Could Blood Sun be a warning sign?
Modern forum
Posted on Jan. 8, 2018, 3:20 p.m. by Twanicus
While it's easy to compare Blood Sun to Blood Moon, any cursory examination shows that the sun doesn't deal with Tron lands at all. I, along with most modernists I've spoken to, dismissed it shortly after as a land hoser. A thought occurred to me though. Wizards has long been vocal about their dislike of broken mana (Amulet Titan, sol ring, the lack of one mana ramp in standard for the foreseeable futer) as well as uninteractive non games (Blood moon, ensnaring bridge). Could they be getting ready to drop (cycle out?) 8th edition from modern? Let it be known that I am not a fan of this, but cards like Boil, Choke, blood moon and bridge all hail from a different era of MTG, and I could see them doing this. I'm not trying to be alarmist, just curious whether anyone has heard anything one way or the other, as well as thoughts and opinions on the idea.
To which I would point out that splinter twin had just made it to modern masters May of 2015 before it got banned in January 2016. It doesn't mean it's gonna happen, just that reprints don't seem to affect their ban (or cycling out in this case) decisions.
January 8, 2018 4:12 p.m.
I'm not entirely sure of what to make of Blood Sun. While I see the point you are trying to make, I feel it is more of a way for them to print a Blood Moon type card for modern that is affordable to newer players.
While it is entirely possible they want to cycle out 8th edition, the effect doing so would have on modern would screw up the next couple of Gp's, which would make people lose faith in moderns stability. Given the lack of faith in standard right now, I doubt they would do that
January 8, 2018 4:17 p.m.
Blood Moon doesnt affect the format as Splinter Twin did you might as well be comparing Jace, the Mind Sculptor to Liliana of the Veil
January 8, 2018 5:53 p.m.
Brandamn, agreed, and I wasn't trying to claim it does. Simply stating that there are a short list of cards, specifically in 8th edition, that have effects that WotC specifically, vocally, dislike. And while the conspiracy theorist in me saw a bigger play afoot, I fully accept that my musings can be (and likely are) without merit.
January 8, 2018 6:34 p.m.
In MaRo's article today, he stated that Blood Sun is a direct answer to all of the utility lands they made in IXA and RIX.
The sets that are included in modern are based on the card frame, when WOTC moved to the modern card frame. I don't think they'll change the sets just because it's easier to visually determine legality by sight. If they really wanted to get rid of Blood Moon and the Tron lands, they would have to get rid of 8th and 9th editions. Since Mirrodin and Kamigawa were released between the two, they would have to get rid of them as well. That would screw with nearly every archetype. Examples: storm loses Desperate Ritual and Gifts Ungiven, everything loses Chalice of the Void and Aether Vial, burn loses Lava Spike.
January 8, 2018 7:22 p.m.
WizardOfTheNorthernCoast says... #9
I honestly hope they don't ban Blood Moon. And I don't think they will. It keeps degenerate lands from dominating the meta (Tron and Eldrazis basically, though they're already over popular atm).
January 8, 2018 7:29 p.m.
Pheardemons says... #11
I wouldn't say it is a possibility of them dropping 8th edition, but more of a way to possibly ban Blood Moon. Problem is, if Blood Moon ever gets banned, we'll just have extremely greedy mana bases and big mana decks running truly rampant. I don't see them banning Blood Moon anytime soon though. Modern has its ups and downs with going between aggro and control, even with Blood Moon in the format. I don't see it warping the format enough for them to care at the moment.
January 8, 2018 10:04 p.m.
DarkMagician says... #12
I don't see Wizards ever removing an entire block over a couple cards, especially ones that most decks can answer pretty easily. As for banning Blood Moon and it's ilk, I don't see that happening either. People know these cards are out there and should and do run answers to them somewhere in the 75 if they have that big of an impact on their deck.
January 9, 2018 12:17 a.m.
Blood Moon does for Modern what Rishadan Port + Wasteland do for Legacy. It keeps greedy mana bases in-check and prevents the format from devolving into 4/5-color "goodstuff" mirrors all day.
Fair decks built around 1 or 2 colors aren't punished by Blood Moon. Banning it means there's less incentive to play fair, 2-color decks.
I think if anything, Blood Sun will make prison-style decks more feasible in Modern. You get Magus of the Moon, Blood Moon, Chalice of the Void, and Trinisphere. The only thing missing is something like Elvish Spirit Guide, Chrome Mox, or a sol land (like Ancient Tomb). It's unlikely they'll ever print a card like that for Standard, but then stuff like Eldrazi happens.
January 9, 2018 6:47 a.m.
There's no reason to ban blood moon basic lands are free folks.Also blood sun does something entirely different.
January 9, 2018 7:17 a.m.
I appreciate all the input, and for the record I am not advocating for a ban of blood moon, or anything else actually. I am actually quite libertarian on the subject of bans, and feel printing of better answers to problem cards is far better than pulling the rug out from under someone's investment.
tpmains, this is exactly the counterpoint I was looking for to rest my suspicions, thank you.
January 9, 2018 2:59 p.m.
UpperDeckerTaco says... #17
Is no one going to touch the fact that Blood Sun can allow you to play bounce lands with no effect of them coming into play tapped or needing to bounce a land. Therefore ramping super hard?
January 16, 2018 12:18 a.m.
Its a three drop, though. At BEST, you T1 mana dork/utopia sprawl, T2 Blood Sun, and then T3 bounce land to have 5 mana. Turn three affinity, storm and burn have you lined up for the kill, while shandow, jund and jeskai have been hindering u every step of the way. Not to mention Tron and Valakut (kinda) are ramping harder and more consistently. I think its a non issue in the context of modern.
January 16, 2018 1:13 a.m.
Jimmy_Chinchila says... #19
Yeah those lands are sooo slow without it though
Brandamn says... #2
If they hadnt kept reprinting blood moon you might have a point but i doubt it
January 8, 2018 3:56 p.m.