Don't the GB cards have square corners? Did you also shave them? Really nice alter, btw.
It depends on whether you're getting them out of the Collector's Edition set or from the Championship decks. Championship decks are the same weight and thickness/size as regular magic cards, and just have a non-magic back and gold borders.
I thought the whole point of Slivers was that their hivemind led to sharing abilities regardless of whether the presence of one was an ally or enemy.
They might as well have just used Kithkin instead.
This comment strikes me as unintentionally ironic, given that one of the defining characteristics of Kithkin in Shadowmoor was their hivemind. Yet they didn't share abilities with kithkin on the other side, and nobody cried about the flavor.
So, instead of turning this into a discussion about those things by complaining about how it always turns into a discussion of those things, let's stay on task.
Personally, I think the championship cards are great for exactly that purpose. My main suggestion would be to check with your local playgroup beforehand, so you can make sure they're also cool with it. And yes, definitely make sure your sleeves are opaque enough if you do pick them up. If you don't have a regular playgroup, maybe ask before you play if they're alright with it, and have a replacement if not? (Obviously much easier with something like land, where there's an obvious replacement, if not as good)
Actually, it's very much statistics. The accuracy can be debated (Hint, it's really low, unless you're specifically trying to gauge forum goer's opinions, and even then has a large amount of error), but the fact remains that interpreting them is by definition the area of statistics.
Most people who played with the original slivers seem to hate the new ones because they're such a departure from the norm that's been built up over the years.
Wizards really should have thought a bit harder about reintroducing something this divisive into the game.
Actually, atm, the results seem to be favoring "liked both versions", so saying 'most people' is probably incorrect. Granted, it's still a small sample size, of course.
They'll re-do Slivers, but not Ninjutsu, Split Second, Transmute, Buyback, Absorb, Aura Swap, Fateseal, or CreatureTypecycling, things with actual POTENTIAL to do interesting things?
To be fair, they specifically want anything they bring back in the core set to be something they can explore new space with, but not too much new space, and is easy to grok. Slivers pretty much perfectly fit that mold, since they don't have enough new space to qualify for being the focus of a block or possibly even a major subtheme, but can certainly have some minor innovation in the space of a set. Plus, the whole "all my dudes are lords" is really easy to understand. A lot of the stuff you listed is much too complicated for a core set, at least at common and such not, and is more likely to come back in an block.
Basically, they're doing what they should do, and consider the new template a formatting change at best. Because honestly, for how much people talk about the whole "slivers should be symmetrical", I played with them for years, and I maybe had it come up twice? If that many times?
Kind of odd that we can see the rest of the cards in full, but not Sliver Queen.
Not sure what the implication here is. It seems incredibly unlikely they'd break the reserve list now, especially after pushing Modern so hard.
It was confirmed that Sliver Queen is not being reprinted. It's highly likely it was just intended as a teaser, given it's a shot of the Commander's Arsenal Sliver Queen.
We've seen 2 at common and 1 at uncommon so far. Signs point to there being enough for a constructed deck. Whether said deck is actually competitive is a different story. So far none of the spoiled ones are exactly power creep-tastic, even with the new "creatures you control" change.
I could see them dedicating 18 cards in the entire set to slivers. 1 common, 1 uncommon, and 1 rare per color, plus a 5 color lord of some sort, possibly a reprint/new version of Metallic Sliver, and then maybe a Hivestone reprint.
Actually, we've got 6 now, including two red commons, so it's likely we're looking at a minimum of 20 slivers, unless they decide to restrict the colors.
Then we've got humanoid slivers? I mean, I think some of this falls into the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" category. Change for changes sake. And horribly understandable too, bringing back slivers just as they were would feel tired.
The "you control" clause is arguable, but the artistic direction is straight up awful, does anyone disagree with that? Humanoid was a terrible choice
Personally, I think it makes a lot of sense. Slivers are supposed to be the species of evolution and change and adaptation, yet they never figured out hands? Or anything beyond "meathooks"? There's still going to be the idea of the old identity there (blur sliver, for example, looks like it's got the meathooks still), but they've actually decided to show the adaptation in the art, and for that, I'm happy.
They've definitely done a redesign, but I think they'll still be recognizable. And it looks like they're switching to the you control format, which is reasonable.
As far as Sliver Queen, it's likely a shot of the Sliver Queen oversized commander card, and meant to be another clue, not a reprint. If it is a reprint, they'll definitely have to accompany it with an explanation of why it's able to come back.
It also raises another question: In directly quoting two multicolor Slivers, does this mean M14 will possibly be the first set we get gold cards in?
Technically, M13 was the first to have gold cards, namely Nicol Bolas. But yes, that was one of my thoughts, though they may have just picked it as a familiar flavor text, seeing as crystalline was one of the few to see competitive play.
Regardless, it seems very very likely we'll be getting slivers as the returning 'mechanic' this time. And logically, a core set block is the best way to bring back slivers, since you don't have to come up with as rigorous a storyline reason for why they're back from the dead for the 32nd time or accommodate them in your entire block, but instead you just get to mess with them for one set. My big question is whether it's going to be the classic sliver template, or if they're going to update it to "you control".
It depends on whether you're getting them out of the Collector's Edition set or from the Championship decks. Championship decks are the same weight and thickness/size as regular magic cards, and just have a non-magic back and gold borders.
This comment strikes me as unintentionally ironic, given that one of the defining characteristics of Kithkin in Shadowmoor was their hivemind. Yet they didn't share abilities with kithkin on the other side, and nobody cried about the flavor.
Personally, I think the championship cards are great for exactly that purpose. My main suggestion would be to check with your local playgroup beforehand, so you can make sure they're also cool with it. And yes, definitely make sure your sleeves are opaque enough if you do pick them up. If you don't have a regular playgroup, maybe ask before you play if they're alright with it, and have a replacement if not? (Obviously much easier with something like land, where there's an obvious replacement, if not as good)
Actually, it's very much statistics. The accuracy can be debated (Hint, it's really low, unless you're specifically trying to gauge forum goer's opinions, and even then has a large amount of error), but the fact remains that interpreting them is by definition the area of statistics.
Actually, atm, the results seem to be favoring "liked both versions", so saying 'most people' is probably incorrect. Granted, it's still a small sample size, of course.
To be fair, they specifically want anything they bring back in the core set to be something they can explore new space with, but not too much new space, and is easy to grok. Slivers pretty much perfectly fit that mold, since they don't have enough new space to qualify for being the focus of a block or possibly even a major subtheme, but can certainly have some minor innovation in the space of a set. Plus, the whole "all my dudes are lords" is really easy to understand. A lot of the stuff you listed is much too complicated for a core set, at least at common and such not, and is more likely to come back in an block.
*one sliver, maybe two, if you want to make the argument for Dormant Sliver.
Incorrect. Of the slivers revealed so far, they've all been at least as efficient as their previous counterparts, if not more efficient.
Groundshaker Sliver - Battering Sliver+1 for +1/+1
Blur Sliver - Heart Sliver+1 for +1/+1; Alternately, Reflex Sliver-1
Battle Sliver - Bonesplitter Sliver+1 for +1/+1
Sentinel Sliver - Synchronous Sliver-3 for -1/-1
Steelform Sliver - Plated Sliver+2 for +1/+1
Striking Sliver - Talon Sliver-1
Basically, they're doing what they should do, and consider the new template a formatting change at best. Because honestly, for how much people talk about the whole "slivers should be symmetrical", I played with them for years, and I maybe had it come up twice? If that many times?
It was confirmed that Sliver Queen is not being reprinted. It's highly likely it was just intended as a teaser, given it's a shot of the Commander's Arsenal Sliver Queen.
Actually, we've got 6 now, including two red commons, so it's likely we're looking at a minimum of 20 slivers, unless they decide to restrict the colors.
Janus homage, it looks like to me.
Personally, I think it makes a lot of sense. Slivers are supposed to be the species of evolution and change and adaptation, yet they never figured out hands? Or anything beyond "meathooks"? There's still going to be the idea of the old identity there (blur sliver, for example, looks like it's got the meathooks still), but they've actually decided to show the adaptation in the art, and for that, I'm happy.
Technically, M13 was the first to have gold card
s, namely Nicol Bolas. But yes, that was one of my thoughts, though they may have just picked it as a familiar flavor text, seeing as crystalline was one of the few to see competitive play.Regardless, it seems very very likely we'll be getting slivers as the returning 'mechanic' this time. And logically, a core set block is the best way to bring back slivers, since you don't have to come up with as rigorous a storyline reason for why they're back from the dead for the 32nd time or accommodate them in your entire block, but instead you just get to mess with them for one set. My big question is whether it's going to be the classic sliver template, or if they're going to update it to "you control".