CPA Voting Issues: Best Block

[TomB]

I'll be posting this as a Voting topic in a couple weeks, so I thought I should post a thread here for us to discuss it beforehand. The subject is Best Block of cards, and what we're interested in hearing here is your thoughts on all the Stand alone sets, from Ice Age to Mercadian Masques, and their accompanying expansions. Tell us which of the Blocks is your favorite, and why.

Let's talk about it!

 

[Seeker of Truth]

Well, I'd have to say that, while my favorite set is probably Weatherlight, I think my favorite block of three sets is the Urza Block. There are just so many cards in the Urza Block that I really just like to play, as broken as they might be, that UBC is probably the only block type that I would be able to build a deck around. Urza Block is just a strong block, made for fast attacks and lots of mana production, and being a big fan of green, it's easy to see why I like the Urza Block so much.

 

[arhar]

My favorite set is Legends. Nothing reflects the spirit of Magic and nothing is so balanced, with a lot of power cards, but almost no broken cards, so many big cool creatures, interesting deck ideas... i could ramble on about virtues of Legends for hours

And as for block, I have no clear favorite Although I love to draft LSD.

 

[Multani]

Tag Guard

To date, Urza's Block.
It's not as confusing as Tempest.
But it has a ton of good cards. Tempest is
nice too, but it's too expensive for my budget.
Plus
Urza's Block has my Namesake.

 

[smurfturd]

My favorite set is BETA, my favorite newer set
is tempest.

 

[mogg bomber]

The best block of all time is by far the Mirage block. No other block has ever managed to be as fun and balanced as MI/VI/WL. Ice Age block was fun, but a little unbalanced(too many weak cards, and on the other end cards like Necropotence and Zuran Orb). Rath cycle wasn't too bad,but I like longer games,and Rath cycle only encouraged faster decks. I really hate Urza block, these sets shouldn't have been printed. Masque block is balanced, but not interesting enough to be as fun as some of the previous sets.

 

[Chaos Turtle]

Rath cycle.
Mirage block was also very cool.
Urza block has a ton of interesting, playable cards that have been overshadowed by the broken ones.

 

[Spiderman]

TomB: Is this question about BLOCKS (Ice Age onward) or sets (Legends and Beta)? I thought it was clear from your question but two people answered by sets.

Blocks I would say Mirage/Visions/Weatherlight. I like the mechanics of flanking and phasing and the introduction of CIP creatures.

Sets I would have to say Revised because it still had strong to broken cards (Duals, Wheel of Fortune, and Balance) and it was from a Revised starter that I got my first cards.

 

[Y The Alien]

Tag Guard

Fave......... Urza Block. Yeah yeah, Destiny practically destroyed Standard and newer sets shouldn't have cards that are restricted, but there were so many good cards, not broken, that shape the way decks are built. Try to make a Post-Urza Stompy deck and see how it'll shape up to an Urza Block stompy. Even if they reprinted Rancor. The best, in terms of balanced-ness and fun, would be Mirage. Plus it's the first set I ever bought cards from.

 

[TomB]

Spiderman,
You are correct in that I did intend this topic as a discussion about the Blocks, starting with the 1st declared block, Ice Age, through the current block, Mercadian Masques. I don't have a problem with anyone who wishes to mention an earlier set though. I was planning on trying to do a separate vote on favorite set, but first I've got to figure out how to cut the choices down into something that will fit into the Voting Booth program! There's a 20 choice limit...

Maybe we'll do a top 10, based on topic discussion in a thread like this.

My personal choice of best Block is Mirage/Visions/Weatherlight, because of the reasons Y listed. In my opinion, none of the other sets matched it in terms of fun, balanced play. The mechanics introduced were interesting but not overpowered, at least not once 6th rules straightened out the timing issues on triggered effects (sort of). And all the colors were viable in draft, from what I remember, though the Blue flyer/phasers were a little weak. The series wasn't much for theme/storyline either, but I've never really cared all that much about that.

A thoroughly enjoyable block of cards to play with.

 

[TheShieldBearer]

Ok i dont have too many reasons or any i just really liked urza's

 

[theorgg]

Mirvlight for the reasons said above.

and If you care to streach it a bit for me and go by Block Party format, I'd say "classic" block(Leg/dark/FE).

theese sets, though they have some of the best cards ever printed like Land Tax and the Drowned, all have fun effects, sentient creatures(floral spuzzam, early print homarids that take +1/+1), and for the most part, balance among sets.
oh yea--basic lands allowd w/ e'm in block party from what I hear.

 

[FoundationOfRancor]

Best Block: Tempest Block
Favorite Block: MM block

 

[arhar]

Oh so THAT'S what the block is! Legends-FE-Dark! Who wants to draft it?

 

[Apollo]

I liked the Rath cycle. I like speed (though it was a bit much) and cool creatures and effects like Tradewind Rider and the Spikes. It didn't have many thoroughly broken cards like Urza's did, just good ones that pushed the threshold.

Apollo

 

[galtwish]

Rath Cycle defined modern Magic. it is the measuring stick by which all other blocks will be judged. It had great limited (better than Urza's with all it's nearly unbeatable bombs like Morphling, Crater Hellion, Masticore, Rancor, Child of Gaea, etc) Plus constructed and Block mechanics gave us decent combos (before Urza's Saga was introduced), good control (in a variety of forms) and awesome beatdown. Yeah Rath Cycle!

Erik

 

[Duel]

Rath cycle challenge the limits of magic. URza's block crushed them, Masques block dissapointed them.

My set is, and always will be, chronicles.

 

[Cateran Overlord]

Basically, all of the blocks by themselves are okay, even Urza's Block isn't impossible to enjoy, and it's definately better than T2 tournaments. My favorite block is pretty obviously MBC, as it's just so fun to go back to creatures, and with Sivvi and Port gone, it's now truly playable. In order:

Masques Block
Mirage Block
Tempest Block
Ice Age Block
Urza Block

 

[Fire Slinger]

I guess the Artifact Cycle would be my favorite block.This is because I started in Urza's Saga and so I know all of the cards in the block and how to use them. It also helps that I have almost all of the cards in Urza Block.

 

[TomB]

Okay, I just posted this in the Voting Booth. It didn't come up on the Main Page right away, so Ed may have to tweak it a bit again, but it's there. If anyone else would like to talk about their choices, this would be a good place for it, so we can keep everything together.

Thanks everybody!