All your cards are from a single expansion, and your opponent can play a different expansion.
* Only 2 cards of the same name can be used, other than basic lands.
** Mythic cards are in the Command Zone.
*** Unlike Commander, your deck can have multiple colors and your Mythic is another color.
Magic: The Gathering is a game of wits where we battle strategy and tactics. A game where, in theory, each player has equal access to all the cards and construct the most efficient group of spells to out-duel other Planeswalkers. Through the years, we players have come to learn and collect all manner of spells that suits our style of play, but the available formats these days prevent us from actually using our favorite cards in a competitive manner. Most of our favorites, like Stone Forge Mystic, Arcanis the Omnipotent, Mad Auntie, Siege Rhino and Birthing Pod, and flavorful cards like Kamahl, Pit Fighter and Mayor of Avabruck to name a few will never see a competitive, constructed play. Standard is ever-changing and Legacy-Modern is composed of nothing but the best. Commander is fine and flavorful, but more than a dozen in that deck should be the premier cards like Sol Ring, Tutors, Fetch Lands, Dual Lands, and the likes. Maybe it's time to have a format that is both flavorful and competitive, where new players can have equal footing with veterans, and can be versatile and of course, affordable.
PLANAR FORMAT
A format designed to put a balance on Magic formats, span the different generations of sets, and where old and new players, and experienced ones, can have a fun and competitive game. Planar Magic can expose new players to the different sets, and veterans can have the advantage of making well-crafted decks without the high price tags. A format that emphasizes on balance, creativity and collectibility!
Planar Format is a Block Format with a Commander style build around but with several twists. It is you, as a Planewalker, starting out in your home Plane. Where you travel to different Planes and in the process, dueling with different Mages when you travel to their worlds. To keep the flavor and the design that the developers of Magic intended, all of your cards must be from the same Expansion sets. All spells and lands must be limited to the Expansion of your choice. As you battle with other Planar Decks, you will see how the developers of those sets worked very hard to capture the look and feel of the Plane that they created. It will be a battle of Game Mechanics! Will Cascade triumph over Affinity? Will Zendikar's Eldrazi and Landfall defeat Theros' Gods and Enchantments? Or will Alpha prevail above all?
Planar Magic is a 41 card deck made up entirely from a single Expansion set, a Core set or a Duel Deck. All cards must have the same symbol, or symbols belonging to that Expansion Set. For example you are playing Scars of Mirrodin Block, you can also use Mirrodin Besieged and New Phyrexia. You can not use Mirrodin, Darksteel and Fifth Dawn cards. Let's say you are using Disperse in your build, you must use the Disperse card from Scars of Mirrodin, not the Morningtide version or any other. The only exception from this is if there are DCI and Masters version available. Even basic lands should be from the same set. This is to keep the flavor of the artworks from your Plane intact. (e.g. Zendikar, Worldwake, and Rise of the Eldrazi cards only, or Ravnica, Guildpact, and Dissension only, or Return to Ravnica, Gatecrash, and Dragon's Maze only)
If you want a more diverse spells that span multiple Planes but want more than a Core set can give, try the Commander Decks and Duel Decks! As long as the Duel Deck has the same symbol, you can use it! Let's say you merge the Jace vs. Vraska decks, you can play a Sultai Deck with Remands and Nekrataals!
Rarity Count:
All experienced Magic Players can attest that the more Rares, the more powerful the deck. Which also limits what you can build. Sooner or later you'll be stuffing it with Rare Bombs and that's that. So to have a more creative aspect to the deck building, Planar Magic will have a Rarity Count. Only 4 Rares are allowed in the Deck at a time and only 6 Uncommon cards, which leaves 30 Common cards for the rest. This is where experience will play along as every card you put in must have a synergy with the entire Deck. So no more 8 Fetch Lands in a Deck!
Pairs as Playset:
Now to add more twist to the Format, we won't be using 4 cards of the same name or just 1 like in Commander. Being able to use 4 cards of the same thing is already 10% of the deck, and just the 1 in Commander means card like Squadron Hawk are rendered useless. In this Format, a Pair of cards of the same name is balanced. Other than basic lands, cards can have 2 copies in the deck. 2 Black Lotus? Sure!
The Mythic Rule:
Like Commander, its fun to have a card where your strategy is based upon. In Planar Magic, we'll be using Mythic cards! You can only have 1 Mythic card in your entire build.
All Mythic cards are automatically in the Command Zone in the start of the game. You may cast your Mythic card as if it were in your hand. All Mythic cards can only be in the Mythic Zone, Stack, or in the Battlefield. Whenever it leaves the Battlefield or when the Sorcery or Instant leaves the Stack, it goes back to the Command Zone. Whenever you recast your Mythic, its Mana cost gets +2 generic mana for each time you recast it.
You can use Planeswalker or a Creature for your Mythic, and also you can use any other Mythic cards like Lands, Artifacts, Enchantments, Instants or Sorceries! Try a Sphinx's Revelation deck or a Rakdos' Return Deck!
Older Sets don't have Mythic Rarity, they can use any Planeswalker from any expansion with 6 or more casting cost for their Mythic.
Some Mythic cards have certain effects when in Exile. For example, Misthollow Griffin from Avacyn Restored says "You may cast Misthollow Griffin from exile", this can override the Mythic Rule because you can just keep on casting it for its original cost over and over. Another example is Obzedat, Ghost Council from Gatecrash which says "At the beginning of your end step, you may exile Obzedat. If you do, return it to the battlefield under its owner's control at the beginning of your next upkeep", Obzedat goes back into the battlefield as normal since it has a statement that makes it able to go back into play. Other cards that exiles like Oblivion Ring will remove your Mythic from the battlefield as normal, you can have your Mythic go back by recasting it or by destroying the Oblivion Ring, since the O-Ring has "When Oblivion Ring leaves the battlefield, return the exiled card to to the battlefield under its owner's control".
Sideboard Cards:
Up to 9 cards can be used for the sideboards. You can put any Rarity in your sideboard other than a Mythic card, making sure that you board out the appropriate Rarity of the Sideboards you will be putting in. For example, If you would put in Naturalize, you must board out a common card in its stead. Same with Rares and Uncommon, if you would board in a Rare card like Abrupt Decay or Wrath of God, you must remove a Rare card from your Mainboard.
Banned Cards:
Banning cards is a weakness of any format so the only thing banned are Ante related cards to simplify the game.
*** A Masters set is not allowed. You can use Masters cards to substitute where the cards originally came from, but you cannot use any Masters as your Set. Their Original Rarity applies, not the Masters Rarity. You can also use Masterpieces, Promo Cards, DCI cards, etc. as substitute for normal cards.
*** CONSIDERATION: Lots of people have been asking to put Black Lotus as a Mythic. You can always do so. I myself have not played with them so I can only imagine the power level it creates. As much as I'd like to see 2 Lotus in a deck, cards like those are under heavy scrutiny so a Mythic List for old cards are in consideration. Thanks for all the feedback!
- Lorwyn and Morningtide are considered as one block, and Shadowmoor and Eventide as another.
- This is where the Planeswalker card came out and the last expansion which has no Mythic Rarity.
To solve this dilemma, Planeswalkers are considered Mythic on both Lorwyn and Shadowmoor block.
I.e. If you are playing a Lorwyn deck, you cannot have 4 Planeswalkers on your Rare count. You can only use 1 Planeswalker as your Mythic; also
If you are playing a Shadowmoor deck, you can only use one of the five Planeswalker from Lorwyn.
This sounds really cool. I could totally see myself building one of these.
Thanks! Been telling this to my friends who stopped playing and doesn't own new cards and don't have competitive modern decks so that we can still play something fair and balanced. I hope this works in your circle! Let me know how it goes!
BAGBRO2 asked me in Reddit about why limiting it to a Single Block, I've been asked that a couple of times so here's my answer:
About the limiting to a Single Block, its there not only for theme, but for practicality as well. Yeah, it can turn off deck brewers to the idea, but they have lots of formats to choose from. The main inspiration for that is this scenario:
1. Let's say you introduce someone to the game, he/she can't have a competitive game with you or your play group because of the different power levels of your decks right? So that new player can't play any games without getting good cards or borrowing decks, otherwise they'll just get the crap beaten out of them. That's not a good introduction to encourage them to play. I've known a few that didn't like the game because they need to spend a hundred dollars to win. Limiting it to a Single Block and putting boundaries on deck building makes it sure for that person can play with your group on an equal footing;
2. Same as with people who just played for a season or two. Grinders and collectors like us don't really notice it, but a bulk percentage of people who know magic has stopped playing. I know lots of people who played the game at certain expansions only. The Single Block Rule can allow them to play an equal game with you. They can dig out their cards and play again without the need to buy modern or legacy meta cards. I guess I come from a community where practicality takes precedence over spending on cards, and I would like those people to still enjoy playing the game; lastly
3. Let's say you joined a draft or a pre-release, you can just keep the deck you built, make some changes, you now have a another new Planar deck!
Its not meant to be "This is my deck, I'll pimp it out and add Full Art lands and Masterpieces" type of deck. You should have 3, or 5, or a dozen Planar decks to enjoy.
I think that for older blocks, prior to mythics, you allow for another rare from that block, in place of a mythic. I’d rather build that way than being stuck with a planeswalker out of flavor.
***** FIVE STARS IDEA INCOMING, JUST GIVING A HEADS UP OKAY *****
I think that with deck slot rarity restrictions, the most sensical block system that splits the difference between old and new would be that plus year of release by as much as possible. Being pick UP TO three blocks with one being the main one, and not having possibly degenerate commander mechanics and having some more variance to play. In Commander, always having a certain card really works a lot more, with singleton ideas put to the stratosphere of 100.
This kind of already exists as Build Your Own Standard type ideas. With the structure of "next three adjacent blocks, forward or backward, with shifting of future to past where the future doesn't exist." costing -2 rares and -2 uncommons, and outside of that scope they cost -2 rares and and -2 uncommons more each. Blocks have a basis of 3, 2 or 1 now. So using a block that has 2 or 1 is +1 or +2 in the count respectively.
So counting time, and also counting the block system of use. So, Seven-Block Standard (Extended), with options of 12 rares and 12 uncommons, 10 rares and 10 uncommons, 8 rares and 8 uncommons within 7-block before block size adjustment. Then with options of 7/7 and 2/2. (Once this became totally ridiculous, there would be Eternal format analogousness)
And with the deck size being 52 and the slots being up to 12 rares and 12 uncommons and with that same 2-slot restriction.
This format could probably use a conspiracy-type printing. As cool as it is, stuff like Sphinx's or Rakdos's is just degenerate and you would play it fewer times than the effort to create your deck would warrant, possibly (if you were to say perhaps ADD a player, not go backwards but ADD a new player). IF, however, you could say "I'm using cards from Ravnica, Tempest, and Time Spiral, centered on Ravnica", then it might not be true. That would be close to Standard. Then it could be "Draw the 53rd card, which is a Conspiracy, and it would use something a lot like that, just not exactly that.
So public information would be "Main Set" and "Conspiracy". The exact visual pass of format legality would be gone but the basic premise of a player getting to play a Standard-type game rather than a Legacy-type game while keeping their value would hold true. Currently the Conspiracies just say Conspiracy (remindertext use this face up in command zone) or Hidden Agenda THEN (remdindertext that it's hidden). So Conspiracy card type - and then reminder text of Planecraft (This card is played in your deck but only in planecraft, and goes to the command zone when used.) They could even have mana costs at that point and be different colors, or colorless with no cost. With the one rule that a planecraft-fused card has to be a singleton. Would kind of have to be "active revealed" and "passive revealed" and work like Miracle, when drawn IMMEDIATELY revealed (making sure to show what cards you draw a bit more slowly), and then casting the buried card is another technical revelation (the card under could be seen by the rules). If it ever went to the graveyard or had to be used with an impulsive draw effect, both of these things would still work, with the casting and then active-passive rules. (Visually liked tapped or untapped.) ACTUAL rule = passive revealed equals sits on top of your library or graveyard tapped-style and doesn't count as a card but as command zone.
This would be restricted to the most basic possible of effects of doing even fewer than other Conspiracies; simply establishing a vocabulary like set up the attached card as a planecraft with these exact casting rules if it would go to any zone other than the battlefield. So a planecraft could be a thing that was separate from even the planecraft cards. You could also just say play planecraft with drawing the card as your standard idea. (Another long roundabout circle).
You could even include initial planecraft EXACTLY as you have it here, just as a COST rare-uncommon-wise. (Probably the least divergent suggestion of course).
These would be fancy double faced cards where you have to use a single-faced card with them, because they are minutely thinner than normal! And you get to put any one card in your deck with it.
Then you wouldn't have to draw BOTH your Sphinx's or Rakdos's, just the one card. And you could do more than just play it again for more mana, though obviously that would be card. Would go down this whole road JUST to do that very thing but not cause the irrevocable dealbreaker that it just stopped being played. Could only play sleeved, and would even have to make double sleeving necessary with a design where one sleeve takes up space with filled plastic and another holds the place of a planecraft card. But that would be worth it! So this would be triple-faced cards. So you could do fancy flips where you couldn't get your planecraft card back anymore, but then effect B was something crazy (and effect A could be mercifully almost always the same kind of thing - but variety could also creep into the system... some plodding thing like get a dumb 3/3 on side A.)
The whole spiel here is not against this, it's pro-this and just thinking about how it's generally regarded. If it was for use only by your group, why post it right? You're at least tacitly saying how about play this format, as many as we can get. Or it's just sharing, in which case ignore it. Like does it become 5% as popular as even Pauper, let's say (which is fair wheelhouse to judge it by) If you could roll a die and then MODIFY even THAT result by reintroduction of player choice somehow and then see IF THE PLANECRAFT CAN EVEN BE USED THIS GAME, by BOTH players, that might be well-regarded indeed! One sleeve would have to swap back to a fully filled one but that'd be fine. So, that, until that other aspect.
So get to work Wizardy people and give us Conspiracy: Planecraft. As long as that might take.
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"Warning: Um, warning. This is going to be a game state violation. And a taking extra turns and drawing extra cards violation, pretty much, a whole bunch of violations. Look at me, I'm the DCI."
I think that for older blocks, prior to mythics, you allow for another rare from that block, in place of a mythic. I’d rather build that way than being stuck with a planeswalker out of flavor.
True! You mean another Mythic Rare from another set? I'd thought about that, I'm just not sure if there will be broken interactions with Mythic and older cards, that's why I chose Planeswalkers because I don't think they can do that much damage. If you try out other Mythics let me know how it goes! Also, if you encounter broken combos too! Thanks for the input! I appreciate it!
I think that for older blocks, prior to mythics, you allow for another rare from that block, in place of a mythic. I’d rather build that way than being stuck with a planeswalker out of flavor.
True! You mean another Mythic Rare from another set? I'd thought about that, I'm just not sure if there will be broken interactions with Mythic and older cards, that's why I chose Planeswalkers because I don't think they can do that much damage. If you try out other Mythics let me know how it goes! Also, if you encounter broken combos too! Thanks for the input! I appreciate it!
No I don’t mean another Mythic from another set.
Say I choose Urza’s Saga block, instead of four rares from that block and a Mythic Rare from a future set, I just get five rares from Saga block. This way all my cards are from the same sets.
I think that for older blocks, prior to mythics, you allow for another rare from that block, in place of a mythic. I’d rather build that way than being stuck with a planeswalker out of flavor.
True! You mean another Mythic Rare from another set? I'd thought about that, I'm just not sure if there will be broken interactions with Mythic and older cards, that's why I chose Planeswalkers because I don't think they can do that much damage. If you try out other Mythics let me know how it goes! Also, if you encounter broken combos too! Thanks for the input! I appreciate it!
No I don’t mean another Mythic from another set.
Say I choose Urza’s Saga block, instead of four rares from that block and a Mythic Rare from a future set, I just get five rares from Saga block. This way all my cards are from the same sets.
Sounds great! Let me know if there are broken combos that come out of it, but I'm guessing its safe enough. Have fun!
Obviously, not every set will have balance against one another. A player who has played for a while may have access to a New Phyrexia deck that simply has a higher power level than a newbie's Guilds of Ravnica deck. In that respect, your goal where "new players can have equal footing with veterans" is kind of null and void. This is reason (as I understand it) that Brawl is restricted to standard cards, restricting the cardpool to cards that new players and veterans have relatively equal access to.
Otherwise, you end up with something like this:
1 Literally any mythic
2 Black Lotus
2 Contract From Below
2 Demonic Tutor
2 Channel
2 Regrowth
2 Dark Ritual
2 Llanwar Elves
2 Fireball
2 Pestilence
2 Lightning Bolt
2 Sinkhole
2 Fog
2 Red Elemental Blast
5 Mountain
6 Forest
6 Swamp
It's a deck that literally holds lotus-channel-fireball for a 1 turn kill... and has two demonic tutors and two contract from below to find the pieces... and regrowth to regain lost pieces/red elemental blast to disrupt counterspells. If you go with the 5 rares for sets with no mythics idea, I'd shove black lotus into the mythic slot and slot in a wheel of fortune.
Yeah, it's a little bit disengenuous to say that you are putting veterans and new players on a level playing field... or that you are letting players get competitive use out of cards like Arcanis the Omnipotent... when the format will inevitably gravitate toward the expansions towards the most powerful cards (which veterans are more likely to have) and entire SETS will be rendered unplayable.
Mind you, I still like the format. I just see the flaws that come with it.
Obviously, not every set will have balance against one another. A player who has played for a while may have access to a New Phyrexia deck that simply has a higher power level than a newbie's Guilds of Ravnica deck. In that respect, your goal where "new players can have equal footing with veterans" is kind of null and void. This is reason (as I understand it) that Brawl is restricted to standard cards, restricting the cardpool to cards that new players and veterans have relatively equal access to.
Otherwise, you end up with something like this:
1 Literally any mythic
2 Black Lotus
2 Contract From Below
2 Demonic Tutor
2 Channel
2 Regrowth
2 Dark Ritual
2 Llanwar Elves
2 Fireball
2 Pestilence
2 Lightning Bolt
2 Sinkhole
2 Fog
2 Red Elemental Blast
5 Mountain
6 Forest
6 Swamp
It's a deck that literally holds lotus-channel-fireball for a 1 turn kill... and has two demonic tutors and two contract from below to find the pieces... and regrowth to regain lost pieces/red elemental blast to disrupt counterspells. If you go with the 5 rares for sets with no mythics idea, I'd shove black lotus into the mythic slot and slot in a wheel of fortune.
Yeah, it's a little bit disengenuous to say that you are putting veterans and new players on a level playing field... or that you are letting players get competitive use out of cards like Arcanis the Omnipotent... when the format will inevitably gravitate toward the expansions towards the most powerful cards (which veterans are more likely to have) and entire SETS will be rendered unplayable.
Mind you, I still like the format. I just see the flaws that come with it.
Awesome feedback! Will definitely ponder on that! I'm guessing you checked on the rarity of the Alpha cards? I'll try it out as soon as I find the time so I can tweak the rules. Thanks a bunch!
Awesome idea I am going to build a couple of decks to play with friends, definitely starting with Devine visitation.
I haven't updated it for Guilds of Ravnica! Lol! Yeah, that's a fun build! I've been busy playing with paper Magic and life! Hahaha... Post your build here so I can add it on the next decklists! Thanks!
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Planar Format - Inter-Block Constructed Format
Played like Regular Magic, 1v1 in most cases, except it has a Commander Style System and Build limitations.
- 1 Mythic (Your Commander)
- 4 Rare
- 6 Uncommons
- 30 Commons
All your cards are from a single expansion, and your opponent can play a different expansion.
* Only 2 cards of the same name can be used, other than basic lands.
** Mythic cards are in the Command Zone.
*** Unlike Commander, your deck can have multiple colors and your Mythic is another color.
PLANAR FORMAT
A format designed to put a balance on Magic formats, span the different generations of sets, and where old and new players, and experienced ones, can have a fun and competitive game. Planar Magic can expose new players to the different sets, and veterans can have the advantage of making well-crafted decks without the high price tags. A format that emphasizes on balance, creativity and collectibility!
Planar Format is a Block Format with a Commander style build around but with several twists. It is you, as a Planewalker, starting out in your home Plane. Where you travel to different Planes and in the process, dueling with different Mages when you travel to their worlds. To keep the flavor and the design that the developers of Magic intended, all of your cards must be from the same Expansion sets. All spells and lands must be limited to the Expansion of your choice. As you battle with other Planar Decks, you will see how the developers of those sets worked very hard to capture the look and feel of the Plane that they created. It will be a battle of Game Mechanics! Will Cascade triumph over Affinity? Will Zendikar's Eldrazi and Landfall defeat Theros' Gods and Enchantments? Or will Alpha prevail above all?
Planar Magic is a 41 card deck made up entirely from a single Expansion set, a Core set or a Duel Deck. All cards must have the same symbol, or symbols belonging to that Expansion Set. For example you are playing Scars of Mirrodin Block, you can also use Mirrodin Besieged and New Phyrexia. You can not use Mirrodin, Darksteel and Fifth Dawn cards. Let's say you are using Disperse in your build, you must use the Disperse card from Scars of Mirrodin, not the Morningtide version or any other. The only exception from this is if there are DCI and Masters version available. Even basic lands should be from the same set. This is to keep the flavor of the artworks from your Plane intact. (e.g. Zendikar, Worldwake, and Rise of the Eldrazi cards only, or Ravnica, Guildpact, and Dissension only, or Return to Ravnica, Gatecrash, and Dragon's Maze only)
If you want a more diverse spells that span multiple Planes but want more than a Core set can give, try the Commander Decks and Duel Decks! As long as the Duel Deck has the same symbol, you can use it! Let's say you merge the Jace vs. Vraska decks, you can play a Sultai Deck with Remands and Nekrataals!
Rarity Count:
All experienced Magic Players can attest that the more Rares, the more powerful the deck. Which also limits what you can build. Sooner or later you'll be stuffing it with Rare Bombs and that's that. So to have a more creative aspect to the deck building, Planar Magic will have a Rarity Count. Only 4 Rares are allowed in the Deck at a time and only 6 Uncommon cards, which leaves 30 Common cards for the rest. This is where experience will play along as every card you put in must have a synergy with the entire Deck. So no more 8 Fetch Lands in a Deck!
Pairs as Playset:
Now to add more twist to the Format, we won't be using 4 cards of the same name or just 1 like in Commander. Being able to use 4 cards of the same thing is already 10% of the deck, and just the 1 in Commander means card like Squadron Hawk are rendered useless. In this Format, a Pair of cards of the same name is balanced. Other than basic lands, cards can have 2 copies in the deck. 2 Black Lotus? Sure!
The Mythic Rule:
Like Commander, its fun to have a card where your strategy is based upon. In Planar Magic, we'll be using Mythic cards! You can only have 1 Mythic card in your entire build.
All Mythic cards are automatically in the Command Zone in the start of the game. You may cast your Mythic card as if it were in your hand. All Mythic cards can only be in the Mythic Zone, Stack, or in the Battlefield. Whenever it leaves the Battlefield or when the Sorcery or Instant leaves the Stack, it goes back to the Command Zone. Whenever you recast your Mythic, its Mana cost gets +2 generic mana for each time you recast it.
You can use Planeswalker or a Creature for your Mythic, and also you can use any other Mythic cards like Lands, Artifacts, Enchantments, Instants or Sorceries! Try a Sphinx's Revelation deck or a Rakdos' Return Deck!
Older Sets don't have Mythic Rarity, they can use any Planeswalker from any expansion with 6 or more casting cost for their Mythic.
Some Mythic cards have certain effects when in Exile. For example, Misthollow Griffin from Avacyn Restored says "You may cast Misthollow Griffin from exile", this can override the Mythic Rule because you can just keep on casting it for its original cost over and over. Another example is Obzedat, Ghost Council from Gatecrash which says "At the beginning of your end step, you may exile Obzedat. If you do, return it to the battlefield under its owner's control at the beginning of your next upkeep", Obzedat goes back into the battlefield as normal since it has a statement that makes it able to go back into play. Other cards that exiles like Oblivion Ring will remove your Mythic from the battlefield as normal, you can have your Mythic go back by recasting it or by destroying the Oblivion Ring, since the O-Ring has "When Oblivion Ring leaves the battlefield, return the exiled card to to the battlefield under its owner's control".
Sideboard Cards:
Up to 9 cards can be used for the sideboards. You can put any Rarity in your sideboard other than a Mythic card, making sure that you board out the appropriate Rarity of the Sideboards you will be putting in. For example, If you would put in Naturalize, you must board out a common card in its stead. Same with Rares and Uncommon, if you would board in a Rare card like Abrupt Decay or Wrath of God, you must remove a Rare card from your Mainboard.
Banned Cards:
Banning cards is a weakness of any format so the only thing banned are Ante related cards to simplify the game.
*** A Masters set is not allowed. You can use Masters cards to substitute where the cards originally came from, but you cannot use any Masters as your Set. Their Original Rarity applies, not the Masters Rarity. You can also use Masterpieces, Promo Cards, DCI cards, etc. as substitute for normal cards.
Planar Format:
- 1 Mythic
- 4 Rare
- 6 Uncommons
- 30 Commons
* 9 Sideboards
*** CONSIDERATION: Lots of people have been asking to put Black Lotus as a Mythic. You can always do so. I myself have not played with them so I can only imagine the power level it creates. As much as I'd like to see 2 Lotus in a deck, cards like those are under heavy scrutiny so a Mythic List for old cards are in consideration. Thanks for all the feedback!
Some points to clarify on these blocks:
- Lorwyn and Morningtide are considered as one block, and Shadowmoor and Eventide as another.
- This is where the Planeswalker card came out and the last expansion which has no Mythic Rarity.
To solve this dilemma, Planeswalkers are considered Mythic on both Lorwyn and Shadowmoor block.
I.e. If you are playing a Lorwyn deck, you cannot have 4 Planeswalkers on your Rare count. You can only use 1 Planeswalker as your Mythic; also
If you are playing a Shadowmoor deck, you can only use one of the five Planeswalker from Lorwyn.
Thanks! Been telling this to my friends who stopped playing and doesn't own new cards and don't have competitive modern decks so that we can still play something fair and balanced. I hope this works in your circle! Let me know how it goes!
About the limiting to a Single Block, its there not only for theme, but for practicality as well. Yeah, it can turn off deck brewers to the idea, but they have lots of formats to choose from. The main inspiration for that is this scenario:
1. Let's say you introduce someone to the game, he/she can't have a competitive game with you or your play group because of the different power levels of your decks right? So that new player can't play any games without getting good cards or borrowing decks, otherwise they'll just get the crap beaten out of them. That's not a good introduction to encourage them to play. I've known a few that didn't like the game because they need to spend a hundred dollars to win. Limiting it to a Single Block and putting boundaries on deck building makes it sure for that person can play with your group on an equal footing;
2. Same as with people who just played for a season or two. Grinders and collectors like us don't really notice it, but a bulk percentage of people who know magic has stopped playing. I know lots of people who played the game at certain expansions only. The Single Block Rule can allow them to play an equal game with you. They can dig out their cards and play again without the need to buy modern or legacy meta cards. I guess I come from a community where practicality takes precedence over spending on cards, and I would like those people to still enjoy playing the game; lastly
3. Let's say you joined a draft or a pre-release, you can just keep the deck you built, make some changes, you now have a another new Planar deck!
Its not meant to be "This is my deck, I'll pimp it out and add Full Art lands and Masterpieces" type of deck. You should have 3, or 5, or a dozen Planar decks to enjoy.
Reddit Thread:
https://www.reddit.com/r/budgetdecks/comments/9co76m/creating_a_budget_format_for_beginners_casuals/
I think that with deck slot rarity restrictions, the most sensical block system that splits the difference between old and new would be that plus year of release by as much as possible. Being pick UP TO three blocks with one being the main one, and not having possibly degenerate commander mechanics and having some more variance to play. In Commander, always having a certain card really works a lot more, with singleton ideas put to the stratosphere of 100.
This kind of already exists as Build Your Own Standard type ideas. With the structure of "next three adjacent blocks, forward or backward, with shifting of future to past where the future doesn't exist." costing -2 rares and -2 uncommons, and outside of that scope they cost -2 rares and and -2 uncommons more each. Blocks have a basis of 3, 2 or 1 now. So using a block that has 2 or 1 is +1 or +2 in the count respectively.
So counting time, and also counting the block system of use. So, Seven-Block Standard (Extended), with options of 12 rares and 12 uncommons, 10 rares and 10 uncommons, 8 rares and 8 uncommons within 7-block before block size adjustment. Then with options of 7/7 and 2/2. (Once this became totally ridiculous, there would be Eternal format analogousness)
And with the deck size being 52 and the slots being up to 12 rares and 12 uncommons and with that same 2-slot restriction.
This format could probably use a conspiracy-type printing. As cool as it is, stuff like Sphinx's or Rakdos's is just degenerate and you would play it fewer times than the effort to create your deck would warrant, possibly (if you were to say perhaps ADD a player, not go backwards but ADD a new player). IF, however, you could say "I'm using cards from Ravnica, Tempest, and Time Spiral, centered on Ravnica", then it might not be true. That would be close to Standard. Then it could be "Draw the 53rd card, which is a Conspiracy, and it would use something a lot like that, just not exactly that.
So public information would be "Main Set" and "Conspiracy". The exact visual pass of format legality would be gone but the basic premise of a player getting to play a Standard-type game rather than a Legacy-type game while keeping their value would hold true. Currently the Conspiracies just say Conspiracy (remindertext use this face up in command zone) or Hidden Agenda THEN (remdindertext that it's hidden). So Conspiracy card type - and then reminder text of Planecraft (This card is played in your deck but only in planecraft, and goes to the command zone when used.) They could even have mana costs at that point and be different colors, or colorless with no cost. With the one rule that a planecraft-fused card has to be a singleton. Would kind of have to be "active revealed" and "passive revealed" and work like Miracle, when drawn IMMEDIATELY revealed (making sure to show what cards you draw a bit more slowly), and then casting the buried card is another technical revelation (the card under could be seen by the rules). If it ever went to the graveyard or had to be used with an impulsive draw effect, both of these things would still work, with the casting and then active-passive rules. (Visually liked tapped or untapped.) ACTUAL rule = passive revealed equals sits on top of your library or graveyard tapped-style and doesn't count as a card but as command zone.
This would be restricted to the most basic possible of effects of doing even fewer than other Conspiracies; simply establishing a vocabulary like set up the attached card as a planecraft with these exact casting rules if it would go to any zone other than the battlefield. So a planecraft could be a thing that was separate from even the planecraft cards. You could also just say play planecraft with drawing the card as your standard idea. (Another long roundabout circle).
You could even include initial planecraft EXACTLY as you have it here, just as a COST rare-uncommon-wise. (Probably the least divergent suggestion of course).
These would be fancy double faced cards where you have to use a single-faced card with them, because they are minutely thinner than normal! And you get to put any one card in your deck with it.
Then you wouldn't have to draw BOTH your Sphinx's or Rakdos's, just the one card. And you could do more than just play it again for more mana, though obviously that would be card. Would go down this whole road JUST to do that very thing but not cause the irrevocable dealbreaker that it just stopped being played. Could only play sleeved, and would even have to make double sleeving necessary with a design where one sleeve takes up space with filled plastic and another holds the place of a planecraft card. But that would be worth it! So this would be triple-faced cards. So you could do fancy flips where you couldn't get your planecraft card back anymore, but then effect B was something crazy (and effect A could be mercifully almost always the same kind of thing - but variety could also creep into the system... some plodding thing like get a dumb 3/3 on side A.)
The whole spiel here is not against this, it's pro-this and just thinking about how it's generally regarded. If it was for use only by your group, why post it right? You're at least tacitly saying how about play this format, as many as we can get. Or it's just sharing, in which case ignore it. Like does it become 5% as popular as even Pauper, let's say (which is fair wheelhouse to judge it by) If you could roll a die and then MODIFY even THAT result by reintroduction of player choice somehow and then see IF THE PLANECRAFT CAN EVEN BE USED THIS GAME, by BOTH players, that might be well-regarded indeed! One sleeve would have to swap back to a fully filled one but that'd be fine. So, that, until that other aspect.
So get to work Wizardy people and give us Conspiracy: Planecraft. As long as that might take.
True! You mean another Mythic Rare from another set? I'd thought about that, I'm just not sure if there will be broken interactions with Mythic and older cards, that's why I chose Planeswalkers because I don't think they can do that much damage. If you try out other Mythics let me know how it goes! Also, if you encounter broken combos too! Thanks for the input! I appreciate it!
No I don’t mean another Mythic from another set.
Say I choose Urza’s Saga block, instead of four rares from that block and a Mythic Rare from a future set, I just get five rares from Saga block. This way all my cards are from the same sets.
Sounds great! Let me know if there are broken combos that come out of it, but I'm guessing its safe enough. Have fun!
Obviously, not every set will have balance against one another. A player who has played for a while may have access to a New Phyrexia deck that simply has a higher power level than a newbie's Guilds of Ravnica deck. In that respect, your goal where "new players can have equal footing with veterans" is kind of null and void. This is reason (as I understand it) that Brawl is restricted to standard cards, restricting the cardpool to cards that new players and veterans have relatively equal access to.
Otherwise, you end up with something like this:
1 Literally any mythic
2 Black Lotus
2 Contract From Below
2 Demonic Tutor
2 Channel
2 Regrowth
2 Dark Ritual
2 Llanwar Elves
2 Fireball
2 Pestilence
2 Lightning Bolt
2 Sinkhole
2 Fog
2 Red Elemental Blast
5 Mountain
6 Forest
6 Swamp
It's a deck that literally holds lotus-channel-fireball for a 1 turn kill... and has two demonic tutors and two contract from below to find the pieces... and regrowth to regain lost pieces/red elemental blast to disrupt counterspells. If you go with the 5 rares for sets with no mythics idea, I'd shove black lotus into the mythic slot and slot in a wheel of fortune.
Yeah, it's a little bit disengenuous to say that you are putting veterans and new players on a level playing field... or that you are letting players get competitive use out of cards like Arcanis the Omnipotent... when the format will inevitably gravitate toward the expansions towards the most powerful cards (which veterans are more likely to have) and entire SETS will be rendered unplayable.
Mind you, I still like the format. I just see the flaws that come with it.
Awesome feedback! Will definitely ponder on that! I'm guessing you checked on the rarity of the Alpha cards? I'll try it out as soon as I find the time so I can tweak the rules. Thanks a bunch!
I haven't updated it for Guilds of Ravnica! Lol! Yeah, that's a fun build! I've been busy playing with paper Magic and life! Hahaha... Post your build here so I can add it on the next decklists! Thanks!