Easily the worst option. It implies something about the function of the cycle that isn't present. I actually had to explain to a friend why announcers were calling them that for the Open because he didn't make the connection. In his mind that would better fit the common cycle's red and white lands so he wasn't making the connection.
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Magic: the Gathering - Battle for Zendikar |OT| Lands matter (but nothing else does)
- Thread starter SigmasonicX
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Easily the worst option. It implies something about the function of the cycle that isn't present. I actually had to explain to a friend why announcers were calling them that for the Open because he didn't make the connection. In his mind that would better fit the common cycle's red and white lands so he wasn't making the connection.
Infinite Stars
Member
Battlelands totally sounds like they'd give a combat effect like the spell lands at common. If they were mana fixing, I could see the following being a cycle of dual lands(at rare, probably):
Battlelands as an idea(RW as an example):
~ ETB Tapped.
When it comes into play, you may pay RW. If you do, target creature gets Double Strike until EoT.
Tap: Add R/W to your mana pool.
I could see a cycle of these working quite well:
UR-Prowess
WB-Lifelink
GB-Deathtouch
UG-Hexproof
RW-Doublestrike(or maybe first Strike)
WG-Vigilance
GR-Trample
RB-Menace
BU-(-2/-2)
UW-Flying
If you don't pay the fee they're alright fixing wise but if you do they act as a combat bonus.
Battlelands as an idea(RW as an example):
~ ETB Tapped.
When it comes into play, you may pay RW. If you do, target creature gets Double Strike until EoT.
Tap: Add R/W to your mana pool.
I could see a cycle of these working quite well:
UR-Prowess
WB-Lifelink
GB-Deathtouch
UG-Hexproof
RW-Doublestrike(or maybe first Strike)
WG-Vigilance
GR-Trample
RB-Menace
BU-(-2/-2)
UW-Flying
If you don't pay the fee they're alright fixing wise but if you do they act as a combat bonus.
SigmasonicX
Member
The argument against tangolands is that it's too "silly" and it can be hard for people who aren't native English speakers to understand.
Battleland comes from the name of the set, Battle for Zendikar.
I'm in the pro-tango camp.
pelicansurf
Needs a Holiday on Gallifrey
I was really sad when I heard writers and commentators call them battlelands. It was probably just a bunch of writers who thought it was dumb, when they realized that they get to decide, so they called it battlelands. They probably wanted to sound cool.
Etrian Oddity
Member
Battlelands is worse at describing them than Tangolands. It makes you think of manlands, because what would a battleland do? Battle something.
Tangolands still makes so much sense, it's sad there's a very vocal temper tantrum in the pro side. Battlelands... lmao.
in re: non-native english speakers having a problem -- the game is made by native english speakers. Deal with it.
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
You can keep calling them "tangolands" if that gets your rocks off, but it doesn't look like its sticking. None of the names other than fetchlands make any sense to anyone off the name alone.
It doesn't matter if "battlelands" don't perfectly describe them for you. The underlying joke with "tangolands" is completely unfunny and not clever.
It doesn't matter if "battlelands" don't perfectly describe them for you. The underlying joke with "tangolands" is completely unfunny and not clever.
No one called them that before, so if we are going to be pedantic and try to shoehorn groking abilities into a name, those would be Fightlands.
Etrian Oddity
Member
"It takes two [basic lands] to tango" makes a thousand times fucking more sense than battleland.
Battleland = Shambling Vent = Mutavault = Lumbering Falls
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
Who cares whether it makes sense once you are explained the awful joke
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
But like, there's no explanation for Battleland whatsoever
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
they're in battle for zendikar block
or did you just think SCG coverage was saying "battlelands" for no reason at all
Just because you want it to represent the mechanic, that doesn't mean 'Battleland' doesn't make sense.
Besides, we're all battling over the name. So it makes double sense.
"God's Beard!"
Member
I'm just going with Battlelands because SCG used the term and that's the only coverage of the format so far.
They named Jeskai Black so they get a pass on the lands from me.
They named Jeskai Black so they get a pass on the lands from me.
Etrian Oddity
Member
I thought someone didn't like the name manland and was trying to pull a camp-anti-tangoland. When you first hear Battleland you think of the manlands.
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
And when you first hear the name shockland you have no fucking idea what that means; and yes, I'm calling bullshit on anyone who claims they knew right away it was a reference to Shock, the same way I'm calling bullshit on anyone who claims they would know what "tangoland" means without it being explained.
It doesn't make any difference whether it means anything at all as long as they all have the same name. The distinguishable bit is that "tangoland" relies on an unfunny joke.
Infinite Stars
Member
So, uh, not to distract from the cage match of names, but MaRo said something interesting to me at least on Blogatog regarding Gatewalkers:
http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/130507915213/you-just-mentioned-there-are-only-two-planeswalker
Could we not be getting Chandra and Jace in Gatewatch? His comment seems to imply that could be a possibility, though I have no idea who they have #5 then.
http://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/130507915213/you-just-mentioned-there-are-only-two-planeswalker
Could we not be getting Chandra and Jace in Gatewatch? His comment seems to imply that could be a possibility, though I have no idea who they have #5 then.
I bet its Nissa and Chandra, since it seems like its a big deal that Chandra came to help.
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
Jace not having a card is about as non-sensical as it gets, although I wouldn't be surprised if Jace is in the next block also along with Liliana.
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
They won't bottom out for a month or two.
Fetchlands will be on an upwards trajectory and Expeditions on a downwards one, I think.
Etrian Oddity
Member
What if instead of Jace, Chandra, or Liliana, we get a surprise
And then he finds Lili.
I can dream.
"I heard there's something here even stronger than a planeswalker."
And then he finds Lili.
I can dream.
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
Shouldn't Jace be U/W by now given that he's basically a bureaucrat?
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
Oh wait is that it? I swear I'm not joking I didn't make that connection.
SigmasonicX
Member
* Nissa is the face of the set, so she's surely getting a new card in Oath.
* Jace's presence has already been well established in the block by cards at common and uncommon in Battle for Zendikar, and he has the most popular Origins planeswalker card, so there would be less to lose in terms of communicating the story by leaving him out.
* Chandra is apparently going to play a "Han Solo at the Death Star" role by appearing suddenly to rescue everyone, and she hasn't even been referenced in Battle for Zendikar, so more will be needed to communicate that she's part of the story now. Giving her a high profile card, such as a planeswalker card (whose art appears on booster packs), would be the best way to do this.
So Jace will probably be left out.
And it's actively confusing to anyone looking at the lands. *shrug* I'll continue calling them Tangolands.
I don't understand why you think it's a joke. It's an idiom that's been common in American speech for decades to explain a simple concept and this is simply repurposing the general awareness of the phrase to a situation that's well suited to the shorthand. Some of the other names like Laglands or whatever would have been preferable to Battlelands simply to avoid the mechanical confusion.
You're like the fourth person I've seen so far that didn't make the connection. It's a common point of confusion and why the name is fucking awful. Especially as we move farther away from BFZ and the awareness of the set name fades.
blindrocket
Member
Giant Panda
Member
At my LGS tangolands have caught on, thank god. As more and more rare land cycles get printed, it will really help keeping track of them if the name is actually descriptive of what they do. The only other option I'll accept is the Discount Double Check Lands. 
I also did not get that until just now.
That is a bad name for a land that cares about other basic lands.
Nobody calls Underground River an ice land!
Most people at my store just call them "the new duals," but a handful call them tango lands.At my LGS tangolands have caught on, thank god. As more and more rare land cycles get printed, it will really help keeping track of them if the name is actually descriptive of what they do. The only other option I'll accept is the Discount Double Check Lands.
The real issue is that any name that sticks needs to convey the mechanics of the cards, which is why "battle lands" is a terrible name.
A Serious Man
Member
Call them whatever you want, everyone knows what you're talking about. This debate is approaching Deflategate levels of tiresome.
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
I just think its funny how much people really really REALLY want Tangolands to be the name
like ABU dual lands right
I've never heard anyone actually call them ABU duals except for in print. More importantly; the original duals don't have an associated mechanic. They're just lands with 2 basic land types. Every popular land cycle with a mechanic has a name that explains what that mechanic is. Shock lands shock you, filter lands filter your colors, tri lands produce 3 different colors, fetch lands fetch lands, etc.
keeblerdrow
Member
I only every really stuck with Tangolands because of the visceral man-baby reactions it got from people. I'm not a fan of "battlelands" either, and if that's what we're using going forward I'm just calling them "battletoads" instead. I'll consider it a compromise between the creative and the spikey sides of magic.
divisionbyzorro
Member
If people call them battlelands, I'll just shorten it further to "blands," because "bland" accurately describes how they feel to me.
Etrian Oddity
Member
So, new Standard, guys. How we thinking the meta is looking after the SCG results?
A Serious Man
Member
This match would have been over sooner but I -6'd Ugin to kill that Obelisk and remembered why that was a stupid idea about .04 nanoseconds after I passed priority. I'm really just posting this because no one has ever let me play to completion after 3 planeswalkers hit the table before.
Who knows. Fast, streamlined decks rolled over all the experimental 4c+ jank running clunky mana bases. Once people tweak and make the mana work, it's going to look a lot different. Milwaukee is where the tone will really be set.
Who knows. Fast, streamlined decks rolled over all the experimental 4c+ jank running clunky mana bases. Once people tweak and make the mana work, it's going to look a lot different. Milwaukee is where the tone will really be set.
I had no idea they were called battlelands until a few posts ago. It's stupid. Tangolands make the most sense.
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
Bofalands
Familienoberhauptvogel
Banned
The same how much people really really REALLY get up in airs if you call them such.
Infinite Stars
Member
4 Colour decks remain strong, but the big thing I'm noticing is that Aggro is in a fantastic spot. Yes, the 4 color decks have incredible reach but they all folded to Aggro/faster decks due to a lack of an early game. Even if you get a blocker out turn 3 on the play, Aggro can(and may have) swung for 4+ at this point.
Abzan(the deck, not cards) was surprisingly low in the top 8 IIRC, which I think stems from the issue of it's Mana base being wonky. Granted, it's the first week and we haven't seen anything beyond 1 tournament, but it's worth note.
The Megamorph Deck was surprisingly good and resillent, but I'm wondering the advantage of sticking to GW over Bant or Naya.
charlequin
Banned
These are the same people who share dumb buzzfeed articles about how selfie sticks are bad and teens should stop saying 'lit' and 'bae' because other people having fun makes their tits hurt.
Nobody calls literally any dual land set ever by the set they were in except very occasionally "Scars lands" and now this one b/c The Fun Police.
The fact that they made a big huge deal of showing off key art of four planeswalkers in the Oath marketing materials, of whom exactly three are in the block, is about on par with what a hot mess this block (and this "story!!!!" initiative) has been so far.
In fact, Rosewater is the person who has made such a huge deal about the Rule of Three (in the olden days, if it's in two sets, it needs to be in the third) and the Rule of Five (if it's in four colors, it needs to be in the fifth) and BFZ pretty flagrantly (and, again, pointlessly) violates the second.
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