Is Ikoria broken?

The correct answer should be :

Currently nobody knows.

However already you already have the bruces baying for blood.

As per expectation, anything playable is deemed broken.

Even if nothing in particular is dominating... incredulously 0.o




Now my opinion:

Ikoria cards are NOT broken.


Now I feel that Ikoria cards can go two ways:

Current mass playing of cards is actually normal, sincefor every new set for the first month or two, people will use it willy nilly.

Whats more, the playbook s almost already written for how to use these cards, so its easy to use them.

Is that a problem? Apparently the usual whiners think so :(


Now the only difference between the past sets and now is that, the decks utilising the new cards are winning.

Does it mean the cards are good? Maybe.


Thing is, some decks are still not playing the cards but are 5-0.

And in fact for Vintage it looks like after thhe initial salvo of decks, there seems to be a drop in the number of decks actually sporting the new companion cards.

For legacy it is less clear.

But again this can g two ways and both with companion cards looking like the way they are now.

1) Its a fad. People are just testing it out.

Now I cannot tell you the number of times a new card is used does well, supposedly fits with a deck. The inexplicably, it is dropped about a month or two later.

I suspect this is what is happening with some decks in modern and legacy. Certainly in vintage.


2) It is actually good.

Now this seems to be the case for some decks in legacy. And I suspect this to be true too. But heres the thing, just because it beats the current decks does it mean it is broken?

Just because you need to play it to win, does it mean it is broken.

Just because you need to adapt, does it mean it is broken.

Now. We are only 2 weeks into Ikoria. Please... what adaptation has there been?

But yet you have jokers that are collating data to say the decks are broken.

Please read the post before this, to know my thoughts on that.

Esseentially, the data is just reflecting current interest in the new cards, and given the net decking addiction, you will see big numbers playing these decks.

Now I think Ikoria decks are truly not broken.

It is just that the companion cards are the new planeswalkers.

The only difference is that back in the days of Lorwyn, the whiners have not become thhe vocal minoriy that we see now. Back in the days of Lorwyn, the data of decklists are not ABUSED. Yes I use the word ABUSE. Because the way we use data is abnormal. Data should be used to finetune your decks. But we are just COPYING the decks.

Magic will DIE not from seemingly "broken" cards, but from the addled minds that cannot build new decks or adapt new decks.

Now why I think companion is not brooken? It is the new planeswalker. there is nothing to answer it. Already you can tell from what players are saying. It cannot be removed by standard modes of interaction, you cannot discard it, you might be able to counter it.  You cannot even cap it.

That it what makes it look "powerful". The fact that it is a new zone literally.

The solution is really to build answers.

The so called broken portion is thhe ability to play it from the sideboard. Once it can be interacted with , it will no longer be "broken" ....

So its not so much that companion is broken, it is more that a new zone of play has been opened and it is not fully developed. (Hence it currently cannot be interacted with).

Now.

Asumming the ability to play from sideboard, and hence "not being able to be interacted with" is so powerful. ANd you have to play it to remain competitive.

Does that mean it is broken 0.o ??


I mean this change in attitude is so strange and defeatist.

1) You have NOT demonstrated desire to adapt.

2) You refuse to play the new mechanic. Is'nt it normal that sometimes new mechanics come and people use it?

This is abit like Oko. Oko was just a little too flexible for its own good.

If it were to cost 1GG or  1UU rather than 1GU, it might have been slightly harder to fit and hence be deemed less ubitiqous.

Its really sad when Oko was banned, UG was still rampant in all the formats that it was banned. What this means is that either URO is equally broken, OR its just that UG has been powered up. :/

So banning Oko does nothing really, except now you do not need to play Oko to have the BEST version of your deck. Now you have to play URO .

You realise how STUPID that sounds. but that what everyone (at least the vocal minority) is asking for.

Its sad really.


Anyways, if anyone reads this. I beseech you to wait at least 3-4 months before banning anything.

The banning of Breach the Underworld in legacy was particularly stupid.


Or don't listen keep banning.


Modern is in a sad state for its bannings, there are more slots in the grave for other formats :)