Commander 2013 discussion

[FieryBalrog]

Invisible Stalker does not have 3 power, the ability to block without taking damage, full immunity to burn sweepers and does not get buffed by a deck that's whole game plan is to do nothing but drop lords and break face.

Think about this, Merfolk just got a playable card that can hit ANYONE. Not just those with Islands.

The fact that it's not only Awesome^tm, but is also a Merfolk, should tell everyone that it was directly aimed at Legacy with all the subtlety of a pig carcass launched from a trebuchet. Given that the relation between the ability and being a fish-man is the most tenuous one imaginable.

[Barook]

That also synergizes nicely with Phantasmal Image.

Don't open Pandora's Box.

T3 this guy, then vialing in Phantasmal Image as a second copy? That sounds pretty annoying.

All of this clamoring over "there needs to be eternal staples in Commander 2013" and I'm not surprised that one of them happens to be a little out-of-pie and too powerful. Scavenging Ooze wasn't a good experiment; that card is very nearly better than Tarmogoyf. I hated getting my first 2 for $30 a pop and then getting boned a year later when they printed them in M14. I'm convinced that us Legacy players didn't know what we wished for when we consider WOTC's track record on printing cards directly for eternal formats (looking at you, Mental Misstep). Please don't do shit like this anymore, WOTC. Just give us our 8 mana 7/7s.

Wizards recent track record for eternal is pretty shitty in general. The last few sets have been total ass, and the stuff before hasn't been a good idea, either:

- Imho, AD is okay powerlevel-wise and opens a new angle of "being AD-proof". DRS, however, was way over the fucking curve to the point where it's the most played creature in the format now.
- Miracles as a mechanic is about as stupid as it can get. Also, Super-Wrath of God for . Good riddance, aggro!
- Snapcaster Mage in the wrong color and 3/2 flyers for .
- Mental Missstep

And their big, splashy, "expensive" cards can be a threat to the format as long as S&T is a thing - see Griselbrand & Omniscience. Some day, they might print something even more stupid.

Yet we're probably not getting any viable tutor or LD spell anytime soon. Maro's New World Order sucks.

[testing32]

I would have no problem with this card if it was white and human.

[Zombie]

I would have no problem with this card if it was white and human.

I would. It can be Sweet Baby Jesus' Fairy Godmother for all I care, the design is nothing short of an abomination.

[TsumiBand]

There are a fuck-billion ways to kill an Invisible Stalker.

There are like... single-digit number of playable Magic cards that deal with Identity Nemesis, or whatever it's called.

I realize it's tantamount to a fallacy in Magic, but first of all - you have to play through counterspells to get there, and Merfolk isn't exactly skimping on the countermagic.

It's also in a deck that's lousy with Lords, so it is NOT a 3/1. Really stop looking at its toughness in a vacuum; that's like evaluating Goblin Piledriver as a 1/2 under all circumstances.

So okay, things will fly over it or the occasional "damage can't be prevented" spell will dick it. Or a Supreme Verdict, or maybe something awful like Barter in Blood or Mutilate or something will kill it. Just, you know, resolve it against Merfolk. Now that they don't have to counter anything that Identity Nemesis can't just block, kill, or ignore... yeah, resolve that 4-of you sided in. Seems real good.

So again, I don't think this is ruining Legacy, but it's just a dick move from Wizards. It's a plant; this card is balls-tastic in EDH, and there's no subtlety at all; this goes right into Merfolk.dec. It's a straight-shot to Legacy -- it is too carefully planned to not be intentional, which means they thought about it, but they didn't think about it very hard, or very elegantly. So they know we're here, and they decided to throw us a bone, but it's a non-interactive piece of tribal fuck that is in the wrong color. A 3/1 designed to deny interaction in the same zone as Blue is classically supposed to have the most trouble with, the battlefield. Nevermind that it can't be Bolted; Blue cancels spells all the time. It blocks Goyf all day? It survives Pyroclasms? I can't even Arrest that piece of shit?

FML. Whatever. Please MaRo, tell me why it is okay for it to exist, or tell me why I'm ungrateful for being thrown a bone. Please oh please. Complete your failure.

[HammafistRoob]

Lol this thread is great. Keep crying, it's pretty amusing.

[Barook]

FML. Whatever. Please MaRo, tell me why it is okay for it to exist, or tell me why I'm ungrateful for being thrown a bone. Please oh please. Complete your failure.

And there's Maro's bullshit justification:

Protection from color is primary white. Protection from non-color is suppose to be blue’s thing but we really haven;t played it up much

How can you put an answer into the comments? Let's have a look at blue's special protection cards:

Horizon Drake
Riptide Biologist
Shoreline Raider

3 blue cards in the entire history of MTG so far that grant non-color protection.

Let's have a look at white's non-color protection:

Angelic Curator
Baneslayer Angel
Beloved Chaplain
Commander Eesha
Devoted Caretaker
Dragonstalker
Elite Inquisitor
Foothill Guide
Holy Mantle
Kitsune Riftwalker
Midnight Duelist
Mistmeadow Skulk
Riders of Gavony
Runed Halo
Spare from Evil
Spirit Mantle
Tattoo Ward
Unquestioned Authority

18 cards, with quite a few current examples.

[Tombstalker]

Magic has evolved over the years. The initial concept of each color still exists sure buts things have changed for better or worse.. kinda like democrats and republicans. Point is im pretty sure the guys with rights to the IP of MTG determine what slice belongs in which pie.. roll with it.

[Pippin]

Absolutely disgusting card. Any clues which specific persona designed this abomination?

[Barook]

The initial concept of each color still exists sure buts things have changed for better or worse.. kinda like democrats and republicans.

How long until they raise the bar for uncreative design to prevent another creative bankruptcy?

[Rush80]

Created a SCD thread with its own Identity as I feel it may have long-term repercussions and discussions.

I suggest to keep posting on new Commander 2013 cards on this thread: you never know the wizards may drop another bomb.

[Jamaican Zombie Legend]

Magic has evolved over the years. The initial concept of each color still exists sure buts things have changed for better or worse.. kinda like democrats and republicans. Point is im pretty sure the guys with rights to the IP of MTG determine what slice belongs in which pie.. roll with it.

I have rolled with changes...haven't bought new sealed product from Nu-Ravnica onwards .



This is an extremely dumb card that will likely be placed in the "weakest" pre-con to drive the sales. While Wizards seemingly can't design for shit, they are certainly shrewd enough to know where to strategically place cards to drive sales.

[DrHealex]

I like to think that the evil powers at be were all around a golden table, stroking their goatees, when the following conversation took place.

Evil Asshat1: Hexproof is the most beloved mechanic of the current age, so how do we go about strictly upgrading it?
Evil Asshat2: Let's add protection from everything "your opponent" controls as well!
Evil Asshat3: GENIUS! Now, pass me some more of that roasted fetus.

[FieryBalrog]

Magic has evolved over the years. The initial concept of each color still exists sure buts things have changed for better or worse.. kinda like democrats and republicans. Point is im pretty sure the guys with rights to the IP of MTG determine what slice belongs in which pie.. roll with it.

They disagree amongst themselves about it, so....

[rufus]

I guess they'll be adding a new exception to rule 400.7 to make Opal Palace work. Though I guess there's some slop there already thanks to the increase for repeated casting from the command zone.

[Tylert]

Curse of Shallow Graves

Enchantment — Aura Curse (Uncommon)

Enchant player
Whenever a player attacks enchanted player with one or more creatures, that attacking player may put a 2/2 black Zombie creature token onto the battlefield tapped.
Illus. Karla Ortiz #71/51

Interresting card. The fact that it does not trigger on non-token creatures only makes it interresting with Bitterblossom on the battlefield.

[Higgs]

First print uncounterable removal, then print unremovable creature. Trippy..

[allek]

This thread is awesome, you guys are the most cynic bunch of crybabies ever. I remember when all of you hated on all cards with CMC > 2 because everybody was always dead before turn 3 (yeah right...). Now bashing new cards in general and WOTC set designers and the messed up color pie is the latest rage.

The fishman is really sweet and I think it's actually a really good and innovative design. I'm always happy when we get new cards with totally unprecedented abilities.
Is a 3/1 unkillable/unblockable dude too much for your deck to handle? On turn 3?? Try playing tendrils. Or Terminus. Or using Mother of Runes. Or just attacking with more than one creature. Or something with flying. Or kill the jitte if he gets equipped... Or SNT:ing into Omniscience. Or reanimate Elesh Norn. Hell, all tier one decks has an out to this card... Or start playing standard, you guys seem to enjoy being miserable.

[Aggro_zombies]

Curse of Shallow Graves

Enchantment — Aura Curse (Uncommon)

Enchant player
Whenever a player attacks enchanted player with one or more creatures, that attacking player may put a 2/2 black Zombie creature token onto the battlefield tapped.
Illus. Karla Ortiz #71/51

Interresting card. The fact that it does not trigger on non-token creatures only makes it interresting with Bitterblossom on the battlefield.

?

It makes a single zombie each time you attack. It's kind of garbage.

[Tylert]

?

It makes a single zombie each time you attack. It's kind of garbage.

Can you tell me if we have some cards that are functionnally equivalent?
I mean, it does not requires mana, it creates a 2/2 token and it's a harder to take care of than a creature.

Yes it does nothing alone, but the design seems interresting.