I suspect there will be a 4 snap opt list. Tough to say for sure ofc.
I could see this. But I suspect the 4 snap opt list is Jeskai or Esper and drops our mana disruption package. It will be interesting to see how this evolves.
Looks like Ixalan will bring Optwith it. Does this replace Serum Visions for us? I'm thinking yes. The flexibility offered by instant speed seems really good in our decks.
Edge is too slow against G(x) Tron since you have to wait for them to have four lands in play. They only need three lands to play something like Karn, Liberated. Better to ghost quarter them early and prevent them from getting tron online. They only really need to resolve one of their big planeswalkers for us to be in trouble.
GR Ponza: seems nearly unwinnable especially game 1. I won a match against my friend who was playing it a couple weeks ago after he said "There's no way I could lose this match" after game 1, but in further testing I have no idea how I could win that match.
I can't address the other matchups but I have played against GR Ponza a few times. I'm not 100% certain on the match up yet and I think its tough no matter what plan you make. However, I think the key cards are spreading seas, mana leak, ghost quarter, and verdict. Their utopia sprawl plan is very, very vulnerable to seas and ghost quarter. If they go all-in on utopia sprawl and arbor elf then its fairly simple to blow them out with either card. Mana leak is great because countering their countering their early spells is very very important. This will save your lands and help you play your more powerful spells. In addition, they don't generally run enough lands to turn off leak very quickly, especially if you disrupt their utopia sprawl. Verdict is important to deal with Stormbreath Dragon. That card will kill you quickly and it can't be hit with path or sphere. We also cannot fog it with Gideon.
I also think we ignore their blood moon. Unlike many other decks, we run a lot of basics and can play around it. Especially if we fetch for basics early rather than duals. I'd rather focus on their threats.
As for the board, I'd take out cryptics (forget about getting to UUU) and bring in a fourth sweep and two negates. Be aware some build play Thrun. We'll need either Wrath of God (instead of the fourth verdict), Elspeth, Sun's Champion (to chump), or Blessed Alliance (edict) to beat him.
@Benny and others, would you consider Spell Queller or did anyone tried and it didn't seem to be that good?
Also, @Benny how would you tune your deck in a control heavy meta(and then the usual Shadow, EldraTron, Dredge decks-basically anything other than Ad Nauseam, Storm and Titanshift)?
I am also very interested to hear opinions on Queller. I'm on the Benny mainboard -1 temple of enlightenment and +1 Cryptic Command. However, my board is in a bit more flux as I try to combat my local meta. Last week I brought in Quellers against combo (Ad Nauseum) and Burn. Felt great against combo, okay against burn. I've also been playing with them in the mirror. I'm not sure if this is correct and would love to hear more opinions on that card.
This weeks story was . . . fine. I would have preferred one short story rather than several micro stories. I love when WOTC focuses on the normal citizens of the plane but we didn't spend enough time with any of these characters to make me care about them. Oh well. Looking forward to next week.
Would it not make sense to produce a 'complete game in a box' Core Set, as FFG does with its Living Card Games? This could include four precon decks, playmats, life counters etc. Ensure the box includes a couple of copies of enough decent reprints or new cards that established players would be interested in - and perhaps an exciting new design for the land cards to also attract established players - and WOTC might also be able to sell a good number of sets to existing players.
Just a thought. Sure I'm not the first to have the idea.
They really try to do things like this. The problem they have with making products that appeal to both new and established players is that if they put too much value into a product like this then the established players/spikes will snatch up every copy just for the value. Then the new players never get to play with the product. However, if they put too little value into the set, its hard to convince anyone to make an informed decision to buy the product. Its a tricky balancing act they've been playing with for the past few years. The commander pre-cons especially suffer from this issue. However, they've done a great job of balancing the competing interests for the past few years.
Why have a block structure? Just release 4 sets a year. They can be solo sets, two linked together like now, three linked like the old days or four linked like Lorwyn.
Have a single set on Dominara, two on a new plane then three on Ravnica before having a single set on a new plane?
I would not be surprised if they announce Return to Return to Ravnica as a 4-set block. This would let them focus on each guild, give plenty of room for the guildless, and let them tell a fairly elaborate story about Jace. The biggest concern about that plan might be Ravnica burn out, but there's so much design space in Ravnica I think they could manage to keep the sets varied.
After reading this thread, I think I'm going to try Regal Behemoth in my Karametra deck. I'll probably replace Mirari's wake. The buff doesn't do a lot in the deck, and Mirari's wake quickly eats removal. Regal Behemoth triggers Karametra, builds up my creature count for effects like Garruk, Caller of the Pack, adds a minigame, and is easier to recur.
Have you talked to whomever runs the league? I think this could be solved pretty simply by splitting them amongst the pods. Either they learn to play on their own or they get frustrated and leave. If they learn to play on their own, everyone wins. If they leave, good riddance, they seem toxic for the store environment. Unfortunately, sometimes you have to cull the player base to keep the environment healthy.
Looks like they are trying to show us Nissa's new blue side. There's a lot to parse through here in the trial.
I wonder if the Gatewatch is going to end up passing all the trials as a team or something, allowing them to pass through the gate and face off against the demon.
Seems like Goblins, Elves, and Zombies are a given. I think Dragons or Spirits might also be a good bet. Plenty of support for all of those. Vampires and Human Tribal Support is too recent (Neither really got much support until the first Innistrad Block). As other commentators pointed out, there just aren't enough Merfolk. Single and two-block tribes also likely don't have enough support (Snakes, Giants, Kithkin).
You will never be happy, will you? Not until you get Cryptic Command for U. It's telling that you are the same people who commented on Censor. If you don't like it, you could always pick up a new game. That's some friendly advice people shared with me a few weeks ago. Or you could try to join the development team and make a good case. Right now, it doesn't seem like you have much of an argument beyond "Muh bluez!". I understand you don't like it, but come up with an argument that goes beyond "I don't like it." Show me why things are wrong. Show me what is broken. Because right now all you come across as is entitled kids who are suddenly finding the real world doesn't listen to the same rules their parents said it would listen to.
None of this is trolling. I'm just really sad that you don't like the game anymore because you don't get spells that simply don't and won't exist in Magic as it is now, and that you feel the game needs to change that fundamentally to make you happy.
Admittedly, cryptic command for U would be too much. However, there are a number of older players who simply see that new sets are pushing the game in a direction that just does not engage us anymore. WOTC decided around 5-6 years ago that a large number of players simply don't like playing against control. Makes sense. They also decided people like playing with creatures. Also fine. So they stopped printing powerful reactive instants and started printing incredibly powerful creatures with spells stapled on. Unfortunately, this also forced them to kill off combo because control has always traditionally kept that archetype in check. This has left standard formats as mostly (and admittedly, subjectively), a wasteland of just midrange and aggro for the past number of years. And even aggro isn't usually incredibly viable because midrange naturally preys on that archetype and WOTC has refused for the past few years to print viable burn to give those decks reach. When they try to give standard variety, like the recent energy combo deck, or copycat, it winds up incredibly broken without control to reign it in. Look at the recent bannings for evidence of this.
Some people love the midrange mirror match. These people love standard right now. But people like me will likely not participate in standard until we see better format diversity again, the kind of diversity I don't believe we've seen since RTR standard (perhaps not coincidentally, the last time a draw-go deck existed in standard).
Somewhat on topic, I'm curious whether censor and the new X-cost draw spell will give us another one of those control decks. Censor neatly bridges the gap between turn 2/3 and 3/4. After that, more powerful counter magic like cancel variants can take over and censor can be treated as a very efficient cycler. My only worry is that WOTC still seems hesitant to print strong instant-speed removal, something I don't see in these spoilers. Unfortunate, but if people keep enjoying standard as it exists, I'll keep enjoying Modern and EDH, and be happy for them.
I don't think this slots cleanly into current builds of Tron. Most play 19-20 lands. 12 are tron pieces. 4 are for colored sources and then 3 are flex slots. The typical build plays ghost quarter (for the mirror and problem manlands), sanctum of ugin (to help with threat density), and a forest (for path and opposing ghost quarters). I don't see this replacing any of those flex slots. I'm not sure Tron gains enough from the access to color to replace any of those effects. Their threats (Ugin, Karn, Ulamog, Wurmcoil, Worldbreaker) are already plenty strong enough with little to no colored mana requirements.
I could see this. But I suspect the 4 snap opt list is Jeskai or Esper and drops our mana disruption package. It will be interesting to see how this evolves.
No argument that edge is often better though.
I can't address the other matchups but I have played against GR Ponza a few times. I'm not 100% certain on the match up yet and I think its tough no matter what plan you make. However, I think the key cards are spreading seas, mana leak, ghost quarter, and verdict. Their utopia sprawl plan is very, very vulnerable to seas and ghost quarter. If they go all-in on utopia sprawl and arbor elf then its fairly simple to blow them out with either card. Mana leak is great because countering their countering their early spells is very very important. This will save your lands and help you play your more powerful spells. In addition, they don't generally run enough lands to turn off leak very quickly, especially if you disrupt their utopia sprawl. Verdict is important to deal with Stormbreath Dragon. That card will kill you quickly and it can't be hit with path or sphere. We also cannot fog it with Gideon.
I also think we ignore their blood moon. Unlike many other decks, we run a lot of basics and can play around it. Especially if we fetch for basics early rather than duals. I'd rather focus on their threats.
As for the board, I'd take out cryptics (forget about getting to UUU) and bring in a fourth sweep and two negates. Be aware some build play Thrun. We'll need either Wrath of God (instead of the fourth verdict), Elspeth, Sun's Champion (to chump), or Blessed Alliance (edict) to beat him.
I am also very interested to hear opinions on Queller. I'm on the Benny mainboard -1 temple of enlightenment and +1 Cryptic Command. However, my board is in a bit more flux as I try to combat my local meta. Last week I brought in Quellers against combo (Ad Nauseum) and Burn. Felt great against combo, okay against burn. I've also been playing with them in the mirror. I'm not sure if this is correct and would love to hear more opinions on that card.
They really try to do things like this. The problem they have with making products that appeal to both new and established players is that if they put too much value into a product like this then the established players/spikes will snatch up every copy just for the value. Then the new players never get to play with the product. However, if they put too little value into the set, its hard to convince anyone to make an informed decision to buy the product. Its a tricky balancing act they've been playing with for the past few years. The commander pre-cons especially suffer from this issue. However, they've done a great job of balancing the competing interests for the past few years.
I would not be surprised if they announce Return to Return to Ravnica as a 4-set block. This would let them focus on each guild, give plenty of room for the guildless, and let them tell a fairly elaborate story about Jace. The biggest concern about that plan might be Ravnica burn out, but there's so much design space in Ravnica I think they could manage to keep the sets varied.
I wonder if the Gatewatch is going to end up passing all the trials as a team or something, allowing them to pass through the gate and face off against the demon.
Admittedly, cryptic command for U would be too much. However, there are a number of older players who simply see that new sets are pushing the game in a direction that just does not engage us anymore. WOTC decided around 5-6 years ago that a large number of players simply don't like playing against control. Makes sense. They also decided people like playing with creatures. Also fine. So they stopped printing powerful reactive instants and started printing incredibly powerful creatures with spells stapled on. Unfortunately, this also forced them to kill off combo because control has always traditionally kept that archetype in check. This has left standard formats as mostly (and admittedly, subjectively), a wasteland of just midrange and aggro for the past number of years. And even aggro isn't usually incredibly viable because midrange naturally preys on that archetype and WOTC has refused for the past few years to print viable burn to give those decks reach. When they try to give standard variety, like the recent energy combo deck, or copycat, it winds up incredibly broken without control to reign it in. Look at the recent bannings for evidence of this.
Some people love the midrange mirror match. These people love standard right now. But people like me will likely not participate in standard until we see better format diversity again, the kind of diversity I don't believe we've seen since RTR standard (perhaps not coincidentally, the last time a draw-go deck existed in standard).
Somewhat on topic, I'm curious whether censor and the new X-cost draw spell will give us another one of those control decks. Censor neatly bridges the gap between turn 2/3 and 3/4. After that, more powerful counter magic like cancel variants can take over and censor can be treated as a very efficient cycler. My only worry is that WOTC still seems hesitant to print strong instant-speed removal, something I don't see in these spoilers. Unfortunate, but if people keep enjoying standard as it exists, I'll keep enjoying Modern and EDH, and be happy for them.
I don't think this slots cleanly into current builds of Tron. Most play 19-20 lands. 12 are tron pieces. 4 are for colored sources and then 3 are flex slots. The typical build plays ghost quarter (for the mirror and problem manlands), sanctum of ugin (to help with threat density), and a forest (for path and opposing ghost quarters). I don't see this replacing any of those flex slots. I'm not sure Tron gains enough from the access to color to replace any of those effects. Their threats (Ugin, Karn, Ulamog, Wurmcoil, Worldbreaker) are already plenty strong enough with little to no colored mana requirements.