“Looking at the data the best are the new ones - Zen, M10 and Eldarazi”
This looks good but it’s not really when you consider most of the money cards are Mythic’s which may turn up once or twice in a draft, I haven’t worked this out yet.
I’d be looking to draft Tempest, Mirage or Masters 1,2 & 3 in the nix ticket events when they come round but don’t quote me on this as I haven’t tried to compile any figures yet.
It’s a battle between the smaller sets with Mythics vs the larger older sets with more money rares. I’m not sure which one would pull in front at this point in time.
I'll look into this Mythics dont make it easy though as I'm not sure how often they appear in packs. If some one could let me know I'll see what I can do for next time.
I'll look at changing the colours that wont be a problem.
I'm not sure I would be able to do the draft bomb side as It would be very hard for me to find out which are the draft bombs as I'm not very good at drafting myself. I only do swiss drafts now and then.
When I get some figures behimd me I'll add some charts etc.
maybe its me, but in your key it seems the color for price increased and decreased are the same... ok lookin more close i see one is green the other is blue, but they are really close, I might just suggest tryin to make them look a bit more different.. so I take it the cut off is 3 dollars? I'm a big rare drafter though Urza Saga messed that up cuz there wasnt much in the way of rares so I had to actually just win packs lol I do hope this article continues, I'm very much a numbers and charts person and I know this is a lot of work, but it'd be interesting to get some kinda comparison between it being a money pick and draft bomb at the same time, though that maybe long enough for a separate article lol
I ask because there're a few cards missing which I thought would be over $3, and now I'm wondering whether I just overestimate their value, or whether they're just missing! Life from the Loam, for instance. Surely that gets you $3?
I'd definitely run white as the splash. I was utterly unimpressed by last kiss throughout the pre-release, and feel that white gives you the better three removal spells.
I'd also be tempted to run skywatcher adept, probably in place of aura gnarlid (which I admittedly have no experience with and could be under-rating).
Regress, Survival Cache and Lay Bare are all relevent sideboard cards against slow, ramp-style decks, while Line Slinger and Puncturing Light (and maybe hyena umbra?) can come in against faster decks.
7th edition rats are uncommon, the vision version is common, other than that awesome :). There are no changes as the data is from 2 days. Should write something what set is the best for rare drafting. Looking at the data the best are the new ones - Zen, M10 and Eldarazi.
It would be really nice if you do some sort of evaluation. Do something like this Evaluation = (Added prices for each money rare in set) * ( number of money rares/number of all rare's in set). Than compare those with the cost of the pack. It's a lot of work, but you are halfway there :)
Hmmm more to the point would be what cards LOOK like good picks because they should be hot but aren't and don't quite make the bomb list either. Interesting reference...I was a little confused by the price movement column since it seems like nothing moves...Or do you plan to update each of these cards on a weekly/monthly basis?
The difference between insects and arachnids are many. Segmented bodies vs non-segmented, number of legs, and then dozens of details I don't have the knowledge to spout. But the mistake is easy to make since the thing is a scary tangle of ick. And people don't often look closely at that.
Giant Catapillar was a great limited card back in MVW... Even Pre 6th ed rules it did its duty and then you sacced it and got a PERMANENT token (1/1 flier) not just till the end of turn. Before M10 and after 6th ed it became even better as it could block/or attack and kill something then be sacced with damage on the stack to produce the token would then go on to be evasive and maybe even wear pants. Killer Bees was a common card to be found in X decks back in the days prior to 5th ed when Legends was still a bit of a novelty and it was either bolt bait or evasive pump like the black shades but with flying. Sure Carrion Ants at one more cmc was overall better but Killer Bees did their duty.
Also I would argue that there are no insects that are not beneficial in some way. Even plague bearing fleas serve a purpose in their ecological niche. Where insects become destructive is usually when we take them out of their ecology and introduce them to others and thus spread disease and mayhem. Also while the variety of insects may outnumber the variety of humans (6 billion humans each unique vs how many insect species?) Keep in mind Magic is a Fantasy game and thus caters to those who prefer things a bit more glamorous and and less disgusting. Like it or not most people don't like bugs.
It grows on you. I've been in management for many years now so I don't get out of the office as much to see all the good storys the technicians tell me. I did manage to leave the office today and spent about 4 hours in a popcorn plant. I found some ants, centipede, spider and a mouse (In a different building than the product which was good). Rodents aren't my favorite.
Good article this week. Sadly I was not picked for the communitycup maybe one year they will choose a grumpy angry guy just to represent that demographic and hopefully ill get a shot. But I really really really wanna check out Heath's store being that im in the same state and maybe only 3-4 hours a way. It's just trying to find magic buddies to go with is hard and my non-magic friends think its dumb to drive that far for magic...
Technically the Mythic Camel Spider is not actually a spider at all but a member of the order known as Solifugae...which is also where giant solifuge comes from.
In the Middle East, it is widely rumored among American and coalition military forces stationed there that Solifugae will feed on living human flesh. The story goes that the creature will inject some anaesthetizing venom into the exposed skin of its sleeping victim, then feed voraciously, leaving the victim to awaken with a gaping wound. Solifugae, however, do not produce such an anaesthetic, and they do not attack prey larger than themselves unless threatened. Other stories include tales of them leaping into the air, disemboweling camels, screaming, and running alongside moving humvees; all of these tales are dubious at best. Due to their bizarre appearance many people are startled or even afraid of them. This fear was sufficient to drive a family from their home when one was discovered in a soldier's house in Colchester, England. The greatest threat they pose to humans, however, is their bite in self-defense when one tries to handle them. There is essentially no chance of death directly caused by the bite, but, due to the strong muscles of their chelicerae, they can produce a proportionately large, ragged wound that is prone to infection.
Why this still makes Giant Solifuge an insect and not a spider(which is similar) or even a solifugae we will never know except that it doesnt have reach and a solifugae tribe would be lame unless they were all trample, shroud, and haste
I really miss the days of Urza art, tbh I think current art, like Lorwyn block can look a bit too cartoon like... look at those artifacts they look so detailed and sharp... and look at the umbilicus and urza's rage the colors are much more mute.. serra avenger is one of the few newer cards that i think really capitalizes on some of these old techniques... these pics look more like art to me then a lot of the newer stuff... sure this is a generalization and there are some exceptions, but this is when I started playing and def was more the style that brought me into the game
might be affected by the unreleased cards not to mention $100 FoW, which is must have for 90% of Legacy control, but even like Daze isn't cheap until it really is released
Far more Legacy tournaments than Classic, and the Classic events the weekend I started this article didn't fire.
Yes, I see that 24 people showed up to play Classic last weekend. 24 is not a lot. We had 32 people show up for the last Legacy store tournament at Misty - playing for nothing in prizes, on a Tuesday night, in a city of 250,000. The SCG $5ks get hundreds of players.
24 is not a lot. I would love to see more - but 24 players in a tournament available worldwide. It could be - and should be - so much more.
Over 2,000 people showed up for GP Madrid.
I'm not putting the format down - I love Vintage, Classic and Legacy, and I'd love to see them flourish. But, so far, they are not.
“Looking at the data the best are the new ones - Zen, M10 and Eldarazi”
This looks good but it’s not really when you consider most of the money cards are Mythic’s which may turn up once or twice in a draft, I haven’t worked this out yet.
I’d be looking to draft Tempest, Mirage or Masters 1,2 & 3 in the nix ticket events when they come round but don’t quote me on this as I haven’t tried to compile any figures yet.
It’s a battle between the smaller sets with Mythics vs the larger older sets with more money rares. I’m not sure which one would pull in front at this point in time.
Nice article, and b.t.w. Goblin Lackey is an uncommon in Urza's Saga.
good stuff tho maybe leave out the gross ripped open leg
I talked about this in my recent insect tribal article so I totally understand
The movement column will come into affect in the next article. This is my base data going forward.
I'll look into this Mythics dont make it easy though as I'm not sure how often they appear in packs. If some one could let me know I'll see what I can do for next time.
I'll look at changing the colours that wont be a problem.
I'm not sure I would be able to do the draft bomb side as It would be very hard for me to find out which are the draft bombs as I'm not very good at drafting myself. I only do swiss drafts now and then.
When I get some figures behimd me I'll add some charts etc.
These were the current prices from MTGOTraders as of the 20/21 of April
Life from the Loam is currently going for $2.50 there were quite a few cards that were lower than I thought as well.
maybe its me, but in your key it seems the color for price increased and decreased are the same... ok lookin more close i see one is green the other is blue, but they are really close, I might just suggest tryin to make them look a bit more different.. so I take it the cut off is 3 dollars? I'm a big rare drafter though Urza Saga messed that up cuz there wasnt much in the way of rares so I had to actually just win packs lol I do hope this article continues, I'm very much a numbers and charts person and I know this is a lot of work, but it'd be interesting to get some kinda comparison between it being a money pick and draft bomb at the same time, though that maybe long enough for a separate article lol
Where are these numbers from, out of interest?
I ask because there're a few cards missing which I thought would be over $3, and now I'm wondering whether I just overestimate their value, or whether they're just missing! Life from the Loam, for instance. Surely that gets you $3?
I'd definitely run white as the splash. I was utterly unimpressed by last kiss throughout the pre-release, and feel that white gives you the better three removal spells.
I'd also be tempted to run skywatcher adept, probably in place of aura gnarlid (which I admittedly have no experience with and could be under-rating).
Regress, Survival Cache and Lay Bare are all relevent sideboard cards against slow, ramp-style decks, while Line Slinger and Puncturing Light (and maybe hyena umbra?) can come in against faster decks.
7th edition rats are uncommon, the vision version is common, other than that awesome :). There are no changes as the data is from 2 days. Should write something what set is the best for rare drafting. Looking at the data the best are the new ones - Zen, M10 and Eldarazi.
It would be really nice if you do some sort of evaluation. Do something like this Evaluation = (Added prices for each money rare in set) * ( number of money rares/number of all rare's in set). Than compare those with the cost of the pack. It's a lot of work, but you are halfway there :)
Hmmm more to the point would be what cards LOOK like good picks because they should be hot but aren't and don't quite make the bomb list either. Interesting reference...I was a little confused by the price movement column since it seems like nothing moves...Or do you plan to update each of these cards on a weekly/monthly basis?
The difference between insects and arachnids are many. Segmented bodies vs non-segmented, number of legs, and then dozens of details I don't have the knowledge to spout. But the mistake is easy to make since the thing is a scary tangle of ick. And people don't often look closely at that.
Giant Catapillar was a great limited card back in MVW... Even Pre 6th ed rules it did its duty and then you sacced it and got a PERMANENT token (1/1 flier) not just till the end of turn. Before M10 and after 6th ed it became even better as it could block/or attack and kill something then be sacced with damage on the stack to produce the token would then go on to be evasive and maybe even wear pants. Killer Bees was a common card to be found in X decks back in the days prior to 5th ed when Legends was still a bit of a novelty and it was either bolt bait or evasive pump like the black shades but with flying. Sure Carrion Ants at one more cmc was overall better but Killer Bees did their duty.
Also I would argue that there are no insects that are not beneficial in some way. Even plague bearing fleas serve a purpose in their ecological niche. Where insects become destructive is usually when we take them out of their ecology and introduce them to others and thus spread disease and mayhem. Also while the variety of insects may outnumber the variety of humans (6 billion humans each unique vs how many insect species?) Keep in mind Magic is a Fantasy game and thus caters to those who prefer things a bit more glamorous and and less disgusting. Like it or not most people don't like bugs.
Great article despite my comments.
It grows on you. I've been in management for many years now so I don't get out of the office as much to see all the good storys the technicians tell me. I did manage to leave the office today and spent about 4 hours in a popcorn plant. I found some ants, centipede, spider and a mouse (In a different building than the product which was good). Rodents aren't my favorite.
You are right, which is why I referred to it as mythic. As far as I'm concerned it doesn't exist. Just a bunch of myths to stir up the townsfolk lol.
best spider ever! How can you not love a card called Woolly Spider? It makes you want to hug him. And he's got such a friendly little face.
http://www.mtgotraders.com/store/ME2_Woolly_Spider.html
Good article this week. Sadly I was not picked for the communitycup maybe one year they will choose a grumpy angry guy just to represent that demographic and hopefully ill get a shot. But I really really really wanna check out Heath's store being that im in the same state and maybe only 3-4 hours a way. It's just trying to find magic buddies to go with is hard and my non-magic friends think its dumb to drive that far for magic...
Technically the Mythic Camel Spider is not actually a spider at all but a member of the order known as Solifugae...which is also where giant solifuge comes from.
In the Middle East, it is widely rumored among American and coalition military forces stationed there that Solifugae will feed on living human flesh. The story goes that the creature will inject some anaesthetizing venom into the exposed skin of its sleeping victim, then feed voraciously, leaving the victim to awaken with a gaping wound. Solifugae, however, do not produce such an anaesthetic, and they do not attack prey larger than themselves unless threatened. Other stories include tales of them leaping into the air, disemboweling camels, screaming, and running alongside moving humvees; all of these tales are dubious at best. Due to their bizarre appearance many people are startled or even afraid of them. This fear was sufficient to drive a family from their home when one was discovered in a soldier's house in Colchester, England. The greatest threat they pose to humans, however, is their bite in self-defense when one tries to handle them. There is essentially no chance of death directly caused by the bite, but, due to the strong muscles of their chelicerae, they can produce a proportionately large, ragged wound that is prone to infection.
Why this still makes Giant Solifuge an insect and not a spider(which is similar) or even a solifugae we will never know except that it doesnt have reach and a solifugae tribe would be lame unless they were all trample, shroud, and haste
An amusing read with a good flow; I could never do your job though, since I can't even step on a bug without getting all squeamish.
Well I know this will be something I will keep an eye on.
I really miss the days of Urza art, tbh I think current art, like Lorwyn block can look a bit too cartoon like... look at those artifacts they look so detailed and sharp... and look at the umbilicus and urza's rage the colors are much more mute.. serra avenger is one of the few newer cards that i think really capitalizes on some of these old techniques... these pics look more like art to me then a lot of the newer stuff... sure this is a generalization and there are some exceptions, but this is when I started playing and def was more the style that brought me into the game
might be affected by the unreleased cards not to mention $100 FoW, which is must have for 90% of Legacy control, but even like Daze isn't cheap until it really is released
Does 250k even count as a city? :p
http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Digital/MagicOnline.aspx?x=mtg/digital/magi...
Far more Legacy tournaments than Classic, and the Classic events the weekend I started this article didn't fire.
Yes, I see that 24 people showed up to play Classic last weekend. 24 is not a lot. We had 32 people show up for the last Legacy store tournament at Misty - playing for nothing in prizes, on a Tuesday night, in a city of 250,000. The SCG $5ks get hundreds of players.
24 is not a lot. I would love to see more - but 24 players in a tournament available worldwide. It could be - and should be - so much more.
Over 2,000 people showed up for GP Madrid.
I'm not putting the format down - I love Vintage, Classic and Legacy, and I'd love to see them flourish. But, so far, they are not.