Gathering some Magics

Tanya · 2012-01-23 03:59:12

Idler · 2012-01-23 03:59:42

Innistrad's female vampires are really beguiling.

Viani · 2012-01-23 04:02:40

Lots of floating fabric and tight leggings, as opposed to tribal paint and leather madmaximillian wear.

Haven · 2012-01-23 04:03:31

Clock: shoot. :o

You know what's worse?

Zombie Goliath. a 4(B) Zombie Giant with 4/3.

That's a bit of an apples and oranges thing. I'm not saying it's the worst card ever, or even in the entire set, I just wish they hadn't spent a mythic slot on a sorcery that costs 8 and doesn't really do that much (and probably works against you to some extent, thanks to the set's themes). Zombie Goliath fills a slot in your Limited curve and beats heads, even if you look at it and think "I could have gotten a Doom Blade". Archangel's Light doesn't do any of those things, and when you look at it you think "I could have gotten Sorin." (Or even any of the rares the mythic replaces, for that matter.)

Idler · 2012-01-23 04:06:57

Tno: Indeed. Elegant, sexy and evil, just the way vampires should be.

Tanya · 2012-01-23 04:07:56

Praetors are cute and cuddly <3

Don't you just want to cuddle their evil demonic souls.

Viani · 2012-01-23 04:08:06

What power curve are Mythic Rares supposed to be measured to?

Like, Mythic Creature's required stats or effects to justify it's position in the set.

Idler · 2012-01-23 04:11:11

Mythic rares are just supposed to do something that's big and impressive, even if they're not viable to play.

This doesn't even do anything that impressive.

Viani · 2012-01-23 04:12:52

So, was Apocalypse Hydra a good Mythic Rare?

I ask this because I like it, but not sure if Mythic Rare means it's very good.

Idler · 2012-01-23 04:14:42

I think it's the epitome of a good Mythic Rare; not necessarily that useful, but really really cool.

And my Rosheen Meanderer EDH deck likes it.

Viani · 2012-01-23 04:25:48

I've been told by a friend when I first got interesting in playing MTG (as opposed to hoarding all the pretty and cool looking foil cards I could) that the game is very flexible, and that there are tons of viable options for playing, to the point of instead of having 3-4 decktypes dominating the metagame, there are around 30-35 different variants you could use instead.

It's one of the main reasons why I am trying to migrate from Yugioh to MTG is because of this. I think MTG did have a problem I overheard with the Jace Mind Sculptor thing that went on, since he was the MTG version of Black Luster Soldier - Envoy of the Beginning. It's devolved into "Who gets BLS-E out first" now, and where single Secret Rare cards decided the fate of the entire game, and every single common printed was just printed solely to make them harder to get, to get people to buy more cards, since they were beyond unplayable and worthless.

What I am trying to say is I can still win on a consistent basis in MTG if I don't buy cards like Jace the Mind Sculptor, as long as I have a deck that's well built enough, right? The commons and uncommons are playable, and the rares justify their price?

Haven · 2012-01-23 04:38:43

It depends on what you're playing. Official tournaments usually do end up with a few decktypes on top, though it's not unheard of for someone to assemble something completely different and blindside everyone.

In more casual games, lots of things are viable. I mean, my favorite deck is squirrels. (Online, anyway; in real life I have a few different decks I like, but my lone EDH deck is my favorite.)

In other news, I'm amused at this turn of events.

The Dark Ascension Prerelease has more surprises than just the new cards (although if that were all there was it would be plenty). In addition to all the new vampires, werewolves, zombies, and spirits roaming Innistrad, a host of these monsters will be unleashed at each and every Prerelease. You might not be one at the start, but by the end, they will be everywhere.

That's right, the fight between the various creatures of the night and the forces of the humans will be amped up at your local Prerelease in a whole new way, thanks to the monster hunts running throughout the main event. Every Prerelease will have some number of people designated as a vampire, werewolf, zombie, or spirit at the start of the event. The exact numbers will vary depending on how big your Prerelease is, but no Prerelease will be entirely safe. Each round, the monsters will be looking to convert more humans to their cause. If at the start of the event you are still a human, then every round you play against a monster (designated by some flashy stickers) you will be fighting to protect your humanity.

Any time a monster defeats a human in a Prerelease match, the monster will convert the human to his or her cause. That means that while there might only be one vampire in the room at the start of Round 1, by Round 2 there could be two, by Round 3 there could be four, and by Round 4 there could be eight—assuming the vampires keep playing against humans and winning. Once you are a monster, your one objective is to win matches against humans to get more people on your team. If a werewolf fights a vampire, or a spirit fights a zombie, nobody is getting converted, though there will still be the same bragging rights and individual prizes for success as normal. At the end of each Prerelease, though, there will be one team with the most players—either monster or human. Whichever has the greatest population at the end of the event wins, and organizers will surely make certain that to the winning team go the spoils.

I want to be a spirit!

Idler · 2012-01-23 04:39:18

I like that we have a dryad in this set. They're a neglected creature type; they just seem to have forestwalk and not do much else.

Haven: Man, that's awesome. I need to see if there's a card shop here, just for that.

Haven · 2012-01-23 04:43:58

Yeah. The "Mirran vs. Phyrexian" thing at the Mirrodin Besieged prerelease was really fun; even if this isn't quite going to the same extent, it should be pretty exciting too.

Tanya · 2012-01-23 04:47:39

Mirran vs. Phyrexian thing?

What happened then

Idler · 2012-01-23 04:48:49

Requiem Angel shows that whomever called this "the sad angel block" was dead on.

I like the sad angels, they evoke my huggy side.

Tanya · 2012-01-23 04:51:24

Also, Eon Hub seems like a good card to base a deck around.

Haven · 2012-01-23 04:55:17

Mirran vs. Phyrexian thing?

What happened then

Before the tourney started, each player chose either Mirran or Phyrexian, and then they got special booster packs which only had cards from the chosen side. It was a good way to evoke the idea of the war between the two sides.

(They also had an "achievements" list to check off, with things like "high-five two other people from your faction". The Innistrad prerelease's achievement list was good too, if only because it gave you an excuse to howl like a wolf, and it was hard to deny wanting to do that anyway.)

Viani · 2012-01-23 04:59:58

Requiem Angel shows that whomever called this "the sad angel block" was dead on.

I like the sad angels, they evoke my huggy side.

Sad Females invoke my huggy side completely, even if it's something like, a sad gorgon who turns everyone she loves into stone.

Question, this game has Gorgons, Lamias and Succubi too, right?

Idler · 2012-01-23 05:01:33

It has gorgons. The closest things to Lamias are probably the Orochi from Kamigawa block. There aren't any succubi - MTG demons are always hideous.

Gelzo · 2012-01-23 05:20:35

Wow, Archangel's Light really is pretty bad and boring for a mythic.

I just love Sanctuary Cat for some reason. I guess he's not going to be an especially playable weenie in constructed though.

Sudden Disappearence is pretty awesome. I wonder how well you could make a casual deck where you cast it on yourself.

Counterlash... EDH material at least.

Increasing Vengeance looks like a fun card.

We got a badass spirit lord.

Crushing Vines and Grim Flowering look good for monogreen EDH.

Hmm... Lots of neat cards, but I don't see much that would help for what I'd like to build. Haunted Fengraf might help out with Splinter Twin, but I'm not so sure.

Haven · 2012-01-23 06:00:50

I really want to have the chance to kill Withengar with a Tragic Slip. "At last, I am free from my prison! Cower in fear, mortals, as--a banana peel? Nooooooo..."

Idler · 2012-01-23 06:07:09

Tragic Slip might just be the funniest card ever printed. Ahahaha Vorinclex, you didn't reckon on the awesome powers of disobeying health and safety regulations!

Haven · 2012-01-23 06:12:08

He should've listened when Jin-Gitaxias told him to install railings.

Also, there needs to be a deck type based on equipping Sanctuary Cat. "Meow-Blade."

Idler · 2012-01-23 06:16:16

I like how we've got all the horrible Gothic monsters, and then suddenly "KITTY!"

Tanya · 2012-01-23 06:19:48

Kitty!

Also, I've counted up the clerics, 233 of them.

Haven · 2012-01-23 06:26:22

Its flavor text makes me smile. Blessings and wards might fail, but the church still has kitties prowling around to eat any Forge Devils that sneak in.

Also, I really like the flavor behind Burning Oil. The original casting represents a devil's trick, and the white mana in the flashback represents a human imitating it. (Though mechanically speaking, it's probably more powerful that time, if only because it forces them to play around it, hanging back with a bunch of their guys they might otherwise want to swarm with. ...Combat is going to be such a mind screw in INN-DKA Limited.)

Idler · 2012-01-23 06:27:44

Kitties didn't help the Mirrans very much, though.

Gelzo · 2012-01-23 06:32:32

Yeah, that final hour thing is going to be interesting. You can bypass the whole thing by taking them from six to zero in one swing, but that won't always be feasible.

Anyway, I didn't get the memo about Punishing Fire getting banned. Now I have to rework my Twin deck. Glad I procrastinated on getting that fourth Grove, and it's nice that Zoo sucks a leeeeetle more, but that's still a bit of a pain. Furthermore, I'm having trouble finding some of the cards I just know I had...

Idler · 2012-01-23 09:42:35

And of course people at MTGS are going on about the set having no effort put into it blah blah. I mean, there's lots of stuff about the set I wish was different, but to say Wizards phoned it in, when they:

Fleshed out the two tribes from Innistrad with the least identity (zombies and spirits)
Used werewolf transformations in an entirely new way
Gave the monsters their own new mechanic and the humans their own new one in ways that reflect the flavour of each group
Backed up Morbid by creating a new mechanic that lets you trigger Morbid without actually losing a creature (Undying)
Took flashback off an in entirely new direction
Improved tribal support for all five tribes
Went in new and different directions with the DFCs

is beyond me. I see tons of thought as having gone into this set.

Viani · 2012-01-23 11:25:08

Is "when a creature dies" a new thing, compared to "when a creature is put into the graveyard from play"?

Idler · 2012-01-23 11:25:33

It's the same thing, dies is just the new term for it.

Tanya · 2012-01-23 11:43:21

Before, creatures never died, we just put them in the graveyard when we felt they had enough.

"All, but I wanted to kill more things"

"I'm sorry, but it's time-out for you, into the graveyard you go!"

Gelzo · 2012-01-23 12:08:54

Really, everyone referred to it as dying before it was officially such.

Anyway, I just had an idea for something you could use for human creature tokens.

Idler · 2012-01-23 12:09:28

Her specifically, or My Little Pony toys in general?

Obā-san · 2012-01-23 12:14:03

LYRA FTW.

Idler · 2012-01-23 12:15:03

I must admit I like the idea of Gather the Townsfolk summoning Lyra and Bon-Bon.

Viani · 2012-01-23 12:16:33

What's a Background pony?

Gelzo · 2012-01-23 12:17:40

^^^^Her specifically.

The joke is that she's jokingly characterized by the fans of an inverse of a brony ever since we got a shot of her sitting on a park bench nearly like a biped would. There's a lot of fan-art of her trying to act like a human and having an obsession with hands.

Idler · 2012-01-23 12:20:05

Oh, I see. Yeah, I remember the "Lyra sits weird" stuff now that you mention it.

I like how Sudden Disappearance has no flavour text...because there's nothing there. Or maybe they just couldn't think of any flavour text, but regardless, I do feel it adds to the card.

millercross · 2012-01-23 12:56:39

Yeah, that final hour thing is going to be interesting. You can bypass the whole thing by taking them from six to zero in one swing, but that won't always be feasible.

and that in itself assumes that your opponent won't have a faithful hour spell in his hand that can avert said damage.

Anyway, yeah, can't wait till playing this, Archangel's Light sucks outside of an EDH context (And even then, it really is only good if you're not playing green and/or blue and thus, can't play Time Spiral or Praetor's Counsel)

And Increasing Vengeance and Ambition are two of the best cards in the history of cards

Viani · 2012-01-23 12:59:58

You can like, Give Drogskol Reaver a Steel of the Godhead and have a Flying, Double Strike, Lifelink Unblockable 5/7.

Idler · 2012-01-23 13:00:44

I wouldn't even use Archangel's Light in EDH.

I love Increasing Vengeance. Copying stuff is fun. Copying it twice is really fun. I actually have an idea for how it could be used in standard...-strokes imaginary beard-

millercross · 2012-01-23 13:29:41

@Tnophelia: Righto, daddy-o

Idler · 2012-01-23 13:36:16

It'd be interesting to try to cheat Drogskol Reaver out by putting Call of the Kindred on Traft. Interesting, but maybe not very effective.

What exactly is the Erdwal? It's mentioned on a couple of cards.

millercross · 2012-01-23 13:41:18

You can use stuff like Soothsaying and Moonring Island tocheat the right card into the battlefield, though.

Of course, not Standard, so whatever.

Idler · 2012-01-23 13:43:31

Call of the Kindred sets you up for failure if you play it on something that doesn't have Hexproof, but on something that does, I don't know. It could be really powerful.

I still want someone to figure out a way to make Markov Blademaster awesome.

Salix Babylonika · 2012-01-23 14:59:37

where are you guys seeing these new cards .__.?

ALSO, does anyone have any suggestions regarding building a white Phyrexian deck? With Elesh Norn and all them? I made a usable one by myself, but it's not quite good, I'd think.

Though it does have Wrath of God in it, so I can be a total dick. :D

Idler · 2012-01-23 15:02:10

Complete Dark Ascension spoiler.

Salix Babylonika · 2012-01-23 15:05:02

I like this guy:

not so much as a card, it's just pretty cool.

Also! White undead cards FTW.

I also like Seance.

Gathering some Magics

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