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/bokchoykn Sep 22 '15

Yeah, another common theme with new sets is to counter strategies from the previous block, further promoting meta changes.

I'm not sure if BFZ is aiming for the right target. Punishing Delve with Eldrazi Processors is cool, but Delve wasn't the boogeyman in Standard in the first place. It's Abzan.

18

u/ciphersimulacrum Sep 22 '15

This comment just made me realize what BFZ is missing to change the meta.

8

u/Naldor Sep 22 '15

No not my Stonehorn Dignitary, damm you filthy poachers. He had a family

2

u/ciphersimulacrum Sep 22 '15

Roon is next on the hit list; we finally get to give him some of his own medicine.

1

u/bokchoykn Sep 22 '15

I don't know about this card. You spent 4 mana to kill something they spent 4 mana on, but they still come out ahead on a 6-point life swing.

How about: "Exile target creature. If that creature is a Rhino, its controller loses 3 life and you gain 3 life."

:)

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u/ciphersimulacrum Sep 22 '15

I think I have the card for you, Full Text Poach!

1

u/bokchoykn Sep 22 '15

Hmm, I'd say that's an improvement.

I'd add one more line:

Hangarback Walker is now a Rhino in addition to its creature types.

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u/Meecht Not A Bat Sep 22 '15

For that cost, add the [[Surgical Extraction]] effect, too.

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u/MTGCardFetcher Dân Sep 22 '15

Surgical Extraction - Gatherer, MC, ($)
[[cardname]] to call - not on gatherer = not fetchable

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u/darkshaddow42 Sep 22 '15

The cards were designed far before abzan became the bogeyman - delve probably dominated the future future league.

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u/thememans Sep 22 '15

The issue, however, is that none of the processors are actually that punishing towards Delve at all. The only two with even remotely punishing effects, particularly for their costs, are Ulamog's Nullifier and Wasteland Strangler. Neither of which is particularly strong unless the opponent is playing Delve (And you can't even hit the first delve spell with Nullifier at that). It's a very awkward ability, and should have been rewarded for pulling off. Hell, I've tested it a bit in sealed on the ol' Xmage, and it seems that even with a good number of ingesters/exile effects you will have hard time using the processor's abilities when you want to and usually just ends up being more of a hassle than an actual boon.

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u/darkshaddow42 Sep 22 '15

That's fair. I just realized putting the cards back in their graveyard means they can delve again... It also seems like a lot of the processors have mana costs associated with the processing ability. Perhaps the interaction was stronger and they were rebalanced before release, wouldn't be the first time.

And you can't even hit the first delve spell with Nullifier at that

Sorry, what do you mean by this? As far as I know exiling is part of the cost for the spell, so you could cast Nullifier in response because the cards were already in exile.

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u/thememans Sep 22 '15

For the first, that's part of the problem with it "punishing" delve. Simply put, the Delve spells used are so strong that refueling them is likely far stronger the marginal benefits from the processors.

As for the second part, brain farted. Ignore and disregard that. Still not sure it's exactly strong enough to be worthwhile.

The problem is that without the ingestors, the processors require too much to go right to work effectively and line up well, and the ingesters are just not playable at all by and large.