Kamigawa was reaaaaally heavy on Japanese culture. Lots of players didn't understand any of it. Yes, almost anybody could explain to you what a shuriken is, but I don't think someone could explain the words "Kodama", "Bunrei", or "Goryo" without looking in a book or the internet.
I don't buy that as a reason for the block being poorly received. Kithkin, Moggs, Vedalkens, etc are all weird. If MtG didn't have weird, unusual flavor it wouldn't be MtG.
Kamigawa was poorly received because it played badly. I don't think most people had an issue with the setting itself.
Very much this. Had the block focused more on playability and less on gimmicks it would have been more well received. But they were also gunshy on power level after Mirrodin, so it would almost be impossible for a new Kamigawa block to be as bad as the first.
If you're going to do something that's not common, have a reason better than "I felt like it". Gilt-Leaf Seer made sense in context, none of your cards care about the top of your library, so it feels random (in addition to being out of color)
Like I said, do whatever you want, just don't pretend I'm being unreasonable for critiquing these cards based on normal standards.
The same card makes use of that ability.
Some/one of your elves die/s, they get shuffled into your library.
Look at the top 3 cards of your library, put the elf you want on top.
Lorwyn and Kamigawa were poorly recieved blocks according to WotC market research as per MaRo
Polls on MTGS won't change that: people on here represent a very, very small minority of players.
From what I remember MaRo said Lorwyn wasn't considered "badass" enough while Kamigawa was too foreign for people alongside the "everything is legendary" annoyance.
You'll have to provide a source for that. Lorwyn/Shadowmoor booster boxes, complete sets and fat packs go for a higher premium than almost every other modern block.
The names were made with high fantasy in mind. Characters like The Mountain and Dog in A Song of Ice and Fire aren't actually those things. Matriarch's Canopy is not an actual canopy. It protects the elves from flying creatures. Get it? The Matriarch's Hand is called that because he performs physical tasks/violent acts at her will, sort of like "The Right Hand of God." Dedicated Scout is called that because of the combo of being a scout and having exalted. And so on and so forth.
I made the G mana such a focal point to emphasize mono-green.
No, I simply quickly realized that talking to you would be like talking to a wall. A wall that doesn't want to be commented on or criticized, but rather likely just wanted pats on the back.
And, look at that, I was right.
I already changed one of the cards based on feedback. Just because I don't value your feedback doesn't mean I don't want feedback. I'm looking at all of the cards with SecretInfiltrator's feedback in mind.
Well, you did ask for our thoughts. Part of conventional design is using abilities that fit within a certain color's slice of the color pie. If you want to completely ignore that, that's fine. Your opinions on what "good" design is can completely differ from convention, but it's hard to get feedback from people when you choose to purposefully ignore the conventions that they follow.
This is custom card design, you're free to do whatever you want, but if you're asking for other's opinions then expect them to be based on the existing standards, not your own.
Saying "You can't have green creatures with first strike because mostly only legendary green creatures have had first strike" is an arbitrary and asinine rule to follow IMO. I don't see that as a valid criticism. The earlier criticism of the Matriarch's T ability not being green went away awfully quick when I pointed out an example of it being green. There are more examples of green creatures with first strike. You're not beating a dead horse, you're beating a dead, autistic horse.
This is unnecessary and inappropriate use of the word "autistic." Infraction issued.
-Gerrard's Mom
[+2] Target player discards cards equal to the amount of life he or she lost this turn.
[-2] Each opponent sacrifices a creature or loses 3 life.
[-12] You get an emblem with “At the beginning of your upkeep each player sacrifices a creature for each card in his or her hand or loses life equal to the number of creatures in his or her graveyard.”
Look at it this way. First Strike is not only not in green's modern color pie, but it's also kind of the easy way out in this case. You need an ability for the warriors just because, as you said, there's only so much that you can do. But MaRo likes to say that restrictions breed creativity - in this case, I think restricting yourself by saying you aren't going to use first strike here, gives you the opportunity to get more creative with these cards.
First strike is an excellent, useful ability. It makes complete sense on a warrior creature. I chose to use first strike to make elves more formidable. First strike makes elves more formidable.
The -2 discard, skip draw seems OK, maybe bordering on too powerful. The ultimate needs to be -12. Starting at 4 and having a +2 makes that entirely too powerful.
Green clearly doesn't get first strike by modern standards
Except for the green cards that do. First strike is an ability that every color utilizes in modern. Saying "Yeah, but it's mostly green legendaries" is pointless because it's not just green legendaries nor does that make those creatures less green.
IMO it works just fine because it's only on warriors here. And there's only so much you can do with elves as a mechanic without doing reprints.
It was in MTG Battlemage for PC and Playstation too, it fits the current pattern of revisiting sets (Mirrodin -> Kamigawa -> Ravnica -> Time Spiral), and it's MTGs 20th anniversary so going back to Dominaria seems natural.
It's already been confirmed like 5 times that the Friends block is set on a completely new plane.
I don't buy that as a reason for the block being poorly received. Kithkin, Moggs, Vedalkens, etc are all weird. If MtG didn't have weird, unusual flavor it wouldn't be MtG.
Very much this. Had the block focused more on playability and less on gimmicks it would have been more well received. But they were also gunshy on power level after Mirrodin, so it would almost be impossible for a new Kamigawa block to be as bad as the first.
The same card makes use of that ability.
Some/one of your elves die/s, they get shuffled into your library.
Look at the top 3 cards of your library, put the elf you want on top.
You'll have to provide a source for that. Lorwyn/Shadowmoor booster boxes, complete sets and fat packs go for a higher premium than almost every other modern block.
I made the G mana such a focal point to emphasize mono-green.
Oh Christ, seriously? It's not common for green so it must never be done*?
*except for those times when it has been done
I already changed one of the cards based on feedback. Just because I don't value your feedback doesn't mean I don't want feedback. I'm looking at all of the cards with SecretInfiltrator's feedback in mind.
MaRo has said, flat out, that it is a plane that's never been touched upon. It was never "confirmed" that Ravnica wasn't being revisited.
Lorwyn/Shadowmoor was poorly received? Since when?
Saying "You can't have green creatures with first strike because mostly only legendary green creatures have had first strike" is an arbitrary and asinine rule to follow IMO. I don't see that as a valid criticism. The earlier criticism of the Matriarch's T ability not being green went away awfully quick when I pointed out an example of it being green. There are more examples of green creatures with first strike. You're not beating a dead horse, you're beating a dead, autistic horse.
This is unnecessary and inappropriate use of the word "autistic." Infraction issued.
-Gerrard's Mom
2RB
[+2] Target player discards cards equal to the amount of life he or she lost this turn.
[-2] Each opponent sacrifices a creature or loses 3 life.
[-12] You get an emblem with “At the beginning of your upkeep each player sacrifices a creature for each card in his or her hand or loses life equal to the number of creatures in his or her graveyard.”
3
Have I not made it clear how very little I care about such arbitrary restrictions?
First strike is an excellent, useful ability. It makes complete sense on a warrior creature. I chose to use first strike to make elves more formidable. First strike makes elves more formidable.
Except for the green cards that do. First strike is an ability that every color utilizes in modern. Saying "Yeah, but it's mostly green legendaries" is pointless because it's not just green legendaries nor does that make those creatures less green.
IMO it works just fine because it's only on warriors here. And there's only so much you can do with elves as a mechanic without doing reprints.
All 5 colors have numerous instances of first strike. Green just has the second fewest.
Says who? First strike isn't a color-specific ability and it never has been.
I've kept it relegated to warriors. And, Elvish Archers, [CARD]
Emerald Dragonfly[/CARD], Glissa Sunseeker, etc.
Ezuri's Archers is better for the same cost.
Gilt-Leaf Seer.
It's already been confirmed like 5 times that the Friends block is set on a completely new plane.