New Phyrexia Previews

[Spiderman]

It's started...

New Phyrexia

Can't copy the card for now, but it's called Elesh Norn, a Legendary Praetor.

 

[Oversoul]

I'm glad that they decided to make another expensive creature. I was just thinking to myself, "I've just about run out of things to do with seven mana."

 

[Ransac]

You know.... I'm fairly disappointed that, once again, wizards will end a block storyline with the "good guys" on the bad end of things. I understand that you wanna keep conflict going to allow design space, but it's getting boring constantly having evil succeed this much.

Ransac, CPA trash man

 

[Shabbaman]

On the bright side: it's not that bad to have a clear antagonist.

 

[Spiderman]

The website isn't as clear with this storyline as in the past, but is it clear that Phyrexia wins? Or are they beaten back once again?

I haven't thought evil has "won" constantly... sure, it may have turned a few of the initial "heros" or planeswalkers, but eventually its gone down... for a while...

 

[turgy22]

The website isn't as clear with this storyline as in the past, but is it clear that Phyrexia wins? Or are they beaten back once again?

I think the title of the set, "New Phyrexia," implies that the Phyrexians successfully conquer the plane of Mirrodin.

I am curious, though, about how much "evil" really prevails. What other times did the "bad guys" win? The only other block that comes to mind is Invasion/Planeshift/Apocalypse, but I sort of got the impression with that one that both sides kind of wiped each other out, which spawned the "rebuilding" world of Odyssey.

 

[Spiderman]

Yeah, I guess Phyrexia needs a home plane again...

 

[Ransac]

Zendikar Block-Rise of the Eldrazi: The Eldrazi are unleashed and the block ends with the Eldrazi decimating what they see (leaving open storyline)
Alara Block- Alara Reborn: Shards/Plane are/is by Conflux (Okay... I forgot that Bolas was turned back by Ajani)
Shadowmoor Block - Eventide: Oona is defeated, but Shadowmoor is not restored to Lorwyn.
Time Spiral Block - Future Sight: Karn gives up his spark to stop the rifts, several planeswalkers die.
Ravnica - Dissension: Parhelion explodes, Agyrem had overlaid atop of Ravnica, with Szadek still free.

The phrase "evil succeeds" was used poorly, but I haven't really felt that the good guys have won since the end of the original Mirrodin storyline.


Ransac, cpa trash man

 

[rokapoke]

I have to admit, as someone who hasn't followed the more recent releases, it looks to me like so many of these names have resulted from throwing stuff at a keyboard and leaving whatever gets typed.

 

[Oversoul]

I concur, but I'm kind of okay with it. I'll take a block consisting of words generated by throwing stuff at a keyboard over another stupidly fake Japanese block. If they want to make a new major character named "Yoaglioags" then whatever, but the day they print a card called "Cherry Blossom Karate Chop" is the day I procure a bus and run over R&D with it.

 

[Mooseman]

Have to agree with the fake Japanese block.... I was having nightmare flashbacks to Yu Gi Oh and a few other nauseating CCGs

 

[Spiderman]

but the day they print a card called "Cherry Blossom Karate Chop"

That actually sounds like a playtest card name...

 

[turgy22]

"Cherry Blossom Karate Chop" is an AWESOME card name. If they came up with something like that during the Kamigawa block, I would have enjoyed it a lot more. Instead, we got crap like "Suzuki, the Steel Horse" and whatnot.

 

[Shabbaman]

I don't know if any of you reads mtgsalvation's spoiler, but there's a card on it that caught my attention: a 5/5 with trample for BBBB. So, you ask, what is it's downside? There has to be some major drawback like Juzam had, or Negator, you say? Well yes sir, there is a drawback! Whenever a source deals damage to it, that source's controller sacrifices that many permanents. So let's hope that that is some translation error, because this drawback isn't much of a drawback. This card is really pushing the power level a few steps up. Sure, 'goyf is a 7/8 for 1G, but at least it doesn't have any other benefit. When I started playing Juzam was of a mythical power level. By now it has been surpassed, but this new card, well, this power creep just sickens me. It seems to me as if Wizards has decided that there were a few cards that shouldn't have been printed because of power issues (the power9+1, duals, yawgwin), but all other old cards should be relegated to cat box filler. Stupid. This idea struck me some time ago when I was building a second EDH deck. Where are all the old cards? It (R/G Ulasht) has Nevinyrral's disk, Sylvan Library and Taiga, but all other cards are relatively new.

 

[Spiderman]

I forgot to post about Mark Rosewater's article yesterday where he talks about New Phyrexia's design and how it was supposed to be the second set, not the third. Phyrexia is just the designated bad guy of the multiverse....

 

[Oversoul]

I remember the first time I heard about Baneslayer Angel (I don't usually bother to follow spoilers, so I find out about powerful cards after everyone starts using them for a few weeks or sometimes months). I asked what it was and Al0ysius said "power creep." I know this has been the trend and all, but if that translation is accurate (I'm going to assume that it might not be, since "Phyrexian Canceler" is kind of a weird name anyway), this must be just about the most egregious example of power creep ever.

The thing is, I wouldn't be that surprised that they would print something like this. Tomb Stalker is effectively a 5/5 flyer for two to four mana, with the drawback a few very minor drawbacks (poor synergy with some mechanics, not completely reliable, and such). Salvage Titan is a 6/4 with an alternate cost that is trivial for some decks. This only stands out because its low mana cost for its size is not based on game mechanics, but simply part of the card and it has a powerful ability. A 5/5 for BBBB would be impressive. Tacking on a positive ability (and a very powerful one at that) is just insane. But it's probably a mistranslation. I mean, Phyrexian Negator got away with being one of the more successful creatures of all time and it's one mana cheaper than this and its ability is pretty close to the exact opposite of this thing's ability. Even if nothing else makes this seem like a stupid idea, Phyrexian Negator's performance should be more than enough...

Edit: I forgot about the trample. Now I can't stop laughing. I guess if one is going to be absurd, one might as well go all out with the absurdity. Is there some chance that this was an April Fool's day joke or something?

 

[Shabbaman]

With an inverse Negator effect the trample doesn't really matter, because who in it's right mind would block it? Still, the difference between 3 and 4 mana is huge: 3 mana is Dark Ritual territory... And besides that, Negator was 2B, so you could play it off something like Ancient Tomb. If this is a fixed Negator it's unplayable. If it's an inverse Negator, the card looks like April Fool's indeed...

 

[Oversoul]

The trample adds insult to injury. Not only does blocking it spell doom for the opponent, but the opponent cannot even chump-block it to buy an extra turn and try to find and answer rather than die. Or at least, that becomes a lot harder (unless the opponent has a 0/6 or something).

 

[Ransac]

It's sad to think, though, that several decks in standard right now can laugh and ignore dealing with it if it hits the board.

0/6? Wall of Tanglecord ftw.

Ransac, CPA trash man

 

[Oversoul]

I don't know anything about Standard, but that doesn't seem particularly novel. In Legacy, plenty of decks could ignore a 5/5 hitting the board. Belcher, for example. Lots of decks can potentially ignore lots of things.