MTGNexus

JovialJovian wrote: ↑

3 years ago

Wallycaine wrote: ↑

3 years ago

JovialJovian wrote: ↑

3 years ago

Solitude apparently breaks my proposed theme of replicating the effects of 3-mana common spells, but Crib Swap suggests that a 3-mana common with the same text as Swords to Plowshares would be a viable common.

I await the green one being Cultivate and being instantly busted.

Honestly, my guess for the green one is that it's going to be the +1/+1 counter one people were joking the white one would be. Now that we've got 3 of the 5, we can see they're all removal or reactive, which doesn't fit with Cultivate. In fact, of green's suite, basically only fight and pump qualify as those, and I think they're moving away from fight on ETB creatures (it would also be awkward on an evoke creature). I think Red's is likely to be a flametongue kavu variant, probably with "or planeswalker" added, and will be the other sorcery speed card of the cycle.

See, I was thinking red's would be an Act of Treason, as that is a 3-mana common spell that is an effect iconic to the color.
In order for green's to be a combat trick, that would require it to have flash. While there is nothing restricting green from having flash, I find it less likely that they would make 3 of the 5 have flash, as the cycle would feel even more same-y. I don't honestly think it'll be land search, as the resource advantage would be out of line with the ones we've seen. I could see it creating a 2/2 token, or if they're being generous, two 1/1 tokens.

Gamazson wrote: ↑

3 years ago

There are still plenty of white cards left to spoil. I hope they are holding back on some bombshells.

DirkGently wrote: ↑

3 years ago

Say what you will about green's BS this set, but solitude is no slouch. But does it pass the phelddagrif test?

toctheyounger wrote: ↑

3 years ago

Sanctum Weaver - we got a Serra's Sanctum on a creature.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand it's green.

I can use it, but that's still pretty %$#%$#%.

toctheyounger wrote: ↑

3 years ago

Sanctum Weaver - we got a Serra's Sanctum on a creature.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand it's green.

I can use it, but that's still pretty %$#%$#%.

Wallycaine wrote: ↑

3 years ago

toctheyounger wrote: ↑

3 years ago

Sanctum Weaver - we got a Serra's Sanctum on a creature.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand it's green.

I can use it, but that's still pretty %$#%$#%.

I mean, it'd be a pretty huge color pie break to have it in anything else. Green's the color that gets creatures that tap for mana, white's... not. Tolarian Academy would have to be at least part green as well as a creature, lest you think this is picking on white in particular. Other colors just don't get creatures that tap for large amounts of mana.

Wallycaine wrote: ↑

3 years ago

I mean, it'd be a pretty huge color pie break to have it in anything else. Green's the color that gets creatures that tap for mana, white's... not. Tolarian Academy would have to be at least part green as well as a creature, lest you think this is picking on white in particular. Other colors just don't get creatures that tap for large amounts of mana.

Dragoon wrote: ↑

3 years ago

Wallycaine wrote: ↑

3 years ago

I mean, it'd be a pretty huge color pie break to have it in anything else. Green's the color that gets creatures that tap for mana, white's... not. Tolarian Academy would have to be at least part green as well as a creature, lest you think this is picking on white in particular. Other colors just don't get creatures that tap for large amounts of mana.

While green is primary in mana dorks, I can see a red mana dork caring about artifacts the same way Alena, Kessig Trapper cares about power. It's true that this is not part of white's colour pie though, and since green is second in caring about enchantments, it makes sense to see it there.

Wallycaine wrote: ↑

3 years ago

Hmm... I *think* (though obviously I have no special insight into the development process) that Alena, Kessig Trapper's "entered the battlefield this turn" clause is very relevant to allowing it in red. Without that clause, she's just got Selvala, Heart of the Wilds ability, which I think is distinctly out of pie for red. With it, it's more like a triggered ability that gives you a mana refund for the biggest creature you played this turn, ala Mana Echoes. So I'm really skeptical they'd have a red card that consistently taps for mana without sacrificing *something* or jumping through some hoop. I could definitely see a red creature with "T, sacrifice an artifact:", though, like Krark-Clan Stoker.

Edit: Just to elaborate a little, I think the difference in philosophy is that Green is allowed to have creatures that just ramp you normally, tapping for more mana. Red, on the other hand, is secondary in mana production, and its mana production is focused in "burning resources" to get it. Whether that's sacrificing forests for Orcish Lumberjack, saccing artifacts for the stoker above, or sacrificing card advantage like with Mana Geyser. It also gets a touch of like... momentum based mana, where you get mana back for *doing* something, like with Burning-Tree Emissary or Priest of Urabrask, which is where Alena falls. Or for a more recent example, Birgi, God of Storytelling // Harnfel, Horn of Bounty.

Ginuqu wrote: ↑

3 years ago

Can't run Bartered Cow in an Asmoraculdacar deck, slightly depressing!

Dragoon wrote: ↑

3 years ago

Wallycaine wrote: ↑

3 years ago

Hmm... I *think* (though obviously I have no special insight into the development process) that Alena, Kessig Trapper's "entered the battlefield this turn" clause is very relevant to allowing it in red. Without that clause, she's just got Selvala, Heart of the Wilds ability, which I think is distinctly out of pie for red. With it, it's more like a triggered ability that gives you a mana refund for the biggest creature you played this turn, ala Mana Echoes. So I'm really skeptical they'd have a red card that consistently taps for mana without sacrificing *something* or jumping through some hoop. I could definitely see a red creature with "T, sacrifice an artifact:", though, like Krark-Clan Stoker.

Edit: Just to elaborate a little, I think the difference in philosophy is that Green is allowed to have creatures that just ramp you normally, tapping for more mana. Red, on the other hand, is secondary in mana production, and its mana production is focused in "burning resources" to get it. Whether that's sacrificing forests for Orcish Lumberjack, saccing artifacts for the stoker above, or sacrificing card advantage like with Mana Geyser. It also gets a touch of like... momentum based mana, where you get mana back for *doing* something, like with Burning-Tree Emissary or Priest of Urabrask, which is where Alena falls. Or for a more recent example, Birgi, God of Storytelling // Harnfel, Horn of Bounty.

I agree with that, that's why I said "the same way she cares about power". You could have something like "T: Add an amount of R equal to the number of artefacts you control that entered the battlefield this turn."

Although Blue has also mana dorks that can generate mana for artefacts, so you could conceive something like "T: Add an amount of U equal to the number of artefacts you control. Spend this mana only to cast artifact spells or activate abilities of artifacts." (It will probably end up producing C instead of U though).

White is strangely the colour with no mana boost of any type though. Green and Red have tons of those. Black has stuff like Crypt Ghast and Black Market. Blue has the aforementioned artefact dorks, but nothing in White so far, at least to my knowledge.

Wallycaine wrote: ↑

3 years ago

Blue also gets dorks that care about instants and sorceries as well, but yes. They're usually both more limited and more expensive than green counterparts as well.

Wallycaine wrote: ↑

3 years ago

White's mana boosts have traditionally come in the form of discounts, rather than direct mana production. There's also, arguably, the fact that some of their "catchup" land ramp comes into play untapped.

Gamazson wrote: ↑

3 years ago

The MH2 Dev team seems to have a soft spot for Odyssey block. I wonder if we will see a homage to Psychatog or a reprint.

Sanity_Eclipse wrote: ↑

3 years ago

Geyadrone Dihada - Is she an old character, from way back in the lore? Grixis Aristo / Theft and Domination PW.

kirkusjones wrote: ↑

3 years ago

I dig this. Ole Gitrog is getting some fun gifts in this set.