Storm Scale: Ravnica and Return to Ravnica
Spoilers, Rumors, and Speculation forum
Posted on May 23, 2016, 5:15 p.m. by DemonDragonJ
Recently, Mark Rosewater posted an article about the storm scale for the Ravnica and Return to Ravnica blocks, and, since no one has yet posted a thread about it, here, I shall now do so. Here is a link to the article. I shall not quote it in its entirety, but I shall summarize it by posting Rosewater's ratings for each mechanic from the two blocks, which are as follows (as a reminder, the storm scale rates mechanics from 1 to 10, with 1 being most likely to return and 10 being least likely to return):
Forecast: 8
Detain: 3
Transmute: 9
Cipher: 9
Hellbent: 5
Unleash: 4
Bloodthirst: 3
Bloodrush: 6
Convoke: 3
Populate: 5
Haunt: 9
Extort: 6
Replicate: 5
Overload: 6
Dredge: 10
Scavenge: 4
Radiance: 9
Battalion: 4
Graft: 8
Evolve: 5
For my own thoughts about this article, I mostly agree with Rosewater, except for haunt, which disappoints me greatly to be so high on the scale (and thus, very unlikely to return), since I am very fond of that mechanic. I am indifferent to detain, radiance, overload, scavenge, and hellbent, and I am not very fond of cipher or unleash, but I am very fond of all the others, and do await their eventual return, although I personally believe that transmute should have a lower rating than what Rosewater gave it, since I do not believe that it is a very problematic mechanic.
What does everyone else say about this? What are your opinions on this article? Do you agree with Rosewater? Which mechanics do you most wish and least wish to see return?
I'm sad about my favorite mechanic, transmute, getting the stanky boot, but I understand why.
May 23, 2016 5:24 p.m.
I like seeing them in Ravnica Blocks. Let's just leave them there and wait for a Return to Return to Ravnica.
May 23, 2016 5:30 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #6
Monsmtg, why do you understand transmute being so high on the scale?
May 23, 2016 5:34 p.m.
This is really interesting. Thanks for the article. You're killing me with all those SHALLS though. It's quite unnecessary.
May 23, 2016 5:43 p.m.
iBleedPunk says... #8
Happy to see Populate at a 5. Hopefully we see it again soon
May 23, 2016 5:49 p.m.
VampireArmy says... #9
At the end of the day, only the draftable mechanics survive.
May 23, 2016 5:54 p.m.
jandrobard says... #10
"Dredge: 10"
I cracked up a little, then cried a little.
May 23, 2016 6:23 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #11
I might start a thread dedicated to asking this question, but why is dredge so powerful? I have not used it very much, so I cannot understand why it is considered to be so game-warping.
May 23, 2016 6:31 p.m.
Aaaaw, I LIKE Cipher, though. Surprised to have Graft so high with it, TBH.
May 23, 2016 8:15 p.m.
DemonDragonJ it's not a power level issue, it's a gameplay issue, it leads to redundant gameplay.
May 23, 2016 9:30 p.m.
DemonDragonJ - Dredge decks in Legacy play a game but it doesn't look anything like the Magic played by any other deck ever made. For example, here's a primer on how to play Dredge with zero lands. Not even Vintage decks that rely on artifact mana can get away with that. You might think that just means it's bizarre. The reason it's utterly broken is that it can put (virtually) all of its creatures into play without paying mana costs or even life loss. And by virtually all I mean the entire deck.
It tends to not win any Legacy tournaments, however, because Wizards has spent decades now printing graveyard hate cards to keep it in check.
May 23, 2016 9:32 p.m.
GoldGhost012 says... #16
He also did a Storm Scale for Tarkir.
Morph- 4
Raid, Dash, Rebound- 3
Outlast, Ferocious- 7
Prowess- 1
Delve- 8
Manifest- 6
Bolster- 5
Megamorph- 9
May 23, 2016 10:07 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #17
GoldGhost012, Yes, I read that article, as well, and I agree with most of it, except that I am not fond of morph, so I wish that it had a higher rating, while I wish that bolster was lower. However, I completely agree about megamorph, but the fact that delve is so high has me surprised, since I thought that it was a popular and versatile mechanic that was not too powerful.
May 23, 2016 11:18 p.m.
The two best delve cards from Khans were banned in both Legacy and Modern before Khans even rotated out of Standard. That points to why delve has such a high storm scale rating - it's hard to appropriately cost for some effects without being broken or worthless.
May 24, 2016 5:48 a.m.
I think overload could definitely return in something like Kaladesh of Vryn. Unfortunate that it's a six.
May 24, 2016 10:47 a.m.
The one thing that makes me think MaRo is 'missing the mark' when it comes to 'Storm Scale' is that how 'popular' a mechanic is is often a direct relation to it's power level... often, if they made something better to start with, it would be much more accepted by players.
Cipher, for example... if the spells were worth casting without cipher, and cipher were just a bonus... then people would have probably liked cipher a lot more.
He's looking at "Was/Wasn't it popular", and not looking at "Why was/wasn't it popular."
For the most part though, I agree with most of his assessments.
May 24, 2016 11:34 a.m. Edited.
genericaura says... #21
Most of the problem with Cipher actually, was that they made all the cards they could. They even have Hidden Strings and Hands of Binding which are basically in the exact same design space. Cipher is a very shallow effect because it's just an aura that has "when enchanted creature deals combat damage to an opponent" on it.
May 24, 2016 1:55 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #22
KingTorg1, I also believe that replicate would be excellent on either of those planes, as well.
May 24, 2016 3:15 p.m.
APPLE01DOJ says... #23
RTRTR will be a dope set RTR is when I got into magic and it's been the best set since IMO.
May 24, 2016 5 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #24
I believe that detain would work well on Kaladesh, since the plane (or at least the city of Ghirapur) is ruled by a totalitarian government that is fond of oppressing the people, often simply for the amusement of the government officials.
May 25, 2016 12:37 a.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #25
Rayenous, Rosewater has said that the storm scale is strictly his own opinion, and that other employees of WotC who work on M:tG may have different opinions about the possibility of specific mechanics returning, so I believe that the players do not need to accept his word on such matters as final and infallible.
-Fulcrum says... #2
I like Convoke. That's the only one I really want to see return.
May 23, 2016 5:22 p.m.