[Article] Eternal: But does that really mean forever?

[Fossil4182]

Another possible action that's been postulated is WotC bringing the ban hammer down on the format's "high cost" cards. Specifically, they could ban everything in Legacy on the Reserve List since apparently they don't pay attention to the secondary market; this would be an indiscriminate way to solve the issue. (I'm being a bit cynical here)

Additionally, WotC could introduce a restricted list to Legacy. Restricting a lot of the format's expensive cards would solve the price barrier issue and its already been mentioned several times that Legacy has ample access to mana mixing outside of the original dual lands. It would cause those other mana fixers to rise in price; but as its been pointed out, there are more copies of those cards available making it easier for people to get involved.

The article was really well written.

[dahcmai]

That would do more harm than good by far. The prices are driven by the buyers. So if a card became more popular due to a new deck coming out it makes some of the cards go up in price. If one of those cards in said deck became to popular it becomes banned making the deck nonviable all of a sudden. This changes the meta due to that deck not being around.

Then another deck becomes popular due to that and prices on cards in that deck go up starting the cycle yet again. Eventually, the entire meta is shifted to cheaper decks, but more than likely it's an all aggro and combo format as those are the only decks that can be made with pauper style cards.

Of course, Force of Will being one of the top cards that stops combo is also one of the most expensive cards in the format would deserve a ban in this theory. Problem right there. Spanish Inquisition is a cheap to make deck and would love that.

That whole idea would destroy the stable meta right now in a heartbeat.

They can make that argument well written all they like, it's definitely not practical.

[Fossil4182]

That would do more harm than good by far. The prices are driven by the buyers. So if a card became more popular due to a new deck coming out it makes some of the cards go up in price. If one of those cards in said deck became to popular it becomes banned making the deck nonviable all of a sudden. This changes the meta due to that deck not being around.

Then another deck becomes popular due to that and prices on cards in that deck go up starting the cycle yet again. Eventually, the entire meta is shifted to cheaper decks, but more than likely it's an all aggro and combo format as those are the only decks that can be made with pauper style cards.

Of course, Force of Will being one of the top cards that stops combo is also one of the most expensive cards in the format would deserve a ban in this theory. Problem right there. Spanish Inquisition is a cheap to make deck and would love that.

That whole idea would destroy the stable meta right now in a heartbeat.

They can make that argument well written all they like, it's definitely not practical.

I don't think Force of Will is on the Reserve List so it wouldn't be impacted if they banned all the cards in the Reserved List.

The specific argument here is that if the Reserve List is the issue, then banning all the cards on it eliminates availability as a barrier. Your supply and demand analysis is correct; in the event of the creation of a new format, staples would arise and those cards, which hypothetically are not played now, would experience a rise in cost. However the discussion is more nuanced than a simple shift; the issue is the scarcity of the cards, not the price. Its true that the two are linked, but a high cost to Magic cards is only the symptom of the issue of card availability.

As an aside, Wizard's management of the Legacy (and every other format) banned and restricted list is laughable at best. There is zero transparency to the process which is something that players have been asking to have for years. While its not something that can be proved (because the process isn't transparent), there is likely different criteria outside of "format health" that some formats are calculated with when determining whether or not to ban cards: look at Jund, Stoneforge Mystic and Jace, the Mind Sculptor in Standard vs Survival and Mystical Tutor decks in Legacy.

[Humphrey]

Id like to see the faces of the "collectors" (especially those who are wanting the list) when every card on it gets banned.

[DragoFireheart]

Id like to see the faces of the "collectors" (especially those who are wanting the list) when every card on it gets banned.

Why would WotC do that? They can just make a new format and side-step the whole issue. That's why they are pushing the new Modern format.

[Sims]

Why would WotC do that? They can just make a new format and side-step the whole issue. That's why they are pushing the new Modern format.

I mean no offense by this... but damn you grab onto something and run with it.

They aren't pushing Modern at all yet. It's a trial format developed for the Community Cup (successor of the Invitational) that will be used to gauge interest in such a format. That is all. Modern falls into the same category as Extended, no matter which format the phrase Extended brings to your mind the last time it was relevant to you. For me, it hasn't been relevant since Tinker and Vampiric were in that format. But then again I'm not a PTQ player who has to play it 3 months out of the year trying to grind. The format is nothing but people playing their favorite old standard decks with a few new spices sprinkled on top. It'll be boring, more so than current standard, probably.

Can people please stop running around being Chicken Little trying to force down our throats that the format is ending tomorrow because Wizards announced a new alternative format for a 1-of event that, much like CYOS and various others before it, likely won't catch on.

[Captain_Morgan]

I'd just settle for:

A) Getting rid of the reserved list
B) Creating a "base set eternal" that follows eternal rules set and practices for power, this means metagame shifts more often. 50% reprints, 50% new cards, and the set is designed purely for constructed play.
C) A new format without the reserved list, if it's on the reserved list it doesn't exist in the format.

Overall good article though.

[tangram]

I'd prefer something simple:
- Create functional reprints of Legacy staples that are on the Reserved List
- Introduce the concept of conditional restriction (number_of_old_staple + number_of_functional_reprint = 4 in a deck)
- Introduce these cards at pre-constructed decks for EDH or maybe in limited sets

This would work.

[HAVE HEART]

I barely play EDH, but could you post some examples of card prices skyrocketing?

All rare legends from the set Legends.

Academy Rector - $6 OOS @ SCG.
Adarkar Valkyrie - $6 3 total in stock @ SCG.
Akroma's Memorial - $20 12 total in stock @ SCG.
Ambition's Cost (from P3K) - $6 OOS @ SCG.
Angel of Despair - $6 OOS @ SCG.

These are just cards that start with "a" that are worth at least $5 on SCG. They are also unplayable in Vintage and Legacy. All of these cards saw at least a 50% increase in price. The angels were less than $5 before EDH price hikes (Angel of Despair spiked from Extended Hypergenesis, but stayed pretty constant from EDH). Ambition's Cost has an Eighth Edition reprint that goes for a quarter.

Any regularly played EDH card that is currently out of print sees its price go up significantly. Any mildly played EDH card that is foil sees its price go up significantly. Any seldom played EDH card that is Japanese foil sees its prices go up significantly.

EDH is fun to play, but it is not fun enough to ruin the prices of such a large card pool.

EDIT: http://sales.starcitygames.com//spoi...m=0&numpage=25

This is a link that shows all cards worth at least $5. This list does not include Alpha, Beta, Unlimited, Arabian Nights, Legends, Antiquities or The Dark. If you go through the pages, then you will notice very few of these cards are constructed playable (Vintage, Legacy, Extended, Standard).