Really? I mean, I know Ugin isn't a hugely significant character (so far), but they couldn't come up with a better look for him than this?
Hopefully this is just one of those things where it's just one piece of crappy art for an otherwise better-looking character (like with Marchesa's crappy card art vs. her superior promo art).
Not keen on Sorin's art. He looks like he's missed a few days at the gym. His card is pretty neat, though. I'm all about 4 CMC planeswalkers, and the fact that his +1 lasts until your next turn rather than EOT makes vigilance and the like a little more desirable. His ultimate is okay. Still, it could be much worse.
Also, yay for Ugin references! With the time travel element, we're definitely gonna see him before the end of the block...right?
Raid is...hmm... I feel like Magic's mechanics are getting simpler and simpler.
Yeah, I've only been playing since 2010 and I'm seeing this a lot. I understand there's not an infinite number of mechanics and keywords, but I'm getting bored with all the ability words. And when they do come up with something intriguing (like Cipher), they either overcost the crap out of it or "there's not very much design space."
I'll be patient and wait for the other Khans mechanics before I pass judgment on Raid, but that's not an exciting mechanic to lead with. "Here's a card that gives you a bonus if you're playing Magic!" That was fine with Landfall, but making ability words out of every action during a game isn't exciting.
I REALLY want that Hanna. I've wanted it since they put it in DOTP. But I don't think I'm gonna be a judge anytime soon, so it looks like I'm gonna have to save up for it...
Wow, these mechanics suck. I mean, I'm sure they'll result in some good cards, but talk about a lack of imagination. Strive is the only interesting one, and even it is just a mechanic from an older card put on new cards.
Dakra Mystic is neat. I'm a big fan of symmetrical effects, and this has the added bonus of not being the same every time you activate her ability.
Not to mention that going back to Elsepth's story at this point seems early
Compared to other PWs, it's more or less par for the course. There were two blocks between Jace's and Gideon's appearances, and one block between Sorin's and Tezzeret's appearances. For Elspeth to be a focus of Theros isn't out of line with the precedents set already.
Memory Barbs
Whenever a player draws a card, he or she loses 1 life. 1B: Each player draws a card.
Sacrifice ~: Each player loses life equal to the number of cards in his or her hand.
I try to keep a playset of everything I get (including crap like Defensive Stance) because, like some have said, new players may find them useful for learning purposes. My fiancée and her sister just started playing Magic, so I put together a few simple decks out of my junk commons and uncommons for them to learn with. And when I say "simple," I mean that Hexplate Golem is the "bomb" in one of the decks.
If I end up with a ton of some cards (usually commons and uncommons after I buy a box), I give them to my cousins who keep them in boxes. We sometimes do crap drafts with them where we shuffle them all together, take a stack of 10 cards, pick one, set aside the rest, then continue till everyone has about 45 cards. It's wildly uneven, but it's a blast when junk like Zombie Goliath or Sky Ruin Drake are the cards to beat.
And hey, worst case scenario, junk cards can be used for kindling or something.
I've put stuff at the bottom of my deck before when I'm searching, but only because I'm trying to decide on what to get (like what to fetch with Stoneforge Mystic). And even then, I stick the unchosen cards in random spots within the deck before shuffling the whole thing again so they don't all accidentally get bunched together or something. But that's not what this looked like. This was "Let me grab a card I need, hold it in a specific place, then set it up so my opponent puts it where I need it." I'm glad Kuo shuffled.
Thanks for posting this. I'm gonna make a few changes in the ways I handle deck/hand interactions now.
You can blame movies and the like for that one. If it didn't happen so often, it wouldn't sound racist to some people. Either way, a Human token pooper would be good.
I don't know if I read it somewhere or not, but I always though Mikaeus was a shady guy. I mean, I knew he was the good character that was secretly evil, or he would end up fighting for the other side (maybe or maybe not against his will). Anyhoo, here's hoping for some kind of funky black card that appeases my inner Johnny.
Hopefully this is just one of those things where it's just one piece of crappy art for an otherwise better-looking character (like with Marchesa's crappy card art vs. her superior promo art).
Also, yay for Ugin references! With the time travel element, we're definitely gonna see him before the end of the block...right?
Yeah, I've only been playing since 2010 and I'm seeing this a lot. I understand there's not an infinite number of mechanics and keywords, but I'm getting bored with all the ability words. And when they do come up with something intriguing (like Cipher), they either overcost the crap out of it or "there's not very much design space."
I'll be patient and wait for the other Khans mechanics before I pass judgment on Raid, but that's not an exciting mechanic to lead with. "Here's a card that gives you a bonus if you're playing Magic!" That was fine with Landfall, but making ability words out of every action during a game isn't exciting.
I thought their servers were somewhere to the east, which update at midnight EST.
Maybe they'll put it in a reprint? Maybe if they ever reprint Hero's Downfall in a Duel Deck or something?
Dakra Mystic is neat. I'm a big fan of symmetrical effects, and this has the added bonus of not being the same every time you activate her ability.
Seriously, I'll be getting some of the Pop figures. I really hope they make Karn, Elspeth, and Gideon, though.
Compared to other PWs, it's more or less par for the course. There were two blocks between Jace's and Gideon's appearances, and one block between Sorin's and Tezzeret's appearances. For Elspeth to be a focus of Theros isn't out of line with the precedents set already.
Memory Barbs
Whenever a player draws a card, he or she loses 1 life.
1B: Each player draws a card.
Sacrifice ~: Each player loses life equal to the number of cards in his or her hand.
Don't know how great it is, but eh.
If I end up with a ton of some cards (usually commons and uncommons after I buy a box), I give them to my cousins who keep them in boxes. We sometimes do crap drafts with them where we shuffle them all together, take a stack of 10 cards, pick one, set aside the rest, then continue till everyone has about 45 cards. It's wildly uneven, but it's a blast when junk like Zombie Goliath or Sky Ruin Drake are the cards to beat.
And hey, worst case scenario, junk cards can be used for kindling or something.
Thanks for posting this. I'm gonna make a few changes in the ways I handle deck/hand interactions now.
Also, I take it this is this year's crazy gigantor spell that red gets in each core set (a la Warp World, Scrambleverse, etc.)?
You can blame movies and the like for that one. If it didn't happen so often, it wouldn't sound racist to some people. Either way, a Human token pooper would be good.
I don't know if I read it somewhere or not, but I always though Mikaeus was a shady guy. I mean, I knew he was the good character that was secretly evil, or he would end up fighting for the other side (maybe or maybe not against his will). Anyhoo, here's hoping for some kind of funky black card that appeases my inner Johnny.