Is this the end of vanilla creatures?
Spoilers, Rumors, and Speculation forum
Posted on July 13, 2024, 8:05 p.m. by legendofa
Apologies for the clickbaity title, but this is a milestone in creature complexity. Right now, there's exactly one vanilla creature in Standard, and it's the very unorthodox Yargle and Multani. When March of the Machines rotates out next year, unless something unusual happens, that will be the first ever Standard season with no vanilla creatures.
Nobody really gets excited for another 2/2 for 2 mana or 3/6 for 4 or whatever, and French vanilla creatures still have lots of room for flavor text. Ankle Biter, Bolrac-Clan Basher, and Timberland Ancient show this pretty well.
https://markrosewater.tumblr.com/post/679207540942356480/there-havent-been-any-vanilla-creatures-printed#notes
But vanilla creatures apparently aren't a fully essential part of the game, and complexity creep is absolutely a real thing. Bloomburrow doesn't appear to have any, and I'm skeptical for Duskmourn having any. If nothing else, this is going to drive Jasmine Boreal of the Seven and Ruxa, Patient Professor into near stasis. They won't be getting any new tools besides maybe token generators, and there are better support options for token strategies.
Is it worth keeping vanilla creatures around? Do they serve any role in the game anymore, or should French vanilla be the baseline going forward?
TypicalTimmy says... #3
Believe it or not, Draft is considered one of the largest MTG formats of all time. Because of this, there will always be reason to print a 2/2 for 2, or a 3/4 for 4 or a 6/6 for 6.
They fill the ranks of common and uncommon spells quite well, are easily accessible to all colors if they cost something like for a 3/4, can be solid set pieces for tribal themes, are decent curve toppers and serve as a solid stepping stone for those who are literally brand new to Magic.
Imagine someone is playing for the very first time in their life and you give them Fervent Champion.
July 14, 2024 2:36 a.m.
TypicalTimmy I don't disagree, but looking at a selection of Standard common 2/2 2-drops, Alabaster Host Sanctifier, Goblin Picker, Snooping Newsie, Phyrexian Vivisector, Sporeback Wolf all have simple, easily tracked effects (once you learn the vocabulary) without being pure vanilla.
So right now, P/T average has to be above mana value for vanillas to compete. Green takes over the upper end of the creature mana curve at common, and 5-mana 4/4s appear to be the upper end of full color access without drawbacks. So, given that green and red are going to have bigger creatures than white and blue, what's the best P/T-mana ratio for a vanilla creature to compete with other common creatures? Should there be a vanilla 5/5 for at uncommon? Or more likely for the color, a 6/3, fully obsoleting Raging Poltergeist and Scoria Elemental?
July 14, 2024 3:14 a.m.
Even in Limited, the baseline for what's considered "playable" has gone up. On one hand, there are a lot more playables in current sets than there were in formats like Dragon's Maze or Urza's Saga. On the other, the days of Savannah Lions, Jackal Pup, and Watchwolf are gone. And in Constructed formats, even a "vanilla" 3/4 for is venturing into unplayable territory.
I wouldn't be surprised if the next Watchwolf-tier card is a vanilla 3/3 (or better) for .
July 14, 2024 6:24 a.m.
plakjekaas says... #6
Standard Seasons Dominaria United, The Brothers War and All Will Be One were already Standard seaons without any vanilla creatures, outside of Yargle and Multani the last actual vanilla creatures were Ageless Guardian and Spined Karok in Strixhaven, which rotated out when Dominaria United hit. So it won't be the first standard season without vanilla creatures.
July 14, 2024 7:15 a.m.
plakjekaas You're right. I thought there was a vanilla in BRO, but I guess not. I'm going to try to salvage this by saying 2026 could be the first rotation from no-vanilla Standard into another no-vanilla Standard.
July 14, 2024 2:26 p.m.
plakjekaas says... #8
Or you could say Legendary doesn't count as vanilla... since there's legendary matters cards, and that will be with Bloomburrow '^^
I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude trying to prove you wrong twice in the same thread :P
I do think it's silly how wordy cards have to be to be playable these days, must be a conspiracy to make kids read again or something.
July 14, 2024 5:50 p.m.
plakjekaas I'm going to hold my ground on this one. A legendary creature can still be vanilla--"legendary matters" doesn't make Y+M non-vanilla by itself any more than Elvish Champion makes Norwood Ranger non-vanilla by itself. A big chunk of the legendary creatures from Legends were vanilla.
Still, you're not being rude. I got something wrong, and I'd rather have it get corrected (politely) than keep spread bad information. So thank you for that.
It's not a creature, but I really want to see/own an Ardent Plea with no reminder text. Just two words of rules text on an enchantment.
July 14, 2024 6:45 p.m.
TheOfficialCreator says... #10
Honestly, while I understand the game design ideas behind it, I'm still sad to see vanillas go, and still make them regularly in my custom cards. I guess you don't know what you're missing until it's gone.
FormOverFunction says... #2
I love them, as they pad my theme decks, but as power creep continues it seems like the general playerbase just doesn’t want to have them around. Also, as there’s more and more of a market for singles I think vanillas are seen as almost worse than just another land or token. It’s weird, though, because you’d think that (with the general money focus WotC has shown) adding easy to produce, with zero testing required, creatures would let them drag out their production lines. I don’t know. There has to be a lot of disdain for vanilla creatures to overcome that.
July 13, 2024 9:45 p.m.