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[red13th]

There are now more blocks after Mirrodin than before it. :S

That's crazy,I never noticed it.
I started with 4th edition when I was like 10 (first Brazilian release). Stopped when Masques was released, came back on Ravnica and been playing a tad erratically ever since.

 

[G.ZZZ]

Mirrodin came out when i had already stopped playing like two or three times, and a lot after i sold my collection with full playset of black bordered duals for like... 10$ each ;_;

 

[manipulate]

Started during Rath cycle/Urza block.

I still treasure the art and designs from that block. Khans seems so hamfisted in comparison.

Edit: visually, anyway! Mechanically is a separate story.

 

[bigkrev]

First cards were Ice Age, but I got serious around Urza block

 

[Firemind]

The previous set's popularity is also very important; sets that people love tend to come after sets they hate. ROEx3 followed up ZZZ/ZZW, which (as I understand it) people got really sick of drafting. INNx3 followed up M12. Even M13, which gets a lot of props for being a really good core set experience and generally is considered to be a great format, came right after AVRx3. In other words, if you're given a good set after a bad set, you're likely to remember the good set as being even better than good.

This has some truth in it. I started seriously around Mercadian Masques after playing a bit during Urza block. After Mercadian Masques block came Invasion/Planeshift/Apocalypse, which I consider one of my all-time favourite limited blocks. When there was a IPA flashback draft week on modo a year or so ago though, I scrambled for playables. Only now I fully realize how much limited designing has advanced.

Personally, I think 3xROE and 3xINN are merely decent to good; 2xINN + 1xDKA is a better format since there aren't so many Spider Spawnings to come around. That deck with the right tools is nigh unbeatable. ROE unfortunately has no smaller set. It's exactly the reason why I'm not a fan of triple anything; there's not enough variance, you can pick up so many multiples of one card. ROE for example has a lot of different draft strategies, but once you're locked in one, you only need to pick up cards that are relevant to you. No one wants Kiln Fiends besides the Distortion Strike deck. No one wants defenders except the defender deck etc. It makes for stale drafting.

Triple Khans is a format where I feel they remedied some of that by designing a ton of useful cards, largely thanks to the morph mechanic, in a multicolour set. It's still possible to get multiples of one card of course, but it's not as specific as ROE. Mardu Hordechief can go into any white deck for example. not just in the warrior deck, and probably never gets cut. There's more variance in the format than usual formats with triple packs of one big set.

 

[acheron_xl]

IPA draft is so good. Multicolor blocks are a blast to draft, in general. Didn't draft much Alara block though. I came to the realization that I'm shit at drafting against the MTGO userbase sometime during Time Spiral block and haven't drafted much other than cube since.

 

[Firemind]

Shards of Alara block was a blast, both draft and sealed. As a general rule, any limited format where you can run five colours relatively easy is bloody fun. I remember I casted various Ultimatums to varying degrees of succes. Good times.

I forgot to mention one example that highlights why triple ROE is busted. In Khans, Mardu Hordechief on its own is merely a good card on curve and a fantastic card in the warriors deck. In Rise of Eldrazi, Dawnglare Invoker is an efficient creature with evasion in the early game and a backbreaking creature that dominates the board in the late game. At common. That is just unacceptable, especially in a format with umbras and light removal. I won my fair share of ROE drafts, but that doesn't mean it's not busted.

 

[Kerrinck]

I used to run this in my old red Covetous Dragon/Karn/Wildfire deck. It reminds me that not only have they just weakened targeted land destruction, they've really scaled back mana denial in general. Urza's/Masques standard was just sick with it. Helix, Static Orb, Rishadan Port, Tangle Wire, Parallax Tide, etc...

Don't forget Rising Waters. That alongside free counters and Gush made for one of the most boring decks to ever play against rivaling even stasis.
Still one of the most perfect flavor text to ever describe a card's power.

 

[SigmasonicX]

The new Latest Developments article has some interesting information. Notably, a goal of Dark Deals was to potentially make Waste Not more competitive, which I'm surprised I didn't realize was a good combo.

+

Also, there is hinting that Sultai Emissary plays well with a Dragons of Tarkir mechanic. A mechanic that cares about creatures in your graveyard?

And Soulfire Grand Master originally exiled your spells and allowed you to cast them from exile once.

 

[bigkrev]

I really wish stores were allowed to run 10PM "Midnight" pre-releases. It seems like movie theaters have started to do this, but I would love to be able to play in a late night pre-release and not have it fuck up my sleep schedule for a weekend to do so.

 

[divisionbyzorro]

Bold prediction: the Sultai mechanic for DTK is Morbid (or some variant of that).

 

[kirblar]

Bold prediction: the Sultai mechanic for DTK is Morbid (or some variant of that).

Morbid would make sense given that R, Sac Bolt.

 

[ultron87]

I was considering not midnight prereleasing tonight and just doing a Saturday and Sunday one, but then I'm like "hmm, one more chance at that Ugin's Fate lottery".

 

[SigmasonicX]

I don't think they'd give one of the not!clans a returning mechanic when we know that Mardu and Abzan have new ones already.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

I can't remember, to get the cards via pre-release, you have to be in a tourney right? Or can you just go to the shop and buy the packs?

 

[kirblar]

I can't remember, to get the cards via pre-release, you have to be in a tourney right? Or can you just go to the shop and buy the packs?

It's a pre-release bonus.

 

[ultron87]

I can't remember, to get the cards via pre-release, you have to be in a tourney right? Or can you just go to the shop and buy the packs?

It's the sealed tournament or you can buy an Intro Deck (which comes with two packs) for "open dueling".

 

[divisionbyzorro]

I kinda wish I was doing more than one prerelease, but beggars can't be choosers. I'm just excited to actually get out and play some Magic in the flesh again.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

It's the sealed tournament or you can buy an Intro Deck (which comes with two packs) for "open dueling".

So it is a tourney... bleh. When is the official release of the set anyways?

 

[The Technomancer]

I can't remember, to get the cards via pre-release, you have to be in a tourney right? Or can you just go to the shop and buy the packs?

Nope, have to sign up for the events

 

[Cosmo Clock 21]

Anybody know of any good articles about what clan to choose at pre-release? Thinking about going Sultai but I don't really have a good reason for doing so lol

 

["God's Beard!"]

I hate, hate, hate that Delve isn't in the last set, but I do love Morbid.

 

[Yeef]

So it is a tourney... bleh. When is the official release of the set anyways?

A week form today. Pre-release is always the week before release.

 

[SolidSnakeUS]

A week form today. Pre-release is always the week before release.

The last pre-release I remember going to was... Kamigawa? Fifth Dawn?

 

[ultron87]

Anybody know of any good articles about what clan to choose at pre-release? Thinking about going Sultai but I don't really have a good reason for doing so lol

I think the Clan you pick will matter way less than at the Khan's prerelease. You only get one Khan's pack and your guaranteed rare will probably be monocolor. So you can probably just pick what you like and end up fine.

That said, PV's breakdown on ChannelFireball seems good: http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/fate-reforged-prerelease-guide/

 

[Matriox]

Anybody know of any good articles about what clan to choose at pre-release? Thinking about going Sultai but I don't really have a good reason for doing so lol

One I just read today by PV

EDIT: Beaten.

 

[red13th]

Anybody ever dual sleeved using KMC Perfect Size and KMC Hyper Mat? Some people say the card sticks out of the sleeve because the Hyper Mat is a tad shorter than usual sleeves but some say it fits okay.

 

[bigkrev]

Anybody know of any good articles about what clan to choose at pre-release? Thinking about going Sultai but I don't really have a good reason for doing so lol

Blue seems completely insane at common, so either Jeskai Sultai or Temur are probably where you want to be

 

[Llyrwenne]

Anybody ever dual sleeved using KMC Perfect Size and KMC Hyper Mat? Some people say the card sticks out of the sleeve because the Hyper Mat is a tad shorter than usual sleeves but some say it fits okay.

I don't know who's telling you that, because double-sleeving with KMC Perfect Size and Hyper Mats is god-like. I see no way how a card double-sleeved with them would stick out, as the Hyper Mats are specifically made to fit the Perfect Size perfectly, unlike other sleeves that are all just a tad too 'long'. If their cards are sticking out with the Perfect Size and Hyper Mat combination, they're very likely doing something wrong.

I'd happily provide some pictures of a KMC double-sleeved deck if you want to.

 

[blindrocket]

Wow, just bought a random pack.

Siege Rhino
And...
Foil Wooded Foothills!!!

 

[red13th]

I don't know who's telling you that, because double-sleeving with KMC Perfect Size and Hyper Mats is god-like. I see no way how a card double-sleeved with them would stick out, as the Hyper Mats are specifically made to fit the Perfect Size perfectly, unlike other sleeves that are all just a tad too 'long'. If their cards are sticking out with the Perfect Size and Hyper Mat combination, they're very likely doing something wrong.

I'd happily provide some pictures of a KMC double-sleeved deck if you want to.

I googled reviews and saw people saying that on Reddit. I want to try it myself but my nearest game store doesn't have black Hyper Mats, I'd have to go across town to buy them or buy blue Hyper Mats for my cube. Kinda wanted black though.

 

[SigmasonicX]

Random thought, we know that Wizards has no intention of bringing storm back to Standard anytime soon, but as metalcraft is to affinity, what if there was something like that for storm? I'm thinking something like "Stormcast -- If you cast another spell this turn, do X." (I was intending to write "Stormcraft", but this seems fine too)

Stormcast Bolt - R
Instant
Stormcast Bolt deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
Stormcast -- If you cast another spell this turn, deal 3 damage instead.

Finisher Time Warp - 3UU
Sorcery
Take an extra turn after this one.
Stormcast -- If you cast another spell this turn, tap each creature target opponent controls.

And it could appear on creatures, too:

Stormcast Looter - 2U
Creature - Fish Wizard Elemental
T: Draw a card, then discard a card.
Stormcast -- UU, T: Draw a card. Activate this ability only if you cast another spell this turn.
1/3

Stormcasttongue Kavu - 3R
Creature - Kavu
Stormcast -- When Stormcasttongue Kavu enters the battlefield, if you cast another spell this turn, then you may deal 4 damage to target creature.
4/2

 

[Llyrwenne]

I googled reviews and saw people saying that on Reddit. I want to try it myself but my nearest game store doesn't have black Hyper Mats, I'd have to go across town to buy them or buy blue Hyper Mats for my cube. Kinda wanted black though.

Perhaps they're talking about single-sleeved cards as briefly brought up in this video - http://youtu.be/46Z3-VK5R5A?t=38s ?

 

["God's Beard!"]

Hewed Stone Retainers - 3
Stormcast - Cast Hewed Stone Retainers only if you've cast another spell this turn.
4/4

Illusory Angel - 2U
Flying
Stormcast - Cast Illusory Angel only if you've cast another spell this turn.
4/4

Vengevine - 2GG
Haste
Stormcast - If you've cast two or more creatures this turn, return Vengevine from the graveyard to the battlefield.
4/3

 

[Firemind]

Yeah, seems like Jeskai is indeed the way to go. Plus, I'm pretty sure both Monastery Mentor and Soulfire Grand Master are in the Jeskai clan pack.

 

["God's Beard!"]

Torrent Elemental is in the Sultai pack, right? That and Tasigur are the only cards I want from the new set, but I also like winning.

The only weakness I've noticed so far going Jeskai:

 

[Crocodile]

Is there a big quality difference between KMC Super and Hyper MAT series of sleeves? I've never gotten a chance to compare them side by side but when I order sleeves in bulk, the Super sleeves are much cheaper and have treated me pretty well so far.

Personally, I think 3xROE and 3xINN are merely decent to good; 2xINN + 1xDKA is a better format since there aren't so many Spider Spawnings to come around. That deck with the right tools is nigh unbeatable. ROE unfortunately has no smaller set. It's exactly the reason why I'm not a fan of triple anything; there's not enough variance, you can pick up so many multiples of one card. ROE for example has a lot of different draft strategies, but once you're locked in one, you only need to pick up cards that are relevant to you. No one wants Kiln Fiends besides the Distortion Strike deck. No one wants defenders except the defender deck etc. It makes for stale drafting.

Triple Khans is a format where I feel they remedied some of that by designing a ton of useful cards, largely thanks to the morph mechanic, in a multicolour set. It's still possible to get multiples of one card of course, but it's not as specific as ROE. Mardu Hordechief can go into any white deck for example. not just in the warrior deck, and probably never gets cut. There's more variance in the format than usual formats with triple packs of one big set.

You are literally the only person, online or offline, who I've seen who likes the Innistrad format better with a pack of Dark Ascension. I think, and I feel most people would agree, is that adding additional sets to a block draft formats improves the format when the Big Set had some pretty clear and obvious deficiencies but hurts it if the Big Set was actually a robust format with strong archetype diversity and/or great gameplay. For example, Shards of Alara block improved as in Triple Shards, Naya and Bant were BY FAR the best shards unless you opened or got passed the stone nuts in the other shards. Conflux and Reborn actually had more than like 3 good Esper cards in them Triple Theros and Shadowmoor had like no removal and in Zendikar no creature could block for shit so the mere fact that later sets in the blocks added more interactive elements made things better (even if, for example, Born of the Gods was shit on a card to card basis).

Triple Innistrad was already a set with great gameplay and great deck diversity. While it was true that you could sometimes have a deck that matches up poorly with an opponent's Spider Spawning deck, that deck was far from unbeatable. Also, since that deck was SO unlike most other limited archetypes in surrounding sets that people may have ever drafted, it was a fresh and new experience. That the Spider Spawning (as well as a bunch of other archetypes) deck got worse with the DKA pack and DKA didn't really add much of interest to the format aside from the degenerate Lingering Souls and a few lords, it's not hard to see why people prefer 3x INN. As another example of a block that got worse with more sets - Lorwyn was a heavy tribal set so there really were only the 8 tribes (though each tribe often had more than one play style). However, the addition of Morningtide made certain tribes like Goblins and Giants near unplayable so deck diversity decreased and the format became worse overall. DGM was a mess of a set (fuck Cluestones) and GTC was a whiplash in speed compared to RTR so adding more sets to that format results in a jumbled mess. For Time Spiral block, Planar Chaos was filled with wonkey cards (and no good Black cards aside from a few Rebels) and Future Sight (a set with a ton of cool and sweet cards) unfortunately had Sprout Swarm at common :/

I don't know if WOTC has ever explicitly said as much but it certainly feels like 3x set formats get more internal testing than 2x +1x or 1-1-1 formats. Which isn't to say block formats can't improve with addition packs (I already discussed some examples) but when the don't, it's understandable that people get upset. To sum it up, IMO the following block formats got better/worse with more sets in the block but when block formats improved, it was more a case of later sets bringing in positive elements the former sets lacked and less a case of breaking up the influence of the commons et al. of the previous sets (though that has to happen as a default of course):

Better
Shadowmoor Block
Alara Block
Zendikar Block
Scars of Mirrodin Block
Theros Block

Worse
Lorwyn Block
Innistrad Block
Return to Ravnica Block
Time Spiral Block (though I still LOVE Future Sight as a set)

I googled reviews and saw people saying that on Reddit. I want to try it myself but my nearest game store doesn't have black Hyper Mats, I'd have to go across town to buy them or buy blue Hyper Mats for my cube. Kinda wanted black though.

Use Potmac Distribution. Fast shipping and good prices if you are buying a large number of sleeves for a Cube or something.

 

["God's Beard!"]

pls

 

[Firemind]

Triple Innistrad was already a set with great gameplay and great deck diversity. While it was true that you could sometimes have a deck that matches up poorly with an opponent's Spider Spawning deck, that deck was far from unbeatable.

One time I played t2 Invisible Stalker, t3 Butcher's Cleaver, t4 equip and I still couldn't beat the Spider Spawning deck. People often vilify Wizards for printing Invisible Stalker, but it's pretty funny I couldn't win with a 4/1 unblockable lifelink hexproof man.

Also, since that deck was SO unlike most other limited archetypes in surrounding sets that people may have ever drafted, it was a fresh and new experience. That the Spider Spawning (as well as a bunch of other archetypes) deck got worse with the DKA pack and DKA didn't really add much of interest to the format aside from the degenerate Lingering Souls and a few lords, it's not hard to see why people prefer 3x INN.

I see your point. I guess I didn't think about Lingering Souls being a problem, since I don't think I've ever played against it much less seen one in a draft.

For Time Spiral block, Planar Chaos was filled with wonkey cards (and no good Black cards aside from a few Rebels) and Future Sight (a set with a ton of cool and sweet cards) unfortunately had Sprout Swarm at common :/

Sprout Swarm was a mistake, but other than that, both Planar Chaos and Future Sight had interesting designs. Future Sight has like a billion keywords which added to the fun.

 

[red13th]

Use Potmac Distribution. Fast shipping and good prices if you are buying a large number of sleeves for a Cube or something.

International shipping rates would be murder probably.

 

[divisionbyzorro]

My favorite TPF card is Haze of Rage. Those sets had some really fun designs.

 

[The Technomancer]

I always make sure to bring at least one Planar Chaos pack whenever my friends and I potluck draft. It makes a great second pack to open

 

["God's Beard!"]

Man, I can't decide if I want Spell Pierce or Stubborn Denial in my bogles deck.

Stubborn might not be consistent enough in the midgame, but it works WAY better alongside Path to Exile.

 

[y2dvd]

Wow, just bought a random pack.

Siege Rhino
And...
Foil Wooded Foothills!!!

Yeah, but how many times have you bought a pack where your mythic rare is worth less than your uncommon?!?!

So this Tiny Leader format blew up at my lgs all of a sudden. It's kinda like mini EDH or singleton legacy as these players describes it. Y'all heard of it?

 

[red13th]

Yeah, but how many times have you bought a pack where your mythic rare is worth less than your uncommon?!?!

So this Tiny Leader format blew up at my lgs all of a sudden. It's kinda like mini EDH or singleton legacy as these players describes it. Y'all heard of it?

I googled it after Maro mentioned it in his blog a couple days ago. Piqued my interest, but the 3 CMC limit kinda threw me off, seemed too limiting. Not sure what I think about it yet. Did you try it yet? How varied are the decks?

 

[blindrocket]

Yeah, but how many times have you bought a pack where your mythic rare is worth less than your uncommon?!?!

So this Tiny Leader format blew up at my lgs all of a sudden. It's kinda like mini EDH or singleton legacy as these players describes it. Y'all heard of it?

I've had awesome luck with Kahn's. Awesome luck. Foil Sarkhan, Foil Dig through Time. But I can't pull a fourth Treasure Cruise lol

 

[Matriox]

I googled it after Maro mentioned it in his blog a couple days ago. Piqued my interest, but the 3 CMC limit kinda threw me off, seemed too limiting. Not sure what I think about it yet. Did you try it yet? How varied are the decks?

The problem I've found is since it's a competitive format (1 on 1) the amount of competitive leaders is like 30 or so out of the 100 possible. I keep trying to start a deck then get annoyed by how limiting it is so I stop lol. Alesha who smiles at Death seems really good so I might start there once I get my product.

 

["God's Beard!"]

Trying my bogles deck witb 4 gitaxian probe main and 2 stubborn denial side tonight. 1-0 so far.

 

[charlequin]

I don't know if WOTC has ever explicitly said as much but it certainly feels like 3x set formats get more internal testing than 2x +1x or 1-1-1 formats.

This is definitely true. Big sets get double the design and development time, and the 3x draft environment gets extra TLC since that's when they try to create the draft archetypes and work out the environment speed to begin with.

For Time Spiral block, Planar Chaos was filled with wonkey cards (and no good Black cards aside from a few Rebels) and Future Sight (a set with a ton of cool and sweet cards) unfortunately had Sprout Swarm at common :/

Did the format degenerate to this later on? When I played TPF it was still absurdly open just because it was a ludicrous format and took a while for people to figure it out.

So this Tiny Leader format blew up at my lgs all of a sudden. It's kinda like mini EDH or singleton legacy as these players describes it. Y'all heard of it?

Tiny Leaders is a great way to give people something to do when they get knocked out early in huge, long Commander games.

 

["God's Beard!"]

GITAXIAN PROBE SUCKS