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Editorial Section:

Before I get into the meat of this section I'm going to announce a new chapter of the PureMTGO clan; the PureMTGO - Constructed clan.  I've created it and would like to do a couple things.  1) Move those of you in the current "PureMTGO" that are interested in Constructed into the new chapter and 2) put a shout out to anyone interested in Constructed on MTGO to look into this new clan Chapter.  The requirements are pretty easy, mostly just don't start or get involved in intra-clan 'drama' and behave yourself (for the most part) and everything's cool.  Anyone interested please contact me in game (hamtastic) or in the comments here, or at hamtastic AT puremtgo DOT com.  Thanks!

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A while back I wrote about the painfully imbalanced Prismatic Banned and Restricted list.  Namely that some cards, generally tutor effects, were not exactly kept up properly.  There were a few cards that were banned that were quite a bit weaker than cards that were at the time unbanned.  There were cards with similar effects on each side of the banned list.  My pleas evidently reached the ears of WotC as for the following two Banned and Restricted announcements steps were taken to shore up those lists.  I am pleased at the changes they made and I think that they've now opened up a lot of potential for deck building in the format.  Alas, the client still can't handle those large deck sizes very well yet, but that's a topic for another day I guess.  This week, I'm going to focus on similar issues within a different format; Tribal Wars - Classic (hereafter known as TWC).  My general philosophy is that if I'm going to do something, do it properly or don't bother doing it.  To that end I implore WotC to revisit their Banned and Restricted list for TWC.  A lot of the currently banned cards hearken back to Onslaught being Standard legal, and attempts to keep the creature hosers of that set from unbalancing the format that existed then.  To see the evolution of the format, I'll give the historical information first, then move into some specific examples of what needs to be investigated.  Also, remember that when Onslaught was the big set on campus we didn't have any Master's Edition sets.  Nor any Classic Only sets like Mirage.  And it was long before Lorwyn arrived with the next wave of uber-tribal cards.  I can actually see some of these cards pushing the envelope of that format and possibly opening up too many problems for the players.  Now, Classic has a lot more tools, a lot more tribes, and a lot more power.  What was once broken is not necessarily the case anymore.

I learned a lot about Prismatic when I wrote that old article.  I uncovered as many details on the format as I could find through the WotC sites, google cache, etc and unwound the history of the format.  Now I will do the same for the TWC format to provide the highest amount of detail possible.

Pretty much the furthest back I can find for Tribal Wars is its creation for the 2003 MTG Invitational (February 14th, 2003) wherein the format is first named and the banned list is created.

During this time frame the 'Classic' didn't really exist, so it was just called "Tribal Wars", so they needed to keep the format from being a blow out with Zombies, Goblins, Elves, etc, as this was the heyday of Onslaught tribes.  The only one that I can really get behind keeping is the banning of Tsabo's Decree, namely for the completely destructive force it will have as it resolves.  And the sad thing?  It's STILL not as powerful as the Sul.Leg and A.Evo play.  But then again, the latter is two cards across two colors.  But then again, this is Classic.  Full sets of duals and fetches and filters means that mana is rarely a major concern by turn three.
 

And somewhere along the lines Gleemox got banned as well.  But the above is pretty much a comprehensive history of the format's banned list.

So. What have we learned?
That the original banned list that was created for a one time use format is still in effect today
That there aren't a lot of cards on the Banned list at the moment
That the rules changes and sets added since then have created a vastly different environment.

Case #1:
Unbanned - Damnation, Extinction
Banned - Endemic Plague

Back then, an 'illusion' creature like Imagecrafter plus Endemic Plague would become an almost one sided Wrath against your opponent (it would cost you the creature you shifted into their creature type and the card itself).  I can see how, for a casual-ish format, that might seem unfair and it would certainly be 'unfun' given the respective format.  But what then about Extinction?  It's overall the same amount of mana, (five total) but it has the same effect without the necessary 'creature in play' setup.  As I was typing that last sentence I think I hit upon the crux of the issue just now... TWC was a 'fun' format that became sanctioned; kind of like what happened with Prismatic.  I always love when we get more options available in the client as I think it creates a deeper play experience and gives the casual player more options to try out.  However there is always a risk when sanctioning a previously fun based format, and that risk is bringing forward 'spirit of the format' baggage along with it.  Like we had in Prismatic until recently.  There was a time that Wild Research was problematic in Prismatic.  Iceage4life (I believe) gave some very well informed reasons for why it was banned during the last time I brought the request forward to remove it.  I believe him that in the time frame of Odyssey, Torment, Judgment that Wild Research was indeed over powered for the casual play room.  Without being able to race it or destroy it in two turns the game would heavily slant into the Wild Research players favor.  However, by the time that Prismatic was sanctioned things had changed.  The format was faster, the creatures better, the decks more honed and the card was no longer the boogie man it once was.  I feel, based on what is on the list and when it was added, that this is the case for a lot of our current tribal wars list as well.  Because if we're talking about two card wrath combos why isn't this bad boy banned:
Unbanned - Suleiman's Legacy + Artificial Evolution

Here's the UWr Shell I ran in one game.  I stopped after that game because a turn three blowout (with Force of Will backup) was plenty of testing for my taste.  Essentially, he played an early creature, then another.  I then knew his tribe and tutored up my missing piece and won the game.  Yay me.  I ran Merfolk around this shell, but I'd recommend something less likely to overlap with an opponents tribe.  Honestly, anything that is at the minimum level, or artifacts (with Darksteel Forge) or that can start pumping out tokens (for Eldrazi Monument) and you could just win at your leisure.  I've chatted with AJ as well who has played far more Tribal than I ever have and his experiences mirror mine.  It's easy to build the combo and super cheap to play it.  And once it's played it's the end of the game.  Usually on turn three or four. 

2 Artificial Evolution
3 Enlightened Tutor
4 Mystical Tutor
3 Suleiman's Legacy

4 Scalding Tarn
4 Flooded Strand
4 Tundra
2 Plateau
1 Snow-Covered Mountain
1 Snow-Covered Island
1 Misty Rainforest
2 Volcanic Island
1 Snow-Covered Plains
4 Arid Mesa

Unbanned - Solitary Confinement

Case #2:
When the banned list was updated with MED3 cards I agreed with pretty much all of it... all of it except one.  I immediately called shenanigans on the Arboria ban.  Long time readers will recall that AJ_Impy made some great points about what *could* be done to break Arboria had it been given a chance.  And I must admit that many of his ideas were items that I had not thought about.  However, if we're just talking about unfun/lockdown enchantments I propose the following by removed next month (or that arboria be removed...)
Sadly I didn't get to test this <U/W Wizards Lists>, but it's about where I'd go towards winning with Confinement.  You could of course go in other directions; such as Goblins to abuse Squee and the various Goblin tutors.  You could probably just chill on your combo after that, either with some sort of card draw, or some sort of combo-esque shenanigans.  There are enough ways to win once you have shroud and are unattackable that I won't need to list them all.  Essentially you just need a way to draw cards after the lock is in place, and you will eventually win the game.  Just keep an eye on the clock as you do your thing.  The point being that lock down decks, prison decks, and control decks are nothing new.  In fact, one might say that 'prison style' decks are actually a necessary evil in the older formats.  In a card pool as deep as Classic, Aggro and Combo are going to be very fast and a control deck needs to have a really strong game plan to hold them in check.  Arboria fits that very well and even opens the door for different deck types to try to walk down that path to victory. 

Case #3:
And for the love of all that's holy and right... unban Unnatural Selection!  It's not even a relevant card... and I'm not even remotely kidding.  The rules that made it 'bad' are no longer applicable.  Legendary shenanigans are moot as of the Kamigawa Legend Supertype update to the rules.  This isn't like messing around with Gush on the Eternal lists, where it might not be too broken anymore.  It's essentially like banning Chimney Imp in Extended.  Well, okay, maybe now I'm remotely kidding.  But not by much.  Actually, of all the cards on the original list the only one that I think is still justifiable is Tsabo's Decree.  But even that pales in comparison to the dreaded S.Leg + A.Evo play.  And while you're at it, look at all the originally banned cards and determine if they are in fact, worse than what's already allowable in the format.  I'd be willing to guess that most of them are weaker than currently existing cards that are allowed to run free in the format. 

So.  What can we do about this?

Option 1: Fix the banned list.
Someone (or someones) really need to balance out the banned list.  Right now it's a jumbled mess of 'cards that were unfun', some cards that are powerful in combo, and cards that make no sense at all.  Either a one sided, two card Wrath is unfair, or it's fair.  Pick a position and do the work to enforce it.  I personally believe that given the format they exist in that they are fair.  If you can pull of the Imagecrafter + Endemic Plague... bully for you.  Double so if you pull off the Suleiman's Legacy + Evolution play.  Also, much like Wild Research in Prismatic; the Endemic Plague ban needs to be revisited with the current context in mind.  What happens if you walk an Endemic Plague into a Mana Drain?  What risks are you taking to protect your Suleiman play? 

Option 2: Massively change the approach.
It was mentioned in the comments of AJ's article that perhaps Classic based is too much for the format, and the majority of these issues of balance disappear once you move into Extended.  The more I think about it the better this idea sounds.  It resolves a LOT of the issues that a Classic based format creates; namely the power level as we move back before IPA.  Also, it stays fresher than Classic by shaking up some every year but not *so* fresh as Standard which shakes up a lot every three months.  The drawback is pretty obvious.  The cards that were purchased exclusively for Classic Tribal play would be taken out of the format.  The silver lining to this issue is that most of the valuable cards in Classic Tribal are valuable for their Classic viability. 

Option 3: Change the approach, but not as much.
"I'm fully aware that Classic does not equal vintage".  That should clue most readers into the suggestion I'm about to propose.  Instead of "Classic" tribal wars, why not "Legacy" tribal wars?  Ban all the cards we have online that are mirrored in Legacy's banned list.  This kills a lot, if not all, of the major offenders and preemptively bans a large chunk of the Urza's brokenness next year.  The format is very fun when it's not a hyper-fast combo environment.  Before people yell, I fully understand that some cards that are banned in Legacy are banned only because they have the entire card pool.  My goal though, is to use an easily accessible list that achieves the desired result (challenging combo decks).  One could go card by card in the Classic format and weigh the cards out for the Tribal Format and create a banned list.  I posit that such a list would wind up being very close to a copied Legacy list; and that the effort required would be better spent playing the format to see how it goes. Perhaps a PRE could test the waters with this?  We're getting closer and closer having the Legacy playable cards online, with mostly just Urza's and some various other cards missing before it's functionally Legacy.  If anyone is interested in testing the waters with a Tribal Wars Legacy format let me know and I'll publicize it accordingly.

I realize that I'm not as invested in the format as many of its die-hard players.  As such I'm not in the position to say which option is the best for the format going forward since quite frankly I don't know what the 'best' option is.  I do however know that what has been done so far is not remotely consistent.  And much like last time the lack of focus on the format causes confusion about what the format is meant to be.  If it's going to be a free-for-all with ridiculously high powered cards, embrace that, love that, go with that.  If it's meant to have some semblance of balance... then you have a lot of work to do to get it there. 

If you're going to support a format, support a format. 

Discussion Items:
Important announcements!
There is a lot of important stuff in this blog post, but I'll highlight the goodies:
MOCS 2010 Starting in January
Specialty Format Voting going on NOW!
Shards of Alara mixed set booster to replace ACR boosters
Shards of Alara ACR booster farewell events

2009 Holiday Schedule announced!
Some very sweet benefits for non-standard constructed players and those who are toying at getting into the formats.  Also a good way to practice for some easy MOCS points for next year.  Get in the practice for 100CS, Classic, etc now and reap the benefits next month!

 

Card price Discussion:
Overall, Standard took a beating losing the most value this week.  Classic saw some minor slippage (look for Exodus next week after the second week of numbers exist for comparisons).  Extended legal cards gained a bit, and were the only specific gainers for the week.

For Standard, Maelstrom Pulse continues to be strong removal (who knew?) and Noble Hierarch is continuing to show promise in multiple decks across multiple formats.  Sovereigns found a home for the week and went from .1 ticket to almost a full ticket.  Well done old chap, well done.

For Extended, the Extended season drawing near is still doing exactly what an observant market watcher would expect... and that is create demand in cards that until recently had much much less.  You'll see the Ravnica duals go up as decks use them.  You'll see powerful questions and answers go up as well. 

For Classic, old lands are new again now that we have new Dredge toys to play with and also a little thing called Oath of Druids to really hammer home the value of Exotic Orchard as well as the beloved enchantment tutor Enlightened Tutor.

Card Price Charts:

Card	This Week	Last Week	Value Change	Percentage Change
Enlightened Tutor	8	5	3	60.00%
Maelstrom Pulse	26	24	2	8.33%
Undiscovered Paradise	7	5	2	40.00%
Hell's Thunder	4	2.35	1.65	70.21%
Forbidden Orchard	4.5	3.25	1.25	38.46%
Enlightened Tutor	9	8	1	12.50%
Hallowed Fountain	14	13	1	7.69%
Noble Hierarch	8	7	1	14.29%
Progenitus	7	6.25	0.75	12.00%
Sovereigns of Lost Alara	0.75	0.1	0.65	650.00%

Card	This Week	Last Week	Value Change	Percentage Change
Sovereigns of Lost Alara	0.75	0.1	0.65	650.00%
Wargate	0.9	0.3	0.6	200.00%
Hell's Thunder	4	2.35	1.65	70.21%
Enlightened Tutor	8	5	3	60.00%
Heartwood Storyteller	0.6	0.4	0.2	50.00%
Undiscovered Paradise	7	5	2	40.00%
Forbidden Orchard	4.5	3.25	1.25	38.46%
Yavimaya Coast	0.9	0.7	0.2	28.57%
Cryptic Command	3	2.5	0.5	20.00%
True Believer	0.6	0.5	0.1	20.00%

Card	This Week	Last Week	Value Change	Percentage Change
Baneslayer Angel	44	48	-4	-8.33%
Force of Will	60	64	-4	-6.25%
Garruk Wildspeaker	12	15	-3	-20.00%
Lotus Cobra	14.5	17.5	-3	-17.14%
Time Warp	10.5	12	-1.5	-12.50%
Sorin Markov	6	7.5	-1.5	-20.00%
Jace Beleren	8.5	9.75	-1.25	-12.82%
Garruk Wildspeaker	14.5	15.5	-1	-6.45%
Nissa Revane	6	7	-1	-14.29%
Dragonskull Summit	4.5	5.5	-1	-18.18%

Card	This Week	Last Week	Value Change	Percentage Change
Xathrid Demon	0.6	0.9	-0.3	-33.33%
Sphinx Ambassador	0.8	1.15	-0.35	-30.43%
Eternity Vessel	0.8	1.15	-0.35	-30.43%
Protean Hydra	1.3	1.75	-0.45	-25.71%
Elvish Archdruid	1.3	1.75	-0.45	-25.71%
Platinum Angel	1.5	2	-0.5	-25.00%
Emeria Angel	1.5	2	-0.5	-25.00%
Treetop Village	0.75	1	-0.25	-25.00%
Darksteel Colossus	2.25	3	-0.75	-25.00%
Mindbreak Trap	1.5	2	-0.5	-25.00%

Card Price Graphs:

enlightened tutor chart
maelstrom pulse chart
undiscovered paradise chart
hell's thunder chart
forbidden orchard chart
enlightened tutor chart
hallowed fountain chart
noble hierarch chart
progenitus chart
sovereigns of lost alara chart
sovereigns of lost alara chart
wargate chart
hell's thunder chart
enlightened tutor chart
heartwood storyteller chart
undiscovered paradise chart
forbidden orchard chart
yavimaya coast chart
cryptic command chart
true believer chart
baneslayer angel chart
force of will chart
garruk wildspeaker chart
lotus cobra chart
time warp chart
sorin markov chart
jace beleren chart
garruk wildspeaker chart
nissa revane chart
dragonskull summit chart
xathrid demon chart
sphinx ambassador chart
eternity vessel chart
protean hydra chart
elvish archdruid chart
platinum angel chart
emeria angel chart
treetop village chart
darksteel colossus chart
mindbreak trap chart

Tournaments:

	321 Draft	16 player Daily Swiss Daily	16 Player Sealed Swiss (on demand)	16 player Daily Swiss (Release)
Promo	None	Zuran Orb		None		Avatar, extra avatar to winners
Rounds	3	4	3	4
Expected Value (prizes):	42.8%	50.9%	50%	54.9%
Estimated Time	Three to Four hours	Four Hours	Three Hours	Four Hours
Payout	3-0: 3 Packs 2-1: 2 Packs 1-2: 1 Packs 0-3: 0 packs	4-0: 11 Packs 3-1: 6 Packs 2-2: 3 Packs 1-3 or lower: 0 Packs	3-0: 9 Packs 2-1: 4 Packs 1-2: 1 Packs 0-3: 0 Packs	4-0: 15 Packs 3-1: 12 Packs 2-2: 3 Packs 1-3 or lower:0 Packs
MOPR Points	3	4	4	4
Cost	3 Boosters + 2 Event Tickets ($14.97 from the store)	Six Boosters + 2 Event Tickets ($25.94 from the store)	Six Boosters ($23.94 from the store)	Six boosters + 4 Event Tickets ($27.94 from the store)

Dailies:

Premier Events:

Weekend Events: