A few more sentences could do wonders for this article. For instance:
-The interaction between Glassdust Hulk and Thopter Foundry is simply fantastic, and gives the UW deck much of its late-game "oomph"
-Indeed, you didn't even mention any archetypes - the Mimeomancer is simply fantastic in the UW exalted/aggro archetype, turning squires and even ethercaste knights into alpha-strike threats. In this archetype, Plowbeast is basically unplayable, while Ardent Plea and the Esper Stormblade move way up.
-Similarly, in more controlling Esper builds, Meddling Mage goes way up in value because of your ability to Deny Reality etc. for value. Plus, if you have a few artifacts with tap abilities (Battlemage anyone?), Unbender Tine can become stunningly playable - and not just if you're living the Obelisk of Alara dream.
This is really the sort of thing that prevents static card evaluations from sucking, going stale or looking lame in hindsight - and it's much better for the reader.
blitz hellion isn't horrible. In a 40 card deck the likely hood of top decking it multiple times is more common then in constructed. I won a round once that I had no way of winning, nor should I have really. It was something like me sitting under 10 life with no way out in sight while my opponent is dominating the board and sitting at a solid 20. The opponent sees blood and starts attacking with his whole team. I block and let some damage through. Draw the hellion and attack with another creature, -10 to opponent. Next turn opponent goes all in again and sacs me to 1 life, so I am dead next turn and my board has nothing to stop it. Top deck hellion and swing for the win. It was odds of something like 23 to 1. Because of that win alone, I draft the hellion pretty high.
But I draft strangely I think. I had a couple of drafts where I was able to pull off using the "put cards in target library in the grave yard until 4 lands" back to back followed by that "remove all creatures from target grave yard and place that many 2/2 zombies into play. Zombies have life link" enchantment. I like combo kills in draft...
Yes saccing after blockers are declared and before damage dealing will negate the block as if the creature was killed but a blocked non trampler will deal no damage to you regardless of what happens to the blocker.
It says that combat damage does not use the stack. But a creature is blocked and cant hit its oppeont even if no creatures are around to block it anymore (except if it had trample). Assuming that the attacker would survive anyway and didnt have trample nothing have changed.
I think what you have said about the hooplah has been said and re-said enough that there is not a lot more to say on it but hey it gives us something to talk/write about. My two cents is that people always react poorly to changes of this kind and I think with very good reasons. Just because we will weather the storm and adjust to the changes (all the while hoping WotC will "see reason" which they won't) doesn't mean the changes are all for the good. In fact the combat issue is what blows up the status of the changes to something major as opposed to "rules changes? what rules changes?". No more last minute saves on creatures, no more sacs to maximize card advantage, no more taking advantage of your opponent's lack of knowledge of the rules to do something tricky. Yes I think all of these things going are a bad thing. Will I be sad about it for long? Probably not. The fact is that while I have become accustomed to 6th edition for a little under a decade, I am just happy to have a game with such replayability. I am not a great player so I won't have to worry how this will affect my nonexistant professional tournament life. And I am not a teacher of the game much anymore so I won't have to worry how the added complexity as a cost to "simplify" the game has made teaching it harder. Well if I want to play with my girlfriend I will have to worry about that but not too much. I don't own any non-virtual cards of significance so we seldom play anymore. Proxies are a lame substitute for the real thing.
Anyway this all to say that it is really not as big a deal as we (mostly) thought it was yesterday. Darned WotC for taking away something I like. Thank goodness they are still around and making money! So I am grateful to be able to play and discuss magic and have the freedom to do so with impunity.
Regarding Sakura-Tribe Elder again, so you can sack to avoid damage, and get a land? I don't read it that way. I read it Sakura-Tribe Elder can take the damage, or you can sack it get a land and I take the damage. Tricks at combat phase was all the best memories for me from my some of my favorite games.
Draconius,
How about adding some CLOUDPOSTS to the deck (& remove 4 plains)? Alot of people play those. And that might help bring out the Sigil before turn 5. I would probably add some Ancenstral Vision, Concentrate, or even a Howling Mine to draw cards. I might even throw in a couple of Meddling Mages. Good Deck. :-)
There really is no way that I am going to stop playing magic, unless the entire west coast sinks into the ocean and Wizards is completely destroyed and no one ever makes any magic cards again. Don't see that happening, so, hey!
Yes, if you change the numbers it might become a reasonable play, but how many x/x+2 creatures do you run into? The vast majority of creatures of any import are x/x or */*+1.
I *like* that first deck. I've been playing a similary deck lately.
Things that proberly should be in it:
4 Lorescale Coatl - t4 attack with a 7 power creature is nice and easy (and slightly unfair). For some reason ppl like giving you cards :)
1 Wheel of Sun and Moon - so you do not run out of things to devolpe -
1 Reborn hope in SB - to get a Research // devolpement back if you hit Wheel of Sun and Moon as the last.
Something to stop agro, like Firespout would proberly also be an idea.
Think about this in the long hual. You brought up the "bury" term. Most players now adays dont even know that term. It been a long time since they did away with it. In 10 years there will be those who dont remeber RFG either. This change is about the future not the present. An ans for creature losing the abilaty to stack damage. Well yes it sucks and it does bring the value down on creatures with a built in sacrifise. but really fullminators functinality was either to kill a land or get in for two damage, not kill a x/2 critter and a land.
I'm going to disagree here whiff, I think that the Combat Damage change is a pretty major overhaul (and simplification) of a perfectly understandable system. People are mad because lots and lots of cards we have bought no longer do what we bought them to do...like Mogg Fanatic, Anurid Brushhopper, Loxodon Heirarch, Fulminator Mage, and thousands of others. People have a right to be mad that Wizards is making these cards less good (or completely useless in some cases). I really don't see how changing the intended functionality of 10 years worth of cards "simplifies" things in the slightest, If anything it makes things a lot more confusing. I understand that the change makes sense from a flavor standpoint, but from a play standpoint it is simple crazy, not only do you remove a lot of critical decision making from the game, which is what makes magic different from the autopilot cards games like yu-gi-oh and pokemon--but it also is confusing as heck for new players to see that the vast majority of cards have a completely different terminology from what they just learned...so now they have to learn the old names for things (and very complicated things like when RFG on an older card means exile and when it actually means RFG...) AND the new names for things. This same type of thing happened when they got rid of "bury", there was quite a bit of confusion that was caused by that as well.
People say this all the time, but I would really like to know if these changes are being made because wizards wants to expand their current player base or because Magic as a business is becoming less profitable. All these major changes they have been making lately have me very nervous that things are not well in Wizardsland, and that our game might be dying and we don't even know it.
This does help new players I will give you that and respect it. As an experienced player I will not likely continue reading this series as it doesn't help that I've drafted plenty of times. Perhaps these cards in light of ACR draft would be more useful by considering its interactions with cards from the other arts instead of eval in a vacuum or as a whole which you do.
I reread myself and I think you are right. That is an extremely stupid example. I think I would have preferred something like deathtouch kills all attackers/blockers instead of an exception. :-(
Everything is good except removing combat damage/stack fun. I think Mana burn makes sense also.
A few more sentences could do wonders for this article. For instance:
-The interaction between Glassdust Hulk and Thopter Foundry is simply fantastic, and gives the UW deck much of its late-game "oomph"
-Indeed, you didn't even mention any archetypes - the Mimeomancer is simply fantastic in the UW exalted/aggro archetype, turning squires and even ethercaste knights into alpha-strike threats. In this archetype, Plowbeast is basically unplayable, while Ardent Plea and the Esper Stormblade move way up.
-Similarly, in more controlling Esper builds, Meddling Mage goes way up in value because of your ability to Deny Reality etc. for value. Plus, if you have a few artifacts with tap abilities (Battlemage anyone?), Unbender Tine can become stunningly playable - and not just if you're living the Obelisk of Alara dream.
This is really the sort of thing that prevents static card evaluations from sucking, going stale or looking lame in hindsight - and it's much better for the reader.
blitz hellion isn't horrible. In a 40 card deck the likely hood of top decking it multiple times is more common then in constructed. I won a round once that I had no way of winning, nor should I have really. It was something like me sitting under 10 life with no way out in sight while my opponent is dominating the board and sitting at a solid 20. The opponent sees blood and starts attacking with his whole team. I block and let some damage through. Draw the hellion and attack with another creature, -10 to opponent. Next turn opponent goes all in again and sacs me to 1 life, so I am dead next turn and my board has nothing to stop it. Top deck hellion and swing for the win. It was odds of something like 23 to 1. Because of that win alone, I draft the hellion pretty high.
But I draft strangely I think. I had a couple of drafts where I was able to pull off using the "put cards in target library in the grave yard until 4 lands" back to back followed by that "remove all creatures from target grave yard and place that many 2/2 zombies into play. Zombies have life link" enchantment. I like combo kills in draft...
Yes saccing after blockers are declared and before damage dealing will negate the block as if the creature was killed but a blocked non trampler will deal no damage to you regardless of what happens to the blocker.
It says that combat damage does not use the stack. But a creature is blocked and cant hit its oppeont even if no creatures are around to block it anymore (except if it had trample). Assuming that the attacker would survive anyway and didnt have trample nothing have changed.
Well written article.
I agree most of the picks and like someone said before, you did well going esper in the naya charm booster.
Keep the good job, hope to see more of these.
The picture says it all. :D
I think what you have said about the hooplah has been said and re-said enough that there is not a lot more to say on it but hey it gives us something to talk/write about. My two cents is that people always react poorly to changes of this kind and I think with very good reasons. Just because we will weather the storm and adjust to the changes (all the while hoping WotC will "see reason" which they won't) doesn't mean the changes are all for the good. In fact the combat issue is what blows up the status of the changes to something major as opposed to "rules changes? what rules changes?". No more last minute saves on creatures, no more sacs to maximize card advantage, no more taking advantage of your opponent's lack of knowledge of the rules to do something tricky. Yes I think all of these things going are a bad thing. Will I be sad about it for long? Probably not. The fact is that while I have become accustomed to 6th edition for a little under a decade, I am just happy to have a game with such replayability. I am not a great player so I won't have to worry how this will affect my nonexistant professional tournament life. And I am not a teacher of the game much anymore so I won't have to worry how the added complexity as a cost to "simplify" the game has made teaching it harder. Well if I want to play with my girlfriend I will have to worry about that but not too much. I don't own any non-virtual cards of significance so we seldom play anymore. Proxies are a lame substitute for the real thing.
Anyway this all to say that it is really not as big a deal as we (mostly) thought it was yesterday. Darned WotC for taking away something I like. Thank goodness they are still around and making money! So I am grateful to be able to play and discuss magic and have the freedom to do so with impunity.
Is only if the creature is attacking and alone. So blocking a Sengir with the Angel gives you +0 life.
Re: unsummon, boomerang etc that is what a lot of the outrage is about. Hence people think the world is coming to an end :p
Personally I disagree but then I've lived through a few such changes before :) (Reagan being elected for starters...and the list goes on)
Regarding Sakura-Tribe Elder again, so you can sack to avoid damage, and get a land? I don't read it that way. I read it Sakura-Tribe Elder can take the damage, or you can sack it get a land and I take the damage. Tricks at combat phase was all the best memories for me from my some of my favorite games.
How do you know they will not print cards in the newer sets that change the order of the blockers? This could lead to other combat tricks.
Draconius,
How about adding some CLOUDPOSTS to the deck (& remove 4 plains)? Alot of people play those. And that might help bring out the Sigil before turn 5. I would probably add some Ancenstral Vision, Concentrate, or even a Howling Mine to draw cards. I might even throw in a couple of Meddling Mages. Good Deck. :-)
There really is no way that I am going to stop playing magic, unless the entire west coast sinks into the ocean and Wizards is completely destroyed and no one ever makes any magic cards again. Don't see that happening, so, hey!
Yes, if you change the numbers it might become a reasonable play, but how many x/x+2 creatures do you run into? The vast majority of creatures of any import are x/x or */*+1.
I *like* that first deck. I've been playing a similary deck lately.
Things that proberly should be in it:
4 Lorescale Coatl - t4 attack with a 7 power creature is nice and easy (and slightly unfair). For some reason ppl like giving you cards :)
1 Wheel of Sun and Moon - so you do not run out of things to devolpe -
1 Reborn hope in SB - to get a Research // devolpement back if you hit Wheel of Sun and Moon as the last.
Something to stop agro, like Firespout would proberly also be an idea.
I know I see a typo and my heart sinks. I got to be more careful with that next time.
http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a237/kitsunewarlock/collection067.jpg
Magic is dying. Don't you know that? It's evidently been dying for the past 15 years.
(This isn't my picture. I stole it from KitsuneWarlock on the MTGSalvation Message Board thread. :) )
Think about this in the long hual. You brought up the "bury" term. Most players now adays dont even know that term. It been a long time since they did away with it. In 10 years there will be those who dont remeber RFG either. This change is about the future not the present. An ans for creature losing the abilaty to stack damage. Well yes it sucks and it does bring the value down on creatures with a built in sacrifise. but really fullminators functinality was either to kill a land or get in for two damage, not kill a x/2 critter and a land.
you better believe it.
I'm going to disagree here whiff, I think that the Combat Damage change is a pretty major overhaul (and simplification) of a perfectly understandable system. People are mad because lots and lots of cards we have bought no longer do what we bought them to do...like Mogg Fanatic, Anurid Brushhopper, Loxodon Heirarch, Fulminator Mage, and thousands of others. People have a right to be mad that Wizards is making these cards less good (or completely useless in some cases). I really don't see how changing the intended functionality of 10 years worth of cards "simplifies" things in the slightest, If anything it makes things a lot more confusing. I understand that the change makes sense from a flavor standpoint, but from a play standpoint it is simple crazy, not only do you remove a lot of critical decision making from the game, which is what makes magic different from the autopilot cards games like yu-gi-oh and pokemon--but it also is confusing as heck for new players to see that the vast majority of cards have a completely different terminology from what they just learned...so now they have to learn the old names for things (and very complicated things like when RFG on an older card means exile and when it actually means RFG...) AND the new names for things. This same type of thing happened when they got rid of "bury", there was quite a bit of confusion that was caused by that as well.
People say this all the time, but I would really like to know if these changes are being made because wizards wants to expand their current player base or because Magic as a business is becoming less profitable. All these major changes they have been making lately have me very nervous that things are not well in Wizardsland, and that our game might be dying and we don't even know it.
Battlegrace angel doesn't have lifelink and if it did have lifelink, you'd end up with 4 life, not 1.
No stack on combat damage... that's really sick.
This does help new players I will give you that and respect it. As an experienced player I will not likely continue reading this series as it doesn't help that I've drafted plenty of times. Perhaps these cards in light of ACR draft would be more useful by considering its interactions with cards from the other arts instead of eval in a vacuum or as a whole which you do.
I reread myself and I think you are right. That is an extremely stupid example. I think I would have preferred something like deathtouch kills all attackers/blockers instead of an exception. :-(
It is a exception. You do not have to follow the order, atleast based on example in the article...
I would have prefered your way tho :(