I first started playing Magic about 7 years ago. I had known about it since high school (so yes, 1993) and had friends who were way into it then, but avoided the game due to the cost. In 2001, I had some free time and a couple people to play with so I bought a 6th ed starter and 4 precons*. I enjoyed it a lot, but again, the cost worried me and I didn't get in with a crowd of people to play with. MODO was just starting and was very much in the, "I have to pay full price? For fake cards? That I already own? You have got to be kidding!" phase. So no, I don't own invasion block cards in large numbers. I basically quit the game for a few years.
I got a real job with an actual income. When PvP did a series of comics promoting Star City, I checked out the site and headed from there to the mothership and found out 9th edition was just coming out. I didn't get up the gumption to go to the store that first time**, but kept reading the free articles at SCG and magicthegathering.com and decided to attend an FNM. I took a modified Kamigawa precon, which was terrible, but went 2-2. I lost to White Weenie (Jitte!) and Kuroda Red (Arc-Slogger!) and beat a monoblack discard homebrew (remember, 9th had just come out and people still thought Hyppie was good) and the friend I had dragged with, piloting my other terrible modified precon. People were hilarious. Apparently, there was a ptq the next day and they invited me. I still resent that behavior. It's nice to invite people into the community but ptqs are not for new players. I can't believe I need to reiterate that point. I think the format was Kami Block Constructed but still, honestly.
Ravnica was going to be my first large set release. Temple Garden was previewed and my reaction was, "What? What's the big deal?" This actually goes to a niggling peeve of mine about Magic writing on the internet. An enormous base of knowledge about the game is necessary to even make sense of a lot of writing. Magic Academy was a great intro, but they need to be promoting that stuff on the front page. Are reruns that bad? Anyway, I was really excited for Ravnica and even shelled out for a box, which I cracked. I didn't even know about booster drafting at all. All the FNMs at our store were Standard. Bought the Golgari Deathcreep precon and modified it for Standard. Bennie Smith was my hero for winning Virginia States with a Dredge deck (be4 Rizzo broke dredge, obv). I was super excited for Guildpact. I went to my very first prerelease and managed an 0-2, against (and this is not hyperbole) a 65-year old woman and a 20-something female science teacher. I was just happy to be there. I played Sky Swallower. No, not the good one (that was Dissension). I also got to watch the dude who owned our local store clean up at that prerelease***, ignoring the flights, to sweep 3 booster drafts instead. I picked up the habit of drafting for a couple months there, losing miserably and losing often.
Shortly after Dissension was released (as in, a week), we moved to the MKE and I started playing at Ye Olde Farte Magicke Nighte. There, I met a bunch of awesome casual and not-so-casual players and started getting much, much better. Late that summer, I attended GP:St. Louis**** with coyoeuglly and managed to add 60 points to my Limited rating while going 3-3. Yes, actually, it was that low. Since then, I have continually drafted with a ton of people who are better than me. It makes me a lot better and I am grateful for the opportunity. Nowadays, I don't buy boxes to crack them because I rarely play Standard anymore (UW Control, 0-5 in sanctioned matches). I get a totally different type of enjoyment out of the game. For me, getting together with a few close friends and drinking and gaming is just about the best time there is. It's fun to go to a big tournament together but for me, that's peripheral to the playgroup. I wasn't sure where I was going when I started this post, but now I guess I have a point. People always point to one thing or another (changes in the game, the DCI, crappy sets) and say they are going to quit. I'd never threaten that because I'm grateful to have the game and people to play it with. It's fun as hell and I am not giving it up.
--CBG
* Eruption, Breakdown, Blowout and Dismissal if you're curious. And I know you are.
** Something to remember when you see new players in the store. They are often intimidated and would like you to provide reasons to stay, not reasons to leave.
*** A very nice guy/ambassador of the game named Dusty Ochoa. He's the one guy who managed to go 7-0 in Standard last year at US Nats with R/G Gargadon (later know as Sadin Gargadon (thanks for pimping your friends, Mike)) and not get his name mentioned in any freaking articles! Seriously, I must have seen ten articles in the three weeks after nats, both on SCG and MTG.com that mentioned "The only deck to go 7-0 in Standard at Nats" without mentioning the words Dusty Ochoa. Ugh.
**** Not actually in St. Louis.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Thursday, February 7, 2008
The heck you say!
Well isn't this interesting? What on earth is going on? I am cool with them cutting a Pro Tour because frankly, irrelevant. But more Grand Prix and awesome States and Regionals should be the trade off here. Magic is not dying. It's healthier than ever. Ravnica was one of the most popular blocks of all time, along with Time Spiral. Magic's reach is solidly global and European Grand Prix regularly draw 1200-1500 people.
My theory is that Hasbro's bottom line is being hurt by failures of other Wizards ventures (Transformers TCG, anyone?) and so the company is being punished. Unfortunately, it's hurting the one part of Wizards that is going unequivocally right.
--CBG
My theory is that Hasbro's bottom line is being hurt by failures of other Wizards ventures (Transformers TCG, anyone?) and so the company is being punished. Unfortunately, it's hurting the one part of Wizards that is going unequivocally right.
--CBG
Old Fart Magic Night
Well, I survived the big snow storm and made it all the way down to "the store" (Game Universe in Greenfield, WI) only to lose to a girl. Actually, her deck was quite good and my sealed pool is not. Over the next couple of weeks I'll document my experience at "Old Fart Magic Night."
For those of you who aren't familiar, I'll start from the beginning. It all goes back to Ravnica Block. At the time Fugie was working at "the store" and convinced the general manager (GM) that he could get more people into the store if there was a night set aside for more casual minded players that were reluctant to come in on the weekend due to many issues (schedules, crowds of younglings, & certain "pro tour" players that shall remain nameless). Throw in a 10% discount on product night of event with a 21 minimum age, and Old Fart Magic Night was born.
So for the past couple of years we’ve been playing sealed league every Tuesday night. It is a lot of fun. We don’t take ourselves very seriously and play for the fun of it. I guess it brings me back to a simpler time when I played because it was fun & winning was secondary. We have a pretty good core group of players: myself, Scoop Phase, Ed (not Fugie), Jake (not Captain 50%), & Bill (no known nick names). We also seem to have a few reoccurring characters, that move in & out from month to month (Too Sarcastic before he got hitched, Captain_Bondage_Goth before his wife’s schedule changed, and a few others whose names escape me right now).
So, back to this past Tuesday, I open my tournament pack and am amazed to see Garruk, Rings of Bright Earth, & Nath as my three rares, with Crib Swap & Weedstrangle as playable removal. Unfortunately the only fixing I had was a lone Fertile Ground. However, I did have quite a few playable blue merfolk & faeries in Lorwyn. When I opened the two Morningtide packs for this week, I found some more rogue/wizard type cards. So long story short, I ended up playing blue/black wizard/rogues (mostly merfolk & fairies with a few goblins for flavor).
I proceed to get crushed by Jake & Kirsten and racked up six straight losses before winning my first and only game of the night (Black green treefolk/elves got even better with the warrior enablers from Morningtide). I was planning on posting my deck list and sealed pool, but I am not sure if I left my cards at home or if they are somewhere in my car. Either way I’ll post the lists later this week. Until then may the mana gods hate you less than me.
For those of you who aren't familiar, I'll start from the beginning. It all goes back to Ravnica Block. At the time Fugie was working at "the store" and convinced the general manager (GM) that he could get more people into the store if there was a night set aside for more casual minded players that were reluctant to come in on the weekend due to many issues (schedules, crowds of younglings, & certain "pro tour" players that shall remain nameless). Throw in a 10% discount on product night of event with a 21 minimum age, and Old Fart Magic Night was born.
So for the past couple of years we’ve been playing sealed league every Tuesday night. It is a lot of fun. We don’t take ourselves very seriously and play for the fun of it. I guess it brings me back to a simpler time when I played because it was fun & winning was secondary. We have a pretty good core group of players: myself, Scoop Phase, Ed (not Fugie), Jake (not Captain 50%), & Bill (no known nick names). We also seem to have a few reoccurring characters, that move in & out from month to month (Too Sarcastic before he got hitched, Captain_Bondage_Goth before his wife’s schedule changed, and a few others whose names escape me right now).
So, back to this past Tuesday, I open my tournament pack and am amazed to see Garruk, Rings of Bright Earth, & Nath as my three rares, with Crib Swap & Weedstrangle as playable removal. Unfortunately the only fixing I had was a lone Fertile Ground. However, I did have quite a few playable blue merfolk & faeries in Lorwyn. When I opened the two Morningtide packs for this week, I found some more rogue/wizard type cards. So long story short, I ended up playing blue/black wizard/rogues (mostly merfolk & fairies with a few goblins for flavor).
I proceed to get crushed by Jake & Kirsten and racked up six straight losses before winning my first and only game of the night (Black green treefolk/elves got even better with the warrior enablers from Morningtide). I was planning on posting my deck list and sealed pool, but I am not sure if I left my cards at home or if they are somewhere in my car. Either way I’ll post the lists later this week. Until then may the mana gods hate you less than me.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Hoodies order
Okay, we've decided to "heh." on the front with no other explanation and this...
...on the back. In case you can't read it, it's got a semi stylish "The Fugitive Wizards/Sometimes a 1/1 is all you need." on the back with the blog address in Courier below it. Here's a link to the customink page.
It would be really, really nice to get to a dozen of these. If we can do that, they are a mere $24.25 shipped. If we only order 6, they are $35+. Fugie and I are both ordering 2, so we'd like to get orders for 8 more. Even getting 8 (so 4 more) rather than 6 brings the price down to $29. Also, they look awesome. And it's funny. Don't you think your brother wants one?
Finally, I registered http://thefugitivewizards.blogspot.com because it's an easy mistake to make.
...on the back. In case you can't read it, it's got a semi stylish "The Fugitive Wizards/Sometimes a 1/1 is all you need." on the back with the blog address in Courier below it. Here's a link to the customink page.
It would be really, really nice to get to a dozen of these. If we can do that, they are a mere $24.25 shipped. If we only order 6, they are $35+. Fugie and I are both ordering 2, so we'd like to get orders for 8 more. Even getting 8 (so 4 more) rather than 6 brings the price down to $29. Also, they look awesome. And it's funny. Don't you think your brother wants one?
Finally, I registered http://thefugitivewizards.blogspot.com because it's an easy mistake to make.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Scalpel vs. Hammer: A Word on Multiplayer Strategies
After playing two whole Elder Dragon Highlander games I feel qualified to deliver a theoretical discourse on deck building. That’s sarcasm people, look at my screen name. However, you might want to read further since my lifetime record in EDH games is 2-0. I’m undefeated! Actually I just noticed a difference in strategy that might be worth noting. There are, I’m sure, many different philosophies that can undergird any multiplayer deck choice. I’ll talk about two general ones today; the first being a “Toolbox” approach, the second being “Generalist” approach.
I’m not saying that either way of building is superior (actually, I have a definite slant, as you’ll see later, but I really do believe that both views are potentially successful ways to build a multiplayer deck), and yep, there’s plenty of other ways of conceptualizing deck building too (anybody ever heard of “Recursion,” for example?). I’m just giving a bipolar framework for looking at EDH or any other multiplayer deck building. Maybe it will be useful the next time you sit down to build. Let’s start with the Toolbox approach. This term is ubiquitous enough within Magic writing that most of you already know what I mean. In EDH, you have 100 card choices which must be unique (yeah, yeah, except for basic lands, Whiny McWhinerson). Given that the number of different threats others will be playing will be quite diverse, why not include pinpoint answers to many different types of threats along with several redundant ways of searching out theses answers? We could be using Idyllic Tutor to fetch Oblivion Ring to get rid of an opposing Garruk, or Cream of the Crop in an otherwise creature-laden deck to put the Shriekmaw on top. Maybe it means transmuting Dimir Houseguard for Damnation, or Mystical Tutoring for Disenchant. You get the idea. Card advantage comes from dealing with threats (or, I suppose, making the most abusable threats) so efficiently that other players can’t execute their plans effectively.
On to the “Generalist” approach. This is not simply the converse of a Toolbox strategy. The two philosophies share similar core ideas about how games are won. Generalists also believe that the way to win in multiplayer is to deal efficiently with threats and provide the best threats of one’s own at the right time. The difference is in the execution. Oblivion Ring is a great card- the perfect card to get rid of a single planeswalker. But Apocalypse gets rid of every planeswalker, every scary enchantment and artifact, and every dude in play (and your hand, but hey, you can always suspend guys prior, right?). We know there will be many times when O-ring will be better, but Apocalypse is a more consistently useful way of removing things from the game, and that is more valuable to the Generalist. That is the essence of this strategy- no scalpels, only hammers. If any of you have read Anthony Alongi’s multiplayer stuff, this would be sort of a cross between Cockroach and Gorilla strategies. Keep your things around, affect as many permanents as possible, and hopefully the quality of your threats and answers will net you card advantage (and the win) long term. The Generalist wants every card to be as useful as possible in as many situations as possible. Konda, Lord of Eiganjo is a 3/3 for seven mana. That’s pretty much the antithesis of efficiency. But he also lives through 75% of your opponent’s removal (and your own board sweepers) so Konda is a lot better than his stats belie. Speaking of board sweepers, they all get in the Generalist’s deck, not because sometimes they would be the perfect answer to have when you’re behind on the board (that’s a Toolbox ideology) but because most of the time they’ll deal with most of the threats that most of your opponents throw at you.
To whit: You know what two card combo is really amazing? Triskelavus and Acadmey Ruins. Make the Trike, make dudes, kill stuff, rinse repeat. Some good. And they’re even okay cards on their own. That’s the scalpel approach. Here’s the hammer. Akroma, Angel of Wrath. Yes, Trike/Ruins combo will remove opposing creatures, chump block, and given enough turns and mana, win the game all on their own. And yep, Akroma will never kill that annoying Royal Assassin. But she will beat face. Most of the time, against most opponents, the better threat is Akroma. Hey, it’s good to be one of the best creatures in the game. Let’s try some more examples. Scalpel: Mystical Teachings. Hammer: Whispers of the Muse. Teachings is objectively better on the first (and even second, flashbacked!) use. But with the buyback Whispers only gets better the longer the game goes. Scalpel: Sundering Titan. Hammer: Armageddon. I know everybody really wants a 7/10 after binning all your opponent’s land and none of your own non-basics, but Armageddon does the job, every time, against all opponents. Suck it up and sandbag some lands prior to blowing up the world. One more. Scalpel: Cryptic Command. Hammer: Time Stop. “But wait, TooSarcastic! Cryptic Command gives a player all sorts of flexibility- it should be the epitome of a Generalist card!” Au contraire, voice in my head. You can counter exactly one spell. You may also bounce a guy (useful in multiplayer, but not usually backbreaking) or tap an opponent’s team (again, less useful since tempo is glacial in multiplayer games) and or draw a card (cantrips are only exciting if the original effect is good as well). Now look at the hammer. Time Stop ends the turn. It ends the freakin’ turn! No more Storm count. No more attack step. No nothing. See how the Cryptic Command is really a scalpel masquerading as a hammer? It deals with very specific needs, not general ones. It’s still a good card for multiplayer, but only if you buy into the Toolbox strategy to begin with. If you want to be a Generalist, just end the turn already.
And yes, in case you can’t tell, I am a Generalist. So come to Captain Bondage Goth’s place on Friday nights to beat me with your Toolbox EDH decks. I’ll have a hammer waiting for you!
I’m not saying that either way of building is superior (actually, I have a definite slant, as you’ll see later, but I really do believe that both views are potentially successful ways to build a multiplayer deck), and yep, there’s plenty of other ways of conceptualizing deck building too (anybody ever heard of “Recursion,” for example?). I’m just giving a bipolar framework for looking at EDH or any other multiplayer deck building. Maybe it will be useful the next time you sit down to build. Let’s start with the Toolbox approach. This term is ubiquitous enough within Magic writing that most of you already know what I mean. In EDH, you have 100 card choices which must be unique (yeah, yeah, except for basic lands, Whiny McWhinerson). Given that the number of different threats others will be playing will be quite diverse, why not include pinpoint answers to many different types of threats along with several redundant ways of searching out theses answers? We could be using Idyllic Tutor to fetch Oblivion Ring to get rid of an opposing Garruk, or Cream of the Crop in an otherwise creature-laden deck to put the Shriekmaw on top. Maybe it means transmuting Dimir Houseguard for Damnation, or Mystical Tutoring for Disenchant. You get the idea. Card advantage comes from dealing with threats (or, I suppose, making the most abusable threats) so efficiently that other players can’t execute their plans effectively.
On to the “Generalist” approach. This is not simply the converse of a Toolbox strategy. The two philosophies share similar core ideas about how games are won. Generalists also believe that the way to win in multiplayer is to deal efficiently with threats and provide the best threats of one’s own at the right time. The difference is in the execution. Oblivion Ring is a great card- the perfect card to get rid of a single planeswalker. But Apocalypse gets rid of every planeswalker, every scary enchantment and artifact, and every dude in play (and your hand, but hey, you can always suspend guys prior, right?). We know there will be many times when O-ring will be better, but Apocalypse is a more consistently useful way of removing things from the game, and that is more valuable to the Generalist. That is the essence of this strategy- no scalpels, only hammers. If any of you have read Anthony Alongi’s multiplayer stuff, this would be sort of a cross between Cockroach and Gorilla strategies. Keep your things around, affect as many permanents as possible, and hopefully the quality of your threats and answers will net you card advantage (and the win) long term. The Generalist wants every card to be as useful as possible in as many situations as possible. Konda, Lord of Eiganjo is a 3/3 for seven mana. That’s pretty much the antithesis of efficiency. But he also lives through 75% of your opponent’s removal (and your own board sweepers) so Konda is a lot better than his stats belie. Speaking of board sweepers, they all get in the Generalist’s deck, not because sometimes they would be the perfect answer to have when you’re behind on the board (that’s a Toolbox ideology) but because most of the time they’ll deal with most of the threats that most of your opponents throw at you.
To whit: You know what two card combo is really amazing? Triskelavus and Acadmey Ruins. Make the Trike, make dudes, kill stuff, rinse repeat. Some good. And they’re even okay cards on their own. That’s the scalpel approach. Here’s the hammer. Akroma, Angel of Wrath. Yes, Trike/Ruins combo will remove opposing creatures, chump block, and given enough turns and mana, win the game all on their own. And yep, Akroma will never kill that annoying Royal Assassin. But she will beat face. Most of the time, against most opponents, the better threat is Akroma. Hey, it’s good to be one of the best creatures in the game. Let’s try some more examples. Scalpel: Mystical Teachings. Hammer: Whispers of the Muse. Teachings is objectively better on the first (and even second, flashbacked!) use. But with the buyback Whispers only gets better the longer the game goes. Scalpel: Sundering Titan. Hammer: Armageddon. I know everybody really wants a 7/10 after binning all your opponent’s land and none of your own non-basics, but Armageddon does the job, every time, against all opponents. Suck it up and sandbag some lands prior to blowing up the world. One more. Scalpel: Cryptic Command. Hammer: Time Stop. “But wait, TooSarcastic! Cryptic Command gives a player all sorts of flexibility- it should be the epitome of a Generalist card!” Au contraire, voice in my head. You can counter exactly one spell. You may also bounce a guy (useful in multiplayer, but not usually backbreaking) or tap an opponent’s team (again, less useful since tempo is glacial in multiplayer games) and or draw a card (cantrips are only exciting if the original effect is good as well). Now look at the hammer. Time Stop ends the turn. It ends the freakin’ turn! No more Storm count. No more attack step. No nothing. See how the Cryptic Command is really a scalpel masquerading as a hammer? It deals with very specific needs, not general ones. It’s still a good card for multiplayer, but only if you buy into the Toolbox strategy to begin with. If you want to be a Generalist, just end the turn already.
And yes, in case you can’t tell, I am a Generalist. So come to Captain Bondage Goth’s place on Friday nights to beat me with your Toolbox EDH decks. I’ll have a hammer waiting for you!
Monday, February 4, 2008
New one.
The more I think about another dang Got Milk takeoff, the angrier and more depressed I get. This shirt makes me laugh.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Why does God reward the sinful?
As I'm sure you know, I can't stand just cracking packs for no good reason. I bought the cards, I should at least have the opportunity to play with the commons before filing them away for forever. I'm a religious guy and it just seems like a sin. Well, today is the exception. With a release tourney full of casual players hungry for the new set, I decided to open a few packs prior to going. Even the crap rares are worth more today and there's a much better chance someone will actually want to trade for them at the store today than a week from today. Rip open the first pack: Murmuring Bosk. Alright! I have no desire to play Doran, but it's about 15-20ish right now, and will probably be going down quick. Hopefully I will find a taker today! Out of the second pack comes- Vendilion Clique. One of about ten cards in the set that are actually worth more than five bucks, and it might get in my faries deck. Either way, great! Pack three - Primal Beyond. Eh, better than bulk. Can't win em all, regress to the mean, etc. etc. Pack four, ready for it- Mutavault! What's this? Foily Bitterblossom too! Ahhh! Best Morningtide pack evarrr! I have trade goods for the tourney off of four packs!
I have to crack packs more often.
T
I have to crack packs more often.
T
The Fugitive Wizards
Fugie and I are totally starting our own vintage team. No, you probably can't be in it. It takes a special (I mean that in every sense of the word) combination of play ability, bad ideas, roguishness, sense of humor, fatalism, self confidence, willingness to spill tech all over the internet and good hair to be on our team. So far, the big team organization focus has been t-shirt slogans. Here's what we've come up with so far...
http://thefugitivewizard.blogspot.com
Spilling tech since 2007
Knowing the format is loose.
Internet discussion is always preferable to testing
Turn 1. Take 13, go.
CBG's Basement=Tech
What do you think our t-shirts should say?
Spilling tech since 2007
Knowing the format is loose.
Internet discussion is always preferable to testing
Turn 1. Take 13, go.
CBG's Basement=Tech
What do you think our t-shirts should say?
Saturday, February 2, 2008
What have we learned?
(1) Jokulhaups is really good. Sacred Ground and Debtor's Knell probably need to be more popular than they are at our table.
(2) If you win 3 EDH games in a row, people will identify you as the threat. I can't really complain about this.
(3) It is time to start playing answers to Genesis. Reminisce, maybe? Jailer, I suppose, but I am not in black. Crypt! Derf.
(4) Generals get whacked quickly and with prejudice.
(5) Duplicant is stupid. It's time to get a Living Wish.
(6) Future Sight is nice, but it does encourage one to overcommit.
(7) Extract may actually be the call for Jokulhaups. Gawd, that feels wrong. Plus a Mystical to find it. Ugh. Or the Merchant Scroll into Gifts plan. hmm...
(8) LLM draft is pretty fun, but I still feel like I am doing it wrong. I always draft decks that can't beat treefolk.
(9) Triple Morningtide Winston is not the greatest format. But it's better than just cracking packs.
(10) Wow, is there ever a lot of bookkeeping in LLM. Don't miss those Rage Forger Triggers.
(2) If you win 3 EDH games in a row, people will identify you as the threat. I can't really complain about this.
(3) It is time to start playing answers to Genesis. Reminisce, maybe? Jailer, I suppose, but I am not in black. Crypt! Derf.
(4) Generals get whacked quickly and with prejudice.
(5) Duplicant is stupid. It's time to get a Living Wish.
(6) Future Sight is nice, but it does encourage one to overcommit.
(7) Extract may actually be the call for Jokulhaups. Gawd, that feels wrong. Plus a Mystical to find it. Ugh. Or the Merchant Scroll into Gifts plan. hmm...
(8) LLM draft is pretty fun, but I still feel like I am doing it wrong. I always draft decks that can't beat treefolk.
(9) Triple Morningtide Winston is not the greatest format. But it's better than just cracking packs.
(10) Wow, is there ever a lot of bookkeeping in LLM. Don't miss those Rage Forger Triggers.
Friday, February 1, 2008
R/g/b Goblins in Vintage
I have no idea what I am doing playing Vintage. Just thought I'd put that out there. Here's the list I came up with.
4 Goblin Lackey
4 Mogg Fanatic
3 Tin Street Hooligan
4 Goblin Piledriver
4 Goblin Matron
4 Goblin Warchief
4 Goblin Ringleader
2 Stingscourger
2 Earwig Squad
4 Aether Vial
4 Thorn of Amethyst
3 Mountain
3 Taiga
3 Wooded Foothills
3 Bloodstained Mire
1 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
1 Badlands
1 Lotus Petal
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Jet
1 Mana Crypt
1 Swamp
Sideboard
2 Earwig Squad
4 Pyrostatic Pillar
3 Ancient Grudge
2 Darkblast
4 Goblin King
A couple points before you all tear me apart. (1) This isn't tested. (2) Yes, I completely gave up on the Ichorid matchup. I don't think 3 Crypts is gonna make the difference. (3) Comments suggesting the G should be dropped will be deleted and ignored and expunged from consciousness. The "I won a Lotus" Captain is right. Tin Street is the nuts.
I am down to only 1 Wasteland, 1 Strip Mine. I think they stay because they are still randomly good.
Goblin King is for aggro matchups. I can still combo Workshop Aggro out if I can swing unmolested. He also makes R/g Beatz burn worse.
No Banneret. What do you wanna cut? You still have a ton of ways to T2 a Warchief. And multiple Warchief effects aren't that great, I don't think. Though I do get a little emotionally erect thinking about Matron for R.
Darkblast is for Confidant and Welder and to make it so I can occasionally attack into things. Combat tricks in Vintage! FTW!
Okay, tear me apart. I'll be testing this tonight, but if you have suggestions (possibly for how to stick Banneret in there) I'll test those too and report back. I am planning on going again on the 17th. Because I like torturing myself.
4 Goblin Lackey
4 Mogg Fanatic
3 Tin Street Hooligan
4 Goblin Piledriver
4 Goblin Matron
4 Goblin Warchief
4 Goblin Ringleader
2 Stingscourger
2 Earwig Squad
4 Aether Vial
4 Thorn of Amethyst
3 Mountain
3 Taiga
3 Wooded Foothills
3 Bloodstained Mire
1 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine
1 Badlands
1 Lotus Petal
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Jet
1 Mana Crypt
1 Swamp
Sideboard
2 Earwig Squad
4 Pyrostatic Pillar
3 Ancient Grudge
2 Darkblast
4 Goblin King
A couple points before you all tear me apart. (1) This isn't tested. (2) Yes, I completely gave up on the Ichorid matchup. I don't think 3 Crypts is gonna make the difference. (3) Comments suggesting the G should be dropped will be deleted and ignored and expunged from consciousness. The "I won a Lotus" Captain is right. Tin Street is the nuts.
I am down to only 1 Wasteland, 1 Strip Mine. I think they stay because they are still randomly good.
Goblin King is for aggro matchups. I can still combo Workshop Aggro out if I can swing unmolested. He also makes R/g Beatz burn worse.
No Banneret. What do you wanna cut? You still have a ton of ways to T2 a Warchief. And multiple Warchief effects aren't that great, I don't think. Though I do get a little emotionally erect thinking about Matron for R.
Darkblast is for Confidant and Welder and to make it so I can occasionally attack into things. Combat tricks in Vintage! FTW!
Okay, tear me apart. I'll be testing this tonight, but if you have suggestions (possibly for how to stick Banneret in there) I'll test those too and report back. I am planning on going again on the 17th. Because I like torturing myself.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Vintage thought
Hey Captain! I realize G is so much better for Gobs than B, but wow. This seems like, rilly good. Prowl is 1B with Warchief on the table. Or am I reading the rules wrong? Judge!
Gaea's might get where?
Is this really the Zach Stratton I'm thinking of? I haven't seen him at the store in a while, maybe he moved south. Or drove. Or maybe "Zach" and "Stratton" are actually pretty common names. Anybody know?
T
T
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Incorporating Morningtide into Kraj
Okay, ya'll are probably going to say something snide, but I haven't looked at the full spoiler for Morningtide yet. I love writing about General Kraj though, so I am gonna open the full spoiler right now and take a look and see what goodies there are to upgrade my list. I've seen a couple of lords that give +1/+1 counters, so let's keep our fingers crossed. Green first
Bramblewood Paragon-1G, 2/2. Each other Warrior creature you control comes into play with an additional +1/+1 counter on it.
Each creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it has trample.
Here's something with potential already in the Bs. A 2-drop that gives a lot of my other creatures trample? Seems alright. I am fairly certain I don't have a ton of Warriors in Kraj, but the second ability makes up for that. Might be too small though for EDH.
Chameleon Colossus-2GG, 4/4. Protection from Black.
2GG: Chameleon Colossus gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is its power.
Well, that's just silly. Obviously has to go in somewhere.
Cream of the Crop-1G, enchantment. Whenever a creature comes into play under your control, you may look at the top X cards of your library, where X is that creature's power. If you do, put one of those cards on top of your library and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
I am fairly certain that this is BBAR*. Especially when I can stack triggers to add +1/+1 counters before resolving this ability. How nice to cast a 28/28 GGT and get a free D Tutor from the top 3rd of my deck.
Earthbrawn and Hunting Triad-Earthbrawn is an overcosted Giant Growth and Hunting Triad puts elf tokens into play. However, they both have Reinforce, which allows me to add +1/+1 tokens at instant speed.
I don't think these make it, though maybe Hunting Triad gets the call. Combat tricks are just so bad in EDH (I'll trade a card for one of yours, then the dude dies to mass removal a turn later), and while the thought of Reinforce with Doubling Season on the table makes me feel dirty, I don't really need more ways to abuse Doubling Season. Nor do I need more ways to add +1/+1 counters to things without some other effect.
Fertilid-2G, 0/0. Fertilid comes into play with two +1/+1 counters on it.
1 G, Remove a +1/+1 counter from Fertilid: Target player searches his or her library for a basic land card and puts it into play tapped. Then that player shuffles his or her library.
Or I could just play Kodama's Reach. EDH may be casual, but 7 mana for 2 lands? No.
Reach of Branches-4G, Tribal Instant-Treefolk. Put a 2/5 green Treefolk Shaman creature token into play.
Whenever a Forest comes into play under your control, you may return Reach of Branches from your graveyard to your hand.
Virtual card advantage plus chumpies and Wrath insurance? Could get there. OTOH, we are sometimes casting Meloku with that mana, and our creature tutors don't get this. OTOOH, I do dredge quite a bit, even with only 3 Dredge cards. Hmmm...
So what do we have in Blue?
Mindspring-XBB. Draw X cards.
Yeah, I don't know if this is really better than the card drawing I already have. It's nice to refill in the late game, but it is so dead and overcosted early.
Sage of Fables-2U, 2/2. Each other Wizard creature you control comes into play with an additional +1/+1 counter on it.
2, Remove a +1/+1 counter from a creature you control: Draw a card.
Gee, and I was just about to complain how bad the blue Morningtide was for Kraj.
Slithermuse-2UU, 3/3. When Slithermuse leaves play, choose an opponent. If that player has more cards in hand than you, draw cards equal to the difference.
Evoke 3U
This seems a little underwhelming at first, but it is a solid body, that can be evoked for good effect in a large game, that has a little Wrath insurance. Could get there.
Oof. Two or three cards at the most. How about artifacts? Dare I hope?
No. It's all Tribal. Hrmph.
Multicolor? Nope. Okay, then. Well, looking at numbers of cards from each set in my current Kraj, it looks like Morningtide is going to be pretty darn good for a small set. Both the +1/+1 lords should get in, along with Chameleon Colossus (although we'll wait until Timmy gets his and the price goes down), Cream of the Crop and maybe some sundry. Nice job, Renton!
*Broken Beyond All Recognition, derf.
Bramblewood Paragon-1G, 2/2. Each other Warrior creature you control comes into play with an additional +1/+1 counter on it.
Each creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it has trample.
Here's something with potential already in the Bs. A 2-drop that gives a lot of my other creatures trample? Seems alright. I am fairly certain I don't have a ton of Warriors in Kraj, but the second ability makes up for that. Might be too small though for EDH.
Chameleon Colossus-2GG, 4/4. Protection from Black.
2GG: Chameleon Colossus gets +X/+X until end of turn, where X is its power.
Well, that's just silly. Obviously has to go in somewhere.
Cream of the Crop-1G, enchantment. Whenever a creature comes into play under your control, you may look at the top X cards of your library, where X is that creature's power. If you do, put one of those cards on top of your library and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
I am fairly certain that this is BBAR*. Especially when I can stack triggers to add +1/+1 counters before resolving this ability. How nice to cast a 28/28 GGT and get a free D Tutor from the top 3rd of my deck.
Earthbrawn and Hunting Triad-Earthbrawn is an overcosted Giant Growth and Hunting Triad puts elf tokens into play. However, they both have Reinforce, which allows me to add +1/+1 tokens at instant speed.
I don't think these make it, though maybe Hunting Triad gets the call. Combat tricks are just so bad in EDH (I'll trade a card for one of yours, then the dude dies to mass removal a turn later), and while the thought of Reinforce with Doubling Season on the table makes me feel dirty, I don't really need more ways to abuse Doubling Season. Nor do I need more ways to add +1/+1 counters to things without some other effect.
Fertilid-2G, 0/0. Fertilid comes into play with two +1/+1 counters on it.
1 G, Remove a +1/+1 counter from Fertilid: Target player searches his or her library for a basic land card and puts it into play tapped. Then that player shuffles his or her library.
Or I could just play Kodama's Reach. EDH may be casual, but 7 mana for 2 lands? No.
Reach of Branches-4G, Tribal Instant-Treefolk. Put a 2/5 green Treefolk Shaman creature token into play.
Whenever a Forest comes into play under your control, you may return Reach of Branches from your graveyard to your hand.
Virtual card advantage plus chumpies and Wrath insurance? Could get there. OTOH, we are sometimes casting Meloku with that mana, and our creature tutors don't get this. OTOOH, I do dredge quite a bit, even with only 3 Dredge cards. Hmmm...
So what do we have in Blue?
Mindspring-XBB. Draw X cards.
Yeah, I don't know if this is really better than the card drawing I already have. It's nice to refill in the late game, but it is so dead and overcosted early.
Sage of Fables-2U, 2/2. Each other Wizard creature you control comes into play with an additional +1/+1 counter on it.
2, Remove a +1/+1 counter from a creature you control: Draw a card.
Gee, and I was just about to complain how bad the blue Morningtide was for Kraj.
Slithermuse-2UU, 3/3. When Slithermuse leaves play, choose an opponent. If that player has more cards in hand than you, draw cards equal to the difference.
Evoke 3U
This seems a little underwhelming at first, but it is a solid body, that can be evoked for good effect in a large game, that has a little Wrath insurance. Could get there.
Oof. Two or three cards at the most. How about artifacts? Dare I hope?
No. It's all Tribal. Hrmph.
Multicolor? Nope. Okay, then. Well, looking at numbers of cards from each set in my current Kraj, it looks like Morningtide is going to be pretty darn good for a small set. Both the +1/+1 lords should get in, along with Chameleon Colossus (although we'll wait until Timmy gets his and the price goes down), Cream of the Crop and maybe some sundry. Nice job, Renton!
*Broken Beyond All Recognition, derf.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Febuary 9th Extended PTQ at Misty
1. Is anyone planning on attending this?
2. I am also looking to borrow the following cards for this event. Any help would be appreciated.
2 Tolaria West
1 Steam vents
2 Flooded strand
3 Polluted Delta
11 Island
1 Breeding Pool
2 Academy Ruins
2 Venser, Shaper Savant
3 Engineered Explosives
1 Sensei's Diving Top
3 Vedalken Shackles
4 Counterspell
3 Cryptic Command
3 Stifle
1 Pact of Negation
2 Fact or Fiction
3 Thirst for Knowledge
3 Spell Snare
3 Threads of Disloyalty
3 Tormod's Crypt
2 Pithing Needle
3 Hurkyl's Recall
2 Arcane Laboratory
3 Force Spike
3 Sower of Temptation
3. Any help would be greatly appreciated. And I will love you forever... unless you don't want me to... but than I will be sad.
2. I am also looking to borrow the following cards for this event. Any help would be appreciated.
2 Tolaria West
1 Steam vents
2 Flooded strand
3 Polluted Delta
11 Island
1 Breeding Pool
2 Academy Ruins
2 Venser, Shaper Savant
3 Engineered Explosives
1 Sensei's Diving Top
3 Vedalken Shackles
4 Counterspell
3 Cryptic Command
3 Stifle
1 Pact of Negation
2 Fact or Fiction
3 Thirst for Knowledge
3 Spell Snare
3 Threads of Disloyalty
3 Tormod's Crypt
2 Pithing Needle
3 Hurkyl's Recall
2 Arcane Laboratory
3 Force Spike
3 Sower of Temptation
3. Any help would be greatly appreciated. And I will love you forever... unless you don't want me to... but than I will be sad.
A Vintage tourney report. Also. Kraj rulez!
As mentioned earlier, Fugie convinced me to go to a vintage tournament this Sunday. I had a fair amount of fun and my opponent's weren't total asses. So that was nice. I played R/g Goblins. This would be the fastest "fair" deck in the format. Unfortunately, there are a lot of "unfair" decks.
Round 1-I win the die roll and start on Wooded foothills, without a one-drop. Not sure why I kept. My opponent leads with fetch into Taiga/Mogg Fan. So he's R/G Beats and I am a little bit of a dog to him. Anyways, Goblins does what it does and I am ahead the whole game. I think the only point I took game one was the Foothills activation. Game 2, he is first and I keep a broken hand of lackey, Tin Street, Mountain, Emerald, Ruby, and something else. Unfortunately, he also kept a broken hand of mox, lotus, Taiga, Kird ape, kird ape, seal of fire. Couldn't fight through it, though I did get him down to 7. Game 3, he gets down double Goyf off a Strip, Wasteland and Taiga. The crucial play comes when I stingscourger one Goyf and fail to Waste his Taiga. I failed to recognize it was his only green source. he was able to play defense with the goyfs pretty effectively and eventually pulled it out on the 3rd extra turn. That's right, Gobs vs Beatz went to time. Oof.
Round 2-I lose the die roll and my opponent leads with Delta into Underground Sea, Brainstorm. Of course he takes like 2 minutes to resolve it. "I can't just put back one, hunh?" "Ha ha. No." Anyways, he's playing GAT and while he holds me off for a bit with a well timed Force on Will on a lethal Siege-Gang Commander, I eventually killed him after giving him a whole extra turn, in which he Yawg Willed and still didn't win. Game 2 is a little dicier since he gets 2 Dryads out, but I Wasteland, Wasteland, Strip Mine, which is handy, since I have 2 Aether Vials out. He concedes on one land.
Round 3-I win the die roll and keep a hand of mountain, ruby, vial, lotus, lackey, matron. I drop my hand on the table and say go. Then he kills me. Oh good! Storm Tendrils. I go first again the second game, but fail to mull to a turn one Pyrostatic Pillar. Then he kills me. Vintage rulez!
I dropped and almost bailed but our little playgroup wasn't doing so hot and we had enough for a four man EDH. Kraj Action Force! Kick Butt!
I got a Gemstone Caverns with a luck counter on it. Turn one Signet. Turn 2 land. Turn 3 Magus of the Future. Turn 4 start going nuts with the Magus and various and sundry. I get to the point where Fugie is very concerned about my board seeing how he has a Dimir Infiltrator and I have like 5 creatures. So he drops a Disk and swings at Tabasco. Now, Fugie could have swung at me, but he'd hurt in the crackback and he could have swung at Major Luck, but he'd hurt in the crackback, so he chooses to poke Tabasco for one. This upsets Tabasco, because Hot Sauce has done little but play a Megrim at this point. So despite the fact that I am the one whom a Disk would cripple, Tabasco cacks it on Major Luck's EOT. I proceed to get really silly with El Mago del Futuro and Life from the Loam and Fathom Trawl. Fugie is dead by the time Major Luck realizes he can Citanul Flute for Wrath of God (via Dimir House Guard) and my hand is so far beyond gas as to be comical.
After the dust clears, I Kraj and Major Dromars only to have them both Decree of Pained. So Tabasco has filled up his hand with gas thanks to Mind's Eye (which yes, should be in every deck) and my Ancestral Visions. And I have a Doubling Season in play. So on Major's EOT, I Gifts for Golgari Grave-Troll, Triskelavus, Regrowth, and Eternal Witness. He gives me the Regrowths, which I can use on anything in my graveyard, due to GGT having dredge and Triskelavus comboing with Academy Ruins. So I cast a 26/26 GGT, a 4/4 Phantom Nantuko, pump them both with my 8/8 Cytoplast Root-kin and say go. Tabasco plays Mindslicer and says go and Major Luck casts chumpies (to go with his Vedalken Shackles (5 islands) and passes to me at 2 life and with a single card in hand. I Ruins Triskelavus on my upkeep and cast it (as a 7/7) with 3 mana up. Major tells me I should win this turn and I couldn't figure out how. Until I attacked him with the Nantuko and Tabasco with the others. Then Major steals the Mindslicer to block with. I didn't see this solution at first because it depended on what the Major did. But there was a better solution which didn't require his involvement. I could have just created Triskelavite tokens and shot the Mindslicer so we all blow our hands. Then Major dies from the Megrim and I swing with the team to kill Tabasco. I am a bad player. The B&R team for CBG's basement has a close eye on Doubling Season. Have fun out there.
Round 1-I win the die roll and start on Wooded foothills, without a one-drop. Not sure why I kept. My opponent leads with fetch into Taiga/Mogg Fan. So he's R/G Beats and I am a little bit of a dog to him. Anyways, Goblins does what it does and I am ahead the whole game. I think the only point I took game one was the Foothills activation. Game 2, he is first and I keep a broken hand of lackey, Tin Street, Mountain, Emerald, Ruby, and something else. Unfortunately, he also kept a broken hand of mox, lotus, Taiga, Kird ape, kird ape, seal of fire. Couldn't fight through it, though I did get him down to 7. Game 3, he gets down double Goyf off a Strip, Wasteland and Taiga. The crucial play comes when I stingscourger one Goyf and fail to Waste his Taiga. I failed to recognize it was his only green source. he was able to play defense with the goyfs pretty effectively and eventually pulled it out on the 3rd extra turn. That's right, Gobs vs Beatz went to time. Oof.
Round 2-I lose the die roll and my opponent leads with Delta into Underground Sea, Brainstorm. Of course he takes like 2 minutes to resolve it. "I can't just put back one, hunh?" "Ha ha. No." Anyways, he's playing GAT and while he holds me off for a bit with a well timed Force on Will on a lethal Siege-Gang Commander, I eventually killed him after giving him a whole extra turn, in which he Yawg Willed and still didn't win. Game 2 is a little dicier since he gets 2 Dryads out, but I Wasteland, Wasteland, Strip Mine, which is handy, since I have 2 Aether Vials out. He concedes on one land.
Round 3-I win the die roll and keep a hand of mountain, ruby, vial, lotus, lackey, matron. I drop my hand on the table and say go. Then he kills me. Oh good! Storm Tendrils. I go first again the second game, but fail to mull to a turn one Pyrostatic Pillar. Then he kills me. Vintage rulez!
I dropped and almost bailed but our little playgroup wasn't doing so hot and we had enough for a four man EDH. Kraj Action Force! Kick Butt!
I got a Gemstone Caverns with a luck counter on it. Turn one Signet. Turn 2 land. Turn 3 Magus of the Future. Turn 4 start going nuts with the Magus and various and sundry. I get to the point where Fugie is very concerned about my board seeing how he has a Dimir Infiltrator and I have like 5 creatures. So he drops a Disk and swings at Tabasco. Now, Fugie could have swung at me, but he'd hurt in the crackback and he could have swung at Major Luck, but he'd hurt in the crackback, so he chooses to poke Tabasco for one. This upsets Tabasco, because Hot Sauce has done little but play a Megrim at this point. So despite the fact that I am the one whom a Disk would cripple, Tabasco cacks it on Major Luck's EOT. I proceed to get really silly with El Mago del Futuro and Life from the Loam and Fathom Trawl. Fugie is dead by the time Major Luck realizes he can Citanul Flute for Wrath of God (via Dimir House Guard) and my hand is so far beyond gas as to be comical.
After the dust clears, I Kraj and Major Dromars only to have them both Decree of Pained. So Tabasco has filled up his hand with gas thanks to Mind's Eye (which yes, should be in every deck) and my Ancestral Visions. And I have a Doubling Season in play. So on Major's EOT, I Gifts for Golgari Grave-Troll, Triskelavus, Regrowth, and Eternal Witness. He gives me the Regrowths, which I can use on anything in my graveyard, due to GGT having dredge and Triskelavus comboing with Academy Ruins. So I cast a 26/26 GGT, a 4/4 Phantom Nantuko, pump them both with my 8/8 Cytoplast Root-kin and say go. Tabasco plays Mindslicer and says go and Major Luck casts chumpies (to go with his Vedalken Shackles (5 islands) and passes to me at 2 life and with a single card in hand. I Ruins Triskelavus on my upkeep and cast it (as a 7/7) with 3 mana up. Major tells me I should win this turn and I couldn't figure out how. Until I attacked him with the Nantuko and Tabasco with the others. Then Major steals the Mindslicer to block with. I didn't see this solution at first because it depended on what the Major did. But there was a better solution which didn't require his involvement. I could have just created Triskelavite tokens and shot the Mindslicer so we all blow our hands. Then Major dies from the Megrim and I swing with the team to kill Tabasco. I am a bad player. The B&R team for CBG's basement has a close eye on Doubling Season. Have fun out there.
For Those of You That Probably Don't Care
At the T1 TK and Owen may or may not have split the finals (I don't know I left before they figured out what they were doing). Ash Ketchum finished 3rd and Tyler finished 4th. I scrubbed TFW scrubbed and I believe CBG didn't do much better.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
On anonymity and this blog
It's so bizarre. I, and all my co-bloggers, post pseudonymously and yet, when somebody posts a comment with a pseudonym, I am possessed with a righteous fury, "Who is that person? And why do they think they can post here without giving a name?!?" Then I remember...and I am like, "Oh. Right."
I <3 EDH and a vintage update
So the constructed flavor of the month is Elder Dragon Highlander, that most casual yet powerful of formats. Wanna play Nath of the Gilt-Leaf and Unnerve together? Now you can. I have played against Fugie's Dakkon deck several times. It seems really really good, though extraordinarily susceptible to Jokulhaups. He plays a bunch of powerful nonbasics, in-color planeswalkers and the best cards from 3 colors. He has smoked the group with it every time I have failed to resolve Jokulhaups. The other day, he won a 6-man, having been Black Braids-ed down to a single permanent. It's that good. The thing that makes it really good though, is the deck doesn't stick its neck out. One of the decks was recursing Black Braids. Everybody ganged up. I cast a 14/14 GGT and got my head cut off. Somebody else cast Austere Command, Profane Command and Damnation. Gang tackle. I thought it was a fun demonstration of why the most powerful deck rarely wins in multiplayer.
I was playing Experiment Kraj that day. I had managed to misbuild the deck. Apparently, Experiment Kraj only gets activated abilities of each creature with a +1/+1 counter on it, not all abilities. Thank goodness for my neighbors Triskelion (and holy crap, do I need to get me one a doze...). I think it needs a little more of a toolbox approach, but man oh man, I think I played every Simic card from Dissension except maybe Simic Initiate. Also, random Keiga is just randomly good. The deck probably needs more Spikes. Those are all activated right?
Interest in the Wort deck has waned a bit. The goblin theme is a little random. The giant dragons are fun, and boy does B/R have a ton of massive board affecting spells. For whatever reason, I haven't enjoyed playing it nearly as much as the Kraj deck. Probably because Kraj has a bunch of neat, Johnny-ish interactions, with a very Timmy endgame. Giant Trolls! Oozes the size of your living room! See, here I am talking about Experiment Kraj in a paragraph ostensibly about Wort.
Anyways, so I am going to dip my toe in the Vintage waters this Sunday. I am going to a mox tourney with a simple to play if underpowered deck. It'll be fun to try something new but my expectations are low. I am going to be running R/g Goblins. Should I post my list? I guess it doesn't matter. It's not like people will metagame against me.
4x goblin lackey
4x mogg fanatic
4x goblin warchief
4x goblin piledriver
4x goblin ringleader
3x tin street hooligan
1x gempalm incinerater
1x stingscourger
4x goblin matron
4x aether vial
2x wasteland
1x strip mine
4x wooded foothills
2x bloodstained mire
3x taiga
4x mountain
4x thorn of amethyst
1x mox emerald
1x mox ruby
1x black lotus
1x lotus petal
1x mana crypt
2x siege-gang commander
I don't know if I should say who gave me the list. What is the protocol here? Anyhoos, testing tomorrow! Woohoo!
I was playing Experiment Kraj that day. I had managed to misbuild the deck. Apparently, Experiment Kraj only gets activated abilities of each creature with a +1/+1 counter on it, not all abilities. Thank goodness for my neighbors Triskelion (and holy crap, do I need to get me one a doze...). I think it needs a little more of a toolbox approach, but man oh man, I think I played every Simic card from Dissension except maybe Simic Initiate. Also, random Keiga is just randomly good. The deck probably needs more Spikes. Those are all activated right?
Interest in the Wort deck has waned a bit. The goblin theme is a little random. The giant dragons are fun, and boy does B/R have a ton of massive board affecting spells. For whatever reason, I haven't enjoyed playing it nearly as much as the Kraj deck. Probably because Kraj has a bunch of neat, Johnny-ish interactions, with a very Timmy endgame. Giant Trolls! Oozes the size of your living room! See, here I am talking about Experiment Kraj in a paragraph ostensibly about Wort.
Anyways, so I am going to dip my toe in the Vintage waters this Sunday. I am going to a mox tourney with a simple to play if underpowered deck. It'll be fun to try something new but my expectations are low. I am going to be running R/g Goblins. Should I post my list? I guess it doesn't matter. It's not like people will metagame against me.
4x goblin lackey
4x mogg fanatic
4x goblin warchief
4x goblin piledriver
4x goblin ringleader
3x tin street hooligan
1x gempalm incinerater
1x stingscourger
4x goblin matron
4x aether vial
2x wasteland
1x strip mine
4x wooded foothills
2x bloodstained mire
3x taiga
4x mountain
4x thorn of amethyst
1x mox emerald
1x mox ruby
1x black lotus
1x lotus petal
1x mana crypt
2x siege-gang commander
I don't know if I should say who gave me the list. What is the protocol here? Anyhoos, testing tomorrow! Woohoo!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Morningtide Prerelease
After going 0-6 in cube drafting, Too Sarcastic does okay at the prerelease. I went with Major Luck and Scoop Phase. In our sealed pod we were all still in prize range by the last round, but we needed a win. Unfortunately Scoop and Major got paired against one another in the last round, so only one would get the packs (it was Scoops). Luckily those two agreed to split the prize either way, so there were no hard feelings. I lost the last round and finished 2-1-1, just of prize range. We all drafted trips Morningtide and I actually got to the finals with a controllish rogue/fairies deck, where I conceded to a fellow from MKE because we needed to get back on the road. So I ended up walking away with seven Morngingtide packs. We only need to rustle up one more Morngingtide pack (I'm looking at you Major Luck) to do a full 8 person LLM draft! Any takers? I'd like to do a draft sometime this coming week, because by next weekend, life is going to be crazy and I probably won't have time. Let me know if you are down and when you could do it!
T
T
Thursday, January 17, 2008
56 Land.dec
I am totally playing this list at FNM
4 Countryside Crusher
4 Terramorphic Expanse
52 Mountain
Yes, I know he doesn't have trample. I love him anyway. Screw You.
4 Countryside Crusher
4 Terramorphic Expanse
52 Mountain
Yes, I know he doesn't have trample. I love him anyway. Screw You.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Elder Dragon Highlander (Hideaway Drinking Game Variant)
What's better than Elder Dragon Highlander? Besides sex, smartypants. That's right! Drinking!
This probably works best for multiplayer FFA games. Duels probably won't meet the triggers enough. The game works just like normal, except there are 5 triggered abilities in the rules.
(1) Whenever a source deals 7 or more damage to a player, the controller of the source may pay 3. If that person does, the damaged player takes a drink.
(2) Whenever 3 or more creatures attack a single player, the attacking player may pay 3. If that person does, the defending player takes a drink.
(3) As long as a player controls 10 or more power of creatures, that player may pay 4. If that person does, target player takes a drink.
(4) Whenever a player is hellbent, any opponent may pay 3. If the cost is paid, the hellbent player takes a drink. Play this ability only once per turn.
(5) Whenever an active player has less than 40 cards in their library, any opponent may pay 3. If the cost is paid, the active player takes a drink. Play this ability only once per turn.
I hosed the green one a little since it is so easy to activate, can target any player and can be activated multiple times per turn. What do you all think? Awesome?
This probably works best for multiplayer FFA games. Duels probably won't meet the triggers enough. The game works just like normal, except there are 5 triggered abilities in the rules.
(1) Whenever a source deals 7 or more damage to a player, the controller of the source may pay 3. If that person does, the damaged player takes a drink.
(2) Whenever 3 or more creatures attack a single player, the attacking player may pay 3. If that person does, the defending player takes a drink.
(3) As long as a player controls 10 or more power of creatures, that player may pay 4. If that person does, target player takes a drink.
(4) Whenever a player is hellbent, any opponent may pay 3. If the cost is paid, the hellbent player takes a drink. Play this ability only once per turn.
(5) Whenever an active player has less than 40 cards in their library, any opponent may pay 3. If the cost is paid, the active player takes a drink. Play this ability only once per turn.
I hosed the green one a little since it is so easy to activate, can target any player and can be activated multiple times per turn. What do you all think? Awesome?
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Cube Thoughts
Well, I am undefeated in Cube drafting. I think that Mirror Entity is a windmill slam first pick. I highly recommend odd play mistakes on the part of your opponent. Odd play mistakes are a big part of Cube though, since you are dealing with strange interactions between powerful cards that you've never played together before. I drafted a moderately fast GW beatdown deck splashing red for Fireball. Channel also got in there but never combo'd with Fireball. Why not? Because Mirror Entity is actually a much better combo with Channel.
I started the draft off thinking I would probably force Green a little. There had been a lot of talk about how weak Green was, but I did feel like there were a lot of bodies there. It seemed like people might get a little overly enamored of 7 mana bombs and powerful spells and forget that creatures pretty much rule limited. Especially 4/4s for 4. To give you an idea of how committed I was to this plan, I first picked a Werebear. Not great, not terrible. I managed to end up passing some HUGE green dudes (Kodama North, Verdant Force) because I didn't feel like I had enough accelerators. Instead I got a bunch of efficient midrange stuff (Hierarch, Arrogant Wurm), some pump (Rancor, Armadillo Cloak) and a bunch of White Knights (3 or 4 first striking 2/2s). Match one I pulled out even though I managed to grossly misplay Fireball. RTFC. Match two, I donkeyed away game 2 but the captain (no relation) was horribly manascrewed game 3. Match 3 game 3 was interesting. My opponent was outdrawing me with Bob and had like 7 creatures, only 2 of whom were non black. He had a Kami of Ancient Law stolen from me with Ink-Eyes and a green dude. I had 2 pro-black dudes, but they had to play defense because he has chumps and I die on the crack back. Finally, we reached the point where he could alpha strike for the win next turn. I was on 11, he on 10. I have Mirror Entity, Mystic Enforcer and White Knight. I draw for the turn. It's Rancor! I immediately play Rancor and Channel. I declare my attacks and he immediately cacks my Rancor with Kami of Ancient Law. Oops, blown out by my own card! Except, he no longer had chumps for both pro:black dudes. He was tapped out, so I channel down to 1, dealing exactly enough damage with my 10/10 White Knight. Bad beats, man.
I am not sure how viable it would be to repeat the strategy. Hierarch and Armadillo Cloak provide a pretty strong argument for going GW, but man did I ever want some freaking removal. Lifegain off Essence Warden, Hierarch and the Cloak were all relevant at one point or another.
I started the draft off thinking I would probably force Green a little. There had been a lot of talk about how weak Green was, but I did feel like there were a lot of bodies there. It seemed like people might get a little overly enamored of 7 mana bombs and powerful spells and forget that creatures pretty much rule limited. Especially 4/4s for 4. To give you an idea of how committed I was to this plan, I first picked a Werebear. Not great, not terrible. I managed to end up passing some HUGE green dudes (Kodama North, Verdant Force) because I didn't feel like I had enough accelerators. Instead I got a bunch of efficient midrange stuff (Hierarch, Arrogant Wurm), some pump (Rancor, Armadillo Cloak) and a bunch of White Knights (3 or 4 first striking 2/2s). Match one I pulled out even though I managed to grossly misplay Fireball. RTFC. Match two, I donkeyed away game 2 but the captain (no relation) was horribly manascrewed game 3. Match 3 game 3 was interesting. My opponent was outdrawing me with Bob and had like 7 creatures, only 2 of whom were non black. He had a Kami of Ancient Law stolen from me with Ink-Eyes and a green dude. I had 2 pro-black dudes, but they had to play defense because he has chumps and I die on the crack back. Finally, we reached the point where he could alpha strike for the win next turn. I was on 11, he on 10. I have Mirror Entity, Mystic Enforcer and White Knight. I draw for the turn. It's Rancor! I immediately play Rancor and Channel. I declare my attacks and he immediately cacks my Rancor with Kami of Ancient Law. Oops, blown out by my own card! Except, he no longer had chumps for both pro:black dudes. He was tapped out, so I channel down to 1, dealing exactly enough damage with my 10/10 White Knight. Bad beats, man.
I am not sure how viable it would be to repeat the strategy. Hierarch and Armadillo Cloak provide a pretty strong argument for going GW, but man did I ever want some freaking removal. Lifegain off Essence Warden, Hierarch and the Cloak were all relevant at one point or another.
Cube Draft Night Recap
Well it finally happened. We finally took her for a spin. As CBG put it, there was "apocalyptic weather" which dinted our turnout, but we still got a six man going. It was simultaneously heart-wrenching and amazing to have five other dudes picking apart the cube I had spent so much time on, then building it back up in a much more powerful state. Green especially got a facelift. I drafted a terrible red/white concoction splashing blue for Keiga which did not play beatdown or control particularly well. I won one game, all night, going 0-3.
So now we have all sorts of people's cards in the Cube! This is great, and also a liability, so I will try my darndest to make sure everyone agrees on what is theirs. To that end, I am posting the "adds" for everyone from last night, as recorded by CBG. There will eventually be a google doc of every card and its owner, but I think that will circulate via email and not on the blog. Or maybe it will end up here, I don't know. If something does not look right, let me know ASAP. For everyone else, you can see how much the power level jumped just by looking at the new adds. A full list of the Cube V.2.0 will follow whenever I feel like it.
T
Captain Bondage Goth's Cards:
Tarmogoyf
Wild Mongrel
Werebear
Kodama North
Spectral Force
Demonfire
Gorilla Shaman
Golgari Grave-Troll
Angel of Despair
pithing needle
winter orb
Keiga
Top
plague sliver
Tidings
Kataki
Mirror Entity
Profane Command
Yosei
Thoughtseize
Vexing Sphinx
Pimped Replacement Versions:
Reckless wurm
disenchant
koal
wing shards
Lotus Bloom
deep analysis
Mirari
Gaea's Anthem
terror
Flame Fusillade
Captain Essex's Cards
Dimir Cutpurse
Razormane Masticore
Pimped Replacement Versions:
Lightning Helix
Azorius guildmage
The Captain's Cards:
Hystrodon
living death
Kamahl
Loxodon Hierarch
Fork
caller of the claw
So now we have all sorts of people's cards in the Cube! This is great, and also a liability, so I will try my darndest to make sure everyone agrees on what is theirs. To that end, I am posting the "adds" for everyone from last night, as recorded by CBG. There will eventually be a google doc of every card and its owner, but I think that will circulate via email and not on the blog. Or maybe it will end up here, I don't know. If something does not look right, let me know ASAP. For everyone else, you can see how much the power level jumped just by looking at the new adds. A full list of the Cube V.2.0 will follow whenever I feel like it.
T
Captain Bondage Goth's Cards:
Tarmogoyf
Wild Mongrel
Werebear
Kodama North
Spectral Force
Demonfire
Gorilla Shaman
Golgari Grave-Troll
Angel of Despair
pithing needle
winter orb
Keiga
Top
plague sliver
Tidings
Kataki
Mirror Entity
Profane Command
Yosei
Thoughtseize
Vexing Sphinx
Pimped Replacement Versions:
Reckless wurm
disenchant
koal
wing shards
Lotus Bloom
deep analysis
Mirari
Gaea's Anthem
terror
Flame Fusillade
Captain Essex's Cards
Dimir Cutpurse
Razormane Masticore
Pimped Replacement Versions:
Lightning Helix
Azorius guildmage
The Captain's Cards:
Hystrodon
living death
Kamahl
Loxodon Hierarch
Fork
caller of the claw
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
TooSarcastic's Cube Draft List v.1.2
Merry Christmas!
This list is now balanced for colors, strategies, etc (so much as I can with my own cards). The biggest change is that all the cards are physically sleeved in a box and ready to draft. Cube party anytime, peeps!
WHITE
Adarkar Valkyrie
Ajani Goldmane
Akroma, Angel of Wrath
Armageddon
Arrest
Aura of Silence
Austere Command
Aven Mindcensor
Aven Riftwatcher
Blade of the Sixth Pride
Calciderm
Cho-Manno, Revolutionary
Cloudchaser Kestrel
CondemnCrovax, Ascendant Hero
Crusade
Descendant of Kiyomaro
Devouring Light
Disenchant
Empyrial Armor
Enduring Renewal
Enlightened Tutor
Eternal Dragon
Faith's Fetters
Genju of the Fields
Ghostly Prison
Glorious Anthem
Goldmeadow Harrier
Griffin Guide
Honorable Passage
Icatian Javelineers
Jötun Grunt
Kami of Ancient Law
Knight of Meadowgrain
Longbow Archer
Mana Tithe
Martyr of Sands
Momentary Blink
Mother of Runes
Oblivion Ring
Order of the White Shield
Pacifism
Paladin en-Vec
Pariah
Radiant's Dragoons
Radiant's Judgment
Reya Dawnbringer
Sacred Mesa
Samurai of the Pale Curtain
Savannah Lions
Soltari Priest
Swords to Plowshares
Temporal Isolation
True Believer
White Knight
White Shield Crusader
Wing Shards
Wrath of God
BLUE
Aeon Chronicler
Aquamoeba
Blue Elemental Blast
Boomerang
Braingeyser
Brainstorm
Brine Elemental
Capsize
Cloud Spirit
Compulsive Research
Confiscate
Control Magic
Counterspell
Cryptic Command
Deep Analysis
Desertion
Dissipate
Drift of Phantasms
Forbid
Force of Will
Force Spike
Frantic Search
Hydroblast
Impulse
Intruder Alarm
Jace Beleren
Looter il-Kor
Mana Leak
Man-o'-War
Memory Lapse
Merchant Scroll
Merfolk Looter
Mind Over Matter
Mystical Teachings
Mystical Tutor
Ninja of the Deep Hours
Ophidian
Pact of Negation
Propaganda
Ray of Command
Remand
Repeal
Repulse
Riftwing Cloudskate
Rushing River
Spell Snare
Stasis
Stroke of Genius
Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
Thieving Magpie
Tinker
Unstable Mutation
Venser, Shaper Savant
Vesuvan Shapeshifter
Voidmage Prodigy
Waterfront Bouncer
Willbender
BLACK
Animate Dead
Bad Moon
Black Knight
Bone Shredder
Carnophage
Consume Spirit
Contamination
Corpse Dance
Corrupt
Crypt Champion
Crypt Rats
Damnation
Dark Confidant
Dark Ritual
Darkblast
Dauthi Horror
Dauthi Slayer
Death Denied
Diabolic Edict
Diabolic Servitude
Drain Life
Dread Return
Duress
Erg Raiders
Exhume
Flesh Reaver
Haakon, Stromgald Scourge
Hatred
Hymn to Tourach
Hypnotic Specter
Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
Knight of Stromgald
Liliana Vess
Nameless Inversion
Nantuko Husk
Necropotence
Nezumi Graverobber
Okiba-Gang Shinobi
Oona's Prowler
Paralyze
Persecute
Pestilence
Phyrexian Arena
Pox
Priest of Gix
Sarcomancy
Shadow Guildmage
Shriekmaw
Skeletal Vampire
Skittering Skirge
Smallpox
Smother
Stinkweed Imp
Stromgald Crusader
Sudden Death
Tendrils of Corruption
Terror
RED
Akroma, Angel of Fury
Avalanche Riders
Bogardan Hellkite
Boom // Bust
Browbeat
Chandra Nalaar
Earthquake
Empty the Warrens
Fiery Temper
Fireball
Fireblast
Fireslinger
Flame Fusillade
Frenzied Goblin
Gathan Raiders
Goblin Bombardment
Goblin Grenade
Goblin Matron
Goblin Patrol
Goblin Recruiter
Grapeshot
Grinning Ignus
Hearth Kami
Hostility
Incinerate
Jaya Ballard, Task Mage
Jokulhaups
Keldon Marauders
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
Kird Ape
Lava Hounds
Lightning Bolt
Magus of the Scroll
Mana Flare
Mogg Fanatic
Mogg Flunkies
Mogg War Marshal
Orcish Lumberjack
Pyroblast
Pyroclasm
Reckless Wurm
Red Elemental Blast
Rolling Thunder
Seal of Fire
Shard Phoenix
Shock
Siege-Gang Commander
Simian Spirit Guide
Stone Rain
Sudden Shock
Sulfur Elemental
Tarfire
Threaten
Tin Street Hooligan
Tribal Flames
Wheel of Fortune
Word of Seizing
GREEN
Arrogant Wurm
Basking Rootwalla
Birds of Paradise
Blanchwood Armor
Briarhorn
Carven Caryatid
Channel
Crop Rotation
Desert Twister
Doubling Season
Early Harvest
Elves of Deep Shadow
Essence Warden
Fertile Ground
Fyndhorn Elder
Fyndhorn Elves
Gaea’s Anthem
Garruk Wildspeaker
Giant Growth
Harmonize
Harrow
Hurricane
Indrik Stomphowler
Kodama's Reach
Krosan Grip
Life from the Loam
Llanowar Elves
Loaming Shaman
Might of Oaks
Moldervine Cloak
Mtenda Lion
Natural Order
Naturalize
Overrun
Phantom Centaur
Quirion Ranger
Rampant Growth
Rancor
Regrowth
River Boa
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Scryb Ranger
Simian Grunts
Spectral Bears
Thelonite Hermit
Timbermare
Trained Armodon
Troll Ascetic
Uktabi Orangutan
Verdant Force
Vinelasher Kudzu
Viridian Shaman
Wall of Blossoms
Wall of Roots
Wild Dogs
Wing Snare
Wood Elves
MULTICOLORED
Armadillo Cloak
Azorius Guildmage
Burning-Tree Shaman
Dovescape
Electrolyze
Ghost Council of Orzhova
Grave-Shell Scarab
Lightning Angel
Lightning Helix
Lim-Dul's Vault
Mortify
Mystic Enforcer
Mystic Snake
Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind
Putrefy
Rakdos Guildmage
Recoil
Savage Twister
Selesnya Guildmage
Stormbind
Void
Watchwolf
Who/What/When/Where/Why
ARTIFACTS
Altar of Dementia
Black Vise
Bottle Gnomes
Bottled Cloister
Coalition Relic
Fellwar Stone
Icy Manipulator
Ivory Tower
Juggernaut
Lotus Bloom
Lotus Petal
Loxodon Warhammer
Mana Vault
Memory Jar
Millstone
Mirari
Mox Diamond
Nevinyrral's Disk
Phyrexian Dreadnought
Platinum Angel
Prismatic Lens
Scroll Rack
Serrated Arrows
Sol Ring
Static Orb
Tormod's Crypt
Zuran Orb
LANDS
Academy Ruins
Azorius Chancery
Blood Crypt
Boros Garrison
Breeding Pool
Dimir Aqueduct
Godless Shrine
Golgari Rot Farm
Gruul Turf
Hallowed Fountain
Izzet Boilerworks
Orzhov Basilica
Overgrown Tomb
Rakdos Carnarium
Sacred Foundry
Selesnya Sanctuary
Simic Growth Chamber
Steam Vents
Stomping Ground
Temple Garden
Terramorphic Expanse
Tolarian Academy
Volrath's Stronghold
Watery Grave
This list is now balanced for colors, strategies, etc (so much as I can with my own cards). The biggest change is that all the cards are physically sleeved in a box and ready to draft. Cube party anytime, peeps!
WHITE
Adarkar Valkyrie
Ajani Goldmane
Akroma, Angel of Wrath
Armageddon
Arrest
Aura of Silence
Austere Command
Aven Mindcensor
Aven Riftwatcher
Blade of the Sixth Pride
Calciderm
Cho-Manno, Revolutionary
Cloudchaser Kestrel
CondemnCrovax, Ascendant Hero
Crusade
Descendant of Kiyomaro
Devouring Light
Disenchant
Empyrial Armor
Enduring Renewal
Enlightened Tutor
Eternal Dragon
Faith's Fetters
Genju of the Fields
Ghostly Prison
Glorious Anthem
Goldmeadow Harrier
Griffin Guide
Honorable Passage
Icatian Javelineers
Jötun Grunt
Kami of Ancient Law
Knight of Meadowgrain
Longbow Archer
Mana Tithe
Martyr of Sands
Momentary Blink
Mother of Runes
Oblivion Ring
Order of the White Shield
Pacifism
Paladin en-Vec
Pariah
Radiant's Dragoons
Radiant's Judgment
Reya Dawnbringer
Sacred Mesa
Samurai of the Pale Curtain
Savannah Lions
Soltari Priest
Swords to Plowshares
Temporal Isolation
True Believer
White Knight
White Shield Crusader
Wing Shards
Wrath of God
BLUE
Aeon Chronicler
Aquamoeba
Blue Elemental Blast
Boomerang
Braingeyser
Brainstorm
Brine Elemental
Capsize
Cloud Spirit
Compulsive Research
Confiscate
Control Magic
Counterspell
Cryptic Command
Deep Analysis
Desertion
Dissipate
Drift of Phantasms
Forbid
Force of Will
Force Spike
Frantic Search
Hydroblast
Impulse
Intruder Alarm
Jace Beleren
Looter il-Kor
Mana Leak
Man-o'-War
Memory Lapse
Merchant Scroll
Merfolk Looter
Mind Over Matter
Mystical Teachings
Mystical Tutor
Ninja of the Deep Hours
Ophidian
Pact of Negation
Propaganda
Ray of Command
Remand
Repeal
Repulse
Riftwing Cloudskate
Rushing River
Spell Snare
Stasis
Stroke of Genius
Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
Thieving Magpie
Tinker
Unstable Mutation
Venser, Shaper Savant
Vesuvan Shapeshifter
Voidmage Prodigy
Waterfront Bouncer
Willbender
BLACK
Animate Dead
Bad Moon
Black Knight
Bone Shredder
Carnophage
Consume Spirit
Contamination
Corpse Dance
Corrupt
Crypt Champion
Crypt Rats
Damnation
Dark Confidant
Dark Ritual
Darkblast
Dauthi Horror
Dauthi Slayer
Death Denied
Diabolic Edict
Diabolic Servitude
Drain Life
Dread Return
Duress
Erg Raiders
Exhume
Flesh Reaver
Haakon, Stromgald Scourge
Hatred
Hymn to Tourach
Hypnotic Specter
Ink-Eyes, Servant of Oni
Knight of Stromgald
Liliana Vess
Nameless Inversion
Nantuko Husk
Necropotence
Nezumi Graverobber
Okiba-Gang Shinobi
Oona's Prowler
Paralyze
Persecute
Pestilence
Phyrexian Arena
Pox
Priest of Gix
Sarcomancy
Shadow Guildmage
Shriekmaw
Skeletal Vampire
Skittering Skirge
Smallpox
Smother
Stinkweed Imp
Stromgald Crusader
Sudden Death
Tendrils of Corruption
Terror
RED
Akroma, Angel of Fury
Avalanche Riders
Bogardan Hellkite
Boom // Bust
Browbeat
Chandra Nalaar
Earthquake
Empty the Warrens
Fiery Temper
Fireball
Fireblast
Fireslinger
Flame Fusillade
Frenzied Goblin
Gathan Raiders
Goblin Bombardment
Goblin Grenade
Goblin Matron
Goblin Patrol
Goblin Recruiter
Grapeshot
Grinning Ignus
Hearth Kami
Hostility
Incinerate
Jaya Ballard, Task Mage
Jokulhaups
Keldon Marauders
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
Kird Ape
Lava Hounds
Lightning Bolt
Magus of the Scroll
Mana Flare
Mogg Fanatic
Mogg Flunkies
Mogg War Marshal
Orcish Lumberjack
Pyroblast
Pyroclasm
Reckless Wurm
Red Elemental Blast
Rolling Thunder
Seal of Fire
Shard Phoenix
Shock
Siege-Gang Commander
Simian Spirit Guide
Stone Rain
Sudden Shock
Sulfur Elemental
Tarfire
Threaten
Tin Street Hooligan
Tribal Flames
Wheel of Fortune
Word of Seizing
GREEN
Arrogant Wurm
Basking Rootwalla
Birds of Paradise
Blanchwood Armor
Briarhorn
Carven Caryatid
Channel
Crop Rotation
Desert Twister
Doubling Season
Early Harvest
Elves of Deep Shadow
Essence Warden
Fertile Ground
Fyndhorn Elder
Fyndhorn Elves
Gaea’s Anthem
Garruk Wildspeaker
Giant Growth
Harmonize
Harrow
Hurricane
Indrik Stomphowler
Kodama's Reach
Krosan Grip
Life from the Loam
Llanowar Elves
Loaming Shaman
Might of Oaks
Moldervine Cloak
Mtenda Lion
Natural Order
Naturalize
Overrun
Phantom Centaur
Quirion Ranger
Rampant Growth
Rancor
Regrowth
River Boa
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Scryb Ranger
Simian Grunts
Spectral Bears
Thelonite Hermit
Timbermare
Trained Armodon
Troll Ascetic
Uktabi Orangutan
Verdant Force
Vinelasher Kudzu
Viridian Shaman
Wall of Blossoms
Wall of Roots
Wild Dogs
Wing Snare
Wood Elves
MULTICOLORED
Armadillo Cloak
Azorius Guildmage
Burning-Tree Shaman
Dovescape
Electrolyze
Ghost Council of Orzhova
Grave-Shell Scarab
Lightning Angel
Lightning Helix
Lim-Dul's Vault
Mortify
Mystic Enforcer
Mystic Snake
Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind
Putrefy
Rakdos Guildmage
Recoil
Savage Twister
Selesnya Guildmage
Stormbind
Void
Watchwolf
Who/What/When/Where/Why
ARTIFACTS
Altar of Dementia
Black Vise
Bottle Gnomes
Bottled Cloister
Coalition Relic
Fellwar Stone
Icy Manipulator
Ivory Tower
Juggernaut
Lotus Bloom
Lotus Petal
Loxodon Warhammer
Mana Vault
Memory Jar
Millstone
Mirari
Mox Diamond
Nevinyrral's Disk
Phyrexian Dreadnought
Platinum Angel
Prismatic Lens
Scroll Rack
Serrated Arrows
Sol Ring
Static Orb
Tormod's Crypt
Zuran Orb
LANDS
Academy Ruins
Azorius Chancery
Blood Crypt
Boros Garrison
Breeding Pool
Dimir Aqueduct
Godless Shrine
Golgari Rot Farm
Gruul Turf
Hallowed Fountain
Izzet Boilerworks
Orzhov Basilica
Overgrown Tomb
Rakdos Carnarium
Sacred Foundry
Selesnya Sanctuary
Simic Growth Chamber
Steam Vents
Stomping Ground
Temple Garden
Terramorphic Expanse
Tolarian Academy
Volrath's Stronghold
Watery Grave
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Mutton Chops
As discussed in last post's comments, it looks like trying to do proxies of some or all of the P-9 for the Cube would be welcomed. Here's the info I have gathered. Mike Paul does have proxy power handy. They are the old art with the new post-Mirrodin card frames. Kind of funky. He says he usually tries to trade for other cards instead of receiving cash for his work. He usually looks for about $20 in trade value for a full set of proxy power. He will try to be at Game Universe tomorrow night. If anyone is willing to let him dip into your binder for something to help make this happen, it would be great. I will have my trade stuff there as well. Mutton Chops is looking particularly for Unhinged lands (of which I have none) so if you have some you're willing to trade, bring 'em.
I am chopping the current Cube list down to size as I sleeve it. So far we have 24 lands, 50 artifacts/multicolor (mostly artifacts) and 57 cards of each color. Thoughts on the ratio are welcome. Once other people's cards come in the make up will change significantly. But I'm still making some cuts, which I hope to post tomorrow or Saturday. When other people add cards I would like to do adds/cuts by consensus. Blog voices will be included in this if at all possible. But let me tell you, It's a hell of a lot easier to make cuts when you can flick through the physical cards a few times instead of looking at a list of names.
T
I am chopping the current Cube list down to size as I sleeve it. So far we have 24 lands, 50 artifacts/multicolor (mostly artifacts) and 57 cards of each color. Thoughts on the ratio are welcome. Once other people's cards come in the make up will change significantly. But I'm still making some cuts, which I hope to post tomorrow or Saturday. When other people add cards I would like to do adds/cuts by consensus. Blog voices will be included in this if at all possible. But let me tell you, It's a hell of a lot easier to make cuts when you can flick through the physical cards a few times instead of looking at a list of names.
T
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Cube Draft "Wishlist"
Things are coming together. Current list is here. We have people pledging to borrow the Cube the following:
Tarmogyf
Circular Logic
Werebear
Hystrodon
caller of the claw
fork
megatog
triskelion
goblin charbelcher
roar of the wurm
zombie infestation
squee
kamahl, pit fighter
pact of the titan
loxodon heirarch
rhox
wildfire
Thanks people! This is great.
Soon cuts will begin. At this point we are doing an 8 person cube, so there will be some cards that need to be cut from certain colors, depending on how the artifacts, lands and multicolors end up.
Prior to this, though, I am posting a "Wish List." These are cards that I believe will be inherently more powerful than the "worst" cards we currently have in the same color. Some of these are expensive. As in "Power 9" expensive. That is why this is a wish list. Do not feel compelled to pony up your minty Mox Neopolitan or whatever for the The Cube. This is completely voluntary . . . unless you want to pony that Mox right up, in which case, many thanks. There a quite a few uncommons and commons on the list too, though, so take a look.
Abeyance
Academy Rector
Akroma's Vengeance
Balance
Decree of Justice
Exalted Angel
Hokori, Dust Drinker
Humility
Isamaru, Hound of Konda
Moat
Orim's Chant
Pulse of the Fields
Proclamation of Rebirth
Serra Avenger
Solitary Confinement
Soltari Champion
Yosei, the Morning Star
Ancestral Recall
Brain Freeze
Copy Artifact
Daze
Donate
Fact or Fiction
Flash
Gush
Illusions of Grandeur
Keiga the Tide Star
Mana Drain
Serendib Efreet
Time Walk
Timetwister
Upheaval
Contagion
Desolation Angel
Kaervek's Spite
Living Death
Plague Sliver
Profane Command
Reanimate
Entomb
Juzam Djinn
Spirit of the Night
Sutured Ghoul
Tendrils of Agony
Vendetta
Yawgmoth's Will
Anger
Blistering Firecat
Demonfire
Gorilla Shaman
Obliterate
Rorix Bladewing
Sneak Attack
Fire Imp
Goblin Lackey
Goblin Piledriver
Goblin Warchief
Blastoderm
Call of the Herd
Deranged Hermit
Elvish Spirit Guide
Genesis
Kodama of the North Tree
Oath of Druids
Plow Under
Overrun
Spectral Force
Tooth and Nail
Wild Mongrel
Worldly Tutor
Aether Vial
Ankh of Mishra
Black Lotus
Crucible of Worlds
Cursed Scroll
Darksteel Colossus
Engineered Explosives
Gilded Lotus
Grim Monolith
Isochron Scepter
Mana Crypt
Masticore
Mindslaver
Mox Sapphire
Mox Ruby
Mox Pearl
Mox Jet
Mox Emerald
Pithing Needle
Skullclamp
Smokestack
Solemn Simulacrum
Sundering Titan
Winter Orb
Tangle Wire
Umezawa's Jitte
Sensei's Divining Top
Ancient Tomb
Bazaar of Baghdad
City of Brass
Gaea's Cradle
Kjeldoran Outpost
Library of Alexandria
Mishra's Workshop
Thawing Glaciers
Wasteland
Undiscovered Paradise
Strip Mine
Angel of Despair
Fire/Ice
Meddling Mage
Pernicious Deed
Psychatog
Terminate
Vindicate
This wish list is not set in stone! Post any other cards you have or even would like to see in the Cube.
Also, post about composition. CBG thinks we should dial back counterspells. Personally, I think a guy SHOULD be able to draft Cuneo Blue from the Cube. But that's just me. Are there any degenerate combos that should be here? Are there any combos that it looks like I only have half the pieces for (I'm really afraid of this one actually, because I only half know how most of the older combos actually work)? There is a LOT of aggro in the Cube right now, but as you can see, the wish list is mostly combo with some control pieces. Let me know about the balance.
Finally, I think I am going to get sleeves tonight. 600 Dragon Shields, please.
T
Tarmogyf
Circular Logic
Werebear
Hystrodon
caller of the claw
fork
megatog
triskelion
goblin charbelcher
roar of the wurm
zombie infestation
squee
kamahl, pit fighter
pact of the titan
loxodon heirarch
rhox
wildfire
Thanks people! This is great.
Soon cuts will begin. At this point we are doing an 8 person cube, so there will be some cards that need to be cut from certain colors, depending on how the artifacts, lands and multicolors end up.
Prior to this, though, I am posting a "Wish List." These are cards that I believe will be inherently more powerful than the "worst" cards we currently have in the same color. Some of these are expensive. As in "Power 9" expensive. That is why this is a wish list. Do not feel compelled to pony up your minty Mox Neopolitan or whatever for the The Cube. This is completely voluntary . . . unless you want to pony that Mox right up, in which case, many thanks. There a quite a few uncommons and commons on the list too, though, so take a look.
Abeyance
Academy Rector
Akroma's Vengeance
Balance
Decree of Justice
Exalted Angel
Hokori, Dust Drinker
Humility
Isamaru, Hound of Konda
Moat
Orim's Chant
Pulse of the Fields
Proclamation of Rebirth
Serra Avenger
Solitary Confinement
Soltari Champion
Yosei, the Morning Star
Ancestral Recall
Brain Freeze
Copy Artifact
Daze
Donate
Fact or Fiction
Flash
Gush
Illusions of Grandeur
Keiga the Tide Star
Mana Drain
Serendib Efreet
Time Walk
Timetwister
Upheaval
Contagion
Desolation Angel
Kaervek's Spite
Living Death
Plague Sliver
Profane Command
Reanimate
Entomb
Juzam Djinn
Spirit of the Night
Sutured Ghoul
Tendrils of Agony
Vendetta
Yawgmoth's Will
Anger
Blistering Firecat
Demonfire
Gorilla Shaman
Obliterate
Rorix Bladewing
Sneak Attack
Fire Imp
Goblin Lackey
Goblin Piledriver
Goblin Warchief
Blastoderm
Call of the Herd
Deranged Hermit
Elvish Spirit Guide
Genesis
Kodama of the North Tree
Oath of Druids
Plow Under
Overrun
Spectral Force
Tooth and Nail
Wild Mongrel
Worldly Tutor
Aether Vial
Ankh of Mishra
Black Lotus
Crucible of Worlds
Cursed Scroll
Darksteel Colossus
Engineered Explosives
Gilded Lotus
Grim Monolith
Isochron Scepter
Mana Crypt
Masticore
Mindslaver
Mox Sapphire
Mox Ruby
Mox Pearl
Mox Jet
Mox Emerald
Pithing Needle
Skullclamp
Smokestack
Solemn Simulacrum
Sundering Titan
Winter Orb
Tangle Wire
Umezawa's Jitte
Sensei's Divining Top
Ancient Tomb
Bazaar of Baghdad
City of Brass
Gaea's Cradle
Kjeldoran Outpost
Library of Alexandria
Mishra's Workshop
Thawing Glaciers
Wasteland
Undiscovered Paradise
Strip Mine
Angel of Despair
Fire/Ice
Meddling Mage
Pernicious Deed
Psychatog
Terminate
Vindicate
This wish list is not set in stone! Post any other cards you have or even would like to see in the Cube.
Also, post about composition. CBG thinks we should dial back counterspells. Personally, I think a guy SHOULD be able to draft Cuneo Blue from the Cube. But that's just me. Are there any degenerate combos that should be here? Are there any combos that it looks like I only have half the pieces for (I'm really afraid of this one actually, because I only half know how most of the older combos actually work)? There is a LOT of aggro in the Cube right now, but as you can see, the wish list is mostly combo with some control pieces. Let me know about the balance.
Finally, I think I am going to get sleeves tonight. 600 Dragon Shields, please.
T
Sunday, December 16, 2007
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