The problem with unbanning Valakut is the only deck where it would ever see play is in a combo deck. So if they unban it only 3 things can really happen, 1 valakut sees no play, 2 it becomes another decent deck, but it very much a combo deck on the verge of being broken, 3, it's too good and has to be immediately rebanned.
I agree it isn't more powerful than storm or splinter twin but it's a land based combo so it's harder to disrupt, and has more redundant effects than those two.
Zac Hill's article made it pretty clear that the goal was to design a 2 mana walker.
I missed that, too bad then as I think red would love a 3 mana walker.
I'd imagine that they pushed it as far as they thought they could, bearing in mind that their last major mistake was in pushing Walker design too far.
Completely agree that's why I said it having any effect on the board would be ridiculous at 2 mana.
I'd much rather they make a card that is slightly too weak for cube (And to be very clear, it is only SLIGHTLY too narrow. The minor change of non-random discard would make it a powerful 360 staple) than make a card that ruins multiple constructed formats for a year.
I agree a good cube card isn't worth destroying the constructed metagame.
That said I like that it is random discard because as a color pie purist I want blue looting and red looting to be different. Maybe random discard isn't the best answer but there should be some difference.
I have a few thoughts on Tibalt, first from a color pie prospective I'm extremely happy it's random discard. Second I don't think random discard is the worst especially when you can minimize the effect of it by playing spells before hand if you have something you don't want to discard or waiting if you don't. I don't think it will be an all star but I expect he'll be a solid roleplayer.
Right but that was the argument I was making that it's never bad when cast off the top. Which is an argument some have made
Quote from PyreDream »
I don't think the effect is worth the slot in a deck, which is slightly different. I'm also evaluating it based on reliability of casting, i.e. how often I'll be able to play it at a certain point in the game. If I had a larger cube, I'd probably run Time Warp over Mastery because of that.
That is what I completely disagree with, I have no data or opinions that can change wtwlf's points, but I do completely disagree with the evaluation that having to cast it when it comes off the top makes it so bad that Time Warp is better.
Maybe I'm completely misinterpreting your argument PyreDream and if that's the case I apologize but as it stands saying it's not worth it because you can't sit on it sounds completely wrong.
See I disagree with saying that a bad time walk isn't worth a deck slot. When cast for it's miracle cost it does 1 of several things 1: Ices the game because your ahead on board and the extra turn sinks them 2: breaks open a game that was previously at parity 3: gives you an extra turn to catch up when you're behind 4: when drawn early is the best rampant growth ever.
Yes it will suck (effectively be a mulligan) when you have it in opening hand or draw it before you have the lands to cast it, but people are overstating how bad a bad time walk is, even a bad one is still a really good card.
Yes you don't have control over when you get to take the extra turn, but still and extra turn is always valuable, I can think of very few times in a magic game where I would not agree to skip my draw step and pay 1U to take an extra turn.
There are the cards to make it work if you want it to. You could draft around them and they'd be pretty good. It's a case of reliably picking the support pieces like Brainstorm, Scroll Rack, Top and the likes. The difficulty is that those are all high picks anyway.
See that's where I differ, I think that they'll be good tossed into random decks, not needing the set up cards which only make them stronger, I'm willing to admit I could be completely wrong as I've done no testing. Still I think that they are going to be solid cards.
Plus Scroll Rack and Top aren't even in my cube let alone high picks.
That green card seems sweet, I'll be giving it a chance since I'm extremely optimistic about how good miracle is unlike just about everyone else in the world. All those abilities together is so good, basically they printed a miracle overrun.
I just kind of thoguht of it this way, Tamiyo really raises the question of which section is tighter at 360, Blue or artifact. If Icy can find a home in smaller artifact sections I'm sure better U Icy here can find a home in most blue sections.
Also on the devil I don't think he's great but I think his BCS in being part of a 3 drop after a 1 and a 2, and I think it's really good there.
Can't argue with any of them, Jace 3 being a downgrade in power but an upgrade in fun.
That said I'd work to find room for Temporal Mastery. I realize that in general people are down on Miracle cards but a time walk is a ridiculous upside.
I would like to mention that unlike Ajani V's + Tamiyo's actually taps the permanent making it even a little stronger.
Obviously not the most powerful walker but I think it will come in ahead of Venser and Elspeth Tirel and find a nice niche in most cubes. Really wish that either the ultimate was -7 the + ability was +2 (probably far too much) or that the starting Loyalty was 5 just so going off would happen fairly often when you work for it, 4 turns (or 5 to survive) to get there is a lot.
Might not cut Jace 3 like I mentioned earlier going to have to recheck my group's opinion on him.
I agree it isn't more powerful than storm or splinter twin but it's a land based combo so it's harder to disrupt, and has more redundant effects than those two.
As for the whole new band, it had been close to five years since they released an album that probably had something to do with it.
I missed that, too bad then as I think red would love a 3 mana walker.
Completely agree that's why I said it having any effect on the board would be ridiculous at 2 mana.
I agree a good cube card isn't worth destroying the constructed metagame.
That said I like that it is random discard because as a color pie purist I want blue looting and red looting to be different. Maybe random discard isn't the best answer but there should be some difference.
That is what I completely disagree with, I have no data or opinions that can change wtwlf's points, but I do completely disagree with the evaluation that having to cast it when it comes off the top makes it so bad that Time Warp is better.
Maybe I'm completely misinterpreting your argument PyreDream and if that's the case I apologize but as it stands saying it's not worth it because you can't sit on it sounds completely wrong.
Yes it will suck (effectively be a mulligan) when you have it in opening hand or draw it before you have the lands to cast it, but people are overstating how bad a bad time walk is, even a bad one is still a really good card.
Yes you don't have control over when you get to take the extra turn, but still and extra turn is always valuable, I can think of very few times in a magic game where I would not agree to skip my draw step and pay 1U to take an extra turn.
See that's where I differ, I think that they'll be good tossed into random decks, not needing the set up cards which only make them stronger, I'm willing to admit I could be completely wrong as I've done no testing. Still I think that they are going to be solid cards.
Plus Scroll Rack and Top aren't even in my cube let alone high picks.
That green card seems sweet, I'll be giving it a chance since I'm extremely optimistic about how good miracle is unlike just about everyone else in the world. All those abilities together is so good, basically they printed a miracle overrun.
Also on the devil I don't think he's great but I think his BCS in being part of a 3 drop after a 1 and a 2, and I think it's really good there.
That said I'd work to find room for Temporal Mastery. I realize that in general people are down on Miracle cards but a time walk is a ridiculous upside.
Obviously not the most powerful walker but I think it will come in ahead of Venser and Elspeth Tirel and find a nice niche in most cubes. Really wish that either the ultimate was -7 the + ability was +2 (probably far too much) or that the starting Loyalty was 5 just so going off would happen fairly often when you work for it, 4 turns (or 5 to survive) to get there is a lot.
Might not cut Jace 3 like I mentioned earlier going to have to recheck my group's opinion on him.
Says it might be too aggresive