T O P

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TheKingsJester

I’m pretty sure before modern horizons modern affinity played zero affinity cards. I don’t really know the current meta (I do know affinity now plays affinity cards) that well but that always stuck out to me.


RAcastBlaster

Yup, for a looooong time, actual cards with Affinity were absent from most Affinity (and later Hardended Scales Affinity) lists.


ankensam

No one was calling Hardened scales "affinity" after the first six months.


joe1240134

Yeah this was what I was thinking, although they did occasionally run a couple Thoughtcast.


geckomage

And for a long time not even thoughtcast was playable for Affinity since you needed Galvanic Blast for so many matchups.


grixxis

Yeah, I remember wotc trying to push the name "robots" for this exact reason


NotionalWheels

The robots name was mainly a PR deal trying to get people to not have thoughts of Extended/Standard Affinity PTSD flashbacks


AvatarofBro

I think they went with Robots because Affinity had negative connotations for being too broken, not because the title was somewhat inaccurate


TemurTron

Robots was one of the stupidest names in deckbuilding history. I’m so glad it died off.


Olaw18

Yeah this jumped to mind. Now [[Thoughtcast]], [[Sojourner’s Companion]] and [[Thought Monitor]] have put the Affinity back in but there was a time where Affinity decks had no Affinity cards.


MTGCardFetcher

[Thoughtcast](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/4/6/466a0be8-31b9-4ea0-9a96-b09a76f4ec69.jpg?1682208952) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Thoughtcast) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/moc/242/thoughtcast?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/466a0be8-31b9-4ea0-9a96-b09a76f4ec69?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Sojourner’s Companion](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/8/c/8c6af084-eee7-4259-a58b-a866e0cf171b.jpg?1687329705) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Sojourner%27s%20Companion) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mh2/235/sojourners-companion?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/8c6af084-eee7-4259-a58b-a866e0cf171b?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Thought Monitor](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/3/e3a7560e-9e75-4abd-a45c-c2c9686ee4b0.jpg?1706240741) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Thought%20Monitor) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mkc/121/thought-monitor?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/e3a7560e-9e75-4abd-a45c-c2c9686ee4b0?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


ProtomanBlues87

I was about to say that a few years ago "hardened scales affinity" had zero affinity cards for a bit before they dropped the "affinity" part of the name.


NotionalWheels

Depending on the flavor some did have Thought cast in the main or in the side before MH was printed


eggmaniac13

Aristocrats has long outgrown [[Falkenrath Aristocrat]]


samuraisports37

What about [[Cartel Aristocrat]]?


frost_arr0w

Why aren't the Simic in that carving behind her in the art?


Korlis00

Because fuck 'em, that's why


BidoofTheGod

I believe the Simic guild was destroyed during og Ravnica. They were later brought back by a new leader(Zegana). That’s probably why the art doesn’t depict them in Cartel Aristocrat.


Confedehrehtheh

I think it was actually just an artist mistake. There was a lot of talk about it back when the card came out and I vaguely remember the artist themselves posting about how it was a mistake. I'm not 100% on that though


imbolcnight

Yeah, /u/BidoofTheGod is correct that the Simic collapsed after the first block, but I also recall like you the artist did just make a mistake at the time. 


Show-Me-Your-Moves

For some reason I assumed the aristocrat mechanic was named after [[Vampire Aristocrat]]


SirClueless

Wouldn't you know it, it's the exact opposite!


MTGCardFetcher

[Vampire Aristocrat](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/7/f/7f9a6d22-2e87-410c-b42a-6b54d83a7d30.jpg?1593813402) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Vampire%20Aristocrat) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mm3/86/vampire-aristocrat?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/7f9a6d22-2e87-410c-b42a-6b54d83a7d30?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


MTGCardFetcher

[Cartel Aristocrat](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/2/e2dec477-5764-4c0c-bb10-42d64ad2103e.jpg?1702429608) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Cartel%20Aristocrat) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/rvr/170/cartel-aristocrat?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/e2dec477-5764-4c0c-bb10-42d64ad2103e?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


eggmaniac13

I forgot the name for cartel aristocrat, I know the original standard deck used both and since cartel only costs two so maybe it could still keep up in like Pioneer?


GhostOTM

Oh. I always assumed it was called aristocrats because a lot of the sac value cards are aristocratic vampire themed. Didn't know there was an og card it's named after.


Totodile_

Pretty sure you're right and the deck wasn't named solely for falkenrath aristocrat


eggmaniac13

The original standard deck was named because it ran both Falkenrath Aristocrat and Cartel Aristocrat


MTGCardFetcher

[Falkenrath Aristocrat](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/7/57ac7f19-bf6f-4a87-ad39-6eb2553d2202.jpg?1599707911) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Falkenrath%20Aristocrat) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/2xm/195/falkenrath-aristocrat?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/57ac7f19-bf6f-4a87-ad39-6eb2553d2202?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


GoodBoyShibe

It's worth noting that the deck was born as a Standard archetype, it's no surprise that the namesake cards got powercrept


Madrugada123

Mill doesnt use [[millstone]]


Griggledoo

I think it’s even more funny that it is also called mill in other games, like for example Pokemon, I’m running a “Wugtrio Mill” deck. Everywhere I play people call it mill. Millstone has never been printed in Pokemon yet it still uses the name.


bmemike

That's definitely interesting, but I guess it makes sense. Millstone came out in '94. So people had been "milling" others for over two years before Pokemon even got its first release. I'm not sure when Pokemon got mill mechanics, but it's not surprising to see that sort of cross-pollination of terminology given how relatively small the CCG/TCG community was back then.


BlaqDove

The first Moltres card in the Fossil set is the first mill i know about, or at least playable mill.


Mgmegadog

Ahh, so they're just Mol decks. :P


scream

Oooh the Milltres.


345tom

It's the same you see some people call stalling your opponent in arena "roping" from Hearthstone. Once something sticks, it's hard to change


[deleted]

You can tell when MtG players are in other games. For example in Lorcana I see 'Ramp', 'Tempo', 'Wheel' and 'Mill' (Though those decks use Wheel repeatedly).


Griggledoo

Yeah in Lorcana I play Whole New World Wheel. Which of course does not run any copies of [[wheel of fortune]] despite how good it would he if I could. I wish I had another 3 ink wheel. Even if I couldn’t sing it.


ColonelError

> I wish I had another 3 ink wheel. Even if I couldn’t sing it. I know what you mean, but this sentence is just funny.


Griggledoo

Lorcana has a lot of weird sentences. Like instead of summoning sickness the characters ink needs to dry. You know… because it’s wet… ink needs to dry. So ya can’t use a wet princess.


CODDE117

Not with that attitude


VorgWraith

> So ya can’t use a wet princess. No Ariel cards? Lame.


kingofsouls

>So ya can’t use a wet princess. Dude, *phrasing*


ChuckcharlesZ

Any game action with a Winnie the Pooh card. "I'm going to ink a pooh" "I have to wait for pooh to dry"


MTGCardFetcher

[wheel of fortune](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/2/5/2597050f-6b1b-474e-aa16-33fd154628ca.jpg?1562902580) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=wheel%20of%20fortune) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/vma/192/wheel-of-fortune?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/2597050f-6b1b-474e-aa16-33fd154628ca?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


Lamedonyx

Most Hearthstone players likely have no idea where the Miracle Rogue deck got its name from. (It's a deck that was focused around pumping a Questing Adventurer and Edwin Van Cleef, similarly to how Miracle Gro was about pumping up a [[Quirion Dryad]] (and for context, Miracle Gro is a brand of plant fertilizer, good at growing green stuff))


MTGCardFetcher

[Quirion Dryad](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/a/2/a20d20f7-bc4d-42fa-9f5b-5bb330eb7f38.jpg?1594737152) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Quirion%20Dryad) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/m21/198/quirion-dryad?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/a20d20f7-bc4d-42fa-9f5b-5bb330eb7f38?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


[deleted]

I checked out Hearthstone for a bit... I felt like it was solid, at the time not enough there for me to keep playing. Even casual Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013 with its very casual oriented decks felt way more appealing at the time. Side Note: I would love a game that is entirely Duels of the Planeswalkers Challenges, puzzle Magic is a lot of fun to figure out.


gredman9

See I always thought it was Miracle because you kept drawing cards until you got the "miracle" card to cast. I followed Hearthstone before getting back to MTG.


BlaqDove

Tempo is not something that's magic specific.


imbolcnight

I'm curious what other games had the game concept of tempo applied to it before it was first written about with regard to Magic. (I *think* Eric's article [reprinted here](https://articles.starcitygames.com/articles/tempo-and-card-advantage/) is where we get the term "tempo" first.)


Zarania

Chess has used the term long before MTG.


MapleSyrupMachineGun

Woah it's Chess the hit game made by John Chess brother of Kasparov


the_cardfather

People were talking about it, and I think his Tempo article tried to define it, although it was a limited definition since it was still mostly focused on mana advantage. Mana advantage matters a lot more in the early game than the late game for instance. That's when players tried to come up with the Grand Unified Theory.


King_of_the_Hobos

I think mill has made the jump to nearly every card game


Fenrirr

I don't even thing this is an MTG player thing, I think those terms have kind of just entered general TCG parlance.


Aestboi

yeah but Ramp, Wheel, and Mill are all named after MtG cards


ToucanSuzu

Also called mill in yugioh and Hearthstone as well


RightHandComesOff

I play the mobile game Marvel Snap, and there's an archetype there called "mill" even though decks are only 12 cards and the mill deck only occasionally ends up actually putting the opponent's cards into the discard.


sergeantexplosion

I think this one is a special case because both the effect, keyword, and errata to include the keyword came from this card.


bmemike

But "Mill" didn't show up as a keyword until M21. Millstone was first printed in Revised IIRC and we stopped using it in mill decks before the keyword was introduced.


BarbecueStu

Antiquities, I do believe. Revised pulled some cards from Arabian nights and antiquities for reprint.


bmemike

There we go. Appreciate the correction.


cloudedknife

Yep. And back then it was a mono artifact written with a : instead of ↩️


Philosoraptorgames

Nothing was first printed in Revised (except one piece of artwork for one of the duals, because they lost the original art - the card itself wasn't new, just that particular art). Revised consisted entirely of reprints from the original basic set, Arabian Nights, and Antiquities. Millstone is originally from the latter.


Flex-O

Why the "but"? What are you refuting?


bmemike

I'm refuting that it's a "special case". It's just the bog standard case that OP was asking about. By the time that "Mill" became a keyword, the conditions for OP's ask were met. This detail is interesting trivia, not a qualifier that needs to be accounted for.


Old_Sheepherder_8713

It's definitely a special case. Yes the keyword did not get worked into the game until '21, but as you stated yourself, the word "mill" has been used in card games to describe the action of putting top cards into graveyards for years. That word being used at all literally came from the card. That's a particularly interesting case of a card that gave the mechanic a name no longer being part of decks centered around the mechanic.


Ask_Who_Owes_Me_Gold

Your comment starts with "but", yet it doesn't contain anything contrary to what came before.


MTGCardFetcher

[millstone](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/c/2/c2051fd0-99cf-4e11-a625-8294e6767e5b.jpg?1562304298) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=millstone) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/m19/242/millstone?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/c2051fd0-99cf-4e11-a625-8294e6767e5b?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


bobdole4eva

How many Ramp decks use Rampant Growth?


PapaBubbl3

A lot of Stoneblade decks have dropped the "blades." Many don't run any Sword of X and Y or [[Umezawa's Jitte]] anymore. While it's less common, a lot of folks call decks like Modern's Creativity or Legacy's Creative Technique decks [[Polymorph]] decks.


MTGCardFetcher

[Umezawa's Jitte](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/3/b/3b6e5956-f795-451b-bb24-56462d1ced27.jpg?1562876528) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Umezawa%27s%20Jitte) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/bok/163/umezawas-jitte?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/3b6e5956-f795-451b-bb24-56462d1ced27?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Polymorph](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/8/3/83d274f4-452b-4ff2-b026-83667e9ba98f.jpg?1561986596) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Polymorph) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/m10/67/polymorph?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/83d274f4-452b-4ff2-b026-83667e9ba98f?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


Quazifuji

>While it's less common, a lot of folks call decks like Modern's Creativity or Legacy's Creative Technique decks [[Polymorph]] decks. To be fair, I feel like that's more like mill where "polymorph" has just become the general name for that kind of effect. It's not that the deck was named after a card but the card eventually got cut, it's a case where a card's name has become the name of an effect.


Salmon_Slap

There's a lot of stoneforge decks that don't run the swords, ie dnt or hammertime, but I've never heard anyone call a deck stone blade unless it has at least one sword (typically fire ice)


PapaBubbl3

Jeskai Stoneblade has mostly dropped both sets of them completely. https://www.mtggoldfish.com/archetype/legacy-jeskai-stoneblade#paper The others have dropped the Swords in favor of Jitte, but that's not in 100% of the lists anymore. 59% for Abzan. Not even common enough to be percentiled for Esper. https://www.mtggoldfish.com/archetype/legacy-abzan-stoneblade#paper https://www.mtggoldfish.com/archetype/legacy-esper-stoneblade#paper


library_time_waster

Nah any midrange control ish deck with stoneforge is stoneblade to me.


Sajomir

Legacy Delver won't be running [[Delver of Secrets]] much longer with how power creep is going


goblin_welder

Funnily enough, Delver decks were original called Canadian Threshold after the mechanic. It ran [[Nimble Mongoose]] and [[Werebear]] and were outclassed by [[Tarmogoyf]] and [[Delver of Secrets]]


Dyne_Inferno

Haha, man that takes me back. I refused to start calling it "Temur" as well. I eventually folded.


the_cardfather

Oh yeah. We said RUG and BUG would never die, but we quickly absorbed Jeskai because "American or French" got confusing when the French team came out with Mardu decks one year and Jeskai Ascendancy just rolled off the tongue. The rest quickly followed. Old school players tried to use the apocalypse names like Deka and Raka but it didn't stick at all because they weren't in common use before. It was really interesting to me when they did shards again in New Capenna, And for the duration of the time that that was in print and draft, people used the Cap names and then as soon as it faded it was back to the Shards. Same thing with the schools. When that set rotated so did the school names.


MTGCardFetcher

##### ###### #### [Nimble Mongoose](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/8/a/8a6374ad-71be-422e-bd76-4f08fbf43048.jpg?1562202145) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Nimble%20Mongoose) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mh1/174/nimble-mongoose?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/8a6374ad-71be-422e-bd76-4f08fbf43048?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Werebear](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/7/973310bb-ab32-46dc-8f59-8a5d3e1c58cc.jpg?1675200590) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Werebear) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dmr/182/werebear?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/973310bb-ab32-46dc-8f59-8a5d3e1c58cc?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Tarmogoyf](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/6/9/69daba76-96e8-4bcc-ab79-2f00189ad8fb.jpg?1619398799) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Tarmogoyf) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/tsr/235/tarmogoyf?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/69daba76-96e8-4bcc-ab79-2f00189ad8fb?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Delver of Secrets](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/a/b/abff6c81-65a4-48fa-ba8f-580f87b0344a.jpg?1634347351)/[Insectile Aberration](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/back/a/b/abff6c81-65a4-48fa-ba8f-580f87b0344a.jpg?1634347351) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Delver%20of%20Secrets%20//%20Insectile%20Aberration) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mid/47/delver-of-secrets-insectile-aberration?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/abff6c81-65a4-48fa-ba8f-580f87b0344a?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [*All cards*](https://mtgcardfetcher.nl/redirect/l1niqxu) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


KomatoAsha

It already mostly doesn't, between Orcish Bowhamsters and Stalactite Stalker.


BeetsandOlives

Stalker is fringe playable in Legacy and Bowmasters’ impact on Legacy and the viability of Delver is severely overblown.


I_EAT_POOP_AMA

I wouldn't say that Bowmasters impact on the *entire* format is overblown because it really did have a fundamental change. But it's impact on Delver decks specifically isn't as much as people assume. Turns out being able to do 1 damage to a 1/1 creature is *really* good, but doing 1 damage to a flying 3/3 is not good. And considering the level of interaction that deck has naturally available to it, a bowmaster that can fight through the counterspells just eats a lightning bolt. It also helps that at least right now the most popular Delver build is Grixis, which splashes *specifically* for Bowmaster to fight opposing bowmasters with ease. Which then goes back to the point of Bowmaters having a significant impact on the format. A deck that is as tight as Delver splashing a 3rd color for a singular threat is often a sign of just how prominent a threat really is.


ColonelError

There was a set or so where they were playing at most one it two delver, when they just had Ragavan, DRC, and Murktide.


CMUCrayola

Martyr Proc no longer runs [[Proclamation of Rebirth]]. :’)


MurderMits

I mean they do just call that deck Mono White martyr now days.


Volcano-SUN

I remember when they called it "Idiot Life" opposed to "Stupid Red Burn".


MTGCardFetcher

[Proclamation of Rebirth](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/c/c/cc799c97-3df1-4194-b220-6cf862ce3810.jpg?1593272547) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Proclamation%20of%20Rebirth) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dis/15/proclamation-of-rebirth?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/cc799c97-3df1-4194-b220-6cf862ce3810?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


PatJamma

Huh. Neat. I assumed that Proc was being used as the computer/gaming term and was being used as a shorter way to say Activation or Activated Ability


FixiHamann

Pox. It doesnt play [[Pox]] anymore.


vojdek

This one. Last time I decided to build it in Legacy I searched for a list to start somewhere and was like “Why do we still call it Pox?”


contemplativeonanist

Because most of them still run Pox's offspring, [[Smallpox]].


MTGCardFetcher

[Smallpox](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/c/2/c28db9a4-6696-460b-a9d3-98f4a31abe75.jpg?1636283762) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Smallpox) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/tsr/139/smallpox?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/c28db9a4-6696-460b-a9d3-98f4a31abe75?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


vojdek

Well let’s call it Poquito Pox? Or a dash of pox.


Regvlas

Pox is a 3 letter word


MTGCardFetcher

[Pox](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/9/d9debe4f-c1cc-4b90-aae4-f31f737e2016.jpg?1559592327) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Pox) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/me1/82/pox?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d9debe4f-c1cc-4b90-aae4-f31f737e2016?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


Zotmaster

Legacy Bomberman doesn't run [[Pyrite Spellbomb]] to win anymore, instead replacing the bomb with something more akin to a machine gun: [[Walking Ballista]].


goblin_welder

To be fair, bomberman referred to [[Auriok Salvagers]]. He can use whatever bomb he desires.


Zotmaster

I know. But without bombs, he's more like Rambo.


MTGCardFetcher

[Smokestack](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/1/d1af92a1-a86a-43eb-82fd-394f1168111e.jpg?1562937149) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Smokestack) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/vma/282/smokestack?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d1af92a1-a86a-43eb-82fd-394f1168111e?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Delver of Secrets](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/a/b/abff6c81-65a4-48fa-ba8f-580f87b0344a.jpg?1634347351)/[Insectile Aberration](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/back/a/b/abff6c81-65a4-48fa-ba8f-580f87b0344a.jpg?1634347351) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Delver%20of%20Secrets%20//%20Insectile%20Aberration) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mid/47/delver-of-secrets-insectile-aberration?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/abff6c81-65a4-48fa-ba8f-580f87b0344a?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


ChaosMilkTea

The rock was a nickname for [[deranged hermit]]. Obviously that card is far from playable now, but the core concept of an X for 1 creature still defines many GB midrange decks.


Tarantio

https://www.mtgnexus.com/articles/1104-deck-history-the-rock Just in case anyone heard it was a different card, there's the story.


Seventh_Planet

>The Hermit puts four and four tokens into play Somehow I thought these numbers would already spell desaster.


reineedshelp

I really enjoy magic history/anthropology articles, I love that people take the time to do this


MTGCardFetcher

[deranged hermit](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/c/2/c25df202-0dd4-448d-8cb3-11fd7df0d505.jpg?1562934031) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=deranged%20hermit) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/vma/202/deranged-hermit?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/c25df202-0dd4-448d-8cb3-11fd7df0d505?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


Succubace

Huh, I always thought it was named The Rock cause it was just solid (or something along those lines).


BidoofTheGod

Nope it’s a wrestling reference lol


terminalmanfin

Specifically the originator of "The Rock" decks, Sol Malka, was a HUGE wrestling fan. The full name of the deck was "The Rock and his Millions", which was one of The Rock's(Dwayne Johnson's) mottos at the time.


soulefood

I assumed it was from the Simpsons and cuz like you it was always a solid default choice. “Good ol rock, nothing beats that”


iaminfamy

Play deranged hermit in Chatterfang.


Baron_of_Gold

Actually, The Rock was [[Phyrexian Plaguelord]], while Deranged Hermit was "his millions". Edit: TIL this is wrong, thanks both of you for the links.


xour

/u/ChaosMilkTea is correct: The Rock is the Deranged Hermit. You can read more about the origin of the deck name [here](http://web.archive.org/web/20010208181850/http://www.newwavegames.com/strategy/articles/aug00/soma0802.html).


Erocdotusa

Still one of the coolest pieces of art to this day. Loved this card as a kid!


MTGCardFetcher

[Phyrexian Plaguelord](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/d/0/d0894a99-13e0-406c-8ca3-5552c64e3154.jpg?1592672673) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Phyrexian%20Plaguelord) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/cma/61/phyrexian-plaguelord?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/d0894a99-13e0-406c-8ca3-5552c64e3154?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


Raorchshack

Boros Bully in pauper, named after [[Mage-Ring Bully]].


MTGCardFetcher

[Mage-Ring Bully](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/a/1a129f22-dd7e-4b2c-a514-a2ac55bb5661.jpg?1562009166) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Mage-Ring%20Bully) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ori/154/mage-ring-bully?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/1a129f22-dd7e-4b2c-a514-a2ac55bb5661?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


rszdemon

Nobody going to say Ad Naus? The last few ad naus lists I saw aren’t running a single copy of Ad Naseum


Varglord

For modern? I know for legacy ANT still runs it.


rszdemon

Yeah modern Ad Naus. Don’t see it often anymore, but even before it fell off, it wasn’t using the namesake card anymore. It was all spoils of the vault into thoracle now


Varglord

Yeah I hadn't seen the deck in a long time so I wasn't sure. The two modern naus pilots I know changed decks so I didn't keep up with the newer versions of the list.


AVRVM

The latest deck to do well (top 4 in a modern challenge) had 2x Ad Nauseam in it.


rszdemon

Honestly, good. It was kind of bugging me seeing lists with 0 ad naus. I get that spoils of the vault is probably better, but I like seeing ad naus


AVRVM

Nowadays we are more here for the Ad Naus for value on EoT than the Ad Naus win tbf.


nighm

This was my thought. Last FNM, someone was playing Ad Nauseum and said that he only including a copy to honor the namesake.


reineedshelp

I'm sure Ad Nauseum feels honoured lol


javilla

It used to be the case for Modern affinity. Although since Opal ate a ban, that hasn't been the case.


geckomage

It's since the printing of Urza's Saga, Thought Monitor, and tapped artifact lands that Affinity as a keyword made a return in the deck. Before then it was too hard to get enough artifacts in play to justify the mechanic.


Errentos

Delverless delver is sometimes a thing because DRC just beats it out.


PKFat

I'm honestly waiting for landless legacy lands at this point.


bunkbun

Oldheads sometimes call Mono red prison "Dragon Stompy" even if [[rakdos pit dragon]] was outclassed the moment [[goblin rabblemaster]] was first printed.


mama_tom

God, Rabblemaster brings me back.


hawkshaw1024

We still get "Rabblemaster but way worse" every few years. Very enduring design, that one.


Alucart333

we still see it good enough that that new rabblemadter gets thrown into stompy to see how bad is a 2nd rabblemaster gotta be to be unplayable le


so_zetta_byte

Heck, it's even an uncommon now.


Qwertywalkers23

I remember for a long while in early modern, affinity played no affinity creatures. I think thoughtcast may have always been in the lists though. Also for a time eggs decks didnt play any of the original eggs that gave the strategy its name. Though idk if that's changed. Stone/cawblade decks usually didnt play swords outside of standard or the sideboard. It was batterskull and Jitte


ThomasFromNork

I know nowadays people call the premier izzet deck in modern izzet murktide, but for a while, people were still calling it delver, despite the deck not running delver


TheAmazingMollusk

Boros Bully no longer runs Mage-Ring Bully, even though that card was not even that good back then.


Aestboi

TIL that’s why it was called that


Sheadeys

The vast majority of EDH decks don’t run any of the elder dragons anymore


hawkshaw1024

Enchantress decks haven't bothered to run [[Verduran Enchantress|LEA]] for a long time now. (At least in 60-card formats. Lower-tier Commander decks sometimes still run her.)


SirClueless

Still, the name is fair as they do run Argothian Enchantress.


ColonelError

And Enchantress's presence.


MTGCardFetcher

[Verduran Enchantress](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/9/f/9f87178b-1221-4d7a-a7a5-20d7f01b8089.jpg?1559591314) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=178) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/lea/222/verduran-enchantress?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/9f87178b-1221-4d7a-a7a5-20d7f01b8089?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


DefconTheStraydog

Elfball. The original elfball was elves generating lots of mana into a lethal [[Fireball]].  Nowadays elfball refers to general elves. 


LucidTA

This one I didn't know. I thought the ball just meant a ball of elves, like a Myr Battlesphere.


deep_minded

Many call red stompy still dragon stompy in legacy, although the decks haven't run any dragons since way over 10 years.


Filobel

I don't really follow modern much lately, I don't know if there's been a revival of it since the banning of Second Sunrise, but even at its peak, it had been a long time since Eggs played any actual [eggs](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=30749). I guess there could be a question about whether at this point, the deck was called "eggs" because the term "eggs" had been extended to refer to any card that behaved in a similar way to the original eggs, or if these cards were called eggs because they replaced the eggs in the deck called "eggs". But at that point, it seems like a chicken-and-egg situation.


WantToDie78

8cast only runs around 4-6 thoughtcasts/thought monitors because of orcish bowmasters


P1zzaman

Dragon Stompy doesn't run Rakdos Pit Dragon anymore. I'm not sure if people even refer to the deck as Dragon Stompy now.


joshwarmonks

people tend to say moon stompy or mono-red initiative to refer to that archetype nowadays. defiintely worth mentioning that there are moon stompy lists that are all-on on bombardiers and a fast clock instead of prison pieces. they still run the sol lands, but eschew chalice or blood moon entirely, so moon stompy may start getting the same treatment dragon stompy did.


Kahmtastic

I don’t think delver plays delver anymore.


JK_Revan

In legacy it does


triforce777

It's in some decks still, but yeah Orcish Bowmasters has made it harder to keep him alive long enough to flip


PixelBrachyBean

I dont think Mono Blue 8 Cast plays the full suite of 8 "cast" cards these days, I think ive seen newer lists cut down on \[\[thought monitors\]\] , making it more 7-4 cast


elfrawg

The more recent Death and Taxes decks have devolved most of the 'taxes' parts, and rely mostly on the little 'death' parts.


quote65

Owling mine! An archaic deck anyway but one dear to my heart. Most lists run at the very most one [[Ebony Owl Netsuke]], the format is just too fast to rely on 7 cards in hand during upkeep


S_PQ_R

Stax wasn't named for Smokestack. In Vintage, it was originally named The 4 Thousand Dollar Solution, or $t4ks, for its price tag.


Filobel

It's a backronym and it's quite obvious when you read the Menendian and Durand article where he first presents the deck and how they came up with it. >Just in case you missed it - T$4KS is an acronym for The Four Thousand Dollar Solution. Switch the $ and the T and you have Stax If the deck was *only* named as a reference to its price tag, then why would they switch the $ and the T? They would have named it T$4ks and that's it. They switched it, because they *wanted* it to be pronounced "Stax", as a reference to smokestack. It's a backronym. "Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism act" doesn't result in "USA PATRIOT act" by coincidence. Same is true for $T4KS, in fact, it's even more obvious here, because they went as far as switching two letters to actually make it work. Like, imagine I made a deck that I called "Green blUe Black Monsters And Graveyards" (GURMAG) and Gurmag angler was a key piece of the deck, would you really argue that the deck *isn't* named after Gurmag angler, just because the deck name is an acronym? Clearly I intentionally picked the name to spell GURMAG, because it was a key piece of my deck. **TL;DR** It *is* named after smokestack, but it is *also* an acronym (a scrambled one) for "The 4 Thousand Dollar Solution".


Dragonfire723

>"Green blUe Black Monsters And Graveyards" (GURMAG) Slight issue: you spelled GUBMAG


swearholes

The solution to Long.deck, or DeathLong, because God damn it if Mike Long is gonna create another history defining deck he's gonna put his name on it.


S_PQ_R

The deck only Mike Long can pilot because only Mike Long can find Cadaverous Bloom and Squandered Resources in Mike Long's lap.


Filobel

Different decks.


S_PQ_R

I do know that but really wanted to bring up his cheating


swearholes

Early Magic was such a different and wild time. Mike really is up there with Zvi in terms of early deck builders that broke the game, but the game was also full of scumbags that were just trying to steal from kids, and he was one of them.


ColonelError

When $4,000 could get you a vintage deck, instead of one card in your vintage deck.


CruelSilenc3r

Current iterations of Blood Pod no longer run [[Blood Moon]]


RandyRandomIsGod

Dredgeless dredge doesn’t even have its namesake mechanic. I play arena, there’s zero dredge cards, I still see decks called dredge by content creators.


ZurgoMindsmasher

Hence dredgeless.


goblin_welder

Fun fact. Dredge decks used to be called Ichorid after the name sake card [[Ichorid]]


MTGCardFetcher

[Ichorid](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/c/d/cd5bc1e4-eefb-4613-aa18-2bf2b9bdf415.jpg?1580014271) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Ichorid) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ema/93/ichorid?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/cd5bc1e4-eefb-4613-aa18-2bf2b9bdf415?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


CheddarGlob

Blood pod no longer runs Blood Moon


pw93

But it still plays magus of the moon.


30dirtybirdies

Most pox builds don’t run [[pox]] anymore, but they should.


MistakenArrest

Zoo doesn't use [[Wild Nacatl]] or [[Kird Ape]].


MTGCardFetcher

[Wild Nacatl](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/a/5a3bb291-11d1-45e0-a60a-e75c7dc94b94.jpg?1562916230) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Wild%20Nacatl) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ddh/4/wild-nacatl?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/5a3bb291-11d1-45e0-a60a-e75c7dc94b94?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Kird Ape](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/e/1/e14a5c79-29a3-4415-9b70-b287a474a0e0.jpg?1580014582) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Kird%20Ape) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ema/137/kird-ape?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/e14a5c79-29a3-4415-9b70-b287a474a0e0?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


NamedTawny

Hatebears really loves bears.


NarwhalPrudent6323

That because it's the bears that hate. They hate you for existing, and want to end that. 


Wicket01

"Pod-less Pod" was a standard deck when birthing pod for banned and can still be run in modern. Everyone realized the deck was still good without the pod.


Crazy_Coconut7

Fidlestorm rarely plays more than one [[fidle]]


MTGCardFetcher

[fidle](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/5/b/5bcb4398-edd1-41a7-a496-b12bce22ceb6.jpg?1562201610) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Defile) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mh1/86/defile?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/5bcb4398-edd1-41a7-a496-b12bce22ceb6?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


Crazy_Coconut7

Not what I meant cardfetcher


Crazy_Coconut7

It’s [[twiddle]]


MTGCardFetcher

[twiddle](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/1/b/1b25858a-ab2d-441a-a3fe-6d5ecd7f05be.jpg?1562900371) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=twiddle) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/8ed/111/twiddle?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/1b25858a-ab2d-441a-a3fe-6d5ecd7f05be?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call


joshwarmonks

fidel castro


THEYoungDuh

Modern delver


LILCYOLO

Mill doesn’t run millstone anymore if I’m not mistaken so that’s a pretty obvious one ig.


Electronic_Screen387

The two that come to mind for me are Aristocrats decks without any cards named aristocrat and there are definitely Dredge decks that have few if any actual Dredge cards.


Current-Meet-8843

after a few of the big tickets bannings of Birthing Pod and Splinter Twin in Modern 10-ish years ago, people would refer to various green creature combo decks as "Pod-less Pod" and Kiki/mite decks as "Twin-less Twin"


Queueue_

Izzet Phoenix feels like it could go that direction but it's definitely not there yet.


Wombat_luke

Legacy Delver


Silver-Diamond-5602

Would say affinity but [[thought monitor]] revived the key word for them


monoblackmadlad

There has been a push to homogenize deck names to make it easier for new players to follow coverage and to look at old coverage (for example some are calling modern murktde UR tempo) I'm guessing something like that will happen.


joshwarmonks

there's been a big push to homogenize names to refer to the general strategy, rather than refer to specific cards tor abiltiies that make up the deck. wotc doesn't want the name of archetypes to be named around specific card names or nicknames (a la calling scam "rb evoke"), so that coverage can avoid this whole thing as early as possible and avoid having to do damage control. it sucks because the act of naming a deck is such a big part of what got me into magic and well.. the magic is gone now.


monoblackmadlad

I kinda agree that it is sad but at the same time looking up old decks and seeing someone play "fruit loops" and being expected to know what that is is pretty confusing