Unfortunately for them, some things never change; It's 11:55pm on the night before the December announcement is set to roll out; you've got to submit your changes in five minutes, or no changes take effect until the next announcement, and you've been too busy playing Call Of Duty: MW3 to actually work on this assignment. Way to go, slacker.
You have time to do exactly three things:
-Add one card to the list that isn't on there but should be.
-Take one card off that is on there but shouldn't be.
-Placate the RC by approving a card they've already got on there.
The good news is that you caught Sheldon on the phone three hours into a Napa Valley wine-tasting tour, and he gave you permission to use whatever criteria you want in your decision, format-be-damned. What do you choose? Why?
ADDED:
Sundering Titan
Even when it's just being played straight (instead of that dick with the Sharuum deck blinking it in and out of play to destroy more real estate than the San Andreas Fault), does anyone other than the person playing it actually enjoy seeing it hit the table? And once it does, how often does the game *not* devolve into an orgy of copy and steal effects, to the detriment of anything else that had happened up to that point? Dude's gotta go.
REMOVED:
Library Of Alexandria
Because I like old-school nostalgic cards, especially the ones that can slide into any deck. And I like lands that pull double duty, tapping for mana when you need it and providing you another solid effect when you don't. (Screw you, Maze Of Ith and Diamond Valley...)
Besides, how broken could it be? No-one is cracking this guy or this thing in half, are they? If you're doing your job correctly, every card in your hand should actually instead be in play and attacking someone anyway, so it's really just an uber-expensive card that's functionally inferior to Contested War Zone. Amirite?
Okay...that *might* be a stretch there. Honestly, though, I don't find it a back-breaking card advantage machine in this format for the average player; you'll get a benefit out of it undoubtedly, but you have to actively not play or run a combo in order to really break it, which is anathema to what most of us want in a game. Besides, it's going to paint a bulls-eye on your forehead the second it hits the table to begin with.
I think Library represents a banning borne more of a percieved threat, rather than an actual one. Will people abuse it? Sure...some will. But I have a feeling that this card would end up being fair more often than you'd think for the vast majority of players. Start saving your pennies, kiddies.
APPROVED:
Limited Resources
This card is on my list as a representative of cards that break the cornerstone of what EDH is about- playing your cards and having fun in the process. I'm typically a fan of getting rid of any card that effectively says:
"Players can't play the game anymore. While the person playing this spell goldfishes his deck, each other player picks one: Target player takes a nap; or target player hits the bathroom; or target player makes a sandwich; or target player plays Angry Birds on his or her cellphone."Some of the more painful game states I've witnessed in recent months have included things like Dovescape locks and Erayo into Arcane Lab; I like that the RC pays attention to both things that may be overpowered, and things that just bore you into a coma. I don't miss Erayo, and I don't think I'd ever want to see this in play either.
Where would you go with this?
--->DJ
Sure, why not?
ReplyDeleteADD: Time Stretch
I'm totally with you on Sundering Titan. I'd also approve of removing Time Stretch. In general, things that make people glaze over tend to ruin games, and taking two extra turns is a great way to encourage people to start wandering off to see what's happening in the other games. Add in that usually decks that play this are equipped to recur it or copy it, adding to the misery. I know it costs 10, and can be countered or redirected, but that argument can be applied to basically everything. There are already enough effects that let you take an extra turn; this one won't be missed.
REMOVE: Protean Hulk
Other than Library, this is the only card that I feel could be removed from the list without causing too much trouble. Sure, there are various chains of cards that allow you to create some nasty loops that probably go infinite, but I would imagine that most people would run this the same way that people use Saffi: it's a dude that gets you some extra value. Also, it's the one card on the banned list that people tend to be surprised by; I've seen many people who are running this in their green fatties list, only to be like, "What, this is banned?" If the RC is cool with letting WGD back in, maybe they would consider this as well.
APPROVE: Emrakul
I can't stand the Eldrazi, and I remember this thing ruining every game it got played in during the time it was legal. Getting to 15 isn't that hard, there are myriad ways to sneak it in, and Annihilator 6 will generally lock out whoever receives it. Oh, and I just complained about extra turn effects two paragraphs ago. Fuck this card.
That was fun.
->Mr. P
Add:
ReplyDeletePrimeval Titan. Actually not Primeval Titan exactly but the that we can rotate problematic cards onto the ban list to see where the format goes. I'd suggest 1, max 2, cards for this and PT & Avenger of Zendikar would be my first two candidates. 3 Months on the bench, wait for the screams when they come back into the fray.
Remove:
Gifts Ungiven. Wait, WHAT?! Gifts is an excellent, skill-testing card. I think that there's still too many arguments that defend it coming off given the number of other more immeadiate enablers in the format that aren't being considered. I don't believe in hand holding and this is a blatent case of the RC doing so. That said, I expect to hear screams were this to resurface.
Approve:
Limited Resources. What DJ said. A thoroughly unfair multiplayer card that defines unfun.