I think you calculated packs opened in draft per day and in sealed events per month. Drafters would have opened about 2.4 million packs if you multiply your 80,000 per day by 30 days.
Lightning Bolt is pretty much irreplaceable. Incinerate has and probably will see play, but it is amazing what a difference 1 mana makes.
I have a gut feeling that the new garruk will eventually become a powerful card. There is always some dude in his mom's basement brewing and building decks 24/7, and I think that he will eventually find some crazy way to exploit him, but that is based purely on feeling.
I feel like i am forgetting something......oh yeah..
Well Neutral Ground was priced out of the market. It just became too expensive, and they are now in an area that is considered "hip", so the rent was just too much and now it's gone.
I don't even think they tried to re-open since there are really no card stores in the city anymore. The biggest might now be all the way in Queens.
I'd considering keeping white and using Rest for the Weary instead of Life Burst, and then you could also use Holy Light maindeck instead of Echoing Decay, which seems better in the matchups where it matters the most.
Man I'd just love to cast Teachings for Simian Grunts, but that would be a whole different deck.
I think the problem with standard mythics, such as the demons you mention, is more related to the 'mythic bottleneck' redemption problems than speculation.
Also, fun fact: someone did try to make a through the breach type of deck with hellcarver demon. cheat him into play and then hope for more fatties off the top. It didn't do well, and no one tried to evolve the deck (likely because it is a risky and flawed concept), but it did see some kind of play.
Ok, when I came back to Magic, I didn't know about Cape Fear games. So I was actually looking at the prices on your state of the program and saw that Wasteland was valuable and it was uncommon. So I went through the gym bag in my basement and found almost 20. I played a ton of Tempest and I played the pre-release at Neutral Ground.
For those who don't know, Neutral Ground was the biggest "card store" in the country. They would have pre-releases that had hundreds of people at once. This place was the mecca of Magic until it got priced out of the area and is now condos. But this place was the place with the Beta Black Lotus's and all the top cards in the glass case which was as big as most stores. Compared to today, pre-releases in NY have like 8-10 people at really small creepy card stores.
What people forget about cards from sets like Tempest and other sets like that is that there are less of the cards in paper than you think.
I have cards, and other people have the same, in boxers or storage. Back in the day we used to throw out cards like Wasteland.
I don't think there is a way of really calculating the number of any paper card. I mean I haven't looked, but I have boxes and boxes filled with thousands of cards. I even might have another massive amount of Wastelands sitting somewhere.
And you know this because I sold a ton of cards from Tempest, Invasion, etc., to Cape Fear games to turn them into MTGO. I still haven't gone through most of my stuff that starts from 10-11 years ago and goes down from there.
I am also taking bids for my Beta cards. I remember when Beta dual lands were $30 at neutral ground, and I have a ton of them, and I also have the Mox's, Lotus, and even unopened packs. I might also have Force of Will, etc., but I just don't feel like looking through my stuff or going to the storage place.
I am not bragging. I'm just saying that calculating paper cards is impossible. There are a ton of people that have the same stuff just piled away or just thrown away.
Love that Skred, plus the Ice Age era snow covered lands just look awesome.
And I don't know about anyone else but I can never hear any of the family noise that you talk about, maybe it is becasue the iphone speaker sucks some times.
The only benefit I can see to the private dealer/bot system is that WotC is able to invest fewer working hours to maintain the system. It's true that you can get non-staple rares from Kamigawa (for example) for really cheap and build yourself a casual deck but if you are interested in playing tournaments, the price tag goes up. WotC does not get this money- the dealer does. Even in standard, there is speculation on mythic rares so that Xathrid Demon (a very niche card indeed) is more than Melira, Sylvok Outcast (a combo piece of a Modern deck). I for one do not believe the demand for Xathrid Demon outweighs the demand for Melira. Xathrid Demon goes as low as 0.50 in paper. Even Hellcarver Demon- the one mythic that never saw any play whatever- is at 1.15.
Speculation is bad for the game as it erects a barrier for new players wanting to win right away. Force of Will is the biggest- and most obvious- offender, despite only being viable in two formats, Legacy and Classic. It's even been shown that you don't need Force to win in Legacy, so the only two things that can explain its exorbitant price are player speculation and bias towards blue.
Do not under any circumstances play rune scarred demon in anything ever in standard. there are a ton of Phantasmal Images and Phyrexian four drop guys that copy something when it comes into play that actually playing rune scarred hurts you a ton. :(
I tried, i wanted to see the Desmond Howard (Look at the art and his pose) to be good and he just is not :(
Seriously, a functioning in-game automated trade system (even as simple as an auction house) would greatly reduce the price of cards and would encourage people to get into more formats and play more events. Even everquest 1 had this functionality...and it came out like 15 years ago!
Having to go to an often-shady a 3rd party (bot maker) to get basic functionality in the program is one reason this is still such a niche product when Magic in general is doing very well.
@char49d: Sadly the videos in this article are about 2 weeks old. I have actually made most of the changes you said:D. I have in fact cut white as well as added 3 diabolic edicts to the deck. 1 main 2 sideboard at the moment but that will probably change.
I also cut 1 rewind and 1 think twice for 2 mulldrifters and so far its been ok.
Oath may be used more in competitive classic events as part of Oath.dec, but Mana Drain can be used in a wide variety of blue-based decks (including Oath) which makes it a far more useful card for your collection. Also I suppose Mana Drain has much more casual appeal - you can put 4x Drain into whatever blue deck you like, but with Oath you are simply playing Oath.dec or not at all.
If I am going go record a draft, the only way I could be sure this comes up would be to force blue, and that doesn't guarantee I get a looter or ever draw it.
I have overall not been impressed with "Pro" draft video loot rationale, with the notable exception of Anton Jonsson who I disagree with, but whose opinion I respect. I do not think there is enough room to talk about something like this in a video and it really requires an article to get at some of the intricacies unless they simply happen to come up in a game you are playing, which is something I can't orchestrate.
This is one of the few aspects of magic I think the pro community, as a whole, isn't very good, at least from what I have seen. I think most players are more comfortable with filter cards they get to use more consistently like Brainstorm or Ponder.
Never being in the same situation is part of what makes draft the most difficult and skill intensive format in magic.
wizards do not miss any opportunity to shut replays down.
I think you calculated packs opened in draft per day and in sealed events per month. Drafters would have opened about 2.4 million packs if you multiply your 80,000 per day by 30 days.
Lightning Bolt is pretty much irreplaceable. Incinerate has and probably will see play, but it is amazing what a difference 1 mana makes.
I have a gut feeling that the new garruk will eventually become a powerful card. There is always some dude in his mom's basement brewing and building decks 24/7, and I think that he will eventually find some crazy way to exploit him, but that is based purely on feeling.
I feel like i am forgetting something......oh yeah..
GO RANGERS!!
Well Neutral Ground was priced out of the market. It just became too expensive, and they are now in an area that is considered "hip", so the rent was just too much and now it's gone.
I don't even think they tried to re-open since there are really no card stores in the city anymore. The biggest might now be all the way in Queens.
Decklist that you posted has 59 cards maindeck ;)
It is missing one prohibit.
I did a lot of great trading at NG in the day. Most of my beta set came from other players there. I miss NG NY a lot.
I'd considering keeping white and using Rest for the Weary instead of Life Burst, and then you could also use Holy Light maindeck instead of Echoing Decay, which seems better in the matchups where it matters the most.
Man I'd just love to cast Teachings for Simian Grunts, but that would be a whole different deck.
Do you have any idea what will take over for Lightning Bolt in standard?
The only things I see are Shock (Which isn't as good), Volt Charge, etc.. Nothing nearly as good as Bolt.
Any ideas of what will take it's place?
And regardless of everything, Gravetitan will remain the top Titan.
And I don't know about paper, but how is the new Garruk? I love the M12 Garruk and think it's great, but I don't know how the new one works.
***GO RAYS!!!***
I think the problem with standard mythics, such as the demons you mention, is more related to the 'mythic bottleneck' redemption problems than speculation.
Also, fun fact: someone did try to make a through the breach type of deck with hellcarver demon. cheat him into play and then hope for more fatties off the top. It didn't do well, and no one tried to evolve the deck (likely because it is a risky and flawed concept), but it did see some kind of play.
Ok, when I came back to Magic, I didn't know about Cape Fear games. So I was actually looking at the prices on your state of the program and saw that Wasteland was valuable and it was uncommon. So I went through the gym bag in my basement and found almost 20. I played a ton of Tempest and I played the pre-release at Neutral Ground.
For those who don't know, Neutral Ground was the biggest "card store" in the country. They would have pre-releases that had hundreds of people at once. This place was the mecca of Magic until it got priced out of the area and is now condos. But this place was the place with the Beta Black Lotus's and all the top cards in the glass case which was as big as most stores. Compared to today, pre-releases in NY have like 8-10 people at really small creepy card stores.
What people forget about cards from sets like Tempest and other sets like that is that there are less of the cards in paper than you think.
I have cards, and other people have the same, in boxers or storage. Back in the day we used to throw out cards like Wasteland.
I don't think there is a way of really calculating the number of any paper card. I mean I haven't looked, but I have boxes and boxes filled with thousands of cards. I even might have another massive amount of Wastelands sitting somewhere.
And you know this because I sold a ton of cards from Tempest, Invasion, etc., to Cape Fear games to turn them into MTGO. I still haven't gone through most of my stuff that starts from 10-11 years ago and goes down from there.
I am also taking bids for my Beta cards. I remember when Beta dual lands were $30 at neutral ground, and I have a ton of them, and I also have the Mox's, Lotus, and even unopened packs. I might also have Force of Will, etc., but I just don't feel like looking through my stuff or going to the storage place.
I am not bragging. I'm just saying that calculating paper cards is impossible. There are a ton of people that have the same stuff just piled away or just thrown away.
Love that Skred, plus the Ice Age era snow covered lands just look awesome.
And I don't know about anyone else but I can never hear any of the family noise that you talk about, maybe it is becasue the iphone speaker sucks some times.
Enjoy your vacation Mikey!
The only benefit I can see to the private dealer/bot system is that WotC is able to invest fewer working hours to maintain the system. It's true that you can get non-staple rares from Kamigawa (for example) for really cheap and build yourself a casual deck but if you are interested in playing tournaments, the price tag goes up. WotC does not get this money- the dealer does. Even in standard, there is speculation on mythic rares so that Xathrid Demon (a very niche card indeed) is more than Melira, Sylvok Outcast (a combo piece of a Modern deck). I for one do not believe the demand for Xathrid Demon outweighs the demand for Melira. Xathrid Demon goes as low as 0.50 in paper. Even Hellcarver Demon- the one mythic that never saw any play whatever- is at 1.15.
Speculation is bad for the game as it erects a barrier for new players wanting to win right away. Force of Will is the biggest- and most obvious- offender, despite only being viable in two formats, Legacy and Classic. It's even been shown that you don't need Force to win in Legacy, so the only two things that can explain its exorbitant price are player speculation and bias towards blue.
Clones have made many great cards weak.
I figured you would be playing Mono U Fae in this format (cause I know you from Fae threads on MTGS).
This entry was waaaay better than last week.Could be my bias against UR Cloudpost deck though :P
A lot of it's price is simply price-hype
In all honesty I agree - kinda weak !!
-Zach
Do not under any circumstances play rune scarred demon in anything ever in standard. there are a ton of Phantasmal Images and Phyrexian four drop guys that copy something when it comes into play that actually playing rune scarred hurts you a ton. :(
I tried, i wanted to see the Desmond Howard (Look at the art and his pose) to be good and he just is not :(
I know she was banned, I was being a bit of a nerd with that entry :D
Seriously, a functioning in-game automated trade system (even as simple as an auction house) would greatly reduce the price of cards and would encourage people to get into more formats and play more events. Even everquest 1 had this functionality...and it came out like 15 years ago!
Having to go to an often-shady a 3rd party (bot maker) to get basic functionality in the program is one reason this is still such a niche product when Magic in general is doing very well.
@char49d: Sadly the videos in this article are about 2 weeks old. I have actually made most of the changes you said:D. I have in fact cut white as well as added 3 diabolic edicts to the deck. 1 main 2 sideboard at the moment but that will probably change.
I also cut 1 rewind and 1 think twice for 2 mulldrifters and so far its been ok.
I think Massacre Wurm could actually see more play soon enough.
Nice article.
Cool thanks
She was banned... O.o
Oath may be used more in competitive classic events as part of Oath.dec, but Mana Drain can be used in a wide variety of blue-based decks (including Oath) which makes it a far more useful card for your collection. Also I suppose Mana Drain has much more casual appeal - you can put 4x Drain into whatever blue deck you like, but with Oath you are simply playing Oath.dec or not at all.
If I am going go record a draft, the only way I could be sure this comes up would be to force blue, and that doesn't guarantee I get a looter or ever draw it.
I have overall not been impressed with "Pro" draft video loot rationale, with the notable exception of Anton Jonsson who I disagree with, but whose opinion I respect. I do not think there is enough room to talk about something like this in a video and it really requires an article to get at some of the intricacies unless they simply happen to come up in a game you are playing, which is something I can't orchestrate.
This is one of the few aspects of magic I think the pro community, as a whole, isn't very good, at least from what I have seen. I think most players are more comfortable with filter cards they get to use more consistently like Brainstorm or Ponder.
Never being in the same situation is part of what makes draft the most difficult and skill intensive format in magic.