Whether it is a sequel to a previous block, a complete remastering/rerelease of a previous block, a block inspired by non-magic fiction, or something you completely made up, describe *your* perfect MTG block.
Only blue and artifact cards, reprints of force of will(and other "free" counterspells) at common and vizzerdrix. New card that lets you reorder stack.
Story is about how Nissa walked to mirrodin and broke Quicksilver Fountain and now the whole multiverse is flooded.
No cards designed for the express purpose of being bad. Don't believe MaRo when he says it can't be done - just look at Tempest, where even the bad cards were designed to do something cool and the vanillas were reasonably playable.
Scry, Cycling, Kicker and Split Cards/Fuse - if it mitigates mana flood/mana screw and it opens more ways for a card to be played, throw it in. The game is best when it's played, not when one player mulligans into unplayability.
Lots of creatures with on-board interactivity and minimal value creatures (Selesnya Guildmage yes, Skinrender no). Efficient counters and removal, but in low quantities/uncommon rarity. Multiple evasive and resilient finishers at uncommon rarity, but only at very high CMCs (ideally with cycling to keep them main deckable). I like a messy boards and maximum interaction, but I want games to end if the players fail to eke out enough incremental advantage or gain control of the game.
Well, I am designing a set that's supposed to be more like at least some of what I had in mind, but here are some things I'd like to see in a new set, not entirely in order of priority:
- Somewhat lighter and softer story than most. I'm not talking completely conflict-free utopia, just...well, think something around the level of the first Trails in the Sky game
(aside from the plot twist at the end)
.
- Introduce a green and white planeswalker who hopefully becomes a recurring character. I'd like to see a decent red and white one for the same reason, though not as much as I'd like green and white. Actually, I'd really like to see a dryad and/or fairy planeswalker...or even something crazy like a hydra. There are also too few 3-colored planeswalkers.
- Multicolored factions a la Ravnica, Alara, and Tarkir would be good, though not required. If they did any tricolor wedge-based ones, have the focus color be the enemy one instead of what Tarkir did. (I'm actually doing this in my set.) One possibility for 3-colored ones would be to make the non-focus colors always or at least usually hybrid (as I think Lorwyn and Shadowmoor did?).
- Make black-aligned factions and characters actually sympathetic for once. On that note, it would be great if none of the factions were obviously evil compared to the others (see: Grixis, Jund, Rakdos, Dimir, and Orzhov...and surprise surprise, they all involve black, usually in conjunction with blue and/or red). What colors the villains have, if any, is a matter of choice (though have they done a band of five primary villains each themed around a particular color yet?).
- Have a variety of races and species, possibly including some that aren't usually sentient in Magic, coexisting. It would be especially interesting to see species/subtype combnations that would normally seem unorthodox, such as a hydra cleric or a chimera wizard. Also, more fairies. Definitely more fairies, and not the amoral Grimm kind (but not the Disney kind that paint spots on ladybugs either). Most likely, these would be human-sized fairies. (Also, they could probably have more variety in types of fairies than there have been, at least that I've seen...unless the other types I'd be thinking of are simply considered different creature types entirely.) I wouldn't say no to more types of therianthropes either.
- Speaking of fairies, allow "fairy" as an acceptable alternate spelling of "faerie". I really don't condone the latter spelling; I think it looks dumb.
- Greatly tone down the control aspects of blue. Card drawing, scrying, making use of artifacts, and messing with your own stuff (or maybe even just causing chaos for everyone including the caster) are all fine, but when you start preventing the other players from being able to do anything, that's when the game stops being fun and I want to set your deck on fire. And I don't mean with red damage spells, I mean actually in real life taking a lighter or match to it. Though I guess defensive counterspells (things like "counter a spell that targets you and/or a permanent you control") would be acceptable. Also, consider just getting rid of milling entirely (except self-mill for graveyard purposes), and do get rid of land destruction entirely.
- Avoid making most of the cool, fun, and interesting cards rare. I know not every common can be Quicksilver Dagger or Axebane Guardian, but come on. I shouldn't constantly be thinking "oh, sweet, I could use a playset or two of this!...aaand that would run me $200+. Awesome."
- Likable characters are a definite plus. I know Magic storylines aren't entirely without them or anything (Elspeth, Narset, probably Tamiyo, probably more...hey, I haven't read many of the stories in full), but I feel like they could use more.
- Good nonbasic/multicolored lands. We need less of this "always enters tapped and/or damages you" crap—especially outside of common rarity—and more things like the 10-card cycles that Sunpetal Grove and Flooded Grove were in and the 5-color cycle that Prairie Stream was in (on that note, fill out that one to make it a full 10, and do the same for Nimbus Maze). Also, make some decent storage lands, because the current ones suck. They might be useful in conjunction with proliferate, Vorel of the Hull Clade, or Gilder Bairn (or any combination thereof), but I would probably never play them outside of that context. Most nonbasic lands are at least $2.00 anc can get up to $35 or so; the storage lands are often around $0.25 or less. Gee, I wonder why?
- Speaking of proliferate, I'd like to see that mechanic brought back, except in an environment without -1/-1 or poison counters. Or maybe replace it with something slightly nerfed but more balanced, like it only affects your own permanents and has a coefficient (e.g., "Blah 3" = "put a counter on up to 3 target permanents").
- An urban fantasy environment, in conjunction with what has been mentioned, would be cool. I guess this has technically sorta-kinda already been done (Ravnica, perhaps)? Again, I'm picturing something like Trails in the Sky.
- If they returned to a plane, I'd like to see more of Lorwyn or Kamigawa. Those had some interesting possibilities. Or maybe return to a plane that hasn't yet been used in Modern outside of core sets, such as Shandalar or Dominaria.
Also, anyone who says "tl;dr" gets a Lightning Axe thrown through their computer screen. This is creativity-related, and I used proper paragraphs; read it.
I'd love to see a block where white and allied colors are the main antagonists/villains in a tyrannical dictatorship, considering that black and related colors are typically the evil villains.
It would be a nice curveball to break up the 22 year monotony.
Story is about how Nissa walked to mirrodin and broke Quicksilver Fountain and now the whole multiverse is flooded.
Scry, Cycling, Kicker and Split Cards/Fuse - if it mitigates mana flood/mana screw and it opens more ways for a card to be played, throw it in. The game is best when it's played, not when one player mulligans into unplayability.
Lots of creatures with on-board interactivity and minimal value creatures (Selesnya Guildmage yes, Skinrender no). Efficient counters and removal, but in low quantities/uncommon rarity. Multiple evasive and resilient finishers at uncommon rarity, but only at very high CMCs (ideally with cycling to keep them main deckable). I like a messy boards and maximum interaction, but I want games to end if the players fail to eke out enough incremental advantage or gain control of the game.
Bad Mythics.
Lots of fixing at common, for all color pairings. Gold cards only at rare or higher, optional multicolor cards at lower rarities (like Assault // Battery, Thunderscape Battlemage or Crimson Muckwader).
Playable Charms.
- Somewhat lighter and softer story than most. I'm not talking completely conflict-free utopia, just...well, think something around the level of the first Trails in the Sky game
- Introduce a green and white planeswalker who hopefully becomes a recurring character. I'd like to see a decent red and white one for the same reason, though not as much as I'd like green and white. Actually, I'd really like to see a dryad and/or fairy planeswalker...or even something crazy like a hydra. There are also too few 3-colored planeswalkers.
- Multicolored factions a la Ravnica, Alara, and Tarkir would be good, though not required. If they did any tricolor wedge-based ones, have the focus color be the enemy one instead of what Tarkir did. (I'm actually doing this in my set.) One possibility for 3-colored ones would be to make the non-focus colors always or at least usually hybrid (as I think Lorwyn and Shadowmoor did?).
- Make black-aligned factions and characters actually sympathetic for once. On that note, it would be great if none of the factions were obviously evil compared to the others (see: Grixis, Jund, Rakdos, Dimir, and Orzhov...and surprise surprise, they all involve black, usually in conjunction with blue and/or red). What colors the villains have, if any, is a matter of choice (though have they done a band of five primary villains each themed around a particular color yet?).
- Have a variety of races and species, possibly including some that aren't usually sentient in Magic, coexisting. It would be especially interesting to see species/subtype combnations that would normally seem unorthodox, such as a hydra cleric or a chimera wizard. Also, more fairies. Definitely more fairies, and not the amoral Grimm kind (but not the Disney kind that paint spots on ladybugs either). Most likely, these would be human-sized fairies. (Also, they could probably have more variety in types of fairies than there have been, at least that I've seen...unless the other types I'd be thinking of are simply considered different creature types entirely.) I wouldn't say no to more types of therianthropes either.
- Speaking of fairies, allow "fairy" as an acceptable alternate spelling of "faerie". I really don't condone the latter spelling; I think it looks dumb.
- Greatly tone down the control aspects of blue. Card drawing, scrying, making use of artifacts, and messing with your own stuff (or maybe even just causing chaos for everyone including the caster) are all fine, but when you start preventing the other players from being able to do anything, that's when the game stops being fun and I want to set your deck on fire. And I don't mean with red damage spells, I mean actually in real life taking a lighter or match to it. Though I guess defensive counterspells (things like "counter a spell that targets you and/or a permanent you control") would be acceptable. Also, consider just getting rid of milling entirely (except self-mill for graveyard purposes), and do get rid of land destruction entirely.
- Avoid making most of the cool, fun, and interesting cards rare. I know not every common can be Quicksilver Dagger or Axebane Guardian, but come on. I shouldn't constantly be thinking "oh, sweet, I could use a playset or two of this!...aaand that would run me $200+. Awesome."
- Likable characters are a definite plus. I know Magic storylines aren't entirely without them or anything (Elspeth, Narset, probably Tamiyo, probably more...hey, I haven't read many of the stories in full), but I feel like they could use more.
- Good nonbasic/multicolored lands. We need less of this "always enters tapped and/or damages you" crap—especially outside of common rarity—and more things like the 10-card cycles that Sunpetal Grove and Flooded Grove were in and the 5-color cycle that Prairie Stream was in (on that note, fill out that one to make it a full 10, and do the same for Nimbus Maze). Also, make some decent storage lands, because the current ones suck. They might be useful in conjunction with proliferate, Vorel of the Hull Clade, or Gilder Bairn (or any combination thereof), but I would probably never play them outside of that context. Most nonbasic lands are at least $2.00 anc can get up to $35 or so; the storage lands are often around $0.25 or less. Gee, I wonder why?
- Speaking of proliferate, I'd like to see that mechanic brought back, except in an environment without -1/-1 or poison counters. Or maybe replace it with something slightly nerfed but more balanced, like it only affects your own permanents and has a coefficient (e.g., "Blah 3" = "put a counter on up to 3 target permanents").
- An urban fantasy environment, in conjunction with what has been mentioned, would be cool. I guess this has technically sorta-kinda already been done (Ravnica, perhaps)? Again, I'm picturing something like Trails in the Sky.
- If they returned to a plane, I'd like to see more of Lorwyn or Kamigawa. Those had some interesting possibilities. Or maybe return to a plane that hasn't yet been used in Modern outside of core sets, such as Shandalar or Dominaria.
Also, anyone who says "tl;dr" gets a Lightning Axe thrown through their computer screen. This is creativity-related, and I used proper paragraphs; read it.https://fieldmarshalshandbook.wordpress.com/
RUGLegacy Lands.dec
RUGBLegacy Lands.dec
RGLegacy Lands.dec
WUBRG EDH Lands.dec
UBR EDH Artificer Prodigy
B EDH Relentless Rats
WBG Karador GBW
R Daretti R
RG Omnath GR
WRG Modern Burn GRW
WB Modern Tokens BW
DCI Rules Advisor as of 5/18/2015
It would be a nice curveball to break up the 22 year monotony.
Hands to the sky
Give a round of applause
For the great Miss Y!
"Sometimes, the situation is outracing a threat, sometimes it's ignoring it, and sometimes it involves sideboarding in 4x Hope//Pray." --Doug Linn