before combat damage resolves but after it's assigned,
I belive that it is important to point out here that Combat damage no longer goes to the stack so you can no longer respond to it before it resolves but after it's assigned.
Both. It is still a valid target, but only for a different spell. It is an entirely new object and thus anything referring to 'transmuter A' that is on the stack still refers to 'transmuter A' but there is only 'transmuter B' on the field as such the spells find no legal targets. Your opponent can target the 'transmuter B' with new spells, or use a redirect effect to change murder to 'transmuter B'
During the first strike combat damage step, the 6/6 assigns its 6 damage among the creatures blocking it. Assuming that's the combat damage assignment order, it can assign 4 damage to the 4/4 and 2 damage to the 2/3. You don't take effects that would increase or decrease the damage into account, so you cannot take the effect from Insult into account to determine if lethal damage has been assigned yet (ie you can't assign 2 damage to the 4/4, knowing that the damage will be doubled to 4. You still have to assign 4 damage to it). The 4/4 takes a total of 8 damage, and dies, and the 2/3 takes a total of 4 damage, and also dies. During the normal combat damage step, since the 6/6 has trample and is not currently blocked, it assigns all of its damage to the defending player, and they'll take 12 damage (6 damage doubled).
wouldn't that only be the case if the 6/6 had double strike as well? which in the case given it does not (or the OP does not mention that it does)
go ahead and cheer for there banning of a single card, killing a single deck type.
Thus causing another deck type to be the deck to beat after gaining a whole 2 days worth of data from an online environment where you can't get a play set of the cards instantly (unless they changed it since I last played MTGO). And thus, you can't build the deck you want instantly. One would think that it takes more than 2 days to brew, test and shift the meta, even in an online format
your misunderstanding the numbers then, or i didnt explain it clearly. So here is an example and i hope it gets a better representation
say a standard pro tour is 256 people (easy numbers) and the field distribution at the start looks like
50% play copycat (128)
~40% play mardu vehicles (102)
~10% play random.deck(s) (26)
in the top 64 the field distribution is
16 copycat (25%)
26 mardu vehicles (~40%)
22 random.deck(s) (~35%)
in the top 16 the field distribution is
5 copycat (~32%)
6 mardu vehicles (~37%)
5 random.deck(s) (~32%)
this distribution tells me the following:
mardu vehicles shows an almost equivalent % showing across the tiers (40%, 40%, 37%) and would tell me to be careful of what was added for this deck if we dont want it to pass 50% as it is a rather strong deck contender. If i was a WOTC employee doing this that is, i'm not.
Copy cat in here went from 50% to 25% to 32% of the feild. This would tell me that either it is starting to be hated out of the format or got a lucky showing in the top 16 which warrants a look at top 8 and more data collection. The fact that 128 people showed up playing it and that 16 made top 64 tells me that the deck is sporadic and can either fizzle out, pull out big, or is being hate on. This is backed up by 12.5% entry into the top 64 from the start and the stronger showing from the top 64 into the top 16
random.deck(s) info requires more looking into as they can be all of one type (IE channel fireball going in with a new deck type designed to hate on this meta) or of different types and would require more/finer data for a better view. But it comes off being the strongest showing deck(s) overall and may have a poor match up vs itself
Cat combo will be the boogie man for as long as it's in standard, anyone that's watched a standard event or plays against the deck on a regular bases can attest to that. It doesn't really require any "data". Reguardless of how or what youre playing you'll alway have to play around a two card blowout and that's not fun for anyone.
Just my opinion, it's worth what you paid for it.
and i respect your opinion but if say there are 50% of the field playing copycat and only say 25% of them in the top 16 then its just a boogie deck, somethign you should be on the lookout for but doesn't dominate the top deck lists, much like jeskai acendry did when it was in standard.
And i do agree with you that the 'answers' that they have in standard right now utterly fail at being an answer to most anything. Case in point the top decks are aggro and combo
How about this for "data" WotC. Players hate this standard, Felidar is the problem, you're going to look like morons banning a card months after it should have been banned. Nothing will change, nobody is going to play Amonkhet in any meaningful way.
please provide evidence that another competitive playable deck can beat mardu vehicles and the rest of the format when you make a comment like this, otherwise you just come off sounding like your complaining about a single deck.
overall i think this was a smart move on WOTC's part. you cant possibly know how Amonket is going to affect the field in terms of deck viability, namely what is going to be added in terms of decks to the field.
I personally would love to see some of the 'data' that they are collecting and how they determine what is a 'problem'
I don't believe anything will get banned in standard. Yes copycat combo is a big part of the field but name a large tourny were one deck type wasn't at least 30% of the field without a new set. Amonket does't give a whole lot of stuff to standard but it gives some and that some is enough that i think balances out the field vs copycat as they dont maindeck removal.
I believe that the gift of the god-pharaoh will be an enchantment and and will require 6 dudes in your yard to do something. this something is either reanimate the 6 dudes, or exile the 6 dudes to do some silly thing, like exile 6 other permanents or something.
This feels like one of those cards that may have no combos at all right now, but in 5 years there may be something that could break this thing. This is one of those cards that, if there are no viable combos now, ...
Cradle of the Accursed is going to be one of the monuments to the dead from the time before Bolas wrecked the world, from where the accursed zombies originate.
as much as I think your right, it could also be the ruins of another 'city' like the one there in now (has the name been said?) that bolas is using, consuming, and reproducing for some reason.
Remember Bolas is/was all about regaining the power of a pre-mending planeswalker
Do, Medail? Bolas isn't a comic book villain. Do you seriously think he would show up and explain his masterstroke if the Gatewatch had even the slightest chance of affecting the outcome? He did it long before they got there--all they can do it witness its fruition.
where did i say he would explain any of it? i'm just saying that the gate watch are going to be the 'meddling kids' that screw something up for bolas.
I haven't been following the story beyond the flavor text.
What I'm picking up on here is, roughly, that the Gatewatch, fresh from leading a successful rebellion against Bolas's agents on Kaladesh come looking for him and find another world clearly under his control. Initially it appears at least peaceful, but they discover the brutal trials and human sacrifice in honor of the local gods and of Nicol Bolas, who is worshiped here as the ruler of the gods. Finding some dissenters to the world order, they try to rile up another revolt against Bolas.
...and I'm going to say that they are the cause of the Hour of Devastation. They somehow break the Hekma and the horrors of the desert roll in. Their rebellion is forgotten and it becomes a fight to save the people from the monsters they let in, unsuccessfully. Nicol Bolas returns in the midst of this, saves the city and restores the Hekma. The people once again praise him, and now hate the Gatewatch, and have physical proof that the dissenters are wrong, that Bolas's way is right. The Gatewatch flees rather than confronting Bolas and his plane of loyal servants.
I also think that Bolas is the cause of the terrors of the Broken Lands, possibly having to do with the double-sun, but the people don't know that.
i believe you are mostly right. Bolas wont come to 'save the day' but comes and goes 'oh the party started without me?' and does whatever it is that he intends to do with the plane. the gatewatch tries to stop him and do so, and in the process they end up just creating a massive amount of Devastation, foiling bolas in some minor way.
I belive that it is important to point out here that Combat damage no longer goes to the stack so you can no longer respond to it before it resolves but after it's assigned.
wouldn't that only be the case if the 6/6 had double strike as well? which in the case given it does not (or the OP does not mention that it does)
Thus causing another deck type to be the deck to beat after gaining a whole 2 days worth of data from an online environment where you can't get a play set of the cards instantly (unless they changed it since I last played MTGO). And thus, you can't build the deck you want instantly. One would think that it takes more than 2 days to brew, test and shift the meta, even in an online format
say a standard pro tour is 256 people (easy numbers) and the field distribution at the start looks like
50% play copycat (128)
~40% play mardu vehicles (102)
~10% play random.deck(s) (26)
in the top 64 the field distribution is
16 copycat (25%)
26 mardu vehicles (~40%)
22 random.deck(s) (~35%)
in the top 16 the field distribution is
5 copycat (~32%)
6 mardu vehicles (~37%)
5 random.deck(s) (~32%)
this distribution tells me the following:
mardu vehicles shows an almost equivalent % showing across the tiers (40%, 40%, 37%) and would tell me to be careful of what was added for this deck if we dont want it to pass 50% as it is a rather strong deck contender. If i was a WOTC employee doing this that is, i'm not.
Copy cat in here went from 50% to 25% to 32% of the feild. This would tell me that either it is starting to be hated out of the format or got a lucky showing in the top 16 which warrants a look at top 8 and more data collection. The fact that 128 people showed up playing it and that 16 made top 64 tells me that the deck is sporadic and can either fizzle out, pull out big, or is being hate on. This is backed up by 12.5% entry into the top 64 from the start and the stronger showing from the top 64 into the top 16
random.deck(s) info requires more looking into as they can be all of one type (IE channel fireball going in with a new deck type designed to hate on this meta) or of different types and would require more/finer data for a better view. But it comes off being the strongest showing deck(s) overall and may have a poor match up vs itself
and i respect your opinion but if say there are 50% of the field playing copycat and only say 25% of them in the top 16 then its just a boogie deck, somethign you should be on the lookout for but doesn't dominate the top deck lists, much like jeskai acendry did when it was in standard.
And i do agree with you that the 'answers' that they have in standard right now utterly fail at being an answer to most anything. Case in point the top decks are aggro and combo
please provide evidence that another competitive playable deck can beat mardu vehicles and the rest of the format when you make a comment like this, otherwise you just come off sounding like your complaining about a single deck.
overall i think this was a smart move on WOTC's part. you cant possibly know how Amonket is going to affect the field in terms of deck viability, namely what is going to be added in terms of decks to the field.
I personally would love to see some of the 'data' that they are collecting and how they determine what is a 'problem'
Decree of Justice Decree of Silence Gempalm Polluter Renewed Faith and there ilk all say Hey this card is already rather broken
as much as I think your right, it could also be the ruins of another 'city' like the one there in now (has the name been said?) that bolas is using, consuming, and reproducing for some reason.
Remember Bolas is/was all about regaining the power of a pre-mending planeswalker
where did i say he would explain any of it? i'm just saying that the gate watch are going to be the 'meddling kids' that screw something up for bolas.
i believe you are mostly right. Bolas wont come to 'save the day' but comes and goes 'oh the party started without me?' and does whatever it is that he intends to do with the plane. the gatewatch tries to stop him and do so, and in the process they end up just creating a massive amount of Devastation, foiling bolas in some minor way.