Magic History: Breaking Bad Cards

[Islandswamp]

http://www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/magic-history-breaking-bad-cards

I was on vacation all week and I was unable to do my usual Vintage 101 article. So I finished and submitted this one instead. Hopefully people enjoy the nostalgia of these historical articles.

Vintage 101 should be back soon, probably this week. Take care, and let's all celebrate the new era of TMD! Thanks especially to tmdbrassman!

[MaximumCDawg]

The article is something of a misnomer, really.  None of the cards discussed in the article are "bad" in an absolute sense.  If you want "bad" cards, you're talking more like Chimney Imp and Storm Crow: cards that do virtually nothing and are strictly worse than alternatives.

No, most of the cards your article addresses are cards that break rules or have extreme effects.  LED makes 3 mana out of 0.  Marit Lage is a 20/20 that pops out of a land card.  Summoner's Pact gives you a tutor effect for 0 mana.  Delusions causes a (temporary) 20 point life swing. Flash puts a dork onto the battlefield for 2 mana.   Amulet of Vigor does not have a huge effect, but it is totally unique, making it a necessary cog in a very specific combo.

The takeaway here is not that bad cards become good.  Pillarfield Ox is never going to go from a junk common to the next LED.  No, the thesis of the article should be: "Watch out for cards with massive or unique effects because they are the engines that fuel combos as more cards are printed."

[John Cox]

The article is something of a misnomer, really.  None of the cards discussed in the article are "bad" in an absolute sense.  If you want "bad" cards, you're talking more like Chimney Imp and Storm Crow: cards that do virtually nothing and are strictly worse than alternatives.

Chimney Imp and Storm Crow are good in limited, the cards in the article are terrible there. I think its a matter of perspective.

[portland]

Yup, Trix is the epitome of taking gravel and making one of the most powerful decks of the era. Similarly the trap (very short lived) used janky cards to amazing effect.