Pins were bad overall anyway. While I'm sure there are/were people who just collected theirs and were proud of their achievements, they had bad side effects. They were a way of showing off for the above-average players who are typically the ones that give competitive Magic players the bad rap of being unpleasant or hyper-competitive. It makes them feel superior to the kid sitting across from him of round 1 of an FNM which just puts the kid off from Magic in whole, and competitive Magic especially.
Besides, the pins end up holding players back anyway. While it's perfectly fine to just be content with PTQ top 8's, if you are interested in becoming a better player and developing a better game than they just inhibit you, in my opinion. They become an actual achievement rather than a motivation to gaining the actual achievement, which is actually winning the PTQ. And this point is proven by the many people in the thread that are pointing this out as a serious reason for them to be disenchanted with Wizards.
Again, it's unfair to say that everyone who ever got a PTQ pin used it for harm or to stroke their ego and try to look like the big fish at his LGS, but I think enough people out there did it that I'm actually happy for this.
Now as for them trying to hide this from people and not let TO's tell the competitors, that is shady. They absolutely should have been transparent about all this. But it's still a net-positive the way I see it.
Yay for Indianapolis being legacy so I can actually drive there since it's kind of close, only a 9 hour drive or so. Much better than Providence at least since that's just way out there and hard to get to from the midwest.
Almost surprised Madrid isn't a legacy GP again with the giant turnout that happened last time.
Sealed should be as big if not a bigger turnout. I'll be there for that one, fully expecting 2000+
As has been said, it was missed by development as a combo and a deck. But I definitely don't think it was a mistake on power level, sans maybe it being too good in Modern pre-bannings (so too good in a format that existed for one event). But in Standard it was just a very fair, fun, skill-testing deck that had game against every matchup without ever dominating the format. I'll be sad to see it go.
You probably saw me on camera during the top 8 feature match, U/B Control vs Caw... I was right behind Dustin, leaning on his chair watching him dream crush that caw player.
Who else thought the Into the Roil -> Inquisiton of Kozilek on the Oblivion Ring was just EPIC?
I'm so proud of Dustin. Top 4.
EDIT: Now we're in the hotel room BSing. Anyone have any questions for him?
Obviously not your buddy's fault, but the Caw guy got completely mana-screwed game 2, it was pretty insane. He was playing 28 lands, kept a 3 lander and didn't hit his 4th land for like 10 turns with a Preordain and Jace activation in there.
I don't see how it's unplayable in Standard at all. 2 color decks can often afford to play colorless, utility lands and this is no exception. Especially when G/W tends to have the mana creatures involved with Birds, Elves and the new Human guy. It's definitely playable, just a question of if there is a G/W deck or if that deck wants it more than say Ghost Quarter or Inkmoth Nexus[/CARD].
It's been said before but seriously, not seeing any cards coming out of the gates that seem extremely powerful (save the Thiago Chan card MAYBE) is actually awesome and I'm very happy with how this set is appearing so far. Amazing flavor and aesthetics, seems like it'll be very unique for Limited with tons of player influence on the games and it has a very nice, lowered power level for constructed.
Cute but I don't think Standard will power down that vastly by October that a much worse Baneslayer will see a ton of play. But they seem to be pushing this Human thing pretty hard so we'll see.
Very strong land, nice card advantage over time. Only concern is if U/W decks still want Inkmoth Nexus and this that it'll stretch the manabase a bit. Definitely one to watch though.
The more I think about this one though, it just seems like it could mean Caw-Blade outright survives. Ponder isn't Preordain but can play it's role decent enough. Squadron Hawk and Spell Pierce are the only other rotating cards and this can help play the Hawk role while just taking up a land slot.
Utility lands are always awesome to try out, if they flop they flop but having them around as an option is great. Dunno how much Standard play this will see, but like a Contested Warzone it is good that it exists, even if it ends up a bulk rare. But I would think with casual play alone this will do just fine for itself.
Seems overcosted to be truly good in non Block Constructed, Constructed. As a 3 mana 3/1 it seems awesome, 5 mana 5/1 seems too pricey. Plays really well with the Skaab Ruinator though.
Hardly as epic as some of these, but the one that I still laugh about to this day is when I was playing B/R Vampires and sat debating for a good 30 seconds- a minute in my head if I should lead Lavaclaw Reaches into Bloodghast or play Swamp into Pulse Tracker and hope to draw an untapped land. I go with the Swamp and promptly pass the turn without playing the Tracker, lose the game with my opponent at 1.
Appropriate use of Mythic Rare, fun, splashy, cards that are awesome for more casual players and formats that don't need to come up often in Limited or be chased by tournament players. I can dig it.
Supporting Wrapter, but Sam Black is right, he did misplay game 1. Bolting the agents on his turn when Black was tapped out seemed the definite play since otherwise Black has countermana up which he did. As for Black getting unlucky missing Shoal in game 5, he certainly did. But he also hit a one-outer of Slaughter Pact to take game 2 so I guess these things even out.
Besides, the pins end up holding players back anyway. While it's perfectly fine to just be content with PTQ top 8's, if you are interested in becoming a better player and developing a better game than they just inhibit you, in my opinion. They become an actual achievement rather than a motivation to gaining the actual achievement, which is actually winning the PTQ. And this point is proven by the many people in the thread that are pointing this out as a serious reason for them to be disenchanted with Wizards.
Again, it's unfair to say that everyone who ever got a PTQ pin used it for harm or to stroke their ego and try to look like the big fish at his LGS, but I think enough people out there did it that I'm actually happy for this.
Now as for them trying to hide this from people and not let TO's tell the competitors, that is shady. They absolutely should have been transparent about all this. But it's still a net-positive the way I see it.
Sealed should be as big if not a bigger turnout. I'll be there for that one, fully expecting 2000+
Creature: Dark Confidant
Enchantment: Necropotence
Instant: Ancestral Recall
Land: Underground Sea
Planeswalker: Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Sorcery: Time Walk
Tribal: Bitterblossom
Obviously not your buddy's fault, but the Caw guy got completely mana-screwed game 2, it was pretty insane. He was playing 28 lands, kept a 3 lander and didn't hit his 4th land for like 10 turns with a Preordain and Jace activation in there.
It's been said before but seriously, not seeing any cards coming out of the gates that seem extremely powerful (save the Thiago Chan card MAYBE) is actually awesome and I'm very happy with how this set is appearing so far. Amazing flavor and aesthetics, seems like it'll be very unique for Limited with tons of player influence on the games and it has a very nice, lowered power level for constructed.
The more I think about this one though, it just seems like it could mean Caw-Blade outright survives. Ponder isn't Preordain but can play it's role decent enough. Squadron Hawk and Spell Pierce are the only other rotating cards and this can help play the Hawk role while just taking up a land slot.
There are enough broken combos with that card that I don't see it ever being reprinted in an expansion of any kind.