You Make the Set 5

[Thomas David Baker]

We are doing this in our Multiverse app:

http://mv.bluebones.net/

(Old shared Google spreadsheet for this is here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ag7TtjWsLhYkdHBBUHF4RG... )

Channel Fireball just did Top 8 Mechanics:

* Retrace

* Dredge

* Landfall (not for attacking like Steppe Lynx - Grazing Gladehart and Roil Elemental style)

* Scry

* Flashback

* Kicker

* Flying

* Cycling

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiNNg5aj-xo

I wonder if we could use that, or some of that, as the basis of You Make the Set 5.  I know that some of you were keen on Landfall.

Not sure when we would play it out but some time in late May probably?

[Thomas David Baker]

CUTS

White Rare: Astral Magus.

Black Rare: Dalgath Prophecy (I love this card but it's the one we can afford to lose).

Green Rare: I actually dislike every single G rare.  I'd cut Cyclopean Commander first I think.

Green Uncommon: Heroic End or Arctotheir Dynast.  Probably Heroic End.

Other notes: I quite hate Staff of the Towers.  Compare Trading Post M13 Rare.

[Kieran Symington]

I was thinking kind of like this at the moment. In order of which I’d cut first:

White Rare

SONG OF ANARA – Probably the worst white rare. You can’t really keep it on top for the super bonus, nor can you search for it in any way. However, a case could be made for keeping it in because the other rares are all focused on lifegain and so don’t really work with other colours, while this is good with both of White’s ally colours.

ASTRAL MAGUS – Massive build-around-me card that helps push the white theme. It’s also one of the few remaining cards that triggers from lifegain. The other rares are totally untouchable, though, so if Song does stay this one has to go.

Black Rare

DALGATH PROPHECY – The main use for this seems to be hosing the lifegain deck, which doesn’t really seem like a great use for a rare. Some incidental hosing is fine, but this hasn’t got many other uses.

VILE MIMIC – This card is awesome in a vaccum, but is a bad removal spell something we want to be spending a precious rare slot on? Probably not.

Green

CYCLOPEAN COMMANDER & SCION OF ARGES – Yes, both. Commander is way too strong. Scion is virtually identical to blue’s Seerlord and I prefer his ability and position in the blue vertical cycle of Foresight wizards (Tower Sentries with just foresight, Spellslinging Augur who casts spells and Seerlord who does everything).

ARCTOTHEIR DYNAST – I wouldn’t mind moving this up to rare and reducing the green commitment. Green needs something huge to accelerate into, especially if Scion is going. Though that means no rare Cyclops. Possibly even make this guy the Commander, have him make 1/1 Cyclops tokens, and give +1/+1 to all Cyclopes when the top card is a creature?

Not exactly agreeing on much here are we?

[Thomas David Baker]

Other Decisions

> Is ZEALOUS PROTECTOR okay as a 1/2 with double strike or should he be left as the only reprint?

Either way is fine.

> What is IMPOSSIBLE HORROR going to be? A big flier with more of a drawback, a smaller cheaper flier, or left as he is?

Left as he is.

> Should DALGATH THUG lose Deathtouch?

No.

> Should CALIPH OF TYROSH be a better creature?

No.

> Does MAGE FANATIC need a new name?

"Fanatical Mage"?

> Should SIMPLE OFFERING have flashback for White or some other way for White to use it?

No.

> Should HEROIC END and MIGHT OF EONS swap rarities?

Not if we cut Heroic End.  Otherwise, yes.

> What should CYCLOPEAN COMMANDER's ability be?

+1/+1.

> Is RAGESLAVER any good? The only time I saw it in action it was being used as a Fog.

Skill tester.

[Thomas David Baker]

I've always had fun with Song of Anara.  The only thing I've seen Astral Magus do is make a game absolutely desperate for the opponent but not actually end.  That said, I don't mind if Song of Anara is the one to make way.

Dalgath Prophecy sounds like it is the one to go from B.

I don't mind what happens with G and I certainly don't have a quick solution.

[Kieran Symington]

Song of Anara looks like the cut in White and Dalgath Prophecy in Black. That just leaves Green, where it looks like Arctotheir Dynast and Cyclopean Commander getting cut unless we want to take my idea, cut Scion of Arges, and combine Dynast with Commander into this guy:

Cyclopean Commander
4GGG
Creature - Cyclops Warrior
When ~ enters the battlefield, put three 1/1 green Cyclops creature tokens onto the battlefield.
If the top card of your library is face up and a creature card, Cyclops creatures you control get +1/+1.
2/2

[Thomas David Baker]

Works for me.

[Allan Chong]

posting some of my thoughts.

WHITE - Cut Song

BLACK - Cut Dalgath Prophecy

GREEN - Cut Oracle and Commander, move Dynast up to rare as per the suggestion. Although I would make him bring in two 2/2 cyclops friend instead of three 1/1s. Makes it easier to keep track anyway and you can cut his cost to 4GG. Six mana for six power, which can become 9 power seems just nice for a green rare.

ZEALOUS PERSECUTOR - Keep as 1/2 with double strike

IMPOSSIBLE HORROR - Make him 3/3. You are basically missing your next draw step if you play it on t3

DALGATH THUG - remove deathtouch

CALIPH OF TYROSH - Make the ability trigger when it etb

MAGE FANATIC - name sounds good!

SIMPLE OFFERING - don't need the off-colour flashback, or the Plains-pitching

SIGNAL SOLITAIRE - seems alright to me as a filler. 

RAGESLAVER - feels like its in the wrong set. How about:

RECYCLER

6

Artifact

6,T: Put target card in a graveyard on top of owner's library face up. Use this ability only as a sorcery.

[Paul Hodgson]

make them 2/2s at least Kieran, 1/1s are squirrels, saprolings or elves - I think your average cyclops is bigger than that!

[Kieran Symington]

Have cut Prophecy & Song. Just need to make a few more alterations and hope Simon is able to print them off!

[Thomas David Baker]

One thing I woud say is remember that splashy rares ruin limited, they don't make it better.  They are a necessary evil in real Magic for two reasons: (1) to get the cards out there for Constructed and (2) to give bad players a chance against good players.  We don't actually have either of those needs so we don't actually need splashy rares.

[Paul Hodgson]

5 power for 7 mana (inc GGG) isn't that awesome, with no other anthem or mass pump effects - i'm not sure that this is even playable...

Thomas David Baker said:

One thing I woud say is remember that splashy rares ruin limited, they don't make it better.  They are a necessary evil in real Magic for two reasons: (1) to get the cards out there for Constructed and (2) to give bad players a chance against good players.  We don't actually have either of those needs so we don't actually need splashy rares.

[Paul Hodgson]

4GGG used to get you a 7/7 trampler that gained 7 life and drew you a card when it died, at uncommon :)

Paul Hodgson said:

5 power for 7 mana (inc GGG) isn't that awesome, with no other anthem or mass pump effects - i'm not sure that this is even playable...

Thomas David Baker said:

One thing I woud say is remember that splashy rares ruin limited, they don't make it better.  They are a necessary evil in real Magic for two reasons: (1) to get the cards out there for Constructed and (2) to give bad players a chance against good players.  We don't actually have either of those needs so we don't actually need splashy rares.