One of the problems is that Mana Leak is simply a much more powerful card than we would be comfortable printing under modern development rules. Similar to why the Swords are so powerful—their costs were locked in before people really understood how to price Equipment—Mana Leak is a relic of a bygone era.
From the article posted here, spoiling the Caverns.
Kind of a weird choice, but here's hoping they make something new instead of trying to force feed us cancel again.
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Brian Tinsman, Set Designer :?mana::snow::snow:
Legendary Creature – Human Designer (MR)
Brian Tinsman, Set Designer can only be cast during the third set of a block.
When Brian Tinsman, Set Designer enters the battlefield, ignore all flavor and mechanics of the first two sets in the block. "Ok so what do we have here... gothic horror? Scrap it. Expand the Devine Vs. Demonic duel deck to 244 cards and print it!"
2/2
This merely states that they feel Mana Leak is too powerful for the current environment. Granted, it does greatly reduce the probability of it reappearing in M13, but it's nowhere close to a confirmation. In the same article he did make the concession that Mana Leak (and counterspells in general) are an important tool for keeping ramp decks in check.
The problem is that Mana Leak only requires one blue, in my opinion, counterspell would lead to a healthier environment than mana leak does because decks won't just put blue in to splash counterspell.
I don't feel like this is confirmation coming from a single designer. Possibly? I've heard rumors of cycle coming back as a mechanic for m13 but it is just speculation as of now. The only time I see leak leaving a format is with something like Miscalculation to take it's place.
I'm sorry, but it is a necessary evil as is something like force. It makes too much sense to keep it alive in our current game because we can't play things like Negate, Dispel, etc with regularity.
It fits with their philosophy of two year rotations for Core Sets. Lightning Bolt had its two years, the Lorwyn 5 had two years, and now the Titans and Leak will have had their two years.
Back when M12 came out, we were dropped hints that Mana Leak might not be back in M13. The powerful, constructed cards haven't tended to be in more than 2 consecutive core sets.
Maybe it's time to give Giant Growth to green for a few years, to see if it wrecks standard too!
I'm not sure what cards fill utility roles in Green, White, and Black that people felt may have been too powerful, but weren't blatantly so. I hope they bring something else back, it's been fun having particularly strong cards to play with. And I may just be saying this because I started collecting with Alara and had no bolts or leaks in my collection until they showed up in a core set
Maybe it's time to give Giant Growth to green for a few years, to see if it wrecks standard too!
I'm not sure what cards fill utility roles in Green, White, and Black that people felt may have been too powerful, but weren't blatantly so. I hope they bring something else back, it's been fun having particularly strong cards to play with. And I may just be saying this because I started collecting with Alara and had no bolts or leaks in my collection until they showed up in a core set
Dark ritual next???
Dark Rit for Black - Swords to Plowshares for White - Beserk for Green
Mana Leak wasn't an issue until Snapcaster Mage came along. I mean, I'm not gonna sit here and say Mana Leak isn't a powerful card. It is. But Blue needs an unconditional soft counter at CMC 2. When it doesn't have it, it folds to aggro every time.
With any luck, WotC can figure out a way to fill that vital slot with something that's a bit harder to abuse with Snapcaster while still filling that role.
If Mana Leak is out, they're going to need to put some proper counter in it's place. Without a good counterspell in print, plenty of decks gain free access to run amok.
Maybe Rune Snag? Like Mana Leak, but far worse with Snappy.
Mana Leak wasn't an issue until Snapcaster Mage came along. I mean, I'm not gonna sit here and say Mana Leak isn't a powerful card. It is. But Blue needs an unconditional soft counter at CMC 2. When it doesn't have it, it folds to aggro every time.
With any luck, WotC can figure out a way to fill that vital slot with something that's a bit harder to abuse with Snapcaster while still filling that role.
But leak is NEVER a soft counter, that is precisely what makes it an issue.
Seems about as clear as can be that Mana Leak is a goner.
I don't understand this though:
But we firmly believe that Magic tends to be more fun when you're confident, for the most part, that you can resolve your spells.
The difference between resolving a creature and having it eat a Doom Blade and having it eat a Mana Leak while on the stack is largely psychological which this quote points out.
If R&D considers blue's most distinguishable and powerful feature to be, at its core, "unfun" then they either A) make all colors have the same (general) power level and reduce the overall "funness" of their game or B) make blue intentionally weaker by neutering the power level of counter magic, increasing the fun level of the game but screwing one of the games factions.
Counter target spell unless it's controller pays 2.
I thought Mana Leak was a nice thing to have back, but it is rather annoying. I know when I'm playing against someone who's playing blue, I often end up holding back until I can cast my trump card while having 3 mana open. Just the threat of your opponent holding a mana leak can gain your opponent a lot of tempo advantage unless you're playing a really fast aggro deck where everything you play costs 1-2 mana anyway.
Counter target spell unless it's controller pays 2.
I thought Mana Leak was a nice thing to have back, but it is rather annoying. I know when I'm playing against someone who's playing blue, I often end up holding back until I can cast my trump card while having 3 mana open. Just the threat of your opponent holding a mana leak can gain your opponent a lot of tempo advantage unless you're playing a really fast aggro deck where everything you play costs 1-2 mana anyway.
We might see that, IF the spell exiles itself on resolution.
But leak is NEVER a soft counter, that is precisely what makes it an issue.
It LOOKS like one, but certainly is not.
This is true, IMO.
Played early game, it's a hard counter against most decks. Played mid game, it can still be a hard counter depending what you are versing. Late game, there's no point playing it unless a large threat is cast and the opponent is tapped out or close to it.
A card like this may be interesting:
Mana Crack :sym2u::sym2u:
Instant
Counter target spell unless it's controller pays for each spent to cast this spell.
Probably could replace the 2/u's with 1/u's. Also, bad name is bad
From the article posted here, spoiling the Caverns.
http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/ld/191
Finally, this is a great change, just having the dev team REALIZE that Mana Leak is an issue.
Kind of a weird choice, but here's hoping they make something new instead of trying to force feed us cancel again.
Legendary Creature – Human Designer (MR)
Brian Tinsman, Set Designer can only be cast during the third set of a block.
When Brian Tinsman, Set Designer enters the battlefield, ignore all flavor and mechanics of the first two sets in the block.
"Ok so what do we have here... gothic horror? Scrap it. Expand the Devine Vs. Demonic duel deck to 244 cards and print it!"
2/2
Standard | [under construction]
It strongly implies that Mana Leak is out, but it doesn't mean it. Perhaps (for instance) because they printed the cavern they will keep mana leak in.
Edric | Skithiryx | Merieke | Talrand
--------------------------
Well except for pauper EDH
Garruk's Packleader | Inkfathom Witch | Gelectrode | Sigil Captain | Glider Barin | Sludge Strider | Paragon of the Ameshsa
That's a rock solid NO right there.
They said the same thing with Lightning Bolt, but went ahead and gave it a try anyways. R&D is willing to take risks, you know.
Standard | [under construction]
I'm sorry, but it is a necessary evil as is something like force. It makes too much sense to keep it alive in our current game because we can't play things like Negate, Dispel, etc with regularity.
And Nath'd.
I'm not sure what cards fill utility roles in Green, White, and Black that people felt may have been too powerful, but weren't blatantly so. I hope they bring something else back, it's been fun having particularly strong cards to play with. And I may just be saying this because I started collecting with Alara and had no bolts or leaks in my collection until they showed up in a core set
Dark ritual next???
Karador EDH
Comments on decks welcome: http://tappedout.net/users/AradonTemplar/
Currently developing Set 1 of 3, 'Shadow': http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=436885
Dark Rit for Black - Swords to Plowshares for White - Beserk for Green
With any luck, WotC can figure out a way to fill that vital slot with something that's a bit harder to abuse with Snapcaster while still filling that role.
Maybe Rune Snag? Like Mana Leak, but far worse with Snappy.
But leak is NEVER a soft counter, that is precisely what makes it an issue.
It LOOKS like one, but certainly is not.
I don't understand this though:
The difference between resolving a creature and having it eat a Doom Blade and having it eat a Mana Leak while on the stack is largely psychological which this quote points out.
If R&D considers blue's most distinguishable and powerful feature to be, at its core, "unfun" then they either A) make all colors have the same (general) power level and reduce the overall "funness" of their game or B) make blue intentionally weaker by neutering the power level of counter magic, increasing the fun level of the game but screwing one of the games factions.
UU
Counter target spell unless it's controller pays 2.
I thought Mana Leak was a nice thing to have back, but it is rather annoying. I know when I'm playing against someone who's playing blue, I often end up holding back until I can cast my trump card while having 3 mana open. Just the threat of your opponent holding a mana leak can gain your opponent a lot of tempo advantage unless you're playing a really fast aggro deck where everything you play costs 1-2 mana anyway.
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We might see that, IF the spell exiles itself on resolution.
This is true, IMO.
Played early game, it's a hard counter against most decks. Played mid game, it can still be a hard counter depending what you are versing. Late game, there's no point playing it unless a large threat is cast and the opponent is tapped out or close to it.
A card like this may be interesting:
Mana Crack :sym2u::sym2u:
Instant
Counter target spell unless it's controller pays for each spent to cast this spell.
Probably could replace the 2/u's with 1/u's. Also, bad name is bad
Atrius' Posts 1W
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You win target thread. If you aren't Atrius, Atrius wins that thread instead.
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they can't reprint it, it's on the same power level as time walk, ask drew levin
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