With the creature power creep, I think it's time we get such a card.
Not that it would actually make any splash at all in terms of constructed gameplay - but the design implications could be big, if looked at as a precedent.
There's nothing holding that creature back, but I think Black Bear should come first given what we've already seen from the BB spot. As soon as black gets theirs, then I'd endorse the red one.
Not that it would actually make any splash at all in terms of constructed gameplay - but the design implications could be big, if looked at as a precedent.
So, recent power creep begets this, so that this can beget further power creep? That seems to be this card's problem in a nutshell.
Nobody's going to argue that a 2/2 for 1R is broken, or even particularly good. But, it raises the expectations for red weenies across the board, and that's bad. Red weenie aggro walks a tightrope as it is, and while this card alone isn't going to knock it off, the inevitabledescendants would.
Breaking the power barrier is OK as a 1-off. See: Blood Knight. But, you're signaling something else when you print a red grizzly - you're signaling that the baseline has changed. It really shouldn't.
I would rather see it printed with a "drawback" of "THIS must attack each turn if able. Red Grizzly wouldn't be the end of the line, but the start of further creep.
Alternatively, I could see it being printed with a mana cost of RR instead of 1R at common (even though they try to avoid too many CC at common).
honestly, I'm sick of the "power creep" excuse for making cards that honestly shouldn't be made. Red bears/black bears shouldn't be made, period. White is arguable, as it's the weenie color. If you keep pushing what each color gets, soon we'll be seeing ...
The multiple choice test answers for the GDS2 stated that a straight up black Grizzly Bears has actually been considered for printing to some extent or another. They said that red would be behind black in that regard, with blue of course in dead last.
To be honest, it doesn't really fit with the whole "goblins" thing: Goblins are red, sure, but they are either puny or super-huge but really dumb.
Also, it's really difficult to find a 1/1 vanilla goblin that costs 1.
Really, cause there are 2/2goblinseverywhere right now. I guess that kinda invalidates you entire argument about 2/2's not being in goblin flavor.
Thinking on it, I think in limited, red could've used that BADLY in m10. Red was so bad in limited that it was the color no one touched for anything but lightning bolts, fireballs, and the occasional rare. It's pushing it, and shouldn't be in any environment red doesn't actually need support. So in scars, where red is pretty powerful, it doesn't need to be there.
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Generals meant to be drafted first in a single pack of 6 cards.
And here is the actual cube, meant to be drafted in 4 regular sized packs. (60 card decks)
This is less definite. To quote Mark Rosewater's explanations of the correct answers to the GDS2 multiple choice exam, with regard to the question of which color a 2/2 for 1C is least appropriate for:
Quote from Mark Rosewater »
The next we are most likely to make is black. We've haven't done it yet, but we've talked about doing it.
So the subject has come up before. That's not a definite yes, but it shows that it's not necessarily a no either.
I agree that MaRo has said those words, however I disagree with MaRo. Power-creep is something which must be kept to an absolute minimum. More colors with bears = more power creep = bad.
From my understanding of black, they can do just about anything from the lower rarities, but with drawback. As bears is a green and white thing (I agree that bears makes sense in white), black should be able to get it, but with drawback.
Power creep is relative. What matters more than the "average" power level is whether the power of cards in a given set or block or Standard or Extended are in balance with one another. Djinn of Wishes obsoletes Air Elemental. Does that make Djinn of Wishes an overpowered card? No, not by a long shot. Just because something is better than equivalents that have come before doesn't mean it is too strong; it needs to be evaluated in context with the other cards around it.
A black Grizzly Bears would not be very powerful. It would do little to nothing to upset any sort of balance of power between the colors. The biggest impact it would have is a philosophical one, but even that is fairly harmless in the context of everything that is constantly evolving in Magic.
When they mis-typeset Mindless Null at 2B instead of 1B, and decide to leave it that way because they think it is funny, I think we are a pretty long way from seeing a black Bear.
The problem with a black bears is less of a power one (though it most definatly is a power one, coming from a strong limited player), and more of what makes black black and what makes green green. Bears in three colours ceases to be bears, turning into something else.
I don't want to see a black bears. Black limited (using base set, Zen, and Scars as reference) doesn't need the power boost. Think of it this way: If mindless null was mindless bears, how would that have effected Zen limited? A surprisingly large amount considering how black would have had those one or two extra low-pick beaters.
Limited environments are made on a case-by-case basis. If a set has a black Bear, then other areas of black commons will be weaker to compensate. You can't just drop it into an existing set and claim that means anything, because that limited environment wasn't made with that card in mind.
The problem with a black bears is less of a power one (though it most definatly is a power one, coming from a strong limited player), and more of what makes black black and what makes green green. Bears in three colours ceases to be bears, turning into something else.
I don't want to see a black bears. Black limited (using base set, Zen, and Scars as reference) doesn't need the power boost. Think of it this way: If mindless null was mindless bears, how would that have effected Zen limited? A surprisingly large amount considering how black would have had those one or two extra low-pick beaters.
Yet a black bear in RoE would not have mattered nearly as much, a'la Glory Seeker. (slight advantage from being able to vendetta their blockers, but still no where near as powerful as it would have been in zendikar)
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Creature - Goblin
2/2
With the creature power creep, I think it's time we get such a card.
Not that it would actually make any splash at all in terms of constructed gameplay - but the design implications could be big, if looked at as a precedent.
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Nobody's going to argue that a 2/2 for 1R is broken, or even particularly good. But, it raises the expectations for red weenies across the board, and that's bad. Red weenie aggro walks a tightrope as it is, and while this card alone isn't going to knock it off, the inevitable descendants would.
Breaking the power barrier is OK as a 1-off. See: Blood Knight. But, you're signaling something else when you print a red grizzly - you're signaling that the baseline has changed. It really shouldn't.
Alternatively, I could see it being printed with a mana cost of RR instead of 1R at common (even though they try to avoid too many CC at common).
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Trample
3/3
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R Citizen Cane (Feldon of the Third Path)
Really, cause there are 2/2 goblins everywhere right now. I guess that kinda invalidates you entire argument about 2/2's not being in goblin flavor.
Thinking on it, I think in limited, red could've used that BADLY in m10. Red was so bad in limited that it was the color no one touched for anything but lightning bolts, fireballs, and the occasional rare. It's pushing it, and shouldn't be in any environment red doesn't actually need support. So in scars, where red is pretty powerful, it doesn't need to be there.
Generals meant to be drafted first in a single pack of 6 cards.
And here is the actual cube, meant to be drafted in 4 regular sized packs. (60 card decks)
Wizened Bears 1G
Creature — Bear {C}
2/1
Talk about identity crisis.
Red will never get bears. Black will never get bears without drawback.
Power creep is never an excuse for anything other than making weaker creatures than you normally would.
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This is less definite. To quote Mark Rosewater's explanations of the correct answers to the GDS2 multiple choice exam, with regard to the question of which color a 2/2 for 1C is least appropriate for:
So the subject has come up before. That's not a definite yes, but it shows that it's not necessarily a no either.
R Citizen Cane (Feldon of the Third Path)
From my understanding of black, they can do just about anything from the lower rarities, but with drawback. As bears is a green and white thing (I agree that bears makes sense in white), black should be able to get it, but with drawback.
GWU Rafiq
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A black Grizzly Bears would not be very powerful. It would do little to nothing to upset any sort of balance of power between the colors. The biggest impact it would have is a philosophical one, but even that is fairly harmless in the context of everything that is constantly evolving in Magic.
R Citizen Cane (Feldon of the Third Path)
I don't want to see a black bears. Black limited (using base set, Zen, and Scars as reference) doesn't need the power boost. Think of it this way: If mindless null was mindless bears, how would that have effected Zen limited? A surprisingly large amount considering how black would have had those one or two extra low-pick beaters.
GWU Rafiq
RWB Zurgo
WBG Ghave
WUB Oloro
WBR Kaalia (Archived)
My Blog, currently working on series about my custom set Cazia.
Steam Trades - I play Dota 2, CS:GO, TF2, and trade cards heavily. Add me if you like.
R Citizen Cane (Feldon of the Third Path)
Yet a black bear in RoE would not have mattered nearly as much, a'la Glory Seeker. (slight advantage from being able to vendetta their blockers, but still no where near as powerful as it would have been in zendikar)