The Very Worst Of Magic: The Gathering | 2023

[@TolarianCommunityCollege]

Giving away 12 Collector Booster Boxes of Ravnica Remastered on Friday, January 12 at 11am PST at www.whatnot.com/invite/tolariancollege and also get a $15 credit just for signing up!

[@TheSimmus]

Hey there Prof., just wanted to say that I did watch your Best Off video already and am gonna watch it again. There are a lot of fans who appreciate your optimism. My friends and I are quiet, but not silent. Best wishes for the next year!

[@Dikarika]

FYI, my last whatnot order has been left on "preparing" even though it was from your last stream. I know it's the holidays so nbd but please take a look.

[@JackSmith-rr1od]

your the reason i started playing magic the gathering, i play purely discard decks with no wincon.

[@trashpanda2434]

Hey Prof, hope you see this. I backed the Academic on Kickstarter, didn’t receive one due to missing the survey, and have yet to be refunded. Been trying to get this resolved for a while now, would appreciate your help.

[@Greg501-]

The whole point of Booster Fun was to make opening packs a spectacle. Serialized cards were an inevitability from that mindset.

[@cluelesscardgamer]

seeing the wonka bar opening line and imagining it as magic cards honestly made me a little sick

[@nobodyimportant72]

But you can almost picture that happening at various card shops/resellers. Maybe not to quite that extent but it'd certainly happen.

[@Trevendor]

He was 100% right though. Such a picture perfect representation

[@rileymcphee9429]

Ditto

[@danilzashikhin3591]

Sure, there were the streams where people who don't play were opening the packs and discarded everything

[@nobodyimportant72]

@@danilzashikhin3591 that is just sad.

[@aishiw7434]

I got so excited saying "COMMANDER MASTERS" in perfect unison with the Professor

[@ChrischiM84]

me 2

[@jessehinshaw]

If he had said the precons were I'd agree, they really over priced those for what was in them. The draft experience was fun if you were willing to shell out for the cost. It is ironic that people will go out and spend thousands on lands foe their commander deck then complain about the price of a sealed event 😂

[@Xoulrath_]

​@@jessehinshawthe fact that someone even needs to explain this to you is beyond sad. Paying a few hundred dollars for a Reserve List Dual that will almost certainly always at least maintain the value, versus wasting that money on draft packs that might actually see you lose money with the poor EV, are two VERY different things.

[@jessehinshaw]

@@Xoulrath_ when I Rome...

[@danacoleman4007]

​@@Xoulrath_so instead of bothering to explain it in such a rude way, why not just STFU?

[@rbizla]

I genuinely love that The Editor has become a supporting character

[@George-kz5hb]

He is like Jerry from the Zefrank True Facts episodes.

[@PrawnOneFiveSix]

Opening Tolarian Contempt from your aftermath pack has to be the biggest feat of cosmic irony I've seen all year. 😂

[@AcroxShadow]

Secret Lairs were already overappealing to big money collectors over players. The 1/1 Ring is promoting exactly that kind of Golden Ticket behavior.

[@hornylink]

if 1/1 ring and 1/100 serialized reprints replaced every other money grubbing action from hasbro I'd be all here for it, but of couerse serialized cards are just added to the pile of bullshit hasbro is doing to squeeze as much money out of the players as possible before mtg becomes a wasteland and the CEO takes his golden parachute and lets someone else clean up the mess

[@jinxsiemcdeath6250]

The 001/001 Ring is not, by itself, a bad marketing move for MtG. All the extra crap to goose quarterly sales before it, for years, made it look like a shark jump episode instead of a monumental, truly historic move in the history of MtG. Nothing has impacted new player acquisition and sales greater than the Lord of the Rings set in MtG history and it justifies printing the first 001/001 card as a commemorative event. How the Professor feels about it, though, is how I felt about the Priceless Treasures gimmick in original Zendikar.

[@DilanQuill]

The 1 of 1 ring was a complete and utter sham. They knew exactly in what pack of what box of what case it was in and made sure it got to where they wanted it to go and probably took a cut of the money from the sale to that clown Post

[@jadegrace1312]

@@DilanQuill What you're suggesting is a crime and also one that barely benefits them lol.

[@DilanQuill]

@@jadegrace1312 It was the most successful set ever apparently, pretty sure that's a big benefit.

[@jajob13]

I can't stand this guy. I've literally never seen a video of his where he wasn't getting people to make smart choices with their money. You're hurting my bottom's dollar Prof. So says I, CEO Buck Moneysuckle.

[@anonsenpai6533]

Jeez, Prof. Don't you ever have anything good to say about Magic?

[@StolenVHS]

Does Hasbro ever do anything right?

[@eaglegamer1000]

Name one thing

[@StolenVHS]

​@@eaglegamer1000challenge level: IMPOSSIBLE

[@p.alterego3424]

if you have alot of money, you will win alot of games@@eaglegamer1000

[@BCWasbrough]

He did. Two days ago. :P kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpPdiKKoitZnqs0si=fIsz455Y7u_qgPhu

[@gedtheflayer]

One of the few things Wizards did do as part of "revitalizing Standard" is make it the de-facto format for Store Championships, where previously the store could decide the format. What was once an event able to fill up a 32 person bracket for sealed in my area now gets an anemic single table of Standard players. One of the local shops has outright stopped doing the events, and is waiting until the window for them to use the promos for other purposes is up so they can host an "unofficial" Store Championship with limited that people will actually attend.

[@davidlundquist1979]

As far as I'm aware, the last time a Standard event fired at my LGS was March of 2020. Until this summer, drafts would only fire on release day of a new set, and maybe the week after, but that was it. Lord of the Rings seems to have motivated people to start coming around for limited again, at least.

[@veridis_qu0]

pretty much the same thing happened in my lgs. They now announced that the first standard store championship is going to be free to enter to stimulate people

[@janelantestaverde2018]

The worst thing to happen to me personally regarding Magic this year is that I felt it necessary to not buy cards or other products anymore only two months after getting into the game for the first time ever also this year. I can't give them money knowing what is going on behind the stage. It's simply not worth it or, for me personally, justifiable. The best thing to happen to me this year regarding magic was finding this channel however :) I enjoy it regardless. It's a really good channel.

[@danacoleman4007]

Good for you! I'm hoping more people will treat this company the way it should be treated by withholding their dollars.

[@originofsin2605]

Proxy proxy proxy!!! But all jokes aside you really should if you enjoyed your first two months you can continue to explore the games though proxying it gives them no money or if you have the money buying older product off ebay and shit like sealed doesn't profit wizards at this point and you can get that dopamine... only if you have the money though I always recommend proxies its a great game don't let hasbro wizards take that from you

[@WhovianBuilder]

I love that you kept the fumbles in. The accidental humor in the situation made me smile. Thank you prof! Have a Happy New Year!

[@safertobeanonymous2224]

The worst of the year is clearly the greedy wizards parent company going across a new line. Laying off the staff at Christmas because they didn’t reach a delusional annual growth target?? My play group has all decided we will buy 50% of what we did last year Many will be buying $0 this year. Companies that treat their staff like this are garbage.

[@alecmullaney7957]

I have someone in my playgroup who knows how to make fabulous proxies. I might finally make my cEDH deck

[@RaginKavu]

Yeah. Proxy to your heart's content. They pretty much made them official by now. And with the amount of new cards per week we are getting, it's almost impossible to keep up with everything going on.

[@TheEmeraldboy100]

Which is why we have been advocating for counterfeits

[@ninjaman0003]

I would encourage you not to cut spending on magic, but not buying product. Buying singles still helps the LGS and individual sellers with none of that money going directly to hasbro.

[@nolanmanning3749]

Proxy proxy proxy :)

[@BloodTithingsGaming]

The professor saying what we all wish we had a platform to say. A man of the people!

[@gabrielharvey956]

Actualy the 1 of 1 ring is one point with Lotr set , it inspire greed in the heart of men and people were desperate to get hold of it loll

[@Dizek]

Very lore friendly

[@theatlastech8792]

That is why I had said that the person who pulls it needs to take it to the top office of the Wizards HQ and put it into the paper shredder. Then I was honest with myself, they would stand upon the precipace and thier closest friend exlaims "throw it in!", only to be responded with "No".

[@finmat95]

My preciousssssssssssssssssssss

[@finmat95]

@@theatlastech8792 Tsk, so human so weak.

[@ruhrohraggy1313]

That Monty Python bit about Nissa getting "better" was absolute gold 😂😂😂

[@snakeman830]

Honestly, Nahiri is a better example than Nissa. Nissa underwent a huge process involving three planeswalkers spending their sparks, plus the sacrifice of a unique person to accomplish, and even then, her spark was destroyed. Nahiri just cured herself.

[@Westblader]

​@@snakeman830who had to be sacrificed?:0

[@snakeman830]

@@Westblader Melira, who was notable for being immune to phyresis.

[@emmaarmo379]

imo the christmas layoffs are the most concerning thing. it doesn't matter how well WOTC or MTG are doing, Hasbro will always demand more profit year after year, and that is hurting the game. if you're not into arena, commander, or universes beyond, you are no longer the target audience for this game

[@thatcorpse]

I was expecting "magic 30th anniversary proxy print." Then blankly stare at the camera for another 20+ minutes

[@vileluca]

That was last year

[@thatcorpse]

@@vileluca and I still haven't forgiven wotc. Lmao

[@SBMTG]

lol Professor taking a page out of my book and leaving in missed takes on purpose to drive engagement. It works! I'm commenting

[@Josh_Fredman]

15:28 A very timely Tolarian Contempt! I have to say, the big Phyrexian arc marked me giving up on the Magic Story probably for the last time. I just can't anymore. As Mark Rosewater says, "If you don't like something in a Magic product, then it isn't meant for you." I used to love the stories-they were my main link to the game-but they've become so painful and disappointing and even insulting that it's clear they're "not for me" anymore. (It's not a coincidence that I have been much less involved with Magic as a whole since then.)

[@businesscasualsauron]

How Wizards could've potentially solved the problem of the One Ring's uniqueness without making more of it: 1. Don't put it in a booster pack and don't raffle it away. 2. Hold a grand tournament where people can conpete over several games. 3. Bring the semifinalists and up together from across the world, depending on their tournement score, to duke it out. 4. The winner gains The One Ring. Bam, there's still a wonderfully cool 1/1 card, but they wouldn't get that ludicrously distasteful Golden Ticket situation. Also, I agree with you that this was the worst.

[@deltazbar]

I love the subtle use of the card Tolarian Contempt when discussing the failings of Aftermath (at least I am assuming that was on purpose!).

[@sosukelele]

Smh, such a shame that the Prof won't ever say anything good magic despite dedicating his whole channel to helping the game

[@-8h-]

Nah, go listen to wotc sponsored channels like a certain zone for mtg shilling, there's tons of em. I appreciate that the professor is willing to call them out and put a face to his statements.

[@sosukelele]

​@@-8h-I honestly don't follow that many MtG creators beyond the professor, so I can't say anything about that. However, I can't agree enough about the prof standing up for what he believes in, always willing to push important issues with the game whilst keeping a nuanced view

[@SomethingWickedLives]

If you made it even 2 minutes into the video, you'll see him promote his other recent video (that he made first) where he talks about the great stuff that's working with Magic....

[@devononair]

​@@SomethingWickedLives They're joking, surely?

[@eri_noemi1462]

@@devononair Um, the Professor literally posted a positive Magic video before this one.

[@JoelBurger]

The way WotC has chosen to deliver story I think also deserves including here. Where once we had a story a week, giving the events time to breathe and time for people to discuss and speculate, now they just toss out the entirety of a set's story in 5 days. This year has demonstrated just how little they care about the story, treating it like an obligation they begrudgingly have to make rather than something that could actually help draw people into the game.

[@LadySayeh]

I was so hyped for Commander Masters...then was saddened by how thngs turned out....even just this past week I was given 2 commander masters packs for Christmas and I pulled a Sol Ring out of one of them...and was disappointed it was the normal Sol Ring instead of the new art that Masters brought

[@Womb2DaTomb]

Commander Masters was a good set for buying singles and singles only, I got a couple packs and got stung.

[@xaxscratchxax926]

I only got singles as i know my luck with boosters.

[@LadySayeh]

@@Womb2DaTomb I was just getting back into MTG after a 10yr hiatus so I didn't mind because there was a lot of cards I didn't own

[@TheBlastmeister]

15:28 Give your editor a raise because that Tolarian Contempt moment was perfect

[@Adam_Stormrage]

What about the blunder at @5:33? lol

[@cliff9887]

yeah not everyone needs a raise.

[@ninkunai8011]

i literally entirely forgot that commander masters happened. when it came up in this video i actually asked myself "wait, was this something that got suddenly canceled and that's the mistake?"

[@jmanwild87]

The only reason i remember commander masters is because my favorite legendary creature Sek'kuar Deathkeeper finally got his legit tokens for use in moxfield

[@solarias2583]

I had forgotten about it also.

[@9536franlin]

Prof, you are one of my favorite things about returning to mtg after 25+ years...keep up the good work sir.

[@elliottengstrand5988]

#2, say it with me, and I said "Innistrad Double Feature," because I had legitimately forgotten Commander Masters existed, and also didn't realize IDF was almost two full years ago already. It's impossible to keep track of time based on magic product releases any more.

[@danieltarazonalapena6403]

I really liked your conclusions about the one ring. I wish there was a bigger discussion about it in the community

[@RoachDoggggJR]

Thank you for putting in that footage from Willy Wonka of the chocolate bars being thrown open. I think that is such a strong, sad and accurate statement on the damage a promotion like that can do to a game. That's another reason why there's all these cards in landfills

[@Ellicess]

I’m not a huge fan of UB or straight-to-modern sets, but it’s amazing to see niche/old keywords being brought back on one-off cases. Seeing storm in Doctor Who and Split Second in LotR blew my mind, and I love both cards :)

[@jaydub5515]

I haven't played Magic since the All Will Be One Pre-Release. I still bought a Pre-Release kit for MOM, but didn't play. I still have a massive collection of cards from the last 20+ years, but I'm just so burnt out. If it wouldn't be such a monumental undertaking to organize everything, I would have probably sold off all of my singles and kept a few decks

[@danieldragotti2608]

Yugioh: heres a reprint set full of foils staples that its hard to get a dud pack/not get a card youll use for $5. Magic: best i can do is $20 for a pack of draft chaff

[@insertcolorherehawk3761]

(Just ignore the core set and deck build set releasing within the same 30 day window)

[@uS0ra]

(just ignore making the staples incredibly rare and expensive in the first place)

[@insertcolorherehawk3761]

@@uS0ra(just ignore TCG vs OCG)

[@thatepicwizardguy]

yugioh definitely has a different slew of issues, but yeah... i have no idea why MTG didn't do something awesome like this for the 30th anniversary when it woulda sold like hotcakes. there's not really a good reason they can't do a better job with reprints considering the secondary market they aren't making profits off anyway. They could take these out of circulation cards that are highly desired and just make a GOOD masters-style set that doesn't have garbage in it lol a pure value set would sell out even if it tanked prices into the dirt. Yes, you could only do this like a few times probably but every single time would be a MASSIVE cashout from WotC even though it'd fuck TCG player and private sellers/collections... but I have no idea why they should give a fuck about that lol it'd be good for everybody else including them.

[@danieldragotti2608]

@@insertcolorherehawk3761 I'm not denying yugiohs problems. Hell rarity bumping /short printing the deblo star engine to cost 1k while banning the bugget alternatives is crap. But yugiohs reprint policy is leauges better then what magic has. Ash blossom is basically yugiohs force of will and konami reprint it so much a playset is $6.

[@Cazamalos]

Every time me and my friends return to MTG, wotc's greed finds a way to kill the mood and everyone scatters into different modes or less expensive card games.

[@cardguys]

I just realized the closing music is the same opening music from "hand tool rescue." 😅😂

[@halcyonviews3693]

Hey Prof, I really liked that you left a lot of the unedited imperfect takes in, made me laugh 😊

[@therealjeromeo4366]

Honestly it would’ve been insanely hype if they decided to use the march of the machine storyline to reintroduce blocks back into magic, but Wizards AND good ideas? As if!

[@SomeOfTheJuice]

In retrospect, I really wish they hadn't gotten rid of blocks. Blocks were such a nice way to understand what the hell was going on in the story. I genuinely am so lost at this point outside of the Phyrexian Invasion. It feels like the story is just bouncing from plane to plane, leaving some planes feeling irrelevant outside of being popular in terms of gameplay (Ixelan imo. I genuinely do not know why we went to Ixelan in the story, even through the story highlight cards), some as side story-esque (Innistrad feels that way to me, as does Eldraine), and others actually feeling important to the plot (all of the Phyrexian ones, plus Neon Dynasty and New Capenna, where they were at least going there looking for something to stop the Phyrexians). Blocks made it feel much more organized in terms of the story. I know the story isn't as vital to some, but I actually enjoy hearing the story and knowing why I should care about some legendaries and planeswalkers. Like I have no idea what Quintorius is doing beyond looking for more historical objects.

[@sev1120]

March of thr machine would have been better as a classic 3-set (or hell, even 4-set) block. Set 1 is their infiltration to attempt to destroy phyrexia before they can launch their invasion Set 2 is the phyrexians invading, with an advantage on most planes thanks to catching their armies off guard Set 3 is the defending planes fighting back against the invading phyrexians with greater force as their entire existence is at stake. bring in team-ups of cross-plane characters working together (like, say, Jhoira and Satoru working together) Set 4 is the other planes striking against the Phyrexians' home, with this being when Zhalfir is switched with New Phyrexia Include hints to what's going to happen throughout sets 2 and 3 as set-up for set 4, both in the story and in the cards, and you've got a good 6 months to a year of story there, without needing to R&D a bunch of new stuff without properly playtesting first

[@charcharmunr]

Like I get why blocks aren't a thing anymore, they can lead to a sort of 'oh we're still doing this' feeling, but they definitely made storytelling and Standard better (weren't as great for limited admittedly).

[@danacoleman4007]

I like blocks, and I like single sets. Why can't they just do whatever they feel is appropriate for a given set? I Never hear anyone ask that question or make that suggestion. Why does it have to be such an all or nothing situation all the time?

[@therealjeromeo4366]

@@danacoleman4007 that’s a very valid point. Some sets are better with a one-off storyline, others feel like they need to be developed over multiple sets, otherwise running into the issue of march, where everything seems to be rushed all at once, which makes the story harder to follow, and consequently, enjoy

[@LTJ]

Thanks Prof for your worst of - and best of - MTG of the year. I ALWAYS watch both as I think its incredibly important to celebrate the best of (and acknowledge the worst of) the year, which you always do. Thanks for your efforts to bring not only EDH to the table for us to celebrate (which is the format I now exclusively play) but the other formats that need to be shown and celebrated. Have a great new year Brian, and may 2024 bring you new adventures and experiences to treasure.

[@Harpoquondrax]

When you mentioned "Who lives and who dies?" I couldn't help but think of the Ron Howard 'talking pie movie' bit from The Simpsons. Also, I know colloquialism, but repetion? Just hits my ears weird. Either way, great video, thanks. Looking forward to 2024!

[@FrmDaSands]

I love your content prof, I live in the caribbean and it's difficult to access card board in my country, the only video I didn't wait for you to drop a review on was Ixalan, had to preorder those because Dinos. Thanks and hope to see you next year.

[@sharkzilla9437]

Thanks Prof., you've been a huge help this past year as my brother and I begin our dive into Magic and Commander. These videos rock, now to see you say something good about the game in your best of series.

[@montyk4834]

I never really thought about how the 1/1 One Ring had that kind of impact. The thought of that makes me really sad actually. Regardless, excited to meet you in Chicago, Prof!

[@maxmillien29]

Prof opening the Aftermath pack with "Tolarian Contempt" is *chef's kiss*

[@STS-qi1qy]

'It's a double feature... but it doesn't suck!' - Love it

[@xavierlanglands9486]

The one-of-one ring is a very interesting problem for me because I sympathize with both sides of the argument so greatly (it's really cool, it's exploitative). In my eyes, the one-of-one ring is the most well-designed card in Magic's history, not because of the text on it, but rather the effect it had on people. The ring is meant to tempt people with power, make them act selfish and greedy, trying to hoard and keep it at any cost. The card's effects go beyond the scope of the game, and cause people to genuinely engage with the card as if it was the real one ring. It breaks the fourth wall in such a meaningful, powerful way that I haven't really seen any game do before (at least not to the same extent). On the flipside, I also agree that it exploits not only the players, but the game itself. As you mentioned, it warped people's perception on the Lord of the Rings set from being a cool tie-in product, to a vehichle for a lottery card. It cheapened the experience of opening packs (any card compared to a single serialized one is bound to feel meh) and took attention away from the game, pushing Magic further towards an economic trade platform rather than a playable game. I was priced out of buiying the product, but the one draft I did with friends (and their comments on opening their own packs) was really interesting to listen too. As of now, I still think that, overall, it was more cool than harmful. No other game could command such a visceral response from it's players through a single card, and it conveys the core idea of the one ring better than even the source material. Would love to hear some other thoughts about this though, I haven't heard too many different perspectives, especially from people who actively still engage with each product!

[@channelsofash]

If you went into the year thinking Magic was getting too expensive they were oh you ain't seen nothing yet.

[@BlackWolflord]

And one last salute to the late Sheldon Menery for making Commander such a big part of our lives. Thank you, sir.

[@George-uo2sz]

You're not naive, Professor. I agree. I refuse to purchase or play with any "Universes Beyond" cards. Vote with your money. 23:02

[@jamesstewart7784]

March of the Machine just shows that it's one setting = one block is flawed, I feel we don't get enough time on a plane, bring back 2 blocks set on a plane like Lorwyn/Shadowmore for example!

[@jasonbinkley4309]

Glad to see you're still at it Brian. Almost at 1 million subs wow!!!! Been out of the game for a while now but have been a subscriber and patron since day 1. Have a happy and prosperous 2024.

[@bryanhuber3554]

Worst thing? Hard to say but the disrespect they showed to the LotR set by making it a shameless gimmicky cash grab using a golden ticket device combined with controversial politicized art work that was "booty cheeks" is top of my list.

[@cfrydlewicz]

As a person with self control who buys singles and knows how whales generally pay for any game like this while the rest of us are just icing on that cake... I kind of like the serialized cards. They're a lightning rod for the MTG finance bros that make more packs get opened and deflate the prices of the pretty art versions of the same cards that I actually want.

[@ConManAU]

I was a little surprised that the Hobbit Secret Lair didn’t make the list, but I suppose its poor quality was balanced by the fact that it had absolutely no impact on anything, unlike the actual top 5.

[@pytawidmo]

Surprised to not see Chris Cocks taking a $9.4mln bonus while firing hundreds of people responsible for the success of the WotC games as the #1 worst thing that happened to Magic this year.

[@TheFogVelour]

did you watch the video?

[@pytawidmo]

@@TheFogVelour Yes, I still think it was the #1 worst thing for Magic, likely will have negative impact on quality of the products down the line too.

[@krhodes866]

I lost track of all the crappy things that happened this year to MTG so this will be a welcome refresher

[@icholi88]

If they were really worried about product saturation they should have axed collector boosters not draft and when they made play boosters.

[@ZakanaHachihaCBC]

They never would have introduced set boosters and lowered the price of collector packs

[@nobodyimportant72]

Seeing other videos it's not Collector boosters but set boosters that are killing the Draft booster. If you're just looking at cards you got more value out of the set boosters leaving the only reason to for draft boosters is to play draft.

[@rhvette]

Thing is, if you're just looking to fill out a set, then set boosters are just too efficient and parasitic towards draft boosters. The problem is that sets rarely reflect the draft booster distribution. Look at Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, 117 commons to 88 uncommons to 77 rares & mythics. That's only 1.5x as many commons as rares/mythics, but you crack 10:1 in a pack, so rounding out a set of NEO with draft boosters inherently means supersaturating your collection with chaff commons. Frankly, if WOTC was competent, the new play boosters would have been the course correction they'd have made to booster packs years ago and they never should have done the set booster product. The issue isn't so much the play boosters themselves, it's that they're unsubtly and clumsily hiding an unnecessary price increase inside them.

[@solarias2583]

I agree with the professor. The one of one of one ring was probably the worst thing that's happened to magic ever. It's promoting the collectible aspect of the game without actually promoting the game. It's like putting the Hope diamond in a random box of cereal. Sure people are going to buy the cereal. I can almost guarantee they're not going to eat it. They're going to go through, see what's in it and then discard it. And quite honestly I'm pretty sure that happened.

[@jacobyspurnger8488]

Don't forget, wotc also announced that they'd be doing annual b&r announcements when they doubled the length of standard.

[@plmperz4783]

I love the little malicious edits and cuts made by the editor. They are an absolute genius!

[@psychedelicsewell]

Gonna rewatch the “best of” video another 2 times now. Gotta boost that positivity algorithm.

[@enricomassignani]

The fact that the Prof has to explain what Standard is is everything you need to know about the state of mtg in 2024.

[@austingreen4775]

I'm going to keep going with this idea, I want to see a behind the campus video. A video that gives us an idea on how you do TCC. I'll comment on every video I watch from now on. (All of them)

[@TolarianCommunityCollege]

not a bad idea

[@austingreen4775]

@TolarianCommunityCollege Now that I'm done watching the video. Oh, wasn't expecting a reply so soon. I was looking forward to commenting on all the videos...as compensation I ask to be included somehow. Or be on Shuffle Up and Play but that's a pipe dream.

[@dollpartsstudios]

Thanks to you, I have purchased my first Magic cards and am building decks and learning mechanics. I am looking forward to playing once the semester ends. Thank you for your videos!

[@-VictorGames-]

Honestly the Ravnica Guild kits were amazing, to have that many 2-color decks so decently balanced and fun against one another out of the box. (perfectly no but tended to not feel like a one-sided stomp with a decent hand) And I feel they understood the colors. I see the whole For Mirrodin and Incubation mechanics and sort of wonder, did they just forget what colors tend to be the first-strike, or token, or you know, low-mana cost per creature's general power/toughness colors? Black and red really delved into the turf of other color's strong suits for the past couple sets to me. Which changes them in itself, too. And it also seems like they wanted to nerf removal, so blue particularly just gets some equivalent to a dredge on a dozen things? I guess I just need to adapt but sheesh.

[@sofianmokhtari4755]

I still can't get my head around the fact that WOTC wants to encourage people to play standard while having no real point of entry to it. I mean, would it be that hard to reintroduce challenger decks so people can have a cheap/affordable deck right out of the box (even if it's a weaker version of a deck or a non meta one) to play in standard event. One of the biggest complain a see on the net is that standard decks are way to expensive and WOTC do absolutely nothing to tackle that. Don't they realise that? Why is it necessary to have a minimum of FOUR commander decks each set but not even a single one standard deck? Are they stupid? Personaly i gave up standard, maybe i will try to make a cheap deck (maybe a mono red or suboptimized boros human deck) and hope to play it for the rest of the year but i think it will be the end. Magic has nothing to offer to me as a non commander player (i could play draft but no one plays it around my town) and i think arena is the only place worth spending my time and energy.

[@LightPink]

Worst thing this year: I started playing this game and spent nearly $500 on it 😭

[@davidlundquist1979]

All year? I frequently spend more than that on it in a month.

[@cautiousdissolute5780]

​@davidlundquist1979 is that a flex?

[@davidlundquist1979]

@@cautiousdissolute5780 Nope. If anything, I should be ashamed of how much money I give Hasbro. I am planning to cut down next year, though. Collector boosters just aren't worth it, at least when they're new.

[@coinopboy2289]

20k here, bud

[@Kyouto_c]

1.5k € this year as a fulltime university student. Though, i sold around 1.4k€ in card value so it aint that bad xd

[@BBradshawProductions]

When Wizards make bad Magic products and their customers hate the products, it's the customers' fault and not Wizards. Yeah, that sounds about right with the way Wizards thinks.

[@laurencebrown3822]

I agree with your reasoning with your #1 item on the list, I think that the true problem was not the one of The One Ring, but the numbered versions of the Sol Rings that were also in this set. I think if it was JUST the one of One Ring, it would have been perfect. Heck, I think that the frenzied buying of packs just for getting what was pretty much a lottery ticket was a very in flavor commentary on what Tolkien was trying to convey about greed in his books! Having a one of One Ring, very in flavor, but hundreds of other serialized cards revealed the greed behind it all and that WotC had itself fallen victim to greed.

[@Sweetestsadist]

I'm okay with the concept of one of a kind art. As long as the card is available in normal form, this is a fine way for WotC to profit from "collectors" while still focusing on players. It's not nearly as bad an idea as, say, having 8-12 different treatments of the same card within a set. I think the best idea would be to remove foils, have a special art replacing the foil slot, then have one of a kind art for each card in the set that is foil.

[@kerolokerokerolo]

no. the one ring was the best that could've happened to magic this year. thousands of opened boosters, a lot of people coming back, perfect flavor, making the game even more collectable, lowering the price of normal cards thanks to the multiple art versions avaliable... it was only good.

[@garryhewitt1053]

@@kerolokerokeroloyou would have had all of that without the serialised card. Seriously, just the base set was more than enough to engage LotR fans.

[@Hamond1989]

I always loved how balanced the Prof talks even about deeply negative subjects, without all the usual drama so many people harbour, thank you for being yourself Prof never change, apart from possible parts of yourself that you don't like, change those your wellbeing is most important :)

[@mrmejia484]

As a Magic "zoomer" I tend to often disagree with your perspectives across your channel, but still watch because you do so in such and earnest and sincere way that I feel is important to keep the game honest, or something. Anyway, here's to more UB Secret Lairs, I know those are your favorite

[@zleverton]

I think a hugely underdiscussed aspect of Standard's problem right now is raw card availability. I live in Toronto, where one of the world's biggest magic communities resides, with a number of LGSes servicing that community, and it took months to source the cards for an Esper Midrange deck because none of these shops can afford to open the necessary volume of product it takes of properly stock for standard anymore, largely as a result of the huge number of booster products making the single market so uneven. 95% of cards are worth nothing, and the 5% are worth 20-50 dollars. This galvanization of singles prices due to overprinting has, paradoxically, created an environment where nobody can find any of the cards they need for their standard decks.

[@cjr3985]

I personally did like Commander Masters. But I do respect opinions. The Professor does bring up some valid reasoning, i will agree with some of the things he said, as well as the fact the Precons were way to expensive for what the decks had in them. But in my opinion, the set did have some great alt artwork, and some good reprints despite some missing. But thats just my opinion, I respect others opinions on this too.

[@ericelrod7672]

We had to suffer through years of the gatewatch story ruining sets and then when we finally get a story worth being told over multiple sets they ruin it.

[@FestorFreak]

I think that guy meant to leave that comment under a Desolator video, lol. Prof has always been a voice of reason in the community. Credit and criticism where they are due, as it should be.

[@brentfriedeman7891]

5:35 needs cleaned up. Prof as always you are an ambassador of reasoned commentary and critique. Keep being your badass self :)

[@ThatBlondeKid95]

Everyone mentions how LoTR was the best selling set but you are the first I have seen to question how much of that being due to serialized cards. I believe the number is inflated and, while it's a great set, should not have been most sold.

[@cassandracastro2759]

Wizards wet dream is to transform Magic into a purely collectors thing and phase out the "game" altogether. That way they could sell luxury cardboard rectangles for jewelry prices without having to worry about bothersome things like game design and the health of compettitive and whatnot.

[@christianwilke305]

I feel like 1000 dollar proxies should have been here somewhere. Did I miss it?

[@ReactiveDeactive]

Those were released in 2022. I’m sure it was 100% in the 2022 recap video.

[@christianwilke305]

@@ReactiveDeactive man time flies I could have sworn that was this year

[@Joeypezz1985]

Prof hit the nail on the head with his last point about " How well would have LOTR sold without 1/1 One Ring?" aka Posty's Foil book mark. The answer is we wont know. But what we do know is corporations love profits more than they love people. The long answer is the people can simply REJECT a product at its price and simply ALL PLAYERS NOT PURCHASE it at all. Let corporations like Hasbro and WOTC suffer losses until they change or FAIL. Prof your my favorite channel BY FAR !!!

[@SurlyDuff814]

I think it's also worth mentioning that, although not attributable to Hasbro in any way, Sheldon Menery's passing was a genuinely horrible thing for Magic as a whole. His influence over the Commander format and shaping it into the premier format it is today cannot be understated and I would be lying if I said I wasn't a touch apprehensive as to how WotC interacts with the RC in his absence.

[@danacoleman4007]

Absolutely worth mentioning. Gone too soon.

[@nanoglitch6693]

Nope. I've always hated how out of touch with the meta and how much influence the RC has had over EDH. And Sheldon's exaggerating his role and acting like he invented the format is a stain that won't wash away.

[@Jordanthi]

I subscribed because of the hilarious editing around "12 boosters!"

[@spencerwarren5397]

I don't think the LotR set would have sold as well if not for serialized cards. It got all the pokemon and beanie baby collectors interested in finding a lottery ticket

[@grantmurdock7385]

And now when Wizards goes to other IPs for licensing they can wave their arms at Lord of the Rings and say, "See? It went great when we did it before!"

[@ashjamben]

I forgot about the landfill incident 😂

[@Ximmian]

Surely the worst thing for MTG in 2023 is Hasbro laying off loads of staff just before Christmas including MTG staff. This can't be good for the future.

[@kyleellis1825]

America is supposed to be non religuous. Why does Christmas matter? It's the last quarter of the year, it makes financial sense.

[@mmmbetter55]

Many many of us stand with you, Prof. Happy new year to you and everyone. ♥️

[@coreybookman5823]

Just wanted to say I been following you for two about to be years basically when I started magic when I was drawn into the game by crimson vow lol and I'm sorry alot of people claim your negative all the time I would probably still be lost in the sauce if not for your videos thank you

[@LoneBerseker]

3:35 kudos to the editor 👌😂

[@lordsauron8546]

I think THE biggest issue with standard in paper is the price; the average player doesn't want to invest several hundred dollars into a deck that will inevitably rotate out, if they wanted to spend a few hundred without the fear of rotating, they'd just get a modern deck. Increasing rotation from 2 to 3 years doesn't fix this issue, bringing back msrp and more importantly lowering the cost of boxes and packs of cardboard game pieces does help fix this.

[@captaineverong]

You're awesome Prof! Keep up the silliness, it works for you.

[@schadenfreude4846]

The Pinkertons and layoffs not even making the list is telling for how concerning this year was

[@themadstudent]

I don't hate serialized cards. They truly are not for me, but I can accept they are for someone, and I don't think they hurt me as a normal player/consumer. They don't cause me even the slightest urge to buy packs, but I think they are harmless to my enjoyment of the game. The Pinkerton raid, the tsunami-like DELUGE of sets and secret lairs in 2023, aftermath boosters being a contemptuous insult to their consumers, and the general cost inflation of premium products are my picks for the worst of 2023.

[@TO13]

You were SO close to saying the real “worst” of MTG this year. The actually worst thing was the success of LotR. As a fan of MTGs own IP, seeing LotR sell will only make WotC push more and more outside IPs. Gross. I refuse to buy any Universes Beyond product. Yes. I am “yucking” someone else’s “yum” and I will continue to do so unabashedly. Universes Beyond is an affront to the game and I wish it would die already. 😒

[@dancharles8]

Universes beyond and secret lairs were my limit. I was so bummed out when they first released the universes beyond because I liked the lore and art of the Magic IP and I knew if they sold well, it would turn out how it has. To me, it just cheapens the game so much. The last time I bought new cards off the shelf (I still collect the old sets) was 4 years ago. I think there are a lot of fans that feel the same way we do. I don't think it's "yucking someone's yum" to share your opinion. That's just something that fanboys say when they can't stand that their favourite game is going down the toilet.

[@PistolPete2141]

Universes Beyond is what got me back into MTG with LotR

[@dreyfus37_65]

They’ll never be able to reinvigorate standard if every standard set releases with commander product along side it and is catered to commander more than it ever has been before

[@tam-ka-blam9736]

The ending to the phyrexian story literally made me no longer care about the story and lore anymore. Glad to see some of my favorite planeswalkers were saved but the sloppy ending felt like one of those "With the power of friendship we can solve anything! Also now everyone can be a planeswalker so there is nothing special about us anymore!"

[@thatepicwizardguy]

every single story with a bad guys who are too big and too bad ends poorly. thanos's whole thing was crap and full of plot holes with timey wimey crap going on. bolas's downfall was insanely obviously and poorly written... they didn't even have the balls to KILL him lol. the eldrazi "ending" was also lame AF and just laughable. doing huge stories is where MTG and basically all media just fails HARD. nobody does it well because it's unrelatable, too big to manage, and while it seems cool on paper it just doesn't really deliver. It's like trying to run a D&D game in a massive war... you THINK it'll be cool but it's actually an unmanageable pile of trash. even wargames don't do massive wars as their thing because a warhammer game that's the entirety of the assault on terra during the horus heresy would take years to play out IRL... they should stick to smaller things and have big threats be more limited in scope unless they're prepared to write another Yawgmoth style thing which should be VERY rare to happen and honestly I don't even think they have it in them to write such a good villain again.

[@VictorAntares]

i hate the greetings at the start of these vids. i always need to take a couple minutes to pull myself together after rofl- ing 🤣🤣🤣

[@Anathyma-e6l]

Shocked that this video is only like 26 minutes long, considering the title I figured it'd be like two hours

[@greeksotiris]

2023 has become the year I stopped playing and caring about MtG, and WotC overall. I see no reason and value to continue with it and in many places I felt I was not to be expected.

[@peeporiot9948]

I think it's important to note that overall this year was pretty good. There's some absolute stinkers that deserve to be mocked mercilessly, but I would still consider this year largely to be a win over last year.

[@dietdrshredder]

Agreed!

[@danacoleman4007]

Really? Secret police being sent to someone's house, the magic 30 debacle, the OGL debacle, and the layoffs.. I strongly disagree.

[@ivandekad7249]

"It's a DOUBLE FEATURE! Only it doesn't suck!" God, the sheer enthusiasm with which he said that had me dying.

[@SightedAxis]

I thought the magic 30 proxies would’ve taken at least one spot. Or was that last year?

[@duo317]

I'm pretty sure it's this year. Cause it was the 20 year anniversary

[@landale3993]

@@duo317 November 28, 2022 is when the stuff was sold