Building Junk lands, trying to figure out what else I need. The two cards I'm missing currently are Dark Depths and Burgeoning. Aside from that, I'm not sure.
Gatecrash: Aurelia, Gideon, Obzedat, Domri, Boros Reckoner, Nightveil Specter, Master Biomancer and 5 shocks all at 4.00 average or higher on TCGPlayer, with notable uncommons being Boros Charm, Experiment One and Burning-Tree Emissary.
Dragon's Maze: Voice of Resurgence, Blood Baron of Vizkopa, Ral Zarek, Voice of Resurgence Tokens (not even kidding, they're $5+) and no notable uncommons
M14: Mutavault, Garruk, Chandra, Kalonian Hydra, Archangel of Thune, Ajani, Jace, Scavenging Ooze, Fiendslayer Paladin, Liliana, Primeval Bounty, Lifebane Zombie, and Xathrid Necromancer. Notable Uncommons: Young Pyromancer
Theros: Elspeth, Stormbreath, Thassa, Thoughtseize, Nykthos, Ashiok, Hero's Downfall, Xenagos, Erebos, Polukranos, Master of Waves, Purphoros, Nylea, Heliod, Sylvan Caryatid, Temple of Deceit, Temple of Silence, Temple of Triumph. Notable Uncommons: Magma Jet
Bolded cards are mythic rares. M14 would be my pick. Theros has better mythics, but is less valuable overall. Gatecrash is solid because the uncommons.
EDIT: And if you can get Return to Ravnica: Jace, Sphinx's Revelation, Deathrite Shaman, Desecration Demon, Abrupt Decay, Vraska, Supreme Verdict, Trostani, Rakdos's Return, Cyclonic Rift, and Pack Rat. Notable uncommons: Guttersnipe, Azorius Charm.
Voted on the following, any one and I'm happy [except Grave Troll. We need two then!]:
Golgari Grave Troll
Ancestral Vision
Bitterblossom
Sword of the Meek
Ponder
Preordain
Dark Depths
Dread Return
Call me insane, but I think it'll be more along the lines of Gideon, Champion of Justice, but stabalizing a little higher (6-8 as opposed to 3-5). The major thing that makes her different from Tamiyo is the format: Tamiyo was in a midranged.dec format, while currently we have 4 creature based devotion/aggro decks.
I sold a MTGO collection as well as a rather large buy list submission to Cape Fear Games/MTGO Traders, and both went incredibly smoothly. I was paid within hours of them receiving the cards both times. I'll continue to use Cape Fear Games as my main online retailer, no question, and MTGO Traders for my MTGO needs.
Jace, the Mindsculpter at best gives you an extra card on turn 4, that doesn't seem that exciting. The reason why both of these cards are good are because they can win the game by themselves and bury your opponent in card/resource advantage in the late game. And in fact the Thopter Sword decks had an even to slightly unfavorable matchup with Zoo decks because unlike Jund, Zoo can actually kill Control decks before they can stabilize and they can still play the mid game. If they both were unbanned Zoo would still be very strong, especially since Zoo is so versatile and could be built to deal with that deck existing in the format. But a format of just Zoo and Uxx Thopter Control would be very boring and not healthy at all.
But Nacatl is a stupid ban because it didn't actually accomplish what they wanted it to, turns out Zoo wasn't keeping other aggro decks out of the format because it turns out those aggro decks are actually just trash and aren't competitive. So what's the reasoning for keeping Nacatl banned now? Its clearly not reducing diversity because there just aren't any aggro decks that are competitive enough now that weren't when Zoo was around. By letting Zoo back into format we actually increase the format diversity because we now actually have another aggro deck that is a legitimate contender again.
Man, you are severely overestimating the power of Sword of the Meek. You assemble the combo, and you win after a few turns. Scapeshift, Pod (both Melira and Kiki), and Twin all win the turn you assemble the combo. How is winning over a few turns MORE dangerous than winning instantly? All of those combos are either less or equally fragile as well. I don't understand how people can argue that card advantage engines are more dangerous then instant wins that have earlier fundamental turns. Honestly, if a control deck survives through the early and mid game, they deserve something powerful to win in the late game.
This post doesn't even make sense. It seems to boil down to "If Wizards designs with the power level of Stoneforge Mystic in mind, there won't be a problem." But that's exactly what "restricting design space" means. So your post says "I don't buy that Stoneforge Mystic restricts design space" and then says "All Wizards has to do is not print certain types of equipment."
And besides, that's only one of many reasons not to unban Stoneforge Mystic. Not the least of which is the fact that you can't straight unban it; you would have to swap it for Batterskull. And as has been demonstrated countless times in this thread: if a two card combo is broken, you should ban the enabler, not the otherwise fair card, so you can make sure that the same mistake doesn't happen again in the future.
I believe that what he is getting at is that is a real stretch to print a card better than Batterskull to synergize with Stoneforge Mystic, and that if an Equipment is stronger than Batterskull, Stoneforge Mystic probably isn't the problem.
If they are bad cards, then why do they need to be reprinted for Modern to survive?
Force of Will punishes greedy combo decks. Greedy combo decks become less greedy by sacrificing speed for protection. Without Force of Will, Ad Nausem Tendrils and TEPS would be replaced by Belcher and PSI as the predominate combo decks in Legacy. Force of Will effectively slows Legacy (and Vintage, to some extent) to the point that Aggro, Midrange, and Control decks can exist.
What? They don't. People just want them to print something equivalent so they can unban more combo elements.
Take Manaless Dredge from Legacy, remove Cabal Therapy, Ichorid, and Nether Shadow for Dakmor Salvage, Gravecrawler and Bloodghast. It's plenty stable, but you can make it closer to the Old Extended versions, but with Faithless Lootings allowing for turn one or two wins.
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That list looks terrible. Bloodghast is NOT reliable (4 lands, and you're not dredging back a Dakmor Salvage on turn 2 or 3, you're dredging back Grave Trolls), nor is Gravecrawler (how do you cast it? Your only sac outlets are Dread Return, and you have no other zombies). You lose your protection (Cabal Therapy), and half of your recursion (Ichorid and Nether Shadow). On top of that, you lose to turn 1 Deathrite Shaman, because the deck doesn't function if it's on the play.
Calling it now: UWR Control (not Geist/Midrange) in top 4, but won't take it. The deck puts up good results online, but noone seems to be able to take it to 1st.
My list:
0 Zuran Orb
0 Engineered Explosives
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Crop Rotation
1 Enlightened Tutor
1 Entomb
1 Expedition Map
1 Mirri's Guile
1 Exploration
1 Manabond
1 Sensei's Divining Top
2 Gaea's Blessing
2 Life From the Loam
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Demonic Tutor
2 Greater Auramancy
2 Sterling Grove
2 Prismatic Omen
2 Earthcraft
3 Pernicious Deed
3 Maelstrom Pulse
3 Vindicate
3 Horn of Greed
3 Crucible of Worlds
3 Tangle Wire
3 Realms Uncharted
3 Knight of the Reliquary
3 Eternal Witness
3 Overgrown Estate
3 Infernal Tribute
3 Squirrel Nest
3 Rites of Flourishing
4 Armageddon
4 Seer's Sundial
4 Nevinyrral's Disk
4 Smokestacks
4 False Prophet
4 Abundance
5 Creeping Renaissance
5 Worm Harvest
5 Titania, Protector of Argoth
5 Mirari's Wake
6 Kamahl, Fist of Krosa
6 Sun Titan
7 Spine of Ish-Sah
7 Rune-Scarred Demon
7 Angel of Despair
8 Ashen Rider
8 Myojin of Night's Reach
0 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
0 Reflecting Pool
0 Murmuring Bosk
0 Buried Ruin
0 Volrath's Stronghold
0 Haunted Fengraf
0 Grim Backwoods
0 Vault of the Archangel
0 Mouth of Ronom
0 Scrying Sheets
0 Glacial Chasm
0 Maze of Ith
0 Kor Haven
0 Phyrexia's Core
0 High Market
0 Phyrexian Tower
0 Petrified Field
0 Vesuva
0 Thespian's Stage
0 Horizon Canopy
0 Stirring Wildwood
0 Temple of Plenty
0 Temple Garden
0 Arctic Flats
0 Temple of Silence
0 Godless Shrine
0 Temple of Malady
0 Overgrown Tomb
0 Cabal Coffers
0 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
0 Bojuka Bog
0 Cabal Pit
0 Kjeldoran Outpost
0 Serra's Sanctum
0 Mistveil Plains
0 Dryad Arbor
0 Secluded Steppe
0 Tranquil Thicket
0 Barren Moor
0 Slippery Karst
0 Drifting Meadows
0 Polluted Mire
2 Snow-Covered Plains
2 Snow-Covered Swamp
1 Snow-Covered Forest
6 Akroma's Vengeance
3 Astral Slide
0 Tainted Wood
0 Tainted Field
0 Tower of the Magistrate
3 Sunstone
1 Equinox
8 Spawning Grounds
0 Reliquary Tower
Thoughts? Suggestions? Cards I'm dumb for running or not running?
Dragon's Maze: Voice of Resurgence, Blood Baron of Vizkopa, Ral Zarek, Voice of Resurgence Tokens (not even kidding, they're $5+) and no notable uncommons
M14: Mutavault, Garruk, Chandra, Kalonian Hydra, Archangel of Thune, Ajani, Jace, Scavenging Ooze, Fiendslayer Paladin, Liliana, Primeval Bounty, Lifebane Zombie, and Xathrid Necromancer. Notable Uncommons: Young Pyromancer
Theros: Elspeth, Stormbreath, Thassa, Thoughtseize, Nykthos, Ashiok, Hero's Downfall, Xenagos, Erebos, Polukranos, Master of Waves, Purphoros, Nylea, Heliod, Sylvan Caryatid, Temple of Deceit, Temple of Silence, Temple of Triumph. Notable Uncommons: Magma Jet
Bolded cards are mythic rares. M14 would be my pick. Theros has better mythics, but is less valuable overall. Gatecrash is solid because the uncommons.
EDIT: And if you can get Return to Ravnica:
Jace, Sphinx's Revelation, Deathrite Shaman, Desecration Demon, Abrupt Decay, Vraska, Supreme Verdict, Trostani, Rakdos's Return, Cyclonic Rift, and Pack Rat. Notable uncommons: Guttersnipe, Azorius Charm.
Golgari Grave Troll
Ancestral Vision
Bitterblossom
Sword of the Meek
Ponder
Preordain
Dark Depths
Dread Return
Man, you are severely overestimating the power of Sword of the Meek. You assemble the combo, and you win after a few turns. Scapeshift, Pod (both Melira and Kiki), and Twin all win the turn you assemble the combo. How is winning over a few turns MORE dangerous than winning instantly? All of those combos are either less or equally fragile as well. I don't understand how people can argue that card advantage engines are more dangerous then instant wins that have earlier fundamental turns. Honestly, if a control deck survives through the early and mid game, they deserve something powerful to win in the late game.
"Instant and sorcery CARDS." It's still 1 card.
I believe that what he is getting at is that is a real stretch to print a card better than Batterskull to synergize with Stoneforge Mystic, and that if an Equipment is stronger than Batterskull, Stoneforge Mystic probably isn't the problem.
Force of Will punishes greedy combo decks. Greedy combo decks become less greedy by sacrificing speed for protection. Without Force of Will, Ad Nausem Tendrils and TEPS would be replaced by Belcher and PSI as the predominate combo decks in Legacy. Force of Will effectively slows Legacy (and Vintage, to some extent) to the point that Aggro, Midrange, and Control decks can exist.
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That list looks terrible. Bloodghast is NOT reliable (4 lands, and you're not dredging back a Dakmor Salvage on turn 2 or 3, you're dredging back Grave Trolls), nor is Gravecrawler (how do you cast it? Your only sac outlets are Dread Return, and you have no other zombies). You lose your protection (Cabal Therapy), and half of your recursion (Ichorid and Nether Shadow). On top of that, you lose to turn 1 Deathrite Shaman, because the deck doesn't function if it's on the play.