[Off-Topic] Community Chat Thread

[Dunadain]

Voltron is tricky like that.

[Hermes_]

so the new SL Circular Logic got a bit messed up

[RxPhantom]

Secret Lairs have been freakin' terrible lately. Worthless cards with meh art.

[Dunadain]

Lmao

[DirkGently]

In the MKM horse race, everything looks pretty much how I expected...except for Massacre Girl, Known Killer. Really surprised people are interested in this one. Mono-black with a bunch of junky removal spells? Weird. Sheoldred // The True Scriptures wasn't very popular, Gisa, Glorious Resurrector wasn't that popular, Toshiro Umezawa isn't that popular and my man Kagemaro, First to Suffer is basically nonexistent. Never would have expected a mono-black commander whose only purpose is to help kill creatures to become one of the top commanders of the set.

[cheonice]

In the MKM horse race, everything looks pretty much how I expected...except for Massacre Girl, Known Killer. Really surprised people are interested in this one. Mono-black with a bunch of junky removal spells? Weird. Sheoldred // The True Scriptures wasn't very popular, Gisa, Glorious Resurrector wasn't that popular, Toshiro Umezawa isn't that popular and my man Kagemaro, First to Suffer is basically nonexistent. Never would have expected a mono-black commander whose only purpose is to help kill creatures to become one of the top commanders of the set.

There aren't many options for -1/-1 counters, so people get excited, when we get the occasional addition. My friend has a The Scorpion God deck that didn't get any love since ever.

[DirkGently]

There aren't many options for -1/-1 counters, so people get excited, when we get the occasional addition. My friend has a The Scorpion God deck that didn't get any love since ever.

I can see putting her into the 99 but why would anyone want to play her over Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons in the CZ? Or Yawgmoth, Thran Physician? Massacre girl is such a boring payoff and doesn't really do anything except draw cards. Scorpion God has essentially the same text + more + red CI, but he's still the distant runt of the litter compared to the other hour of devastation gods. Is shaving 1 mv off the cost really worth that much to people?

I mean, apparently it is, it's just weird to me. Doubly so when we've also got a much stronger "I'd like to kill everything all the time" commander in the same set.

[cheonice]

There aren't many options for -1/-1 counters, so people get excited, when we get the occasional addition. My friend has a The Scorpion God deck that didn't get any love since ever.

I can see putting her into the 99 but why would anyone want to play her over Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons in the CZ? Or Yawgmoth, Thran Physician? Massacre girl is such a boring payoff and doesn't really do anything except draw cards. Scorpion God has essentially the same text + more + red CI, but he's still the distant runt of the litter compared to the other hour of devastation gods. Is shaving 1 mv off the cost really worth that much to people?

I mean, apparently it is, it's just weird to me. Doubly so when we've also got a much stronger "I'd like to kill everything all the time" commander in the same set.

People are weird, I guess. I'm with you,she looks very bland. But we've seen this several niche themes: People love them, even if they are boring.

[duducrash]

I think cult favorite characters getting a card always push their numbers a bit

[materpillar]

I can see putting her into the 99 but why would anyone want to play her over Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons in the CZ? Or Yawgmoth, Thran Physician? Massacre girl is such a boring payoff and doesn't really do anything except draw cards. Scorpion God has essentially the same text + more + red CI, but he's still the distant runt of the litter compared to the other hour of devastation gods. Is shaving 1 mv off the cost really worth that much to people?

I mean, apparently it is, it's just weird to me. Doubly so when we've also got a much stronger "I'd like to kill everything all the time" commander in the same set.

You're thinking too spikey. Massacre Girl, Known Killer|94330 has more personality in the one line of her flavor text than the The Scorpion God does across multiple cards. "Wither" just feels cooler than 1BR do stuff. "If it had toughness less than one" feels cooler than "if it had a counter". The Scorpion God just feels like wonder bread in comparison. People like a good femme fatale.

Yawgmoth, Thran Physician is too busted and pushes you towards aristocrats because the sac to draw a card is so busted.

Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons is a bit cooler in my book but probably has slightly different niche payoffs.

[5colorsrainbow]

I think cult favorite characters getting a card always push their numbers a bit

Yeah people where fans of her before she had a card and the story only help with that.

[DirkGently]

I mean, original Massacre Girl isnt super popular. And you'll never convince me that any line of text on her has a tenth the poetry of Tesak, Judith's Hellhound's "dogs you control have unleash." And nobody is building him.

Is massacre girl a femme fatale? She looks more like a total psycho a la Harley Quinn. But I don't read the story.

Edit: related, the over/under guy on EDHrec made Izoni, Center of the Web his "can't miss pick" lmao.

[duducrash]

Edit: related, the over/under guy on EDHrec made Izoni, Center of the Web his "can't miss pick" lmao.

on the over or under?

[cheonice]

I mean, original Massacre Girl isnt super popular. And you'll never convince me that any line of text on her has a tenth the poetry of Tesak, Judith's Hellhound's "dogs you control have unleash." And nobody is building him.

Is massacre girl a femme fatale? She looks more like a total psycho a la Harley Quinn. But I don't read the story.

Edit: related, the over/under guy on EDHrec made Izoni, Center of the Web his "can't miss pick" lmao.

She kinda fits a trope, has style, and a fanbase. Sometimes it's not about gameplay but about cards you resonate with.

Yeah, the over/under guy... His articles tend to be fun, but maybe the product fatigue wore him down.

[DirkGently]

on the over or under?

His "can't-miss-pick" is the commander he's certain will go over 1200 decks. I think he does try to make a point not to pick the very most obvious choice, but holy cow, Izoni is an insane reach.

She kinda fits a trope, has style, and a fanbase. Sometimes it's not about gameplay but about cards you resonate with.

Yeah, the over/under guy... His articles tend to be fun, but maybe the product fatigue wore him down.

Personally I think the reason she's relatively popular is largely because she's the only explicit payoff commander for playing Dismember and Mutilate and stuff like that. Technically we haven't seen that before and -1 counter synergy, while it overlaps, is a slightly different space. I don't think characters do much to drive numbers on EDHrec. If you have evidence to the contrary do share.

I'm still very surprised that her design is interesting to as many people as it apparently is.

I do envy his gimmick, but yeah his analysis is honestly really bad. Another highlight was giving Delney, Streetwise Lookout an under on the logic that Kellan, Daring Traveler // Journey On went under and is also white small-creature-tribal...nevermind that kellan's payoff is maybe drawing a card if you can get in an attack with a 2/3, whereas delney is Panharmonicon++. Stay tuned to GBU, where the analysis is always 100% accurate*.

Giving Headliner Scarlet an over was also a laugh, though I do appreciate his support for Emissary Green.

*results may vary

[duducrash]

His "can't-miss-pick" is the commander he's certain will go over 1200 decks. I think he does try to make a point not to pick the very most obvious choice, but holy cow, Izoni is an insane reach.

I have no idea how many EDHRec decks are too many, but I can't see 250+% Izonis over Delney, Streetwise Lookout

I don't think characters do much to drive numbers on EDHrec.

I don't dislike his design, but do you feel like Tatsunari, Toad Rider is a 7.5K decks commander specially coming arround other total bangers in Kamigawa

[5colorsrainbow]

Is massacre girl a femme fatale? She looks more like a total psycho a la Harley Quinn. But I don't read the story.

She's a Rakdos assassin and (at the time of RtR) the most wanted criminal by the Azorius, know to threaten/kill family members of those who try to investigate or try and arrest her. Originally a minor/background character in flavor articles and stories she quickly became a the favorite of the fandom and why they got her a card in War of the Spark.

In MKM she does get more of Harley Quinn like characterization then we seen with leaning more in the more "fun killer clown" aspect (though without the heroic aspects some version of Harley has). In the story she is sent to kill Proft to keep him from looking into the murders but stops when she finds he is helping out Etrata as Ertata and MG friend/friendly with each other. Later it seems she was mind controlled into trying to kill Aurelia, arrested and then escaped during the climax of the story and last see trying to kill Judith for letting MG being arrested since a war with the Boros and Rakdos would benefit Judiths plans of blaming the deaths on Rakdos (the demon).

[Hermes_]

she also puts out "goth mommy" energy according to reddit

[DirkGently]

I don't dislike his design, but do you feel like Tatsunari, Toad Rider is a 7.5K decks commander specially coming arround other total bangers in Kamigawa

Wait, he's a significant character? You can never tell these days lmao.

I remember people being interested in him mechanically when he came out. People do love a weird tribal (even if he's barely tribal) and enchantress, and he's the only enchantress commander in those colors afaik.

@5colorsrainbow Not sure if you're arguing for/against her being a femme fatale, but imo a femme fatale has to be seductive in some way, and a big freaky joker smile doesn't exactly say "seduction" to me xD

she also puts out "goth mommy" energy according to reddit

Reddit has mommy issues. It is known.

[duducrash]

He is not a relevant character in the story, but his inspirations were a huuuge part of why he is popular

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jiraiya

[DirkGently]

@duducrash the vast majority of posts I see about him are focusing on the mechanics, not the character.

I also think people who find the character inspiration rather than the design interesting are more likely to go "huh, neat" but not actually build him.

Obviously it's kinda hard to prove either way, but I'd say if any card can get by purely on name recognition, it's probably Nicol Bolas - huge mtg villain, elder dragon, origin of the format etc. But he doesn't even crack 1000, and the other elder dragons are much lower.

As far as massacre girl specifically, I do see some people talking about the flavor, but way more talking about her mechanically (moreso about wither than the draw trigger though).

[5colorsrainbow]

@5colorsrainbow Not sure if you're arguing for/against her being a femme fatale, but imo a femme fatale has to be seductive in some way, and a big freaky joker smile doesn't exactly say "seduction" to me xD

Oh just more explaining her lore, but to that point, no I wouldn't consider her a femme fatale. Closest we have is Etrata but as someone else pointed out else where, this set leans into a softer tone of the mystery gene vs hard boiled/noir so I don't think we really have a direct femme fatale like character. Also another reason imo why Ravnica works better for the setting vs New Capenna.

[Hermes_]

she also puts out "goth mommy" energy according to reddit

Reddit has mommy issues. It is known.

this is was something i saw



WhiteBoyFlipz:
·mommy tribal

Gam1ng_Pr0d1gy:

that's the idea lol



EDIT: However, that does make me wonder if a tribal type deck based on art would get you complaints from Jon in your group.

[materpillar]

Is massacre girl a femme fatale? She looks more like a total psycho a la Harley Quinn. But I don't read the story.

You're correct to the best of my knowledge, I was using femme fatale as shorthand for hot murder lady a la Harley Quinn. There's some overlap to the archetype that I'm trying reference. To reword, I think a fair amount of people find competent murder ladies to be hot.

I saw her card and my immediate thought was to make a deck with a proxy of Yor Forger who is basically the apex of hot competent assassin lady. >.>

[duducrash]

I will not kinkshame. As matter of fact I'll tell you, you'll probably like Massacre Girl|SLD that SLD was pretty amazing imho