Except for the part where we're fairly certain these behave like spellshapers. Meaning it'd only give you an elf for every card you're willing to discard. Not exactly game-breaking.
so, just to reiterate.
attacking with the spider is not only the best move, it is the only move that gives you a chance of winning against a player with more than 2 brain cells.
as said by HKKID, the Chrono is expendable to your opponent and should be used to block the sliver or even the spider. the only reason he might not block the spider is to avoid giving you a blocker for the Corpse.
remember, bluffing should only be used when none of your options have a significantly greater chance of winning the game. in this case, attacking with the spider has a much higher chance of winning the game for you. it's the one problem i had with this interesting article.
(read my post again, Grozzler: the fact that the opponent might not attack with both the Trespasser and the Corpse is exactly why i want to attack with the spider, it gives me a turn or two to draw an answer, most significantly the one land needed to flip the Hermit.)
i think many of you are missing the point. if they were to introduce a 6th color, they still would NOT add a "basic land" type nor would they change the cardbacks and the color wheel relationships that that little pentagram of 5 colored balls illustrates.
if they introduced Purple it would be a theme limited to a single Block. it would be some sort of alternate dimension, or sub-dimension, a plane that exists underneath or sideways to all other Magic planes. yes, they would create lands that tapped for Purple Mana, but none of these would be basic. and none of these would be real world locations. they'd be, like, Dimension Rifts, and Time Holes, and Aether Vacuums and such. and, yes, a deck could have only 4 of each. maybe they'd all be indentical, except for the name, but they still would not be basic. (or maybe they'd be fashioned similar to Urza lands, where having one of several different ones produces a larger effect. "At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have Dimension Rift, Time Hole and Aether Vacuum in play, draw a card." (throw a fourth and fifth type in there and you could have different triggered abilities for different combinations of the Purple lands.)) or how about a Purple land like the new Tomb of Yawgmoth which would allow all lands in play to produce Purple Mana. (and of course there'd have to be "Multiphase Elf" a green dude who taps for Purple:) )
as for what Purple would do, i think the template already exists... yes, "snow" but moreover "Spirit/Arcane." wasn't that a sort of a look what a sixth color would do in Magic. Purple's biggest impact would just be being Purple! Purple spells would be limited by their Purple-ness, as were spirit/arcane spells (see, Hisoka's Defiance and Rend Spirit) but would probably also have some trick like Splice to enhance them in the right situation. and the other colors would be given tools to hose Purple.
if you attack with just the Spider you have a tremendously better chance of pulling this game out. here's why...
scenario 1) if he doesn't block the spider...
you do your two damage. on his turn, he'll 95% attack with both Corps and Trespasser. if he does this you win the game. because if he also attacks with Chrono, you block and win the game on your turn (3 unblocked creatures (3+2+2)+Strength in numbers for 3=10 more damage). if he leaves Chrono up, you have the sliver to attack with, so even if he blocks Stoker with Chrono, you still get 10 thru for the win.
scenario2 ) if he blocks the spider...
the important thing to remember is that you'll have an untapped Black spider with which to block the fearful Corpse. which means... that on his turn, he'll have the option to attack with either just Trespasser, or both Trespasser and Chrono. just Trespasser means he discarded his draw and does 3 damage, putting you at 5... but you now have a couple more draws to change things around, while if he wants to continue to push damage thru, he's discarding his draw. BUT if he attacks with both Trespasser and Chrono, you have to block Chrono with the Sliver (i wouldn't double block Chrono with Sliver and Stoker as this puts you down a card, made worse by Chrono's recursion and does nothing about Trespasser's 3 damage a turn) so you'll still only take 3 and have 3 creatures on your turn, with a chance to draw that 5th land to flip the Hermit. if you can do this, your almost sure to win on the turn following, since he'll still only be able to get 3 thru (if he discards) to put you at 2. and you'll have a slew of creature and Strength in numbers for the kill.
your opponent attacking with both Trespasser and Chrono is definitely worse for you but, either way, you have two turns/draws to turn it around with that Hermit just needing a land to flip all those gorgeous 2/2s into play.
for all you folks that are "thinking" they'd reprint off the reserved list... KEEP DREAMING! they will never do this, for one reason: it's the RESERVED list. if they want to reprint something on it, they'll take it off, duh!
so, let's get real... i think that the folks who have pointed out that Maro's rather odd phrasing seems to suggest that the design rule (not game rule!) they are going to break means that they are going to NOT do something they always do, are right. "You think we can NEVER NOT do something" has a double negative, so it could also read "You think we ALWAYS HAVE to do something." which means, they plan on NOT doing something you'd think they'd HAVE to do. like...
print creatures...
print cards in all five colors... (what if the set was all green and white?)
make rares... (what if the set was all the same rarity?)
publish the set both on paper and online... (what if the set was online only?)
print rules text on the cards... (what if all the cards were textless?)
personally, i think the creatureless set is the most likely, since it generates the most intrigue and intrigue sells cards.
didn't Maro also mention Magic having certain "staples." maybe they're just hinting that Peanut will be without any artwork by Greg... need i finish my lame joke?:xd:
ok, i was wrong about the Ninjutsu thing. I'm not perfect. almost, but not quite
i'm going to also retract my earlier prediction of "changing the cardbacks" being a possibility. while i think it's a cool design space that is definitely held sacred, i overlooked how this would affect tournie duels, where players use sleeves so damaged card backs can't be considered an attempt to cheat. but i must clarify two things: 1) my idea of alternate card backs is not tied to a sixth color and 2) it would not require sleeves for tournament. in fact, just the opposite. i'm not thinking of changed backs like in Champ editions; i'm thinking a changed back for specific cards, that somehow announce their threat, like a lighning bolt that says "i am a friggin lightning bolt" on its back. so the spell could be cheaper because your opponent has some forewarning. but again, i now think this couldn't happen.
as far as a sixth color, meh. they could do it, and it wouldn't kill magic. all they'd have to do with Purple is give it casting costs that don't use mana. "purple mana can be played using Purple mana {which could only be available from non-basic lands} or by removing a Purple card from your hand or graveyard from the game for each Purple mana." how's this spell: "2PP, Purple Rain, Sorcery, Destroy all non-Purple creatures. Put all Purple creatures in all graveyards into play." silly, i know. but based simply on the fact that they couldn't add another basic land type without completely screwing up a lot of cards, i say they will never do this. this is more than sacred.
i also think the idea of getting rid of the upkeep is completely ridiculous, and i'm guessing whoever started this rumour is trying to be funny. sacred, yes, but again, more than sacred. ESSENTIAL. why don't you just suggest "lands do not have to tap to produce mana"?
i'm gonna stick with lands that have casting costs (up in their right hand corner, people, giving them a color, yes, but not using the stack.)
this version is too close to Morphling to NOT be Timeshifted, and i thought we already had confirmation that Torchie is not timeshifted. which means the abilities have to differ a bit more than "flying is now trample." Timbermare and Akroma are good examples, the first with an echo cost and the second with a morph cost, completely changing their nature.
and this really shoud have first strike. without it, its either a one hit wonder or a tough to get around blocker. cool, but not really versatile as was the charm of the original.
how's this for a simple concept that's never ever been done before that challenges a precept that all Magic players thought "sacred"?...
...lands that cost mana to play. and get this, they still won't use the stack!
... or how about a creature that lets you put it into your opening hand at the start of the game? kind of Panglacial Wurm taken one more step...
i also think that alternate card backs is more viable than people seem to think. they would mesh ok with past Magic because 1) by their very nature they would be announcing information about their front (at the least what set they're from, but what if... they also announced the card type?) so they'd play no different in a Legacy deck and 2) card backs have never been commmented on by any rules text, except to say that they must be uniform for tournie purposes, and this could be easily be amended to include a new set of "official" card backs. adding alternate card backs would add a layer of complexity without "breaking" the game. i personally would like to see it.
the other interesting possibility is the "same name" concept. you wouldn't have to "remove" older cards with the same name, just add new cards with different abilities: you could still only play four copies with the "same name" so you could mix and match. "Game of Thrones" has been doing this for years with no problems. i don't see why not.
Llanowar Elf-maker + Intruder Alarm + Lightning Greaves = infinite elves and infinite mana
ok, so...
(discard to)Llanowar Elf-maker + Intruder Alarm + Lightning Greaves + Archivist + Junktroller = infinite elves and infinite mana
how broken is that!;)
i think this is absolutely brilliant and possibly possible.:)
attacking with the spider is not only the best move, it is the only move that gives you a chance of winning against a player with more than 2 brain cells.
as said by HKKID, the Chrono is expendable to your opponent and should be used to block the sliver or even the spider. the only reason he might not block the spider is to avoid giving you a blocker for the Corpse.
remember, bluffing should only be used when none of your options have a significantly greater chance of winning the game. in this case, attacking with the spider has a much higher chance of winning the game for you. it's the one problem i had with this interesting article.
(read my post again, Grozzler: the fact that the opponent might not attack with both the Trespasser and the Corpse is exactly why i want to attack with the spider, it gives me a turn or two to draw an answer, most significantly the one land needed to flip the Hermit.)
if they introduced Purple it would be a theme limited to a single Block. it would be some sort of alternate dimension, or sub-dimension, a plane that exists underneath or sideways to all other Magic planes. yes, they would create lands that tapped for Purple Mana, but none of these would be basic. and none of these would be real world locations. they'd be, like, Dimension Rifts, and Time Holes, and Aether Vacuums and such. and, yes, a deck could have only 4 of each. maybe they'd all be indentical, except for the name, but they still would not be basic. (or maybe they'd be fashioned similar to Urza lands, where having one of several different ones produces a larger effect. "At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have Dimension Rift, Time Hole and Aether Vacuum in play, draw a card." (throw a fourth and fifth type in there and you could have different triggered abilities for different combinations of the Purple lands.)) or how about a Purple land like the new Tomb of Yawgmoth which would allow all lands in play to produce Purple Mana. (and of course there'd have to be "Multiphase Elf" a green dude who taps for Purple:) )
as for what Purple would do, i think the template already exists... yes, "snow" but moreover "Spirit/Arcane." wasn't that a sort of a look what a sixth color would do in Magic. Purple's biggest impact would just be being Purple! Purple spells would be limited by their Purple-ness, as were spirit/arcane spells (see, Hisoka's Defiance and Rend Spirit) but would probably also have some trick like Splice to enhance them in the right situation. and the other colors would be given tools to hose Purple.
scenario 1) if he doesn't block the spider...
you do your two damage. on his turn, he'll 95% attack with both Corps and Trespasser. if he does this you win the game. because if he also attacks with Chrono, you block and win the game on your turn (3 unblocked creatures (3+2+2)+Strength in numbers for 3=10 more damage). if he leaves Chrono up, you have the sliver to attack with, so even if he blocks Stoker with Chrono, you still get 10 thru for the win.
scenario2 ) if he blocks the spider...
the important thing to remember is that you'll have an untapped Black spider with which to block the fearful Corpse. which means... that on his turn, he'll have the option to attack with either just Trespasser, or both Trespasser and Chrono. just Trespasser means he discarded his draw and does 3 damage, putting you at 5... but you now have a couple more draws to change things around, while if he wants to continue to push damage thru, he's discarding his draw. BUT if he attacks with both Trespasser and Chrono, you have to block Chrono with the Sliver (i wouldn't double block Chrono with Sliver and Stoker as this puts you down a card, made worse by Chrono's recursion and does nothing about Trespasser's 3 damage a turn) so you'll still only take 3 and have 3 creatures on your turn, with a chance to draw that 5th land to flip the Hermit. if you can do this, your almost sure to win on the turn following, since he'll still only be able to get 3 thru (if he discards) to put you at 2. and you'll have a slew of creature and Strength in numbers for the kill.
your opponent attacking with both Trespasser and Chrono is definitely worse for you but, either way, you have two turns/draws to turn it around with that Hermit just needing a land to flip all those gorgeous 2/2s into play.
Purple Rain
:2mana::embarrass::embarrass:
Sorcery
"Destroy all non-Purple creatures.
Put all Purple creatures in all graveyards into play."
you didn't hear it from me...
so, let's get real... i think that the folks who have pointed out that Maro's rather odd phrasing seems to suggest that the design rule (not game rule!) they are going to break means that they are going to NOT do something they always do, are right. "You think we can NEVER NOT do something" has a double negative, so it could also read "You think we ALWAYS HAVE to do something." which means, they plan on NOT doing something you'd think they'd HAVE to do. like...
print creatures...
print cards in all five colors... (what if the set was all green and white?)
make rares... (what if the set was all the same rarity?)
publish the set both on paper and online... (what if the set was online only?)
print rules text on the cards... (what if all the cards were textless?)
personally, i think the creatureless set is the most likely, since it generates the most intrigue and intrigue sells cards.
didn't Maro also mention Magic having certain "staples." maybe they're just hinting that Peanut will be without any artwork by Greg... need i finish my lame joke?:xd:
i'm going to also retract my earlier prediction of "changing the cardbacks" being a possibility. while i think it's a cool design space that is definitely held sacred, i overlooked how this would affect tournie duels, where players use sleeves so damaged card backs can't be considered an attempt to cheat. but i must clarify two things: 1) my idea of alternate card backs is not tied to a sixth color and 2) it would not require sleeves for tournament. in fact, just the opposite. i'm not thinking of changed backs like in Champ editions; i'm thinking a changed back for specific cards, that somehow announce their threat, like a lighning bolt that says "i am a friggin lightning bolt" on its back. so the spell could be cheaper because your opponent has some forewarning. but again, i now think this couldn't happen.
as far as a sixth color, meh. they could do it, and it wouldn't kill magic. all they'd have to do with Purple is give it casting costs that don't use mana. "purple mana can be played using Purple mana {which could only be available from non-basic lands} or by removing a Purple card from your hand or graveyard from the game for each Purple mana." how's this spell: "2PP, Purple Rain, Sorcery, Destroy all non-Purple creatures. Put all Purple creatures in all graveyards into play." silly, i know. but based simply on the fact that they couldn't add another basic land type without completely screwing up a lot of cards, i say they will never do this. this is more than sacred.
i also think the idea of getting rid of the upkeep is completely ridiculous, and i'm guessing whoever started this rumour is trying to be funny. sacred, yes, but again, more than sacred. ESSENTIAL. why don't you just suggest "lands do not have to tap to produce mana"?
i'm gonna stick with lands that have casting costs (up in their right hand corner, people, giving them a color, yes, but not using the stack.)
and this really shoud have first strike. without it, its either a one hit wonder or a tough to get around blocker. cool, but not really versatile as was the charm of the original.
...lands that cost mana to play. and get this, they still won't use the stack!
... or how about a creature that lets you put it into your opening hand at the start of the game? kind of Panglacial Wurm taken one more step...
i also think that alternate card backs is more viable than people seem to think. they would mesh ok with past Magic because 1) by their very nature they would be announcing information about their front (at the least what set they're from, but what if... they also announced the card type?) so they'd play no different in a Legacy deck and 2) card backs have never been commmented on by any rules text, except to say that they must be uniform for tournie purposes, and this could be easily be amended to include a new set of "official" card backs. adding alternate card backs would add a layer of complexity without "breaking" the game. i personally would like to see it.
the other interesting possibility is the "same name" concept. you wouldn't have to "remove" older cards with the same name, just add new cards with different abilities: you could still only play four copies with the "same name" so you could mix and match. "Game of Thrones" has been doing this for years with no problems. i don't see why not.