Just started playing Arena. I didn't think I would, so I didn't pay any attention to any codes I might have gotten with decks. Exactly which Planeswalker Decks had the Arena Coded, and were they printed on their own advertisement cards or on the backs of tokens? Thanks!
I'd like to add to this question a little... I hope that's okay. If I had Impact Tremors on the battlefield along with Aether Flash and then I played Polyraptor, would the damage be dealt to opponents, or would that not happen because the game is stuck in the unbreakable loop?
This might seem like a stupid question, but I'm wondering if anyone is aware of a list somewhere out there that shows all of the different abilities that have appeared on common and uncommon cards throughout all of the sets of Magic. What I'm talking about, for example, is that there are multiple cards that have basically the same ability out there, often reprinted with a different name and or mana cost. So what I'm looking for is basically just something that lists the abilities available on some card or multiple cards, but not all of the names of them...
I'm asking because I am wanting to get rid of a vast number of an 80,000 card collection, but I want to keep some cards that basically cover all the different things cards can do. I don't want to have 50 different iterations of basically the same card, just with a different name. Just really want to get rid of all the extra stuff.
Probably going to get shot down for this given the previous posts, but for me I don't want them to go back to any plane because they have a story to tell.
I mean I hate the story aspect because of the previous relentless focus on Planeswalkers and dire screw ups of story based cards going over the top, and I don't really care about the characters any more than I would about the 5 of spades or a chess piece, and I actively avoid the story, so much so I could not tell you one tenth of the things that previous posters know. If they go back to a plane I want it to be because they have some ideas for mechanics and game play that would suit a plane- so some cool enchantment ideas or Enchantment-based mechanics that could fit with Theros, or some desire to re-work Snow permanents that makes them go to whatever the continent of Dominaria was that produced Ice age/Cold Snap. Not "let us resolve Koth's story". If they can tell a story for those that care, then great, but going back to a plane to complete a story sounds awfully close to some of the story-tail-wagging-the-game-dog which has been responsible in part for some pretty poor decisions over the past few years.
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Want to know something fascinating? Even without novels, comics, trailers, story piece articles, etc, you are still learning the story of a given plane. Through its artwork, the names of cards, the flavor text and/or even the mechanics help tell a story.
See, I agree with what drmarkb said, but your point is valid as well. For me, there is enough story told just through the cards in a set. You don't get the entire detailed story of course, but you do get a kind of story--and in the game, with these scattered bits of lore and flavor, you kind of get to let the games tell their own story. For me, this is the what's exciting about the game--little bits of story scattered about such a wonderful game. I don't really need the stories and comics and articles and such to get that enjoyment out of it. I just care most about the game and mechanics--but it also wouldn't be the same without the flavor text on cards or even the names of cards that point to key points in a story--and of course definitely not without the artwork. I like the way it is--those who don't want to read a story don't have to--they can just play the game. Those who do want more lore can read the stories. So I think drmarkb's point was just that for him (and me as well) Magic is at its core a game, and it should not have to fit into the mold of a story--and it certainly shouldn't suffer mechanically to do so.
Probably going to get shot down for this given the previous posts, but for me I don't want them to go back to any plane because they have a story to tell.
I mean I hate the story aspect because of the previous relentless focus on Planeswalkers and dire screw ups of story based cards going over the top, and I don't really care about the characters any more than I would about the 5 of spades or a chess piece, and I actively avoid the story, so much so I could not tell you one tenth of the things that previous posters know. If they go back to a plane I want it to be because they have some ideas for mechanics and game play that would suit a plane- so some cool enchantment ideas or Enchantment-based mechanics that could fit with Theros, or some desire to re-work Snow permanents that makes them go to whatever the continent of Dominaria was that produced Ice age/Cold Snap. Not "let us resolve Koth's story". If they can tell a story for those that care, then great, but going back to a plane to complete a story sounds awfully close to some of the story-tail-wagging-the-game-dog which has been responsible in part for some pretty poor decisions over the past few years.
I entirely agree with you. 99% of Magic should be the game... that's what it is after all. I know some people really get into the story, and that's great for them. I'd just prefer the focus to be on the game and mechanics. I've been thinking about the game a lot lately, and the last number of sets seem to be getting really dry to me--not flavor-wise, but mechanically. There really hasn't been much to upset and stretch and bend and altar the rules much in quite some time. Seeing some of the craziness in Unstable has helped me to see this a bit more. Sure, it's cool to visit a dinosaur world, or an egyptian type world, but if there's not much more than that and a few minor mechanics that don't really do much to evolve the game, then it gets a little boring, or stagnant. I really hope that Wizards recognizes this and that by returning to Dominaria, they will also return to a time where they weren't so conservative on upsetting the balance of the game. The occasional imbalance is exactly what makes Magic exciting to me. Unstable really hit it out of the ball park for me, because it does so much to challenge the rules. Whenever I teach someone to play, the first thing I tell them is that Magic is a game with very detailed and concise rules--but they are rules that are absolutely meant to be broken by cards and mechanics. That's what it's all about to me, and I really think it's time to quit worrying so much about balance and about upsetting one format over another. Just make the game engaging again, instead of 90% of the cards in every set being nearly identical to a thousand others that have been done before with different names. Yeah, there's got to be some of that of course, and that's fine. But you could take about 1/10 of the awesomeness in Unstable and put it in a single new set and it would be far more interesting than the mechanics of any recent set.
Like you said, if they can tell a story around that, then great... I don't want that to be taken away from anyone who really likes that aspect. But if they can't design a set to be a game entirely apart from a story, or can't tell a good story apart from a well designed set, then they are sorely lacking in imagination.
So it seems to me a little strange that we haven't heard yet what will come after Dominaria. Maybe I'm jumpin' the gun a little, but haven't we been knowing about three sets or subsets in advance of what was coming, at least for the last year or so?
If they didn't have the big announcement week this summer, we'd just be learning about Dominaria now in September and we do know about 3 sets already in advance, Rivals of Ixalan, Dominaria and Coreset 2019.
So it seems to me a little strange that we haven't heard yet what will come after Dominaria. Maybe I'm jumpin' the gun a little, but haven't we been knowing about three sets or subsets in advance of what was coming, at least for the last year or so?
Are there any rumors out there any of you have heard about what it might be? Speculations?
There's definitely a big variation of player types from one store to another. Some are much better than others. The problem is that even if one finds a good store, with good, friendly players, you never know when some douche lord is gonna come walking in. It just takes one bad apple to ruin the bunch sometime. For me, I pretty much just play with a few friends. I'd love to be able to play with a broader range of people, but it's just not worth it to me--ultra competitive people at FNM is just a turn off for me. It is a game and supposed to be fun--when you have people getting pissed off if they lose, its just not a friendly environment. And too many game store owners don't care. They just allow it because the jerks are spending money too. I buy my product either online or wherever is most convenient, which too often is Walmart. I care nothing for supporting my LGS, but of course that's partially because I just don't like those environments in my area.
If someone's being a douche then you need to adapt to the situation by talking to your local game store owner If there's a problem with that individual or If it's a group of people. Try to resolve the issue the best way possible without resorting to violence or potentially getting people kicked out or banned from said local game store. Even If you're buying product online it's always important to support your local game store as much as possible. I cannot stress that enough. As for me I haven't had any issues with the environment at the local game stores I attend on the weekends, most of which have been resolved by the owners.
Also a local game store should do more than exclusively sell Magic products by putting all their eggs in one basket, it doesn't work that way. There's a lot of local game stores with support for other properties such as Dungeons & Dragons, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Pokémon TCG, Vanguard, Tabletop Strategy Games, and even video game tournaments from time to time. Sure there's local game stores that charge more than others but that shouldn't stop people from playing at these venues. Everyone these days cares more about what's convenient for themselves rather than what's essential for actually playing Magic and other games.
You missed my point--in my experience, none of the things you mention do much good whatsoever. I'm sure in some cases and regions and stores it does, but not in my experience. So for me (or anyone really) why is it so important to support a game store that does nothing for me? I don't play at them, don't require their store to purchase what I need, don't give me any kind of discount off of MSRP that I can't get elsewhere... I just don't see them as essential for playing Magic. More and more products are starting to make their way into the big box stores, and if they ever catch up with the times and stop marking things above MSRP, I'll buy there just to avoid shipping times. I'm not trying to be a jerk here--I know a lot of people love the gaming stores and the environment. My point is just that without them, Magic does not die. People would just have to organize their own events.
I used to love the gaming stores. I remember many of the old ones when I was younger... it was like going into a treasure house, because one never knew what could be found in them... older products, out of print, all kinds of things that couldn't be found anywhere else. But TCGs turned them into hotspots for arrogant, overly competitive douche-berries. For me, this takes the fun out of it. And now that everything in the world is available online, shipped right to my door, there's just no need for them anymore. But, if you can give me a good reason why they really are so important, maybe I'll change my mind.
I very rarely go to a local game store and I play Magic plenty. I even have fun doing so. LGSs are NOT needed for Magic to exist or continue. In the town I used to live in, there was a large group of people who would meet almost daily at the university campus to play. They even had small tournaments with small prizes that everyone chipped in to play. Much better than the geeky, ultra competitive douche-baggery that I see in players at most LGS.
It really all depends on the local game store environment you're in including specific playgroups that you feel more comfortable playing with while some people just aren't as lucky as others who have that kind of privilege. I have friends at my locals who played Magic at college campuses but extended more toward playing at one of the local game stores I go to every Friday and Saturday.
There's definitely a big variation of player types from one store to another. Some are much better than others. The problem is that even if one finds a good store, with good, friendly players, you never know when some douche lord is gonna come walking in. It just takes one bad apple to ruin the bunch sometime. For me, I pretty much just play with a few friends. I'd love to be able to play with a broader range of people, but it's just not worth it to me--ultra competitive people at FNM is just a turn off for me. It is a game and supposed to be fun--when you have people getting pissed off if they lose, its just not a friendly environment. And too many game store owners don't care. They just allow it because the jerks are spending money too. I buy my product either online or wherever is most convenient, which too often is Walmart. I care nothing for supporting my LGS, but of course that's partially because I just don't like those environments in my area.
Hope the Card Wars discounts continue through the Holiday Season. Competition is good for the consumer.
Except the competition won't be good for local game stores who'd go out of business If Wizards of the Coast ends up aligning themselves with Amazon Prime where they can move product much faster than local game stores and popular retail chains such as Walmart and Target. Players NEED local game stores in order to play Magic and have fun.
I very rarely go to a local game store and I play Magic plenty. I even have fun doing so. LGSs are NOT needed for Magic to exist or continue. In the town I used to live in, there was a large group of people who would meet almost daily at the university campus to play. They even had small tournaments with small prizes that everyone chipped in to play. Much better than the geeky, ultra competitive douche-baggery that I see in players at most LGS.
Wow, those are awesome. So many people who are not even interested in Unstable are going to buy packs just for the lands and tokens. Brilliant marketing on WOTC's part on a set that may see otherwise questionable sales.
I'm asking because I am wanting to get rid of a vast number of an 80,000 card collection, but I want to keep some cards that basically cover all the different things cards can do. I don't want to have 50 different iterations of basically the same card, just with a different name. Just really want to get rid of all the extra stuff.
Thanks!
See, I agree with what drmarkb said, but your point is valid as well. For me, there is enough story told just through the cards in a set. You don't get the entire detailed story of course, but you do get a kind of story--and in the game, with these scattered bits of lore and flavor, you kind of get to let the games tell their own story. For me, this is the what's exciting about the game--little bits of story scattered about such a wonderful game. I don't really need the stories and comics and articles and such to get that enjoyment out of it. I just care most about the game and mechanics--but it also wouldn't be the same without the flavor text on cards or even the names of cards that point to key points in a story--and of course definitely not without the artwork. I like the way it is--those who don't want to read a story don't have to--they can just play the game. Those who do want more lore can read the stories. So I think drmarkb's point was just that for him (and me as well) Magic is at its core a game, and it should not have to fit into the mold of a story--and it certainly shouldn't suffer mechanically to do so.
I entirely agree with you. 99% of Magic should be the game... that's what it is after all. I know some people really get into the story, and that's great for them. I'd just prefer the focus to be on the game and mechanics. I've been thinking about the game a lot lately, and the last number of sets seem to be getting really dry to me--not flavor-wise, but mechanically. There really hasn't been much to upset and stretch and bend and altar the rules much in quite some time. Seeing some of the craziness in Unstable has helped me to see this a bit more. Sure, it's cool to visit a dinosaur world, or an egyptian type world, but if there's not much more than that and a few minor mechanics that don't really do much to evolve the game, then it gets a little boring, or stagnant. I really hope that Wizards recognizes this and that by returning to Dominaria, they will also return to a time where they weren't so conservative on upsetting the balance of the game. The occasional imbalance is exactly what makes Magic exciting to me. Unstable really hit it out of the ball park for me, because it does so much to challenge the rules. Whenever I teach someone to play, the first thing I tell them is that Magic is a game with very detailed and concise rules--but they are rules that are absolutely meant to be broken by cards and mechanics. That's what it's all about to me, and I really think it's time to quit worrying so much about balance and about upsetting one format over another. Just make the game engaging again, instead of 90% of the cards in every set being nearly identical to a thousand others that have been done before with different names. Yeah, there's got to be some of that of course, and that's fine. But you could take about 1/10 of the awesomeness in Unstable and put it in a single new set and it would be far more interesting than the mechanics of any recent set.
Like you said, if they can tell a story around that, then great... I don't want that to be taken away from anyone who really likes that aspect. But if they can't design a set to be a game entirely apart from a story, or can't tell a good story apart from a well designed set, then they are sorely lacking in imagination.
Good point. I forgot about the Coreset.
Are there any rumors out there any of you have heard about what it might be? Speculations?
But what if you played Split Screen after Animate Library? Would you chose one library to be enchanted or would they all be enchanted?
You missed my point--in my experience, none of the things you mention do much good whatsoever. I'm sure in some cases and regions and stores it does, but not in my experience. So for me (or anyone really) why is it so important to support a game store that does nothing for me? I don't play at them, don't require their store to purchase what I need, don't give me any kind of discount off of MSRP that I can't get elsewhere... I just don't see them as essential for playing Magic. More and more products are starting to make their way into the big box stores, and if they ever catch up with the times and stop marking things above MSRP, I'll buy there just to avoid shipping times. I'm not trying to be a jerk here--I know a lot of people love the gaming stores and the environment. My point is just that without them, Magic does not die. People would just have to organize their own events.
I used to love the gaming stores. I remember many of the old ones when I was younger... it was like going into a treasure house, because one never knew what could be found in them... older products, out of print, all kinds of things that couldn't be found anywhere else. But TCGs turned them into hotspots for arrogant, overly competitive douche-berries. For me, this takes the fun out of it. And now that everything in the world is available online, shipped right to my door, there's just no need for them anymore. But, if you can give me a good reason why they really are so important, maybe I'll change my mind.
There's definitely a big variation of player types from one store to another. Some are much better than others. The problem is that even if one finds a good store, with good, friendly players, you never know when some douche lord is gonna come walking in. It just takes one bad apple to ruin the bunch sometime. For me, I pretty much just play with a few friends. I'd love to be able to play with a broader range of people, but it's just not worth it to me--ultra competitive people at FNM is just a turn off for me. It is a game and supposed to be fun--when you have people getting pissed off if they lose, its just not a friendly environment. And too many game store owners don't care. They just allow it because the jerks are spending money too. I buy my product either online or wherever is most convenient, which too often is Walmart. I care nothing for supporting my LGS, but of course that's partially because I just don't like those environments in my area.
I very rarely go to a local game store and I play Magic plenty. I even have fun doing so. LGSs are NOT needed for Magic to exist or continue. In the town I used to live in, there was a large group of people who would meet almost daily at the university campus to play. They even had small tournaments with small prizes that everyone chipped in to play. Much better than the geeky, ultra competitive douche-baggery that I see in players at most LGS.
Forget the article... did no one read the CARD? It says right there on it "in your hand".