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[OnPoint]

Ah yeah, I forgot that thought exiles. Isn't Reality Smasher better than Blight Herder though? (Just thinking here, I haven't played the deck so maybe not)

Something tells me having the scions to ramp is useful.

 

[kirblar]

Something tells me having the scions to ramp is useful.

And chump. It's really important.

edit: I'm getting the feeling from MaRo's replies on twitter that something else was going on behind the scenes besides the 2-block change

edit2: confirmed, something big went down that isn't public yet.

 

[SigmasonicX]

Dazzling Reflection - This is a neat effect, and it seems to be one variant of the "reverse lifelink" idea from earlier in design. To explain, an article mentioned that before they reached the idea of using C costs to represent Kozilek, they investigated having it change keywords to be their opposite.
Expedition Raptor - Wow, this is complete junk. Compare to Supply-Line Cranes, where you more often put the counter on the creature, and you can't even do that here.
Iona's Blessing - This aura seems very annoying for the enchanted creature. Also, Iona is mentioned but doesn't get a card?
Isolation Zone - I didn't expect to see this effect at common anymore.
Stoneforge Acolyte - Another example of "card draw" in white, though I suppose this is more like a restricted library search.
Wall of Resurgence - This seems really good, getting both a good blocker and an on-cost attacker.

Cultivator Drone - At first, I was wondering why the part about using the mana to "pay a cost that contains C" was included when there are no colored cards that do that, but then I realized that it refers to the triggered abilities you have to pay for.
Slip Through Space - This seems good.
Ancient Crab - I find it amusing that we're following the story of a crab that was just chilling at the Sea Gate and decided to wander elsewhere when it got destroyed.
Roiling Waters - Oh hey, the finally made a "super cantrip". It also has the odd feature that it doesn't get countered if the two creatures become invalid targets, since the player is targeted too.

Essence Depleter - I can't say I'm a fan of these plain flavor texts that just straightforwardly present a story event.
Havoc Sower - I just want to say how it's interesting how a boost of +2/+1 has a specific meaning in Magic, referring to Unholy Strength.
Kozilek's Translator - I find the name of this creature amusing.
Oblivion Strike - This seems quite good for common removal.
Visions of Brutality - Another example of the "reverse lifelink" from early design.
Grasp of Darkness - I didn't expect to see this reprint.
Tar Snare - Rather odd that we have this in the same set as Grasp of Darkness.
Untamed Hunger - This is definitely a card designed to be reprinted. Also, another example of an Unholy Strength callback.

Consuming Sinkhole - I think you guys are underestimating this in Limited, though it's still definitely a sideboard card. It's an interesting design.
Immobilizer Eldrazi - This is a neat effect. I guess the flavor is that it's making everyone's butts too heavy.
Devour in Flames - Maaaybe playable in Standard? Also, this is the first uncommon card to reference planeswalkers, I believe.
Kazuul's Toll Collector - Hey, they remembered that red can attach equipment for free sometimes! Also, another old character being referenced who doesn't get a card.
Press into Service - I'm surprised we're getting another Act of Treason effect in a small set.
Tears of Valakut - Valakut and the Sea Gate were an OTP. Who knew? Anyway, I don't think there are enough big flying creatures in Limited or Constructed for this to see play. Maybe after rotation?

Elemental Uprising - The wording here is interesting, in that the "must block" aspect is clearly there just to remind the player that you can use this to block. EDIT: Derp, it says it "must be blocked", not "must block".
Harvester Troll - Sacrifice something to turn a 2/3 for 4 into a 4/5? How about no.
Natural State - Could see Modern play?
Nissa's Judgment - It looks like green can have its creatures deal direct damage to creatures without fighting after all.

Captain's Claws - Seems like a good equipment card.

General comments:
* Support looks like junk.
* Cohort seems dull, but it might help in grindy matches.
* I'm really surprised that red didn't get any ritual effects, and that green didn't get any mana producers besides Scions.
* Green still looks pretty bad for Limited.
* The equipment available doesn't seem worth using the equipment-matters cards.

EDIT:

And chump. It's really important.

edit: I'm getting the feeling from MaRo's replies on twitter that something else was going on behind the scenes besides the 2-block change

edit2: confirmed, something big went down that isn't public yet.

Since you guys never link things,
Why Ulamog came first
Big change in how they made Magic

 

[OnPoint]

So Ob loses eh? But does he die? The cards don't seem to say...

And chump. It's really important.

edit: I'm getting the feeling from MaRo's replies on twitter that something else was going on behind the scenes besides the 2-block change

edit2: confirmed, something big went down that isn't public yet.

Wonder what it was...

 

[Yeef]

This set has reminded me just how awful all the limited removal in BfZ was.

The removal is fine in every color except for green. Black's removal was subpar for the color, but still solid overall. Small sets tend to have better removal because you're less likely to see any individual card vs. a triple-draft format.

 

[kirblar]

Hey, GB, you have a link to that comic u made about pandering to stream monsters by pretending you care about them by chance?

 

[Firemind]

So Ob loses eh? But does he die? The cards don't seem to say...



Wonder what it was...

that flavour text

 

[Joe Molotov]

Ob Nixilis: "I've prepared for every eventuality, except for fire. This is a good plan, it will work."

 

[aidan]

This seems like it could make for a fun Jeskai aggro deck:

+

 

[Firemind]

that's not rebound

 

[Infinite Stars]

If we're going nuts like that, you need to reach turn 5 to go off. Assuming you have 5 lands on turn 5, you'd have 3-4 cards in hand. Assuming you hit every turn and curve out, you'd have dealt 12? Damage by turn 5. For maximum laughter, add Titan's Strength/Defiant Strike/that one Red Haste card.

Jeskai Tokens/Aggro is looking hella sweet to me.

 

[LuciusAxelrod]

This seems like it could make for a fun Jeskai aggro deck:

Unfortunately, copying a spell is not the same as casting it, so you'd only get one prowess trigger rather than four. You'd still draw a bunch of cards, so you could get enough to get more triggers, but if you play those cards in that order then you don't even have a guaranteed kill on turn 5 if your opponent does nothing for the entire game.

 

[Jhriad]

Visions was because they were doing a promo.

The promo was more likely because Serum Visions need a reprint and promos require a LOT less lead time than a set like MM. It was left out of MM2015 so that if they felt the need to ban it, they wouldn't have just finalized design or gone to print with a banned card in the set.

 

[Giant Panda]

Um, no. They could have, if they wanted to. WOTC can do whatever the fuck they deem necessary for the health of the game and if that's sidestepping the mechanical theme of a particular set with a single, very much needed reprint, it's not going to kill anyone. Limiting themselves to things that fit mechanically and flavor-wise is unnecessarily prohibitive and, in turn, creates an increasingly unhealthy environment going forward. Such restrictions practically guarantee that a lot of cards that could use a reprint to alleviate cost concerns or supply issues will struggle to potentially find a place in new sets because those older cards might have some conflict with the story/mechanics/zodiac sign bullshit. This dogmatic insistence that everything in a set be singularly unified in design & flavor is the same lack of flexibility that's made the art in the sets too sterile.

BFZ/Oath wouldn't have been the ideal places for Inquisition of Kozilek but then they already fucked up by not putting it in the set that already had an original Zendikar block Eldrazi subtheme, MM2015. The absolute dearth of necessary reprints in recent sets has created a Modern environment that is becoming financially untenable for a lot of players and potential players.

It really would make zero sense for Inquisition to show up in BFZ block as its lack of devoid clashes mechanically with the block. It needs a reprint, and should have been in MM2, but they made the right call not putting it here.

 

[kirblar]

The promo was more likely because Serum Visions need a reprint and promos require a LOT less lead time than a set like MM. It was left out of MM2015 so that if they felt the need to ban it, they wouldn't have just finalized design or gone to print with a banned card in the set.

The promos were cards not in MM15. It was likely deliberate.

 

[Imperfected]

Ob Nixilis: "I've prepared for every eventuality, except for fire. This is a good plan, it will work."

"Bullets, my only weakness!"

 

[Haines]

I like these new cards a lot.

The 2 mana green that makes your land attack as a 4/4 and has to be blocked is so good!

Elemental uprising.

Thats my shit yo.

 

[darkside31337]

Green somehow seems even worse for limited now. Feel like they had absolutely no idea what the hell to do with green as a color this block.

 

[Haines]

Anybody else doing sunset draft tonight?

What's good tobtry and draft. I end up red blue devoid a lot.

Do allies work?

 

[ultron87]

I like any of the Grixis color decks. Red/Black is probably my favorite because I adore slowly killing someone with Nettle Drones.

 

[Shuggananas]

I liked doing black/blue devoid with processing and ingesting but without good processors it's pretty poop
red white ally is nice too imo

 

[Angry Grimace]

Ain't too proud to admit when I'm wrong I already know what I'm playing:

Deck: Oath GR Eldrazi Ramp

//Creatures
4 Hangarback Walker
2 Nissa, Vastwood Seer
4 Jaddi Offshoot
2 World Breaker
2 Dragonlord Atarka
3 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
2 Kozilek, the Great Distortion

//Planeswalker
3 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon

//Spells
4 Explosive Vegetation
3 Warping Wail
4 Nissa's Pilgrimage
3 Kozilek's Return

//Lands
9 Forest
1 Wastes
1 Mountain
1 Haven of the Spirit Dragon
4 Sanctum of Ugin
4 Shrine of the Forsaken Gods
4 Wooded Foothills

//Sideboard
1 Den Protector
1 World Breaker
1 Void Winnower
2 Den Protector
2 Rending Volley
4 Winds of Qal Sisma
1 Dragonlord Atarka
1 Kozilek's Return
2 Roast

Display deck statistics

The problem I see is that Nissa dies to Kozilek's Return, but I don't really know what else to put there. I guess Den Protector? Thoughts?

I also don't know why everyone plays 4 Wooded Foothills, it actually makes no sense to since you want to cast the Explosive Veggies in top deck mode to thin the deck but you can't thin out the Foothills. I mean, I guess you do kind of want to get red online for Return.

 

["God's Beard!"]

Ain't too proud to admit when I'm wrong I already know what I'm playing

It really is that good.

The problem I see is that Nissa dies to Kozilek's Return, but I don't really know what else to put there. I guess Den Protector? Thoughts?

If you're playing Kozilek, Warping Wail and Hangarback Walker then you can't really play zero copies of Hedron Archive. It's too good with those cards. It's basically Explosive Vegetation except the lands come into play untapped.

I don't think you need the Dragon anymore. He doesn't trigger either side of the Sanctum or Kozilek's Return's flashback and you're a little short on actual ramp.

 

[kirblar]

Confirmed development issues-

Why no Inquisition of Kozilek reprint? It's shot up to $50+ for an uncommon...

It turned out to be problematic developmentally.

The flavor isn't an issue with human clerics running around, as awkward as it'd be.

 

["God's Beard!"]

Wow, I didn't actually look at the price for IoK.

 

[kirblar]

"Set aside spot for reprint" "reprint is deemed too good" "price spike" is turning into a real ugly pattern.

 

["God's Beard!"]

More fuel for Warping Wail from /magicTCG:

"And, for what it's worth, if a Goblins player is facing down an equipped creature that can't be exiled to Wail, they can produce the Eldrazi spawn, block, and sacrifice it before damage. It prevents lifegain from Batterskull, charge counters being put on Jitte, and it can actually block a creature equipped with Sword of Fire and Ice."

 

[G.ZZZ]

Thought-Knot Seer is absurd. It's not a 3 dollar card, this is gonna be a staple in a lot of formats, get it guys. If only i could buy from magicmarket.eu fucking paypayl issues.

 

[Angry Grimace]

This is why I ate my shit and bought Inquisition at $9. I mean I got my first two by buying the Modern Event deck that had a 2 Inquisition of Kozilek, 3 Path to Exile, a Sword of Feast & Famine and an Elspeth in it. I have no fucking clue why they aren't making more of those products.

 

[bigkrev]

[QUOTE="God's Beard!";191636865]Wow, I didn't actually look at the price for IoK.[/QUOTE]

It's now more expensive than Thoughtsieze

This says a lot

 

[Angry Grimace]

It's now more expensive than Thoughtsieze

This says a lot

That's because its better than Thoughtseize and there's actually less of them around than Thoughtseize due to Theros.

Remember when they were super committed to Modern reprints and then it turned out that meant "we'll print thoughtseize once and then 10 dollar packs of mostly shit and expensive stuff at mythic"

 

[Jhriad]

The promos were cards not in MM15. It was likely deliberate.

Which is exactly what I said.

Remember when they were super committed to Modern reprints and then it turned out that meant "we'll print thoughtseize once and then 10 dollar packs of mostly shit and expensive stuff at mythic"

That's sadly really accurate.

 

[y2dvd]

My gosh, so many external playable looking cards. I'm just gonna draft every foils I can get my hands on.

 

[kirblar]

Which is exactly what I said.

No. I don't know how you can say that.

It was deliberately not in MM15 so that they could do a promo. This was almost certainly decided when MM15 was being made.

 

[Angry Grimace]

It doens't help that they've got Maro out there spewing horseshit like

mrbriancomputer asked: Will we see more reprints in sets than we did in BFZ?

It’s an issue we’re playing around with. Players responses to the reprints that were in Battle for Zendikar are very mixed.

That's because the reprints in Battle for Zendikar were Felidar Sovereign and Dragonmaster Outcast you dumb fuck. I really hope they aren't actually expecting credit for reprinting a 4 dollar uncommon in Sylvan Scrying that's used in exactly one deck

 

[hermit7]

Confirmed development issues-


The flavor isn't an issue with human clerics running around, as awkward as it'd be.

He the answers another one about this set not having reprints and how the ones they did reprint in BfZ weren't well received so they are "playing around with the idea" or some such.

When the two cards that are reprints have casual appeal at best from the last set. Felder was 10 dollars but is an edh card and dragon master is the other.

Ah beaten.

 

[Jhriad]

No. I don't know how you can say that.

It was deliberately not in MM2015. I never argued that they just magically forgot to put it in there or something. The turnaround on commissioning the art for a promo, printing it, and shipping it out is considerably shorter than the lead required to properly design and develop a set, print it, etc. It's very possible it was left out of the set to hedge against the necessity of a Serum Visions ban while the set was in final development/at the printer.

 

[kirblar]

He the answers another one about this set not having reprints and how the ones they did reprint in BfZ weren't well received so they are "playing around with the idea" or some such.

When the two cards that are reprints have casual appeal at best from the last set. Felder was 10 dollars but is an edh card and dragon master is the other.

Ah beaten.

These were actually good reprints, lol.

There is 0 chance of Visions getting banned? Why would you think that?

 

[hermit7]

These were actually good reprints, lol.

There is 0 chance of Visions getting banned? Why would you think that?

Maybe as casual cards, but he is talking about how reprints weren't well received. And the cards that are being discussed are specifically constructed playable such as inquisition and serum visions.

The last card that was reprinted in standard that had an effect on the price was what thoughtseize, and the allied fetches?

 

[kirblar]

Maybe as casual cards, but he is talking about how reprints weren't well received. And the cards that are being discussed are specifically constructed playable such as inquisition and serum visions.

The last card that was reprinted in standard that had an effect on the price was what thoughtseize, and the allied fetches?

They're not well received because they didn't actually reprint cards that NEED reprints alongside them.

Do that, complaints vanish.

 

[Jhriad]

There is 0 chance of Visions getting banned? Why would you think that?

Banning Visions is an option if certain decks like get too consistent without just nuking the entire deck. There's a reason why Ponder and Preordain are banned. Even though Visions is worse it's conceivable that it could help make a degenerate deck too consistent. Keeping it out of MM2015 and just slotting it in for a Promo later in the year (or, later next year since that's when this decision was likely made) is an easy way to play it safe if they were worried about the necessity of a ban for the Fate Reforged B&R Update.

 

[kirblar]

The problem w/ combo in Modern isn't consistency, it's speed. (Or just being oppressive and dumb, in Twin's case.)

 

["God's Beard!"]

When do we get the next Modern banlist updates?

 

[Jhriad]

[QUOTE="God's Beard!";191643573]When do we get the next Modern banlist updates?[/QUOTE]

Shouldn't it be pretty soon? I thought they put those out a little prior to the PT.

 

[kirblar]

[QUOTE="God's Beard!";191643573]When do we get the next Modern banlist updates?[/QUOTE]
Monday after next.

 

[Angry Grimace]

[QUOTE="God's Beard!";191643573]When do we get the next Modern banlist updates?[/QUOTE]

January 18th

Sell yo Primeval Titans

 

[y2dvd]

Rares aside, I think black may be the best color in this set.
Uncommons:
Essence Depleter - Drain ability
Havoc Sower - This is like the upgraded Sludge Crawler
Grasp of Darkenss - -4/-4 for BB is huge

Commons:
Kozilek's Shrieker - Free dmg or 2 for 1
Oblivion Strike - What? An unconditional exile creature card for 4cmc at common? And it's easy to splash for? High first pick.
Slaughter Drone - Deathtouch makes combats difficult.
Tar Snare - Removal/combat trick

 

[Angry Grimace]

I find MTGS to be hilarious. Dudes angry about bans arguing that Cloudpost was preemptively banned.

Cloudpost is very close to the SUPER BANNED list if its not already on it. The guy who did those Unbanned Series videos did a video on it and it was busted as fuck.

 

[divisionbyzorro]

I find MTGS to be hilarious. Dudes angry about bans arguing that Cloudpost was preemptively banned.

Cloudpost is very close to the SUPER BANNED list if its not already on it. The guy who did those Unbanned Series videos did a video on it and it was busted as fuck.

There's zero reason to unban Cloupost with Tron in the format. If you want absurd mana ramp, you can do that.

Also, yes, it's super busted.

 

[kirblar]

The only card which has gotten unbannable which was previously sacrosanct is SFM, mostly because of the Dragon Commands.