Rotation and You: A Guide, AKA Stop That
General forum
Posted on Sept. 7, 2014, 10:52 a.m. by NobodyPicksBulbasaur
For Magic players, rotation time is the most exciting time of the year. New cards and a new Standard format are just out on the horizon. New cards bring new decks and new possibilities. It is a wonderful and magical time. So why is it that people are afraid to embrace it?
Every rotation season, the front page is absolutely flooded with decks labeled "Post-Rotation". Every rotation season, the deck help forum is absolutely flooded with posts to the effect of "Which creature can replace ~ in my deck?". I ask you this; why?
I know you love your deck. You built it with love and care, taking into account every possible detail from mana curve to metagame answers. Every card was selected to be exactly perfect, and your deck is your baby. But here's the problem. Babies grow up. Metagames change. Rotation happens.
Instead of trying to patch your deck together when its key pieces rotate, you should instead start from the bottom up. You can't simply replace Jace, Architect of Thought with Jace, the Living Guildpact , but you can discover and build a deck where Jace, the Living Guildpact can shine like the mythic rare gem he really is. I hear Jace's new +1 is pretty sexy in a Sultai shell.
Don't desperately cling to the dying threads of last season's deck. Instead, design the powerhouse that will define the new Standard at your FNM. Rotation season is the season of brewing. So go out and brew, dammit.
I would argue that the only time you should try to keep your deck around post rotation is if the previous Standard allowed you to build a very weak version of a deck but somehow the new block has the pieces to bring your deck to the next tier.
Other than that, great point.
September 7, 2014 11:32 a.m.
Servo_Token says... #4
So I definitely wrote this exact thing like two months ago, pretty sure I used this same name as well. Link to my article
I mean, valid points are valid, Post-Rotation.dec is the bane of my existence, and this probably needed to be brought up again.
September 7, 2014 noon
NobodyPicksBulbasaur says... #5
And I'll write the article again if I have to. I am not ashamed.
September 7, 2014 12:04 p.m.
GoldGhost012 says... #8
I like Bulbasaur as well, but not his weaknesses. And I'm more of a Charizard guy at heart.
September 7, 2014 12:39 p.m.
Bulbasaur is my jam if I wanna go through the game quickly, but usually I go Charmander because of the ability to find decent Grass and Water types early on.
Also, rotation advice. Seems on point. If I ever decide to get into Standard, I'll keep this in mind.
September 7, 2014 12:53 p.m.
Servo_Token says... #10
I typically pick bulbasaur to thrash through the first two gyms, but then ditch him because I don't like the restriction that most people set of having to keep their starter.
Though whenever I play Gen 1, I'm typically doing something stupid like All Bug Types or only things caught on Route 11.
September 7, 2014 5:35 p.m.
Dalektable says... #11
I'm a charmander kind of guy personally, but I do love me some Bulbasaur. And Squirtle. I just like all the original starters.
September 7, 2014 6:39 p.m.
rho.reduction says... #12
Pokemon? What? I'm too drunk for this right now. Bulbasaur will always be the best starter. Also, there was nothing more satisfying than beating brock with a level 20 pikachu for shiggles. Cause I watched the tv show and it mattered.
Back on topic, I fully embrace rotation. Especially when the standard format got so stale that I stopped going to fnm for the past several months... down with sphinx! Down with pack rats!
fluffybunnypants says... #2
@NobodyPicksBulbasaur
Thanks for nicely telling people to stop something that figuratively causes me to have aneurisms when viewing TappedOut.
September 7, 2014 11:05 a.m.