I've heard stories from people unlikely to be lieing (store owners, etc.) about similar pack oddities in fat packs where uncommons slots were swapped with rare slots; resulitng in 3 rare/1 unc packs.
This simply is not true. Although you will frequently see/hear about someone's AWESOME fat pack, you have to realize there are several people people who received average/mediocre/poor fat packs and are not as "excited" about telling everyone about it.
Agreed. Of all the fat packs I've bought in the past couple years, most of them are boring to okay (the one M13 one I bought had Nicol Bolas, a dual land, and 7 generic jank rares). One of the NPH boxes I opened was amazing (Karn, Batterskull, 2x Jin-Gitaxias, and a foil Elesh). While I really only talk about the NPH experience, because it's the most exciting, I've opened several other fat packs, and gotten little to nothing, but a random person listening might think "Wow, fat packs are way better than other product", when it's really just the same game of chance.
My brain needs more stimulation after months of minimal activity. I'm game.
Query: For the Review point, if you critique the cards that aren't in your bracket, wouldn't that tell some people who hadn't voted yet which bracket you are in? And, if they know your design style, possibly know which card is yours?
Unless I'm misreading Jimmy's rules, and they are different from the last clash, people will know which bracket you're in anyways, just not which entrant you are. It'll just be like:
Eventide Sojourner v. Cythare
<Card pool 1>
<Card pool 2>
That said, depending on your critiques, it might give away your design style, depending on how specific and detailed your response is, and how unique the cards you have designed for that round are, but usually it doesn't seem to matter that much. Just try not to comment on your own bracket and inadvertently give away which one is yours.
1) No. The printed text of Yawgmoth's Will "you may play cards in your graveyard as though they were in your hand" is outdated text from a time when the rules didn't explicitly support playing cards from other zones. At no point are these cards considered "in your hand" for any purpose. If you check the current Oracle text, it just says "Until end of turn, you may cast cards from your graveyard."
2) No, for the same reason, these cards are never in your hand. An effect would have to actually put a card back in your hand (like Praetor's Counsel) for either of these to work.
This is not correct. If you click on the link, you will see that the Avatar's ability is a replacement effect, similar to Blightsteel Colossus, rather than a trigger like Emrakul. There is no point in time when the Avatar is in the yard, so you cannot respond to any trigger, as one does not exist.
Wrong. Replacement effects use "if", while triggered abilities use "when" or "whenever". Blightsteel Colossus has an if clause that changes where the card goes, so it never touches the graveyard. Serra Avatar has a triggered ability that triggers once it hits the graveyard, so can be responded to (or lost, such as by Yixlid Jailer, in which case it remains in the graveyard indefinitely).
EDIT: Nvm, I see you edited your post. Nath'd by an edit!
Grave TruthWBB
Instant (U)
Destroy target creature with converted mana cost 4 or less. You may return a creature card with the same converted mana cost as that creature from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped.
Its not unlikely you'll find it at a bix box store, its impossible. IIRC only WPN stores get them, and then its 10 or 20 boxes depending on their level. Some LGS sell them MSRP, but not many, most I've seen will semm them slightly under ebay prices to locals, but thats it.
It is only WPN stores. There are a couple stores in my area, and the store owner I have the best rapport with is not a WPN store, and he said that he is unable to get any copies because he isn't one.
Actually yes. Why was he picking them up in the first place if not to put them into exile at that moment before the card has finished doing all of its effects (sure there is rules explination that makes it okay, but in every other level he is implying that he is moving them to RFG)? We all know he was implying this, and was using the implication that he was finishing the card effect as a way to weasel into having the bloodghasts not RFG'd. We don't need to be mind readers to know this and only an insincere ass would say that it wasn't his intention to exploit this hole that exists in non-verbal communication.
And where do you get "clearly and explicity" from? No where in the OP did it say he did clearly and explicitly. In fact given what we know (the habit of grinders to commit these kinds of shady, but not illegal, plays) its more reasonable to assume that he stuffed them back in the graveyard and probably attempted to do so in such a way as to avoid as much attention as possible.
I would get "clearly and explicitly" from the part where the OP said:
Sam picked up bloodghast then set it back down in his graveyard and handed the stoneblade player his deck and revealed his hand.
The fact that he did the sequence of events of:
a) picking up the bloodghast
b) putting the bloodghast back in the graveyard
c) handed the stoneblade player his deck
makes it very clear that he put the bloodghast right back in the graveyard. Even if he "stuffed it back into" the graveyard, if anything, as his opponent, that would make it more clear that I should search his graveyard. While maybe not the "most sporting thing", the OP indicated that Sam's opponent did not bother to review Sam's graveyard, and Sam has no obligation whatsoever to help his opponent in this situation.
Absolver Gryff3WW
Creature - Griffin (R)
Flash, Flying
When Absolver Gryff enters the battlefield, you can't lose the game this turn and your opponents can't win the game this turn. Until end of turn, damage that would reduce your life total to less than 1 reduces it to 1 instead. The strength of the gryff is not of its body, but of its spirit.
4/3
Just to clarify, unlike almost every other "Embrace" in the game, Dauthi Embrace is not an aura. The end result is the same (the creature gains shadow until end of turn), but for a slightly different reason.
It doesn't matter which order the two enchantments enter the battlefield, since Dauthi Embrace does not have a static ability. Unless the Embrace was already on the battlefield and your opponent activated it earlier in the same turn that Humility entered, the creature will always gain shadow. When the activated ability of Dauthi Embrace resolves, its timestamp will be newer than that of Humility, so the Embrace will apply its effect.
Riku, the GreatheartedRGWU
Legendary Creature - Human Monk
Whenever any player casts an instant or sorcery spell, you may pay UR. If you do, choose any number of target players. Each of those players copies that spell. They may choose new targets for those copies.
Whenever a nontoken permanent enters the battlefield, you may pay GW. If you do, choose any number of target players. Each of those players puts a token that is a copy of that permanent onto the battlefield.
2/4
Sower of Protection2WUU
Creature - Faerie Mystic (R)
Flash, flying
When Sower of Protection enters the battlefield, gain control of target creature for as long as Sower of Protection is on the battlefield.
As long as you control a permanent that you do not own, effects that would reduce your life total below 1 reduce it to 1 instead.
1/4
Hedron Hunter3WB
Creature - Spirit Bat
Flying
When Hedron Hunter enters the battlefield, target player loses 2 life and you gain 2 life. Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may return Hedron Hunter from your graveyard to the battlefield. If you do, put a +1/+1 counter on it.
If Hedron Hunter would die, if it has a +1/+1 counter on it, exile it instead.
Fog-Covered Lake: Interesting! I'm not sure how I feel about this exiling, as I feel this is a great way to dodge removal (although LD isn't the most common these days). I feel the ability should be sorcery-speed, at least. That said, I think the effect of the land is pretty cool. 7.5/10
My card: For reference, since this is a mythic, I am removing the reminder text on empower (also to save card space):
Ivoline Nexus
Legendary Land (M)
Ivoline Nexus enters the battlefield tapped.
:symtap:: Add one mana of any color of a planeswalker permanent you control.
Empower planeswalker 5
If empowered planeswalker would activate a loyalty ability that adds loyalty counters, it adds one additional loyalty counter instead.
If empowered planeswalker would activate a loyalty ability that removes loyalty counters, it removes one fewer loyalty counters instead.
Next: A creature with a static ability that only functions while in a zone (or zones) that is not the battlefield.
Agreed. Of all the fat packs I've bought in the past couple years, most of them are boring to okay (the one M13 one I bought had Nicol Bolas, a dual land, and 7 generic jank rares). One of the NPH boxes I opened was amazing (Karn, Batterskull, 2x Jin-Gitaxias, and a foil Elesh). While I really only talk about the NPH experience, because it's the most exciting, I've opened several other fat packs, and gotten little to nothing, but a random person listening might think "Wow, fat packs are way better than other product", when it's really just the same game of chance.
Unless I'm misreading Jimmy's rules, and they are different from the last clash, people will know which bracket you're in anyways, just not which entrant you are. It'll just be like:
Eventide Sojourner v. Cythare
<Card pool 1>
<Card pool 2>
That said, depending on your critiques, it might give away your design style, depending on how specific and detailed your response is, and how unique the cards you have designed for that round are, but usually it doesn't seem to matter that much. Just try not to comment on your own bracket and inadvertently give away which one is yours.
2) No, for the same reason, these cards are never in your hand. An effect would have to actually put a card back in your hand (like Praetor's Counsel) for either of these to work.
Wrong. Replacement effects use "if", while triggered abilities use "when" or "whenever". Blightsteel Colossus has an if clause that changes where the card goes, so it never touches the graveyard. Serra Avatar has a triggered ability that triggers once it hits the graveyard, so can be responded to (or lost, such as by Yixlid Jailer, in which case it remains in the graveyard indefinitely).
EDIT: Nvm, I see you edited your post. Nath'd by an edit!
Artifact Creature - Elemental
When Shriekbound Ravager enters the battlefield, destroy target nonartifact, nonblack creature.
Modular 4
Evoke 4B
0/0
Next:
Furnace of Rath
Reality Strobe
Laccolith Titan
Plains
Instant (U)
Destroy target creature with converted mana cost 4 or less. You may return a creature card with the same converted mana cost as that creature from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped.
IIW: Equipment that grants unusual abilities.
It is only WPN stores. There are a couple stores in my area, and the store owner I have the best rapport with is not a WPN store, and he said that he is unable to get any copies because he isn't one.
I would get "clearly and explicitly" from the part where the OP said:
The fact that he did the sequence of events of:
a) picking up the bloodghast
b) putting the bloodghast back in the graveyard
c) handed the stoneblade player his deck
makes it very clear that he put the bloodghast right back in the graveyard. Even if he "stuffed it back into" the graveyard, if anything, as his opponent, that would make it more clear that I should search his graveyard. While maybe not the "most sporting thing", the OP indicated that Sam's opponent did not bother to review Sam's graveyard, and Sam has no obligation whatsoever to help his opponent in this situation.
Creature - Griffin (R)
Flash, Flying
When Absolver Gryff enters the battlefield, you can't lose the game this turn and your opponents can't win the game this turn. Until end of turn, damage that would reduce your life total to less than 1 reduces it to 1 instead.
The strength of the gryff is not of its body, but of its spirit.
4/3
IIW: Maritime adventures
It doesn't matter which order the two enchantments enter the battlefield, since Dauthi Embrace does not have a static ability. Unless the Embrace was already on the battlefield and your opponent activated it earlier in the same turn that Humility entered, the creature will always gain shadow. When the activated ability of Dauthi Embrace resolves, its timestamp will be newer than that of Humility, so the Embrace will apply its effect.
Legendary Creature - Human Monk
Whenever any player casts an instant or sorcery spell, you may pay UR. If you do, choose any number of target players. Each of those players copies that spell. They may choose new targets for those copies.
Whenever a nontoken permanent enters the battlefield, you may pay GW. If you do, choose any number of target players. Each of those players puts a token that is a copy of that permanent onto the battlefield.
2/4
Next: At least 2 of:
Dominate
The Rack
Painful Quandary
Cabal Shrine
Creature - Faerie Mystic (R)
Flash, flying
When Sower of Protection enters the battlefield, gain control of target creature for as long as Sower of Protection is on the battlefield.
As long as you control a permanent that you do not own, effects that would reduce your life total below 1 reduce it to 1 instead.
1/4
Next: Choose 2 or more
Dromad Purebred
Bloodcrazed Neonate
Nether Shadow
Paladin en-Vec
Krovikan Vampire
Creature - Spirit Bat
Flying
When Hedron Hunter enters the battlefield, target player loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.
Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may return Hedron Hunter from your graveyard to the battlefield. If you do, put a +1/+1 counter on it.
If Hedron Hunter would die, if it has a +1/+1 counter on it, exile it instead.
Next: Blastoderm in Alliances
My card: For reference, since this is a mythic, I am removing the reminder text on empower (also to save card space):
Ivoline Nexus
Legendary Land (M)
Ivoline Nexus enters the battlefield tapped.
:symtap:: Add one mana of any color of a planeswalker permanent you control.
Empower planeswalker 5
If empowered planeswalker would activate a loyalty ability that adds loyalty counters, it adds one additional loyalty counter instead.
If empowered planeswalker would activate a loyalty ability that removes loyalty counters, it removes one fewer loyalty counters instead.
Next: A creature with a static ability that only functions while in a zone (or zones) that is not the battlefield.