MTG Salvation

1. Eldrazi mana produced exclusively by Wastes. In essence, a new color. Too parasitic for my tastes.
2. Colorless-only mana cost. Possible, but why put it on the land? T:1 does the same thing mechanically and it keeps it consistent with all other colorless mana sources that have been printed before, including BFZ which will be drafted with Oath. Could be a problem in sealed: if you don't open any Wastes, how will you be able to play your cards? Will stores receive stacks of Wastes for limited formats? Which will be stolen a lot IMHO. (Incidentally, someone just stole all Jaces at my LGS. If they could do that, imagine how easy it will be with lands that are lent by the stores, are in one small set only and that colorless EDH players will want 30-40).
3. Hybrid mana. Possible, but never seen before (a land that produces hybrid mana). Close to snow, but it allows for an alternate cost. Rewards you for playing Wastes by making cheaper spells, but keep the cards playable in any deck. Does not require you to play Wastes or for stores to lend Wastes during limited events.

• Ulamog will be killed.
• Kozilek and his brood rise from their underground lairs.
• The Planeswalkers create a gate to another world to allow the Zendikari survivors to retreat.
• Zendikar dies.
• 1-2 block after SoI, we get to the plane with the survivors, which becomes the next adventure/exploration world, probably with fetch lands and dinosaurs!

Quote from zachawry »

Quote from SpinifexV »

The thing I don't understand in #2 is "Why do we need to differentiate between generic and colorless mana?". If it is to make <> unplayable unless you have access to colorless mana, it is de facto a sixth color. Suddenly, painlands tap for 3 colors while basic lands tap for only one. In draft and sealed, it's the same thing: if you play 2 colors and add <> you are technically playing three colors. Yes, Hedron Archive and cards like these give you colorless mana, but mechanically, it would be no different than an Abzan Banner to splash a third color.

I think the reason is that there are already many, many cards printed over Magic's history that can tap for this "6th color of mana." It's like a new color with a built-in repetoire of cards that already support it. Also, it allows them to print cards for <> that would have been busted for X.

Quote from Marquisd »

So there are three options

1 It's a mechanic roughly equivalent to snow coloured mana

2 it's making clear the distinction between generic and colourless mana

3 it's an alternative casting cost I can't find who said but they suggested that was like two coloured mana = 1 <>. The inverse of (2/W) I guess.

Problems with the first concept is it's extremely parasitic. One of the things MaRo has said repeatedly about the problems with Kamigawa was that it's Mechanics like Arcane were way too parasitic, I can't see them doing something

The second concept seems the most likely to me, but I can see the problems with the switching mid block. I will say if they were ever going to introduce a colourless mana symbol to distinguish it from colourless mana this is the block to do it.

The problem with the third concept is the lack of Reminder text. I know they say reminder text isn't always on mythics, but the most obvious analogue is Phyrexian Mana and there are no mythics that use Phyrexian Mana and all the Rares have reminder text.

• 2-0 against mono-white enchantments. Got a couple of Thunderbreak Regents out game one and that was that. Game two was long and I came down to 1 at some point. I flooded early and had difficulty coming back from a Planar Outburst played for Awaken cost. Gideon, Ally of Zendikar managed to create chump blockers every turn until I drew into my Crackling Doom. Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker won me the game, but Gideon did all the heavy lifting.
• 0-2 against Red Deck Wins. I managed to kill off his threats and put a Thunderbreak Regent on the board with 8 life left, but all he had to do was burn the rest. Game two I mulled to 5 and he Wild Slashed both my Seeker of the Way and my Soulfire Grand Master as they came down.
• 2-1 against GB Eldrazi ramp. Fairly easy match-up. I lost game two to a slow hand and 3 back-to-back Catacomb Sifters. Crackling Doom removed his big threats as he played them.
• 1-2 against Abzan Allied Company. Managed to deal 21 in one turn in game 1, which was not enough. I won game two despite mulliganing to 6 and having 3 lands on turn 10 or 12. I just killed his stuff as they came out, thanks in great part to a Radiant Flame. Mulliganed to 5 game three and never managed to draw my lifelinkers, which are critical in such a match-up.