• Modern Musings - Oath of the Gatewatch   9 years 22 weeks ago

    Yes, that was a major oversight on my part, though as Paul said the banning of Twin probably makes it a moot point now.

  • Modern Musings - Oath of the Gatewatch   9 years 23 weeks ago

    I agree. This whole thing would come across as less complex if people just said "any mana" rather than "generic mana" to refer to those costs.

  • Modern Musings - Oath of the Gatewatch   9 years 23 weeks ago

    Thanks for the article about modern implications of the newest set.

    You wrote: "As such it is now impossible to generate generic mana but you will have to refer to it when talking about the casting costs of cards." I chose to focus on one word: "generic." As others have said, this addition to existing rules may be causing some confusion.

    If I cast something like a Grizzly Bear, I must pay at least a source of GREEN mana, and a second mana of any color. Since the mana cost includes a (1) in a circle, this means I may use any source of mana to meet its cost.

    If I cast a Grizzly Bear by tapping a forest and wastes, I also meet the requirement.

    It seems the biggest hang-up is self-caused by injecting a term like 'generic' where it doesn't fit within the rules. Don't get me wrong; I understand what you imply. I just think your reasoning is overly cumbersome.

    For example- All Darth Vaders are Sith, but not all Sith are Darth Vaders. All <> mana is colorless entirely, but not all colorless mana is (just) <>. Any color of mana (including colorless) can pay for (), but only colorless mana can pay for <>.

  • Modern Musings - Oath of the Gatewatch   9 years 23 weeks ago

    No longer an issue. As they came for pod and we did nothing, they now have come for twin and we can do nothing.

  • Freed from the Real 353: Everyone Calm Down, There's a Perfectly Reasonable Explanation   9 years 23 weeks ago

    NeoKoz or Koz 2.0 are my 2 cents.

    As to the bans and reconciliation, the Chases are good people for that (Kieran and Elaine were both NGers for a while and they took States 1st and 3rd just before going off to work at Renton.) I still feel like WOTCs general approach to PR is a sledgehammer vs mouse syndrome. And I don't think PR professionals can solve that.

  • Freed from the Real 353: Everyone Calm Down, There's a Perfectly Reasonable Explanation   9 years 23 weeks ago

    Well you can't be right 100% of the time. :) You did call Summer Bloom and Twin and I was certain you were wrong about Twin but they did ban Pod so I guess in hindsight it makes sense. Also was sure they were going to ban Amulet. I don't see that deck doing anything either way unless they print a lesser bloom again.

  • Modern Musings - Oath of the Gatewatch   9 years 23 weeks ago

    Warping Wail also takes out both halves of the Splinter Twin deck. Pestermite has 1 toughness, Deceiver Exarch has 1 power.

  • Freed from the Real 353: Everyone Calm Down, There's a Perfectly Reasonable Explanation   9 years 23 weeks ago

    Well I missed a lot on my predictions. Did not just imagine the three cards going.

  • The case for banning Splinter Twin   9 years 23 weeks ago

    10 Months on, nothing in the deck has really changed, but now the ban is looking very likely

  • State of the Program for January 15th 2016   9 years 23 weeks ago

    I had not visited the wizards site since the last redesign, it was just too low signal to noise ratio for me back then. Looking around it just now I find that the framework isn't much different, but the article layout is better, much more text and less visuals making it more readable, although I found the material somewhat shallow in all the recent articles. The txt is too large, and the jerky graphics on the right too distracting. Maybe I'll try again in another 12 months :P

  • Pauper - A Goblin Video Tutorial   9 years 23 weeks ago

    No idea - I like ASUS 'republic of gamer' machines personally :)

  • Diaries of the Apocalypse: Tribal Week 262   9 years 23 weeks ago

    Get ready for a bunch of turn 2 Thought-knot Seers once Oath comes out online.

    I'm personally excited about all the cards that can take advantage of Training Grounds.

    This set is practically Tribal Allies vs Eldrazi.

  • Modern Musings - Oath of the Gatewatch   9 years 23 weeks ago

    I suppose we just have some opposing views on some of the issues with colourless. Where I see inconsistencies with how 'Colourless' acts as a colour in most but not all ways, you see that as being part of the special status of being 'Colourless' (e.g. you can't have protection from colourless, colourless mana doesn't interact with the Sunburst mechanic).

    The inconsistencies to me just muddy the water and make things more complex and confusing than is necessary and I see that as a result of trying to fit a square peg in a round hole to create 'colourless mana'.

  • Modern Musings - Oath of the Gatewatch   9 years 23 weeks ago

    Oath of Nissa is worthy of consideration but I just couldn't figure out a place where it would really fit. The second ability is almost completely irrelevant and I'm just not sure what deck wants a 1-mana green draw spell that can only find a land or a creature. Green creature based decks are usually too aggressive for a card like Oath of Nissa. Green Devotion could be home though.

    I acknowledge I overlooked Thought-Knot Seer, I think mainly because of the drawback that gives your opponent a card. I think LSV's preview article (which I read after seeing the votes) is a good explanation of the power of the card. In general, I think the comments I made about Reality Smasher also apply to the Thought-Knot Seer but it is probably even better. In hindsight, it would have made my Top 8 for sure.

    I can see the argument that 'generic' mana costs and colourless mana are different things and so this change clarifies that but I think that was a very minor issue that was fairly easily understood. I also can't really accept it as the driving force behind the change as I think colourless mana causes far more complexity problems than it resolves. I agree that the term 'generic' not being a Magic term is a part of that problem.

  • A Year of Modern Flashbacks - Mirrodin   9 years 23 weeks ago

    Well that would be super cool :D

  • Modern Musings - Oath of the Gatewatch   9 years 23 weeks ago

    Re: Oath cards in Modern - Oath of Nissa out of the gates is far more powerful for Modern than Gideon's. It should help the consistency of the Green Devotion decks and it's low cost means it should always be considered when constructing a Green deck. As many others have mentioned, Thought-Knot Seer might strengthen the Eldrazi decks even more than Reality Smasher, especially since a combination of Eldrazi Temple/Eye of Ugin can drop in down on T2.

    Re: Your Issues With Colorless Mana - I think as a whole, it's this terminology of "generic" that is causing problems for people.

    Generic isn't an actual term in the game. A lot of folks might have used it as a short cut for what used to be "can be paid with any (color of) mana". Now, like some other game changes in the last few years, I think they realized they had two objects that were using the same "description" - a number in a gray circle - but these 2 objects, while very similar, didn't mean the exact same thing. Introducing "type of mana", and in effect giving Colorless Mana it's own symbol in line with the other types of mana, has now clearly set apart "this can be paid with any type of mana" and "this taps for Colorless". It also happened to free up some interesting design space they couldn't touch on before when one description had two meanings.

    Injecting the term "generic" into this scenario is adding complexity that technically isn't even part of the game. I think newer players will be able to pick up the concept just fine, as long as the players teaching it to them describe it correctly.

  • Modern Musings - Oath of the Gatewatch   9 years 23 weeks ago

    i disagree a bit on colorless being essentially the same as a color. there are all sorts of places in Magic where color matters, and it is clear that colorless does not function there: the Sunburst mechanic still has a maximum of five colors, Tribal Flames can't go higher than 5, other places where you choose a color (protection instants) and so on, where even the errata do not allow you to pick "colorless" today when you couldn't yesterday. So it doesn't bother me, for example, that the colorless symbol + red symbol on a card makes that card red only. That is one of the things that is special about colorless vs the other kinds of mana. I agree with some of your other concerns, esp. introducing it in the second set, and I also find devoid a very strange mechanic for some of the reasons you mention, but I find the subtle differences between "colorless" and "colors" to be relatively interesting and even potentially to open up some new design spaces.

  • Pauper - A Goblin Video Tutorial   9 years 23 weeks ago

    I liked the video, your pace successfully hits the space between too long and too brief.
    I actually watched on my moto g phone over 4g connection, and the view of the games is therefore really condensed, but I think I got enough out of it overall.
    I realise your game experience is way different from mine as I'm playing on pokey 1280x960 laptop whereas your play area looks really adequate. Maybe I need to upgrade in 2016 - think it'll be any good on s surface pro?

  • A Year of Modern Flashbacks - Mirrodin   9 years 23 weeks ago

    Go ahead.

    Do you want me a record a replay of Round 3?

  • A Year of Modern Flashbacks - Mirrodin   9 years 23 weeks ago

    Holy Crap this is amazing!

    Care if I use this in next weeks as well?

  • A Year of Modern Flashbacks - Mirrodin   9 years 23 weeks ago

    Time: 13-Jan-16 8:39:21 PM
    Players:
    BennyBoy2525
    AnubisWarrior
    starlbirth
    txb18
    haldidntdoit
    shadowhopper
    JXClaytor
    --> The_Sensei

    --: Megatog

    --: Megatog

    ------ MRD ------

    Pack 1 pick 1:
    Electrostatic Bolt
    Seat of the Synod
    Goblin Replica
    Neurok Spy
    Neurok Hoversail
    Predator's Strike
    Vulshok Gauntlets
    Journey of Discovery
    Sunbeam Spellbomb
    Groffskithur
    Wrench Mind
    Banshee's Blade
    Nuisance Engine
    Pearl Shard
    --> Megatog

    --: Silver Myr

    --: Silver Myr

    Pack 1 pick 2:
    Moriok Scavenger
    --> Silver Myr
    Goblin Replica
    Thoughtcast
    Leonin Scimitar
    Auriok Transfixer
    Dross Prowler
    Vulshok Gauntlets
    Dream's Grip
    Viridian Joiner
    Clockwork Beetle
    Fractured Loyalty
    Stalking Stones
    Spellweaver Helix

    --: Silver Myr

    --: Silver Myr

    Pack 1 pick 3:
    Alpha Myr
    --> Silver Myr
    Elf Replica
    Tel-Jilad Chosen
    Consume Spirit
    Wurmskin Forger
    Welding Jar
    Irradiate
    Chimney Imp
    Necrogen Spellbomb
    Myr Retriever
    Skeleton Shard
    Temporal Cascade

    --: Hematite Golem

    --: Hematite Golem

    Pack 1 pick 4:
    Ancient Den
    --> Hematite Golem
    Krark-Clan Grunt
    Inertia Bubble
    Slagwurm Armor
    Raise the Alarm
    Ogre Leadfoot
    Disarm
    Cloudpost
    Mourner's Shield
    Myr Mindservant
    Promise of Power

    --: Vulshok Berserker

    --: Vulshok Berserker

    Pack 1 pick 5:
    Annul
    --> Vulshok Berserker
    Cobalt Golem
    Thoughtcast
    Steel Wall
    Incite War
    Regress
    Disarm
    Viridian Joiner
    Psychic Membrane
    Second Sunrise

    --: Nim Shambler

    --: Nim Shambler

    Pack 1 pick 6:
    Annul
    Soldier Replica
    Nim Lasher
    Leonin Den-Guard
    Lifespark Spellbomb
    Myr Adapter
    Sphere of Purity
    Necrogen Spellbomb
    --> Nim Shambler
    Slith Predator

    --: Copper Myr

    --: Copper Myr

    Pack 1 pick 7:
    --> Copper Myr
    Inertia Bubble
    Dross Prowler
    Awe Strike
    Omega Myr
    Turn to Dust
    Vorrac Battlehorns
    Scrabbling Claws
    Slith Strider

    --: Pewter Golem

    --: Pewter Golem

    Pack 1 pick 8:
    Goblin War Wagon
    --> Pewter Golem
    Razor Barrier
    Nim Lasher
    Steel Wall
    Blinding Beam
    Seething Song
    Bottle Gnomes

    --: Seat of the Synod

    --: Seat of the Synod

    Pack 1 pick 9:
    --> Seat of the Synod
    Neurok Hoversail
    Predator's Strike
    Journey of Discovery
    Sunbeam Spellbomb
    Groffskithur
    Banshee's Blade

    --: Fractured Loyalty

    --: Fractured Loyalty

    Pack 1 pick 10:
    Auriok Transfixer
    Dream's Grip
    Viridian Joiner
    Clockwork Beetle
    --> Fractured Loyalty
    Spellweaver Helix

    --: Elf Replica

    --: Elf Replica

    Pack 1 pick 11:
    --> Elf Replica
    Wurmskin Forger
    Welding Jar
    Chimney Imp
    Temporal Cascade

    --: Krark-Clan Grunt

    --: Krark-Clan Grunt

    Pack 1 pick 12:
    --> Krark-Clan Grunt
    Ogre Leadfoot
    Disarm
    Mourner's Shield

    --: Incite War

    --: Incite War

    Pack 1 pick 13:
    --> Incite War
    Disarm
    Viridian Joiner

    --: Lifespark Spellbomb

    --: Lifespark Spellbomb

    Pack 1 pick 14:
    --> Lifespark Spellbomb
    Slith Predator

    --: Vorrac Battlehorns

    Pack 1 pick 15:
    --> Vorrac Battlehorns

    --: Solar Tide

    --: Solar Tide

    ------ MRD ------

    Pack 2 pick 1:
    Skyhunter Patrol
    Great Furnace
    Chromatic Sphere
    Tel-Jilad Chosen
    Titanium Golem
    Consume Spirit
    Awe Strike
    Krark-Clan Shaman
    Regress
    Contaminated Bond
    Loxodon Mender
    Needlebug
    Assert Authority
    Myr Retriever
    --> Solar Tide

    --: Granite Shard

    --: Granite Shard

    Pack 2 pick 2:
    Shatter
    Tree of Tales
    Iron Myr
    Malachite Golem
    Neurok Spy
    Predator's Strike
    Journey of Discovery
    Viridian Longbow
    Wail of the Nim
    Groffskithur
    Galvanic Key
    Tempest of Light
    --> Granite Shard
    Bosh, Iron Golem

    --: Lightning Greaves

    --: Lightning Greaves

    Pack 2 pick 3:
    Wizard Replica
    Krark-Clan Grunt
    Æther Spellbomb
    Ogre Leadfoot
    Slagwurm Armor
    Lumengrid Warden
    Seething Song
    Neurok Familiar
    Clockwork Beetle
    --> Lightning Greaves
    Leonin Skyhunter
    Rustmouth Ogre
    Krark's Thumb

    --: Shrapnel Blast

    --: Shrapnel Blast

    Pack 2 pick 4:
    Skyhunter Patrol
    Great Furnace
    Chromatic Sphere
    Tel-Jilad Chosen
    Titanium Golem
    Hematite Golem
    Krark-Clan Shaman
    Regress
    Contaminated Bond
    Loxodon Mender
    Ornithopter
    --> Shrapnel Blast

    --: Ancient Den

    --: Ancient Den

    Pack 2 pick 5:
    Tel-Jilad Archers
    --> Ancient Den
    Goblin War Wagon
    Hematite Golem
    Wanderguard Sentry
    Battlegrowth
    Dross Scorpion
    Goblin Striker
    Dream's Grip
    Creeping Mold
    Roar of the Kha

    --: Auriok Transfixer

    --: Auriok Transfixer

    Pack 2 pick 6:
    --> Auriok Transfixer
    Tooth of Chiss-Goria
    Wurmskin Forger
    Irradiate
    Clockwork Condor
    Molten Rain
    Omega Myr
    Barter in Blood
    Skeleton Shard
    Power Conduit

    --: Scale of Chiss-Goria

    --: Scale of Chiss-Goria

    Pack 2 pick 7:
    --> Scale of Chiss-Goria
    Moriok Scavenger
    Malachite Golem
    Fangren Hunter
    Wail of the Nim
    Yotian Soldier
    Leonin Elder
    Tanglebloom
    Contaminated Bond

    --: Tooth of Chiss-Goria

    --: Tooth of Chiss-Goria

    Pack 2 pick 8:
    Cobalt Golem
    Auriok Transfixer
    --> Tooth of Chiss-Goria
    Wurmskin Forger
    Irradiate
    Clockwork Condor
    Molten Rain
    Krark-Clan Grunt

    --: Awe Strike

    --: Awe Strike

    Pack 2 pick 9:
    Tel-Jilad Chosen
    Titanium Golem
    --> Awe Strike
    Krark-Clan Shaman
    Contaminated Bond
    Loxodon Mender
    Assert Authority

    --: Tempest of Light

    --: Tempest of Light

    Pack 2 pick 10:
    Malachite Golem
    Predator's Strike
    Journey of Discovery
    Groffskithur
    Galvanic Key
    --> Tempest of Light

    --: Ogre Leadfoot

    --: Ogre Leadfoot

    Pack 2 pick 11:
    --> Ogre Leadfoot
    Slagwurm Armor
    Lumengrid Warden
    Seething Song
    Clockwork Beetle

    --: Krark-Clan Shaman

    --: Krark-Clan Shaman

    Pack 2 pick 12:
    Tel-Jilad Chosen
    --> Krark-Clan Shaman
    Contaminated Bond
    Loxodon Mender

    --: Roar of the Kha

    --: Roar of the Kha

    Pack 2 pick 13:
    Battlegrowth
    Dream's Grip
    --> Roar of the Kha

    --: Omega Myr

    --: Omega Myr

    Pack 2 pick 14:
    Wurmskin Forger
    --> Omega Myr

    --: Tanglebloom

    Pack 2 pick 15:
    --> Tanglebloom

    --: Skullclamp

    --: Skullclamp

    ------ DST ------

    Pack 3 pick 1:
    Krark-Clan Stoker
    Neurok Prodigy
    Vulshok Morningstar
    Echoing Decay
    Pteron Ghost
    Arcbound Worker
    Ur-Golem's Eye
    Inflame
    Whispersilk Cloak
    Machinate
    Viridian Acolyte
    Karstoderm
    --> Skullclamp
    Murderous Spoils
    Æther Snap

    --: Razor Golem

    --: Razor Golem

    Pack 3 pick 2:
    Echoing Truth
    Tangle Golem
    Chittering Rats
    Ritual of Restoration
    --> Razor Golem
    Quicksilver Behemoth
    Echoing Courage
    Scavenging Scarab
    Darksteel Citadel
    Hallow
    Myr Landshaper
    Tanglewalker
    Kraken's Eye
    Soulscour

    --: Echoing Ruin

    --: Echoing Ruin

    Pack 3 pick 3:
    Unforge
    Darksteel Ingot
    Tel-Jilad Wolf
    Grimclaw Bats
    Arcbound Bruiser
    --> Echoing Ruin
    Metal Fatigue
    Crazed Goblin
    Magnetic Flux
    Arcane Spyglass
    Talon of Pain
    Nemesis Mask
    Spellbinder

    --: Vulshok Morningstar

    --: Vulshok Morningstar

    Pack 3 pick 4:
    Darksteel Pendant
    Krark-Clan Stoker
    Neurok Prodigy
    --> Vulshok Morningstar
    Pteron Ghost
    Metal Fatigue
    Ur-Golem's Eye
    Inflame
    Whispersilk Cloak
    Machinate
    Stir the Pride
    Genesis Chamber

    --: Pteron Ghost

    --: Pteron Ghost

    Pack 3 pick 5:
    --> Pteron Ghost
    Vedalken Engineer
    Krark-Clan Stoker
    Machinate
    Viridian Acolyte
    Myr Moonvessel
    Hunger of the Nim
    Whispersilk Cloak
    Hoverguard Observer
    Surestrike Trident
    Karstoderm

    --: Leonin Bola

    --: Leonin Bola

    Pack 3 pick 6:
    Vedalken Engineer
    Spire Golem
    Loxodon Mystic
    Quicksilver Behemoth
    Inflame
    Neurok Prodigy
    Nourish
    --> Leonin Bola
    Demon's Horn
    Spincrusher

    --: Loxodon Mystic

    --: Loxodon Mystic

    Pack 3 pick 7:
    Darksteel Pendant
    Unforge
    Spire Golem
    --> Loxodon Mystic
    Hallow
    Inflame
    Machinate
    Spincrusher
    Stand Together

    --: Darksteel Forge

    --: Darksteel Forge

    Pack 3 pick 8:
    Tangle Spider
    Tangle Golem
    Ritual of Restoration
    Hunger of the Nim
    Echoing Calm
    Drooling Ogre
    Wurm's Tooth
    --> Darksteel Forge

    --: Krark-Clan Stoker

    --: Krark-Clan Stoker

    Pack 3 pick 9:
    --> Krark-Clan Stoker
    Ur-Golem's Eye
    Inflame
    Machinate
    Viridian Acolyte
    Karstoderm
    Æther Snap

    --: Hallow

    --: Hallow

    Pack 3 pick 10:
    Tangle Golem
    Ritual of Restoration
    Echoing Courage
    Scavenging Scarab
    --> Hallow
    Kraken's Eye

    --: Unforge

    --: Unforge

    Pack 3 pick 11:
    --> Unforge
    Metal Fatigue
    Crazed Goblin
    Magnetic Flux
    Arcane Spyglass

    --: Inflame

    --: Inflame

    Pack 3 pick 12:
    Krark-Clan Stoker
    Metal Fatigue
    --> Inflame
    Machinate

    --: Karstoderm

    Pack 3 pick 13:
    Machinate
    Hunger of the Nim
    --> Karstoderm

    --: Demon's Horn

    Pack 3 pick 14:
    Quicksilver Behemoth
    --> Demon's Horn

  • Pauper - A Goblin Video Tutorial   9 years 23 weeks ago

    Yeah it was either a spammer that I deleted or someone that commented. You can't just give fireballs without commenting.

  • Pauper - A Goblin Video Tutorial   9 years 23 weeks ago

    Pretty sure it was the same f*@#$er who left the spam in someone else's article with a ****

  • Pauper - A Goblin Video Tutorial   9 years 23 weeks ago

    ONE STAR?! ha! Gee I wonder 'who' did this lol...

  • Oath of the Gatewatch and Pauper   9 years 23 weeks ago

    I agree with your assessment that there's not much going on at common. Aside from Allies versus Eldrazi there's only really surge, cohort and support spread thinly around.
    In pauper I don't really see anything that will immediately have a home, except possibly Pulse of Murasa in green tron.
    I like the look of black best for standard pauper, it gets decent evasion and removal. Kozilek's Pathfinder will probably find a home as a wincon.
    A very average set overall.