2007 - 2010 Rumors/Previews/mtg.com articles

[Norm4eva]

And so Morningtide spoilers begin.  I'd post a link to mtgsalvation.com but I think by now it's obvious.
Nothing to write home about, but I'll piss and moan for a bit about Kithkin.  This 'budget Goblins' approach to White Weenie is so close to playable, and yet they aren't willing to print anything that truly pushes the envelope.  Case in point, the new rare (ugh) from Morningtide:

Preeminent Captain  2W

Creature - Kithkin Soldier

First Strike

Whenever -this- attacks, you may put a Soldier creature card from your hand into play tapped and attacking.

2/2

Son of a bitch.  Pseudo-haste on turn 4 isn't too good in any of the eternal formats - I suppose you could 'power' it out in Legacy on turn 2 but who gives a shit - and from what little I've played in Standard, well, um yeah Tarmogoyf kthxpwnt.  The one card that could have actually been a really really cool 2/2 for WW, and they went and played it safe.  I can't even hope against hope that it's an incorrect translation or spoil, there's a fucken scan.
The worst part is, I'll probably be utterly compelled to find a playset of these monstrosities.  Why?  Because I got sick of good tech (especially the kind that costs 25$+), I want to play my stupid white men and charge into battle unencumbered by notions of tempo, card advantage and abstract vagaries like "who's the beatdown".  *I'm* the fucking beatdown.  Crusade FTW for life.
So yeah, first a bad Piledriver and now a shitty, shitty Lackey (actually two shitty Lackeys if you count Militia's Pride, which I actually think is a decent card and can be a deal breaker in both short and long games (but it's no Lackey)).  Oh and it's a rare too, so la de damn da.

edit: for clarity and because i like ranting about unimportant shit

[LotusHead]

This looks promising.
It would work in Stax, Fish, Control/Volcanics, TMWA and many a side-board.  Hell, Goblins, RG Beats and anything Yesphuren puts together!

[Ulthrion]

<disclaimer>I don't really have much Vintage experience</disclaimer>
This (Taurean Mauler) seems like a good Quirion Dryad-like creature for fish. Every time you counter some removal on him or you force a critical spell from your opponent, your threat grows. However, I don't know if fish needs a creature that just beats face and not disrupt anything. For Aggro workshop this could be a nice threat to punish opponents casting spells through your lock pieces, however, I doubt that this will provide a better clock than juggernaut or Karn. In the end it seems like an interesting creature, but I fear that it looks better on paper than on cardboard.
That said, the fact that it is a shapeshifter at least makes it interesting for goblins to look at.

The card that intrigues me the most however, is this:


The drawback is severe (allowing your opponent to grim tutor first for free), but the applications are also quite potential.
1) it stops Ancestral Recall, Gush, Brainstorm and other random draw engines.
2) it gives your opponent the first chance to tutor up something game-breaking like yawgmoth's will, time walk, or any other random card like removal for Maralen. Still, this means you've done 3 damage to your opponent while keeping the board position relatively stable, which could be useful in TMWA or Fish once you control the board.
3) she has great synergy with Vial, in that it allows you to vial out a grim tutor eot, which can just win you the game. This should be an interesting play for decks like Fish, or maybe even goblins (although I don't know whether it would come out on time in the latter). Vialling it out also wrecks brainstorm, but that will probably be way too late. If you play her eot however, you can soft-lock your opponent under a wall of counterspells while she provides you with the same clock as a juggernaut.
4) you can still draw cards with Dark Confidant, however, the life loss might stack up too high and pretty much force you to run top (since brainstorm/ponder etc can no longer be used to manipulate the top of the library).
5) If you run Aven Mindcensor, you pretty much lock your opponent out of the game. Which can be interesting in fish-style decks.
6) It comboes with Jotun Grunt in recurring time walks.

Overall, the risks are quite obvious: Losing on the spot. However, I can see this make an appearance in some modified fish-style decks, as something of a 2-of to play with vial, bob, mindcensor and grunt/time walk. Because it has a good synergy with all of these possible fish-pieces, I think that it's definately worth investigating it there. It might be too slow (especially since mindcensor is usually too slow as well).

Anyway, that's just some thoughts of a non-experienced vintage player.

[ELD]

Rules question on this one.  In the past, "Players can't draw cards." was printed as "If a player would draw a card, that player skips that draw instead."  Is this functionally different?  Do replacement effects have a chance to apply?  Does this wording mean that the event of drawing a card never occurs, meaning there is no chance to apply replacement effect?   

*EDIT*

Just saw this one off MTGSalvation

Land   Rare
: Add 1 to your mana pool.
1: Mutavault becomes a 2/2 creature with all creature types until end of turn. It's still a land.
Some changelings born at Velis Vel never return, but their essence never leaves.
Illus. Fred Fields

That is nearly as good as Factory.  The key differences -

1) It is not an artifact when activated

This makes a huge difference for the Workshop decks that support factory.  Welding out Factories and being able to replay factory off Crucible creates massive card advantage.  The fact that Factories are happy to carry Modular counters is another key difference.  In aggro decks with Factory (older fish builds) and Landstill, this drawback is likely to be a non issue.  It could conceivable be a bonus, as artifact creatures are easier to remove.   

2) It does not have the pump ability

Losing this makes the card inferior in combat.  Without the ability to pump itself after blocking, it is much weaker on defense.  The fact that they do not pump each other also removes combat tricks and extra damage.  Of course, they are still "assembly workers" so they may receive pumps from Factories. 

It would appear that the cards this will be in competition for the second best ManLand.  Farie Conclave, Treetop Village and Blinkmoth Nexus have all seen play at times, and this card has the potential to do the same.  The Changeling aspect may also be enough to warrant playing it along side some aggro deck that cares about creature types. 

I find this trend Wizards is throwing at us very interesting.  They are printing very close duplicates of Type 1 staples, making us question exactly how many of a card do we really want to play.  We are now challenged to figure out how many "factories" we really want to play in a deck.  Add this to the list of Brainstorm/Ponder and Duress/Thoughtseize.  I hope they continue this trend, as I find it opens up many more questions in deck building. 

[diopter]

Rules question on this one.  In the past, "Players can't draw cards." was printed as "If a player would draw a card, that player skips that draw instead."  Is this functionally different?  Do replacement effects have a chance to apply?  Does this wording mean that the event of drawing a card never occurs, meaning there is no chance to apply replacement effect?  

Replacement effects won't apply - it's a bombo with Abundance.

[Norm4eva]

Declaration of Naught 
Enchantment

As -this- CITP, name a card.
  : Counter target spell with the same name.

[Vegeta2711]

More importantly since it makes my deck better:

Frogtosser Banneret
1b
Creature - Goblin Rogue   (Common)
Haste
Goblin spells and Rogue Spells you play cost 1 less to play.
The Frogtossers thread feathers, bones, and trophies from past raids into their standards, believing they fuel the warren with the anger of its victims.
1/1

http://img245.imageshack.us/my.php?image=rimg1828is3.jpg <- scan confirming.

turn 1 one of these set's up some ridiculous turn two plays. Hell I can now justify running full Moxen in the deck to go turn 1 Thorn and turn 2 one of these + something else, turn 3 bash for a lot.

[marcb]

I saw this in the rumor mill on mtgsalvation.com, and thought it looked interesting. Does anyone who plays goblins or RDW have any thoughts on this?

Sensation Gorger

Creature – Goblin Shaman
Kinship - At the beginning of your upkeep, you may look at the top card of your library. If it shares a creature type with Sensation Gorger you may reveal it.
If you do, each player discards his or her hand and draws four cards.
2/2
“More. More. MORE!!”
Rare.

Marc

[LotusHead]

on www.magicthegathering.com , Chris Millar wrote this intro for "Warrior Week"

Can you count, suckers? I don't mess around much with the past (sorry, Sosuke), but I mess around plenty with the future. And the future is the Warriors, if you can count. First, we start with a miracle. We've got the Ceaseless Searblades sitting next to the Lys Alana Huntmasters. We've got the Facevaulters right by the Cloudgoat Rangers. We've got 218 representatives from 26 tribal races in this game (27 if you count the Zombies), and we've got a truce. Nobody is wasting nobody. And that is a miracle. And miracles is the way things ought to be.

Welcome once again to Warrior Week!

The rest of the article was worthless (Vintage speaking), but I thought I'd share the intro with y'all.

[GrandpaBelcher]

I'm not usually a fan of Chris Millar (regardless of how relevant to Vintage he is), but every once in a while he comes up with something awesome.  This was one.  "Don Slaught Week" is another.

I agree that it seems odd to dedicate an entire theme week to a fairly obscure Major League baseball player. I can only assume that we did it because several members of R&D have ties to Pittsburgh, the city where Don Slaught spent much of his career. If this marks the beginning of a trend, I look forward to theme weeks covering other forgotten athletes, such as judo master Amir "The Thinker" Rodin, sharpshooting biathlete Cody S. Sey, and the 1968 Olympic pole-vaulting champion, Abe Trayersofkamigawa. Are these theme weeks on the horizon? Only time will tell. Also, no.

Edit: For anyone who hasn't seen The Warriors, you pretty much have to.  So that more people can make references to it without getting just blank looks in return.  Plus, if gangs were actually like the gangs in the movie, nobody would mind that there were gangs.

[vartemis]

New FNM looks pretty sweet!



j

[diopter]

New FNM looks pretty sweet!



j

Empty grave lol

[Yare]

Wow, that is pretty cool!  Thumbs up for foil tormod's (with obligatory whining about the watermark in the textbox)

[Sextiger]

Hurray for the FNM Tormods, finally there is a decent artwork of the card.

[LordHomerCat]

FNM cards dont usually have awesome alternate art.  What's the deal?  I have won my fair share of them and thinking back, I can't recally any in the last couple years that had new art, it was all just foily versions of either the only picture or often the oldest if there were multiple (kird ape, juggernaut, etc).  Strange.

[vartemis]

I may be wrong, but I think the general rule lately is that they use the old pics when no foil version of that pic is available (kird ape, hypnotic specter, icy manipulator), and they change the pic when a foil version is available (mind stone, roar of the wurm, cabal coffers).  In the past they used to just use reg pics and put the fnm logo on it (fire/ice, wonder, reanimate).

I think Tormod's Crypt would have the old pic if it hadn't been timeshifted, thereby creating a foil version.

j

[LotusHead]

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/feature/445
Richard Garfield Speaks! Sorta.

Sources such as the Dojo allow players who want to play Magic with their competitive peers to do so without spending huge amounts of time constructing decks. The true masters will never be satisfied to let these sources do their thinking for them, but these resources are an indispensable part of a collection of tools, and someone will always be watching and waiting, ready to take advantage of a chink in the armor of establishment.

[LotusHead]

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/mr320

Mark Rosewater's column about "Rogue Week" that actually talks about Mark's Rogue nature at WOTC.  Included are tidbits about (I assume) the RancoredElf/MTGSalvation spoiler controversy and his part in it amongst other things.  Enjoy!

[pyr0ma5ta]

Shadowmoor.

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=magic/preview/shmpack

http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=67166&d=1204868282

I pooped my pants.

[Norm4eva]

Hey look, a 'colorless' spell.
I really liked the 'split-mana' mechanic, or whatever you want to call it.  I'm actually glad to see it back so soon.

[Implacable]

Shadowmoor.

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=magic/preview/shmpack

http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=67166&d=1204868282

I pooped my pants.

Wow, it's like they suddenly found their good artists again.

[LotusHead]

Sick! - says the casual player in me...

[Lou]

I'm pretty sure this guy is busted.

[The Atog Lord]

He looks really fun with Intuition. Fortunately, if that deck ever becomes too powerful, Leyline of Singularity offers a good sideboard option.

[AmbivalentDuck]

At that casting cost, isn't it competing with Bargain in Vintage?

Even as a one-of, he'd be pretty good in draft, though. 

[vartemis]

He looks really fun with Intuition. Fortunately, if that deck ever becomes too powerful, Leyline of Singularity offers a good sideboard option.

The cost is also prohibitive; not the fact that it is 5 mana, but that it has to be all red or black.  You would therefore need at least 1 blue and 5 black or red sources which can be tough, but I still won't discount the fun of Intuition EOT, cast an O'Doyle, and then swing for at least 15 flying.

j

[Anusien]

Seething Song or a fully powered Cabal Ritual will power the guy up quite well.  What's nice is that original Demigod doesn't have to resolve either.

[TopSecret]

lol

Perhaps he'd be playable in some Legacy Dragon Stompy modification.
Seething song FTW.

Also, this guy has synergy with Tallowisp,
and he breaks Doomsday.

This stack is ridiculous:

(Cast Gush)
Ancestral
Lotus
Mana Crypt
Mind's Desire
Research ----> 4 Demigod of Revenge
GG!

[Norm4eva]

Rumor Mill is officially in full swing at mtgsalvation.com.
Hybrid manas are all over the place.  This is good, IMO; it's probably my favorite mana-fixing mechanic ever.  They've spoiled some very playable hybrid guys so far; a 3/4 + Vigilance for (gw)(gw)(gw), a 4/4 for (br)(br)(br) that can't block, an a Pacifism variant for 1(uw) that taps the critter during each upkeep.  The last card is really neat with Q.
It's sort of a wonder Q didn't come along sooner, and I think it's a great thing for aggressive decks.  Giving little white men abilities with Q as a cost solves a problem that even Vigilance never really fully fixed; now we can attack and untap as a cost for the ability.  I'm not saying Q will like, save my White Weenies from being Tier Jank, but it creates an intuitive pathway towards giving little white men relevant abilities, letting them stay aggressive in the combat phase and keeping them ever ready to defend their home turf.  In case I was being obscure or you just haven't seen it yet, Q is the untap symbol.
So yeah, I know it's early but I think this set gets a preemptive "w00t" from me.

[Ulthrion]

So far Shadowmoor seems a bit 'meh' to me. I'm not too enthousiastic about the untap ability. Hybrid is nice, but the -1/-1 counter theme feels a little too forced. Anyway, there was one card that stood out, as a possibility for fish decks:


Sygg, River Cutthroat
Legendary Creature - Merfolk Rogue
At the end of turn, if an opponent has lost 3 or more life this turn, you may draw a card.
1/3

Bringing the fish back to Fish?
Most fish creatures have 2 power already, so together with this you can draw a card each turn. Not to mention that if your opponent fetches/forces during your turn, you can fire then and draw a card at the end of their turn as well.
Maybe not the best card and a bit of a win-more creature, but the most interesting one for vintage spoiled so far I think. It's probably not enough for fish to drop black, but as an option it's nice to have, especially since all the colors now seem to have some fish-worthy creatures.