Critical Miss: {T}

[Mysnomer]

Sniiiiiiiiiip

Haha, you think Underground Sea, Treachery, Braid of Fire, and Wild Mongrel are broken? And in your modern creatures, you don't have the titans, who, while admirably trying to re-balance the scales of power, do so with lazy and slapdash design. So, hey, it's nice that Wizards wants to give creatures a chance to shine, but they should do so without screwing the central tenants of Magic.

Also, I just want to say that anytime you do an M:tG joke, I get all giddy with nerd pride, because I'm in on something for once. *salute* Thank you for catering to my niche.

 

[blindthrall]

Darksteel Colossus is fine and all, but I prefer a little guy called "Progenitus".

http://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=179496&type=card

Yea, you read that right. Protection. From. Everything. Darksteel Colossus can still be exiled with cards like "path to exile" or "swords to plowshares". Progenitus? can't be blocked or targeted by anything. Yea. Feels good. And ofcourse there are dirty ways to sneak him out early.

Seriously? Protection from Everything? Magic has become so fucking silly since I quit.

It's easy to beat. As a legendary,only one of it may be in play at any given time. Find a way to get a copy of it down,and both go poof.

Furthermore,it's only one creature. Get swarms of stuff,and it'll be relatively helpless. Furthermore,if you're playing vintage,any coloured Circle of Protection will protect you from it. Ain't it grand?

How exactly do you copy something with protection from everything? I just Cruel Edict the damn thing.

 

[zvate]

That comic took me back... Haven't played magic in a long time, still I'm sure their will be something even more insanily powerful next expansion. You got to love Wizards of the Coast's aproach to buisness. May as well just be honest about it and release a card with x/x where x is the amount of cash you have sent wizards this month...

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

Too bad indestructible doesn't cover non-targeting bury effects, such as Wrath of God. Which everyone should have at least 2 of in their deck at any time.

 

[Lotet]

oh? this card is well known? I got $100+ worth of cards when I decided I wanted to play.

I thought "Indestructible? that can't mean what it sounds like"

Too bad indestructible doesn't cover non-targeting bury effects, such as Wrath of God. Which everyone should have at least 2 of in their deck at any time.

what? huh? how come?
http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=129808

 

[DTWolfwood]

If that was all you needed to get mythic rares was to sex your way their, a lot more MTG players wouldn't be virgins! HI-oH!! XD

and just reading the posts on this tread its almost sounds like these cards are common or something. Here i thought Mythic Rares were Rare.

Anyone have a website where i can check the prices for these cards so i can see if i should start gambling investing on them booster decks hehe

 

[Simriel]

Darksteel Colossus is fine and all, but I prefer a little guy called "Progenitus".

http://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=179496&type=card

Yea, you read that right. Protection. From. Everything. Darksteel Colossus can still be exiled with cards like "path to exile" or "swords to plowshares". Progenitus? can't be blocked or targeted by anything. Yea. Feels good. And ofcourse there are dirty ways to sneak him out early.

Dispense Justice.

 

[Simriel]

Darksteel Colossus, huh?

Fair enough. I hit it with Iona's Judgment. Exile target creature or enchantment.

God I love my Angel deck. Got Akroma, Angel of Wrath, Iona, Shield of Emeria, Reya Dawnbringer, and Baneslayer Angel in there.

Angels may troll, but I find my Knights trollier

 

[rosac]

whereas my best cards are a divinity of pride, elite archers and a shrewd hatchling.

Probably would help if I had any idea how the play magic.

Cool comic strip though

 

[Macgyvercas]

Darksteel Colossus, huh?

Fair enough. I hit it with Iona's Judgment. Exile target creature or enchantment.

God I love my Angel deck. Got Akroma, Angel of Wrath, Iona, Shield of Emeria, Reya Dawnbringer, and Baneslayer Angel in there.

Angels may troll, but I find my Knights trollier

Knights are cool, and I did used to have a knight deck, but I tore it apart for card for my angels. I built that deck as a life gain deck. It's not uncommon for me to get close to 300 life (if I don't kill my opponents in 10 turns, that is. Transcedent Master can get brutal if you hit him up with Serra's Embrace and Armored Ascension).

 

[Chamale]

Sniiiiiiiiiip

Haha, you think Underground Sea, Treachery, Braid of Fire, and Wild Mongrel are broken? And in your modern creatures, you don't have the titans, who, while admirably trying to re-balance the scales of power, do so with lazy and slapdash design. So, hey, it's nice that Wizards wants to give creatures a chance to shine, but they should do so without screwing the central tenants of Magic.

Underground Sea is a land that costs 300 dollars. It is a dual land that is certainly better than the basic lands, and this is simply too powerful. It's not broken like Yawgmoth's will, but it's an early example of a land with a ridiculous power level compared to the other things around.

Treachery is a symbol of every Urza card that let you untap all of the lands used to cast it. It is not a single broken card, but part of a mechanic that was completely broken. With Lotus Vale [http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=4593] it becomes even more absurd.

Braid of Fire is, I admit, not straight-up broken. However, it is the card that saw the biggest improvement since they removed mana burn, making it a red weapon that is far stronger than they ever intended.

If you think Wild Mongrel isn't broken, I strongly doubt that you played the game during the Odyssey block. At the time, there was a saying that everyone used the Dog or the Tog. With so many Madness cards running amok, the Wild Mongrel's free discard for a useful effect made it hard to kill, and capable of casting various [http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Basking%20rootwalla] spells [http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=fiery%20temper] very [http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=circular%20logic] cheaply [http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=arrogant%20wurm], as well as filling the graveyard with Flashback effects.

 

[Wolfbane_Daoine]

I'm guessing that if the premise of the comic were true, a lot of athletes would be very glad these days that people have stopped collecting baseball and hockey cards.

 

[Echo136]

6 dollars for a booster pack? Where the hell do you buy your cards? Thats extortion.

 

[Mysnomer]

Too bad indestructible doesn't cover non-targeting bury effects, such as Wrath of God. Which everyone should have at least 2 of in their deck at any time.

Wow, old-school player detected. All instances of bury have been changed to destroy or sacrifice. When a card would bury an opponent's creatures (like Wrath of God) it says destroy. When a card would bury only your own creature(s), it says sacrifice (like those cards where "burying a creature" is a cost for playing it). Since they now say destroy, and indestructible card will be unaffected by them. You may have been thinking of protection (b/c you specified non-targeted) in which case you are correct, but indestructibility and protection are two different things.

 

[Dora]

I bought the Witcher Enhanced Edition from Steam year before last and I just couldn't get into it. I played past the first part of the game (the assault on the castle/keep/whatever where you discover someone is allergic to magic) as was just so bored and disinterested in every character onscreen I couldn't continue. It just baffles me that Geralt is portrayed as this stud when I honestly can't think of a more unattractive male lead in a fantasy RPG title. It's not that he's old; it's that he looks dirty and mangy and has the personality and zip of unbuttered toast. That man is not getting anywhere near me without some public speaking lessons and a scrub from some steel wool.

Funny joke and everything, but i guess we've now completely dropped the whole "Erin works for a game critic publisher" plotline now huh? Each week seems to be a satirical spin on a new or popular game. I'm fine with that, the content is funny and entertaining, it just makes the comic series feel a bit schizophrenic, like it's having an identity crisis. Either it has a story or it's satire. Make up your mind.

I do agree. I was disappointed that the comic devolved into a bunch of topical gaming jokes since that's what absolutely every other gaming comic out there is about. I liked the strips more where it was just Erin and the staff interacting, and the premise was "satirical, slightly ridiculous gaming editorial with a bear on staff". Might just be personal taste. It's not to say the strips aren't funny and the art isn't good, just that it doesn't feel as distinct as it could have.

 

[Mysnomer]

Underground Sea is a land that costs 300 dollars. It is a dual land that is certainly better than the basic lands, and this is simply too powerful. It's not broken like Yawgmoth's will, but it's an early example of a land with a ridiculous power level compared to the other things around.

Side note: wherever you buy your cards from, give them the brush off, because they're charging double what Underground Sea is worth (granted, $150 is still a ridiculous price tag). Anyway, I don't really understand your point, it's better than basic lands, so that's bad? Are you saying we should only play with basic lands? Dual lands are the glue that hold multicolor decks together, and without them Magic would be boring as hell. The Alpha duals are finely designed lands (a little on the strong sides), and the only reason they haven't been reprinted is collectors whining about their precious investment losing value.

Treachery is a symbol of every Urza card that let you untap all of the lands used to cast it. It is not a single broken card, but part of a mechanic that was completely broken. With Lotus Vale [http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=4593] it becomes even more absurd.

I will give you that an untap land mechanic, in a set with Tolarian Academy, Gaea's Cradle, and Serra's Sanctum might have been a bit busted.

If you think Wild Mongrel isn't broken, I strongly doubt that you played the game during the Odyssey block. At the time, there was a saying that everyone used the Dog or the Tog. With so many Madness cards running amok, the Wild Mongrel's free discard for a useful effect made it hard to kill, and capable of casting various [http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Basking%20rootwalla] spells [http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=fiery%20temper] very [http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=circular%20logic] cheaply [http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=arrogant%20wurm], as well as filling the graveyard with Flashback effects.

That's not broken. That's synergy, and it's something cards desperately need today. The fact that Wild Mongrel was dominant is far from it being broken. Broken cards win games by themselves. Jace the Mind Sculptor is broken. Wild Mongrel just plays well with other good cards. Perhaps his level of synergy is too high, but it's still preferable because if you have a Wild Mongrel, but they've impaired your ability to pay madness costs, or destroyed your draw engine, all you have is a bear. On the other hand, if they have a JtMS, or a titan, or an Eldrazi, or a Baneslayer angel, you better deal with it, or they win. See the difference? Mongrel is part of a chain in which any link can be attacked to reduce the power of the others, but modern monsters are self-contained victory conditions.

PS: If the options are between the devil who costs $80+ a piece, and the devil who is an uncommon, I'll take the uncommon. At least then everyone can compete at the same level, without worrying about the size of your wallet.

 

[Chamale]

That's not broken. That's synergy, and it's something cards desperately need today. The fact that Wild Mongrel was dominant is far from it being broken. Broken cards win games by themselves. Jace the Mind Sculptor is broken.

Have you ever tried playing a deck with 26 islands, 26 plains, 4 Jace the Mind Sculptors and 4 Squadron Hawks? Broken cards don't win "on their own", they simply cause you to put out your other win conditions much sooner than normal. For the record, now I'm going to do something stupid and build a deck with 52 basic lands, 4 Wild Mongrels, and 4 Treasure Hunts. I'll let you know how it goes.

Wild Mongrel just plays well with other good cards. Perhaps his level of synergy is too high, but it's still preferable because if you have a Wild Mongrel, but they've impaired your ability to pay madness costs, or destroyed your draw engine, all you have is a bear.

Wild Mongrel and Psychatog decks dominated Odyssey Standard so much that absolutely everything was decicated to the Dog, dedicated to the Tog, or a hardcore anti-deck that countered those strategies. They can be stopped, but so many cards in a counterdeck need to be ready to stop them that they broke the format.

On the other hand, if they have a JtMS, or a titan, or an Eldrazi, or a Baneslayer angel, you better deal with it, or they win. See the difference? Mongrel is part of a chain in which any link can be attacked to reduce the power of the others, but modern monsters are self-contained victory conditions.

Those cards cost enough mana that they deserve to be good. They're too good, but not as broken as Wild Mongrel. Jace is killed by 5 regular damage, or 3 if his controller chose a turn-1 Brainstorm, but Mind Sculptor is broken and is warping the current format,. The rest are expensive and easier to neutralize than Wild Mongrel. BS Angel and the titans have too many abilities but aren't broken, and there is nothing wrong with the power level of the Eldrazi.

PS: If the options are between the devil who costs $80+ a piece, and the devil who is an uncommon, I'll take the uncommon. At least then everyone can compete at the same level, without worrying about the size of your wallet.

If they print broken cards at common, they're still broken. Wizards thinks they can get away with making mythic rares more powerful because they only print half as many as the number of rares. That's why we've seen more broken cards at mythic lately, but they sometimes make mistakes. Skullclamp was a broken uncommon, and it simply made the game unfun.

 

[MrTejlgaard]

uh...sorry for being a lameass, but tinker is banned outside of the cycle it came out. Cards' too damn powerful. By banned, I mean, restricted in vintage, banned in everything else... At least, that's to my recollection.

And vintage has far meaner things than a tinker/darksteel combo...just getting both in your initial is less than a 5% chance at most.

Of course, the idea is flashy but...the reality is, the combo is practically useless for doing a speedy attack. With an even luckier draw, you can have it out immediately, but then we're talking 1% of the time...

Well you don't actually need Darksteel in your initial because Tinker tutors it.

And for the record. Pretty much everything I post, comic or otherwise, about MTG is aimed at the Kitchen Table player. We like Darksteel because he's a big-ass robot. Not because he's all that viable.

Note: That's not a "we don't like your kind here." I'm just explaining why 90% of everything I type is bullshit.

Oh, I certainly like darksteel too. A friend of mine employs him in a fairly useless (but fun) master artificer deck, which is essentially a one-trick pony.

It was more the tinker comment I objected too...my friends and I play as casual as you reasonably can, and there are a few things that you just can't reasonably play. I have a few fun cards, like tinker and mind twist, that are so overpowered I'd be ashamed to play them when I know their power level. We usually categorize decks like so - expansion-exclusive, some block, some type-2 (ie. an amalgam of 2 blocks + the official editions for those years), extended and legacy. Decks from different categories are considered to be of different power level....so unless you want a handicap, you're mindful of this.

...some cards just don't fit into that scheme. Tinker is one of them, unless you employ it within it's own block.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

Too bad indestructible doesn't cover non-targeting bury effects, such as Wrath of God. Which everyone should have at least 2 of in their deck at any time.

Wow, old-school player detected. All instances of bury have been changed to destroy or sacrifice. When a card would bury an opponent's creatures (like Wrath of God) it says destroy. When a card would bury only your own creature(s), it says sacrifice (like those cards where "burying a creature" is a cost for playing it). Since they now say destroy, and indestructible card will be unaffected by them. You may have been thinking of protection (b/c you specified non-targeted) in which case you are correct, but indestructibility and protection are two different things.

I'm fairly sure indestructible only covers targeted destroy effects. I remember reading rulings for that somewhere.

Oh, wait. Just checked the salvation page, I misread "Being indestructible stops only effects that would destroy the permanent" as meaning targeted destroy effects. I stand corrected.

 

[somonels]

Boosters cost me $6, using the current exchange rate, 6 years ago.

Good thing the encounter takes place in a forest, he might find some Splinter [http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/details.aspx?name=splinter]s there.