What do you think would make a good signature spell for Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God? I'm going for a discard strategy similar to the Davriel-Torment of Hailfire deck I posted. Preferably no Tutors, that's boring.
Go for the fun on-theme choice. Slave of Bolas, hands down.
I would love to be able to play this format, but I just found out about it a few days ago, and won't be going back to my LGS for a few more days. Not really sure if they play there at all, but I'm definitely making some deck plans. I'm in the camp of "build to have fun" vs. "build to combo out as soon as possible and not let anyone else do anything". That being said, I'm still trying to win so am not going to build something that will never work. Here's a few of my ideas:
I'm also working on Daretti, Ingenious Iconoclast, Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner, and more. But just as a side note, remember that mana cost taxes can still be reduced. From the example above, with Mizzix and Cy Rift, if the Rift is your Signature Spell and you've cast it three times, but (somehow) have Mizzix out with 12 experience counters... Overloaded it still only costs U.
I've been away for a long while, and only recently joined back up. I completed my first trade since my return, but I keep getting an error message when I try to leave feedback. Is there a problem with the system, or am I missing a flag required for trading?
I am a casual player, though not by choice. My schedule sadly prevents me from being available around tournament time. I must admit that I am sad about this new ruling. While I never got into the complete intricacies of the potential for brokenness, I did use the Sunforger into Order//Chaos plenty of times in my Commander deck. Finding a replacement to go in my toolbox won't be too difficult, however. I just understood the reasoning for the old ruling. It made sense to me. But oh well, I'll adjust and won't even think twice about it a couple years down the road.
I guess I'm probably in the minority, but I like the cards in this border for the block. It definitely screams Egypt. As for the theme, it looks like cards that appeared in a PT Top 8 which could also fit in an Egyptian theme (although I'm not sure about Aggravated Assault being in a PT).
So far the three things that tend to be tossed around are...
1. Traditional, straight forward four color.
2. Four color identity but not four color cost.
3. A more out of the box kind of option that would be new, like the duo commanders idea.
I'm not sure I've seen anything else in the third category off the top of my head, but I could be wrong.
How about:
4. Two/three mana cost, hybrid a/b & hybrid c/d. That way you get your Tiny Leaders commanders as well.
Okay, so this isn't perfect, but I've taken all of the ally-enemy-shard-wedge and grouped them. Unfortunately, not everything fit exactly right, but it's the closest I could do while keeping one of each set per deck:
(UBRG) Rakdos-Simic-Jund-Temur: This gives us Unleash(Hellbent?), Graft/Evolve, and Devour, along with Ferocious/Formidable. +1/+1 Counters making stuff BIG.
(BRGW) Gruul-Orzhov-Naya-Abzan: This gives us Bloodthirst(Bloodrush?), Outlast/Bolster, and Naya Big Creatures. Haunt/Extort doesn't go as well.
(RGWU) Selesnya-Izzet-Bant-Jeskai: This gives us Convoke(Populate?), Replicate/Overload, Exalted, and Prowess/Rebound. Lots of spells with a few attackers that PUMP.
(GWUB) Azorius-Golgari-Esper-Sultai: This gives us Dredge/Scavenge and Delve/Exploit. Forecast/Detain and Artifacts don't necessarily fit as well.
(WUBR) Dimir-Boros-Grixis-Mardu: This gives us Cipher(Transmute?), Battalion(Radiance?), Unearth, and Dash/Raid. ATTACK! (Enough said)
So the first two groups deal with +1/+1 counters and big creatures, though they go about it in different ways. Then we have our spell-focused deck, our graveyard deck, and our small attackers deck. The abilities with question marks don't really fit, but aren't necessary to force due to the other ability of each guild working so well (though the more that I think about it, either Convoke won't work well, or we'll need a token creature sub-theme which will make Populate work better).
I don't think that approach would be very satisfying. As has been pointed out, players expect legends with four colors in their costs. That's important for box aesthetics as well as gameplay.
And again, I suspect each deck will focus on two pairs, one ally, one enemy, to make building the mana base and selecting the themes easier. This will also improve gameplay as you get the necessary colors more easily, more often, and without having to process so many color combinations among your mana base.
I agree that people want to see those four symbols up in the corner. But I also think that they will do Alesha-types in the deck as alternate commanders.
As for the ally/enemy idea, I am guessing that you are thinking:
Gruul-Orzhov
Selesnya-Izzet
Azorius-Golgari
Dimir-Boros
Rakdos-Simic
Seem's like a solid idea. Focus on two guilds per deck and run with it.
And for mana fixing, maybe they will do the BfZ duals (Prairie Stream and such) and the old Mirage fetches (Bad River et al. - maybe even create enemy ones). No reprints to cause devaluation of high dollar items or pre-release jacking up of MSRP for those of us who are poor.
But seriously, the card that I think would be closest based on any criteria would have to be Inkmoth Nexus. Removing Inkmoth would slow down two powerful decks without being crippling to either. I can see the arguments for some cards that others have listed, but nothing critical yet. We can always revisit after Eldritch Moon takes off (and I'm sure that we will).
I beg to differ kn Inkmoth Nexus. That would be more crippling than any of the pump spells for infect.
While I would agree that an Inkmoth ban would be more damaging than banning a pump spell like Become Immense, would it be so crippling that the deck would be unplayable? I just don't see it. Sure, the deck would be more fragile. Yes, the deck might drop to Tier 1.5 or 2. But I'd be willing to bet that most Infect players would work around it rather then just give up on the deck. It's not a combo deck after all. Inkmoth =/= Twin.
I don't exactly have a horse in this race. Sadly, I do not get the chance to play much competitive Magic any more. That being said, I believe that if any card has the potential to be unbanned this go-round, it would have to be BBE. <EDIT: As others have said, it would be competing with Kalitas in the 4CMC slot. And it wouldn't make the deck any stronger necessarily, it would just add some variety as Jund players figure out the best mix.> Personally, I would have loved to have seen Blazing Shoal off the banlist. I had been playing a version of the First Turn Kill since it was in Standard (only ever pulled it off once). I realize that someone had to go and break it though, so I accept that it will most likely never be coming back.
On the issue of cards to ban, I have a more extensive list. I vote that we ban the top 5 cards in every tier 1-2 deck. My reasoning for this is very sound. My decks are UB Creatureless Mill, Selesnya White Weenie, and I'm currently working on BR Heartless Minotaurs. Whenever someone at my LGS asks to play Modern and I volunteer, they tell me they only want to play test against the top decks. So if there are no more top decks, I'll get the opportunity to play Modern again. Yay me! :-P
But seriously, the card that I think would be closest based on any criteria would have to be Inkmoth Nexus. Removing Inkmoth would slow down two powerful decks without being crippling to either. I can see the arguments for some cards that others have listed, but nothing critical yet. We can always revisit after Eldritch Moon takes off (and I'm sure that we will).
Our local game shops have done an EDH league. They have it as a 1-month league, in which you pay $3 per pod you enter (3-5 players per pod, 2 rounds per weekly event), with cash payouts to the top 3 point leaders, and a percentage for the store. Each round has 4 random rules from a list of 100, and a few standard rules (such as -1 per land destroyed past 3 per turn, if a player combos out before turn 6, they get their points, but the rest of the pod keeps playing as if combo hadn't happened, +2 per kill, +1 participation). Random rules include things such as +1 for first spell countered (not first to counter a spell), +2 for have 20+ power of creatures on the board, +3 for having 5 different permanent types on the board at one time, +1 for first time casting a spell using 12+ mana. It could easily be converted to a single night event, depending on turnout. As for EDH staples in the $200 range, can't go wrong with original dual lands, but I would hesitate to make such a desirable prize, as it does bring out the cutthroat in people.
Archangel The new art (image name is ARC20150216 and I assume ARC = Archangel), Moon and stars in the background and flavor text fits with new image.
Less possible
Archangel of Thune The new art (image name is ARC20150216) and I assume ARC = Archangel
I hate to poke holes in your art theory, but ARC stands for Arcana, the section of the website in which the article was printed. As for those who are questioning the focus on White of all these lists, I'd like to point out that 12 of the 15 dragons in FTV: Dragons were Red (Draco, Ebon Dragon, Kokusho, the Evening Star being the non-Red). So unless Wizards came out and said that they wouldn't focus on one color at the expense of the others in these sets, I fully expect the same thing to happen here.
My predictions for the three non-White angels in this set are:
I know that a lot of you think that Twilight Shepherd is the likely candidate for the new art, but it has been reprinted twice in the last year (in the DD Anthology and Commander 2014).
EDIT: Another thought I have is (which may have been answered already, I'm at work reading this), do you think they would simply give all 10 in one set? Or split it like RTR and GTC? Having 10 duals in one set seems like it might cannibalize their own market when it comes to the other sets in that block. Just the fact that they technically "reprinted" shocks in DGM was most likely due to boosting the value of the set (which, as we all know, isn't really working out) for sales purposes.
You're under the assumption that the new duals will be good enough that they will dwarf any other cards that might appear in the block. If it a Nimbus Maze cycle as some have posited, then the synergy with Shocks will make them highly sought after. If, on the other hand, they print a cycle of River of Tears, then they will be less impressive than other cards that may appear (unless the whole block is a bomb, which I would highly doubt). The idea of holding half of the duals back for a smaller set will just dilute the amount of actual cards they can print in that set, and will allow better mana fixing for certain color decks for a longer period of time, allowing them to become more established.
Not sure how unplayable it is but no one plays it. High Priest of Penance Has one me some games I had no business winning.
Ooh, good card. May have to build something with that one. One that I've found mainly unused in my area, but is a main deck four of in my deck, is Beckon Apparition. I've seen a few people use Cremate in a similar slot, but my deck is actually W/U Spirits with lots of token pump. It takes out an early Lingering or Think before they can flashback. It also can remove Reanimator or D-Rite targets. All in all, a handy little card that doesn't get a lot of love (at least in my area).
My LD decks always ran Magnivore as a finisher when I could. And if you go with the R/G, you can use Wreak Havoc as non-counterable. Also, you can board in Boil for if they tap out EOT.
Go for the fun on-theme choice. Slave of Bolas, hands down.
Kenrith Twins + Volt Charge + Steady Progress (Spell Cost Reduction + Proliferate)
Saheeli, Sublime Artificer + Battle Hymn (Token Makers + Haste)
Ob Nixilis of the Black Oath + Collective Brutality/Exsanguinate (Port of my Modern Brutality deck)
Estrid, the Masked + Aura Finesse/Replenish (Enchantress/Bogles)
I'm also working on Daretti, Ingenious Iconoclast, Kiora, Behemoth Beckoner, and more. But just as a side note, remember that mana cost taxes can still be reduced. From the example above, with Mizzix and Cy Rift, if the Rift is your Signature Spell and you've cast it three times, but (somehow) have Mizzix out with 12 experience counters... Overloaded it still only costs U.
How about:
4. Two/three mana cost, hybrid a/b & hybrid c/d. That way you get your Tiny Leaders commanders as well.
(UBRG) Rakdos-Simic-Jund-Temur: This gives us Unleash(Hellbent?), Graft/Evolve, and Devour, along with Ferocious/Formidable. +1/+1 Counters making stuff BIG.
(BRGW) Gruul-Orzhov-Naya-Abzan: This gives us Bloodthirst(Bloodrush?), Outlast/Bolster, and Naya Big Creatures. Haunt/Extort doesn't go as well.
(RGWU) Selesnya-Izzet-Bant-Jeskai: This gives us Convoke(Populate?), Replicate/Overload, Exalted, and Prowess/Rebound. Lots of spells with a few attackers that PUMP.
(GWUB) Azorius-Golgari-Esper-Sultai: This gives us Dredge/Scavenge and Delve/Exploit. Forecast/Detain and Artifacts don't necessarily fit as well.
(WUBR) Dimir-Boros-Grixis-Mardu: This gives us Cipher(Transmute?), Battalion(Radiance?), Unearth, and Dash/Raid. ATTACK! (Enough said)
So the first two groups deal with +1/+1 counters and big creatures, though they go about it in different ways. Then we have our spell-focused deck, our graveyard deck, and our small attackers deck. The abilities with question marks don't really fit, but aren't necessary to force due to the other ability of each guild working so well (though the more that I think about it, either Convoke won't work well, or we'll need a token creature sub-theme which will make Populate work better).
I agree that people want to see those four symbols up in the corner. But I also think that they will do Alesha-types in the deck as alternate commanders.
As for the ally/enemy idea, I am guessing that you are thinking:
Gruul-Orzhov
Selesnya-Izzet
Azorius-Golgari
Dimir-Boros
Rakdos-Simic
Seem's like a solid idea. Focus on two guilds per deck and run with it.
And for mana fixing, maybe they will do the BfZ duals (Prairie Stream and such) and the old Mirage fetches (Bad River et al. - maybe even create enemy ones). No reprints to cause devaluation of high dollar items or pre-release jacking up of MSRP for those of us who are poor.
While I would agree that an Inkmoth ban would be more damaging than banning a pump spell like Become Immense, would it be so crippling that the deck would be unplayable? I just don't see it. Sure, the deck would be more fragile. Yes, the deck might drop to Tier 1.5 or 2. But I'd be willing to bet that most Infect players would work around it rather then just give up on the deck. It's not a combo deck after all. Inkmoth =/= Twin.
On the issue of cards to ban, I have a more extensive list. I vote that we ban the top 5 cards in every tier 1-2 deck. My reasoning for this is very sound. My decks are UB Creatureless Mill, Selesnya White Weenie, and I'm currently working on BR Heartless Minotaurs. Whenever someone at my LGS asks to play Modern and I volunteer, they tell me they only want to play test against the top decks. So if there are no more top decks, I'll get the opportunity to play Modern again. Yay me! :-P
But seriously, the card that I think would be closest based on any criteria would have to be Inkmoth Nexus. Removing Inkmoth would slow down two powerful decks without being crippling to either. I can see the arguments for some cards that others have listed, but nothing critical yet. We can always revisit after Eldritch Moon takes off (and I'm sure that we will).
I hate to poke holes in your art theory, but ARC stands for Arcana, the section of the website in which the article was printed. As for those who are questioning the focus on White of all these lists, I'd like to point out that 12 of the 15 dragons in FTV: Dragons were Red (Draco, Ebon Dragon, Kokusho, the Evening Star being the non-Red). So unless Wizards came out and said that they wouldn't focus on one color at the expense of the others in these sets, I fully expect the same thing to happen here.
My predictions for the three non-White angels in this set are:
Akroma, Angel of Fury
Crypt Angel
Platinum Angel
And my thoughts on the other angel cards in the set:
Angel of Despair - WB Angel
Angel of Finality - Low CC, useful ability
Angel of Fury - Nod to Portal sets
Blinding Angel or Exalted Angel - Nod to old Standard
Firemane Angel - RW Angel
Gabriel Angelfire - GW Angel, old Legend
Iridescent Angel - WU Angel
Maelstrom Archangel - Five Color Angel
Serra Angel - THE Icon
Angelic Destiny - Make anything an Angel
Entreat the Angels - Most likely of Angel token makers
Seraph Sanctuary or Vault of the Archangel - On theme land
I know that a lot of you think that Twilight Shepherd is the likely candidate for the new art, but it has been reprinted twice in the last year (in the DD Anthology and Commander 2014).
You're under the assumption that the new duals will be good enough that they will dwarf any other cards that might appear in the block. If it a Nimbus Maze cycle as some have posited, then the synergy with Shocks will make them highly sought after. If, on the other hand, they print a cycle of River of Tears, then they will be less impressive than other cards that may appear (unless the whole block is a bomb, which I would highly doubt). The idea of holding half of the duals back for a smaller set will just dilute the amount of actual cards they can print in that set, and will allow better mana fixing for certain color decks for a longer period of time, allowing them to become more established.
Ooh, good card. May have to build something with that one. One that I've found mainly unused in my area, but is a main deck four of in my deck, is Beckon Apparition. I've seen a few people use Cremate in a similar slot, but my deck is actually W/U Spirits with lots of token pump. It takes out an early Lingering or Think before they can flashback. It also can remove Reanimator or D-Rite targets. All in all, a handy little card that doesn't get a lot of love (at least in my area).