Bouncing: for real, though. Also, graveyard.

mlktws

So a lot of people have been complaining about the nerfing of blue's bounce capabilities, both pre- and post-update, and I think they need to calm down, and think about it rationally and strategically.

I don't say this to admonish them, rather I say this for the benefit of the devs, so that they know that some people (I'm assuming that I'm not the only one) have been able to continue using blue's bounce cards took great effect.

Seriously, great.

Last night, I went from last to 18th on the ladder in just a few hours. I could have easily gotten higher, but I decided I would rather have the mana crystal reward, rather than the better booster and runes (I may be screwing up the currency terminology there) I lost maybe three or four times.

That being said, if too many players continue to whine about the nerfing, I think a way to appease them, without going back to the way OP way of before, might be to make hand sizes more like paper Magic, by having an essentially unlimited hand until end of turn. The intention of the change was to make bounce more faithful to paper by actually ensuring a possibility of the card completing a bounce and coming back. By making the change as I've just laid out, it will be completely faithful to paper, and work the exact same way.

But I understand this isn't paper Magic, and some changes are necessary, and maybe even that small change would make blue again OP, so . . . there's that. Perhaps I will post my bounce strategy when I'm more inclined . . . perhaps not. In any case, blue's bounce still works very well, and I thought that should be stated.

Also needing stating:

There needs to be a graveyard. Like, NEEDS. There are too many spells and abilities that bring cards back to not have the ability to see what's there. Too often do I think that my Ingenuity will be bringing back Talent of the Telepath, only to find I now have a free Disperse. Boo, that.

On a related note: CREATURE TYPES. How am I supposed to know if I have a zombie in my graveyard if the card doesn't say it's a zombie? Common sense and past experience with paper Magic is the only answer I can think of to that . . . only, card types aren't always common sense (at least in paper Magic . . . errata galore), and not everyone playing this has played paper.

Also, a reason for needing a graveyard: to have the ability to see what cards actually do. Too often has the AI opponent played a spell, and I've had no idea what just happened because the card doesn't stay up long enough for me to read what it is, and worse, some of them have to much rules text to be displayed at once, and you have to scroll to read all of it, only it's gone so fast, and is pre-scrolled to the bottom, so it's impossible to read any of it.

An easy fix for that notion is to have the cards be displayed longer, or require the display to be dismissed before proceeding, but both of those options would be infuriating once you know what the cards do. It sucks as it is, for example: waiting for Thopter Spy Network to do it's thing, so prolonging the casting of cards . . . not a good idea. Adding a graveyard . . . absolutely a good idea.

Unknown

Bounce:
I've been one of the most vocal complainers about post-1.3 bounce mechanics and I've been saying exactly what you suggest (see my signature).

Graveyard:
I agree, I have the same problem when using Ingenuity after having played Day's Undoing. Because the animation for DU is bugged post-1.3, I'm not sure what spell was cast last because I cannot see what my new hand looks like.

Creature Types
Yes! What is an Elf, Zombie, Goblin, etc.?

Excellent suggestions, I wish I could give you more than 1 rep.

Edit:
Actually, I wish I could even give you 1 rep. The thumb icon isn't in below your post, just the number zero.

mlktws

It's an amazing coincidence that you are the first person to have commented, because it was after reading one of your posts that I decided write mine: I saw your signature, and thought, "I'm not the only one with that suggestion! Our voices must be heard!

EDHdad

I agree 100% with all of your points. Especially the creature types. I mean, Boggart Brute certainly looks like a goblin, but does it trigger Goblin Piledriver? Llanowar Empath looks like an elf, but does it trigger Dwynen's Elite? For that matter, is Dwynen's Elite even an elf?

At the very least, it would be nice if the tribes which are relevant to a tribal theme maybe had some sort of little icon on them, indicating "elf", "goblin" or "zombie". It probably isn't necessary to errata "Starfish" or "Owl", but like a little silhouette of a goblin off in the corner of Goblin Piledriver might help cement the idea that he's part of a theme.

Unknown

Yes on creature types!

And most of the complaints i have seen in the blue bounce (i have been vocal as well) have not said it needs to go back 100% to what it was before, but that either hand size needs fixed, or a pick a discard ootion of some sort needs added. It can still kinda work, but no where near as well as any creature removal other players now have