*high fives*Quote from Niallplaysmagic »Shot called.
Like many, I'm excited for the possibilities here. 250 new (to Modern) cards designed or chosen specifically for the format? Can't wait to see the full spoiler for this set.
Also like many, I'm blown away by no reprints of existing Modern cards in dire need of a supply injection; looks like they are banking at the novelty and equity of newer cards to drive the set sales (and they're probably right).
If I had to guess, my instinct is that another supplemental product will release in the Nov-Dec window that contains some number of choice reprints (but isn't an actual Masters set). Wizards knows that printing cards like the enemy fetches will make them money and players happy, plus they need to make up that end-of-year revenue occupied by Masters sets for the past two years.
Me...I'm just excited for old things and call-backs, and especially to not be envious of so many fun cards bypassing my favorite format for a change.
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Agree with all of this. I don't have the option to play modern anymore (time commitments, sigh), but watching the format evolve is going to be a ton of fun.
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I don't play Jund. I don't care if Jund is good. I'm simply willing to admit that the play patterns available in this format (crushingly controlling OR ridiculously fast/punishing aggro/combo) aren't leading to satisfying gameplay. If you're here for EV or to scratch your desire to cheat on mana costs or miracle people out of games, then so be it. But there are a spectrum of reasons as to why people play this game and this format. Myself and a VERY large group of people want to play cards that were favorites for us from standards past. Desiring for the format to at least be non-hostile to that isn't outrageous. The point of *any* magic format and this game as a whole is to be fun and to serve the desires of the base of players willing to invest their time into it. Desiring changes in the modern format is no more frivolous than simply playing modern itself.
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Yep. An instant speed bottom of the library wrath that costs almost nothing and is now much easier to set up is both required for control to thrive and completely damaging to any other fair deck. I know control is supposed to best fair midrange decks, but it's like robbing a liquor store with a rocket launcher. This leads to the ultimate thought that possibly this format has reached it's diversity limits. All of these decks cannot coexist, there is no balance point, and as long as Terminus is on one end and wildly fast and consistent combo/aggro (this is almost just one classification at this point) is on the other then where is this format actually going? Is anyone satisfied at this point? I've sold all of my modern staples both in anticipation of a new non-rotating format and because I just don't enjoy the gameplay. Playing against stirrings decks isn't fun. Playing against some variation of a graveyard recursive aggro deck isn't fun. I like interacting, I like playing chess with my opponent, and I've had to come to terms that this format just isn't for me anymore.
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The biggest opponents of cards like Thoughtseize are the pros who have to slog through standard seasons with it. The overwhelming sentiment from nearly every pro I saw when Theros rotated out went something like 'Thank GOD we don't have to think about Thoughtseize every game any longer.' It's an obnoxious magic card, not just to 14 year olds.
Also, there is a creature-less tier 1 deck in Standard right now. I don't even like standard, but I'm so sick of the 'hurr-durr midrange creatures' argument as to why standard is 'bad'. Standard is what it is - the format that comes about as the result of a smaller card pool. This thread though, is about why modern could use some cards that are beyond where wizards wants standard to be, not a standard slam fest.
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Here's a start: https://www.esportsearnings.com/games/328-hearthstone
For Hearthstone being astronomically larger (competitively) than magic, Pro tours don't look too bad by comparison.
Some more info-
Hearthstone top paid pro - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pavel_Beltiukov
Magic top all-time earnings list - https://magic.wizards.com/en/events/coverage/top-players/statistics/top-200-money-leaders
Magic has definitely been around a lot longer so keep that in mind. With that said though, these numbers certainly aren't small.
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I agree with everything you've said but I do think there are a few who have a 'brand' that is followed. Kenji, Hoogland, Caleb D and LSV all have a fairly large following based on their personalities more than their deck choices. They're a rarity, but we are definitely starting to see Magic pros properly brand and market themselves.
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Data for this? Wizards has been touting that Dominaria was right up there with Khans in terms of success and popularity.