Magic: The Gathering

[Mr. Nemo]

There are many combos you can use with an instant "make any spell have flashback" card. The 2/1 weenie part is just icing on the cake. Some of the older discard spells like Brain Freeze would be crazy powerful to give an example. For 6 mana (going off the idea of saying it should four instead of two), you can instantly make your opponent lose 9 cards+3 for whatever he played that turn. That ain't too shabby considering you only had one card in your hand and a card you probably already used to begin with.

Speaking of balance, you should take a glance at some of the interviews with the lead designer of MtG. The guy pretty much tells you Power Boosting is a myth and the game isn't isn't being watered down with overpowered cards. Meanwhile, he admits they don't care about what the older sets have in their arsenal and how it could have an impact on the players who don't play in tourneys. They treat the "product" one block at a time and can't be concerned with how their older product could mesh with the new sets.

[Gypsy]

while the newer sets are strong monsters, weak spells.

More or less. Preordain was sex and fairly recent but generally spells (Preordain included) are much weaker than the really old shit (and not just the early stuff I suppose, Urza block had some rocking spells iirc). But honestly cards like Time Walk, Ancestral Recall etc... are beyond overpowered.

I definitely see the merits of Snapcaster, he's an EOT threat and his ability is icing, but because he's attached to such a small body he's almost negligible... Almost, I wouldn't want to see multiples EOT against me, I wouldn't even want to see 2 for that matter, that would be bad news. That being said I don't think I'd pay 4-5 mana for him.

Being able to dupe instants in my grave on your turn and in general being able to recast spells is why he's so good in older formats. He would be unplayable in competitive older constructed formats if he cost more mana.

Speaking of balance, you should take a glance at some of the interviews with the lead designer of MtG. The guy pretty much tells you Power Boosting is a myth and the game isn't isn't being watered down with overpowered cards. Meanwhile, he admits they don't care about what the older sets have in their arsenal and how it could have an impact on the players who don't play in tourneys. They treat the "product" one block at a time and can't be concerned with how their older product could mesh with the new sets.

Plus they will just ban whatever cards they feel like to make an older format more varied and interactive. Just look at the Modern ban list. They did a pretty good job initially (they missed Nacatl but w/e) and have just been issuing bans right and left when anything starts appearing in too big a percentage of the decks in official tourns.

This isn't even an issue in Standard like you mentioned because a lot of the combos and power balance issues that become apparent often involve older cards. They do a pretty good job keeping standard balanced aside from a couple recent bugaboos.

[TheRealSpiders]

More or less. Preordain was sex and fairly recent but generally spells (Preordain included) are much weaker than the really old shit (and not just the early stuff I suppose, Urza block had some rocking spells iirc). But honestly cards like Time Walk, Ancestral Recall etc... are beyond overpowered.

Blanket statement, though generally true. I feel like there have been a few shining examples, Bitter Blossom, Cryptic Command, Maelstrom Pulse. That's all I got, I don't really know anything past Zendikar, and even my knowledge of that is a bit shaky.

[Gypsy]

Yeah I was just kind of supporting what he was saying about spells not being as powerful now.

Bitter Blossom started as a 50 cent rare. Shows how dumb the player base is.

Some more recent cards that are really good/a little bit eternal (only a very, very few new cards ever see vintage play obvs, but legacy play is another story, hell icr what all formats the first card on the list is banned in): Mental Misstep, Thoughtseize, Into The Roil, Aether Vial, Inquisition of Kozilek, Spell Snare, Surgical Extraction.

You'll notice the main theme there. 1 CMC aside from Into the Roil.

[Mr. Nemo]

Blanket statement, though generally true. I feel like there have been a few shining examples, Bitter Blossom, Cryptic Command, Maelstrom Pulse. That's all I got, I don't really know anything past Zendikar, and even my knowledge of that is a bit shaky.

The main guy I talked to about that generalization was a card/board game shop owner who started his business about a year before MtG came out. What he meant was the impact of creatures to spells changed ever since ...crap, I want to say sixth edition, but I don't remember what exact set/block he mentioned. It wasn't that spells nowadays are weaker in comparison to the older sets, but more like the focus of the game is based less on spells, and more on the creatures being much stronger than they were in the past. Basically, instead of having plain Janes' with no abilities, they focused on having abilities that normally would have been their own spell, attached to a creature (like that flashback creature card). Hope that clears up that blanket statement a little bit.

[TheRealSpiders]

The main guy I talked to about that generalization was a card/board game shop owner who started his business about a year before MtG came out. What he meant was the impact of creatures to spells changed ever since ...crap, I want to say sixth edition, but I don't remember what exact set/block he mentioned. It wasn't that spells nowadays are weaker in comparison to the older sets, but more like the focus of the game is based less on spells, and more on the creatures being much stronger than they were in the past. Basically, instead of having plain Janes' with no abilities, they focused on having abilities that normally would have been their own spell, attached to a creature (like that flashback creature card). Hope that clears up that blanket statement a little bit.

Oh I get it, yeah, that does clarify.

Yeah, I definitely agree that statement, though I'm kind of happy that the change occurred, it give you the ability to stream-line your 60 card pile with MORE synergy.

[Gypsy]

Affinity is quite different in Modern what with all the main artifact lands being banned. Still good though. Just played a mirror and won 2-0.

[TheRealSpiders]

Affinity is quite different in Modern what with all the main artifact lands being banned. Still good though. Just played a mirror and won 2-0.

Affinity. No metal lands.

[Gypsy]

I'll admit it's a bit less affinity and a bit more beat you down fast with metalcraft as well. It's just called Affinity for old times sake.

Here's a decklist.

4x Cranial Plating
4x Mox Opal
3x Springleaf Drum

4x Arcbound Ravager
3x Etched Champion
4x Frogmite
4x Memnite
4x Ornithopter
4x Signal Pest
4x Vault Skirge

4x Galvanic Blast
3x Shrapnel Blast

3x Blinkmoth Nexus
4x Darksteel Citadel
4x Inkmoth Nexus
4x Mountain

Board

3x Torpor Orb
3x Atog
3x Ethersworn Canonist
4x Blood Moon
2x Mindbreak Trap

[TheRealSpiders]

This thread should be closed again, it makes me want to play Magic, I really don't want to play Magic.

[Slacker Magician]

Delver of Secrets is enraging.

[TheRealSpiders]

Delver of Secrets is enraging.

It transforms? The fuck? Is that you Kamigawa?

[Gypsy]

Transformed version is a 3/2 flier. With Punishing Fire banned it's pretty legit in Modern.

[TheRealSpiders]

Transformed version is a 3/2 flier. With Punishing Fire banned it's pretty legit in Modern.

How does that even work? Is the transformed version a separate card or something? Because that's what I get when I look it up.

[Gypsy]

Yeah that's what happens. He becomes Insectile Aberration.