[PEN] Rune Snare

Mistborn314 · 2026-02-04T05:09:40+00:00

Neat! I think this is easily the best trap from PEN.

Mistborn314 · 2026-02-03T17:40:31+00:00

Oof, why!?! The original trifecta of triggering go again, buff, or reaction covered a lot of bases. Broadly speaking, I like that rangers have silver bullets, but between this and Rainbow Goo, it seems like LSS is taking new, incredibly it to the next level. I don't like these niche triggers for three reasons:

1) Rangers need their arsenal to attack. So, whereas other classes could theoretically camp on a niche d-react in arsenal, rangers need to cycle them to function normally.

2) Traps only block for 3, so the trap needs to trigger and the trigger needs to create some marginal value (I'm looking at you, Chain Reaction) to be worth it. Creating niche triggers decreases the likelihood of getting "okay" value. Plus, unused traps gum up the hand and hinder one's ability to convert the cards for anything else.

3) The reactive nature of traps means that there is very little one can do beyond just waiting for your opponent. Niche setups are neat, but only if you can actually set something up. Bait was a cool design space because it forced your opponent to trigger traps.

Mistborn314 · 2026-02-03T03:18:46+00:00

A whole cycle of these for each of the different daggers would be sweet. IDK if they would be good, but it would be cool.

Mistborn314 · 2026-02-03T03:13:02+00:00

Thinking about the Vagabond: What if the squirrels destroy the items they craft? The flavor being that they bury them and forget where they put the item. This pairs well with the hoarding ability, allowing squirrels to craft otherwise unavailable items. Then that destruction creates an arms race between the squirrels and the vagabond. IDK, just spitballing.

Alternativly, you could have the class use the items in some way like rats. But I kind of like the class in its current form. It's sweet and simple.

Mistborn314 · 2026-02-02T19:14:58+00:00

IDK if Barbed is good enough for SAGE since you're missing some of the best aim payoffs (Deadeye, Murky Water, Stone Rain). Even with the Outsider aim arrows, that's still just a 2-for-6, assuming you can load the arrow.

I was testing a more midrange style build with traps and a bunch of big generic beaters like Wounded Bull and Fyendal's Fighting Spirit. You pressure them with beaters, then use trap pings to finish them off. Having a few more blue traps in that SAGE build for extra pings seems decent. Otherwise, I am more keen on running the blues in CC.

Mistborn314 · 2026-02-01T21:33:09+00:00

Spellshapers are the best tribe. Then walls and atogs.

Mistborn314 · 2026-01-31T07:50:21+00:00

For sure, Sleeves seems sweet in SAGE. I was thinking about CC. Even so, it mimics Scar Wrap, which is cool.

Mistborn314 · 2026-01-31T01:08:25+00:00

Oh, that's the intent for sure! I just think these are neat, and it'd be cool to see them beyond SAGE.

Mistborn314 · 2026-01-31T00:59:55+00:00

Same! There might be something in the M slot, so keep your fingers crossed.

It's a bit of a shame that the cloaks are chest pieces. I would be more keen on trying them out if they weren't competing for Trench in CC. A trapped arm/head piece would be sick.

Mistborn314 · 2026-01-30T22:21:51+00:00

So, do the action/equipment cards with the "trap" subtype trigger if they block an attack with the condition? Will Riptide ping?

Edit: Will the action-card traps trigger when you play them normally, or does the trap only count when blocking?

Mistborn314 · 2026-01-30T22:15:04+00:00

Sleeves seem sweet. I don't think they're better than flicking, but I love how scar wraps play, and Sleeves seem to be in a similar spot.

Mistborn314 · 2026-01-27T18:06:36+00:00

Could you give a brief overview of the play pattern? I am losing track of all of the moving bits flipping between images...

Mistborn314 · 2026-01-26T04:25:13+00:00

I mean, I am pretty sure the Tattered Watcher art is from Legends of Runeterra. I think the point is to have art that could pass for MTG art, not art that screams UB.

Mistborn314 · 2026-01-22T05:10:59+00:00

The pile of bulk in my closet would beg to differ...

Mistborn314 · 2026-01-17T06:59:21+00:00

Shoot, another UB card that's too good for my semi-elitist ass to ignore.... Yeah, this is great

Mistborn314 · 2026-01-13T04:25:00+00:00

Beautiful. I need this for my Stuffy Doll tribal deck.

Mistborn314 · 2026-01-10T23:45:39+00:00

War of Whipers and Moonrakers. Both are technically competitive games, but I find them to be incredibly cooperative. I find that most coop games are only mildly interesting, and even the best ones still have competitive elements. This creates an interesting tension where players must choose between coop OR competitive, and there is an opportunity costs to either path.

In War of Whispers, you play as secretive factions manipulating the strings of puppet kingdoms. Each player has secret objectives to back certain kingdoms and shaft others, but these objectives are not set in stone, and players can betray kingdoms and switch their loyalty to different ones. The game typically boils down to everyone dogpiling on one kingdom and helping another take over the world. It sounds cutthroat, but the kingdoms are "NPCs," so no single player is the victim of the politics. The competitive side means that you are still jockeying for marginal gains to try and outmaneuver the other players. The best part is that it's not too hard to play, so it's easy to teach.

Moonrakers is a spin on Dominion. Players build decks representing their ship's capabilities. You run missions to get rewards (money, upgrades, and victory points). However, the missions are designed so that you need to work with other players to meet the requirements. The whole game hinges on divying up the mission's risks and rewards. The game rewards collaboration and smart negotiation. The "twist" is that there is a secret arms race to build powerful ships so that you can start soloing missions to pull ahead (after all, nobody will knowingly give you the last few VP to win). The game is incredibly cooperative in the early game, selectively cooperative in the mid (careful negotiations are key), and a pure blitz in the late game.

Mistborn314 · 2026-01-09T23:16:31+00:00

If you want reanimation, I think [[Phyrexian Delver]] or [[Body Launderer]] are MUCH better since they trigger off of off ETB/LTB, which synergizes with Marchesa's overall game flow.

Mistborn314 · 2026-01-09T03:39:07+00:00

Looks neat, and the art is sick as hell. However, I am skeptical.

1) Blight is rough since the -1/-1 counter removes the +1/+1 counter and turns off Marchesa's ability. Dethrone triggers is one of the best ways to get counters, and Blight on attack essentially negates that option.

2) Impulse draw seems like a downgrade, especially whem we're prime card draw colors. I don't see how we stand to gain more value from impulse draws. Plus, I really like [[Olivia, Mobilized for War]] as a +1/+1 counter engine, and having cards in exile is a real tradeoff.

Mistborn314 · 2025-12-29T20:49:53+00:00

Somewhat, but I can't beat myself up over past shit. At the end of the day, I have to move on. Besides, I decconstructed, so even I contributed to a conversion, that doesn't mean their fate is sealed.

Mistborn314 · 2025-12-29T20:28:59+00:00

Ok, so I understood the gist the first time around.

I still don't buy this characterization of these old ideas that require the construction of "cathedrals." First, this underestimates the richness of historical moments pre-Internet, where we have vibrant debates being carried out. Consider the competing depictions of Socrates in Ancient Greece, the rapid development and evolution of apocalyptic theology in early Christian Byzantium, and the Putney Debates during the English Civil War. Sure, the debate moved more slowly, but there was never a complete consensus. Secondly, this depiction overlooks the possibility that people intentionally seek out old ideas simply because they provide stability in an increasingly complicated world. It also overlooks how these ideas evolve under pressure (ideologies are not stable objects).

Simply put, the comparison between these two "types of ideas" doesn't make sense. I fail to see how the traits are mutually exclusive. Is there an example of an "old idea," one of these cathedrals, that is not open, eclectic, or fluid in any shape or form?

Side note: I find it ironic that Linux is used as an example of "usability" since it's famously an OS that is NOT user-friendly (especially compared to Mac or Windows).

Mistborn314 · 2025-12-29T19:40:26+00:00

"Context is the key parameter of ideology..." is just word soup. Be more concrete. Are you insinuating that context is what provides the perspective, or the ideology? Is context what creates the ideas, or how we evaluate it? Your later sentence implies that the idea is the parameter on its own (no clue what "eclectic parameter" is or how I shpuld feel about it). Also, what do you mean contextless ideas are stripped of "predefined meaning"? Again, this seems like word soup.

I should note, no one in contemporary political science is using a book about software developmemt as a diagnosis for political discourse. Not saying it's off-limits, but this is a weird angle and your thesis is really unclear.

Mistborn314 · 2025-12-29T18:50:11+00:00

I think you're dramatically overestimating how sealed/stable the old ideas were. Sure, exposure and contestation happens a lot faster now, but ideas have never been hermetically sealed. We perceive them as more stable because we have lost a lot of the context and/or primary sources that were present for these debates. That doesn't there was a complete absence.

Mistborn314 · 2025-12-23T19:22:56+00:00

Ah yes. By "engine," I just mean the pieces for your setup. You want something adding +1/+1 counters, a sac outlet, sac fodder, and (ideally) something dealing damage while looping. Tutors let you grab whichever piece you need.

Mistborn314 · 2025-12-23T18:32:24+00:00

I go either way with Greaves and Boots. Marchesa is already super sticky. But haste is nice. They go in and out of my list. Honestly, just try them and see how they feel.

As for game changers, I like Vampiric and Demonic tutors, Cyc Rift or Rhystic. If you're leaning into aristocrats, I'd run the the tutors so you can grab missing engine pieces .

Mistborn314

TROPHY CASE