So the long weekend is over and by now I figured that we’d at least hear about an incoming fix to Seasons Past and the nonsense it’s creating. More specifically the never ending chain it creates with Ulvenwald Hydra.
To be honest, I was hoping we’d get a hotfix as this seems like one of the most out of control card(s) right now. Especially since it’s affecting events. I’d rather play 1000+ Chandra’s with 3 loyalty Flameshot in a row than come across this combo.
I think Season’s Past would work great if it just returned a creature and a support to your hand (not a spell). That way it wouldn’t return itself, and it would still be playable.
Part of the change is that - it can no longer fetch itself or other copies of Seasons Past. I was hoping I could do something a bit different (I was exploring doing the gem conversion before the fetch) but the problem repeats itself when you have 3 copies of it. It would have been a lot less likely but still problematic (the odds the AI would do it are much lower).
In the next version, Seasons Past is no longer able to fetch itself or any copies of itself. This will completely eliminate the crazy loops with itself, while still remaining a very strong card. It’s mana cost may also increase a bit.
There’s nothing wrong with making it more expensive. Just make Nissa’s Renewal a little more expensive too, and it’ll still be one of the stronger mythics.
Maybe make it cast one extra copy of any spell you cast instead of returning cards? Or make the cards it returns not able to trigger another return, at least until end of turn?
How about not putting Seasons Past in the graveyard equivalent when it is cast. Otherwise you’re just kicking the can down the road until you get another card that pulls from the graveyard and then it and Seasons Past now loop together. Also this way it could cascade a couple of times if it were discarded from your hand but once it gets cast it disapears.
The hydra is powerful but I’d like to see how it fares without the looping before it gets changed. It’s not hexproof so there are lots of answers.
Harness the storm isn’t broken. But if you really wanted to change it, have the returned card cost 2 additional? That could stop long cycles. Seasons past’s text should contain the phrase “exile Season’s Past after its played”. An increase in cost isn’t necessary. RC should not lose hexproof or prevent damage completely, but instead lose prevent damage if blocked or blocking. Or an alternative would to give the current card shroud instead of hexproof. There, you saved paying Shteev £50 (I had to look for the £, Shteev!). Thanks for listening. --Wyrven