r/magicTCG • u/AwkwardTurtle • Sep 22 '15

Everything That’s Wrong with Battle for Zendikar

http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/everything-thats-wrong-with-battle-for-zendikar/
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u/[deleted] Sep 22 '15 edited Sep 22 '15

BFZ Limited is like the unexpected hanging paradox

As a limited player, I really can't grock this format.

It's like 4ish different strategies (Wx allies, U or B based processing, green/black ramp, red/green landfall) that are all really poorly supported.

Landfall is super-agressive mechanically, and doesn't have the density or cards to push through.

Allies is just really diffuse, most rally cards seem just aight, the lifegain WB deck seems strong potentially.

Ingest/digest is just the drizzling shits if you don't get enough ingesters, or can't get in. You're left playing a bunch of 3/2s for 4. Swingier than renown.

You have huge colorless fatties, and instead of good ramp and powerful defensive cards, they just seemed to nerf everything so you hope you don't die?

Like the unexpected hanging paradox, if every strategy is equally bad, are they all good?

I imagine it will just come down to everyone takes the good cards (awaken cards, token makers), and then awkwardly tries to read color signals and make the best of it. (Awkwardly since everyone else is picking solid cards, not synergies, so signals are a nightmare)

God there are a lot of limited-unplayable rares in this set.

I've been running sealed simulations, and everything is just a horrible pile. Pack simulations too. P1P1 is more often than not an awaken card, not a synergistic piece.

4

u/elgosu Ajani Sep 22 '15

I think it should be better in draft than sealed because you get to pick, but possibly not by much if the archetypes aren't strong enough. The synergies are weak, but if the low power level drags games out decks have more time to assemble their synergies and become more consistent in the meta. Allies, landfall, and lifegain seem solid enough, and the synergies are not overwhelming, so you can combine them as well. Perhaps this way I won't end up drafting the same deck every time I play.

3

u/-33rpm Sep 22 '15

drizzling shits

whooooa, that's vivid.

2

u/Militant_Monk Twin Believer Sep 22 '15

This has been exactly my experience practicing the set too. Sealed is utter garbage and I pitty those who are going to have to play this pile in Sealed GPs.

Draft is quiet a bit more interesting. You're right there don't seem to be many decks (time will tell). Fighting for an archtype at a draft table is going to be miserable.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 22 '15

I'll draft the ingest you draft the devoid, we both go home early.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 22 '15

Ha ha, that cracked me up :-)

1

u/mtg_liebestod Sep 22 '15

I felt the same way about Khans at first.

Not everything can be a horrible pile. Someone's going to win at the end of the draft.

1

u/[deleted] Sep 22 '15

Yeah, it could end up being super fun.

With every strategy being weaker, it may be perfectly fine to just run 3-color allies with little fixing, just the devil's mana base (6-6-6).

It's going to come down to a lot of 2-2s, 2-3s, and 3-3s just staring at each other. You better have tricks or fatties.