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Magic: The Gathering |OT| Throne of Eldraine - Will and Rowan's Excellent Adventure
- Thread starter SigmasonicX
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This is a bad take. The majority of static abilities on Planeswalkers have been fine and they open a ton of new design space.
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Yeah, I thought a lot of planeswalkers in WAR that were had a static ability, but you can only down the loyalty, were interesting.
They were basically enchantments with a bit of limited extra value depending how greedy you wanted to be. Like, Narset's passive is maybe a little too much in some matchups, but if you use her loyalty ability once, you suddenly put her in lightning strike and phoenix range.
I thought WotC were trying to go into direction where Planeswalkers were "attackable enchantments", which would have made them ideal design for Bo1 because you'd not simply be hosed for not having enchantment/artifact removal on game 1. But that didn't seem to last
The unco PWs aren't that interesting because you can't tick them down to zero - meaning you aren't actually given a choice. You just use them twice (usually) and then they're just an attackable enchantment. Getting the choice between keeping them around for the static or getting one last activation would at least be interesting.
The way we've seen planeswalkers effectively have static abilities work in the past is either through generating emblems or through loyalty abilities that last an entire turn cycle. Again - it's choice. The planeswalker doesn't just create insane value - you have to make meaningful choices to maximize its efficiency.
Not all statics are like this. Making it uncounterable or hexproof would be interesting. Giving it delve or convoke might be interesting (or whatever that Theros mechanic is called - spoiler). It's when their presence creates continuous value without having to take action that irritates me. Plus most of these planeswalkers have an incredibly linear play pattern because one of their abilities is functionally replaced by the static. It's boring on top of being extra powerful. Planeswalkers should feel like powerful beings that joined the battle; the choices you have to make represent the planeswalkers taking meaningful action in the battle.
That's why the best planeswalker template is the most overused - a little value in the plus ability, extra value on a minus, win the game (or close to it) on the "ultimate." Obviously they need to mix it up for variety. I just think they were way off the mark with WAR.
The way we've seen planeswalkers effectively have static abilities work in the past is either through generating emblems or through loyalty abilities that last an entire turn cycle. Again - it's choice. The planeswalker doesn't just create insane value - you have to make meaningful choices to maximize its efficiency.
Not all statics are like this. Making it uncounterable or hexproof would be interesting. Giving it delve or convoke might be interesting (or whatever that Theros mechanic is called - spoiler). It's when their presence creates continuous value without having to take action that irritates me. Plus most of these planeswalkers have an incredibly linear play pattern because one of their abilities is functionally replaced by the static. It's boring on top of being extra powerful. Planeswalkers should feel like powerful beings that joined the battle; the choices you have to make represent the planeswalkers taking meaningful action in the battle.
That's why the best planeswalker template is the most overused - a little value in the plus ability, extra value on a minus, win the game (or close to it) on the "ultimate." Obviously they need to mix it up for variety. I just think they were way off the mark with WAR.
I'll say I liked the WAR designs a lot and I've even seen Ashiokk and Narset in EDH. T3feri is EDH playable too. I really like that and being able to attack them makes it really interesting.
I was going to say, T3feri and Narset may be "playable" in EDH, but everything is playable, the more important category for EDH is "cards you can play and still be invited to play again next week". And most of the things you want to do with those cards probably takes them off the list.
(Ashiok's mostly alright, honestly.)
(Ashiok's mostly alright, honestly.)
Would people be more amenable to passives on PWs if it was restricted to those without + abilities?
Ashiok only nuking your GY and only hosing your tutors (including fetchlands and ramp) is highly disrespectful of opponents. Particularly when they also use them to mill themselves as a show of force that they get to still use their GY.
I think most of the PWs are fine from WAR when I'm being serious. They are just hella strong, even the weaker ones among them in EDH.
I would never play T3feri outside of combo or counterspell tribal decks though and advise against it since he doesn't just protect you from getting your shit countered.
Most of the unco planeswalkers can't spend their last loyalty point (most of them have 5 loyalty and spend 2 per). I hate those because they don't give you a meaningful choice - you tick down twice then enjoy the passive forever. Something like Davriel is way more interesting. On the third turn, what do you need? Do you want to keep the passive or just trade him in for one last card?
Yeah 5 -2 PWs are boring. Narset, etc should have been 4 with -2 and the passive.
It would also make proliferate more interesting.
They don't give you a meaningful choice, but they do give your opponents one when they must interact with it in order to remove it. I like that better.
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The only choice they have is to remove it or not. Just like every planeswalker. There's nothing inherent in the design of walkers with statics that make them more interesting to interact with than any other walker.
I think the other poster meant it's more of a 'choice' to decide if the static ability is worth not attacking the player or not - unlike 'traditional' planeswalkers, the unco walkers can't use their abilities after 2-3 uses, so it's a judgement call on stopping the static effect vs getting the other player to zero life more quickly - compared to a normal planeswalker, who can always 'rebuild' loyalty on their own.
Yeah you get the choice to ignore them and then get fucked when you forget about it. Because why would a PW say you can't draw cards, or whatever Tamiyo does right.
Because Tamiyo is known for protecting from discard and edicts.
I would have less of a problem with the PW statics/triggered abilities if they were more like Saheeli a core to their kit, instead most of them are throwaway that don't interact at all with the rest of their abilities.
I can't tell you the amount of times I've duressed someone with a Tamiyo or passed my turn intending to cast a spell on their turn with a teferi out. The best part was when I minus'd Lili to sac and my opponent conceded, only they had a tamiyo out, meaning both I and my opponent forgot about the passive.
Because Tamiyo is known for protecting from discard and edicts.
I would have less of a problem with the PW statics/triggered abilities if they were more like Saheeli a core to their kit, instead most of them are throwaway that don't interact at all with the rest of their abilities.
I can't tell you the amount of times I've duressed someone with a Tamiyo or passed my turn intending to cast a spell on their turn with a teferi out. The best part was when I minus'd Lili to sac and my opponent conceded, only they had a tamiyo out, meaning both I and my opponent forgot about the passive.
That's a really good point. Saheeli, Ral, Davriel - those have effects directly connected to their play patterns. A lot of them don't.
Ultimately if you really do a root cause analysis, it's probably more due to "we have to come up with a shitload of new planeswalkers all at once" more than anything else. They went for quantity and quality suffered.
Ultimately if you really do a root cause analysis, it's probably more due to "we have to come up with a shitload of new planeswalkers all at once" more than anything else. They went for quantity and quality suffered.
I saw a player at FNM play Sorcerous Spyglass to shut off Oven while having a Karn out.
The number of times I've mindlessly downticked Lil' Teferi to draw a card when there's a Narset in the top right corner on Arena is embarrassing.
Tamiyo protecting from sac effects really is just the most random fucking thing. Doesn't match her character, doesn't really work for me in her (current) colors, and every time it becomes relevant I have to be reminded that's what she does.
Oh another funny story is how I died in EDH in a pretty commanding position because Tamiyo made Torment of Hailfire into deal 3 X times instead of saccing and/or discarding a variety of stuff I could have.
Teferi kind of gets a pass on his passive because it's a callback to his original version just overpowered on a card that costs 1WU instead of 2UUU
Teferi kind of gets a pass on his passive because it's a callback to his original version just overpowered on a card that costs 1WU instead of 2UUU
Myster Booster openings
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Seems like every pack includes one "playtest card", two rare cards, and one old-border card. The non-playtest cards are random cards from as far back as Mercadian Masques, as far as we've confirmed.
Some cards
Some cards
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It's kinda weird the levels they're going to to make the random cards just look like dead stock instead of newly printed cards.
I hope boxes of this are obtainable.
I hope boxes of this are obtainable.
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Star City Games no longer including Legacy in Open tournaments
SCG is completely removing Legacy from it's opens, "will spotlight the event at special events, like one or both of our SCGCons". Pioneer takes it's place in teams.
MTGO has been offering Masters Edition drafts for a while now. Pretty sure Legacy will live on there with duals being peanuts.
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Mystery Booster will be available in stores in March 2020.
Set info and full card list on Monday.
Set info and full card list on Monday.
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Each booster pack contains:
* Two commons/uncommons for each color
* One multicolored common/uncommon
* One artifact or land common/uncommon
* One playtest card
* One rare/mythic rare from M15 forward
* One pre-M15 original frame card
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There are no foils in this set. As far as I'm aware, we don't have any information about fetches.
Ah I misread you as literally any card. Didn't realize it was still curated. That's probably better. I saw Mana Crypt and Bloom Tender so that's great.
Looking over some of the "playtest" cards, it's interesting seeing them play with design space that doesn't really work in physical Magic. Feels kind of Hearthstone-y in places... not something I expect them to do in a "real" set, but something I've got my eye on.
Also, something I found fun: Magic was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame, alongside Matchbox cars and coloring books.
Also, something I found fun: Magic was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame, alongside Matchbox cars and coloring books.
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Apparently the no foils only applies to the convention booster version. Presumably that means the normal version in LGSs will contain foils.
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