Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Fatal Four-Man at Salt-Monster's house
So Tuesday Night the Captain and I go over to Soly's (Salt-monster) for a four-man, our fourth being Matt Freiwald. Seating is randomized and looks like Soly to my left, MF to my right, and the Captain across from me. I end up first picking a Boggart Ram-Gang meanwhile, MF to my right is trainwrecking. His decision was between a Windbrisk Raptors or a Flame Javalin, you can see his conundrum. I develop a grin on my face as I am passed a Javalin to go with my Ram-Gang I start seeing some good black-red hybrid cards and scoop them up. I end up with 2 Fists of the Demigod which speed up games and make for unfair blocks. My second packI am graced with a Din of the Fireherd to top out my curve and give me a late game bomb.
My decklist looked like this:
1 Manaforge Cinder
1 Scuzzback Scrapper
1 Sickle Ripper
1 Power of Fire
1 Blight Sickle
2 Fists of the demigod
1 Puncture Bolt
1 Flame Javalin
1 Boggart Ram-Gang
2 Tattermunge Duo
1 Lurebound Scarecrow
1 Corrosive Mentor
1 Boggart Arsonists
2 Sootwalkers
1 Cultbrand Cinder
1 Kulrath Knight
1 Gloomlance
1 Grief Tyrant
1 Rattleblaze Scarecrow
1 Din of the Fireherd
9 Mountain
8 Swamp
The rest of my pool:
1 Wooded Bastion
1 Tyrannize
1 Pyre Charger
1 Rite of Consumption
1 Fate Transfer
1 Scar
1 Hungry Spriggan
1 Gravelgill Axeshark
1 Tatterkite
1 Boggart Arsonists
1 Zealous Guardian
1 Elsewhere Flask
1 Bloodshed Fever
1 Torture
1 Intimidator Initiate
1 Inescapeable Brute
1 Aphotic Wisps
1 Mudbrawler Cohort
2 Manamorphose
2 Torpor Dust
Round 1-I played MF with U/W
His deck was slower and tried to be more controlling, He had a Windbrisk Raptor but never saw it against me.
Game 1-I open with a turn one cinder followed by a fists to make him a 3/3 first strike, wither followed the next turn by a Ram-Gang. Things aren't good when you are at eleven by your third turn. he almost gets me with a Scrapbasket wearing Steel of the Godhead I manage to put a -1/-1 counter on it with Corrosive Mentor wielding the Power of Fire to only take 4 and put me to 1. I untap and rip Flame Javalin like a Champ. I all in with team which is Grief Tyrant, Cultbrand Cinder with Fists, Manaforge Cinder with Fists and Corrosive Mentor he blocks Tyrant and Cultbrand to only take 4, I play Sootwalkers and Kill his only dude (Scrapbasket) and sit with team ready to bring the pain next turn. Game 2-He drew nothing but land, I drew only mountains as mana sources Holding Gloomlance and a Sickle Ripper who wants to join the fray. I did still curve out playing Scuzzy turn 1 followed by Ram-Gang Turn 3 and Sootwalkers turn 4. I eventually hit my Manaforge Cinder to give me some black mana and seal the deal.
Round 2- Soly with U/B
His deck was also slower and tried to be more controlling.
I curved out purfectly against him as well, Cinder turn 1 Puncture bolt on his turn 2 play Eot, and Ram-Gang (wtf is this card stuck to my hand) turn 3. Sootwalkers soon to follow. He drops the U/B Hill Giant and I Javalin it so I keep my Ram-Gang. He was stuck on 2 land until turn 5, while I curved out. Game 2 He draws nothing but land and drops Isleback Spawn to try and stop the bleeding from my Corrosive Mentor wielding a Blight Sickle, Grief Tyrant, Rattleblaze Scarecrow, and Manaforge Cinder. He has 8 lands and taps 3 swamps to cast Beseech the Queen, He is one short of getting and casting Corrupt and Gloomlance was uncastable that turn due to him only having 4 swamps in play. He gets a creature and I kill him next turn with Din of the Fireherd in hand and only 7 lands in play.
Round 3-The Captain with G/W
His deck was more aggro with strong white removal and Windbrisk Raptor
Game-1 I play Turn 1 Manaforge Cinder Turn 2 I punture Bolt his Spawnwrith Eot, turn 3 I play Ram-Gang and bash (are you sick of seeing this yet). he untaps tries to tell me than my play was Illegal (I played Ram-Gang off of a swamp and 2 mountains) I kindly ask him to read Manaforge Cinder and he then understand's and continues his play of Wildslayer Elves which is followed by a remark of "I have to pay 4 for mine and it doesn't have haste." He next turn trades Wildslayer for Ram-Gang. I get it a few turns later by putting him to 4 and having Flame Javalin Snide remark also follows this. Game-2 I could not deal with a Windbrisk Raptor with 2 outs left in my deck (Gloomlance and Din of the Fireherd) Game-3 I struggle to get to four lands having 2 and 2 I casted Flame javalin for four to kill one of his threats but he has the upper hand pretty much to whole game, due to my inability to cast threats.
After rounds the records look like this:
Me 2-1
Captain 2-1
MF 2-1
Salmonster 0-3
I beat MF, MF beat Captain and Captain beat me. nice. circle jerk
we roll off and I take first, captain takes second, MF takes third, and Soly was fourth
I first pick a Wooded Bastion the only money opened and end up snaging the 2 foils lands as well.
By the way I looked at Wooded Bastion and was reminded of Gilt-leaf Palace. I compared the two and they are a warped mirror image of one another. See also Wanderwine Hub with Sunken Ruins, Auntie's Hovel with Fire-Lit Thicket, Ancient Amphitheater with Graven Cairns, and Rustic Clachan and Mystic Gate (this picture is a bit different but by the same artist).
As stated before B/R aggro is strong but does need some direct damage/removal. Fists of the demigod is absolutely rediculous on a 1 or 2 drop black-red dude, and although I had Din of the Fireherd I never casted it :( Red is good especially when you are the only person drafting it. MF did snag 2 puncture bolts from me so my deck could have been more absurd.
Until next time,
Hot Sauce (Tabasco)
P.S. I would like to point out that this blog has produced more material in the form of posts in 4 month's of 2008 than all of Last year (2007). Nice Job guys keep up the great work!
My decklist looked like this:
1 Manaforge Cinder
1 Scuzzback Scrapper
1 Sickle Ripper
1 Power of Fire
1 Blight Sickle
2 Fists of the demigod
1 Puncture Bolt
1 Flame Javalin
1 Boggart Ram-Gang
2 Tattermunge Duo
1 Lurebound Scarecrow
1 Corrosive Mentor
1 Boggart Arsonists
2 Sootwalkers
1 Cultbrand Cinder
1 Kulrath Knight
1 Gloomlance
1 Grief Tyrant
1 Rattleblaze Scarecrow
1 Din of the Fireherd
9 Mountain
8 Swamp
The rest of my pool:
1 Wooded Bastion
1 Tyrannize
1 Pyre Charger
1 Rite of Consumption
1 Fate Transfer
1 Scar
1 Hungry Spriggan
1 Gravelgill Axeshark
1 Tatterkite
1 Boggart Arsonists
1 Zealous Guardian
1 Elsewhere Flask
1 Bloodshed Fever
1 Torture
1 Intimidator Initiate
1 Inescapeable Brute
1 Aphotic Wisps
1 Mudbrawler Cohort
2 Manamorphose
2 Torpor Dust
Round 1-I played MF with U/W
His deck was slower and tried to be more controlling, He had a Windbrisk Raptor but never saw it against me.
Game 1-I open with a turn one cinder followed by a fists to make him a 3/3 first strike, wither followed the next turn by a Ram-Gang. Things aren't good when you are at eleven by your third turn. he almost gets me with a Scrapbasket wearing Steel of the Godhead I manage to put a -1/-1 counter on it with Corrosive Mentor wielding the Power of Fire to only take 4 and put me to 1. I untap and rip Flame Javalin like a Champ. I all in with team which is Grief Tyrant, Cultbrand Cinder with Fists, Manaforge Cinder with Fists and Corrosive Mentor he blocks Tyrant and Cultbrand to only take 4, I play Sootwalkers and Kill his only dude (Scrapbasket) and sit with team ready to bring the pain next turn. Game 2-He drew nothing but land, I drew only mountains as mana sources Holding Gloomlance and a Sickle Ripper who wants to join the fray. I did still curve out playing Scuzzy turn 1 followed by Ram-Gang Turn 3 and Sootwalkers turn 4. I eventually hit my Manaforge Cinder to give me some black mana and seal the deal.
Round 2- Soly with U/B
His deck was also slower and tried to be more controlling.
I curved out purfectly against him as well, Cinder turn 1 Puncture bolt on his turn 2 play Eot, and Ram-Gang (wtf is this card stuck to my hand) turn 3. Sootwalkers soon to follow. He drops the U/B Hill Giant and I Javalin it so I keep my Ram-Gang. He was stuck on 2 land until turn 5, while I curved out. Game 2 He draws nothing but land and drops Isleback Spawn to try and stop the bleeding from my Corrosive Mentor wielding a Blight Sickle, Grief Tyrant, Rattleblaze Scarecrow, and Manaforge Cinder. He has 8 lands and taps 3 swamps to cast Beseech the Queen, He is one short of getting and casting Corrupt and Gloomlance was uncastable that turn due to him only having 4 swamps in play. He gets a creature and I kill him next turn with Din of the Fireherd in hand and only 7 lands in play.
Round 3-The Captain with G/W
His deck was more aggro with strong white removal and Windbrisk Raptor
Game-1 I play Turn 1 Manaforge Cinder Turn 2 I punture Bolt his Spawnwrith Eot, turn 3 I play Ram-Gang and bash (are you sick of seeing this yet). he untaps tries to tell me than my play was Illegal (I played Ram-Gang off of a swamp and 2 mountains) I kindly ask him to read Manaforge Cinder and he then understand's and continues his play of Wildslayer Elves which is followed by a remark of "I have to pay 4 for mine and it doesn't have haste." He next turn trades Wildslayer for Ram-Gang. I get it a few turns later by putting him to 4 and having Flame Javalin Snide remark also follows this. Game-2 I could not deal with a Windbrisk Raptor with 2 outs left in my deck (Gloomlance and Din of the Fireherd) Game-3 I struggle to get to four lands having 2 and 2 I casted Flame javalin for four to kill one of his threats but he has the upper hand pretty much to whole game, due to my inability to cast threats.
After rounds the records look like this:
Me 2-1
Captain 2-1
MF 2-1
Salmonster 0-3
I beat MF, MF beat Captain and Captain beat me. nice. circle jerk
we roll off and I take first, captain takes second, MF takes third, and Soly was fourth
I first pick a Wooded Bastion the only money opened and end up snaging the 2 foils lands as well.
By the way I looked at Wooded Bastion and was reminded of Gilt-leaf Palace. I compared the two and they are a warped mirror image of one another. See also Wanderwine Hub with Sunken Ruins, Auntie's Hovel with Fire-Lit Thicket, Ancient Amphitheater with Graven Cairns, and Rustic Clachan and Mystic Gate (this picture is a bit different but by the same artist).
As stated before B/R aggro is strong but does need some direct damage/removal. Fists of the demigod is absolutely rediculous on a 1 or 2 drop black-red dude, and although I had Din of the Fireherd I never casted it :( Red is good especially when you are the only person drafting it. MF did snag 2 puncture bolts from me so my deck could have been more absurd.
Until next time,
Hot Sauce (Tabasco)
P.S. I would like to point out that this blog has produced more material in the form of posts in 4 month's of 2008 than all of Last year (2007). Nice Job guys keep up the great work!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
What do we know about Shadowmoor Draft?
A scant three days prior to the Release of Shadowmoor, I am trying to put together some general principles that are universal to all Shadowmoor drafts. I have only drafted the set three times, but hope to do so again tonight. I am trying not to overstate things, but still come to some useful conclusions. Here is what I can come up with thus far:
Green is good.
G/(R or W) seem to be the de facto strongest color combinations, given the aggressive curve and incredibly efficient creature drops at uncommon and to a more limited extent, common. Having enchantments at uncommon that nerf -1/-1 counters and fliers doesn't hurt. And hey, if you think there is a better color out there, let us know why in the comments.
White removal is probably better than any other color.
It is certainly better removal than white usually gets. I have discussed it before, but I will do so again; Last Breath, Inquisitor's Snare, Prison Term, Curse of Chains, Mercy Killing, and Æthertow. These are all at uncommon or common. Pairing white with blue gives control decks a chance to beat aggro.
The mill deck appears to be unviable. Or at least more difficult to build than expected.
Our Pseudonymous Drama Student attempted to draft this last Friday, at a ten man table. If ever there was a time to try out this sort of a deck, triple base-set draft with ten people early in the set's life would be the time. But it did not pan out. (I did see at least one game that the PSD took by milling, but as CBG reported, I think the total record was something like 0-4 in matches, 2-8 in games.)
R/B aggro can work. But it appears to have less staying power than Green aggro decks.
The Captain drafted one hell of an aggro deck last week, with multiple Ashenmoor Gougers and Sootstoke Kindlers. He curved out in game one and ran my B/U deck over like nothing. Only hitting my Din of the Fireherd game two (I think it was on turn 8) allowed my to get there and game three was very tight as well. I think with some direct damage to seal the deal, this could be a real contender.
Mono colored decks don't just draft themselves.
But Mark Rosewater keeps telling me to draft them. It may be possible to go mono, but thus far it appears that conventional two or three color decks are proving more successful- and ubiquitous. Drafting mono may require a surfeit of underdafted cards in a single color, or perhaps just a totally new perspective on drafting. Or maybe I should just try it some time.
Counter manipulation is very good against non-aggro decks.
Leech Bonder is sick against any deck that doesn't try to kill by turn eight. Actually, it's still not terrible against aggro decks either. On the first swing it will trade with a 3/3, assuming you have the one blue mana to untap it. Paired with Persist creatures (on either side of the board), the Leech becomes downright unfair. And that's only one card. There are a few -1/-1 counters flying around Shadowmoor, I hear. When in doubt, draft the Fate Transfer.
Any disagreement is welcome in the comments, in addition to other principles you have found to be true. I want people going into the release weekend with a solid base to work from.
T
ps- Shameless plug: NEW MIX! You can Download here.
This is one of several spontaneous, one-take mixes I did to prep for an upcoming show- The Marquette University COEP Diversity Gala. Because the focus is diversity I used some housey tracks with a diverse feel. I tried to mix in some "authentic" world music artists (Issa Bagayogo, Anslem Douglas, Despina Vandi, etc.) with more mainstream names as well (M.I.A., Groove Armada, Boozoo Bajou). I tried for a more "live" feel, no editing, more effects processing on the fly.
Green is good.
G/(R or W) seem to be the de facto strongest color combinations, given the aggressive curve and incredibly efficient creature drops at uncommon and to a more limited extent, common. Having enchantments at uncommon that nerf -1/-1 counters and fliers doesn't hurt. And hey, if you think there is a better color out there, let us know why in the comments.
White removal is probably better than any other color.
It is certainly better removal than white usually gets. I have discussed it before, but I will do so again; Last Breath, Inquisitor's Snare, Prison Term, Curse of Chains, Mercy Killing, and Æthertow. These are all at uncommon or common. Pairing white with blue gives control decks a chance to beat aggro.
The mill deck appears to be unviable. Or at least more difficult to build than expected.
Our Pseudonymous Drama Student attempted to draft this last Friday, at a ten man table. If ever there was a time to try out this sort of a deck, triple base-set draft with ten people early in the set's life would be the time. But it did not pan out. (I did see at least one game that the PSD took by milling, but as CBG reported, I think the total record was something like 0-4 in matches, 2-8 in games.)
R/B aggro can work. But it appears to have less staying power than Green aggro decks.
The Captain drafted one hell of an aggro deck last week, with multiple Ashenmoor Gougers and Sootstoke Kindlers. He curved out in game one and ran my B/U deck over like nothing. Only hitting my Din of the Fireherd game two (I think it was on turn 8) allowed my to get there and game three was very tight as well. I think with some direct damage to seal the deal, this could be a real contender.
Mono colored decks don't just draft themselves.
But Mark Rosewater keeps telling me to draft them. It may be possible to go mono, but thus far it appears that conventional two or three color decks are proving more successful- and ubiquitous. Drafting mono may require a surfeit of underdafted cards in a single color, or perhaps just a totally new perspective on drafting. Or maybe I should just try it some time.
Counter manipulation is very good against non-aggro decks.
Leech Bonder is sick against any deck that doesn't try to kill by turn eight. Actually, it's still not terrible against aggro decks either. On the first swing it will trade with a 3/3, assuming you have the one blue mana to untap it. Paired with Persist creatures (on either side of the board), the Leech becomes downright unfair. And that's only one card. There are a few -1/-1 counters flying around Shadowmoor, I hear. When in doubt, draft the Fate Transfer.
Any disagreement is welcome in the comments, in addition to other principles you have found to be true. I want people going into the release weekend with a solid base to work from.
T
ps- Shameless plug: NEW MIX! You can Download here.
This is one of several spontaneous, one-take mixes I did to prep for an upcoming show- The Marquette University COEP Diversity Gala. Because the focus is diversity I used some housey tracks with a diverse feel. I tried to mix in some "authentic" world music artists (Issa Bagayogo, Anslem Douglas, Despina Vandi, etc.) with more mainstream names as well (M.I.A., Groove Armada, Boozoo Bajou). I tried for a more "live" feel, no editing, more effects processing on the fly.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Nope
Dstorm
Round 1-lost 1-2 v. Faeries
Round 2-Bye (no, this does not count)
Round 3-lost 0-2 to quite possibly the shittiest UW control deck since last I played UW control.
Round 1-lost 1-2 v. Faeries
Round 2-Bye (no, this does not count)
Round 3-lost 0-2 to quite possibly the shittiest UW control deck since last I played UW control.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Shadowmoor draft
We had a 10-man Shadowmoor draft last night and I believe a good time was had by all (though feel free to speak up in comments if that wasn't the case). I ended up 4-0ing with an aggro-ish nearly mono green deck. Pack one started me down the green road, with a second pick Kitchen Finks and multiple Safehold Elites. I kept taking 2-4 drops through pretty much the whole pack. I think the only non-creature card I took out of this pack was a Giantbaiting, which does a pretty good impression of a creature. Pack two presented the choice between Oona, Queen of the Fae and Boggart Ram-Gang. I ended up resisting a strong urge to hate the Oona and was rewarded a pick or two later with my second Finks. The only cards I ended up needed red for were the activation on Tattermunge Witch and Flame Javelin. The witch was a superhero for me.
Overall, my deck had the ability to produce a ton of damage very quickly and that seemed to be the case across several of the decks. I played separately from the rest of the crew for the whole night and at least one match was done in less than 15 minutes every time. There were certainly matches that went to time, but I really feel like aggro has a leg up in the format. That would be even more the case if not for Consign to Dream. There were five in our pool and man is that card ever a beating.
Let's see...don't draft mill. Or maybe I should say, if there's is a mill deck, Pseudonymous Drama Student didn't draft it. CMC 3 is the new 4. There are a ton of great creatures at 3. There are definitely controlling decks out there of wall-ish guys with untap effects. Time will probably show us how to draft them to beat aggro. If I am drafting control in the format, I am definitely on the bounce wagon, because Shield of the Oversoul is almost format defining. There are a ton* of solid GW drops at every point in the curve and indestructible fatties with flying tend to get there. I was always finding my Lorwyn drafts getting bogged down at 4 but had no such issues with Shadowmoor.
First was G/r, second was G/W, third was U/B, fourth was U/W, fifth was U/B/r, sixth was major_luck with I am not sure but U-something, seventh was G/W, eighth was R/B, ninth was U/B/R, I think, and tenth was the mill deck, which was base blue I believe.
*1-Elvish Hexhunter, Seedcradle Witch
2-Safehold Elite, Medicine Runner
3-Kitchen Finks, Wilt-Leaf Cavaliers
Theses are just the commons and uncommons.
Overall, my deck had the ability to produce a ton of damage very quickly and that seemed to be the case across several of the decks. I played separately from the rest of the crew for the whole night and at least one match was done in less than 15 minutes every time. There were certainly matches that went to time, but I really feel like aggro has a leg up in the format. That would be even more the case if not for Consign to Dream. There were five in our pool and man is that card ever a beating.
Let's see...don't draft mill. Or maybe I should say, if there's is a mill deck, Pseudonymous Drama Student didn't draft it. CMC 3 is the new 4. There are a ton of great creatures at 3. There are definitely controlling decks out there of wall-ish guys with untap effects. Time will probably show us how to draft them to beat aggro. If I am drafting control in the format, I am definitely on the bounce wagon, because Shield of the Oversoul is almost format defining. There are a ton* of solid GW drops at every point in the curve and indestructible fatties with flying tend to get there. I was always finding my Lorwyn drafts getting bogged down at 4 but had no such issues with Shadowmoor.
First was G/r, second was G/W, third was U/B, fourth was U/W, fifth was U/B/r, sixth was major_luck with I am not sure but U-something, seventh was G/W, eighth was R/B, ninth was U/B/R, I think, and tenth was the mill deck, which was base blue I believe.
*1-Elvish Hexhunter, Seedcradle Witch
2-Safehold Elite, Medicine Runner
3-Kitchen Finks, Wilt-Leaf Cavaliers
Theses are just the commons and uncommons.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Last month of Morningtide Sealed, Part 4
Despite having gone to the Shadowmoor prerelease last Saturday, I was still looking forward to Tuesday night Old Fart Magic. I think that I may have started to turn the tide in the war against mana screw. I only mulliganed once in 6 games this past week.
As far as my two matches, all but one of the games was really good. My three game set against the Captain was by far one of the better limited matches I’ve played in a while. Winning the clash on Gilt-Leaf Ambush to get rid of his Taurean Mauler and his other guy was key to turning around a game in which I had few outs (Some times you just get lucky).
My second match really came down to Ed (Tesch) not getting Taurean Mauler with his Elvish Harbinger on turn 3 of the first game and instead getting Wren Run Packmaster (he forgot that Elvish Harbinger can make red mana as he had no other red sources in play). He did manage to crush me in the second game (this would be the one that wasn’t even close). The third game was really tight until I got down Wolf-Skull Shaman, Bramblewood Paragon, & Lys Alana Huntmaster (getting free 2/2 wolves every time you kinship an elf and then getting a free 2/2 trampler every time you play an elf spell is ridiculous).
As far as the final week, here is the pack of Lorwyn:
Oblivion Ring
Quill-Slinger Boggart
Bog-Strider Ash
Aethersnipe
Tarfire
Gilt-Leaf Seer
Protective Bubble
Ingot Chewer
Amoeboid Changeling
Spring Cleaning
Veterans of the Depths
Makeshift Mannequin*
Jagged-Scar Archers*
Fathom Trawl
Island (foil)
Cards of note:
Jagged-Scar Archers warrants serious consideration in my mostly mono green elf deck.
Makeshift Mannequin seems like an interesting combat trick or way to recur Shriekmaw at instant speed.
Moving along to tonight, current plans are to draft Shadowmoor tonight @ CBGs. I am sure that CBG will do the post mortem tomorrow, but I would just like to send out a special thanks to Scoop Phase for hooking me up with two more draft sets of Shadowmoor.
As far as my two matches, all but one of the games was really good. My three game set against the Captain was by far one of the better limited matches I’ve played in a while. Winning the clash on Gilt-Leaf Ambush to get rid of his Taurean Mauler and his other guy was key to turning around a game in which I had few outs (Some times you just get lucky).
My second match really came down to Ed (Tesch) not getting Taurean Mauler with his Elvish Harbinger on turn 3 of the first game and instead getting Wren Run Packmaster (he forgot that Elvish Harbinger can make red mana as he had no other red sources in play). He did manage to crush me in the second game (this would be the one that wasn’t even close). The third game was really tight until I got down Wolf-Skull Shaman, Bramblewood Paragon, & Lys Alana Huntmaster (getting free 2/2 wolves every time you kinship an elf and then getting a free 2/2 trampler every time you play an elf spell is ridiculous).
As far as the final week, here is the pack of Lorwyn:
Oblivion Ring
Quill-Slinger Boggart
Bog-Strider Ash
Aethersnipe
Tarfire
Gilt-Leaf Seer
Protective Bubble
Ingot Chewer
Amoeboid Changeling
Spring Cleaning
Veterans of the Depths
Makeshift Mannequin*
Jagged-Scar Archers*
Fathom Trawl
Island (foil)
Cards of note:
Jagged-Scar Archers warrants serious consideration in my mostly mono green elf deck.
Makeshift Mannequin seems like an interesting combat trick or way to recur Shriekmaw at instant speed.
Moving along to tonight, current plans are to draft Shadowmoor tonight @ CBGs. I am sure that CBG will do the post mortem tomorrow, but I would just like to send out a special thanks to Scoop Phase for hooking me up with two more draft sets of Shadowmoor.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Limited v. Constructed 2.0-A Cry for Help
So how's that "Get the ole Constructed rating up" initiative going, CBG? Well I am glad you asked. Since making that resolution, I have participated in one event and gone 0-3. This dropped my rating another 7 points, to a new low of 1511. I really am starting to get a little embarrassed by this. After 3-1'ing my flight at the prerelease, my Limited rating is back up to 1654, only 4 points shy of the 1658 I reached after ambushing Gaudenis Vidugiris for 29 points at the PTQ-KL last year*. I still feel a little bad about that, especially since he won out to make top 8 and I, uh, 4-4'ed. A 143-point spread. Ouch.
So like I said, I am getting a little embarassed, and I am asking for help. What should I play at FNM or SNM to get that Constructed rating back up? Will somebody please test with me? It occurs to me that I play Constructed games like Limited games and that is hurting me. What do I need to do to get better at Constructed? Help me Obi-Wan, you're my only hope!
*Incidentally, Gaudenis was a really nice guy and got horribly mana screwed game 1, and lost to a ridiculous 4 removal spell draw game 2. No disrespect intended or implied.
So like I said, I am getting a little embarassed, and I am asking for help. What should I play at FNM or SNM to get that Constructed rating back up? Will somebody please test with me? It occurs to me that I play Constructed games like Limited games and that is hurting me. What do I need to do to get better at Constructed? Help me Obi-Wan, you're my only hope!
*Incidentally, Gaudenis was a really nice guy and got horribly mana screwed game 1, and lost to a ridiculous 4 removal spell draw game 2. No disrespect intended or implied.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Coincidence?
When Steve Sadin posts a prerelease report the same day as mine, I know there's no chance of mine being seen in a favorable light. I promise I didn't copy his article, but that's not the point. Listen to this-
"Last week I made plans to meet up with my friends Asher Hecht and Gabe Carleton-Barnes (who from hereon will be referred to as GCB) to get breakfast on our way to the Prerelease."
GCB- CBG? Coincidence? Or does Captain Bondage Goth have an undercover fan?
T
"Last week I made plans to meet up with my friends Asher Hecht and Gabe Carleton-Barnes (who from hereon will be referred to as GCB) to get breakfast on our way to the Prerelease."
GCB- CBG? Coincidence? Or does Captain Bondage Goth have an undercover fan?
T
Shadowmoor Prerelease: Sealed Lessons
I am posting my sealed build, partly because I did well with it, but also because I can revisit it for laughs in a few months- when we know what is going on in the format. I regret not being able to play more blue/white, but I decide to go green/black for a few reasons. We had talked about how pairing enemy colors freed up more of the hybrid cards for inclusion. If I go G/B I only lose the W/U hybrid stuff, whereas if I go (for example) W/U I lose the hybrid G/R and the B/R stuff. I got to play most of my bombs this way as well. Maybe I should have gone W/B but then I lose dudes and gain removal. I tend to prefer running more dudes in sealed if possible, since sometimes you just win that way. The singleton mountain can be fetched by Farhaven Elf in case the Valleymaker is out.
Sealed Build:
8 Swamps
7 Forests
1 Mountain
1 Sapseep Forest
1 Medicine Runner A fine two drop, especially with persist guys.
1 Oracle of Nectars Bomb.
1 Rhys the Redeemed
2 Raven's Run Dragoon
1 Wilt-Leaf Cavaliers
1 Farhaven Elf
1 Juvenile Gloomwidow
1 Valleymaker He’s big.
1 Ashenmoor Gouger Turn three he is awesome.
1 Cultbrand Cinder Very solid.
1 Murderous Redcap Bomb.
1 Faerie Macabre Never regretted drawing her.
1 Inkfathom Infiltrator Solid.
1 Oona, Queen of the Fae Bomb.
1 Thornwatch Scarecrow
1 Barkshell Blessing
1 Shield of the Oversoul Your Mileage May Vary.
1 Giantbaiting Better than it looks.
2 Scar Gets persist guys to go away.
1 Incremental Blight Bomb.
1 Scarscale Ritual Quite good, especially against players with white removal that doesn’t kill your guys.
Sideboard:
Ballynock Cohort
Barrenton Medic
Goldenglow Moth
Inquisitor's Snare
Kithkin Rabble
Mistmeadow Skulk
Strip Bare
Curse of Chains
Mistmeadow Witch
Repel Intruders
Silkbind Faerie
Thistledown Duo
Consign to Dream
Deepchannel Mentor
Drowner Initiate
2 Kinscaer Harpoonist
2 Sinking Feeling
2 Whimwader
Fate Transfer
Helm of the Ghastlord
Oona's Gatewarden
Cinderhaze Wretch
Hollowsage
Smolder Initiate
Wound Reflection
Emberstrike Duo
Sootstoke Kindler
Bloodmark Mentor
Boggart Arsonists
Crimson Wisps
Intimidator Initiate
2 Mudbrawler Cohort
Power of Fire
Rustrazor Butcher
Smash to Smithereens
2 Runes of the Deus
2 Gloomwidow's Feast
Presence of Gond
2 Toil to Renown
Safewright Quest
Seedcradle Witch
Chainbreaker
Heap Doll
Madblind Mountain
Round One: White removal is really good.
I am mana flooded, but come out of the gates swinging Wilt-Leaf Cavaliers. Which is met with Curse of Chains. Then I drop Cultbrand Cinder. The first swing in- Inquisitor's Snare. Then I drop my Thornwatch Scarecrow. Nope. Gleeful Sabotage. I lose. Game two he plays his Wilt-Leaf Liege. Then he plays his foil Wilt-Leaf Liege. I could not resist doing the droll Captain Bondage Goth-esque “Nice. Open.” comment. He went on to go 3-1, losing only to our own Scoop_Phase (who 4-0ed the pod). Vengeance!
Lesson 1: Curse of Chains, Inquisitor's Snare, Last Breath, Prison Term. White may have the best removal at common and uncommon of all the colors in Shadowmoor. How often has that ever been said? Also, there will be that one time that you Curse of Chains your own dude that has an untap ability.
Lesson 2: You can run disenchants in the main. There are awesome enchantments, and lots of scarecrows. No fear. Do it.
Lesson 3: Finally, double Liege creatures are the bomb. Good luck opening them.
Round Two: Murderous Redcap is Amazing.
I play against a gentleman who is obviously pissed to be 0-1. He looks at me oddly when I shuffle his deck after he presents it. Game one I curve out with turn three Ashenmoor Gouger. I proceed to trade three of his guys for my Murderous Redcap. Win. Between games I go to shuffle his deck and he stops me, saying that I’m not allowed to do so, “Because it wears on the cards [he did not use sleeves] and is rude.” Dude is obviously pissed and I have no desire to be a jerk. I try to think of a way to tell him that actually, at higher level tournaments players are REQUIRED to shuffle their opponents decks, but instead of saying something that might diffuse the tension, I opt for “You don’t play at a lot of tournaments, do you?” I decided I did not need to bother trying to enlighten this opponent to the DCI floor rules, so just said “You know, never mind,” and cut his deck. I curve out again and win on 20 life. Afterward I apologize about the whole shuffling thing, telling him I didn’t mean anything by trying to shuffle his deck. He picks up his things, stands up, and walks away without responding.
Lesson 1: Murderous Redcap! Draft him. If you are green/white draft him. If you are blue/white draft him. If you are green friggin' blue draft him. No you can’t splash him. But if you are getting shipped Murderous Redcap at any point, more black and red will be coming your direction. I literally 4 for 1ed an opponent in my second draft of the day with him. It is entirely possible that he the best uncommon for limited in a set with tons of amazing uncommons.
Lesson 2: Sorry you’re losing man. I am all for good stewardship to less experienced players, but some guys are bound and determined to be pissed off, and not willing to learn anything either. I really do feel sorry for them, because I’ve been there. But the phrase “cutting off your nose to spite your face” comes to mind.
Round Three: Aggro Wins (also, don’t play with 47 card sealed decks).
Yeah, nobody reading this blog is going to learn anything by me recounting how hitting your land drops and curving out wins against opponents who can’t buildi a 40 card deck. Also Rhys the Redeemed is a reasonable rare. It really needs to be dealt with in about three or four turns, or sick things occur. I will say that my opponent was a genuinely pleasant human being who was enjoying himself regardless of wins or losses. We did some trading later. I think he had different reasons for being at the prerelease than I did. Nothing wrong with this.
Lesson 1: There is no lesson. Actually there is a red/black aggro deck (Giantbaiting FTW!) out there waiting to be built in draft, but that’s a story for another night.
Round Four: Down to the wire
Game one I am very flooded and he cannot take advantage of it. I feel like I am ready to win because my Faerie Macabre is plunking away, but then he gets a blocker. He could have won this game by choosing to attack about two turns earlier, but is uncertain and doesn’t press his advantage. When he finally has overwhelming board presence he comes in. Next turn I rip Oracle of Nectars and now I am gaining more life than he can attack for. He Memory Sluices with the conspire, milling 8 away. I have 7 cards left in my library. With almost no offense left on the board, I have to be seriously worried about decking. Then I rip… Oona, Queen of the Fae! The turn I cast her I still can mill him for four (yes, I had 11 mana. It was very late-game, I know), then I untap, mill for ten, GG. Game two is a race. I see a Prison Term I didn’t in game one, and it is the key for him. Also key were the two Gloomlances on two of my green guys. Rough Beats. I get him to 7 life, that’s it. Now we have five minutes for game 3. I know I can tempo him out with the right draw. I see what I want and I keep. He is a little slow on the play speed, but I only warn him once and he is moving just as fast as I am. I begin my attack with a few dudes on the board, swinging in for four a turn. He plinks me to 18 and then time is called. He leaves his only guy back as a blocker. He is at 12, me, 18. A judge is there immediately. I get turn one of extra turns. I have a decision to make. I can either play another guy and swing for 3 with my Raven's Run Dragoon (leaving my Medicine Runner back against his 2/3 blocker) and cast another dude or I can cast Incremental Blight targeting his 2/3, my Prison Termed Oracle of Nectars, and the Raven's Run Dragoon. Then I swing in to his empty board for 4. I only have 3 turns, and in three turns (if he has no other blockers) my four power of guys will get there. But if he drops another guy (with power less than three) next turn I can two for one him on the Incremental Blight. I decide that the chances of him laying another blocker with under two power are probably better than the chances of him laying no creatures at all, and so I swing for three, drop the extra dude (can’t remember what it was, but I think it was Faerie Macabre) and pass turn. Turn two of extra turns, he lays a one-butt. He has to play for the draw, even though at 2 wins 1 loss it gets him nothing, because he can’t race me when I’m at 18 and he’s at 9. So he passes turn with two blockers. I play the Incremental Blight, wipe his board, swing in for 7 (taking him to 2), he has no tricks to stop me. Turn four he lays a blocker but turn five my guys pile in and get there on the final turn! Hell of a match. He is a great sport and extends the hand, “Good game!”s all around, all that sort of thing.
Lesson 1: There is a mill deck floating around there somewhere. Scoops got milled for 12 cards in one turn. In sealed! Drowner Initiate turn 1, Drowner Initiate turn 2, turn 5 Memory Sluice with conspire, paying all four Drowner Initiate triggers. Opening Oona, Queen of the Fae would help, too.
Lesson 2: Play your bombs. But you already knew that. Oracle of Nectars. Oona, Queen of the Fae. This is sealed. Make the mana work.
Lesson 3: Incremental Blight is really good. Don’t expect to see these going too late around the draft table. Double black is a commitment, but it is really worth it.
I went 3-1 and got 3 packs. There are so many other cards I want to discuss, but I am out of time and energy tonight. Next week I want to discuss drafting Shadowmoor, and I will hopefully have a few more drafts under my belt to help.
T
Sealed Build:
8 Swamps
7 Forests
1 Mountain
1 Sapseep Forest
1 Medicine Runner A fine two drop, especially with persist guys.
1 Oracle of Nectars Bomb.
1 Rhys the Redeemed
2 Raven's Run Dragoon
1 Wilt-Leaf Cavaliers
1 Farhaven Elf
1 Juvenile Gloomwidow
1 Valleymaker He’s big.
1 Ashenmoor Gouger Turn three he is awesome.
1 Cultbrand Cinder Very solid.
1 Murderous Redcap Bomb.
1 Faerie Macabre Never regretted drawing her.
1 Inkfathom Infiltrator Solid.
1 Oona, Queen of the Fae Bomb.
1 Thornwatch Scarecrow
1 Barkshell Blessing
1 Shield of the Oversoul Your Mileage May Vary.
1 Giantbaiting Better than it looks.
2 Scar Gets persist guys to go away.
1 Incremental Blight Bomb.
1 Scarscale Ritual Quite good, especially against players with white removal that doesn’t kill your guys.
Sideboard:
Ballynock Cohort
Barrenton Medic
Goldenglow Moth
Inquisitor's Snare
Kithkin Rabble
Mistmeadow Skulk
Strip Bare
Curse of Chains
Mistmeadow Witch
Repel Intruders
Silkbind Faerie
Thistledown Duo
Consign to Dream
Deepchannel Mentor
Drowner Initiate
2 Kinscaer Harpoonist
2 Sinking Feeling
2 Whimwader
Fate Transfer
Helm of the Ghastlord
Oona's Gatewarden
Cinderhaze Wretch
Hollowsage
Smolder Initiate
Wound Reflection
Emberstrike Duo
Sootstoke Kindler
Bloodmark Mentor
Boggart Arsonists
Crimson Wisps
Intimidator Initiate
2 Mudbrawler Cohort
Power of Fire
Rustrazor Butcher
Smash to Smithereens
2 Runes of the Deus
2 Gloomwidow's Feast
Presence of Gond
2 Toil to Renown
Safewright Quest
Seedcradle Witch
Chainbreaker
Heap Doll
Madblind Mountain
Round One: White removal is really good.
I am mana flooded, but come out of the gates swinging Wilt-Leaf Cavaliers. Which is met with Curse of Chains. Then I drop Cultbrand Cinder. The first swing in- Inquisitor's Snare. Then I drop my Thornwatch Scarecrow. Nope. Gleeful Sabotage. I lose. Game two he plays his Wilt-Leaf Liege. Then he plays his foil Wilt-Leaf Liege. I could not resist doing the droll Captain Bondage Goth-esque “Nice. Open.” comment. He went on to go 3-1, losing only to our own Scoop_Phase (who 4-0ed the pod). Vengeance!
Lesson 1: Curse of Chains, Inquisitor's Snare, Last Breath, Prison Term. White may have the best removal at common and uncommon of all the colors in Shadowmoor. How often has that ever been said? Also, there will be that one time that you Curse of Chains your own dude that has an untap ability.
Lesson 2: You can run disenchants in the main. There are awesome enchantments, and lots of scarecrows. No fear. Do it.
Lesson 3: Finally, double Liege creatures are the bomb. Good luck opening them.
Round Two: Murderous Redcap is Amazing.
I play against a gentleman who is obviously pissed to be 0-1. He looks at me oddly when I shuffle his deck after he presents it. Game one I curve out with turn three Ashenmoor Gouger. I proceed to trade three of his guys for my Murderous Redcap. Win. Between games I go to shuffle his deck and he stops me, saying that I’m not allowed to do so, “Because it wears on the cards [he did not use sleeves] and is rude.” Dude is obviously pissed and I have no desire to be a jerk. I try to think of a way to tell him that actually, at higher level tournaments players are REQUIRED to shuffle their opponents decks, but instead of saying something that might diffuse the tension, I opt for “You don’t play at a lot of tournaments, do you?” I decided I did not need to bother trying to enlighten this opponent to the DCI floor rules, so just said “You know, never mind,” and cut his deck. I curve out again and win on 20 life. Afterward I apologize about the whole shuffling thing, telling him I didn’t mean anything by trying to shuffle his deck. He picks up his things, stands up, and walks away without responding.
Lesson 1: Murderous Redcap! Draft him. If you are green/white draft him. If you are blue/white draft him. If you are green friggin' blue draft him. No you can’t splash him. But if you are getting shipped Murderous Redcap at any point, more black and red will be coming your direction. I literally 4 for 1ed an opponent in my second draft of the day with him. It is entirely possible that he the best uncommon for limited in a set with tons of amazing uncommons.
Lesson 2: Sorry you’re losing man. I am all for good stewardship to less experienced players, but some guys are bound and determined to be pissed off, and not willing to learn anything either. I really do feel sorry for them, because I’ve been there. But the phrase “cutting off your nose to spite your face” comes to mind.
Round Three: Aggro Wins (also, don’t play with 47 card sealed decks).
Yeah, nobody reading this blog is going to learn anything by me recounting how hitting your land drops and curving out wins against opponents who can’t buildi a 40 card deck. Also Rhys the Redeemed is a reasonable rare. It really needs to be dealt with in about three or four turns, or sick things occur. I will say that my opponent was a genuinely pleasant human being who was enjoying himself regardless of wins or losses. We did some trading later. I think he had different reasons for being at the prerelease than I did. Nothing wrong with this.
Lesson 1: There is no lesson. Actually there is a red/black aggro deck (Giantbaiting FTW!) out there waiting to be built in draft, but that’s a story for another night.
Round Four: Down to the wire
Game one I am very flooded and he cannot take advantage of it. I feel like I am ready to win because my Faerie Macabre is plunking away, but then he gets a blocker. He could have won this game by choosing to attack about two turns earlier, but is uncertain and doesn’t press his advantage. When he finally has overwhelming board presence he comes in. Next turn I rip Oracle of Nectars and now I am gaining more life than he can attack for. He Memory Sluices with the conspire, milling 8 away. I have 7 cards left in my library. With almost no offense left on the board, I have to be seriously worried about decking. Then I rip… Oona, Queen of the Fae! The turn I cast her I still can mill him for four (yes, I had 11 mana. It was very late-game, I know), then I untap, mill for ten, GG. Game two is a race. I see a Prison Term I didn’t in game one, and it is the key for him. Also key were the two Gloomlances on two of my green guys. Rough Beats. I get him to 7 life, that’s it. Now we have five minutes for game 3. I know I can tempo him out with the right draw. I see what I want and I keep. He is a little slow on the play speed, but I only warn him once and he is moving just as fast as I am. I begin my attack with a few dudes on the board, swinging in for four a turn. He plinks me to 18 and then time is called. He leaves his only guy back as a blocker. He is at 12, me, 18. A judge is there immediately. I get turn one of extra turns. I have a decision to make. I can either play another guy and swing for 3 with my Raven's Run Dragoon (leaving my Medicine Runner back against his 2/3 blocker) and cast another dude or I can cast Incremental Blight targeting his 2/3, my Prison Termed Oracle of Nectars, and the Raven's Run Dragoon. Then I swing in to his empty board for 4. I only have 3 turns, and in three turns (if he has no other blockers) my four power of guys will get there. But if he drops another guy (with power less than three) next turn I can two for one him on the Incremental Blight. I decide that the chances of him laying another blocker with under two power are probably better than the chances of him laying no creatures at all, and so I swing for three, drop the extra dude (can’t remember what it was, but I think it was Faerie Macabre) and pass turn. Turn two of extra turns, he lays a one-butt. He has to play for the draw, even though at 2 wins 1 loss it gets him nothing, because he can’t race me when I’m at 18 and he’s at 9. So he passes turn with two blockers. I play the Incremental Blight, wipe his board, swing in for 7 (taking him to 2), he has no tricks to stop me. Turn four he lays a blocker but turn five my guys pile in and get there on the final turn! Hell of a match. He is a great sport and extends the hand, “Good game!”s all around, all that sort of thing.
Lesson 1: There is a mill deck floating around there somewhere. Scoops got milled for 12 cards in one turn. In sealed! Drowner Initiate turn 1, Drowner Initiate turn 2, turn 5 Memory Sluice with conspire, paying all four Drowner Initiate triggers. Opening Oona, Queen of the Fae would help, too.
Lesson 2: Play your bombs. But you already knew that. Oracle of Nectars. Oona, Queen of the Fae. This is sealed. Make the mana work.
Lesson 3: Incremental Blight is really good. Don’t expect to see these going too late around the draft table. Double black is a commitment, but it is really worth it.
I went 3-1 and got 3 packs. There are so many other cards I want to discuss, but I am out of time and energy tonight. Next week I want to discuss drafting Shadowmoor, and I will hopefully have a few more drafts under my belt to help.
T
Monday, April 21, 2008
Here we go
I haven't read this yet but wanted to point it out to you. Link.
Update: We killed States for this? Frack me. OTOH, maybe I can organize play in my basement.
Update: We killed States for this? Frack me. OTOH, maybe I can organize play in my basement.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Winning Out
So the prerelease was awesome. This was actually the very first large set prerelease event that I have ever entered, barring the one time I got to do a 2HG with a very new player on Sunday. I managed to bum a ride with the Captain and Hot Sauce. We arrived at the venue at 8:45 am for the 9:00 start and there were already dozens of people lined up outside. We ran into Pseudonymous Drama Student, but he had preregistered and got into flight 1. By the time we made it to the front of the line, it was flight 3. We got our product immediately upon paying and started registering. This is awesome. Go go gadget prerelease. The prerelease foil, Demigod of Revenge reminds me of the Guildpact foil. That is to say, I can see why they ordered an alternate art version of this.
I am not going to list all the cards in my pool because I can't link, but I will say that I had some very strong RG, but not quite enough playables and decided to go with a U/W/b build instead. Here's the cards and the build I played...
G/W Hybrid - no green sources
Safehold Elite-1(G/W)-Persist. 2/2. A bear that comes back and chumps after he's been outclassed.
Raven's Run Dragoon-2(G/W)(G/W)-Can't be blocked by black. 3/3. Hill Giant with an upside. This is sealed.
White - Primary color due to this...
Armored Ascension-3W-Aura-Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 for each Plains you control and has flying. Blanchwood armor just wins games without evasion. 'nuff said.
Niveous Wisps-W-Instant-Target creature becomes white until EOT. Cantrip. I played it as a one mana cantrip. ymmv.
Safehold Sentry-1W-2W,Q:Safehold Sentry gets +0/+2 until EOT. 2/2. I had to have the captain remind me to play my bears. Never actually used the ability, but the threat of it held off attacks a couple times. Would play again.
Rune-Cervin Rider-3W-Flying. (G/W)(G/W):Rune-Cervin Rider gets +1/+1 until EOT. A shade with evasion. Very solid though I didn't draw him much.
Prison Term-1WW-Aura-Enchanted creature can't attack or block and it's activated abilities can't be played. When a creature comes into play under your opponent's control, you may attach Prison Term to that creature. I only played this once and managed to stick it on a Giantbaiting token (rtfc, gets sacced EOT). I was really curious how good it would be and didn't get a chance to really explore it because I failed to draw it much.
Inquisitor's Snare-1W-Instant-Prevent all damage target attacking or blocking creature would deal this turn. If that creature is black or red, destroy it. All kinds of good.
Steel of the Godhead-2(U/W)-Aura-As long as enchanted creature is white, it gets +1/+1 and has lifelink. As long as enchanted creature is blue it gets +1/+1 and is unblockable. Nobody played any of these hybrid auras against me. They are pretty much nuts if you can maximize them. The GW is insane, and the BR is br-don-ken. UW is okay. Didn't run into the RG or UB, but how bad could they be if they can give +2/+2?
Glamer Spinners-4(U/W)-Flash. Flying. When Glamer spinners cip, attach all Auras enchanting target permanent to another permanent with the same controller. 2/4. Okay, this guys is being played because he is a flash 2/4 flier. the ability is occasionally relevant.
Godhead of Awe-(U/W)(U/W)(U/W)(U/W)(U/W)-Flying. Other creatures are 1/1. 4/4. Yeah, she just wins games. Often a one-sided Wrath of God. Kills anything with a -1/-1 counter on it. I failed to lose a game in which I cast her.
Barrenton Cragtreads-2(U/W)(U/W)-Can't be blocked by red creatures. 3/3. Hill Giant #2.
Consign to Dream-2U-Instant-Return target permanent to it's owner's hand. If that permanent is red or green, put it on top of it's owner's library instead. The more I play limited, the more I love bounce.
Merrow Wavebreakers-4U-1U,Q:Merrow Wavebreakers gains flying until EOT. 3/3. A flying vigilant 3/3. This is costed correctly, which means there are times you are not going to want to run him. Decidedly mediocre for me all day.
Faerie Swarm-3U-Flying. Faerie Swarm's power and toughness are each equal to the number of blue permanents you control. Usually and evasive 2/2. Sometimes better.
River's Grasp-3(U/B)-Sorcery-If U was spent to play River's Grasp, return up to one target creature to it's owner's hand. If B was spent to play River's Grasp, target player reveals his or her hand, you choose a nonland card from it, then that player discards that card. Bounce, removal, coercion...what's not to like?
Inkfathom Witch-1(U/B)-Fear. 2UB:Each unblocked creature becomes 4/1 until EOT. 1/1. Yeah, this one is awesome. I was moderately surprised, but there's a lot of evasion in the set.
2 Gloomlance-3BB-Destroy target creature. Destroy target creature. If that creature was green or white, its controller discards a card. Unconditional removal, which I needed. Sometimes boarded one our for a Torpor Dust if my opponent's curve was low.
Watchwing Scarecrow-4-Watchwing Scarecrow has vigilance as long as you control a white creature. Watchwing Scarecrow has flying as long as you control a blue creature. 2/4. Scarecrows are the changelings of Shadowmoor. Very awesome in draft. I would expect them to settle in just below removal and bombs, though some are better than others. There is one which changes colors of things and fixes your mana and it's a 2/2 for 3. It is very, very awesome. Totally wrecked us in 2HG.
Lurebound Scarecrow-3-As Lurebound Scarecrow CIP, choose a color. When you control no permanents of the chosen color, sacrifice Lurebound Scarecrow. 4/4. A little marginal in sealed, but I think this is rather bomby in draft when you should be pretty close to monocolor.
Wingrattle Scarecrow-3-Wingrattle Scarecrow has flying as long as you control a blue creature. Wingrattle Scarecrow has persist as long as you control a black creature. 2/2.
Pili-Pala-2-Flying. 2,Q:Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. 1/1. Crappy color fixing is still color fixing. They seem to have really nerfed color-fixing in the format (at least among the cards I saw). I think you so need to really focus on using hybrid to the max. Pick two or three colors. If you have 3, avoid double costs on the border colors.
I also had a Mystic Gate which is the UW rare dual.
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Round 1-vs. UW control. I won game one on the back of a timely Godhead of Awe. He had a scarecrow that is a 6/6 for 5. It puts a -1/-1 counter on it at end of combat if it attacked or blocked. In other words, once Godhead was down, he couldn't do anything with his threat. Games 2 and 3 were very similar to one another, as he got down double 6/6 scarecrow both games. There wasn't a ton I could do about it and died. Only drew one Gloomlance and never saw the Prison Term. Not sure if that would have helped. It wasn't particularly close.
So my back was up against the wall right away, which I guess helped focus my efforts. The next round I was up against a guy who didn't do a whole ton but still managed to beat me game 1. Then, I killed him. Godhead of Awe totally got stranded in my hand with 4 UW sources and a swamp for like 3 turns. That mana cost looks easy, but one splash can kill it.
Round 3 was interesting in that I again lost game 1. I don't think my deck was nearly as powerful as some of the builds, but I think I had a pretty good grasp of operations management and that managed to get me there. I took game 2 on the back of Pili-Pala and Safehold Sentry. I had Godhead in hand and the mana to cast it, but his side of the board was empty and I didn't feel like playing into removal. He didn't cast anything for four turns and I took our slogan to heart. Sometimes all you need is a 1/1. Or a 1/1 and a 2/2. Anyways.
Round 4, I got paired up against a guy who must have had some amazing stuff that he didn't draw because I crushed him with Godhead in game 1, and a pantsed-up Glamer Spinners in game 2. Lifelinked, unblockable dudes with +1/+1 for each Plains are some good.
So, 3-1 and 6 packs. Hot. I think I agree with TS that the format is going to be pretty fast in general. I chose to play all day and never regretted it. Draft is going to be ridiculously fast, I think. There were people who were casting 4/4s on turn 3 and then pants-ing up for ridiculous evasive 6/6s all over the place. Thank goodness I lost my first round. Also, the dude who beat me round 1, totally went 3-0 and got paired up with the Captain in round 4. The Captain crushed him. Thank goodness for carmates. REVENGE!
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So then Pseudonymous Drama Student and I decided to pair up for the 2HG since Hot Sauce and The Captain were intending to do the same. We opened like fiends in GW, with Wilt-leaf Liege, the double stream of life, TWO Oracle of Nectars (2(G/W)-X,T:Gain X life.) Shield of the Oversoul (makes Oracle indestructible) and various and sundry, including 3 duals (one foil). The other deck was monored. Nice. Open. We thought our 3-0 chances were pretty good. We got our round 1 opponent down to 1. They bounced one dude to the top of the deck so we had to redraw it. Any guesses as to whether or not the top card was a burn spell when they killed us? We won rounds 2 and 3 handily. w00t for 3 more packs.
I hit up captain essex for 3 more packs so I have 4 sets total. All in all, a good take on the day. My tip: Lose in the first round and then win out from there.
I am not going to list all the cards in my pool because I can't link, but I will say that I had some very strong RG, but not quite enough playables and decided to go with a U/W/b build instead. Here's the cards and the build I played...
G/W Hybrid - no green sources
Safehold Elite-1(G/W)-Persist. 2/2. A bear that comes back and chumps after he's been outclassed.
Raven's Run Dragoon-2(G/W)(G/W)-Can't be blocked by black. 3/3. Hill Giant with an upside. This is sealed.
White - Primary color due to this...
Armored Ascension-3W-Aura-Enchanted creature gets +1/+1 for each Plains you control and has flying. Blanchwood armor just wins games without evasion. 'nuff said.
Niveous Wisps-W-Instant-Target creature becomes white until EOT. Cantrip. I played it as a one mana cantrip. ymmv.
Safehold Sentry-1W-2W,Q:Safehold Sentry gets +0/+2 until EOT. 2/2. I had to have the captain remind me to play my bears. Never actually used the ability, but the threat of it held off attacks a couple times. Would play again.
Rune-Cervin Rider-3W-Flying. (G/W)(G/W):Rune-Cervin Rider gets +1/+1 until EOT. A shade with evasion. Very solid though I didn't draw him much.
Prison Term-1WW-Aura-Enchanted creature can't attack or block and it's activated abilities can't be played. When a creature comes into play under your opponent's control, you may attach Prison Term to that creature. I only played this once and managed to stick it on a Giantbaiting token (rtfc, gets sacced EOT). I was really curious how good it would be and didn't get a chance to really explore it because I failed to draw it much.
Inquisitor's Snare-1W-Instant-Prevent all damage target attacking or blocking creature would deal this turn. If that creature is black or red, destroy it. All kinds of good.
Steel of the Godhead-2(U/W)-Aura-As long as enchanted creature is white, it gets +1/+1 and has lifelink. As long as enchanted creature is blue it gets +1/+1 and is unblockable. Nobody played any of these hybrid auras against me. They are pretty much nuts if you can maximize them. The GW is insane, and the BR is br-don-ken. UW is okay. Didn't run into the RG or UB, but how bad could they be if they can give +2/+2?
Glamer Spinners-4(U/W)-Flash. Flying. When Glamer spinners cip, attach all Auras enchanting target permanent to another permanent with the same controller. 2/4. Okay, this guys is being played because he is a flash 2/4 flier. the ability is occasionally relevant.
Godhead of Awe-(U/W)(U/W)(U/W)(U/W)(U/W)-Flying. Other creatures are 1/1. 4/4. Yeah, she just wins games. Often a one-sided Wrath of God. Kills anything with a -1/-1 counter on it. I failed to lose a game in which I cast her.
Barrenton Cragtreads-2(U/W)(U/W)-Can't be blocked by red creatures. 3/3. Hill Giant #2.
Consign to Dream-2U-Instant-Return target permanent to it's owner's hand. If that permanent is red or green, put it on top of it's owner's library instead. The more I play limited, the more I love bounce.
Merrow Wavebreakers-4U-1U,Q:Merrow Wavebreakers gains flying until EOT. 3/3. A flying vigilant 3/3. This is costed correctly, which means there are times you are not going to want to run him. Decidedly mediocre for me all day.
Faerie Swarm-3U-Flying. Faerie Swarm's power and toughness are each equal to the number of blue permanents you control. Usually and evasive 2/2. Sometimes better.
River's Grasp-3(U/B)-Sorcery-If U was spent to play River's Grasp, return up to one target creature to it's owner's hand. If B was spent to play River's Grasp, target player reveals his or her hand, you choose a nonland card from it, then that player discards that card. Bounce, removal, coercion...what's not to like?
Inkfathom Witch-1(U/B)-Fear. 2UB:Each unblocked creature becomes 4/1 until EOT. 1/1. Yeah, this one is awesome. I was moderately surprised, but there's a lot of evasion in the set.
2 Gloomlance-3BB-Destroy target creature. Destroy target creature. If that creature was green or white, its controller discards a card. Unconditional removal, which I needed. Sometimes boarded one our for a Torpor Dust if my opponent's curve was low.
Watchwing Scarecrow-4-Watchwing Scarecrow has vigilance as long as you control a white creature. Watchwing Scarecrow has flying as long as you control a blue creature. 2/4. Scarecrows are the changelings of Shadowmoor. Very awesome in draft. I would expect them to settle in just below removal and bombs, though some are better than others. There is one which changes colors of things and fixes your mana and it's a 2/2 for 3. It is very, very awesome. Totally wrecked us in 2HG.
Lurebound Scarecrow-3-As Lurebound Scarecrow CIP, choose a color. When you control no permanents of the chosen color, sacrifice Lurebound Scarecrow. 4/4. A little marginal in sealed, but I think this is rather bomby in draft when you should be pretty close to monocolor.
Wingrattle Scarecrow-3-Wingrattle Scarecrow has flying as long as you control a blue creature. Wingrattle Scarecrow has persist as long as you control a black creature. 2/2.
Pili-Pala-2-Flying. 2,Q:Add one mana of any color to your mana pool. 1/1. Crappy color fixing is still color fixing. They seem to have really nerfed color-fixing in the format (at least among the cards I saw). I think you so need to really focus on using hybrid to the max. Pick two or three colors. If you have 3, avoid double costs on the border colors.
I also had a Mystic Gate which is the UW rare dual.
-------------
Round 1-vs. UW control. I won game one on the back of a timely Godhead of Awe. He had a scarecrow that is a 6/6 for 5. It puts a -1/-1 counter on it at end of combat if it attacked or blocked. In other words, once Godhead was down, he couldn't do anything with his threat. Games 2 and 3 were very similar to one another, as he got down double 6/6 scarecrow both games. There wasn't a ton I could do about it and died. Only drew one Gloomlance and never saw the Prison Term. Not sure if that would have helped. It wasn't particularly close.
So my back was up against the wall right away, which I guess helped focus my efforts. The next round I was up against a guy who didn't do a whole ton but still managed to beat me game 1. Then, I killed him. Godhead of Awe totally got stranded in my hand with 4 UW sources and a swamp for like 3 turns. That mana cost looks easy, but one splash can kill it.
Round 3 was interesting in that I again lost game 1. I don't think my deck was nearly as powerful as some of the builds, but I think I had a pretty good grasp of operations management and that managed to get me there. I took game 2 on the back of Pili-Pala and Safehold Sentry. I had Godhead in hand and the mana to cast it, but his side of the board was empty and I didn't feel like playing into removal. He didn't cast anything for four turns and I took our slogan to heart. Sometimes all you need is a 1/1. Or a 1/1 and a 2/2. Anyways.
Round 4, I got paired up against a guy who must have had some amazing stuff that he didn't draw because I crushed him with Godhead in game 1, and a pantsed-up Glamer Spinners in game 2. Lifelinked, unblockable dudes with +1/+1 for each Plains are some good.
So, 3-1 and 6 packs. Hot. I think I agree with TS that the format is going to be pretty fast in general. I chose to play all day and never regretted it. Draft is going to be ridiculously fast, I think. There were people who were casting 4/4s on turn 3 and then pants-ing up for ridiculous evasive 6/6s all over the place. Thank goodness I lost my first round. Also, the dude who beat me round 1, totally went 3-0 and got paired up with the Captain in round 4. The Captain crushed him. Thank goodness for carmates. REVENGE!
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So then Pseudonymous Drama Student and I decided to pair up for the 2HG since Hot Sauce and The Captain were intending to do the same. We opened like fiends in GW, with Wilt-leaf Liege, the double stream of life, TWO Oracle of Nectars (2(G/W)-X,T:Gain X life.) Shield of the Oversoul (makes Oracle indestructible) and various and sundry, including 3 duals (one foil). The other deck was monored. Nice. Open. We thought our 3-0 chances were pretty good. We got our round 1 opponent down to 1. They bounced one dude to the top of the deck so we had to redraw it. Any guesses as to whether or not the top card was a burn spell when they killed us? We won rounds 2 and 3 handily. w00t for 3 more packs.
I hit up captain essex for 3 more packs so I have 4 sets total. All in all, a good take on the day. My tip: Lose in the first round and then win out from there.
Friday, April 18, 2008
A Speedy Note on Shadowmoor Sealed
I might as well throw this out before the Prerelease, in case I'm actually right. Is anyone else concerned about how fast Shadowmoor Limited formats are going to be? Judging from the cards we've seen so far, numerous color combinations have incredibly aggressive early drops at uncommon, moreso than any format I can recall. I assume the commons will be less awesome, but DAMN. Just looking at officially spoiled cards, Wasp Lancer, Ashenmoor Gouger, Tattermunge Witch, Inkfathom Infiltrator, Wilt-Leaf Cavaliers, Tattermunge Maniac, Plumeveil, and of course, Kitchen Finks, are all uncommon! Hell, Ballynock Cohort and the tempo machine Aethertow are COMMON! Will it all be over by turn 6? In sealed?! I know Evan Erwin is telling you to always draw in sealed, but I think this might be a format to be on the play. Think about a mono green draft deck with Tattermunge Witch and Maniac, Cavaliers, Finks and maybe a Wilt-Leaf Leige at rare. Don't worry about color fixing. You're mono. Just curve out, turn five Tower Above FTW. I personally will not be keeping any slow hands tomorrow, especially if I am on the draw.
T
T
Yeah, I got nothing
Okay, The major is excited about the prerelease, Stringbean (coyoeuglly needs a new nickname. It pains me to deliberately misspell things all the time. Yes I did win a couple spelling bees, why do you ask?) is excited about the cards, TS is excited about the prerelease and already talked about our EDH last weekend. Fugie is excited about EDH. (Incidentally, I release my generals and claim Reaper King (henceforth known as Pumpkinhead) as my general. All your scarecrows are belong to me. Conspiracy!) BTW, Fugie will crush you all with his superior knowledge of literature. He's talking down to you when he does movie trivia.
But this is all a way of saying, man, I got nothing before the prerelease tomorrow. I will post tomorrow night or Sunday.
But this is all a way of saying, man, I got nothing before the prerelease tomorrow. I will post tomorrow night or Sunday.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
New Big Set!!
If you can't tell by the title that I am excited, then you don't have a pulse. While I am a casual player at heart, I enjoy going to a prerelease more than anything, with Big Sets taking top billing. I am not a morning person, but will gladly get up before the sun so that I can be in one of the first pods in some far off location (this time Chicago's west side). I am not quite sure which I enjoy more, sealed Big Set Prerelease or draft Big Set Prerelease.
While I do intend to agree with Coyote that Wizards is being obvious with some of the new game mechanics, I won't let that curb my enthusiasm (and for the record that show is absolutely awful and unfunny). I will gladly sit down with my bag of hundreds of counters and shuffle up with everyone else.
As far as going to Madison versus Chicago debate, to me it is a choice between: Quality Judging (Madison) & less competitive play (Chicago) (When I say less competitive play I mean fewer players who take this too seriously, after all it is a prerelase not a PTQ, i.e. fewer jerks). To me personally, I am on the fence and could go either way. However for others it is a mater of Geography. Our play group is scattered around the metro area and for some Chicago is closer and others Madison is closer. What really complicates this is that Madison's location is constant and Chicago's location moves around.
I won't really get in to the specifics of the cards, as I haven't been really paying too much attention to the previewed cards specifically. I tend to take the view that the individual cards aren't as import to know, as having an understanding of the mechanics and potential synergies, when going into a prerelease. Call it flawed if you must but that is my opinion.
Well, to those of you going to the prerelease, safe travels, may you get passed good cards (if you do deck swaps, if not may you open well), but most importantly have fun.
While I do intend to agree with Coyote that Wizards is being obvious with some of the new game mechanics, I won't let that curb my enthusiasm (and for the record that show is absolutely awful and unfunny). I will gladly sit down with my bag of hundreds of counters and shuffle up with everyone else.
As far as going to Madison versus Chicago debate, to me it is a choice between: Quality Judging (Madison) & less competitive play (Chicago) (When I say less competitive play I mean fewer players who take this too seriously, after all it is a prerelase not a PTQ, i.e. fewer jerks). To me personally, I am on the fence and could go either way. However for others it is a mater of Geography. Our play group is scattered around the metro area and for some Chicago is closer and others Madison is closer. What really complicates this is that Madison's location is constant and Chicago's location moves around.
I won't really get in to the specifics of the cards, as I haven't been really paying too much attention to the previewed cards specifically. I tend to take the view that the individual cards aren't as import to know, as having an understanding of the mechanics and potential synergies, when going into a prerelease. Call it flawed if you must but that is my opinion.
Well, to those of you going to the prerelease, safe travels, may you get passed good cards (if you do deck swaps, if not may you open well), but most importantly have fun.
Last month of Morningtide Sealed, Part 3.
Well, I’ll briefly recap last Tuesday’s Old Fart. I got there kind of late (after 6) and spent a lot of time shuffling. I was only able to get one match in with Mark. However the lack of quantity was overshadowed by the quality of our three games. At no point were either of us completely out of it. Over all my deck did what it was supposed to do.
As far as next week, here is the pack that I opened (notables marked with an *):
Sunflare shaman
*Moonglove Changeling
Fertilid
Burrenton Bombardier
Disperse
Brighthearth Banneret
Ink Dissolver
Frogtosser Banneret
Mothdust Changeling
Blightsoil Druid
Forfend
Waterspout Weavers
*Bramblewood Paragon
Boldwyr Intimidator
Gilt-Leaf Archdruid
Hopefully next week I’ll be able to get down there a little earlier and get in more than one match.
As far as next week, here is the pack that I opened (notables marked with an *):
Sunflare shaman
*Moonglove Changeling
Fertilid
Burrenton Bombardier
Disperse
Brighthearth Banneret
Ink Dissolver
Frogtosser Banneret
Mothdust Changeling
Blightsoil Druid
Forfend
Waterspout Weavers
*Bramblewood Paragon
Boldwyr Intimidator
Gilt-Leaf Archdruid
Hopefully next week I’ll be able to get down there a little earlier and get in more than one match.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Because It Is Easier To Be Lazy
What an odd title for actually writing something this week. As most of us are well aware, I am a pretty lazy human. But seeing as how it is 9:15am and there have been no posts on this lost and lonely blog. I feel like it falls upon myself to write something. Conveniently there is a topic readily at hand. The Shadowmoor Prerelease is a short 72 hours away. Unfourtantly for CBG's sake I will not be discussing any non officially previewed cards. If you are curious you can all the latest unofficial spoiler information at MTGSalvation.com located here
Which leads to an interesting problem. While I am sure some of you will be attending I don't really know what to write about in the way of a Primer. If this was for a site such as SCG or WOTC it would be an easy thing to write. I could just assume that you are all idiots and have no idea how to play this game. Despite CBG's opinion of himself, I know this not to be true. I consider you all to be good players. So I am just going to start typing and see where I end up. Because covering the obvious stuff like play 16-17 lands, don't stretch your mana to far color wise, blah, blah, blah seems pretty boring to write.
Drafting this set seems like it is going to be a chore. 33 of the 61 cards previewed so far have hybrid mana symbols. Good luck signaling. On the plus side is seems like there is going to be almost no emphasis on creature type. So at least you don't have to worry about trying to figure out what colors you are in addition to trying to figure out what colors you are suppost to be.
I am highly intrigued by the new keyword Persist. It reads "When this creature is put into a graveyard form play, if it had no -1/-1 counters on it, return it to play under its owner's control with a -1/-1 counter on it.) I think that it is going to be a highly useful ability in constructed Magic.
Kitchen Finks is has my early vote for best creature in the set (and this is with taking the unofficially spoiled cards into account).
Kitchen Finks 1 W/G W/G
Ophue Uncommon
When Kitchen Finks comes into play, you gain 2 life.
Persist
3/2
And he is a fucking Ouphe for Zombie Jesus sake. He is going to be good enough to be mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Goyf, Bob, Tog, Superman, Big Dumb Stupid Elephant (tm), Baloth. He is going to define Type 2 and Extended for the next couple of years. And I would not be surprised to find him being played in Legacy either. Pick this guy up before he becomes a $5+ uncommon. And he is a fucking Ophue for William Shatners sake!
As a quick aside. How did the nick name for Hierarch get longer? I thought nicknames were suppost to be shorter.
Twilight Shepherd 3WWW
Angel Rare
Flying, vigilance
When Twilight Shepherd comes into play return to your hand all cards in your graveyard put there from play this turn.
Persist
5/5
Right now this card is getting a ton of hype. My advice? Avoid it for now. While the body to casting cost ratio is there. And flying, vigilance, and persist are a lot of relevant keyword abilites. It's comes into play ability is highly overrated. Don't get me worng. It's a fine ability, and the card is definitely better for having it. The ability is kind of awkward to have on a six mana card. Six mana is a lot of mana in constructed. If this card had flash instead of vigilance it would be insane. But this card is pretty easy to play around.
In draft and especially sealed it worries me. Sealed isn't know for being a fast format. It is typically defined by ground stalls and bombs. Persist creatures seem like they are going to be big time bombs. They have built in recursion and pretty much trump any creature that has a toughness = to there power. I see it being very hard to lose if you get lucky and open a bomb or two and a bunch of creatures with Persist. You should easily be able to stall out the game long enough to draw into your bombs and finish the game. Or worst case, just settle in for a long attrition war aggressively trading creatures knowing yours will get a second life and theres won't.
The new untap symbol. While cute. I wasn't really that shocked to see it. It was a long time coming. If truth be told I am a little sad they actually went ahead with printing this ability. It was just so obvious as a potential thing to do. It makes me lean a touch towards the WOTC is running out of ideas for Magic argument. That aside. The only card spoiled so far that excites me is:
Order of Whiteclay 1WW
Kithkin Cleric Rare
1WWQ: Return target creature card with a converted mana cost 3 or less from your graveyard to play.
For the record Q is the official designation in all rules documents for the untap symbol.
For starters the mana to power/toughness ratio is good enough. Not great but solid. The ability is the intruding part. I'm not sure about the best way to go about it. But the ability is just asking to be abused. This is assuming there is a good way to tap him every turn aside from turning him sideways. As I am sure your opponent would happily put his Goyf in front of him.
Inkfathom Infiltrator gets a nod because I am infatuated with that art. I want a foily one just so I can stare at it. Awkward... Firefox's spell checker doesn't recognize foily as a word...
Scarecrow is by far the coolest creature type to be featured prominently in a long time. Here is hoping Straw Golem is in the next set.
Optional Hybrid mana... not sure what it is actually called. The 2/G mana thing a ma jig. It's cute. But I am not sure how I feel about it. It kind of takes the color pie and says "Fuck you sideways with a splintery broom while watching Chris Crocker videos."
Burn Trail 3R
Sorcery Common
Burn Trail deals 3 damage to target creature or player.
Conspire (As you play this spell,, you may tap two untapped creatures you control that scare a color with it. When you do, copy it and you may choose a new target for the copy).
Personally in limited Burn Trail is going to be a house. I'm not really sure about any non removal spell though. While I think conspire is a really cool idea and very flavorful. I think it has to many things going against it. You have to have two untapped creatures AND they have to share a color. In constructed two creatures can be a lot to ask for. In limited two creatures of the same color can be a lot to ask for sometimes. Anything that is a non removal sorcery spell will almost never be Conspired unless you are already way ahead on the board. And at that point do you really need to be Conspiring spells? In most cases I would imagine it would be more effective to just bash face. I also don't think there will be a lot of instants with Conspire (No, I haven't actually checked the spoiler to see yet.). It just seems very out of flavor for the mechanic.
As I am saying that I have to mention:
Aethertow 3W/U
Instant Common
Put target attacking or blocking creature on top of its owner's library.
Conspire
This is a common Wing Shards. It WILL be the best common in the set. First pick it every time you see it. When playing always be wary of it. It will crush your hopes and dreams. It will make you cry more than when you were dropped on your head as a child.
Wither is another mechanic I am not surprised to see. Having this and untapping in the same set definitely makes me scratch my head and wondering how much WOTC has in the tank. It's just soooooo lazy. Combine this with what they have been doing with tournaments lately and my faith is officially shaken.
HA! I'm proud of myself. I just worked back to the title and didn't even realize it until after I did it. This is how Chuck Norris must feel after he gets done beating up Superman.
But back to Wither. I'm pretty indifferent overall on this mechanic. It doesn't have any real wow factor. I pretty much think it is just going to be annoying having to use 400 counters per game of limited Magic. Although if you draft a bunch of these guys it is probably going to get pretty disgusting good pretty quick.
Murderous Redcap 2 B/R B/R
Goblin Assassin Uncommon
When Murderous Redcap comes into play, it deals damage equal to its power to target creature or player.
Persist
Yup, I'm starting to jump around that can't be a good sign. But with all due respect to Dan Paskins. That is who previewed this card right? I could easily be remembering wrong. When is the last time a 4 mana 2/2 saw constructed play?
Oona, Queen of the Fae 3 U/B U/B U/B
Legend - Faerie Wizard Rare
Flying
X U/B: Chose a color. Target opponent removes the top X cards of his or her library from the game. For each card of the chosen color removed this way, put a 1/1 blue and black Faerie Rogue creature token with flying into play.
5/5
Meloku reincarnate. Nuff said.
Well that pretty much covers it for me... This is already incredibly long. And while I am sure you all want to hear me rant and rave about Midget Donkey Shows and what they mean to the future of Magic, it will have to wait for another day. Have fun and good luck at the Prerelease. May you not get blown up by a Common combat trick or forget about the Q ability. Most of all though. Have fun. I will be attending the Madison Prerelease Sunday... although it has nothing to do with Shadowmoor.
Also as a quick aside. If anyone every wants to write something specific or just rant and rave like a lunatic, shoot me an email at treebringer@gmail.com. Being Magic player I have no qualms with ranting on and on about my very bias opinions. This is also me taking the lazy approach of having to think of something to type about.
Which leads to an interesting problem. While I am sure some of you will be attending I don't really know what to write about in the way of a Primer. If this was for a site such as SCG or WOTC it would be an easy thing to write. I could just assume that you are all idiots and have no idea how to play this game. Despite CBG's opinion of himself, I know this not to be true. I consider you all to be good players. So I am just going to start typing and see where I end up. Because covering the obvious stuff like play 16-17 lands, don't stretch your mana to far color wise, blah, blah, blah seems pretty boring to write.
Drafting this set seems like it is going to be a chore. 33 of the 61 cards previewed so far have hybrid mana symbols. Good luck signaling. On the plus side is seems like there is going to be almost no emphasis on creature type. So at least you don't have to worry about trying to figure out what colors you are in addition to trying to figure out what colors you are suppost to be.
I am highly intrigued by the new keyword Persist. It reads "When this creature is put into a graveyard form play, if it had no -1/-1 counters on it, return it to play under its owner's control with a -1/-1 counter on it.) I think that it is going to be a highly useful ability in constructed Magic.
Kitchen Finks is has my early vote for best creature in the set (and this is with taking the unofficially spoiled cards into account).
Kitchen Finks 1 W/G W/G
Ophue Uncommon
When Kitchen Finks comes into play, you gain 2 life.
Persist
3/2
And he is a fucking Ouphe for Zombie Jesus sake. He is going to be good enough to be mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Goyf, Bob, Tog, Superman, Big Dumb Stupid Elephant (tm), Baloth. He is going to define Type 2 and Extended for the next couple of years. And I would not be surprised to find him being played in Legacy either. Pick this guy up before he becomes a $5+ uncommon. And he is a fucking Ophue for William Shatners sake!
As a quick aside. How did the nick name for Hierarch get longer? I thought nicknames were suppost to be shorter.
Twilight Shepherd 3WWW
Angel Rare
Flying, vigilance
When Twilight Shepherd comes into play return to your hand all cards in your graveyard put there from play this turn.
Persist
5/5
Right now this card is getting a ton of hype. My advice? Avoid it for now. While the body to casting cost ratio is there. And flying, vigilance, and persist are a lot of relevant keyword abilites. It's comes into play ability is highly overrated. Don't get me worng. It's a fine ability, and the card is definitely better for having it. The ability is kind of awkward to have on a six mana card. Six mana is a lot of mana in constructed. If this card had flash instead of vigilance it would be insane. But this card is pretty easy to play around.
In draft and especially sealed it worries me. Sealed isn't know for being a fast format. It is typically defined by ground stalls and bombs. Persist creatures seem like they are going to be big time bombs. They have built in recursion and pretty much trump any creature that has a toughness = to there power. I see it being very hard to lose if you get lucky and open a bomb or two and a bunch of creatures with Persist. You should easily be able to stall out the game long enough to draw into your bombs and finish the game. Or worst case, just settle in for a long attrition war aggressively trading creatures knowing yours will get a second life and theres won't.
The new untap symbol. While cute. I wasn't really that shocked to see it. It was a long time coming. If truth be told I am a little sad they actually went ahead with printing this ability. It was just so obvious as a potential thing to do. It makes me lean a touch towards the WOTC is running out of ideas for Magic argument. That aside. The only card spoiled so far that excites me is:
Order of Whiteclay 1WW
Kithkin Cleric Rare
1WWQ: Return target creature card with a converted mana cost 3 or less from your graveyard to play.
For the record Q is the official designation in all rules documents for the untap symbol.
For starters the mana to power/toughness ratio is good enough. Not great but solid. The ability is the intruding part. I'm not sure about the best way to go about it. But the ability is just asking to be abused. This is assuming there is a good way to tap him every turn aside from turning him sideways. As I am sure your opponent would happily put his Goyf in front of him.
Inkfathom Infiltrator gets a nod because I am infatuated with that art. I want a foily one just so I can stare at it. Awkward... Firefox's spell checker doesn't recognize foily as a word...
Scarecrow is by far the coolest creature type to be featured prominently in a long time. Here is hoping Straw Golem is in the next set.
Optional Hybrid mana... not sure what it is actually called. The 2/G mana thing a ma jig. It's cute. But I am not sure how I feel about it. It kind of takes the color pie and says "Fuck you sideways with a splintery broom while watching Chris Crocker videos."
Burn Trail 3R
Sorcery Common
Burn Trail deals 3 damage to target creature or player.
Conspire (As you play this spell,, you may tap two untapped creatures you control that scare a color with it. When you do, copy it and you may choose a new target for the copy).
Personally in limited Burn Trail is going to be a house. I'm not really sure about any non removal spell though. While I think conspire is a really cool idea and very flavorful. I think it has to many things going against it. You have to have two untapped creatures AND they have to share a color. In constructed two creatures can be a lot to ask for. In limited two creatures of the same color can be a lot to ask for sometimes. Anything that is a non removal sorcery spell will almost never be Conspired unless you are already way ahead on the board. And at that point do you really need to be Conspiring spells? In most cases I would imagine it would be more effective to just bash face. I also don't think there will be a lot of instants with Conspire (No, I haven't actually checked the spoiler to see yet.). It just seems very out of flavor for the mechanic.
As I am saying that I have to mention:
Aethertow 3W/U
Instant Common
Put target attacking or blocking creature on top of its owner's library.
Conspire
This is a common Wing Shards. It WILL be the best common in the set. First pick it every time you see it. When playing always be wary of it. It will crush your hopes and dreams. It will make you cry more than when you were dropped on your head as a child.
Wither is another mechanic I am not surprised to see. Having this and untapping in the same set definitely makes me scratch my head and wondering how much WOTC has in the tank. It's just soooooo lazy. Combine this with what they have been doing with tournaments lately and my faith is officially shaken.
HA! I'm proud of myself. I just worked back to the title and didn't even realize it until after I did it. This is how Chuck Norris must feel after he gets done beating up Superman.
But back to Wither. I'm pretty indifferent overall on this mechanic. It doesn't have any real wow factor. I pretty much think it is just going to be annoying having to use 400 counters per game of limited Magic. Although if you draft a bunch of these guys it is probably going to get pretty disgusting good pretty quick.
Murderous Redcap 2 B/R B/R
Goblin Assassin Uncommon
When Murderous Redcap comes into play, it deals damage equal to its power to target creature or player.
Persist
Yup, I'm starting to jump around that can't be a good sign. But with all due respect to Dan Paskins. That is who previewed this card right? I could easily be remembering wrong. When is the last time a 4 mana 2/2 saw constructed play?
Oona, Queen of the Fae 3 U/B U/B U/B
Legend - Faerie Wizard Rare
Flying
X U/B: Chose a color. Target opponent removes the top X cards of his or her library from the game. For each card of the chosen color removed this way, put a 1/1 blue and black Faerie Rogue creature token with flying into play.
5/5
Meloku reincarnate. Nuff said.
Well that pretty much covers it for me... This is already incredibly long. And while I am sure you all want to hear me rant and rave about Midget Donkey Shows and what they mean to the future of Magic, it will have to wait for another day. Have fun and good luck at the Prerelease. May you not get blown up by a Common combat trick or forget about the Q ability. Most of all though. Have fun. I will be attending the Madison Prerelease Sunday... although it has nothing to do with Shadowmoor.
Also as a quick aside. If anyone every wants to write something specific or just rant and rave like a lunatic, shoot me an email at treebringer@gmail.com. Being Magic player I have no qualms with ranting on and on about my very bias opinions. This is also me taking the lazy approach of having to think of something to type about.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Shadowmoor Prerelease and Elder Dragon Highlander, Sek'Kuar.
Ahh, the spring Prerelease is almost here! Time to put away the shovel, shave off the beard, and rejoin the 40-odd contiguous states that are not bound in ice for 8 months a year. It is also time to witness the completion of a draft archetype with the third set of the bl… what? You mean there is no third set this time around? You mean there’s a second large set this year? What’s that you say? Reading sentences only ending in questions marks isn’t entertaining you? Well shit. That was supposed to be the schtick for another four paragraphs.
Seriously, there are some positives and negatives to doing this whole large set-small set thing twice in one year. I am a fan of drafting three different packs in a draft. I really think that there’s kind of a purity to that old three block system which the Lor-Lor-Mor thing really can’t approximate. (Then again, I am a fan of Carroll draft, with 24 unique packs, so what do you expect?) Does that make me a Melvin? I’ll be honest, I can’t tell, because I read that article more than once and still have no god damned idea what a Melvin is. So, that’s one negative. Another bad thing about this whole second big set of the year is that we have to buy more cards. (See how I did that? As if we have no choice in the matter at all! Wizards of the Coast releases product, and we MUST buy three boxes of it! Actually, I can’t even tell if that last sentence was sarcastic or not. Because that is exactly what happens. Maybe people like us don’t have a choice in the matter…) I don’t know if you’ve heard, but there is not quite really, but pretty much unofficially, actually, IS this whole United States recession going on right now. For a variety of reasons which I don’t understand, food costs like one and half times as much as it did a year ago and gasoline costs as much a gallon as pack of Morningtide at Games by James. (I just found out Games by James is not a national chain. Sorry, guys.) And no, you can’t borrow against the equity in your house ‘cause there isn’t any left and the value of the dollar is worthless and all our kids are going to have to work in Chinese strip clubs just rent a shitty flat in West Allis ‘cause they’re gonna own us and the world is going to HELL! Jesus I am getting old, all ranty and shit. All right. Back under control. The point is I am guessing that most of you have less disposable income right about now to throw at cardboard crack. So that’s a problem with releasing this whole second big set too.
Now to the positives. Well, one actually. The large set prerelease is my favorite prerelease of the year!!!! No one knows what the hell they are doing and it is super fun to look at your sealed pool or draft deck about six months later and just laugh at how terribly you misbuilt your starting forty. It is super enjoyable to just throw stuff together on a hunch to see what works. It is also the best time of year to be ahead of the learning curve.
I was going to do a quick run down on combat tricks and instant-speed removal from MTG Salvation, but I know some of you guys don’t want to have cards spoiled and there are also surprisingly few commons that have been spoiled thus far, making it a useless exercise.
I will, however, hopefully provide a recap of the action next week, along with soon-to-be hilarious decklists after everyone figures out the format. On to EDH!
Tuning Sek’Kuar
I officially debuted my Sek’kuar EDH deck during our last multiplayer night. It went alright. I took one game. But there are a lot of things it needs to do better.
Color-fixing: I got mana screwed in numerous games, and kept some hands which I shouldn’t have (although that can be tech against reactive opponents), but the biggest issue was not having enough mana in the colors I needed. I have been running a basic land-heavy theme since green is so great at getting basic out of the deck. But I need to skew more toward duals, because that shit just wasn’t getting there. I’d love to drop $60-$75 on singleton copies of the relevant original duals, but that ain’t happening right now (see the above recession rant). So I will have to up the non-basic count to compensate. It really should not impinge too much on the mana search capabilities of the deck, since I can still run 5-6 copies of each of the basics.
Mana Ramping: I need more of it! I’m green and went with more flexible tutoring instead of “put in to play” type cards. (Think Evolution Charm instead of Kodama’s Reach for an example. The Charm works great with my recursion theme, but if I can’t CAST my dude that I return, who cares!)
Draw-replacing Tutor abilites: I had Elemental Harbinger in the deck because of all the kick-ass Evoke guys in my deck, but man, I really can’t afford to wait a whole turn in multiplayer to get my Shriekmaw or Ingot Chewer. Shit needs to die NOW. And I lose my next draw step. And I really thought Volrath’s Stronghold was busted! It’s not! It is SO not worth the mana and losing your draw step to get back some shitty utility creature. Volrath’s Stronghold should have a sign that says “Bomb Ass Creatures Only Please” because spending seven mana and losing your draw step to replay your Indrik Stomphowler will NOT win you the game. It will piss off your opponents one by one and they will kill you with their Dragons and Angels, which is what you should have been bringing back with the Stronghold in the first place.
More Hammer! Less Scalpel! Maybe I just can’t build a utility deck, man. Know how many times I recurred Ingot Chewer against Tabasco? Three! Know how many artifacts he had in play after this? Four! I need a fucking Shatterstorm. Targeted removal sux in EDH. In another game I cast Krosan Grip and needed to ask myself whether to cack The Door of Destinies, the Mirari’s Wake, the SoFI, or the Skullclamp. When you are asking yourself that question, you already have lost. What can a guy do? I can’t use my awesome creature-based graveyard recursion to get back a Tranquility or Shatterstorm. I guess I just need to run more old-fashioned card advantage generators.
Using Overrun effects to win was a pipe dream. Garruk is awesome, and still has a place in the deck, but he and his ilk will not be winning me the game with numerous hasty 6/4 trampling Graveborn tokens, as I had hoped. I cannot seem to keep more than one creature on the board at once, let alone get my General out as well. Netting a single token after a Wrath effect is pretty weak. I need to find another way to Just Win.
The good news: Sek’Kuar isn’t a bad General. He usually stuck around and when he was out I felt a lot safer against board sweepers. The deck idea is salvageable, I think.
More good news: Reanimation effects are teh nutz. I HATE casting my guys multiple times from hand, but I LOVE ripping them out of the graveyard for 2 to 4 mana. I need to pack more of these, and then find ways to draw them, cause they win me games.
The final good news: My colors have good threats to add. I was basically trying to go as “pure” a recursion deck as possible, with only comes in to play effect dudes included, so that my guys all did something right away, before they inevitably got killed. But now I know I also need some Big Scary Dudes in the mix too. They jump out of the grave just as quickly, if beckoned, and they help win games better than 2/1 echo guys that cantrip when they CIP.
T
Seriously, there are some positives and negatives to doing this whole large set-small set thing twice in one year. I am a fan of drafting three different packs in a draft. I really think that there’s kind of a purity to that old three block system which the Lor-Lor-Mor thing really can’t approximate. (Then again, I am a fan of Carroll draft, with 24 unique packs, so what do you expect?) Does that make me a Melvin? I’ll be honest, I can’t tell, because I read that article more than once and still have no god damned idea what a Melvin is. So, that’s one negative. Another bad thing about this whole second big set of the year is that we have to buy more cards. (See how I did that? As if we have no choice in the matter at all! Wizards of the Coast releases product, and we MUST buy three boxes of it! Actually, I can’t even tell if that last sentence was sarcastic or not. Because that is exactly what happens. Maybe people like us don’t have a choice in the matter…) I don’t know if you’ve heard, but there is not quite really, but pretty much unofficially, actually, IS this whole United States recession going on right now. For a variety of reasons which I don’t understand, food costs like one and half times as much as it did a year ago and gasoline costs as much a gallon as pack of Morningtide at Games by James. (I just found out Games by James is not a national chain. Sorry, guys.) And no, you can’t borrow against the equity in your house ‘cause there isn’t any left and the value of the dollar is worthless and all our kids are going to have to work in Chinese strip clubs just rent a shitty flat in West Allis ‘cause they’re gonna own us and the world is going to HELL! Jesus I am getting old, all ranty and shit. All right. Back under control. The point is I am guessing that most of you have less disposable income right about now to throw at cardboard crack. So that’s a problem with releasing this whole second big set too.
Now to the positives. Well, one actually. The large set prerelease is my favorite prerelease of the year!!!! No one knows what the hell they are doing and it is super fun to look at your sealed pool or draft deck about six months later and just laugh at how terribly you misbuilt your starting forty. It is super enjoyable to just throw stuff together on a hunch to see what works. It is also the best time of year to be ahead of the learning curve.
I was going to do a quick run down on combat tricks and instant-speed removal from MTG Salvation, but I know some of you guys don’t want to have cards spoiled and there are also surprisingly few commons that have been spoiled thus far, making it a useless exercise.
I will, however, hopefully provide a recap of the action next week, along with soon-to-be hilarious decklists after everyone figures out the format. On to EDH!
Tuning Sek’Kuar
I officially debuted my Sek’kuar EDH deck during our last multiplayer night. It went alright. I took one game. But there are a lot of things it needs to do better.
Color-fixing: I got mana screwed in numerous games, and kept some hands which I shouldn’t have (although that can be tech against reactive opponents), but the biggest issue was not having enough mana in the colors I needed. I have been running a basic land-heavy theme since green is so great at getting basic out of the deck. But I need to skew more toward duals, because that shit just wasn’t getting there. I’d love to drop $60-$75 on singleton copies of the relevant original duals, but that ain’t happening right now (see the above recession rant). So I will have to up the non-basic count to compensate. It really should not impinge too much on the mana search capabilities of the deck, since I can still run 5-6 copies of each of the basics.
Mana Ramping: I need more of it! I’m green and went with more flexible tutoring instead of “put in to play” type cards. (Think Evolution Charm instead of Kodama’s Reach for an example. The Charm works great with my recursion theme, but if I can’t CAST my dude that I return, who cares!)
Draw-replacing Tutor abilites: I had Elemental Harbinger in the deck because of all the kick-ass Evoke guys in my deck, but man, I really can’t afford to wait a whole turn in multiplayer to get my Shriekmaw or Ingot Chewer. Shit needs to die NOW. And I lose my next draw step. And I really thought Volrath’s Stronghold was busted! It’s not! It is SO not worth the mana and losing your draw step to get back some shitty utility creature. Volrath’s Stronghold should have a sign that says “Bomb Ass Creatures Only Please” because spending seven mana and losing your draw step to replay your Indrik Stomphowler will NOT win you the game. It will piss off your opponents one by one and they will kill you with their Dragons and Angels, which is what you should have been bringing back with the Stronghold in the first place.
More Hammer! Less Scalpel! Maybe I just can’t build a utility deck, man. Know how many times I recurred Ingot Chewer against Tabasco? Three! Know how many artifacts he had in play after this? Four! I need a fucking Shatterstorm. Targeted removal sux in EDH. In another game I cast Krosan Grip and needed to ask myself whether to cack The Door of Destinies, the Mirari’s Wake, the SoFI, or the Skullclamp. When you are asking yourself that question, you already have lost. What can a guy do? I can’t use my awesome creature-based graveyard recursion to get back a Tranquility or Shatterstorm. I guess I just need to run more old-fashioned card advantage generators.
Using Overrun effects to win was a pipe dream. Garruk is awesome, and still has a place in the deck, but he and his ilk will not be winning me the game with numerous hasty 6/4 trampling Graveborn tokens, as I had hoped. I cannot seem to keep more than one creature on the board at once, let alone get my General out as well. Netting a single token after a Wrath effect is pretty weak. I need to find another way to Just Win.
The good news: Sek’Kuar isn’t a bad General. He usually stuck around and when he was out I felt a lot safer against board sweepers. The deck idea is salvageable, I think.
More good news: Reanimation effects are teh nutz. I HATE casting my guys multiple times from hand, but I LOVE ripping them out of the graveyard for 2 to 4 mana. I need to pack more of these, and then find ways to draw them, cause they win me games.
The final good news: My colors have good threats to add. I was basically trying to go as “pure” a recursion deck as possible, with only comes in to play effect dudes included, so that my guys all did something right away, before they inevitably got killed. But now I know I also need some Big Scary Dudes in the mix too. They jump out of the grave just as quickly, if beckoned, and they help win games better than 2/1 echo guys that cantrip when they CIP.
T
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Wow
Normally I really don't care about Magic artwork. I can give you the general jist of what something is. But I don't really know. And there have been a lot of times I will get bored waiting for someone to do something during a game. Look at a card and just go "Huh... so that is what that is a picture of."
But that is just damn impressive. It seriously almost gave me a hard on.
But that is just damn impressive. It seriously almost gave me a hard on.
Friday, April 11, 2008
The Usual Crap
Section 1-Ask, and ye shall receive
So I was just bitching to Hot Sauce the other day about how they should totally reprint Skulltap. Probably I was upset about not drawing enough cards in my black decks. Anyways, I was going through the card preview archive for Shadowmoor today when lo, and behold...
I guess I should have been asking for a complete upgrade. This is teh nutz. I like drawing cards. I like commons. Sexay.
Section 2-Why do I have a sudden urge to play Flash?
Here's another one that I had somehow missed...
Okay, I know it's 8 mana. I know you only get it back once. I know it doesn't hit creatures. I know, okay? Still. This is definitely the type of card that gets the old best-case-scenario juices flowing.
I realize it's not as good as Hulk because it's not instant win, but Flash'ing this out kills 2 land, or a land and a mox or whatever and leaves you with a 5/5 trampler. Which is you know, good. Such a sexy reanimator target. Makeshift Mannequin anyone? It's not like you can't find ways to discard in the present standard.
Section 3- A Large Set? In Spring? You Bastards
With the Shadowmoor prerelease only a little over a week away, I find myself progressively more cheesed about the fact that Wizards is releasing a large set in spring. Don't get me wrong, I love me some cardboard crack and more cards is awesome. But I don't know what benefit we are getting here that we wouldn't be getting from a third set. Look, I know the primary motivation for the new SOP has to do with profit, but I did feel like R&D was going to do their best to make this totally worthwhile for us, given the extra scratch we'd (again) be laying out. When this was announced, I really (perhaps naively) expected that this was going to be awesome. Instead, I wonder how I am going to be acquiring chase rares from yet another 300+ card set. I could do what scoop_phase does and just ebay the money from redrafts and ignore my collection. But a large part of me really likes the collecting aspect of the game. Future Sight is the last set I didn't buy at least a box to crack and I really regret it. Sure, Tarmogoyf made that set eminently crackable, but didn't have the money at the time and it seems pretty pointless now that it's rotating in six months, especially with another large set barreling down the 'pike. I don't regret missing out on cracking Tarms anyways. What I really miss is having a random assortment of FS rares to loan people, trade, toss into EDHs and get deckbuilding fever from.
Section 4-A video
--CBG
So I was just bitching to Hot Sauce the other day about how they should totally reprint Skulltap. Probably I was upset about not drawing enough cards in my black decks. Anyways, I was going through the card preview archive for Shadowmoor today when lo, and behold...
I guess I should have been asking for a complete upgrade. This is teh nutz. I like drawing cards. I like commons. Sexay.
Section 2-Why do I have a sudden urge to play Flash?
Here's another one that I had somehow missed...
Okay, I know it's 8 mana. I know you only get it back once. I know it doesn't hit creatures. I know, okay? Still. This is definitely the type of card that gets the old best-case-scenario juices flowing.
I realize it's not as good as Hulk because it's not instant win, but Flash'ing this out kills 2 land, or a land and a mox or whatever and leaves you with a 5/5 trampler. Which is you know, good. Such a sexy reanimator target. Makeshift Mannequin anyone? It's not like you can't find ways to discard in the present standard.
Section 3- A Large Set? In Spring? You Bastards
With the Shadowmoor prerelease only a little over a week away, I find myself progressively more cheesed about the fact that Wizards is releasing a large set in spring. Don't get me wrong, I love me some cardboard crack and more cards is awesome. But I don't know what benefit we are getting here that we wouldn't be getting from a third set. Look, I know the primary motivation for the new SOP has to do with profit, but I did feel like R&D was going to do their best to make this totally worthwhile for us, given the extra scratch we'd (again) be laying out. When this was announced, I really (perhaps naively) expected that this was going to be awesome. Instead, I wonder how I am going to be acquiring chase rares from yet another 300+ card set. I could do what scoop_phase does and just ebay the money from redrafts and ignore my collection. But a large part of me really likes the collecting aspect of the game. Future Sight is the last set I didn't buy at least a box to crack and I really regret it. Sure, Tarmogoyf made that set eminently crackable, but didn't have the money at the time and it seems pretty pointless now that it's rotating in six months, especially with another large set barreling down the 'pike. I don't regret missing out on cracking Tarms anyways. What I really miss is having a random assortment of FS rares to loan people, trade, toss into EDHs and get deckbuilding fever from.
Section 4-A video
--CBG
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Last month of Morningtide Sealed, part 2.
As I expected last week, Diviner’s Wand made the deck, and was amazing, when I saw it. However, I think that I’ve unintentionally angered the mana gods, as I had two of three games against the Captain in which I did not see more than one black source, if any at all. Overall it was a decent week. I ended up cutting Black Poplar Shaman, Scarred Vinebreeder, & Crib Swap in favor of Bosk Banneret, Winnower Patrol, & Diviner’s Wand. I also replaced the lone plains with a forest and in hind sight should replace Shimmering Grotto with a swam ( I am no longer running three colors so the Shimmering Grotto is not nearly as necessary).
Here is the Lorwyn Pack for next week:
Hamletback Goliath
Shriekmaw*
Vivid Marsh
Kithkin Mourncaller
Flamekin Brawler
Spiderwig Boggart
Spellstutter Sprite
Lairwatch Giant
Giant’s Ire
Leaf Gilder*
Pestermite
Necksnap (#2)
Inner-Flame Acolyte
Runed Stalactite
Lys Alana Huntmaster*
I’ve marked the cards worth considering with an *.
Until next time, may the mana gods not hate you.
Here is the Lorwyn Pack for next week:
Hamletback Goliath
Shriekmaw*
Vivid Marsh
Kithkin Mourncaller
Flamekin Brawler
Spiderwig Boggart
Spellstutter Sprite
Lairwatch Giant
Giant’s Ire
Leaf Gilder*
Pestermite
Necksnap (#2)
Inner-Flame Acolyte
Runed Stalactite
Lys Alana Huntmaster*
I’ve marked the cards worth considering with an *.
Until next time, may the mana gods not hate you.
I Just Felt This Had To Be Shared
I found this one themanadrain and it brought a tear to my eye I was laughing so hard:
[00:47] Here's a hypothetical for the next debate: Osama bin Laden, Kim Jong-il, Hugo Chavez, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Castro brothers and Voldemort are sitting around a campfire. There is no question about the intelligence. Do you nuke them?
[00:48] that's 7, ask if they want to draft
[00:47]
[00:48]
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Quick Draftstravaganza Recap
I am currently laid low with a virus of some sort, so I will be making this post a short one. It doesn't seem fair to leave the Draftravaganza un-commented, so I will do some quick recapping from my perspective. First off, thanks to CBG for hosting. It was awesome. Second, boo to Wizards for fucking up our Rotisserie draft. Who would have thought the company that makes the cards can't send out an accurate full set to someone who has redeemed it on MODO? And it wasn't just one or two cards off, this sucker had a duplicate common run and no uncommons, to say nothing of the missing rares. I know lots of us were really looking forward to this, and it sucks that Wizards is directly responsible for screwing us out of the opportunity to use the product they sell in the way we had planned. Great marketing, WOTC.
First up was Carroll draft, Which I really do enjoy as a format. Can you imagine a draft where players open packs 360 unique cards? It is still possible to get doubles of a spell, but even that is a rarity in Carroll draft. It totally gets you back to the basics of drafting. It didn't go as I had hoped. I ended up taking B/W weenies, which did not seem like a great strategy. At least I managed to pick a color with some removal. During one early pick from the Guildpact pack I had to choose between a Douse in Gloom and Pillory of the Sleepless. I tried to wheel the Pillory, which was a little too greedy. It would have been great because I was lacking unconditional removal, and I had to be the only one in B/W. I did end up picking up several other "pacificism" effect, the strongest of which turned out to be Cowed by Wisdom. It really forced my opponents into some bad choices. I was surprised. What ended up saving my ass from a 1-2 or 0-3 record was the combat tricks. Guided Strike was cantrip removal all morning, and Douse in Gloom turned out to be pretty good at instant speed as well. Since I had almost no fatties, keeping my little guys swinging was the only way for me to have a shot at winning. Masked Gorgon was the only big guy I had, and he was obviously swingy (but turned out to be good). I did lose to Swizz, as is recapped here. I was happy with 2-1 because I did not expect to do that well with the deck.
Second format was 2HG Rav-Gpt-Dis draft. It was super fun remembering how the pick orders changed based on playing two opponents. Major Luck and I did pretty well in 2HG with this format, I was looking forward to it again. But my partner this time around was CBG. We argued a lot, took too many bouncelands (hard to play six in a single deck...) and generally figured we'd lose. We did have Sunforger and Lightning Helix (in my W/U/R deck- I guess I heart Numot even in different formats!) and double Mortipede (in CBG B/G/W/R? deck, I don't remember which color he didn't play). Those Mortipedes kicked ass all day for us. Not only did they usually give us a two for one trade, they also let the rest of our team get in there. We lost our first match, but the joys of round robin play dictated that if we beat our final round opponents we still take first. Sunforger on a Mourning Thrull is all business, let me tell you. We got there and with a 2-1 record took first. Too bad there was only one dual land in the pool.
We ended by with EDH 2HG. I was really tired by this time but luckily partner Swizz did not need very much help after powering out Niv-Mizzet on turn 2. His deck is sick. After we won one game it was Swizz's turned to be distracted- by the thought of leaving soon to party with a lady. He decided to jet, and surprisingly, none of our opponents seemed to mind that the team with the turn-2 Legendary Dragon was disbanding. I was ready for bed, and packed it in as well.
I would love to hear other people's experience of the night. I would also heartily recommend Carroll draft and limited 2HG to anyone looking for a different way to spend their draft night. I wish I could recommend Rotisserie because it sounds like it would be awesome, but... you know.
T
First up was Carroll draft, Which I really do enjoy as a format. Can you imagine a draft where players open packs 360 unique cards? It is still possible to get doubles of a spell, but even that is a rarity in Carroll draft. It totally gets you back to the basics of drafting. It didn't go as I had hoped. I ended up taking B/W weenies, which did not seem like a great strategy. At least I managed to pick a color with some removal. During one early pick from the Guildpact pack I had to choose between a Douse in Gloom and Pillory of the Sleepless. I tried to wheel the Pillory, which was a little too greedy. It would have been great because I was lacking unconditional removal, and I had to be the only one in B/W. I did end up picking up several other "pacificism" effect, the strongest of which turned out to be Cowed by Wisdom. It really forced my opponents into some bad choices. I was surprised. What ended up saving my ass from a 1-2 or 0-3 record was the combat tricks. Guided Strike was cantrip removal all morning, and Douse in Gloom turned out to be pretty good at instant speed as well. Since I had almost no fatties, keeping my little guys swinging was the only way for me to have a shot at winning. Masked Gorgon was the only big guy I had, and he was obviously swingy (but turned out to be good). I did lose to Swizz, as is recapped here. I was happy with 2-1 because I did not expect to do that well with the deck.
Second format was 2HG Rav-Gpt-Dis draft. It was super fun remembering how the pick orders changed based on playing two opponents. Major Luck and I did pretty well in 2HG with this format, I was looking forward to it again. But my partner this time around was CBG. We argued a lot, took too many bouncelands (hard to play six in a single deck...) and generally figured we'd lose. We did have Sunforger and Lightning Helix (in my W/U/R deck- I guess I heart Numot even in different formats!) and double Mortipede (in CBG B/G/W/R? deck, I don't remember which color he didn't play). Those Mortipedes kicked ass all day for us. Not only did they usually give us a two for one trade, they also let the rest of our team get in there. We lost our first match, but the joys of round robin play dictated that if we beat our final round opponents we still take first. Sunforger on a Mourning Thrull is all business, let me tell you. We got there and with a 2-1 record took first. Too bad there was only one dual land in the pool.
We ended by with EDH 2HG. I was really tired by this time but luckily partner Swizz did not need very much help after powering out Niv-Mizzet on turn 2. His deck is sick. After we won one game it was Swizz's turned to be distracted- by the thought of leaving soon to party with a lady. He decided to jet, and surprisingly, none of our opponents seemed to mind that the team with the turn-2 Legendary Dragon was disbanding. I was ready for bed, and packed it in as well.
I would love to hear other people's experience of the night. I would also heartily recommend Carroll draft and limited 2HG to anyone looking for a different way to spend their draft night. I wish I could recommend Rotisserie because it sounds like it would be awesome, but... you know.
T
Monday, April 7, 2008
Word verify
We just got hit by comment spam! We've hit the big time. I have turned on word verification for commenting. If spam bots wouldn't piss in the pool, we could all swim in safety. Oh well.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Constructed!
Yes, that's right. It is time for me to get my first sanctioned match win since...how long has it been anyway, DCI?
08-02-1390181, 21320 QT Hollywood 08: 2008-02-23 186
3 Edd N. Black Loss 1518
2 Yannis S. Guerra Loss 1532
1 Jerret W. Rocha Loss 1541
07-09-1320888, Magic: Standard-2007-09-15-GREENFIELD: 2007-09-15 5
4 Dylan Crisp Loss 1546
3 Robert Majchrzak Win 1552
September 15th? That's not so bad, it's only 7 months. What about before that?
2 Dan Knudten Loss 1540
1 Bye 1544
07-09-1315632, Friday Night Magic - Sept 2007: 2007-09-07 15
4 Tom P. Carroll Loss 1544
3 Dan Knudten Loss 1547
2 Andrew J. Wyrowski Loss 1549
1 Joseph Haines Tie 1551
07-08-1290798, Magic: Standard-2007-08-18-GREENFIELD: 2007-08-18 20
3 Andrew J. Wyrowski Loss 1550
2 Michael J. Groh Loss 1555
1 James Kroblanch Loss 1562
07-07-1273000, Magic: Standard-2007-07-21-GREENFIELD: 2007-07-21 10
4 Greg Barker Loss 1571
3 Bye 1578
2 Nicholas Simmons Loss 1578
1 Jeff Modlinski Loss 1586
06-11-1134522, Friday Night Magic: 2006-11-03 14
5 Tony J. Rome Win 1596
Is that 1-10? Cripes, I suck.
Anyways, here's the list. I long to kill people with Pegasi again. This may explain my rating.
4 Wrath of God
1 Aura of Silence
1 Purity
1 Sacred Mesa
1 Hoofprints of the Stag
3 Idyllic Tutor
1 Akroma, Angel of Wrath
1 Story Circle
4 Martyr of Sands
3 Pollen Lullaby
4 Condemn
3 Magus of the Disk
1 Urza's Factory
1 Enduring Renewal
2 Austere Command
1 Mobilization
4 Mind Stone
20 Plains
4 Flagstones of Trokair
Yes, that is 25 land and 4 Mind Stone. I don't have a sideboard yet. Probly Ronom Unicorns and 11 Plains. Wish me luck!
08-02-1390181, 21320 QT Hollywood 08: 2008-02-23 186
3 Edd N. Black Loss 1518
2 Yannis S. Guerra Loss 1532
1 Jerret W. Rocha Loss 1541
07-09-1320888, Magic: Standard-2007-09-15-GREENFIELD: 2007-09-15 5
4 Dylan Crisp Loss 1546
3 Robert Majchrzak Win 1552
September 15th? That's not so bad, it's only 7 months. What about before that?
2 Dan Knudten Loss 1540
1 Bye 1544
07-09-1315632, Friday Night Magic - Sept 2007: 2007-09-07 15
4 Tom P. Carroll Loss 1544
3 Dan Knudten Loss 1547
2 Andrew J. Wyrowski Loss 1549
1 Joseph Haines Tie 1551
07-08-1290798, Magic: Standard-2007-08-18-GREENFIELD: 2007-08-18 20
3 Andrew J. Wyrowski Loss 1550
2 Michael J. Groh Loss 1555
1 James Kroblanch Loss 1562
07-07-1273000, Magic: Standard-2007-07-21-GREENFIELD: 2007-07-21 10
4 Greg Barker Loss 1571
3 Bye 1578
2 Nicholas Simmons Loss 1578
1 Jeff Modlinski Loss 1586
06-11-1134522, Friday Night Magic: 2006-11-03 14
5 Tony J. Rome Win 1596
Is that 1-10? Cripes, I suck.
Anyways, here's the list. I long to kill people with Pegasi again. This may explain my rating.
4 Wrath of God
1 Aura of Silence
1 Purity
1 Sacred Mesa
1 Hoofprints of the Stag
3 Idyllic Tutor
1 Akroma, Angel of Wrath
1 Story Circle
4 Martyr of Sands
3 Pollen Lullaby
4 Condemn
3 Magus of the Disk
1 Urza's Factory
1 Enduring Renewal
2 Austere Command
1 Mobilization
4 Mind Stone
20 Plains
4 Flagstones of Trokair
Yes, that is 25 land and 4 Mind Stone. I don't have a sideboard yet. Probly Ronom Unicorns and 11 Plains. Wish me luck!
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Sek'Kuar Testing- Absurd!
Really Jonesing to goldfish the new Sek'Kuar EDH with my old Numot EDH. Realize I don't have 99 sleeves of the same color. Shuffle 'em up bareback anyway. Sek'Kuar killed Numot five times. Like the general Numot. As in, "I am casting Numot again... for 14 mana." Sek'Kuar: "Nekraatal it on my turn."
Key turn: Sek'Kuar is at four life and seven mana, with a lonely Wood Elves in play, facing down Numot and Greater Gargadon. Cast E-Wit targeting Hammerheim Deadeye. Cast Deadeye, targeting Numot. Sacrifice Wood Elves, E-Wit, Deadeye: Flashback Dread Return targeting Nekraatal, who targets Gargadon. Siiiick.
T
Key turn: Sek'Kuar is at four life and seven mana, with a lonely Wood Elves in play, facing down Numot and Greater Gargadon. Cast E-Wit targeting Hammerheim Deadeye. Cast Deadeye, targeting Numot. Sacrifice Wood Elves, E-Wit, Deadeye: Flashback Dread Return targeting Nekraatal, who targets Gargadon. Siiiick.
T
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Early Shadowmoor Thoughts.
I am pretty sure it is safe to say that I am the most competitive player that posts here. At least tournament wise. Some of you evil vile casual players are very competitive... you are just so evil you won't admit it.
But back to my point. Is it just me or are the cards that have been spoiled so far redick powerful?
Wilt-Leaf Liedge: Early Contender for best 4 drop ever?
Grim Poppet: Pretty sure he is better than Trisk in T1.
Order of the Whiteclay: There has to be a way to abuse that ability.
Demigod of Revenge: FU Blue.
Godhead of Awe: That is one very powerful ability.
Persist seems like an incredibly powerful ability.
Also for your unofficial spoiling pleasure: link
I have this weird suspicion that this will be TFW favorite card: link
Also on a side note. I love the art in this set. Most of it seems like it is going to be insane in foil.
But back to my point. Is it just me or are the cards that have been spoiled so far redick powerful?
Wilt-Leaf Liedge: Early Contender for best 4 drop ever?
Grim Poppet: Pretty sure he is better than Trisk in T1.
Order of the Whiteclay: There has to be a way to abuse that ability.
Demigod of Revenge: FU Blue.
Godhead of Awe: That is one very powerful ability.
Persist seems like an incredibly powerful ability.
Also for your unofficial spoiling pleasure: link
I have this weird suspicion that this will be TFW favorite card: link
Also on a side note. I love the art in this set. Most of it seems like it is going to be insane in foil.
Last month of Morningtide Sealed, part 1.
Well, we’re off to a good start for our last month of Morningtide sealed. We had a pretty good turn out on Tuesday (9 people => Me, Sco0p_Phase, The Captain, Jake, Ed, Mark, Bill, Kirsten, & Cameron). The mood was definitely good and I think I can conclude good times were had by all (6-0 in games, 3-0 in matches). For the third time in recent memory I open good black-green elves/treefolks. I think I can summarize why my deck wins as follows:
1. Epic Proportions on random guy can just win games (four times on Tuesday).
2. Removal is good.
3. Death touch is amazing.
4. Kinship is broken when Gilt-Leaf Seer is out.
Enough about why my deck wins games and on to the deck list. Here is what I played:
Black Poplar Shaman (less than optimal)
Elvish Eulogist
Gilt-Leaf Seer
Kithkin Daggerdare
Leaf-Crowned Elder (potentially game breaking)
Lys Alana Bowmaster
Moonglove Changeling
Moonglove Winnower
Nath’s Elite
Scarred Vinebreeder (sub-optimal)
Warren Pilferers
Weed-Pruner Poplar
Winnower Patrol
Wolf-Skull Shaman (amazing!!)
Woodland Changeling
Wren’s Run Vanquisher
Crib Swap
Epic Proportions (see above)
Gilt-Leaf Ambush
Hunting Triad (almost always Reinforced)
Pack’s Disdain
Violet Pall
Weed Strangle
Springleaf Drum
Shimmering Grotto
Plains (1)
Swamp (6)
Forest (8)
As far as the rest of the pool, other than Mulldrifter & Fodder Launch, there isn’t much else I am saddened to not be playing. Well, you can just judge for yourself.
White
Changeling Hero
Goldmeadow Dodger
Kithkin Ballonist
Neck Snap
Surge of Thoughtweft
Burrenton Shield-Bearers
Changeling Sentinel
Coordinated Barrage
Daily Regimen
Kithkin Zephyrnaut
Order of the Golden Cricket
Stonybrook Schoolmaster
Swell of Courage
Blue
Amoeboid Changeling
Etheral Whiskergill
Faerie Trickery
Mulldrifter
Protective Bubble
Scattering Stroke
Sentinels of Glen Elendra
Shapesharer
Wings of Velis Vel
Latchkey Faerie
Merrow Witsniper (2)
Negate
Slithermuse
Stream of Unconsciousness
Black
Boggart Harbinger
Exiled Boggart
Fodder Launch
Lys Alana Scarblade
Morsel Theft
Stinkdrinker Bandit
Red
Axegrinder Giant
Boggart Shenanigans
Caterwauling Boggart
Ingot Chewer
Inner-Flame Acolyte
Mudbutton Torchrunner
Smokebraider
Soulbright Flamekin
Thundercloud Shaman
Hostile Realm
Shard Volley
Stingmoggie
Sunflare Shaman
Green
Springcleaning
Artifact
Twinning Glass
Thornbite Staff
After looking over the rest of the pool, I am just now realizing that I am playing all but one of the green cards in the pool. What is even more amazing is that Springcleaning is a valid sideboard option against many white decks.
Looking at next weeks pack, Morningtide, I am pleased to see even more good green picks. I’ve place an * next to the cards to consider for inclusion for next week. As always feel free to post your ideas as far as what I should include. Here is the pack for reference:
*Winnower Patrol
Seething Pathblazer
Final-Sting Faerie
Latchkey Faerie
Lunk Errant
*Earthbrawn
Negate
*Bosk Banneret
Prickly Boggart
Stingmoggie
Festercreep
*Diviner’s Wand (2nd best equipment in the set)
Pyroclast Consul
Heritage Druid
Titan’s Revenge
1. Epic Proportions on random guy can just win games (four times on Tuesday).
2. Removal is good.
3. Death touch is amazing.
4. Kinship is broken when Gilt-Leaf Seer is out.
Enough about why my deck wins games and on to the deck list. Here is what I played:
Black Poplar Shaman (less than optimal)
Elvish Eulogist
Gilt-Leaf Seer
Kithkin Daggerdare
Leaf-Crowned Elder (potentially game breaking)
Lys Alana Bowmaster
Moonglove Changeling
Moonglove Winnower
Nath’s Elite
Scarred Vinebreeder (sub-optimal)
Warren Pilferers
Weed-Pruner Poplar
Winnower Patrol
Wolf-Skull Shaman (amazing!!)
Woodland Changeling
Wren’s Run Vanquisher
Crib Swap
Epic Proportions (see above)
Gilt-Leaf Ambush
Hunting Triad (almost always Reinforced)
Pack’s Disdain
Violet Pall
Weed Strangle
Springleaf Drum
Shimmering Grotto
Plains (1)
Swamp (6)
Forest (8)
As far as the rest of the pool, other than Mulldrifter & Fodder Launch, there isn’t much else I am saddened to not be playing. Well, you can just judge for yourself.
White
Changeling Hero
Goldmeadow Dodger
Kithkin Ballonist
Neck Snap
Surge of Thoughtweft
Burrenton Shield-Bearers
Changeling Sentinel
Coordinated Barrage
Daily Regimen
Kithkin Zephyrnaut
Order of the Golden Cricket
Stonybrook Schoolmaster
Swell of Courage
Blue
Amoeboid Changeling
Etheral Whiskergill
Faerie Trickery
Mulldrifter
Protective Bubble
Scattering Stroke
Sentinels of Glen Elendra
Shapesharer
Wings of Velis Vel
Latchkey Faerie
Merrow Witsniper (2)
Negate
Slithermuse
Stream of Unconsciousness
Black
Boggart Harbinger
Exiled Boggart
Fodder Launch
Lys Alana Scarblade
Morsel Theft
Stinkdrinker Bandit
Red
Axegrinder Giant
Boggart Shenanigans
Caterwauling Boggart
Ingot Chewer
Inner-Flame Acolyte
Mudbutton Torchrunner
Smokebraider
Soulbright Flamekin
Thundercloud Shaman
Hostile Realm
Shard Volley
Stingmoggie
Sunflare Shaman
Green
Springcleaning
Artifact
Twinning Glass
Thornbite Staff
After looking over the rest of the pool, I am just now realizing that I am playing all but one of the green cards in the pool. What is even more amazing is that Springcleaning is a valid sideboard option against many white decks.
Looking at next weeks pack, Morningtide, I am pleased to see even more good green picks. I’ve place an * next to the cards to consider for inclusion for next week. As always feel free to post your ideas as far as what I should include. Here is the pack for reference:
*Winnower Patrol
Seething Pathblazer
Final-Sting Faerie
Latchkey Faerie
Lunk Errant
*Earthbrawn
Negate
*Bosk Banneret
Prickly Boggart
Stingmoggie
Festercreep
*Diviner’s Wand (2nd best equipment in the set)
Pyroclast Consul
Heritage Druid
Titan’s Revenge
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
EDH Generals- A New Agreement?
I wanted to talk about the draftsgravaganza today (short recap: awesome!) but a more pertinent issue was raised in yesterday’s post. It'a not even an April Fools joke! Too bad. When Fugie wrote that we were running out of generals I was a little confused. It was his rationale for restricting everyone to one reserved general. Taken literally Fugie can’t possibly mean what he says. After all, he has a knowledge of the cards far greater than mine, and even I know that we have only grabbed a very few, albeit excellent, generals out of the pool. So what did Fugie mean when he said we were running out? Despite the fact that it was boring as hell, I decided to try to refute Fugie’s literal statement to get at what he may have really meant. I decided to catalog the color combinations of all possible generals. Using Star City’s Spoiler Generator I went through all the possible legendary creatures. I counted manually because there was no filter that would do exactly what I wanted, namely leaving out reprints and the Un-set legends. The data is current as of Morningtide. Here is what I found.
Colorless 3
W 56
U 50
B 55
R 47
G 48
WU 13
WB 3
WR 3
WG 13
UB 13
UR 3
UG 2
BR 13
BG 5
RG 11
WUB 8
WUR 1
WUG 6
WBR 1
WBG 2
WRG 5
UBR 8
UBG 1
URG 1
BRG 6
WUBRG 8
Total 385
See Fugie? We have 385 (probably give or take a few- remember I counted manually) generals to pick from! We’re not running out at all! Heh. Now the obvious is out of the way. Let’s dig in to the real data. For simplicity, let’s exclude all the mono-colored generals as too narrow (despite the fact that we know there are some competitive one-color generals). That chops out about 256, by my count. Still 129 to choose from. Now let’s look at the two-color generals. We have wide variance among the samples. Four combinations have 13 generals to choose from, plenty. But there are also 3 two-color combinations that contain only 3 generals, and another, UG, which contains only 2. Under the old agreement, those four color combinations could conceivably be “locked out” if too many people chose to play one of them.
Now to the real gravy, the three color generals. Many of us play three color generals, since with enough fixing three colors is still quite doable and it allows us a wider range of spells to further whatever strategy we want to push. Sometimes the general is incidental to the actual deck strategy and we just need the color combination. Seems like the actual general is less important than the colors… hmmm. Let’s take a look at the data. Again we have wide variance, this time with a top end of 8 creatures for a few of the three-color combinations. On the low end we have an astounding 4 of the three-color combinations that have a mere 1 general to pick from. If I want to play WUR (and it should be no surprise that I do, since my general is Numot) then I have only one choice.
There are no four-color combinations available.
After looking at this data I propose that Fugie really meant we are running out of three-color combinations.
Let me back up his assertion. After playing lots of EDH matches I decided that the strongest color combination is WBG… but I couldn’t play that color combination because there were two possible generals and both had been claimed previously. (I could have taken one of the 8 five-color generals and only played WBG, but personally that seemed wrong.) So that’s a downside to our old agreement. Under the new proposed agreement people could still be locked out of combinations, since the one guy who reserves Oros as his one general still screws everyone else out of WBR. Still, there would be more ability to switch into different colors. When I wanted to make another 3-color deck, I wanted to include BG because my Numot deck couldn’t use those colors at all. So that reduced my options to WBG, UBG, and BRG. Like I said above, WBG was off the table. No problem, I thought. I’ll just go with UBG… wait, who took Vorosh already? Okay, so I’m down to BRG (which luckily has plenty of options). I decided to go with Sek’Kuar Deathkeeper.
Above we can see the big downside of the old agreement, but here is where we run into a potential downside of the new one. I have spent quite a bit of time making a successful deck built around Numot. In the past few days I have been really excited about building Sek’Kuar, but I can’t possibly give up Numot for the chance that Sek’Kuar will be better. I feel forced to reserve Numot. And what’s the big deal if I can’t reserve SekKuar? Well, I really like the idea of using him as a general, but I also know several other players who told me they had considered building a Sek’Kuar deck too. Now I have to face the prospect of working hard to succeed with a second general and having my work copied by someone else. I don’t know if anyone in the playgroup would do that, but they could, if I didn’t reserve Sek’Kuar. Whether or not it would be good manners to copy another player’s deck is irrelevant. That is what will have to end up happening if we want to play in the same color combinations with the same general, or we could have stuck to the old rules anyway. Maybe I’m being sensitive, but I just like the idea of knowing that the time I took to build a deck is going to pay off for me. I mean, what other format could a guy expect to NOT be copied for having a great build? It’s one more reason why EDH is so awesome; your deck really is YOURS, at least within the confines of your playgroup.
I know what Fugie is trying to do with this new proposed agreement, and I am not saying that I even disagree, at least not wholeheartedly, but I do think that there is a downside to limiting the “reserved” list to one general a person. Is that downside worth opening up color combinations to other people? Tell me what you think. I think it deserves discussion.
Colorless 3
W 56
U 50
B 55
R 47
G 48
WU 13
WB 3
WR 3
WG 13
UB 13
UR 3
UG 2
BR 13
BG 5
RG 11
WUB 8
WUR 1
WUG 6
WBR 1
WBG 2
WRG 5
UBR 8
UBG 1
URG 1
BRG 6
WUBRG 8
Total 385
See Fugie? We have 385 (probably give or take a few- remember I counted manually) generals to pick from! We’re not running out at all! Heh. Now the obvious is out of the way. Let’s dig in to the real data. For simplicity, let’s exclude all the mono-colored generals as too narrow (despite the fact that we know there are some competitive one-color generals). That chops out about 256, by my count. Still 129 to choose from. Now let’s look at the two-color generals. We have wide variance among the samples. Four combinations have 13 generals to choose from, plenty. But there are also 3 two-color combinations that contain only 3 generals, and another, UG, which contains only 2. Under the old agreement, those four color combinations could conceivably be “locked out” if too many people chose to play one of them.
Now to the real gravy, the three color generals. Many of us play three color generals, since with enough fixing three colors is still quite doable and it allows us a wider range of spells to further whatever strategy we want to push. Sometimes the general is incidental to the actual deck strategy and we just need the color combination. Seems like the actual general is less important than the colors… hmmm. Let’s take a look at the data. Again we have wide variance, this time with a top end of 8 creatures for a few of the three-color combinations. On the low end we have an astounding 4 of the three-color combinations that have a mere 1 general to pick from. If I want to play WUR (and it should be no surprise that I do, since my general is Numot) then I have only one choice.
There are no four-color combinations available.
After looking at this data I propose that Fugie really meant we are running out of three-color combinations.
Let me back up his assertion. After playing lots of EDH matches I decided that the strongest color combination is WBG… but I couldn’t play that color combination because there were two possible generals and both had been claimed previously. (I could have taken one of the 8 five-color generals and only played WBG, but personally that seemed wrong.) So that’s a downside to our old agreement. Under the new proposed agreement people could still be locked out of combinations, since the one guy who reserves Oros as his one general still screws everyone else out of WBR. Still, there would be more ability to switch into different colors. When I wanted to make another 3-color deck, I wanted to include BG because my Numot deck couldn’t use those colors at all. So that reduced my options to WBG, UBG, and BRG. Like I said above, WBG was off the table. No problem, I thought. I’ll just go with UBG… wait, who took Vorosh already? Okay, so I’m down to BRG (which luckily has plenty of options). I decided to go with Sek’Kuar Deathkeeper.
Above we can see the big downside of the old agreement, but here is where we run into a potential downside of the new one. I have spent quite a bit of time making a successful deck built around Numot. In the past few days I have been really excited about building Sek’Kuar, but I can’t possibly give up Numot for the chance that Sek’Kuar will be better. I feel forced to reserve Numot. And what’s the big deal if I can’t reserve SekKuar? Well, I really like the idea of using him as a general, but I also know several other players who told me they had considered building a Sek’Kuar deck too. Now I have to face the prospect of working hard to succeed with a second general and having my work copied by someone else. I don’t know if anyone in the playgroup would do that, but they could, if I didn’t reserve Sek’Kuar. Whether or not it would be good manners to copy another player’s deck is irrelevant. That is what will have to end up happening if we want to play in the same color combinations with the same general, or we could have stuck to the old rules anyway. Maybe I’m being sensitive, but I just like the idea of knowing that the time I took to build a deck is going to pay off for me. I mean, what other format could a guy expect to NOT be copied for having a great build? It’s one more reason why EDH is so awesome; your deck really is YOURS, at least within the confines of your playgroup.
I know what Fugie is trying to do with this new proposed agreement, and I am not saying that I even disagree, at least not wholeheartedly, but I do think that there is a downside to limiting the “reserved” list to one general a person. Is that downside worth opening up color combinations to other people? Tell me what you think. I think it deserves discussion.
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