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[Crocodile]

Well at least the Temur mechanic has a name unlike the Naya one but still lame as hell :/

That seems to take some of the excitement out of Morph. Common means it'll be around a lot in Limited

Have you not played a limited format with Morph in it before? It's the type of mechanic that works best in an environment when there is a lot of it around - both Onslaught and Time Spiral block had it at all rarities.

 

[pelicansurf]

This is AWESOME. My Green Devotion shell / Ramp with Xenagod, Chandra, and Xenagos is going to welcome that red PW and maybe go RUG while we're at it. Holy shit!

 

[The Technomancer]

Oh come on is that really the Temur mechanic? I know they revisited devition and made it work, but I'm not a fan of them revisiting mechanics for "factions" like this, at least the first time each faction is out

 

[SigmasonicX]

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codist said: was the abzan mechanic changed to sorcery speed in development because it was warping the format? It seems weird to me that the clan that is supposed to be control has a keyword that can only be activated at sorcery speed.

In design, you activated outlast at the same time you attacked. Essentially you had to give up your attack to use it. The problem was because it tapped, it was confusing who was attacking and who was using outlast.

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bassimelwakil said: I was really looking forward to the Temur mechanic, and am quite disappointed that it's the Naya mechanic. I felt it was the least interesting and least fun of the Shards to play with. It's less annoying that it's a repeat and more annoying that it isn't a mechanic that basically lets your creature punch a bear. But! I love Prowess, Raid, Outlast, Delve, and Morph, so I rate you 5/6 and forgive you.

The first time you prowess into ferocious, I guarantee you will smile. You can’t just look at all the mechanics in a vacuum. It’s like saying “Flour? I’m not sure about these cookies. I’ve tasted flour before.”

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snowmancer said: I like the concept of Delve, but am afraid if its execution will deliver in KTK. You'd probably say "why don't you play it first?" and I will. However, my argument is that when Delve becomes more or less must-pay tax to make a card actually playable, it's bad. A 8cc 3/5 deathtouch? Without Delve, it's flat out bad. With it, it's acceptable, but not good. I understand things should be kept in balance, but if this way was how you'd execute Delve, I'd rather see a different mechanic for Sultai.

"Eggs? I don’t know about these cookies?" : )

This joke will make sense soon. : )

So in design, outlast was "when you declare CARDNAME as an attacker, you may instead pay X and put a +1/+1 counter on it. It is no longer attacking," or some similar wording. I'm glad they changed it. Also, both ferocious and delve will be getting a lot of support this block, for those who somehow didn't expect that. I actually didn't consider the interaction between ferocious and prowess--ferocious can appear on noncreature spells, and prowess will resolve before it does--and those clans even share two colors.

 

[Crocodile]

I love how Maro's answer to "X is shit" is always "no trust me its good, you gotta play with it". It makes sense and is fair as a reply but then just makes me remember all the times I though X was shit, played with it and then STILL thought it was shit or even shittier than I thought it would be LOL

 

[kirblar]

I love how Maro's answer to "X is shit" is always "no trust me its good, you gotta play with it". It makes sense and is fair as a reply but then just makes me remember all the times I though X was shit, played with it and then STILL thought it was shit or even shittier than I thought it would be LOL

Case in point: Tribute.

Everyone knew the mechanic wasn't good immediately, lol.

 

[red13th]

Ferocious seems very underwhelming.

 

[OnPoint]

Case in point: Tribute.

Everyone knew the mechanic wasn't good immediately, lol.

Mostly because the choices were all obvious. Maybe if they weren't afraid of pushing some power into it, it might have been ok

 

[Negator]

Is this set going to be the first in a while where it's actually worth buying boxes? I felt like the last time I mass bought boxes was when Zendikar came out.

 

[kirblar]

Mostly because the choices were all obvious. Maybe if they weren't afraid of pushing some power into it, it might have been ok

There's no way to fix the mechanic. Casual players figured out the "you get whichever option is worse" thing very quickly.

 

[OnPoint]

There's no way to fix the mechanic. Casual players figured out the "you get whichever option is worse" thing very quickly.

So make both options good. That's how you fix it.

 

[The Technomancer]

Morph is one of the best limited mechanics of all time what are you talking about

Well at least the Temur mechanic has a name unlike the Naya one but still lame as hell :/



Have you not played a limited format with Morph in it before? It's the type of mechanic that works best in an environment when there is a lot of it around - both Onslaught and Time Spiral block had it at all rarities.

Sorry I was referring to the common 1 mana artifact that negates it, at least from a knowledge perspective. At common and that cost I could see a lot of those guys floating around

 

[Yeef]

Delve

Also fetches help cast your 2+ color spells

They're going to interact great with Delve. If you've cracked three fetches so far that's essentially 3 free mana for a Delve spell

I realize fetches work with Delve, but I'm talking about specific cards, not mechanics. So far, none of the delve cards shown have been particularly playable or interesting.

The lens, for example, interacts favorably with the fetches, but doesn't really do much else, so probably won't be worth running unless morph becomes a big thing in standard.

Is this set going to be the first in a while where it's actually worth buying boxes? I felt like the last time I mass bought boxes was when Zendikar came out.

RTR was worth buying boxes for. Plenty of great cards and shocklands.

 

[ultron87]

Sorry I was referring to the common 1 mana artifact that negates it, at least from a knowledge perspective. At common and that cost I could see a lot of those guys floating around

It is almost certainly an unplayable card so I'll be happy to see my opponents running it out.

 

[kirblar]

So make both options good. That's how you fix it.

You still get whichever one's worse. That's the problem. The cards are literally designed to trick bad players, and because they put so many in the set, the bad players figured it out.

The lens is a trap card, btw. It's not actually good, but good players know that.

 

[SigmasonicX]

As a reminder, the Magic worldbuilding panel is streaming on Twitch's PAX 2 channel at 1:30 PM Pacific.

 

[Lucario]

Am I missing something? This looks like one of those crappy artifacts like Glasses of Urza.

It's complete crap. You aren't missing anything.

 

[OnPoint]

You still get whichever one's worse. That's the problem. The cards are literally designed to trick bad players, and because they put so many in the set, the bad players figured it out.

The lens is a trap card, btw. It's not actually good, but good players know that.

To me that says the mechanic is fine but the application is poor

 

[Lucario]

edit: nvm, misread a card again

 

[acheron_xl]

You still get whichever one's worse. That's the problem. The cards are literally designed to trick bad players, and because they put so many in the set, the bad players figured it out.

The lens is a trap card, btw. It's not actually good, but good players know that.

Yeah, I'd never actually play the Lens, I'm just shocked that those mechanics as a static ability on an artifact that costs 1 is a common now. It reminds me of Bojuka Bog - a card that would've been at least uncommon, and possibly rare 10 years ago.

 

[kirblar]

To me that says the mechanic is fine but the application is poor

The mechanic is not fine. Punisher cards worked (Browbeat, Devil) because the choice was "Shall we burn now, or burn later?" Trying to extend past that was a disaster.

 

[SigmasonicX]

The Khans of Tarkir trailer (on the stream) seems to have a lot more animation and CGI than the previous trailers. I guess the trailers are getting a bigger budget.

EDIT:
*Four goblins on a horse at once.
*Orcs are also in black.
*Mardu light ogres on fire and send them into battle.
*It seems like djinn will appear with lower stats than before.
*Efreet burn with internal rage, they join Jeskai to control it.
*Jeskai ride giant mantises.
*Jeskai build golems.
*Temur also have goblins and ogres, they are fuzzy.
*Temur summon elementals.
*Sultai have palaces in jungles.
*Because the Sultai are ruled by Nagas, all of their buildings have ramps.
*Sultai vampires are really creepy looking.
*Sultai have carnivorous baboons, and crocodile pits that they throw prisoners into.
*Abzan live in the desert but have expansive gardens.
*Abzan avens are vultures.
*Abzan also have orcs, who are orphans taken from successful raids on Mardu. They are black, since Abzan isn't red.
*Abzan's dog folk are jackal folk that know sandbending.

*During the run of the set, during Friday Night Magic, you can fight for a clan, and the rankings of each clan will be recorded online.

*Sorin is in this set. He was looking for Ugin to seal away the Eldrazi again.
*Ugin is legit dead, his body parts spread across a chasm.
*Sorin, Solemn Visitor: 2WB
*Ugin's Nexus: 5; hoses extra turns, get extra turn if destroyed.
*Second set is called Fate Reforged.

 

[kirblar]

The Khans of Tarkir trailer (on the stream) seems to have a lot more animation and CGI than the previous trailers. I guess the trailers are getting a bigger budget.

I'm half-convinced they moved to V4 in order to intentionally lose money in order to explain why they need a larger budget.

 

[bigkrev]

I'm half-convinced they moved to V4 in order to intentionally lose money in order to explain why they need a larger budget.

I mean, I thought they did a great job of trying to loose money with BNG and JOU!

Oh, and as stolen from Reddit, what has happened to SCG prices on Fetches since the announement

Polluted Delta 60 (from 100)
Flooded Strand 50 (from 80)
Wooded Foothills 30 (from 45)
Windswept Heath 30 (from 45)
Bloodstained Mire 30 (from 40)

Misty Rainforest 60 (from 70)
Scalding Tarn 60 (from 70)
Arid Mesa 40 (from 45)
Verdant Catacombs 40 (from 45)
Marsh Flats 30 (from 40)

ONS ones drop 25-40%, but the ZEN ones are only only dropping 15-25%

 

[Angry Grimace]

Dogfolk

 

[kirblar]

ONS ones drop 25-40%, but the ZEN ones are only only dropping 15-25%

That's about right. There's far shorter supply on the Zen ones now.

 

[bigkrev]

That's about right. There's far shorter supply on the Zen ones now.

IF they aren't also giving us the Zen ones, I could see Scalding Tarn staying stupid expensive (it's strictly better than any other fetch in Storm, and enough better than any other fetch in Twin), but the rest dropping off a bit more because of how replaceable the fetches are in Modern.

 

[Angry Grimace]

Sorin?!

 

[The Technomancer]

Yup, looks like the time travel is to go grab Ugin from the past, or at least do something with him

 

[kirblar]

 

[Angry Grimace]

Sorin looks really weird

 

[The Technomancer]

Sorin looks really weird

Sorin always looks really weird. Almost every card he's on has wonky art

 

[The Technomancer]

Shit I am loving the story implications. Ugin's tomb damps out the control of Bolas? If the storyline is about bringing Ugin back, are we going to get an awesome Ugin-Bolas face-off later down the line?

 

[bigkrev]

Love that Sorin's plus doesn't wear off till your next turn, letting you block and utilize it.

Not sure if the card is good though.

 

[kirblar]

Ugin/Bolas are likely set 3's 2 PWs.

Sorin seems really situational. Just doesn't so enough in a lot of matchups.

 

[GregLombardi]

Oooo, I misread that first ability on Sorin at first. Much better than I first thought.

 

[bigkrev]

Sorin always looks really weird. Almost every card he's on has wonky art

It's amazing they never actually used the best Sorin art on a card

 

[bigkrev]

Fates Reforged is the name of the Winter set
(sounds like a F2P iOS game)

 

[alternade]

So they travel back in time to get ugin and then BAM return to zendikar?

 

[The Technomancer]

So they travel back in time to get ugin and then BAM return to zendikar?

That's what I'm expecting. Plus the Fate Reforged art makes it clear they're breaking Bolas control over Sarkhan.

Could just be that Ugin would be a card in "the past" in set 3, and the story result is that they travel back to get the secret of his colorless mana

 

[kirblar]

So they travel back in time to get ugin and then BAM return to zendikar?

Yup.

 

["God's Beard!"]

Yesssssss sorin is my favorite character and I'm already building junk ^_^

 

[The Technomancer]

[QUOTE="God's Beard!";127871642]Yesssssss sorin is my favorite character and I'm already building junk ^_^[/QUOTE]

Sorin is pretty damn cool. I love the idea of a guy who's millennia old who just travels around the multiverse having a good time, but who still "does the right thing" (imprisons the Eldrazi, creates Avacyn) when he has to because he sees the bigger picture

 

[Angry Grimace]

[QUOTE="God's Beard!";127871642]Yesssssss sorin is my favorite character and I'm already building junk ^_^[/QUOTE]

I didn't know you were about that Vampire Sephiroth life

 

[ultron87]

So they travel back in time to get ugin and then BAM return to zendikar?

I could see Zendikar as first 2016 set. Since Tarkir is playing in that same story space they probably won't go immediately there. Have the first 2 set block be somewhere else and then go there.

 

[The Technomancer]

I could see Zendikar as first 2016 set. Since Tarkir is playing in that same story space they probably won't go immediately there. Have the first 2 set block be somewhere else and then go there.

You're right actually, the two set paradigm throws a bit of a wrench into previous predictions.

 

[kirblar]

MaRo's been hinting that they'd start to be doing more block inter-connectivity in storytelling. I think this is the start of that.

 

[Angry Grimace]

I think New Sorin is a card people will think is okay at first glance and then will become more expensive once people start playing with it, the same way Elspeth did last year. The way his +1 ability works is really good, especially in combination with something like Brimaz and he's only 4 CMC.

 

[kirblar]

I think New Sorin is a card people will think is okay at first glance and then will become more expensive once people start playing with it, the same way Elspeth did last year. The way his +1 ability works is really good, especially in combination with something like Brimaz and he's only 4 CMC.

The problem is that his +1 does nothing on its own, and his token-producing ability quickly kills him. He doesn't compare to Elspeth, Xenagos, or Nissa favorably.

 

[Angry Grimace]

The problem is that his +1 does nothing on its own, and his token-producing ability quickly kills him. He doesn't compare to Elspeth, Xenagos, or Nissa favorably.

I don't think that a vacuum is always a good way to evaluate a card. We'll see, but I think this guy will probably see some Standard play.