But Energy is creative enough that I'd like it to see play even after standard; and I am really hoping AER brings a strong amount of good energy producing cards as well as some strong cards that use it.
Whenever a set has a mechanic that spreads across formats - whether it may be too strong or just right - I think WotC has done something right (even if it's too good for standard, I believe it's good to shake things up in other formats from time to time to add variety). They're bringing something new into something old (Modern, EDH) and I think that's important for the game so it doesn't get too stale. Energy is something I'd like to see become an actual archetype outside of standard and I'm hoping AER had the goods it needs to become a thing outside of standard.
My prediction is that the Aetherborn faction is going to get fleshed out and we'll see more useful energy based cards for B and for W, which curiously had the fewest number of decent energy cards out of any of the colors. Red actually has more useful ones than either of the other two. I'm just hoping we don't end up with something crazy like infect, where we had a relatively underpowered mechanic that no one cared about suddenly burst when the support came later.
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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!
My prediction is that the Aetherborn faction is going to get fleshed out and we'll see more useful energy based cards for B and for W, which curiously had the fewest number of decent energy cards out of any of the colors. Red actually has more useful ones than either of the other two. I'm just hoping we don't end up with something crazy like infect, where we had a relatively underpowered mechanic that no one cared about suddenly burst when the support came later.
I wouldn't say nobody cares about it now, mainly because of Marvel. According to MTG Goldfish, 23% of Meta right now is energy based (19% Marvel, 4% Pummeler) and 55% of Meta are decks that run a playset of Copters. More good Energy cards are probably going to push it above 25% unless Heart of Friends decks cut into the Copter/Energy stranglehold.
With more good energy cards what is really needed is more cheap instant speed artifact hate.
My prediction is that the Aetherborn faction is going to get fleshed out and we'll see more useful energy based cards for B and for W, which curiously had the fewest number of decent energy cards out of any of the colors. Red actually has more useful ones than either of the other two. I'm just hoping we don't end up with something crazy like infect, where we had a relatively underpowered mechanic that no one cared about suddenly burst when the support came later.
I wouldn't say nobody cares about it now, mainly because of Marvel. According to MTG Goldfish, 23% of Meta right now is energy based (19% Marvel, 4% Pummeler) and 55% of Meta are decks that run a playset of Copters. More good Energy cards are probably going to push it above 25% unless Heart of Friends decks cut into the Copter/Energy stranglehold.
With more good energy cards what is really needed is more cheap instant speed artifact hate.
Oh yeah, the statement before was more so pointing at infect during the release of Scars of Mirrodin. There was some playing around with it, but infect didn't take off until the later two sets. Right now we got a fairly playable mechanic that needs a bit more support to really flourish, but also has no traditional way to interact with. We don't have any kind of card to remove energy anymore than there are cards in modern that can stop poison counters outside of Melira, Sylvok Outcast. Whenever the designers make a mechanic that is boxed into a set and has no real way of being interacted with outside of the set it comes in there is a chance things can go wrong later.
I just remembered this set has energy eating gremlins that also happen to be the MTG version of puppies in their tenacious clinging to cuteness. Thriving Grubs are the 101 dalmations of Kaladesh. Except they grow up into Territorial Gorger. They might print a gremlin that counters energy, now that I think on it.
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 don't remember infect having anything as strong as Aetherworks Marvel to support it though. Contagion engine and Contagion clasp were the best artifacts I remember for it. Contagion Engine typically couldn't be tapped the turn it came out, and wasn't close to being one of the stronger artifacts in the set. Plus it had uses other than just infect. Plus the way the infect mechanic works, you get punished for splitting your deck between infect and non infect creatures. That isn't the case with energy creatures. Until more creature and proliferate cards were added, it required you to build a jank deck if you wanted to go infect in Scars. Also, infect was a new mechanic but it borrowed from wither and poison and didn't do things like create extra creatures or cast extra spells. It was just a different form of damage.
Other than Marvel, I think they have done a great job with energy but Marvel is a problem because the more good energy cards added, the stronger Marvel gets. I wish they would have at least made you spend 4 mana to spin it. I can't wait until you see Turn 3 Janjeet Sentry, Turn 4 Marvel spin on opponents turn. Turn 5 spin Marvel, cast to play more energy cards. Opponent turn, untap Marvel with Janjeet, spin Marvel again.
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But Energy is creative enough that I'd like it to see play even after standard; and I am really hoping AER brings a strong amount of good energy producing cards as well as some strong cards that use it.
Whenever a set has a mechanic that spreads across formats - whether it may be too strong or just right - I think WotC has done something right (even if it's too good for standard, I believe it's good to shake things up in other formats from time to time to add variety). They're bringing something new into something old (Modern, EDH) and I think that's important for the game so it doesn't get too stale. Energy is something I'd like to see become an actual archetype outside of standard and I'm hoping AER had the goods it needs to become a thing outside of standard.
Dunes of Zairo
SHANDALAR
Innistrad - The Darkest Night
~THE RAVNICAN CONSORTIUM~
A Community Set
Commander: Allies & Adversaries
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 wouldn't say nobody cares about it now, mainly because of Marvel. According to MTG Goldfish, 23% of Meta right now is energy based (19% Marvel, 4% Pummeler) and 55% of Meta are decks that run a playset of Copters. More good Energy cards are probably going to push it above 25% unless Heart of Friends decks cut into the Copter/Energy stranglehold.
With more good energy cards what is really needed is more cheap instant speed artifact hate.
Oh yeah, the statement before was more so pointing at infect during the release of Scars of Mirrodin. There was some playing around with it, but infect didn't take off until the later two sets. Right now we got a fairly playable mechanic that needs a bit more support to really flourish, but also has no traditional way to interact with. We don't have any kind of card to remove energy anymore than there are cards in modern that can stop poison counters outside of Melira, Sylvok Outcast. Whenever the designers make a mechanic that is boxed into a set and has no real way of being interacted with outside of the set it comes in there is a chance things can go wrong later.
I just remembered this set has energy eating gremlins that also happen to be the MTG version of puppies in their tenacious clinging to cuteness. Thriving Grubs are the 101 dalmations of Kaladesh. Except they grow up into Territorial Gorger. They might print a gremlin that counters energy, now that I think on it.
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!
Other than Marvel, I think they have done a great job with energy but Marvel is a problem because the more good energy cards added, the stronger Marvel gets. I wish they would have at least made you spend 4 mana to spin it. I can't wait until you see Turn 3 Janjeet Sentry, Turn 4 Marvel spin on opponents turn. Turn 5 spin Marvel, cast to play more energy cards. Opponent turn, untap Marvel with Janjeet, spin Marvel again.