• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Magic: the Gathering - Oath o/t Gatewatch |OT| Look again, the mana is now diamonds!

Status
Not open for further replies.
What's the likelyhood we will see Aven Mindcensor or Slaughter Pact ever again? If anything they'll receive a Conspiracy or Modern Masters reprint and that's it.

Neither will ever show up in standard again, but it's close to 100% that both will be reprinted in a supplemental set sometime in the next, say, four years.
 

OnPoint

Member
"Ban Amulet" has reached a fever pitch not helped by Amulet displaying its ugly side at the most recent Modern events on camera. Most professional players seem pretty united in favor of getting rid of it because its un-fun and virtually impossible to interact with when it goes off.

WOTC for its part hasn't said anything, but very few people were surprised by Treasure Cruise's ban or Birthing Pod's ban last year. The only real reason not to ban Amulet of Vigor is the fact that Primeval Titan was in MM2015, but the card itself is like $10. I don't think the question is whether they're banning something from the deck, its whether the card is Amulet of Vigor (deck is completely dead and buried) or Summer Bloom (a blatantly unfair card that would just make the deck less good as opposed to necessarily killing it).

So basically, now is the time to sell out of any pricey pieces of the deck.
 
You can definitely reprint Mindcensor in a Standard without fetches.

As for Bloom, apparently it won on turn 2 through a Remand at the Open? So...yeah I have to assume somethings getting banned.
 

kirblar

Member
Bloom takes care of the busted Amulet draws, SSG ban takes care of the general "hey we're letting combo decks randomly go off a turn early for no reason" issue.
 

Daedardus

Member
As AG said, the Modern Pro Tour will cause things to spike prior to the event itself because of all the speculation about what is going to be banned/unbanned. A lot of those spec gains (E.g. SFM, SotM) are already built in since that speculation began in earnest last month and we're really close to PT Oath. A few other notable dates would be the weekends of March 4th (3 Modern GPs), May 20th (2 Modern GPs), and August 26th (3 Modern GPs). All of those will bump whatever does well. Remember, you want to buy in with a healthy bit of lead time before they start spinning up Modern interest and you're better off being patient than rushing into whatever spiked the latest event.

As for Blood Moon I'd probably hold off until the Ban announcement has been made as that probably has the highest likelihood of a ban outside of Bloom.

Thanks for the info! I will flesh out my Twins a bit then. I hope they won't ban Splinter Twins though, even though the deck isn't really that destructive. It's just popular and can compete with lots of things, but it's certainly not an unfair match up. I just wanted to play it because it's U/R and a style I like to play, not because everyone's playing it.
 

kirblar

Member
yeah but splinter twin
SFM coming in (something was pointed out to me about phrasing in the announcement that makes me pretty sure it is, w/ no Batterskull ban) is the only reason I think it's possible, given that they've been um....less than courageous on the banlist thus far.
 

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
yeah but splinter twin

The difference is that Splinter Twin is relatively easy to interact with. There are very few decks incapable of interacting with Twin. People always analyze the banlist in terms of "well the turn 4 rule guys" but that's just a guideline. Lots of cards on the banlist don't actually violate the Turn 4 rule, but are banned for being annoying or time-wasters or oppressive or impossible to interact with normally.


As for Blood Moon I'd probably hold off until the Ban announcement has been made as that probably has the highest likelihood of a ban outside of Bloom.

I really doubt Blood Moon is getting banned. It's kind of the format's Force of Will.
 
It's pretty comical how much PV hates Amulet Bloom.

NKYZx4V.png

Ban Summer Bloom
Ban Blood Moon
Ban fetchlands

free Baleful Strix and Dack Fayden

unban Mental Misstep
unban Deathrite Shaman

increase sideboard to 20 cards
 

Jhriad

Member
Thanks for the info! I will flesh out my Twins a bit then. I hope they won't ban Splinter Twins though, even though the deck isn't really that destructive. It's just popular and can compete with lots of things, but it's certainly not an unfair match up. I just wanted to play it because it's U/R and a style I like to play, not because everyone's playing it.

If Twin was even potentially on the banning block it wouldn't have been in MM2015. They have to finalize that set pretty early so they can get it to the printer and anything that's even a "maybe" near future ban wouldn't be in. Maybe for the next Pro Tour but they've got juicier targets to go after this year.

I really doubt Blood Moon is getting banned. It's kind of the format's Force of Will.

Yeah, I don't think it's public enemy number one but it's on that 'maybe' list. It's extremely unfun to play against and one of the unfair decks it's currently used to fight (Bloom) is probably going to get nuked so it isn't quite as important to keep around. It's possible it skates by until next year and they take a wait and see attitude but, despite personally needing a few copies, I'm going to avoid it until after the announcement.
 

Hero

Member
SFM coming in (something was pointed out to me about phrasing in the announcement that makes me pretty sure it is, w/ no Batterskull ban) is the only reason I think it's possible, given that they've been um....less than courageous on the banlist thus far.


What phrasing?
 
Mindcensor? That card's fine, no?

Power-level-wise it should be fine, but to reprint it in a standard set the creative would need to work and it would have to not screw with any cards or themes they want to thrive in the five blocks the card would overlap with. I kind of doubt that'll happen when they could reprint it in a supplemental set somewhere.

i would kind of like the horizon canopy cycle in standard

Given the other cards in the cycle -- Nimbus Maze is lame, Graven Cairns is already a printed cycle, and Grove of the Burnwillows and River of Tears are both gimmicks in that their mechanic mostly works on the specific color combination they already are -- I've been waiting for a while now for them to print the full Horizon Canopy cycle. They play well and it's a pretty solid choice of dual land cycle for a block where the lands don't need to support some specific theme.
 

Hero

Member
Yeah, gotcha. Makes sense, you don't release a promo for a banned card in the format you're trying to push.
 

G.ZZZ

Member
MM in modern would actually be pretty interesting and i don't think it would even be too good
given how little 1 drops the format run (hierarh , Bolt, path... Serum vision and thoughtseize too i guess). On the other hand it would be a useful card for the format, as a strong answer card to keep the stupidity in check. The 2 life cost is also more relevant when people start at 15-17 already every game. The modern Ban list in General could be way shorter and still keep the T4 rule
 

ultron87

Member
It seems fine in draft anyway. Like you're not first picking it but the Devoid/Waste deck that I'm sure exists will certainly be happy to have it.
 

kirblar

Member
MM in modern would actually be pretty interesting and i don't think it would even be too good
given how little 1 drops the format run (hierarh , Bolt, path... Serum vision and thoughtseize too i guess). On the other hand it would be a useful card for the format, as a strong answer card to keep the stupidity in check. The 2 life cost is also more relevant when people start at 15-17 already every game. The modern Ban list in General could be way shorter and still keep the T4 rule
No.
 

Hero

Member
MM in modern would actually be pretty interesting and i don't think it would even be too good
given how little 1 drops the format run (hierarh , Bolt, path... Serum vision and thoughtseize too i guess). On the other hand it would be a useful card for the format, as a strong answer card to keep the stupidity in check. The 2 life cost is also more relevant when people start at 15-17 already every game. The modern Ban list in General could be way shorter and still keep the T4 rule

Dude, what? Legacy even went to a shit-fest because of that card.
 

ironmang

Member
Dude, what? Legacy even went to a shit-fest because of that card.

Ya because 1 drops mean a lot more in legacy than modern lol. It's always good because every deck has critical 1 drops. MM isn't even that good in modern. I'm having trouble thinking of decks that would even want it.

MM for 2 drops would be broken as fuck in modern though.
 

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
MM in modern would actually be pretty interesting and i don't think it would even be too good
given how little 1 drops the format run (hierarh , Bolt, path... Serum vision and thoughtseize too i guess). On the other hand it would be a useful card for the format, as a strong answer card to keep the stupidity in check. The 2 life cost is also more relevant when people start at 15-17 already every game. The modern Ban list in General could be way shorter and still keep the T4 rule

The ban list doesn't need to be shorter. People keep forgetting how shitty diversity actually is. It just injects a fuckload of randomness to tournaments when "SURPRISE you got 2-0'd by Grishoalbrand because lol"
 

Crocodile

Member
Given the other cards in the cycle -- Nimbus Maze is lame, Graven Cairns is already a printed cycle, and Grove of the Burnwillows and River of Tears are both gimmicks in that their mechanic mostly works on the specific color combination they already are -- I've been waiting for a while now for them to print the full Horizon Canopy cycle. They play well and it's a pretty solid choice of dual land cycle for a block where the lands don't need to support some specific theme.

I'd like to see it but "always a painland" (newbie cancer) + power level (flood insurance) means WOTC might get cold feet like they so often do :(
 

ironmang

Member
The ban list doesn't need to be shorter. People keep forgetting how shitty diversity actually is. It just injects a fuckload of randomness to tournaments when "SURPRISE you got 2-0'd by Grishoalbrand because lol"

Maybe not shorter but there should be a prisoner exchange for sure. We'll give WOTC Amulet and Goryo's, they give us SFM and Jace.
 
Given the other cards in the cycle -- Nimbus Maze is lame, Graven Cairns is already a printed cycle, and Grove of the Burnwillows and River of Tears are both gimmicks in that their mechanic mostly works on the specific color combination they already are -- I've been waiting for a while now for them to print the full Horizon Canopy cycle. They play well and it's a pretty solid choice of dual land cycle for a block where the lands don't need to support some specific theme.

Personally, I think a cycle of lands like Grove could work, they seem to have a need for lifegain lands like refuges every so often, and the land itself mirrors the Caves of Koilos cycle nicely. Agreed on all other points, though. I don't know if Burnwillows is setting-agnostic enough to see multiple reprints outside of supplemental stuff.
 

noquarter

Member
The biggest problem with Mental Misstep is that everyone runs it, pretty much any deck that has a 1-drop runs it to protect that from being hit by MM. And if they don't have any they run it to hit someone else's 1-drop. WotC doesn't like seeing cards show up in every deck and that is where MM shows up, any deck that cares about any 1-drop at all.
 

ironmang

Member
The biggest problem with Mental Misstep is that everyone runs it, pretty much any deck that has a 1-drop runs it to protect that from being hit by MM. And if they don't have any they run it to hit someone else's 1-drop. WotC doesn't like seeing cards show up in every deck and that is where MM shows up, any deck that cares about any 1-drop at all.

The quality of 1 drops in modern is pretty low. Most of the good ones are banned unlike legacy where they have all those 1 drops in addition to the broken pre-8th ones like Entomb and Reanimate.

You wouldn't run MM to hit or protect Noble Hierarchs and Thoughtseizes. You would to hit and protect Tops and Entombs.
 

Yeef

Member
The biggest problem with Mental Misstep is that the best way to answer it is Mental Misstep. It also answers the two most common removal spells in the format.
 

noquarter

Member
The quality of 1 drops in modern is pretty low. Most of the good ones are banned unlike legacy where they have all those 1 drops in addition to the broken pre-8th ones like Entomb and Reanimate.

You wouldn't run MM to hit or protect Noble Hierarchs and Thoughtseizes. You would to hit and protect Tops and Entombs.
If it isn't going to be run to hit anything modern it doesn't matter if it is banned or not in modern. Pretty sure it would be run because there are 1-drops and people will want to hit them and then people will 'splash' MM to hit MM.

If your talking about Legacy they banned it because every deck was running it to protect itself from it or to hit an opponent with it. They don't want to see burn be able to counter cards like Entomb without having to splash and maybe penalize itself.

The card can go in any deck and becomes a staple to every deck and WotC doesn't like that. It will never make it off the banned list because of this until WotC just says fuck it to Legacy and unbans everything except Ante cards and Chaos Orb.
 

ironmang

Member
If it isn't going to be run to hit anything modern it doesn't matter if it is banned or not in modern. Pretty sure it would be run because there are 1-drops and people will want to hit them and then people will 'splash' MM to hit MM.

If your talking about Legacy they banned it because every deck was running it to protect itself from it or to hit an opponent with it. They don't want to see burn be able to counter cards like Entomb without having to splash and maybe penalize itself.

The card can go in any deck and becomes a staple to every deck and WotC doesn't like that. It will never make it off the banned list because of this until WotC just says fuck it to Legacy and unbans everything except Ante cards and Chaos Orb.

The "MM to hit MM" is basically a meme at this point. They do that in formats that contain 1 drops worth hitting and protecting which wouldn't be modern lol. I know for sure I wouldn't play it in Affinity. And when these discussions came up in the past I said then I wouldn't run it in Scapeshift, Jund, or GW Hatebears either, all which I've had a good amount of experience with.

Yes, I know why they banned it in legacy and even said that in the post you quoted. I 100% agree with the ban in legacy and never said anything to suggest otherwise.
 

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
The "MM to hit MM" is basically a meme at this point. They do that in formats that contain 1 drops worth hitting and protecting which wouldn't be modern lol. I know for sure I wouldn't play it in Affinity. And when these discussions came up in the past I said then I wouldn't run it in Scapeshift, Jund, or GW Hatebears either, all which I've had a good amount of experience with.

Yes, I know why they banned it in legacy and even said that in the post you quoted. I 100% agree with the ban in legacy and never said anything to suggest otherwise.

The Top 5 most played spells in Modern are, in order, Lightning Bolt, Path to Exile, Serum Vision, Inquisition of Kozilek and Thoughtseize.

There's a theme there.
 

Hero

Member
The Top 5 most played spells in Modern are, in order, Lightning Bolt, Path to Exile, Serum Vision, Inquisition of Kozilek and Thoughtseize.

There's a theme there.

Clearly not a format defined by 1cc spells though.

Obviously random people on the internet know better than R&D.
 

noquarter

Member
I guess I just don't get the argument your going for in it coming off the ban list.

If you really think it won't be splashed by off color decks much than what is wrong with the conditional counters that are already legal in Modern? We've seen what happens in a non-rotating format where turn one is important, which it is in Modern to most decks but you really think the outcome would be different there?

You're right that it probably wouldn't get quite as nasty as it did in legacy, but it would still probably hit a good portion of the decks in Modern and probably most in the sideboard.

Personally I would like for them to unban it just so I could off load some of the playsets I have for a few extra dollars.
 

ironmang

Member
The Top 5 most played spells in Modern are, in order, Lightning Bolt, Path to Exile, Serum Vision, Inquisition of Kozilek and Thoughtseize.

There's a theme there.

People max out on the few 1CC spells worth playing in modern? Few decks see these cards as a reason to run MM. Tron, Scapeshift, Affinity, Burn, Bloom, GBx variants, and Grixis control really don't care about many or any of these cards and that's just off the top of my head. Decks like Storm and Living End wouldn't run it for obvious reasons too.

I guess I just don't get the argument your going for in it coming off the ban list.

If you really think it won't be splashed by off color decks much than what is wrong with the conditional counters that are already legal in Modern? We've seen what happens in a non-rotating format where turn one is important, which it is in Modern to most decks but you really think the outcome would be different there?

You're right that it probably wouldn't get quite as nasty as it did in legacy, but it would still probably hit a good portion of the decks in Modern and probably most in the sideboard.

Personally I would like for them to unban it just so I could off load some of the playsets I have for a few extra dollars.

My argument is that it shouldn't be banned, not that I think they'll ever unban it. It was just printed at an unfortunate time. Like if MM was printed now I guarantee it wouldn't be banned in modern.

I just don't see T1 being all that important in modern. Affinity doesn't run 1 drops worth caring about. Paying 2 life to MM a Guide, Swiftspear, or Nacatl isn't really some amazing play. Can't hit Path or Bolt in any meaningful way T1. Amulet should be banned so I doubt the idea of Amulet getting countered will cause outrage. If I had MM in my hand I'd likely fire it at any 1 drop they played since it's not like they'll follow it up next turn with a Top or Entomb to punish me. There are powerful cards from fringe decks to hit but among the most popular decks MM is a pretty unexciting card.

I'd love for them to unban it too so I could take Affinity a crush people jamming a playset of a suboptimal card in their deck.
 

ironmang

Member
You still haven't listed any valid reasons on why it should be unbanned.

It's not broken enough to require being banned from the format of modern is my reason. I said that about 5 times LOL. How about you list me reasons, if it were printed today, that it should be banned.

Some people might want it but it's nowhere in the same ballpark as "MM will be run to counter other MMs that target my MM" that people keep spouting. The type of card I could see being a 1-2 of in a few decks.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom