Most of my casual games go well past 7 turns so I can definitely see this helping to power out artifacts. Plus the fact that it can do something on turn one is a point in it's favor.
I get the idea of "abstract concepts representing mana bonds", but these really aren't doing it for me. They're all great pieces of art on their own, but they don't thematically fit the names. How hard would it have been to find a foundry on Zendikar with some hedrons laying around? Or a temple?
Basic storytelling (especially in an ongoing storyline like this), there may be a "victory", but it will be a tainted victory. Somebody will die or there will be some sort of Chekhov's Gun background detail that will come back to haunt our heroes in a few sets down the line.
First 5 cards - The enemy tango lands. Other comments about full cycles notwithstanding, WOTC has a lot riding on this set, all the money they sunk into promoting it at PAX, it being the first set in the new two-set paradigm, plus it's slightly larger. I don't think they'll let this opportunity pass to print these in Oath, and therefore they'll also be in the Expeditions.
Next 10 cards - the original 10 checklands (first seen in M10, etc). The enemy color pairs especially need reprinting as they were only in one set. Plus they reference the basic land types, and that seems to be a theme with the first batch.
Final 5 - I'm stumped. I was hoping it would come to me while I typed the first part of this post but... I got nothing.
While I'm not as emotionally invested in them as the rest of the community (just a filthy casual), the manlands seem like an otherwise logical fit.
The only other thing I can throw out is something related to the rumored colorless basic land we should be seeing soon (I'm really thinking we'll see it in Oath), so maybe some kind of five card cycle of lands with the new colorless mana type and then some other functionality to it.
I'll be perfectly content with all the full art basics I'm going to be getting from the multiple fatpacks I buy, but if I happen to open one of these I'll be more than glad to sell them and buy a couple booster boxes.
Will this be one of the most drafted sets ever because of people trying to keep this set in print as long as they can?
I'm also in favor of tangolands. Magic needs more "fun" in it's nicknames.
As for the lands themselves, even though I don't play competitively I knew right away they're a step below the shocks, but I'll still be glad to pull some for my kitchen table decks. Turn 3 and on coming into play ready to go? Yes, please!
Something that came to me driving home from work today..
Could we potentially see new Shocklands whose ETBT clause is somehow tied to Devour triggers?
Like, they are Fetchable (both basic land types) but ONLY come into play untapped if they were Devoured (or, potentially OTHER exile-based mechanics in the block) by something an opponent played.
Would this create any sort of interesting tension in Limited games or would it just piss people off they have no option of playing them untapped like Shocklands and just not run them at all?
In a Limited environment full of Devour effects it will happen quite a lot. Also fits the flavor/idea of Zendikar and the land itself 'fighting back'. At the same time, it doesn't break constructed formats too much b/c they are slightly more safe.
What do you think?
That sounds too parasitic, like it would only be good in the set they were printed in. A good dual land cycle can be dropped into almost any set and still work reasonably well (I'm sure there's exceptions where a certain cycle would be better depending on the meta, but in general...).
The first FTV set I'm legitimately interested in, just wish these didn't have their prices jacked up like they do. I understand it's for the LGS, but I still wish there were a budget version (maybe non-foil, white bordered...)
If they go the Cave route (Cave// Basic Land - Cave // T: add 1 to your mana pool), the only formats that would need any type of rules babysitting would be any older block that had domain (so, I believe that's Invasion block and Alara block). Just make a rule saying that if you're playing those blocks (sealed or constructed), then Cave simply doesn't exist.
Anywhere else, then domain goes to six and Evolving Wilds now has an extra type of land it can fetch. I really don't understand what's taken WOTC so long to make this happen.
A 6th "basic land" type will never be a thing. No Barry's land aka "Cave" - No to a "ruins" basic land. Sure the article is 6 years old. But this is one point I don't see MaRo going back on. Take out basic land on that Ruins land and you might just have something.
Besides, Purple is the 6th color. DUH!
I've read this article a dozen times and Cave seems like the cleanest solution. And considering the collector's number on that leaked Evolving Wilds, I think if BFZ is the set where they finally introduce the sixth basic land, they'd give it extra slots to make sure there were enough in circulation.
http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/128717559228/what-worlds-do-you-want-to-see
Old worlds you want to go back to:
http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/128717647143/what-worlds-do-you-want-to-go-back-to
I know it would be years before we see anything from this since they work so far ahead but wasn't sure where else to put it.
Like I said, abstract is one thing, but some of the other expedition arts just feel like random landscapes.
First 5 cards - The enemy tango lands. Other comments about full cycles notwithstanding, WOTC has a lot riding on this set, all the money they sunk into promoting it at PAX, it being the first set in the new two-set paradigm, plus it's slightly larger. I don't think they'll let this opportunity pass to print these in Oath, and therefore they'll also be in the Expeditions.
Next 10 cards - the original 10 checklands (first seen in M10, etc). The enemy color pairs especially need reprinting as they were only in one set. Plus they reference the basic land types, and that seems to be a theme with the first batch.
Final 5 - I'm stumped. I was hoping it would come to me while I typed the first part of this post but... I got nothing.
While I'm not as emotionally invested in them as the rest of the community (just a filthy casual), the manlands seem like an otherwise logical fit.
The only other thing I can throw out is something related to the rumored colorless basic land we should be seeing soon (I'm really thinking we'll see it in Oath), so maybe some kind of five card cycle of lands with the new colorless mana type and then some other functionality to it.
Will this be one of the most drafted sets ever because of people trying to keep this set in print as long as they can?
As for the lands themselves, even though I don't play competitively I knew right away they're a step below the shocks, but I'll still be glad to pull some for my kitchen table decks. Turn 3 and on coming into play ready to go? Yes, please!
That sounds too parasitic, like it would only be good in the set they were printed in. A good dual land cycle can be dropped into almost any set and still work reasonably well (I'm sure there's exceptions where a certain cycle would be better depending on the meta, but in general...).
Would just adding the land types to the original taplands be good enough? Or too much?
red/green dual
~~ enters the battlefield tapped
Land - Mountain Forest.
(Tap to add R or G to your mana pool)
Also excited for a new dual land design.
Anywhere else, then domain goes to six and Evolving Wilds now has an extra type of land it can fetch. I really don't understand what's taken WOTC so long to make this happen.
I've read this article a dozen times and Cave seems like the cleanest solution. And considering the collector's number on that leaked Evolving Wilds, I think if BFZ is the set where they finally introduce the sixth basic land, they'd give it extra slots to make sure there were enough in circulation.