I think people miss the point of the FFL. Sure, they had dominant decks that end up being horrible once players get the cards (like Burning Vengeance) but they are also playing with versions of the cards with different numbers. Who knows what the costs on the things they were playing with were, or what other cards ended up being scrapped for whatever reason?
1) Creatures with good/cool tap abilities. Cards similar to Avatar of Woe or Arcanis the Omnipotent would be great. but also some things a little lower on the curve.
2) Other things that will allow me to untap those creatures. Preferably reusable things, not things like Twiddle.
[3♣]: Your card has a replacement effect
[Q♦]: Your card is snow, tribal, or world
[J♦]: Your card is a planeswalker
Leshrac, Walker of Night 2BB
Snow Planeswalker - Leshrac
If a card would be put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile that card instead.
[+1]: Search target opponent's library for a card and put it into his or her graveyard.
[-3]: Return target creature card from a graveyard to the battlefield.
[-7]: Until end of turn, you may play cards from your graveyard without paying their mana cost.
{4}
Soil Swarm 1G
Sorcery - Arcane (C)
Reveal the top four cards of your library. Put a land card from among them onto the battlefield tapped and the rest into your graveyard.
Splice onto Arcane GG(As you cast an Arcane spell, you may reveal this card from your hand and pay its splice cost. If you do, add this card's effects to that spell.)
Planeswalker Ability
[+?]: Return target land card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Has anyone noticed FNMs in their area being considerably different than they were a few years ago? I attended FNM rather frequently up until between Lorwyn and Morningtide at which point I basically started only cubing with friends. With the surge of popularity of EDH, the interesting looking cards in Innistrad, and Return to Ravnica coming up, I thought I'd try getting back into other forms of Magic. However over the last couple months of playing FNM I've found it completely different to what it used to be and it bugs me for a few reasons. Now keep in mind, I played at a few different game stores, including one in a different city (I was visiting a friend) and they were ALL exactly the same, which is why I'm wondering if it's happened to other people too.
1) The stores are littered with people playing Yugioh. I usually like to show up a bit early. I like to get my stuff ready, maybe get some food, buy anything I need for the day, perhaps get some games of whatever random format in. Anyways, I arrived, and on each occasion I couldn't get a seat or do anything because ALL of the tables were occupied by people playing Yugioh. I have nothing against the game in general, but there were NO other Magic players around and I was not used to this. The other Magic players didn't show up until 5-10 minutes before the draft (which is when the Yugioh players were asked to leave).
2) Nobody was interested in anything other than the draft. I was there to draft too, but I like keeping myself occupied between rounds, but I couldn't find anyone to play EDH (or any other format) against because nobody brought any decks. I imagine if I was there for a standard FNM it might have been slightly different, but really? When I attended FNM before, I always had all my decks with me.
3) This one is more of a feel I had been getting, and I'll bring it up, but I didn't actually SEE anything so I may be imagining it. It seemed like people were cheating. When I played before, everyone's deck was more or less the same power-level wise. Oh sure, you'd get the occasional new player with a god-awful deck, someone would open a couple of crazy bombs, or you'd go all-in on a strategy that didn't quite make it, but taking a look at the 4-0 decks of the nights makes me curious. Multiple players with 3 Arctic Avens. The same decks being packed with 4 or 5 Searing Spears. Some of those decks were absolutely ridiculous, and it was the same couple of people with ridiculous decks weeks in a row. Keep in mind, I also saw none of these cards. I never passed a single one of them.
4) I've been gone for awhile, and I'm trying to get back into Standard without spending too much money before RtR (and also fill out a few EDH decks). Other than drafting to get some random product, I planned to do some trades and acquire at least SOME of the more relevant cards for the post-rotation format. Firstly, finding someone to trade with was an incredible hassle. Before, people had binders out all over the place, people asking to trade even during matches, but now I ask every single person if they have any traders and I find maybe one or two every couple of weeks. Sometimes I can't find a single person. When I do find someone, their binder is awful. Just awful. I'm not expecting a binder full of playsets of every mythic or something like that, but maybe a single standard-playable card at least. I'm looking for a slew of things (decent Standard rares, Legacy staples, cards for any number of EDH decks, or even random foils for the Cube) but when the best card in anyone's binder is Alchemist's Refuge, I have to wonder. It's not like people are going through my binder, find nothing, and so don't show me the good stuff. My binder contains random crap like everyone elses, but it also has tons of popular EDH generals, a few of the more useful Standard rares, even Force of Wills and revised Duals/Shocklands all for trade. At this rate RtR will be out and I'll have almost nothing from an entire block of cards and STILL be unable to play Standard.
I guess that was sort of a rant, but I'm thoroughly confused. My experiences over the last couple months have been completely different from what they were before, and it was seriously disheartening. So I ask, are these things common at your LGS?
While I don't think the mechanic is THAT bad, I'm a little disappointed in the use of +1/+1 counters on both the Rakdos AND Golgari mechanics. On the plus side, there's a small chance they'll allow some crossover synergy. Maybe an Unleash card that does something with the +1/+1 counters. Still, this is the most boring of the known mechanics so far.
Name: Kenithra
Colour Identity: BG
Race: Gorgon
Home Plane: Ravnica
Brief Description: As the second in command to the Sisters of Stone Death (the Golgari Parun during the events of Ravnica), Kenithra was in charge of overseeing the mundane tasks required of the Golgari in their name. During the events of Ravnica, she witnessed Savra killing two of the three and went into hiding. She was later tracked down and had a fight with Savra, during which her spark ignited and she planeswalked away. Savra assumed she was killed. She is now learning how best to abuse her newfound powers and has vowed to return to Ravnica (pun intended), both to assume control of the Golgari guild and to punish Ludmilla (the last remaining Sister) for her weakness.
Sister's Fertilization 1BG (R)
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice a non-token creature or sacrifice Sister's Fertilization.
At the beginning of your end step, you may exile a creature card in your graveyard. If you do, put a number of 1/1 green Saproling creature tokens onto the battlefield equal to the exiled creatures power. "Those who fail the Sisters of Stone Death are given a second chance... as fodder."
I love the format, but I will say that the format can be good or bad depending on your playgroup. You need to find a playgroup that has similar tastes in how they want games to play out. No one I know complains simply because one of their creatures got killed or anything along those lines. Rarely does anyone complain about "overpowered" generals. The only thing that I complain about (and my playgroup feels the same so I'm rarely complaining) is the format becoming super competitive and people just playing a bunch of combo pieces, backed up by countermagic and draw/tutors. Infinite combo's in EDH are, to me, unfun. If you "go off" turn 3, we just disregard you and keep playing with one less person (you). I'm playing this format to see a variety of cards, used in interesting ways. I like seeing synergy and having politics, not having to reshuffle in 10 minutes because your deck is super optimized in a way that it kills 3+ other players via a combo in the early game. If you like doing those things, find a playgroup that also enjoys that.
Draft is a very fun format, and is relatively simple once you've done it once or twice. Pay attention when the TO is explaining and you'll be fine.
Also I'd recommend just not participating if it's rare redraft. Chances are you'll not do too well in your first couple drafts until you pick up the hang of it and rare redraft is like buying repacks online. You'll end up with more or less nothing at the end of the night.
I think it could possibly be an interesting format IF wizards makes it one online. Making a deck legal in that format (which isn't really a format) and then trying to find people who also want to play it might be difficult without some kind of acknowledgement of it on wizards part.
Also... Really? I have multiple comments saying my cards are good with Tolarian Academy? The card is restricted in vintage and banned in legacy. That card is broken beyond belief, and it akin to saying anything is too good because you can mox/lotus/ritual into them.
Shifting Dune
Land - Plains (U) (:symtap:: Add W to your mana pool.)
Shifting Dune enters the battlefield tapped.
When Shifting Dune enters the battlefield, untap target land.
Shifting Sea
Land - Island (U) (:symtap:: Add U to your mana pool.)
Shifting Sea enters the battlefield tapped.
When Shifting Sea enters the battlefield, untap target land.
Shifting Moor
Land - Swamp (U) (:symtap:: Add B to your mana pool.)
Shifting Moor enters the battlefield tapped.
When Shifting Moor enters the battlefield, untap target land.
Shifting Crag
Land - Mountain (:symtap:: Add R to your mana pool.)
Shifting Crag enters the battlefield tapped.
When Shifting Crag enters the battlefield, untap target land.
Shifting Woods
Land - Forest (:symtap:: Add G to your mana pool.)
Shifting Woods enters the battlefield tapped.
When Shifting Woods enters the battlefield, untap target land.
With that in mind I am looking for two things.
1) Creatures with good/cool tap abilities. Cards similar to Avatar of Woe or Arcanis the Omnipotent would be great. but also some things a little lower on the curve.
2) Other things that will allow me to untap those creatures. Preferably reusable things, not things like Twiddle.
2) arbitraryarmor
3)MagicProfessor28
[3♣]: Your card has a replacement effect
[Q♦]: Your card is snow, tribal, or world
[J♦]: Your card is a planeswalker
Leshrac, Walker of Night
2BB
Snow Planeswalker - Leshrac
If a card would be put into your graveyard from anywhere, exile that card instead.
[+1]: Search target opponent's library for a card and put it into his or her graveyard.
[-3]: Return target creature card from a graveyard to the battlefield.
[-7]: Until end of turn, you may play cards from your graveyard without paying their mana cost.
{4}
Round 0
Round 1 -
Common Spell
Soil Swarm
1G
Sorcery - Arcane (C)
Reveal the top four cards of your library. Put a land card from among them onto the battlefield tapped and the rest into your graveyard.
Splice onto Arcane GG (As you cast an Arcane spell, you may reveal this card from your hand and pay its splice cost. If you do, add this card's effects to that spell.)
Planeswalker Ability
[+?]: Return target land card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
1) The stores are littered with people playing Yugioh. I usually like to show up a bit early. I like to get my stuff ready, maybe get some food, buy anything I need for the day, perhaps get some games of whatever random format in. Anyways, I arrived, and on each occasion I couldn't get a seat or do anything because ALL of the tables were occupied by people playing Yugioh. I have nothing against the game in general, but there were NO other Magic players around and I was not used to this. The other Magic players didn't show up until 5-10 minutes before the draft (which is when the Yugioh players were asked to leave).
2) Nobody was interested in anything other than the draft. I was there to draft too, but I like keeping myself occupied between rounds, but I couldn't find anyone to play EDH (or any other format) against because nobody brought any decks. I imagine if I was there for a standard FNM it might have been slightly different, but really? When I attended FNM before, I always had all my decks with me.
3) This one is more of a feel I had been getting, and I'll bring it up, but I didn't actually SEE anything so I may be imagining it. It seemed like people were cheating. When I played before, everyone's deck was more or less the same power-level wise. Oh sure, you'd get the occasional new player with a god-awful deck, someone would open a couple of crazy bombs, or you'd go all-in on a strategy that didn't quite make it, but taking a look at the 4-0 decks of the nights makes me curious. Multiple players with 3 Arctic Avens. The same decks being packed with 4 or 5 Searing Spears. Some of those decks were absolutely ridiculous, and it was the same couple of people with ridiculous decks weeks in a row. Keep in mind, I also saw none of these cards. I never passed a single one of them.
4) I've been gone for awhile, and I'm trying to get back into Standard without spending too much money before RtR (and also fill out a few EDH decks). Other than drafting to get some random product, I planned to do some trades and acquire at least SOME of the more relevant cards for the post-rotation format. Firstly, finding someone to trade with was an incredible hassle. Before, people had binders out all over the place, people asking to trade even during matches, but now I ask every single person if they have any traders and I find maybe one or two every couple of weeks. Sometimes I can't find a single person. When I do find someone, their binder is awful. Just awful. I'm not expecting a binder full of playsets of every mythic or something like that, but maybe a single standard-playable card at least. I'm looking for a slew of things (decent Standard rares, Legacy staples, cards for any number of EDH decks, or even random foils for the Cube) but when the best card in anyone's binder is Alchemist's Refuge, I have to wonder. It's not like people are going through my binder, find nothing, and so don't show me the good stuff. My binder contains random crap like everyone elses, but it also has tons of popular EDH generals, a few of the more useful Standard rares, even Force of Wills and revised Duals/Shocklands all for trade. At this rate RtR will be out and I'll have almost nothing from an entire block of cards and STILL be unable to play Standard.
I guess that was sort of a rant, but I'm thoroughly confused. My experiences over the last couple months have been completely different from what they were before, and it was seriously disheartening. So I ask, are these things common at your LGS?
Colour Identity: BG
Race: Gorgon
Home Plane: Ravnica
Brief Description: As the second in command to the Sisters of Stone Death (the Golgari Parun during the events of Ravnica), Kenithra was in charge of overseeing the mundane tasks required of the Golgari in their name. During the events of Ravnica, she witnessed Savra killing two of the three and went into hiding. She was later tracked down and had a fight with Savra, during which her spark ignited and she planeswalked away. Savra assumed she was killed. She is now learning how best to abuse her newfound powers and has vowed to return to Ravnica (pun intended), both to assume control of the Golgari guild and to punish Ludmilla (the last remaining Sister) for her weakness.
Sister's Fertilization
1BG (R)
Enchantment
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice a non-token creature or sacrifice Sister's Fertilization.
At the beginning of your end step, you may exile a creature card in your graveyard. If you do, put a number of 1/1 green Saproling creature tokens onto the battlefield equal to the exiled creatures power.
"Those who fail the Sisters of Stone Death are given a second chance... as fodder."
Also I'd recommend just not participating if it's rare redraft. Chances are you'll not do too well in your first couple drafts until you pick up the hang of it and rare redraft is like buying repacks online. You'll end up with more or less nothing at the end of the night.
Also... Really? I have multiple comments saying my cards are good with Tolarian Academy? The card is restricted in vintage and banned in legacy. That card is broken beyond belief, and it akin to saying anything is too good because you can mox/lotus/ritual into them.
Land - Plains (U)
(:symtap:: Add W to your mana pool.)
Shifting Dune enters the battlefield tapped.
When Shifting Dune enters the battlefield, untap target land.
Shifting Sea
Land - Island (U)
(:symtap:: Add U to your mana pool.)
Shifting Sea enters the battlefield tapped.
When Shifting Sea enters the battlefield, untap target land.
Shifting Moor
Land - Swamp (U)
(:symtap:: Add B to your mana pool.)
Shifting Moor enters the battlefield tapped.
When Shifting Moor enters the battlefield, untap target land.
Shifting Crag
Land - Mountain
(:symtap:: Add R to your mana pool.)
Shifting Crag enters the battlefield tapped.
When Shifting Crag enters the battlefield, untap target land.
Shifting Woods
Land - Forest
(:symtap:: Add G to your mana pool.)
Shifting Woods enters the battlefield tapped.
When Shifting Woods enters the battlefield, untap target land.
I apparently cannot read. Fixed.