Random Magic Discussion Thread

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Blissful
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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by Blissful » Sun Jun 05, 2022 12:09 pm

i know this isnt as notable anymore because they do a bunch of these now, but cute still
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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by groff_enthusiast » Tue Jun 07, 2022 5:57 am

Blissful wrote: Sun Jun 05, 2022 12:09 pm i know this isnt as notable anymore because they do a bunch of these now, but cute still
It distracts from the flavor mess.
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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by Crunchums » Wed Jun 22, 2022 3:42 pm

i was thinking about constructed formats and i am curious for peoples' opinions
what makes a good constructed format? how do factors like size of the card pool, how frequently the format changes (pool changes, bans, etc), availability of tournament data, etc affect things? in your opinion, i mean
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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by seathesee » Wed Jun 22, 2022 4:59 pm

off the top of my head, i think diversity of viable decks (meaning archetypes and card variety) is important. i think the overarching important factor is probably "fun," which is highly subjective and why i think there is so much argument over whether any given format in any given time period is good or not good.

a format could hypothetically be good forever without card pool changes (whether through bans or set releases). i think in legacy, for instance, pool changes have largely been more destructive to the format in the last few years. the problem arises when the format is fully sussed out and turns out to be not good.
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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by Crunchums » Wed Jun 22, 2022 5:12 pm

well sure, but then the natural followup question is is there any correlation between fun and those parameters or is it all just down to the particulars of every format
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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by Ashenai » Wed Jun 22, 2022 5:19 pm

I think the quality of a constructed format does correlate with the number of viable decks, but it's not the most important factor.

I think a more important metric (but also one that's much harder to measure) is number and importance of decisions, and interactivity. Interactivity is huge because it adds an immense amount of variability to the game. If you often have to respond or make decisions based on what your opponent does, games will diverge much more often and in a much more varied fashion.

One of my least favorite Constructed decks to play was the Fires of Invention deck, because it had very little interaction, it basically just did its thing and hoped it was enough to win. Games with it felt very very samey.

One of my favorite Constructed formats was after the original Theros, where there weren't a huge number of decks: there was monored, monoblue, monoblack, and WU control. But all of those decks interacted extensively, and had a lot of cool and difficult decisions to make in every matchup. It led to very fun games, and every game felt different!

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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by Rylinks » Wed Jun 22, 2022 5:35 pm

the most important part of a format is that it involves 1000 decisions every match so i can mercilessly crush weaker players

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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by Rylinks » Wed Jun 22, 2022 5:35 pm

this is why the ikoria cycling deck was great

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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by Khaos » Wed Jun 22, 2022 6:32 pm

the ikoria cycling deck was not really hard to play. it was just very powerful

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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by Rylinks » Wed Jun 22, 2022 6:34 pm

when every card has two modes it's very easy for bad players to go wrong

i saw a player cycle the 5/5 worm on five lands when it would have won the game

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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by groff_enthusiast » Wed Jun 22, 2022 6:44 pm

We don't have an MTG Humor area.

But.

Mitch Albom's "The Five Humans you Summon Off Winnota" makes me giggle.
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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by Doug » Wed Jun 22, 2022 6:45 pm

Rylinks wrote: Wed Jun 22, 2022 6:34 pm when every card has two modes it's very easy for bad players to go wrong

i saw a player cycle the 5/5 worm on five lands when it would have won the game
There's a classic pro tour story of someone, I can't remember who, not countering a crucial card with Force of Will because he didn't have another blue card in his hand -- but he had five mana
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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by Skeletor » Wed Jun 22, 2022 8:55 pm

i find cycling to be the most boring gameplay imaginable. i'd much rather have fewer more impactful plays rather than a zillion plays with lower individual impact

i think affinity was interactive and had a lot of decisions and had a lot of high stakes decisions, and ive also heard it criticized as not very fun because it's too much arithmetic
wow, [you]. that all sounds terrible. i hope it gets better for you

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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by Khaos » Wed Jun 22, 2022 9:17 pm

well in ikoria usually cycling was not just, draw a card. it was like, ping your opponent, gain a life, tap a dude, put a +1/+1 counter on your thing, etc.

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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by rianalnn » Wed Jun 22, 2022 10:14 pm

Skeletor wrote:i find cycling to be the most boring gameplay imaginable. i'd much rather have fewer more impactful plays rather than a zillion plays with lower individual impact

i think affinity was interactive and had a lot of decisions and had a lot of high stakes decisions, and ive also heard it criticized as not very fun because it's too much arithmetic
Huh. I didn't experience the more recent cycling deck, but I thought Astral Slide was heaps fun to pilot, & the gameplay options so welcome after months of eating upheaval 'tog.

I really liked that Standard period though, Wake was a rad deck, & so was MBC. Goblins felt proper, too. & all the po' kids could play Madness & still Top 8 the FNM.

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Subject: crippled masters

Bring on the kung-fu amputees - no arms vs. no legs anyone? A bit of high-speed underground ninja-tunneling is always good as well. I wanna see some shit like that. Crazy monks with gnarly special powers can make any film good. FACT.

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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by seathesee » Wed Jun 22, 2022 11:15 pm

cycling was an annoying deck to play against on arena because of all the stupid triggers taking forever. the rune deck is the new annoying deck with a bunch of stupid triggers that take forever.
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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by Skeletor » Wed Jun 22, 2022 11:35 pm

rianalnn wrote: Wed Jun 22, 2022 10:14 pm
Skeletor wrote:i find cycling to be the most boring gameplay imaginable. i'd much rather have fewer more impactful plays rather than a zillion plays with lower individual impact

i think affinity was interactive and had a lot of decisions and had a lot of high stakes decisions, and ive also heard it criticized as not very fun because it's too much arithmetic
Huh. I didn't experience the more recent cycling deck, but I thought Astral Slide was heaps fun to pilot, & the gameplay options so welcome after months of eating upheaval 'tog.

I really liked that Standard period though, Wake was a rad deck, & so was MBC. Goblins felt proper, too. & all the po' kids could play Madness & still Top 8 the FNM.
astral slide is probably my least favorite deck of all time to play with or against. i know a lot of people loved it though

i loved all the other decks in that standard and the ones just before it
wow, [you]. that all sounds terrible. i hope it gets better for you

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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by rianalnn » Thu Jun 23, 2022 3:23 am

Skeletor wrote:astral slide is probably my least favorite deck of all time to play with or against. i know a lot of people loved it though

i loved all the other decks in that standard and the ones just before it
Yeah, Slide was pretty trolly, fair enough.

High five for that Standard, for sure. All the colours had viable options, & I actually kind of enjoyed losing to Coffers/Mirari/Corrupt :lol:

From: vicious_bastard
Subject: crippled masters

Bring on the kung-fu amputees - no arms vs. no legs anyone? A bit of high-speed underground ninja-tunneling is always good as well. I wanna see some shit like that. Crazy monks with gnarly special powers can make any film good. FACT.

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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by seathesee » Fri Jun 24, 2022 8:07 pm

crackling with power, mirraris wake, and 7 lands. chromatic draft solved.
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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by groff_enthusiast » Mon Jul 04, 2022 9:27 pm

rianalnn wrote: Thu Jun 23, 2022 3:23 am
Skeletor wrote:astral slide is probably my least favorite deck of all time to play with or against. i know a lot of people loved it though

i loved all the other decks in that standard and the ones just before it
Yeah, Slide was pretty trolly, fair enough.

High five for that Standard, for sure. All the colours had viable options, & I actually kind of enjoyed losing to Coffers/Mirari/Corrupt :lol:
Wait a second,mirari is like an orb on a spring, how do you have a funeral for that?
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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by Blissful » Tue Jul 05, 2022 12:32 am

the mirari unfurling like a boxing glove on a spring to whack the opponent with the second copy of time stretch
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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by Blissful » Fri Sep 23, 2022 3:03 pm

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okay lol
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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by Ashenai » Fri Sep 23, 2022 3:39 pm

ahaha that's great

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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by Ashenai » Fri Sep 23, 2022 3:39 pm

flavor text is also p good

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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by Rylinks » Fri Sep 23, 2022 3:40 pm

Blissful wrote: Fri Sep 23, 2022 3:03 pm Image

okay lol
why is this not a legal card, cowards

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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by Blissful » Fri Sep 23, 2022 3:51 pm

its legal in cube and i dont know that its that good in legacy elves anyway
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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by Rylinks » Fri Sep 23, 2022 3:51 pm

it's not a matter of whether it's good it's the principle of the thing

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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by Blissful » Fri Sep 23, 2022 3:53 pm

if they made it black border they'd have to give people an solution to the arguments about whether or not this is a mana ability, depriving them of the joy of bickering about it endlessly
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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by pterrus » Fri Sep 23, 2022 4:11 pm

Can you use this to avoid summoning sickness? Are there release notes for un-sets?

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Re: Random Magic Discussion Thread

Post by Ashenai » Fri Sep 23, 2022 4:18 pm

pterrus wrote: Fri Sep 23, 2022 4:11 pm Can you use this to avoid summoning sickness? Are there release notes for un-sets?
There are, Mark Rosewater writes them and they're fun to read.

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