#plus i think drawing creatures for a while might be good for my art block

[thehappiestgolucky]

Ah fuck now there’s rain world brainworms-

[peace-coast-island]

Diary of a Junebug

The Ethereal Gates of Wisdom

These past few days have been a bit of an unusual adventure. It’s one of those things I’ve been putting off for a while until the opportunity’s right. Traveling to the Ethereal Gates of Wisdom is no easy feat so it’s important to have a strategy on how to get there without getting lost.

According to Jamie, most people give up halfway because it takes too long to get there. That’s why they said only those who truly seek answers are the ones who make it to the Gates. Jamie gave me the key years ago and since then that adventure has been sitting on the back burner until a couple days ago.

The reason why I finally decided to visit the Gates is for Daisy Jane. Now that she’s been living at the campsite for a couple weeks, she’s been doing a lot of soul searching and reevaluation. The past year hasn’t been good to her so I’m glad that she’s finally found a light at the end of a long and seemingly endless tunnel.

A change of scenery can do wonders for your mind, especially if you’ve been stagnating for a while. That’s why Daisy Jane left Rosevine - because the place she once called home was suffocating her instead of letting her bloom and grow.. That’s how I felt too, as well as other friends like Emmaline, Minnie, and Robin. 

It’s not that we don’t like Rosevine, it’s just that we outgrew our little hometown. Our roots are still in Rosevine, but we’ve branched out to other places. Like flowers on a tree, we are carried away by the wind, floating and fluttering as we find our way in this vast universe. Some take root, others continue to fly freely.

Ever since Daisy Jane joined me at the camp, she’s been on a creative roll. For the past several months she was suffering the absolute worst art block along with a bunch of other problems that wore her down. After leaving home, she traveled for a bit before settling in Neptunia. The village, while it was nice, didn’t do much for her. So that’s why I suggested she move in the cabin and since then she’s made it her home.

For a while Daisy Jane has been considering opening a shop where she sells handmade crafts and stationery. I think she’s the kind of person who can pull that off because not only she’s super artsy, but she’s also organized and has the self discipline to run her own business. Unfortunately her family’s the main reason why she hasn’t started a shop yet as they don’t think it’s viable. As long as she was living under the same roof as them and not working a “real” job with income, an online business was out of the question.

Now that she’s out on her own with no parents or siblings to hound her as well as having her own space and income, Daisy Jane feels like she’s in the right headspace to design products for her potential shop. She’s been on a roll designing sticker sheets, which will be her main thing before branching out to other products like notebooks and enamel pins. Since she loves drawing florals and ephemera, Daisy Jane plans to call her store Happy Floral Mail, which I think is very fitting.

I’m not being biased, I would definitely buy Daisy Jane’s stickers. After all, she’s one of many artists I find inspiration from so why wouldn’t I want to support her?

Apparently a while ago Daisy Jane told her sister about her ideas regarding opening a shop as Mae’s in college studying digital media so she’s an expert on various programs. Mae’s a smart kid who means well but sometimes she can be a bit too much. 

Basically if Daisy Jane decided to co-run her shop with Mae, it would have failed before it even launched. The biggest issue would be creative differences because they’re basically opposites in terms of everything. It’s like telling an artist who likes to draw flowers that they have to draw cars because that’s what’s trending and if you disagree then you’re being ungrateful because you obviously don’t know what you’re talking about. 

So it’s that, plus the fact that Mae can be weirdly controlling and nosy at times. Like she’s strangely obsessed with who Daisy Jane keeps in contact with. Apparently if Daisy Jane isn’t constantly video chatting or talking on the phone or talking about socializing with someone, then she doesn’t have friends according to Mae logic. I get that Mae’s the kind of person who talks about everything - even when it’s not in her place - but she really needs to learn how to let people be.

Another thing about Mae which is pretty recent is how she sees most of Daisy Jane’s friends like me and Emmaline. Once upon a time Mae used to look up to Emmaline because she thought she was cool as she was always going on magical adventures. Now she kinda looks down on Emmaline because she doesn’t meet her definition of success. As in Emmaline never went to school so she has no degrees as well as no job or career (freelancing and odd jobs don’t count) so in Mae’s eyes, Emmaline’s a layabout.

Having grown up with Emmaline, calling her a layabout is such a misunderstanding. Being half elemental, Emmaline’s upbringing is far from ordinary. She spent her whole childhood and adolescence trying to bring her two worlds together, often putting herself in a position no one should be forced in and although she helped a lot of people, it had a detrimental effect on her mental health. Considering how Emmaline pretty much spent a good part of her life playing either peacemaker, therapist, fleeing war criminal, and diplomat - and is now finally finding footing by traveling the universe and enjoying life - to call her a layabout is an insult.

And yes, this is in response to a vague post Mae made in regards to not being on Emmaline and Minnie’s guest list for their wedding. Daisy Jane shared it to us and we all rolled our eyes collectively because yikes Mae. Like first of all, it wasn’t anything personal, it’s just that the wedding will take place while she’s studying abroad so there’s no way she was going to make it. Also, Emmaline and Minnie aren’t as close to her as they are to Daisy Jane so there’s really no reason why she should be offended at not being invited.

I’m curious as to what Mae would vague about me when she finds out where Daisy Jane’s been living. Don’t get me wrong, Mae’s a very capable girl who’s gonna be super successful but she really needs to get off her high horse. It’s understandable that she has a chip on her shoulder that pushes her to be hard working but as she’s gotten older she seems to have fallen into the mindset that if you’re not working your ass off, then you’re not worthy.

Anyway, now that Daisy Jane’s found her footing in terms of her creative spark returning and getting away from those holding her back, she feels like she’s ready to take a leap of faith. She says she still has a long way to go before opening a shop but the timing feels right. That’s why I decided to take her to the Gates - to give her the extra push she needs to bring herself one step closer to making her dream a reality.

First, we headed to the Witches Woods to retrieve the ruby key, which will lead us to a portal. Since it’s not too far from Camellia, Theda tagged along to guide us through the woods as she’s somewhat familiar with certain parts of it. The trails can be long and confusing so it’s good to have a navigator help us out. 

The deeper in the woods we go, the more dangerous it gets. The trees act as a defense system so if you’re not careful, you might get pelted by poison fruit or clawed by sharp branches. Plus there’s hostile creatures to watch out for as well, especially the giant spiders that usually come out of nowhere. Despite the seemingly harsh environment, the witches we came across are friendly and some were able to help point us in the right direction when the trees played tricks on us.

After the woods came the Floating Freeway, a well known highway for traveling through dimensions. There, Celinda joined in on the adventure as she can easily weave in and out of places easily with her powers. With her help, navigating the crowded freeway will take about half the time. 

From there, we headed to the Scattering Skies where we have to travel by magic carpet. It’s a rough ride as the winds are unpredictable so it’s important to have a pilot who’s just as reckless - meaning Celinda. And there’s also swinging swords with sharp edges floating freely about so we gotta worry about that too. Getting through the Skies and retrieving the jade key in one piece is no easy feat so if that isn’t enough to discourage you from going to the Gates, then that says a lot about your character in my opinion.

At the crossing, the jade key led us to another portal, taking us to the Floundering Forests, where we met up with Lenie. She and her parents have been exploring the forest for the past few weeks so they’re somewhat familiar with the trails. Lenie always wanted to see the Gates so it was the perfect opportunity! 

The thing about the Floundering Forests is that we need to arm ourselves with magic wands. Some areas have been overtaken by city folks who want to build factories so they’ll attack anything that moves. They’re also not the kind of people you want to get on the wrong side of so a basic sleep spell will do the trick to slip past them. Also, this forest tends to play tricks on you too so it’s important to keep track of where you’re going.

After finding the carnelian key, we headed to the Layering Lagoon, navigating by submarine piloted by Lenie. Through there, we locate the ruins of Castellana, which will lead us to the Gates. Lenie drove the sub, Celinda and I distracted lagoon monsters, Theda helped navigate, and Daisy Jane supervised everyone.

It really takes a team to get to the Gates of Ethereal Wisdom! There’s no way anyone can make it on a solo adventure, especially when confronting the currents and inhabitants of the Layering Lagoon. 

By my calculations, it took us about three days - starting from Witches Woods - to get to the Gates. If Theda, Celinda, and Lenie hadn’t tagged along I guess it’ll take me and Daisy Jane at least twice as long. It was a long trip, but it was totally worth it!

Stepping into the Ethereal Gates of Wisdom is like walking straight into a void. First you feel like you’re falling, then slowly you realize that you’re actually floating. You feel weightless like a leaf in the wind, floating freely without a care in the world. For a second I forgot that I had a physical form - and that was a trippy experience. A bit disoriented, very much exhilarated, small and alone yet wide and full - all of it crashing in on you.

I still can’t put into words how exactly I feel after stepping out of the Gates. I feel certain yet uncertain at the same time - like I have a better idea of what I want but I also realize how little I actually know about things. Something’s changed, that I know for sure, but whatever it is, I can’t quite put my finger on it yet.

[magus-of-the-color-pizza]

(Not Quite a) Quick Post: To Kamigawa or not to Kamigawa?

Alright, I’m going to jot down a few of my thoughts here. There is an ongoing discussion, both from the fanbase and, I believe, at WotC, about what to do about the Kamigawa situation. By this, I mean the following: Kamigawa, the Japan-inspired block, was very unpopular. Yet, people sometimes clamor for its return. So the question we need to answer is: do we go back to Kamigawa, or instead try to make a new Japanese-inspired plane so we can be easily rid of the plane’s negative baggage?

Anecdotally speaking, Kamigawa is the plane that Mark Rosewater gets asked if we can/will return to the most. Just a couple days ago, a comment he made in one of his answers spurred a new flurry of asks on the subject, pondering various elements regarding such a return, like whether or not we should reuse the same mechanics, what exactly went wrong, and whether or not the player base would respond positively.

Let’s start with a wider approach. What went wrong? According to Mark Rosewater, the issue was manifold: “The names scored poorly because they were hard to parse and remember. The art scored poorly because too much of it was thought to be not what the audience expected. The world scored poorly because it didn’t resonate with the audience.” In the past, Maro has also said that the block suffered from the over-abundance of Legendaries (every single Rare creature was a legendary (or flipped into one), which is insane) and the fact that we had parasitic mechanics (a mechanic which requires you to have very specific cards at your disposal to be useful) in play (Soulshift, Splice, and Offering). Can we circumnavigate these things and would that be worth it?

Let’s start by addressing the loxodon in the room: the kami.

Kamigawa block has 336 creature cards. Of these, 169 (read: slightly more than half, though the math is not exact due to some flip cards that are counted as both) are Spirits, which in this context means that they are kami. A lot of people may think of Kamigawa as “the Japanese plane”, but the truth is that this block focused on spirits just as much as it focused on Japanese or Japanese-inspired elements. While some Kami are inspired by Japanese folklore (for example, Yuki-Onna and the Kirins), in most cases, people who are not waist-deep in Japanese folklore will have absolutely no idea what they’re looking at (and I believe most people who are folklore junkies will still have a difficult time.)

“A dreamcatcher that looks like a nightmare? Yeah, I preferred the human ones”- My Japanese friend, upon viewing some of the Kamigawan spirits (paraphrased)

I asked people for their opinions regarding the kami, both here on tumblr and in person in a few groupchats (plus, my friends’ opinions). I don’t have enough evidence to present convincing market research, but so far no one has argued for maintaining this high a number of Spirit cards, and a majority of people explicitly said they think the number would have to be reduced drastically, in a return.

Reducing the number of Kami cards (and the number of Legendaries, because dear lord), would help address all of Maro’s concerns. Less weird art, less difficult names (both proper, like Mannichi, Oyobi...Tomorrow???, and non, like Zubera, Akuba, Shinen etc), more space to focus on elements that can resonate with different audiences, and less parasitic mechanics (though to be fair, this last problem can be eliminated even without scaling back the kami, just by not re-using the problematic mechanics).

Alright, seems like the idea of lowering the amount of kami is positive so far, but is it realistic? What would we fill the void with? And, again, should we instead start from scratch?

Luckily for us, from a Lore perspective, we’re right where we want to be for such an operation. O-Kagachi, the supreme kami that controlled the barrier between the spirit world and the human world (and who removed in order to start the war to retrieve its child. That’s why there were so many kami in the physical world!), is dead, replaced by The Sisters of Flesh and Spirit (the union of Michiko and Kyodai, aka the offspring of Lord Konda and O-Kagachi respectively), who have restored the barrier. This means that less Spirits would be able to manifest in the physical world. So, what do we focus on instead?

Kamigawa has already given us plenty of humanoid tribes to work with: Akki (goblins), Ogres/Demons, Soratami (moonfolk), Orochi (snakefolk), Nezumi (ratfolk), and Kitsune (foxfolk), plus humans of course. We have a solid foundation of tribes and culture, not to mention that the events of the first block took place almost a millennia ago! Because of that time span, the Creative Design team should feel like they have the ability to introduce the necessary changes to partially reshape the plane’s culture/society as they see fit. 

Of course, we should also remember that there is plenty of good in the plane, that the players would like to see again. Ninjas were very well received, Samurai (not Bushido) are usually liked, Moonfolk are also well-liked, and we have the species of Nezumi and Orochi which add to the uniqueness of the plane. And we don’t have to abandon Kami all-together! They can still be felt throughout the set, perhaps as patrons/guides of different tribes/communities (for example, the Orochi would follow some nature-minded kami, the Moonfolk would probably opt for spirits more devoted to knowledge and air).

Also, Feudal Japan is a pretty popular source of inspiration for media and is generally well-liked by fans. Scrapping Kamigawa entirely would mean abandoning a feudal-Japanese plane, and since, at least in the mainstream, that is the generally-known Japanese historical era, it might mean fully abandoning our chance at another block set in a Japanese-inspired era. Sure we can always have other Asian-inspired planes, and we should (props to Tarkir for giving us a taste of that!), but for obvious reasons, that’s not the same thing. Remember, we can’t use guns in Mtg, so the Feudal era of Japan is pretty much all we have from that country, due to its historical isolation and slow-changing society (up until it opened up to the rest of the world).

And finally, before I wrap up this post, allow me to advance one final reason why I believe we will eventually go back to Kamigawa. Not only do we sometimes get new cards/characters from the plane in supplemental sets (ex: Kaseto, Yuriko), but we actually have a Planeswalker from this plane. Remember her?

Of course you do! Tamiyo may not be officially part of the “main cast”, but she has seen quite a decent amount of screen time and is a fundamental supporting character, due to her knowledge and her connections to other planeswalkers. 

She is the perfect opportunity to revisit Kamigawa, and I, for one, cannot wait to go back.

Thank you for reading, and remember: hope is the last to die.

“Our bodies are weak compared to those of the kami, our knowledge limited, and our magic poor. Yet we draw breath. That alone is reason to hope.” -Order of the Sacred Bell

[brawltalk]

Politicking

Brawl’s picked up so much steam as a multiplayer format that even though @wizardsmagic introduced it as a 1v1 format, the official Brawl tournament in Richmond this year will feature 4-person pods battling to be crowned champion. I think it’s safe to say the heart and soul of Brawl is in multiplayer.

That brings with it a whole new dynamic we don’t normally see given a great deal of emphasis in the pool of Standard cards alone; diplomacy. There’s a whole new aspect to the game when you can form short term alliances, gang up on the table leader, and try to manipulate everyone else at the table to fight amongst each other while you set up your winning position.

That sort of diplomacy is a skill all its own and while I will offer two bits of advice regarding that at the end here, this article is going to focus on the best politicking cards in Standard right now. Used judiciously, these cards will break down alliances, shift ire to other players, and just generally alter the board in ways that will throw the best laid plans of other players up into the wind.

A word about the choices here. The thing about politicking is you need cards that will be good additions to your deck and which you might sometimes want to play primarily to mess with other people. Sure, you can Blossoming Defense an opponent’s creature to save it from another opponent’s removal, but I bet if you’re playing a deck that runs Blossoming Defense then you absolutely want to reserve it for your own creature. Any card that can target opponents and their permanents has potential for diplomatic interactions. Look for those opportunities and wheel and deal where you can, understanding that nothing you agree to verbally is binding.

So with that in mind, here are the Brawl cards that can put the diplomacy front and center in the game.

Axis of Mortality

So most of the time you’ll use Adanto Vanguard to tank your life total before switching it with an opponent’s. But there is nothing more sweet than saving an opponent with a terrible board position from certain doom by switching their life total with the opponent who has somehow managed to take nary a scratch the whole game. The best option for this is to make the deal before the upkeep trigger. Something like “Mary, if you attack John with creatures X, Y, and Z on your next turn, then on my next turn I’ll switch your life total with Jen’s.” You get an immediate benefit they can’t back out of and really, what’s it matter if two opponents have switched life totals when you kept some heat off your own back for a turn?

Baral’s Expertise

Usually the proper play is just bouncing big threats from the board to give yourself a bit of a breather. Soooometimes it is really helpful to offer an opponent the chance to grab a second ETB trigger from something. Or instead of bouncing something from each opponent, you offer to open up a line of attack on one player specifically, getting as much assurance as possible that the rest of the table will take advantage of it.

Switcheroo

This is an absolute favorite of mine. It just has so much versatility and potential to absolutely nuts up a board state. Again, most of the time the proper play is trading one of your soldier tokens for their Nicol Bolas, the Ravager before they can flip it, but I love to ask a player with a smidgen of tokens they plan on chump blocking with, “If you could have any creature on the board right now, which one would you take?” A shiny new dragon can make a lasting impact.

Combustible Gearhulk

This one puts you at a disadvantage in bargaining, but it is possible to spin something nice from this. That’s especially true if you’ve helped out a player previously. Play that up and maybe even promise the cards they let you draw won’t be used against them--the actual cards are secret info so shuffle your hand around as you draw in subsequent turns and this is an empty promise that makes them feel safe and which they can’t really call you out on for breaking later. Any smart player won’t accept this, but the art of diplomacy is convincing people to make dumb decisions.

Divest/Duress/Kitesail Freebooter

The key for this series of cards is that they reveal the hand. The whole table gets to see what’s there, not just the player who played this spell. Figure out who least wants their plans revealed, or who likely has the worst threats in hand, and use that to point the table’s aggression in the right direction. You can make some deals with this by seeing what players will offer to keep their hands hidden, but I think this is most useful when employed to make people feel more determined and confident about attacking someone in particular (or keeping a counterspell for them specifically) because of what they have in hand. This can of course backfire when the revealed hand is kind of crappy and effectively makes that person seem like a non-threat for the time being.

Deft Dismissal

Deft Dismissal is so good because it allows you a say in any combat step that occurs. You can turn a chump block into a trade. You can mess up math and make sure someone loses something important at the most inopportune time. It’s a costly way to deal 3 damage, but being able to divide it in any way you see fit can be truly game altering.

Field of Ruin

With the glut of specialty lands in the format, don’t be surprised if somebody at some time would really love to give up a Zhalfirin Void or Detection Tower for a land that taps for colors. Be judicious about this and honestly probably save it for an Azcanta, the Sunken Ruin or Spires of Orazca, but if you help someone find their third color or the double of something else they need, they should be incredibly grateful (but also much more able to play something that will ruin your day).

Suspicious Bookcase

A decent early blocker with utility later, don’t underestimate the ability to help an opponent get some damage through. Plus it will be untapped and ready to use on your turn if you need it so help someone out as long as they aren’t pointing the creature at you (and you can of course activate this after blockers are declared). For safest use ideally you offer it to the player whose turn is just before yours so that it’s up as a blocker for as long as possible.

Teferi, Hero of Dominaria

That +1 has a lot of potential. It’s risky business of course, but there’s nothing like offering an opponent or two the resources they need to make everyone else second guess their plays. Maybe they’re bluffing a counterspell or combat trick, but if you don’t have one of your own, consider opening up the field so someone else can get in on the shenanigans.

Vaevictis Asmadi, the Dire

This is definitely a case where the proper play is to pick the most powerful permanent each player has on the board. But that ignores the fact that you can make one person seem like a bigger threat by leaving some of their best stuff (and perhaps helping them put more good permanents on the board while only losing tokens or lands they don’t need anyway) while everyone else suffers more. And the best part about Vaevictis Asmadi is that as a commander this is some diplomacing you can count on doing regularly.

Wanted Scoundrels

Sure, it’s a 4/3 for 2 but in a multiplayer format that honestly means even less. The true strength of this card is offering a player fixing and a boost on their death. Get this out early and entertain offers but do your best not to make any sort of promise to anyway. Instead, keep a Top Friends list and adjust the rankings constantly and liberally based on who you like more at any given moment. The person at the top of the list has a better chance of getting some clink in their pocket in the near future, but it’s really up for grabs.

Those two bits of advice...

...I’ve learned from years of playing the game Diplomacy: First, never make a promise you don’t intend to keep. You’ll get a reputation as someone who can be trusted and that dependability pays off way more in the long run than the possible victory at a short term betrayal. On the flip side of that coin, the second piece of advice, don’t make threats you can’t deliver on. If someone tries to call your bluff then you need to come knocking and make them pay, possibly even when it is at detriment to yourself. The only thing that matters in diplomacy is if words can be matched to actions. Your words hold a great deal more power when other players recognize they are directly connected to your actions.

The biggest thing is keeping communication open. Sit down and start talking to the table. Don’t badger them or get annoying. The conversation can lull and sometimes players need a moment of quite to think. But it should be a social endeavor from the moment you sit down at the table. Get people talking and keep them talking. Pepper in some jokes and congratulate good plays (or maybe point out mistakes when appropriate) but above all keep them primed for some negotiating.

The social aspect of a multiplayer game throws some of the rules about best plays out the window. Make the best plays all game long and chances are other players see you as the biggest threat and gang up on you. Make slightly less optimized plays that keep the focus off of you and chances are you go a lot further. That’s diplomacy.

[99soft]

otp questions: MY answers for markren / 3 wc: ~ 2k 

a/n: you might think i’m stupid for doing this but it helps me get back at writer’s block (revenge)! there are two more going to be posted and the last one is going to be terribly long. (so i guess this is sort of for me).

1: Who spends almost all their money on the other?

hands down mark spends a lot of his money on renjun. and it’s not like renjun asks for it because dude he’s got his own fucking money. mark just likes to spoil his bf - sometimes he’s just out and he sees something that he thinks renjun will like and get it. that’s just how he is, he’s whipped.

2: Who sleeps in the other’s lap?

who do you think? mark sleeps in renjun’s lap !!! he’s a baby and renjun is his cuddly bear. which sounds really cheesy but renjun is really good at rubbing his back and such. he also likes the way renjun plays with his hair, it calms him.

3: Who walks around the house half-naked and who yells at them to put on some clothes?

renjun walks around half naked all the time. EVEN WHEN THERE ARE GUESTS AROUND !! it’s crazy, you would think it’s mark however he’s way too shy about that stuff. so usually it’s mark yelling at him because it drives him insane. (his skin is just so nice and mark doesn’t want to get worked up around guests...)

4: Which one tells the other not to stay up all night and which one stays up all night anyway?

mark likes to read things late at night and in the bed next to renjun. and renjun cannot sleep with the lights on or with mark’s phone brightness lighting up the whole room so usually he yells at him and mark will say “in a few minutes babe” but a few minutes turn into an hour.

5: Which one tries to make food for the other but burns it all by accident and which one tells them that it’s okay and makes them both cookies?

okay ya’ll know. it’s mark who burns all the food. after he tried to make breakfast in bed for renjun, he almost burned down the whole house. renjun eventually did come to the rescue and save them all from dying. he just rubbed mark’s back, gave him a peck on the cheek and made them a good batch of cookies.

6: Which one reads OTP prompts and says “Oh that’s us!” and which one goes “Eh, not really”?

renjun used to really be into …. some vampire show. either it was buffy the vampire slayer or true blood. either way it doesn’t matter so he loved to write fanfiction for them … and well otp prompts were always so nice to use.sometimes he still reads them and thinks about him and mark while reading them. so eventually renjun showed one to mark: “person A is addicted to peanut butter. unfortunately, when they start dating person B, they find out person B is allergic to peanuts.” and mark was so confused because neither of them are allergic to peanut butter… it happens a lot and mark just gets so frustrated.

7: Which one constantly wears the other’s clothes?

renjun always wears mark’s clothing !!! he especially loves wearing his sweatshirts. no explaination he just loves mark and his nice clothing….

okay fine!  yeah its cliche, they smell like him and renjun loves it.

8: Which one spends all day running errands and which one says “You remembered [thing], right?”

mark is usually the one running the errands and renjun just texts him after he’s done, asking if he’s got what they needed. prompting mark to turn the car around to get that thing that they desperately need. it drives mark crazy because it almost happens every time YET he refuses to have a shopping list !! he’s a maniac.

9: Which one drives the car and which one gives them directions?

mark’s the driver. renjun is the organized one. he’s the one that likes sitting in the seat just chillin and playing music not having to worry about the road in front of him. one might say he’s a bit lazy.

10: Which one does the posing while the other one draws?

mark poses for renjun ! sometimes naked sometimes not who knows ! mark thinks it’s quite embarrassing but renjun reassures him that if he doesn’t get this art grade because of him, he will no longer give mark any more kisses for a whole month !! so there is that.

11: If they were about to rob a museum, which one does backflips through lasers and which one is strolling behind with a bag of chips?

renjun is incredibly flexible and sometimes it freaks mark out. so i can totally see renjun doing all those cool flips and stuff because mark … mark’s just a klutz. plus mark does like chips so… it just works that way.

12: Which one of your OTP overdoes it on the alcohol and which one makes the other stop drinking?

this is kind of hard because sometimes renjun likes to drink a lot. but, usually its mark who gets drunk. mark doesnt even over do it he literally will have like one glass of wine or something and lose his shit. renjun usually has to pry the drinks away from mark and lock them somewhere he will never find them. that’s how crazy mark is. (also renjun doesnt take him to any parties anymore)

13: Which one likes to surprise the other with a lot of small random gifts?

i kind of said this in the beginning but mark likes to surprise renjun all the time. most of the time it’s stuffed animals so as you can imagine … renjun has a huge pile of stuffed animals. he loves them all and doesn’t have the heart to get rid of them.

14: Which one keeps accidentally using the other’s last name instead of their own?

… renjun… sometimes he’ll introduce himself to a friend of mark’s like “hey lee renjun”. and mark is like ???? and the other person is like ???? so everyone is confused until renjun’s ears get red and he corrects himself. sometimes it just ends up with mark and renjun making out in a nearby closet or restroom because mark can’t resist how renjun just accidentally uses his last name as his own like that.

15: Which one screams about the spider and which one brings the spider outside?

mark HATES spiders but somehow renjun screams through bringing it outside on their balcony. it’s a funny sight because they both are quite afraid of the little creatures. BUT WHO ISN’T?

16: Which one gives the other their jacket?

mark likes giving it to renjun and renjun likes receiving it. like i said before renjun likes wearing his clothing!!!

17: Who keeps getting threatened by the other’s overprotective older sibling?

renjun’s older sister always threatens mark, even when she’s over at their place pretending everything is fine - renjun will go to the bathroom, leaving them alone and she … is one terrifying person. mark is literally afraid of her so he’ll just nod along and do whatever she says.

18: Who’s the first one to admit they have feelings for the other?

it was mark. since they’ve known each other it wasn’t that hard for other people to see it coming. mark is head over heels for renjun and maybe renjun is a little oblivious - even when jaemin and jeno would tell him, he would be like “lol no but thanks”. so after a party at jeno and jaemin’s … mark has a little too much to drink and he sees renjun out on the balcony, staring at the city below. mark somehow makes his way to renjun. renjun is like “haha okay buddy, lets not be out here since you’re drunk and like it’s dangerous.” but mark stops him because the twinkling tealights that are surrounding them - they make renjun glow. he’s so pretty mark can’t resist. “i like you.” and you can figure it out from there. (nothing suggestive, it’s all fluff with these two).  

19: How good would your OTP be at parenting?

it would be cliche to think of renjun as the motherly figure and mark as a grumpy old dad. but that’s not them at all. please they’re still young, parenting is the last thing on their minds (plus i cant think of them like this yet). they live in the moment, making out in random places and cuddling during scary movies. sometimes drinking on school nights but who knows, they probably will be good parents someday.

20: Which one types with perfect grammar and which one types using numbers as letters?

what does numbers as letters mean !!!!? they both are equally capable of writing with perfect grammar. mark loves to write, dude was going to be an english major. renjun is just smart. idk

21: Who gets attacked by a bully and who protects them?

if anyone is going to be attacked by a “bully” its going to be mark just because that boy is embarrassing and a klutz, so sometimes he says the wrong things at the wrong time. which is okay because mark is completely innocent and he’s really sweet so he doesn’t know what’s going on. renjun is the one who puffs out his chest and usually scares away the bullies. he doesn’t fight anyone he just scares the LIVING SHIT OUT OF THEM.

22: Who makes the bad puns and who makes a pained smile every time the other makes a pun?

mark has got to stop with the bad puns, renjun can’t keep fake smiling all the time. it’s exhausting.

23: Who comes home from work to see that the other one bought a puppy?

only with renjun’s consent because a puppy is a big responsibility !!! but yeah it’s mark who would. fucking sugar daddy esk pile of goofball.

24: Which one gives the other a piggyback ride when they’re tired?

mark loves giving renjun piggyback rides. he’s small enough because mark doesn’t usually work out very often because work and college tires him out but he’s strong enough for renjun. and he usually picks him up when renjun comes home from a late shift and he just carries him to the bedroom to pepper him with kisses.

25: Which one competes in some sort of activity and which one does the overzealous cheering?

mark plays … basketball and you bet renjun is the most supportive s.o. there. fucking yelling and cheering for his babe. mark gets a little embarrassed but when he sees renjun’s pretty face, he feels fueled enough to keep playing. uhm and he always wins…

26: Who takes a selfie when the other one falls asleep on their shoulder?

renjun loves taking embarrassing pictures of mark because he thinks mark is quite ugly at times. (but his ugly boy, nobody can insult him except for him). so sometimes mark falls asleep on him and renjun can’t just pass up on this opportunity. there is a scrapbook going now with about a third full.  

27: Which one would give the other a makeover if they asked?

renjun used to get it from his older sister all of the time and at some point he enjoyed it. so he begs mark if he can do it to him. sometimes he does his nails or plucks his eyebrows. his favorite part is the facemasks or … using the bath bombs together.

28: Which one owns a pet that the other is absolutely terrified of?

renjun has a small dog at his parents’ house and mark is absolutely terrified of it because that thing can go from being cute to rabid and snarling in one second. for some reason it hates mark and mark hates being there. help him.

29: Which one holds the umbrella over both of them when it rains?

mark just because he’s a tad bit taller and renjun doesn’t want to extend his arm for that giant. (mark isn’t really that tall… renjun is just bitter and lazy).

30: If your OTP went on vacation, where would they go and what would they do? Who would take the pictures? 

one of those disney places. they would be so cute there please, that’s where dreams come true and happiness never dies. i want them to make a little video together   liKE A VLog oh my god, im crying inside. they would be so cute going on rides together. just imagine it. ~

[housebeleren]

Ixalan Limited - Power Commons

It’s hard to believe we’re only a week away from Ixalan prerelease! There’s so much to consider in this first week, but really, it’s impossible to know what will be powerful until we actually get our hands on some cards and start playing.

But until then, it’s time to make some predictions! I’m going to do a quick run through the Commons that I think we’ll be seeing a lot of in Limited games going forward.

White

Of course the first card on the list is removal. While 4 or greater is a drawback, there are massive dinosaurs running around on this plane! I would not judge you harshly for wanting to make sure you have one of these in your deck, though I would probably avoid running more than one or two max in the mainboard, since it could be dead against Vampires or Pirates.

Vampires are the go wide strategy of this format, so 4 mana to generate two bodies is probably way better than 4 mana to get slightly bigger stats. If you’re drafting Vampires, I can’t think of much better Common filler than this.

Yep, more removal. While I would have loved to see this at 3 mana, given that Pacifism is only 2, I doubt this format will be fast enough that this card won’t see tons of play. Also, good job Wizards for making me look up Interdiction.

This guy seems great. He’s on the early end of the curve for Dinos, which is important, and he always gets to tap down your opponent’s best blocker. What’s not to love here?

Blue

Instant speed mega-bounce is always a strong play for Blue. This will be especially devastating against a giant Dino or (as the art suggests) Pirate Ship, particularly as they will have also tapped down one or more creatures to crew the ship in the first place. Be wary attacking into 4 open mana.

This is either a 1/2 Flying that draws a card on ETB or a 2/3 Flying with Scry 1 on ETB. Either way, that’s worth 3 mana. Plus it’s a Pirate, so it will play very nicely in the Pirates archetype. I think Siren Lookout will be a close to auto-include if you’re drafting Pirates, and will be highly playable even if you’re not.

I love these kinds of effects anyway, but given the number of ETB effects in this set, I think this card will be an especially high pick. If you can cast this in response to someone trying to Lightning Strike your Siren Lookout, they’re going to be in for a rude awakening. You’ll have effectively countered their removal, drawn a card, and then either drawn another card or Scried. This innocuous little card has the potential to be close to a 3 for 1 with enough synergy. Even if that is the very rare corner case, it’s going to be a 2 for 1 often enough that it will be a high playable. Also, if you have any strong Raid triggers, you can chump attack, flicker your guy, draw a card (assuming you flickered a Pirate since Raid is the Pirate mechanic), then get your Raid trigger. Cards like this are what make Limited so awesome, because the number of possible interactions are nearly endless.

Black

5 mana is basically the going rate for Common unconditional removal with an upside, and the format seems like it may be slow enough to support this card. The upside is very real as well. You can immediately use the mana to cast a second card on the turn, effectively turning this into a Sorcery-speed Murder. You can save up the Treasure to cast a massive 7 or 8 drop on the next turn. And you can also hang on to the Treasure to utilize some of the Treasure synergies in the U/B archetype. Again with the flexibility, so sign me up.

As Subtle Strike in Kaladesh taught us, this type of effect can be a combat blowout. Sure, you don’t get to keep the +1/+1 counter, but it’s a mana cheaper. The floor here is a 1 for 1 combat trick, and the ceiling is a 2 for 1, and either way, that’s worth a mana.

Probably the best Black Common in the set. This is very similar to Complete Disregard from BFZ, which was a card I was never sad to have multiple copies of. Lets just say I will be grabbing these shamelessly if I’m ever drafting Black, and I’m going to assume that everyone else will be doing the same.

Red

Firecannon Blast is undoubtedly the best Red Common in the set. 3 damage will kill most creatures that are annoying you, but what makes this so good is that the ceiling is so high. If you can swing with any creature, this will take out even most Dinosaurs, and that is critically important, since dealing with large creatures is typically a challenge for Red. They really powered up Raid this time around. Compare this with Arrow Storm from Khans of Tarkir. That card costs 5 mana for 4 damage, and the Raid upgrade only gets you to 5 damage. Sure, it could hit a player too, but I think having this lower cost with a bigger swing will make for a much stronger card.

Honestly, I’m not even sure about this one. The difference between the best Red Common and the second-best Red Common is immense. Tilonalli’s Knight at least passes the test to being better than average. If you have some  low-cost Dinos around, this will swing as a 3/3 pretty early in the game, and that’s no small thing. It does get outclassed pretty quickly, and is basically only good on offense. But for a 2 drop, it’s solid.

Green

Speaking of 2 drops that swing for 3, this guy seems super good to me. The first few turns, he’ll just get in for damage, since most blockers won’t be able to brawl with a 3/3. Once they do have creatures that can take it, you’ll either have pumped him up with +1/+1 counters or you’ll have bigger game coming down to take over. Definitely a power 2 drop.

I’ll happily pay 1 extra mana to make Prey Upon Instant speed. Because this is solid for Green, and every deck will want a couple of these.

I have historically found that people underestimate these French Vanilla creatures. Reach is fantastic in Green, and you’re basically not even paying for the ability. A 3/4 will successfully block most of the annoying fliers in the format. Seriously. By itself, Grazing Whiptail will block and kill 11 of the 15 flying creatures in the set, while staying alive itself. And the only ones that would kill it are 5 and 6 drops. As someone who frequently plays fliers, cards like this are the bane of my existence.

There really isn’t much in Artifacts or Lands that’s worth talking about at common, though Pirate’s Cutlass could be solid in the archetype. All told, from Commons alone, White, looks very strong to me, as does Blue. Green seems like it has a lot of potential as well, particularly when paired with Blue for a Merfolk build, or providing the ramp for Naya dinosaurs. Black has some decent removal, but the threats at Common seem pretty mediocre, so I’m thinking it may be something of a support color. Red seems like it might be the weakest color, just judging from the Commons, though it definitely got a few slam dunks at higher rarities, so maybe it just means that Red will be good only if it’s underdrafted in a given pod. But we’ll see!

[whirofinvention-blog]

My Brief Encounter With the Sun

It has been a while since I've posted here, at least relative to the rate I would like to be posting and to the events I would like to be attending. To start, I guess I should come clean and admit I didn't attend GP Portland. By now I've drafted three separate posts about my not attending, but they all sounded self-indulgent. Instead of a dedicated post, here's the bullet points:

- I did not know anyone playing in the main event. When I started this blog, I knew two people locked in to the event, but leading up to the event they all dropped out. This is not the end of the world, but it is nice to have friends around to celebrate and commiserate with.

- My deck choice was up in the air. As I have mentioned before, I own Hardened Scales and Lantern Control. My results leading up to the GP with Scales were middling at best. Lantern on the other hand has a better track record, but underperforms against skilled opponents. Plus both are faced with the daunting amount of sideboard hate present for KCI decks right now.

-Lastly, and most importantly, social anxiety was the big roadblock. This is something I have struggled with for awhile. It is far from crippling, but it is stifling at times. I get in my own head about it. Though the other two points were factors, they probably could have been ignored. My anxiety just let them become excuses.

There were still silver linings. I had a great time at the event site with friends playing EDH, and I bought and sold a lot of cardboard.

Plus, the Friday of the GP, I registered for Oakland. Maybe that little bit of disappointment in myself was the perfect push to get me to register for Oakland.

If you're reading this, it means you probably keep up with Magic pretty frequently and are already aware that I did not top 8 the GP this past weekend. It was the most successful weekend (in fact it was pretty heartbreaking), but I had a great time. Friday night I got into Oakland pretty late so did not have time to go to the convention center. Instead I went to the home of my friend David and his partner Kayla who graciously housed me this weekend. We ate some dinner and stayed up way too late drinking, catching up and playing games of Scales versus Mono-Red Phoenix.

Saturday, we got up and made our way to the hall for what was going to be a long day. Before Round 1, I got my beautiful full-art Bolt promo as well as my not-so-beautiful Tigtone playmat and sat down for my first round. Unfortunately for me, I got paired against a pretty rough matchup to start my tournament: UB Faeries. If you have never read the card Mistbind Clique, I would suggest giving it a look cause it is a very messed up card. We went to game 3, but ultimately, the tempo power of his deck combined with his suite of removal and counters proved to strong for my robots.

Round 2 can be described pretty easily. If you are playing against TitanShift and your opponent fails to ever draw a Primeval Titan or a Scapeshift, then their deck looks pretty atrocious.

The following round was the one that really hurt. Most of it is a blur besides the last turn. My opponent was on Grixis Death's Shadow and sitting at 5 life with a few cards, two shocks, a fetch, and a Gurmag and Death's Shadow. I had three lands (2 Nexus, 1 Citadel), a Hangarback on 4 counters with and activation up, a Mox, and a Ravager on three counters at 15 life. My opponent cantrips main phase, plays a second fetch, and goes to combat swinging with both. I know that if he has a Temur Battle Rage, and I don't block the Death's Shadow, I am dead, so I immediately block the Shadow. He then goes to 1 life by fetching a  shock and fetching a basic and TBR's the Shadow. I activate Hangarback and the Inkmoth and sacrifice all of my permanents besides the Welding Jar and a Thopter to the Ravager. We do the math. I have a 13/13 Ravager to his 12/12 Shadow. He tramples over for 11 and deals 5 with the Gurmag for lethal. There were two mistakes I made here. The first you may have noticed. If I was going to sac the Hangarback, why not block the Gurmag first. This one felt bad. The other was that I simply did the math wrong and thought the attack put me to 14.

This round spawned the quote of the weekend when I texted Dave: "I just punted my round 3 into the fucking sun." Unfortunately for Dave, he also made a round losing misplay this round, so we vented to each other which helped. Having a friend around can really help alleviate the anger/stress/sadness from moments like this.

Round 4 is where my tournament ended. My opponent was on Devoted Evolution. Game 1 I had a Hardened Scales and Ballista and was able to kill all his creatures easily. The other two games he assembled infinite mana and a mana dump with the first four turns. The only really relevant statistic I have is that all of the games where I resolved a Hardened Scales and was able to put a +1/+1 counter on a creature while it was out, I won easily. The deck felt extremely strong in those instances, and it won a couple games without the Enchantment. Overall, I can't be too disappointed given the amount of preparation I put into things and walked away proud of the fact that even though I scrubbed out early, I took my opponents to game 3 every time and had a nice time.

The rest of the weekend was side events which were super fun. I managed to play a couple Battlebond drafts with Dave which were great, but I want to quickly tell you about my ridiculous Ultimate Masters draft. 

The draft started with me taking a Demonic Tutor and getting passed an Unholy Hunger followed by a blue card. Pick 4 I saw a Spider Spawning and went all in. By the end of the draft I had an absolutely insane U/B/g self-mill deck that's win cons were pretty much just a Spider Spawning, Rise from the Tides and a Lab Man I picked up pack 3 pick 7. Round 1 I was paired against Dave, of course, and proceeded to slowly crush his U/W Heroic deck and killed him with Lab Man in 2 quick games. Round 2 didn't go as well. I got paired against the only other competent drafter at the table who was on G/W Heroic and made a 4/4 on turn 3 both games while holding up protection for it. After the games, my opponent told me that she thought my deck was the sweetest and probably the only other good deck in the pod which was nice.

There's not much else to say about the event, except it was a ton of fun, and I am already looking forward to the next one (GPLA in March maybe?).

Before I end things, I feel obligated to talk about the bannings announcement scheduled for two weeks from now. I know most of the world will never read this, but I want to stake a claim and call my shot now.

Modern has a problem that needs to be fixed: KCI. In a typical tournament 4 of the top 8 decks being the same archetype isn't the end of the world, but KCI has been showing a dominant performance in the modern metagame for months now. No matter how many copies of Stony Silence and Rest in Peace are running around, the deck still puts up amazing results. Plus the addition of Sai has made it so some games they just attack you to death. None of this even takes into account how the deck can have 10 minute turns and is a nightmare to sit down across at your local FNM.

As I see it there are a few different permutations for possible bans and unbans that may be on the horizon.

The first, and perhaps most vocalized ban, is Ancient Stirrings. This card is probably the best card draw spell in Modern and sees play in KCI, so it seems like the logical card to target with a ban. Unfortunately, I don't think banning it would actually do too much to KCI. If it were banned, I would expect the deck to just abandon green in favor of more blue sources to take advantage of Whir of Invention. Plus, if you ban Ancient Stirrings, then you are also hurting Tron, Amulet, Hardened Scales, and Lantern/4-Color Prison. Some people might say that it is for the good of the format to take the card out of it, but I have to ask, when is it good for a format to hurt 5 different decks with one banning?

The next most likely banning in my eyes is Faithless Looting. Much like Ancient Stirrings, this card is extremely powerful and is the only other card in the running for most powerful draw spell in the format (at least in my eyes). Looting is almost never used as a fair card and has shown how strong it can be in the recent resurgence of Dredge as well as the new Arclight Phoenix decks. The only reason I write about it here is I believe you cannot ban Ancient Stirrings without also banning Looting. If you get rid of Stirrings it will make the Looting decks stronger in the format. Now, if you ban both of them, you would be hurting a huge chunk of the format. Maybe this is what WotC wants. A fairer looking field of decks in modern. Personally, I don't want to play a format where the combo decks are Storm and CoCo with the other decks all being things like GBx, UW Control and Spirits. I cannot imagine a world where they ban just Looting and not Stirrings as well.

This brings me to the card that people have been asking about banning almost as much as Stirrings. Krark-Clan Ironworks. KCI as a deck obviously couldn't exist without the card KCI. The free sacrifice outlet is powerful and maybe is too powerful for Modern. It creates the mana to cast the spells. If WotC banned KCI, I think it would be a fine decision while only impacting one deck in the format. 

Still, I don't think banning KCI is the answer. The card has potential and provides a unique effect to the format, that could see other uses. Maybe people start turbo-ing out their Emrakuls or making giant Walking Ballistas with it. I don't know, but the options are there. Scrap Trawler on the other hand doesn't really seem to have the same potential and is the card I would most like to see banned. If KCI makes the mana, Scrap Trawler is the part that makes the loops actually happen. It gets you back the Spheres and Stars to draw the cards. Plus, it is hard for me to imagine this card ever doing anything other than degenerate interactions with egg-like artifacts. Just like with KCI, banning this would have no effect on the format other than hurting KCI, but I think KCI has more potential for fair things and for that reason should be left in the format. 

A few other thoughts I have on the current ban list. Though at this point in time it is pretty much a meme, I do believe Stoneforge Mystic would be a safe unban. It is rare that I find myself in a game where Stoneforge Mystic would be too good. Though it is a powerful card and will assuredly see play in fair decks, modern has become a strong enough format over the past few years that I doubt it would be an issue right now.

The other unbanning I could see happening, and actually want to happen more, is Preordain. Green and Red should not have the best one-mana cantrips in modern. Blue is the card draw color and blue deserves the best cantrip. There are a few worries with unbanning Preordain, specifically blue based combo decks like Storm would become oppressive. That may happen, but I believe that has more to do with storm being a bad mechanic than Preordain being too strong for the format. Plus, I think this might be the best solution to avoid having to ban Stirrings and Looting anytime soon. Maybe this would make the format too combo-centric, but this isn't Legacy where we have Ponder and Brainstorm. Fair blue decks would play Preordain and be better off for it.

Also, they should unban Punishing Fire just to see what the fuck happens.

Well, then. See ya soon I guess. Next time I will probably write about an EDH deck.

[inventors-fair]

Free Sample Group Commentary

Open doors only for today!

@scavenger98 I didn’t do runner ups this time but this entitled boy had serious potential, though I don’t understand the when cast part of the card. Anyway, great overall flavor, 0 actual impact like its cost, which is a good thing for this challenge. It can have serious uses in monarch matters environments, in decks that skip their draw phase for one reason or another (mad pair with Solitary Confinement ) and there can be interesting kitchen table politics since you get to decide who’s the next monarch!

@machine-elf-paladin Pretty smart flavor text and a deceptively innocent 0 drop which could warp the game around it, especially in limited formats, where it would feast on every blocker or removal target until it becomes a threat in its own right. Considering this, maybe haste is a bit too much.

@walker-of-the-yellow-path making a statement for the peculiar times we live in right now with their design! The cards reads fun, but I’m concerned about the impact it will have on the game it’s played. The back and forth of the Plaguebearer might feel too much in the long run. I would like it more if it had limited uses like in the peculiar case of Leech Bonder.

@i-am-the-one-who-wololoes one can’t go wrong with egg designs! Unlike other egg cards, this one has to “hatch” and not just break/die to get your birb, which is a neat flavor win!

@kavinika Not gonna lie, this lil robo put a smile on my face. It has the essential amount of usefulness for a 0 drop and later on, be it equipment or counters, you can make combat difficult for the opponents. I can’t wait to see more of Soscarus’ creations!

@askkrenko One major concern when designing 0 drops is what if the player gets to have two of them in the first hand? Will it be too much? The all-wise goblin lord of Ravnica tackled this problem with the introduction of the “basic creature” concept and I dig it. Yes, this goblin is stronger than the standard 0 drop, memnite, but at least you can play only one on your first turn. People with experience with affinity decks will know this matters quite a lot.

@aethernalstars Before the commentary, I’m pretty sure this hydra can enter the battlefield without counters but I don’t remember the method. Everyone please comment below to remind me of the card, it really bothers me that I can’t remember it XD Now on to the commentary, I like you used the trend in the flavor texts where Vivien describes animals from different planes! On the battlefield, a 0/1 will do what 0/1s do, but the “printed power” is the selling point of the card, be it revealing on exiling with Varolz.

@dimestoretajic This this the first of the three o drop gods we received! The art chosen for this is great, mighty yet hilarious XD The fury of Om rains down on infidels that mess with your creatures, and that damage can really make a difference. The threat of damage also “protects” your creatures so its a tad easier to actually flip Om’s switch!

@morbidlyqueerious The second god design comes in the form of a land creature. Technically lands aren’t qualified for this challenge since they don’t have costs at all but the problem of the design is that it’s very easy for Anagatha to start counting as a creature, and a 5/5 creature that is. If this was a regular god design for like 2 to 4 mana, it would be great, it has both a good straightforward condition and payoff.

@naban-dean-of-irritation Atropos has a very subtle impact on the game at any time, and its power level is lower than other graveyard hate cards, so I think it being a God creature evens things out. The creature awakening condition feels fair too. I believe it could see play in decks with some artifacts and/or morph shenanigans!

@emmypupcake If you frequent to mythic spoiler, you might have come across the ongoing meme of “Looks like dredge got a new toy”. I feel this can be said the wisps but for Arcades decks or defender heavy theme in general. However it being defender isn’t that much of a drawback for it to have more toughness than ornithopter, and I feel it would be really frustrating if your opponents could wall you with a 3 toughness flyer with 0 effort.

@evscfa1 Zuthfangg is a really interesting design in regards of using a drawback to justify the 0 cost of the card. And in our case the drawback/ the spice of the card is that the opponents have a say on what it can or can’t do. With that in mind, I think being a 1/1 would be okay. Yes, it would surpass memnite for sure, but it’s a legendary creatures so it makes sense!

@nine-effing-hells First of all, I got to praise your effort for writing two flavor texts, and the second in the broken message form! On to the actual card, I think it would look better if the specimen had counters and it loses them in order to transform. That would save some text and complexity. As for the power level, I think by the time you get this to transform, your opponent will be able to handle a 4/4 menace creature.

@whackycrack It’s so cute!!! And while innocent it plays pretty well especially with combined blocks and/or more tiny screamers!

@hypexion I really dig the design idea and the overall flavor but being either a 0/1 or a 4/4 flyer for 0 mana feels overwhelming. The optimal stats are debatable but my call would be either 2/1 or 3/1. I feels its ok to hit harder if you are the monarch, but the high toughness gives it more longevity than other more expensive creatures. What do you guys think?

@starch255 This design is meant for edh, where life totals and creatures are usually larger but gifting a 5/5 0 drop to an opponent so they kill all the other plays is surely undercosted, plus EDH has a lot of tutors so the threat is very real, even in a 99 card deck. A smaller body with some slight evasion would feel less oppressive?

@thedirtside Leyline of Anticipation’s best friend!! Buy yours while supplies last XD It also works well with blink effects. So this little kitty is either an innocent creature or an demon straight out of the Hellvault. Are cats allowed to have such power?

@snugz Fleeting Flame is strictly more fair than the spirit guides cards, and that says a lot. The elemental tag might also come in handy! What’s not to like?

@Danny Death triggers fit 0 cost designs because even if they do have an impact, it happens later in the game, so in this regard, Exploited Muse gets a passing grade! There’s like a lot of room in the card, so I kinda expected some sort of flavor text to explain the muse’s hardships etc

@whuh-oh a 0 mana sliver? You sir, like to play with fire! The average sliver deck appreciates all the ramp it can get but at some point the enters tapped clause will be a hindrance. Ι doubt this passes the 0 cost test, but I’m curious to see how different a Sliver deck would be with a playset of this in it.

@shootingstarhunter Another good strategy for designs with stats higher than the average of the mana cost is the group hug way! The design is also a nice throwback to the recent Generous Gift.

@misterstingyjack and @antediluvian-microchip​ With the innovation of Lithoform Engine, we can now have copies of creature spells, and two people jumped on the hype train to explore this design space. Ludevic’s Reject provides semi-useful bodies with a steep life cost, and Motes of dust, being true to their name, do.. a lot of etb and death triggers. However, there’s a reason MaRo named the storm scale after this wild mechanic, so for once, maybe we should trust Ludevic XD

@shakesZX Typical humans, they cry about being oppressed while they can enter the battlefield as a 3/3 for 0 mana and minimum effort. May Avacyn purge them! Also, it can somehow count the opponent creatures that enter the battlefield on your turn with flash or deathtriggers.

@wolkemesser​ Not gonna lie, didn’t expect to see a germ in a not-token card! The ability is really sweet, it obviously synergizes with living weapon and one scry every couple turns feels ok for a 0 cost card! Glory to Phyrexia!

@deafeningsandwichpeach​ I like that this card uses a condition to justify its power and cost but getting to ten Scute Swarms is a small miracle in itself, even with the built-in replication ability.

@milkandraspberry��� Symmetric effects are fair game in any mana cost, but the scale of this goblin is extreme. 5 damage swings can close the game very abruptly and sudden ends usually don’t provide fun or closure.

@teaxch​ The suicide recipe is never off the menu no matter the mana cost! I think this works well as a 2/1 0 drop. But I can’t help but wonder what evil acts a leech must do to return as a spirit horror XD

@ignorantturtlegaming​ Closing with a very interesting design that cares about multicolored cards. It would be bold to say this is a “build around me card” but I can see it being prime target for auras and other buffs while being supported by multicolored instants for protection. Also pearlescent dragon is all colors, which elevate it to high draft pick in environments like shadowmoor/eventide with their color matters theme.

[housebeleren]

Core Set 2020 New Commanders

Alright alright alright, it’s time again for a new set. Now that Core Set 2020 previews are officially done, it’s time to start evaluating cards for that very, very best of formats: Commander. I’ll run through the new Legendary creatures first, and see what looks like fun to build around. 

With that in mind, I just want to say that this core set has knocked it out of the park on the EDH front. Seriously. There are so many goodies in this set for us. It’s clear they had some Commander fans in the design team, and for that I am thankful. With that, let’s get to it.

I could’ve started anywhere, so why not start here? Apparently Wizards has figured out that people like foil Legendary Creatures & Planeswalkers, and that by putting them as buy-a-box promos, people will buy boxes. Smart cookies.

As for Rienne, she’s pretty sweet. People have been asking for more variety on Angel commanders, and Naya angels is one of the ones that was missing. Her ability is pretty frickin cool, and will encourage some specific deckbuilding choices, which I am very much for. She’s definitely casual, but could end up being surprisingly effective too. Cards you’ll definitely want for her are Saffi Eriksdotter, Qasali Pridemage, and any other multicolored creatures you can sac for value. Also, she could be great friends with Brion Stoutarm, if that sort of thing interests you.

Now, on to the actual in-set cards. Just look at this beauty. Daarken is a master at illustrating creepy crawlies, as this piece fabulously demonstrates.

As if the art weren’t cool enough, Yarok is likely the best new commander in the set. Panharmonicon is a format staple, and having one in your command zone is epic. Not only is Yarok a Panharmonicon, he also triggers off of Enchantments & Lands. Landfall triggers get doubled! Constellation triggers get doubled! The potential value is immense, and I think there are probably dozens of viable builds for this... guy? 

Yeah, we’ll go with that.

I’m sensing some flack out there about my old buddy Omnath, and I’m here to tell you that I won’t stand for it! Sure, he’s not inherently busted like Yarok, and Horde of Notions as a thing that is also Elemental tribal but with access to all colors. But no, I actually really like the design of new Omnath, Who Somewhere Acquired Blue in his Adventures. 

This, like previous versions of Omnath, is still a base Green deck as you’ll want plenty of access to ramp. But adding Blue gives you some nice perks, such as being able to run Mulldrifter and Master of Waves, which not only makes a bunch of bodies for Omnath’s first ability, but also is a lord for a tribe that really doesn’t have many of those. Tempt With Vengeance looks a lot better when all your Elementals are bigger than everyone else’s. Also, Blue opens up the possibility of running Deadeye Navigator (not an Elemental), which plays nicely with a pile of mana and Omnath’s first ability. All told, I like him, and I think he’ll be a casual favorite from the set.

I love this design. It’s very Jeskai while still being something I haven’t exactly seen before. Kykar wants to be a spellslinger, and there is no doubt about that. She (I’m totally guessing here, so apologies if I got it wrong) plays sort of like a twist on The Locust God, only... without as easily abusable of a trigger, no self-recursion, and no... mandibles? BUT, you do get access to White mana (good for wraths & powerful removal) and a mana ramping ability to keep the cards flowing. And let’s be real, you’re going to play ol’ Bugeyes in this deck too. Also Skullclamp, because you’re not going to turn down that shit, are you?

In the end, I suspect Locust God is probably more competitive, but I would be surprised if Kykar didn’t have some fans that prefer her. Oh! And there’s Bird tribal, so that’s a thing if you’re a masochist.

As I mentioned in a previous post, the trouble with Kaalia is really herself. Her old card, Kaalia of the Vast, somewhat overshadows this new “fixed” version. And ultimately, they make basically the same deck. Sure, in this version, you might aim for a little lower CMC on average, since you can’t cheat things out as easily, and you’re also probably not going to dedicate so many slots to giving her Haste & generating extra combats. But besides that, the decks will be the same. So, maybe 80% identical? But honestly, probably the best use for new Kaalia is in the 99 of the build of old Kaalia to help replenish her hand (which was a problem sometimes, trust me, I know from experience).

Cute card, and honestly I kinda prefer this design for being less degenerate than her first incarnation, but I doubt she’ll get much play outside of OG Kaalia’s 99.

I don’t know who wanted this card, but whoever you are...here it is. (Seriously, was anyone clamoring for Abzan Legends?) 

Mostly, my suspicion is that a Kethis deck will work something like a Karador, Ghost Chieftain deck, but with a greater emphasis on Legendaries. That said, I can’t shake the feeling that there’s some sort of bizarre combo in here. Paradox Engine and the newer Moxen are Legendary, and there are a bunch of Legendary creatures that tap for mana, such as Rishkar, Marwyn, and (of course) Rofellos. It shouldn’t be hard with some self-milling and a couple quick tutors to assemble a Paradox Engine fueled untappy-fest of awfulness from your graveyard.

To what end? I have no idea.

Two things. First, I “generally” hate 5 color generals. (Apologies for that one.) Second, I love this one. I think Golos may be my favorite new Commander from the set, and the one I’m the most likely to build. What I like about him is that he doesn’t fall into the trap that so many 5 color generals fall into, which is the trap of just being generally superior to other options. Why would you run any Warrior tribal other than Najeela? For that matter, why use the existing options for any tribe when Morophon is a thing? Like Legendary things? Who doesn’t? But why would you ever build a Kethis, the Hidden Hand deck when Sisay just does it better? No need for creativity anymore, Wizards has taken all restrictions away so you can fill any deck with the best every color has to offer.

Sorry, should’ve warned about the rant. So what I’m saying is, I love Golos because he is NOT that. There are better options out there, so if you’re going to build a Golos deck, you’re going to do it because something about this weird little golem speaks to you. Yes, I’m aware that there are likely plenty of ways to break this. Yes, I’m aware most of those ways involve Paraox Engine (quelle suprise). But mostly, he looks fun. He goes around finding lands, and then uses those lands to make some random shit happen. I like.

Okay, we’re done with the multicolor Legends, now it’s time for the apparently obligatory monocolor Cycle. First things first: who the hell named this card? Drakuseth? What, was Dragobob not quite good enough? I don’t think I’ll be able to say this card’s name without rolling my eyes. It’s like a bad 90s shareware fantasy RPG character name.

In any case, Wyverjohn, Mouth of Burns is as ineffective at doing anything as his name implies. He’s big, he’s dumb, and he’s not worth including in any of your decks. Sorry Drakaphil.

Well, this one is named slightly better. (In the same way that getting kicked in the face is slightly better than getting punched in the dick.) But the real good news is that as a Commander potential, he’s waaaaaay better. Yes, Hydras are a massively derpy tribe, so we’re just going to keep that as a given. 

But he’s an enormous 8/7 for 6 mana, can attack and block well, and he helps ramp out your other Hydras. Not only that, but he offers some level of protection against spot removal, since he’ll eat something else off the board any time one of your creatures gets targeted. Honestly, this might be the best Hydra tribal commander we’ve ever seen. That’s not saying much, but it is saying something. And if for some reason you’ve decided to build a different hydra general (for... reasons?), he’ll go in the 99 for sure. 

Okay, Miss Sephara here isn’t half bad. She’s crazy expensive for 7 mana, but she’s huge, and granting Indestructible to a whole pile of other Angels is no small thing. But the real fire is casting her for her alternate cost. Tapping 4 creatures with flying isn’t nothing, but there are plenty of decks that can make that happen fairly easily with Spirit or Bird tokens or some other such nonsense. 

Honestly, I think the place she’ll see play is in Angel tribal decks, where she offers some additional Avacyn redundancy to protect your flight. I’ll probably find her a spot in my Angel deck once the set comes out.

Atemsis is a weird design, but pretty damn cute design too. Let’s just say, casting her for 6 and then trying to loot your way to her win con one card at a time probably isn’t going to get you anywhere. No, what you’ll want to do here is draw your entire deck or some ungodly amount of cards, at which point you should easily have 6 different CMCs present. Then, all you have to do is deal some damage to your opponents. Attacking is so... uncertain. I’d rather find a way to have Atemsis deal damage safely from my side of the board, thank you very much. There are some janky equipments out there that can have her tap to deal damage, plus Livewire Lash, which only requires that she be targeted by something. In any case, I think there is a build in here somewhere, and she’ll also do fine as an inclusion in Sphinx tribal decks as well. Or other random decks that are just looking for weird alternate win conditions. That too.

Again with the names. Vilis sounds so much like Phyllis, so every time i read this card I can’t help but think that this demon is a trans great-aunt of some sort. So that’s a thing. Well, when evaluating this card, there’s an obvious comparison that has to be made. Razaketh, the Foulblooded is also an 8/8 Demon for 8 mana that has a card advantage ability. Vilis has the leg up of coming with built-in removal, as well as naturally synergizing with tons of other Black cards that will incidentally also cause you to draw cards. Plus, he naturally deters attackers because every point of damage taken will cause you to draw more gas. However, Razaketh is a repeatable tutor on a stick, provided you have enough bodies to chuck at him. And at the end of the day, why are you drawing a mess of cards if not to get to the specific ones you need to win? 

So, my hunch is that Razaketh will remain the more competitive option, but Vilis may very well be the more “fun” of the two. And in decks that can handle the mana, there’s no reason you can’t run both. I’m considering adding Vilis to my Rakdos, the Showstopper deck as another Demon & source of card advantage. (Also, I don’t have unlimited copies of Razaketh, so Vilis may do in a pinch.) All told, I think there’s space in EDH for both of them.

Oh, just whatever you do, don’t bring this guy out against a Nekusar player. K?

So that’s it. All the new Legendary creatures from Core Set 2020. Honestly, despite my griping, this is a really solid crop of Commanders, and I think nearly all of them have homes in EDH somewhere. (Drakuseth excluded. He knows what he did.)