• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Magic: the Gathering |OT13| Ixalan - Port to Sideboard

Justin

Member
Info from the WPN site on pre-release Arena beta invites

WPN members are first in line to play MTG Arena, and so are your Prerelease attendees. By joining an Ixalan Prerelease, we'll put them in the queue for priority access to the closed beta.

Note: This opportunity is open to all Prerelease attendees and WPN members globally, but MTG Arena is currently available in English only.

Anyone can sign up for the beta, but WPN members and Ixalan Prerelease attendees are first on the list.

Before Prerelease, you'll receive a set of token cards with instructions on how to join the beta. All you've got to do is hand them out at Prerelease.

Note: players will need to complete at least one round to be eligible for priority access. If they drop without playing a match, it'll be as if they didn't attend at all.

To sign up for the beta, players will enter some personal information at JoinMTGArena.com. To get fast-tracked, they'll need to include the DCI number they used at Prerelease, and it'll need to be tied to a Wizards account. No DCI number, no priority access.
 

Ashodin

Member
No, for priority access you need to attend pre-release and complete at least one round in addition to signing up with your DCI

What I'm saying is that most people here attend pre-releases, so if you go, you should already get priority access (unless I guess you have to sign up a second time? which would be redundant)
 

MoxManiac

Member
What I'm saying is that most people here attend pre-releases, so if you go, you should already get priority access (unless I guess you have to sign up a second time? which would be redundant)

I would assume that any sign ups w/ DCI number attached will flag those member's accounts that register a pre-release attended as priority.
 

Yeef

Member
As a WPN member, a pre-release player and someone who linked his Duels account when they first allowed it, I should be first in line. I wonder if there's a secret bonus for being a judge...
 
Goddamn imagine this plains with an updated Unhinged border
yw1uvjx0dhlz.jpg
 
They should ask people to sign up via a social media account so they can select for the pissiest, loudest, most opinionated playtesters possible.

There's nothing worse than a door mouse who just tells you, "I thought it was fun" at the end.
 

Poppy

Member
i put in my dci number that i got at pax 2013 and have literally never used anywhere since because i dont go to physical events, but i still want priority access

i mean i will prerelease on mtgo so thats close enough
 

bigkrev

Member
I have a Bachelor party to attend so I will be missing the Prerelease

You actually have to play a round to get priority?

Well, I payed $40 to get a Hearthstone beta key, I'm not above doing that again here if worse comes to worse
 

Rafy

Member
I have a Bachelor party to attend so I will be missing the Prerelease

You actually have to play a round to get priority?

Well, I payed $40 to get a Hearthstone beta key, I'm not above doing that again here if worse comes to worse

Yes, it explicitly says so on the WPN post. You need to at least play the first round.
 

Yeef

Member
It's always been that way for sanctioned events. Joining and dropping before round 1 doesn't count for your own planeswalker points or for your LGS's numbers. Normally, it doesn't matter, but with Prerelease it does because allocation is based on how many players you had at the last prerelease [of the same set size].
 
Re: pre releases and FNMs used as an Arena vehicle. As a WPN guy, this seems rife for registration manipulation. Things can be manipulated now, but there isn't any incentive to do so. If suddenly people get free stuff for playing, whats to stop stores from asking select players if they want to always be registered into the system, even if they don't show up? Matches can be paired up by hand, and then after a round or so they can be dropped to no effect on any actually participating players.

Like, it'd be a neat incentive. But it's far less clean then just putting codes in every pack.
 
Re: pre releases and FNMs used as an Arena vehicle. As a WPN guy, this seems rife for registration manipulation. Things can be manipulated now, but there isn't any incentive to do so. If suddenly people get free stuff for playing, whats to stop stores from asking select players if they want to always be registered into the system, even if they don't show up? Matches can be paired up by hand, and then after a round or so they can be dropped to no effect on any actually participating players.

Like, it'd be a neat incentive. But it's far less clean then just putting codes in every pack.

Por que no los dos?

Some amount of free currency in every pack, larger prize pools hitched to FNM, digital pack rewards from the new set for prereleases.
 

Yeef

Member
Re: pre releases and FNMs used as an Arena vehicle. As a WPN guy, this seems rife for registration manipulation. Things can be manipulated now, but there isn't any incentive to do so. If suddenly people get free stuff for playing, whats to stop stores from asking select players if they want to always be registered into the system, even if they don't show up? Matches can be paired up by hand, and then after a round or so they can be dropped to no effect on any actually participating players.

Like, it'd be a neat incentive. But it's far less clean then just putting codes in every pack.
If there's no trading in Arena, then there's really little benefit there for the player, and no benefit at all to the LGS.

Fudging numbers to make sure events fire and to increase prerelease allocation is more likely to happen.
 

Rafy

Member
I was thinking of attending 2 pre-release events this time around, and I am contemplating making a new DCI number with another e-mail for the second Arena code, since they seem to be tied to the DCI no.

Also, someone mentioned Wizards including Arena stuff in boosters. In my opinion, anything less than a full digital booster pack per physical one is BS. Pokemon is doing it and the game has seen massive growth, both in it's digital and physical forms. In fact, the Pokemon TCG saw a massive spike of 75% in sales around May of last year.

I know most of you probably think I'm nuts, because it's Hasbro we are talking about here and they'd (probably) never go for it, but it's the truth. Hell, Pokemon has now integrated all their physical TCG products to the digital game.

Wizards/Hasbro stand to make a lot of money if they implement this correctly. That way they incentivize people to spend $4 on real packs and get a digital one for free, rather than just the 150G digital packs.

/rant
 

Ashodin

Member
That enchantment is gross, fuck

I might put that in my vampire deck.

oh yeah, that enchantment + duress discard package sideboard. yep.
 
Anyone know if excel files are cross compatible across languages? I'm asking because I made a template for EDH decks that automatically calculates average cmc and amount of card types after you add them in and was wondering if they'd still work if I uploaded it.

I also just realized that I have to set the countif to multiply with the count column so when you add more than a single card of one type (basics or relentless rat type of cards) it doesn't throw the formula off.
 

Repgnar

Member
Those cards look interesting. With anointed procession and ruthless knave you'd have 4 Mana for paying 3 and sacrificing. I'm sure you could get some incidental treasures from other sources to get enough for the one wincon card. The enchantment card could work in a black control/curse deck.
 

Justin

Member
Wizards are the leakers confirmed

mroltv asked: I've been really enjoying this spoiler season. Seeing so many commons and uncommons get spoiled gives a nice view of the world and themes, like a puzzle is slowly coming together. This is much more enjoyable to me than the usual spoiler season heavily tilted towards rares.

MaRo
We’ve gotten this comment a lot and are going to adjust future previews accordingly.
 

Lucario

Member
Wizards are the leakers confirmed

I also enjoyed this spoiler season a ton, despite thinking the set was utter garbage beforehand.

I mean, more than a third of the rares leaked and only 2-3 of those looked remotely constructed playable. It was too early to say anything, but my expectations were very low.

Now we're getting opt, duress, lightning strike, some great dinosaurs, and an utterly insane set of flip-lands.

I'm glad the leaked portion of the set was so unexciting; this went about as well for Wizards as a spoiler season with ~25 leaked rares and mythics realistically could have.
 

Wulfric

Member
Same, this spoiler season could have been disastrous. It's probably a good thing that the leak happened so early in the year. They definitely had time to adjust fire and hype up the Iconic Masters preview.
 

Yeef

Member
I feel like there was another, somewhat recent set where they focused more on all rarities rather than just rares during spoiler season and it got lukewarm reception. The takeaway is probably that it's important to optimize the spoiler season per set. Ixalan seems to have tons of great uncommons.
 

Ashodin

Member
This spoiler season got saved because they had an ace in their hole: the DFCs

If there weren't any and if the set wasn't a flavor win, it would feel pretty shitty tbh.
 

Rafy

Member
I also enjoyed this spoiler season a ton, despite thinking the set was utter garbage beforehand.

I mean, more than a third of the rares leaked and only 2-3 of those looked remotely constructed playable. It was too early to say anything, but my expectations were very low.

Now we're getting opt, duress, lightning strike, some great dinosaurs, and an utterly insane set of flip-lands.

I'm glad the leaked portion of the set was so unexciting; this went about as well for Wizards as a spoiler season with ~25 leaked rares and mythics realistically could have.

To be honest, I have enjoyed the Ixalan spoiler season way more than Amonkhet and HOU
 

OnPoint

Member
This spoiler season got saved because they had an ace in their hole: the DFCs

If there weren't any and if the set wasn't a flavor win, it would feel pretty shitty tbh.

I feel like the set being spoiled this way helped massively.

But honestly, DFCs and leaks aside, this spoiler season has been good because the set actually looks fun.
 
Unstable sleeve art featuring our favorite Green planeswalker

I am 100% convinced this card is going to troll the fuck out of me.

I feel like there was another, somewhat recent set where they focused more on all rarities rather than just rares during spoiler season and it got lukewarm reception. The takeaway is probably that it's important to optimize the spoiler season per set. Ixalan seems to have tons of great uncommons.

I think the lesson there is that their decision to push more power back down to uncommon was a good one.

EDIT: So Lightning Bolt is in 25 Masters I guess:

1e26279fb6e84fb3fab3fe97ff60a025.png
 

OnPoint

Member
EDIT: So Lightning Bolt is in 25 Masters I guess:

1e26279fb6e84fb3fab3fe97ff60a025.png

LOL

I can see how naming something "Iconic" Masters shouldn't have the most iconic red spell in the game, because it makes more sense in a different, non-"Iconic" named set.

Like, why can't he just say something like: "You're right. We goofed. It turned out it wasn't good for limited balance but by that time it was too late. So we had to bump it to the next set."

Any sort of 'real' explanation would be better than that response lol
 

Yeef

Member
LOL

I can see how naming something "Iconic" Masters shouldn't have the most iconic red spell in the game, because it makes more sense in a different, non-"Iconic" named set.

Like, why can't he just say something like: "You're right. We goofed. It turned out it wasn't good for limited balance but by that time it was too late. So we had to bump it to the next set."

Any sort of 'real' explanation would be better than that response lol
The explanation is fine. The "Iconic" in Iconic Masters is supposed to be about the creature types: Angels, Sphinxes, Demons, Dragons & Hydras. It was announced that way and it seems unlikely that it wasn't in earnest. The problem, of course, is that most people don't think of that when they hear Iconic, so it really is a poor choice for a name. I can see why they wouldn't necessarily want to call it Eternal Masters 2, but I'm at a loss, at the moment, to think of a better name than that. Maybe "Classic Masters" or something along those lines.
 

OnPoint

Member
The explanation is fine. The "Iconic" in Iconic Masters is supposed to be about the creature types: Angels, Sphinxes, Demons, Dragons & Hydras. It was announced that way and it seems unlikely that it wasn't in earnest. The problem, of course, is that most people don't think of that when they hear Iconic, so it really is a poor choice for a name. I can see why they wouldn't necessarily want to call it Eternal Masters 2, but I'm at a loss, at the moment, to think of a better name than that. Maybe "Classic Masters" or something along those lines.

And your explanation is also better than his initial read. See? It's not that hard!
 

Ashodin

Member
I feel like the set being spoiled this way helped massively.

But honestly, DFCs and leaks aside, this spoiler season has been good because the set actually looks fun.

I mean the uncommons and other stuff are fresh af because they actually were designed well. Who knew?
 
Top Bottom