Planeswalkers are completely original. There is nothing that even comes close to what it does. Show me a legendary enchanment with three abilitys that very in powerlevel from alright to absurd that can be burned and force even more decision making intot he game like what creatures attack him or the planeswalker, which abilitys to use which turn.
Do you use the first ability 3 times and plan on using the last one? Whats if they start focusing on it? Do you change your plan and use the middle one to try getting value out of it or do you keep adding counters?
Lots of decisions. The one thing I love most about them is that there power is so debatable nobody can agree one what ones are mst powerful and which are duds. There are even lots of people (myself included) who think The white one is the stone cold nuts
I agree that unexplored design space is only brought up a few times each set, and I love the times that it is explored, but I understand that not every card can be original. It is just something you have to live with in order to get to the original cards.
I think Doran, the Siege Tower (nice new idea) and a few others in this set make up for any redundancy/unoriginality of other cards to past cards (Wormfang cycle, World Enchantments).
The only exception to this was that the Time Spiral block didn't have that much originality in it (only some of the blue cards, to tell you the truth), but I still was okay with this because of one other element of designing this game: sometimes it is necessary to revisit old designs in order to expand them. Specifically, if they do not revisit Planeswalkers in a set in the future, then it would have been all for naught.
Though now that brings up an interesting side point haha... how often will they print Planeswalkers hereafter? 5 (one per color) per set? Or less than that? More? Infrequently?
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While netdecking and testing VileHorror i thought about Biorhythm. Sure its really expensive, off-color and crappy but still you're always the one with creatures while playing VH. That made me think.
This is proof that there is going to be a 4 mana costing Faerie Champion (probably a 5/5) it will complete the cycle
Goldmeadow Lookout creates white kithkin for 2WW Kithkin Champion 5/5
Llanowar Mentor creates green elves for 3G Elf Champion 5/5
Skirk Ridge Exhumer creates black goblins for 3B Goblin Champon 5/5
Sparkspitter creates red elementals for 3R Elemental Champoion 10/2...
Cloudseeder creates blue faeries for ...?
Lands are just creatures with no manacost, no p/t with a restriction of one each turn and they usually tap for mana.
Well, green does have a 4 mana 5/5 creature that *****s out 2/2 deathtouch tokens. Combined with elves other theme, fast mana, that is very awesome.
A land is a creature without manacost, p/t, can never be played in an other turn then yours, tap usually for mana, restriction of one per turn.
Right, well, I like to untap a land is a spell says untap a creature. Plus really, it's totally crap to compair land with something like creatures or whatsoever. Enchantments are colored artifacts. No! It's the other way around. Artifact is the first multicolor of magic, but instead of being cheaper in mana cost it is mostly more expensive. Artifacts got enchantments, they have been called artifacts, artifact have creatures, they have been called artifact creatures.
The real original types are really enchantment, creature, land and sorcery. Instant is actually a sorcery with flash, duh. Artifacts I already explained. Planeswalkers are simply creatures with the specific counter mechanic. Really, that's all. Tribal, well it isn't really worth a card type.
im starting to feel that way myself as well, especially merfolk, i miss merfolk decks
Yeah, I follow your sentence, but I don't quite follow on who you reacted.
By the way, why is a Merfolk with 1U Draw a card, 2/1 too good? Really blue is the color of drawing, green gets those cards. Make it 1/1 i'd say.
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hey i have managed to evolve my axolotls by feeding them thyroid glands the thyroxine contained in these gland is enough to change these water dwelling creatures into land based creatures
Posted by: Tay Collins | January 20, 2010 6:45 AM
Tay, that's not evolution. It's metamorphosis. Evolution means descent with heritable modification – individuals cannot evolve, unless they're Pokemon.
Posted by: David Marjanović | January 20, 2010 8:55 AM
if all the merfolk does is trade with a mogg fanatic and let you draw a card, it's don it's job brilliantly.
however, the fact that this needs to get played in a merfolk deck is a very real disadvantage. if it wasn't so merfolk dependent, every blue control deck could use it as a speed bump, that helps you survive to the late game. now you're forced to play a more creature focused build
This looks like Onslaught 2 in so far as there seem to be a lot of limited bombs. Now instead of Visara, Rorix, and friends, we have the elementals, tribal champions, and planeswalkers. Swingy limited format? I think so.
I like the trio. Great flavor and probably constructed playable.
Accidentally Banding? I believe they could attempt to try to bring back Banding if they could make it good. I haven't read the rules for Banding in a year or so, but is there anything (any When this bands, trigger blah) that could make Banding powerful / worth playing? If so, they could associate it with a tribe.... Kithkin... well, next set.
Speaking of predictions or requests if you like to think of them as that hehe... I believe that the one-drop merfolk will be something like Surveilling Sprite without Flying. Or so I hope
Oh, and as Viroid has so kindly pointed out, Silvergill Adept has replaced Raven Familiar in Aluren in Legacy.
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While netdecking and testing VileHorror i thought about Biorhythm. Sure its really expensive, off-color and crappy but still you're always the one with creatures while playing VH. That made me think.
The white kithkin is crazy good. With that beast you could block 3 2/2s and a 3/3, kill the 3/3 and one of the 2/2s and you wouldn't get a scratch on yourself!
No. The ability that prompts you to choose one does though, but by the time you actually choose one, the ability is already resolving. So, to answer the deeper question, no, they cannot respond one you've choosen a victim.
EDIT: Champion does kinda suck if you've only got one target on the board.
K thanks a lot. so that makes then a tad more playable if you have more than one champion target on board.
Accidentally Banding? I believe they could attempt to try to bring back Banding if they could make it good. I haven't read the rules for Banding in a year or so, but is there anything (any When this bands, trigger blah) that could make Banding powerful / worth playing? If so, they could associate it with a tribe.... Kithkin... well, next set.
Banding consists of two rules:
1) When attacking, any number of attacking creatures with banding and up to one creature without banding can form a "band". If a creature blocks any member of this band, that creature blocks ALL members of that band. The damage is assigned amongst the band by the player with banding.
2) When blocking, if there is a creature with banding blocking a creature along with any number of other creatures, than the defending player chooses how the damage is assigned amongst his creatures.
The problem with banding is that it is entirely a combat based mechanic. Combat just doesn't factor that heavily into constructed play. It'd be solid as a limited mechanic, especially when combined with regenerate (assign all damage to the regenerator, then regenerate it to save the whole band).
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Currently Playing:
Legacy: Something U/W Controlish EDH Cube
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Silvergill Adept- a 2/1 for 1U is okay for blue, add a cantrip 187 ability and you've got an alround solid card. Works well with the Hydro's rumoured Tradewind Rider Merfolk.
Thoughtweft Trio- that's a powerful champion, first strike, vigilance, can block any number of creatures and a 5/5 for 2WW, in a kithkin weenie deck you should never have a problem having a cheap kithkin to champion, a nice top end to the kithkin curve.
Do you use the first ability 3 times and plan on using the last one? Whats if they start focusing on it? Do you change your plan and use the middle one to try getting value out of it or do you keep adding counters?
Lots of decisions. The one thing I love most about them is that there power is so debatable nobody can agree one what ones are mst powerful and which are duds. There are even lots of people (myself included) who think The white one is the stone cold nuts
http://tinystrokes.blogspot.com/view/classic
I think Doran, the Siege Tower (nice new idea) and a few others in this set make up for any redundancy/unoriginality of other cards to past cards (Wormfang cycle, World Enchantments).
The only exception to this was that the Time Spiral block didn't have that much originality in it (only some of the blue cards, to tell you the truth), but I still was okay with this because of one other element of designing this game: sometimes it is necessary to revisit old designs in order to expand them. Specifically, if they do not revisit Planeswalkers in a set in the future, then it would have been all for naught.
Though now that brings up an interesting side point haha... how often will they print Planeswalkers hereafter? 5 (one per color) per set? Or less than that? More? Infrequently?
Celebrating 3 years of open-minded acceptance, indispensable help, great advice, and incalculably-creative deck-design... Thanks for all the magic!
Goldmeadow Lookout creates white kithkin for 2WW Kithkin Champion 5/5
Llanowar Mentor creates green elves for 3G Elf Champion 5/5
Skirk Ridge Exhumer creates black goblins for 3B Goblin Champon 5/5
Sparkspitter creates red elementals for 3R Elemental Champoion 10/2...
Cloudseeder creates blue faeries for ...?
A land is a creature without manacost, p/t, can never be played in an other turn then yours, tap usually for mana, restriction of one per turn.
Right, well, I like to untap a land is a spell says untap a creature. Plus really, it's totally crap to compair land with something like creatures or whatsoever. Enchantments are colored artifacts. No! It's the other way around. Artifact is the first multicolor of magic, but instead of being cheaper in mana cost it is mostly more expensive. Artifacts got enchantments, they have been called artifacts, artifact have creatures, they have been called artifact creatures.
The real original types are really enchantment, creature, land and sorcery. Instant is actually a sorcery with flash, duh. Artifacts I already explained. Planeswalkers are simply creatures with the specific counter mechanic. Really, that's all. Tribal, well it isn't really worth a card type.
Well, nice off topic.
Yeah, I follow your sentence, but I don't quite follow on who you reacted.
By the way, why is a Merfolk with 1U Draw a card, 2/1 too good? Really blue is the color of drawing, green gets those cards. Make it 1/1 i'd say.
Posted by: Tay Collins | January 20, 2010 6:45 AM
Tay, that's not evolution. It's metamorphosis. Evolution means descent with heritable modification – individuals cannot evolve, unless they're Pokemon.
Posted by: David Marjanović | January 20, 2010 8:55 AM
the white kithkin is debatable. I don't know if kithkin as a whole will be viable in standard. casual, definetly. I'll wait and see for constructed.
We are all cursed men. The degree to which each man is cursed lies with their sins.
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UB - Korlash Control
however, the fact that this needs to get played in a merfolk deck is a very real disadvantage. if it wasn't so merfolk dependent, every blue control deck could use it as a speed bump, that helps you survive to the late game. now you're forced to play a more creature focused build
I like the trio. Great flavor and probably constructed playable.
Speaking of predictions or requests if you like to think of them as that hehe... I believe that the one-drop merfolk will be something like Surveilling Sprite without Flying. Or so I hope
Oh, and as Viroid has so kindly pointed out, Silvergill Adept has replaced Raven Familiar in Aluren in Legacy.
Celebrating 3 years of open-minded acceptance, indispensable help, great advice, and incalculably-creative deck-design... Thanks for all the magic!
K thanks a lot. so that makes then a tad more playable if you have more than one champion target on board.
edit: May I request more BURN!
Banding consists of two rules:
1) When attacking, any number of attacking creatures with banding and up to one creature without banding can form a "band". If a creature blocks any member of this band, that creature blocks ALL members of that band. The damage is assigned amongst the band by the player with banding.
2) When blocking, if there is a creature with banding blocking a creature along with any number of other creatures, than the defending player chooses how the damage is assigned amongst his creatures.
The problem with banding is that it is entirely a combat based mechanic. Combat just doesn't factor that heavily into constructed play. It'd be solid as a limited mechanic, especially when combined with regenerate (assign all damage to the regenerator, then regenerate it to save the whole band).
Currently Playing:
Legacy: Something U/W Controlish
EDH Cube
Hypercube! A New EDH Deck Every Week(ish)!
Silvergill Adept- a 2/1 for 1U is okay for blue, add a cantrip 187 ability and you've got an alround solid card. Works well with the Hydro's rumoured Tradewind Rider Merfolk.
Thoughtweft Trio- that's a powerful champion, first strike, vigilance, can block any number of creatures and a 5/5 for 2WW, in a kithkin weenie deck you should never have a problem having a cheap kithkin to champion, a nice top end to the kithkin curve.
Machius proudly supports R_E's right to Rumour!