Is Avacyn Restored Terrible?

[Kieran Symington]

So all I've heard so far is that Avacyn Restored Sealed isn't very good. Since I've not played any so far, I'd quite like to know if it's as bad as people are making it out to be or if it's just that I keep hearing the stories of the people who lost their games. And do people think it will be better in draft? That 2/4 lifelink flyer seems a bit good at common...

[Simon O'Keeffe]

I think it is a combination of Avacyn sealed not being a relevant format for anything, and just small amount of exposure to it so far. In reality it is probably fine, but then I'm not a big fan of almost any sealed format.

In fairness most sets are not designed for sealed play, so it is not really a big surprise when they sometimes turn out to be turkeys for it.

[Thomas David Baker]

Sealed is always bad, isn't it?  Or, mostly.  Innistrad was OK but still had Stalker-Cleaver shenanigans at the top tables in big tournaments (oh hello San Diego!)

I suspect it's going to be fun in draft, or at least more fun.  Someone already did 17 damage to me with the Thatcher Revolt-Goldknight Commander combo.

My only problem with AVR so far is that the big bosomed Angels and Garruk chokeholds really play up the "maladjusted teenage boy" aspect of the game.  Innistrad may have been cartoonish but it was a fun, riffing kind of cartoonish that enhanced the gameplay.  All these beauties with heaving chests is not so great.  The garment worn by the lady who exiles all Zombies is just ... I don't know what.

For me, I am hopeful.  Any format with blinking and bounce and enters-the-battlefield and that sort of thing has got to make for some interesting plays in draft, don't you think?  Mist Heron, Soulbound, etc.  While Archangel and her more scantily clad (or more heavily breasts-shaped-breastplate armored) buddies will be less relevant, probably.  Glory of War is going to kick your ass every time, though.

[Kieran Symington]

I got my first chance to draft this last night and my overall feeling so far is that it feels a lot like a core set. The commons mostly seemed to be 1/1s or 1/2s (possibly with a really minor ability), enchantments that don't do very much or vanilla guys. Where has all the fun complexity gone in Magic?

[Thomas David Baker]

It *might* just be that you don't get it yet.  There's almost certainly a comboriffic aggro deck out there that wants as many Thatcher Revolts as it can get and can kill very quickly.  And there are rares that let you soft lock your opponent out of the game with Mist Heron.  And the mill alternate wincon plan with that Uncommon.

That said they have intentionally made Commons simpler than they ever have been outside of the core set.  So they are definitely relying on emergent complexity rather than cards that are themselves complex.  Maybe where they hit was too low.  It will be interesting to see if all the games at Pro Tour Barcelona this weekend are board stalls and won by Archangel/bombs or if some intense drafting by the Ben Starks of this world has shown another way.

[Kieran Symington]

Definitely going to have to play it a few more times before I decide if I like it or not. Not having played any of the sealed events probably hurt since I didn't really know what was going on. It's different, though, I'll give it that.