A Planeswalker's Guide to SPPf (Magic: the Gathering)

[Kamotz]

I'm personally more for Standard in terms of the Format. Though you can do whatever, I suppose.

[DucksGoMooful]

I'm personally more for Standard in terms of the Format. Though you can do whatever, I suppose.

I don't like Standard as much as some of the more casual formats like EDH, so if it were up to a vote, I'd probably vote EDH. But what exactly is Cockatrice?

[Kamotz]

Yeah, but you can't combo-off and win on T3 in Standard...

EDH can be uber-competitive with the right selection of cards.

Cockatrice is a free-to-play program that lets you play Magic over the internet. http://cockatrice.de/

[palingensia]

fnm on sppf would be something cool and i would be down for it as long as it's at a reasonable time. unless we just do a week-long fnm tournament to avoid timezone issues as much. we could also do custom card sets collectively or something, for eventually creating our own custom environment or something ridiculous like that lol.

[DucksGoMooful]

fnm on sppf would be something cool and i would be down for it as long as it's at a reasonable time. unless we just do a week-long fnm tournament to avoid timezone issues as much. we could also do custom card sets collectively or something, for eventually creating our own custom environment or something ridiculous like that lol.

Yeah, it would be pretty cool to make a set together as a mini-community (I have big dreams all the time).

@Kamotz I'm good with whatever, all I'm saying is I'd less prefer Standard to some other formats, although I'll definitely still play it.

[The Admiral]

Maybe occasionally we could do other stuff, like Modern Pauper or a Choose Your Own Standard (determined by the head of the league at the time?).

[Kamotz]

Yeah, it would be pretty cool to make a set together as a mini-community (I have big dreams all the time).

@Kamotz I'm good with whatever, all I'm saying is I'd less prefer Standard to some other formats, although I'll definitely still play it.

I don't think Cockatrice has support for made-up cards, but I could be wrong...

[DucksGoMooful]

I don't think Cockatrice has support for made-up cards, but I could be wrong...

Well regardless, we could still make a set together, though we may not be able to play with it on Cockatrice (although I think other programs might work with make-up cards).

[Kamotz]

Well regardless, we could still make a set together, though we may not be able to play with it on Cockatrice (although I think other programs might work with make-up cards).

In that case, we'll need a set of about 245 cards:

15 Mythics
55 Rares
60 Uncommons
100 Commons
15 Basic Lands

[The Admiral]

If someone has a few general ideas on what mechanics to run in this set/flavor/anything, drop them here, too. I probably have designs. I have a few relatively flavor- and mechanic-neutral designs around, too. (Also, as a note, I tend to design with shroud instead of hexproof, even though shroud is currently deprecated.)

I still like the idea of a Create-Your-Own-Standard once in a while, but it doesn't seem like anyone else is that in. Maybe it's just me that thinks something like Mirage + Ravnica blocks + core set would be interesting. I'm not always full of good ideas, though.

[the3rdH0kage]

Poisonous (Because Infect is so overrated). But anyway they announced the M14 Core Set.

[palingensia]

cockatrice does have support for custom cards.

also before anything we'd need to choose a theme for the set. i saw a really tiny set somewhere that was multicolour and colourless in the same place, and was thinking about how to do something like that. it's hard to come up with a reason why they need to be colourless though.

[DucksGoMooful]

^Well, going along with that idea, the citizens of the plane could be living in harmony (hence the multi-coloured-ness) and they have a very advanced civilisation with a lot of technology (hence the [I'm assuming] artifacts and colorless stuff). Unless you meant colorless non-artifacts.

[Kamotz]

Well...they found a reason with the Eldrazi in that they originated in a place without colored Magic. And Artifacts and artifact-creatures are colorless. The first thing to do, I suppose is figure out the location and flavor of the set, which then leads to theme and style. I wouldn't suggest making up new abilities and keywords just because there's such a huge development process that goes into designing it, testing it, and making sure it's balanced.

[the3rdH0kage]

I should be getting on trice later.

[Kamotz]

Getting back to the idea of a Serebii MtG League, I'm willing to try and get this Serebii "FNM" started possibly for this week. I think it's best that, in order to avoid time zone conflicts and time constraints, we try and run it over the course of the next week. Like, R1 takes place from Friday/Saturday. R2 takes place Sunday/Monday. R3 takes place Tuesday/Wednesday. I doubt there'd be enough of us to require 4 rounds and a cut to top 4, but if we have to, we can do that on Thursday.

Round setup would be the usual thing. Best of 3 games. Report your win as 2-1, 2-0, or a draw at 1-1-1. We wouldn't have a real game/round time-limit, so time-out draws wouldn't be a thing for us...which is nice.

So...sign-up?

Serebii name:
Cockatrice name:

The only thing we'd have to do is coordinate with our opponent what time to play. Also, if you guys see anything that I'm overlooking, let me know.

Serebii name: Kamotz
Cockatrice name: Kamotz

[the3rdH0kage]

I'll play

Serebii Usermame: look up if you don't know
'Trice username: the3rdH0kage

For the first one to kick it off, I say Planechase Commander if possible, or just Commander.

[Kamotz]

The issue with EDH (Commander) and especially Planechase Commander is that it will take (almost literally) forever.

[the3rdH0kage]

It is fun though. I was at the local shop and we played a 8 player Planechase/Commander game. Took forever to finish. I came in second.

[Kamotz]

an 8 player EDH/Planechase casual game can be fun. But to do it for an organized FNM...and 1-on-1...

[niedude]

And Best of 3 Round Robin...


BTW if we go an EDH or Planechase FNM this week, I'm out. I've never made an EDH deck, and it would take me long to perfect one I'd be happy to participate with.

[Kamotz]

And Best of 3 Round Robin...


BTW if we go an EDH or Planechase FNM this week, I'm out. I've never made an EDH deck, and it would take me long to perfect one I'd be happy to participate with.

This.

There's so much that goes into making an EDH deck. It's more than just "pick colors, pick a general." You have to decide between generals and pick the cards that really work with them. Maelstrom Wanderer vs. Animar vs. Riku. Thrax vs. Sedris vs. Garza Zol. Karrthus vs. Kresh. Mayael vs. Uril. Karador vs. Ghave...

And each decision means you have a million different cards and combinations that work with them.

[The Admiral]

That is true, EDH is kind of... a process. If we're doing Planechase, is it still standard, or what?

Poisonous seems okay as a mechanic. We already have some possible flavor for it, and a card.

Having a start seems good.

Even then, it feels kind of... narrow. Also, so far, it's B/G only. Anyone want to put anything else in?

[Kamotz]

Poisonous is essentially a more complicated, less streamlined version of Infect.

[The Admiral]

Yeah, that is also a big problem. Poisonous seems a little clumsy in the face of infect, and if you have e.g.:

~ 2G
Creature - type
Poisonous 2
2/3

Compare this to Cystbearer, and frankly, this theoretical card whomps. Its poisonous value doesn't increase with its power, so if you're going for a poison strategy, it's worse than Cystbearer. It also doesn't have the wither effect.

But if that's what people want... (Personally, I'd like to possibly put in a few small aura swap effects.)