OP
OP
The entire mechanic cares about casting on your turn. If it was based on a variety of conditions, then it would be pointless to give a name.
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Magic: the Gathering |OT| Guilds of Ravnica - We built this city on blocks of gold
- Thread starter SigmasonicX
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They're pulling the ripcord on Bolas' scheme finally so naturally we will get to see all his goons too.
Man, I seriously hope Teferi doesn't get more of a boost than just manabase consistency from this pack. Thing's already tier 1 without any real glaring weaknesses (like, it doesn't like Niv, I suppose. But still, it's not exactly helpless even then.) I'd have to imagine if it gets much more, it could easily end up strangling standard pretty bad. (And yeah, this concern is at least partially fueled by the fact that I find it absolutely miserable and unfun to play against.)
It's going to get a viable card or two. That said, so will other archetypes. They'll have tested Teferi in depth for months. I'd surely hope they don't have no answer to him other than Niv and Carnage Tyrant.
Hopefully they start intentionally printing more 'no wincon control' hosers (Carnage Tyrant, Banefire, etc.) across the color spectrum. Control players need to feel pressure to put timely wincons in their decks. The real horrible part about Teferi is that the best way to play it is without actual wincons and just hope your opponent concedes before you're stuck milling them at a rate of their natural draws.
it really isn't though. They play ways to win the game or put themselves ahead at some very obvious point.
Well, if they are running actual wincons and not just stalling the board and baiting a concession, there should be no problem with every color having a big mana uncounterable way to stuff a stalled control board then, right? It'd just be a dead card no one would ever play.
I play UW with a one of Lyra that is my only "win condition" if you define it as something that ends the game proactively, as opposed to the make them scoop approach, which won't even be a thing anymore with the incoming Rakdos Burn, after years of standard being a trash fire with Temur and RB running loose and making everyone hate the format, we have a relatively slower meta for 5 minutes and people complain ffs. You'll get your wish, Maro is a draw go hater but I have a feeling standard will quickly stop getting the praise it is now.
You can still play draw-go, just play it with actual fucking wincons like the crazy ones they've been printing for you. There's no reason Nezahal shouldn't be a thing in these decks, and frankly Azor probably should have showed up in them, too. The fact Teferi was a one-stop shop makes it too tempting for control players to feel as if they're under zero pressure once he's on the board with a counterspell behind him; the deck should still function, but it should feel some pressure to actually end the game in under 10 turns from the time control is established.
Knowing your opponent is trapped in your grip and slowly squeezing the will to live out of them is the only reason to play control. Quick wincons are for the weak.
UW control isn't a real thing rn. Just better to play Teferis with Niv. Otherwise you just lose to Niv.
RNA - Absorb
Whenever I'm paired with such players I just drag the match for as long as I can instead of conceding so they get too much in their own head, hit the time limit for the round and end up with the match registered as a draw instead of a win. They take the bait every single time.
OP
OP
Absorb is unplayable in current Magic
It's way worse than either Ionize or Sinister Sabotage so of course magic Twitter is mad about control
It's way worse than either Ionize or Sinister Sabotage so of course magic Twitter is mad about control
I'm here for Invasion block reprints but Absorb ain't it. The art is a huge downgrade too. A feel bad rare for sure.
People must think "Teferi colors" equals automatically broken because Absorb is a WUU counterspell where the upside is literally Healing Salve
OP
OP
They wouldn't use such an unusual mana cost for two guilds but not the other three in the set. Admittedly, they may not all be instants.
I'll throw it into Esper cause I always try everything anyway but meh, I'd rather run Mortify and not split Sabotage, 3cmc counters always suck anyway, except sweet Disallow.
Yes, give UW nothing but trash so Tefari scum have to play the same deck for 6 more months. Or stop being degenerates, but that'll never happen.
3 life is good
surveil 1 is also good, but it's a more replaceable effect
i'm not sure i really want to be playing control if the difference between drawing and binning my next card is that important
surveil 1 is also good, but it's a more replaceable effect
i'm not sure i really want to be playing control if the difference between drawing and binning my next card is that important
It's card advantage in the form of draw fixing. That said, 3 life can be very valuable against aggro. Absorb is not going to dominate a balanced meta, but it's certainly viable if aggro is strong.
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By the time Control decks are playing their unconditional counterspells, they're generally also beyond the point where they care much about life totals.
Might still see some sideboard play to help Azorius decks stay above the waterline of Banefire if Rakdos Burn become a thing, but otherwise it's just sort of not doing the thing you need at the point you need to be doing it. Kind of funny in Rainbow Lich, though.
It's worse than Sabotage in most cases. It's not a terrible card, just not what you want to see as your rare when you open a pack and it's a pretty underwhelming reprint.
WotC has a terrible counterspell in a rare slot in every set so I guess Absorb isn't too bad in that context.
WotC has a terrible counterspell in a rare slot in every set so I guess Absorb isn't too bad in that context.
OP
OP
Well, we're a week away from the next thread, so time for thread title suggestions. Here are the suggestions that have come up already.
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica Allegiance - Who Ya Gonna Call?
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica: Allegiance - Winter Is Coming
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica: Allegiance - Last In, No One Out (might be a good third set subtitle)
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica: Allegiance - FEEL THE BAAN
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica: Allegiance - The Greatest Show on Ravnica
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica: Allegiance - Wrangling Baan, and Barely
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica: Allegiance - Second Verse, Same as the First
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica: Allegiance - Half The Set Was Spoiled Already
Moving Out In the Two-Set Block Structure.
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica: Allegiance - At Least 50% New Cards Inside
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica Allegiance - Part 2 of 3
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica Allegiance - The Stage is Set
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica Allegiance - All the World's a Stage
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica Allegiance - A solid 5/10
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica Allegiance - Women In Black
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica Allegiance - Baan Strikes Back
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica Allegiance - Citizen Kaya
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica Allegiance - City Slickers III
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica Allegiance - How Teysa Got Her Guild Back
"Get it on Baan a Gruul"
|OT| Walk on Guilded Splinters
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica Allegiance - Who Ya Gonna Call?
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica: Allegiance - Winter Is Coming
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica: Allegiance - Last In, No One Out (might be a good third set subtitle)
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica: Allegiance - FEEL THE BAAN
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica: Allegiance - The Greatest Show on Ravnica
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica: Allegiance - Wrangling Baan, and Barely
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica: Allegiance - Second Verse, Same as the First
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica: Allegiance - Half The Set Was Spoiled Already
Moving Out In the Two-Set Block Structure.
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica: Allegiance - At Least 50% New Cards Inside
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica Allegiance - Part 2 of 3
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica Allegiance - The Stage is Set
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica Allegiance - All the World's a Stage
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica Allegiance - A solid 5/10
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica Allegiance - Women In Black
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica Allegiance - Baan Strikes Back
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica Allegiance - Citizen Kaya
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica Allegiance - City Slickers III
Magic: The Gathering |OT| Ravnica Allegiance - How Teysa Got Her Guild Back
"Get it on Baan a Gruul"
|OT| Walk on Guilded Splinters
Surveil is way better than Healing Salve
People keep saying "this is good because incidental life gain is good" except lifegain isn't incidental when you have to not play a better spell and also pay a tougher mana cost.
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Is it? People pay 2 mana for Revitalize. Would you play Discovery as a standalone card if it was only Surveil 1?
(I am aware Revitalize heals 4 and not 3)
It's not actually incidental life gain. Playing Absorb means you're playing a WUU spell over a 1UU spell for one and also choosing 3 life over Surveil 1. Scry 1 was extremely strong in control when Dissolve was legal and Surveil is basically strictly better.
Against burn, Absorb is a 2-for-1. Against aggro, three life can add a whole turn to your opponent's clock which can be the difference between winning and losing.
I know Surveil is strong and is just generally good while life gain can be meaningless, but when life gain while attached to a useful effect is powerful, it's really powerful.
Maybe it becomes a thing you put in your sideboard instead of mainboard but I wouldn't call it pointless or bad.
I know Surveil is strong and is just generally good while life gain can be meaningless, but when life gain while attached to a useful effect is powerful, it's really powerful.
Maybe it becomes a thing you put in your sideboard instead of mainboard but I wouldn't call it pointless or bad.
Oh yes. Please do "These 5 Lands Will SHOCK You!" Or something similar. I love that.
Exactly. Against Aggro, Rakdos Burn or even some midrange decks, Absorb wins games. Sabotage doesn't.
that's hyperbole. Absorb buys you time while Sabotage finds you what you need faster they accomplish similar things in different fashion.
Revitalize mostly sees play because W/U Control just doesn't do much with 1-2 mana in general. The deck's mostly just stalling board with Seal Aways and waiting for a sweeper at that point, or in some variations dicking around with a Treasure Map. You can put practically any cantrip effect into that slot.
You can't really get as froggy with your unconditional counters, which is why Absorb is probably a sideboard card at best.
You can't really get as froggy with your unconditional counters, which is why Absorb is probably a sideboard card at best.
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