Okay, so the last story was all right, even if it did spend too much time on the Orzhov-related stuff. (And, of course them being evil because that's pretty much what they do...jeez, I can't wait for Kaya to start killing some ghosts. I wish she'd just kill the entire bleeping guild sans Teysa, and even she seems questionable if her flavor text is any indication.) I would have liked to see more...I know know, Selesnya-ish things. Still, though, the Selesnya story as well as the Boros one were decent overall. The other three, though...yeesh. I'm kind of scared to read the ones for the remaining sets, and I'm not sure I will.
Lava Spike is a big one. Blossoming Defense at common and Heroic Intervention at uncommon, maybe? Swiftfoot Boots, Infiltration Lens, and Invisible Stalker for some of the low-value ones. Expedition Map would be good (especially at common). Lightning Bolt, of course. Gilder Bairn, but it would never happen. Slippery Bogle for a common, perhaps. Manamorphose would be good. Boros and Simic Charms, perhaps. Sakura-Tribe Scout. Primal Rage. Sylvan Caryatid if it could be downshifted. Rebuff the Wicked. Serum Visions and Preordain (sadly, they'd probably use the gross MM3 art and flavor text for the former). The Urza's lands, though I already know those can't be in the set. Coldsteel Heart might be something. Ancient Ziggurat. Thran Dynamo. Utopia Sprawl. Guttural Response, maybe.
I wouldn't mind another Ixalan set or two in the future. I want to see more of Huatli (though honestly, she should show up on other planes), and the setting wasn't bad. I liked the story just fine, too (certainly a lot more than the Guilds of Ravnica story).
I hope the actual Masters set is just as good. Though I'll be kind of sad if it turns out to be the last Masters set, unless Masters gets replaced by something that does a better job bringing in needed reprints. I could use Sigarda, Balefire Dragon, Temporal Mainpulation, Kitchen Finks, Cavern of Souls, Vengevine, Emrakul, and Noble Hierarch at the least.
So, okay, decent set. I'm not as wowed by this set as I have been by the past two Ravnica blocks. Maybe it's just been too soon since the last Ravnica. Maybe this set is actually just less interesting. Maybe I'm just disappointed that Dominaria didn't get more sets. But for whatever reason, I feel like this set is more of a supplemental Ravnica product than an actual standard expansion. It's a fairly competent remix of old Ravnica themes, which is different than how I felt about RTR. RTR felt like a "legitimate" continuation of Ravnica.
Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike the set, it seems fun, and I'm certainly going to be drafting it and stuff. But there's something missing. Maybe I'm just getting too old and nothing excites me anymore. (Okay, that's not true, Dominaria was awesome.)
I'm glad I'm not alone on this. I'm not sure if it's just because of nostalgia goggles (Return to Ravnica was my first set), but this set just feels...underwhelming, and something about it seems off (maybe because of Icky Nicky trying to ruin everyone's fun?). And there aren't nearly as many cards from it that I want as I was expecting. Dominaria had more, both Ixalan sets had more, so did the core set, so did Battlebond...heck, even Iconic Masters and Masters 25 had more cards that I wanted (and believe me, I complained to no end about those sets). I was going to get a booster box, but now, I'm just not sure if it's worth it, unless they end up being really cheap (like, sub-$80).
Now we're talking. Divine Visitation would go well in quite a few of my decks, and Thousand-Year Storm seems fun (not to mention I actually have a Mizzix Commander deck).
The only problem is, Panharmonicon requires you choose only that mode, though you can target the same thing twice, but still...
It does? I would have thought based on wording that you could choose two different modes for the two triggers.
The card itself seems okay. I really like the artwork, and I'm glad that we're getting some dryads (especially on Ravnica, which definitely has my favorite dryads).
I'm never the guy that bashes a set based on early spoilers, but I gotta say barring maybe 4-5 cards everything we've gotten so far feels like DGM leftovers. Not hyped at all so far.
Yeah, I feel really underwhelmed too. I know that we've still only seen a fraction of the set, but 114/259 is still a decent number, and like...aside from the planeswalkers, Neo Abrupt Decay, and the not-really-hexproof 6/6 for 4, I barely even remember the cards we've seen so far, let alone am excited for them. And Return to Ravnica was my favorite set for a long time, so it seems even more disappointing than most weak-looking sets.
Weird card. I would have rather just had a plain 5/5 hexproof creature with no other abilities or something, but at worst, it's still a 4-mana 6/6 that can't be discarded.
It really irks me that Arboretum Elemental costs that much mana. Convoke usually only adds 1, maybe 2 to the cost, right? This looks like it costs at least 3 more than base.
Eldrazi Conscription doesn't actually put counters on anything, just gives a static buff, so it remains unaffected. If the Aura mentioned counters (see Shape of the Wiitigo, for instance), then Doubling Season would affect those.
I actually have a deck very similar to this, at least in terms of being a RW deck that uses copious small, cheap creatures to gain a lot of ETB triggers. Mine focuses less on the lifegain, though. (I have nothing against lifegain, but it wasn't really the point of that particular deck.) I don't have Norin or Purphoros (though I want to get both eventually) nor much in the way of good dual lands, but I do have Impact Tremors, Mentor of the Meek, Massive Raid, Cloudgoat Ranger, Outpost Siege, Cathars' Crusade, Hellrider, Anointed Procession, Twilight Drover, and I did include Burn at the Stake as well. I doubt it's competitive for Modern, but I only ever play casual anyway. Other cards I've considered for it or a similar deck include Auriok Champion, Call for Unity, Eerie Interlude, Elemental Mastery, Foundry Champion, In the Web of War, Jinxed Idol, Path of Bravery, Saltskitter, Springjack Shepherd, and Thraben Doomsayer.
8-70: Teferi's Protection would be nice, but it probably won't happen. Same goes for Stoneforge Mystic, Sakashima the Impostor and Sakashima's Student, History of Benalia, Lyra Dawnbringer, Leyline of Sanctity, Resplendent Angel, and Lighthouse Chronologist. Could Baneslayer Angel, Arena Rector, Angelic Destiny, Monastery Mentor, Brimaz, King of Oreskos, Hero of Bladehold, Clever Impersonator, Archangel of Thune, or Archangel of Tithes be in at rare? I wouldn't say no to Arcum Dagsson, Copy Enchantment, Master Transmuter, Michiko Konda, Daybreak Coronet, Martyr's Bond, Karmic Justice, Angel's Grace, or Grand Abolisher either.
72-76: Not sure what I'd want from here. Maybe [card]Sphinx Ambassador?
78-84: Well, Training Grounds could use more supply, Temporal Mastery is right back up to "stupidly expensive"...Time Stretch would be good, but I doubt they'd put that in at rare, especially with Temporal Manipulation in the set. The same goes for Time Stop (wow, there are a lot of turn-related spells in here). Twincast, maybe?
86-92: Could we get Bloodchief Ascension in here, perhaps?
95-98: I don't know, Gifted Aetherborn maybe? Or Ghoulcaller Gisa
100-103: Grave Titan would be good if they could justify it at rare.
105: Could be Maralen of the Mornsong, perhaps? Or Lord of the Void, or Liliana's Caress.
107-109: I'm not even sure what I'd want from here.
111-116: Relentless Dead wouldn't be bad, I guess.
118-123: Hoping for Wound Reflection.
125-151: They wouldn't put Rekindling Phoenix at rare, would they? Scourge of the Throne, Braid of Fire, Purphoros, God of the Forge, and Fiery Confluence would be welcome, though I doubt any of them would get downshifted. Reiterate and Splinter Twin would also be good, and Lava Spike would be a good common (and needs a better supply).
153-162: I'm just assuming that Doubling Season is off the table, sadly. Bloom Tender would be a good choice, as well as Carnage Tyrant, Craterhoof Behemoth, Azusa, Lost but Seeking, Argothian Enchantress, Asceticism, Chord of Calling, Burgeoning, and Bramble Sovereign, though I doubt Carnage Tyrant or Craterhoof Behemoth would be rare. Birds of Paradise should be a shoo-in, but I've been wrong before.
164-171: Exploration, please. Helix Pinnacle would be funny but probably not worthy of inclusion. Khalni Hydra definitely needs a reprint, and I wouldn't say no to Kalonian Hydra either. Heroic Intervention at uncommon would be nice, but I doubt it would happen.
173: Mana Reflection certainly doesn't seem high in supply, nor does Nature's Will. Myojin of Life's Web would be fun, if impractical.
175-186: Sylvan Tutor, Oracle of Mul Daya, Prismatic Omen, Norwood Priestess, Selvala, Heart of the Wilds, Stonehoof Chieftain and maybe Omnath, Locus of Mana. And Primordial Hydra, Seedborn Muse again, and Psychotrope Thallid. Primeval Bounty would be better in a core set (and at rare). Sylvan Caryatid at uncommon wouldn't be bad.
188: Tooth and Nail would be good. I don't know why Titania, Protector of Argoth is suddenly expensive, but she could work. Thrun, the Last Troll (at rare) would be nice.
190-198: Dragonlord Dromoka would be nice (really, most of the dragonlords), or perhaps Dragon Broodmother or Ezuri, Claw of Progress. Doran, the Siege Tower probably wouldn't be worth the slot, but he's never been reprinted.
200-201: A Theros god, maybe?
205: I really want a Riku of Two Reflections reprint, but I doubt they'd do it.
207-214: I suppose another Voice of Resurgence reprint would be too much to ask for (especially at rare). Balefire Liege would be good. This might be a section for chaff?
217-226: Come on, Rhys the Redeemed! Another Aether Vial or Chrome Mox printing wouldn't be bad, or Privileged Position (assuming the Selesnya guild kit doesn't crash its price by itself). Manamorphose would be nice to have. I'd like to see Defense Grid and Vexing Shusher, too, as well as Darksteel Colossus, Sapling of Colfenor, Conqueror's Flail, and Waves of Aggression. Darksteel Plate and Door of Destinies, too.
228: I'm hoping for Herald's Horn, Hangarback Walker, Lotus Petal, Lotus Bloom, or Isochron Scepter.
230-232: I doubt they'd print Mox Opal at rare, but I can dream. Mirror Gallery is low in supply, as is Mycosynth Golem.
234-235: Any of the sword cycle would be good, if unlikely (why have those gotten so few printings?!). Rings of Brighthearth is also way overdue for a reprint. Wurmcoil Engine would probably have to be mythic. Maybe Sculpting Steel?
240: I don't care about any of these.
246-248: Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx please?
250: Reflecting Pool please?
252-253: I don't know, Thespian's Stage maybe?
I'm glad I'm not alone on this. I'm not sure if it's just because of nostalgia goggles (Return to Ravnica was my first set), but this set just feels...underwhelming, and something about it seems off (maybe because of Icky Nicky trying to ruin everyone's fun?). And there aren't nearly as many cards from it that I want as I was expecting. Dominaria had more, both Ixalan sets had more, so did the core set, so did Battlebond...heck, even Iconic Masters and Masters 25 had more cards that I wanted (and believe me, I complained to no end about those sets). I was going to get a booster box, but now, I'm just not sure if it's worth it, unless they end up being really cheap (like, sub-$80).
It does? I would have thought based on wording that you could choose two different modes for the two triggers.
The card itself seems okay. I really like the artwork, and I'm glad that we're getting some dryads (especially on Ravnica, which definitely has my favorite dryads).
Yeah, I feel really underwhelmed too. I know that we've still only seen a fraction of the set, but 114/259 is still a decent number, and like...aside from the planeswalkers, Neo Abrupt Decay, and the not-really-hexproof 6/6 for 4, I barely even remember the cards we've seen so far, let alone am excited for them. And Return to Ravnica was my favorite set for a long time, so it seems even more disappointing than most weak-looking sets.