Technically, Jace has a strong association with every guild. His closest guild associate is Lavinia, so I'd say the Azorius are closest to him at this point.
While the exact selection will probably vary by year, I expect simple versions of staple effects: removal, card draw, combat tricks, the like. Some years we'll get Naturalize, others we'll probably get a 2G or 3G variant if there's a set with a strong artifact or enchantment theme coming up. Far as I know, these are the staple cards to be used as baselines:
MTGS Wikia Article about "New World Order"
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
PSA to everyone who keeps forgetting about the Reserved List:
You're on a website dedicated to talking about MtG. You're only a few keystrokes away from finding out what cards are on the Reserved List. You're also only a few keystrokes away from finding out why some cards on the Reserved List got foil printings in FtV, as Judge promos, or whatnot, as well as why that won't happen again. Stop doing this.
Except, the 40 card decks didn't sell well because people couldn't play them out of the box. The old 60 pre-cons were much better. I still remember the Tempest era precons, the blue one from Exodus was so awesome. Sure, it contained 26 islands, but the rest was pure value, including two rares that comboed well together (Erratic Portal and Equilibrium). The combo worked by using the artifact to bounce your creature, then recast it to force bounce one of your opponents. Between those two and 16 counterspells, the deck effectively shut down opponents decks.
Back when Intro Decks were actually playable... heck yes.
Tempest had a green one with Aluren, Recycle, little green guys and Overrun. That was pretty much my entire meta's deck for a year.
Imagine what one of those would be worth sealed nowadays... $40 Reserved List card behind the packaging...
I seriously doubt these are going to make it in to any future Core Sets. You want another Standard of Titans?
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MTGS Wikia Article about "New World Order"
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
PSA to everyone who keeps forgetting about the Reserved List:
You're on a website dedicated to talking about MtG. You're only a few keystrokes away from finding out what cards are on the Reserved List. You're also only a few keystrokes away from finding out why some cards on the Reserved List got foil printings in FtV, as Judge promos, or whatnot, as well as why that won't happen again. Stop doing this.
I seriously doubt these are going to make it in to any future Core Sets. You want another Standard of Titans?
Better than the current standard.
No, not really. Believe it or not, not everybody likes pushed removal or creatures. Everytime I see a comment bemoaning the current Standard, I see someone spoiled by the poorly developed early days who can't handle a burn spell that costs more than R. Those 24 lands aren't just for spells with 1 or 2-mana costs.
MTGS Wikia Article about "New World Order"
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
PSA to everyone who keeps forgetting about the Reserved List:
You're on a website dedicated to talking about MtG. You're only a few keystrokes away from finding out what cards are on the Reserved List. You're also only a few keystrokes away from finding out why some cards on the Reserved List got foil printings in FtV, as Judge promos, or whatnot, as well as why that won't happen again. Stop doing this.
Know what would make it incredibly awesome?
So they're not doing Masterpieces in every set now...
... what if they reserved the Masterpieces for the annual Core Set alone? And made it the 15-20 most awesome cards from the last 12 months? That would sure get the tourney grinders interested in buying the core set!
Know what would make it incredibly awesome?
So they're not doing Masterpieces in every set now...
... what if they reserved the Masterpieces for the annual Core Set alone? And made it the 15-20 most awesome cards from the last 12 months? That would sure get the tourney grinders interested in buying the core set!
That's missing the point of the Core Set: to help introduce players to the game.
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MTGS Wikia Article about "New World Order"
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
PSA to everyone who keeps forgetting about the Reserved List:
You're on a website dedicated to talking about MtG. You're only a few keystrokes away from finding out what cards are on the Reserved List. You're also only a few keystrokes away from finding out why some cards on the Reserved List got foil printings in FtV, as Judge promos, or whatnot, as well as why that won't happen again. Stop doing this.
Know what would make it incredibly awesome?
So they're not doing Masterpieces in every set now...
... what if they reserved the Masterpieces for the annual Core Set alone? And made it the 15-20 most awesome cards from the last 12 months? That would sure get the tourney grinders interested in buying the core set!
That's missing the point of the Core Set: to help introduce players to the game.
And to repel/upset/annoy further older players who want the game to be about spells and not creatures/planeswalkers.
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People with belligerent signatures are trying to compensate for something....
No, not really. Believe it or not, not everybody likes pushed removal or creatures. Everytime I see a comment bemoaning the current Standard, I see someone spoiled by the poorly developed early days who can't handle a burn spell that costs more than R. Those 24 lands aren't just for spells with 1 or 2-mana costs.
We can handle burn spells that cost more than R. Unfortunately, Lightning Strike seems to be a no-no too for some reason.
Also, that last statement is supposed to be saying what exactly?
I hope we get plane-themed cards in this like Magic Origins and M15 instead of random generic Shandalar trash for the bargain bins.
Yes, that would be neat. I liked that Origins gave us some views into multiple planes, albeit in the past.
As a fan of Alara though, it was a bit disappointing for me that Esper got left out in Origins. Every other shard had representation (every Bant card in the set, Dragon Fodder, Elvish Visionary, Fleshbag Marauder), but I guess since Esper's theme was coloured artifact creatures, and that would be out-of-place in the set, that's why they didn't even get a Baleful Strix or something.
I think people wanting a return to 'classic Magic spell power level' (e.g., Lightning Bolt and Counterspell) are going to be disappointed.
Having said that, though, I believe that the Core set will be used to 'set' the expectations for cards in the following year. So if you see Incinerate in Core 2019, e.g., that might be a signal of what to expect in the following year.
I seriously doubt these are going to make it in to any future Core Sets. You want another Standard of Titans?
Better than the current standard.
No, not really. Believe it or not, not everybody likes pushed removal or creatures. Everytime I see a comment bemoaning the current Standard, I see someone spoiled by the poorly developed early days who can't handle a burn spell that costs more than R. Those 24 lands aren't just for spells with 1 or 2-mana costs.
Me, spoiled? Can't handle a burn spell that costs two or more? Nah mate. You don't seem to understand at all.
Standard sucks right now. Undeniable fact. Wizards be moaning about FNM attendance? Reprint better FNM promos and sing from the rooftops about how awesome they are. They had to ban FIVE standard cards. You want to show your fanbase you turned over a new leaf? Then reprint better answer spells so you don't have to ban that many cards again as the answer spells in standard are quite rubbish and only recently in Amonkhet AND Hour of Devastation has it tried to have been remedied. Don't get me started on how midrange slugfest outside of a few non-competitive decks.
Anything with 2 or more bans is a very borked standard format. And wouldn't you know it? We hit the combo winter of Urza, the perfect storm of Mirrodin, the season of the cawblades in Zendikar and now... this weird standard format.
Like in comparison though, Kaladesh looks to be in the same footsteps of Urza 1998-1999 and Mirrodin 2004-2005. Three of the five bans are from its set of Kaladesh. While it may have not hit the magic number of 8 in a single year like the past two, getting three whole bans from one set is frankly noteworthy.
Like in comparison though, Kaladesh looks to be in the same footsteps of Urza 1998-1999 and Mirrodin 2004-2005. Three of the five bans are from its set of Kaladesh. While it may have not hit the magic number of 8 in a single year like the past two, getting three whole bans from one set is frankly noteworthy.
Like others have said before, Kaladesh stands out because it's an artifact block.
I think Wizards either needs to rework how they approach artifact blocks in the future, or just not do them ever again.
And I say this as someone who loves artifacts.
On the other hand, Smuggler's Copter might not have been such an issue if there were better answers to it (Why wasn't Fatal Push in the same set, for instance?), and Marvel might not have been a problem if it didn't make a mockery of the mana curve (a 4-mana artifact can vomit out a 10-mana behemoth). Also, if we had ways of actually interacting with the opponents' energy counters.
Crazy Cat Lady should have been dealt with much earlier than it was.
Like in comparison though, Kaladesh looks to be in the same footsteps of Urza 1998-1999 and Mirrodin 2004-2005. Three of the five bans are from its set of Kaladesh. While it may have not hit the magic number of 8 in a single year like the past two, getting three whole bans from one set is frankly noteworthy.
Like others have said before, Kaladesh stands out because it's an artifact block.
I think Wizards either needs to rework how they approach artifact blocks in the future, or just not do them ever again.
And I say this as someone who loves artifacts.
On the other hand, Smuggler's Copter might not have been such an issue if there were better answers to it (Why wasn't Fatal Push in the same set, for instance?), and Marvel might not have been a problem if it didn't make a mockery of the mana curve (a 4-mana artifact can vomit out a 10-mana behemoth). Also, if we had ways of actually interacting with the opponents' energy counters.
Crazy Cat Lady should have been dealt with much earlier than it was.
The current Welcome Deck cards have the M17 expansion symbol. It seems like it will be a last Welcome Deck cards labeled M18 before the Core Set 2019 arrives.
Those 24 lands aren't just for spells with 1 or 2-mana costs.
Also, that last statement is supposed to be saying what exactly?
Exactly what it means: That the game has room for spells that cost more than 2 mana, and people can live with a removal spell that costs 3, 4, or even 5. Creatures are nowhere near pushed enough that Doom Blades and Go For the Throats are necessary, it's just control players whining about not getting their candy.
MTGS Wikia Article about "New World Order"
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
PSA to everyone who keeps forgetting about the Reserved List:
You're on a website dedicated to talking about MtG. You're only a few keystrokes away from finding out what cards are on the Reserved List. You're also only a few keystrokes away from finding out why some cards on the Reserved List got foil printings in FtV, as Judge promos, or whatnot, as well as why that won't happen again. Stop doing this.
Those 24 lands aren't just for spells with 1 or 2-mana costs.
Also, that last statement is supposed to be saying what exactly?
Exactly what it means: That the game has room for spells that cost more than 2 mana, and people can live with a removal spell that costs 3, 4, or even 5. Creatures are nowhere near pushed enough that Doom Blades and Go For the Throats are necessary, it's just control players whining about not getting their candy.
You don't seem to understand that people ask for these cheaper removal spells not because they can't cast 3+ mana equivalent spells, but because timing matters just as much as cost. Having cheaper burn spells means that more burn spells can be used in a turn, which allows burn to be a viable thing. Having cheaper removal at instant speed means that decks that use them can snipe at problem permanents (and snipe at them faster) while potentially leaving mana up for extra tactics in case the opponent shrugs off the initial removal.
4-mana wraths are asked for because they're typically in that sweet spot where they can deal with opposing boards after they've gotten big, but before that board can do any significant harm. 3-mana Damnation would be busted, and 5-mana Damnation is generally too slow to hold off threats, even in Standard. Fumigate is helpful as it gains you life, but even it can have trouble dealing with aggressive boards. Bontu's Last Reckoning is 3 mana, but it completely or partially Time Walks you for a turn, which is a huge drawback on paper, but we'll see where it goes.
Also, Fatal Push is a 1-mana spell. If it was three mana, which to you is a-ok, it'd be fringe sideboard material at best, and unplayable at worst. It having Modern applications is partly a result of how cheap it is, and partly due to the fact that fetchlands and other sacrifice outlets that permeate the format make it easy to trigger its Revolt.
I don't know what your stance on Control players and decks is, but from the way you talk, it seems less than positive which I reckon skews your view on this.
You don't seem to understand that people ask for these cheaper removal spells not because they can't cast 3+ mana equivalent spells, but because timing matters just as much as cost. Having cheaper burn spells means that more burn spells can be used in a turn, which allows burn to be a viable thing. Having cheaper removal at instant speed means that decks that use them can snipe at problem permanents (and snipe at them faster) while potentially leaving mana up for extra tactics in case the opponent shrugs off the initial removal.
I understand that curve is important for answers; the player with more mana shouldn't always get to win. But one-two mana spells that deal with the vast majority of threats is too far under the curve. Spending four mana to kill a six-mana Gearhulk is understandable; spending two mana to kill a six-mana gearhulk is ridiculous, and tilts the curve too far in the favor of removal and control. 1-2 mana removal shouldn't be the solution to every problem, especially when it means then getting to, say, turn around and cast a four-mana draw spell for three that reloads your hand with more cheap removal.
And creature players can use the same argument to push for 2-mana 4/4s with haste; making the card cheaper would make it easier to play another creature that turn in case the first one got countered or destroyed. Doesn't mean it's a fun creature to play against. More convenient =/= proper balance.
4-mana wraths are asked for because they're typically in that sweet spot where they can deal with opposing boards after they've gotten big, but before that board can do any significant harm. 3-mana Damnation would be busted, and 5-mana Damnation is generally too slow to hold off threats, even in Standard. Fumigate is helpful as it gains you life, but even it can have trouble dealing with aggressive boards. Bontu's Last Reckoning is 3 mana, but it completely or partially Time Walks you for a turn, which is a huge drawback on paper, but we'll see where it goes.
I played Supreme Verdict back in the RTR Theros Standard, I know all about four-mana wraths. Again, I understand they have to be practical, but when you can sweep your opponent's board for three mana, how much can they really recover with the extra turn they get? If you Reckon them late game, you might even have enough mana left over to cast a threat of your own to hold them off until your lands untap. Or you have Gideon and Heart of Kiran on the field, and Reckoned before turning them into creatures, almost guaranteeing they get to swing unblocked.
Also, Fatal Push is a 1-mana spell. If it was three mana, which to you is a-ok, it'd be fringe sideboard material at best, and unplayable at worst. It having Modern applications is partly a result of how cheap it is, and partly due to the fact that fetchlands and other sacrifice outlets that permeate the format make it easy to trigger its Revolt.
If it was three mana, I would expect a higher range of mana costs, probably 5 with revolt, 3 without. I still don't like removal that cheap, but I understand they have to have options everywhere on the curve and Push at least can't touch CMC 5 or greater. It's probably still oppressive in Modern, much like Bone Splinters, Tragic Slip, and Vendetta. Having to pay life or sacrifice creatures means little when black can just as easily drain the life back or Claim // Fame the 0-2 mana creature it just sacrificed. Really, it's hilarious that they treat those costs as drawbacks when to black they're practically opportunities.
I don't know what your stance on Control players and decks is, but from the way you talk, it seems less than positive which I reckon skews your view on this.
I have a less than positive opinion about players who want it both ways and are willing to let the game fall into power creep just so they can have their precious Doom Blades and Lightning Bolts, or Tarmogoyfs with hexproof and indestructible, or whatever pushed BS people are asking for. I see the control players being just as skewed as everyone else. They don't like a game all about creatures, other players don't like a game all about spells. They expect players to play around their spells, yet other players expect them to play around their creatures. It's literally the same problem on different sides of the creatures-spells dichotomy, and I find the hypocrisy more disgusting than anything else.
No, I don't like pushed creatures either; I don't want every good creature requiring hexproof, indestructible, and being uncounterable. I don't want unanswerable creatures, or creatures that can only be answered with creatures. I don't want more Baneslayer Angels. I don't want power creep and lopsided game balance. You push one aspect, you have to push the other to keep everyone happy, and before you know it the game is locked in a "better mice, better mousetraps" arms race that will kill the game.
What I want is a fun game with a variety of options, and I accept that the control aspect is part of a healthy game just as veggies are a part of a healthy diet. But too many veggies will make you sick, just as too much of anything will make you sick. You have to moderate to stay healthy. You have to moderate to stay balanced.
MTGS Wikia Article about "New World Order"
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
PSA to everyone who keeps forgetting about the Reserved List:
You're on a website dedicated to talking about MtG. You're only a few keystrokes away from finding out what cards are on the Reserved List. You're also only a few keystrokes away from finding out why some cards on the Reserved List got foil printings in FtV, as Judge promos, or whatnot, as well as why that won't happen again. Stop doing this.
It's funny how people complain about power levels on some cards because they're weaker than old cards. I remember from back in Stronghold, when Shock was revealed. People complained because it was a weaker Lightning Bolt, yet it gave sligh decks the edge they needed to be competitive in the environment. People need to remember that just because a card is weaker than one that was printed previously, it doesn't mean it is a bad card. It may just be exactly what is needed for its environment to give certain decks the edge they need to be competitive.
Well, it was strictly worse than a Core Set staple. (And I'm still wondering what development was thinking taking Serra Angel and Lightning Bolt out of Fifth Edition and putting Necropotence in.) Really, Incinerate was worse most of the time, but there were situations where you'd want Incinerate over Bolt that didn't involve convoluted situations like "I'm at three life, opp is at two life and has Eye for an Eye in hand." (Which brings up another thing: Strictly doesn't mean "except for some odd situation". Pillarfield Ox is strictly worse than a bunch of 2/4s for 3W, and Muraganda Petroglyphs exists. I would say devotion and clash qualify as "some odd situation", Magnivore is one card, tribal and things like devoid and Transguild Courier don't count, and you never count opp's removal set.)
Anyway, here's what a Core Set needs to do:
Introduce players to the game. This includes the rules as well as some basic design concepts (e.g., the color pie) so they'll know what to expect in expansions.
Provide a simple limited environment. Yes, limited players prefer expansions, but vive la différence. Sometimes simpler is better. Especially when teaching players.
Provide staples for Standard. The Core Set provides a floor for each aspect of the game (creatures, removal, counters, direct damage, card draw, mana accel).
Introduce players to some basic ideas. You know, like the basic "aggro > control > combo > midrange > aggro" metagame, the idea that some cards are bad *smiles at Angel's Mercy* and that's okay, etc.
I'd actually like to see WOTC apply NWO principles to about half the uncommons in a Core Set, instead of just the commons like in an expansion. (Wow, now I know I have an unpopular opinion there: "You want more NWO?" Only for Core Sets and other teaching tools.)
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Card advantage is not the same thing as card draw. Something for 2B cannot be strictly worse than something for BBB or 3BB. If you're taking out Swords to Plowshares for Plummet, you're a fool. Stop doing these things!
So what do we really have to look forward to, if the bad cards of Standard will just become the bad cards of Core? I could just about see my way to playing a 3 mana bolt, if one-drop mana dorks were still a thing. At the rate things are going, we're going to be lucky if we don't end up paying RR for 1 damage to target creature or player.
Admittedly, I'm no burn player. But the level of spell effect these days is just awful. Everything costs more for less, and when will that end? What is the answer?
I think people wanting a return to 'classic Magic spell power level' (e.g., Lightning Bolt and Counterspell) are going to be disappointed.
Having said that, though, I believe that the Core set will be used to 'set' the expectations for cards in the following year. So if you see Incinerate in Core 2019, e.g., that might be a signal of what to expect in the following year.
Classic spells in magic were not more powerful than today. The difference was the balance of spells to creatures. Creatures were rare and always a major threat even if they didn't have a big ability attached and spells were generally more aggressively costed one shot affairs. Now they have pushed creatures to their limits and have weakened spells across the board or put them globally at higher CMC to push midrange to the forefront. They also scrapped several spell based strategies of old because of players not liking them, such as land destruction, mill, hand disruption, and burn. They've severely neutered blue due to it having insane card fixing abilities and gave all the other colors ways to get card advantage or filtering.
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1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
I would be ok with a three mana Lightning bolt if they would do the equivalent for creatures like 3cmc Grey ogre instead of 3cmc 5/5 lifelink, firststrike , indestructible, if you control a creature you can't loose the game kind of BS.
Know what would make it incredibly awesome?
So they're not doing Masterpieces in every set now...
... what if they reserved the Masterpieces for the annual Core Set alone? And made it the 15-20 most awesome cards from the last 12 months? That would sure get the tourney grinders interested in buying the core set!
That's missing the point of the Core Set: to help introduce players to the game.
Of course it is... but I'm only talking about a 1-in-100+ chance of keeping the Value Bunnies happy. I'm sure the 250 cards you'd be a much higher chance of pulling would do a decent job of introducing new players to the game still (well... here's hoping, anyway...).
While the exact selection will probably vary by year, I expect simple versions of staple effects: removal, card draw, combat tricks, the like. Some years we'll get Naturalize, others we'll probably get a 2G or 3G variant if there's a set with a strong artifact or enchantment theme coming up. Far as I know, these are the staple cards to be used as baselines:
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
Back when Intro Decks were actually playable... heck yes.
Tempest had a green one with Aluren, Recycle, little green guys and Overrun. That was pretty much my entire meta's deck for a year.
Imagine what one of those would be worth sealed nowadays... $40 Reserved List card behind the packaging...
My Stupidly Large Number of Current Decks
PucaTrade with me!
The Multiplayer Power Rankings
Cube: the Gittening (My Multiplayer Cube) - MTGS Cube List | @ CubeTutor
The N00b Cube (Peasant cube for new players) - MTGS Cube List | @ CubeTutor
|| UW Jace, Vyn's Prodigy UW || UG Kenessos, Priest of Thassa (feat. Arixmethes) UG ||
Cards I still want to see created:
|| Olantin, Lost City || Pavios and Thanasis || Choryu ||
1-cost 1/1 creatures that you may have any number in your deck for each mono color (IE: Shadowborn Apostle and Relentless Rats)
Great spells that aren't rare. (Lightning Bolt, Counterspell, Go for the Throat, Rancor, Swords to Plowshares, etc)
Full art basics.
I seriously doubt these are going to make it in to any future Core Sets. You want another Standard of Titans?
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
Unless by "association" you actually mean "actively fought to sabotage the megalomaniacal ambitions of their guild leader".
No, not really. Believe it or not, not everybody likes pushed removal or creatures. Everytime I see a comment bemoaning the current Standard, I see someone spoiled by the poorly developed early days who can't handle a burn spell that costs more than R. Those 24 lands aren't just for spells with 1 or 2-mana costs.
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
So they're not doing Masterpieces in every set now...
... what if they reserved the Masterpieces for the annual Core Set alone? And made it the 15-20 most awesome cards from the last 12 months? That would sure get the tourney grinders interested in buying the core set!
My Stupidly Large Number of Current Decks
PucaTrade with me!
The Multiplayer Power Rankings
Cube: the Gittening (My Multiplayer Cube) - MTGS Cube List | @ CubeTutor
The N00b Cube (Peasant cube for new players) - MTGS Cube List | @ CubeTutor
That's missing the point of the Core Set: to help introduce players to the game.
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
And to repel/upset/annoy further older players who want the game to be about spells and not creatures/planeswalkers.
We can handle burn spells that cost more than R. Unfortunately, Lightning Strike seems to be a no-no too for some reason.
Also, that last statement is supposed to be saying what exactly?
Yes, that would be neat. I liked that Origins gave us some views into multiple planes, albeit in the past.
As a fan of Alara though, it was a bit disappointing for me that Esper got left out in Origins. Every other shard had representation (every Bant card in the set, Dragon Fodder, Elvish Visionary, Fleshbag Marauder), but I guess since Esper's theme was coloured artifact creatures, and that would be out-of-place in the set, that's why they didn't even get a Baleful Strix or something.
Having said that, though, I believe that the Core set will be used to 'set' the expectations for cards in the following year. So if you see Incinerate in Core 2019, e.g., that might be a signal of what to expect in the following year.
Standard sucks right now. Undeniable fact. Wizards be moaning about FNM attendance? Reprint better FNM promos and sing from the rooftops about how awesome they are. They had to ban FIVE standard cards. You want to show your fanbase you turned over a new leaf? Then reprint better answer spells so you don't have to ban that many cards again as the answer spells in standard are quite rubbish and only recently in Amonkhet AND Hour of Devastation has it tried to have been remedied. Don't get me started on how midrange slugfest outside of a few non-competitive decks.
Like lets look back at Standards in the past, aye?
1995 - 1 ban (Channel)
1996 - 1 ban (Mind Twist)
1997 - 1 ban (Zuran Orb)
1998 - 2 ban (Windfall and Tolarian Academy)
1999 - 8 ban (Dream Halls, Earthcraft, Fluctuator, Lotus Petal, Recurring Nightmare, Timespiral, Memory Jar, Mind over Matter)
2000 - 0 Ban
2001 - 0 ban
2002 - 0 Ban
2003 - 0 Ban
2004 - 1 Ban (Skullclamp)
2005 - 8 Ban (Arcbound Ravager, Disciple of the Vault, Darksteel Citadel, Ancient Den, Great Furnace, Seat of the Synod, Tree of Tales, Vault of Whispers)
2006 - 0 Ban
2007 - 0 Ban
2008 - 0 Ban
2009 - 0 Ban
2010 - 0 Ban
2011 - 2 Ban (Stoneforge Mystic, Jace, the Mind Sculptor)
2012 - 0 Ban
2013 - 0 Ban
2014 - 0 Ban
2015 - 0 Ban
2016 - 0 Ban
2017 - 5 Ban (Emrakul, the Promised End, Smuggler's Copter, Reflector Mage, Aetherworks Marvel, Felidar Guardian)
Anything with 2 or more bans is a very borked standard format. And wouldn't you know it? We hit the combo winter of Urza, the perfect storm of Mirrodin, the season of the cawblades in Zendikar and now... this weird standard format.
Like in comparison though, Kaladesh looks to be in the same footsteps of Urza 1998-1999 and Mirrodin 2004-2005. Three of the five bans are from its set of Kaladesh. While it may have not hit the magic number of 8 in a single year like the past two, getting three whole bans from one set is frankly noteworthy.
Like others have said before, Kaladesh stands out because it's an artifact block.
I think Wizards either needs to rework how they approach artifact blocks in the future, or just not do them ever again.
And I say this as someone who loves artifacts.
On the other hand, Smuggler's Copter might not have been such an issue if there were better answers to it (Why wasn't Fatal Push in the same set, for instance?), and Marvel might not have been a problem if it didn't make a mockery of the mana curve (a 4-mana artifact can vomit out a 10-mana behemoth). Also, if we had ways of actually interacting with the opponents' energy counters.
Crazy Cat Lady should have been dealt with much earlier than it was.
3BB
Sorcery
You lose the game.
Exactly what it means: That the game has room for spells that cost more than 2 mana, and people can live with a removal spell that costs 3, 4, or even 5. Creatures are nowhere near pushed enough that Doom Blades and Go For the Throats are necessary, it's just control players whining about not getting their candy.
Shoot, they even got Fatal Push to slot into their Modern decks, so now they have a better Vendetta for the early game. They got a creature bolt in the form of Harnessed Lightning, which is capable of killing bigger creatures than Bolt itself. They got a strictly better Voidslime in the form of Disallow. Discard lovers got Harsh Scrutiny. They got Magma Spray and Sweltering Suns. Wrath players got Bontu's Last Reckoning as a cheaper alternative to Damnation.
So they can quit bellyaching that we got a 3-mana bolt in one set.
Reminds me of when people complained that Lash of the Whip wasn't Grasp of Darkness. Lo and behold, guess what returned in OTG?
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
You don't seem to understand that people ask for these cheaper removal spells not because they can't cast 3+ mana equivalent spells, but because timing matters just as much as cost. Having cheaper burn spells means that more burn spells can be used in a turn, which allows burn to be a viable thing. Having cheaper removal at instant speed means that decks that use them can snipe at problem permanents (and snipe at them faster) while potentially leaving mana up for extra tactics in case the opponent shrugs off the initial removal.
4-mana wraths are asked for because they're typically in that sweet spot where they can deal with opposing boards after they've gotten big, but before that board can do any significant harm. 3-mana Damnation would be busted, and 5-mana Damnation is generally too slow to hold off threats, even in Standard. Fumigate is helpful as it gains you life, but even it can have trouble dealing with aggressive boards. Bontu's Last Reckoning is 3 mana, but it completely or partially Time Walks you for a turn, which is a huge drawback on paper, but we'll see where it goes.
Also, Fatal Push is a 1-mana spell. If it was three mana, which to you is a-ok, it'd be fringe sideboard material at best, and unplayable at worst. It having Modern applications is partly a result of how cheap it is, and partly due to the fact that fetchlands and other sacrifice outlets that permeate the format make it easy to trigger its Revolt.
I don't know what your stance on Control players and decks is, but from the way you talk, it seems less than positive which I reckon skews your view on this.
I understand that curve is important for answers; the player with more mana shouldn't always get to win. But one-two mana spells that deal with the vast majority of threats is too far under the curve. Spending four mana to kill a six-mana Gearhulk is understandable; spending two mana to kill a six-mana gearhulk is ridiculous, and tilts the curve too far in the favor of removal and control. 1-2 mana removal shouldn't be the solution to every problem, especially when it means then getting to, say, turn around and cast a four-mana draw spell for three that reloads your hand with more cheap removal.
And creature players can use the same argument to push for 2-mana 4/4s with haste; making the card cheaper would make it easier to play another creature that turn in case the first one got countered or destroyed. Doesn't mean it's a fun creature to play against. More convenient =/= proper balance.
I played Supreme Verdict back in the RTR Theros Standard, I know all about four-mana wraths. Again, I understand they have to be practical, but when you can sweep your opponent's board for three mana, how much can they really recover with the extra turn they get? If you Reckon them late game, you might even have enough mana left over to cast a threat of your own to hold them off until your lands untap. Or you have Gideon and Heart of Kiran on the field, and Reckoned before turning them into creatures, almost guaranteeing they get to swing unblocked.
If it was three mana, I would expect a higher range of mana costs, probably 5 with revolt, 3 without. I still don't like removal that cheap, but I understand they have to have options everywhere on the curve and Push at least can't touch CMC 5 or greater. It's probably still oppressive in Modern, much like Bone Splinters, Tragic Slip, and Vendetta. Having to pay life or sacrifice creatures means little when black can just as easily drain the life back or Claim // Fame the 0-2 mana creature it just sacrificed. Really, it's hilarious that they treat those costs as drawbacks when to black they're practically opportunities.
I have a less than positive opinion about players who want it both ways and are willing to let the game fall into power creep just so they can have their precious Doom Blades and Lightning Bolts, or Tarmogoyfs with hexproof and indestructible, or whatever pushed BS people are asking for. I see the control players being just as skewed as everyone else. They don't like a game all about creatures, other players don't like a game all about spells. They expect players to play around their spells, yet other players expect them to play around their creatures. It's literally the same problem on different sides of the creatures-spells dichotomy, and I find the hypocrisy more disgusting than anything else.
No, I don't like pushed creatures either; I don't want every good creature requiring hexproof, indestructible, and being uncounterable. I don't want unanswerable creatures, or creatures that can only be answered with creatures. I don't want more Baneslayer Angels. I don't want power creep and lopsided game balance. You push one aspect, you have to push the other to keep everyone happy, and before you know it the game is locked in a "better mice, better mousetraps" arms race that will kill the game.
What I want is a fun game with a variety of options, and I accept that the control aspect is part of a healthy game just as veggies are a part of a healthy diet. But too many veggies will make you sick, just as too much of anything will make you sick. You have to moderate to stay healthy. You have to moderate to stay balanced.
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
Well, it was strictly worse than a Core Set staple. (And I'm still wondering what development was thinking taking Serra Angel and Lightning Bolt out of Fifth Edition and putting Necropotence in.) Really, Incinerate was worse most of the time, but there were situations where you'd want Incinerate over Bolt that didn't involve convoluted situations like "I'm at three life, opp is at two life and has Eye for an Eye in hand." (Which brings up another thing: Strictly doesn't mean "except for some odd situation". Pillarfield Ox is strictly worse than a bunch of 2/4s for 3W, and Muraganda Petroglyphs exists. I would say devotion and clash qualify as "some odd situation", Magnivore is one card, tribal and things like devoid and Transguild Courier don't count, and you never count opp's removal set.)
Anyway, here's what a Core Set needs to do:
Introduce players to the game. This includes the rules as well as some basic design concepts (e.g., the color pie) so they'll know what to expect in expansions.
Provide a simple limited environment. Yes, limited players prefer expansions, but vive la différence. Sometimes simpler is better. Especially when teaching players.
Provide staples for Standard. The Core Set provides a floor for each aspect of the game (creatures, removal, counters, direct damage, card draw, mana accel).
Introduce players to some basic ideas. You know, like the basic "aggro > control > combo > midrange > aggro" metagame, the idea that some cards are bad *smiles at Angel's Mercy* and that's okay, etc.
I'd actually like to see WOTC apply NWO principles to about half the uncommons in a Core Set, instead of just the commons like in an expansion. (Wow, now I know I have an unpopular opinion there: "You want more NWO?" Only for Core Sets and other teaching tools.)
On phasing:
Admittedly, I'm no burn player. But the level of spell effect these days is just awful. Everything costs more for less, and when will that end? What is the answer?
Classic spells in magic were not more powerful than today. The difference was the balance of spells to creatures. Creatures were rare and always a major threat even if they didn't have a big ability attached and spells were generally more aggressively costed one shot affairs. Now they have pushed creatures to their limits and have weakened spells across the board or put them globally at higher CMC to push midrange to the forefront. They also scrapped several spell based strategies of old because of players not liking them, such as land destruction, mill, hand disruption, and burn. They've severely neutered blue due to it having insane card fixing abilities and gave all the other colors ways to get card advantage or filtering.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
Of course it is... but I'm only talking about a 1-in-100+ chance of keeping the Value Bunnies happy. I'm sure the 250 cards you'd be a much higher chance of pulling would do a decent job of introducing new players to the game still (well... here's hoping, anyway...).
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