Reminding me of an old janky too-many-moving-parts combo deck of old: Zephyr Scribe + Retraction Helix. Just add 0-cost noncreature nonland artifacts and something that deals damage or mills on artifacts entering or leaving the battlefield.
Ugh, I mean this set is just so bad. I do buy cards with an eye towards Frontier and to some degree modern, but it's like "Oh hey, this is a cool card" and then I try stacking this up against past cards that sort of fit the same spot on curve and it quickly goes to "Oh right, but that exists". Claim // Fame doesn't have any real equivalents and will probably see some play in modern. I know Solemnity is going to find a home somewhere as people already are seeing some synergies with cards like Phyrexian Unlife, and Nimble Obstructionist will probably find some kind of niche role to fill. Otherwise, it's like my brain just keeps asking "Why did you print this?" for various reasons like mana cost, chosen rarity, etc.
To the naked eye it looks like they interlocked way too many cards into being dependant on each other or the board state, then over costed a ton of cards as well as upped the rarity on a bunch of what should be uncommon level cards.
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1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
People actually care about the flavor text? Isn't the the most irrelevant part of any card? I am not going to tell people to ignore it, of course, because if they choose to care about it they choose to care about it--everybody has to be somewhere and wherever you go, there you are.
Eternalize, the pet mechanic of this set, probably won't be a factor in Limited or Sealed unless you are trying some sort of slow control deck, giving your opponent an opportunity to use that ability. Or unless someone manages to pull a Scarab God, but at least its ability is less costly than most eternalize costs.
Suppose you cast Saving Grace on an Undergrowth Champion which had a few +1/+1 counters on it. Would it lose only 1 counter because the aura redirects all damage simultaneously or would it lose one counter per instance of damage redirection?
I agree the set is underwhelming, especially Eternalize (feels like they played it WAY too safe with that and Embalm, and only one card that is playable outside of limited with each), just offering some corrections.
I disagree that the set is underwhelming, but I definitely agree that Eternalize is. They played it so safe that they made it irrelevant. I look at the cards with Eternalize and evaluate them as if they didn't have it. Maybe some day when I' m really desperate, with no cards in hand and lots of mana open, I'll look at my graveyard and realize that one card in there has it, but probably not because I don't think many of them will ever find a home in my decks.
People actually care about the flavor text? Isn't the the most irrelevant part of any card? I am not going to tell people to ignore it, of course, because if they choose to care about it they choose to care about it--everybody has to be somewhere and wherever you go, there you are.
Flavor text and art are the difference between Magic being a fantasy trading card game and it just being a bunch of numbers on cards.
I think what I'm most disappointed about is that this is supposed to be the "Bolas set" but it feels like a bunch of stuff is happening in the street and Bolas is just kinda standing off on the sidewalk.
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"Pop in, find a dragon, roast a dragon."
-Chandra Nalaar
I like the effect this will have on standard because all the good cards are board sweepers and there aren't any more idiotic mid-range I Win cards floating around.
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That was pretty interesting. But dropping a warship on me is cheating. Take it back!
People actually care about the flavor text? Isn't the the most irrelevant part of any card? I am not going to tell people to ignore it, of course, because if they choose to care about it they choose to care about it--everybody has to be somewhere and wherever you go, there you are.
Flavor text and art are the difference between Magic being a fantasy trading card game and it just being a bunch of numbers on cards.
That is a fair and reasonable assessment. I like the art of some of the cards, to be certain, but I usually don't bother with flavor text.
There's only 1 card I want from this set.....and it's going to be a promo so yay for my wallet since I have all the promos I want when they comes out
This set should have been called: Commander's first expansion.
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11:15, restate my assumptions: 1. Mathematics is the language of nature. 2. Everything around us can be represented and understood through numbers. 3. If you graph these numbers, patterns emerge. Therefore: There are patterns everywhere in nature. - Maximillian Cohen.
The guys complaining about the powerlevel of the block......
Would you rather have a standard with infinite combos and turn 4 ulamogs?
Yes?
Just for them getting banned after some months, and then being almost unplayable in modern and Legacy ?
The problem wasn't that they pushed the power level of the cards. The issue was that the set was horribly balanced. They can have a set on the power level of Kaladesh and still have a good variety of deck options in the format competing with one another.
The primary issue with a overly powerful set is that it becomes the centrifugal point of multiple standard seasons and ends up overshadowing the newer sets that get released. Right now Kaladesh -> Aether Revolt is so powerful that it is that centrifugal point, and sets like the upcoming Ixalan and Amonkhet block have to fight against it. My guess is that we will keep seeing cards get banned from that set moving forward just to make sure the newer sets actually sell, though that is more of a guess than anything.
Private Mod Note
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1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
I will say that Riddleform is interesting to me. Not sure where I'd go with it yet, but the design is interesting. Sphinx Tribal EDH, Thing in the Ice, Enchantment shenanigans, etc. IDK, I like it.
Just for them getting banned after some months, and then being almost unplayable in modern and Legacy ?
Reminding me of an old janky too-many-moving-parts combo deck of old: Zephyr Scribe + Retraction Helix. Just add 0-cost noncreature nonland artifacts and something that deals damage or mills on artifacts entering or leaving the battlefield.
To the naked eye it looks like they interlocked way too many cards into being dependant on each other or the board state, then over costed a ton of cards as well as upped the rarity on a bunch of what should be uncommon level cards.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
Eternalize, the pet mechanic of this set, probably won't be a factor in Limited or Sealed unless you are trying some sort of slow control deck, giving your opponent an opportunity to use that ability. Or unless someone manages to pull a Scarab God, but at least its ability is less costly than most eternalize costs.
I really liked Sandblast after FRF came out even though I am currently using Time to Reflect.
Suppose you cast Saving Grace on an Undergrowth Champion which had a few +1/+1 counters on it. Would it lose only 1 counter because the aura redirects all damage simultaneously or would it lose one counter per instance of damage redirection?
It's not the fault of combo that a format cannot handle it and so it must be banned.
It's the fault as wizards admitted to of not having answers.
Spirits
Attack on Titan vibe.
Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR Voltron Control
Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun WU Unblockable Mirror Trickery
Ra's al Ghul (Sidar Kondo) and Face-Down Ninjas
Brudiclad, Token Engineer
Vaevictis (VV2) the Dire Lantern
Rona, Disciple of Gix
Tiana the Auror
Hallar
Ulrich the Politician
Zur the Rebel
Scorpion, Locust, Scarab, Egyptian Gods
O-Kagachi, Mathas, Mairsil
"Non-Tribal" Tribal Generals, Eggs
2023 Average Peasant Cube|and Discussion
Because I have more decks than fit in a signature
Useful Resources:
MTGSalvation tags
EDHREC
ManabaseCrafter
Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest WUR Voltron Control
Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun WU Unblockable Mirror Trickery
Ra's al Ghul (Sidar Kondo) and Face-Down Ninjas
Brudiclad, Token Engineer
Vaevictis (VV2) the Dire Lantern
Rona, Disciple of Gix
Tiana the Auror
Hallar
Ulrich the Politician
Zur the Rebel
Scorpion, Locust, Scarab, Egyptian Gods
O-Kagachi, Mathas, Mairsil
"Non-Tribal" Tribal Generals, Eggs
-Chandra Nalaar
That is a fair and reasonable assessment. I like the art of some of the cards, to be certain, but I usually don't bother with flavor text.
This set should have been called: Commander's first expansion.
Standard: XDon't play.X
Legacy: BUReanimatorUB
Vintage: URBWGDBRU
So that's how they kill the scorpion god eh? The obelisks must have some kind of magical properties to them.
3BB
Sorcery
You lose the game.
It's a cool picture. I think it would have been better to have put that picture on Ravenous Rats or Chittering Rats. It's sadly an underwhelming card.
I loathe creatures! Praise Prison and Land Destruction!
My Peasant Cube (looking for feedback)
URW PillowFort Stasis (costruction)
modern:
U Taking Turns combo
pauper:
UB Servitor Control
xenob8 : you know you are going to have a bad time when opponent starts with snow covered island
The problem wasn't that they pushed the power level of the cards. The issue was that the set was horribly balanced. They can have a set on the power level of Kaladesh and still have a good variety of deck options in the format competing with one another.
The primary issue with a overly powerful set is that it becomes the centrifugal point of multiple standard seasons and ends up overshadowing the newer sets that get released. Right now Kaladesh -> Aether Revolt is so powerful that it is that centrifugal point, and sets like the upcoming Ixalan and Amonkhet block have to fight against it. My guess is that we will keep seeing cards get banned from that set moving forward just to make sure the newer sets actually sell, though that is more of a guess than anything.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
|| UW Jace, Vyn's Prodigy UW || UG Kenessos, Priest of Thassa (feat. Arixmethes) UG ||
Cards I still want to see created:
|| Olantin, Lost City || Pavios and Thanasis || Choryu ||
The lifegain makes it better in the decks that are strictly Grixis and have no use for access to white or green mana.
Its still bad.
I loathe creatures! Praise Prison and Land Destruction!
My Peasant Cube (looking for feedback)