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[ironmang]

3) So I guess what really bothers me is that WotC won't actually publish real guidelines for behavior. On top of that, Zach actually was allowed to play - until he actually won and Drew Levin started a brigade against him. Only then the result was a ban. It feels like WotC is capitulating to a social media campaign instead of following a policy. If they don't want people convicted of violent crimes playing the game, then just say so! I certainly wouldn't be upset by that - it makes a lot of sense! But the way it's being handled right now is not right.

I agree 100%. WOTC seems content collecting money from violent criminals until they start threatening the image of the game/company.

 

[GamerKingFaiz]

Has anyone seen any retailer stocking Arena of the Planeswalkers?

I called my LGS and they said it's a "mass market" thing (i.e. only Target and Wal-Mart will stock them).

 

[Matriox]

Has anyone seen any retailer stocking Arena of the Planeswalkers?

I called my LGS and they said it's a "mass market" thing (i.e. only Target and Wal-Mart will stock them).

Didn't know this was even out. I think I have to go on a groceries run tonight so I'll check out Walmart when/if I go.

 

["God's Beard!"]

Going on Cockatrice for a bit if anybody wants to play against Elves or Lantern Control.

 

[Infinite Stars]

Since everyone seems to be doing Cockatrice, I'll add my hat to the ring.

Username is InfiniteStars. Looking to test out a few modern decks before I commit the $200+ to something that might not even work.

 

["God's Beard!"]

I need to test out Elves against some kind of dragons or mantis rider deck. I need to find some bad matchups and figure stuff out.

 

[WanderingWind]

[QUOTE="God's Beard!";170754149]I need to test out Elves against some kind of dragons or mantis rider deck. I need to find some bad matchups and figure stuff out.[/QUOTE]

If you can wait until tomorrow, I have infinite time to play this weekend. I may be able to hop on later this evening (same bad time)

 

["God's Beard!"]

If you can wait until tomorrow, I have infinite time to play this weekend. I may be able to hop on later this evening (same bad time)

Sounds good.

 

[WanderingWind]

Hey guys, if you're interested, please QUOTE and add your name to the list below. Quoting helps find the list.

Current Cockatrice playgroup:

• Ultron87
• WWind
• HeebyGB
• phazedplasma
• G.ZZZ
• Jhriad
• Truman
• Roy_Burns
• Bandini
• duxstar
• SourShoes

 

[duxstar]

[QUOTE="God's Beard!";170756300]Sounds good.[/QUOTE]

Once official spoilers are out and I can get pictures with the cards I'll brew a bunch of decks. Mostly g/w or aggro decks as those are what I generally play. I'm just a bad control deck builder though.

Do you draft on cockatrice at all?

 

[Angry Grimace]

It's so weird that every format has that one rare you open a million times. In KTK it's Flooded Strand. I have 9 of them.

I don't even buy that many packs. I got a fat pack, attended drafts and pick up a couple packs every once in a while when I swing by Target. I got three of them in Fate Reforged packs, in fact.

 

[WanderingWind]

It's so weird that every format has that one rare you open a million times. In KTK it's Flooded Strand. I have 9 of them.

I don't even buy that many packs. I got a fat pack, attended drafts and pick up a couple packs every once in a while when I swing by Target. I got three of them in Fate Reforged packs, in fact.

I opened all four of mine from a single box, which is still pretty damn good for the chase rare. I always wonder about the math behind opening rares. Are some less rare than others?

 

[Angry Grimace]

I opened all four of mine from a single box, which is still pretty damn good for the chase rare. I always wonder about the math behind opening rares. Are some less rare than others?

I doubt they'll go over 20 for a really long time if ever. There are a billion KTK fetches out there.

 

[keeblerdrow]

For Dragons of Tarkir, it's Obscuring Aether and Dragonlord's Prerogative. I have more than a double playset of each, just mostly from prize packs since the set's release.

 

[Angry Grimace]

I only opened on Polluted Delta ever though, that was at prerelease. I had to buy the rest of those.

 

[Infinite Stars]

That last Game God's Beard. That was amazing. Going to have to rebuild it to make a more competitive.

 

["God's Beard!"]

That last Game God's Beard. That was amazing. Going to have to rebuild it to make a more competitive.

Yeah, Aurelia's Fury is probably too slow without ramp for modern. Fun games.

 

[divisionbyzorro]

With complex and controversial situations, I'm a firm believer in absorbing/listening to multiple points of view and considering their opinions. Especially in cases driven by such emotional and visceral reactions.

With that in mind, some more viewpoints to hear. I don't necessarily agree or disagree with the points presented, but I'm glad to have read them.

"I am boycotting Hasbro Interactive and Wizards Organized Play." -Bob Huang
https://www.reddit.com/r/magicTCG/comments/3by9o2/i_am_boycotting_hasbro_interactive_and_wizards/

"What to do about Zach Jesse, with a little (a lot of) help from my friends." -Matt Sperling
http://sperlinggrove.blogspot.com.au/2015/07/what-to-do-about-zach-jesse-with-little.html

I keep looking for a written statement/article/something-other-than-a-tweet supporting WotC on this; I know there has to be a well-spoken member of the community writing in favor of it, but either it's not out there yet or it's just been buried in the noise.

 

[kirblar]

I'd do it, but it'd have to go up anonymously for obv reasons.

 

[manipulate]

I don't think it's at all an unreasonable ruling in the abstract, but why just him? It's indefensible if it's just this one dude, and makes it clear it's just WOTC caring about brand image/wanting to avoid having lots of shitheads on twitter yell at them. Uniform exclusion of sex offenders/violent offenders would be much less controversial.

Edit: I read his post on reddit, and it's kind of bad how he didn't say anything about the incident at all other than he was 18. There was no expression of remorse or anything. Is that due to legal reasons or something?

 

[The Technomancer]

"What to do about Zach Jesse, with a little (a lot of) help from my friends." -Matt Sperling
http://sperlinggrove.blogspot.com.au/2015/07/what-to-do-about-zach-jesse-with-little.html

As a woman, as someone who has experienced domestic violence and sexual assault, one of the ideas that has held me back from reporting is the idea that "reporting would ruin [the accused]'s life." This makes me sick to the stomach because it reinforces that idea: here is a person who has served his time, who has complied with all requirements, who appears to me to be genuinely remorseful and committed to public service...
... and he gets what is effectively a lifetime ban from the competitive Magic community when his prior conviction came to public attention due to his strong performance.
Since he has a conviction, I hesitate to bring in the rhetoric of "false rape claims," but it's going to hover around anyway. It seems to me that this ban *is* something that gives credibility to the idea that women have the power to ruin men's lives through false rape claims, which reduces the credibility of anyone who accuses someone of sexual assault (even when the evidence is sufficient to satisfy a court of law), which in turn reduces the willingness of a victim to pursue any sort of formal action.
What strikes me as especially troubling about the rhetoric that this is about "safety" is that it seems to be implying that this is somehow pro-"women in Magic" (or is a result of efforts to make tournament spaces less toxic to women in Magic). I don't see any outcome where this makes Magic tournaments more inviting to women, and a whole lot of outcomes where Magic tournaments become more *toxic* for women.”

Uhm

Hmm

 

[divisionbyzorro]

I don't think it's at all an unreasonable ruling in the abstract, but why just him? It's indefensible if it's just this one dude, and makes it clear it's just WOTC caring about brand image/wanting to avoid having lots of shitheads on twitter yell at them. Uniform exclusion of sex offenders/violent offenders would be much less controversial.

Edit: I read his post on reddit, and it's kind of bad how he didn't say anything about the incident at all other than he was 18. There was no expression of remorse or anything. Is that due to legal reasons or something?

Depending upon your perspective, it's either because he actually is a lawyer and is deliberately talking like that because he's in the business, or because he's a sociopath.

Uhm

Hmm

Yeah; I had to read her piece about three times before I figured out what she was trying to say. I'm not convinced it rings true to me. But at the same time, I can't really tell a victim of sexual assault how they should think or react.

 

[The Technomancer]

Depending upon your perspective, it's either because he actually is a lawyer and is deliberately talking like that because he's in the business, or because he's a sociopath.

Doesn't have to be a sociopath to just be shockingly insensitive

 

[divisionbyzorro]

Doesn't have to be a sociopath to just be shockingly insensitive

I don't disagree. But the rhetoric around this tends to be the extreme in either direction.

 

[manipulate]

Depending upon your perspective, it's either because he actually is a lawyer and is deliberately talking like that because he's in the business, or because he's a sociopath.

Right.. both of those are bad. I initially thought I'd just accidentally scrolled past the standard "I made a terrible decision, it was reprehensible and I make no defence for my actions etc" part of these things, but then I looked again and it just wasn't there? Just "yeah, my lawyer told me to take a plea bargain". I suppose he's intentionally trying to leave it ambiguous whether he's directly clarifying that he did it or not?

 

[The Technomancer]

Yeah; I had to read her piece about three times before I figured out what she was trying to say. I'm not convinced it rings true to me. But at the same time, I can't really tell a victim of sexual assault how they should think or react.

Yeah I dunno, I also wouldn't ever want to tell a victim of assault that their perspective is wrong or anything, but I've talked with my friends, both offline and on, who were victims of assault, and that sentiment seems so completely out of alignment with any perspective on why women don't come forward that I've ever heard from anyone else

 

[OnPoint]

Hey guys, if you're interested, please QUOTE and add your name to the list below. Quoting helps find the list.

Current Cockatrice playgroup:

• Ultron87
• WWind
• HeebyGB
• phazedplasma
• G.ZZZ
• Jhriad
• Truman
• Roy_Burns
• Bandini
• duxstar
• SourShoes
• Onpoint

Just joined Cockatrice.

Username: Onpoint

Let's play some games boys

Edit: Won't let me add WWind though. Wtf

 

[kirblar]

Hey guys, if you're interested, please QUOTE and add your name to the list below. Quoting helps find the list.

Current Cockatrice playgroup:

• Ultron87
• WWind
• HeebyGB
• phazedplasma
• G.ZZZ
• Jhriad
• Truman
• Roy_Burns
• Bandini
• duxstar
• SourShoes
  
  Add Kirblar

Add Kirblar, I'mn on there already

 

[manipulate]

Hey guys, if you're interested, please QUOTE and add your name to the list below. Quoting helps find the list.

Current Cockatrice playgroup:

• Ultron87
• WWind
• HeebyGB
• phazedplasma
• G.ZZZ
• Jhriad
• Truman
• Roy_Burns
• Bandini
• duxstar
• SourShoes

I'm sinuosity. I just downloaded it, no idea wat I'm doing. Haven't played constructed in years either

 

[Angry Grimace]

so uh there's a colorless storage land

*crickets*

 

["God's Beard!"]

Gaf's up again!

My picks for the most affecting Standard cards in Origins(no order):

Honorable Mention:

This card is nuts.

Also, Hallowed Moonlight is way better than I thought, now I realize that it counters token generators lol.

 

[Jhriad]

[QUOTE="God's Beard!";170768120]Also, Hallowed Moonlight is way better than I thought, now I realize that it counters token generators lol.[/QUOTE]

That's one of the largest applications and one of the reasons why we were mentioning stuff like Thragtusk, B/W Tokens, Twin, & Huntmaster of the Fells regarding the card's applications in Modern.

 

["God's Beard!"]

After another dozen or so games with Elves, here's the list I'm liking for now:

CoCo Krispies

29 Elves

• 4 Elvish Mystic
• 4 Gnarlroot Trapper
• 4 Elvish Visionary
• 4 Dwynen's Elite
• 4 Shaman of the Pack
• 4 Nissa, Vastwood Seer
• 1 Reclamation Sage
• 4 Sylvan Messenger

10 Spells

• 4 Collected Company
• 2 Chord of Calling
• 4 Thoughtseize

21 Lands

• 4 Llanowar Wastes
• 4 Temple of Malady
• 1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
• 9 Forest
• 3 Swamp

Sideboard(15):

• 2 Duress
• 2 Eyeblight Massacre
• 4 Eyeblight Assassin
• 1 Gilt-Leaf Winnower
• 1 Reclamation Sage
• 1 Ultimate Price
• 2 Plummet
• 1 Back to Nature
• 1 Obelisk of Urd

I'm debating whether Might of the Masses is worth running. Maybe a single Gwynen, but I haven't been happy with the card.

 

[SigmasonicX]

I like how a big deal was made out of menace being primary in black and not red, yet there is only one black menace (which sounds rather racist) card in Origins and it's at rare, with the others being a red common and uncommon. Also, a red reach card. What.

Also, Orchard Spirit reprint after MaRo complained about how "can't be blocked except by creatures with flying or reach" (psuedo-flying) shouldn't be in green.

On another note, I reached a revelation with my decks that I make to teach beginners (which I have only done once so far): enemy color decks are more interesting in this case than ally colors, especially with prowess now in red/blue. I'm remaking them right now. Black/green has more or less been settled. The structure is the way it is because I took my old black/blue deck and shoved the modifications on the end.

==(black)-green - self-mill, reanimate==
(Zombies)
1x Shambling Goblin - Creature - B - weakens creature when dies
2x Walking Corpse - Creature - 1B - vanilla creature
1x Cemetery Reaper - Creature - 1BB - boost zombies, get more from graveyard
2x Fleshbag Marauder - Creature - 2B - each creature sacrifices creature
1x Endless Ranks of the Dead - Enchantment - 2BB - get zombies
2x Gravedigger - Creature - 3B - return creature card in graveyard to hand
1x Liliana's Reaver - Creature - 2BB - deathtouch, discard, and get creature
= 10
(Other black creatures)
2x Typhoid Rats - Creature - B - good blocker
= 2
(Demons)
1x Archfiend of Depravity - Creature - 3BB - opponents can only have two creatures
1x Harvester of Souls - Creature - 4BB - draw cards when creatures die
1x Demon of Death's Gate - Creature - 6BBB - finisher
= 3
(Reanimate cards)
3x Rise from the Grave - Sorcery - 4B - reanimate creature
1x Rise of the Dark Realms - Sorcery - 7BB - reanimate all creatures
= 4
(Creature destruction)
4x Murder - Instant - 1BB - destroy creature
1x Bile Blight - Instant - BB - weaken all creatures with same name
= 5
(Other)
1x Ghoulcaller's Bell - Artifact - 1 - mill each player by one
= 1
25/37
(Green cards)
2x Elves of Deep Shadow - Creature - G - tap for B, damage to self
2x Mulch - Sorcery - 1G - self-mill for lands
2x Satyr Wayfinder - Creature - 1G - self-mill for land when enter
2x Recollect - Sorcery - 2G - return card from graveyard to hand
1x Acidic Slime - Creature - 3GG - destroy artifact/enchantment/land when enter
1x Moldgraf Monstrosity - Creature - 4GGG - big creature, reanimate things when die
1x Giant Adephage - Creature - 5GG - trample, copies self when damages player
= 11
(Artifact creature)
1x Burnished Hart - Artifact Creature - 3 - sacrifice for basic lands
= 1
12/37
8x Forest
15x Swamp

 

[GamerKingFaiz]

Didn't know this was even out. I think I have to go on a groceries run tonight so I'll check out Walmart when/if I go.

No luck, I presume?

 

[Matriox]

No luck, I presume?

Forgot to respond since my Walmart doesn't have service. No luck in rural Ohio lol.

 

[SigmasonicX]

Concerning reach in red

relentlessasrats asked: Does red have reach now?

We’re trying it out as a secondary color. Reach only being in one color has always been a bit odd versus how we treat all the other keywords.

It's odd in the sense that red usually isn't defensive, but makes sense in that red is the 4th worst at flying and thus is better suited for an ability that is just half of flying.

 

[Sequence Six]

Concerning reach in red


It's odd in the sense that red usually isn't defensive, but makes sense in that red is the 4th worst at flying and thus is better suited for an ability that is just half of flying.

I think red has a decent history of messing with flying, too, so I think reach fits.

 

[kirblar]

Planar Chaos had red reachers.

 

[SigmasonicX]

Planar Chaos had red reachers.

Planar Chaos is Planar Chaos.

 

[Angry Grimace]

Planar Chaos

There's your problem right there, son.

 

[kirblar]

I'm saying that they've tried this before is all - likely with the same idea then.

 

[Angry Grimace]

I'm saying that they've tried this before is all - likely with the same idea then.

Planar Chaos was a decade ago

 

[Sequence Six]

Functional reprint of Chaosphere, please

 

[G.ZZZ]

Planar Chaos had red reachers.

Red was the original hate fliers color in Alpha, along with green. Also, with all the giants red has, i see no problem justifying Reach in the color, on bigger creatures than green ones (thunder giants and shit have no problems reaching flying creatures). Also, just because, thunderbolt is a card.

This just because

Fuck Yo Delver and TNN R
Creature - Elemental
Protection from blue, reach
Fuck power creep with more power creep boys.
2/1

More Realistically

Spragnoth RR
Creature - Beast
Protection from blue, can't be countered.
Reach
2/2

 

[Firemind]

reach on red creatures is hella dumb

green has spiders

what's red gonna do? throw rocks?

 

[Matriox]

reach on red creatures is hella dumb

green has spiders

what's red gonna do? throw rocks?

Lightning!

 

[kirblar]

 

[charlequin]

No, what they're saying is:

WotC "Christ, we have a lot of sociopaths playing our game. Well, good riddance to the 2 people who will actually follow up on that threat. We'll try to survive."

Next week: "Check out the first leaked spoiler for BFZ. It's Nahiri. With a new hat!"

Community: "MY BODY IS READY ZOMG PREORDER NOW!!!"

Pretty much. Given the choice of two groups to piss off, I'd pick the fedora squad any day.

That said, I think WotC should really hire someone to handle PR on things like Organized Play sanctions. WotC could have announced an explicit policy that spelled out the option to ban people for PR reasons or because of past behavior that is deemed 100% unacceptable in the community (which would be useful for stuff like this, but also, say, someone who was kicked out of a different competitive game for cheating.) Probably half the people upset about this situation would have been at least a little mollified if they'd taken that approach (and the other half are mostly bad people anyway.)

Uhm, there are rings

And mana pulses through them, providing phenomenal cosmic power to the mages who can harness it

I'm not sure beyond that. It didn't get nearly the worldbuilding Kaladesh did

Yeah, I was thinking this morning while poking through the spoiler that Kaladesh got some very elaborate and comprehensive worldbuilding (suggests pretty strongly it's going to be a block in the next 3 years.)

Conversely, Vryn seemed cool when it showed up in Planechase... and then when they use it in Origins, it's all rings all the time. Rosewater even made fun of it. Dunno what happened there.

Uhm

Hmm

Sperling is kind of an awful garbage person so I'm not surprised he has random friends who will speak up secondhand to support his terrible opinions.

 

[Angry Grimace]

MTG's original bondage art

Yeah, I was thinking this morning while poking through the spoiler that Kaladesh got some very elaborate and comprehensive worldbuilding (suggests pretty strongly it's going to be a block in the next 3 years.)

Conversely, Vryn seemed cool when it showed up in Planechase... and then when they use it in Origins, it's all rings all the time. Rosewater even made fun of it. Dunno what happened there.

The chance of Vryn and Kaladesh being blocks is like 100%. The only thing that stops that from happening is if Wizards realises having an Indian-themed world completely populated by white people is sorta racist.