The Standard card pool doesn't have casual cards. It has constructed playables and limited fodder.
It's hard for me to say this, because it seems at least partly opinion, but this is flat incorrect. The sets legal in Brawl contain plenty of "casual" build-arounds. A large percentage of rares and mythics from all of these sets fit in to this space. If you're telling me that Sunbird's Invocation or Etatali, Primal Storm or Helm of the Host or Sandworm Convergence don't read like casual staples, you're out of touch. I know they are, because they're all appearing in Commander at disproportionately high rates.
Without a large and complex card pool picking Ajani, Valiant Protector instead of Huatli, Radiant Champion is not a strategic choice or a show of originality, it's handicapping yourself on purpose.
Even with a large, complex card pool it would, basically, always be "wrong" to pick Ajani over Hautli in a tokens build. Ajani is perfectly fine choice in more mid-range-y W/G decks though, so I don't really understand your point here. Both are plenty fine as a commanders. Hautli is probably a little better overall, but you can say that's true one of any two commanders in the same colors in Commander.
We're on the same page with 1v1 Brawl for sure. I actually get the appeal (highlander formats are fun in 1v1), but I think they should just sanction Standard, Modern, Legacy highlander (sans a commander) and leave Brawl as a multiplayer format. I'm going to be real bummed if they ban Baral.
For commander diversity, I'm a little less worried. There were 14 available commanders in Amonkhet and 12 in Ixalan. I'd expect the trend of double digit legends to continue as well as they now have their eyes on that count more regularly to keep Brawl viable. It won't be as diverse as commander, but it already isn't. I don't think we'll need a Dominaria type set to keep things interesting.
No, I mean multiplayer. Why anyone would let you keep an Anointed Procession in play is beyond me. That card actually hit the board in the game I played and was quickly dealt with for the exact reason you say. It's the quickest way to rebuild a board state. The Hautli player in our game landed Procession, Animation Module and the explore enchantment in the first 5 turns, but with no way to actually draw cards all I needed to do was wait until they deployed their hand, surgically picking off the indestructible stuff, so that they had basically no gas left after the board wipe. It also helps that the other players at the table were falling behind, so I didn't even need to burn through much of my interaction as tokens player was quickly public enemy #1.
Just scored my third win with Azor U/W control against a Samut, Hautli and Raff. Essentially the Haulti and Samut decks died to a Fumigate. There's just no way either of them could put enough pressure on my life total after their boards were wiped. I don't think Approach of the Second Sun is busted or anything, but I still do believe it's one of the best ways to finish games in the format. Without other blue players at the table it's basically impossible to interact with unless you kill the player casting it (easier said than done). My testing is benefiting from the fact I'm playing, mostly, online where players are often coming in blind.
I played A LOT today since the format became legal in MTGO.
4 multiplayer games and 30+ 1vs1 games. Playing Galtha, Hapatra and Kambal.
It doesn't feel like Commander or Standard, it feels like you're playing an excellent Sealed pool with a Vanguard. There's pretty much zero build-around being done today with the only exception of Hapatra and Kumena decks. Unsurprisingly Hapatra and Kumena are pretty powerful.
Playing 1vs1 I experienced pretty much zero deck diversity. Hordes of Bolas, Hapatra, Kumena and Kambal. The only other decks I saw all day were 1 Beckett, 1 Gonti, 1 WG Huatli and my own Ghalta. None won the games they were played in.
The midrangey decks (Hapatra, Kumena and Kambal) can't seem to beat Bolas. And among them the games are grindy, complex and extremelly long, every second game went to time. Hapatra seems to be the strongest of the three, I didn't lose a single game playing Hapatra vs either Kumena or Kambal, and I didn't win a single game playing Kambal vs Hapatra. Having no sideboards sucks.
Multiplayer was miserable in my experience. Maybe because everyone was playing Beckett, Hapatra, Kumena, Scarab God or Zacama. And every game was a clogged board state where the only non-unprofitable move was not doing anything until either of the blue players on the table decide to play kingmaker with River's Rebuke and someone's arbitrarily kicked out of the game.
As of now I really hope Dominaria adds A LOT of casual appeal to multiplayer because right now there's absolutely no fun to be found in this format. As for 1vs1, unless a lot of aggro decks start showing up and somehow survive Hapatra's grindy ways, Bolas will get banned..
What's your MTGO user name? I think we've played a few games!
I'm seeing a lot of people crying out to ban Baral because of 1v1. I'm concerned the split between multiplayer and 1v1 is going to become a real issue soon.
As a counterpoint I've been playing a lot on MTGO and have won half my games with Approach of the Second Sun. I've lost all the other games, but that's just kind of how the deck was built for draft 1.
It's going to be awesome in Norin! I actually really like this card from a design standpoint. It's going to be great in the right deck and quite bad in others.
I'm excited for the set. Should yield some stuff. I'm mostly here to just talk about how good Curse of Opulence has been for me in the last few games I've played.
They did just spoil Gilded Lotus in Dominaria, which gives Paradox Engine a LOT more to work with when it comes to generating colored mana. It's probably still not anywhere near as busted as it is in EDH, but that's a boon for sure.
Fired off four multiplayer games tonight. Rotating decks (Samut Ramp, Azor Approach, Nicol Bolas Artifacts, Becket Brass Pirates and Scarab God). A lot of good games and some converts among my play group who seemed to really enjoy the lower power level. Defensive speed is very important in the format. You really don't want to be taking chip in damage at 30 life and I think I'll be shifting to some more effective blockers in some of these decks.
First game (Azor, Brass and Sacrab God) was won pretty handily by Scarab God. Pirates got out to a good start taking out Azor, but, essentially, folded to a board wipe and Scarab God's value.
Second game (Azor, Samut and Scarab God) was one of the silliest, most fun games of Magic I've played in years. The Samut player repeatedly slammed ridiculous threats (including a turn with Ghalta with Sunbird's Invocation out, hitting Zacama). Unfortunately, that follow-up attack ate a Settle the Wreckage. Azor player River's Rebuked Scarab God player board to set-up a Samut kill and then promptly Approached in back to back turns to steal the game.
Game three (Bolas, Samut and Scarab God) Bolas threatened to steal the game at one point with Reveal in Riches followed up by Spell Swindle though, but was dealt with. A few turns later, Bolas Torment of Hailfire'd for 14, but it was just a few short and they died on the follow-up.
Game four (Bolas, Scarab God and Samut once again) was the fastest game of the night. The Samut deck was, essentially, controlled while the other two decks set-up value positions. Bolas ultimately stole the game with Reckless Fireweaver
It's hard for me to say this, because it seems at least partly opinion, but this is flat incorrect. The sets legal in Brawl contain plenty of "casual" build-arounds. A large percentage of rares and mythics from all of these sets fit in to this space. If you're telling me that Sunbird's Invocation or Etatali, Primal Storm or Helm of the Host or Sandworm Convergence don't read like casual staples, you're out of touch. I know they are, because they're all appearing in Commander at disproportionately high rates.
Even with a large, complex card pool it would, basically, always be "wrong" to pick Ajani over Hautli in a tokens build. Ajani is perfectly fine choice in more mid-range-y W/G decks though, so I don't really understand your point here. Both are plenty fine as a commanders. Hautli is probably a little better overall, but you can say that's true one of any two commanders in the same colors in Commander.
For commander diversity, I'm a little less worried. There were 14 available commanders in Amonkhet and 12 in Ixalan. I'd expect the trend of double digit legends to continue as well as they now have their eyes on that count more regularly to keep Brawl viable. It won't be as diverse as commander, but it already isn't. I don't think we'll need a Dominaria type set to keep things interesting.
What's your MTGO user name? I think we've played a few games!
I'm seeing a lot of people crying out to ban Baral because of 1v1. I'm concerned the split between multiplayer and 1v1 is going to become a real issue soon.
I'm excited for the set. Should yield some stuff. I'm mostly here to just talk about how good Curse of Opulence has been for me in the last few games I've played.
First game (Azor, Brass and Sacrab God) was won pretty handily by Scarab God. Pirates got out to a good start taking out Azor, but, essentially, folded to a board wipe and Scarab God's value.
Second game (Azor, Samut and Scarab God) was one of the silliest, most fun games of Magic I've played in years. The Samut player repeatedly slammed ridiculous threats (including a turn with Ghalta with Sunbird's Invocation out, hitting Zacama). Unfortunately, that follow-up attack ate a Settle the Wreckage. Azor player River's Rebuked Scarab God player board to set-up a Samut kill and then promptly Approached in back to back turns to steal the game.
Game three (Bolas, Samut and Scarab God) Bolas threatened to steal the game at one point with Reveal in Riches followed up by Spell Swindle though, but was dealt with. A few turns later, Bolas Torment of Hailfire'd for 14, but it was just a few short and they died on the follow-up.
Game four (Bolas, Scarab God and Samut once again) was the fastest game of the night. The Samut deck was, essentially, controlled while the other two decks set-up value positions. Bolas ultimately stole the game with Reckless Fireweaver