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Magic: the GAFering |OT2|

kirblar

Member
Talks of bannings already is part of the reason why modern is a shitty format.
It's being discussed because it's a near-reprint of a card that was previously banned (with very good reason.) DRS is an issue because it's (to use a good phrase I just saw on FB)- it's basically a 1-mana planeswalker in formats with Fetchlands.
 

rCIZZLE

Member
It's being discussed because it's a near-reprint of a card that was previously banned (with very good reason.) DRS is an issue because it's (to use a good phrase I just saw on FB)- it's basically a 1-mana planeswalker in formats with Fetchlands.

Eh, there's very few cards that truly deserve to be banned. I can understand JTMS, SFM, and perhaps a few others but too often people confuse powerful with utterly broken. I just have a hard time seeing how a 4-of can make a mostly irrelevant deck start dominating the format. (talking about Beck)

I'd rather WOTC buff other archetypes instead of banning cards. As it is now, I simply refuse to spend more than $10 on a card if I'd only use it for modern. Spending more just seems like a poor investment right now.
 

WanderingWind

Mecklemore Is My Favorite Wrapper
I have the Autocard Anywhere extension for Chrome activated on GAF. Apparently "All Hallow's Eve" is a card, and it's a suspend card before suspend was invented (although you cast the card when you suspend it rather than when it comes off suspend). It's fascinating to see how far card development has come.

They've come a long way, baby.

Shu Calvary
 
To that point: I'm reminded of something I heard Menendian say on the "So Many Insane Plays" podcast (which is by far the most cerebral Magic podcast I've found to date - the Doomsday episode was one of my favorite pieces of magic content ever). When they moved the B&R list announcements to coincide with set releases, he soundly condemned the decision because it makes it impossible to know whether metagame shifts were due to B&R updates or due to the effect of the new set. I think he's spot on - I wish we could see the effects of new sets before wielding the banhammer.
 

WanderingWind

Mecklemore Is My Favorite Wrapper
I'd wish they stop banning really great cards and only ban severe issues like JTMS. Better that they print actual answers to problematic cards, IMO. DRS is a really great card. It does a lot of things. It's also only a 1/2 with zero evasion.
 
I love spoiler season! Can already start planning and modifying my EDH deck based on the reveals.

Ral is decent..ulti is quite nuts, but that how often can one get there? Melek on the other hand, is powerful...but that 6cc is really a lot. In my EDH meta, generals with such powerful ability are readily shot down even before the summoning sickness ends!
 

ultron87

Member
I'd like to end it quick. At my local I was picking up a few cards and asked around for tips and I got a few people saying that I should pick up some more Pillar of Flame, Brimstone Volley, and Searing Spears.

Yeah, direct damage spells are sweet since they let you get in the last few points of damage after your opponent has managed to stabilize from your attacks. Boros Charm might be one to look at there.

And with the idea of ending it quick you probably don't want the Foundry Champion or really even the Seraph of Dawn. Seraph is pretty defensive and you don't want the game to last long enough to play the Champion. Having the top of your curve be the Spark Troopers is fairly solid. If you wanted to upgrade there Hellrider is a great curve topper for a deck like this.

And the Gifts of Orzhova are a little clunky and hard to cast in RW. Maybe look at Skyknight Legionnaire instead to give you a flying threat and a great chance of getting battalion on turn 3 if you add some one drops.
 

kirblar

Member
Eh, there's very few cards that truly deserve to be banned. I can understand JTMS, SFM, and perhaps a few others but too often people confuse powerful with utterly broken. I just have a hard time seeing how a 4-of can make a mostly irrelevant deck start dominating the format. (talking about Beck)

I'd rather WOTC buff other archetypes instead of banning cards. As it is now, I simply refuse to spend more than $10 on a card if I'd only use it for modern. Spending more just seems like a poor investment right now.
Every time I hear the bolded line I cringe. It's just not possible.

The issue is that Legacy's built on a backbone of FoW/Brainstorm decks that police the format. They want to let Modern keep this "wide open" field without resorting to that power level. The individual bans make sense. Bitterblossom's likely close to coming off, though, simply because of how good cards have gotten lately. (Lingering souls, RTR Block.)

DRS is a really great card. It does a lot of things.
Reliable T2 Lili + repeated -2 life = sooooort of a problem.
 

kirblar

Member
Every night there's typically 4-6 cards spoiled at midnight EST. After a couple weeks they'll just dump the unspoiled ones but they're almost always garbage by that time. They usually generate hype by releasing the likely money cards first.
Funny thing? Reckoner was part of the infodump last time.
 

Hero

Member
It's being discussed because it's a near-reprint of a card that was previously banned (with very good reason.) DRS is an issue because it's (to use a good phrase I just saw on FB)- it's basically a 1-mana planeswalker in formats with Fetchlands.

At instant speed, no less.
 

rCIZZLE

Member
Every time I hear the bolded line I cringe. It's just not possible.

The issue is that Legacy's built on a backbone of FoW/Brainstorm decks that police the format. They want to let Modern keep this "wide open" field without resorting to that power level. The individual bans make sense. Bitterblossom's likely close to coming off, though, simply because of how good cards have gotten lately. (Lingering souls, RTR Block.)


Reliable T2 Lili = sooooort of a problem.

You're underestimating the potential cards they could print to raise the power level of tier 2 decks if balance was sorely needed. It's absolutely possible.

Do you have tournament results to prove it's a problem? I'm just not seeing that combo guaranteeing several seats in top 8s. It's good but hardly a threat to the format.
 

kirblar

Member
You're underestimating the potential cards they could print to raise the power level of tier 2 decks if balance was sorely needed. It's absolutely possible.

Do you have tournament results to prove it's a problem? I'm just not seeing that combo guaranteeing several seats in top 8s. It's good but hardly a threat to the format.
Did you play 7-set Extended from Mirrodin->Zendikar? Because a lot of their decisions make much more sense if you did.
 
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bigkrev

Member
I had to read Vorel a few times to realize that she doubles counters, making her a lot better than I thought. Nice EDH card.

I LOVE the design of that Demon. He can't actually kill your opponent!
 

The Technomancer

card-carrying scientician
Oh snap. Did not realize that. Totally just read it as Proliferate.

Yeah, it doubles. Its cool, but I feel like I want it to be just a tiny bit more powerful. Maybe up the activation cost but lose the tap, or maybe expand it to include enchantments. I dunno. Ah well. I might revive my Simic EDH deck with him as a general instead of Kraj
 

kirblar

Member
Go on. (waiting on those tournament results too ;))
Basically, it was filled with ridiculous T2 combos or annoying grindy combos. Thopter-Sword/Dark Depths/Hypergenesis/Fae/Zoo/Dredge was basically the metagame. Every single one of those arhetypes/combos got banhammered except Zoo initially. This wasn't an accident - the format was degenerate things bouncing off each other.

Problem is, we already have Legacy, and turning the format into "Bad Legacy" is not really a great place to be. So they moved to more of a middle ground, which is going to require more frequent bans because there's no FoW to naturally police the format.
 

rCIZZLE

Member
Basically, it was filled with ridiculous T2 combos or annoying grindy combos. Thopter-Sword/Dark Depths/Hypergenesis/Fae/Zoo/Dredge was basically the metagame. Every single one of those arhetypes/combos got banhammered except Zoo initially. This wasn't an accident - the format was degenerate things bouncing off each other.

Problem is, we already have Legacy, and turning the format into "Bad Legacy" is not really a great place to be. So they moved to more of a middle ground, which is going to require more frequent bans because there's no FoW to naturally police the format.

You don't really need FoW unless T1 kills are a threat. Cards like Thoughtseize and Spell Pierce do the trick.

Instead of banning after the fact they should start releasing cards already banned in modern so they have no effect. Seems a lot more reasonable than letting people buy cards for their favorite deck then making the deck suck.

"Bad Legacy" actually sounds great since the reserved list sets a limit on how popular legacy can be.
 

kirblar

Member
You don't really need FoW unless T1 kills are a threat. Cards like Thoughtseize and Spell Pierce do the trick.

Instead of banning after the fact they should start releasing cards already banned in modern so they have no effect. Seems a lot more reasonable than letting people buy cards for their favorite deck then making the deck suck.

"Bad Legacy" actually sounds great since the reserved list sets a limit on how popular legacy can be.
Legacy won't die on MODO though- eventually the format will essentially live on in cyberspace, so it's never going anywhere.
 

alternade

Member
I'm loving that they seem to be turning up the power in this set!! Master is ridic. I feel like this is going to be fun draft set.
 

Wichu

Member
Argh, I don't know what to do with Vorel. Slot him into my Simic deck as intended, or merge that and my Sharuum charge counter deck to make an unholy G/U charge counter abomination?

I could make two Simic decks, but then I'd need a second Doubling Season for the other (which wouldn't be cheap).
 

zoukka

Member
Master is gimmicky and bad.

The wurm spell just raised the bar for fatty creatures. Four mana 5/5 trample... in instant speed. What next, a tarmo reprint :p?
 

Zoibie

Member
Gah, I've already got Trostani and Growing Ranks in my Selesnya deck, I don't have room for more 4 mana stuff. I guess I could always swap out Trostani for the guildmage but I'd be losing that sweet life gain. Ah whatever, hit the road Slime Molding.
 

Lucario

Member
Playtesting Enduring Renewal decks with my modern group. Found a few things kind of nifty, don't know if they're of any use.

-Ranger of Eos can tutor out Viscera Seer and Wild Cantor, along with all of the 0-cost artifact creatures and disciple of the vault.
-Obviously, beck makes the deck a little bit insane. In the affinity version (literally just an affinity shell with a few cards stripped out for beck/renewal and a worse manabase,) there's a surprising amount of fun to be had.
-Ranger of Eos for Viscera Seer + Ornithopter, with Enduring Renewal out, lets you bubble sort your deck.
-Retract is a really fun (but really bad) card. When it costs neutral mana due to bucking back your Mox Opals and draws you 5 cards, it's a little nutty. Obviously, it makes the decks far too reliant on combo to be good (as it's unplayable without combo pieces already out,) but whatever, we're still developing.
-Life//Death chains with Faith's Reward/Second Sunrise and sac outlets are fucking hilarious. Squandered Resources, why aren't you in modern?

It's nowhere near as consistent or resilient as elves, but it's an insanely fun combo deck. Not to mention that Enduring Renewal is still like fifty cents.
 

JulianImp

Member
Does Gideon have counters when it's a creature tho or is it just whatever body it's pw counters were?

Gideon keeps his counters (nothing in the card says otherwise), so you can just double him constantly (his P/T won't update mid-turn, though). Alternatively, you could just stick him in an EDH or modern deck with Quicksilver Elemental for a quick board-wide nuke, but that would probably get you hated on.

I wish the Simic champion had been an Ooze, but I like this one as well. It dodges Searing Spear, stops most attackers cold (including Boros Reckoner) and can provide some utility, even if he can't break planeswalkers in two. I'll be looking for three or four copies to add to my Simic-Golgari deck. I only wish Master Biomancer would go down in price anytime soon...

The wurm looks like one hell of a surprise blocker, but I don't like Selesnya as much, so I probably won't be going out of my way to trade for them.

The Rakdos creature is fun, but it looks like it will be relegated to being a dollar bin mythic since it isn't good competitively and playing it is kind of a dick move in casual.
 

OnPoint

Member
rCIZZLE: I'm Onpoint on Deckbox. Please add me up.

Gideon keeps his counters (nothing in the card says otherwise), so you can just double him constantly (his P/T won't update mid-turn, though). Alternatively, you could just stick him in an EDH or modern deck with Quicksilver Elemental for a quick board-wide nuke, but that would probably get you hated on.

I wish the Simic champion had been an Ooze, but I like this one as well. It dodges Searing Spear, stops most attackers cold (including Boros Reckoner) and can provide some utility, even if he can't break planeswalkers in two. I'll be looking for three or four copies to add to my Simic-Golgari deck. I only wish Master Biomancer would go down in price anytime soon...

The wurm looks like one hell of a surprise blocker, but I don't like Selesnya as much, so I probably won't be going out of my way to trade for them.

The Rakdos creature is fun, but it looks like it will be relegated to being a dollar bin mythic since it isn't good competitively and playing it is kind of a dick move in casual.

I have a Biomancer and a Biomancer foil I'd be willing to trade if you're interested
 
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