Post perfectly designed magic cards, ignoring power level.
Essence Scatter too.
Posting because I like the art. Also was great in RTR-INN standard.
10/10 design why couldn't the entire set be this shit?
>>46417290
That's basically what Kamigawa was.
>>46417419
Kamigawa was so fucking tight. Sucks it came after Mirrodin, so it's Lower power level was even more noticable. I think it'd be fine in the right standard.
>>46417290
That card is fucking tight. I actually love Theros. The Greek heroes and monsters theme was dope. Too bad they screwed up devotion by having hybrid mana count (double no less for the multicolor devotion).
>>46417767
What makes a card's design "good"?
>>46417926
You should be able to look at a card and just "know"
>>46417926
One part mechanics, one part art, one part flavor.
![tumblr_mxdsfxngoP1sne6vbo1_400[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/mdTQR9u.jpg "tumblr_mxdsfxngoP1sne6vbo1_400[1].jpg")
>>46417290
To be honest the card always felt a bit shoehorned to me. Like sure it has an ability that does what its name says, but that's the easiest thing in the world to design. And the art is pretty bland too. It's just a big monster with lots of arms.
This on the other hand, is fantastic design. It doesn't feel contrived, the art only suggests what the card does rather than shoving it in your face. It's common so anyone can get them, the power level is great at the kitchen table but this thing is also in the MTGO legacy cube.
>>46418092
>There's more reminder text on the card than rules text
There has never been a better alternate art to me.
The repeated scry just feels so good in play.
>>46417767
That's just a generic hoser card that ruins a few decks, but does nothing else. Lame.
>>46417818
It would be super cool and well-designed if there was literally nothing in the game that could untap. I know OP said to ignore power level, but this isn't just strong, it's pure cancer and that should have been really obvious to the people that designed it.
Same with Kiki and Splinter except they don't have cool effects and Time Vault definitely does.
>pic related: a cool well designed 2 mana artifact
>>46418224
>There are no cool well designed 2 mana artifacts
>>46418224
Forgot
>>46418262
I should have left it like that. That would have been funny.
At 3 mana the Cluestones are really cool, especially since they have the same cost and effect as Clue tokens now.
>>46417181
>FoW
>Well designed
When you completely ignore the resource system in a card, it's bad.
The costs aren't even remotely equal, what's worse is the CMC is overinflated meaning you're even less likely to have to chose between.
It's not even an interesting decision. Pay 1 exile from hand is better than pay 5 mana 99% of the time.
FoW would actually be well designed if it was it was actually a choice like FoW2.0 1UU - You may pay x life and exile a blue card from your hand with CMC x or less Rather than pay FoW2.0 mana cost
Counter target spell. If the alternative cost was paid, instead counter target spell with a CMC x or less
>>46418399
>When you completely ignore the resource system in a card, it's bad.
I think this comment just goes to show how little you understand resources in Magic. Protip, the cards in your hand are resources too. Force of Will is shit against fair decks because of this.
>>46418446
Cards in hand are a resource but unlike mana it's far less restrictive so if you are ever offered a choice on a good card most of the times you're going to choose the resource cast that isn't mana because mana is incredibly limited.
The game is balanced around mana therefore any card that ignores mana is bad because it can only ever be underpowered or overpowered. You can't have balance when you ignore the games balancing system.
Show me a card that has fair alternative costs that don't require mana such that players will often choose between paying the mana cost or alternative cost. You fucking can't. All the played cards with alternative costs are always paid for with the alternative costs because of this.
>>46418544
The problem here is you're operating on the premise that the game is somehow balanced by mana costs. You must look at a deck like Manaless Dredge and just break down into tears.
>>46417181
It would be PERFECT if you had to pay 5 life and exile a black card.
5 life is actually a significant amount and it matches the mana cost.
The name "Force of Will" and paying life plus another card in your hand fits perfectly with black's ambition theme. Too bad Mark "the kike" Rosewater thinks blue black is "le tricky reddit mill guild XD".
>>46418378
It's a shame the don't have the Clue subtype.
Wish I could play it in Modern, btw.
>>46418544
Show me a deck that wants force of will against a fair deck.
>>46416828
Why did WotC never make a lion or a snake that had plainswalk? Lots of predators can hide in the tall grass.
Has there ever been a more perfect card?
>>46419024
Yes. Yes there has.
Three. Simple. Words.
>>46418872
http://mtgtop8.com/event?e=6936&d=239833&f=LE
>>46419139
>http://mtgtop8.com/event?e=6936&d=239833&f=LE
This is one of the jankiest, most cancerous combos I've ever seen.
>>46419213
You'd be surprised. The last time I saw it on stream was against Punishing Jund, where Misthollow Griffin casually dodges both Abrupt Decay and Punishing Fire. It's a free pitch to Force of Will, you can eat it with Deathrite Shaman to get it back to "hand". It's so dumb but it really does work.
>>46419562
Forgot to post, as soon as I got one at a game day event, I immediately went for replacing all four in my BPod deck with the alt art ones.
Fucking love this card though.
>>46416828
Why is this a fucking rare?
>>46419778
Because back then this was REALLY STRONG. Nowadays a 2/1 for 1 needs to have like 9000 liabilities upon cast/ETB that make your opponent lose 19 life and discard their hand and not draw cards for the rest of the game to be even remotely playable. Back then this was a great turn one drop.
>>46419778
Because even if you run a whiteweenie deck, you're going to love the idea of low cost 2/1's, 1/2's, and maybe even some 2/2's to buff with things like lifelink, first strike and +1/+1 counters.
On the other hand, if you're running any other type of white or white-splashing deck, cheap turn 1 chump blockers can keep really aggressive decks from getting an early lead on you.
Plus you can buy one for a quarter anyway so who cares?
>>46418224
You know i love how Time Vault would go from broken to unplayable if it had Shroud.
>>46419024
Yes
>>46420041
It's a more powerful card, sure, but it ain't more perfect.
>>46420137
>Flavor
>Clever title
>Good effect
In what way is this not perfect?
>>46420246
No
Big fan. Season's Past really hits the mark for me too for having cleaner wording and no exile clause.
>>46420202
Flashback has a bit of rules baggage and Think Twice isn't very intuitive (because people think it is overcosted for just drawing one card).
I love it and it is pretty great, but if you ever need a card to explain card draw, Divination is perfect.
>>46420404
I think if you want to explain why card draw is important, play one game with necro.
Also pic related is one of the most flavorful cards of all time
>>46420474
I hate cards with really color heavy costs.
And Necro is very well designed, but it has all these complicated rules to attempt to keep it balanced and all that still didn't stop it.
If we are to discount power level entirely when it comes to assessing the perfectness or cleanness of design, Yawgmoth's Bargain is much better.
>>46420542
I think the real problem with necro was dark ritual. Necro on turn 3 isn't that broken.
>>46417181
They reprinted Force of Will? Jesus Christ. I haven't bought a booster box since Urza's Destiny was the current offering. I assume there have been dozens of new sets out. Has the game evolved for the better?
>>46420605
I think we are the types of people who disagree on what the ideal power level of a hypothetical perfect MTG.
I really respect how well Greed has aged, for example.
Anyway, more cards. Niche counterspells are my favorite thing in the world. No better gotcha feeling than maybe a Force Spike.
>>46420646
A lot of people would disagree, but I like the game at its current state. I believe even the grognards would agree MTG got better since Urza's, as they had some crazy bad development at that time.
Force of Will hasn't been reprinted in paper yet. And when it will be, it won't be affecting the most commonly played formats. Only older formats that already use the card can use the reprint.
>>46416848
Could I just play 3 Mox Opals?
>>46420775
It is legendary. Yeah, kind of hurts the design, but that's the drawback.
>>46420692
fuck, just a lot of the future sight cards had me all giddy with the possibilities of the future. How many of the cards have come true so far?
>>46420835
Delve was the sultai mechanic in khans.
>>46420314
why is that guy in a thong
>>46420835
Tenth Edition reprinted cards: Mass of Ghouls
Lorwyn preview card: Goldmeadow Lookout (technically)
Morningtide preview card: Boldwyr Intimidator
Shadowmoor preview cards: Graven Cairns, Mistmeadow Skulk
Eventide preview card: Phosphorescent Feast which would be a pre-Chroma card.
Scars of Mirrodin preview card: Bloodshot Trainee
Theros preview card: Nessian Courser
>>46420775
You'd only need two, since you obviously have a mirror gallery.
>>46421202
>tfw goyf will never be in a regular set
muh secondary market
>>46417926
Just some arbitrary bullshit a single autist in this thread is in charge of
>>46419024
gaze upon true perfection
>>46420727
Urza block was a low point, but it did have a lot of really iconic cards in it. It got better a couple sets later power level-wise, and was on an upswing for a while.
Then wizards decided that the game was about creatures, and stopped printing good spells.
>>46421473
It's beautiful...
First.
>>46420314
Day of Judgement is cleaner and doesn't reference shitty old mechanics. Regenerate should never have been in the game.
>>46421560
Wut?
Regenerate is a fine mechanic. Wrath of God is the most iconic mass removal spell. Day of Judgement is not.
>>46421560
Au contraire, they should have made regeneration even more prevalent, so that 'it can't be regenerated' actually means something.
>>46417753
>>46417290
theros had really cool BIG GUYS
>>46421696
>>46421603
It's like if Day of Judgement read
"Destroy all creatures, even the indestructible ones!"
It makes the card ugly and defeats the purpose of the ability it overrides,
>>46421733
Regeneration was protection from combat damage. Kill spells, ie terror and swords, always overrode it, except damage based removal.
>>46421733
THATS THE POINT
"here's a thing thats difficult to get rid of"
"here's a thing that gets rid of it, just in case it's too difficult to get rid of"
thats how situational removal works, baka
>>46420646
Force got a Judge promo, I don't count that as a reprint.
>>46418270
I run a red dash and burn deck the combo with that and Zurgo Bellstriker are so great.
>>46421766
Please be trolling. Regeneration prevents all forms of destruction.
>>46421809
I just think a card that references a mechanic that's been used less often than most is less elegant than Day of Judgement.
>>46420646
Hilariously enough they are going to reprint it in a not Standard set this summer along with other old cards that are powerful like Wasteland.
>>46421901
Almost every kill spell of that era had a no regeneration clause. It was common until about m10.
Retard.
>>46421901
Hence why they should use regeneration more: so that it means something
>>46420727
Anything printed after mercadian masques was just not up to par. Everything after alara is just pure shit. Magic the tapping. Tap creatures to win games. Fuck this shit.
Truly perfectly designed. Too bad it has to be banned in legacy due to affinity.
>>46421991
It is ugly, surprisingly complicated given how straightforward the end result is and remarkably unintuitive.
>>46422740
I'm of the opinion if Naturalize isn't a popular sideboard option, then the format probably sucks.
Wizards has printed hundreds of build-around Artifacts and Enchantments in the past several years that would make Standard fairly interesting. Even if they were hated out easily they would still be accessible deck archetypes whereas now they're just over-costed garbage you'd be a complete retard to play.
But then, that's not what new players want to do, and I don't blame them - they're just new. The real problem is each and every fucking Standard rotation hearing from experienced players being thrilled to play RDW. I've played my fair share of RDW and Burn but people who get excited to play it in Standard should be shot because they're the people giving Wizards the free pass to print this endless stream of 1-mana 2-power creatures and them being heralded as the second coming of Christ.
Look at that new vampire. Everyone's just shitting themselves over a red 1-drop with 2-power with no downside. It's fucking Savannah Lions/Elite Vanguard most of the time and people are excited? Fuck them.
>>46422885
How can so many people be thrilled to play yet another aggro deck? And one that was given to us on a fucking silver platter, since the design is painfully geared towards HURR VAMPIRES. Couldn't they have made deckbuilding just a little bit harder?
>>46422885
It goes much deeper than that. Wizards has actively been shifting away from non creature plays, making creatures progressively better and other spells progressively worse, throwing in a couple of alternate win cons and some mistakes (Treasure cruise DTT) just to pretend that there is something else. I just think its silly that we play a game called magic with just creatures.
Eldrazi is a prime example of this. A creature aggro deck that plays in modern SHOULD NOT be a tier 1 deck in leagcy without any changes. FFS.
>>46423043
>>46422885
Pulled two startled awake and 4 mill cards tonight in the prerelease and went #YOLOMILL.
3-2. Won 3 matches without startled awake. Won all matches with mill.
Kind of proud.
>>46421766
More or less. Bury was sacrifice or destroy can't be regenerated depending on how it was used.
>>46421985
Not him but you worded that really poorly by just saying "killing spells always override it".
Hair-triggered asshole.
>>46422885
So, literally every format sucks?
>>46423833
Legacy and vintage are almost ok.
>>46424045
I dunno. I like build-around me artifacts and enchantments, I do, but I get why a game like MTG is better with creatures than without. And I do think the original vision for the game included creatures to be your primary win condition.
Of the 290 cards in Alpha, only 115 cards don't relate to creature in any way. And that is counting lands and mana producers.
http://magiccards.info/query?q=e%3Aal%2Fen+-o%3Awall+-o%3Acombat+-o%3A%22creature%22+-t%3Acreature&v=card&s=cname
And combat is the only phase entirely dedicated to one card type, the fact that it exists shows that creatures were supposed to be a big part of MTG.
>>46421766
How does it feel to be so very fucking wrong?
>>46424263
Oh yeah creatures are a huge part of the game, obviously. All I am saying is I see it becoming the only part of the game.
>>46422740
>he never played Blasphemous Act with Boros Reckoner, two Blood Artists, and some tokens on board
>he never dealt lethal to an opponent who was at twenty during his main phase, using a spell that only dealt damage to creatures
>his opponents never asked him who the hell he was
>he was neverTHE ARISTOCRATS
>>46424436
I haven't killed an opponent with damage in over 10 years.
>damage
>creatures
what kind of pleb are you
>>46424436
>>46424416
Well, the idea is that there are interesting interactions and synergies with creatures that aren't just attacking to win.
Like, that really popular deck that uses Rally the Ancestors and Nantuko Shade to look your value dudes over and over.
I'll admit, I looked at the artifacts and enchantments in Standard and the only build around me ones and noncreature based ones appear to be these:
Altar of the Brood
Demonic Pact
Ghirapur Æther Grid
Hedron Alignment
Molten Nursery
Molten Vortex
Starfield of Nyx (kind of)
Though, looking at that list, I don't really feel as though these are deliberately overcosted as to not see play. They seem like they are trying. At least for some of them. Here's hoping Demonic Pact gets a deck.
>>46423061
why you hating on fish?
>>46424892
mer puts dazes and forces into the deck. and the occasional wasteland. Eldrazi is bullshit
>>46425003
Eldrazi adds ancient tomb, city of traitors, wasteland, mishra's factory.
The big difference is you've decided one is ok and one isn't.
>>46424386
>spells
>creatures
>>46417128
Preach it, brother
>>46418676
That last paragraph was not necessary, faggot
>>46418676
Force of Will predates MaRo's color wheel theory.
>>46419100
A friend has an altered with Barney Gumble that says "Don't cry for me. I'm already dead", making fun of the flavor text.
Pic related
>>46421519
It is indeed
>>46423120
I am proud of you too, that sounds nice
>>46424436
>attend a casual event
>play against a kid new to MtG
>I have a reckoner in play and a bunch of white weenies
>"I will clean the board with this!"
>casts blasphemous act
>"I can redirect it to you and win"
>instead of correcting he laughs and does it THE ABSOLUTE MADMAN
>loves the interaction
>buys 4 reckoners and the storeowner gives him two more blasphemous act so he has a playset and I gift him four spitemares
>now that kid loves Magic and enjoys attending serious events
>>46421535
I don't play MtG, so can someone explain why this isn't broken as fuck? The only reason I can think of is that the competitive metagame is a lot faster than a 5-drop with 5 power can keep up with, but when it's untouchable in between turns and has 9 toughness, that's a pretty big dick you're slapping your opponent with every turn.
>>46426445
It takes 2 turns to hit someone, so its power is more like 2 1/2. They can also just kill it as soon as you play it.
>>46426495
>It takes 2 turns to hit someone
Oh now I understand that part, I thought it hit them before being exiled each turn, then came back just to hit them and leave the material plane ad infinum.
Is there a card that better embody it's color ?
>>46426135
Fuck yeah, Cudgel Troll was my favorite for a very long time back in my casual days.
And yeah, fuck you, my casual days were M12, what of it?
>>46426526
Yeah, Spark Elemental:^)
>>46426445
Not every turn, read the card. Attacking with it removes it from the game, then it shows up to deliver the punch NEXT turn. So it only hits every other turn.
>>46426526
Probably Dismiss.
>>46426679
Never realized that was a torrent of souls/faces, always assumed it was just water
>>46426345
this is what I love about mtg
>>46417290
>>46417753
>>46418092
theros was the last good block this game will see, community and manufactured meta are bring it into the shitter at record speeds.
>return to ravnica was also ok, there was still deck diversity
>>46427132
>Theros
>Good block
Boy howdy, I sure loved RtR block constructed with Devotion.
>>46427369
i made a deck where all i did was summon 1/1's with death touch, i won 4 locals and 2 non locals with it,
it didn't care about wipes, they were endless.
80 card deck.
>>46427132
I started playing in Theros and even I know that block was shit.
Shadows over Innistrad is the best set since Return to Ravniva
>>46428516
>>46420009
>Shroud
It would still be insane. A late game turn is generally better than an early game one. And there might be a card that untaps all artifacts, idk.
>tfw it will never be reprinted
>tfw you will never have fun in standard again
>>46427132
With Theros, we were promised an "Enchantment Matters", "Mono-color Preferred" block.
What we got were a shitton of virtually useless enchantments and mana-fixing + multicolors as far as the eye could see.
Even though I like Theros' flavor and the cards that came from it, it was still a bait-and-switch.
At this point I wish the next block after SOI doesn't feature any type of dual-color lands or multicolor creatures. Back to basics.
>>46428764
Did you play during theros? MBD was top-tier. MUB was high up, and you would occasionally see MGD too.
>>46420605
The problem with necro was also hymn being able to follow up by crippling your opponents hand was just too much.
>>46429215
MUD*
Also, enchantment tribal was a serious deck when BotG came around, and ran auras, as well as Azorius/Boros/America Heroic. What decks are you contrasting these archetypes to? Pretty much the only things you would see that don't fit the script were esper control, GW midrange and RG zoo.
>>46424620
People have been trying to make Demonic Pact work in a competitive deck ever since it was released. It's not performed spectacularly, but it isn't the worst thing ever.
>>46417238
It always looks like it's coming out of a portal
>blink rhino
>>46423061
Eldrazi isn't much more similar between legacy and modern than Delver, Jund, Elves, or Merfolk are desu
![CabalTherapy[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/9lbLjvb.jpg "CabalTherapy[1].jpg")
The only problem with this card is actually a problem with wizard's story direction. They can never reprint it in a modern legal format because the card is tied to an organization wotc has decided they'll never revisit.
>>46429947
Do the birds have haste because the cat is scaring them?
I love the tropical island
>>46429934
It could be a different cabal
>>46429934
Generic cabals are a thing you know. They could have easily reprinted this back during INN 1.0. Absolutely NOTHING restricts them to printing it in sets that feature "The Cabal" from Dominaria.
Ashes to Ashes is my favorite removal ever, wish it got a modo reprint at common since its only pauper in paper.
>1BB - Sorcery
>Exile two target creatures. You lose 5 life.
>>46418270
Holy shit that needs to go into my Aurelia combat damage EDH
>>46428760
Such a fun fucking card. My friend plays this in a Karevek EDH
It may not have had any foresight whatsoever, but hot damn does it win in the flavor department.
>>46429926
Delver falls into the same category, and so does meerfolk and maybe Jund. But elves is not the same deck at all in legacy. Do you ever get " I swing you for 100 damage" in turn two in modern?
>>46429953
Yes that is why Roborosewater needs to make real cards. That is EXCELLENT flavor.
This is actually a perfectly well balanced card for its cost, power and what it does. And it was designed by an MTG player that wasn't on any design team at the time.
>>46429357
>People have been trying to make Demonic Pact work in a competitive deck ever since it was released. It's not performed spectacularly, but it isn't the worst thing ever.
Well with Angelic Purge printed it's going to work. I guarantee it.
I can't help but love this guy, he's too cute. If only there'd been room for a flavor text.I suggest "Down you go."
>>46425897
People would rather pay 2 life than one Mana? I don't think I understand this game
>>46431989
"Today, a candle, tomorrow, Auntie Bertha"
>>46421339
Goyf wouldn't even be THAT bad in a standard without fetches. It requires a deck to really warp around it to pump it up to modern/legacy norms. Most of the time its going to be a 2/3 or a 3/4.
>>46425003
Merolk also adds Jitte, TNN, ocasionally Clique, Chalice, and a Phantasmal is a lot more common in legacy versions.
>>46432302
and a 2 mana 3/4 is fine of course
I always loved the flavor behind this one.
>>46421867
>>46421699
Those are big guys
>>46432036
>Your Turn 1: Play Savannah Lions (>>46416828)
>Their Turn 2: They play Savannah Lions, You Gutshot it
>Your Turn 2: Cast Strangleroot Geist (>>46419562)
And now you're ahead by 2 life, and 2 creatures. Casting things for life taps into a resource that you couldn't previously, giving you the advantage.
>>46432350
Barely playable, bro. I mean, I'd be great in limited but for a real format like modern? No chance.
I'm a nice guy, so I don't mind if weak, no skill babies want cards for their weak, no skill baby formats. In a highly balanced and intellectual format like Modern Magic, however, it just doesn't cut it. Really, draft is all random. How could there be any skill in that?
>>46432350
Apparently it is because a new 2CMC 3/4 was printed in SOI ( though admittedly it requires delirium to be anything other than chump blocker.
>>46433058
there is a world of difference beetween having 4 differents types in YOUR graveyard
and having 3 differents types in ALL graveyard.
>>46421867
I remember when I managed to draft a mono blue control deck in theroes with this as the win con. I still can't believe how well it worked.
