Magical Metamorphosis

Well, I might as well talk about the big news in Magic. Yesterday, Maro made these announcements. In short: no more Core Sets after 2015, blocks will only have 2 sets as of fall 2015, and Standard will only contain 3 blocks. These are some big changes of Magic. It basically shifts the entire way it's produced and consumed. And I like it.

For starters, I've never really been too huge of a fan of Core Sets after Tenth (don't ask me why since even I don't know). I get that they're there to bring new players into the game, but it just wasn't fun for everyone else. Maro has said that there will be a supplemental product made that's aimed at bringing new players in (here's hoping for a new Portal). The biggest problem for me with regards to Core Sets is the story. I'd rather see a proper block on Shandalar instead of just news breaks while the real stories get ready.

The two set block idea is fantastic. I understand that a three set block follows more the traditional three-act-structure of storytelling, but it just drags the story on a bit too much in my opinion. Since the stories will be shorter, it'll allow for Creative to run with stories that where once considered "too weak" to stretch across three sets.

Finally, we come to the biggest change: Standard rotation. In essence, it brings a card's lifespan in Standard down to 12-18 months. People are saying that players will leave in droves, but I don't see that. Sure, netdeckers will leave since it'll become too expensive to replace cards quicker (I'll come back to that in a moment), but a lot of jaded players who saw the meta solidify way too fast might be interested in coming back (I know I am). With regards to my earlier statement about prices, I don't think prices will change that much. Yes, there will be a spike in consumption early on so that players get the most out of their cards, but I also see the more limited lifespan of cards acting as a "gouge inhibitor". Players might not be so willing to hand over $40/card if that card is only going to be around for 12 months.

All in all, I look forward to the New New World Order of Magic.