3.5 Release Notes *Updated (7/8/19)

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  • Mburn7
    Mburn7 Posts: 3,427 Chairperson of the Boards
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    Dropspot said:
    Really dislike the return of weekday coalition events
    I really like the return of weekday coalition events.  To each their own I guess.
  • Stormcrow
    Stormcrow Posts: 462 Mover and Shaker
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    Hefty nerf to Angrath, it's true. OTOH March of Multitudes was basically a long-animation form of suicide against him. Sorta suprised he doesn't see more play the way he is now. He'll still be fun, and far from being a weak walker.

    The nerf to BSZ seems well handled. Etali seems like a reasonable change as well. I don't have Plague Wind and run into it relatively rarely so I can't speak to that one. The buffs to Apex and Ball Lightning seem unnecessary but as the owner of both I'm not gonna complain. A lot of the other cost adjustments seem pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things - not that I'll mind the cost reductions for the ones I already used occasionally (Curse of Predation, or Demonic Pact) but I agree with others that these adjustments aren't likely to result in significant changes to how often cards get used.

    I'm a little unclear on how Proliferate is gonna work but the new mechanics seem fine, if relatively unexciting (except maybe Proliferate, depending on how it works).

    I'm excited for the new events, the new Planeswalkers look interesting (Tezz seems potentially OP; that 1st ability is going to generate a lot more mana than any other PW's mana-generating 1st ability), and all in all this could be one of the best releases in MTGPQ history IF (and this is a big IF) the bugs can be kept to a minimum.

    A FEW THINGS TO TEST:
    Vanguard supports can't be targeted with "standard" support destruction, SO:
    • Will standard support destruction spells be castable when only Vanguard supports are on the board? Will they cast and just fizzle? (This would be bad.) Or will they just be disabled/uncastable?
    • If they won't be castable, what about spells that have an alternate effect, for example, if there are only Vanguard supports on the board will I be able to cast Fiery Intervention to target an enemy creature?
    • How does Haphazard Bombardment interact with Vanguard supports?
    • What about board-wipes like Akroma's Vengeance, All Is Dust, Shatterstorm, or The Great Aurora? Seems like they ought to destroy everything else and leave the Vanguards untouched, is that actually what happens?
    That's just a short list off the top of my head to get you started, based on the types of bugs we've seen in previous releases. And if on top of that you could avoid breaking any old cards with the introduction of the new totally unrelated set that would be aces as well.

  • TheDude1
    TheDude1 Posts: 194 Tile Toppler
    edited June 2019
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    Brigby, the notes mention Ravnica at War is a weekday coalition event, but the Sneak Peek for next week has it running over the weekend.  Is this just a one-time thing for the event debut, or is it an error in the notes?

    EDIT: Separate question, on Liliana's second and third abilities, are the creature and Vanguard destruction tied to each other?  I notice they're not separated by a "Then", which makes me think that the abilities will only work if the opponent has a creature and a Vanguard that can be destroyed, and if they only have one or the other the abilities will not work.  Can you clarify?
  • Brigby
    Brigby ADMINISTRATORS Posts: 7,757 Site Admin
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    *Updated screenshot of Tezzeret, Master of the Bridge max level stats
  • Drogo
    Drogo Posts: 5 Just Dropped In
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    Thank god they did something about BSZ, it really was overpowered to a silly degree.   They nerfed it correctly too, it is still very powerful but won't autocast and loop with sunbird. 
  • jtwood
    jtwood Posts: 1,285 Chairperson of the Boards
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    Stormcrow said:
    this could be one of the best releases in MTGPQ history IF (and this is a big IF) the bugs can be kept to a minimum.

    A FEW THINGS TO TEST:
    Vanguard supports can't be targeted with "standard" support destruction, SO:
    • Will standard support destruction spells be castable when only Vanguard supports are on the board? Will they cast and just fizzle? (This would be bad.) Or will they just be disabled/uncastable?
    • If they won't be castable, what about spells that have an alternate effect, for example, if there are only Vanguard supports on the board will I be able to cast Fiery Intervention to target an enemy creature?
    • How does Haphazard Bombardment interact with Vanguard supports?
    • What about board-wipes like Akroma's Vengeance, All Is Dust, Shatterstorm, or The Great Aurora? Seems like they ought to destroy everything else and leave the Vanguards untouched, is that actually what happens?
    That's just a short list off the top of my head to get you started, based on the types of bugs we've seen in previous releases. And if on top of that you could avoid breaking any old cards with the introduction of the new totally unrelated set that would be aces as well.

    I don't know if you meant this to be as hilarious as it is, but I'm nearly in tears here
  • Theros
    Theros Posts: 490 Mover and Shaker
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    Mburn7 said:
    I like the new walker designs (although the creep is real man.  Compare Gideon to Origins/Zendikar Gideon.  Woof)

    The Zenith nerf is great.  It costs 10 and gives 10, making it still super powerful but removing most of its loop potential.  Nicely done.

    The other card adjustments?  Whatever.  I don't see how Ball Lightning and Apex of Power needed buffs, but I guess since I don't have them it makes sense.  The rest I doubt will make anything more playable, but it certainly won't make them less playable so nice job?

    And finally,  NEW EVENTS HALLELUJA
    You do know that nerfing sunbird was all that was needed  to curb zenith's loop potential. I don't think Octagon knows the ins and outs of this game. Moreover, reducing the cost of unplayable cards wont necessary make them playable. A good card may see play even if the cost is high.
  • uthread
    uthread Posts: 7 Just Dropped In
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    More then one year living with the coalition ranking bug
  • Mburn7
    Mburn7 Posts: 3,427 Chairperson of the Boards
    edited June 2019
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    Theros said:
    Mburn7 said:
    I like the new walker designs (although the creep is real man.  Compare Gideon to Origins/Zendikar Gideon.  Woof)

    The Zenith nerf is great.  It costs 10 and gives 10, making it still super powerful but removing most of its loop potential.  Nicely done.

    The other card adjustments?  Whatever.  I don't see how Ball Lightning and Apex of Power needed buffs, but I guess since I don't have them it makes sense.  The rest I doubt will make anything more playable, but it certainly won't make them less playable so nice job?

    And finally,  NEW EVENTS HALLELUJA
    You do know that nerfing sunbird was all that was needed  to curb zenith's loop potential. I don't think Octagon knows the ins and outs of this game. Moreover, reducing the cost of unplayable cards wont necessary make them playable. A good card may see play even if the cost is high.
    The issue is, Zenith can loop (easily) without Sunbird, but Sunbird can't go crazy without Zenith.
    If card A is only problematic with card B, why nerf A but leave B alone?

    It makes more sense to make BSZ
    A:  Not loop infinitely with Sunbird
    B:  Not loop infinitely with Expansion//Explosion
    C:  Not loop with big spells-matter creatures (Adeliz, Djinn, Cyclops...ect)
    D :  Not be able to instantly cast other high-impact permanents (seriously, look how many great cards cost 11 or 12)
  • Brigby
    Brigby ADMINISTRATORS Posts: 7,757 Site Admin
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    *Added a link to the War of the Spark full Card Gallery
  • dj55
    dj55 Posts: 18 Just Dropped In
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    I think there is a lot of good stuff coming up. I'm super bummed to see the BSZ changes, but we all knew it was coming.

    The only change I really don't like is Plague Wind. I can see why it could use an increase in cost, but 16?!! 14 would should be as high as it goes. Let's not nerf it to the point where nobody wants to use it at all. 

    New abilities and events all look cool. Like a lot of others, I'm expecting to see lots of bugs. Which is the part I don't look forward to. That's the scariest part of these new releases. 

    Other than that, nice job guys! Way to keep the game awesome!
  • wereotter
    wereotter Posts: 2,064 Chairperson of the Boards
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    Brigby said:
    *Added a link to the War of the Spark full Card Gallery
    Utvara Hellkite as a mythic in the set? Was this supposed to be a masterpiece? It's in the paper game it's a card in the guild kits, but wasn't in the actual War of the Spark set....
  • Tremayne
    Tremayne Posts: 1,612 Chairperson of the Boards
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    1. Can someone see a nerf to blue in this set? Lots of half mana on card draws.
    2. Has the convert gems mechanism been retired? I only recall one green card that converted gems. Seems like green must be getting something else, but what is it?
    3. Haven’t had time to focus on red spells but are there anything good to help red (without blue)?
    4. What is it that makes the 11 mana limit so good in white/black cards? I struggle to see the point with exact limit (I think it needs to be higher, like 14).
  • wereotter
    wereotter Posts: 2,064 Chairperson of the Boards
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    Tremayne said:

    2. Has the convert gems mechanism been retired? I only recall one green card that converted gems. Seems like green must be getting something else, but what is it?
    Green gem conversion spells were historically the way they addressed paper spells that fetch lands from your library into play. Green had only one effect in this set that did that, Nissa's Triumph, and one enchantment that increased the amount of mana one of your lands made, New Horizons.

    If we look at what they're doing now, it looks like they're forcing green to actually run land-based gem converters since Nissa's Triumph fetches land supports, and New Horizons isn't in the set at all.

    I do think if they're going this direction, it would be nice to see if the Origins set just got the basic lands added as common supports that convert gems only to their one color, and maybe don't reinforce. This would help green out a lot if they're going the direction they seem to be going forward.
  • mrixl2520
    mrixl2520 Posts: 240 Tile Toppler
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    Maybe I am misreading something or I am too brain-dead from this work week, but do Vanguard supports take damage from gem matching? I just can't find an answer one way or the other in the notes
  • IM_CARLOS
    IM_CARLOS Posts: 640 Critical Contributor
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    I rarely use sunbird to, because btz/expansion was the better combo. But for now meta has changed a (or will be after patch). I appreciate this.

    I think some other cards need a nerf too. StV comes in mind. 

    I appreciate ther buff of some older card too, but they will be only a small impact. 

    And yes, buffing ball lightning wasn't necessary. Was good enough at twelfth for the right pw. Will be better at ten. 

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