Magic players are absolutely impossible to please.
If the set contains powerful cards, then everyone *****es that the environment is degenerate. If the set doesn't contain enough powerful cards, then everyone *****es that the environment is boring.
If the set is radically different than previous sets, everyone *****es that Wizards doesn't care about flavor. If the set is faithful to previous sets, everyone *****es that Wizards is out of ideas.
Nothing that Wizards could possibly do is going to please the giant horde of screaming buttholes that makes up the majority of the Magic community. Every player out there is under the impression that he could do a better job, even though most players are so terrible it makes my eyes bleed.
The people who screech instantly about a set being subpar are the same people yelling "MUST HAVE 4 FOR MY [insert dumb-ass pet deck name here] DECK!" over a splashy Limited card that will clearly have no Constructed impact outside of the 0-2 bracket ever. They're usually the same people *****ing 2 months later about the degeneracy of the environment.
God, just play the game or stop buying the cards. There are ten morons ready to replace every one that quits.
I think the most incredible thing we could do would be to get Ookubu...or whatever his name is...the Japanese guy who cuts the cards and makes them 3-D....getting him and maybe even getting some of his cards....ooo man.
I don't think there's any chance of getting this guy, but he is cooler than anyone ever.
I loved Rath-era Sligh/Deadguy, and I started playing beatdown decks to the exclusion of all others in Invasion/Odyssey Standard, but Onslaught is the block where my love for beatdown became fully realized and I achieved perfect harmony with my inner Goblin. Now the fear is gone, and only good old rock remains.
1. Crack the Earth. Cheap disruption, fits the Akki theme, and a carrier for Glacial Ray.
2. Akki Raider. A solid beatdown creature, a 4/1 if both players sac land to a Crack the Earth. Interacts well with his little brother Akki Avalanchers. At worst, a typical red bear.
3. God's Eye Gate to the Renkai. Fodder for Crack the Earth or Akki Avalanchers.
4. Frostling. A 1/1 for R with a removal ability. Mogg Fanatic was at its best targeting guys anyway.
5. Akki Blizzard-Shepherd. Obviously designed to work with Crack the Earth and God's Eye. I really hate paying 1r for a 1/1 that doesn't kill guys though. He can also backfire on you and sit in your hand when you yourself can't afford to lose land. Still, it's hard for me not to put a theme-consistent Pete Venters Goblin on the list.
I'm not crazy about Goblin Cohort ... as I mentioned in another thread, you *really* need a lot of creatures -- like 24, most of which are cheap -- to make full use of him. If the swarm approach to the Akki deck turns out to be best, obviously he'll shine. If the burn-heavy approach, or the one with Stone Rains, turns out to be best, not so good.
I also think Genju of the Spires will be solid -- though not as a 4-of -- in the aggressive red decks in Block, and red decks with Pyroclasm/Flamebreak in Standard. Granted, it costs 3 lands to activate/attack, but remember that you can drop it and attack with the Mountain that same turn as long as the Mountain began your turn in play under your control. Opponents will have to play very carefully around that potential.
Anyway, that should give an idea of where my head is at in terms of Block, at least.
The problem with Shoal is that a) you have to have enough little guys out, or cheap burn to remove blockers, to get one through unblocked and b) you have to have enough higher cc spells to make Shoal worth it when you do get through. There's a a design conflict there.
If you just drop Shoals into a low-cc deck, 2 cards in hand in exchange for 2-3 direct damage, along with an unblocked attacker, is not that exciting ... you'd be better off ditching the Shoals and just playing something like Lava Spike that you can cast at any time regardless of the board situation. And my opinion of Lava Spike is not high except as a Glacial Ray carrier.
I guess testing will show just how important Arcane spells are in the red deck -- with just Crack the Earth and Glacial Ray, you have 8, which I think is fine. It's not like either spell is useless on its own.
I don't think Shoal's going to be the enduring chase rare that others seem to think it is.
I can't wait for the artist information. I'm mainly interested in who painted Frostling, Crack the Earth, and God's Eye, as we already know who painted the other cards in the set that interest me.
I'm 99% certain that we can add Mark Tedin as the artist for Patron of the Akki.
PTLA Deadguy Red, the one deck where Mogg Conscripts ever shone, played 26 creatures, 16 of which (including Mogg Conscripts) were 1cc and 8 of which were 2cc.
Most red decks in t2 now play, at most, 20 creatures, 4 of which are Arc-Sloggers. Arc-Slogger is just too good not to play in t2, especially since it's your main out against Affinity.
I will be surprised if *any* red decks in t2 play Goblin Cohort. I just don't think a true swarm approach is viable until Affinity rotates out. To stay in the game against Affinity, you have to pack so much removal that it's difficult to play enough creatures to consistently swing with the Cohort.
The possibility exists in Block that the Akki deck will take more of a swarm approach, in which case it could find a home. But Deadguy Red could afford to play only 4 real removal spells (Kindle) plus 4 pingers (Fireslingers) because it had Cursed Scrolls batting cleanup. There's nothing remotely equivalent to Fireslinger or Cursed Scroll in Block.
It also provides a great card against Shrines, as they can't get rid of it with the hondon of infinite rape. (I call it that because it owns creature decks like this in the butt).
I would consider siding one red Honden against the Honden deck.
I would also consider siding one Hall of the Bandit Lord. Haste will be very good against the Honden deck, against which your life total won't matter until it's too late.
I have tunnel vision because, at least until I have more time to playtest environments fully, I stick to tapping Mountains and swinging for 2 whenever possible. The red looks like it will develop into a solid Block deck, and augment the existing but I'm leaving it to other people to do the playtesting and get back to me with a tuned decklist.
If the set contains powerful cards, then everyone *****es that the environment is degenerate. If the set doesn't contain enough powerful cards, then everyone *****es that the environment is boring.
If the set is radically different than previous sets, everyone *****es that Wizards doesn't care about flavor. If the set is faithful to previous sets, everyone *****es that Wizards is out of ideas.
Nothing that Wizards could possibly do is going to please the giant horde of screaming buttholes that makes up the majority of the Magic community. Every player out there is under the impression that he could do a better job, even though most players are so terrible it makes my eyes bleed.
The people who screech instantly about a set being subpar are the same people yelling "MUST HAVE 4 FOR MY [insert dumb-ass pet deck name here] DECK!" over a splashy Limited card that will clearly have no Constructed impact outside of the 0-2 bracket ever. They're usually the same people *****ing 2 months later about the degeneracy of the environment.
God, just play the game or stop buying the cards. There are ten morons ready to replace every one that quits.
I don't think there's any chance of getting this guy, but he is cooler than anyone ever.
Congratulations!
Oh, wait, they're not. Never mind.
1. Crack the Earth. Cheap disruption, fits the Akki theme, and a carrier for Glacial Ray.
2. Akki Raider. A solid beatdown creature, a 4/1 if both players sac land to a Crack the Earth. Interacts well with his little brother Akki Avalanchers. At worst, a typical red bear.
3. God's Eye Gate to the Renkai. Fodder for Crack the Earth or Akki Avalanchers.
4. Frostling. A 1/1 for R with a removal ability. Mogg Fanatic was at its best targeting guys anyway.
5. Akki Blizzard-Shepherd. Obviously designed to work with Crack the Earth and God's Eye. I really hate paying 1r for a 1/1 that doesn't kill guys though. He can also backfire on you and sit in your hand when you yourself can't afford to lose land. Still, it's hard for me not to put a theme-consistent Pete Venters Goblin on the list.
I'm not crazy about Goblin Cohort ... as I mentioned in another thread, you *really* need a lot of creatures -- like 24, most of which are cheap -- to make full use of him. If the swarm approach to the Akki deck turns out to be best, obviously he'll shine. If the burn-heavy approach, or the one with Stone Rains, turns out to be best, not so good.
I also think Genju of the Spires will be solid -- though not as a 4-of -- in the aggressive red decks in Block, and red decks with Pyroclasm/Flamebreak in Standard. Granted, it costs 3 lands to activate/attack, but remember that you can drop it and attack with the Mountain that same turn as long as the Mountain began your turn in play under your control. Opponents will have to play very carefully around that potential.
Anyway, that should give an idea of where my head is at in terms of Block, at least.
If you just drop Shoals into a low-cc deck, 2 cards in hand in exchange for 2-3 direct damage, along with an unblocked attacker, is not that exciting ... you'd be better off ditching the Shoals and just playing something like Lava Spike that you can cast at any time regardless of the board situation. And my opinion of Lava Spike is not high except as a Glacial Ray carrier.
I guess testing will show just how important Arcane spells are in the red deck -- with just Crack the Earth and Glacial Ray, you have 8, which I think is fine. It's not like either spell is useless on its own.
I don't think Shoal's going to be the enduring chase rare that others seem to think it is.
Have you seen the pic on his website of the dude with a Piledriver tattoo?
I'm 99% certain that we can add Mark Tedin as the artist for Patron of the Akki.
Most red decks in t2 now play, at most, 20 creatures, 4 of which are Arc-Sloggers. Arc-Slogger is just too good not to play in t2, especially since it's your main out against Affinity.
I will be surprised if *any* red decks in t2 play Goblin Cohort. I just don't think a true swarm approach is viable until Affinity rotates out. To stay in the game against Affinity, you have to pack so much removal that it's difficult to play enough creatures to consistently swing with the Cohort.
The possibility exists in Block that the Akki deck will take more of a swarm approach, in which case it could find a home. But Deadguy Red could afford to play only 4 real removal spells (Kindle) plus 4 pingers (Fireslingers) because it had Cursed Scrolls batting cleanup. There's nothing remotely equivalent to Fireslinger or Cursed Scroll in Block.
I would consider siding one red Honden against the Honden deck.
I would also consider siding one Hall of the Bandit Lord. Haste will be very good against the Honden deck, against which your life total won't matter until it's too late.