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Okay, I'm gonna tweet about #MagicTheGathering real quick. Specifically, about how the Companion mechanic is going to break Standard over its knee like a twig.
I say this after having played with the mechanic in Arena Draft, Standard, Brawl and Commander.(1/19)
I say this after having played with the mechanic in Arena Draft, Standard, Brawl and Commander.(1/19)
Sam Black of Star City Games shared similar concerns in his article, "Companion Is The Worst Mechanic For The Health Of Magic Since Phyrexian Mana," so this thread will focus on adding to his points. You can read his article below. (2/19) https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/card-preview/monster-set-design-2020-04-07
The Companion mechanic can find its origin in an idea that had been under discussion in R&D since 2017: How can we make the traditional formats of MTG more akin to the most popular format in the game's history, Commander. (3/19)
Right out of the gate, the biggest obstacle for that dream would be, as Dave Humpherys, Development head at WotC, observed, "How could players have access to a card like a commander that wasn't just a pure advantage?" (4/19) https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/card-preview/monster-set-design-2020-04-07
The solution? Enforcing deck-building restrictions that, if met, would allow you access to an 8th card.
Here's the problem, as anyone who is aware of some of WotC's past development faux pas could tell you:
WotC can sometimes be SUPER lenient with their restrictions. (5/19)
Here's the problem, as anyone who is aware of some of WotC's past development faux pas could tell you:
WotC can sometimes be SUPER lenient with their restrictions. (5/19)
It's almost a cheapshot at this point to hit them on the head with it, but Phyrexian Mana is still the most notorious example. This can also be found in everything from Energy Counters to WotC's understanding of the detriment behind colored mana costs (see below). (6/19)
Point being, whenever WotC tries to think of a "price" for players to pay in order to "receive" a resource, they most often lean towards undervaluing those resources rather than overvaluing them. (7/19)
Every so often, especially for experimental mechanics, R&D will lose its head and make access to certain cards and resources TOO attainable for the Standard format, resulting in a meta warped around counteracting the efficiency of 2 or 3 crazy good cards. (8/19)
I can't help but think that the miscalculation behind the Companion mechanic comes from the false equivalencies between Standard and Commander. "If it works for this, why can't it work for that?"
I'll tell you why. (9/19)
I'll tell you why. (9/19)
I want you to think real quick about what a game of Commander would be like without a commander, what it would be like if the most popular format of MTG was 99 card Singleton.
Does that sound like a fun or cohesive experience to anyone? No? (10/19)
Does that sound like a fun or cohesive experience to anyone? No? (10/19)
If you ask me, what makes Commander as a format work is the blend of chaos brought on by the entirely random nature of large singleton decks, but with a focus maintained only by the dependable presence of your commander. (11/19)
The commander is more than a fun gimmick that can be thrown into any format, it's the glue that keeps everything together. Sure, sometimes it's fun to revel in chaos and let luck determine your fate. But without the commander, EDH might as well be 52 Pick Up. (12/19)
Standard, on the other hand, isn't about containing chaos. It's about eliminating it.
It's a format about selecting the best nine cards for your strategy, putting four copies of each in your deck, and manipulating the odds in your favor efficiently. (13/19)
It's a format about selecting the best nine cards for your strategy, putting four copies of each in your deck, and manipulating the odds in your favor efficiently. (13/19)
The idea of giving a free creature card to a format that would absolutely take advantage of it feels too... I don't know... manufactured. As if R&D showed up at my LGS just to hand me a card in the middle of a set and say "take this, you'll need it." (14/19)
And the idea that the restrictions will prevent decks that are already optimal from getting an extra card is flimsy, especially considering that there are currently decks in the meta that were already meeting these conditions before the companions were even announced. (15/19)
Believe me, Rakdos Aristocrats/Cat Sack decks were doing just fine without a guaranteed lifelink creature on curve with the ability to bring the goddamn cat back. (16/19)
That's not to say that ALL Companion cards are worth running. Lutri and Yorion are going to have a hard time finding a home... anywhere.
But there's no in-between. Companions are either unplayable bulk or auto-included in decks that were already competitive without them. (17/19)
But there's no in-between. Companions are either unplayable bulk or auto-included in decks that were already competitive without them. (17/19)
I'll admit to being wrong about Companions if we end up seeing new, diverse archetypes in the meta thanks to their presence. Hell, I'm doing my part by homebrewing a deck that involves the interaction between Zirda, Faeburrow Elder, and High Alert. (18/19)
But if I could make a prediction, I think any archetype that doesn't start with eight cards in hand during this rotation will be bringing knives to a gunfight.
Enjoy this early rotation while you can, because the meta is going to hit hard and fast come May. (19/19)
Enjoy this early rotation while you can, because the meta is going to hit hard and fast come May. (19/19)
