The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
Has their staff changed that much since the people who were doing servicable jobs at lore and story design from like, Scars through Khans?
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Magic: the Gathering - Oath o/t Gatewatch |OT| Look again, the mana is now diamonds!
- Thread starter SigmasonicX
- Start date
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Has their staff changed that much since the people who were doing servicable jobs at lore and story design from like, Scars through Khans?
SigmasonicX
Member
The stories are still mostly fine, it's just that the person in charge of BFZ's story, Kreines, writes all of Nissa's stories and does a terrible job at it. From an earlier interview, it seems like she strongly connects to the environmental aspect, and thus decided to write bland green aesop stories with cringe-worthy segments about Nissa's strong connection to the land, which we've previously joked comes off as romantic love.
The problem is that many of them are not good at prose
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
Eh, I mean even on a plotting wise I feel like the BFZ story is less interesting than anything we've had in a while, and the focus on the five blando walkers doesn't help much. That could just be that imposed change revealing their weaknesses though
Digges' Kiora Kozilek story was really good. Its a editing/technique issue, not an issue with the specific story being told.
"God's Beard!"
Member
Chaining World Breakers gets really stupid really quick. He's really as good as I was hoping. LD is basically the game plan at this point.
Also, turn three Thought-Knot Seer off Warping Wail is pretty good too.
Also, turn three Thought-Knot Seer off Warping Wail is pretty good too.
Awesome.
The hardest part for me when doing the deck uilding in sealed is laying out my cards bc i have so many. Maybe those will help me for that. I spend so mich time sorting them that it cuts my time actually building and sleeving, but i love to look for synergies etc instead of just nosediving towards the bombs.
Infinite Stars
Member
So, is it safe to assume that SFM is getting unbanned in Modern when Bloom gets hit hard? I was able to pick up 2 Mystics for $30 each which is below what TCG has them at.
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
Tap down your opponents dudes or abuse ETB effects if you have any.
I don't think it gets unbanned. WOTC is scared of it.
Yeah, it sure sucks how much Jund has fallen by the wayside and puts up tournament results now =V
I don't think it's a "safe" assumption- but it's a card that can now more safely come off the banlist with the commands so good at countering her. (This is a pretty huge shift from a few years ago.)
but... how? red only offers bolt.
And Kolaghan's Command, and you get to run Blackcleave Cliffs.
Infinite Stars
Member
My rational for "safe" was coming from this article:
http://magic.wizards.com/en/article.../2015-world-magic-cup-faq-and-more-2015-12-04
Considering that SFM isn't in Oath, that Wizards/SCG are moving away from Legacy/Vintage coverage as a whole, and that Stoneforge, while powerful, isn't as bad as it was before, I don't see why they'd reprint it if it wasn't off the banlist for Modern.
http://magic.wizards.com/en/article.../2015-world-magic-cup-faq-and-more-2015-12-04
Mike Rosenberg said:
Considering that SFM isn't in Oath, that Wizards/SCG are moving away from Legacy/Vintage coverage as a whole, and that Stoneforge, while powerful, isn't as bad as it was before, I don't see why they'd reprint it if it wasn't off the banlist for Modern.
A thing that can really help with laying out the cards is looking over the set before hand and reading/listening to set reviews so you can quickly sort out the good and bad cards as you're opening stuff without having to sit there and read every card. The faster you can get to "here are my good/playable cards in each color" the faster you can start making decisions and tinkering with the different build options your pool presents.
Channel Fireball should also have Luis Scott Vargas' limited set reviews going up this week. Or if you have some hours you could listen to Limited Resources commons/uncommons review show whenever that goes up. They're never totally correct on rating every single card, but even just knowing "the really good uncommons are ____ and the cards you don't ever want to play are _____" can give you a good place to start from. You could certainly check out the Battle For Zendikar versions of these things since you're getting two packs of that as well.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
Asked LSV on Twitter to be sure his reviews were going up in time before the pre-release and he said "yes", so they should be soon
Infinite Stars
Member
You have to open/Draft Wastes. Luckily, they're twice as common as other basics.
SigmasonicX
Member
No, Wastes will not be available at basic land stations. You have to draft them. From articles, this was a deliberate choice to stop new players from filling their decks with more Wastes than they should, in addition to the actual reason of logistics with providing the lands to stores.
Also, the Mothership's first daily news post comes with token art.
You have to draft them.
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
[QUOTE="God's Beard!";191903294]Chaining World Breakers gets really stupid really quick. He's really as good as I was hoping. LD is basically the game plan at this point.
Also, turn three Thought-Knot Seer off Warping Wail is pretty good too.
[/QUOTE]
You missed out on the secret sideboard tech of a Chandra, Flamecaller.
Also, turn three Thought-Knot Seer off Warping Wail is pretty good too.
You missed out on the secret sideboard tech of a Chandra, Flamecaller.
"God's Beard!"
Member
She's obviously great, but I feel like GR ramp specifically is basically doing everything her abilities do and she can't be tutored off of or trigger Sanctum of Ugin. Not to mention that I only have one land that actually taps for red in my list.
No Kor Ally for Captain's Claw? BFZ's is awful.
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
I'm still skeptical of an unban but if it hits one, SFM is gonna hit Snapcaster prices for a while.
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
[QUOTE="God's Beard!";191913608]She's obviously great, but I feel like GR ramp specifically is basically doing everything her abilities do and she can't be tutored off of or trigger Sanctum of Ugin. Not to mention that I only have one land that actually taps for red in my list.[/QUOTE]
Chandra just outright wins a tokens matchup or even an aggro one for far less mana than trying to go for something like Atarka or even Ulamog. I think she's worth a slot or two in my builds. I think its a better choice than a Void Winnower given the number of dudes you already have who can trigger Sanctum/Return.
Edit: goddamn double posting, that was supposed to be an edit onto my last post because I have no idea how to use the multiquote function lmao
Chandra just outright wins a tokens matchup or even an aggro one for far less mana than trying to go for something like Atarka or even Ulamog. I think she's worth a slot or two in my builds. I think its a better choice than a Void Winnower given the number of dudes you already have who can trigger Sanctum/Return.
Edit: goddamn double posting, that was supposed to be an edit onto my last post because I have no idea how to use the multiquote function lmao
WARNING: a rant on Colorless mana , custom cards, flavor discussions, possibility of C outside of this set adn whatever else cross my drug-filled mind
Honestly i don't think colorless mana should be linked to eldrazi flavor only. It could be linked in general to "otherworldy" flavor, where some spells are colored but also have kind of special attributes that link them to colorless mana. We've used colorless mana for 25 years and no one ever told us it was special. Now that it is in mana costs, i don't see it at particularly controversial if it was treated as just another way to cost things with a more refined approach. Like GC is harder to cast than GG, GX or 1G. It can also express a sort of purity of color of the spell without having to cost like GGGG.
Also if i'm not mistaken Ugin has been defined in the lore as using colorless magic, but there are no cards tied to him with C in them so i'm a bit uncertain if he necessarily represent what C can do.
I think Theros with their Nyx theme would have worked perfectly for C +colored costs spells instead of a vague "enchantment theme", to indicate their otherwordly nature, and with its focus on the "purity" of mana (devotion could have counted C costs too or worked like "the number of colored permanents of the same color, permanents with also C in their costs count twice"). Theros scrylands would've been actually good (as in-playable in legacy/modern) if they gave C too. Also, Shadows over Innistrad with its "corrupted by Emrakul" theme in the next expansion could also give us some mixed colored-C cards, with emrakul slowly seeping in the world of innistrad represented by said cards. I imagine Emrakul's theme could be to be resilient to colored spells/effects, maybe self-color as to represent madness of self-hating after being touched by Emrakul's presence. It also differentiate it nicely from Kozilek (effects based on colorless mana), and Ulamog (exiling things and using exile as a resource)
As an example of what i mean on a imaginary SoI card:
Tormented Geist CW
Creature - Spirit
Flying, protection from white spells
2/2
Spirits and otheworldy creatures would be touched first by the influence of Emrakul , but some sentient evil creatures could volountarily search for its influence as a mean to gain power over worldy magic or simple curiosity mixed with arrogance, like vampires:
Mind-Torn Vampire 1CR
Creature - Vampire
Intimidate.
Colored spells that target this creature cost :2: more to play.
4/3
Artifacts and spell could easily be made researching Eldrazi magic by blue mages and artificers in general, like:
Search Beyond CU
Sorcery
Exile the top three cards of your library, then choose a exiled card you own and add it to your hand.
Eldritch Tome 2
Artifact
C, T: exile target card in a graveyard.
C,put a card you do not own from exile into their owner's graveyard, T: draw a card.
Literally power beyond your comphrension
As of now, i think those are the key identities of Colorless mana:
- usage of exile as a resource and exiling things both in play, hand or library. Exiling graves hasn't showed until now iirc and i like it as a sorta defining characteristic
- creation of drone/scions
- hate on colored things (emrakul, all is dust, Ugin)/affinity for non-colored things (kozilek and a tons of other cards) , or just hard to target with spells in general (reality smasher)
Less common but still seen:
- card draw (Sea-Gate ruins, both Kozileks, EndBringer) and creature P/T manipulation (Eldrazi Mimic, spatial contortion) or destruction based on P/T (warping wail)
- cheating cards into play (this was literally only on matter reshaper and it had more of a flavor of exchanging "forms").
Finally an idea for lands to fix this mana if it ever were to be a theme in a future set.
Desolated Chapel (cycle of Desolated X)
Land
T: add C to your mana pool
T: add W or B to your mana pool. Use this ability only if you control 3 or less permanents.
Yeah those are essentially tri-lands. It's a bit harder to desing C-colored lands since they'd be so close to actual basic lands in term of power level already. I definitely don't want those to be fetchable, fetches are already way too good in every format. Also as a final point, Wastes were printed with a-generically-as-possible name for a reason.
Honestly i don't think colorless mana should be linked to eldrazi flavor only. It could be linked in general to "otherworldy" flavor, where some spells are colored but also have kind of special attributes that link them to colorless mana. We've used colorless mana for 25 years and no one ever told us it was special. Now that it is in mana costs, i don't see it at particularly controversial if it was treated as just another way to cost things with a more refined approach. Like GC is harder to cast than GG, GX or 1G. It can also express a sort of purity of color of the spell without having to cost like GGGG.
Also if i'm not mistaken Ugin has been defined in the lore as using colorless magic, but there are no cards tied to him with C in them so i'm a bit uncertain if he necessarily represent what C can do.
I think Theros with their Nyx theme would have worked perfectly for C +colored costs spells instead of a vague "enchantment theme", to indicate their otherwordly nature, and with its focus on the "purity" of mana (devotion could have counted C costs too or worked like "the number of colored permanents of the same color, permanents with also C in their costs count twice"). Theros scrylands would've been actually good (as in-playable in legacy/modern) if they gave C too. Also, Shadows over Innistrad with its "corrupted by Emrakul" theme in the next expansion could also give us some mixed colored-C cards, with emrakul slowly seeping in the world of innistrad represented by said cards. I imagine Emrakul's theme could be to be resilient to colored spells/effects, maybe self-color as to represent madness of self-hating after being touched by Emrakul's presence. It also differentiate it nicely from Kozilek (effects based on colorless mana), and Ulamog (exiling things and using exile as a resource)
As an example of what i mean on a imaginary SoI card:
Tormented Geist CW
Creature - Spirit
Flying, protection from white spells
2/2
Spirits and otheworldy creatures would be touched first by the influence of Emrakul , but some sentient evil creatures could volountarily search for its influence as a mean to gain power over worldy magic or simple curiosity mixed with arrogance, like vampires:
Mind-Torn Vampire 1CR
Creature - Vampire
Intimidate.
Colored spells that target this creature cost :2: more to play.
4/3
Artifacts and spell could easily be made researching Eldrazi magic by blue mages and artificers in general, like:
Search Beyond CU
Sorcery
Exile the top three cards of your library, then choose a exiled card you own and add it to your hand.
Eldritch Tome 2
Artifact
C, T: exile target card in a graveyard.
C,put a card you do not own from exile into their owner's graveyard, T: draw a card.
Literally power beyond your comphrension
As of now, i think those are the key identities of Colorless mana:
- usage of exile as a resource and exiling things both in play, hand or library. Exiling graves hasn't showed until now iirc and i like it as a sorta defining characteristic
- creation of drone/scions
- hate on colored things (emrakul, all is dust, Ugin)/affinity for non-colored things (kozilek and a tons of other cards) , or just hard to target with spells in general (reality smasher)
Less common but still seen:
- card draw (Sea-Gate ruins, both Kozileks, EndBringer) and creature P/T manipulation (Eldrazi Mimic, spatial contortion) or destruction based on P/T (warping wail)
- cheating cards into play (this was literally only on matter reshaper and it had more of a flavor of exchanging "forms").
Finally an idea for lands to fix this mana if it ever were to be a theme in a future set.
Desolated Chapel (cycle of Desolated X)
Land
T: add C to your mana pool
T: add W or B to your mana pool. Use this ability only if you control 3 or less permanents.
Yeah those are essentially tri-lands. It's a bit harder to desing C-colored lands since they'd be so close to actual basic lands in term of power level already. I definitely don't want those to be fetchable, fetches are already way too good in every format. Also as a final point, Wastes were printed with a-generically-as-possible name for a reason.
ThLunarian
Member
I think Forsythe made a semi cryptic tweet recently that strongly suggested that SFM is staying banned. Like someone asked him "How crazy would you have to be to think SFM is coming back" (in response to the Batterskull thing) and he replied "Pretty crazy."
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
make all your money back with #mtgfinance
brb buying all the eidolon of the great revel
Infinite Stars
Member
Has Wizards ever acknowledged a ban/unban prior to the list? I've only been around for Pod ban era but I recall my friend going crazy over the pod ban.
sry but green/white dragons are more fun
Infinite Stars
Member
Gentlemen, can't we all agree that #AllColorsMatter?
(Red has the best Dragons, but Dromoka 1.0 is Dope when using Mirror Entity).
(Red has the best Dragons, but Dromoka 1.0 is Dope when using Mirror Entity).
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
A lot of stuff actually got banned at once last year with Cruise, Dig and Pod.
Pod was basically hilarious to play though. It's too bad they banned it, it policed a lot of these combo decks because it could toolbox appropriate hatebears for basically anything.
"God's Beard!"
Member
Stormchaser Mage with Twisted Image is some sweet tech.
irfaanator
Banned
is it worth trying out mtgo if I want to play standard? I had an account from awhile back but then realized I've been out of the game for so long I don't know whats going on
that's cheating
THIS. IS. EDH!~
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
Changes:
* Moved Jaddi Offshoot to the sideboard. Not as necessary with Return in the main since your game against aggro is better.
* Removed the 2 drops (Rattleclaw or Den Protector). I don't think they're necessary at this point since you can recur threats with World Breaker's ability anyways.
* Removed the white splash. The only thing it was there for was Hallowed Moonlight out of the board and Radiant Flames, but Aristocrats isn't a terribly fearsome deck to me and Return replaces Flames straight up.
Deck: Oath GR Eldrazi Ramp
//Creatures
4 Hangarback Walker
3 World Breaker
1 Oblivion Sower
2 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
2 Kozilek, the Great Distortion
//Artifact
2 Hedron Archive
//Enchantment
4 Oath of Nissa
//Planeswalker
3 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
//Spells
4 Explosive Vegetation
3 Warping Wail
4 Nissa's Pilgrimage
3 Kozilek's Return
//Lands
1 Cinder Glade
8 Forest
1 Wastes
2 Mountain
1 Haven of the Spirit Dragon
4 Sanctum of Ugin
4 Shrine of the Forsaken Gods
4 Wooded Foothills
//Sideboard
1 Thought-Knot Seer
4 Jaddi Offshoot
3 Gaea's Revenge
2 Rending Volley
1 Dragonlord Atarka
1 Kozilek's Return
1 Roast
2 Chandra, Flamecaller
Display deck statistics
* Moved Jaddi Offshoot to the sideboard. Not as necessary with Return in the main since your game against aggro is better.
* Removed the 2 drops (Rattleclaw or Den Protector). I don't think they're necessary at this point since you can recur threats with World Breaker's ability anyways.
* Removed the white splash. The only thing it was there for was Hallowed Moonlight out of the board and Radiant Flames, but Aristocrats isn't a terribly fearsome deck to me and Return replaces Flames straight up.
Deck: Oath GR Eldrazi Ramp
//Creatures
4 Hangarback Walker
3 World Breaker
1 Oblivion Sower
2 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
2 Kozilek, the Great Distortion
//Artifact
2 Hedron Archive
//Enchantment
4 Oath of Nissa
//Planeswalker
3 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
//Spells
4 Explosive Vegetation
3 Warping Wail
4 Nissa's Pilgrimage
3 Kozilek's Return
//Lands
1 Cinder Glade
8 Forest
1 Wastes
2 Mountain
1 Haven of the Spirit Dragon
4 Sanctum of Ugin
4 Shrine of the Forsaken Gods
4 Wooded Foothills
//Sideboard
1 Thought-Knot Seer
4 Jaddi Offshoot
3 Gaea's Revenge
2 Rending Volley
1 Dragonlord Atarka
1 Kozilek's Return
1 Roast
2 Chandra, Flamecaller
Display deck statisticsBoogalogist
Member
Speaking of Auriok Champion's price increase, one of the most crazy price increase i recall was Daybreak Coronet. Went from junk rare to US$40.
Do you only want to play in MTGO? It is usually cheaper than paper but can still be pretty expensive.
Personally I would only play Modern on there. Still expensive but not as bad. Can't really afford to play both though and I think paper is more fun. Have a couple bad decks i was trying on there but that is all.
irfaanator
Banned
yea just MTGO since I'm pretty busy and don't want to go out. I was thinking modern but due to the # of sets in modern don't want to really start with that
I would personally keep close to the same decklist that Jim Davis ran with minor updates.
4 Matter Reshaper
2 Eldrazi Displacer
2 Oblivion Sower
2 Dragonlord Atarka
3 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
2 Kozilek, the Great Distortion
4 Explosive Vegetation
3 Map the Wastes
4 Nissa's Pilgrimage
2 Sylvan Scrying
4 Oath's to Nissa
3 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
10 Forest
1 Mountain
1 Plains
1 Haven of the Spirit Dragon
4 Sanctum of Ugin
4 Shrine of the Forsaken Gods
4 Wooded Foothills
SB
4 Thought-Knot Seer
2 Hallowed Moonlight
3 Rending Volley
4 Kozelik's Return
1 Void Winnower
1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
Removed Hangarbacks because I expect Eldrazi Displacer will be a real thing. It hoses Hangarbacks and will deter several attacks. Looking at Otujais and Ulamogs! Can also respond to Jace's flip I think, take care of tokens, and all the good things we've already discussed. Of course, several etb will be an issue but I think Displacer will do more good than harm. Not too much synergy with our own deck admittingly, but I wanna give this a shot.
Matter Reshaper is too much value. It's a good power creature that I don't mind trading off and it can act as a pseudo-ramp spell if you hit a land. It can also hit Displacer.
Oath's of Nissa is a big question mark. Jaddi is amazing early game vs our bad match ups but terrible late game. Oath's is at least pretty good most of the game and the chances of hitting something is really high according to CFB.
http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/oath-of-nissas-value/
I took Jaddi out of the sb because Kozelik's Return should take care of the red decks.
I just don't think World Breaker does enough and it gets outclassed by Dragonlord Atarka. Like I want no copies of WB anywhere in my decklist.
Thought-Knot Seer comes in for the slower decks.
4-color Rally is a terrible matchup for us. Thinking of bumping Hallowed Moonlight to 3 copies.
Hmm, I feel like I need to get in Warping Wail like yall. T2 token to ramp next turn sounds worth it. Maybe I should lose Oath's of Nissa?
4 Matter Reshaper
2 Eldrazi Displacer
2 Oblivion Sower
2 Dragonlord Atarka
3 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
2 Kozilek, the Great Distortion
4 Explosive Vegetation
3 Map the Wastes
4 Nissa's Pilgrimage
2 Sylvan Scrying
4 Oath's to Nissa
3 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
10 Forest
1 Mountain
1 Plains
1 Haven of the Spirit Dragon
4 Sanctum of Ugin
4 Shrine of the Forsaken Gods
4 Wooded Foothills
SB
4 Thought-Knot Seer
2 Hallowed Moonlight
3 Rending Volley
4 Kozelik's Return
1 Void Winnower
1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
Removed Hangarbacks because I expect Eldrazi Displacer will be a real thing. It hoses Hangarbacks and will deter several attacks. Looking at Otujais and Ulamogs! Can also respond to Jace's flip I think, take care of tokens, and all the good things we've already discussed. Of course, several etb will be an issue but I think Displacer will do more good than harm. Not too much synergy with our own deck admittingly, but I wanna give this a shot.
Matter Reshaper is too much value. It's a good power creature that I don't mind trading off and it can act as a pseudo-ramp spell if you hit a land. It can also hit Displacer.
Oath's of Nissa is a big question mark. Jaddi is amazing early game vs our bad match ups but terrible late game. Oath's is at least pretty good most of the game and the chances of hitting something is really high according to CFB.
http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/oath-of-nissas-value/
I took Jaddi out of the sb because Kozelik's Return should take care of the red decks.
I just don't think World Breaker does enough and it gets outclassed by Dragonlord Atarka. Like I want no copies of WB anywhere in my decklist.
Thought-Knot Seer comes in for the slower decks.
4-color Rally is a terrible matchup for us. Thinking of bumping Hallowed Moonlight to 3 copies.
Hmm, I feel like I need to get in Warping Wail like yall. T2 token to ramp next turn sounds worth it. Maybe I should lose Oath's of Nissa?
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