Supposing there were another Ravnica block (Ravnica 3.0 or Return to Return to Ravnica), how would it be set up with the current two set approach? Would you expect all of the allied or enemy color Guilds in one set, and the rest in the other? WOTC has in general been trying to give some support for all two-color pairs in Limited, so would they deviate from the uncommon gold cycle?
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----- "I cannot tune a harp or play a lyre, but I know how to make a small city great." - Themistocles
The uncommon gold cycle works because the're kind of the only gold uncommon cards in the set so they get some visibility. In a set like Ravnica they would just be another gold card among many others. But since the guilds themselves make a good job defining archetypes, I don't think the uncommon gold cycle would be necessary.
I wonder, though, how will they split the guilds. One of the problems with first Ravnica was that your guild only get cards in one set. Dragon's Maze kind of solved this, but there's no third set for it anymore. May they would focus on 5 guilds per set, but with few cards from the other 5 in both of them
If the two sets are equal in size, then the focus of 5 in one, with a smattering of the other 5 within would certainly work well.
But if they're disparate sizes, then they'd probably have to have a larger, more unfocused group of 10 in the first, and a more sharply defined second set, with the latter perhaps focusing on the Guild vs. Guildless fight?
Trifas idea seems the most plausible. Having the set be focused mostly on 5 guilds with a small amount in the other 5 non-focus guilds. Much like RtR & GTC, each set would be split into to two groups of allied/enemy colored guilds per set. That way the non-focus guild in a set would still have some amount of mana fixing, but focus guilds still have better fixing needed to showcase them. Also like RtR/GTC guild mechanics of non-focus guild won't show up in the opposite set, though we may get an 11th nonguild mechanic in both sets to help tie them together.
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WOut of the ground,I rise to grace...W BAfter the lights go out on you, after your worthless life is through. I will remember how you scream...B
The small set may simply focus on the five guilds not represented in the large set, letting the large set handle most of the faction-neutral cards.
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MTGS Wikia Article about "New World Order"
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
PSA to everyone who keeps forgetting about the Reserved List:
You're on a website dedicated to talking about MtG. You're only a few keystrokes away from finding out what cards are on the Reserved List. You're also only a few keystrokes away from finding out why some cards on the Reserved List got foil printings in FtV, as Judge promos, or whatnot, as well as why that won't happen again. Stop doing this.
More likely the guilds start to align. Both Boros and Azorius share governmental duties, and would be the side of law. Simic and Izzet are both science based, and would seek to be in favor of the winning side. Rakdos and Gruul just want the streets to run red. Golgari mostly cleans the mess, Dimir waits and thinks they'll clean up the final guild.
Vraska is still alive, right?
The Guildpact is gone, and civil war has been on the horizon. They could do it like this, making the 10 guilds into five groups, mixed arcs and wedges. Have cards in both sets to support the cross-guild group to assist drafting.
Have all 10 guilds in the large set, you could add a bit more to them in the small set or do Guilds vs Guildless. But how do you represent the guildless?
I think 10 guilds in the large set isnt too much colourwise, the tricky part is mechanics. To balance the colours just use more hybrid combined with 1 cycle of golds at common, 1 or 2 at uncommon, and most of them at rare.
The small set could still work, especially now that the sets are larger. You could have 10 cards per guild and then have 50 or so guildless cards.
I woulf represent the guildless by being monocolour and maybe colourless, and then havesomehow define them with a mechanic.
Of course they could just stick with 5 and 5. They could make them both large or make them both medium size (between small and large) but the biggest problem is the draft would be wierd.
Overall I think they need to do something new in Ravnica,guilds v guildless would work. And there could still be guilds,but draft usually turned 3 colour anyways.
If it was me, I'd make it an encore block like Time Spiral, about the Guildless getting up in arms and demanding representation.
First set is five Guilds and the Guildless masses. Second set is the other five Guilds and the lead representatives of the Guildless.
Each Guild would have at least one card with both their Guild keywords - a Golgari that you can either feed to the others with Scavenge or bring back for another go with Dredge, for example.
For example instead of making a UR card that can only mix with izzet schemes, there will be a U and a separate R card so thay can be used by four guilds.
consult the necrosages is a great card and fitting for a Dimir deck. But if a set has mind rot and divination, i could still make a very Dimiry deck with those.
Madcap Skills is obviously a rakdos card, but it can be used by all red guilds as it does not hamper their playability.
Hidden Strings has the Dimir Mechanic, but it can be used by four guilds.
Decks will still function on a limited level this way. For example a deck with 50% monired cards and 50%monowhite cards, the deck can still be called Boros even if it had no gold cards in it.
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MtG is where you can hate white players or black players, and still not be racist.
I would make use of Gold tokens to represent Ravnica's economy. Most of the cards that produce Gold tokens would be either colorless or monocolor to make colorfixing easier. Furthermore, most if not all of them would be guildless.
Making the small set focus almost entirely on its five guilds would ensure that those guilds show up in adequate numbers in draft, though the first set's guilds would see less play in draft as a result.
MTGS Wikia Article about "New World Order"
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
PSA to everyone who keeps forgetting about the Reserved List:
You're on a website dedicated to talking about MtG. You're only a few keystrokes away from finding out what cards are on the Reserved List. You're also only a few keystrokes away from finding out why some cards on the Reserved List got foil printings in FtV, as Judge promos, or whatnot, as well as why that won't happen again. Stop doing this.
I think the most interesting thing they could do with ravnica 3.0 is turn it into the next lorwyn set and make it basically all hybrid cards. Then you can easily fit all ten guilds into one set, and it makes limited and draft a lot more flexible. The story line could even be about the guilds breaking down and joining forces like previously posted, although it would obviously be very wedge focused which we just did. But the hybrid mana only thing would alleviate the "forced wedge" feel that khans had, and instead just have a wedge lore where you can practically make shards or dual colored decks. It would also very easily support mono colored decks. Mixing azorious and dimir would never happen flavor wise for instance, but would make a very fun control build if it didn't force three colors of mana in the deck in a fetchless standard. Hybrid mana solves that
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"I cannot tune a harp or play a lyre, but I know how to make a small city great." - Themistocles
I wonder, though, how will they split the guilds. One of the problems with first Ravnica was that your guild only get cards in one set. Dragon's Maze kind of solved this, but there's no third set for it anymore. May they would focus on 5 guilds per set, but with few cards from the other 5 in both of them
Commander: WUBRG Superfriends, GW Rhys Tokens, WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon
Kitchen Table (now that's real Magic): WUBRG Domain, GU Biovisionary, UB Korlash Grandeur, UW Merfolk Mill
If the two sets are equal in size, then the focus of 5 in one, with a smattering of the other 5 within would certainly work well.
But if they're disparate sizes, then they'd probably have to have a larger, more unfocused group of 10 in the first, and a more sharply defined second set, with the latter perhaps focusing on the Guild vs. Guildless fight?
BAfter the lights go out on you, after your worthless life is through. I will remember how you scream...B
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.
Vraska is still alive, right?
The Guildpact is gone, and civil war has been on the horizon. They could do it like this, making the 10 guilds into five groups, mixed arcs and wedges. Have cards in both sets to support the cross-guild group to assist drafting.
I think 10 guilds in the large set isnt too much colourwise, the tricky part is mechanics. To balance the colours just use more hybrid combined with 1 cycle of golds at common, 1 or 2 at uncommon, and most of them at rare.
The small set could still work, especially now that the sets are larger. You could have 10 cards per guild and then have 50 or so guildless cards.
I woulf represent the guildless by being monocolour and maybe colourless, and then havesomehow define them with a mechanic.
Of course they could just stick with 5 and 5. They could make them both large or make them both medium size (between small and large) but the biggest problem is the draft would be wierd.
Overall I think they need to do something new in Ravnica,guilds v guildless would work. And there could still be guilds,but draft usually turned 3 colour anyways.
First set is five Guilds and the Guildless masses. Second set is the other five Guilds and the lead representatives of the Guildless.
Each Guild would have at least one card with both their Guild keywords - a Golgari that you can either feed to the others with Scavenge or bring back for another go with Dredge, for example.
For example instead of making a UR card that can only mix with izzet schemes, there will be a U and a separate R card so thay can be used by four guilds.
consult the necrosages is a great card and fitting for a Dimir deck. But if a set has mind rot and divination, i could still make a very Dimiry deck with those.
Madcap Skills is obviously a rakdos card, but it can be used by all red guilds as it does not hamper their playability.
Hidden Strings has the Dimir Mechanic, but it can be used by four guilds.
Decks will still function on a limited level this way. For example a deck with 50% monired cards and 50%monowhite cards, the deck can still be called Boros even if it had no gold cards in it.
Making the small set focus almost entirely on its five guilds would ensure that those guilds show up in adequate numbers in draft, though the first set's guilds would see less play in draft as a result.
Every time I read a comment about "Well if this card had card draw/trample/haste/indestructible/hexproof/life gain...", I think "You're missing the point." They're armchair developer comments that fail to take into account the card's role in the greater Limited and Standard environment. No, it may not be as good as whatever card you're comparing it to. There's a reason for that. Not every burn spell is Lightning Bolt, nor does it need to be or should be.