I'm just starting to come back into magic. My gut feeling would be even though that demon is a bomb-diggity and that foil in the lower right hand corner is really good, there's a ton of black in this pack. Do you cut a white/green/blue card and stay away from black or take one of those bombs even though someone close to you will be fighting you hardcore?
Personally I want to take the White uncommon or the Theorist.
Thoughts? Figure this is good practice cause I'm going to my first FNM tonight for the new set in like 3+ years. Wish me luck and let's have a good discussion!
Energy counter is not a permanent, let's get that out of the way immediately.
You're asking if it's generally a good play: Absolutely not. You're not getting rid of one of their cards. There are a lot of ways to create situations where you can trade your Aether Tradewinds for 1-2 of their cards (getting them to pump a creature, double blocking, etc).
Edit: It can be SITUATIONALLY okay if you know they've skipped land drops and they probably need land#3 to drop something in their hand and you've been beating them down for a few turns. It's so rare - you can keep this in your head, but you really don't want to be doing this in general.
With how efficient the common bounce and removal options are on top of the higher density of token generators in this set, I can't imagine a Madcap Skills variant doing all that well.
That is a good point. This format looks really good for common board disruption.. and after LSV's set review of White continuing to mention how he'd basically always be making 1/1's instead of putting counters on his creatures, the goodness this would be in another format does not carry over to this one.
I got mixed up because the CARD is good - I'm sure we can agree to that, but the environment is not well suited for it?
One thing that you are underrating is Giant Spectacle. You compare it to Goblin War Paint, but this is much closer to Madcap Skills, and that proved quite strong. This isn't as good, but it isn't far behind (that extra toughness makes it less likely a cheap Servo will help secure a profitable block).
How is it not as good? Is +3/0 really that much better than +2/+1 in your opinion? People on here and on reddit weren't convinced that Giant Spectacle was very good, but I'm in the same mindset as you. This seems just as crazy and Madcap was, especially if they stumble on low creature drops/land drops.
Flicker effects in limited are can range from really good to dead cards, depending on how many ETB and instant speed blowouts there are. Given there is a fair amount of things to do at instant speed and we're back to "when it enters the battlefield" from "when you cast" I'm leaning towards the optimistic side. At worst it gives you some energy counters to work with I suppose.
I may have talked it up a little too much in my post. I feel like while it's not an 'auto include' I would be happy running it every time I'm in white.
Off-topic: Can people stop saying replicate? It's Fabricate. I wish it didn't bug me, but it does lol
What do you guys think about flicker effects with fanricate around? As a specific example, do you think Acrobatic Maneuver could be a good card in a dedicated fabricate deck?
I think Acrobatic Maneuver is an awesome card. Having it in your deck means you have flexibility when it comes to Fabricate. This card is great in limited because it cantrips especially. If you're saving a dude from removal (which there's a lot of good removal at common/uncommon) this is a huge card advantage swing.
In white alone, these are the relevant limited synergies: Common Aviary Mechanic - Return another permanent you control (auras, artifacts, uncrewed vehicles)
Wispweaver Angel - Create a chain reaction – excellent inclusion with Ninth Bridge Patrol
And this is just in white! There are so many other great synergies + drawing a card. Let's not forget the relevant limited applications such as saving something from removal, saving a double block, preventing lifelink, crewing more vehicles, etc etc.
Can we get someone who is really involved in the rules to weigh in on this? I'll be picking blue at my prerelease and if this comes up I want to know beforehand, haha.
So Ordeal is at 2 counters, you go to attack with the Serpent. Does it get 3 counters and you can have Ordeal again (upon declaring it as an attacker and tapping it to attack, Ordeal sees this happening but also gets returned simulatenous and gets a trigger?) or does it get 2 counters and you have to return it before you get a counter?
The entry fee is down to 2 tix + 4 packs and 6 packs for 1st 3 packs for 2-1. Is this worth it? Seems like it is. I searched and couldn't find a thread on this yet, did they get added today?
Every time I have not been greedy in this format (your hand is good still, not greedy) I've been punished for my mulligans. That hand seemed fine. You had 4+ turns to turn on your entire hand.
I was just about to make a new thread but I searched thank goodness before posting. As soon as I saw the packs posted on Facebook I wanted to shout that this HAS to be the set where she gets printed. I'm rrrrrreally hoping because she is all about the HUGE and GIGANTIC MONSTERS OF THE DEEP. And what is Theros? HUGE AND GIGANTIC. COME OWN!
Here is a bonus question. When people misread their cards or thought they did something else, did you let them take it back? I usually don't unless it was something SUPER SMALL and I know the guy. Even then it's like .01% that I let it pass.
And think about the butts on your creatures if you snag a Hold the Gates!
We could call this draft strategy Sir Mixalot.
I like it.
I like guild GATES and I cannot lie, you othuh playas can't deny! When the card gets passed, it manafixes so well, play all the colors I want, ALL TEN GUILDS!
Not to get too far off topic: There are some very good limited cards you just don't want to pass JUST to take guildgates. Most of the 2/4 commons are really good and you can pick up gates in the other packs as well. Unless it was a weak pack with no removal or solid creatures a gate is fine to take.
I'm just starting to come back into magic. My gut feeling would be even though that demon is a bomb-diggity and that foil in the lower right hand corner is really good, there's a ton of black in this pack. Do you cut a white/green/blue card and stay away from black or take one of those bombs even though someone close to you will be fighting you hardcore?
Personally I want to take the White uncommon or the Theorist.
Thoughts? Figure this is good practice cause I'm going to my first FNM tonight for the new set in like 3+ years. Wish me luck and let's have a good discussion!
You're asking if it's generally a good play: Absolutely not. You're not getting rid of one of their cards. There are a lot of ways to create situations where you can trade your Aether Tradewinds for 1-2 of their cards (getting them to pump a creature, double blocking, etc).
Edit: It can be SITUATIONALLY okay if you know they've skipped land drops and they probably need land#3 to drop something in their hand and you've been beating them down for a few turns. It's so rare - you can keep this in your head, but you really don't want to be doing this in general.
That is a good point. This format looks really good for common board disruption.. and after LSV's set review of White continuing to mention how he'd basically always be making 1/1's instead of putting counters on his creatures, the goodness this would be in another format does not carry over to this one.
I got mixed up because the CARD is good - I'm sure we can agree to that, but the environment is not well suited for it?
How is it not as good? Is +3/0 really that much better than +2/+1 in your opinion? People on here and on reddit weren't convinced that Giant Spectacle was very good, but I'm in the same mindset as you. This seems just as crazy and Madcap was, especially if they stumble on low creature drops/land drops.
I may have talked it up a little too much in my post. I feel like while it's not an 'auto include' I would be happy running it every time I'm in white.
Off-topic: Can people stop saying replicate? It's Fabricate. I wish it didn't bug me, but it does lol
I think Acrobatic Maneuver is an awesome card. Having it in your deck means you have flexibility when it comes to Fabricate. This card is great in limited because it cantrips especially. If you're saving a dude from removal (which there's a lot of good removal at common/uncommon) this is a huge card advantage swing.
In white alone, these are the relevant limited synergies:
Common
Aviary Mechanic - Return another permanent you control (auras, artifacts, uncrewed vehicles)
Glint-Sleeve Artisan - Get back a 3/3 blocker or make a chump and shrink him
Herald of the Fair - Combat trick for +1/+1
Ninth Bridge Patrol - GROW MY *****ES, GROW! (easy +1 counter), I really like this card, btw.
Propeller Pioneer - Get an emergency chump blocker or untapped 3 power flyer
Thriving Ibex - 2 energy in a pinch
Uncommon
Fairgrounds Warden - Change creatures that are exiled
Gearshift Ace - Untap Ace for first strike combat/possible re-crewing
Visionary Augmenter - Fabricate 2 (obvious at this point, yes?)
Wispweaver Angel - Create a chain reaction – excellent inclusion with Ninth Bridge Patrol
And this is just in white! There are so many other great synergies + drawing a card. Let's not forget the relevant limited applications such as saving something from removal, saving a double block, preventing lifelink, crewing more vehicles, etc etc.
So Ordeal is at 2 counters, you go to attack with the Serpent. Does it get 3 counters and you can have Ordeal again (upon declaring it as an attacker and tapping it to attack, Ordeal sees this happening but also gets returned simulatenous and gets a trigger?) or does it get 2 counters and you have to return it before you get a counter?
No mull for me, with a little bias.
I like it.
I like guild GATES and I cannot lie, you othuh playas can't deny! When the card gets passed, it manafixes so well, play all the colors I want, ALL TEN GUILDS!
Not to get too far off topic: There are some very good limited cards you just don't want to pass JUST to take guildgates. Most of the 2/4 commons are really good and you can pick up gates in the other packs as well. Unless it was a weak pack with no removal or solid creatures a gate is fine to take.