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New Staples


Throughout Magic's history, certain cards appear over and over again in
decks of the appropriate colors. disenchant for white, counterspell for
blue, etc.  but recently, what has become more important is the
environmental staples, due to the constantly changing bans/restrictions and
due to certain cards just plain rotating out of the environment; such as
dark ritual and lightning bolt  (soon extended may not even have swords to
plowshares!).  So I would like to voice my opinion on what I would like to
see turn up consistently in sets and not get banned,  for I like the idea of
steady, universal staple cards.

Black:
Duress-  shores up some of the weaknesses of black, while still remaining in
flavor.  I was very glad to see it reprinted in 7th, and would like to see
it for a long time to come.
Dark Ritual- was previously a staple from the old base set's '3 for 1 mana'
genre, until it recently got banned in extended.  Without dark ritual, black
becomes almost entirely a 'splash only' card, especially with necropotence
now being out of the picture.  And, with necro and several other combo types
gone, black deserves its old standby back.  There is no hypnotic spectre (or
anything really comparable in power, despite what people say about blazing
spectre) so just give us back our rit.
Carnophage/Negator:  one of the powerful creatures for a version of suicide
black should always be in.  Whipstitch Zombie just doesn't cut it.

Blue:
Thwart: I like thwart a lot. it really does seem to me like a 'fixed' force
of will.  You have to be playing a reasonably heavy blue deck,  and you
can't do it in the first couple of turns,  but it doesn't lose you card
advantage and is still an excellent emergency or 'I gotta tap lands during
my main phase sometime' card.  Force of Will was just too splashable.
generically so as demonstrated in this last extended season,  and didn't
allow for smart players to really play around it. either your opponent has
the force or doesn't.
Mahamoti Djinn: what? I like laying large creatures.  And if blue is
supposed to be the Flying color, why does it get air elemental when white
gets serra angel?  While you're at it, reprint spindrift drake.

White:
Paladin en vec: Not overpowered, in flavor for the color, and a strong card
without being ultra cheap for its offensive capabilities.  A good defensive
card, which is what white is supposed to be, a defensive color.
Swords to plowshares:  or at least something to replace it within reason.
Last breath? Phaw! Path of Peace?  Seriously guys!  Cheap, instant creature
kill,  with a reasonable drawback.  It doesn't have to remove from the game,
it doesn't have to cost only one mana (but preferably not more than 2)  but
it should at least be playable beyond sealed (or an environment where its
only real reason for being is nether spirit).

Green:
2 power 1 drop:  Green is the creature color, and while it does have some
strong ones, wild dog or pouncing jaguar by itself doesn't completely
unbalance the game.  As it stands birds and llanowar elves are the only
truly good green one drop creatures, and they usually aren't combat
effective.  Since green doesn't have satisfactory creature removal, it
should at the very least win the ground pounders war.
Rancor: It belongs in green.  It just does. Period.
Emerald charm: One of my favorite green cards ever.  Versatile, abilities
that are in flavor for green, and not environmentally destructive.

Red:
Lightning bolt: well. maybe not. But quit giving us shock variants.  Arc
lightning and urza's rage are good cards and do THREE damage while being
versatile. Please reprint them (or cards like them) more often.  Strafe
should be intant.  There was nothing wrong with incinerate.  No, I don't
want singe, cone of flame, or lava axe; or any other mediocre to bad card.
Just something solid.
Fireslinger: burning color, balanced, I dunno, he just fits.  And doesn't
cost 4 or 5 mana to be useful.  It is sad when prodigal is playable in type
two and red's equivalent (kris mage, which I do like, regardless) is sub par
because of the loss or at least breaking even of card advantage
(specifically because you are one for one-ing with birds and elves and with
the prodigal you are actually gaining ground). Red's direct damage should be
better than blue's.

There are many more things that I would like to see over and over again,
these are just a few prime examples I thought I would throw out there for
consideration.  Bring back rancor NOW.


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