I haven't commented on this thread for awhile, but if I didn't say it earlier; I will say that I like proxies for the mana-base in many decks (regardless of base price)... Particularly RL dual-types, I get some of the argument against that, but (in EDH) I've always seen it as a simplicity, budget, & accessibility thing; moreso than a powerup. Proxying crypts & fast-mana is more of proxy/arms-race issue, but 1:1 mana-base stuff has never bothered me, nor have I really witnessed the former type of proxy pushing any meta to higher power levels. Thus, when it is proxying something like a manabase for enhanced simplicity & it is not really giving much of a leg-up to anyone, I have no issue with that; regardless of if they have originals somewhere. I feel that that stuff is a bit different than proxying a dockside for every recursion/ETB deck or a crypt for every deck in general. Though, on the whole, I think my view on proxies runs more in-line on if the individual "refines/brews" a deck with proxies versus "filling a list" with proxies: both will evidence a higher power level but when you've played enough you can see the difference between a "list" & a "brew".

CultureofGaming has a very practical point too. I remember visiting my LGS & borrowing a deck from someone I loosely knew (that deck was SO foil-blinged), if you included his entire case it WAS life changing money. As the game becomes more $$ infamous/known for the bling, that can easily become more of an issue. A mobile, high-value asset on private owners in sometimes low-security environments, or risk stealing from a local business? Which one is a more logical target??

Yeah, I really ebb-&-flow with my MtG twilight as well. I am genuinely curious on when I just flame out completely on it. You would think some of the cash grabs would have put me over the edge, but I guess I am not totally over it yet... Though, I haven't played in months & when I do get together with friends it seems to be for DnD.

I run into plenty of opportunities to quote Willow regardless of which game I play... But I really get to throw them out with Wand of Wonder; where I can use my old lady voice & say: "I have Chelindrea's wand!" or I activate & say: "picture a beautiful woman".... "CONCENTRATE Willow!!"

pookypuppy6 I like Phytotitan with that 7 power it can be a life pressure threat in death-happy grind games. Really solid if you are degenerate enough to have it in decks that work well after Obliterate or similar

Niko9 If you like targeted effects a lot I think the newest set has a few sleepers with "commit a crime" mechanics. I think the wordiness of "committing a crime" will make some people sleep on some of those cards. I mean if you reword Freestrider Lookout to: ramp out a land when you target something... then you aren't looking at a card that is <$1

I never really loved the targeted removal, so that would be a further reason for me not having love for Thunder Junction, since "commit a crime" is a solid-gold payoff for removal... Who knows, maybe I could look into a "commit a crime" deck & completely change my viewpoint of targeted removal. Which currently, in my meta, it is hard for me to justify using up a card slot, using a card from hand, only removing 1 thing; in my meta, it always just leads to an opening for some other opponent that is waiting to go off. Though, my meta does a ton of midgame stuff, so you usually win by committee or resilience.. Targeted removal just doesn't carry the oomph in those circumstances because the meta doesn't tend to play singular lynch-pin cards where disruption means a whole lotta beans.... but if there is a payoff attached to removal, like with "commit a crime" I could look to changing my ways a bit. Also, that being said, I have always been a huge fan of redirect-type spells because it changes up that whole resource to removal equation.

Certainly with Wand of Wonder I do not complain that people rock tons of targeted removal for me to utilize :)

I will go lower power on these pets, but oddities as well.

Oath of Druids my baby! it can crap on control in great ways while making sure the game will have impactful play from many spots.

Descent into Avernus I write about this one all the time

Shiny Impetus I ramp away while not being the guy that removed my opponent's thing.. Also, lets that pain train keep on rolling

Any of the monarch courts

Titania's Song hilarious, kills treasures too.

Crescendo of War for the sake of aggression

Wand of Wonder it just randomly will get me out of a bind and makes my deck function unpredictably

I don't have much for pet creatures, I will have to look into that

They really focused on restrictions as the highlight, not sure it is great to not have much positive say on design trends besides restrictions.

I loved when MoM had some mill that was NOT restricted to playing what you JUST milled. So you could have a mill and steal ability that paid you off for previously filling the yard. It made for some gambling without as much complete hit and miss.

I like the design trend of providing more sweepers of high efficiency things, so things that destroy nonlands mana value 1 or less types of things. I think it would be good for Timmie decks to have more punishers of hyper efficiency. Culling Ritual is a gold-standard example.

I should say walkers should be able to see omenpath otherwise typical mortals should only be able to blunder into them. Then you could have some truly neat specialization of powers. Like a planeswalker that efficiently makes soldier tokens actually has the ability impart omensight onto their soldier friends and have the ability to summon them there. Maybe another walker locates and synchronizes with paths and this reflects in a scry ability.

And yes, more time and distance, travels and such would be a great way to flesh out further world building, instead of focusing on 2 planeswalkers ongoing romance.

I dislike Vraska and MtG Gorgons in general because they are a big mythology-miss IMO. Taking creative liberty is fine I just think with the Gorgon it is a bit too much. Jace, I have actually been Ok with, boy though, that character started as such a dbag, and yeah, a good part of that was the company trying to posterize him with what they thought the average MtG player wanted. And the more they did that, the more people would actually be like; count me out! I think they have done a better job at no longer characterizing players to planes walkers and doing it in such a tonedeaf way.

I'm indifferent to the 2. I have yet to see a character that really intrigues me yet when it comes to planeswalkers. I might learn to like Oko though, because I like the idea of a mercurial whim-type planeswalker

Regarding non-character focused story, it would be a great time to lay down some concrete rules for the mtg universe. I think it would be great if only planeswalkers could actually SEE them and fae-folk could see shortcuts. Lay some good ground rules and make your characters unique by showing how they interact with them

Haha, Tovwolf was too Gruul for his own good. Niko9 you know darn well! :) that day/night was WAY too midgame of a concept for modern "Commander" that sort of thing would imply that multiple turns can actually occur in the format without the endgame being nigh. No, no, no, this is a game where your fast beginning & your endgame wincons are what matter :)

& we will keep making sure that we aggro-wincon + hand refill on our commanders. Make sure that the game has more: reset the board or lose, scenarios.

I don't have too many decks any more that I am confident would make for a good time at an LGS or GP.

What I do know, is that Voj makes Tovalar, Dire Overlord go all sad Trombonski. Yeah, putting aggro win on and draw on the commander is lazy, and becoming common. So, basically this deck list will be elfball, dorks, & wolf tokens, with the only variance being some high cmc cards to use all that ramp dork juice on. It is more boring than Lathril. Not sure why we need so much pushed elf cross typal or elfball... WITH ANOTHER COLOR!!

I wish backup would get reused a bunch, it is fair and awesome. Guardian Scalelord is the best

Big time agree with Timmy if I am reading it correctly. I am tired out on so many New but functionally similar mechanics when reusing makes sense for so many reasons. Cognitive loading being a big one

I don't really think I'd waste my time with 1:1 removal on Voj. Just keep running those sweepers... I think if they keep printing take-over-the-game commanders, that will be the direction the game is headed. Honestly, in multiplayer, I'm finding more value in sweepers over using a card up only to set back one player and allow an opening to the next

Yeah, I didn't get my opinion changed. Oh well