What annoys me most about this whole thing is the fact its called the "Commanders' Arsenal".
And then there's this:
"This will be a limited print run product, meant for the collectors and the avid Commander players."
The last time I checked, I'm sure there were more avid Commander Players than Avid Collectors. For a product meant for both (explictly stated), it has less print than a From the Vault product? (Which well, was meant for "Avid Collectors, even if it does have a large Commander impact, wasn't core-designed for Commander).
WotC is mocking Commander, Its like saying there are only 4 Avid Commander Players in every "Top Seller" LGS out there.
If anything, something called Commander's Arsenal should be like a Deck Builder's Toolkit, coming with a random Commander pre-con and an assortment of one-ofs, a mass amount of cards that are not neccessary all valuable, but at an affordable price.
Good thing this is a one-of product, so my complaints stop here.
I thought packs were packed from Bottom-Left to Top-Right order (and went to order my cards that way), but its possible to figure out the exact format of my box since I placed them in a binder in order (Which literally means all my left column oacjs are on the left column of the binder pages.)
Rest in Peace
Pack Rat
Dreadbore
Necropolis Regent (Drainpipe Vermin)
Underworld Connections
Counterflux
Mana Bloom
Steam Vents
Sphinx's Revelation
Jarad's Orders
Wild Beastmaster
Grove of the Guardian (Traitorous Instinct)
I picked Izzet despite knowing my playstyle (and limited in general) is usually more creature-based, since I could only attend one Prerelease event this time due to time constraints and wanted to support the guild I liked the best since the old Ravnica days.
Guild Pack yielded me Niv-Mizzet, so I had 2 dragons (counting Hypersonic)
Obviously in no way that sounded like it was going to fit into the Izzet package, so I had to survey through the rest of my pool.
I ended up building 2 decks out of 1 pool, an Izzet deck with the 2 dragons and Volatile Rig with a smattering of Izzet spells like Chemister's Trick, Teleportal. The other deck was a Golgari-Selesnya deck since I didn't have enough support on either side to make a pure guild deck for thos two, so that deck used up my other rares along with some commons like Sluiceway Scorpion, 2 Drudge Beetles, 2 Stonefare Crocodiles and so on.
It felt like building my own Izzet VS Golgari decks.
I didn't do very well, going only 2-2 and winning 2 packs, but I had quite a lot of fun switching around decks and meddling with them, and that's what prereleases are for. Opening a Blood Crypt in 1 of my prize packs certainly value-added to the event afterwards.
Quite the fun prerelease, as far as they go. Wasn't as amazing as some, but it was above average, refreshing and fun.
To clarify, this isn't actually "merch" at this point. These are presumably leftovers from PAX that are being given away as prizes; they aren't for sale from Wizards like the guild tee-shirts now are. But, like the shirts, that may change if there is enough clamoring from the fans who want to be able to buy them. For the pins, at least. The coloring book is almost certainly going to stay a limited-edition thing.
Sorry, wasn't very updated with MTG recently, except with the RTR previews.
The book's never going to get enough clamoring for sure. For my area, I doubt the pins are going either.
All we are going to clamor is the lack of stocks I can foresee the LGSes are going to have for RTR. Sets like Innistrad have ran out before, so I expect the same for a set with Shocks in it, where everyone would prefer box-purchases.
I have no idea what you intended to say by this post.
Really? What else than a watermark conclusively defines a card's allegiance to a guild, then? Is Psychic Spiral conclusively "Azorius" because it has a vedalken on it?
Why the aforementioned text just does not say "you choose Golgari, you get black and green cards", but uses the "cards from your guild" formulation, then?
So we can't say that they are lying when you open the colorless Golgari Guildgate in your Golgari pack?
I'm pretty sure the pack works like this.
11 commons, 3 uncommons
All Guild Watermarked cards + All Unwatermarked RTR cards that are of your guild's colors and/or colorless.
1 Rare
A Watermarked Rare or a Unwatermarked Rare that is in your guild's colors and/or colorless, except the only Shock you can open is your own.
The only Mythic that can replace your rare is the Guild Leader.
You know, if it weren't for the badges, I think the Coloring Book would have gotten a lot more "dislikes" in this thread.
Nice Merch. Never really cared about merch and not now, but certainly good to see they're doing something (and fun to see reactions to all sorts of merch.)
I'll miss PrimeTime, but I'm not making any fuss about it.
Never really minded it running rampant fetching lands, and then getting messed around with. To me, its part of EDH. It might feel awkward without it, but then again this is EDH, something else will take over it.
But my playgroup loved Worldfire, largely because of some "EDH agreement" that when we cast Worldfire, we all agree to go to Topdeck mode. And when we cast Worldfire, it usually when a game dragged out long enough. So nobody counters it (or if someone violently objects and counters it, someone else is ready to counter that counter anyway.).
Never seen KoKo in EDH, but I suppose it will be refreshing change. Might convince me to actually start building a EDH deck with B in it. (That Thraximundar idea has been running for years with no materialisation already.)
You know, now that we're running out of complaints... maybe we can finally make complaining about WotC not putting $100 bills into booster packs as a valid complaint now!
i'm legitimately content that someone as arrogant as Niv-Mizzet would either self-adopt or allow himself to be called "Dracogenius", it's an obnoxiously brilliant title that reflects on the character a lot flavor-wise.
Lol at Izzet providing the picture of guildleader instead of guildmage as others. No one outshines Niv-Mizzet!
WotC: Hey Guilds, send me a picture with your most pretty/handsome guildmage so we can use them for booster images!
2 days later-
WotC Employee: Okay Azorius check, Selesyna Check, Golgari Check, Rakdos Check, Izzet... waitaminute.... that's obviously not a guildmage. (Stares at the picture of the Dracogenius)
For standard: This is pretty good, but remember that Elite Vanguard has been all but unplayable this time around. It'll probably do work while snapcaster is in standard, but against decks without snapcaster or Lingering Souls, it seems mediocre.
Other formats: looks pretty good. Lots of things that it hoses at a very small opportunity cost.
Actually, what really makes it powerful is the Green.
Low curve green aggro decks will love this to no end. The hate-ability is just icing that helps matchups.
And then there's this:
"This will be a limited print run product, meant for the collectors and the avid Commander players."
The last time I checked, I'm sure there were more avid Commander Players than Avid Collectors. For a product meant for both (explictly stated), it has less print than a From the Vault product? (Which well, was meant for "Avid Collectors, even if it does have a large Commander impact, wasn't core-designed for Commander).
WotC is mocking Commander, Its like saying there are only 4 Avid Commander Players in every "Top Seller" LGS out there.
If anything, something called Commander's Arsenal should be like a Deck Builder's Toolkit, coming with a random Commander pre-con and an assortment of one-ofs, a mass amount of cards that are not neccessary all valuable, but at an affordable price.
Good thing this is a one-of product, so my complaints stop here.
So, to follow the norm for easier mapping...
English-Language Booster Vox (Made in U.S.A.)
Left (From Top Pack to Bottom Pack)
Rakdos's Return
Vraska the Unseen
Firemind's Foresight (Azorius Justicar)
Lotleth Troll
Ash Zealot
Deadbridge Goliath
Death's Presence (Hallowed Fountain)
Wayfaring Temple (Plains)
Overgrown Tomn
Righteous Authority
Corpsejack Menace
Detention Sphere
Middle (From Top Pack to Bottom Pack)
Collective Blessing (Crosstown Courier)
Cyclonic Rift
Mizzium Mortars
Worldspine Wurm
Abrupt Decay
Conjured Currency
Cryptborn Horror
Pithing Needle
Slaughter Games (Hussar Patrol)
Deathrite Shaman (Skymark Roc)
Temple Garden
Hallowed Fountain
Right (From Top Pack to Bottom Pack)
Rest in Peace
Pack Rat
Dreadbore
Necropolis Regent (Drainpipe Vermin)
Underworld Connections
Counterflux
Mana Bloom
Steam Vents
Sphinx's Revelation
Jarad's Orders
Wild Beastmaster
Grove of the Guardian (Traitorous Instinct)
Guild Pack yielded me Niv-Mizzet, so I had 2 dragons (counting Hypersonic)
But my other rares were:
Volatile Rig
Death's Presence
Mana Bloom
Wayfaring Temple
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Obviously in no way that sounded like it was going to fit into the Izzet package, so I had to survey through the rest of my pool.
I ended up building 2 decks out of 1 pool, an Izzet deck with the 2 dragons and Volatile Rig with a smattering of Izzet spells like Chemister's Trick, Teleportal. The other deck was a Golgari-Selesnya deck since I didn't have enough support on either side to make a pure guild deck for thos two, so that deck used up my other rares along with some commons like Sluiceway Scorpion, 2 Drudge Beetles, 2 Stonefare Crocodiles and so on.
It felt like building my own Izzet VS Golgari decks.
I didn't do very well, going only 2-2 and winning 2 packs, but I had quite a lot of fun switching around decks and meddling with them, and that's what prereleases are for. Opening a Blood Crypt in 1 of my prize packs certainly value-added to the event afterwards.
Quite the fun prerelease, as far as they go. Wasn't as amazing as some, but it was above average, refreshing and fun.
Sorry, wasn't very updated with MTG recently, except with the RTR previews.
The book's never going to get enough clamoring for sure. For my area, I doubt the pins are going either.
All we are going to clamor is the lack of stocks I can foresee the LGSes are going to have for RTR. Sets like Innistrad have ran out before, so I expect the same for a set with Shocks in it, where everyone would prefer box-purchases.
So we can't say that they are lying when you open the colorless Golgari Guildgate in your Golgari pack?
I'm pretty sure the pack works like this.
11 commons, 3 uncommons
All Guild Watermarked cards + All Unwatermarked RTR cards that are of your guild's colors and/or colorless.
1 Rare
A Watermarked Rare or a Unwatermarked Rare that is in your guild's colors and/or colorless, except the only Shock you can open is your own.
The only Mythic that can replace your rare is the Guild Leader.
1 Promo Foil.
Nice Merch. Never really cared about merch and not now, but certainly good to see they're doing something (and fun to see reactions to all sorts of merch.)
But like everyone else, I'm sure its the downfall of Rakdos in constructed.
Never really minded it running rampant fetching lands, and then getting messed around with. To me, its part of EDH. It might feel awkward without it, but then again this is EDH, something else will take over it.
But my playgroup loved Worldfire, largely because of some "EDH agreement" that when we cast Worldfire, we all agree to go to Topdeck mode. And when we cast Worldfire, it usually when a game dragged out long enough. So nobody counters it (or if someone violently objects and counters it, someone else is ready to counter that counter anyway.).
Never seen KoKo in EDH, but I suppose it will be refreshing change. Might convince me to actually start building a EDH deck with B in it. (That Thraximundar idea has been running for years with no materialisation already.)
Yeah, but this is EDH, where even if you get Goyf Turn 2 as a 8/9, it can't beat anyone to death.
Goyf is a great card no doubt (to the price-point hammered in even), but its just not for EDH, which is what this product is for.
Confound those ponies, I read Draconequus.
WotC: Hey Guilds, send me a picture with your most pretty/handsome guildmage so we can use them for booster images!
2 days later-
WotC Employee: Okay Azorius check, Selesyna Check, Golgari Check, Rakdos Check, Izzet... waitaminute.... that's obviously not a guildmage. (Stares at the picture of the Dracogenius)
Firemind: Burninate?
WotC Employee: Never mind, we'll use it!
But I don't even run Wurmcoil and probably can't find space for it.
RTR is inciting me to build another deck.
Actually, what really makes it powerful is the Green.
Low curve green aggro decks will love this to no end. The hate-ability is just icing that helps matchups.