Robert Norman

My wife was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer in early January, and treatment has been successful so far, but now we’re at risk of losing her work-based insurance. Please consider donating to this GoFundMe to help keep her care uninterrupted. gofund.me/89e43d08

@GavinVerhey My oldest daughter’s name is Hazel, so it’s definitely going to be my next commander deck. The irony is that she’s afraid of squirrels, lol. Now I just need a legend named Violet, so I can build one for my youngest daughter.

Vote here:

Alright, so of the four #mtgbloomburrow face Commanders, which gets you the most excited and why? Poll in the replies! #wotcstaff

@wachelreeks Can’t wait to see it!

@RobertTenor It's not in a place for public consumption yet, but I'm working on it!

I stumbled across Harper Recruiter in my bulk box and I've been testing it in my mono-white D&T Canadian Highlander list. There are roughly 20 hits in the deck, but many strong. I love having a competitive format where I feel empowered to make changes to the list as I want.

@ghirapurigears Super underrated commander. UW humans is fun, and Goldbug acts like a bad Tymna. moxfield.com/decks/T0ivUbig…

What's your favorite UW commander? This post brought to you by me daydreaming about a temmet deck but not building it because I don't need Yet Another Tokens Deck (tm)

@TolarianCollege Sending you condolences and love.

My father passed away last night. I’m glad we could be with him. I’m glad he wasn’t alone, and is no longer in pain. His was an extraordinary life, full of art, and passion, and love. I wouldn’t want anyone else as my dad. He supported me in everything I did. I love you, dad.

@BFollest I’m not dismissing you at all. I’m debating your points, and continuing a discussion.

@RobertTenor We disagree dont make me mute you.

Today's #scryfallrandom is one of my favorite cards in all of magic

@BFollest So you haven’t tested it? The point of the CAG is to listen to recommendations for the community. Everyone’s playgroup is a narrow experience. The CAG’s job is to listen and synthesize to a broader application. Our experience is we unbanned it, and it was fine.

@RobertTenor My play group is too small to make meaningful recommendations to the CAG or RC about what would constitute fair and balanced in the entirely of a format.

@BFollest Have you tested it?

@RobertTenor Your testing is moot, given that you conceded its a small sample size, and in the one deck regardless of not being the most powerful thing to do is still very powerful. One play group is not enough, and I'd reckon the CAG and RC have tested more thoroughly than your group.

@BFollest I recognize that it’s in ONE deck, and though it’s good, it’s not the best card in the deck the way that it used to be. I played in 2012 when it was banned. It was everywhere. We unbanned it to test, and it didn’t happen. Green is my fave color, I have it in one deck.

@RobertTenor So you recognize that its both a small sample size AND that in the deck it is in is still very powerful yet wont concede that it is still too powerful to be format wide. 😂Okay.... discussion over.

@BFollest My playgroup unbanned it. And small sample size, but it’s in one deck total. And that includes decks with Cradle, etc. It’s powerful in that deck, but it does not see the same rampant adoption that got it banned. The circumstances have changed in the last ten years.

@RobertTenor Lathril will play it for gaeas cradle, urborg and coffers. Other decks will play it for grabbing their best utility lands, if not these combinations as well. It has far more uses than landfall that you are failing to consider.

@BFollest Understood it can go in any green base, but why is Lathril playing it? Is it going to stop it’s gameplan of playing elves to play Titan? Probably not. Same goes for Atraxa, Miirym, Go-Shintai, Esika, Marwyn, etc. Landfall decks will play it, I’m not sure if it’s adoption beyond.

@RobertTenor And those land ramps spells are even more dense and efficient now than the time when Primtime was banned. LITERALLY ANY BASE GREEN commanders are looking to ramp quickly. Azusa, meren, atraxa, marwyn, lathril, miirym go-shintai, esika, omnath (any of them) and thats just a few

@BFollest Primeval is a powerful card. I’m not arguing that. But it’s mana cost, and the speed and specificity of the format have changed what I expect it’s adopted ubiquity to be. Not every green deck with play it. I argue, most decks won’t play it.

@RobertTenor Those tools dont do it repeatedly every combat, on a 6/6 trampling body. Any green base commander decks have the ability to do so. Its easy to ramp to and then snowball out of control.

@BFollest What decks are doing that? Who is the commander? That’s a very narrow application, not the ubiquity it was banned for. And if you want to do that, you already have Hour of Promise, Crop Rotation, Sylvan Scrying, Expedition Map… the tools already exist.

@RobertTenor T2/3 primetime can happen quite often given the ubiquitous nature of land ramp and fast mana in the format. Then you just grab something like eye of ugin to use your mana for tutoring the biggest eldrazi that will punish anyone that is running a little slow.

@ghirapurigears Can I ask genuinely, why do you think it should remain banned? I feel as the format has sped up, it’s closer to the top end of the curve in many cases. Combined with the printing of so many cards over the last 10+ years, it would not be nearly as ubiquitous as it once was.

(It should not be unbanned)

@golgariguy I just want to make big mana and toolbox my creatures in the blingiest way possible.

@golgariguy Wish there was a “hate” option :)

@GavinVerhey I wanted to share my Universes Beyond deck with you. UW Goldbug: Humans Spellslinger. It’s got 19 (if you count Gale) Universes Beyond cards in it. Looking forward to adding something from Doctor Who to up the IPs. Thanks for helping make this a possibility!

@ghirapurigears This is my favorite!

Dear wotc, please make food tokens that look like actual food folks would want to eat

@GavinVerhey Would love for Guardian Project to have a second, non-simic art. And a foil Grim Hireling would be awesome.

What are your favorite cards in Magic that DON'T have a sweet version (foil/alt art/etc) you like? Setting aside reserved list. Could either be a card which has never gotten a sweet version, or just one you think could be upgraded. Hit me up! #wotcstaff