From what I remember of the RTR spoiler season, they kind of front-loaded most of the good cards, then the tail end was extremely lacking. Maybe they're trying to spread things out a bit more.
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Magic: The Gathering |OT|
- Thread starter The Technomancer
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We've seen most of the mythics at this point, which is why I'm getting an "uh-oh" internal reaction. Keep in mind RTR/GTC had different dev teams, and it's become very apparent recently how big a deal the lead developer is on a set's outcome.
I'm getting the 'Uh oh' feeling from this set too. Which is good, because I'd really like to take a set off and spend no money on new cards, or cards at all if I could.
NovemberMike
Member
Are people joking or something? New Gideon's a hard to remove creature. That's it. He looks pretty good at it too, he dodges most removal besides o-ring, tragic slip and detention sphere, he kind of forces red decks to attack him if they're at all afraid that you have a wrath, he hits like a truck once he gets going and he's only 4 mana. Seems like a good top end in aggro or a finisher in control.
GTC changed lead developers halfway through, but even in RTR, only like 4 or 5 of the 15 mythics are really 'playable.' It's like that in most sets, I'd say.
As I expected though, Simic and Dimir seem to be the strongest guilds so far. Boros is lacking thus far, which is disappointing, because that's my guild.
They changed designers, not developers, right? That's the "does this mechanic play well" team.
Yeah. Designers.
I think development (and creative) control which planeswalkers get printed and their abilities. Development is all about costing things and tweaking the limited play, if I remember correctly.
NovemberMike
Member
Why is everyone acting like the mythics are bad? The only unplayable mythic I've seen is Hellkite Tyrant, everything else is at least reasonably playable.
Keru_Shiri
Member
Keep in mind that 5 of the spicier cards were leaked ahead of time, so if the previews seem front-loaded, that could be why. That said, Wizards always shows of the big cards first, hard to build hype by slowly dripping common limited-fodder.
I don't have any faith in any cards in Boros with battalion being good unless it has battalion and an effect that puts a creature into play tapped and attacking.
I expect to see a good burn spell and one or two creatures that are strong individually.
REALLY hoping for an amazing three drop in red.
I expect to see a good burn spell and one or two creatures that are strong individually.
REALLY hoping for an amazing three drop in red.
That won't trigger Battalion. If you attack with a Hero of Bladehold and a Batallion creature the time for the trigger will have passed by the time you get the tokens.
That wouldn't work though. The way battalion works, it only triggers when 3 creatures are declared as attackers. It's the same reason you can still trigger Exalted with Geist or Hero of Bladehold.
I suspect we'll get something similar to Raise the Alarm that produces Red/White soldiers. I'm sure plenty of olther cards will produce them as well.
I thought since battalion uses the stack, you could order your triggers however you wanted first.
Ugh. That makes battalion even worse. Change that then. If any battalion cards are good, it'll just be added on to a creature that's good by itself.
The trigger is based on the number of creatures declared as attacker. Effects like those of Geist and Preeminent Captain don't ever have you declare those attackers, so they don't count toward it.
This is why the mechanic's awful. There's nothing interesting about it.
Keru_Shiri
Member
I think Battalion might be written off a bit to quickly. It's easy to generate oodles of spirit and humans tokens, so Battalion triggers might be easier to hit than realized. Then again, it may just be an ability that works only in Limited.
Personally, I'm hoping we get a real solid 1-drop burn spell.
Personally, I'm hoping we get a real solid 1-drop burn spell.
NovemberMike
Member
This is a format with Geist Honored Monk, Lingering Souls and Midnight Haunting. Battalion is probably fine.
It's a format where Lingering Souls isn't that good. Pretty much sums it up.
Well, let's put it another way. Which guild cards from Return to Ravnica have their guild keyword and are actually somewhat relevant in standard?
Populate
Rootborn Defenses
Trostani
Druid's Deliverance
Detain
Lyev Skyknight
Unleash
Rakdos Cackler
Gorehouse Chainwalker
Hellhole Flailer
Thrill-Kill Assassin (Has started to see play due to Izzet Staticaster)
Scavenge
Deadbridge Goliath
Dreg Mangler
Overload
Cyclonic Rift
Mizzium Mortars
Electickery
The majority of the relevant Return to Ravnica cards in standard don't actually use their guild mechanic. I was one of the ones that thought at the beginning of RTR that Rakdos got shafted, but it actually turns out to be the mechanic with the most amount of constructed playable cards. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Populate
Rootborn Defenses
Trostani
Druid's Deliverance
Detain
Lyev Skyknight
Unleash
Rakdos Cackler
Gorehouse Chainwalker
Hellhole Flailer
Thrill-Kill Assassin (Has started to see play due to Izzet Staticaster)
Scavenge
Deadbridge Goliath
Dreg Mangler
Overload
Cyclonic Rift
Mizzium Mortars
Electickery
The majority of the relevant Return to Ravnica cards in standard don't actually use their guild mechanic. I was one of the ones that thought at the beginning of RTR that Rakdos got shafted, but it actually turns out to be the mechanic with the most amount of constructed playable cards. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
NovemberMike
Member
The only thing that makes Lingering Souls mediocre is the lack of a BW untapped land. The big multicolor decks right now are generally running a 3-4 color combo with 2-3 duals. Bant has fountain and garden, UWR has the izzet land and fountain, Naya is generally running fountain and Cavern. Esper sees some play but it's hurt by the fact that it only has Hallowed Fountain and you want access to at least two different lands in each color combo.
Keru_Shiri
Member
The biggest hangups for Battalion I can see is that the decks currently best at churning out tokens don't involve red. I'd like to playtest a R/W Human list once spoilers are complete.
It's not the colours, 1/1 fliers just don't do much right now. Bant splashes black for Drownyard anyway.
Lingering Souls looks especially bad in a meta full of Thundermaw Hellkite, Bonfire of the Damned, Knight of Infamy, and Kessig Wolf-Run.
NovemberMike
Member
Nah, 1/1 fliers are fine if they're used aggressively. It's just that the aggressive decks can't pay the white and the control decks don't want it. If you're splashing for Drownyard then you're looking at the long game in a very different way than if you're trying to burn them out.
Keru_Shiri
Member
MMmmm....SPICY!
And a hearty F.U. to Thragtusk. I like it. A mini-Flames of the Blood Hand.
Keru_Shiri
Member
We might have seen that in Bolt-quality burn era, but we're in the Incinerate-was-too-good burn era.
divisionbyzorro
Member
MMmmm....SPICY!
Ahhh...and Flames of the Blood Hand leaves my Modern Burn deck!
I can stop a Martyr of Sands on the play! Sweet.
divisionbyzorro
Member
This is clearly the Thragtusk hate they talked about printing, right? You go to slam a 'Tusk, they stop the lifegain and dome you for three. I like this card; a lot.
Yeah, those Daybreak Coronets are going to set you back if you try to build it now. And I'm not convinced it has staying power, to be honest.
Yeah, those Daybreak Coronets are going to set you back if you try to build it now. And I'm not convinced it has staying power, to be honest.
Oh I don't know about that- its like casting negate on a Hero's Reunion- they are still drawing a shitton of cards.
I probably would have preferred this card costing RR and hitting creatures as well, but in this era where Searing Spear is the highest they will go, you got to take what you get.
It is very good against Revelation in the right decks; if you've got ahead in the early turns it means you still have them low enough to still be in with a chance after they've drawn all those cards and try to stabilize. Like Sphinx's Revelation is a significantly better card than Blue Sun's Zenith was (which was still good but not format shaping) as it tries to stabilize from two directions.
TheApatheticOne
Member
Got any 1v1 Commander players here? Id love to get some GAFers on my MTGO friend list.
My user name is SweetUpAndDown
My user name is SweetUpAndDown
Yea the aggressive red base decks are more worried about the lifegain then the card draw.
divisionbyzorro
Member
MMmmm....SPICY!
Um... ouch. This is going to decimate my Faithmender/Tusk/Resto build.
Oooh, the flavor of this is so fine.
Keru_Shiri
Member
This card is cool. I'm not sure I'd use it, but it's an interesting design.
crimsonspider89
Banned
My god, I love the pThe guildmage and mechanic is just funny. Also the unblockable evolver who has 0 power is gonna be funny. I think simic is my favorite guild so far.
divisionbyzorro
Member
I wonder if 4 toughness will matter in this set like it did in RtR. We happily played 0/4 walls that could ping our opponent; but an 0/4 that gets bigger, probably pumps other evolve creatures when it comes in, and eventually starts smashing face without being able to be blocked? No winder that thing is rare. Pretty sure that's first-pickable, especially if 4 toughness matters again.
crimsonspider89
Banned
I so wanna pull of his ultimate in one match with a ton of simic creatures on the field.
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