Maybe they should have printed some energy hate cards? Its like lands except ethereal/untouchable.
Like here is what I brewed in 2 mins:
Energy Hog1R Creature - Gremlin (R)
Haste T: Remove up to three from target player. Then put a +1/+1 counter on Energy Hog for each removed this way. 1/1
So you think a parsititc mechanic should have had parasitic answers?
The problem was never the inability to remove/ punish opponents for gaining energy.
Yes its a problem. All anyone did was race to the finish line to get enough energy to power up their Aetherworks Marvel.
The problem is and always has been the scaling on the cards with Energy.
So why not print answers to the questions that energy throws?
Everyone crying about interaction is just crying.
Said the boy who cried wolf.
Why aren't they crying that only Teferi interacted with Suspend?
Teferi didn't just interact with suspend.
Or that Hellbent has no good answers?
The easy way to counteract Hellbent is through allowing your opponent to draw a card. With a non-empty hand their spell gets weakened.
Why can't they interact with my Hexproof creatures?
Which is how some might be regarding you right now.
It distracts from both actual discussion of the card spoiled
Like the acrobatic leaps of logic you are going through?
and the fact that these players have deep issues in their lives that are unresolved
Now that is just petty from you.
and instead are being vented in the guise of complaints about a card game they don't fully understand.
Neither do you. As you apparently don't even have correct reading comprehension.
But really, is sacrificing half of my creatures that bad?
Depends on the board state. Tell you what kiddo, whip me up a magical christmas land scenario to prove your not just grasping at straws.
It seems that for the same cost, I could just play Necropotence (cmc) and just win. Worst card ever.
Not even the same category of card. Man you're bad at this game. Like you didn't even pick the easiest answer, Damnation. Necropotence doesn't win you the game, it digs for the win conditions you need.
Why are people saying this mechanic is uninteractive? Yes a player gets the blessing permanently and there is likely not going to be a way to remove the blessing but here's the thing, the blessing doesn't do anything by itself. It's a worse planeswalker emblem with cards that say "If you have this, my effect gets better." It doesn't give you a static effect that stays forever like actual emblems do.
You can interact with this the same way you can other cards, through counterspells and playing around them. You can also stop your opponent from getting to 10 permanents on board because every permanent type in the game sans land is open for destruction.
What really gets me is that the first and only card that we have seen with this mechanic IS interaction. Not only is it a card that disrupts your opponent's board, it's creature removal and half a one sided board wipe at instant speed. I thought more removal was what we wanted in what is apparently a midrange slugfest? The funniest part is that if you really don't want your opponent to be able to ascend, this will hamstring their chances of getting it through creatures. Is there something I'm not getting here?
Energy requires other cards to make it work and other than Solemnity cannot be interacted with. Look at Standard now.
This card says 'until the end of the game'.
Track record so far?
CoCo, Emrakul and uncounterable delerium, and Energy.
Planeswalker emblems are usually game ending and cannot be interacted with. I'm not saying this is game ending, however once you have it that's it. Magic is supposed to be interactive.
You have to at least see how people can be leery of things that cannot be interacted with once in the game?
Lets not forget lands are permanents.
Energy is not dependent an any other condition to gain it other than having it. Energy by and large works on the premise that once a card enters the battlefield, you get X energy. Energy does no require other card to make it work in a similar fashion to this. If you cast any card with energy onto an empty board, it has both a way to use and generate energy. If you drop this on an empty board it's going to only have it's first effect unless you for some reason only ramped up to ten lands to play an ascend card. Again I haven't seen anyone actually explain how uninteractive this is. It's a qualifier that turns kn effect into another effect. This card could be "~ deals 2 damage to target creature or player. ~ deals 3 damage to target creature or player instead if you have the city's blessing." for R and it would work on the same premise and I doubt we would have people crying about uninteractive mechanics.
If this was just a card that read "Each opponent sacrifices half of all creatures they control rounded up." for the same cost would we be complaining in the same way or is it just worse for the health of the game since it does a worse version of that effect unless you have a special qualifier?
Maybe they should have printed some energy hate cards? Its like lands except ethereal/untouchable.
Like here is what I brewed in 2 mins:
Energy Hog1R Creature - Gremlin (R)
Haste T: Remove up to three from target player. Then put a +1/+1 counter on Energy Hog for each removed this way. 1/1
Energy: readily available turn 1 and on, often for zero mana. Abusers come early and often to abuse it.
Delirium: readily available turn 2, often for one or two mana. Abusers come down early, and often.
Ascend: Not happening turn one or two in any normal magic game. Even turns 3-5 are a stretch. After that, anything should be game.
The comparison really isn't that close.
Turn 1: Forest, Burgeoning, play a forest during opponent's turn
Turn 2: Forest, Kodama's Reach, play forest during opponent's turn
Turn 3: Forest, Explosive Vegetation, play forest during opponent's turn.
Turn 4: Ascend
I'm not even doing a christmas land scenario. I can replace any of those cards, aside from the standard land for each turn, with others and still get it done within four turns of just mono green shenanigans. Pretty sure every color has a means to vomit permanents onto the battlefield.
Do the people at wotc live in a box in the remote reaches of central Africa? I'm just curious at this point.
I'm just not seeing how a company can be blind to the level that we are seeing in the wake of all the thanksgiving drama. To encourage happiness with the game they need to price products fairly and recognize that the secondary market is a result of the primary market, not an extension of it.
It's almost as if they don't actually care about encouraging happiness, but are only trying to appeal to a certain demographic.
Anyway. Anyone here watching Rudy's latest videos about inside trading? Legit or is he just trolling? Kind of makes me want to stop playing Magic if true.
Hard to say with Rudy. But enjoying the game usually comes first and shouldn't deter you from a hobby you enjoy. Consider that even what he says is true, there is not much difference in the outcome as its all post release anyway.
Thats why I said spread out accross common and uncommon, more lightning helixs, putrefies and mortifies and less Jaces and voices of resurgence.
We are getting those. There are plenty of Commons and uncommons in standard at that level like Chart a Course and Abrade. Some, like Fatal Push, are even more powerful. Meanwhile, Mortify and Putrefy see zero play and are worth practically nothing. Putrefy didn't even see play in RTR-THS standard.
Lightning Helix isn't too powerful for standard, given Lightning Strike is fine, but there are issues with it other than power level. Burn spells have to be treated differently than regular removal. A deck with 40 Fatal Push is unplayable, but a deck with 40 Lightning Bolt kills on turn 4. Having multiple nearly-identical burn spells in Standard is a bad idea, and Lightning Helix forces players into white-red while Lightning Strike goes in any deck.
Im talking about in the context of the original ravnica block in particular rav-tsp.
A lot of the power and value was in uncommons and commons and just spread out in general.
There's actually a lot of smoke and mirrors going on with prices in uncommons and commons. In a lot of cases the playability of commons and uncommons was roughly the same back then as it is now.
I dunno, MTG back during RAV to TSP block was a much different beast back then. Damage on the stack, good quality LD/counter spells/creatures/ramp/removal, mana burn and cards that worked with it, etc. And that is just within the common/uncommon range. Design philosphy changed a little later after that period of time. The beast has been quiet defanged nowadays.
So I just realized something, is one faction going to get two ascend cards? As we already Black with Conquistadors. So if we assume something like Dinosaurs = Green, Pirates = Red, Merfolk = Blue. Then who would get the white card?
Thank you SecretUnfiltrator for the criticism but also suggestions on how to better make it. I've also added a new card to the original post and adjusted the title as so.
New card is:
Ridden JarB Creature - Elf Spirit (U) B, Discard a Curse Card: Return target Curse card in your graveyard to your hand. 1/1
When the "bread and butter" cards for decks are taken away from standard, that is why I have a gripe about it.
How long is eating bread and butter going to sustain fun? Not long. It's nice to have the game we love evolve over time so that we never feel like it's getting stale like constant bread and butter. The "this game used to be about spells not creatures" thing is an issue I don't really care about. I care about Magic. If I want to play only noncreature spells or only creature spells I can still do that. And so can others. I miss Rampant Growth but it's still out there in Magic. Standard is different. Good.
Bread and Butter is what make your decks function well. Its not always flashy but its whats necessary. if you actually cared about MTG like you say you do, you would understand that this an ongoing problem. You say difference is good but I don't believe you.
A solid foundation is needed to be there in order to make sets run more smoothly. The removal of the core set created more problems in Standard ever since Magic Origins rotated out. Core Sets are what kept standard mostly healthy and core sets are where many of these "boring but necessary" cards lived.
You want the junk food and lobster dinners? You got to eat the boring food as well as its good for you.
I swear the "This game used to be about spells not creatures" crowd uses every chance they get to whine. It's not like the only real way to we have in the game to interact with spells is either counter spells or redirect effects. That's pretty limited.
When Wizards say stuff like "Lightning Bolt, Counterspell and Giant Growth are too strong for standard." yeah I'm going to "whine" as you put it. Because its frankly hogwash what they say. Sure spells aren't the only way to interact, but Wizards has gone a little too far in the other direction.
Matata - This should probably say "As long as Matata is your commander, you may have any Curse cards in your deck." Black reanimating enchantments feels like a strange bleed and I think this needs white or green.
Final Curse - This is a lot of words to spend on Exquisite Blood. A more unique/impactful base effect would be nice.
Wisdom - With how few Curses there are, even in a dedicated deck this is definitely overcosted by B.
Bokor - Could/should be 1/2 given that, again, this is a card that'll only see play in a Curse theme deck.
Did some changes to the ideas. My thinking for reanimating enchantments is part lore and part color.
For the lore part: I based the legend on Kelfu. A very sinister Loa who allowed misfortunes to pass from the crossroads and into the mortal world. They are very much a mono-black character in that they are a feared individual and very much a loaner.
For the mechanical side: I put the logic as "Black tends to pay life for things. Drawing cards, reanimating creatures, killing individual creatures or killing many creatures, keeping creatures on the board. What if they could pay life for other things?"
Matata, Loa of Curses2BB Legendary Creature - Spirit (MR)
As long as Matata is your commander, you may have any Curse cards in your deck.
At the beginning of your end step, you may pay 3 life. If you do, return target Curse card in your graveyard to your hand. 4B, Discard a Curse card: Target creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn. 3/3
Matata's Final Curse5B Legendary Enchantment - Aura Curse (R)
Enchant Player
At the beginning of enchanted player's upkeep, that player loses 4 life, they then choose another player and attach Matata's Final Curse to them.
At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, you may pay 5B. If you do, return Matata's Final Curse to the battlefield attached to that player.
Matata's Harbinger1B Creature - Elf Shaman (U)
When Matata's Harbinger enters the battlefield, you may search your library for a Curse card, reveal it, then shuffle your library and put that card on top of it.
3/1
Matata's BokorB Creature - Elf Shaman (C)
Pay 1 life, T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to cast Curse spells. 1/2
NEW ADDITION:
Ridden JarB Creature - Elf Spirit (U) B, Discard a Curse Card: Return target Curse card in your graveyard to your hand. 1/1
Curse of the Lethe River4UBR Legendary Enchantment - Aura Curse (MR)
Enchant Player
The enchanted player’s maximum hand size is zero.
At the beginning of the enchanted player's end step, they put all cards they own in exile and in their graveyard on the bottom of their library in a random order.
Curse of Locusts2BG Enchantment - Aura Curse (R)
Enchant Player
At the beginning of the enchanted player's upkeep, put a devastation counter on a land they control. For as long as that land has a devastation counter on it, it can only produce C mana rather than any mana it could normally produce. When Curse of Locusts leaves the battlefield, remove all devastation counters from lands.
Curse of Shared Pain1WB Enchantment - Aura Curse (U)
Enchant Player
Whenever a source enchanted player controls deals damage to you, it deals that much damage to enchanted player.
Curse of GreedBB Enchantment - Aura Curse (C)
Enchant Player
Whenever the enchanted player draws a card, they lose 1 life.
Curse with Immortality2WBG Legendary Enchantment - Aura Curse (MR)
Enchant Player
Indestructible, Shroud
Enchanted player can't win the game.
Whenever enchanted player would lose the game, instead Curse with Immortality loses Indestructible and Shroud and enchanted player does not lose the game.
Play something more relaxing. Like this is just what I do but I tend to switch formats when it feels like I've hit a slump. Like for instance I try something like Emperor, Two-Headed Giant, Kingdoms, Archenemy, Planechase, Rainbow Stairwell or Five-Player Star.
While its a necro'd thread, I feel it can be a good way to discuss ideas of how to teach new players.
In my opinion: A 60 card deck built by a friend. A few rares and/or inexpensive mythics, mostly commons and uncommons, has a coherent theme but is not overly complicated. I'd personally avoid planeswalkers if it is still the beginning of the teaching phase as planeswalkers are a fairly complicated addition.
So why not print answers to the questions that energy throws?
Said the boy who cried wolf.
Teferi didn't just interact with suspend.
The easy way to counteract Hellbent is through allowing your opponent to draw a card. With a non-empty hand their spell gets weakened.
Glaring Spotlight and Arcane Lighthouse. Sadistic Sacrament, Jester's Cap, etc.
Which is how some might be regarding you right now.
Like the acrobatic leaps of logic you are going through?
Now that is just petty from you.
Neither do you. As you apparently don't even have correct reading comprehension.
Depends on the board state. Tell you what kiddo, whip me up a magical christmas land scenario to prove your not just grasping at straws.
Not even the same category of card. Man you're bad at this game. Like you didn't even pick the easiest answer, Damnation. Necropotence doesn't win you the game, it digs for the win conditions you need.
Like here is what I brewed in 2 mins:
Creature - Gremlin (R)
Haste
T: Remove up to three from target player. Then put a +1/+1 counter on Energy Hog for each removed this way.
1/1
Turn 2: Forest, Kodama's Reach, play forest during opponent's turn
Turn 3: Forest, Explosive Vegetation, play forest during opponent's turn.
Turn 4: Ascend
I'm not even doing a christmas land scenario. I can replace any of those cards, aside from the standard land for each turn, with others and still get it done within four turns of just mono green shenanigans. Pretty sure every color has a means to vomit permanents onto the battlefield.
New card is:
Creature - Elf Spirit (U)
B, Discard a Curse Card: Return target Curse card in your graveyard to your hand.
1/1
A solid foundation is needed to be there in order to make sets run more smoothly. The removal of the core set created more problems in Standard ever since Magic Origins rotated out. Core Sets are what kept standard mostly healthy and core sets are where many of these "boring but necessary" cards lived.
You want the junk food and lobster dinners? You got to eat the boring food as well as its good for you.
Oh but there is also some classic creatures like Llanowar Elves / Elvish Mystic / Birds of Paradise which are now suddenly too powerful and the same goes for Rampant Growth. As there is no two mana ramp spell in standard. The cheapest you can get is 2G with things like Beneath the Sands.
When the "bread and butter" cards for decks are taken away from standard, that is why I have a gripe about it.
For the lore part: I based the legend on Kelfu. A very sinister Loa who allowed misfortunes to pass from the crossroads and into the mortal world. They are very much a mono-black character in that they are a feared individual and very much a loaner.
For the mechanical side: I put the logic as "Black tends to pay life for things. Drawing cards, reanimating creatures, killing individual creatures or killing many creatures, keeping creatures on the board. What if they could pay life for other things?"
Legendary Creature - Spirit (MR)
As long as Matata is your commander, you may have any Curse cards in your deck.
At the beginning of your end step, you may pay 3 life. If you do, return target Curse card in your graveyard to your hand.
4B, Discard a Curse card: Target creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn.
3/3
Legendary Enchantment - Aura Curse (R)
Enchant Player
At the beginning of enchanted player's upkeep, that player loses 4 life, they then choose another player and attach Matata's Final Curse to them.
At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, you may pay 5B. If you do, return Matata's Final Curse to the battlefield attached to that player.
Creature - Elf Shaman (U)
When Matata's Harbinger enters the battlefield, you may search your library for a Curse card, reveal it, then shuffle your library and put that card on top of it.
3/1
Creature - Elf Shaman (C)
Pay 1 life, T: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to cast Curse spells.
1/2
NEW ADDITION:
Creature - Elf Spirit (U)
B, Discard a Curse Card: Return target Curse card in your graveyard to your hand.
1/1
Legendary Enchantment - Aura Curse (MR)
Enchant Player
The enchanted player’s maximum hand size is zero.
At the beginning of the enchanted player's end step, they put all cards they own in exile and in their graveyard on the bottom of their library in a random order.
Enchantment - Aura Curse (R)
Enchant Player
At the beginning of the enchanted player's upkeep, put a devastation counter on a land they control. For as long as that land has a devastation counter on it, it can only produce C mana rather than any mana it could normally produce. When Curse of Locusts leaves the battlefield, remove all devastation counters from lands.
Enchantment - Aura Curse (U)
Enchant Player
Whenever a source enchanted player controls deals damage to you, it deals that much damage to enchanted player.
Enchantment - Aura Curse (C)
Enchant Player
Whenever the enchanted player draws a card, they lose 1 life.
Legendary Enchantment - Aura Curse (MR)
Enchant Player
Indestructible, Shroud
Enchanted player can't win the game.
Whenever enchanted player would lose the game, instead Curse with Immortality loses Indestructible and Shroud and enchanted player does not lose the game.
In my opinion: A 60 card deck built by a friend. A few rares and/or inexpensive mythics, mostly commons and uncommons, has a coherent theme but is not overly complicated. I'd personally avoid planeswalkers if it is still the beginning of the teaching phase as planeswalkers are a fairly complicated addition.