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4 years ago ::
Oct 17, 2009 - 2:57PM
#1
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This thread is for discussion of this week's Making Magic, which goes live Monday morning on magicthegathering.com.
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4 years ago ::
Oct 18, 2009 - 9:26PM
#2
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Date Joined:
Jul 14, 2009
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Bill Compton and Eric from True Blood are saddened they weren't invited to the Vampire photoshoot.
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4 years ago ::
Oct 18, 2009 - 9:32PM
#3
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Date Joined:
Apr 15, 2005
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Well, one can certainly class zombies as being more "in control" of how they are, but vampires do have two advantages in this regard, 1. having them be free willed with only a little personality hacking is the base templete for them. and 2. Vampires with Sex Appeal are alot easier to do then Zombies with Sex Appeal.
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4 years ago ::
Oct 18, 2009 - 9:42PM
#4
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Date Joined:
Oct 23, 2006
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"I didn't like the card as I didn't see the point of making a card strictly worse than a card that is already acknowledged as being pretty weak (Scathe Zombies from Alpha). But just as hard as I fought to remove it from the set (or at least get it back to   ), Ken fought to keep it as is. The majority agreed with Ken, and the card went to print. Now that the card is printed and I've seen the public's reaction, I will openly admit that I was on the wrong side and the correct choice was made." The fact that people didn't complain that loudly was because it was a common, not because the "correct" choice was made. Simply put, it was a card no one was going to care about anyway, and you get to pretend you did something for Vorthos.
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4 years ago ::
Oct 18, 2009 - 9:43PM
#5
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Date Joined:
Apr 16, 2007
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People pick lands in draft over Mindless null. It would be play-considerable at 2, it's simply terrible at 3, see Vampire Nighthawk.
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4 years ago ::
Oct 18, 2009 - 9:46PM
#6
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Date Joined:
Mar 20, 2004
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The difference between 'Malfunction' and Mindless Null is that Malfunction could still be relevant to the Block/Standard format (had the format not been broken by Darksteel) and it could be the right choice in a future deck to run both Malfunction and Annul. Mindless Null, however, is only marginally playable in limited, and isn't even viable in Casual formats. Specifically, 'Malfunction,' even though strictly worse than 'Annul,' would add value to my collection. Mindless Null adds no value to my collection. I see this as a problem, since the reason I and most people purchase new sets is for their collections. Even if a set is wonderful to draft, it won't be bought if too many cards are on the power level of Homelands. While I do understand that Wizards has to make inferior cards from time to time, I wish they would keep them interesting and viable for casual instead of making inferior cards for the sake of being inferior.
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4 years ago ::
Oct 18, 2009 - 10:02PM
#7
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Date Joined:
Sep 14, 2009
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I didn't like the card as I didn't see the point of making a card strictly worse than a card that is already acknowledged as being pretty weak (Scathe Zombies from Alpha). But just as hard as I fought to remove it from the set (or at least get it back to 1B), Ken fought to keep it as is. The majority agreed with Ken, and the card went to print. Now that the card is printed and I've seen the public's reaction, I will openly admit that I was on the wrong side and the correct choice was made. The card is viable in Zendikar Limited and I have publicly supported making worse versions of cards that still see play.
Sorry, Mark, you were right originally and are wrong now. The correct choice was not made, and Mindless Null is only playable in Limited as black filler when you've got nothing else for the slot.
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4 years ago ::
Oct 18, 2009 - 10:05PM
#8
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Date Joined:
Nov 27, 2005
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People pick lands in draft over Mindless null. It would be play-considerable at 2, it's simply terrible at 3, see Vampire Nighthawk.
This. Hell, it's worse than vampire lacerator, a card in the same set, rarity and color.
Also, between this and Steamflogger, I'm noticing a disturbing tendency towards WoTC thinking pissing off their fanbase amusing (On the other hand I've been inspired to see how big of a menger sponge I can make solely out of nulls).
Zammm = Batman. Bronies unite."I'd call you a genius, but I'm in the room." It's my sig in a box
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Everything is better when you read it in Bane's voice.
Your human antics and desire to continue living have moved me. Just kidding. You cannot move me physically or emotionally. Wall humor.
Copy effects work like a photocopy machine: you get a copy of the 'naked' card, NOT of what's on it.
Funny story:
InQuest Magazine (I think it was InQuest) had an oversized Chaos Orb which I totally rooked someone into allowing into a (non-sanctioned) game.
I had a proxy card that was a Mountain with "Chaos Orb" written on it. When I played it, my opponent cried foul:
Him: "WTF? a Proxy? no-one said anything about Proxies. Do you even own an actual Chaos Orb?"
Me: "Yes, but I thought it would be better to use a Proxy."
Him: "No way. If you're going to put a Chaos Orb in your deck you have to use your actual Chaos Orb."
Me: "*Sigh*. Okay."
I pulled out this huge Chaos Orb and placed it on the table. He tried to cry foul again but everyone else said he insisted I use my actual Chaos Orb and that was my actual Chaos Orb. I used it, flipped it and wiped most of his board.
Unsurprisingly, that only worked once and only because everyone present thought it was hilarious. 
My DM on Battleminds:
no, see i can kill defenders, but 8 consecutive crits on a battlemind, eh walk it off.
Hi guys! So, I'm a sort of returning player to Magic. I say sort of because as a child I had two main TCG's I liked. Yu-Gi-Oh, and Pokemon. Some of my friends branched off in to Magic, and I bought two pre-made decks just to kind of fit in. Like I said, Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokemon were what I really knew how to play. I have a extensive knowledge of deck building in those two TCG's. However, as far as Magic is concerned, I only ever used those two pre made decks. I know how the game is played, and I know general things, but now I want to get in the game for real. I want to begin playing it as a regular. My question is, are all cards ever released from the time of the inception of this game until present day fair game in a deck? Or are there special rules? Are some cards forbidden or restricted? Thanks guys, and I will gladly accept ANY help lol. 
I have the same problem with women.
Is this my new ego sig? Yes it is, other Barry
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And that's why you should never, ever call RP Jesus on being a troll, because then everyone else playing along gets outed, too, and the thread goes back to being boring.
See, this is why RPJesus should be in charge of the storyline. The novel line would never have been cancelled if he had been running the show. Specifically the Slobad and Geth's Head talkshow he just described.
Not only was that an obligatory joke, it was an on-topic post that still managed to be off-topic due to thread derailment. RP Jesus does it again folks.
I think I'm gonna' start praying to Jesus... That's right, RPJesus, I'm gonna' be praying to you, right now.
O' Jesus
Please continue to make my time here on the forums fun and cause me to chuckle.
Amen.
It was wonderful. Us Johnnies had a field day. That Timmy with the Grizzly bears  would actually have to think about swinging into your Mogg Fanatic  , giving you time to set up your silly  combo  . Nowadays it's all DERPSWING! with thier blue jeans and their MP3 players and their EM EM OH AR PEE JEES and their "Dewmocracy" and their children's card games and their Jersey Shores and their Tattooed Tenaged Vampire Hunters from Beverly Hills 
Seriously, that was amazing. I laughed my *ss off. Made my day, and I just woke up.
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4 years ago ::
Oct 18, 2009 - 10:11PM
#9
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Date Joined:
Apr 15, 2005
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Bill Compton and Eric from True Blood are saddened they weren't invited to the Vampire photoshoot.
As is The Count from Sesame Street. (No love for the brilliant bloodsucker that put the "school" in old school? Really?) And how does that tart from Twilight make the cut? He's not even a real vampire, just some sparkly emo golem... thing.
But now I must say this. Turning vampires into a tribe is indicative of a very real decline in Magic in recent years. (A debatable decline, to be sure, but it's still there.) The problem being that, in their haste to garner newer players, Wizards is alienating older players by changing things that needn't be changed. The first and by far biggest was Mythic Rares. I don't like them, niether do many others, and we don't need to go into it here. Suffice it to say, bad move. The second (and third, and forth,) came with M10. I could really give a s**t what the core set's called, but changing it from biannual (once every two years) to annual was not good, if only because it took away the chance for new Un-sets to see print. Then, there were the rules changes, the worst of which was the combat rules; Introducing The Conga Line of Doom, (a term that I might have accidentally created, maybe. Can anyone check on this?) while at the same time preventing players from reacting to combat damage (giving firm support to Wizard's policy of keeping effects from "just happening" by making it so that combat damage does exactly that. Curiouser and curiouser,) and on top of that removing manaburn from the rules, taking much of the gamble and excitement out of huge mana-ramp strategies while more generally allowing wasteful mistakes to go unpunished. Honestly, how are new players going to learn to conserve their resourses without a few loving smacks upside the head? And now, returning to relevance, vampires. I'll pause briefly to throw a huge disclaimer over this post stating that everything I'm saying is just my own humble opinion. That being said, vampires being dirt common is a contradiction in terms, especially when it comes to media, as so perfectly illustrated by that same picture another poster and I mentioned earlier. Vampires, almost by definition, are rare creatures, shrouded in mystery. They are aloof loners, trusting no-one, not even others of their own kind. So naturally, whenever some Hollywood schmuck wants a "dark, mysterious" character, who do they go with? Vampires. And it is always vampires, even in the case of Twilight, where they are vampires only in the sense that they drink blood. (You could call them ticks without any loss of literary accuracy.) Do you want to know why zombies make for a better "characteristic" race for black? Because it fits the MO better. A characteristic race is a group of creatures that are common, and numerous. Zombies are by their very nature common and numerous. Vampires are typically asocial and hard to come by. I'll grant that for one block, vampires as a race might be interesting, if only because it hasn't been done this way before, not even in Homelands. But outside the set? It wouldn't be good. Familiarity breeds contempt, and by now vampires are incredibly contemptable. On an unrelated but similarly undead note, why are Ghosts gone? Why, because they're "spirits of the dead?" Honestly, you look at Chilling Apparition and Hana Kami side-by-side and tell me what they have in common.
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4 years ago ::
Oct 18, 2009 - 10:21PM
#10
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Date Joined:
Feb 26, 2004
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I didn't like the card as I didn't see the point of making a card strictly worse than a card that is already acknowledged as being pretty weak (Scathe Zombies from Alpha). But just as hard as I fought to remove it from the set (or at least get it back to ), Ken fought to keep it as is."
Nagle, you b*****d, I thought you were on our side! This card was clearly supposed to be 1B because it's practically identical to Spineless Thug, just trading Mercenary status for Vampire allegiance. Your little joke has saddled millions of Magic players with cards that aren't even worth anything to their kid brother! WTF is the matter with you? You're the guy who builds hundreds of decks; you of all people should know that EVERY CARD NEEDS TO BE USEFUL, at least in a narrow context. No-one will EVER play this over Scathe Zombies, let alone Bog Smugglers. Curse you! I believe the original version of this card was made by Zendikar lead developer Henry Stern to have some more basic "enters the battlefield" kicker effects. Originally, the effect was a "Dark Banishing" effect for . Later in Development, it ended up as a Cruel Edict effect for
Apparently no-one even considered the version I want, which is the exact same card only saying "each player" instead of "target player". A Fleshbag Marauder whose sacrifice is optional would have been cruel; instead, the card is an utter no-brainer. Who would ever not pay just one mana to Edict their opponent? No decision-making is involved in the card as printed. About creature types: Vampires vs. Demons was never sensible to me; vampires are kinda tough, but nowhere near as tough as demons should be. Moving vampires to a lower size in general is appropriate; the lore indicates that only the most ancient vampires have the power to be iconic fatties. And while Zombies were starting to get interesting in Grixis, having intelligence and a culture as "post-human" mutants, the traditional "braaaaains" zombie is pretty played out and I won't miss them if they take a good long breather. However, in general I wish Magic would get away from the idea that each color should have one iconic and one characteristic creature; I am incredibly tired of Goblins, Elves, Merfolk, Angels, Demons, Sphinxes, and even Dragons (at least as long as they're nothing but predatory fire-lizards). I want variety, dammit; I want to see different takes on the concept. I want some Dwarves again already! I want goofy oddball races like centaurs and nantuko, kithkin and loxodon, cephalids and vedalken. And for the fatties, try some out-of-the-box thinking instead of the same old stereotypes! Experiment Kraj and the various Nephilim were neat; I'd like to see more of that kind of thing instead of the usual cliches. By the way, does someone want to clue me in on what the black tribe was before it was vampires? I'm thinking Skeletons might have fit the vague "Indy Jones" feel of Zendikar.
My New Phyrexia Writing CreditsMy M12 Writing CreditsAs far as the benefit of the rest of Magic is concerned, gold cards in Legends were executed perfectly. They got all the excitement a designer could hope out of a splashy new mechanic without using up any of the valuable design space. Truly amazing.
--Aaron Forsythe's Random Card Comment on Kei Takahashi 
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you loads
