I really like Raging Goblin. I know it's not a good card, or even halfway decent at that, but it's always the first example of a "red" creature I think of when teaching new people the how to play.
I even had it in my Pauper Goblins deck for a while before I managed to track down better cards.
before people start voting for lich, husk and horseman.....
none of them are zombies.
a lich is supposedly a powerful, immortal wizard, who has cheated death and become twisted from the millennia of arcane power and ravages of time.
the husk is a kind of insect ...?!
the headless horseman is a folkloric phantom/ghost character... compelled to act beyond death due to a tragic circumstance (i guess losing his head, lol).
none of them are zombies by any stretch.
They all have the zombie creature type though, so I assume that's why people voted for them.
I'm going to jump to their defence and say that as Headless Horseman (the card) was based on the Legend of Sleepy Hollow and not a literal representation of it, it makes perfect sense for it to be a zombie. It's just an undead horseman without a head, not the Headless Horseman.
Also, "Husk" essentially means an outer shell, so Nantuko Husk's name is quite fitting for a zombified insect imo, although I suppose one could argue that it's technically a skeleton and not a zombie.
As for liches, I think the Magic interpretation is that they're simply undead humans with a catch (i.e. a phylactery). They may have bent the "zombie rules" a bit for liches, but if you want to be a purist then none of the zombies in Magic really qualify, since "real" zombies originate from Haitian voodoo practices that don't actually involve bringing people back from the dead but merely drugging them.
White, black and red seem to be the best colors, though green has some pretty powerful individual cards. Blue is weak, with random good stuff like Mind Control.
Also, did no one else notice that the OP listed Taste of Blood as a playable black common?
I agree with the first part, but I personally feel that green is the weakest colour. I've had better success with UW beatdown than anything G/x.
I was just going to say I'll agree to disagree, but this is fundamentally wrong. You have it completely backwards sir, and once you iron that out you will surely be a more successful player.
Any player worth their salt would rather have a comfortable amount of land in their opening hand than spells they might be able to cast. That isn't about disadvantages: It's about right and wrong.
Except in this case it's a matter of context. I would definitely be content with a 1-lander if everything else in my hand cost 1-2 (which would likely be the case with TRAMD's list), whereas having 3 lands in your opening hand with TRAMD's list isn't ideal.
Heck yea it works! It's a 1 drop that can "swing" in for 1 everyturn without having to worry about blockers. Spellskite shuts it down which is probably why hes only running 2, but other than that its one of my favorite Red cards out of M12. (in a R/B bloodthirst midrange I could see this guy working great)
Spellskite can't redirect it. Fireslinger can only target players.
I keep forgetting about that guy. but yeah, you get the point. something utility.
Arc Trail should not be underestimated in this metagame....
If you are running 4-drops, 23 is the least amount of land I would run...
I ran 22 lands in my pre-banning RDW build with Koth, and it was fine. I was actually thinking of running some number of Arc Trail main, since elves seem to be making some kind of comeback at my LGS (no idea why…). Arc Trail looks like it'd help against Timely Reinforcement tokens too. Maybe a 2/2 split between Arc Trail and Hero?
4 Hero might be too many. I don't see how it protects you from sweepers. It dies to Pyroclasm, just like the rest of the deck. I like the list though. Goblin Grenade is ridick.
I would make Hero a 2-of and add 2 utility cards, like Goblin Arsonist (I think Veritoanimus has convinced me of this guy's worth. Esp. in Goblins) or Arc Trail. 2-for-1s are underrated.
Yeah, Hero doesn't really seem like the card you want to draw too many of, since one should be enough to seal the deal. 24 lands feels a bit high too, I've been content with 20 lands (although I don't run any 4-drops).
On Arsonist: Max Staudacher actually ran 2 Goblin Fireslinger, which I thought was kinda strange. But hey, he made top 2 at the SCG Opens, so maybe it works?
Honestly, sorin has always seemed like w/b walker to me as well. He's very self centered and does what he want, but all within his own code of conduct. I mean he seems to hold himself to standards that only he knows about. He came back to zendikar to try to help with the whole eldrazi mess and he was involved the first time, so he's not exactly above helping out others, but I'm going to guess he also saved himself or something he wanted in the process. That and the abilities on his current card kinda point towards the old Orzhov drain your opponent and gain life based on it thing... that kinda points towards w/b to me, but that could just be me.
Yeah, he definitely gives off the "Orzhov mafioso" vibe. Sure, he'll help you, but what's in it for him (insert bad Marlon Brando impersonation)? Also, he allegedly has an unspecified number of debts and engagements to adhere to. While the whole "pact with the devil" thing is in black's colour pie (Sign in Blood), the fact that Sorin is willing to go out of his way to fulfil such agreements seems to lend him white characteristics (order, honesty, teamwork etc).
I'd love to see a block where the eldrazi or Phyrexia escape their planes and invade several of the other planes we know. Instead of one plane the block would have multiple settings either differentiated by color (like Urza's Saga block) or by set (like Mercadia), or possibly just by watermark. This would allow several older mechanics and settings to come back.
I was actually pitching that kind of idea back and forth with my friends the other day. There are some interesting things they could do with a block's makeup, a la Lorwyn/Shadowmoor or Zendikar/Worldwake/Rise, and yeah I agree, a block with multiple settings would be pretty awesome.
One idea we'd like to see is a block where the first set depicts a plane that has been recently devastated by an unspecified event, followed by 2 sets that act as a "flashback", going back in time to explain what lead to set 1. It'd be interesting from a flavour standpoint and also mechanically (top-down design would fit really well, since we're starting from the end and working backwards).
Except Codewords have nothing to do with the set....
I hate to say this but...aren't Slivers due a rerun-they're the only major "Villian" left to bring back and Future Sight "Spoiled" them... not in Innistrad Possibly Ravnica? after all It would rather Ironic for them to be Envoloped by the Sliver "Guild" after the events of dissension....
I remember reading somewhere that they had pretty much created every sliver possible at that point in terms of abilities. I'm not sure if there are enough new abilities to tack onto slivers and bring them back (who wants garbage like Exalted Sliver or Devour Sliver? Not me…).
Also, from a flavour standpoint the Eldrazi seem to have replaced slivers as the token "weird-looking unstoppable forces of a strange nature" creatures.
I wanted Stormblood Berseker to be good right now, but unlike Scab-Clan Mauler who had Rift Bolt and later Seal of Fire to work with alongside hoss 1 drops like Kird Ape, Stormblood is left out in the cold. There are plenty of very good 1 drops like Goblin Guide and Furance Scamp to run with him, but without spells that can be played turn 1 and deal damage turn 2, it's very hard to get him active, especially if you're not on the play. Now turn 3, with 3 mana it's very easy, however at that point it's too late and he's not attacking until turn 4.
I'm actually really disappointed with what Argyle turned in. I like rather a lot of the smaller touches he put on his personal version. The corset with a hip wrap looks a LOT better than the continous dress look, and the gloves really need something to break up their look. They're very flat as they are now.
Agreed. The un-detailed version (the one being used for the card) looks like Liliana is wearing a kinky nightgown. It's kinda hard to take a character seriously when they're entering combat wearing lingerie.
Same here, bra. I loved the ballsy ending, especially when compared to the deus ex machina garbage of Alara's story.
The only thing that peeved me about the story in SoM-block was the deviation from the original Mirrodin's story. I mean, they killed Slobad off behind the scenes and told us about it via a vignette on the website. Slobad was basically the goblin messiah, one of the most important characters in the original story, and they gave us NO closure.
If either changes colors my guess would be Sorin going WB, as he seems really focused on revenge, which seems to be split evenly between black and white.
As for Lil, I doubt she will change colors. They had Tezz 2 for blue, Sarkhan 2 for red, and I figure if any walker goes green/black, it will be Nissa. This leaves white, and Lil is too self-interested to go white. Sorin at least stepped up to help keep the Eldrazi chained until one of the newbies screwed it up. Still self-interested, but he at least made an effort toward saving the multiverse.
I can definitely see Sorin going WB. Tbh, I always felt that his personality fit WB better than mono-black. Sorin's personality/ethics reminds me of the episode of Buffy when Spike helps the gang in stopping Angel from destroying the world; like Sorin, Spike is hedonistic and wouldn't want to see his many indulgences perish.
I even had it in my Pauper Goblins deck for a while before I managed to track down better cards.
They all have the zombie creature type though, so I assume that's why people voted for them.
I'm going to jump to their defence and say that as Headless Horseman (the card) was based on the Legend of Sleepy Hollow and not a literal representation of it, it makes perfect sense for it to be a zombie. It's just an undead horseman without a head, not the Headless Horseman.
Also, "Husk" essentially means an outer shell, so Nantuko Husk's name is quite fitting for a zombified insect imo, although I suppose one could argue that it's technically a skeleton and not a zombie.
As for liches, I think the Magic interpretation is that they're simply undead humans with a catch (i.e. a phylactery). They may have bent the "zombie rules" a bit for liches, but if you want to be a purist then none of the zombies in Magic really qualify, since "real" zombies originate from Haitian voodoo practices that don't actually involve bringing people back from the dead but merely drugging them.
I agree with the first part, but I personally feel that green is the weakest colour. I've had better success with UW beatdown than anything G/x.
Except in this case it's a matter of context. I would definitely be content with a 1-lander if everything else in my hand cost 1-2 (which would likely be the case with TRAMD's list), whereas having 3 lands in your opening hand with TRAMD's list isn't ideal.
Spellskite can't redirect it. Fireslinger can only target players.
I ran 22 lands in my pre-banning RDW build with Koth, and it was fine. I was actually thinking of running some number of Arc Trail main, since elves seem to be making some kind of comeback at my LGS (no idea why…). Arc Trail looks like it'd help against Timely Reinforcement tokens too. Maybe a 2/2 split between Arc Trail and Hero?
Yeah, Hero doesn't really seem like the card you want to draw too many of, since one should be enough to seal the deal. 24 lands feels a bit high too, I've been content with 20 lands (although I don't run any 4-drops).
On Arsonist: Max Staudacher actually ran 2 Goblin Fireslinger, which I thought was kinda strange. But hey, he made top 2 at the SCG Opens, so maybe it works?
Yeah, he definitely gives off the "Orzhov mafioso" vibe. Sure, he'll help you, but what's in it for him (insert bad Marlon Brando impersonation)? Also, he allegedly has an unspecified number of debts and engagements to adhere to. While the whole "pact with the devil" thing is in black's colour pie (Sign in Blood), the fact that Sorin is willing to go out of his way to fulfil such agreements seems to lend him white characteristics (order, honesty, teamwork etc).
I was actually pitching that kind of idea back and forth with my friends the other day. There are some interesting things they could do with a block's makeup, a la Lorwyn/Shadowmoor or Zendikar/Worldwake/Rise, and yeah I agree, a block with multiple settings would be pretty awesome.
One idea we'd like to see is a block where the first set depicts a plane that has been recently devastated by an unspecified event, followed by 2 sets that act as a "flashback", going back in time to explain what lead to set 1. It'd be interesting from a flavour standpoint and also mechanically (top-down design would fit really well, since we're starting from the end and working backwards).
I remember reading somewhere that they had pretty much created every sliver possible at that point in terms of abilities. I'm not sure if there are enough new abilities to tack onto slivers and bring them back (who wants garbage like Exalted Sliver or Devour Sliver? Not me…).
Also, from a flavour standpoint the Eldrazi seem to have replaced slivers as the token "weird-looking unstoppable forces of a strange nature" creatures.
Hey man, we got Gut Shot!
Agreed. The un-detailed version (the one being used for the card) looks like Liliana is wearing a kinky nightgown. It's kinda hard to take a character seriously when they're entering combat wearing lingerie.
Same here, bra. I loved the ballsy ending, especially when compared to the deus ex machina garbage of Alara's story.
The only thing that peeved me about the story in SoM-block was the deviation from the original Mirrodin's story. I mean, they killed Slobad off behind the scenes and told us about it via a vignette on the website. Slobad was basically the goblin messiah, one of the most important characters in the original story, and they gave us NO closure.
I can definitely see Sorin going WB. Tbh, I always felt that his personality fit WB better than mono-black. Sorin's personality/ethics reminds me of the episode of Buffy when Spike helps the gang in stopping Angel from destroying the world; like Sorin, Spike is hedonistic and wouldn't want to see his many indulgences perish.
How do you know? Has this been confirmed?