I am looking to sell this stuff for cash money. LMK if anyone is looking for anything (I prefer not to break playsets of duals/pains)
4 Watery Grave
5 Overgrown Tomb
4 Sacred Foundry
4 Temple Garden
4 Stomping Ground
4 Steam Vents
2 Godless Shrine (I have 4 but I lent 2 to a dumbass who hasn't returned them yet. I need to track that shitter down)
4 Hallowed Fountain
4 Blood crypt
4 Breeding Pool
4 Brushland (IA)
4 Underground River (IA)
4 Sulferous Springs (IA)
4 Karplusan Forest (IA)
4 Adakar Wastes (IA)
4 Caves of Koilos (AP)
4 Shivan Reef (AP)
4 Yavimaya Coast (AP)
4 Llanowar Wastes (AP)
4 Battlefield Forge (AP)
4 Flagstones of Trokair
2 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth (1 Foil)
3 Nimbus Maze
4 Grove of the Burnwillows
4 Scrying Sheets
4 Coalation Relic
4 Chameleon Colossus
4 Birds of Paradise (RAV)
4 Bogardan Hellkite
4 Damnation
4 Wrath of God (4th Ed.)
4 Lightning Angel
4 Vesuvan Shapeshifter
2 Aeon Chronicler
3 Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
3 Venser, Shaper Savant
4 Repeal (Foil)
4 Remand
4 Delay
4 Call of the Herd (TSP)
5 Saffi Eriksdotter (4 English, 1 Jap.)
2 Mystic Enforcer (TSP)
4 Mystic Snake (AP)
4 Glittering Wish
4 Serra Avenger
4 Spectral Force
2 Quagnoth
1 Teneb, the Harvester
3 Stormbind (TSP)
4 Sedge Sliver
4 Urza's Mine (AQ)
4 Urza's Tower (AQ)
4 Urza's Power Plant (AQ)
3 Umezawa's Jitte
4 Lightning Helix
4 Savannah Lions
X Kird Apes (of all editions)
4 Putrefy
4 Mortify
4 Vindicate
4 Plow Under (UD)
4 Living Wish
4 Troll Ascetic (MD)
3 Life from the Loam
3 Slaughter Pact (1 Foil)
3 Astral Slide (FNM Foil)
5 Eternal Witnesses (1 FNM Foil)
4 Loxodon Hierarch
4 Doran the Siege Tower
4 Cabal Therapy
2 Kataki, War's Wage
2 Haunting Echoes
3 Gaddock Teeg
4 Chill (TE)
4 Bloodstained Mire
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Windswept Heath
1 Urza's Factory (Russian Foil)
4 Seismic Assault (Xth Ed.)
4 Destructive Flow
4 Boom/Bust
2 Fact or Fiction
3 Chrome Mox
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Beating a Dead Cube Draft Horse
I know everyone is pretty bored with Cube Draft discussion, but honestly I've got nothing else Magic-related going on lately. Like CBG, I am kind of burned out with the whole 4 set per year thing. I am very glad I did not buy more than a box of Eventide, as it turned out to be shit. I think the move to multiformat Pro Tours is really good for Magic, but otherwise all that other policy change crap going on lately is really boring to me. But I am really pushing to have the next iteration of the Cube complete by Shards of Alara previews, so I will write this last post about it.
We had a great weekend for Cube Drafts, with GU hosting an 8 person Draft on Friday and a 12 person on Saturday. I was at first leery of store-based Cube drafts because so many of the people playing haven't contributed cards, and it was easier for all those pimped out cards to walk out the door surreptitiously. But I was wrong. People seem to genuinely enjoy the format, and every card is still accounted for after about a half dozen of these store based drafts. Not bad, considering how easy it is to even just misplace cards when they're scattered all over the store. There is a lot of love for this format. We also have more data to come to some conclusions about the soon-to-occur changes to the Cube.
COLOR FIXING
The Captain and I spoke about cutting the color-fixing in the Cube by one ten-card cycle, since three color decks and beyond are eminently achievable. But the response that I got when I asked people about the fixing was that they really like the flexibility. I seemed to be the only one who actually thought of it as a problem. This may be because I am trying to squeeze other good things in the Cube as well, so I am always looking for cuts. But maybe we can leave the color fixing as is for now. Major_Luck likes the idea of cutting the Ravnica shock lands for the five fetch lands. The fetches are probably more powerful (especially with ten original duals floating around) and they would free up five slots that could still be used to expand, oh I don't now, say the five enemy color combinations featured in Eventide? Clever, eh? The issue is far from settled however.
RECURSION
I deliberately forced a reanimator deck on Friday night. I can attest to its raw power. I played terribly and somehow still managed to make it to the finals, against Fugie, of all people. He got there with a three (or was it four?) color control deck, which also gives us some data about the format, even taking into account Fugie's notoriously rainbow-flavored deck building predilections. I think that we can safely pare back some of the reanimation, and even add a little graveyard hate, with no real damage to the archetype. Trust me, when a guy like me can mill 30 cards of his deck into the graveyard by turn six, and then win before decking himself, the archetype is too strong. I am no combo player.
MULTICOLOR
More multicolor cards should arrive with Eventide. That is really all there is to say about this change. Hybrid versus gold cards are not as important an issue as I first thought. As The Captain pointed out, in a pool of 540 cards, whether or not two of the cards can be played only in U/W decks vs. U and W decks just isn't significant.
AGGRO
Control is really quite juiced since our move to 540. Everyone is in agreement on this. Our cuts and adds should leave a more balanced picture than before.
CREATURES
Although our current configuration has a reasonable creature/spell mix (about 50% overall), the ratio of creatures to spells should be increased, if only slightly. It seems very difficult to draft enough creatures. Most of my recent decks have sported only 12 or so dudes. This is probably a function of how amazing controlling strategies are (why play 18 dudes when you can just counterspell/kill/bounce/sweep the board instead?) but it warrants a mention.
CUTS
You know it has to happen. We have to get rid of some cards to make room for other juicy stuff. I haven't thought huge amounts about this, but these are cards I would consider. I am skewing toward working toward the goals above, in case it isn't obvious. Let me know your own ideas as well, if you have any. I don't think the below links will work and am too lazy to change them.
Aegis of Honor
Divine Offering
Enduring Renewal
Kataki, War's Wage
Pariah
Cho-Manno, Revolutionary
Prison Term
Rule of Law
Braingeyser
Collective Restraint
Cunning Wish
Evacuation
Hydroblast
Propaganda
Threads of Disloyalty
Darkblast
Corpse Dance
Korlash, Heir to Blackblade
Night of Souls' Betrayal
Nihilith
Priest of Gix
Rend Flesh
Living Death
Diabolic Servitude
Demonfire
Flamebreak
Ghostfire
Lava Hounds
Mana Flare
Pyroblast
Seal of Fire
Shock or Tarfire or Sudden Shock, just one of them.
Shard Phoenix
Basking Rootwalla
Carven Caryatid
Defense of the Heart
Mirri, Cat Warrior
Fyndhorn Elves
Spawnwrithe
Spidersilk Armor
Survival of the Fittest
Tower Above
Vinelasher Kudzu
Desolation Giant
Fiery Justice
Firemane Angel
Grave-Shell Scarab
Lightning Angel
Memory Plunder
Nath of the Gilt-Leaf
Silkbind Faerie
Void
Vulturous Zombie
Icy Manipulator
Lotus Petal
Serrated Arrows
Volrath's Stronghold
Wasteland
Terramorphic Expanse Probably just to add City of Brass
Tolarian Academy
Maybe the Rav duals
I was going to have a new mix today, but I have no web host any more. I don't know what happened to all the data I uploaded, but the whole beatspro site appears to have vanished. That's what I get for expecting free online hosting for 1000 megs of files. I am looking at other options.
As usual, sorry for the length.
T
We had a great weekend for Cube Drafts, with GU hosting an 8 person Draft on Friday and a 12 person on Saturday. I was at first leery of store-based Cube drafts because so many of the people playing haven't contributed cards, and it was easier for all those pimped out cards to walk out the door surreptitiously. But I was wrong. People seem to genuinely enjoy the format, and every card is still accounted for after about a half dozen of these store based drafts. Not bad, considering how easy it is to even just misplace cards when they're scattered all over the store. There is a lot of love for this format. We also have more data to come to some conclusions about the soon-to-occur changes to the Cube.
COLOR FIXING
The Captain and I spoke about cutting the color-fixing in the Cube by one ten-card cycle, since three color decks and beyond are eminently achievable. But the response that I got when I asked people about the fixing was that they really like the flexibility. I seemed to be the only one who actually thought of it as a problem. This may be because I am trying to squeeze other good things in the Cube as well, so I am always looking for cuts. But maybe we can leave the color fixing as is for now. Major_Luck likes the idea of cutting the Ravnica shock lands for the five fetch lands. The fetches are probably more powerful (especially with ten original duals floating around) and they would free up five slots that could still be used to expand, oh I don't now, say the five enemy color combinations featured in Eventide? Clever, eh? The issue is far from settled however.
RECURSION
I deliberately forced a reanimator deck on Friday night. I can attest to its raw power. I played terribly and somehow still managed to make it to the finals, against Fugie, of all people. He got there with a three (or was it four?) color control deck, which also gives us some data about the format, even taking into account Fugie's notoriously rainbow-flavored deck building predilections. I think that we can safely pare back some of the reanimation, and even add a little graveyard hate, with no real damage to the archetype. Trust me, when a guy like me can mill 30 cards of his deck into the graveyard by turn six, and then win before decking himself, the archetype is too strong. I am no combo player.
MULTICOLOR
More multicolor cards should arrive with Eventide. That is really all there is to say about this change. Hybrid versus gold cards are not as important an issue as I first thought. As The Captain pointed out, in a pool of 540 cards, whether or not two of the cards can be played only in U/W decks vs. U and W decks just isn't significant.
AGGRO
Control is really quite juiced since our move to 540. Everyone is in agreement on this. Our cuts and adds should leave a more balanced picture than before.
CREATURES
Although our current configuration has a reasonable creature/spell mix (about 50% overall), the ratio of creatures to spells should be increased, if only slightly. It seems very difficult to draft enough creatures. Most of my recent decks have sported only 12 or so dudes. This is probably a function of how amazing controlling strategies are (why play 18 dudes when you can just counterspell/kill/bounce/sweep the board instead?) but it warrants a mention.
CUTS
You know it has to happen. We have to get rid of some cards to make room for other juicy stuff. I haven't thought huge amounts about this, but these are cards I would consider. I am skewing toward working toward the goals above, in case it isn't obvious. Let me know your own ideas as well, if you have any. I don't think the below links will work and am too lazy to change them.
Aegis of Honor
Divine Offering
Enduring Renewal
Kataki, War's Wage
Pariah
Cho-Manno, Revolutionary
Prison Term
Rule of Law
Braingeyser
Collective Restraint
Cunning Wish
Evacuation
Hydroblast
Propaganda
Threads of Disloyalty
Darkblast
Corpse Dance
Korlash, Heir to Blackblade
Night of Souls' Betrayal
Nihilith
Priest of Gix
Rend Flesh
Living Death
Diabolic Servitude
Demonfire
Flamebreak
Ghostfire
Lava Hounds
Mana Flare
Pyroblast
Seal of Fire
Shock or Tarfire or Sudden Shock, just one of them.
Shard Phoenix
Basking Rootwalla
Carven Caryatid
Defense of the Heart
Mirri, Cat Warrior
Fyndhorn Elves
Spawnwrithe
Spidersilk Armor
Survival of the Fittest
Tower Above
Vinelasher Kudzu
Desolation Giant
Fiery Justice
Firemane Angel
Grave-Shell Scarab
Lightning Angel
Memory Plunder
Nath of the Gilt-Leaf
Silkbind Faerie
Void
Vulturous Zombie
Icy Manipulator
Lotus Petal
Serrated Arrows
Volrath's Stronghold
Wasteland
Terramorphic Expanse Probably just to add City of Brass
Tolarian Academy
Maybe the Rav duals
I was going to have a new mix today, but I have no web host any more. I don't know what happened to all the data I uploaded, but the whole beatspro site appears to have vanished. That's what I get for expecting free online hosting for 1000 megs of files. I am looking at other options.
As usual, sorry for the length.
T
Friday, August 22, 2008
In other news
According to Devin Low, 17% of the people who answered the poll prefer cats with tits to any other theme (including lions with hooves! Hooves, people! Come on! That's friggin badass). Damn. Just...damn.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
New players, and the late summer blues
First, I apologize for not having drafts at the house lately. I've been pretty busy on Fridays. If you are jonesing for EDH action, apparently Thursday is Elder Dragon Highlander Night at the store now. That sounds like a fun thing to check out and Thursdays might be good for me. Of course, I always say that and yet, my time always seems to be rather limited.
Second, we have a new dude in the playgroup, at least marginally attached. Swizz-Dizzle has sucked another person into the vortex that is Magic:the Gathering and he is hoovering up knowledge and cards at a phenomenal pace. Like most new players, he is totally into his not exactly standard legal casual constructed deck that does completely broken things for the casual table. It's fun to watch someone go through basically the same process I did three years ago and a little humbling. I am much more jaded about the game now and it's fun to see that wide eyed wonder. I don't know if I am ever going to get that back. Of course, every time I think I am out they keep sucking me back in. I am already on the hook for at least two boxes of Shards but I don't know. That might be the last hurrah for me for a while. The pace of cards is too much for me. I feel like I have barely played with Shadowmoor and it's not even going to be the newest set by the end of next month. Eventide is tremendously uninteresting to me for some reason. I am beginning to think they really had shit wired when they released three sets to a block and one block a year. It really allows your brain some rest time in between before you have to hit the feeder bar again.
Maybe the problem is that Wizards is trying to do some contradictory things that aren't necessarily conducive to 100% enjoyment. Their number one goal is to sell cards. It has to be. Magic is by far the biggest property Wizards owned and is probably only approached on that front by D&D. Hell, Magic is one of Hasbro's top 10 properties and they fucking own My Little Pony. Anyway, their basic sales tactic is to generate an addiction (or at least addictive behaviors) in their clientele. One part of hooking people is fun, but anyone who has been addicted to drugs, gambling or anything else will tell you that the pleasure of the activity is not the promary motivator after a while. Magic is very carefully calibrated to keep people hitting the feeder bar, keep them wanting more new stuff and keep them cracking packs. All the things they do have other motives, but ultimately they want to get you addicted and keep you addicted. Frankly, I wish Wizards would quit trying to sell us other shit (Dreamblade, Hecatomb, etc). Magic players spend all their gaming budget on Magic. If only they'd realize this and focus all their resources, they'd print even more money than they already do. Anyway, my point is, fun is going the way of the dodo bird for me right now and I am losing my addiction. Who knows though? Maybe they wil come up with something sick that I will just have to have in the fall. A new format, a new card type, a new color. Something like that.
Second, we have a new dude in the playgroup, at least marginally attached. Swizz-Dizzle has sucked another person into the vortex that is Magic:the Gathering and he is hoovering up knowledge and cards at a phenomenal pace. Like most new players, he is totally into his not exactly standard legal casual constructed deck that does completely broken things for the casual table. It's fun to watch someone go through basically the same process I did three years ago and a little humbling. I am much more jaded about the game now and it's fun to see that wide eyed wonder. I don't know if I am ever going to get that back. Of course, every time I think I am out they keep sucking me back in. I am already on the hook for at least two boxes of Shards but I don't know. That might be the last hurrah for me for a while. The pace of cards is too much for me. I feel like I have barely played with Shadowmoor and it's not even going to be the newest set by the end of next month. Eventide is tremendously uninteresting to me for some reason. I am beginning to think they really had shit wired when they released three sets to a block and one block a year. It really allows your brain some rest time in between before you have to hit the feeder bar again.
Maybe the problem is that Wizards is trying to do some contradictory things that aren't necessarily conducive to 100% enjoyment. Their number one goal is to sell cards. It has to be. Magic is by far the biggest property Wizards owned and is probably only approached on that front by D&D. Hell, Magic is one of Hasbro's top 10 properties and they fucking own My Little Pony. Anyway, their basic sales tactic is to generate an addiction (or at least addictive behaviors) in their clientele. One part of hooking people is fun, but anyone who has been addicted to drugs, gambling or anything else will tell you that the pleasure of the activity is not the promary motivator after a while. Magic is very carefully calibrated to keep people hitting the feeder bar, keep them wanting more new stuff and keep them cracking packs. All the things they do have other motives, but ultimately they want to get you addicted and keep you addicted. Frankly, I wish Wizards would quit trying to sell us other shit (Dreamblade, Hecatomb, etc). Magic players spend all their gaming budget on Magic. If only they'd realize this and focus all their resources, they'd print even more money than they already do. Anyway, my point is, fun is going the way of the dodo bird for me right now and I am losing my addiction. Who knows though? Maybe they wil come up with something sick that I will just have to have in the fall. A new format, a new card type, a new color. Something like that.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Eventide Additions to the Cube
Today's post comes in the form of a poll. For each enemy color pair, rate the top five cards. What are the criteria you should use to evaluate these cards, you ask? Let's go with a mix of Constructed power level and Limited playability. A composite of both formats, if you will. This exercise is of course for determining the new class of additions to the Cube, a Limited format with power levels closer to Constructed. A gander at the current list of multicolor cards reveals that only about three cards from each enemy color pair will probably make the cut (some pairs will have more, others less), but listing the top five will help to delineate which cards are best over all. Post your picks in the comments. I'll do so too, in case you want to preserve your own opinions prior to seeing anyone else's.
Gwyllion (W/B)
Batwing Brume
Beckon Apparition
Bloodied Ghost
Cauldron Haze
Deathbringer Liege
Divinity of Pride
Edge of the Divinity
Evershrike
Gwyllion Hedge-Mage
Harvest Gwyllion
Nightsky Mimic
Nip Gwyllion
Pyrrhic Revival
Restless Apparition
Stillmoon Cavalier
Unmake
Voracious Hatchling
Duergar (W/R)
Balefire Liege
Battlegate Mimic
Belligerent Hatchling
Double Cleave
Duergar Assailant
Duergar Hedge-Mage
Duergar Mine-Captain
Figure of Destiny
Fire at Will
Hearthfire Hobgoblin
Hobgoblin Dragoon
Moonhold
Nobilis of War
Rise of the Hobgoblins
Scourge of the Nobilis
Spitemare
Waves of Aggression
Noggle (U/R)
Call the Skybreaker
Clout of the Dominus
Crackleburr
Crag Puca
Dominus of Fealty
Inside Out
Mindwrack Liege
Mirror Sheen
Noggle Bandit
Noggle Bridgebreaker
Noggle Hedge-Mage
Noggle Ransacker
Nucklavee
Riverfall Mimic
Shrewd Hatchling
Stream Hopper
Unnerving Assault
Selkie, and/or Kelpie (U/G)
Cold-Eyed Selkie
Fable of Wolf and Owl
Favor of the Overbeing
Gilder Bairn
Grazing Kelpie
Groundling Pouncer
Invert the Skies
Murkfiend Liege
Overbeing of Myth
Selkie Hedge-Mage
Shorecrasher Mimic
Slippery Bogle
Snakeform
Spitting Image
Sturdy Hatchling
Trapjaw Kelpie
Wistful Selkie
Um, Hag? No... Trow! Trow! (B/G)
Canker Abomination
Cankerous Thirst
Creakwood Liege
Deity of Scars
Desecrator Hag
Doomgape
Drain the Well
Gift of the Deity
Hag Hedge-Mage
Noxious Hatchling
Odious Trow
Quillspike
Rendclaw Trow
Sapling of Colfenor
Stalker Hag
Woodlurker Mimic
Worm Harvest
Mono Colored Monoliths
There will also be a few mono colored cards that break into the Cube from Eventide. I expect this list to be brief, given the overall power level of the Cube. Here are the mono-colored Eventide cards I think might have at least a shot.
White
Archon of Justice
Ballynock Trapper
Cenn's Enlistment
Endless Horizons
Hallowed Burial
Blue
Cache Raiders
Glen Elendra Archmage
Wake Thrasher
Black
Ashling, the Extinguisher
Raven's Crime
Soul Snuffers
Soul Reap
Umbra Stalker
Red
Flame Jab
Puncture Blast
Heartlash Cinder
Outrage Shaman
Stigma Lasher
Green
Aerie Ouphes
Bloom Tender
Primalcrux
Talara's Battalion
Some of these are dubious, but I wanted to cast a wide enough net that I wouldn't be accused of missing great cards. I still probably have. The only cards that seem guaranteed are Archon of Justice, Puncture Blast, and maybe the Wake Thrasher or Glen Elendra Archmage. Eventide seems really juiced in terms of White mono-colored cards, and I expect to see more of them make the cut. I think Ashling, the Extinguisher also looks like an absolute blowout, even if she only connects once, but I've never played with her, so I'm not making any predictions.
In non-Magic news, what I had chalked up to a bad joke over at Penny Arcade is apparently either deadly serious or a long, Family Guy-esque drawn out punchline that ceases to be funny long before it ends (I'll guess the latter). Witness "Bogey Golf, Part Two of Thirty." (Totally NSFW.) So I can only assume that they've finally gone insane, since the punchline is not only boring but also not at all about golf. Wait, that last thing is a positive.
(CW)TS out.
Okay, dog fucking is a little bit funny.
Gwyllion (W/B)
Batwing Brume
Beckon Apparition
Bloodied Ghost
Cauldron Haze
Deathbringer Liege
Divinity of Pride
Edge of the Divinity
Evershrike
Gwyllion Hedge-Mage
Harvest Gwyllion
Nightsky Mimic
Nip Gwyllion
Pyrrhic Revival
Restless Apparition
Stillmoon Cavalier
Unmake
Voracious Hatchling
Duergar (W/R)
Balefire Liege
Battlegate Mimic
Belligerent Hatchling
Double Cleave
Duergar Assailant
Duergar Hedge-Mage
Duergar Mine-Captain
Figure of Destiny
Fire at Will
Hearthfire Hobgoblin
Hobgoblin Dragoon
Moonhold
Nobilis of War
Rise of the Hobgoblins
Scourge of the Nobilis
Spitemare
Waves of Aggression
Noggle (U/R)
Call the Skybreaker
Clout of the Dominus
Crackleburr
Crag Puca
Dominus of Fealty
Inside Out
Mindwrack Liege
Mirror Sheen
Noggle Bandit
Noggle Bridgebreaker
Noggle Hedge-Mage
Noggle Ransacker
Nucklavee
Riverfall Mimic
Shrewd Hatchling
Stream Hopper
Unnerving Assault
Selkie, and/or Kelpie (U/G)
Cold-Eyed Selkie
Fable of Wolf and Owl
Favor of the Overbeing
Gilder Bairn
Grazing Kelpie
Groundling Pouncer
Invert the Skies
Murkfiend Liege
Overbeing of Myth
Selkie Hedge-Mage
Shorecrasher Mimic
Slippery Bogle
Snakeform
Spitting Image
Sturdy Hatchling
Trapjaw Kelpie
Wistful Selkie
Um, Hag? No... Trow! Trow! (B/G)
Canker Abomination
Cankerous Thirst
Creakwood Liege
Deity of Scars
Desecrator Hag
Doomgape
Drain the Well
Gift of the Deity
Hag Hedge-Mage
Noxious Hatchling
Odious Trow
Quillspike
Rendclaw Trow
Sapling of Colfenor
Stalker Hag
Woodlurker Mimic
Worm Harvest
Mono Colored Monoliths
There will also be a few mono colored cards that break into the Cube from Eventide. I expect this list to be brief, given the overall power level of the Cube. Here are the mono-colored Eventide cards I think might have at least a shot.
White
Archon of Justice
Ballynock Trapper
Cenn's Enlistment
Endless Horizons
Hallowed Burial
Blue
Cache Raiders
Glen Elendra Archmage
Wake Thrasher
Black
Ashling, the Extinguisher
Raven's Crime
Soul Snuffers
Soul Reap
Umbra Stalker
Red
Flame Jab
Puncture Blast
Heartlash Cinder
Outrage Shaman
Stigma Lasher
Green
Aerie Ouphes
Bloom Tender
Primalcrux
Talara's Battalion
Some of these are dubious, but I wanted to cast a wide enough net that I wouldn't be accused of missing great cards. I still probably have. The only cards that seem guaranteed are Archon of Justice, Puncture Blast, and maybe the Wake Thrasher or Glen Elendra Archmage. Eventide seems really juiced in terms of White mono-colored cards, and I expect to see more of them make the cut. I think Ashling, the Extinguisher also looks like an absolute blowout, even if she only connects once, but I've never played with her, so I'm not making any predictions.
In non-Magic news, what I had chalked up to a bad joke over at Penny Arcade is apparently either deadly serious or a long, Family Guy-esque drawn out punchline that ceases to be funny long before it ends (I'll guess the latter). Witness "Bogey Golf, Part Two of Thirty." (Totally NSFW.) So I can only assume that they've finally gone insane, since the punchline is not only boring but also not at all about golf. Wait, that last thing is a positive.
(CW)TS out.
Okay, dog fucking is a little bit funny.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Previews
I am kind of looking forward to Shards of Alara, even if it does have cats with tits. Honestly, I know those artists study anatomy. What is up with the cats with tits?
So I am one of those guys who doesn't like checking out the unofficial spoilers. I know this puts me in the distinct minority in the present playgroup but there's something tremendously fun for me about cracking packs and reading cards for the first time. I am fairly certain that I would quit Magic if they stopped printing new sets. Opening packs at a prerelease and reading every card (even though I know I should just be sorting by color as fast as I can) is the bomb. It's fun to categorize (here's the new naturalize, I can't believe they printed a 5/5 flyer that draws cards for 5 in blue (actually I can believe that) here's a bear, etc...) as they come fresh from the pack. I totally understand the impulse for spoilers but for me, the prerelease is my one chance to understand the set in a pure way, uncolored by other people's perceptions. I get to experience it as entirely my own. I wish they were able to release a set 100% spoiler-free sometime, but if wishes were horses, we'd all smell like horseshit. That's all for this week.
--CBG
So I am one of those guys who doesn't like checking out the unofficial spoilers. I know this puts me in the distinct minority in the present playgroup but there's something tremendously fun for me about cracking packs and reading cards for the first time. I am fairly certain that I would quit Magic if they stopped printing new sets. Opening packs at a prerelease and reading every card (even though I know I should just be sorting by color as fast as I can) is the bomb. It's fun to categorize (here's the new naturalize, I can't believe they printed a 5/5 flyer that draws cards for 5 in blue (actually I can believe that) here's a bear, etc...) as they come fresh from the pack. I totally understand the impulse for spoilers but for me, the prerelease is my one chance to understand the set in a pure way, uncolored by other people's perceptions. I get to experience it as entirely my own. I wish they were able to release a set 100% spoiler-free sometime, but if wishes were horses, we'd all smell like horseshit. That's all for this week.
--CBG
Thursday, August 14, 2008
And the beats go on...
As the song goes . . . La de da de de, la de da de da
That's kind of my view on the last week of magic, at least for me. If you are unsure of what I speak, I mean my luck has changed (an abysmal 4-7 in games and 1 in 3 in matches). Where last week I dominated with my white blue build, everyone else has passed me up with the addition of one lonely pack of Eventide. I am still puzzled how one pack can make all that difference, but I am sure it is probably that many people were able to successfully switch colors and build more powerful decks then me. So if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
Here's what I opened:
Wickerbough Elder
Stream Hopper
Gift of the Deity
Aeries Ouphes
Beckon Apparition
Monstrify
Clout of the Dominous
Smoldering Butcher
Wilderness Hypnotist
Duergar Assailant
Ballynock Trapper
Outrage Shaman
Cache Raiders
Suture Spirit
Worm Harvest
As you may notice, a 2nd Ballynock Trapper, but not a lot else for blue white. So I added the Ballynock Trapper in favor of the Belligerent Hatchling and proceeded to get my face crushed by all but Bill (thanks for playing a higher curve then me). It was at the end of the night that I decided to give red white a try and here's what I came up with.
Creatures/Spells/Lands:
Archon of Justice
(2) Ballynock Trapper
Belligerent Hatchling
Briarberry Cohort
Hobgoblin Dragoon
Kithkin Spellduster
Mistmeadow Skulk
(2) Noggle Bandit
Noggle Hedge-Mage
Rune-Cervin Rider
Safehold Elite
Tatterkite
Twilight Shepherd
Windbrisk Raptor
Aethertow
Armored Ascension
Cenn's Enlistment
Fire at Will
Last Breath
Recumbent Bliss
Unmake
10 Plains
7 Mountains
Well, we'll see how this latest build fairs. Until next time, may the mana gods not hate you.
That's kind of my view on the last week of magic, at least for me. If you are unsure of what I speak, I mean my luck has changed (an abysmal 4-7 in games and 1 in 3 in matches). Where last week I dominated with my white blue build, everyone else has passed me up with the addition of one lonely pack of Eventide. I am still puzzled how one pack can make all that difference, but I am sure it is probably that many people were able to successfully switch colors and build more powerful decks then me. So if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
Here's what I opened:
Wickerbough Elder
Stream Hopper
Gift of the Deity
Aeries Ouphes
Beckon Apparition
Monstrify
Clout of the Dominous
Smoldering Butcher
Wilderness Hypnotist
Duergar Assailant
Ballynock Trapper
Outrage Shaman
Cache Raiders
Suture Spirit
Worm Harvest
As you may notice, a 2nd Ballynock Trapper, but not a lot else for blue white. So I added the Ballynock Trapper in favor of the Belligerent Hatchling and proceeded to get my face crushed by all but Bill (thanks for playing a higher curve then me). It was at the end of the night that I decided to give red white a try and here's what I came up with.
Creatures/Spells/Lands:
Archon of Justice
(2) Ballynock Trapper
Belligerent Hatchling
Briarberry Cohort
Hobgoblin Dragoon
Kithkin Spellduster
Mistmeadow Skulk
(2) Noggle Bandit
Noggle Hedge-Mage
Rune-Cervin Rider
Safehold Elite
Tatterkite
Twilight Shepherd
Windbrisk Raptor
Aethertow
Armored Ascension
Cenn's Enlistment
Fire at Will
Last Breath
Recumbent Bliss
Unmake
10 Plains
7 Mountains
Well, we'll see how this latest build fairs. Until next time, may the mana gods not hate you.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Cube 3.0 Owners Spreadsheet
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the-
Major_Luck spent most of last weekend entering the new Cube data (including who owns what) into an .xls document, so now we have ownership of the majority of the cards ironed out. I have put the data into a Google Doc and published it, so now anyone can see not only the Cube cards, but also information about ownership, premium cards, card color, even converted mana cost! Big thanks to Major_Luck for his help here. It would have taken me two months just to stop procrastinating.
We have a large number of cards that were cut that need to be returned to their owners. I will be doing this as I see people in the next few weeks. If you loaned a card that is no longer in the Cube and it isn't among the cards you receive back, contact me.
When viewing the document you will notice that there are still a few cards that do not have identified owners. I have perused the list and many of these are mine, but not all. If you are one of the half dozen people who contributed cards and see that one of the cards you loaned is not credited to you, please let me know. Obviously if you see something that is not accurate let me know about that as well.
As a Google document people all over the web can do all the neat stuff that you can do with any spreadsheet. Want to check the average casting cost of all the White cards in the Cube? You can do that! How many creatures does Blue really have? Just sort by color and then creature! Unfortunately, it looks like document that is published by Google cannot be manipulated (which is good, obviously we don't want some joker in the Czech Republic messing up all the work Dan did, just for laughs), but it also means that all the cool analytical stuff can only be done by collaborators. You need to have a Google account to be collaborator, so you can sign in to the document. If you own cards in the Cube and want to play around with this stuff I would suggest signing up and then emailing me so that I can add you to the collaborators list. It makes discussing cuts, adds and Cube balance one hell of a lot easier. Plus you can sort by the owner name, so it makes finding out which cards you actually own really simple.
Questions or suggestions on how we can make this system work better- let me know. I think we've got a pretty nice resource now. All we need to do is update it when changes occur and we should be in good shape for Eventide additions and beyond.
T
Major_Luck spent most of last weekend entering the new Cube data (including who owns what) into an .xls document, so now we have ownership of the majority of the cards ironed out. I have put the data into a Google Doc and published it, so now anyone can see not only the Cube cards, but also information about ownership, premium cards, card color, even converted mana cost! Big thanks to Major_Luck for his help here. It would have taken me two months just to stop procrastinating.
We have a large number of cards that were cut that need to be returned to their owners. I will be doing this as I see people in the next few weeks. If you loaned a card that is no longer in the Cube and it isn't among the cards you receive back, contact me.
When viewing the document you will notice that there are still a few cards that do not have identified owners. I have perused the list and many of these are mine, but not all. If you are one of the half dozen people who contributed cards and see that one of the cards you loaned is not credited to you, please let me know. Obviously if you see something that is not accurate let me know about that as well.
As a Google document people all over the web can do all the neat stuff that you can do with any spreadsheet. Want to check the average casting cost of all the White cards in the Cube? You can do that! How many creatures does Blue really have? Just sort by color and then creature! Unfortunately, it looks like document that is published by Google cannot be manipulated (which is good, obviously we don't want some joker in the Czech Republic messing up all the work Dan did, just for laughs), but it also means that all the cool analytical stuff can only be done by collaborators. You need to have a Google account to be collaborator, so you can sign in to the document. If you own cards in the Cube and want to play around with this stuff I would suggest signing up and then emailing me so that I can add you to the collaborators list. It makes discussing cuts, adds and Cube balance one hell of a lot easier. Plus you can sort by the owner name, so it makes finding out which cards you actually own really simple.
Questions or suggestions on how we can make this system work better- let me know. I think we've got a pretty nice resource now. All we need to do is update it when changes occur and we should be in good shape for Eventide additions and beyond.
T
The Secondary Sexual Characteristics of Felines
I can't possibly be the only person who is seriously weirded out by buoyant, helium filled balloons stapled to the front of these cat people. Can I?
Friday, August 8, 2008
The Video from Magic Nats
Well, I guess the sad news that we all washed out of the grinders falls to me to deliver, since Fugie is in his undisclosed location and TooSarcastic has decided to emulate Ansel Adams rather then Ernest Hemingway for once.
------------
And as an added bonus, more photos!
Richard Garfield is an officer and a gentleman. Not sure about the officer part actually. Sorry about the flash. New camera. New to me anyway.
TS's opponent! Will he be good? Will he not be good?
That's an Underground River and a Grove of the Burnwillows on the other side. Umm, no.
There are rumors of the existence of photos of Alan Comer not smiling. These rumors are unconfirmed, of course, because Alan Comer is always smiling.
See. I told you.
He also signs autographs for obvious pedophiles.
And finally, your moment of zen for the day.
Yes actually, that is a luck counter on a Gemstone Caverns. In Standard. In a sanctioned 32k event. I knew I misbuilt!
------------
And as an added bonus, more photos!
Richard Garfield is an officer and a gentleman. Not sure about the officer part actually. Sorry about the flash. New camera. New to me anyway.
TS's opponent! Will he be good? Will he not be good?
That's an Underground River and a Grove of the Burnwillows on the other side. Umm, no.
There are rumors of the existence of photos of Alan Comer not smiling. These rumors are unconfirmed, of course, because Alan Comer is always smiling.
See. I told you.
He also signs autographs for obvious pedophiles.
And finally, your moment of zen for the day.
Yes actually, that is a luck counter on a Gemstone Caverns. In Standard. In a sanctioned 32k event. I knew I misbuilt!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Jedi Mind Trick
Ordinarily, I wouldn't publish this, but since a Cubs fan was the unfortunate mindtrickee, here we go. Game 2 of 8 man draft. I owned game one, because as bad as I am, he was terrible(r). Unfortunately, he drops Godhead of Awe. Fuck, what will I do? I have 1/1s, he has Godhead of Awe. And Talonrend. Oooh! I have a pumpable retrace spell. But I am on 8. 2 swings of the Godhead (pr0n!) and I am dead. I have no trample. And retrace pump is sorcery pump. Fuck. Wait, what if he forgets he can't activate the Talonrend? Well, if that happens, he's fucked. Cause then I have 9 unblockable coming through. And he's on...wait for it...9. Attacks? Sure. Block with Talonrend. Effects? Pump Talonrend. Sure, bin him. (he tries to back up). Awkward, no. I did that on purpose. Fucking Cubs fan. Now all I have to do is draw a land. And I do. +8/+8 just gets there sometimes.
PS. Scoops really loves retrace. He hasn't told me this, I just know, given his ability to draw 12 lands in a 16 land deck.
PS. Scoops really loves retrace. He hasn't told me this, I just know, given his ability to draw 12 lands in a 16 land deck.
Back on Track, Old Fart resumes, Week #2
Greetings and salutations. To all of you fortunate to make it down to nationals last week, I hope you had a good time. While I was not so fortunate, I was able to get so other things I had been putting off completed and was able to get down last Tuesday for my second taste of Eventide Sealed (see previous post about Eventide launch party).
I am definitely more excited then I have been in quite a while, about the release of Eventide. I definitely believe that Shaddowmoor, Shaddowmoor, Eventide drafts will be much more fun (I haven't drafted it yet, but look forward). I liken this to the same type of excitement when Guildpact first came out (Guildpact was very good to me, 15-1-2 in matches).
Well enough about draft and on to sealed. Before I post my pool, a couple of thoughts about the format. First, hybrids make almost mono decks viable (restating the obvious). Second, white continues to be very powerful (thanks for the assist TS). And finally, Bombs continue to win games are still quite prevalent.
Here's the pool by color (Eventide in italics):
White:
Apothecary Initiate
Armored Ascension
Last Breath
Mistmeadow Skulk
Rune-Cervin Rider
Twilight Shepherd
Windbrisk Raptor
Cenn's Enlistment
Kithkin Spellduster
Recumbent Bliss
Blue:
Briarberry Cohort
(2) Cerulean Wisps
Deepchannel Mentor
(2) Parapet Watchers
Sinking Feeling
Dream Thief
Wilderness Hypnotist
Black:
Disturbing Plot
Hollowsage
Sickle Ripper
Smolder Initiate
Red:
Blistering Dieflyn
Crimson Wisps
(2) Ember Gale
Power of Fire
Green:
Gloomwidow's Feast
Howl of the Night Pack
Toil to Renown
Hybrid:
Aethertow
Mistmeadow Witch
Thoughtweft Gambit
Turn to Mist
Divinity of Pride (foil)
Nightsky Mimic
Nip Gwyllion
Unmake
Fate Transfer
Gravegill Duo
Inkfathom Infiltrator
Scarscale Ritual
Inside Out
(2) Noggle Bandit
Noggle Hege-Mage
Unnerving Assault
Din of the Fireherd
Emberstrike Duo
Sootwalkers
Drain the Well
Odious Trow
Sapling of Colfenor
Stalker Hag
Woodlurker Mimic
Mudbrawler Raiders
Scuzzback Marauders
Belligerent Hatchling
Hobgoblin Dragoon
Moonhold
Barkshell Blessing
Safehold Elite
(2) Favor of the Overbeing
Sturdy Hatchling
Shorecrasher Mimic
Chainbreaker
Chainbreaker (foil)
Elsewhere Flask
Tatterkite
Altar Golem
(2) Antler Skulkin
Shell skulkin
A quick couple of notes about the pool. First no mono black, green, or red cards from Eventide. Second, White has access to all of the amazing bombs. And third, white has access to all of the amazing bombs (white is so good, it warrants mentioning twice). Without further ado, here is what I played last Tuesday.
Creatures/Spells/Lands:
Belligerent Hatchling
Briarberry Cohort
Divinity of Pride
Dream Thief
Hobgoblin Dragoon
Kithkin Spellduster
Mistmeadow Skulk
Mistmeadow Witch
Nip Gwyllion
(2) Parapet Watchers
Rune-Cervin Rider
Safehold Elite
Tatterkite
Twilight Shepherd
Windbrisk Raptor
Aethertow
Armored Ascension
Cenn's Enlistment
Last Breath
Recumbent Bliss
Turn to Mist
Unmake
12 Plains
5 Islands
Seems pretty solid, and it was, for the most part. I did manage to go 6-1 in games on the back of getting to one of my bombs (four of the six wins ended after I got one of my three bombs on board). I do have to give props to Scoop_Phase for managing to curve out on turn four. While, for the most part, I did have good draws, I like to think that I did out play some of my opponents.
Looking ahead to next week, here is the pack of Eventide that I opened:
Wickerbough Elder
Ballynock Trapper
Stream Hopper
Gift of the Deity
Fire at Will
Raven's Crime
Aerie Ouphes
Cenn's Enlistment
Wilderness Hypnotist
Drain the Well
Hobgoblin Dragoon
Bloodied Ghost
Savage Conception
Duergar Cave-Guard
Archon of Justice
Quick note on changes for next week:
- Belligerent hatchling (need to make room at the four slot.)
- Dream Thief (Only once did I get to draw a card.)
+ Ballynock Trapper (auto include when playing almost mono white).
+ Archon of Justice (bomb creature #4)
Well, until next time, may the mana gods not hate you.
I am definitely more excited then I have been in quite a while, about the release of Eventide. I definitely believe that Shaddowmoor, Shaddowmoor, Eventide drafts will be much more fun (I haven't drafted it yet, but look forward). I liken this to the same type of excitement when Guildpact first came out (Guildpact was very good to me, 15-1-2 in matches).
Well enough about draft and on to sealed. Before I post my pool, a couple of thoughts about the format. First, hybrids make almost mono decks viable (restating the obvious). Second, white continues to be very powerful (thanks for the assist TS). And finally, Bombs continue to win games are still quite prevalent.
Here's the pool by color (Eventide in italics):
White:
Apothecary Initiate
Armored Ascension
Last Breath
Mistmeadow Skulk
Rune-Cervin Rider
Twilight Shepherd
Windbrisk Raptor
Cenn's Enlistment
Kithkin Spellduster
Recumbent Bliss
Blue:
Briarberry Cohort
(2) Cerulean Wisps
Deepchannel Mentor
(2) Parapet Watchers
Sinking Feeling
Dream Thief
Wilderness Hypnotist
Black:
Disturbing Plot
Hollowsage
Sickle Ripper
Smolder Initiate
Red:
Blistering Dieflyn
Crimson Wisps
(2) Ember Gale
Power of Fire
Green:
Gloomwidow's Feast
Howl of the Night Pack
Toil to Renown
Hybrid:
Aethertow
Mistmeadow Witch
Thoughtweft Gambit
Turn to Mist
Divinity of Pride (foil)
Nightsky Mimic
Nip Gwyllion
Unmake
Fate Transfer
Gravegill Duo
Inkfathom Infiltrator
Scarscale Ritual
Inside Out
(2) Noggle Bandit
Noggle Hege-Mage
Unnerving Assault
Din of the Fireherd
Emberstrike Duo
Sootwalkers
Drain the Well
Odious Trow
Sapling of Colfenor
Stalker Hag
Woodlurker Mimic
Mudbrawler Raiders
Scuzzback Marauders
Belligerent Hatchling
Hobgoblin Dragoon
Moonhold
Barkshell Blessing
Safehold Elite
(2) Favor of the Overbeing
Sturdy Hatchling
Shorecrasher Mimic
Chainbreaker
Chainbreaker (foil)
Elsewhere Flask
Tatterkite
Altar Golem
(2) Antler Skulkin
Shell skulkin
A quick couple of notes about the pool. First no mono black, green, or red cards from Eventide. Second, White has access to all of the amazing bombs. And third, white has access to all of the amazing bombs (white is so good, it warrants mentioning twice). Without further ado, here is what I played last Tuesday.
Creatures/Spells/Lands:
Belligerent Hatchling
Briarberry Cohort
Divinity of Pride
Dream Thief
Hobgoblin Dragoon
Kithkin Spellduster
Mistmeadow Skulk
Mistmeadow Witch
Nip Gwyllion
(2) Parapet Watchers
Rune-Cervin Rider
Safehold Elite
Tatterkite
Twilight Shepherd
Windbrisk Raptor
Aethertow
Armored Ascension
Cenn's Enlistment
Last Breath
Recumbent Bliss
Turn to Mist
Unmake
12 Plains
5 Islands
Seems pretty solid, and it was, for the most part. I did manage to go 6-1 in games on the back of getting to one of my bombs (four of the six wins ended after I got one of my three bombs on board). I do have to give props to Scoop_Phase for managing to curve out on turn four. While, for the most part, I did have good draws, I like to think that I did out play some of my opponents.
Looking ahead to next week, here is the pack of Eventide that I opened:
Wickerbough Elder
Ballynock Trapper
Stream Hopper
Gift of the Deity
Fire at Will
Raven's Crime
Aerie Ouphes
Cenn's Enlistment
Wilderness Hypnotist
Drain the Well
Hobgoblin Dragoon
Bloodied Ghost
Savage Conception
Duergar Cave-Guard
Archon of Justice
Quick note on changes for next week:
- Belligerent hatchling (need to make room at the four slot.)
- Dream Thief (Only once did I get to draw a card.)
+ Ballynock Trapper (auto include when playing almost mono white).
+ Archon of Justice (bomb creature #4)
Well, until next time, may the mana gods not hate you.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Magic the Gathering Nationals 2008 Chicago: A Photoblog.
On the road with the boys to Nationals. With the top down. What could be better? Wait, what's that noise?
Captain Bondage Goth inspects a flat tire while The Fugitive Wizard observes. TooSarcastic takes photos and watches for drunken Illinois drivers swerving.
Yeah, that lug nut is stripped. What we need is...
An Illinois State Highway Tow Truck, and in less than fifteen minutes!
The doughnut is on! We are headed to Nationals. The venue is huuuge!
Ah. Here we are!
This is where the fun stuff happens!
That's one festive Goblin King!
That's Richard Garfield in red, giving me the eye. 
Rich Hagon interviewing Richard Garfield, creator of Magic the Gathering.
That's one big stack of Menger Cubes!
Fugie laughs it up with an opponent in an 8 person Constructed flight. Then Fugie crushes him.
Judges open up several thousand dollars worth of boosters for a massive two headed giant sealed event.
Players draft online- to win the computer they are playing on!
This guy is seriously considering raredrafting that Graven Cairns for his fifth pick.
Rich Hagon hosts Magic: the Game Show.
A pack of Zebras walk by.
The WUBRG closing montage. 
Sorry for the short post. I reckon CBG and probably Fugie will fill you in on the pertinent details of the trip in non-pictorial form.
T
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Quick Cube Update
Quick update on the cube. I've got all of the current cards entered and am still working on inputting what belongs to whom. I hope to have it completed by thursday so I can post the completed list to the blog.
Until next time, may the mana gods not hate you.
Until next time, may the mana gods not hate you.
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