Looking at the spoiler - the ultimate "spoiler" of the set is Stabalizer.

Wizards has in the past created color hozers (Karma, Chill...) and even cards that hurt stratagies like Enchantments that deal two damage to creatures that enter play to tear up Weenie decks, or enchantments that allow spells only on your turn to lessen counterspell stratagies. But NEVER has the hozer been so cheap (two to cast - no upkeep - no activation cost) or so open to ALL decks - an Artifact. Turn two for ANY deck and cycling is shut down. Not even a reasonable chance to counter most times with that low cost (therefore speed) in casting.

Astroglide is not a dominant deck now. Sure it is "teir one" and gets to be VERY tough once tog and B/G madness cycle out with Odyssey block, but printing the hoser now seems premature.

I know this deck has the best access to enchantment removal: Disenchant and Naturalize (for the green splash version), but this seems an unreasonable burden to play around.

It seems Wizards has again weighed in on how decks should be constructed and games played: cast BIG creatures and smash at each other. Without demeaning the TImmy Power Gamers out there - that seems to be the lowest level of the game. The synergy and interaction of the Astroglide deck is something that should be a model for competative magic players to see how this game transcends that simple "Hulk SMASH!!!" mentality.

Too cheap; too accessable; too wrong.

:confused:
Well, I did'nt type this up. I know it says i did, but it was'nt me. Some wierd computer mix up must have taken place or something. I would have liked to be the author of this though, it it written very well. I would'nt think that some one would guess my pass word and type something like this up.

If you are the author please lmk.


confused
-crimson

yes indeed (name of author here) I dont agree with most of those statements, I only agree with the part that its too acessable, something like putting it in blue would be okay in my vision since blue would be in flavour to stop this, but a artifact that prevents cycling just isnt funny.

Tha Greetz

Don Di@blo

If WoTC didnt want people to play big monsters and attack each other, onslaught, legions, and scourge wouldnt have 90% of the cards in the set over 5 mana while making cheap and effective cards to stop faster decks (upwelling and stabalizer is proof they are pushing for people to use big creatures)

Stabilizer seems like a pre emptive measure to prevent slide dominating block, which everyone thought it would.
I dont think its the end all in t2 (disenchant) as slide hardcasts a lot of spells, especially in block.

if they're bringing Stabalizer to let Astral Slide ruin its fun, why would they add a anti Large creature card like Lethal Vapors in the set???

Tha Greetz

Don Di@blo

I checked the IPs for the posts, and they are certainly different....

Now, on the issue of the stabilizer... First, Scourge has been in R&D for a while, and I hardly think its to counter-act Astroglide decks... its simply an artifact, to give players something else to think about when building a deck... simple as that.

I dont think they designed it to "hose" a color or deck archtype..... because indeed, the card was probably being developed before GP Venice when Astroglide showed its dominance..... but then again, so did other decks like vegetation, and a few others...... and they didnt bring out cards to hose those decks as well, did they? nope...

Also, I've noticed that ppl seem to play the same decks all over in tournaments, I remember back when I played before I quit the first time.... (Ice Age Era) there was a sense of originality in decks...... It seems nobody knows how to build decks anymore, and has to rely on one or two ppl that build one deck.... and go playing it with almost no variation... that doesnt show your skill as a player, it only shows that you can follow someone elses deck designs....

Such is why the only show of Mtg skill anymore is.... Sealed tournaments, no, Not Draft, just Sealed...

Hey DrachenMaster there still are plenty of players that care about originality next to functionality.

But still they could've made Stabalizer different, maybe making Cycling 3 more expensive to play, so it could still be used but a dominant Astral Slide would still be out of the question, with Stabalizer as it is now, any Cycling is out of the question, no matter what you use it for.

Tha Greetz

Don Di@blo

disenchant, naturalize, shatter.....

There are plenty of options to get rid of artifacts, and I know I'm forgetting a few... its just that those three are the ones that come to mind when I think of ways to remove it....

yes, but with most astral slide decks for instance there is no way to get rid of them, but hey thats the point its a game stopper against astral slide.

well I just keep it to the fact that it is unnecercery to Hose a entire type of cards.....

Tha Greetz

Don Di@blo

It's ok, but I'd rather it be like Diablo said, make cycling cost more. BUt I can't wait to get my hands on it.

You just have to use the sideboard, plain and simple. Most Slide decks use colors that can get rid of artifacts(like white:surprised:) If you still want to play Slide or anything similar, just adjust.

I don't think Stabilizer is that cheap. It shuts down one commonly used deck type. Oh no. It...brace yourselves...makes people think about their decks, and not just following what the best deck is.
Of course, I'm a type 1 johnny, so I probalby won't be able to convince type 2 spikes to learn a new combo, or think of something new.
Something like using 4 Mr. Babycakes, and a bunch of cheap spells (like Shock, Plated Sliver, Pacifism, Giant Growth, etc.) to get a bunch of giant creatures, and then enchanting them with Dragon Fangs so they have trample, then attack with a giant Tribal Unity choosing Elementals and win.
Or you could use any of the common, easy to get Destroy Artifact spells in White (like disenchant), which is a neccesary color for Astral Slide anyways, and then you could use Green and Red too.
Just because a Root Sliver shuts down every type of counterspells against that sliver deck (basically) doesn't make Root Sliver unbalanced or wrong.

no but there is a difference between

"this cant be countered"

and

a 2 mana artifact saying "Spells or abilities cant be Countered"

and I did not fight it for shutting down Astral Slide but for totally Shutting down the use of a common Onslought and Urza's block spell ability called cycling ;)

Tha Greetz

Don Di@blo

Me, not think about my decks? NEVER!
I always build what kind of deck I want, and go have fun. Of course, I love to win, but just getting to be the fifth-to-last guy killed would satisfy me. But getting rid of all cycling[period] is just wrong!
Perhaps they should have made it so cycling couldn't be used if Astrial Slide and\or Lightning Rift were in play, then it would be okay. I have used Astrial Slide and Lightning Rifts in my sideboard just in case there was a slide deck, but now, I can use this and never fear cycling effects again.


Please note: I still stand by what I said earlier, and I do plan on getting as many of these I need.