So, let's say Mairsil, the Pretender exiled with a cage counter Asmodeus the Archfiend (among X more cards with cage counters) and I activate the last ability Asmodeus has with Mairsil. What happens? Do I effectively returns Asmodeous and all cards with a cage counter in my hand again or nothing happens?
The entire point of playing in paper is to not have a smartphone at the table, be "social" instead of anti-social.
Being social has nothing to do about knowing the exact errata of a card or knowing how a card behave with other cards or knowing what card is legal to play and what is banned in what format in that moment. Unless you play in a high-tournament level where an expert Judge is always available, in regular FNM and LGS little tourneys (standard, modern or draft doesnt matter) very rarely (at least in my place) there is a guy that knows all the rules and thats why Internet is necessary in order to clear game rules controversy, which happens literally every single day, all the time, everywhere, for everybody.
Its a card game, all you SHOULD need is the cards, which SHOULD explain themselves without the need to have oracle text for substantial rules to them
Maybe in theory, but in practice, many cards differ greatly from what is actually printed in their rules text and that's especially true for an eternal format like commander where you can play cards from every expansion of every time (it's literally impossibile for example, without checking internet errata, what exactly is phyrexian and what is not since there's no real consistent criteria, or also many cards were printed without the correct text for mistake like Marath or Hostage Taker, or some cards works in a extremely counter-intuitive way because of how game rules changes over the years like for example being able to still doing damage and untap despite a card like Reconneisance says and was originally intended to remove the creature from combat exactly to preven that, and so on)
So yes, this game it's a great and utter mess, and there's absolutely nothing you can do to fix it. Doesn't matter what in your head this game "should" or "would" be. The only thing matter is what this game IS effectively, and how players resolve their everyday problems, which is, inevitably, using the internet in a way or another. And the "issues" of dice roll is just the little tip of a big mess of iceberg that players need to pass in order to play properly and with all kosher crisms this game.
This is a really privileged statement. I played Magic before smartphones existed, and I play it in no small part because it is not a digital endeavor. There are PLENTY of people out there without smartphone, be they poor or just young kids who should not have one yet. Does it help in some cases, sure, but you absolutely should not need one.
Sure, I played also Magic before Smartphone existed, and in fact me and my noob friends was interpreting the games rules or cards texts in a *****ty and completely incorrect way all the time. I'm just saying that if you want to always play a 100% correct and legal way to play Magic you absolutely need to have internet, because it is simply insane and impossible to just read and perfectly remember all the over 900 paragraphs of rules of Magic (that exist only in internet) or the Oracle text and erratas of all over 23.000 unique cards (that also exist only in internet), or knowing perfectly all card's interactions for common mortals that are not level 5 Judges, and that's why my point was to just counter the argument that D12 should be "too much" to handle for casual players, while this is clearly not true at all, and in both casual and tournament setting you have everything you need to play with those cards with no problem.
So thats the text book example of a problem that doesnt need to exist in the first place, and you use a APP to solve that problem ... which can be entirely avoided if the card doesnt use a D12 in the first place ... which is the entire point of critique that using a D12 is awful card gameplay design.
You always need the Smartphone and Internet Connection for Magic play, especially in tournament setting. You need it to set life totals (because d20 can always be moved by the table and mess the result), you need it to check what's the correct oracle text / errata of any card you wish and last, but not last, you need it to check how interaction between cards works or what is written in the comprehensive rules about a specific rule, since this is already the most complex game in the world
So yes, to play properly this game you actually need a smartphone and that's no big deal because as I said, everybody have a smartphone and an internet connection. Having an app for dice rolls isn't worse or more difficult than doing anything I listed above..
If non of that bothers you, your spider-senses for recognizing awful card gameplay design doesnt work anymore.
Or maybe, *gasp*, what is fun gameplay is largely subjective to people, so would be a bias to think that simply because you don't like certain mechanics, that means are absolutely a bad mechanic that lead to awful gameplay for all players. Because it clearly isn't.
I will bring here my experience of playing Commander with silverbordered and even custom made cards (some of which even have cards that make you roll a D30 with 30 different unique effects) with many different playgroups since 2011, and nobody, in this 10 years ever was bothered from the fact that out games was filled with random mechanics. Au contraire. And that's because doing things at random is actually fun for most people, especially in casual play and edh is most of all a casual format. Why is it fun? Because each time you play said card is a refreshing new experience and some (like me) really love the thrill to gamble, and that's a process exciting for all players (for opponents wishing you to fail and for you wishing to success). It would be fun for everyone this? Of course not. But, unlike you, I don't have the bias of saying that simply because i like/hate a mechanic, than all players should share that same feeling, because our subjective percetion of what is good doesn't simply apply to everybody. Almost all mechanics have their niche admirers and almost nothing appeal to absolutely everybody, which means that as long a good part of players actually have fun playing said mechanics, it means is good design space worth to be explored.
And besides, everybody have a smartphone, and everyone can download any type of free randomizer, so it's really a non-existent issue on today technology even if you use the argument of "I don't have money / don't know places to buy the correct dices",. You are talking as players are still living in the 80', but what wouldn't work then, it definitely do now, so easy actually that your complaining sounds a bit ridiculously even.
D12? Well commander players better buy dnd dice sets
Finally I will make good use of my hundreds of D4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20 and maybe even my d3, d24, d30 and d100 for good use in my commander games other than be used for counters and who start first
But that means you have to play Darksteel Relic, and who want to waste a card on that?
Much better Darksteel Ingot. You Path of Exile for good target commander but at least a mana rock is never a dead card in hand.
you could do it with Darksteel Citadel as well...
anyway, as commander is a 1of format, if you're planning to do this, you'll have to play all of them anyway.
Not really. Depending of which colors you play, you got plenty of tutors, so 5-10+ tutors ( between land, artifact, generic tutors) are always 5-10+ virtual copies of the Darksteel Citadel you want in that moment.
So let's say Mairsil, the Pretender exile Vorpal Sword and copy the "a player lose the game" activated ability. Does it work? Mairsil need to have at least any equpment to be an "equipped creature"? Doesnt do anything at all?
Also, let's say Mairsil has the ability of The Deck of Many Things (or any D20 dice roll card for that matter). It's all the card one only activated ability and works normally with Mairsil?
This one is kind of a big difference from Shivan. I don't remember Shivan Dragon being uncounterable or having haste. In fact I remember kid me getting my Shivan countered all the time which is why I switched to black to make everyone discard their counterspells. And everything else in their hand! > : (
I agree and that's why I say it's a "glorified version", a strictly better version of Shivan Dragon. But, gameplay-wise closer of the Shivan Dragon than Dragon Tyrant (for example it's a much better idea generally to give the Glistening Oil to the Tyrant than this guy if opponent got flyers blockers)
and Dragon Tyrant wasn't basically Shivan Dragon on absolute crack?
Well for instance, Tyrant has trample, this don't. And that alone could make already a huge difference,since Tyrant can't be chumpblocked. Also Tyrabt got double strike, which means he would very probably survive against another dragon. Also, Tyrant needed less mana to do more damages. Tyrant it's a pretty distinct monster from Shivan Dragon and this is just a Shivan Dragon with few more tricks going on. the "20 damage" part is more a gimmicky trincket text in vast majority of cases.
Phasing appears to be becoming deciduous in a very nonchalant way. I love it. Those are great colour hosers too.
Atog adopted a mutt. Huh.
'buster
its phase out/phase in that’s becoming deciduous not phasing
It’s less confusing this way for the newer players
Yeah, Phasing as a drawback on your own cards was simply unplayable and terrible, phasing out a single time only at your own will what you want is much, much better
Yes he goes infinite with those as long as you do not complete Tomb of Anhilation.
And those dungeons do infact cause life loss.
This sounds like ton of salt in commander.
Hahahahaha well Acererak sounds like a perfect shoe-in for my Lord of Tresserhorn edh where I run Rooftop Storm and stifle etb triggers so even if I don't have Rooftop Storm, I can stifle or Torpor Orb Acererak's etb trigger and then acts like a super Grave Titan on attack.
Being social has nothing to do about knowing the exact errata of a card or knowing how a card behave with other cards or knowing what card is legal to play and what is banned in what format in that moment. Unless you play in a high-tournament level where an expert Judge is always available, in regular FNM and LGS little tourneys (standard, modern or draft doesnt matter) very rarely (at least in my place) there is a guy that knows all the rules and thats why Internet is necessary in order to clear game rules controversy, which happens literally every single day, all the time, everywhere, for everybody.
Maybe in theory, but in practice, many cards differ greatly from what is actually printed in their rules text and that's especially true for an eternal format like commander where you can play cards from every expansion of every time (it's literally impossibile for example, without checking internet errata, what exactly is phyrexian and what is not since there's no real consistent criteria, or also many cards were printed without the correct text for mistake like Marath or Hostage Taker, or some cards works in a extremely counter-intuitive way because of how game rules changes over the years like for example being able to still doing damage and untap despite a card like Reconneisance says and was originally intended to remove the creature from combat exactly to preven that, and so on)
So yes, this game it's a great and utter mess, and there's absolutely nothing you can do to fix it. Doesn't matter what in your head this game "should" or "would" be. The only thing matter is what this game IS effectively, and how players resolve their everyday problems, which is, inevitably, using the internet in a way or another. And the "issues" of dice roll is just the little tip of a big mess of iceberg that players need to pass in order to play properly and with all kosher crisms this game.
Sure, I played also Magic before Smartphone existed, and in fact me and my noob friends was interpreting the games rules or cards texts in a *****ty and completely incorrect way all the time. I'm just saying that if you want to always play a 100% correct and legal way to play Magic you absolutely need to have internet, because it is simply insane and impossible to just read and perfectly remember all the over 900 paragraphs of rules of Magic (that exist only in internet) or the Oracle text and erratas of all over 23.000 unique cards (that also exist only in internet), or knowing perfectly all card's interactions for common mortals that are not level 5 Judges, and that's why my point was to just counter the argument that D12 should be "too much" to handle for casual players, while this is clearly not true at all, and in both casual and tournament setting you have everything you need to play with those cards with no problem.
You always need the Smartphone and Internet Connection for Magic play, especially in tournament setting. You need it to set life totals (because d20 can always be moved by the table and mess the result), you need it to check what's the correct oracle text / errata of any card you wish and last, but not last, you need it to check how interaction between cards works or what is written in the comprehensive rules about a specific rule, since this is already the most complex game in the world
So yes, to play properly this game you actually need a smartphone and that's no big deal because as I said, everybody have a smartphone and an internet connection. Having an app for dice rolls isn't worse or more difficult than doing anything I listed above..
Or maybe, *gasp*, what is fun gameplay is largely subjective to people, so would be a bias to think that simply because you don't like certain mechanics, that means are absolutely a bad mechanic that lead to awful gameplay for all players. Because it clearly isn't.
I will bring here my experience of playing Commander with silverbordered and even custom made cards (some of which even have cards that make you roll a D30 with 30 different unique effects) with many different playgroups since 2011, and nobody, in this 10 years ever was bothered from the fact that out games was filled with random mechanics. Au contraire. And that's because doing things at random is actually fun for most people, especially in casual play and edh is most of all a casual format. Why is it fun? Because each time you play said card is a refreshing new experience and some (like me) really love the thrill to gamble, and that's a process exciting for all players (for opponents wishing you to fail and for you wishing to success). It would be fun for everyone this? Of course not. But, unlike you, I don't have the bias of saying that simply because i like/hate a mechanic, than all players should share that same feeling, because our subjective percetion of what is good doesn't simply apply to everybody. Almost all mechanics have their niche admirers and almost nothing appeal to absolutely everybody, which means that as long a good part of players actually have fun playing said mechanics, it means is good design space worth to be explored.
And besides, everybody have a smartphone, and everyone can download any type of free randomizer, so it's really a non-existent issue on today technology even if you use the argument of "I don't have money / don't know places to buy the correct dices",. You are talking as players are still living in the 80', but what wouldn't work then, it definitely do now, so easy actually that your complaining sounds a bit ridiculously even.
Finally I will make good use of my hundreds of D4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20 and maybe even my d3, d24, d30 and d100 for good use in my commander games other than be used for counters and who start first
Not really. Depending of which colors you play, you got plenty of tutors, so 5-10+ tutors ( between land, artifact, generic tutors) are always 5-10+ virtual copies of the Darksteel Citadel you want in that moment.
Also, let's say Mairsil has the ability of The Deck of Many Things (or any D20 dice roll card for that matter). It's all the card one only activated ability and works normally with Mairsil?
Yeah they said it since the beginning
EDIT: nvm, reading is tech lol
I agree and that's why I say it's a "glorified version", a strictly better version of Shivan Dragon. But, gameplay-wise closer of the Shivan Dragon than Dragon Tyrant (for example it's a much better idea generally to give the Glistening Oil to the Tyrant than this guy if opponent got flyers blockers)
Well for instance, Tyrant has trample, this don't. And that alone could make already a huge difference,since Tyrant can't be chumpblocked. Also Tyrabt got double strike, which means he would very probably survive against another dragon. Also, Tyrant needed less mana to do more damages. Tyrant it's a pretty distinct monster from Shivan Dragon and this is just a Shivan Dragon with few more tricks going on. the "20 damage" part is more a gimmicky trincket text in vast majority of cases.
Yeah, Phasing as a drawback on your own cards was simply unplayable and terrible, phasing out a single time only at your own will what you want is much, much better
Much better Darksteel Ingot. You Path of Exile for good target commander but at least a mana rock is never a dead card in hand.
Fool! Dont name the forbidden one!