Whether or not the Pro Game influences the casual game or not, a mass exodus of Pro Players from the game would be a very bad thing for casual players who like new cards. In my opinion, Magic thrives by having a balance between Pros, the Casual base and people in between. If the Pro game goes away, it would likely cripple the secondary market. Many shops need the secondary market to remain profitable. The more shops that disappear the less places to play or buy cards, until WotC no longer profits by releasing new M:TG sets. I could be wrong, but I think that is a very possible scenario.
My favorite card art is probably Atog. Frightening and somewhat non-threatening at the same time. A long time ago, when I owned 49 (or was it 147 or 117,649... whatever it was a lot) I considered wallpapering my room with them, but it frightened my friends Sterling Sharpe and Dorsey Levens so much that my dad Bart replaced it with Starrs.
Tarmogoyf is quite overpowered, but there is NO chance it will be banned. If it was in the Mirrodin/Darksteel environment no one would touch it. If a creature is going to get banned, it's really because it's part of a combo. Affinity is a pain, but add Disciple of the Vault and Arcbound Ravager and you have an unfun deck. Umezawa's Jitte was very overpowered, but it encouraged interactivity in the game. It did not get banned.
The only major deck that REALLY exploits the 'Goyf in standard is TarmoRack (and my MVP for that deck is Bob). He is quite fair in most other decks. He sees so much play, 'cause he's the best defense against himself.
Yeah, this walker is pretty sick. I think a lot of people aren't realizing that the playability of the walkers has nothing to do with the third ability. That's the timmy (coolness factor) ability. I like the fact that he appears the least splashy, 'cause I can probably get him for cheaper. He is the best 'walker hands down.
Shivan Dragon... I know it sounds lame, but a long, long time ago when I started playing he was the big Dragon... (Other than Dragon Whelp he was the only Dragon)
Red/Green: Gained a lot and lost very little, may catch up to Black, but Blue is still the strongest color in standard.
Blue/Black: Lost some important cards (Black moreso), but gained two good hosers Deathmark & Flashfreeze and two solid commons Terror & Unsummon. Both colors are quite strong and despite the naysayers will be fine.
White: Pretty much stayed the same. This is not good for White. Hopefully Lorwyn helps, but I think White was overestimated in TSB by WotC. I'm not saying doom and gloom for White, but at least until Lorwyn, White is just a support color...
I like Tenth. Here's why I disagree with alot of complaints...
Blue and Black got hosed!- Ummm... They have the best cards in TSP, They are always top colors, because they are the easiest colors to design cards for. Persecute and Rewind are out, I'm sure Blue and Black will find suitable replacements.
BoP is back Wizards are a bunch of liars!- Seriously, would we really rather have Utopia Tree? Most decks only play Elves or BoP, not both. This just seems like the patented, "Wizards said it wouldn't bring BoP back, so I traded mine off to some n00b, and now I have to get them back" syndrome. Always hits around this time of the year.
There is so much chaff!- There are a lot of cheap cards, but most are at least casually playable. Every set is this way. If the 383 most powerful cards ever printed were put in the same set. A large portion of the cards would be $. 25 just because better stuff was out there. Scion of the Wild is not a bad card. The Troll is better. But if you want to build a cheap casual deck you could do worse. Not every card has to be tournament caliber.
Stone Rain is gone, the sky is falling!- I agree. Very strange.
Honestly, there is a good amount that could be done. The restricted list has a lot of cards on it that are outdated in their usefulness, and would not see play, there really is no need for the following to be restricted, imo:
Black Vise
Chrome Mox
Demonic Consultation
Dream Halls
Enlightened Tutor
Entomb
Frantic Search (how broken would this be? It is good, but I'm not sure its restricted good anymore. I could go either way)
Grim Monolith
Mana Vault (Very questionable, but what would break this? It seems almost strictly worse than D-Rit in most decks)
Mind Twist (I don't see this being broken, but this could stay restrictred I guess)
Mox Diamond
Personal Tutor
Regrowth
Time Spiral
Voltaic Key
Windfall (maybe I'm off base, but it doesn't seem like anyone uses this, and I don't see it be broken if unrestricted)
As for any restriction, I can't see any justifications for anything. The format is healthy, albiet a bit combo oriented, atm. Ban Bridge? Bridge is what gave Ichorid a fighting chance for once. Ichorid is far from format distorting, and is easy enough to hate if it becomes a force. I see no need for the restriciton of bridge.
As for other formats, Legacy needs Flash banned, which seems intuitive enough. I see no other needs for change.
I agree with most of these...
Black Vise- Yup
Chrome Mox and Mox Diamond- This seems a little iffy, I don't think it would break the format and agree, but It's not as obvious an unbanning as the Vise
Demonic Consultation- Should not be unbanned... I can't think of anything to break this off the top of my head, but 1 mana tutors is risky
Dream Halls- agree... I don't think it break anything... similer to Doomsday
Enlightened Tutor and Personal Tutor- Agree
Entomb- Disagree... One mana tutors are dangerous, would like to see if it would make Dragon a force though
Frantic Search- Agree
Grim Monolith, Mana Vault and Voltaic Key- Agree
Mind Twist-This IS Vintage, I'd like to this unrestricted, maybe it would get rerestricted, but I think it is actually balanced in the format
Regrowth- Agree
Time Spiral and Windfall- I disagree, maybe? at a later date, but I wouldn't unrestrict them now
There is a Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker and an Eternal Witness in play for the opponent. A mass removal spell, in this case Mutilate, is played. The opponent says that they can use the Kiki-Jiki to make a copy of Eternal Witness getting the same Kiki-Jiki back to his hand. I see no possible way to stack this so that would work. Am I wrong?
An interesting followup, they say this works, on the same principal that Goblin Sharpshooter can untap multiple times once the Goblin Pyromancer end of turn ability takes effect. I am pretty sure this does not work either.
Actually, I wouldn't mind a return to Homelands, I felt it could have been a flavorful set, if the cards weren't so lame. We all know the real tech ability will be "triple strike". Only 7 mana for a 1/1...
Ohran Viper: Firstly, anyone even mentioning this in the same sentence as Zoo has clearly not played with/against the deck. Secondly, to those saying that its going to go above $10; what was the last card that went over $10 except dual lands? Viper is certainly less universal than duals. And what deck in the format can't deal with it? Anything with Red in it has Char. Control decks have Wrath if absolutely necessary. WB has Mortify, BG has Putrefy. Any random creature with Jitte trades with it. As stated before, it has a massive target over its head.
The last card over $10 that wasn't a dual was the best card from a bad set... Pithing Needle. I don't know if the Viper is anything like that, but it has been REALLY solid for me in testing...
it would result in a large amount of turns. since you can cast beacon of tomorrow in the first place.
ripple
ripple
beacon
beacon
beacon
they go back into your library.
you get three turns.
cast beacon again
technically you can have as many turns as you would like. although you still lose. you have no other cards in your library and no way to win the game. the situation you created can end when you choose. you will draw your self out of cards.
according to the rules i don't think you can continue to take turns since by doing that you do not keep the game going. (please correct if wrong). It in an infinite effect that has a means to stop when you choose and at some point in time you must choose to stop.
The thing with that scenario is that it would work with only one Beacon, being the only card in your library being the Beacon... Draw play Beacon shuffle it into itself, next turn, draw play Beacon... You would never run out of cards...
Whether or not the Pro Game influences the casual game or not, a mass exodus of Pro Players from the game would be a very bad thing for casual players who like new cards. In my opinion, Magic thrives by having a balance between Pros, the Casual base and people in between. If the Pro game goes away, it would likely cripple the secondary market. Many shops need the secondary market to remain profitable. The more shops that disappear the less places to play or buy cards, until WotC no longer profits by releasing new M:TG sets. I could be wrong, but I think that is a very possible scenario.
As to my favorite 1/1... It would probably be Skyshroud Elite or Kird Ape, because I like my 1/1s to be 2/3s. Take that Goblin Sharpshooter!
The only major deck that REALLY exploits the 'Goyf in standard is TarmoRack (and my MVP for that deck is Bob). He is quite fair in most other decks. He sees so much play, 'cause he's the best defense against himself.
Of the new additions... probably Mogg Fanatic
Red/Green: Gained a lot and lost very little, may catch up to Black, but Blue is still the strongest color in standard.
Blue/Black: Lost some important cards (Black moreso), but gained two good hosers Deathmark & Flashfreeze and two solid commons Terror & Unsummon. Both colors are quite strong and despite the naysayers will be fine.
White: Pretty much stayed the same. This is not good for White. Hopefully Lorwyn helps, but I think White was overestimated in TSB by WotC. I'm not saying doom and gloom for White, but at least until Lorwyn, White is just a support color...
Blue and Black got hosed!- Ummm... They have the best cards in TSP, They are always top colors, because they are the easiest colors to design cards for. Persecute and Rewind are out, I'm sure Blue and Black will find suitable replacements.
BoP is back Wizards are a bunch of liars!- Seriously, would we really rather have Utopia Tree? Most decks only play Elves or BoP, not both. This just seems like the patented, "Wizards said it wouldn't bring BoP back, so I traded mine off to some n00b, and now I have to get them back" syndrome. Always hits around this time of the year.
There is so much chaff!- There are a lot of cheap cards, but most are at least casually playable. Every set is this way. If the 383 most powerful cards ever printed were put in the same set. A large portion of the cards would be $. 25 just because better stuff was out there. Scion of the Wild is not a bad card. The Troll is better. But if you want to build a cheap casual deck you could do worse. Not every card has to be tournament caliber.
Stone Rain is gone, the sky is falling!- I agree. Very strange.
White- Crusade
Blue- Portent
Black- Kaervek's Spite
Red- Slith Firewalker
Green- Vine Dryad
I agree with most of these...
Black Vise- Yup
Chrome Mox and Mox Diamond- This seems a little iffy, I don't think it would break the format and agree, but It's not as obvious an unbanning as the Vise
Demonic Consultation- Should not be unbanned... I can't think of anything to break this off the top of my head, but 1 mana tutors is risky
Dream Halls- agree... I don't think it break anything... similer to Doomsday
Enlightened Tutor and Personal Tutor- Agree
Entomb- Disagree... One mana tutors are dangerous, would like to see if it would make Dragon a force though
Frantic Search- Agree
Grim Monolith, Mana Vault and Voltaic Key- Agree
Mind Twist-This IS Vintage, I'd like to this unrestricted, maybe it would get rerestricted, but I think it is actually balanced in the format
Regrowth- Agree
Time Spiral and Windfall- I disagree, maybe? at a later date, but I wouldn't unrestrict them now
There is a Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker and an Eternal Witness in play for the opponent. A mass removal spell, in this case Mutilate, is played. The opponent says that they can use the Kiki-Jiki to make a copy of Eternal Witness getting the same Kiki-Jiki back to his hand. I see no possible way to stack this so that would work. Am I wrong?
An interesting followup, they say this works, on the same principal that Goblin Sharpshooter can untap multiple times once the Goblin Pyromancer end of turn ability takes effect. I am pretty sure this does not work either.
The last card over $10 that wasn't a dual was the best card from a bad set... Pithing Needle. I don't know if the Viper is anything like that, but it has been REALLY solid for me in testing...
The thing with that scenario is that it would work with only one Beacon, being the only card in your library being the Beacon... Draw play Beacon shuffle it into itself, next turn, draw play Beacon... You would never run out of cards...