Looking back, looking forward

Well what a rousing success Shadowmoor was, or was it? Big sets in the spring are kind of a waste. I seem to find myself in a similar situation as CBG. Late April thru mid July is the busiest time of year for me at work & with all of the festivals in the early part of summer something has to give. The last few years it has been drafting. I don't remember the last time I went down to GU to draft or to CBGs for that matter either. I like to think that Shadowmoor was pretty decent for limited, but have missed several weeks of league play and have only drafted it once since the pre-release (little tear). I was initially using the excuse that I had D&D on Fridays, but we've been on hiatus for the last several weeks (that's what you get when half of your play group are Renaissance fair people). But mostly it is just laziness & a general disinterest to be inside playing Magic. I hope that I feel differently after the Eventide Pre-release, but I am not so certain this will be true, but I think I need to still hold out hope.

As far as looking forward, I am definitely looking forward to my first vacation since the infamous death of the fandango last October (sorry fugie, but I haven't had off a Saturday & Sunday since that weekend). I am also looking forward to heading to Memphis in December. I have become even more disillusioned with work over the past few months and will take the time off regardless of the results (I still don't have anyone trained to fill in for me, but alas NOT MY PROBLEM).

Well until next time, may the mana gods not hate you.

Shadowmoor Sealed, Week 1

Quintuple black is a lot to ask for in a black red deck. It should be only a mistake that a noob should make, but alas I too have fallen victim to the delusion that I should play all of my bomb rares that are in any of the colors that I am playing.

Kind of a different intro than I usually do, but I am having a really hard time keeping my thoughts straight. Anyways, this past Tuesday we started over with a fresh sealed deck of Shadowmoor, and I am happy with what I am seeing. Amongst the Painter's Servant, Ghastlord of Fugue, foil Knollspine Dragon, & Dusk Urchins; I have the makings of a pretty solid red-black deck. Add a heaping helping of aggressive dudes, a splash of reasonably costed removal, and season to taste. If only it was that easy.

Well enough of my incoherent thoughts and on to the deck list.

Ashenmoor Cohort
Dusk Urchins
Sickle Ripper
Bloodmark Mentor
Boggart Arsonists
Knollspine Dragon (foil)
Rustrazor Butcher
Ghastlord of Fugue
Gravelgill Axeshark
Ashenmoor Gourger
Kulrath Knight
Murderous Redcap
Sootstoke Kindler
Painter's Servant
Scrapbasket
Tatterkite

Corrupt
Gloomlance
Burn Trail
Ember Gale
Puncture Bolt
Torper Dust
Blight Sickle

(10) Swamp
(7) Mountain

Well as you can see, I've managed to get a deck that wants to (an can reliably) get in there with a guy with both wither and first strike. Unfortunately, you need to actually draw the guys and not all of your removal and all of your lands (with the exception of my games against the Captain, I got mana flooded and failed to draw guys I could play with the mana I had. I managed to get to 11 mana against AJ and not be able to play the Knollspine Dragon in my hand because I only had one mountain in play). Well them's the breaks.

Looking forward to next week, here's what I opened.

Traitor'r Roar
Curse of Chains
Somnomancer
Rattleblaze Scarecrow
Devoted Druid
Smolder Initiate
Gloomwidow's Feast
Sinking Feeling
Goldenglow Moth
Smash to Smithereens
Tattermunge Maniac
*Incremental Blight
Dawnglow Infusion
*Ashenmoor Liege
*Burn Trail (foil)

I've marked with an * the three cards I'll try to include in next weeks deck. Well, until next time, may the mana gods not hate you.

Possible Shadowmoor Additions to the Cube

Well, we done had a BBQ at Scoop_Phase's place for Memorial Day. It was nice. There was EDH. And I forgot to bring the Cube. When I left the house I was trying to figure out how to email 40 megs of real estate pictures to my father. (Tip: Don't put them in a .ZIP file and try to send them via an attachment. I'm a genius.) I got distracted. But it would have been great, because it's free and we haven't Cubed in way too long. That got me thinking about our options for Shadowmoor additions to the Cube. I have a non-exhaustive list of potential candidates and would love to hear some feedback. There are lots of powerful cards in Shadowmoor (especially at the uncommon level) that kind of change the expected math that we use to evaluate cards. Is a 3/3 with haste and wither for three mana good enough? What if all the mana is colored? What if the card can still be played consistently in a two color deck despite the colored mana restriction? These are the sort of questions we haven't had to answer very often in the past.

Keep in mind we had only seven additions for Morningtide. I would guess that number is probably about right for Shadowoor as well, maybe even fewer. The stuff in the Cube is REALLY good, arguably the best cards in the last ten years or so of Magic (we don't run Power, so we can't claim to go all the way back to Alpha). Additions need to surpass this already excellent card quality. Oh, because of the multicolor slant to Shadowmoor, please recall that our Cube has absolutely juiced G/W already. I don't know why it worked that way, but it just did. G/W cards have an even higher standard. Kitchen Finks is still at the top of my list, but I'm just sayin'. Here is the latest Cube list, and the Morningtide additions, for reference.

White

Armored Ascension
Ballynock Cohort
Niveous Wisps
Prison Term
Runed Halo
Twilight Shepherd

Blue

Cursecatcher
Savor the Moment

Black

Beseech the Queen
Faerie Macabre
Dusk Urchins
Midnight Banshee

Red

Flame Javelin
Furystoke Giant
Intimidator Initiate

Green

Crabapple Cohort
Devoted Druid
Prismatic Omen
Tower Above

Artifact

Elsewhere Flask
Grim Poppet
Painter's Servant (Only if we add Grindstone!)

Multicolor

Aethertow
Augury Adept
Godhead of Awe
Mirrorweave
Mistmeadow Witch
Plumeveil
Thoughtweft Gambit
Somnomancer
Swans of Bryn Argoll
Inkfathom Infiltator
Inkfathom Witch
Oona, Queen of the Fae
River's Grasp
Scarscale Ritual
Wasp Lancer
Ashenmoor Gouger
Murderous Redcap
Din of the Fireherd
Fulminator Mage
Boggart Ram-Gang
Deus of Calamity
Firespout
Tattermunge Maniac
Tattermunge Witch
Vexing Shusher
Wort, the Raidmother
Dawnglow Infusion
Kitchen Finks
Mercy Killing
Oracle of Nectars
Oversoul of Dusk

***

Can we cut that down to 5-7 cards? Including the cards that are awesome that I am sure to have missed? I think maybe top ten lists would be worthwhile, so we can (hopefully) come to a consensus. I seem to like lists lately. Post yours in comments. Mine would run like this:

1. Kitchen Finks
2. Oona, Queen of the Fae
3. Swans of Bryn Argoll
4. Boggart Ram-Gang
5. Tattermunge Maniac
6. Firespout
7. Beseech the Queen
8. Flame Javelin
9. Murderous Redcap
10. Godhead of Awe

Top 30 Shadowmoor Cards- EDH

Lookit me, I'm a Captain Bondage Goth! In Bizarro World maybe.

I'm doing top ten lists here for Shadowmoor EDH; one for commons, uncommons and rares. See if you agree.

Commons:
10 Safewright Quest - Search up your green or white dual for 1 mana. Could be worse.
9 Turn to Mist - Dodge removal (mass or targeted), use as a combat trick, abuse CIP effects.
8 Manamorphose - Mana fix, cantrip.
7 Niveous Wisps - It's one mana, and it taps Akroma. Cantrip.
6 Faerie Macabre - No one will see this coming until after they cast the Regrowth.
5 Strip Bare - Goodbye equipment! (Except, uh, SoLaS and Lightning Greaves)
4 Last Breath - Gets those pesky utility guys for good.
3 Gloomwidow's Feast - One more than Wing Snare, but it's instant and you get another speed bump for fliers. Really not too bad for killing say, a dragon.
2 Mine Excavation - There will be targets. Getting the conspire is pure gravy.
1 Crimson Wisps - Would you pay one more mana to give your bomb haste and make it cantrip?

Uncommons:
10 Firespout- Hey, it's probably removal and card advantage.
9 Spiteflame Witch - About four or five damage for 2 mana is pretty good, even though you'll pissing people off.
8 Tower Above - It's just a combat trick I know, but it's still pretty damn good one, especially at 3 mana.
7 Mercy Killing - Is it Chainer's Edict? No. But You're playing G/W. It'll do. I'd still rather have 11 1/1s swinging at me and a Darksteel Colossus in some one's library than having to deal with indestructible dudes.
6 Thoughtweft Gambit - This taps every one's creatures but the caster's. I imagine there are ways to abuse this. Multiple Time Walks, anyone?
5 Prison Term - Makes opponents think twice about playing creatures, even shuts off activated abilities. Bites it to mass removal, unfortunately.
4 Reknit - But I really like my enchantment (or land/artifact/planeswalker). I don't want it to go...
3 Mistmeadow Witch - Sick things start to happen at 8 mana.
2 Torrent of Souls - Paying both R and B is really good in a format with bomb creatures and sweepers that routinely hit before summoning sickness wears off.
1 Beseech the Queen - Was there any doubt? This tutor is sick.

Rares:
10 Fire-Lit Thicket, Graven Cairns, Mystic Gate, Sunken Ruins, Wooded Bastion, and Reflecting Pool. Let's get them out of the way, shall we? In a three color deck, they really are amazing.
9 Fracturing Gust - Bomb. This will wreck EDH games all over at instant speed. The life gain is occasionally relevant.
8 Memory Plunder - The spells you are potentially casting get juicier in a format with numerous graveyards and bomby spells.
7 Din of the Fireherd - It "only" hits one player, or it would be higher on the list. Kingmaker anyone?
6 River Kelpie - I will predict you will be drawing lots of cards.
5 Rage Reflection/Mana Reflection- This is cheating, but they're both awesome. 6 mana is a lot to invest but I believe that both of these enchantments are worth it, not least because enchantments stay around longer than most permanents in EDH.
4 Puppeteer Clique - Haste, graveyard hosing, reusability, evasion, the list goes on. The real deal.
3 Polluted Bonds - This needs an answer quick, before things get out of hand.
2 Twilight Shepherd - Wrath Insurance. Sol'Kanar's got nothing on this bitch.
1 Oona, Queen of the Fae - The new hot General. RFG FTW, people.

Top 1 lists.
Top 1 most annoying thing to hear stupid people say: "It is what it is." Yes. This technically applies to everything in the universe. Congratulations. Unless there is some other meaning that can be intuited from making this statement, please don't.
Top 1 everyday occurrence that makes me feel like I'm being anally violated: Being thankful that I'm "only" paying $3.95 for regular unleaded. Thank you mister OPEC! May I have another? I never thought I'd have to write that.
Top 1 best track to be trippin' balls to: I have made this known elsewhere. "Your Face is a Mess" by Gel Abril. Try the Deetron remix for extra paranoia. I was going to do a list about what track is best the best soundtrack for getting high on every illicit drug I could think of but then I remembered what I do for a living and decided I prefer to keep my job instead.
Top 1 worst idea for a post on this blog: a loosely autobiographical short story titled "The adventures of Salty McMonster." Me whining for ten pages, anyone? Oh wait, you were all probably there when the whining actually happened.

Night kids.

T

Shadowmoor Sealed, Week 3

I can’t wait for May to be over. May has been nothing but bad week followed by worse week. So this past weekend I head back up to the Twin Cities Friday night for my brother’s graduation from law school (by the way Hamline has a really beautiful campus) only to have to drive back Saturday night so I can be back at work on Sunday. I finally thought that we had gotten over the hump, but we always manage to find a way to shoot ourselves in the foot.

To further complicate things, I am train my counterpart from Irwindale (near LA, CA) on the BrewAS tool that I use. It has moderately increased the amount of time I am spending at work this week, but at least the scenery is nice.

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to make it to the store on Tuesday, but did make it down to TS place Tuesday night for a cook out and a few games of EDH (I didn’t get done at work until after 6 pm). One conclusion I can draw in two player is that the person on the draw wins ~80% of the time (that extra card is a huge advantage).

I do intend to try to make it down to the store next Tuesday, but with the way things have been going, I won’t hold my breath. Well until next time, may the mana gods not hate you.

Shadowmoor Sealed, Week 2

Red-Green Beats, literally. Those four words best describe or Shadowmoor league right now. I am not sure if it is just because of the ridiculous cards many of us have opened in those colors or if they are really that good, but here we are.

I myself am glad to have access to both the Black-Red hybrid and White-Green hybrid cards in my Red-Green deck. I am also very pleased to have access to both the best and second best two ability combinations in my colors. What are the best and second best two ability combinations? (Thank you voices in my head) Well I’m glad you asked. After some discussion with the Captain, we agreed upon the best two ability combinations both being in Red-Green.

The best is Wither and First Strike. Sending in your wither/first strike guys makes for some very touch blocking decisions for your opponent. As Scoop-Phase can attest to from the prerelease, first striking wither guys will win the ground stall. I know that I am very fortunate to have multiple Bloodmark Mentors to go with my multiple Boggart Ram-Gangs.

The second best (a very close second) is Double Strike & Trample. At current there is only one card in the set that enables it (Runes of the Deus) and that is why it isn’t the best. However, it is still amazing to crack back with a huge beastie that has both double strike and trample.

As my previous words alluded to, I found much success with my red-green beats deck, but also found many challenges in the two mirror matches.

For next week, here is the pack I opened:
Cinderhaze Wretch
Silkbind Faerie
Wanderwine Rootcutters
Scar
Boggart Arsonists
Presence of the Gond
Goldenglow Moth
Zealous Guardian
Loch Korrigan
Embergale
Niveous Wisps
Seedcradle Witch
Sapseep Forest
Fossil Find
Demigod of Revenge

Until next time, may the mana gods not hate you.

Shadowmoor Sealed, Week 1

What a difference a week makes. Last week there were very few people (or so I’ve been told) and this week there were at least eight of us by 6 pm. I just guess a new set will do that, but I am also inclined to believe people are sick of Morningtide/Lorwyn sealed.

This week I opened fairly well, a solid Red/Green deck, with the possibility to tap into some White/Green cards if necessary. Without further ado, here is what I played this past Tuesday.

Creatures:
Blistering Dieflyn
Bloodmark Mentor (2)
Boggart Arsonists
Boggart Ram-Gang
Crabapple Cohort
Cultbrand Cinder
Elvish Hexhunter
Juvenile Gloomwidow
Kulrath Knight
Morselhoarder
Mossbridge Troll
Scrapbasket
Sootwalkers (2)
Tatermunge Duo

Spells:
Fists of the Demigod
Jaws of Stone
Puncture Bolt
Scar
Tower Above (2)
Trip Noose

Lands:
Mountain (9)
Forest (7)
Reflecting Pool

A couple of quick comments about some card selections. Blistering Dieflyn is very sub optimal and is the 16th guy in the deck. Also for those who are not aware, Tower Above is amazing!!!

Overall the deck was fairly aggressive and was able to push past the slower more controlling decks as needed. The toughest match up was against Mark’s Red/Green deck as he had way more removal than I could handle (something about getting Puncture Bolted three times in one game). As far are the rest of the games that I saw, I do vaguely remember the Captain getting blown out by Prison Term coming down on his 4/4 indestructible lifeline critter enabling her to swing for just enough, but I’ll let the Captain tell the story of how he got beat down by a girl (no offense to Kerstin as her game play has improved dramatically over the past few months and she has the potential to beat any person at any time).

Here is the pack for next week (I currently can’t find the rest of my pool, but it should turn up):

Safehold Duo
Scuttlemutt
Medicine Runner
Ghastly Discovery
Wildslayer Elves
Woeleecher
Prismwake Merrow
Crimson Wisps
Viridescent Wisps
Cinderbones
Boggart Ram-Gang
Trip Noose
Sapseep Forest
Dusk Urchins
Smash to Smithereens (foil)

Until next time, may the mana gods not hate you.