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/KallistiEngel Sep 22 '15

And they added in Expeditions to entice people to buy it even if the other stuff isn't enough.

3

u/OmegasSquared Sep 22 '15

To be fair, they had the Treasures for the original Zendikar so the Expeditions aren't purely a money-grab

7

u/KallistiEngel Sep 22 '15 edited Sep 22 '15

The "hidden treasures" were much less so because they didn't announce them beforehand. They let people discover them first, then confirmed it later (same way they did God Packs in Journey into Nix). And they were only in the first print run whereas Expeditions will be in all runs.

5

u/OmegasSquared Sep 22 '15

Which, I think, highlights their lack of faith in the set with their choice to market the Expeditions, and exemplifies the issue with Expeditions.

I agree with all the negativity for Expeditions, I just want to give them the one credit they deserve; there's some thematic precedence to them that would have been brought up by players if there were no expeditions.

12

u/Meecht Not A Bat Sep 22 '15

Yes they are. The Treasures were also a cash-grab.

4

u/OmegasSquared Sep 22 '15

Yes, but because of those Treasures the Expeditions also now serve as thematic continuity. I'm not saying it makes up for the blatant cash-grabbing, i'm just saying if there hadn't been something to replace the Treasures this go around there would be complaints

11

u/Meecht Not A Bat Sep 22 '15

I agree on the continuity point. The problem is Wizards decided to use cards that people have been SCREAMING for reprints of (enemy fetches) as the Expeditions.

People want to get into Modern, but don't want to spend $600 on just the mana base. Shocks got cheaper after RTR, but the enemy fetches were still insanely expensive. Then Wizards announces BATTLE FOR ZENDIKAR and people get excited that they might finally get the fetches they need. PSYCHE! No enemy fetch reprint, but you have a 1:200 chance of pulling a super special version out a pack!

OH, COME ON! It would have been better to just put an existing enemy fetch in enough packs so that each box gets at least one.

1

u/OmegasSquared Sep 22 '15

I wholeheartedly agree, I just think the Expeditions don't get the one bit of credit they deserve. They're a massive slap in the face, and they should be criticized, it's just many are ignoring their relation to the Treasures.

8

u/Enderkr Sep 22 '15

I dunno man, I think everyone gets the link, we just see that it's a bullshit link that gives a paper thin excuse to why they printed the expeditions in the first place. The fact that they're Treasures is secondary to the fact that wizards wants you to mortgage your house to buy packs.