2007 - 2010 Rumors/Previews/mtg.com articles

[vassago]

Mana Leak

Damn, blue is gooood

I want my five bucks mister. 

[AmbivalentDuck]

I'm very excited to see this:

*Uncounterable.*  In other words, they might have finally realized that blue hate is meaningless if they can just counter or bounce it.  Green's new blue/black hate spell might actually be suitable for our format.

[Diakonov]

Sweet pic

[Norm4eva]

To be honest, I fucking hate such limited removal in Red.  Mountains sooooo badly need to have burn that hits men AND goes to the dome; this only burns guys.  So when I see a card like "Combustion" or whatever the English name is, I get the sads - or I guess in French, Les Tristes (but it's been about a decade since I studied French so that's probably wrong, mais bof!  je suis un american, j'ai permission etre faux).  Srsly, what do I bring this in against?  Tombstalker?  What blue man has a 5 in the corner that I give a shit about?  Maybe Merfolks with a bunch of Lords out.

Honestly, if I were going to play a deck that depended on burn spells to help seal the deal in an Eternal format, I would rather have an uncounterable Shock than La Combustion.  Srsly.  They printed Tarfire, which means it's tutorable in the Goblin deck and stays in hand if Ringleader flips it out of your library, which in my mind is infinitely better than regular Shock.  I think that spell is on par with a spell that costs R, deals 2 damage to target creature/player and cannot be countered.  Which seems infinitely more useful IMO.  Burn that just hits creatures is usually awful, unless it's a format where like, Pyroclasm or Starstorm matter a damn.

[DubDub]

To be honest, I fucking hate such limited removal in Red.  Mountains sooooo badly need to have burn that hits men AND goes to the dome; this only burns guys.  So when I see a card like "Combustion" or whatever the English name is, I get the sads - or I guess in French, Les Tristes (but it's been about a decade since I studied French so that's probably wrong, mais bof!  je suis un american, j'ai permission etre faux).  Srsly, what do I bring this in against?  Tombstalker?  What blue man has a 5 in the corner that I give a shit about?  Maybe Merfolks with a bunch of Lords out.

Honestly, if I were going to play a deck that depended on burn spells to help seal the deal in an Eternal format, I would rather have an uncounterable Shock than La Combustion.  Srsly.  They printed Tarfire, which means it's tutorable in the Goblin deck and stays in hand if Ringleader flips it out of your library, which in my mind is infinitely better than regular Shock.  I think that spell is on par with a spell that costs R, deals 2 damage to target creature/player and cannot be countered.  Which seems infinitely more useful IMO.  Burn that just hits creatures is usually awful, unless it's a format where like, Pyroclasm or Starstorm matter a damn.

Tombstalker isn't white or blue.  I believe this is meant to kill Baneslayer Angel... just like green's new card Plummet.

[AmbivalentDuck]

I believe this is meant to kill Baneslayer Angel... just like green's new card Plummet.

Ditto

[Norm4eva]

Oh yeah, 'blanche' means white.  See, I told you it's been a long time since I learned French. 

Either way, even if this is intended to be a Walletslayer killer, it's still uber narrow.  My poor mistranslation doesn't make it any better, it still can't dome the opponent and it's probably a horrible topdeck unless the opponent has that aforementioned x/5 blue/white guy just sitting there.  I still give it the thumbs down.

[Suicideking]

Oh yeah, 'blanche' means white.  See, I told you it's been a long time since I learned French. 

Either way, even if this is intended to be a Walletslayer killer, it's still uber narrow.  My poor mistranslation doesn't make it any better, it still can't dome the opponent and it's probably a horrible topdeck unless the opponent has that aforementioned x/5 blue/white guy just sitting there.  I still give it the thumbs down.

RDWs has serious issues beating Baneslayer.  This card means you dont have to use 2 burn spells on it which should translate into an extra 2 damage to your opponent.  Seems good enough to play.  Flameslash gets played because its one card that takes out wall of omens, rhox war monk and helps take down BSA this card does all of that plus cant be countered for one extra mana.

[DubDub]

Oh yeah, 'blanche' means white.  See, I told you it's been a long time since I learned French. 

Either way, even if this is intended to be a Walletslayer killer, it's still uber narrow.  My poor mistranslation doesn't make it any better, it still can't dome the opponent and it's probably a horrible topdeck unless the opponent has that aforementioned x/5 blue/white guy just sitting there.  I still give it the thumbs down.

RDWs has serious issues beating Baneslayer.  This card means you dont have to use 2 burn spells on it which should translate into an extra 2 damage to your opponent.  Seems good enough to play.  Flameslash gets played because its one card that takes out wall of omens, rhox war monk and helps take down BSA this card does all of that plus cant be countered for one extra mana.

Honestly the mistake here was printing Baneslayer in the first place.  They've been doing this to themselves pretty frequently lately, with Bitterblossom, Bloodbraid Elf, and Baneslayer Angel, and Baneslayer is the easiest to recognize as busted.  The same manacost used to get you a 4/4 flier with two positivie abilities, not you get a 5/5 with five positive abilities!  In addition to nearly invalidating whole opposing strategies, like RDW, it also removes any conversation about the other very powerful white finishers in Standard right now, like World Queller, Battlegrace Angel, Admonition Angel, or the forthcoming Sun Titan.  Even at  it would be quite strong,  is just a joke.  Iit would see play in Standard at  .

Now Standard is full of these inelegant 'solutions', like Volcanic Fallout, Great Sable Stag, Combust and Plummet.

[ReAnimator]

RDWs has serious issues beating Baneslayer.  This card means you dont have to use 2 burn spells on it which should translate into an extra 2 damage to your opponent.  Seems good enough to play.  Flameslash gets played because its one card that takes out wall of omens, rhox war monk and helps take down BSA this card does all of that plus cant be countered for one extra mana.

Honestly the mistake here was printing Baneslayer in the first place.  They've been doing this to themselves pretty frequently lately, with Bitterblossom, Bloodbraid Elf, and Baneslayer Angel, and Baneslayer is the easiest to recognize as busted.  The same manacost used to get you a 4/4 flier with two positivie abilities, not you get a 5/5 with five positive abilities!  In addition to nearly invalidating whole opposing strategies, like RDW, it also removes any conversation about the other very powerful white finishers in Standard right now, like World Queller, Battlegrace Angel, Admonition Angel, or the forthcoming Sun Titan.  Even at  it would be quite strong,  is just a joke.  Iit would see play in Standard at  .

Now Standard is full of these inelegant 'solutions', like Volcanic Fallout, Great Sable Stag, Combust and Plummet.

But baneslayer isn't even that great in standard at the moment. I'm fine with Plummet and Combust as they aren't totally narrow, they are good against multiple cards. I do agree that it sucks that otherwise playable cards like World Queller get squeezed out, but it doesn't squeeze out everything. Queller has seen some sideboard action and i'm pretty sure Sun Titan is unique and different enough that it should see some play.

[Diakonov]

Sweet.

[AmbivalentDuck]

Now Standard is full of these inelegant 'solutions', like Volcanic Fallout, Great Sable Stag, Combust and Plummet.

The "problems" are relevant (but not themselves overwhelming) blue and black control pieces.  There existed strong answers to all of them, but the answers were irrelevant with stupid countermagic like Cryptic Command and Glen Elendra Archmage to back up the threats.  The reality is that countermagic is overpowered if no effects exist that punish you for using it.  Creatures? Wrath of God.  Artifacts? Hurkyl's Recall/Shattering Spree.  Enchantments? Tranquil Domain.  Lands? Wasteland.  Countermagic? ...Xantid Swarm...Duress...Seedtime...

The game needs a brutal answer to the card type instant and its designers clearly don't want to print one.

[Norm4eva]

I don't think throwing "can't be countered" on something makes it an inelegant fix when you realize that so much countermagic is virtually unconditional.  Even the conditional countermagic often asserts itself far better than conditional removal; compare 'La Combustion' to, say, Negate.  Burn as a mechanic is necessarily limited; it deals a fixed amount of damage and is generally only desirable when it doubles as a win condition.  If Negate said "Counter target noncreature spell unless its controller pays 3 more", we might be looking at a more balanced equation.

Without turning this into a "The Problem With Blue" thread, we all know that the ability to Just Say No is to be reckoned with and it can functionally be compared to a billion other cards; when it counters Umezawa's Jitte, Counterspell is Disenchant.  When it counters Lightning Bolt, it's Life Burst.  When it counters Tarmogoyf it's Terror.  So on and so forth.  So stuff like Sable Stag and Volcanic Fallout don't strike me as being necessarily inelegant, but rather necessary in the face of simplistic elegance (good counters).  Hence the need for comparable instants in other colors to have real broad functionality that can serve a variety of purposes and offer itself as multiple escape routes to a changing game state - NOT to just deal 5 kicks to target Angel. 

[AmbivalentDuck]

I don't think throwing "can't be countered" on something makes it an inelegant fix when you realize that so much countermagic is virtually unconditional.  Even the conditional countermagic often asserts itself far better than conditional removal; compare 'La Combustion' to, say, Negate.  Burn as a mechanic is necessarily limited; it deals a fixed amount of damage and is generally only desirable when it doubles as a win condition.  If Negate said "Counter target noncreature spell unless its controller pays 3 more", we might be looking at a more balanced equation.

Without turning this into a "The Problem With Blue" thread, we all know that the ability to Just Say No is to be reckoned with and it can functionally be compared to a billion other cards; when it counters Umezawa's Jitte, Counterspell is Disenchant.  When it counters Lightning Bolt, it's Life Burst.  When it counters Tarmogoyf it's Terror.  So on and so forth.  So stuff like Sable Stag and Volcanic Fallout don't strike me as being necessarily inelegant, but rather necessary in the face of simplistic elegance (good counters).  Hence the need for comparable instants in other colors to have real broad functionality that can serve a variety of purposes and offer itself as multiple escape routes to a changing game state - NOT to just deal 5 kicks to target Angel. 

QFT

Cannot be countered needs to become an evergreen keyword mechanic.

[Killane]

Tenacious?

[ELD]

uncounterable?

[Troy_Costisick]

Too Big to Fail?

[DubDub]

I don't think throwing "can't be countered" on something makes it an inelegant fix when you realize that so much countermagic is virtually unconditional.  Even the conditional countermagic often asserts itself far better than conditional removal; compare 'La Combustion' to, say, Negate.  Burn as a mechanic is necessarily limited; it deals a fixed amount of damage and is generally only desirable when it doubles as a win condition.  If Negate said "Counter target noncreature spell unless its controller pays 3 more", we might be looking at a more balanced equation.

Without turning this into a "The Problem With Blue" thread, we all know that the ability to Just Say No is to be reckoned with and it can functionally be compared to a billion other cards; when it counters Umezawa's Jitte, Counterspell is Disenchant.  When it counters Lightning Bolt, it's Life Burst.  When it counters Tarmogoyf it's Terror.  So on and so forth.  So stuff like Sable Stag and Volcanic Fallout don't strike me as being necessarily inelegant, but rather necessary in the face of simplistic elegance (good counters).  Hence the need for comparable instants in other colors to have real broad functionality that can serve a variety of purposes and offer itself as multiple escape routes to a changing game state - NOT to just deal 5 kicks to target Angel. 

Clearly Sirroco needs a reprint.  Preferably with the same art.

[Norm4eva]

Sure, if it costs RR and cannot be countered ;)

I KEEED I JOKE WIT CHUUU

[TopSecret]

Cannot be countered needs to become an evergreen keyword mechanic.

I think this should have its own thread since it is pretty interesting.

I think making uncounterable a keyword mechanic is a good idea. But I also think using such a keyword frequently would an ugly solution to the problems mentioned. Part of the problem is that counterspells are currently (almost) entirely blue, so printing anything with uncounterable is effectively just making it good against one color and irrelevant the rest of the time. Like having to specifically list that something can't be killed by burn spells as a keyword. It wouldn't be very elegant if it was used on cards too frequently and it would be putting a lot of emphasis on blue when all of the colors are supposed to be balanced. I think that if counterspells were more common in non-blue colors, making a lot of cards with uncounterable would be a more reasonable solution.

If you had a keyword that addressed counterspells and a variety of other scenarios at the same time, I think that would be best. For instance, Lifelink is generally pretty good against red, but it is functional in most other games as well. Split Second is currently the closest thing there is to a keyword that's good against counterspells without being useless against everything else, but I doubt that Wizards would print Split Second all the time.

[Delha]

Started a new thread per your suggestion.

[Killane]

Too Big to Fail?

i missed the wonderfully ironic humor in this post the first time around. Rofl.

[LotusHead]

For some reason, I kinda like it for the oodles of flaver oozing out of it.
But, are Liches not a creature type?


I LOVE more rituals! Makes my Sphere's and Thorn's worth it!
But I love these in casual too.


Is it me, or can super budget decks get this out on turn 2? or turn 1 with a dark ritual?



I think I will draft a lot of this set.

[Cyberpunker]

OH CRAP PHYREXIAN NEGATOR HAS BECOME INDESTRUCTIBLE!!!

And the new crappy  cabal ritual is interesting in Legacy.

[AmbivalentDuck]

But, are Liches not a creature type?

Isn't a lich simply an undead wizard?

[Delha]

But, are Liches not a creature type?

Isn't a lich simply an undead wizard?

Pretty much, yeah. But by that token, a zombie is just an undead human.

2xElf/Bird/etc + Phyrexian Altar + Mitotic Slime = T3 hardcast Emrakul. I'm looking forward to dreaming up some janky Slime lists.

[DubDub]

Over on Salvation people are speculating on this card name, and one person it's been spoiled to has been egging people on:
Dark Tutelage

It is apparently not a new black tutor.

They just said "This card could be played in vintage."  (Page seven), though that's true of every card outside of ante, dexderity and Shaharazad.  Will it be playable in Vintage?  Hope so.  It'll be fully spoiled Friday, so we'll see then.

[Troy_Costisick]

This set looks like so much fun in Sealed and Draft.  I'll be at the pre-release and launch parties.

[chrissss]

Love the art

[DubDub]

Erik Lauer confirms Voltaic Key is in M11, probably as set up for Scars of Mirrodin.

I'm looking forward to picking up a foil one!

Also, with almost no support there's a claim that 'Sword of Body and Mind' will be the name of the SOM preview card included in FTV:R.  And... Stoneforge Mystic gets better.  If it gives pro-green and generates card advantage millions of Tarmogoyfs out there will start crying.