New set previews are kind of weird for those of us who are primarily Limited players. Contrary to what this blog would have you believe, that's what the three of us are. Almost all of the previews on the mothership are of rares. Cool? Yes. Splashy? Yes. Flavorful? Yes. Will you be seeing these more than once or twice a month? No. Still, I personally have some strong Timmy tendencies (duh). So seeing the flavor and the cool new toys is a lot of fun for me.
The 800-lb gorilla of Lorwyn block is not named Kird Ape. The new planeswalker card type is going to fundamentally change the way the game is played. You can't afford to just ignore planeswalkers on the table, though aggro might come closest. Even if the only ability that ever gets used is the first (positive loyalty), the repeatable effects without additional mana commitment are pretty freaking strong. I've only seen the red, black and green ones. Each of the +1 abilities seems really, really good. Garruk on turn 3 plus 2 mana seems amazing. Tearing your opponents hand apart also seems good for Lilliana and Chandra Nalaar can flat end games if you can protect her. The plus-abilities aren't game changers by themselves, but
the fact that they are decent in addition to getting their loyalty up to the big effects really seems scary.
Let's look at some other preview cards.
Gaddock Teeg-No, your planeswalkers are not creatures. Yes, this locks them out. I guess this continues a tradition of previewing cards that hose a primary block mechanic (Teferi, Mage of screw you Suspend). Seems like an answer for mass removal. Unfortunately, it seems like Dan Paskins is just going to burn Gaddock's face off. Eh.
Rings of Brighthearth-This seems like fun. I enjoy activated abilities. All the good ones I can think of right now are in Rav block. But whatever. There must be some good ones in TS block, right?
Cryptic Command-You know, I don't complain about Flores nearly as much as some people, but what is up with the beginning of this article? Does he just assume that people will scroll down and click the link? What is up with that? Is he being coy? Talk about annoying. Anyway, seems good for monoblue, which is what I think he said for a couple thousand words. No, no one else will want to play it. Also, why is this rare? I wasn't playing during Mirrodin Block. Were those modal spells all rare? Can we expect this to be a cycle? I hope so. Because it will demonstrate how few abilities the other colors get compared to blue.
Dread-This I like (Thanks, Timmy!). Why do I get the feeling Fugie will table this, stick it into his 5c green and then own with it. Still seems good. I do wonder what black is going to be like in this happy, happy fun world they seem to be throwing us in to.
Well, that's all I got. Join me this weekend when I play a good deck at Saturday Night Magic and still go 1-3. Toodles.
11 comments:
Do I say seems too much? Yes I do. Is that annoying? Yes it is. Christ, I need an editor.
Best way is to put it out there and let it be. This will help you to edit yourself.
Do you need to drink less caffeine? Yes you do.
I like the post. Red will be able to deal with Planeswalkers quite easily as they can redirect all their damage spells to it upon resolution. I think it gives splashable red removal a boost in the upcoming drafts and sealed events (like it wasn't high before, I know).
There is a cycle of command cards in Lorwyn, "The Lorwyn set features a cycle of five cards with "Command" in their name. These are modal cards in which you choose two modes rather than one"
The one ring that can duplicate abilities seems like the new pithing needle, chase rare so far. I'm thinking it could be cheap enough to see play in type 2.
You have to have abilities to duplicate. Plus, 3 to drop, 2 to use is something you have to build around, You can't just throw it in a deck like the needle. The only things that jump out at me are Terramorphic Expanse, the Planeswalkers, and Transmute (card advantage). they were wise not to put Transmute and the Wedding Rings in the same type two, and they are WAY too slow in extended and vintage, but may see play in a legacy control deck (Wasteland? oof-da).
Pop Quiz Hotshot. Name the triggered ability that kept Wizards from adding "pay 2: copy target triggeres ability."
Off the top of my head...Pact trigger?
Storm.
You only need to get halfway then.
Okay, searching Gatherer for : actually works. Sticking out so far...Creatures with amazing activated abilities (Avatar of Woe, Clockwork Hydra). Using Desert to kill x/2s seems good. You can add 2 counters to storage lands using this. The counter ability isn't a mana ability. Augurs! Emberwilde does 6? Garg counters come off twice as fast.
The more I dig through the abilities, the more I am convinced of two things. One, Rings of Brighthearth is balanced. I know, I know, crazy right? But if you look at what abilities will cost, things seem about right. Second, control is really going to like this card. I agree with the Fugitive that this will be no Pithing Needle. I do think it'll see standard play though, and the possibilities are exciting.
Is Mindless Automaton cool with this? Pay 3, discard a card to add 2 counters. You can cash it in for a card if a non split second removal spell hits it.
Storm. Constraining magic design (both set design and deck design) since Scourge! Awesome.
I found the white planeswalker on mtgsalvation.com
Planeswalker - Ajani Rare
+1: You gain 2 life
-1: Creatures you control get +1/+1 and gain vigilance until end of turn.
-6: Put an X/X white Avatar creature token into play with power and toughness each equal to your life total.
4 loyalty counters
Is it just me, or am I the only one that thinks Cryptic Command is the final nail in the coffin for Control decks?
It's way too slow of a card for Control nowadays (Control NEEDS spell snare more than ever now, and look at it cycling) and all the control can be done with 2/3 mc cards. Cancel, Rune Snag, and the Familiar's Trickery and the Fae... I just feel that Control is absolutely dead and Aggro is going to reign supreme.
Is anyone surprised that the white planeswalker stone cold sucks? White:The New Green.
I don't think that control is dead. It's a little much to read that into a blue rare. Draw-Go style control is probably dead but it was almost there aready(hence yr final nail comment), but we are gonna need to see more blue commons and uncommons before we declare the archetype dead (or more accurately, in a coma). That's where the meat has always been for blue anyway.
Also, control does not live on blue alone. I think as long as Damnation is around (not to mention Tendrils) board control strategies are still going to have the tools they need to win.
Planeswalker - Jace Rare
+2: Each player draws a card.
-1: Target player draws a card.
-10: Put the top 20 cards of target player's library into his or her graveyard.
I don't know what she starts at in loyalty points however.
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