Year Build Format
The Kitchen Table forum
Posted on Feb. 23, 2022, 1:41 p.m. by legendofa
Here's another idea that's probably much better in theory than in practice. Since each year now has multiple premier sets, Commander sets, Secret Lair sets, retrospectives, and other specialty products, I introduce the Year Build Format!
60-card constructed, up to four copies of a card, can only use cards that had a printing in the same Gregorian calendar year (e.g. only cards with a 2022 print).
Obviously, decks in January through March will be fairly weak, but any given deck should gain speed as the year continues, and November-December decks might be pretty powerful.
Now, please, poke holes in this. Or maybe try to build a 2021 deck. I'm writing this as I think of it, so it's pretty much slapped together on the spot.
shadow63 Pretty much. I wouldn't expect it to turn into The Next Big Thing. Probably a lot easier on a third-party system or virtual tabletop.
February 23, 2022 2:41 p.m.
Omniscience_is_life says... #4
I think the format would be very powerful if you include SLDs. We've seen everything from Brainstorms to Teferi's Protections to Protean Hulks in Secret Lairs, and commander products have Sol Rings and Swords to Plowsharess. A lot of banning would need to occur likely.
February 23, 2022 4:14 p.m.
Instead of banning, would it make sense to change it to a singleton format?
February 23, 2022 4:15 p.m.
Omniscience_is_life says... #6
That could work. You could also restrict cards instead of banning them outright
February 23, 2022 4:26 p.m.
Necrosis24 says... #8
I think the limited card pool would turn ppl off as the big attraction of commander is the wide card selection.
But on the plus side since it is so limited even more so than standard (in the begining months as you said) it would allow cards that you would normally never use see play.
It would also be good for new players as they can use their current card pool rather than having to buy staples in other formats. In a way I think its closest format would be limited/draft then it will move towards standard.
February 23, 2022 11:28 p.m.
If it's catching people's eyes, I'd like to get some input. Which is better, banned/restricted list or singleton/fewer copies of cards? What should the minimum deck size be?
And to add another layer of complication, could these values change (e.g. Jan-April 60 card no B/R, May-Aug 60 card B/R, Sept-Dec 100 card singleton)? Would that promote a feeling of growth, or is it just needless complexity?
February 24, 2022 3:44 a.m.
Necrosis24 says... #10
I say if need be a banned/restricted list is best for highly problematic cards as we sometimes get format warping cards in sets.
I would be mainly against singleton just because early months the card pool is small enough already but it could also be interesting to see how ppl get around that and I think it could be doable with 60 card decks.
And in terms of deck size I think it is best to keep it consistent rather than morphing as it requires you to buy more cards and constantly edit your decks and it may not be financially viable for people or they may not have time to consistently fix their decks. But I think it could be a fun challenge to start with a playgroup and watch how your decks evolve throughout the year.
February 24, 2022 10:33 a.m.
Grubbernaut says... #11
Keep it the same deck size, and I would vote 60.
Regarding bans, I'd prefer straight bans over restricted.
February 24, 2022 11:20 a.m.
If there's a banlist, cards like Sol Ring and Swords to Plowshares are getting reprints pretty much every year, as Omniscience_is_life noted. Does this sort of card have a permanent home on the banlist?
February 24, 2022 12:38 p.m.
A little thread necromancy, but I figure it's better than starting a new thread. I'm pitching this idea again (TL;DR: A new format, where the card pool is restricted to all cards printed in a calendar year, January 1st to December 31st) with a little more lead-up time for 2023, and looking for some input on these open questions (and hopefully drum up some hype).
What's the best way to approach deck construction? The card pool will likely be too small in the early months for 100-card singleton, while 60-card will potentially allow playsets of cards like Sol Ring and whatever bits of brokenness come out in Secret Lairs.
Should there be a banlist? Sol Ring would probably have a permanent home, and Secret Lairs evaluated on a card-by-card basis. Any cards banned in Standard would likely be banned here, too.
A new question, which hopefully won't be relevant in the future, but what's the best way to approach "collector reprints" like the M30 cards? My opinion is that they would not be allowed, since they're not intended to be tournament-legal.
I didn't follow through with this idea as hard as I could have this year, so for 2023, I promise* that I will promote this idea, at least on here and when I start going to an LGS regularly again.
*Promise may be revoked at any time and is not guaranteed.
shadow63 says... #2
Sounds fun to do with a small playgroup but to me it's just standard with extra steps and less cards
February 23, 2022 2:31 p.m.