Retrace-Loam

R3wind · Joined: 24 Jul 2006 Posts: 954

So I was playing some Extended last week just after Raven's Crime was spoiled. How do you think that retrace will effect the meta?

A very good setup would be Gifts for Raven's Crime, Life from the Loam, CoW, Ruins. This is not the only setup there is also a card that reads 1BB retace opp -2 you +2. That seems good for the win. To protect you from Extirpate, Crainial Extraction, and Crypt you could play Research/Developement.

I know I am prob not the frist player to see the interaction. What are you thoughts on this?

gypsy · Joined: 15 Jun 2007 Posts: 904

seems rly slow

ManaLeak · Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 131

Retrace will be a intresting mechanic i think except the pay it's mana cost part on top of discarding a land. i have no professional opinion onm the mechanic as far as how it will affect the meta..

Delicious · Joined: 08 Jun 2007 Posts: 550

R3wind · Joined: 24 Jul 2006 Posts: 954

Malakai97 · Joined: 11 Aug 2007 Posts: 22

Much better would to just put 2 in an existing gifts shell, and start forcing them to discard once or twice a turn. Still, Terravore (is it still in?) + Countryside Crusher + Seismic Assault is probably enough of a threat base... This may have applications for them against true control, but combo is likely too fast. All said it's not as good as the cycling lands, but I'm too lazy to check if those are rotating out as well.

Most likely there will be a retrace card with better applications that fits into loam's colors more efficiently. Running 1x Worm Harvest might end up being optimal, but then again it's vulnerable to the same graveyard removal as the rest of the deck.

Daveslusher- · Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 37

Retarce won't see play in extended however it has tons of potential in legacy.

gypsy · Joined: 15 Jun 2007 Posts: 904

Ashmatan · Joined: 21 Dec 2006 Posts: 56

WTF...retrace is SICK. It means that the opponent HAS to board or have MD some kind of graveyard hate, or you play the same broken spell turn after turn as long as you have one or can top a land late game. I can't think of a situation where that has ever happened, though. Wink

It's not FLASHBACK where it must be RFG. It sticks around being played. Counterbalance to protect it, anyone? Blind flip FTW?

gypsy · Joined: 15 Jun 2007 Posts: 904

except none of the cards are that broken

Ashmatan · Joined: 21 Dec 2006 Posts: 56

When I say "broken" I mean that if it's a possible win condition, i.e.: "lose 2, gain 2", it's broke. Also, not all the cards are spoiled yet, so there will be more to see. I like the "draw a card" one and the "discard a card" one, too.

Engrishskill · Joined: 15 Jan 2007 Posts: 452

Broken is defined by old dogs in the magic community as basically format warping, dominating and wins the game or makes it unwinnable almost instantly.

Tolarian academy, memory jar decks and necro/donate and second/first turn kills were broken, retrace is a neat mechanic that is going to end up being very good most likely.

The r&d team goes through an obscenely long testing period to insure that cards are not broken anymore. I think the closest thing we have had to broken in a while was ravager affinity before bannings...even then it could be hated out.

Use adjectives properly.

On a note having to do with retrace on loam, I also think the whole loam retrace interaction would be way to slow to base an entire win off of, but I think the flame jab card would be a good sideboard bullet for sure. I think the are others, but that one jumps out at me.

Also, zapping your opponent for two once or twice in a turn is so not broken. It's easily disrupted and gives an opponent lots of room to kill you. Broken is almost exclusively used to refer to when a dragonstorm deck goes off on the second turn or when an mind over mana deck would drop a first turn academy, mox, lotus petal, grim monolith start to go off, almost run out of steam, time spiral, almost run out of steam again, find another time spiral and then explode you with a brainstorm for well over a thousand...after you have already returned from the bathroom because they took a fifteen minute first turn. THAT is broken.

Ashmatan · Joined: 21 Dec 2006 Posts: 56

Yes, that deck is "broken". That is why it took one weekend for the whole deck to get practically banned. I was there when it was played. I got beat by it. (many times) What I mean is using one card over and over to kill an opponent cuz they can't do anything about it or have anything to stop it. Anyway thanks for looking in Garfield's Magic dictionary to find the meaning of "broken". Talk about taken out of context. Rolling Eyes

Engrishskill · Joined: 15 Jan 2007 Posts: 452

Not to me dude. If you call a skinny girl fat in most situations, people look like you like a complete idiot/lunatic. Use the right word. Broken is broken, good is good.

I didn't look up shit in a dictionary, I played the game when the term started to get used initially. People throw it around too much now.