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[shrapnelmagnet]

That'd be nice. Tabak (like Gottlieb before him) has generally been about removing errata that changes game function even when the card is better off for it, but also been pretty willing to use reprinting to make such errata stick on sufficiently interesting cards.

That's interesting. What about when it makes the card worse? Portal has a whole bunch of "From your hand" creatures that have been changed to "Enters the battlefield". I know that with Portal, it was intended to be simple so the current Oracle is definitely in the proper "spirit".

Just bugs me on the card Mercenary Knight, since he's a great Mercenary (technically errata itself) but suffers from this drawback that hurts the Mercenary (or Rebel) Tribe specifically Of course, it'd be silly to only change only one. Still...

[Oracle: When Mercenary Knight enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you discard a creature card.]

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

Should we plunder ebay uk right about now?

conorace asked: I understand that it is good to do characters that get 9s, 10s, 1s, and 2s, I don't think that getting that same character to lead the Gatewatch every time is a good thing. Personally I don't mind Jace, but if he constantly leads Te Gatewatch and is constantly a major character, those people who rate it 1s and 2s will never get their chance.

Leading the Gatewatch? Gideon was the protagonist of Battle for Zendikar. Nissa was the protagonist for Oath of the Gatewatch. Jace is not the protagonist of Kaladesh and one could easily argue he’s not the protagonist of Eldritch Moon.

For the “it’s all Jace” crowd, no, it’s not.

Sure Maro, I guess the whole Jace comes in to save all of them with his superiority makes him a side character, that he got send to retrieve Chandra, suddenly his friend, ultimately convincing her.
No Jace isn't the protagonist whatsoever, that's why he only has double the mentions in flavour texts than any other PW (except lili who has 3/4ths of his), the most cards with his name and the most PW cards

 

["God's Beard!"]

What are the worst EDH generals from a design standpoint, anyway? And why are they all in Grixis colors?

Mono EDH-nonbo-tribal EDH deck incoming.

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

Mishra is amazing in EDH.

You play a bunch of eggs, sac them with the trigger on the stack then get them right back.
Or in combination with this card

2 artifacts for the price of one.

Phage is being played with torpor orb and plat angel

 

[Giant Panda]

I hadn't seen Brothers Yamazaki before, and lol at its "legends rule" doesn't apply phrase. Does that even technically work in the rules?

Mishra is amazing in EDH.

You play a bunch of eggs, sac them with the trigger on the stack then get them right back.

How does this work? Won't the trigger be off the stack before the eggs ever enter the battlefield, thus offering no chance to sac them?

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

I hadn't seen Brothers Yamazaki before, and lol at its "legends rule" doesn't apply phrase. Does that even technically work in the rules?



How does this work? Won't the trigger be off the stack before the eggs ever enter the battlefield, thus offering no chance to sac them?

Yeah you're right it's an on cast trigger what I mixed it up with were the combo with these cards

your artifacts gets countered and then you get them from the GY which makes them uncounterable cheaper and/or taxes the opponents


Cards can ignore rl'es when they say so, so it works, but edh is still singleton and they don't have the clause allowing any number

there's even 2 arts of them

 

[Simply Sarah]

Ignoring the legend rule still has meaning in EDH due to the way clone effects work and also on the off chance you steal control of another copy owned by an opponent.

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

Never noticed before but the fencing design of thalia is actually consistent across different versions.

 

[The Technomancer]

Latest Developments is all about New'mrakul

Confirms a lot of what we thought: didn't even try to one-up original Emrakul for power reasons, cost reduction exists so its not literally a dead card in Limited (the...two dozen games that will matter). Some interesting stuff also though: it doesn't come stapled with removal to help differentiate it from Ulamog. Original versions did a lot of permanent stealing as well

 

[SigmasonicX]

Latest Developments is all about New'mrakul

Confirms a lot of what we thought: didn't even try to one-up original Emrakul for power reasons, cost reduction exists so its not literally a dead card in Limited (the...two dozen games that will matter). Some interesting stuff also though: it doesn't come stapled with removal to help differentiate it from Ulamog. Original versions did a lot of permanent stealing as well

Also of note:
* They were trying out an ability called "incurable", which means it can't leave the battlefield in any way besides destroying it. They said it was awkward to introduce in a small set, and they're still considering testing it out later. Presumably they wanted more time to test it.
* Emrakul did have hexproof for a bit.
* They spent a while trying out the text, "gain control of target opponent until the end of that player's next turn. After that turn, that player takes an extra turn." This turned out to be hard to implement in Magic Online, and there was a huge issue if your opponent had Emrakul too and you decided to cast it while you had control of them.

MaRo gives another reason for Emrakul appearing so soon - basically hammering in the point that block storylines can be linked.

canageek asked: Do you think that the current storyline would have been more successful if there had been some time between it and the BFZ eldrazi story, so eldrazi weren't already on everyone's minds? (Not saying it hasn't been successful overall)

As I said earlier, communicating that the blocks now connect was a major goal and one that pushed towards having them back to back.

In retrospect, the creative team feels Ugin should have been female

sorcererskatana asked: I'm personally loving all the new female planeswalkers. Can I ask for an awesome female dragon planeswalker?????

I’ve chatted with numerous creative people. If we had to do it over, Ugin would have been female.

 

[kirblar]

"*Because we already had a male dragon" the implied ending to that comment that he needs to have there, lol.

 

[hermit7]

Never noticed before but the fencing design of thalia is actually consistent across different versions.

Too bad the buy a box art looks awful.

I hope the regular art is better.

 

[Angry Grimace]

Corrected. Though in case your insistence on that joke is clouding your memory, I'd like to remind you that Gideon never actually takes his shirt off in the BFZ story



Ah, right.

Like literally the first thing Jace things of whenever he thinks about Gideon is his dazzling smile and muscles.

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

Also of note:
* They were trying out an ability called "incurable", which means it can't leave the battlefield in any way besides destroying it. They said it was awkward to introduce in a small set, and they're still considering testing it out later. Presumably they wanted more time to test it

So it only dies to the words destroy?

I once asked for a step further than this on a 0/1 that's impossible to remove altogether.

Too bad the buy a box art looks awful.

I hope the regular art is better.

so does the promo OG Thalia but the fencing gear is there.

It's much less prominent in the original and the EDM version looks like it's going to a ball all fancy and shit

 

[kirblar]

Like literally the first thing Jace things of whenever he thinks about Gideon is his dazzling smile and muscles.

Men writing women and women writing men seems to be a problem for them.

 

[hermit7]

So it only dies to the words destroy?

I once asked for a step further than this on a 0/1 that's impossible to remove altogether.



so does the promo OG Thalia but the fencing gear is there.



It's much less prominent in the original and the EDM version looks like it's going to a ball all fancy and shit

Yeah I wasn't disputing that. Hopefully the regular art looks a lot better.

 

[Angry Grimace]

 

[SigmasonicX]

That poster annoys me because July 13th isn't a Friday.

Men writing women and women writing men seems to be a problem for them.

But Kreines is the main writer for Nissa tho...

 

[Ashodin]

so does the promo OG Thalia but the fencing gear is there.



It's much less prominent in the original and the EDM version looks like it's going to a ball all fancy and shit

What the flying fuck, just a face? Who okay'd that one??

Fucking Mayael all over again

 

[Angry Grimace]

That poster annoys me because July 13th isn't a Friday.



But Kreines is the main writer for Nissa tho...

It's Innistradi Friday

be more culturally sensitive, man

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

I actually love that art

looks like a bouquet

 

[y2dvd]

Savanna for $50. Buy?

 

[Angry Grimace]

Savanna for $50. Buy?

If its fake, no, you can get fakes way cheaper than that =V

 

[charlequin]

BTW, this is going to be explained explicitly as part of Maro's second preview article, but Stoddard's column today essentially confirms that "Emrakul infects Innistrad" was the pitch from the very beginning (so there was never a question of a madness plotline that they needed to find a villain for) and that they actually moved up the return to Innistrad in the block cycle specifically so it could come right after BFZ.

That's interesting. What about when it makes the card worse? Portal has a whole bunch of "From your hand" creatures that have been changed to "Enters the battlefield". I know that with Portal, it was intended to be simple so the current Oracle is definitely in the proper "spirit".

The functional errata thing is so interesting to me. For a pretty long time in the past they were pretty liberal with applying it, sometimes to the absolute detriment of common sense (the Time Vault "time counters" text, for example.) At some point they made a conscious decision to cut over to avoiding or removing functional errata, which they've mostly stuck to since, but the gray area has always been how much rules changes should contribute to written functionality.

With Portal specifically the cards as written generally didn't work under the rules, so they made a specific choice in 2005 when they added them to Oracle to take pretty broad interpretations of what the cards "should" do rather than stick too closely to the written wording, and they've largely stuck with that. But other topics they've gone back and forth with -- the Winter Orb change in EMA being an obvious example.

What the flying fuck, just a face? Who okay'd that one??

Fucking Mayael all over again

Mayael's art owns tho.

 

["God's Beard!"]

Is Liliana really trying out the 15 flying squirrels strategy vs Emrakul?

 

[y2dvd]

If its fake, no, you can get fakes way cheaper than that =V

Haha should be legit. It's from a local lgs player. I will get someone to inspect it though.

 

[HK-47]

Did someone just diss on Mayael's art? Can we ban them?

 

[Ashodin]

A creature just showing a face does not embody what the card does imo.

It looks like an attempt at some sort of fourth wall breaking. As if the card face was a window and they're looking out.

Mayael, while similar, is not as egregious as Thalia, but it still looks like a kid looking out of a bush.

I need context. What is this creature doing? Why is it doing it?

Like if the flowers and leaves around Mayael were shaped like fatties, I could be on board with it.

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

A creature just showing a face does not embody what the card does imo.

It looks like an attempt at some sort of fourth wall breaking. As if the card face was a window and they're looking out.

Mayael, while similar, is not as egregious as Thalia, but it still looks like a kid looking out of a bush.

I need context. What is this creature doing? Why is it doing it?

Like if the flowers and leaves around Mayael were shaped like fatties, I could be on board with it.

it shows perkiness and curiosity in Mayael. Not everything has to be spelled out 1:1, the art tells a story for me aplenty.

Why does Thalia have a thorn effect when her art looks like she's antheming.

 

[SigmasonicX]

it shows perkiness and curiosity in Mayael. Not everything has to be spelled out 1:1, the art tells a story for me aplenty.

The character's supposed to be perky and curious? I always interpreted the art as depicting a creepy serious character.

 

[Angry Grimace]

I didn't think it was possible to have a Sealed pool with literally no removal of any color or any kind but I just did. Literally none, not even bounce or temporary tap effects. I didn't even bother to play a game, I just ate the tix and dropped.

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

The character's supposed to be perky and curious? I always interpreted the art as depicting a creepy serious character.

that's what I got from it, but interpreting is the beauty in art.

I imagine and elf peeking out of shrubs studying Naya's wild monsters and wildlife or something like that.

 

[Ashodin]

that's what I got from it, but interpreting is the beauty in art.

I imagine and elf peeking out of shrubs studying Naya's wild monsters and wildlife or something like that.

Except she doesn't study them, she brings them out!

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

Except she doesn't study them, she brings them out!

what else is a green creature gonna do burn face?

Like I said I don't need the art to spell everything out that's what I rather dislike often in new sets and the unified artstyle ending up bland. I can build a story around Mayael just fine.

 

[shrapnelmagnet]

Does anyone actually like Pauper? Is it not the most grindy, soul-smashing format ever conceived? Maybe in-person it's fine...

 

[Angry Grimace]

Pauper is garbage.

 

[Ashodin]

Does anyone actually like Pauper? Is it not the most grindy, soul-smashing format ever conceived? Maybe in-person it's fine...

The Professor seems pretty apt about it. But that's only because it's a cheap format and the Professor wants to get more people into magic in general.

Speaking of, he has a video where he makes the most softball predictions about Innistrad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEh4EOzJcAE

 

[ultron87]

I like Pauper because you get to cast Mulldrifters. I realize this is exactly because it is so grindy.

 

[Ashodin]

I like Pauper because you get to cast Mulldrifters. I realize this is exactly because it is so grindy.

Fellow Tron Pauper player!

 

[ultron87]

I'm actually currently on Jeskai with all the cantrip artifacts and Glint Hawks and Skyfishers and whatnot. Something like this.

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

The LRR guys were playing that list looked fun, they wasted all their burn.

 

[shrapnelmagnet]

I guess on Pa(u)per, it looks like an awesome casual format. In practice, every match feels like a slog. Maybe any format that generates a Tournament is destined to be as grindy as the cards allow.

This is the current Pauper deck I run online. I call it "Foresto" (emphasis on the 'esto')

2 Bonesplitter
4 Somberwald Dryad
4 Tangle Golem
4 Lush Growth
4 Rushwood Dryad
3 Nylea's Presence
22 Forest
3 Tangle
2 Naturalize
3 Zodiac Monkey
4 Elite Cat Warrior
2 Vines of Vastwood
3 Wormwood Dryad

[U]SIDEY[/U]
1 Nylea's Presence
2 Calming Verse
2 Vines of Vastwood
3 Squall
1 Zodiac Monkey
2 Bonesplitter
1 Tangle
2 Netcaster Spider
1 Wormwood Dryad

It's not very good, but the plan is to Forestwalk them with Nylea's / Lush Growth. Can also stunt their lands if it's greedy (not a thing in Pauper). Sideboard is based on my experience with Flying and Enchantments / Artifacts. Would love to make it better. Ideas?

 

[bigkrev]

Does anyone actually like Pauper? Is it not the most grindy, soul-smashing format ever conceived? Maybe in-person it's fine...

I like Pauper, but wish they would cut the ban list in half. It's a power format, let me do power things!

 

[shrapnelmagnet]

I like Pauper, but wish they would cut the ban list in half. It's a power format, let me do power things!

haha and make it even more silly?

Pauper Banlist

Cloud of Faeries
Cloudpost
Cranial Plating
Empty the Warrens
Frantic Search
Grapeshot
Invigorate
Temporal Fissure
Treasure Cruise

What would you unban?

Disclosure: I don't have anything invested in the format, just a cheap MTGO deck that makes me laugh because Landwalk. Though, I do dislike that otherwise cheap cards can be made more expensive because of fringe formats. Either way, I want to like Pauper, since it appeals to me on a number of levels. As I've played it, though, I fiercely hate the top tier decks

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

why would you ban both storm wincons?

 

[Ashodin]

I made this

 

[Angry Grimace]

why would you ban both storm wincons?

Because they don't want Storm to be legal

 

[Santiako]

Rules change:

When Emrakul, the Promised End and Coax from the Blind Eternities were previewed earlier this week, it inspired a lot of discussion about a little-known corner of the tournament rules. Quoting from Section 3.15, Sideboard:
"During a game, players may look at their own sideboard and the sideboard of any players they currently control. The sideboard must remain clearly distinguishable from other cards."
As of Eldritch Moon, this rule is changing. Simply put, you can now never see an opponent's sideboard, even if you control that opponent. The exact language of the rule is being finalized.
The philosophy of the old rule makes sense: You can look at your sideboard. I control you, so I can see whatever you can see. Ergo, I can see your sideboard. But this has huge ramifications at every level of tournament play. It brings up questions of informational access, lengthy note-taking delays, the timing of strategic concessions, team dynamics, even the physical interactions between players.
If you force a player you're controlling to cast a "Wish," you can't have them access any cards in their sideboard. If you make them cast Death Wish, the same rule applies: no cards, even at random sight unseen.
I'm sorry it took the cards' public unveiling to really bring this issue to light, but I'm happy with the result. Now Emrakul can go be the monster she was meant to be.
This rule will be in effect for Magic Online play after the Aether Revolt release. In addition, I believe (but don't quote me on this one), that there will be better functionality to support looking at your own sideboard.

tl;dr: as of Eldritch Moon, you can never see an opponent's sideboard, even if you control them and you make them cast a wish.

 

[charlequin]

tl;dr: as of Eldritch Moon, you can never see an opponent's sideboard, even if you control them and you make them cast a wish.

This is for the best.

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

From the way it's worded it almost sounds like they saw the reddit thread on looking at sideboards and thought, oh shit we gotta change that.