Re: All B/R update speculation.
The last challenge didn't even have a Post-Ramp deck in the Top 8. The meta is hardly settled. Since we don't even know the conversion rate of the Post decks in the time they seemed to be doing well, we don't even know that they did all that well in reality.
After the London Mulligan we'll see how Chalice, et. al. does and go from there. My actual hope is that it gives BUG decks a reason to be run in the new meta, for Decay and Trophy, but we'll see if Narset being double Blue means it's better to get access to Red Blasts or not.
Re: All B/R update speculation.
I feel like as long as blue is 65-70% of the meta having access to red blasts is almost always the plan
Re: All B/R update speculation.
It reminds me of the blow up when Eldrazi first got big. All the talk about banning Chalice, the end of the world had come, some other hyperbole about a deck that had a semi decent answer to the formats hegemonic controller.
This will blow over much the same, with the same outcome. The top dog will stay the top dog, nothing will be different.
Re: All B/R update speculation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Megadeus
I feel like as long as blue is 65-70% of the meta having access to red blasts is almost always the plan
If there are no other concerns, of course. Even so, there are always other concerns. For example, right now, it seems it was the case that UW Blade was "better" than UWr Blade, so "all things being equal" is never all things actually all things being equal.
So, it could be the case that access to Red Blasts does not outweigh, in the future meta, access to something like Decay or Trophy. But it could be the case that Red Blasts are better. So, we'll have to see how to shakes out really. Even from a "pure Reason" standpoint, Decay does also answer Narset, but in a "worse" way. Even so, that might be "good enough" to still give it a place in the meta. Not to say that supplanting something like Grixis is likely. Rather, BUG seems like it could become a reasonable meta-choice, in the right circumstances.
Again, all the theory in the world is fine, but we will have to see what people actually do before we can even pretend to know what the second, third and so on, order effects will be. Not to mention the full effect of the London Mulligan (if we are right to suppose it comes).
Re: All B/R update speculation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
H
If there are no other concerns, of course. Even so, there are always other concerns. For example, right now, it seems it was the case that UW Blade was "better" than UWr Blade, so "all things being equal" is never all things actually all things being equal.
So, it could be the case that access to Red Blasts does not outweigh, in the future meta, access to something like Decay or Trophy. But it could be the case that Red Blasts are better. So, we'll have to see how to shakes out really. Even from a "pure Reason" standpoint, Decay does also answer Narset, but in a "worse" way. Even so, that might be "good enough" to still give it a place in the meta. Not to say that supplanting something like Grixis is likely. Rather, BUG seems like it could become a reasonable meta-choice, in the right circumstances.
Again, all the theory in the world is fine, but we will have to see what people actually do before we can even pretend to know what the second, third and so on, order effects will be. Not to mention the full effect of the London Mulligan (if we are right to suppose it comes).
Not to steer away and turn it into a meta discussion, but I think strict UW getting better access to Back 2 Basics has something to do with it too. I could see why BUG has some appeal, but red having stuff like Wear/Tear and such plus the red blasts is probably better in most cases. But who knows?
Re: All B/R update speculation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Megadeus
Not to steer away and turn it into a meta discussion, but I think strict UW getting better access to Back 2 Basics has something to do with it too. I could see why BUG has some appeal, but red having stuff like Wear/Tear and such plus the red blasts is probably better in most cases. But who knows?
Right, right, but that's sort of what I mean, there are always more factors than just the prima facie point at hand. In fact, this sort of illustrates a prospective broad point, where the case must be made against Red as a splash color, not really for it. BUG decks can often "get away" with not running Red Blast by virtue of having threats that Red Blasts don't answer. Well, at least, in the old days, before Angler, because now Grixis has Push and Angler, combining to marginalize the return on being in Green over Red.
This is all part of why I think Brother Deathrite was made to fall on a sword in error, but whatever, that ship sailed. Still, there are very few reasons, at the moment, to add Green to your UBx deck, over Red. I'd personally like to see that change. Maybe Modern Horizons can deliver a "fixed" DRS or a "buffed" BOP and get us there.
Re: All B/R update speculation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
H
Yeah, that's my thinking as well. WAR cards, plus new Mulligan means no other actions. Not to mention the impending dump of Modern Horizon cards into the relevant formats.
I'll 2nd (or 3rd) this. For the first time in a long time it would be unwise to make any changes even with obviously unbannable cards. Too many new factors all at once: if something broke it would be tough to figure out how to fix it.
Re: All B/R update speculation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Fox
Unfortunately WotC seems incapable of banning CB [unban SDT] and ban Hymn [unban DRS].
There's no reason to ban CB. It's a fair card without Top. Meanwhile Top is a huge timewaster, they love banning it in all formats.
There's no reason to ban Hymn. It's not broken compared to other 2 cmc and 3 cmc cards available to BUG and Grixis control. DRS is a 1-mana Planeswalker.
There's also no reason to ban Ancient Tomb just because a few Post decks are actually making top 8s instead of Brainstorms. It's a key piece of so many diverse decks. Without it there would be even less reason not to run Brainstorm.
Re: All B/R update speculation.
Top unfortunately makes a pretty great combo with bolas' citadel.
Re: All B/R update speculation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
FTW
There's no reason to ban CB. It's a fair card without Top. Meanwhile Top is a huge timewaster, they love banning it in all formats.
There's no reason to ban Hymn. It's not broken compared to other 2 cmc and 3 cmc cards available to BUG and Grixis control. DRS is a 1-mana Planeswalker.
There's also no reason to ban Ancient Tomb just because a few Post decks are actually making top 8s instead of
Brainstorms. It's a key piece of so many diverse decks. Without it there would be even less reason not to run Brainstorm.
You can look back a ways in this thread and see that I've pointed out Ancient Tomb as needing to be watched long before they printed these new cards; the new cards simply made it more blatantly obvious. The looming mulligan change would make Tomb a more negative force in the format ~ i.e. it's not really a mulligan if you're able to find a Tomb.
DRS is the only [non-Zombardent] 1-drop playable black creature (that can come down turn 1) in legacy - they have not filled this gaping hole. DRS is interactive, and while it's annoying that Fetchlands are legal, there are bigger Fetchland abusers than DRS (mainly Brainstorm). You can't keep ramping up Tomb's position in the meta and justify denying colored decks their main mana advantage tool.
Hymn with perfect mana fixing is not a reasonable card. It brings nothing positive to the format, particularly with Snapcaster. Hymn (and other discard spam) being legal is a primary argument for unbanning SDT, which uses a zone discard can't touch (especially instant speed discard). Now if DRS is legal, we already know that there are only 3 ways to use it: Czech, Grixis Delver, and Elves. It's really easy to have a good matchup vs the last two; but no matter what your DRS-using deck does, you can't leverage it b/c of Hymn Snap Hymn. The ability to use DRS differently is absolutely demolished b/c of Hymn to Tourach specifically. You have to be able to beat Shatter/Shock (Kcomm) and a 1/1 flying deathtouch - this requires having a hand and not being forced to play everything you draw the moment you draw it.
CB is in a class of its own with it's unsupported, albeit theoretical, 1-sided ceiling of :u::u: counter everything your opponent casts with zero need to sustain. SDT wasting time had everything to do with the card Counterbalance incentivizing multiple spins per turn cycle, in a way that no other card could. Even Fetchlands encourage less SDT activations than CB.
Re: All B/R update speculation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Fox
...It brings nothing positive to the format...
Not to get even further off topic or take you out of context, but I've seen people making this argument for years about so many different thing and I still have no idea what it actually means. Hell, what makes a card have a positive effect on the format in the first place?
Re: All B/R update speculation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Watersaw
Not to get even further off topic or take you out of context, but I've seen people making this argument for years about so many different thing and I still have no idea what it actually means. Hell, what makes a card have a positive effect on the format in the first place?
This ^.
Re: All B/R update speculation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Watersaw
Not to get even further off topic or take you out of context, but I've seen people making this argument for years about so many different thing and I still have no idea what it actually means. Hell, what makes a card have a positive effect on the format in the first place?
Something that adds interaction to the format while reducing the amount of games that end in mutual solitaire.
(I understand the hypocrisy of a Stax player saying this.)
Re: All B/R update speculation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Watersaw
Not to get even further off topic or take you out of context, but I've seen people making this argument for years about so many different thing and I still have no idea what it actually means. Hell, what makes a card have a positive effect on the format in the first place?
It's a way to insert an assumption about what the format should be without specifically naming it and thus have it able to be refuted.
"Positive" is just what anyone would term "the sort of thing I want in the format." Framed with the word "positive" so that the implication is that it is, of course, a "good thing" but without actually bothering to elucidate what "good" actually is in the context.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Dice_Box
Something that adds interaction to the format while reducing the amount of games that end in mutual solitaire.
(I understand the hypocrisy of a Stax player saying this.)
See?
Re: All B/R update speculation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
H
It's a way to insert an assumption about what the format should be without specifically naming it and thus have it able to be refuted.
"Positive" is just what anyone would term "the sort of thing I want in the format." Framed with the word "positive" so that the implication is that it is, of course, a "good thing" but without actually bothering to elucidate what "good" actually is in the context.
What's the quote about porn vs art? "I know it when I see it?" I feel it's much the same here. I mean I (subjectivity perhaps) do not feel TNN adds anything positive to Legacy. Just as an example.
Re: All B/R update speculation.
Getting better mulligans by virtue of have “double-bonus“ lands + buffing the mulligan system is a dangerous combination. This is a net negative external game structure mechanic.
Re: All B/R update speculation.
Wait brainstorm has been 8/8 in GPs, consistently is 6/8 in most other major tourney's and suddenly one card gets printed and hasn't even really put up results and Ancient Tomb is a problem?
Re: All B/R update speculation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Dice_Box
What's the quote about porn vs art? "I know it when I see it?" I feel it's much the same here. I mean I (subjectivity perhaps) do not feel TNN adds anything positive to Legacy. Just as an example.
I'm not saying you a "wrong" to want those things. But your post actually perfectly encapsulates how in the end, it's just preference. In fact, you highlight the fact that you think "interaction," whatever that is, is "good" but you still want "prison" a rather "non-interactive" thing.
This thread is probably far more preference "masked" as "objective criterion" than it is anything else. There isn't anything wrong with have preferences, in fact, just the opposite. The fact is though, it is and always will be bias. The question is, which bias "wins out?"
Re: All B/R update speculation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
H
I'm not saying you a "wrong" to want those things. But your post actually perfectly encapsulates how in the end, it's just preference. In fact, you highlight the fact that you think "interaction," whatever that is, is "good" but you still want "prison" a rather "non-interactive" thing.
This thread is probably far more preference "masked" as "objective criterion" than it is anything else. There isn't anything wrong with have preferences, in fact, just the opposite. The fact is though, it is and always will be bias. The question is, which bias "wins out?"
None of them, because we are ultimately powerless to change anything. This is a venting service, not a relevant discussion in a diplomatic sense. Nothing is lost or gained.
It's taken me years to be willing to read shit and not desire to prove my point. But for a long time I did and that was very toxic. That toxicity is limited to this one thread, letting it collect the shit other threads would otherwise have to deal with.
Re: All B/R update speculation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Dice_Box
None of them, because we are ultimately powerless to change anything. This is a venting service, not a relevant discussion in a diplomatic sense. Nothing is lost or gained.
Well, in a sense, yes, but also no, because part of what Wizards seem to operate on is the "perceived meta" or "perceived format." So, when people here (and other places too) were apt to crown Grixis Delver the "obviously best deck" it really, in all likelyhood, did put a target on Deathrite.
So, the consequences of what we do here likely are real, be it minute or not, they do exist. And the personal cost of it all is a real cost. People will no doubt laugh that off, but actual real research does seem to show that the idea of "catharsis" is something of a farce. But I am likely getting away from the point.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Dice_Box
It's taken me years to be willing to read shit and not desire to prove my point. But for a long time I did and that was very toxic. That toxicity is limited to this one thread, letting it collect the shit other threads would otherwise have to deal with.
Yeah, but like I was saying, this sort of "toxicity" does have a "real-life" cost. Because if you just engage in a ratification of confirmation bias and never investigate that and other biases, in the context of a children's card game, it is very unlikely that one would be willing to do it in the "real world" where they are real consequences for that entrenchment in certain ideas (or ideals).
But I think most here likely take my attempts at a more philosophical approach as a joke, and philosophy itself as a joke. That's fine, but my hope is that I can do a half decent job enough to help at least someone realize that it's a serious point and there is some merit to taking it seriously.
But, hey, maybe that is just my own bias in action...