Portal article at MTGNews.com

[dandan]

http://www.mtgnews.com/F/Topic/1087847098009_Opening_the_Portal__Legalizing_Porta.html

Legalising Portal is mainly an issue for casual players as the Portal sets contain many flavourful cards but few tournament calibre ones. To me it is as simple an issue as 'Can I use my cards?'

For most people, the Type I rules are used as standard in casual although peer pressure is more relevant in stable groups. As a result you rarely see Portal cards in action.

See what you think of the article. I am posting this here (also in Community) as I believe a large number of Type I players are not only interested in power cards but like being able to make decks using all of their cards (especially in Highlander formats).

This is not about the DCI B&R list which is mainly a tool for tournament play, it is about Wizards saying that Portal cards are Magic cards and that we can use them. The same goes for Starter although those cards ARE standard Magic cards although lacking in any of the charm of Portal.

[Jebus]

Seriously, I've seen nothing but support on the Wizards/DCI end for Portal.

It's just a matter of time.

[dandan]

I agree but there have been 2 B&R list announcements (the logical time to make Portal legal although technically it isn't the DCI B&R list that makes Portal illegal it is Wizards policy) since Oracle got updated. It took several years from Crystal Keep putting up Oracle-esque wordings to the official Oracle list coming out (this February). I think a little pressure is all it will take for Wizards to make this happen and I am sure it will happen this year (although I was sure it would happen in March and June too!).

Allowing Portal really opens up a lot of options in Highlander as similar cards as a real bonus there. Vanilla creature theme decks would clearly be the real winners though!!!

[Marton]

well im sorry but if you can play with zodiac dragon, I can definately see that huge abuses that are going to be done. I'm not even entering in the stupid wild mongrel + zodiac dragon combo which is nothing short of stupidly unfair. Squee, goblin nabob is already pretty damned good, but zodiac dragon is squee on crack. There's also a 2/1 creature for G which can't block, which would likely see play.

Honestly I don't think they would legalise portal ever, the main reason being that if they did, it would be rules nightmare for casual players (think new players here). WOTC tries and avoids making card erratas as much as possible, simply because you can't change back the wording ont he card after it hits the press, and because of the obvious problems it can cause in understanding what a card actually does (first impressions reading the card text) versus what the card is supposed to do (errata). Portal card text simply are not in line with normal card wording, the difference in words used being quite noticeable. I don't think for this reason that it would ever be legalised.

[Jebus]

well im sorry but if you can play with zodiac dragon, I can definately see that huge abuses that are going to be done. I'm not even entering in the stupid wild mongrel + zodiac dragon combo which is nothing short of stupidly unfair. Squee, goblin nabob is already pretty damned good, but zodiac dragon is squee on crack. There's also a 2/1 creature for G which can't block, which would likely see play.

Honestly I don't think they would legalise portal ever, the main reason being that if they did, it would be rules nightmare for casual players (think new players here). WOTC tries and avoids making card erratas as much as possible, simply because you can't change back the wording ont he card after it hits the press, and because of the obvious problems it can cause in understanding what a card actually does (first impressions reading the card text) versus what the card is supposed to do (errata). Portal card text simply are not in line with normal card wording, the difference in words used being quite noticeable. I don't think for this reason that it would ever be legalised.

All portal cards have received updated Oracle wording, including Zodiac Dragon.  Zodiac Dragon is NOT the best Squee ever.

And what's wrong if Green actually got another decent creature?  What harm can it do?

If people can play with ABU cards with updated wording, then playing with Portal cards shouldn't be any harder.

@dandan

I wouldn't be suprised if a "special announcement" was made that didn't exactly coincide with a B&R announcement.  Logically, it would make sense to announce a change with a B&R announcement, but it is not out of the question that it won't.  Furthermore, all the talk I've seen from those who have a hand in this seem to indicate it would be just such a "special announcement".

[xrizzo]

well im sorry but if you can play with zodiac dragon, I can definately see that huge abuses that are going to be done. I'm not even entering in the stupid wild mongrel + zodiac dragon combo which is nothing short of stupidly unfair. Squee, goblin nabob is already pretty damned good, but zodiac dragon is squee on crack. There's also a 2/1 creature for G which can't block, which would likely see play.

I am not worried about the zodiac dragon, as it is errated to be similar to squee.  (not broken)

The 2/1 green creature helps budget only... I am okay with that.

The real big card that most players will like is the cruel tutor!
http://www.playordraw.com/db/search_result_card.asp?id=646
2B, sorcery, performs the same as vampiric...

It truely gives black a 3rd stellar tutor.  If portal is legalized, that card will go straight to the restricted list, and will shoot up in price.  Already it is a $5+ card.

[Jebus]

well im sorry but if you can play with zodiac dragon, I can definately see that huge abuses that are going to be done. I'm not even entering in the stupid wild mongrel + zodiac dragon combo which is nothing short of stupidly unfair. Squee, goblin nabob is already pretty damned good, but zodiac dragon is squee on crack. There's also a 2/1 creature for G which can't block, which would likely see play.

I am not worried about the zodiac dragon, as it is errated to be similar to squee.  (not broken)

The 2/1 green creature helps budget only... I am okay with that.

The real big card that most players will like is the cruel tutor!
http://www.playordraw.com/db/search_result_card.asp?id=646
2B, sorcery, performs the same as vampiric...

It truely gives black a 3rd stellar tutor.  If portal is legalized, that card will go straight to the restricted list, and will shoot up in price.  Already it is a $5+ card.

You're overlooking Imperial Seal.

[xrizzo]

Exactly!  Both are great, and will probably be restricted.

Wow.  So black would have 4 reliable tutors...

Thanks for pointing that out.  I think imperial seals are much more expensive tahn vampirics...

[VGB]

I am not worried about the zodiac dragon, as it is errated to be similar to squee.  (not broken)

Zodiac Dragon current rules text:

When Zodiac Dragon is put into your graveyard from play, you may return it to your hand.

Frankly, the card is worthless.

[dandan]

In my article I stated that Imperial Seal, Personal Tutor and Grim Tutor might need restriction. (Imperial Seal for sure). Personally I think Personal and Grim and actually bad enough to be unrestricted and it would be interesting to see if combo would actually use a 3cc Sorcery tutor or a 'wait a turn' for a YawgWill tutor. I truly believe that Personal Tutor lies exactly on the border of the B&R list so I wouldn't really be concerned one way or another about its restriction or not.

Zodiac Dragon is not worthless as it has considerable 'cool' appeal (big dragon, chinese, good art) but its current value is nosediving as word of the Oracle wording spreads.

[Komatteru]

If you look through Portal, you'll find that a lot of the cards do exactly the same thing as legal instants, and allowing portal would let people play 8 copies of essentially the same card.  That could be a problem.  Like in extended, you could have 4 Vampy's and 4 Cruel Tutors.  That would be unbalancing.  There's a bunch of other cards that are similar to established cards, but I can't recall any off the top of my head.

Anyway, Zodiac Dragon's value has nothing to do with its play value.  At Origins, I met someone who had 4 of them and he said to me "I've seen 6 in my life and I own 4 of them.  I plan to keep it that way."  Simply put, the card is extremely rare and desired for its scarcity.  That's why it commands triple digits, not because it's a great card (it's decent for casual play, but not spectacular by any means).

[dandan]

In Extended you couldn't use Portal cards, I am requesting they are made Type I legal. Type 1.5 wouldn't be able to use the restricted tutors.

Zodiac Dragon's price went sky-high because of the misunderstanding about its play value. Once it got a high price it got Juzam appeal - it became a chase card. Having lost its play value (apart from in die-hard casual decks) it is very likely to lose some of its cool value as well. I would be amazed to see it above $20 in a year's time.

Even regarding Type I, having access to Cruel Tutor would make most combo decks much slower (but more reliable). It will probably get restricted to keep it out of Type 1.5. Having lots of bad tutors doesn't make a combo deck better.

[Setnakt]

Cruel Tutor would have no impact on type 1.5. If Dragon, the premiere combo deck in the format, suddenly decided to switch from Lim-Dul's Vault to Cruel Tutor suddenly all my matchups against it would get considerably better. Don't worry about it.

[TheDarkshineKnight]

Control of the Court would actually provide my Ankh Sligh with some somewhat cheap and useful drawing. I would finally be able to say bye-bye to horrendous top-decking.

[dandan]

Seknakt - Type I restrictions that affect Type 1.5 are usually illogical. View them as providing further proof that there should be a separate B&R list for 1.5. My real point was simply that if Imperial Seal, Personal Tutor and Cruel Tutor (*cough*we are not worthy*cough*) were restricted there IS NO REASON to not allow Portal.

I would actually be very very interested to see if Personal Tutor being unrestricted would make combo decks better or worse!!

There are a bunch of Portal cards that casual players would like to use, but who fancies asking for permission to use a 'non-standard deck' when playing with friends.

[Dream_Merchant]

i myself would like to use Strategic Planning. an impulse of sorts which helps in graveyard tech.