*frantically shoving Adventures into an overstuffed closet behind me* there's no way that jamming two low power cards together will result in anything powerful!
On the other hand, I wouldn't exactly call Bonecrusher, Brazen, or Lovestruck "low powered."
Bonecrusher Giant is a 2-mana shock and a 3-mana 4/3. Brazen Borrower is a 2-mana bounce and a 3-mana 3/1 with flash that can't block. Both sides of those cards are stone cold unplayable in any format but limited, but together they are pretty incredible.
I also learned this morning that it's possible to drop back down a tier in gold.
Yeah AFAIK the tier characteristics are:
Bronze: +2 win, -1 loss, 4 to rank up
Silver: +2 win, -1 loss, 5 to rank up
Gold: +2 win, -1 loss , 5 to rank up, can backslide (with some protection)
Plat: +1 win, -1 loss, 5 to rank up, can backslide (with less protection?)
Couldn't say for Diamond or Mythic.
IME you won't lose tier until you've gained points in your new tier and you really have to tank several in a row to slide out of gold itself.
You can't slide out of a rank you've earned.
So once you're in gold, then you keep gold until the end of the month.
Backsliding tiers also only happens after about 3-4 losses in a row, or after one win and then more losses, in all ranks.
I thought for sure I've slid from gold to silver outside of the monthly reset but that's probably faulty memory.
Bonecrusher Giant is a 2-mana shock and a 3-mana 4/3. Brazen Borrower is a 2-mana bounce and a 3-mana 3/1 with flash that can't block. Both sides of those cards are stone cold unplayable in any format but limited, but together they are pretty incredible.
Sure, but they'd be a lot less played if you had to sacrifice a sideboard slot to play each one.
Look, I could be wrong about the effectiveness of the lessons, sure. But outside of maybe the phoenix, none of the learn cards are playable without big-adventure help, and none of the lessons are better than removal with a big drawback or super inefficiently-statted minions.
That looks to me to be substantially worse than the adventure cards, up front. Now, maybe I'm failing to see clover/innkeeper style synergies that will make it work, and believe me, I might very well be missing some of those. But right now, learn cards plus lessons seem substantially worse than Bonecrusher, Brazen, or Lovestruck, but with a major disadvantage tacked on through using up sideboards. The advantage, presumably, is supposed to be versatility, but that just means you have to eat up even more sideboard slots.
As I said before, this might end up just being a limited mechanic, which I get, I play limited, but it would feel a little sad because I think the mechanic is cool. I do also hear that they have to be worried about overpowering these things, given adventures, but it looks to me like they missed low here.
Invictus on
Generalísimo de Fuerzas Armadas de la República Argentina
Bonecrusher Giant is a 2-mana shock and a 3-mana 4/3. Brazen Borrower is a 2-mana bounce and a 3-mana 3/1 with flash that can't block. Both sides of those cards are stone cold unplayable in any format but limited, but together they are pretty incredible.
Sure, but they'd be a lot less played if you had to sacrifice a sideboard slot to play each one.
Look, I could be wrong about the effectiveness of the lessons, sure. But outside of maybe the phoenix, none of the learn cards are playable without big-adventure help, and none of the lessons are better than removal with a big drawback or super inefficiently-statted minions.
That looks to me to be substantially worse than the adventure cards, up front. Now, maybe I'm failing to see clover/innkeeper style synergies that will make it work, and believe me, I might very well be missing some of those. But right now, learn cards plus lessons seem substantially worse than Bonecrusher, Brazen, or Lovestruck, but with a major disadvantage tacked on through using up sideboards. The advantage, presumably, is supposed to be versatility, but that just means you have to eat up even more sideboard slots.
As I said before, this might end up just being a limited mechanic, which I get, I play limited, but it would feel a little sad because I think the mechanic is cool. I do also hear that they have to be worried about overpowering these things, given adventures, but it looks to me like they missed low here.
The hidden synergy you might be missing is Magecraft. Jamming 7 more triggers into your deck without taking up space might push a few things over the edge.
As a disclaimer, I say this without having studied the triggers, learn cards, or lessons. Just speaking in general terms.
Bonecrusher Giant is a 2-mana shock and a 3-mana 4/3. Brazen Borrower is a 2-mana bounce and a 3-mana 3/1 with flash that can't block. Both sides of those cards are stone cold unplayable in any format but limited, but together they are pretty incredible.
Sure, but they'd be a lot less played if you had to sacrifice a sideboard slot to play each one.
Look, I could be wrong about the effectiveness of the lessons, sure. But outside of maybe the phoenix, none of the learn cards are playable without big-adventure help, and none of the lessons are better than removal with a big drawback or super inefficiently-statted minions.
That looks to me to be substantially worse than the adventure cards, up front. Now, maybe I'm failing to see clover/innkeeper style synergies that will make it work, and believe me, I might very well be missing some of those. But right now, learn cards plus lessons seem substantially worse than Bonecrusher, Brazen, or Lovestruck, but with a major disadvantage tacked on through using up sideboards. The advantage, presumably, is supposed to be versatility, but that just means you have to eat up even more sideboard slots.
As I said before, this might end up just being a limited mechanic, which I get, I play limited, but it would feel a little sad because I think the mechanic is cool. I do also hear that they have to be worried about overpowering these things, given adventures, but it looks to me like they missed low here.
The hidden synergy you might be missing is Magecraft. Jamming 7 more triggers into your deck without taking up space might push a few things over the edge.
As a disclaimer, I say this without having studied the triggers, learn cards, or lessons. Just speaking in general terms.
Yeah, that might very well be true. I wasn't even thinking of Magecraft.
Generalísimo de Fuerzas Armadas de la República Argentina
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admanbunionize your workplaceSeattle, WARegistered Userregular
I would expect most cards in Strixhaven to look underpowered compared to similar designs in Eldraine because Eldraine was broken, but I would be very slow to rule out the mechanic before we see it in play (and before we see it in a post-Eldraine format.)
I think people are harsher on lessons than they deserve. Yes, they're not as powerful as Brazen Borrower, Lovestruck Beast, Bonecrusher Giant but those are the best three adventure cards in a set already known for pushing the power level of its cards. There are plenty of junk learn and lesson cards just like there are plenty of junk adventure cards, what's interesting is the top end of both.
I could see green rampish decks being interested in field trip. Imagine playing cultivate (which they already play) but instead of getting a land into your hand you have a choice of getting a land that cost 2 more, bad disenchant, a search for your payoff creature spell, or a bad anti-aggro card? You wouldn't play any of these on their own but when you need a disenchant, you don't care that you're playing 1 extra mana, you want that great hedge off the battlefield now.
Professor of Symbology, Sparring Regimen, Poet's Quill, and Eyetwitch are all pretty fantastic cards. Environmental Sciences, Introduction to Prophecy, and Reduce to Memory are all really solid. BW Learn will be sweet.
Pest Summoning in a sacrifice build, or just to stall aggro, is useful. Mascot Exhibition is an on-demand wincon (later in the game, of course). Necrotic Fumes combines nicely with all the Inkling/Pest generators. Fractal/Elemental Summoning aren't amazing, but if you play Gnarled Professor as a 5/4 trample and get an additional 4/4 or something out of it, you're forcing your opponent to have answers to very real clocks.
Containment Breach is just a +1mana naturalize that never you never have to draw when you don't want to. Confront the Past lets you replay those neat new 3CMC walkers that got Stomp'd/murders Valkis. Illuminate History lets you dump bad hands in mono red and power up the Ox. Introduction to Annihilation gives Red and Black enchantment removal, blue/black artifact removal, creature exiling in green.
I don't know if Academic Probation is going to be playable, but for real, Teachings of the Archaics off the back of a Learn card is literally 2 (rarely 3) cards for nothing.
I mean, it's definitely lower power than Adventure, but everyone's been throwing a fit about it for over a year now. That's the point.
I just had the most hilarious random game. I was just grinding out quests and had the red/blue one so I was using the newbie spellslinger deck, I hate that color combo normally. And I got matched against someone whose deck revolved around using Gyruda Doom of Depths and some other creature/enchantment to phase it out and into the battlefield each turn as a mill deck.
Only this motherfucker forgot that if you're running a mill deck, you need to learn how to count.
I got one single card advantage ahead of him and just let him play his stall tactic out over our battlefield until, at last, he milled the very last of his own deck, it became my turn, I drew the single island left in my library, and simply passed my turn to him and won the game.
The other thing mill decks need to remember is that an empty library doesn't win you the game right away.
Last night I killed my Rogues opponent thanks to an instant kill spell, Massacre Wurm in play, them being at 2, and setting a stop for my upkeep. It's not something I can orchestrate often (resolving Massacre Wurm is challenging) but it isn't the first time I've done this either.
Installed again.
Played
Uninstalled.
Got cotton wool on my brain cause still trying to get Roiling Vortex working
If you ever want to just play some weird shit against other weird shit, let me know. I definitely get burned out on competitive Magic and playing against the same damn decks over and over again, and miss having local friends to play with and just have fun.
Installed again.
Played
Uninstalled.
Got cotton wool on my brain cause still trying to get Roiling Vortex working
If you ever want to just play some weird shit against other weird shit, let me know. I definitely get burned out on competitive Magic and playing against the same damn decks over and over again, and miss having local friends to play with and just have fun.
I don't know.
Is this even possible in the mobile client.
Seems like you'd need more than just emotes to have a social interaction.
And Roiling/Trickery is fun against all the ultimatum decks, but I need to get it to work against aggro.
Maybe in RW with better wraths, stalling and lifegain?
But I shouldn't be using my entire life trying to figure it out.
KetarCome on upstairswe're having a partyRegistered Userregular
Granted, communication via the mobile client seems grim. I think you can actually chat when playing with a friend if you're both on PC. Not sure if that would work with one on mobile or not.
Either way, I'm up for trying to use Arena to better approximate the friendly Magic I miss from long ago. Whether it's just to tech a bit, or get a chance to play the weird decks that appeal but aren't fun to play against competitive folks, or whatever else.
Munkus BeaverYou don't have to attend every argument you are invited to.Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPAregular
Installed again.
Played
Uninstalled.
Got cotton wool on my brain cause still trying to get Roiling Vortex working
If you ever want to just play some weird shit against other weird shit, let me know. I definitely get burned out on competitive Magic and playing against the same damn decks over and over again, and miss having local friends to play with and just have fun.
Oh God, yeah.
We should just do an informal thing so we can do like, historic pauper/artisan whatnot.
Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
Bought the Kaldheim Mastery Pass because it's not like I do anything else with my Gems, played a whole lot of Magic (for me, anyway), and got really damn sick of all these Rogue and Mill decks.
Feeling kind of burnt out right now. Fortunately, Strixhaven doesn't really appeal to me so I'll probably be taking something resembling a break. Though doubtless I'll be back for Innistrad.
Anything that is targeted runs that risk but the biggest non-bo with Lucky Clover was Hypnotic Sprite since the copy would counter the original spell and the odds you having any other target were basically zero.
SurfpossumA nonentitytrying to preserve the anonymity he so richly deserves.Registered Userregular
This opponent let me live many, many turns while they durdled their Sorcerer's Brooms.
I maybe should have held onto Sir Konrad for another turn in the hopes that they'd let me live a little longer but I suspect they were just waiting to draw Once and Future to get Call back. This way I like to think they at least had a bit of an OH SHIT moment when I played him.
admanbunionize your workplaceSeattle, WARegistered Userregular
Yeah... they didn't really hit with that one. The artist on that piece has a bunch of other works in that style and I like just about all of them more than that. The full-size version is better but it really needed another pass.
Probably just looked at a bunch of survey responses that were like 'what streamers'
I mean those streamer events were really popular and easy press for them. It's very weird that they aren't doing them now and most of the streamer/pro folks I've seen are pretty annoyed at how they handled this, plus concerned that it is indeed a sign they aren't really as invested in Arena as people would like to see.
Posts
On the other hand, I wouldn't exactly call Bonecrusher, Brazen, or Lovestruck "low powered."
I thought for sure I've slid from gold to silver outside of the monthly reset but that's probably faulty memory.
Sure, but they'd be a lot less played if you had to sacrifice a sideboard slot to play each one.
Look, I could be wrong about the effectiveness of the lessons, sure. But outside of maybe the phoenix, none of the learn cards are playable without big-adventure help, and none of the lessons are better than removal with a big drawback or super inefficiently-statted minions.
That looks to me to be substantially worse than the adventure cards, up front. Now, maybe I'm failing to see clover/innkeeper style synergies that will make it work, and believe me, I might very well be missing some of those. But right now, learn cards plus lessons seem substantially worse than Bonecrusher, Brazen, or Lovestruck, but with a major disadvantage tacked on through using up sideboards. The advantage, presumably, is supposed to be versatility, but that just means you have to eat up even more sideboard slots.
As I said before, this might end up just being a limited mechanic, which I get, I play limited, but it would feel a little sad because I think the mechanic is cool. I do also hear that they have to be worried about overpowering these things, given adventures, but it looks to me like they missed low here.
The hidden synergy you might be missing is Magecraft. Jamming 7 more triggers into your deck without taking up space might push a few things over the edge.
As a disclaimer, I say this without having studied the triggers, learn cards, or lessons. Just speaking in general terms.
Yeah, that might very well be true. I wasn't even thinking of Magecraft.
I could see green rampish decks being interested in field trip. Imagine playing cultivate (which they already play) but instead of getting a land into your hand you have a choice of getting a land that cost 2 more, bad disenchant, a search for your payoff creature spell, or a bad anti-aggro card? You wouldn't play any of these on their own but when you need a disenchant, you don't care that you're playing 1 extra mana, you want that great hedge off the battlefield now.
Pest Summoning in a sacrifice build, or just to stall aggro, is useful. Mascot Exhibition is an on-demand wincon (later in the game, of course). Necrotic Fumes combines nicely with all the Inkling/Pest generators. Fractal/Elemental Summoning aren't amazing, but if you play Gnarled Professor as a 5/4 trample and get an additional 4/4 or something out of it, you're forcing your opponent to have answers to very real clocks.
Containment Breach is just a +1mana naturalize that never you never have to draw when you don't want to. Confront the Past lets you replay those neat new 3CMC walkers that got Stomp'd/murders Valkis. Illuminate History lets you dump bad hands in mono red and power up the Ox. Introduction to Annihilation gives Red and Black enchantment removal, blue/black artifact removal, creature exiling in green.
I don't know if Academic Probation is going to be playable, but for real, Teachings of the Archaics off the back of a Learn card is literally 2 (rarely 3) cards for nothing.
I mean, it's definitely lower power than Adventure, but everyone's been throwing a fit about it for over a year now. That's the point.
Only this motherfucker forgot that if you're running a mill deck, you need to learn how to count.
I got one single card advantage ahead of him and just let him play his stall tactic out over our battlefield until, at last, he milled the very last of his own deck, it became my turn, I drew the single island left in my library, and simply passed my turn to him and won the game.
Congratulations, you played yourself.
Last night I killed my Rogues opponent thanks to an instant kill spell, Massacre Wurm in play, them being at 2, and setting a stop for my upkeep. It's not something I can orchestrate often (resolving Massacre Wurm is challenging) but it isn't the first time I've done this either.
Played
Uninstalled.
Got cotton wool on my brain cause still trying to get Roiling Vortex working
If you ever want to just play some weird shit against other weird shit, let me know. I definitely get burned out on competitive Magic and playing against the same damn decks over and over again, and miss having local friends to play with and just have fun.
I don't know.
Is this even possible in the mobile client.
Seems like you'd need more than just emotes to have a social interaction.
And Roiling/Trickery is fun against all the ultimatum decks, but I need to get it to work against aggro.
Maybe in RW with better wraths, stalling and lifegain?
But I shouldn't be using my entire life trying to figure it out.
Either way, I'm up for trying to use Arena to better approximate the friendly Magic I miss from long ago. Whether it's just to tech a bit, or get a chance to play the weird decks that appeal but aren't fun to play against competitive folks, or whatever else.
Oh God, yeah.
We should just do an informal thing so we can do like, historic pauper/artisan whatnot.
Feeling kind of burnt out right now. Fortunately, Strixhaven doesn't really appeal to me so I'll probably be taking something resembling a break. Though doubtless I'll be back for Innistrad.
I played a lot of Rogues and I still do that way too often.
Anything that is targeted runs that risk but the biggest non-bo with Lucky Clover was Hypnotic Sprite since the copy would counter the original spell and the odds you having any other target were basically zero.
I maybe should have held onto Sir Konrad for another turn in the hopes that they'd let me live a little longer but I suspect they were just waiting to draw Once and Future to get Call back. This way I like to think they at least had a bit of an OH SHIT moment when I played him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em5dZVLYVaA
Arena has single-handedly kept their (mess of an) Organized Play system alive over the last year.
Oh that old chestnut is back.
Although I guess it's an upgrade over this:
yeah that looks about right
you better believe I'm playing all 4
Ofc
I hope you got enough opts to cash in tho
3 opts 2 tome raiders and 2 thrill of possibilities
Is that real printed card art?
I mean those streamer events were really popular and easy press for them. It's very weird that they aren't doing them now and most of the streamer/pro folks I've seen are pretty annoyed at how they handled this, plus concerned that it is indeed a sign they aren't really as invested in Arena as people would like to see.