Thank you very much for the reply. I agree that there was a concern about the lack of craftsmanship when doing this, but it's was more of an experiment (read: excuse) to use a laser cutter to see if I can replicate cuts, if it's faster, and able to do more detail. I can say it replicates cuts to a high degree, but there's an accuracy factor since the cut happens all at once. That's why I was asking about background in layers due to something being off.
Also, I was asking about layering styles since one can see the same layer cuts in mine. I do like the "floating" effect like your lands and EdPhonenix's Glissa. Also, about the background layering and weaving like Ed's Glissa.
Completed my second experiment. I created two new acrylic jigs after my first cardboard warped. Tried doing spacers since they were the exact same shape as the cut-out. I think I need some tips as to how 3D cards can be done better. More layers? Less layers? Are spacers just the art box cut out? How should layers be done? Background with multiple? Have some background with the character?
Also, I was able to do three sets of cuts. I'll be assembling the other two later to look for consistency between all three.
LESSONS LEARNED:
- Small details pieces come out great. They also fly all over and through grate after being cut.
- If you're off, you're getting some background.
- No amount of tinkering will leave with black edges.
- May need to have sacrificial cards for second jig to take any melted plastic.
I've managed to do my first 3D card and would like some feedback if possible. I took a different approach by using a laser cutter to cut out the cards. Deathcult Rogue is the first attempt to see if the process would work.
I'm somewhat happy that it does seem to work and can cut out very detailed areas. Since the process is repeatable, creating spacers is easy. However, I am noticing some issues: the cut sides are brown like cardboard, it's not a completely clean cut, sharp angles are difficult, and the slightest offset will result in wrong cuts like his thigh. Some I will experiment to fix by tweaking the settings, but I know a good jig is necessary.
My next experiment is to see if the process is repeatable with the same/similar results. I'm also hammering down the process in order to avoid mistakes.
I'm having an issue with cards that are printed off center. I usually don't notice this until after I cut and line them up. Does everyone throw out any cards that are off center or do you somehow incorporate it into the design? Maybe use them for small pieces?
Really? I've had lots of great experiences with equipment. It's not easy to win when every creature played and attacking gets a huge bump. I've like playing with:
Bonesplitter/Darksteel Axe
Vulshock Morningstar/Battlegear
Loxodon Warhammer
Behemoth Sledge
Skullclamp
Whispersilk Cloak
Sylvok Lifestaff - Life gain does make an impact
Gorgon Flail - I do run pingers.
I don't have Grafted Wargear (which would be good) and the Greaves/Boots aren't too bad. I think there are plenty of strong equipment, but unless it's a smaller cube where drafting multiple equipment is possible, I don't see an equipment sub-theme being viable.
In no way does it do that. I play Tron in Modern and you could not pay me to put this card in that deck.
The entire point of Tron is "I can get lots of mana in play fatser than you and drop bigger bombs than you can to win". Why in the world would I play a card that puts permanents into play for free for my opponent?
It's as you say: "drop bigger bombs than you can to win". You have bigger and better bomby cards and most of the deck is permanents anyways. Think of it like card draw with the possibility your opponent getting less. Especially if they play a permanent-less deck like Storm and UWR control/flash. This should definitely warrant testing at the very least.
Wouldn't be a complete set unless they waste a rare slot with utter jank.
I guess knowledge pool and warp world weren't crappy enough that they had to print this. These are the rares you open and cringe and wish you had rather spent your money on a root canal.
I actually think this may see play in Gx Tron for modern. Most of the deck is permanents anyways and they can easily hit 7 mana. Might be nice to just barf out everything at once.
Why? What do you think the word 'attrition' means? B adds more auras, which means that the opponents Claustrophobias and Pacifisms turn into 2-for-1s. You have LESS card advantage in black than in blue (Divination, Archeomancer).
I'm looking at the word 'attrition' as creature quality in this case. All too often, it was usually an T2/3 Scroll Thief or Scavenging Ooze, maybe get in one attack or two, and then get stopped by a 2/3 or Rumbling Baloth; basically, anything with a good size butt. They swing in, I can't trade profitability what with Scroll Thieves, Condors, and Archeomancers. Only plan is to try to draw and stabilize with a wincon.
I was thinking that at least with a higher power creature base in black, the combat and threats would keep the opponent at bay or at least offer one-for-ones. With a lack of removal, wouldn't a deck try to focus on getting through with having more (and better) creatures than the opponent?
All right, maybe I am overthinking on the results. I like playing with Plummet and Naturalize MB since the M14 format has a lot of auras being played. Plummet get SB out if I don't see fliers, but removal is removal. I will admit the Armor was a mistake and should be something like Glimpse or Advocate.
I figured going GB would allow me to win through attrition.
-1 Seacoast Drake
-1 Rod of Ruin
-1 Advocate of the Beast
+1 Naturalize
+1 Plummet
+1 Illusionary Armor
I went 6-3 with it, mainly losing to mana issues, but even then, I felt I built incorrectly. The lack of removal was a big issue for sure, even though I counted Disperse and Time Ebb as psudo-removal. With this lack of removal, I felt I should have gone with threat density instead and the black has that. Any of my opponents who had removal, they often went for the bomb-ier creatures rather than Trained Condor or Scroll Thief, which was quickly outclassed and did nothing, even if they came out T2 with Elvish Mystic. I think I overestimated how good they are in Sealed when compared to draft. At least in draft, you can consistently draft removal and tempo to make sure they get through, something I lacked. With Reaver and Mark, that increases the threat density and there’s only so much removal the opponent can have.
I know this was debated to death but now that people have had the cards for a while maybe there's more data. I need to make a cut for Kalonian Hydra. Choices are Genesis, Vorapede or Primeval Titan. I'm leaning toward the Titan but I still feel like that may be wrong.
With those three, Vorapede.
Speaking of which, I also have a green cut to make. Let's do a Gifts Ungiven!
Yes, it would be safer to use an exacto knife, but as I have access to a laser cutter and seeing some 3D paper sculptures, it got me thinking to see if it would be applied for 3D Magic cards. I plan to test out cutting tonight; someone did a calibration jig for telescope lenses and it was not much thinner if not more than a Magic card. The browned edged might also be a boon since I know blacking the cut edges is done.
I doubt they release noxious fumes or something when burned haha.
No, I agree. The safety engineer inside of me is telling me to cover all the bases.
I know that I can't laser cut certain type of wood because of the chemicals used for treated wood or glues in plywoods. And suddenly I am now amused at the thought of the cards bursting into flames when I try to laser cut them.
Automated robotic card transfer system...awesome job. Assuming actuator to drive plunger for card and fixed movement to transfer?
Thank you very much for the reply. I agree that there was a concern about the lack of craftsmanship when doing this, but it's was more of an experiment (read: excuse) to use a laser cutter to see if I can replicate cuts, if it's faster, and able to do more detail. I can say it replicates cuts to a high degree, but there's an accuracy factor since the cut happens all at once. That's why I was asking about background in layers due to something being off.
Also, I was asking about layering styles since one can see the same layer cuts in mine. I do like the "floating" effect like your lands and EdPhonenix's Glissa. Also, about the background layering and weaving like Ed's Glissa.
Also, I was able to do three sets of cuts. I'll be assembling the other two later to look for consistency between all three.
LESSONS LEARNED:
- Small details pieces come out great. They also fly all over and through grate after being cut.
- If you're off, you're getting some background.
- No amount of tinkering will leave with black edges.
- May need to have sacrificial cards for second jig to take any melted plastic.
I'm somewhat happy that it does seem to work and can cut out very detailed areas. Since the process is repeatable, creating spacers is easy. However, I am noticing some issues: the cut sides are brown like cardboard, it's not a completely clean cut, sharp angles are difficult, and the slightest offset will result in wrong cuts like his thigh. Some I will experiment to fix by tweaking the settings, but I know a good jig is necessary.
My next experiment is to see if the process is repeatable with the same/similar results. I'm also hammering down the process in order to avoid mistakes.
Bonesplitter/Darksteel Axe
Vulshock Morningstar/Battlegear
Loxodon Warhammer
Behemoth Sledge
Skullclamp
Whispersilk Cloak
Sylvok Lifestaff - Life gain does make an impact
Gorgon Flail - I do run pingers.
I don't have Grafted Wargear (which would be good) and the Greaves/Boots aren't too bad. I think there are plenty of strong equipment, but unless it's a smaller cube where drafting multiple equipment is possible, I don't see an equipment sub-theme being viable.
It's as you say: "drop bigger bombs than you can to win". You have bigger and better bomby cards and most of the deck is permanents anyways. Think of it like card draw with the possibility your opponent getting less. Especially if they play a permanent-less deck like Storm and UWR control/flash. This should definitely warrant testing at the very least.
I actually think this may see play in Gx Tron for modern. Most of the deck is permanents anyways and they can easily hit 7 mana. Might be nice to just barf out everything at once.
I'm looking at the word 'attrition' as creature quality in this case. All too often, it was usually an T2/3 Scroll Thief or Scavenging Ooze, maybe get in one attack or two, and then get stopped by a 2/3 or Rumbling Baloth; basically, anything with a good size butt. They swing in, I can't trade profitability what with Scroll Thieves, Condors, and Archeomancers. Only plan is to try to draw and stabilize with a wincon.
I was thinking that at least with a higher power creature base in black, the combat and threats would keep the opponent at bay or at least offer one-for-ones. With a lack of removal, wouldn't a deck try to focus on getting through with having more (and better) creatures than the opponent?
I figured going GB would allow me to win through attrition.
Thanks for all the input everyone.
1 Scavenging Ooze
2 Trained Condor
1 Phantom Warrior
1 Scroll Thief
1 Warden of Evos Isle
1 Rootwalla
1 Rumbling Baloth
2 Archaeomancer
1 Colossal Whale
1 Trollhide
2 Divination
1 Time Ebb
1 Enlarge
1 Primeval Bounty
8 Island
-1 Seacoast Drake
-1 Rod of Ruin
-1 Advocate of the Beast
+1 Naturalize
+1 Plummet
+1 Illusionary Armor
I went 6-3 with it, mainly losing to mana issues, but even then, I felt I built incorrectly. The lack of removal was a big issue for sure, even though I counted Disperse and Time Ebb as psudo-removal. With this lack of removal, I felt I should have gone with threat density instead and the black has that. Any of my opponents who had removal, they often went for the bomb-ier creatures rather than Trained Condor or Scroll Thief, which was quickly outclassed and did nothing, even if they came out T2 with Elvish Mystic. I think I overestimated how good they are in Sealed when compared to draft. At least in draft, you can consistently draft removal and tempo to make sure they get through, something I lacked. With Reaver and Mark, that increases the threat density and there’s only so much removal the opponent can have.
And what I think I should've ran:
2 Festering Newt
1 Tenacious Dead
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Syphon Sliver
1 Xathrid Necromancer
1 Advocate of the Beast
1 Rootwalla
1 Rumbling Baloth
2 Liliana’s Reaver
1 Accursed Spirit
1 Nightwing Shade
1 Vampire Warlord
2 Mark of the Vampire
1 Enlarge
1 Primeval Bounty
1 Naturalize
1 Plummet
9 Forest
8 Swamp
BUg was another option, but after Scavenging Ooze performing like a champ, I'm hard pressed to exclude him.
In any case, have at it. I'll post the decklist I submitted as well as what deck I should have used later on.
EDIT: More info at Post 9.
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showpost.php?p=10646838&postcount=9
1 Angelic Wall
1 Hive Stirrings
2 Show of Valor
1 Soulmender
1 Suntail Hawk
1 Charging Griffin
1 Banisher Priest
2 Celestial Flare
1 Stonehorn Chanter
2 Master of Diversion
1 Altar's Reap
1 Duress
1 Shrivel
1 Vampire Warlord
1 Tenacious Dead
2 Festering Newt
1 Undead Minotaur
2 Mark of the Vampire
1 Accursed Spirit
1 Nightwing Shade
2 Liliana's Reaver
1 Xanthid Necromancer
1 Syphon Sliver
1 Plummet
1 Rootwalla
1 Rumbling Baloth
1 Enlarge
1 Trollhide
1 Naturalize
1 Advocate of the Beast
1 Gladecover Scout
1 Brindle Boar
1 Verdant Haven
1 Groundshaker Sliver
1 Lay of the Land
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Primeval Bounty
2 Trained Condor
2 Divination
1 Phantom Warrior
2 Scroll Thief
1 Warden of Evos Isle
1 Time Ebb
1 Disperse
1 Illusionary armor
1 Coral Merfolk
1 Glimpse the Future
1 Seacoast Drake
3 Archaeomancer
1 Colossol Whale
1 Dragon Egg
1 Dragon Hatchling
1 Seismic Stomp
1 Striking Sliver
1 Lightning Talons
1 Lava Axe
1 Goblin Shortcutter
1 Thunder Strike
1 Pitchburn Devils
2 Volcanic Geyser
1 Chandra's Outrage
1 Young Pyromancer
1 Cyclops Tyrant
1 Staff of the Flame Magus
1 Rod of Ruin
2 Vial of Poison
1 Staff of the Wild Magus
With those three, Vorapede.
Speaking of which, I also have a green cut to make. Let's do a Gifts Ungiven!
Ant Queen
Thornling
Obstinate Baloth
Protean Hydra
Two must leave. I'm leaning towards Thornling and Protean Hydra, but might as well get some feedback.
Yes, it would be safer to use an exacto knife, but as I have access to a laser cutter and seeing some 3D paper sculptures, it got me thinking to see if it would be applied for 3D Magic cards. I plan to test out cutting tonight; someone did a calibration jig for telescope lenses and it was not much thinner if not more than a Magic card. The browned edged might also be a boon since I know blacking the cut edges is done.
No, I agree. The safety engineer inside of me is telling me to cover all the bases.
I know that I can't laser cut certain type of wood because of the chemicals used for treated wood or glues in plywoods. And suddenly I am now amused at the thought of the cards bursting into flames when I try to laser cut them.