I like the approach of taking what would have been a $20-$30 mythic the moment of it's announcement - and making it a common instead.
Lowering the rarity of such power makes the game more affordable, in regards to $.
Nice moves that WoTC is making.
This may also be a byproduct of the existence of Modern Horizons in a way that we don't yet recognize at face value.
Standard can be better, and focus more on being a better Standard, when WoTC doesn't have the pressure to feed Eternal formats through it. This is a side-effect of this new outlook, I believe.
If that’s in fact what they’re doing then by all means keep doing it. The insane costs of playing were what drove me to retire.
Same. I love this move to balance the rarities in terms of interesting/useful/powerful cards, particularly when it's cards that a variety of decks may want. It keeps the game affordable for us casual folk. The quality of this set thus far makes me inclined to consider buying a box.
This card is stupendous. Powerful, but balanced. A big card for Limited but also numerous Constructed formats. I legitimately have three EDH decks that will happily embrace the Sage, and that's just off the top of my head.
I like the approach of taking what would have been a $20-$30 mythic the moment of it's announcement - and making it a common instead.
Lowering the rarity of such power makes the game more affordable, in regards to $.
Nice moves that WoTC is making.
This may also be a byproduct of the existence of Modern Horizons in a way that we don't yet recognize at face value.
Standard can be better, and focus more on being a better Standard, when WoTC doesn't have the pressure to feed Eternal formats through it. This is a side-effect of this new outlook, I believe.
If that’s in fact what they’re doing then by all means keep doing it. The insane costs of playing were what drove me to retire.
Same. I love this move to balance the rarities in terms of interesting/useful/powerful cards, particularly when it's cards that a variety of decks may want. It keeps the game affordable for us casual folk. The quality of this set thus far makes me inclined to consider buying a box.
This card is stupendous. Powerful, but balanced. A big card for Limited but also numerous Constructed formats. I legitimately have three EDH decks that will happily embrace the Sage, and that's just off the top of my head.
Yea
They did it with dominaria was well but not nearly as much as this set is doing
I have a feeling Richard Garfield suggested this to them for their standard sets
I hope they are doing the same thing for modern horizons new and reprints in this.
Naive question alert: Why, outside of Zendikar blocks, don't they just call it "landfall?" Is it because it would push the card into evergreen territory and WotC R&D doesn't want it to be an evergreen keyword?
Naive question alert: Why, outside of Zendikar blocks, don't they just call it "landfall?" Is it because it would push the card into evergreen territory and WotC R&D doesn't want it to be an evergreen keyword?
It's a good question. The name is self-descriptive, and they would still spell out the trigger, so it's not like it would make things hard for noobs. And they use it often enough to warrant being deciduous (if not evergreen).
Momir Vig, Simic Visionary
Melek, Izzet Paragon
Oona, Queen of the Fae
Bruna, Light of Alabaster
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
Rhys the Redeemed
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Sen Triplets
The Mimeoplasm WUBRGSliver OverlordGRBUW WUBRGSliver Hivelord(Superfriends)GRBUW
Naive question alert: Why, outside of Zendikar blocks, don't they just call it "landfall?" Is it because it would push the card into evergreen territory and WotC R&D doesn't want it to be an evergreen keyword?
It's a good question. The name is self-descriptive, and they would still spell out the trigger, so it's not like it would make things hard for noobs. And they use it often enough to warrant being deciduous (if not evergreen).
I think it's a signalling problem. This is already a super complex set (as planeswalkers at uncommon will do...), which I imagine helped contribute to the whole 'two named mechanics' thing. For a new player being introduced to Magic, there's already so many things to learn -- another mechanic, even a self-descriptive one, might be too much.
They always talk about how they got complaints about Mercadian Masques not having mechanics, despite having a bunch of them (Rebels, Mercenaries, and Spellshapers as the most visible) -- because they didn't explicitly have ability words attached to them, so they were just seen as individual cards. Players' understanding of the set, at least at the time, didn't become centered around the abilities (despite the 4 full cycles of Spellshapers, or 30ish Rebels/Mercenaries). Compare to today: someone bringing up, say, Amonkhet, would probably mention Embalm / Eternalize, exert, cycling, or even -1/-1 counters, before they would mention the Cartouche/Trial double cycle or the Desert mechanics, even though there's a relatively comparable number of Deserts to exert cards (across both sets, 19 to 28, with 10 to 0 cards without the mechanic that call it out by name eg "if you control a desert...").
With that in mind, I'm assuming this is a deliberate attempt to go in the other direction -- to not provide that cohesive unity. If a new player sees a cool ability involving proliferate and land drops, they may or may not get the card, but either way they can move on until it comes up in game. If they see something labeled 'landfall', though, that's an indication that they should remember and learn that term, and look out for it in other places in the set -- when, in fact, landfall isn't even a deliberate theme of Ravnica and just happens to come up on one or two cards.
"It is better for all the world if, instead of waiting to execute degenerate offspring for crime or to let them starve for their imbecility, society can prevent those who are manifestly unfit from continuing their kind. The principle that sustains compulsory vaccination is broad enough to cover cutting the Fallopian tubes... Three generations of imbeciles are enough."
--Buck v Bell, 1927. This case, regarding the compulsory sterilization of inmates at mental institutions, has -- somehow -- never been overturned. Just a wee PSA for ya.
Naive question alert: Why, outside of Zendikar blocks, don't they just call it "landfall?" Is it because it would push the card into evergreen territory and WotC R&D doesn't want it to be an evergreen keyword?
It's a good question. The name is self-descriptive, and they would still spell out the trigger, so it's not like it would make things hard for noobs. And they use it often enough to warrant being deciduous (if not evergreen).
The thing about ability words is that they don't really do anything, that is, they have no in-game significance, unlike keywords and keyword actions. Their purpose is to tie together broad set themes that, while they have something in common, end up on multiple cards that do radically different themes. Ability words generally need a critical mass within a set to accomplish this, so they don't usually appear alone. Without a group of cards to tie together, there is no point in including ability words. It would be a waste of space better taken up by more useful reminder or flavor text.
Naive question alert: Why, outside of Zendikar blocks, don't they just call it "landfall?" Is it because it would push the card into evergreen territory and WotC R&D doesn't want it to be an evergreen keyword?
It's a good question. The name is self-descriptive, and they would still spell out the trigger, so it's not like it would make things hard for noobs. And they use it often enough to warrant being deciduous (if not evergreen).
I think it's a signalling problem. This is already a super complex set (as planeswalkers at uncommon will do...), which I imagine helped contribute to the whole 'two named mechanics' thing. For a new player being introduced to Magic, there's already so many things to learn -- another mechanic, even a self-descriptive one, might be too much.
They always talk about how they got complaints about Mercadian Masques not having mechanics, despite having a bunch of them (Rebels, Mercenaries, and Spellshapers as the most visible) -- because they didn't explicitly have ability words attached to them, so they were just seen as individual cards. Players' understanding of the set, at least at the time, didn't become centered around the abilities (despite the 4 full cycles of Spellshapers, or 30ish Rebels/Mercenaries). Compare to today: someone bringing up, say, Amonkhet, would probably mention Embalm / Eternalize, exert, cycling, or even -1/-1 counters, before they would mention the Cartouche/Trial double cycle or the Desert mechanics, even though there's a relatively comparable number of Deserts to exert cards (across both sets, 19 to 28, with 10 to 0 cards without the mechanic that call it out by name eg "if you control a desert...").
With that in mind, I'm assuming this is a deliberate attempt to go in the other direction -- to not provide that cohesive unity. If a new player sees a cool ability involving proliferate and land drops, they may or may not get the card, but either way they can move on until it comes up in game. If they see something labeled 'landfall', though, that's an indication that they should remember and learn that term, and look out for it in other places in the set -- when, in fact, landfall isn't even a deliberate theme of Ravnica and just happens to come up on one or two cards.
I don't see how it would be worse than, say, Kaladesh only having one creature with prowess, or Eldritch Moon only having one card mention double strike.
Naive question alert: Why, outside of Zendikar blocks, don't they just call it "landfall?" Is it because it would push the card into evergreen territory and WotC R&D doesn't want it to be an evergreen keyword?
It's a good question. The name is self-descriptive, and they would still spell out the trigger, so it's not like it would make things hard for noobs. And they use it often enough to warrant being deciduous (if not evergreen).
I think it's a signalling problem. This is already a super complex set (as planeswalkers at uncommon will do...), which I imagine helped contribute to the whole 'two named mechanics' thing. For a new player being introduced to Magic, there's already so many things to learn -- another mechanic, even a self-descriptive one, might be too much.
They always talk about how they got complaints about Mercadian Masques not having mechanics, despite having a bunch of them (Rebels, Mercenaries, and Spellshapers as the most visible) -- because they didn't explicitly have ability words attached to them, so they were just seen as individual cards. Players' understanding of the set, at least at the time, didn't become centered around the abilities (despite the 4 full cycles of Spellshapers, or 30ish Rebels/Mercenaries). Compare to today: someone bringing up, say, Amonkhet, would probably mention Embalm / Eternalize, exert, cycling, or even -1/-1 counters, before they would mention the Cartouche/Trial double cycle or the Desert mechanics, even though there's a relatively comparable number of Deserts to exert cards (across both sets, 19 to 28, with 10 to 0 cards without the mechanic that call it out by name eg "if you control a desert...").
With that in mind, I'm assuming this is a deliberate attempt to go in the other direction -- to not provide that cohesive unity. If a new player sees a cool ability involving proliferate and land drops, they may or may not get the card, but either way they can move on until it comes up in game. If they see something labeled 'landfall', though, that's an indication that they should remember and learn that term, and look out for it in other places in the set -- when, in fact, landfall isn't even a deliberate theme of Ravnica and just happens to come up on one or two cards.
I don't see how it would be worse than, say, Kaladesh only having one creature with prowess, or Eldritch Moon only having one card mention double strike.
The difference is that both of those abilities are evergreen keywords, and thus something the player would have to learn sooner or later. Landfall is not evergreen, nor is it a keyword.
My mind is blown. I have been waiting for a repeatable green proliferate card for my artifact cube. A landfall trigger that aligns with Tireless Tracker!!!
This set really pushing the power level. I like it.
War of the Spark definitly won't be getting "This is the worst set since homelands" thread in MTGSalvation
I wouldn't hold your breath, there's always someone who believes a few junk commons and an overpriced rare means a set is overrated and is therefore the worst set ever.
But the set could more or less stop with what we know and still be a solid set (I can think of a few sets that aren't much better than the 128 cards we have now), so I doubt any such thread would get much traction.
This set really pushing the power level. I like it.
War of the Spark definitly won't be getting "This is the worst set since homelands" thread in MTGSalvation
I wouldn't hold your breath, there's always someone who believes a few junk commons and an overpriced rare means a set is overrated and is therefore the worst set ever.
But the set could more or less stop with what we know and still be a solid set (I can think of a few sets that aren't much better than the 128 cards we have now), so I doubt any such thread would get much traction.
Indeed there’s more junk at the end but we know half the cards and the set is fanatics
I think new phyrexia will still stand as the best set (during standard) since almost everything is playable in that set
I think this coming standard is gonna be rewarding for both mono and multi colored decks. I can just imagine Evolution Sage working well in an G, GU, GW or even WGU because they are the primary (and for WAR, only) proliferate colors. I'm thinking a Selesnya deck that runs eight or so planeswalkers, elves that produce mana and proliferate, and their wolf companions. If Mono G (ahem), then *with my best southern accent*: Mono Green shall rrrriiiisssseee again!
I do wonder if Arena's 'no singles' policy has an effect on this. It's an uncommon wildcard, but I'm slowly coming to point where managing my uncommon wildcards or getting the uncommons that I want is encouraging me to play more drafts than the free crystals and gold allow. Oddly, since Arena works different, flooding us with chase uncommons would be a greater spur to online sales. I'd be interested in seeing the marketer's thinking here.
On a totally different note: Will Magistrate's Scepter become actually used? In a turbo-proliferate deck, 3 proliferates + an untapped scepter yield an extra turn. Already Karn's Bastion and Wilderness Reclamation give 2 per turn, without needing much modification from some existing decks. If a deck can reliably proliferate 3 times a turn.. we have a colorless turn engine. Even in you can only reliably proliferate 2/turn you could end up taking 2 turns to your opponent's 1. If this is the level of proliferate.. that 3/turn limit is not hard... and you're also proliferating counters and walkers in the meantime.
Dammit, how am I supposed to fit all these awesome proliferate things in my Atraxa EDH? What am I supposed to cut, huh?
Pff this. Awesome card.
Mine just went trough a complete revamp and this thing would fit in perfectly with all the support allready fitted in!
But what to cut?
Quite a good card that capitalizes from dead land draws in mid-late game.
Hilarious how the image has been watermarked, like they were saying "our original spoiler! Do not steal!" that's pathetic.
Hilarious how the image has been watermarked, like they were saying "our original spoiler! Do not steal!" that's pathetic.
It makes sense when translating foreign cards. The foreign card is below it. Lets you know its not the official translation, and could be a little bit off.
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Same. I love this move to balance the rarities in terms of interesting/useful/powerful cards, particularly when it's cards that a variety of decks may want. It keeps the game affordable for us casual folk. The quality of this set thus far makes me inclined to consider buying a box.
This card is stupendous. Powerful, but balanced. A big card for Limited but also numerous Constructed formats. I legitimately have three EDH decks that will happily embrace the Sage, and that's just off the top of my head.
Archatmos
Excellion
Fracture: Israfiel (WBR), Wujal (URG), Valedon (GUB), Amduat (BGW), Paladris (RWU)
Collision (Set Two of the Fracture Block)
Quest for the Forsaken (Set Two of the Excellion Block)
Katingal: Plane of Chains
Yea
They did it with dominaria was well but not nearly as much as this set is doing
I have a feeling Richard Garfield suggested this to them for their standard sets
I hope they are doing the same thing for modern horizons new and reprints in this.
2023 Average Peasant Cube|and Discussion
Because I have more decks than fit in a signature
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I was just thinking of the EDH decks I currently play, and my UG Lands Matters deck with Azusa, Lost but Seeking, Wayward Swordtooth, Crucible of Worlds, Ramunap Excavator, Scapeshift, Clear the Land, Splendid Reclamation, Harvest Season, Tatyova, Benthic Druid, and Burgeoning is gonna abuse this so hard. I already get insane value playing a Myriad Landscape multiple times in a turn. As long as you can keep your Amulet of Vigor around, it's chaos. Imagine with this guy and all my PW's out, as well. Sick!
Reprint Stasis!
Control needs more love.
EDH:
Momir Vig, Simic Visionary
Melek, Izzet Paragon
Oona, Queen of the Fae
Bruna, Light of Alabaster
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
Rhys the Redeemed
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Sen Triplets
The Mimeoplasm
WUBRGSliver OverlordGRBUW
WUBRGSliver Hivelord(Superfriends)GRBUW
I think it's a signalling problem. This is already a super complex set (as planeswalkers at uncommon will do...), which I imagine helped contribute to the whole 'two named mechanics' thing. For a new player being introduced to Magic, there's already so many things to learn -- another mechanic, even a self-descriptive one, might be too much.
They always talk about how they got complaints about Mercadian Masques not having mechanics, despite having a bunch of them (Rebels, Mercenaries, and Spellshapers as the most visible) -- because they didn't explicitly have ability words attached to them, so they were just seen as individual cards. Players' understanding of the set, at least at the time, didn't become centered around the abilities (despite the 4 full cycles of Spellshapers, or 30ish Rebels/Mercenaries). Compare to today: someone bringing up, say, Amonkhet, would probably mention Embalm / Eternalize, exert, cycling, or even -1/-1 counters, before they would mention the Cartouche/Trial double cycle or the Desert mechanics, even though there's a relatively comparable number of Deserts to exert cards (across both sets, 19 to 28, with 10 to 0 cards without the mechanic that call it out by name eg "if you control a desert...").
With that in mind, I'm assuming this is a deliberate attempt to go in the other direction -- to not provide that cohesive unity. If a new player sees a cool ability involving proliferate and land drops, they may or may not get the card, but either way they can move on until it comes up in game. If they see something labeled 'landfall', though, that's an indication that they should remember and learn that term, and look out for it in other places in the set -- when, in fact, landfall isn't even a deliberate theme of Ravnica and just happens to come up on one or two cards.
--Buck v Bell, 1927. This case, regarding the compulsory sterilization of inmates at mental institutions, has -- somehow -- never been overturned. Just a wee PSA for ya.
Wow wow wow wow wow
We can play the “doubling season game in standard lol “ every walker will ultimate
Gues allegiance Domri will be playable
The thing about ability words is that they don't really do anything, that is, they have no in-game significance, unlike keywords and keyword actions. Their purpose is to tie together broad set themes that, while they have something in common, end up on multiple cards that do radically different themes. Ability words generally need a critical mass within a set to accomplish this, so they don't usually appear alone. Without a group of cards to tie together, there is no point in including ability words. It would be a waste of space better taken up by more useful reminder or flavor text.
War of the Spark definitly won't be getting "This is the worst set since homelands" thread in MTGSalvation
I wouldn't hold your breath, there's always someone who believes a few junk commons and an overpriced rare means a set is overrated and is therefore the worst set ever.
But the set could more or less stop with what we know and still be a solid set (I can think of a few sets that aren't much better than the 128 cards we have now), so I doubt any such thread would get much traction.
Archatmos
Excellion
Fracture: Israfiel (WBR), Wujal (URG), Valedon (GUB), Amduat (BGW), Paladris (RWU)
Collision (Set Two of the Fracture Block)
Quest for the Forsaken (Set Two of the Excellion Block)
Katingal: Plane of Chains
Indeed there’s more junk at the end but we know half the cards and the set is fanatics
I think new phyrexia will still stand as the best set (during standard) since almost everything is playable in that set
Niv-Mizzet Reborn
Feather, the Redeemed
Estrid, the Masked
Teshar
Tymna/Ravos
Najeela, Blade-Blossom
Firesong & Sunspeaker
Zur the Enchanter
Lazav, the Multifarious
Ishai+Reyhan
Click images for decks->
-Prime Speaker Vannifar
---------------------Will & Rowan Kenrith
On a totally different note: Will Magistrate's Scepter become actually used? In a turbo-proliferate deck, 3 proliferates + an untapped scepter yield an extra turn. Already Karn's Bastion and Wilderness Reclamation give 2 per turn, without needing much modification from some existing decks. If a deck can reliably proliferate 3 times a turn.. we have a colorless turn engine. Even in you can only reliably proliferate 2/turn you could end up taking 2 turns to your opponent's 1. If this is the level of proliferate.. that 3/turn limit is not hard... and you're also proliferating counters and walkers in the meantime.
Pff this. Awesome card.
Mine just went trough a complete revamp and this thing would fit in perfectly with all the support allready fitted in!
But what to cut?
Modern: WUBRG Humans - GBW Traverse - GWU Knightfall - GRW Bushwhacker Zoo -
Need to get a playset.
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Hilarious how the image has been watermarked, like they were saying "our original spoiler! Do not steal!" that's pathetic.
It makes sense when translating foreign cards. The foreign card is below it. Lets you know its not the official translation, and could be a little bit off.