I am also a purist to the extent that I will not touch online only uncommons either, although I do play with U2 cards.
It is problematic how quality fixing is being used to sell sets by making it scarce. This is in no way healthy for the game, and I would have to rank the rarity of mana fixing (and other utility cards) as the biggest problem in Magic at the moment. However, while there will probably not be whole cycles of good duals for us (ever again), the latest set proves that at least singular 5C lands can be printed here and there. Maybe even something like the Vivids is possible somewhere in the future, who knows.
Well, Reckless Bushwhacker will have me test it since I have been on the edge about Pyreheart Wolf in any case and it supports tokens nicely. 4 mana for Gather the Townsfolk and a surged Bushwhacker seems like a nice deal. When the best case scenario of Fateful Hour comes across, it will be memorable.
I might actually add a small package of colourless matters spells, and Spatial Contortion seems decent enough. I already like Nameless Inversion for its versatility but black has no room for it. Too bad Walker of the Wastes is too parasitic to actually work properly. Scion Summoner might be worth a look, though, since it is 3/3 for 3 over two bodies (with an upside, no less). Not optimal but green 3-drops are still pretty shallow. Then there is the good old Crumbling Vestige, of course. I agree that it does a decent enough impression of Tendo Ice Bridge for most intents and purposes in the deck that needs it the most.
Yeah, no. Arcane Denial is most definitely playable and better than a lot of the choices still floating around. It gets my sympathies. My actual vote goes to Forbid which is a rare spell in being able to win the game (with some support) instead of simply acting as another piece of reactive removal. Time to eliminate Spell Pierce, though.
Arcane Denial (1)+ (sympathy)
Complicate (11)
Condescend (14)
Counterspell (14)
Daze (12)
Dissolve (5)
Essence Scatter (6)
Exclude (11)
Forbid (13)+
Force Spike (6)
Mana Leak (13)
Memory Lapse (11)
Miscalculation (13)
(Negate is gone)
Remand (14)
Spell pierce (0)-
It might be classified as unplayable but at one point I ran Bullwhip and in theory, it has a nice best case scenario. There is also Leonin Bladetrap which is on and off my list repeatedly. Mass removal is just so rare in colourless.
Most people use singleton rules where each card is included only once although most also include functional reprints with different names as 'different cards' (e.g. Elvish Mystic and Llanowar Elves). Nothing really dictates that this must be done and more archetype-driven CUbes often include two or more copies of certain key cards (such as Young Pyromancer). The main draw of singleton is exhibiting the plurality of cards available.
The size of the Cube really depends on the amount of players you are expecting yourself to have. Many cubes are built in increments of 90 to represent the addition of 2 players to the maximum when all cards are in circulation. 360 is considered the standard, minimum size Cube that hosts a normal draft of 8. However, 450 allows for more flexibility. There is also no reason to stick to increments of 90. For example, I started at 360 but I currently run 390 cards to have two boosters worth of extra cards in order to suitably reduce the reliability of certain strategies and to include at least this much variation between drafts.
Me? Then again, it is not even the strongest non-basic land in my Cube, so...
More seriously, Maze is strong but it can also be a huge tempo hit. I quite enjoy the mini-game it causes although combat can become quite hard with it on the board. By no means is the card unbeatable even when unanswered, and I have no other prison style cards to exacerbate the problem.
I could see a Spikeshot Goblin style pinger with Prowess at 1/1 being a 1RR or 2R card (too lady to use the actual symbols). Indeed, the untapping effect is what makes it a bit on the crazy side because something like a Bonesplitter with even one untap would allow killing a player very fast (7 dmg with one untap even without abusing stacking rules).
Actually, how much mana would people say the following gimmick card would cost? Basically, it is only intended to trigger any prowess or similar spells matter triggers. (The spell actually has no effect besides the trigger which is resolved before it leaves the stack.)
???
Instant
When [card name] is cast, return [card name] to its owner's hand.
Well, taking Spikeshot Goblin as a base, having to pay mana even for the first pinging is fair. This thing can be boosted by things other than its Prowess, after all. Were one to take Spikeshot Goblin and Gelectrode as a comparison, it would actually be approaching unfairness even in the first iteration. Of course they are not über-strong cards but both are perfectly serviceable and they would be overshadowed hard. The most balanced version of that I could think of would add some toughness but also CMC to differentiate it from the 3 mana alternatives.
Well, I am not all that acquainted with the system being currently used but intuitively Searing Blood still feels like a 2 in comparison to the rest of the cards mentioned in the last post about ratings. I feel like the descriptions could be condensed a bit (e.g. 'sorcery but also during an attack' = 'mostly usable during your own turn') but I am not quite sure to what extent. Could just work like that.
When I was adding one CC-card to each colour, I actually asked if people preferred Searing Blaze or Searing Blood. If memory serves, not one sided with Searing Blood. There are also differences between them which are not mentioned above. For example, Searing Blaze always damages the player regardless of whether the creature dies or not. This is relevant for reach. Also, the difference between 2 and 3 damage *is* notable as anyone comparing Chain Lightning and Shock should know. Chain Lightning may be a sorcery but hardly anyone would play Shock over it. Both Chain Lightning and Searing Blaze also have an additional drawback, although admittedly that of Blaze is worse most of the time.
I really like the project. Just a few mentions:
1. Grim Affliction is better than you would lead to understand because you may proliferate the -1/-1 counter before it and a +1/+1 counter negate each other. The latter happens as a state-based effect so the whole effect of Grim Affliction will be resolved first.
2. Zuran Orb? It may be a bit niche but it is very explosive in the LG deck and actually does a nice little combo with Vizkopa Guildmage (activate guildmage twice with 6 mana, sac 5 lands for 20 damage because the effects stack).
Yes, as far as I can tell. Some have mentioned how Crystal Shard has lost its shine for them, and technically the same should apply to Sabertooth in most cases. However, I still find Crystal Shard unproblematically great and Temur Sabertooth fulfils both a similar function and is also a resistant threat.
I see the untap thingie from Phyrexian Ironfoot more as an upside. The card has never failed to impress me.
How exactly is paying to untap an upside? Seems like it makes the card totally unplayable if you're the deck that ever wants to attack with it on T4.
Because it can effectively give it vigilance by having the creature untap before your next turn? I would agree that it is almost always a downside. Also, one is always able to make the first attack before needing to untap.
It is problematic how quality fixing is being used to sell sets by making it scarce. This is in no way healthy for the game, and I would have to rank the rarity of mana fixing (and other utility cards) as the biggest problem in Magic at the moment. However, while there will probably not be whole cycles of good duals for us (ever again), the latest set proves that at least singular 5C lands can be printed here and there. Maybe even something like the Vivids is possible somewhere in the future, who knows.
I might actually add a small package of colourless matters spells, and Spatial Contortion seems decent enough. I already like Nameless Inversion for its versatility but black has no room for it. Too bad Walker of the Wastes is too parasitic to actually work properly. Scion Summoner might be worth a look, though, since it is 3/3 for 3 over two bodies (with an upside, no less). Not optimal but green 3-drops are still pretty shallow. Then there is the good old Crumbling Vestige, of course. I agree that it does a decent enough impression of Tendo Ice Bridge for most intents and purposes in the deck that needs it the most.
Arcane Denial (1)+ (sympathy)
Complicate (11)
Condescend (14)
Counterspell (14)
Daze (12)
Dissolve (5)
Essence Scatter (6)
Exclude (11)
Forbid (13)+
Force Spike (6)
Mana Leak (13)
Memory Lapse (11)
Miscalculation (13)
(Negate is gone)
Remand (14)
Spell pierce (0)-
The size of the Cube really depends on the amount of players you are expecting yourself to have. Many cubes are built in increments of 90 to represent the addition of 2 players to the maximum when all cards are in circulation. 360 is considered the standard, minimum size Cube that hosts a normal draft of 8. However, 450 allows for more flexibility. There is also no reason to stick to increments of 90. For example, I started at 360 but I currently run 390 cards to have two boosters worth of extra cards in order to suitably reduce the reliability of certain strategies and to include at least this much variation between drafts.
More seriously, Maze is strong but it can also be a huge tempo hit. I quite enjoy the mini-game it causes although combat can become quite hard with it on the board. By no means is the card unbeatable even when unanswered, and I have no other prison style cards to exacerbate the problem.
Actually, how much mana would people say the following gimmick card would cost? Basically, it is only intended to trigger any prowess or similar spells matter triggers. (The spell actually has no effect besides the trigger which is resolved before it leaves the stack.)
???
Instant
When [card name] is cast, return [card name] to its owner's hand.
1. Grim Affliction is better than you would lead to understand because you may proliferate the -1/-1 counter before it and a +1/+1 counter negate each other. The latter happens as a state-based effect so the whole effect of Grim Affliction will be resolved first.
2. Zuran Orb? It may be a bit niche but it is very explosive in the LG deck and actually does a nice little combo with Vizkopa Guildmage (activate guildmage twice with 6 mana, sac 5 lands for 20 damage because the effects stack).
Because it can effectively give it vigilance by having the creature untap before your next turn? I would agree that it is almost always a downside. Also, one is always able to make the first attack before needing to untap.