time spiral MTG thread

Xieflow · September 2006

so Time Spiral is coming out soon for MTG (for those of you who don't know what that is, try checking the official magic website, they've been running card previews for a while). What are you all looking forward to?

I love that flash has finally been keyworded, but I'm not a fan of "split second". I'm trying to find the differences between the old interrupt cards and the new "split second" cards, and also I don't like the stack-headaches cards of that type can lead to in casual play. "So can I activate my guildmage's activated ability? (no) How about flipping over my morph creature? (yes)"

Suspend also seems like a really fun mechanic, and I love the whole old school / new school approach (seems like the perfect set to follow Coldsnap). However, it does seem hard for any set to follow up Ravnica (the 10 "guilds" seem so natural to the game, I imagine most people will be refering to their 2 color decks by Ravnica guilds for a long time.

So what do you guys think? Looking forward to it optimistically? Cautiously? Ignoring it because you burnt out recently?

Athenor · September 2006

I think that if anything deserves a general purpose megathread, it's Magic.

Old schoolers versus new, 5th versus 8, Black Lotus versus whatever the hell you've got..

It'll be fun to watch.

That said. I generally pop my head back into the magic scene about once every 3 years... And it always confuses me when I do. I know it's set up in 3-expansion arcs now, and I get the impression (from your post) that Time Spiral is the start of a new set. Am I at least correct in that?

Xieflow · September 2006

I figured Magic is huge enough it could probably have multiple threads (ie, game on for online play, a thread for the yet-to-be released set, a thread for the previous set, a "classic" thread, et cetera)

also, yeah, you are correct. Basically, they release 4 sets a year (in school-year fashion). 3 of them form a block (the fall set, the winter set, and the spring set), while the summer set is just a filler set. The last summer set was the "long lost" expansion to Ice Age / Alliances (acting as if Homelands never existed) called Coldsnap, and was pretty fun.

Sterica · September 2006

I haven't played since Mirrodin, and this will be the set I come back.

I regret missing out on Ravinca, as I love multicolored wackiness.

Xieflow · September 2006

it's not really too late for ravnica, most places still sell it, and it'll be legal in... standard? for a while, until next year I believe.

Sterica · September 2006

I don't have time to really get into a Standard metagame, so I stick with booster draft.

Sterica · September 2006

STUFFY

thatnerdyguy · September 2006

Rorus Raz wrote:

STUFFY

:shock:

Oh god, the possibilities...

I..... I think I might start playing paper magic again... I miss the old days, before I even knew what Type II was. 100 card five color decks, bombs, multiplayer... ah, memories.

Sterica · September 2006

You know, they have an official format now for large decks. I'm not familar with it, but might be up your alley.

I know Battle of Wits is banned in it, so the decks gotta be pretty hefty

thatnerdyguy · September 2006

Rorus Raz wrote:

You know, they have an official format now for large decks. I'm not familar with it, but might be up your alley.

I know Battle of Wits is banned in it, so the decks gotta be pretty hefty

Are you thinking highlander? I heard about that after I'd given up paper and switched to MTGO (I lived in the boonies for a couple years, no card shops around). I couldn't get together a deck though.. sounds neat.

EDIT no no no, it's prismatic!

* Your deck must contain at least 250 cards.
* Your deck must contain at least 20 white cards, 20 blue cards, 20 black cards, 20 red cards, and 20 green cards. Multicolor and split cards count as one color or the other, not both.
* Your deck can't have Battle of Wits in it; it is banned.

It's Crumbelievable · September 2006

Oh man I stopped playing Magic after that Skullclamp fiasco in Mirrodin. Though after Ravnica and Time Spiral coming up... I think it's time for the the five color mage to come back...

Sterica · September 2006

Prismatic is the one. 250 card minimum, and you must have at least 20 cards of each color.

Xieflow · September 2006

I would love to try tribal wars in paper magic, but not enough people I play with in paper have enough cards to make tribal decks.

We have done a shitload of emperor and 5 star games. 5 star games are generally my favorite, but they take forever. Nothing is more fun than the awesome cold wars you get into in a 5 star game.

AnakinOU · September 2006

Wait...there's an actual card called Stuffy Doll now? Hot damn, that's cool. I remember back in the day (mid-90's) I made a deck about him, with 4 (or 1, when restricted) of every card he was on.

Good times.

Chorazin · September 2006

I haven't played any Magic since the Asian-inspired sets.

I have a pretty kick ass Zombie deck though, and a sweet Squirrel deck with three Gaea's Cradles and three Deranged Hermits.

EDIT: Dammit, now I looked at the M:TG website and there are some cool new sets. I totally need 4 Stromgald Crusaders from Coldsnap for my Zombie deck.

Bucketman · September 2006

Rorus Raz wrote:

I haven't played since Mirrodin, and this will be the set I come back.

I regret missing out on Ravinca, as I love multicolored wackiness.

Ravinca is what I just got in on. So I am a bit biase, but I love the hell out of it.

TheBlackWind · September 2006

So, the purple reprints are gonna be legal in type two. Interesting...

Cokomon · September 2006

TheBlackWind wrote:

So, the purple reprints are gonna be legal in type two. Interesting...

Purple reprints? Also, Ravnica was one of my favorite blocks. Mirroden got really boring with all the artifacts and I didn't really get into Kimigawa, the set that felt too insular. Ravnica just works too well, it feels like a non-gimmicky set.

Sterica · September 2006

I loved Mirrodin because of how easy it was on mana. I could draft many more colors just because I had either plenty of artifact creatures or mana fixers. Splashing was easy and I could still pick red and black removal high without having to dedicate myself to such a color.

TheBlackWind · September 2006

Cokomon wrote:

TheBlackWind wrote:

So, the purple reprints are gonna be legal in type two. Interesting...

Purple reprints? Also, Ravnica was one of my favorite blocks. Mirroden got really boring with all the artifacts and I didn't really get into Kimigawa, the set that felt too insular. Ravnica just works too well, it feels like a non-gimmicky set.

Purple reprints are officially called "timeshifted" cards in Time Spiral. Basically, they are old cards being reprinted in the set, taking the place of one common in each pack. The contain some really cool cards like Akroma, Lightning Angel, and Avatar of Woe.

Cokomon · September 2006

Woah woah woah? So they are old Rares reprinted and slapped in one of the common spots? Hmm, this should be pretty cool.

Sterica · September 2006

Psionic Blast is being reprinted in this set, apparently.

Hello blue damage o_O

Drakmathus · September 2006

There are a lot of weird cards being pulled back from when blue wasn't really defined as soley counter, draw, bounce and nice fliers. Unstable mutation, prodigal sorcerer and psi blast are way the hell out of modern blue's domain.

I like the idea behind the cards and this will definitely make all those blue mages shut the fuck up about how under powered blue is.

Here's what I don't like about the cards...

They basically add another rare set to the block. The division of Time spiral proper is 80 rares, 80 uncommons and 121 commons. WoTC reps said this was being done because it would reduce the cost of competitive decks for tournaments and such. With the addition of another 121 cards that are rare (some shit, some decidedly NOT shit) it will take a lot more buying for new players to get the cards that they want/need. Through either old singles that will suddenly spike in value (with a few exceptions, I think psi blast will probably drop but stuff like shadowmage infiltrator and akroma will go up, I think) or by buying packs/boxes/cases. I have a goofy way of collecting cards such that I won't be affected much by this at all, but it still doesn't sit right with me.

What I'm curious to know is if there will be more purple cards in the next two sets.

I do like the return of slivers, the suspend mechanic looks like a lot of fun and they are doing interesting things to old cards. I think the power level seems to have been ratcheted up from Ravnica, and I think they will have a hard time following up.

I also feel bad for new players, not only are there 10 distinct mechanics from ravnica, but they have to deal with pretty much every mechanic M:TG has ever had.

Xieflow · September 2006

yeah, we tried doing a Ravnica sealed deck tournament at work a few months back (it was each player had a Ravnica tournament pack + 3 Guildpact boosters with a decksize of 40). It wasn't pretty trying to explain all the Ravnica keywords to everyone... and haunt is the most annoying and confusing to explain to people. However the theming of the set + the guilds themselves more than made up for it, and I have the feeling any 2 color combinations of decks will be named by their ravnica guilds around here for a long time.

Alexan Drite · September 2006

I'm going to a "Time Spiral pre-release" this saturday. What can I expect, I've never gone to one of these before? Also I wouldn't minding winning, what should I do to increase my odds?

Vicissitude · September 2006

Alexan Drite wrote:

I'm going to a "Time Spiral pre-release" this saturday. What can I expect, I've never gone to one of these before? Also I wouldn't minding winning, what should I do to increase my odds?

Hope you draft good cards?

Tiemler · September 2006

Rorus Raz wrote:

Psionic Blast is being reprinted in this set, apparently.

Hello blue damage o_O

Jesus!

Anyway, the last time I played was from Invasion through Odyssey and Torment block. Won a lot of events with my Flametongue Kavu R/B/U deck, and later my B/G Braids deck. When Odyssey rotated out, my interest in the game completely faded.

Almost completely. I kept playing in Apprentice, which was a blast because everyone has all the cards, and can build a deck for every format. The crazy Type I decks were a lot of fun.

So, the whole out of place Japanese block is rotated out, right? I guess one could just as easily say the arabia theme of early sets was out of place, but meh.

DisruptorX2 · September 2006

Tiemler wrote:

So, the whole out of place Japanese block is rotated out, right? I guess one could just as easily say the arabia theme of early sets was out of place, but meh.

There's only one "arabia" themed set, and it has very few cards and had an even shorter print run. Its also based on "real" mythology, rather than magic's universe.

Drakmathus · September 2006

but kamigawa linked right in with legends...

GoodOmens · September 2006

Last year I ran a gaming club for some of my students. They basically played nothing but Magic. It was very depressing...I stopped playing back in college, about a decade ago, and I have no idea about the new rules and cards. I always had a little thrill when one would play a card I remembered from the old days, like "Terror" or "Birds of Paradise." Now it's all "Kavu" this and "Sliver" that and Kamiwhateverthehell.

Damn whippersnappers.

poik007 · September 2006

I started playing at Ice Age, I stopped buying new cards at Odyssey. These days some of my friends who still play have all these weird cards with "Indestructible" and "30/30 trample flying first strike" while I have "horsemanship","flanking" and "shadow". It's a clash of card generations

Scooter · September 2006

I went from Ice Age to Weatherlight. Playing against BlackWind in MWS, it's almost as if we're playing 2 games that just happen to have similar rules.

Xieflow · September 2006

Oh man. I keep meaning to get some cards with horsemanship. It pretty much means "unblockable" 'cause it's from a super obscure portal set that most people don't even realize existed.

Sterica · September 2006

Time Spiral is now in Wizards's database.

The "timeshifted" reprints actually use their old cardface, only with a purple hourglass and probably updated wording.

EDIT: Holy shit, they decided to bring back poison cards for this timeshifted stuff. :shock:

Xieflow · September 2006

played in the prerelease today. My rares were :
Liege of the Pit
Hypergenesis
Stonewood Invocation
Magus of the Disk
Jaya Ballard, Task Mage

It was weird having a lot of rares that had been preview cards before.

My timeshifted cards were :
Hail Storm
Scragnoth
Soltari Priest
Avalanche Riders
Stormbind

Other cards I got that caught my eye : Assembly Worker. 2/2 artifact for 3 mana that has "Tap : Target Assembly-Worker gets +1/+1 until end of turn". Now I want to make an Assembly Worker deck with these and Mishra's Factory...

Slivers :
Quilled Sliver
Dementia Sliver
Ghostflame Sliver
Bonesplitter Silver
Venser's Sliver

Cancel :
Counter Target Spell for 1UU. So it's Counterspell with an extra 1 in the mana cost :?

Chorazin · September 2006

I MUST obtain 4 Swampyards for my Squirrel deck, and I'd like to get my hands on some Cyclopean Giants for my zombie deck.

Bedlam · September 2006

poik007 wrote:

I started playing at Ice Age, I stopped buying new cards at Odyssey. These days some of my friends who still play have all these weird cards with "Indestructible" and "30/30 trample flying first strike" while I have "horsemanship","flanking" and "shadow". It's a clash of card generations

The irony is that both flanking and shadow have been reprinted in Time Spiral.

Sterica · September 2006

Yeah, Counterspell was deemed "too good" due to the historical power or blue control decks. It was removed from base sets along with power-buddy Wrath of God and I guess they gave up on returning it to Standard and just rebalanced the cost.

Drakmathus · September 2006

uh, wrath has always been in the core set.

Sterica · September 2006

Woops, I meant Armageddon.

_J_ · September 2006

I haven't read anything about the new set....

I guess I'm out of the loop and may have inadvertedly given up the game.

Penny Arcade

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