Yuri Walkiw
Canada
Sturgeon County
Alberta
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Now that Magic 2013 has been officially announced, I wrote an article about what I'd like to see in M13. I'd be psyched if you checked it out and shared what cards you'd like to see come or go. I definitely want the Titans gone, and I'd love to see Cascade come back as a featured mechanic.
Magic 2013 Wishlist
Thanks! 
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Andrés Santiago Pérez-Bergquist
United States
Mountain View
California
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ypod wrote: I'd love to see Cascade come back as a featured mechanic.
I can guarantee they won't bring that one back in a core set. It's rather complicated, depending on the relative converted mana costs of cards, (compare it to the straightforward simplicity of Scry and Bloodthirst). Plus, it's a nightmare to balance, with cards that feature Cascade either overcosted or downright broken, with a very narrow and hard-to-hit band in between.
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Doron Blake
United States
Lakeville
Connecticut
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I think it's unlikely we'll see Cascade brought back ever. It sounds like a good idea in theory, and there are some interesting existing cards, but it definitely warped some constructed formats the first time around. Maybe a variant of cascade could be developed that isn't such a sure thing value-wise, or that had an extra cost associated for the benefit. For example, Cascade combined with kicker could be an interesting combination.
I think the Titans are likely out after two years, in favor of a brand new, splashy cycle of some kind.
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Todd Pytel
United States
Chicago
Illinois
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With memories of Jund still so fresh, I can't imagine Cascade returning any time soon, if ever.
I would be shocked if Titans stayed - everyone seems to agree they've been around long enough. I think it would have been better for them to leave last year - part of the point of running yearly Core Sets should be that high-impact cycles like Titans can be introduced but then exit before they've overstayed their welcome.
Wizards likes to tie a few core set cards into the broad mechanics of surrounding blocks. So since M13 will follow Innistrad, I'd guess a few more graveyard-focused cards than usual might show up.
It would be nice to see one or two classics reappear. I can dream of UU Counterspells, but I don't think that's ever going to happen (though I don't think I've ever heard WotC expressly rule it out). A fresh printing of Wrath of God would be cool. It's not all that much better than Day, and there are several regenerators in the last couple blocks it could mess with.
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Pete Lane
United States
Saint Paul
Minnesota
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I am betting all on the Ravnica dual lands returning.
Reasons:
- Both MaRo and Arron have said they will be planting Modern reprints in new sets to help support it. Everyone at WOTC wants this format to succeed, so it makes sense to push something huge for this right away.
- They've given us 10 rare lands in Core Sets before, i.e. Pain Lands.
- The names of the cards were announced during their release as being "Generic so we could reprint them again if we wanted."
- Outside of Goyf... there is no other reprinted card that would get the player base foaming for M13. M12 wasn't as dynamic or impacting as they had hoped... and this is a way to promise huge sales if the remainder of ISD bombs and the fall set isn't as well received. Remember... 2011 was huge with Innistrad the best selling fall set of all time, Beseiged the biggest selling middle set of all time, and the Commander product being the biggest selling "non set packaged item." They need to keep momentum, and what better way than to push something people WANT BADLY.
As for Titans... Aaron pretty much said they wouldn't be back both on Twitter and in his year end article that was published this week on the mothership.
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Matt Vollick
Canada
St. Thomas
Ontario
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I'm not sure what's likely to show up in M13, maybe something involving poison counters (but not infect).
I really liked Arachnus Spinner and Arachnus Web and wondered why you didn't care for them.
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Andrés Santiago Pérez-Bergquist
United States
Mountain View
California
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tppytel wrote: It would be nice to see one or two classics reappear. I can dream of UU Counterspells, but I don't think that's ever going to happen (though I don't think I've ever heard WotC expressly rule it out). A fresh printing of Wrath of God would be cool. It's not all that much better than Day, and there are several regenerators in the last couple blocks it could mess with.
Counterspell is just too good. A universal answer for just two mana makes passive control decks too powerful, leading to an oppressive environment that drives away new players. Even Mana Leak plays close enough to Counterspell that it's toeing the line of what they're willing to print, but it eventually falls to the wayside in the late game allowing big flashy cards to shine.
Wrath of God is just a casualty of "destroyed and may not be regenerated" being generally deprecated to make regeneration actually worth something and to make exiling (which is used a lot more these days) more distinctive from destruction.
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Todd Pytel
United States
Chicago
Illinois
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Santiago wrote: Counterspell is just too good.
I agree. But if they can reprint Bolt without breaking the game, surely it would survive a reprint of Counterspell as well. That being said, I don't see it happening. Wizards has said several times that they want to steer the game away from old-school control, as it's less appealing for new and casual players. So while I think it could be done, I don't think it will be. Besides, a Counterspell reprint would make it legal in Modern, and I definitely don't think they want to go there.
As for Ravnica dual lands, those are clearly coming some time soon. It's just a matter of how and when. The old M10 duals have certainly had more than enough core set time at this point. It would be logical to replace them with Rav duals, and would certainly drive a lot of M13 sales. I'm not sure they would do all 10 at once in a modern core set, though. Wizards' design requirements for the M10-era core sets are pretty demanding, and I don't think they would be happy with taking up 10 rare slots on duals. It could happen, but I think it's more likely that we see them split 5 and 5. Maybe 5 in M13 and 5 in the next expansion or in M14?
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Matt Vollick
Canada
St. Thomas
Ontario
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tppytel wrote:
As for Ravnica dual lands, those are clearly coming some time soon. It's just a matter of how and when. The old M10 duals have certainly had more than enough core set time at this point. It would be logical to replace them with Rav duals, and would certainly drive a lot of M13 sales. I'm not sure they would do all 10 at once in a modern core set, though. Wizards' design requirements for the M10-era core sets are pretty demanding, and I don't think they would be happy with taking up 10 rare slots on duals. It could happen, but I think it's more likely that we see them split 5 and 5. Maybe 5 in M13 and 5 in the next expansion or in M14?
Splitting the Rav duals over two core sets would create issues for Standard and that is why I doubt we would see them split up.
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Pete Lane
United States
Saint Paul
Minnesota
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tppytel wrote: I'm not sure they would do all 10 at once in a modern core set, though. Wizards' design requirements for the M10-era core sets are pretty demanding, and I don't think they would be happy with taking up 10 rare slots on duals. It could happen, but I think it's more likely that we see them split 5 and 5. Maybe 5 in M13 and 5 in the next expansion or in M14?
Well if they wouldn't want to clog up 10 spots in m13... It's possible they'd take advantage of the large 3rd set in the ISD block. Let's face it... the shockland names would fit in very well in the plane of ISD.
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Todd Pytel
United States
Chicago
Illinois
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Vollick1979 wrote: Splitting the Rav duals over two core sets would create issues for Standard and that is why I doubt we would see them split up.
Good point. Still, my impression from reading Rosewater, etc. is that WotC is *really* fussy about keeping new core sets classic, streamlined, new player friendly, etc. I think that's generally been very successful for them. I just don't see them taking up 10 slots for Rav duals, especially when 5 of them are enemy color pairs which are generally downplayed in a core set. I'd like to see all 10 of them in M13, but I think it's more likely that they'll wait until the fall set even though there's a ton of financial sense in including them in M13.
I'm sure the folks at WotC have been hotly debating this very issue.
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Pete Lane
United States
Saint Paul
Minnesota
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tppytel wrote: I think that's generally been very successful for them. I just don't see them taking up 10 slots for Rav duals, especially when 5 of them are enemy color pairs which are generally downplayed in a core set.
They've done it before with Pain Lands, multiple times in fact. Also, I think they want to do whatever it takes to make Modern successful this year. What better way to make the sales blow away the previous year's by giving Shocks? Outside of printing Goyf or Bob... and if they do Bob, I'm guessing it'll be within this block since the title of Dark Confidant fits nicely in the horror themed set.
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Todd Pytel
United States
Chicago
Illinois
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stagger lee wrote: They've done it before with Pain Lands, multiple times in fact.
But that was before M10. From everything I've read on the mothership, it's been very clear that WotC completely and carefully rethought what a core set should look like for M10+. And a big part of that is a tight focus on classic fantasy tropes and new-player friendly archetypes, with a handful of chase cards (Baneslayer, Titans, etc.) thrown in to make some more sales. I don't see the full set of Rav duals fitting into that design vision. And I think the designers are really happy with where that vision has taken them so far.
Quote: Also, I think they want to do whatever it takes to make Modern successful this year. What better way to make the sales blow away the previous year's by giving Shocks?
Agreed. I think it would be a great money move. If it does happen - and I think it could - I think it will basically be a matter of the business people telling Rosewater, etc. to shut up and do it. But I don't think the design team would be happy about it.
Quote: Outside of printing Goyf or Bob... and if they do Bob, I'm guessing it'll be within this block since the title of Dark Confidant fits nicely in the horror themed set.
A Bob reprint would definitely be fitting. Throwing him in the third set would help boost sales too, though maybe he'd go into the second set to ensure wider circulation. But yeah, I can see Bob happening soon. Goyf? I don't know. He's broken enough as it is without being printed hot on the heels of a graveyard-based block with a zillion ways to fill your yard and pump him up. I think they'd wait on that, or maybe put him in a Duel Deck or some other special release that would make more copies available for Modern without letting him back into Standard.
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Simon Tan
Philippines
Quezon City
Metro Manila
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I'm pretty much in agreement that we have had enough of the clash of the titans; I am pretty much in agreement with other posters that cascade is not going to happen...
To this wishlist, I would like to add...
- Ravnica block duals, either all-in M13 or split between M13 and "Hook."
- For a returning mechanic, either transmute or hellbent. (I would've included persist, except that I saw the mechanics spoiler for Dark Ascension.)
- Legendary. (I know planeswalkers are the new "face" of Magic, but I would like to see the "regular heroes" get some face time as well.)
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Tommy Occhipinti
United States
Irvine
California
Magic Fanboy
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Hellbent is a BR mechanic to its core, and given that they just did Bloodthirst, I can't imagine they will go back to Hellbent. It also teaches very bad lessons to new players (Hey guys, get rid of all your cards as quickly as possible!). Transmute was not well liked by R&D because it involves tutoring, and R&D has been going out of their way to do less of that.
A few abilities I could see them doing:
Affinity - They messed this up horribly last time they did it, but there is nothing inherently broken about it, as long as they avoid following it with the phrase "for artifacts." It is easy to understand, and thematic, which both make it great core set material. It would also potentially be draft aroundable, which was a big plus of bloodthirst.
Bushido - Definitely simple enough, but I think they'd have to rename it. It is well liked by R&D, easily understood, and probably believable theme wise, whatever theme they attach to it.
Devour - Devour is an easy mechanic dripping with theme. I'd love to see it make a return.
Unearth - Highly thematic, but perhaps a bit complex. It previously appeared in UBR, but could appear in other colors without too mcuh work. It would play very well with the nearby Innistrad block, although it suffers from being very similar to Undying.
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Simon Tan
Philippines
Quezon City
Metro Manila
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delirimouse wrote: Hellbent is a BR mechanic to its core, and given that they just did Bloodthirst, I can't imagine they will go back to Hellbent. It also teaches very bad lessons to new players (Hey guys, get rid of all your cards as quickly as possible!). Transmute was not well liked by R&D because it involves tutoring, and R&D has been going out of their way to do less of that.
A few abilities I could see them doing:
Affinity - They messed this up horribly last time they did it, but there is nothing inherently broken about it, as long as they avoid following it with the phrase "for artifacts." It is easy to understand, and thematic, which both make it great core set material. It would also potentially be draft aroundable, which was a big plus of bloodthirst.
Bushido - Definitely simple enough, but I think they'd have to rename it. It is well liked by R&D, easily understood, and probably believable theme wise, whatever theme they attach to it.
Devour - Devour is an easy mechanic dripping with theme. I'd love to see it make a return.
Unearth - Highly thematic, but perhaps a bit complex. It previously appeared in UBR, but could appear in other colors without too mcuh work. It would play very well with the nearby Innistrad block, although it suffers from being very similar to Undying.
Devour and unearth sound good, though in hindsight it will depend on the theme of the next block.
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Adam Ruprecht
United States
Seattle
Washington
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tppytel wrote: stagger lee wrote: They've done it before with Pain Lands, multiple times in fact. But that was before M10. From everything I've read on the mothership, it's been very clear that WotC completely and carefully rethought what a core set should look like for M10+. And a big part of that is a tight focus on classic fantasy tropes and new-player friendly archetypes, with a handful of chase cards (Baneslayer, Titans, etc.) thrown in to make some more sales. I don't see the full set of Rav duals fitting into that design vision. And I think the designers are really happy with where that vision has taken them so far.
I think the real problem with a full cycle post-M10 is much simpler - they've gone from 121 rares to 53. There were a bunch more slots for rares back when they were printing all ten pain lands.
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Andrés Santiago Pérez-Bergquist
United States
Mountain View
California
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tppytel wrote: But if they can reprint Bolt without breaking the game, surely it would survive a reprint of Counterspell as well.
Lightning Bolt and Counterspell are very different. Bolt is just one more damage over Shock, and at the end of the day, it's just three damage total. It makes anything that runs red better, but only marginally better. Counterspell is much better than Cancel, because the opportunity cost of holding back three mana instead of two mana is much larger. It severely limits WotC's ability to print any other playable counterspells, because both Counterspell AND something else like Mana Leak adds up to too many wide-spectrum answers in a format. Players don't quit the game in droves over their 3 toughness creatures not living long, but they do quit over their key spells always being countered.
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Yuri Walkiw
Canada
Sturgeon County
Alberta
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Counterspell feels too strong at 2 mana. Cancel feels too weak at 3 mana. If only there was a way to have half mana costs for spells...
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Tommy Occhipinti
United States
Irvine
California
Magic Fanboy
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From my point of view, Mana Leak is about the perfect two mana counter spell. It is absolute in the early game, but doesn't lead to totally locked games like in the olden days. It is splashable, making it far more valuable in limited (my preferred format) than Counterspell.
I'm also a big fan of a lot of the Cancel-with-slight-upside cards, like Dissipate. I'd prefer they stay away from the Counterspell+card advantage formula with things like Dismiss / Cryptic Command.
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