Render request: a Cryptic Command with the modern bullet-point templating but the pre-8th edition frame. The card reminds me of how sweet blue spells used to be, so I figure it should get the frame to match, but it's so much more legible with the new way they word modal spells. It would be the best of both worlds!
You seem to be working with the Median (i.e. average is defined as taking the lowest and highest values, adding them together, then dividing by two)--the efficacy of Necropotence & Co. adds that much more to the median.
That's not what median is. To find the median, put all your data points in order least to greatest and then find the middle value. If there are two middle values (because you have an even number of data points), then you average the two middle values. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Median
I also don't get lurking automaton, can someone explain?
First suppose you only have one Lurking Automaton. If you first picked it, it's a 1/1. If you took it second pick, it's a 2/2. Took it 3rd? 3/3. And so on.
Now suppose you took multiple Lurking Automatons. If you took one first pick and one second pick, both of them are 2/2s.
This is a small thing, but it's been driving me crazy. On the bottom of the page in a thread, there are links to the first few pages, then an ellipsis ("...") then a link to the last page. This is correct. But in the list of threads, the ellipsis is put at the end. I keep wondering whether the thing before the ellipsis is really the last page or not before I click and check. Image below shows both things.
I find it baffling that Boros gets a 1 mana Exile Target Creature and everyone is complaining about how bad the card is.
Seriously! And on top of that people are saying things like how Journey to Nowhere is better and how it won't get played in modern because of Abrupt Decay and Tec. Edge. (Edit to clarify: there will be far less enchantment removal played in other formats compared to Theros standard). I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.
Look, it's narrow; everyone who can read can see that. It's also incredibly powerful in the decks that can support it. If there's a red-white deck that's viable in a format, it will play this card. If not, not.
I'd say the correct answer is "don't buy packs and then just open them." Organize a booster draft. If you can't do that, grab a buddy and Winston draft. Heck, even just Pack Wars is fine. If you're not getting some use out of the packs beyond just the resale value of the cards you open, buying packs is very much a losing proposition.
I haven't been able to establish a drafting group in my new city yet, so I've ended up popping some packs I've won as prizes, and even that gave me the feel-bads. Luckily my store started giving the option of $4 store credit for each prize pack, which is much better. But yeah, just forking over cash for packs directly and then opening the packs is like setting money on fire: a lot of fun for a few seconds, and then you realize you just set money on fire and feel dumb.
You guys realize that being reprinted in FtV sets drives down the prices of the non-FtV versions of these cards, right? So that it actually makes Magic more affordable for everyone? Rather than complaining about how they're too expensive, you should rejoice that they exist at all.
That's not what median is. To find the median, put all your data points in order least to greatest and then find the middle value. If there are two middle values (because you have an even number of data points), then you average the two middle values. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Median
First suppose you only have one Lurking Automaton. If you first picked it, it's a 1/1. If you took it second pick, it's a 2/2. Took it 3rd? 3/3. And so on.
Now suppose you took multiple Lurking Automatons. If you took one first pick and one second pick, both of them are 2/2s.
Oh, and on a whim I tried putting in "OKAYWHEREDOWESTART" into the labyrinth article, but it didn't do anything.
Maybe they'll let him stay?
[CARD=That Which Was Taken]
That[/CARD].
Edit: Okay, so I was Sarnath'd by a million years...but my version of the punchline was the best!
Probably Lorwyn or one of the three following sets, but might also be a reference to Arabian Nights (i.e. Scheherazade and the 1001 Nights).
Here is a complete list of commons from Arabian Nights:
Bird Maiden
Camel
Cuombajj Witches
Dandân
Desert
Desert Nomads
Erg Raiders
Fishliver Oil
Flying Men
Ghazbán Ogre
Giant Tortoise
Hasran Ogress
Hurr Jackal
Kird Ape
Metamorphosis
Moorish Cavalry
Mountain
Nafs Asp
Oubliette
Piety
Rukh Egg
Sandstorm
Stone-Throwing Devils
Unstable Mutation
War Elephant
Wyluli Wolf
//gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?sort=rarity+&output=checklist&action=advanced&set=%20[%22Arabian%20Nights%22">"]Source
Here's a list of commons from Lorwyn, Morningtide, Shadowmoor, and Eventide:
Aerie Ouphes
Æthersnipe
Æthertow
Ambassador Oak
Amoeboid Changeling
Antler Skulkin
Aphotic Wisps
Apothecary Initiate
Aquitect's Will
Ashenmoor Cohort
Avian Changeling
Axegrinder Giant
Ballynock Cohort
Ballynock Trapper
Ballyrush Banneret
Banishing Knack
Barkshell Blessing
Barrenton Cragtreads
Barrenton Medic
Battlegate Mimic
Battlewand Oak
Beckon Apparition
Black Poplar Shaman
Blades of Velis Vel
Blazethorn Scarecrow
Blight Sickle
Blightsoil Druid
Blind-Spot Giant
Blistering Dieflyn
Bloodshed Fever
Bog Hoodlums
Boggart Arsonists
Boggart Birth Rite
Boggart Forager
Boggart Loggers
Boggart Sprite-Chaser
Bog-Strider Ash
Bosk Banneret
Briarberry Cohort
Brighthearth Banneret
Broken Ambitions
Burn Trail
Burrenton Bombardier
Burrenton Shield-Bearers
Caterwauling Boggart
Cenn's Enlistment
Cenn's Heir
Cerulean Wisps
Chainbreaker
Changeling Sentinel
Cinder Pyromancer
Cinderbones
Cinderhaze Wretch
Cloudcrown Oak
Clout of the Dominus
Consign to Dream
Consuming Bonfire
Coordinated Barrage
Crabapple Cohort
Crimson Wisps
Cultbrand Cinder
Curse of Chains
Dawnfluke
Deeptread Merrow
Deglamer
Desecrator Hag
Devoted Druid
Dewdrop Spy
Disperse
Distant Melody
Disturbing Plot
Double Cleave
Drain the Well
Dream Thief
Dreamspoiler Witches
Drowner Initiate
Duergar Assailant
Earthbrawn
Edge of the Divinity
Elsewhere Flask
Elvish Branchbender
Elvish Eulogist
Elvish Handservant
Elvish Hexhunter
Elvish Warrior
Ember Gale
Emberstrike Duo
Everbark Shaman
Exiled Boggart
Eyeblight's Ending
Facevaulter
Faerie Macabre
Faerie Trickery
Fang Skulkin
Farhaven Elf
Fate Transfer
Faultgrinder
Favor of the Overbeing
Fencer Clique
Fertile Ground
Fertilid
Festercreep
Final-Sting Faerie
Fire at Will
Fire Juggler
Fire-Belly Changeling
Fistful of Force
Fists of the Demigod
Flame Jab
Flamekin Brawler
Floodchaser
Footbottom Feast
Forfend
Foxfire Oak
Frogtosser Banneret
Game-Trail Changeling
Ghastly Discovery
Giantbaiting
Giant's Ire
Gift of the Deity
Gilt-Leaf Ambush
Gilt-Leaf Seer
Gleeful Sabotage
Glimmerdust Nap
Gloomlance
Gloomwidow's Feast
Goldenglow Moth
Goldmeadow Dodger
Goldmeadow Harrier
Gravelgill Axeshark
Gravelgill Duo
Grazing Kelpie
Harvest Gwyllion
Heal the Scars
Heartlash Cinder
Helm of the Ghastlord
Herbal Poultice
Hillcomber Giant
Hobgoblin Dragoon
Hoof Skulkin
Hornet Harasser
Hostile Realm
Hotheaded Giant
Hungry Spriggan
Hunt Down
Hurly-Burly
Inescapable Brute
Ingot Chewer
Ink Dissolver
Inkfathom Divers
Inner-Flame Acolyte
Inquisitor's Snare
Inside Out
Intimidator Initiate
Jawbone Skulkin
Judge of Currents
Juvenile Gloomwidow
Kindled Fury
Kinsbaile Balloonist
Kinsbaile Skirmisher
Kinscaer Harpoonist
Kithkin Daggerdare
Kithkin Greatheart
Kithkin Healer
Kithkin Shielddare
Kithkin Spellduster
Kithkin Zealot
Kithkin Zephyrnaut
Lace with Moonglove
Lairwatch Giant
Lash Out
Last Breath
Latchkey Faerie
Leaf Gilder
Lignify
Loamdragger Giant
Loch Korrigan
Lowland Oaf
Luminescent Rain
Lunk Errant
Lys Alana Bowmaster
Lys Alana Huntmaster
Manaforge Cinder
Manamorphose
Medicine Runner
Memory Sluice
Merrow Bonegnawer
Merrow Levitator
Merrow Wavebreakers
Merrow Witsniper
Mine Excavation
Monstrify
Moonglove Changeling
Moonglove Extract
Moonglove Winnower
Morsel Theft
Morselhoarder
Mosquito Guard
Mothdust Changeling
Mournwhelk
Mudbrawler Cohort
Mudbrawler Raiders
Mudbutton Clanger
Mudbutton Torchrunner
Mulldrifter
Nameless Inversion
Nath's Buffoon
Nath's Elite
Neck Snap
Needle Drop
Negate
Nettle Sentinel
Nightshade Stinger
Nightsky Mimic
Nip Gwyllion
Niveous Wisps
Noggle Bandit
Noggle Bridgebreaker
Nurturer Initiate
Oaken Brawler
Oakgnarl Warrior
Oblivion Ring
Odious Trow
Old Ghastbark
Oona's Gatewarden
Oona's Grace
Order of the Golden Cricket
Pack's Disdain
Paperfin Rascal
Parapet Watchers
Peppersmoke
Pestermite
Pili-Pala
Plover Knights
Poison the Well
Ponder
Power of Fire
Presence of Gond
Prickly Boggart
Prismwake Merrow
Protective Bubble
Pulling Teeth
Puncture Blast
Puncture Bolt
Put Away
Quill-Slinger Boggart
Rattleblaze Scarecrow
Raven's Crime
Raven's Run Dragoon
Recumbent Bliss
Reins of the Vinesteed
Rendclaw Trow
Ringskipper
Rite of Consumption
Riverfall Mimic
Roar of the Crowd
Rootgrapple
Rune-Cervin Rider
Runed Stalactite
Runes of the Deus
Rustrazor Butcher
Safehold Duo
Safehold Elite
Safehold Sentry
Safewright Quest
Scar
Scarred Vinebreeder
Scarscale Ritual
Scourge of the Nobilis
Scrapbasket
Scuttlemutt
Scuzzback Marauders
Scuzzback Scrapper
Seething Pathblazer
Sentinels of Glen Elendra
Shard Volley
Shell Skulkin
Shield of the Oversoul
Shields of Velis Vel
Shimmering Grotto
Shinewend
Shorecrasher Mimic
Sickle Ripper
Silkbind Faerie
Silvergill Douser
Sinking Feeling
Skeletal Changeling
Slippery Bogle
Smash to Smithereens
Smokebraider
Smolder Initiate
Smoldering Butcher
Snakeform
Soaring Hope
Somnomancer
Sootstoke Kindler
Sootwalkers
Soul Reap
Soulbright Flamekin
Spell Syphon
Spellstutter Sprite
Spiderwig Boggart
Splitting Headache
Spring Cleaning
Springjack Knight
Springleaf Drum
Squeaking Pie Grubfellows
Steel of the Godhead
Stingmoggie
Stinkdrinker Daredevil
Stonybrook Angler
Stonybrook Banneret
Stonybrook Schoolmaster
Stream Hopper
Stream of Unconsciousness
Streambed Aquitects
Strip Bare
Sunflare Shaman
Surge of Thoughtweft
Talara's Bane
Tarfire
Tattermunge Duo
Thieving Sprite
Thistledown Duo
Thornwatch Scarecrow
Tideshaper Mystic
Tilling Treefolk
Toil to Renown
Torpor Dust
Torture
Traitor's Roar
Trapjaw Kelpie
Triclopean Sight
Turn to Mist
Unmake
Violet Pall
Viridescent Wisps
Wanderbrine Rootcutters
Wanderer's Twig
Warren Pilferers
Warren-Scourge Elf
War-Spike Changeling
Watchwing Scarecrow
Weed Strangle
Weed-Pruner Poplar
Weight of Conscience
Wellgabber Apothecary
Whimwader
Whirlpool Whelm
Wickerbough Elder
Wilderness Hypnotist
Wildslayer Elves
Wingrattle Scarecrow
Wings of Velis Vel
Winnower Patrol
Wispmare
Woeleecher
Woodland Changeling
Woodlurker Mimic
Zealous Guardian
Zephyr Net
//gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?sort=rarity+&output=checklist&action=advanced&set=|[%22Lorwyn%22">|[%22Shadowmoor%22]|[%22Eventide%22]|[%22Morningtide%22]&type=%20![%22Basic%22]&rarity=%20[C]"]Source
You have to be careful with Gatherer search on rarity, because it includes cards that were later reprinted at a different rarity.
Seriously! And on top of that people are saying things like how Journey to Nowhere is better and how it won't get played in modern because of Abrupt Decay and Tec. Edge. (Edit to clarify: there will be far less enchantment removal played in other formats compared to Theros standard). I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.
Look, it's narrow; everyone who can read can see that. It's also incredibly powerful in the decks that can support it. If there's a red-white deck that's viable in a format, it will play this card. If not, not.
"This pack doesn't have a bomb rare in it, sell me another one."
The implication is that she blew a hole in the portcullis and then stepped (jumped?) through.
EDIT: Sarnath'd.
I haven't been able to establish a drafting group in my new city yet, so I've ended up popping some packs I've won as prizes, and even that gave me the feel-bads. Luckily my store started giving the option of $4 store credit for each prize pack, which is much better. But yeah, just forking over cash for packs directly and then opening the packs is like setting money on fire: a lot of fun for a few seconds, and then you realize you just set money on fire and feel dumb.