Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
I can only assume its related.
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Magic: the Gathering - Battle for Zendikar |OT| Lands matter (but nothing else does)
- Thread starter SigmasonicX
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I can only assume its related.
SigmasonicX
Member
In the story, Heliod selected Gideon as his champion, so Gideon's indestructibility is probably supposed to tie in with the superhuman feats of figures of Greek legend. His story followed the tragic route of Greek heroes, with his arrogance in thinking he could fight Erebos resulting in all of his friends dying, up until his spark ignited. So, one could say that his story was something planned out by the gods of Theros until that point.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
I would have thought the same before Khans of Tarkir. They actually really impressed me with Tarkir block by making it essentially an Asian plane without being "Theros but for Japan" (or...Kamigawa). Like, yes, the Jeskai are Kung Fu monks and the Mardu are Mongolians basically but the Abzan, Temur and Sultai are all informed by less pop-culture understood aspects of broader Asian historical culture (and not just east Asian)
(I also like that they didn't flinch and made every character in the set look Asian, there were no random "white guy protagonists" outside of like Sorin)
Then Xenagos tricked the Gods and let the world burn. Then Heliod slayed the person who saved their asses because reasons.
God I hope we don't return to Theros any time soon. What a wasted opportunity. Elspeth can stay dead for all I care.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
The gods being petty assholes is like the best thing about Theros
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
Return to Theros: Battle for Atheism
If/when we go to Theros this probably will play out in some manner. Think there was a story about Ajani going around afterwards telling people to stop believing in shitty gods that just cause them pain and suffering. It would make for an interesting conflict between mortals that want their freedom vs the gods and their fanatical followers.
Theros turning into Roman World as a result would be a neat way to go.
edit: GP NYC is in NJ. WTF at the naming. GP DC's been in VA a bunch, but it's at least in the DC suburbs.
SigmasonicX
Member
Random thought on how Steamflogger Boss could work.
Rigger creatures can assemble a Contraption by exiling any number of "Component" artifacts that says that the assembled Contraption will have certain qualities and/or any number of Contraptions, and then put a Contraption token onto the battlefield with those qualities. Maybe to make things easier, Contraptions all start as 0/0 creatures. The key is why the creature is doing the assembling and not the player. And the solution is, the Rigger adds its own qualities to the assembled Contraption.
Like a component would be:
"This Contraption has +1/+1."
A rigger's assemble ability could be:
1R, Tap: This creature assembles a Contraption (Exile any number of Component or Contraption artifacts you control: Put a 0/0 artifact Contraption creature onto the battlefield with the text of the exiled artifacts.)
Contraptions assembled by this creature gain "This Contraption has +1/+0".
Although that last part, with the Rigger adding qualities, does have big memory issues. The fact that you exile Components should make building Contraptions using those easier to keep track of, though. Maybe Riggers just provide "until end of turn" effects.
Rigger creatures can assemble a Contraption by exiling any number of "Component" artifacts that says that the assembled Contraption will have certain qualities and/or any number of Contraptions, and then put a Contraption token onto the battlefield with those qualities. Maybe to make things easier, Contraptions all start as 0/0 creatures. The key is why the creature is doing the assembling and not the player. And the solution is, the Rigger adds its own qualities to the assembled Contraption.
Like a component would be:
"This Contraption has +1/+1."
A rigger's assemble ability could be:
1R, Tap: This creature assembles a Contraption (Exile any number of Component or Contraption artifacts you control: Put a 0/0 artifact Contraption creature onto the battlefield with the text of the exiled artifacts.)
Contraptions assembled by this creature gain "This Contraption has +1/+0".
Although that last part, with the Rigger adding qualities, does have big memory issues. The fact that you exile Components should make building Contraptions using those easier to keep track of, though. Maybe Riggers just provide "until end of turn" effects.
The Bosses text of "if a rigger would assemble one contraption it assembles two instead" makes things tough because that doesn't make much sense if you're exiling piles of components for each contraption.
Maybe it is this:
Assemble 1R Tap - Put a 1/1 Artifact Creature Contraption token into play.
But then you can have component artifacts that are something like:
Helicopter Prototype 1
Artifact
"Whenever you assemble a contraption put a +1/+1 counter on it and it has flying."
Obviously memory issues with the gaining abilities permanently though. And this is the most parasitic thing ever.
Maybe it is this:
Assemble 1R Tap - Put a 1/1 Artifact Creature Contraption token into play.
But then you can have component artifacts that are something like:
Helicopter Prototype 1
Artifact
"Whenever you assemble a contraption put a +1/+1 counter on it and it has flying."
Obviously memory issues with the gaining abilities permanently though. And this is the most parasitic thing ever.
GregLombardi
Member
This is going to look absolutely ace in foil.
The best Steamflogger Boss implementation I can think of involves a separate "Contraption" deck that you can put cards into play from by "assembling" them, probably shared between players.
This also hits the randomness element of goblins and tinkers. Of course, the cost is adding a separate deck that every match needs to have access to until the end of time.
To be honest, I feel like trying to actually build a set where Steamflogger Boss makes sense is kind of like building a crosswalk for chickens. The entire point of the card was that it was templated explicitly to make it nearly impossible to actually make functional in the game. Why forget your own jokes?
This also hits the randomness element of goblins and tinkers. Of course, the cost is adding a separate deck that every match needs to have access to until the end of time.
To be honest, I feel like trying to actually build a set where Steamflogger Boss makes sense is kind of like building a crosswalk for chickens. The entire point of the card was that it was templated explicitly to make it nearly impossible to actually make functional in the game. Why forget your own jokes?
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
That...actually sounds like a really good idea for a supplemental product, now that you mention it. No-one said it has to be standard legal. It could fill the Conspiracy slot some year
So far the spoilers haven't given any hint of how we are going to be able to cast all these eldrazi. While I'm pretty sure I'd love a format that durdles around to let me cast all these eldrazi, I'm 90% sure that won't be the case unless they do something to significantly slow down the format.
Theres no way I'm casting Ulamog, Desolation Twin, or Even Oblivion Sower in a format that has Monastery Swiftspear, into dragon fodder into Exquisite firecraft.
I guess alot of the stuff will be fleshed out in the coming weeks, just hard to see it right now; I hope they dont screw it up.
Theres no way I'm casting Ulamog, Desolation Twin, or Even Oblivion Sower in a format that has Monastery Swiftspear, into dragon fodder into Exquisite firecraft.
I guess alot of the stuff will be fleshed out in the coming weeks, just hard to see it right now; I hope they dont screw it up.
Joe Molotov
Member
But at least it can still give your Mutavault +1/0 and Haste.
Khans of Tarkir was actually pretty good at sampling bits from various cultures and regions throughout the Asian Steppe, Southeast Asia, and Southwestern Asia without resorting to the same old Eastern Asian tropes of Chinese (well...) & Japanese history. I'd be curious to have confirmation on exactly where they drew their inspiration from for various clans since it looks like they scratched out the Indian subcontinent, China, and Japan and then ran a line through Southeast Asia, up through the Tibetan Plateau, into the Asian Steppe and back down to Persia/Parthia in the west. As the block progressed and the focus was more on the non-humanoid characters I did wish for a wider variety of characters and deeper cultural sampling for each clan instead of the relatively narrow window we got for a couple of the clans. In particular, I really loved their use of the Indianized kingdoms of Southeast Asia for Sultai. Flavor-wise I'd put it something like Sultai >> Temur > Mardu > Abzan >>> Jeskai. Jeskai could have used some work. A small cast of characters posed as Kung Fu caricatures throughout the block. Meh.
It's closer to Manhattan than most of Queens.
I really liked Sarkhan's depiction in Khans of Tarkir. He looked Asian from his face to his clothing style. Then Dragons of Tarkir came and he looks like a whitewashed Messiah. I don't know what's up with the art direction. Compare Sarkhan Vol with Sarkhan the Mad too. In one he looks like an Asian warlord and in the other he looks like a larping metalhead.
acheron_xl
Member
I hope they never do contraptions. It's like the Half Life 3 of mechanics.
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
Um, NJ is a NYC suburb, and that expo center is right next to where the NY Giants and Jets play (not exactly next too as its a mile closer to NYC than the stadium)?
SigmasonicX
Member
I didn't expect this card to be reprinted with scry evergreen. But then again, it was first printed in the block that introduced scry, so who knows what they were thinking.
Anyway, it's nice to see art that doesn't include metal thigh-highs.
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
Why would you want to go into and around NYC just to play a tournament
sounds awful
sounds awful
Honestly, because there's a lot of people there in the area already, and it's a really easy trip for 50-60 million (the boswash area).
I imagine if they did an Egyptian styled block that they wouldn't redo the trickster theme so close after Xenagos, but I do like the sounds of it. African planes would be cool too, as would another visit to Chandra's homeworld
When you explicitly name it GP NYC after having multiple GP NJs, people expect it to not be in NJ.
Had they called it GP NY/NJ, there would be no issue.
I'm honestly surprised they called it the GP NJ in the first place, you're definitely right on that.
That expo center is 5 miles from the Javits center, and yeah there's no way they could have gotten the Javits (which is always booked).
SigmasonicX
Member
Probably fake, you can see that the text was pasted over existing text, which is obvious with the three floating black dots.
Yeah, the card just seems off. Espcially with the white and unrounded corners on both sides.
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
I'm saying why would you want the tournament played in the city proper
I hope I'm not the only person that wants to play a really really dumb five-colour deck in Standard. C'mon more good converge cards.
4 Soulfire Grand Master
4 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
4 Mantis Rider
1 Clever Impersonator
4 Siege Rhino
1 Torrent Elemental
2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
4 Radiant Flames
2 Abzan Charm
2 Jeskai Charm
2 Ojutai's Command
4 Bring to Light
3 Plains
1 Island
1 Mountain
2 Evolving Wilds
4 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
2 Bloodstained Mire
4 Windswept Heath
1 Prairie Falls
1 Sunken Hollow
1 Smoldering Marsh
1 Cinder Grove
1 Canopy Vista
4 Soulfire Grand Master
4 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
4 Mantis Rider
1 Clever Impersonator
4 Siege Rhino
1 Torrent Elemental
2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
4 Radiant Flames
2 Abzan Charm
2 Jeskai Charm
2 Ojutai's Command
4 Bring to Light
3 Plains
1 Island
1 Mountain
2 Evolving Wilds
4 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
2 Bloodstained Mire
4 Windswept Heath
1 Prairie Falls
1 Sunken Hollow
1 Smoldering Marsh
1 Cinder Grove
1 Canopy Vista
No seriously, why wasn't Simian Spirit Guide banned years ago? https://www.reddit.com/r/magicTCG/comments/3kemqn/my_accidental_turn_1_modern_win/
Seven-card turn 1 combos are the new meta.
divisionbyzorro
Member
Because pro players (the ones who have opinions that matter) have byes and never run into this kind of inconsistent bullshit in tournaments.
The only reason I can think of is that they didn't want to ban out that terrible Ad Nauseum deck and upset the 10s of players who've built it.
The card does nothing but randomly accelerate combo decks like Living End up a turn. (see also: Anything involving Goryo's) It's a card with only negatives for the format.
divisionbyzorro
Member
That deck has put up good results in the hand of one pilot: Boettcher.
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
I have won a game on turn 1 on the play once.
Hand:
Mox Ruby
Mox Sapphire
Force of Will
Ponder
Voltaic Key
Time Vault
Black Lotus
Hand:
Mox Ruby
Mox Sapphire
Force of Will
Ponder
Voltaic Key
Time Vault
Black Lotus
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
Also, Leagues are up on MTGO, I just don't know what's supposed to be interesting about them or even what they are
"God's Beard!"
Member
I like Spirit Guide in Lantern Control a lot. The deck loves dumping its hand as quick as possible and the majority of its spells are 1-3 CMC colorless cards.
I don't know if other people play Spirit Guide and Infernal Tutor in their builds, those are the main things I've changed to the stock lists.
You may have heard this one before, but I really wish MTGO was just...better.
divisionbyzorro
Member
Infernal Tutor is actually really sweet tech for that deck.
They allow you to play a single match, stop playing for the night, and then come back to your league later thereby reducing the time required for a MTGO play session. That's about all I know.
I don't know that making fringe Tier 2 decks playable is a negative.
Leagues the way they used to be...um 10? 12? years ago were fun and pretty much all I did on MTGO.
Not sure what they are doing now. These ones are constructed.
It's only doing that to combo decks, and it's not making them playable, it's giving them random nutdraws because they have access to Lotus Petal. If the decks unplayable, SSG won't help. The net effect is to speed up all the combo decks in the format that can use the card effectively, which is terrible for the format.
GoutPatrol
Forgotten in his cell
They aren't called the NJ Giants. As a person from North Jersey, it doesn't matter.
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