With the exception that all those other Stax cards do not hide behind a big splashy creature that looks fun, but in reality isn't. That is the point I believe is trying to be made.
I guess that part of the statement wasn't the most clear.
*The only way I could see Iona as a that much of a negative experience for the entire table if it wasn't a color shared between all the decks is if the attitude of the player playing it was unbearable, or the very possible third option of Hyperbole.
Perhaps I am not being clear, or am poorly articulating my experiences. The mood at the table does not immediately drop into sour mode once Iona comes out, the laughs and fun however begin to taper off when one person at the table is locked out and feels frustrated and the person running Iona feels that they are being blamed for "just playing their deck" and it slowly crawls into a mood dampener. If you want that to be hyperbole, good on you, glad that is your opinion, but do not deign to speak for me or everyone else, you are free to your opinion and I am free to mine so I would appreciate the respect I am showing you by not being snide to me in response to my and my playgroups experiences with Iona. Not once have I said you have to agree with me, and not once have I cried ban Iona or else! Simply stating where I stand on the subject.
The real problem with Iona is the hyperbole people commonly use in describing why it should be banned
Don't know if this was a shot or not, definitely will not reply in kind, I will however say that my experience with the card is not hyperbole. I understand my experience is not THE experience and therefore the end all be all. Just stating that I have never seen it have a positive effect on any game where it landed. Take that or leave it as you will.
Iona should be banned because she is offensive in the worst way possible. Jivanmukta touched on that by saying she goes against the spirit of the format and pretends that she doesn't. To elaborate, I play regularly in a lgs where about 75% of the commander population are in love with the Angel creature type, I have run into numerous angel tribal decks and while they in and of themselves are fine and dandy, they ALL ran Iona, after quite a few games ( 10 or so with different people ) I asked this group of people why they ran Iona, and if they appreciated the feel bad she brings to the table. All of them with the exception of one answered that they liked her because she was a big awesome angel and they didn't mind locking people out because "my deck is angel tribal and she is an angel" the one exception guy was just a greifer turd and admitted as much. At this level, the super casual angel tribal level, there should not be a legal card that brings such a downer experience to a table and in such an innocuous way.
but if you want a comparison, look at Protean Hulk, which is broken in nearly every deck it could go into.
This quote is giving me a huge sad. A 7-mana-card that requires a deck to be built around it and requires a sac outlet online is considered broken in every deck it's allowed into, yet the 9-mana-requires-only-2-specific-cards-in-deck-iwin-button isn't.
I had hoped for better.
Protean Hulk does not require a sacrifice outlet to be good. It just needs to die. In Commander, there are many, many ways to make creatures die. Boardwipes are common in this format. Having to hold back a Wrath of God because you know the guy beating down with Protean Hulk is just going to get ahead when everyone else is struggling to rebuild is not going to create a fun, memorable game. Having to scramble to find a clone or theft effect just to deny the Protean Hulk player any sort of advantage when a board wipe comes down is not going to create a fun, memorable game. Having to ignore other threats and sit on some kind of non-destroying effect to just deal with Protean Hulk, because a lot of decks running green are going to include Protean Hulk strictly for its value, is not going to create a fun, memorable game. That's a format-warping card if I ever heard of one.
I see a lot more exile and bounce than destroy effects. Path to Exile, Swords to Plowshares, Unmake, Anguished Unmaking, Utter End, Oblivion Ring and its various flavors, Hallowed Burial, Terminus, Chaos Warp, Spin into Myth, GTFO Stone, any bounce effect. The only color that can't get rid of it outside of killing it is the color that can't do destroy it anyway (Green).
Bouncing a 7-mana creature without an ETB effect can be absolutely backbreaking.
Yes, I'm sure that each player in your group has exactly the right spell when they need it at all times. Please note that I used the qualifier "does not require". Your anecdotes have painted a picture of an incredibly cutthroat metagame, banlist or no banlist. I'm sure people using Protean Hulk in that environment would stock their decks with ways to exploit it to its maximum effect, e.g. sacrifice outlets.
I love this rebuttal, it's people like you who defend crap cards like Iona with "run answers with her in mind", yet when someone brings up legitimate spells that are played often, even in casual circles, that answer hulk without giving the owner of hulk value, people like you chime in with " its format warping if you have to run answers for it". Seriously pick a side and defend it, but quit being a hypocrite. You can't have it both ways.
I agree with Jeebus, that being said I don't think his argument is that aftermarket prices justify the 150.00 price tag more than he is saying that the time and effort put into getting a hold of all the plane chase cards, including promos, would not be as convenient or as successful as one might think. While this product wraps it all up in a nice bundle. I for one will be getting it and I still have all of my 2012 plane chase stuff, but I missed out on 2009. Just my two cents.
With the exception that all those other Stax cards do not hide behind a big splashy creature that looks fun, but in reality isn't. That is the point I believe is trying to be made.
Perhaps I am not being clear, or am poorly articulating my experiences. The mood at the table does not immediately drop into sour mode once Iona comes out, the laughs and fun however begin to taper off when one person at the table is locked out and feels frustrated and the person running Iona feels that they are being blamed for "just playing their deck" and it slowly crawls into a mood dampener. If you want that to be hyperbole, good on you, glad that is your opinion, but do not deign to speak for me or everyone else, you are free to your opinion and I am free to mine so I would appreciate the respect I am showing you by not being snide to me in response to my and my playgroups experiences with Iona. Not once have I said you have to agree with me, and not once have I cried ban Iona or else! Simply stating where I stand on the subject.
Don't know if this was a shot or not, definitely will not reply in kind, I will however say that my experience with the card is not hyperbole. I understand my experience is not THE experience and therefore the end all be all. Just stating that I have never seen it have a positive effect on any game where it landed. Take that or leave it as you will.
Oh and this is not a competitive deck, just for fun.
I love this rebuttal, it's people like you who defend crap cards like Iona with "run answers with her in mind", yet when someone brings up legitimate spells that are played often, even in casual circles, that answer hulk without giving the owner of hulk value, people like you chime in with " its format warping if you have to run answers for it". Seriously pick a side and defend it, but quit being a hypocrite. You can't have it both ways.
Stoneforge Mystic
Lotus Petal
Chain lightening
Shardless Agent
Phyrexian Tower
Won't be in
Karakas
Life from the Loam
Snapcaster Mage
Misdirection
Blightsteel Colossus
Stoneforge Mystic
Lotus Petal
Chain Lightening
Shardless Agent
Phyrexian Tower
Won't be in
Karakas
Life from the Loam
Snapcaster Mage
Misdirection
Blightsteel Colossus
Rescinded