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[bigkrev]

[QUOTE="God's Beard!";192951707]I wonder if the reason there's no new Karla Ortiz art in Battle Block is because her talents tend to lie in Innistrad's subject matter. She did mention before that Wizards loves giving her zombie commissions.

I wouldn't be surprised if she did new art for LOTV. Wizards is so confident in her painting Lili that her art was the only marketing for ORI for months.[/QUOTE]

Her art would have stuck out like a sore thumb this block, because 95% of the art is garbage.

 

[Toxi]

Her art would have stuck out like a sore thumb this block, because 95% of the art is garbage.

I think on the Eldrazi side there is some really great stuff.

But outside of the Eldrazi... Yeah, this is a very ugly block. There are very few I would rank lower.

 

["God's Beard!"]

Her art would have stuck out like a sore thumb this block, because 95% of the art is garbage.

A lot of the land and Eldrazi art is very, very good.

Oracle of Dust is one of the highest-quality pieces in all of Magic.

Kor Ally token is an embarrassment.

 

[Toxi]

[QUOTE="God's Beard!";192952130]Oracle of Dust is one of the highest-quality pieces in all of Magic.[/QUOTE]
I love how serene the image looks until you notice the bodies.

 

[OnPoint]

[QUOTE="God's Beard!";192951320]The main draw is Lovecraft's absurdly high level of eloquence. Once you get past that all of his stories are, "I'm so shocked that I can't begin to describe this thing but let me describe it to you".

I'm a huge lovecraft nut but it's hard to read multiple short stories from him back-to-back.[/QUOTE]
Got a Kindle for Xmas and the first thing I did was decide to finally read Lovecraft. I am a few short stories into the collection and so far you are absolutely correct. He definitely had a formula he regularly tapped. I like it, but I can see it eventually wearing kind of thin.

 

[Angry Grimace]

[QUOTE="God's Beard!";192951707]I wonder if the reason there's no new Karla Ortiz art in Battle Block is because her talents tend to lie in Innistrad's subject matter. She did mention before that Wizards loves giving her zombie commissions.

I wouldn't be surprised if she did new art for LOTV. Wizards is so confident in her painting Lili that her art was the only marketing for ORI for months.[/QUOTE]

They frequently hire artists in batches for specific blocks.

 

[Shuggananas]

Questions about evolving wilds, and drafting :

- Do you usually pick up just one or more if you can ? Like if you're gonna play 2 or 3 colors
- Do you count them in your 17-18 land count ?

 

[ultron87]

Questions about evolving wilds, and drafting :

- Do you usually pick up just one or more if you can ? Like if you're gonna play 2 or 3 colors
- Do you count them in your 17-18 land count ?

One is nice even if you're just two colors and it is great if you're splashing a third color. Playing with no mana fixing at all is pretty inconsistent even for just two colors, so every little bit helps. How high to pick one depends on the format and how much other mana fixing is available. For example, in triple BFZ there wasn't a ton outside of green, so Evolving Wilds was a pretty high pick. In OGW/OGW/BFZ we now have the uncommon tap duals as well, so that takes some pressure off Evolving Wilds. (Though you're seeing Wilds in the third pack anyway, so if you don't have anything yet you are more incentivized to get one.)

Definitely count it as one your lands.

 

[Shuggananas]

Okay, I had this feeling too with triple BFZ, I even tended to try to get 4 sometimes. I do count them in my land count too
What I like more for fixing in OGW is the ones that produce <> but with some extra effect, works nice as fixing especially for splashed colors

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

The value of evolving wilds goes up if you picked a waste before and intend to play colourless

 

[Imperfected]

[QUOTE="God's Beard!";192951320]The main draw is Lovecraft's absurdly high level of eloquence. Once you get past that all of his stories are, "I'm so shocked that I can't begin to describe this thing but let me describe it to you".

I'm a huge lovecraft nut but it's hard to read multiple short stories from him back-to-back.[/QUOTE]

He's also got some interesting stories based around the concept of dream worlds, but the cosmic horror stuff tends to be pretty repetitive, yeah.

Though, amusingly, his better-received works tend to be the ones about fundamentally pretty "beatable" critters. (The Call of Cthulhu, The Dunwich Horror, The Shadow Over Innsmouth.) Even though his name-recognition value in public conscience tends to get him better representation, it'd probably be more accurate for Cthulhu to be... well, kind of a crummy Rare Eldrazi in the 5CMC range. "Wilbur" probably wouldn't even rate above a 3CMC Uncommon.

I can't really think of many stories where he gets that deep into Eldrazi-style "aoens of unknowable and unstoppable horrors" that are especially popular, outside of maybe In the Mountains of Madness? That almost seems more like something that other "Mythos" writers expanded into.

 

[Angry Grimace]

Weird MTGO Beta sealed is the most random thing

 

[Jhriad]

Pulled

Foil Goblin Dark-Dweller
Nissa
Kozilek
Forbidden orchard Expedition
Kalitas
World Breaker

I would say not bad for my first ever box

Gross. So far I've opened about 70 rares/mythics from this set (including my 6 prerelease promos) and those pulls are better than pretty much everything I pulled. The only mythics I pulled are 2x Crush of Tentacles, 2x Sphinx of Bulky Bulk, and 2x Linvala. Can't forget my lucky playset of Hedron Alignment though. This set has been a value black hole so far so I'll probably cut my losses and not open any more product, including drafting, until SOI.

 

["God's Beard!"]

He's also got some interesting stories based around the concept of dream worlds, but the cosmic horror stuff tends to be pretty repetitive, yeah.

Though, amusingly, his better-received works tend to be the ones about fundamentally pretty "beatable" critters. (The Call of Cthulhu, The Dunwich Horror, The Shadow Over Innsmouth.) Even though his name-recognition value in public conscience tends to get him better representation, it'd probably be more accurate for Cthulhu to be... well, kind of a crummy Rare Eldrazi in the 5CMC range. "Wilbur" probably wouldn't even rate above a 3CMC Uncommon.

I can't really think of many stories where he gets that deep into Eldrazi-style "aoens of unknowable and unstoppable horrors" that are especially popular, outside of maybe In the Mountains of Madness? That almost seems more like something that other "Mythos" writers expanded into.

Look, any horror fiction is going to be a hit if you intro with this passage:
“The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of the infinity, and it was not meant that we should voyage far.”

H.P Lovecraft's ability to set the tone is so strong. I read a lot of contemporary fiction and I have trouble finding anything that creates anywhere near that kind of weight. I tried some of the New Weird books like the Southern Reach trilogy that try to go for some of that existential terror and it just fell pretty flat. That said, I'm not a fan of Jeff Vandermeer as an author in general. China Mieville has the ideas down and his novels are fascinating, but still lacking in the gravity I'm looking for.

 

[Ooccoo]

Gross. So far I've opened about 70 rares/mythics from this set (including my 6 prerelease promos) and those pulls are better than pretty much everything I pulled. The only mythics I pulled are 2x Crush of Tentacles, 2x Sphinx of Bulky Bulk, and 2x Linvala. Can't forget my lucky playset of Hedron Alignment though. This set has been a value black hole so far so I'll probably cut my losses and not open any more product, including drafting, until SOI.

Sphinx is not bulk.

 

[aidan]

Gross. So far I've opened about 70 rares/mythics from this set (including my 6 prerelease promos) and those pulls are better than pretty much everything I pulled. The only mythics I pulled are 2x Crush of Tentacles, 2x Sphinx of Bulky Bulk, and 2x Linvala. Can't forget my lucky playset of Hedron Alignment though. This set has been a value black hole so far so I'll probably cut my losses and not open any more product, including drafting, until SOI.

Nah, man. You got the garbage out of the way and now you're going to open Expeditions and foil Kozileks in every pack. It's just like playing a slot machine. When things look worse, you've gotta pick yourself up and go harder.

 

[alternade]

Never order from MVP Sports and games on Amazon. This is the second time i've preordered from them well in advance and the products shows up late or damaged.

 

[Jhriad]

Sphinx is not bulk.

It's only inflated temporarily until supply sates the demand, which isn't exactly high. It can potentially find a spot as the top end for some control deck but as far as mythics go, especially at prerelease prices, at or under $2 the morning after release is essentially bulk. I'm not saying it can't see a good bump if it slots into a deck but I'm not interested in holding the card when I can flip it into other things with a better chance of gains and/or broader playability.

 

[SigmasonicX]

Oath of the Gatewatch survey - Complain about the art here!

LSV wants The Great Aurora and Zendikar Resurgent to be a thing

Card stories - Goblin Dark-Dwellers started out as a blue card (4/4 with flying), but it seems that there's an active push to move "Snapcaster" cards into red.

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

I'd call it proper home.

Snapcaster should have been red in the first place

 

[Santiako]

Good, they really need to give red a bigger slice of the color pie other than burn and haste.

 

[Imperfected]

Good, they really need to give red a bigger slice of the color pie other than burn and haste.

Hey, red's got Menace, sometimes.

(I know, I know. No one cares.)

 

[RuinerPrime]

Card stories - Goblin Dark-Dwellers started out as a blue card (4/4 with flying), but it seems that there's an active push to move "Snapcaster" cards into red.

I find this really interesting on how Red in the color pie has been developing in the past two years. The use or lose card draw, Prowess & menace, hasty self exiling tokens and now this temporary flashback that I hope to see more of. Did I miss any other developments? Any other directions you want to see red or other colors to go?

 

[Ashodin]

I built the Boros boom bust deck last night. Just need more dark dwellers from packs today and we're solid!

 

[Hackworth]

So I drafted a janky three color plus colorless deck last night and won all three rounds. Praise Nissa, Voice of Zendikar!

 

[SigmasonicX]

I find this really interesting on how Red in the color pie has been developing in the past two years. The use or lose card draw, Prowess & menace, hasty self exiling tokens and now this temporary flashback that I hope to see more of. Did I miss any other developments? Any other directions you want to see red or other colors to go?

Well, menace and temporary tokens have actually been a part of red for a while, menace especially (just unnamed). I have noticed that recently, red has been getting more creatures with higher toughness than power, but with the potential of power boosting.

As for what I'd like to see, I would definitely like more cards like Goblin Dark-Dwellers and Kozilek's Return, both variations of flashback.

Other than that, I'm more interested in reclaiming old space for red.
* Red hasn't had real ritual effects for a while, but the danger lies in powering up storm decks. I think an easy solution would be to give restrictions on the mana.

Giant's Ritual - R
Instant
Add RRR to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to cast a spell with converted mana cost 4 or greater.

* Wizards doesn't want early land destruction, or returning lands to their owner's hand since the outcome isn't that different from land destruction, but I think this variation could work at sorcery speed: "Tap target land an opponent controls. It doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step."

 

[Angry Grimace]

I liked Tears of Valukut as a ridiculously obvious answer to Ojutai and Silumgar.

 

[Matriox]

Other than that, I'm more interested in reclaiming old space for red.
* Red hasn't had real ritual effects for a while, but the danger lies in powering up storm decks. I think an easy solution would be to give restrictions on the mana.

Giant's Ritual - R
Instant
Add RRR to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to cast a spell with converted mana cost 4 or greater.

If you thought bloodbraid elf wouldn't get unbanned before...

 

[RuinerPrime]

Well, menace and temporary tokens have actually been a part of red for a while, menace especially (just unnamed). I have noticed that recently, red has been getting more creatures with higher toughness than power, but with the potential of power boosting.

As for what I'd like to see, I would definitely like more cards like Goblin Dark-Dwellers and Kozilek's Return, both variations of flashback.

Other than that, I'm more interested in reclaiming old space for red.
* Red hasn't had real ritual effects for a while, but the danger lies in powering up storm decks. I think an easy solution would be to give restrictions on the mana.

Giant's Ritual - R
Instant
Add RRR to your mana pool. Spend this mana only to cast a spell with converted mana cost 4 or greater.

* Wizards doesn't want early land destruction, or returning lands to their owner's hand since the outcome isn't that different from land destruction, but I think this variation could work at sorcery speed: "Tap target land an opponent controls. It doesn't untap during its opponent's next untap step."

That is true about menace & tokens I just feel like they have been doing it a lot more in the recent years. Pushing menace as a new keyword has something to do with that.

Yeah Ritual effects are tricky and do feel very Red and/or Black. and land destruction is red but it feels like it's moving toward green with cards like Acidic Slime and the new WorldBreaker and "destroy non creature" effects. stone rain effects at least that cheap are gonna be a thing of the past. Or way to overcosted to ever see play again. efficient land D Will probably never be a thing again unless it's a ghost quarter like effect.

Ritual effects are super unique and I would love it in red exclusivity. Maybe more ritual effects on creatures etb's? but that could be too much(burning tree emissary was really strong in aggressive decks) but not impossible with using some sort of restrictions on mana.

 

[Toxi]

Card stories - Goblin Dark-Dwellers started out as a blue card (4/4 with flying), but it seems that there's an active push to move "Snapcaster" cards into red.

Thank fuck.

 

[Infinite Stars]

Oath of the Gatewatch survey - Complain about the art here!

LSV wants The Great Aurora and Zendikar Resurgent to be a thing

Card stories - Goblin Dark-Dwellers started out as a blue card (4/4 with flying), but it seems that there's an active push to move "Snapcaster" cards into red.

I'm legitimately sad over the change in Linvala, because hot Damn that'd be fun

 

[divisionbyzorro]

PVDDR explaining why banning Twin was a bad idea:

http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/why-the-twin-ban-was-a-mistake/

 

[The Technomancer]

Oath of the Gatewatch survey - Complain about the art here!

LSV wants The Great Aurora and Zendikar Resurgent to be a thing

Card stories - Goblin Dark-Dwellers started out as a blue card (4/4 with flying), but it seems that there's an active push to move "Snapcaster" cards into red.

Well I tore into them over the story stuff. A full paragraph but it concluded with "I was invested in Elspeth's story on Theros. I was interested in Sarkhan's story on Tarkir. I do not care about Jace, or Chandra, or Nissa, or Gideon"

 

[aidan]

Well I tore into them over the story stuff. A full paragraph but it concluded with "I was invested in Elspeth's story on Theros. I was interested in Sarkhan's story on Tarkir. I do not care about Jace, or Chandra, or Nissa, or Gideon"

That'll be my major criticism this time, too. Hopefully they listen. The only thing that makes any sense to me is that they've decided that the story elements draw in more YA and teen players (new money) than older/entrenched players, so they're trying to appeal to that demographic at the expense of players who enjoy and invest in the old style of storytelling.

 

[The Technomancer]

Oh my god the current Gatewatch thing feels like the writing and characters in a BioWare game

I just made that connection but it makes complete sense

 

[Toxi]

Oh my god the current Gatewatch thing feels like the writing and characters in a BioWare game

I just made that connection but it makes complete sense

Nah, BioWare writing and characters are more interesting.

...

I know what I said.

 

[aidan]

Nah, BioWare writing and characters are more interesting.

...

I know what I said.

It makes me legitimately sad that their attempt to make the writing feel less childish and more "mature" is to inject awkward sexual tension into every relationship. It's so strange after they handled Alesha's character with delicacy and maturity during Khans block. They're capable of doing better!

 

[ultron87]

That'll be my major criticism this time, too. Hopefully they listen. The only thing that makes any sense to me is that they've decided that the story elements draw in more YA and teen players (new money) than older/entrenched players, so they're trying to appeal to that demographic at the expense of players who enjoy and invest in the old style of storytelling.

I mean it seems pretty obvious that this is what they're trying to do. Most of the people already playing are going to keep playing the game whether or not the fiction appeals to them.

 

[Infinite Stars]

Well I tore into them over the story stuff. A full paragraph but it concluded with "I was invested in Elspeth's story on Theros. I was interested in Sarkhan's story on Tarkir. I do not care about Jace, or Chandra, or Nissa, or Gideon"

I 100% agree. Like, even just looking at the small lore the characters have, you totally have a decent base for characters.

Gideon feels guilt for his friend's deaths and wants to save everyone, even at his own expense(Almost like he's a white character) Chandra is afraid to develop relationships/stay in one place because she feels she's to blame for her parents murders, leading to her being quick to emotions in general(Red). If they hadn't white-washed Nissa, they could have her arc be atonement for her sins and realizing that racism isn't cool instead of pining over Ashaya.

The only one of the Gate4 that I can't stand is Jace, and that's because he doesn't have shit for a driving conflict inside himself yet. Maybe they'll give it to him in Innistrad as he realizes that he can't fix everything/be the living Guildpact while trying to save the Multiverse. If anything, I'm willing to bet that the next time we return to Ravnica there's a full on war as a result of Jace vanishing for 2-4 months.

Like, there's ways to go with the characters, to make them not so bland, but Wizards doesn't seem to get it and keeps them as shallow while trying to emphasize story.

It's especially odd because the best Uncharged Realms this Block have been the Drana stuff, or the Tazri one, or even the Noyan Dar one.

 

[Imperfected]

It makes me legitimately sad that their attempt to make the writing feel less childish and more "mature" is to inject awkward sexual tension into every relationship. It's so strange after they handled Alesha's character with delicacy and maturity during Khans block. They're capable of doing better!

The Garruk/Jace sexual tension is really phoned in.

 

[Ashodin]

Jace's problem is willing to commit to a relationship with Liliana (I stand by the rule that you don't fuck crazy)

Blue's willingness to submit to Black is questionable, since Blue wants to control everything.

 

[ultron87]

Hmm, it is snowing... but I really want to go draft.

We're only supposed to get 1-3 inches so it's not like other places that are getting an actual blizzard. It'll be fiiiiine. Probably.

 

[Yeef]

If you get snowed in, you can just draft some more.

 

[shrapnelmagnet]

Hmm, it is snowing... but I really want to go draft.

We're only supposed to get 1-3 inches so it's not like other places that are getting an actual blizzard. It'll be fiiiiine. Probably.

Get out there.

 

[Firemind]

Mana floods are the worst. Anyone who complains about mana screws have never had the displeasure of drawing half their lands by turn ten.

 

[The Technomancer]

OH GEE LOOK WHAT I JUST PULLED I GUESS I'M NOT THE SINGLE ONLY ONE OF MY FRIENDS WITHOUT AN EXPEDITION NOW

 

[shrapnelmagnet]

Mana floods are the worst. Anyone who complains about mana screws have never had the displeasure of drawing half their lands by turn ten.

Mana displeasure swings both directions just as hard, I'd say. No lands can mean gas in hand, all lands can mean draws are live. Although, I'm sure it depends on the person / deck with regards to which feels worse.

If I had to pick, I would side with you in that I'd rather be sans-land and be open to drawing out of it, rather than flooded. I think opponents are more sympathetic to mana screw than flood, too.

 

[Yeef]

Just play this after you lose to flood.

 

[TestOfTide]

Mana floods are the worst. Anyone who complains about mana screws have never had the displeasure of drawing half their lands by turn ten.

Floods are shitty, but the odds of getting mana flooded in a well constructed deck are much lower than getting mana screwed. Plus drawing more lands than you need can be useful for bluffing your opponent and/or discarding cards when your opponent makes you discard.

But if you are finding mana floods to still be a constant problem, then just replace 1-4 basic lands with evolving wilds.

 

[Firemind]

Mana displeasure swings both directions just as hard, I'd say. No lands can mean gas in hand, all lands can mean draws are live. Although, I'm sure it depends on the person / deck with regards to which feels worse.

If I had to pick, I would side with you in that I'd rather be sans-land and be open to drawing out of it, rather than flooded. I think opponents are more sympathetic to mana screw than flood, too.

At least mana screws are somewhat controllable with mulligans.

dat feeling when you're on the splinter twin plan and you open the second pack...