What's up with the Power Creep in 11th? This will be the most powerful core set I've ever played with.
Savannah Lions at uncommon?
Night's Whisper at common?
Lightning Bolt? At common!
Baneslayer Angel? (5cc for a 5/5 flyer with multiple abilities?)
Captain of the Watch? (Basically neo-Deranged Hermit)
Haunted Echoes?
Darksteel Colossus?
Honor the Pure = Crusade for only 1W?
Bogardan Hellkite?
That's some sick power. I'm afraid that if 11th is so good, WotC will feel like they have to make 12th even better. Or else 12th will pale in comparison and no one will buy it.
Wargate for any land
Wargate for Lotus Blossom
Lorescale Coatl + draw
Mayael's Aria + Might of Oaks
Mayael's Aria + Mirror Entity
Mycoid Shepherd + Heat Shimmer
Mycoid Shepherd + Kiki Jiki, Mirror Breaker
Lord of Extinction + Rite of Consumption
Rafiq of the Many + Finest Hour
Enigma Sphinx + Sphinx Summoner (or other Comes into Play creatures)
Madrush Cyclops + Creakwood Liege
Madrush Cylcops + Broodmate Dragon
Kathari Bombers + Turn to Mist (you can stack it so it doesn't die)
Sharding Sphinx + Time Sieve
Glory of Warfare + vigilance creatures
Fight to the Death + a multiplayer game
Master Transmuter + Sen Triplets
Makeshift Mannequin + Thraxamundar
Nulltread Gargantuan + a token
Nulltread Gargantuan + Mulldrifter
Sovereigns of Lost Alara + Uril, the Miststalker (Shimmering Wings is good)
Aven Mimeomancer + Pyroclasm
Karthus, Tyrant of Jund + Shields of Velis Vel
Sigl Captain + Necrogenesis
Crystallization + Aura Graft (with something that targets, you can stack it so the creature is removed from the trigger, and it's on someone else)
Not sure if anyone else pointed this out, but SCG has listed the Invitational card as well:
Ranger of Eos
3W
Creature - (Has to be rare)
Rare
When Ranger of Eos comes into play, you may search your library for up to two creature cards with converted mana cost 1 or less. If you do, reveal those cards and put them into your hand. Shuffle your library afterwards.
3/2
Usually black and blue hose green, but here are 2 instances where green is what - looked out for? Death Rattle was future-shifted, and Soul-Reap's art and flavor text don't reference anything about the G/B hybrid. (Thanks to fnord for posting the unsorted visual spoiler.)
Anyways, I think something's up. Perhaps WotC is foreshadowing something, perhaps soon.
having tips & tricks on the backs of tokens is a bad idea... when you're using tokens in a tournament (especially those at RELs above FNM), having tips cards on the backs may as well be outside assistance. i'm just flipping through my token stack...
excellent idea in principle... horrible idea in practice.
That's a good point cyanide. I didn't think of that. Perhaps they should stop the tips and tricks altogether and just print tokens and adds?
@ The_Puppet_Master
I also keep my tips and tricks cards (probably 200 total, and plenty of Eventide backs) but it's only as trade fodder so I can trade for foil basic lands. (Which I collect) I'm almost at 1,000!
Silver is better than Black, Gold is better than silver. Very intuitive to understand. And purple (the color of nobility) could logically be understood to be better than gold. But orange? Too close to gold like how the grey Mirrodin artifacts were looked too much like white. Red or Purple would be best in my opinion.
b.) It seems like purposefully making some chase rares even "chasier." Before, finding a great rare came from busting it in a pack, or buying it in a secondhand market - dealer, internet, other players, etc
Only market forces were at work - supply and demand. If demand went up, then so did price. For standard decks at Hollywood or upcoming Regionals, everyone will run Mutavaults, Bitterblossoms, Tarmogoyfs, and Garruk Wildspeakers. As such, their value has increased. (Skyrocketed more like it... I don't remember great rares being this expensive ever before. Even shocklands topped out at like 10-15 after the set was released for a while.)
But let's assume from that list that only the Planewalker will be a super rare instead of a normal rare... I'm concerned that in future sets, something like that will be really hard to find. It seems to me that WotC is using this oppurtinity to artificially reduce the supply of some rares, and therefore increase price on the second hand market.
Not that that would be a bad thing for the second-market and for the retailers, but as a player, it irks me that a playset of XYZ might end up costing a lot more. (Time will tell of course.)
c.) The idea of doing something just because everyone else is doing it, is silly. Forget "industry standard." I don't think young players are saying... "I'm not going to play Magic since it only has 3 levels of rarity vs 4 levels compared to Yugioh, etc" That's a cop-out. It's because they don't like the game, they don't understand the game, or they would just rather play Yugioh, Warlord, WoW, etc with their time. If WotC wants to add difficulty to drafting or to set collecting, or too increase value of cards so that the second hand market will do better, have the stones to say so.
And as an experienced player, I DON'T want to feel like I'm playing a kids' game, with the rares and super-rares. And call it "foil" versus "premium" for crying out loud!
This having been said, as long as the cards are still good, I'll continue to play. I was really upset when the face-template changed with 8E. But the look of the cards didn't impact how they played. Given time (if WotC doesn't reconsider) I'm sure I'll be fine as long as the great card and game-mechanic consistency remains. And most everyone on the WotC and mtgsalvation message boards will too.
2.) I don't like that the Fat Pack is losing the book. I liked the book. I doubt I'll read the Planeswalker books.
Now the good:
1.) Great idea to change theme decks to intro packs. "Expert" players rarely buy them, but it'll be great for new players. The concept of openning packs to improve your decks is a stellar idea. And foil rare vs foil land is also good. I think this will really be an excellent change to bring in new kids who will sample, and maybe become players.
2.) I appreciate the cutting back on the cards. This will be the biggest standard environment I've ever played in.
Will Murmuring Bosk be able to tap for Green? Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth simply says lands are Swamps (and Swamps tap for black mana). It doesn't say so explicitly, but was assuming it can.
-OCDOD
Murmuring Bosk Land - Forest (Rare)
As Murmuring Bosk comes into play, you may reveal a Treefolk card from your hand. If you don't, Murmuring Bosk comes into play tapped.
{T}: Add {W} or {B} to your mana pool. Murmuring Bosk deals 1 damage to you.
And I hate Slivers.
Savannah Lions at uncommon?
Night's Whisper at common?
Lightning Bolt? At common!
Baneslayer Angel? (5cc for a 5/5 flyer with multiple abilities?)
Captain of the Watch? (Basically neo-Deranged Hermit)
Haunted Echoes?
Darksteel Colossus?
Honor the Pure = Crusade for only 1W?
Bogardan Hellkite?
That's some sick power. I'm afraid that if 11th is so good, WotC will feel like they have to make 12th even better. Or else 12th will pale in comparison and no one will buy it.
Wargate for Lotus Blossom
Lorescale Coatl + draw
Mayael's Aria + Might of Oaks
Mayael's Aria + Mirror Entity
Mycoid Shepherd + Heat Shimmer
Mycoid Shepherd + Kiki Jiki, Mirror Breaker
Lord of Extinction + Rite of Consumption
Rafiq of the Many + Finest Hour
Enigma Sphinx + Sphinx Summoner (or other Comes into Play creatures)
Madrush Cyclops + Creakwood Liege
Madrush Cylcops + Broodmate Dragon
Kathari Bombers + Turn to Mist (you can stack it so it doesn't die)
Sharding Sphinx + Time Sieve
Glory of Warfare + vigilance creatures
Fight to the Death + a multiplayer game
Master Transmuter + Sen Triplets
Makeshift Mannequin + Thraxamundar
Nulltread Gargantuan + a token
Nulltread Gargantuan + Mulldrifter
Sovereigns of Lost Alara + Uril, the Miststalker (Shimmering Wings is good)
Aven Mimeomancer + Pyroclasm
Karthus, Tyrant of Jund + Shields of Velis Vel
Sigl Captain + Necrogenesis
Crystallization + Aura Graft (with something that targets, you can stack it so the creature is removed from the trigger, and it's on someone else)
Just use logic:
Likelihood of Jund art on a Band card?
Likelihood it's an aven?
Occam’s razor, and there you go.
-OCDOD
Only use I could see for it would be with Seismic Assault or with Platinum Angel in T2.
Or if there is some Fruity Pebbles (Ornithopther, etc) action we're not aware of in the last few unspoiled cards.
Ranger of Eos
3W
Creature - (Has to be rare)
Rare
When Ranger of Eos comes into play, you may search your library for up to two creature cards with converted mana cost 1 or less. If you do, reveal those cards and put them into your hand. Shuffle your library afterwards.
3/2
http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/16434.html
-OCDOD
Is Alara going to be another "unbalanced" color set, like Torment? (Which was heavy black)
I was thinking it might be heavy green, because there has been an inordinate amount of green-friendly black cards.
Death Rattle
and now
Soul Reap
Usually black and blue hose green, but here are 2 instances where green is what - looked out for? Death Rattle was future-shifted, and Soul-Reap's art and flavor text don't reference anything about the G/B hybrid. (Thanks to fnord for posting the unsorted visual spoiler.)
Anyways, I think something's up. Perhaps WotC is foreshadowing something, perhaps soon.
-OCDOD
That's a good point cyanide. I didn't think of that. Perhaps they should stop the tips and tricks altogether and just print tokens and adds?
@ The_Puppet_Master
I also keep my tips and tricks cards (probably 200 total, and plenty of Eventide backs) but it's only as trade fodder so I can trade for foil basic lands. (Which I collect) I'm almost at 1,000!
-OCDOD
Would prevent players from (almost) automatically chucking the worthless tips n tricks card.
-OCDOD
a.) Orange is a terrible color for super rare.
Silver is better than Black, Gold is better than silver. Very intuitive to understand. And purple (the color of nobility) could logically be understood to be better than gold. But orange? Too close to gold like how the grey Mirrodin artifacts were looked too much like white. Red or Purple would be best in my opinion.
b.) It seems like purposefully making some chase rares even "chasier." Before, finding a great rare came from busting it in a pack, or buying it in a secondhand market - dealer, internet, other players, etc
Only market forces were at work - supply and demand. If demand went up, then so did price. For standard decks at Hollywood or upcoming Regionals, everyone will run Mutavaults, Bitterblossoms, Tarmogoyfs, and Garruk Wildspeakers. As such, their value has increased. (Skyrocketed more like it... I don't remember great rares being this expensive ever before. Even shocklands topped out at like 10-15 after the set was released for a while.)
But let's assume from that list that only the Planewalker will be a super rare instead of a normal rare... I'm concerned that in future sets, something like that will be really hard to find. It seems to me that WotC is using this oppurtinity to artificially reduce the supply of some rares, and therefore increase price on the second hand market.
Not that that would be a bad thing for the second-market and for the retailers, but as a player, it irks me that a playset of XYZ might end up costing a lot more. (Time will tell of course.)
c.) The idea of doing something just because everyone else is doing it, is silly. Forget "industry standard." I don't think young players are saying... "I'm not going to play Magic since it only has 3 levels of rarity vs 4 levels compared to Yugioh, etc" That's a cop-out. It's because they don't like the game, they don't understand the game, or they would just rather play Yugioh, Warlord, WoW, etc with their time. If WotC wants to add difficulty to drafting or to set collecting, or too increase value of cards so that the second hand market will do better, have the stones to say so.
And as an experienced player, I DON'T want to feel like I'm playing a kids' game, with the rares and super-rares. And call it "foil" versus "premium" for crying out loud!
This having been said, as long as the cards are still good, I'll continue to play. I was really upset when the face-template changed with 8E. But the look of the cards didn't impact how they played. Given time (if WotC doesn't reconsider) I'm sure I'll be fine as long as the great card and game-mechanic consistency remains. And most everyone on the WotC and mtgsalvation message boards will too.
2.) I don't like that the Fat Pack is losing the book. I liked the book. I doubt I'll read the Planeswalker books.
Now the good:
1.) Great idea to change theme decks to intro packs. "Expert" players rarely buy them, but it'll be great for new players. The concept of openning packs to improve your decks is a stellar idea. And foil rare vs foil land is also good. I think this will really be an excellent change to bring in new kids who will sample, and maybe become players.
2.) I appreciate the cutting back on the cards. This will be the biggest standard environment I've ever played in.
10th
Timespiral
Timespiral Purples
Planar Chaos
Future Sight
Cold Snap
Lorwyn
Morningtide
Shadowmoor
Eventide
That's ridiculously huge. About time the pendulum started back the other way.
3.) Adding a land to the packs is probably good for newer players. Shame to lose an 11th common, but I don't mind.
-OCDOD
Artifacts
Thousand-Year Elixir
Thornbite Staff
Springleaf Drum
Tappers
Icy Manipulator
Goldmeadow Harrier
Squall Drifter
Errant Doomsayers
Puppeteer
Stonybrook Angler
Rimewind Taskmage
Rathi Trapper
Slivers
Quilled Sliver
Poultice Sliver
Screeching Sliver
Telekinetic Sliver
Psionic Sliver
Dementia Sliver
Other
Second Wind
Mothdust Changeling
Drowner of Secrets
Arcane Teachings
Looking forward to more Q cards.
-OCDOD
-OCDOD
Murmuring Bosk
Land - Forest (Rare)
As Murmuring Bosk comes into play, you may reveal a Treefolk card from your hand. If you don't, Murmuring Bosk comes into play tapped.
{T}: Add {W} or {B} to your mana pool. Murmuring Bosk deals 1 damage to you.