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An Imposition of Sovereignty -
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How do you …...
#2
When I was initially introduced into the game of Magic, I was taught to evaluate cards based on how much mana they demanded before they did their thing. Air Elemental costs five mana, Brimaz costs three, and Tower of Fortunes costs twelve.
Tower of Fortunes is an undoubtedly terrible card, but it isn't twelve mana; it's eight and then four. Burnished Hart is readily dismissed as "six mana ramp" despite its desired effect being split across its cast and activation.
I have been re-evaluating how I perceive cards with split costs, as the typical intuition of adding it all together hasn't exactly felt accurate. This intuition neglects the fact that cards often take their time over the course of the game. It has moreover led to many cards being naturally excluded from any consideration in the first place. As for a card I (and many others) have come around on, I initially dismissed Wayfarer's Bauble as three-mana ramp and never bothered to try it. I now consider it s staple in non-green commander lists.
Personally, I don't think the additive measure of cost is fluid enough for the game of Magic. There is too much going on for it to be quantified by a single number. I've been using cumulative mana across turns to consider costs in a way that feels more fluid. (Turn one provides one mana, turn two brings that to three mana, turn three brings it to six mana, etc...) This feels better but still imperfect.
How do you evaluate split costs? Do you think that the additive system is good enough as it or do we need something more fluid to more accurately measure a card's power? What do you think?
January 12, 2025 12:44 p.m.
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BouncingClown — Arksyn — CarthagoNova — Blobby_Bobby — Massacar — X-Factor11105 — Demacias_NerdSpecialties
Commander / EDH - Aggro, Commander / EDH - GW (Selesnya), Commander / EDH - RG (Gruul)
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The Season of Mechanical Harvest
Commander / EDH
SCORE: 14 | 1545 VIEWS | IN 3 FOLDERS
Fictitious Grandeur
Commander / EDH
SCORE: 8 | 957 VIEWS | IN 2 FOLDERS
Consigned to the Graves
Commander / EDH
SCORE: 22 | 2917 VIEWS | IN 7 FOLDERS
The Warriors Follow
Commander / EDH
SCORE: 18 | 6 COMMENTS | 2629 VIEWS | IN 2 FOLDERS
Roots As Blood-Veins Bleed Sickly Sorrow
Commander / EDH
SCORE: 6 | 577 VIEWS | IN 2 FOLDERS
The Life of Brion
Commander / EDH*
SCORE: 4 | 1 COMMENT | 712 VIEWS | IN 1 FOLDER
The Big Dog
Commander / EDH*
SCORE: 10 | 868 VIEWS | IN 3 FOLDERS
The Endless Tapestry
Commander / EDH
SCORE: 3 | 658 VIEWS | IN 2 FOLDERS
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Finished Decks | 100 |
Prototype Decks | 54 |
Drafts | 0 |
Playing since | Theros |
Points | 100 |
Avg. deck rating | 13.55 |
T/O Rank | 99 |
Helper Rank | 47 |
Favorite formats | Commander / EDH, Canadian Highlander, Pre-release |
Suppressed formats | Leviathan, Archenemy, Hero, Noble, Quest Magic RPG, Quest Magic |
Cards suggested / good suggestions | 312 / 183 |
Joined | 7 years |
Said on f*ck it we …...
#1Love the choice of commander! Though I do have some unfortunate news.
I am pretty sure that Daryl, Hunter of Walkers and Hansk, Slayer Zealot are, in fact, the same exact card and you cannot play both. In its place, may I recommend Life of the Party?
January 18, 2025 12:09 p.m.