The People v. Bomb Rares in Limited

"Your honor, I'd like to present opening remarks for the defense of my clients. Allow me to begin. Ahem.

Profane Procession. Tendershoot Dryad. The Immortal Sun. Trapjaw Tyrant. Tetzimoc, Primal Death.

People of the jury, if these cards bring tears to your eyes, you've likely been drafting Rivals of Ixalan. These cards are my clients, the so-called "bomb rares" of our current Limited set. They're the cards that destroy you almost single-handedly, even when you think you can't possibly lose. Let's face it—they're the sort of cards Limited players often dislike most in any given set.

But let's dry our tears for a moment. What if I told you bomb rares are actually good for Booster Draft and Sealed Deck? What if I told you they're an essential feature of the landscape of Limited? What if I told you, without even a hint of sarcasm, that you'd enjoy Limited far less in the absence of my clients?

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I'd like to provide six points of evidence which I hope will convince you of my clients' innocence.

For my first point, I submit to you that bomb rares actually make games more exciting. Let us refer back to Tetzimoc, Primal Death. The flavor of this card is quite strong: a predator emerges and marks creatures for death, one by one. When it finally strikes, it devours entire boards in one gulp.

In the abstract, this may sound like a frustrating experience. But in terms of actual gameplay, it presents a novel situation. When our opponents reveal their bomb rares, we're forced to make unusual, and therefore interesting, decisions. In terms of our Tetzimoc conundrum, we might consider the following: Should we try to end the game as quickly as possible? Should we call in our Demolish from the sideboard, just to keep our opponent away from six mana? Should we also bring in our Dark Inquiries? If so, how many? And since our creatures are now more or less expendable, should we force trades we otherwise would not make?

Without bomb rares, we would rarely, if ever, encounter situations such as this. Games of Limited would play out the same way every time, and they'd be much less interesting as a result.

My second argument: bomb rares aren't as unbeatable as they're often perceived.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, allow me to draw your attention to a piece of evidence submitted by the defense, marked Exhibit A. On the left, you'll see a bomb rare from a current or previous Booster Draft format. On the right, you'll see removal from the same format that cleanly dispatches its corresponding bomb rare. Observe:

When bomb rares dominate a format, it is the fault of the common removal, not the rares themselves. If you don't believe me, just look at Fate Reforged or Avacyn Restored. It was a combination of abundant bomb rares and poor removal which made these sets so controversial, not the presence of the bombs only. Fortunately, sets of late are usually designed so that players can arm themselves against powerful spells.

Granted, players will not always have the correct answer in hand. But just as often, the bomb rare will never be drawn or cast. This is Magic at its best: move and counter move. Question and answer.

My third argument is simple. Reactions are necessary to any game one plays—and I do mean reactions of any kind. This is perhaps a more philosophical approach to our case, so humor me a moment, would you?

When a player has a good reaction to a game, usually this means that they won, they lost elegantly, or they at least had fun regardless of the game's outcome. They reacted strongly to the gameplay experience.

Yet even for the players on the opposite side of the board, those players who lose to my clients, the experience can still inspire reaction. Losing to bomb rares sparks conversation, i.e. "What could I have done differently to win that game?" or "Perhaps I should've held onto that unconditional removal spell rather than casting it on their 3/3." Or perhaps you write an article entitled "Profane Procession is the Most Unfair Card Ever Printed." Whatever the outcome, you're having a strong reaction to the game you played—which is exactly what makes great games great.

The worst reaction one can have to a game is simple apathy. If we do not feel anything when we play, we're likely to forget about it. When we play with or against bomb rares, we've no choice but to have a reaction, either positive or negative, which therefore precludes apathy entirely.

My fourth argument concerns come-from-behind wins. What do bomb rares do best but win games their controllers were losing? This is a known phenomenon. I'm sure that you, people of the jury, have heard—or even spoken yourself—statements of this general nature: "I was winning the entire game until my opponent dropped their bomb rare, and then I died."

Yet come-from-behind wins are the most exciting. They make gameplay unpredictable. They shape the moments players remember best, no matter which side of the table they happen to be sitting on. If I may lapse on lawyerly tone for a moment, come-from-behind wins perfectly exemplify the phrase, "It ain't over 'til it's over."

This goes both ways. If you play against a bomb rare and yet still win the game, that's a come-from-behind win in the other direction. You'll no doubt feel a greater sense of accomplishment by defeating the bomb than you would in defeating, say, a swarm of Goblin Trailblazers. Please note: I mean no offense to the goblin community.

My fifth point on this subject: players want to play with powerful cards. This explains why Jace, the Mind Sculptor, another dear client of mine, was so recently (and, might I say, so rightly) unbanned in Modern. One of Magic's strengths is the ability to cast powerful spells that have significant effects on the game.

Look to any Cube, for instance. (Though if you're offended by the sight of bomb rares, perhaps you should avert your eyes.) Cubes are, of course, oftentimes predominantly composed of bombs. Many of the cards we've discussed so far could easily appear in a Cube. And this, I would argue, is one reason Cube is such a popular format. It is powerful, and players want to play with powerful cards.

I foresee a counter argument from the prosecution, so I'll address it now. They will argue that my clients should stay out of Limited and stick to more powerful formats, such as the aforementioned Cube, or Standard, or Modern. They'll argue that powerful cards are fine for powerful formats, yet they should be excluded from the mostly common and uncommon landscape that composes Booster Draft and Sealed Deck.

But ladies and gentlemen of the jury, this proposal would not only dilute the overall power level of Limited—it would dampen the entire game as a whole.

Imagine, for example, the exalted braintrust at Wizards of the Coast sitting down to design Ixalan. Mark Rosewater, hallowed be his name, proposes a new creature: Carnage Tyrant! An efficiently-costed dinosaur resistant to counter magic and spot removal. Sounds wonderful. Sounds powerful.

Now let us imagine that bomb rares are no longer allowed in Limited. Perhaps R&D removes text from Carnage Tyrant, makes it cost more, reduces its power or toughness, just to make it less egregious for Limited players. We're left with a far less powerful option for green players in Standard. The Timmys of the world would weep.

Or imagine they do this on a wider scale. Imagine every card's power is scaled down to better suit Limited. Then we've got less powerful, and therefore likely less interesting, Constructed formats on our hands.

For my sixth and final argument, I'd like you to think back, if you will, to your first Booster Draft. Were you scared? Nervous? Did you feel as though you knew what you were doing, or did you feel lost? I'd guess you didn't yet understand the value of removal or two-drops, or the risks of taking gold cards with your first pick. Perhaps you thought yourself clever for selecting Fog. In any case, you were likely a little lost.

Truth be told, Booster Draft is daunting, especially for new players. They need guidance, both in drafting and in subsequent gameplay. This is where bomb rares help. They offer new players a chance to compete against longtime veterans.

Yes, this can be a frustrating event for the more experienced player facing the bomb rare. But even so, it's an essential one. Without those bombs, new players would win rarely, if ever. And constant losing leads to hopelessness, which in turn leads to apathy. And I'm sure you'll remember why we don't want that.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I thank you for your time and attention. Nothing further, your honor." 

Demonic Attorney made his first appearance in Magic in Limited Edition Alpha. Since then, he's represented all sorts of unjustly disrespected clients, including mana screw, variance, and in this case, bomb rares. When Demonic Attorney isn't practicing law, you'll find him filing his nails.

(This article was actually written by Kyle Massa. Kyle is a writer and avid Magic player living in upstate New York with his fiancée and their two cats. When he's not writing, you'll find him down at the East Greenbush Flipside store jamming booster drafts. For more of Kyle's work, visit www.kyleamassa.com or follow him on Twitter @mindofkyleam.)