That would be an awesome snipe from Scott Fischer, assuming he had known about Nielsen's fate prior to having the art commissioned. It isn't that Wizards didn't have the right to no longer employ Terese's freelance services. Of course they do - freelance work is freelance work. But, the moment that they state that her endorsing a political view, and a marginally wacko website is the reason for the termination of the relationship - that is where I find fault. Celebrities of all walks of life - actors, singers, artists, athletes - use their fame to progress their agendas with impunity - imagine if the NBA canned Michael Jordan for saying that we should (insert random Trump agenda). That Terese did what she did (which as I understand it was "like" comments and perform the RL "like" by donating a piece of art), in a personal manner as opposed to as a representative for WoTC is a terrifying precedent. Dig deep enough in anyone's social profile and you'll find something that someone can find offense to. Wizards had 4 options to the probably 20 twitter voices representing 4 actual people who took offense to TN's social media crimes. 1) Ignore it altogether - probably the best choice 2) Support TN - say that political and social views that are not presented as representative of WOTC and are not derogatory or hateful have no impact on continued employment 3) Art direction is a completely subjective matter - even polls of players have little impact on what art an art director deems usable. Phase out her art quietly 4) Throw her under the bus to show how progressive and responsive they are.
Crop rotation is literally the first slam dunk box topper imo. I dislike the art on both previous rotations and love this one. Add in the high desirability for multiple decks (what do you do with 2 blingy atraxas?) And it just checks off all the boxes. The bling cards defy rarity and should solely be evaluated by the metrics that are relevant. How improved is the art? How long is that card on display (commander > permanent > sorcery/instant)? How many decks want that card?
They really help if you have clunky mana curves - think how nice it is to seamlessly go from casting a white knight to a lord of atlantis. I think the ur-dragon commander player in my group has about 5 or 6 of these because they open the potential to play a couple kamigawa dragons and random tarkan dragons that would have been so difficult to play
You kids these days are so lucky. When i was a kid my opponents used to destroy all my lands starting on turn 2. And you guys complain about being able to cast elks all game. Pssh...i would have been happy to be able to cast squirrels each turn but my lands were all getting 2 for 0'ed.
Truly sad this didn't get a re-imagining of the art. I hate the art on this - and of all places to have a card blinged out - the command zone is the place. Part of the reason I can't build a pirate deck - the art on admiral beckett brass is so terrible I can't look at it for more than a few minutes...
Great reprints - but why not add something niche here - it doesn't even have to be good. Color shift warden of evos isle downgrade it from flying to angels only - put unique art on the voice of provinces...so little needed to be done to make this pack offer angel tribal players something else than chasing rares.
This product could have been a home run. They could have put 7 normal themed art land and 1 full art foil per pack. They could have foiled a single card per pack like the planeswalker spellbooks. They could have given each theme a new card instead of ignoring some of them.
Like battlebond and conspiracy, they used a lot of reprint equity on this set to push sales, but like battlebond and conspiracy - 3 to 5 years down the line we won't remember this set for the reprints, but for the new cards - so why not make that the part that is highlighted?
Inniaz is interesting in that you can shift around who has the blockers to stop your flyers and making taking opponents out easier. My only quibble is that if I'm going hard on the flying theme, I'm unsure what I'd want to give to the player on my left. Not any of my creatures since they all have flying and giving opponents my own creatures to block me with is dumb, so I guess group hug enchantments/artifacts?
But it is an interesting design, I like it.
Illusions of Grandeur as is classic? There are also a bunch of removal enchantments, card draw enchantments and tokens (heck the card is even white). Finally, you could also give them something and then bounce it.
Now I want to build an animatou deck with this, illusions of grandeur,treacherous blessing, lilianas contract
Raid - At the end of combat on your turn, if you attacked this turn, create a Treasure Token (It’s an artifact with “T, Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color.”).
There now your pirate lord is at least interesting and worthy of its rare status.
Any part of an infinite combo that involves ashnod altar, deadly navigator, food chain, or pemmins aura/freed from the real is not a problem - it is just a new way of enabling easily abusable cards
I'm confused - isn't scrounging Bandar already historic legal (and maybe others I missed)? And some of those cards are bizarre - is mausoleum turnkey too weak for historic lol?
Product is trash. I am so over this BS. They have no idea what they're doing. Incompetent crap.
So water theme being bad you when from great set to I hate this instantly
I should tell you the flying theme has kira as a reprint
Good to know all the other themes got fun reprints, new art and new legendary creatures while oceanic themes get nothing.
I love this Island seeing it up close but wanted more than just a new basic, which every theme got.
On one hand, I am with you - my pirates, ninjas, sea critters got no love.
On the other hand - it looks like wizards managed to not do something very unfortunate (pirate legend- captain whitey the slave trader).
There is a ton of design space remaining in this product line, and I am excited to see a future where future versions of this create further mashups Perhaps the next could shift from mostly tribal to a mechanic theme
Why wotc ignored foils in a product designed for casuals is beyond me. Why the special lands were not full art foils is beyond my comprehension. Why very few cards got new art is ridiculous.
Imagine opening a Well-Read deck and it's not the one with Rhystic Study.
3/4ths of the well read decks don't have rhystic study. If 3 of the 4 had it - that would be the feel bad. Otherwise you could say " imagine opening a pack and not getting a mythic" - the expectation is low
And why are unicorns not just horses? If Sakura tribe elder and a lotus cobra can both share a creature type, we should be able to combine horse, unicorn and chubby unicorn(rhino)
Like battlebond and conspiracy, they used a lot of reprint equity on this set to push sales, but like battlebond and conspiracy - 3 to 5 years down the line we won't remember this set for the reprints, but for the new cards - so why not make that the part that is highlighted?
Now I want to build an animatou deck with this, illusions of grandeur,treacherous blessing, lilianas contract
Any part of an infinite combo that involves ashnod altar, deadly navigator, food chain, or pemmins aura/freed from the real is not a problem - it is just a new way of enabling easily abusable cards
Beckett brass is too fugly a card to have to have on the battlefield/command zone at all times.
On one hand, I am with you - my pirates, ninjas, sea critters got no love.
On the other hand - it looks like wizards managed to not do something very unfortunate (pirate legend- captain whitey the slave trader).
There is a ton of design space remaining in this product line, and I am excited to see a future where future versions of this create further mashups Perhaps the next could shift from mostly tribal to a mechanic theme
Why wotc ignored foils in a product designed for casuals is beyond me. Why the special lands were not full art foils is beyond my comprehension. Why very few cards got new art is ridiculous.
3/4ths of the well read decks don't have rhystic study. If 3 of the 4 had it - that would be the feel bad. Otherwise you could say " imagine opening a pack and not getting a mythic" - the expectation is low