped the ball. Really it's just the (ironically) "commander oriented" champions that seem like the worst offenders.
I just really hope that Wizards somehow hears the disappointment that so many people have over some of these champions. It just seems like they can never quite clutch the last set of a block. When was the last time that a third set was as universally acceptable as much as a set like Innistrad or Return to Ravnica? I really wonder why the first set of a block is generally better regarded than the subsequent two in most ways (limited environment especially).
I just really hope that Wizards somehow hears the disappointment that so many people have over some of these champions. It just seems like they can never quite clutch the last set of a block. When was the last time that a third set was as universally acceptable as much as a set like Innistrad or Return to Ravnica? I really wonder why the first set of a block is generally better regarded than the subsequent two in most ways (limited environment especially).
Rise of the Eldrazi was a pretty awesome way to finish off Zendikar Block. It has an amazingly deep Limited format, a handful of strong cards, and some epic creatures and spells of truly terrifying proportions.
I'd argue strongly in favour of New Phyrexia except that Phyrexian Mana didn't go over as well as they intended. Still, lesson learned.
Pyrewild Shaman is a good card, to get it back you still need other creatures to hit your opponent and then pay 3 mana... that doesn't seems so recurring damage to me, very situational, I still like it, but it doesn't replace direct damage spells.
Warleader's Helix is mmm, ok? RWU decks could maindeck 1 of this and later recast it with Snapcaster Mage.
Pretty sure Emmara had a better ability that got nuked after costs were finalized. There's no way they purposefully designed it to be so bad, but when the other ability got aborted, they just bandaided it with this generic ability and raised the P/T to fit the CMC.
emmara's ability is meh, her mana cost is absurd and her P/C doesn't make any sense for an elf shaman.
in other news the goblin is SICK!
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Huey, Dewey and Louie are always dressed in RUG. it is CLEARLY going to be the wedges block Pioneer: WURFaerie fires BRGDragons ModernBGElves WRBurn UR Fires Turns URGift Storm UG Twiddle Storm
Seems like new chick in charge of design for this set dropped the ball.
The lead designer does not design every card in the set. Every set has bad cards. "Dragon's Maze has bad cards" somehow equating to "Alexis Janson is a bad designer" smacks of misogyny and double standards.
I also don't know how you can pin the bad cards on the lead but not the ones you like.
Daretti
Ezuri
Captain Sisay (In work)
Ok thanks. I figured it worked like that just wanted to make sure.
UBBreya's Toybox (Competitive, Combo)WR
RGodzilla, King of the MonstersG
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UBLazav, Dimir Mastermind (Competitive, UB Voltron/Control)UB
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Hey, let's not go overboard. Emmara is bad. Mirko is a foot-high poo-poo platter made out of hardened failure.
"I hope to have such a death... lying in triumph atop the broken bodies of those who slew me..."
Mirko at least has a slightly interesting ability. Emmara is has a very specific ability. And Mirko has flying which bodes well for him. Emmara is just.. horribly designed. Why, WHY couldn't the champions be more consistent in terms of power level. Consider me very disappointed.
My current decks!
http://tappedout.net/users/ThePhasewalker/
Mirko is what happened when a team of designers honestly asked themselves "Nemesis of Reason barely saw play, how can we make it worse?"
"I hope to have such a death... lying in triumph atop the broken bodies of those who slew me..."
I'm not going to berate Mind Funeral on a stick. Mirko at least makes for a fun mill general. Tandris doesn't even make for a good firestarter.
Many thanks to DNC at Heroes of the Plane Studios
Wow, I forgot all about Vigor. Man, she's even WORSE than I thought
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Rakdos: Rakdos - not playable, Exava - playable
Selesnya: Trostani - playable, Emmara - not playable
Azorious: Isperia - not playable, Lavinia - playable
Golgari: Jarad - borderline not playable, Varolz - borderline playable
Izzet: Niv-Mizzet - borderline playable, Melek - not playable
Orzhov: Obzedat - playable, Teysa - not playable
Boros: Aurelia - playable, Tajic - playable
Simic: Zegana - borderline playable, Vorel - unplayable
Gruul: Borborymos - unplayable, Ruric Thar - playable
Dimir: Lazav - unplayable, Mirko Vosk - unplayable
Yeah I was about to say, at least she could had freaking Vigor's ability!
My current decks!
http://tappedout.net/users/ThePhasewalker/
With the champions, a few of them, like Emmara, just kind of dropped the ball. Really it's just the (ironically) "commander oriented" champions that seem like the worst offenders.
I just really hope that Wizards somehow hears the disappointment that so many people have over some of these champions. It just seems like they can never quite clutch the last set of a block. When was the last time that a third set was as universally acceptable as much as a set like Innistrad or Return to Ravnica? I really wonder why the first set of a block is generally better regarded than the subsequent two in most ways (limited environment especially).
RoE>Zen+WWK as far as limited goes.
Many thanks to DNC at Heroes of the Plane Studios
Rise of the Eldrazi was a pretty awesome way to finish off Zendikar Block. It has an amazingly deep Limited format, a handful of strong cards, and some epic creatures and spells of truly terrifying proportions.
I'd argue strongly in favour of New Phyrexia except that Phyrexian Mana didn't go over as well as they intended. Still, lesson learned.
Warleader's Helix is mmm, ok? RWU decks could maindeck 1 of this and later recast it with Snapcaster Mage.
Emmara Tandris is... beautifully drawn?
in other news the goblin is SICK!
Pioneer: WURFaerie fires BRGDragons
ModernBGElves WRBurn UR Fires Turns URGift Storm UG Twiddle Storm
Don't get too excited there, champ. I'm sure she prevents everything that tries to attack them.
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Goblin is awesome though.
-Epicurus
-Standard Decks-
Bant Flash
Bant Enchant
Naya Mid
Moving on to the real cards: the goblin should have been a phoenix but is actually pretty nice and helix 2.0 seems okayish.
The lead designer does not design every card in the set. Every set has bad cards. "Dragon's Maze has bad cards" somehow equating to "Alexis Janson is a bad designer" smacks of misogyny and double standards.
I also don't know how you can pin the bad cards on the lead but not the ones you like.
I̟̥͍̠ͅn̩͉̣͍̬͚ͅ ̬̬͖t̯̹̞̺͖͓̯̤h̘͍̬e͙̯͈̖̼̮ ̭̬f̺̲̲̪i͙͉̟̩̰r̪̝͚͈̝̥͍̝̲s̼̻͇̘̳͔ͅt̲̺̳̗̜̪̙ ̳̺̥̻͚̗ͅm̜̜̟̰͈͓͎͇o̝̖̮̝͇m̯̻̞̼̫̗͓̤e̩̯̬̮̩n͎̱̪̲̹͖t͇̖s̰̮ͅ,̤̲͙̻̭̻̯̹̰ ̖t̫̙̺̯͖͚̯ͅh͙̯̦̳̗̰̟e͖̪͉̼̯ ̪͕g̞̣͔a̗̦t̬̬͓͙̫̖̭̻e̩̻̯ ̜̖̦̖̤̭͙̬t̞̹̥̪͎͉ͅo͕͚͍͇̲͇͓̺ ̭̬͙͈̣̻t͈͍͙͓̫̖͙̩h̪̬̖̙e̗͈ ̗̬̟̞̺̤͉̯ͅa̦̯͚̙̜̮f͉͙̲̣̞̼t̪̤̞̣͚e̲͉̳̥r͇̪̙͚͓l̥̞̞͎̹̯̹ͅi͓̬f̮̥̬̞͈ͅe͎ ̟̩̤̳̠̯̩̯o̮̘̲p̟͚̣̞͉͓e͍̩̣n͔̼͕͚̜e̬̱d̼̘͎̖̹͍̮̠,͖̺̭̱̮ ̣̲͖̬̪̭̥a̪͚n̟̲̝̤̤̞̗d̘̱̗͇̮͕̳͕͔ ͖̞͉͎t̹̙͎h̰̱͉̗e̪̞̱̝̹̩ͅ ̠̱̩̭̦p̯̙e͓o̳͚̰̯̺̱̰͔̘p̬͎̱̣̼̩͇l̗̟̖͚̠e̱͉͔̱̦̬̟̙ ̖͚̪͔̼̦w̺̖̤̱e͖̗̻̦͓̖̘̜r̭̥e͔̹̫̱͕̦̰͕ ̗͔̠p̠̗͍͍̱̳̠r̰͔͎̰o͉̥͓̰͚̥s̟͚̹̱͔̣t͉̙̳̖͖̪̮r̥̘̥͙̹a͉̟̫̟̳̠̟̭t͈̜̰͈͎e̞̣̭̲̬ ͚̗̯̟͙i͍͖̰̘̦͖͉ṇ̮̻̯̦̲̩͍ ̦̮͚̫̤t͉͖̫͕ͅͅh͙̮̻̘̣̮̼e͕̺ ͙l͕̠͎̰̥i̲͓͉̲g̫̳̟͈͇̖h̠̦̖t͓̯͎̗ ̳̪̘̟̙̩̦o̫̲f̙͔̰̙̠ ̹̪̗͇̯t͖̼̼͉͖̬h̹͇̩e͚̖̺̤͉̹͕̪ ͚͓̭̝̺G͎̗̯̩o̫̯̮̟̮̳̘d̜̲͙̠-̩̳̯̲̗̜P̹̘̥͉̝h͍͈̗̖̝ͅa͍̗̮̼̗r̜̖͇̙̺a̭̺͔̞̳͈o̪̣͓̯̬͙̯̰̗h̖̦͈̥̯͔.͇̣̙̝