The General Magic: The Gathering Thread

[Utilitarian]

Hmm fair enough. That's a good balancing decision.

Man, I like this new UG untap bear. I think it might get into my standard deck. Combined with Voyaging Satyr you'd have eight ways to untap a Nykthos which could mean some serious ramp. It could be a serious roleplayer in a UG draft deck too.

Also two of these plus one set of Illusionist's Bracers produces infinite mana and/or infinite untaps. I think this is going to be a fun card.

[Duckay]

Am I wrong, or can you do disgusting things just with two of those guys on board? (That is, tapping one of them to untap something with a tap ability or a land, then using the other one to untap the first one, and repeat?)

[korvys]

Well, how are you going to untap the second one?

[Duckay]

I didn't think that through, never mind. You could just tap them to untap each other forever (and knowing me I am going to do that at some point if I draft them, especially if I'm playing certain people from my LGS's FNM) but you're right, that achieves nothing.

I haven't finished my coffee yet. Don't let me have opinions.

[korvys]

It's cool. Maybe they're reprint Wake Thrasher? I mean, he basically has Inspiration anyway.

And since Kiora's Follower can't untap itself, it would take a little setting up to combo off. Not tooooo busted...

[Duckay]

Oh, that would be stupid.

That being said I'm just more impressed the more I think about the Follower (thinking about using actual rules, I mean). It's very versatile. As someone I was talking to on Facebook said... fringe Standard playable?

[korvys]

Yeah. That, Prophet of Kruphix, Triton Tactics, things like Voyaging Satyr, Sylvan Caryatid, Springleaf Drum and Nykthos. If there were a good mana sink, could do something interesting stuff. Swan Song and Simic Charm to protect stuff.

Seems like there's an engine in there, but no good payload, unless you splash black for Mind Grind which also gets you Pain Seer to set things up.

[JQuill]

So looks like there might be a Magic movie coming... http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/fox-bring-magic-gathering-big-670529?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=hollywoodreporter_breakingnews&utm_campaign=THR+Breaking+News_now_knor

Of course "acquiring the rights with the intent to make a movie" and actually releasing a movie are not the same thing, so no real guarantee it will happen. But assuming it does, now I suppose we get to play the guessing game as to what it actually will be about.

[Duckay]

My prediction: Jace Beleren stars as a high school student whose reputation as a weird loner inhibits his ability to make any real friends. One day, after being bullied by some mean kids at school, he ignites his planeswalker spark and becomes one of the most powerful beings in the multiverse.

...

No?

[korvys]

So, "Target Audience Wish Fulfillment Fantasy - The Movie"?

[ZePancakes]

MTG movie? Nope!

Prove me wrong world, prove me wrong!

[Duckay]

So, "Target Audience Wish Fulfillment Fantasy - The Movie"?

Hey, most fantasy action movies are more or less that. I'm just being direct.

[ElFuzzy]

It's probably a hentai with Emrakrul, a female jace, and all the female planeswalkers. Stinger has Koira

[AdmiralMemo]

Arbiter of the Ideal seems very strong... However, that begs the question of how much Enchantment removal there is in each format.

That said, I'm retinkering my Ajani's Chosen deck to fit her in.

[korvys]

Glad I have a set of Golgari Charm in my standard deck.

[AdmiralMemo]

Wait... Will Arbiter of the Ideal be the first time in Magic history where something will be an Enchantment Land? Has there been a way to make a Land an Enchantment or vice versa before?

[Utilitarian]

Enchanted Evening will have already made Enchantment Lands pre-dating this.

But yea, can't do much with just two Kiora's Followers but Illusionist's Bracers pushes that envelope.

[korvys]

WotC trying to push the Elite Arcanist combo deck?

[Del]

I can't be the only person wanting to see Erase back in the format just to hate out all these enchantments...

[Kapol]

Erase would just make the entire enchantment-theme of the block pointless, frankly.

Also, I really dislike that you only get 2 BotG packs in the prerelease packs. That feels really dumb to me. "Yea, we know you're here for the new set. But instead, we're going to give you more Theros packs and a seeded booster."

[Volafortis]

It's just how small sets work for limited. I'd rather the seeded booster replace a Theros pack, but as long as it's mainly/only Born of the Gods in the seeded booster, I suppose I don't mind either way.

[Kapol]

That's what I was going for. I think the seeded packs are going to be a mix (which I would prefer), so it makes more sense to me to have 2 Theros and 3 BotG. Only getting 2 actual packs of the new set(excluding potential prizes) seems... bad to me. Like, getting new stuff is one of the best parts about going to a prerelease. As for the seeded, I'd like to see a decent mix for most of the stuff, and then the rare be a BotG rare.

[Jenelmo]

You get 3 Theros, 2 BotG and 1 Prerelease pack, if the prerelease pack only has BotG cards it is half/half, but we don't know if it is we only know the 5 prerelease rares that are in the prerelease packs

[Del]

Erase would just make the entire enchantment-theme of the block pointless, frankly.

It is more the fact that the only real targeted enchantment exile in the format is 2G _and_ at sorcery speed. In a format that will eventually have 15 indestructible creatures (the gods) that is completely absurd, particularly in constructed.

[Kapol]

You get 3 Theros, 2 BotG and 1 Prerelease pack, if the prerelease pack only has BotG cards it is half/half, but we don't know if it is we only know the 5 prerelease rares that are in the prerelease packs

I don't think that the prerelease rares will be the 'rares' of the seeded packs. That wasn't the cast of Theros if I remember correctly, so it doesn't seem like something they'd change.

Personally though, I don't consider seeded boosters to be 'full boosters.' The fact they're limited in what you can get makes me not feel it's an adequate replacement for a full booster. The Theros boosters weren't quite so rigid on what you got though. In RTR, it was pretty easy to get nothing great in the rest of your packs to make your 'guild' not a good choice to play. Which basically set you back a full booster in terms of building materials.

But that's getting to another rant entirely.

It is more the fact that the only real targeted enchantment exile in the format is 2G _and_ at sorcery speed. In a format that will eventually have 15 indestructible creatures (the gods) that is completely absurd, particularly in constructed.

Except that any creature-based exile removal gets rid of them if they're creatures too. And, frankly, that's when the majority of them are a big threat. When they're just enchantments, they're strong. But they aren't absurd. The only ones that pose a real damage threat to you are Mogis and Purphoros. The rest just give your opponent (or you) various advantages. They're powerful for enchantments. But given they normally cost 4, they aren't absurd. And if they become a creature, you can literally use any removal that exiles a creature on them.

Also, you're also forgetting Detention Sphere, which gets rid of the gods no matter their form. Here are the cards that can get rid of gods:

While enchantments:
-Angelic Edict
-Ashen Rider
-Detention Sphere
-Fade Into Antiquity
-Glare of Hersey (only hits white, but that's 5/15 gods)
-Merciless Eviction

While Creatures:
-Banisher Priest
-Luminated Primodial
-Selesnya Charm (hits every god so far I believe)
-Triad of Fates
-Trostani's Judgement
-Chained To The Rocks
-Curse of the Swine
-Angel of Serenity

That's not including any 'sac' effects either. Though, to be fair, sac effects would pretty much be useless since devotion would mean more creatures on the field. But at that point, you're making them choose between losing the god, or losing the devotion to animate the god in many cases. And a good amount of those spells are cheaper than the gods themselves, meaning (at least to me) that you're getting the better end of the deal. Especially when a creature is being left behind.

Going back to the main point, I do think that Fade Into Antiquity should be instant. But given that this is a set which has enchantment creatures as a big focus, enchantment destruction/exile cards are going to be much more powerful than normal. Erase in Theros would be a giant middle finger to the gods and every enchantment creature in the set. It'd basically erase the effect they were going for that the gods are this big deal.


...I did not mean for that to become so long. I'm sorry if I came off as abrasive. That was not my intent. But there are ways to deal with the gods beyond Fade Into Antiquity.