Magic: The Gathering,GO TEAM MS!

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http://store.steampowered.com/app/49470/

DotP2012 is on sale, 66% off for the weekend ($6.79). WHY AM I BROKE

if someone buys this for me I'll repay them in other Steam games and/or other favors

[Edit] THANK GOD(S) FOR r/steamgameswap :D :D :D

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all in favor of renaming this to General MtG Discussion*raises hand*

Also, here's my deck from last night. When we got home we had some leftover packs so I added more to it (like another Captain, a Thrabane Doomsayer, and a couple more geists).

That's not bad. o_o

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I want this for my GB Morbid/Pod deck. :<

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Because typhoid rats is never played.

I use them. :<

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Didn't do TERRIBLE in sealed. Went 3-3 with a RG ramp(?) type deck. Had a few nice combos:
Riot Ringleader (x2) + Hanweir Lancer (x2) + Thatcher Revolt
Nightshade Peddler + Hanweir Lancer
Uncanny Speed (x2)/[Joint Assault (x3)+Soulbonds] + Wild Defiance
Hanweir Lancer + Pathbreaker Wurm

My biggest bomb was a Tyrant of Discord, which I got to play twice: one when I needed to randomly destroy two flying creatures or else I'd lose (and hit a land right away), and the second time when my opponent only had lands.

Lost my first round against UT 1-2, mostly due to his Malignus (he got a Gisela too but I don't think he got to play it). Even though I swung at him for 20 and still lost due to lifegain whites.

Lost the next round 1-2, and another one 0-2 (between being on tilt from earlier and having no real counter to fliers). I was going to sideboard-splash in my Terminus but decided not to. Won the next two (both against blue/x decks) and had a close 2-1 against a R/B deck that revolved around lifegain/loss. That last match was the closest I had the entire day, and left me at 3-3. Not bad for my first sealed?

Didn't place for a prize or anything but it was a very fun day. Everything I had seemed to synergize well and I could have done way worse.

Oh, I also got Demonic Taskmaster and Homicidal Seclusion but didn't have anything else good enough in black to use, and a foil Cathars' Crusade but also didn't have too much in White. As well as a Gisela promo EDH card, as well as UT's which I traded to Gamma for his giant Griselbrand :D

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FUCK GAMMA'S DECK

I'm gonna play my Runechanter's Pike giving this creature plus five and - NOPE DESTROY ARTIFACT
I'm gonna miracle Terminus and - NOPE I STILL HAVE BULLSHIT TO PLAY
I'm gonna play my Tyrant of Discord (one turn later than I planned because he destroyed one of my lands) and destroy random shit - NOPE YOU HIT A LAND

then I lost right before I could miracle Blessing of Nature and play two Joint Assaults on my 7/7, which would have dealt 15 damage and won me the game

(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

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So, for a not-that-serious type of deck, I'm going to be running this, which uses Primal Surge, Laboratory Maniac, and no other non-permanents to dump my entire deck on the field and insta-win.

It dies to removal (even though I can Elixir the Surge back into the deck it may be hard to stall for long), but seems fun as hell. Playtests show I can win between turns 5-8 (usually 6 or 7) about 85% of the time if my Surge does not get countered.

Also thinking of trying out something like this or this (Liquimetal Coating + all the artifact destruction) for another troll-y casual deck.

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Went to FNM last night, friend/other roomie paid for my draft in exchange for us drafting any of my prizes at the end of the night (and he keeps whatever I pull in the draft). Went with RW Humans and won all three matches 2:1, most of them very close. Won six packs, which at first I chose Avacyn, then switched to 2/2/2 across the block since my roommate only has AVR cards. Guy I played in the last match won three packs, which he chose from the four I put back and got a Tibalt. :<

Went ahead and just gave my roomie all the cards I would have drafted for his Acidic Slime promo (Conscripts, Geralf's Messenger, green card in Inn that gives you tapped/attacking wolf tokens when you swing with it, some transformable that spawns Vamp tokens, nothing else of note) which he got randomly for whatever reason. So now I have two shiny versions of one of my favorite cards.

Certainly beats the last draft I went to, when I lost every single game... I guess spending a few hours practicing drafts online and via phone app paid off.

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I guess spending a few hours practicing drafts online and via phone app paid off.

Were you using the MtG draft sim online? And what phone app?

Used some site called Bestiare for draft practice (not the best, but it worked) and MtG Booster for Android (for when I was bored at work and/or not near my comp).

Almost got blown out by a UG deck though. Got up to 37 life and her down to three, with Thunderbolt in hand, when she played the 6-drop Angel that gives you life for controlled creatures, with a Vorstclaw, unbonded Shieldmate, and Druid's+Ulvenwald Tracker out. Managed to draw a Fervent Cathar to freeze the 7/7 after whittling her down a bit prior, swung for enough damage to drop her to 2 and Thunderbolted next turn.

First game went against another R/W (with black splash) that won their first game with a Gisela after I hard-casted Terminus; despite me stalling with Leap of Faith, my Hound of Griselbrand only swung for 12, or 6, and he was at 8 life. Fucking Blood Artists, man.

Third game, was against a mono-black deck that raped me first game with Corpse Traders + Butcher Ghoul/Soulcage Fiend/etc.. Basically destroyed my hand and I couldn't do anything. Last match was close; I blocked his Soulcage fiend dropping me to like 5 and him to 1, and he only had enough mana to either activate Corpse and discard my TBolt, or play a Searchlight Geist (and I had a white-Geist out on the field).

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fucking chaos magic game took four hours

I had fun but I'm pretty sure Reck is going to kill me in my sleep

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OH YEAH so apparently you can do group drafts on tappedout, would any people be willing to do a draft there then upload it into MWS and play?

/in (obv)

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Nominate xRECKONERx for It's A Sorcery

Reck and roomies were drafting and Reck tried playing Pillar of Flame as an instant. The second he tapped his single red mana, I informed him, "It's a sorcery." And lols were had.

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Dram, most Standard decks are nowhere near expensive

Well, if you want the super top-tier decks, they can be. But, for example, I'm working towards this deck, and it should only cost me about... $40-$50 max. Already have the Pods, Geralf's costs about ~$13 for a playset, the commons/rares run about $10-$15 total (minus what I can trade for), and the Gravecrawlers are the priciest at about $20 for a set. Plus, even though Pods rotate out in about 3 months, the zombies are staples in zombie decks so they'll still be useful.

But yeah, $75-$100 is pretty damn cheap for a good at-least-FNM-level deck.

(also this deck looks like a blast to play)

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Yeah, dual lands can get kinda pricy. I'm thinking of trying to trade for a set of Woodland Cemetery for ZombPod/Blood For The Blood Pod, but I don't think I'll be able to do so before they rotate out because I don't have a ton of money cards. Sad.

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I meant that the pods rotate in a few months. So the Cemeteries will be useful still, yes, but not for this deck.

Unless Reck and co. let me still use my Pod deck after rotation because lolcasualplay but I bet Reck won't let me as he hates Birthing Pod with a passion. <_<

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Kamikaze

except cards cost moneys

for the price, ZombPod isn't that bad

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assuming six people, $20 per for the box and either:
- two drafts
or
- one draft with prizes (5 4 3 2 2 2, 6 5 4 3 0 0 etc)

or, eight people makes one draft with 12 packs split up (and a mere $15 for the box)

although I'd suggest just going to our LGS that can just make all six/eight of us a pod at an 11pm draft since most people never go to that one apparently, this way we get prizes and a promo too

and the non-nerds can go find something else to do (or we can have them come with us and convert them...)

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We should draft Unhinged/Unglued.

[edit] also, most boxes are $100 plus shipping online, about $120 in stores (around here anyway)

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Just bought the cards I needed for Blood For The Blood Pod. Minus most of my sideboard, and I have to use Hunted Ghouls over Diregraf Ghouls, and Doom Blades over Go For The Throats, and

another Bloodline

Hex Parasite over Precursor Golem, but it'll make do for kitchen-table until early next week when the rest ship out. Then next week maybe try going to a FNM?

Also, I paid $40 for sets of Geralfs+Gravecrawlers, which is probably slightly overpriced (Graves being around $5 but Geralfs being $4) but I thought it was worth it for the convenience (also, $4 is roughly shipping anyways so).

Probably going to attempt a weird version myself with Stuffy Doll in it for teh lulz

I want to make a deck with:
4x Creepy Doll
4x Stuffy Doll
4x Inquisitor's Flail
4x Vanguard's Shield
4x Into The Maw Of Hell
(insert 17 other cards and 23 lands)

or something to that effect

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23 lands seems like way too few for that deck.

Yeah, that's a lot of mana-intensive cards for a 23-lander. If you had Green for ramp, maybe.

or something to that effect

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Yes.

example: Thatchers gives you three 4/4 tokens, Increasing Devotion gives you five 6/6 tokens, etc.

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plainswalkers

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http://magiccardswithgooglyeyes.tumblr.com/

yep

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It's probably better to search eBay/craigslist for playsets of commons+uncommons from the set, which I think will run you about $30 per playsets per set, then buy the rares you want.

That said, opening boxes is fuuuuuun.

I may also suggest just buying a fatpack or two of DKA, since the set isn't that strong and there'll be a ton of repeats if you buy a box since it's a very small set. Plus it'll give you guys some lands (which I know are easily obtainable regardless) and deck boxes/spindowns which could be useful. You can also skip buying a DKA box altogether and grab a 2013 core box in about two weeks or so, since it'll run you about the same price (plus shiny promo at participating LGS-es!). Or both, if you have the cash to drop on 4 boxes/3 and fatpacks.

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to be fair, if you're going to buy a box, Innistrad has the highest value per pack

actually New Phyrexia, but with rotation in 3 months things are gonna drop

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I've had no problems with Troll And Toad, but their prices can be high on some cards. I hear ChannelFireball and Amazon are okay.

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Won a draft tonight with UW. p1p1 raven, p1p2 seraph, p1p3 into the void. p2 had a Herald, Eman-Angel and another Seraph, and p3p2 (yes, pick 2) was an Avacyn.

That paid for my draft, and the prizes paid for my Sunday prerelease costs. Woo!

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its not hard to imagine passing avacyn... You make it sound like it should never be done, but I think it should be done like at least half the time.

for a foil cathar's

I'd take the Avacyn personally

Elguad Shieldmate is another underrated one, I think.

the one time I got to play Avacyn (had access to her two other times with enough mana, but won before I could play her), bonded her to a Shieldmate just to be almost perfectly safe

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my sealed experience:

chick near me opened Thragtusk, Rhox, Healer of The Pride, Odric, some other green shit that goes great with Thragtusk

family of four; kid opened a foil Lily yesterday and a reg today, plus the dad got an Ajani today

one guy got two Staffs of Nin, a foil Staff, a Hydra, Yeva Nature Herald and an Akroma's Memorial

I got a Door.

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Wish I had the tools and patience to make life counters. Unless someone wants to make a Corpse Lunge one for me.

Also wish I had ~$100 laying around...

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Again, unless I missed something, Timely Reinforcements is not legal in less than 12 hours.

Pretty sure M12 doesn't rotate until October.

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What're some good cards for a mostly casual GW Tokens deck? Preferably cheap (ie not Garruk/Ajani) and nothing from Scars block since it rotates soonish.

I'm asking because the part of me that loves silly combos is laughing hysterically at Cathars' Crusade + Fungal Sprouting + Essence of the Wild.

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increasing devotion =D

oh sweet jesus I forgot about this card

cathars -> essence -> devotion -> flashback -> fungal

I know that takes multiple turns even with enough ramp (plus removals and counters) but if I ever pulled that off...

[edit] 1x 44/44, 5x 39/39, 10x 38/38, 22x 28/28 - inb4 terminus?

[edit2] after quickly putting together a deck and looking at my curve... I don't have enough card space for all the cards I want. ;_; EDH time?

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Pulled a Jace on Friday night for a sealed league my LGS is doing and a PHydra that night at the draft. Then, my roommate bought a box for us to practice drafting (where he keeps the cards) and got... Omniscience, Akroma's, Vamp Nocturnus, Chandra, and Ajani (the last one right as a bunch of white was being passed on and I said "It'd be hilarious if someone pulled an Ajani"). And some decent rares on top of that. Oh, and he also bought a fat pack while we were waiting for Reck's bf to get home for said draft and pulled Nicol Bolas, a foil Staff of Nin and a Hellkite. Almost makes me want to buy a box myself, if I had the money... sadly, even if I did I'd wait for RtR.

Speaking of, for those that missed it:

- The first set in the Return to Ravnica block will be called "Return to Ravnica." It will specifically include these 5 Guilds, Azorius(U/W), Rakdos(B/R), Selesnya(G/W), Golgari(G/B), and Izzet(R/U).
- The second set will be called "Gatecrash," and will feature these 5 guilds, Simic(G/U), Dimir(U/B), Boros(R/W), Orzhov(B/W), and Gruul(G/R).
- The third block still hasn't been released yet, and is still be called by it's codename "sinker." However it will feature cards from all 10 guilds.
- At sealed pre-releases, you are given your choice of guild. You receive 5 boosters, a special booster that corresponds to the guild you picked, a guild-colored spindown, and a guild-related promo card that you can use at the event.
- Draft order for RtR block = RTR-RTR-RTR, GTC-GTC-GTC, sinker-GTC-RTR

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Golgari, motherfuckers.

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Oh man, is that the beta? It looks so pretty.

IT'S SO FUCKING PRETTY.

Also, did someone say bad standard combo deck?
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/deadeye-combo-1/

-3 Jade Mage (non-standard?)
-2 Treasure Mage (gilded lotus costs 5)
+x Acidic Slime (+ deadeye = oh hey you have no more lands)
+x ??? (???)

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Going to my first constructed event at my LGS with my roommate. I'll report back later with results. Probably going to get stomped, but at least it gives me practice for the upcoming Game Day.

Worst-case, this deck fails miserably in every way possible and I just decide to troll on Game Day with my Primal Surge deck. <_<

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What are you playing?

This.

Went 3:1. 1-2, 2-1, 2-0, 2-0. Shoulda won the first game but meh.

Won two packs and pulled a Serra Avatar. I'm happy.

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What BV said.

Possibly grabbing 3 more within the week, need to do math on how much money I'm spending this weekend/other stuff.

Also considering grabbing some Dragonskulls and an Aristocrat, running a Conscripts over Golem or Demon for the 5-drop.

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brock's a retard and left all his cards in the communal land box

can we cut Drew open anyway

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Phylactery Lich FTW!

I added this card to my budget ZombiePod deck (with Vamp Nighthawk in the sideboard since I have a free slot and it works as an alt 3-drop besides Messengers) and it works surprisingly well.

Oh, went 2-3 this week at a more... higher-level Standard tourney. Did better at the other store where there were less people running incredibly expensive decks everywhere. :<

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bounce my Acidic Slimes and destroy your entire mana pool every turn.

and now you know why I love my Slimes

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came in 4th at a constructed thingy with my Primal Surge + Lab Maniac deck

how

(also used Surge three times, reactions were hilarious... especially playing it at 1 life after a swing for 19 and topdecking a land for mana #10, surge being last card in-hand)

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came in 4th at a constructed thingy with my Primal Surge + Lab Maniac deck

how

(also used Surge three times, reactions were hilarious... especially playing it at 1 life after a swing for 19 and topdecking a land for mana #10, surge being last card in-hand)

did anyone just kill the lab maniac or did you win every time you got to play it?

Asceticism (hexproof, regenerate a creature for 2) + Avacyn = huehuehue

Match 1: game 1 went against Grixis control, won first game without Surge, second game surged everything minus Asceticism (mana leaked) when he only had 1B1R up.
Match 2: I don't remember what I was playing against... I know I won, 2:1.
Match 3: Fuck Zombiepod, got 0-2'd.
Match 4: Game 1. He had a hexproof/indestructible flying 5/3 that he gave doublestrike via Paladin, a buffed up Champ-Parish and some Human tokens. I had 8 mana between lands and elves, land/surge/maniac in hand. Played Land and Maniac, passed, he swung for 20, blocked a 1/1 Human. Topdecked a land, surged, told him my entire deck was permanents and passed him my deck. He said fuck you a few times (albeit laughing at how awesome that combo was) and then thrashed me the next two games because white weenie.

Got a pack of Inn, got a 5th Sever The Bloodline. Meh. Worth it for the reactions.

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Guess who has a resto and sublime he's not really using! <_< And I pulled the RtR mythic Angel yesterday in the draft, not sure if you'd want that or not especially as a one-of...

---

Joined my LGS' RTR League since I have to limit my MtG budget for the month and mostly just play limited anyway. Pulled another GW Shock, Cyclonic Rift, the Azorious promo flier, and some junk/not usable rares (Mana Bloom, Slaughter Games, and Chaos Imps). Played against an Izzet-Azorious deck and did really well; loving the way the deck flows and everything. RtR Sealed is fun.

As for what I'm running, ended up building a pretty good mostly-fliers deck with those three rares that weren't crap, the Selesnya Guildmage (who is OP as shit in limited if she's not taken care of), three Vassal Souls (1[U/W][U/W] 2/2 flier), a good chunk of removal/bounce/control (a few detainers, Voidreavers/Dramatic Rescue, Paralyzing Grasps), and a handful of beefier dudes from green plus some combat tricks (5-drop Hexproofs, Centaur Healer, Giant Growth and the other green instant that gives +2/+2/untaps). Might post a full decklist later if I remember to write down what I have.

(p.s. - fuck the enchantment that gives you an extra draw and +1/+1 for each card in your hand)

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I took Reck's RDW to a standard thing yesterday:

4 Vexing Devil
4 Stromkirk Noble
3 Ash Zealot
4 Gore-House Chainwalker
3 Splatter Thug
2 Hellrider
4 Pillar of Flame
4 Searing Spear
4 Flames of the Firebrand
3 Brimstone Volley
2 Thunderous Wrath
1 Bonfire of the Damned
3 Rootbound Crag
2 Kessig Wolf Run
17 Mountain

SB:
2x Zealous Conscripts
2x Eletrickery
3x Mizzium Mortars
2x Smelt
2x Faithless Looting
1x Reforge the Soul

Don't like Splatter Thug... we were thinking of adding Guttersnipes (I like Kruin Outlaw myself). Chainwalkers are good but might drop them for Shred-Freaks. Vexing Devil is a bad topdeck but Vexing-sac -> Brimstone on t4 is hilarious.

Sideboard also needs work but it was thrown together last-minute so we didn't get proper numbers of cards together.

Also, Shea, may I suggest Traitorous Instinct over Mark of Mutiny?

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Bonfire is meh in this deck. Usually I didn't get too much use out of it (or even draw it). Might drop the Devils for Cacklers. I like the green splash only because it gives us something to do with mana flood. Reck offered the idea of Hellion Crucible but I think it's a bit slow. Only two Hellriders because he currently does not have the other two. Would mainboarding a Conscripts (or both) be a good idea in the meantime? Wraths will probably go out (for a Brimstone and either a fourth Zealot or a fourth three-drop).

As for the SB, Smelts should come out for Vandalblast, just because it's better in case we hit mana flooding (although Sorc-speed is a bit iffy). I feel like Wild Guess should go over Faithless Looting. Mortars is a good SB against Resto Angels and whatnot, sadly they don't flat-out-kill Armada Wurms or Angels of Serenity (which I saw a lot of that night) but I want to keep that, and while Elecktrickery is great against ramp I didn't see too many mana dorks so those might come out...

This look okay?:

4

Vexing Devil

Rakdos Cackler
4 Stromkirk Noble
3 Ash Zealot
4 Gore-House Chainwalker
3 Splatter Thug

2

4 Hellrider
4 Pillar of Flame
4 Searing Spear
4 Flames of the Firebrand

3

4 Brimstone Volley

2 Thunderous Wrath

1 Bonfire of the Damned

3

4 Rootbound Crag
2 Kessig Wolf Run

17

16 Mountain

SB:
2 Zealous Conscripts

2 Eletrickery

3

4 Mizzium Mortars

2 Smelt

1 Vandalblast
2

Faithless Looting

Wild Guess

1 Reforge The Soul

4 Reckless Waif
2 Devil's Play

Was also considering dropping Vandalblast and Devil's Play for 3 Kruin Outlaw to sub the Splatter Thugs for against control, or Vandalblast+Conscripts for Traitorous Blood (doing this requires dropping the Kessig/Green but Devil's Play can still help for mana-flooding).

Also, I meant Traitorous Blood, not Instinct. Blood is a 3-drop that gives haste and trample, Instinct the four-drop that gives +2/+0. If you're using that to take a big dude

Also, also, this is Reck's deck not mine so obviously he has the final say on what he wants to run.

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I will probably be putting Hellion Crucible in. We need something to do in case of mana flood.

If you must run Crucibles, maybe drop the Wolf Runs. Or only run them as a max 2-of. Double-red for the Zealots/ShredFreaks (and Ann-Fires if we run them) kinda messes with too many colorless-lands.

pedit: nvm. I'd rather run 3 Shreds 2 Stones but that's just me. Also, thoughts on the SB?
pedits2: ... <_< Drop the Conscripts too then if we're running 4 Bloods in the SB.

4 Flames
4 Blood
3/4 Waif
4/3 Mortars

?

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What BV said.

That also looks incredibly cheap to put together (of course, I have crawlers/messengers/cemeteries already) minus the shocks... I may have to steal that decklist.

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P.EDIT: Pie, if we drop the conscripts, I know of another sexy little 5-drop we can use to take its place that fits perfectly with this deck...

$40-$50 for a playset and by the time you get the extra cash to drop on cards Gatecrash will be out and you'll probably change the deck up by then <_<

But if you got one or two of them somehow I guess they'd be okay

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Hey bv, mind shooting me the lists, too? I've been interested in pauper but no one around here really plays it and I don't feel like signing up for MtG:O just to play pauper. So if Reck ends up going I'd be down for tagging along; it might be fun.

Prefer combo, control, aggro in that order but it doesn't matter too much to me what I play.

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So I think I'm taking this to my next constructed tourney...

Should be fun.

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I'd personally drop a Yeva for a Trostani (or two) MB, then SB RiP and add in the other Revenge/Sigarda.

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Came in 2nd at a Thursday Night Magic tourney with this cheap little deck.

Also traded off my Crawlers+Messengers (sans one of the latter), Jace Memory Adept, and Griselbrand for a few neat things, including two Armada Wurm (one foil), a Hallowed Fountain (traded that later for an Overgrown Tomb), two Rakdos's Returns, two Sunpetals, and a

ton

of other fairly non-expensive rares I've had my eye on (a Wolfir, some Ash Zealots, etc.).

Happy with how I did and what I got in trades today. And I'm gonna see how much the new LGS near us wants to give me for an Avacyn and my lone Messenger, since I can't find anyone that wants them.

Also, I have $13 store credit and two $10 reward things (local LGS gives them out per $100 spent) that I'm promptly using for two pre-releases. Two sealed events for the price of a draft? Yes please.

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@Nuwen: I traded my Jace ._.

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Looks like it's about 15-17 right now, up from like 7-8 about a month ago. Figured I'd get rid of it before the price dropped again.

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Been getting back into MTGO, since I don't have time to get to the shop much. Twoo's Stinkweed Zombies has been doing well for me, against everything but Cloudpost. I' m thinking of running something like Choking Sands or Evil Presence, but wouldn't mind advice.

@reck: Usually, RDW puts up good results while everyone else is busy experimenting, if you just want a deck until it settles down again.

I do still have my RDW...nothing spoiled so far seems great for RDW though except maybe the 5 Alarm Fire enchantment (aka new Shrine of Burning Rage)

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also: I just played a REAL guttersnipe + chandra + increasing vengeance GOBLIN RAPE deck with missing cards written on slips of paper. I really like the mana curve and playstyle against Fate's Rakdos deck, but I dunno if it's worth buying ~$40 cards to fill out

Look for the deck I linked to a few days ago; it's the Blue/Red Guttersnipe combo deck I was trying to build when you guys were here. Won me 2nd place at Constructed, it's super fun, and costs about $10 to build. Sideboard needs work, though.

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sure I'm in.

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do not play nightshade peddler in standard

correction: do not play nightshade peddler in standard unless you're bonding it with izzet statiscaster

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I beat esurio with Bant Control featuring Slimes. I'm not allowed to play a control deck for a while apparently.

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also, Trample/Deathtouch is better

or Fate can build a R/G Fight/Burn deck with STUFFY DOLL.

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Still want to know what sTuffy doll its all about

Stuffy Doll + Anything with "fight" (Prey Upon, etc.) + Burn

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Yes, but the idea is to have your opponent's huge creatures fight the doll. Or use your own dudes and Ulvenwald Tracker.

Green also gives you ramp and cards like Revenge of the Hunted. Revenge Doll is hilarious in theory. Red Doll is probably more viable.

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We should organize a game of Chaos Magic the next time the Commune's Planeswalkers are assembled.

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GUESS WHO JUST BOUGHT THREE MORE EXQUISITE BLOOD

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- Electromancer and Guttersnipe is amazing.
- I'd rather run Talrand as a two-of than any number of his Invocation.
- I personally dislike Izzet Charm; if you're playing UR you can get any of the modes for cheaper w/ Electromancer.
- tl;dr look at the deck I posted a week ago

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Yes.

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Damage does retain itself on an indestructible creature, it just doesn't die via legal damage checks. It'd be different if the order of abilities was swapped. I may be wrong though.

[InflatablePie]

#bantlife

[InflatablePie]

[InflatablePie]

Reck pulled another Jace tonight. Grimm has pulled a foil one before, and another roommate of ours who doesn't even really play Magic pulled one when he randomly bought cards to attempt to make money off of them.

It's okay, I'll pull a Domri Rade tomorrow, right? Right?

[InflatablePie]

So I found this. Basically it's a (kinda clunky) MtG stock market type simulator. Apparently there's a contest where after some amount of time (doesn't say) whoever makes the most trading and selling cards via sim, gets a set of Geists. You start with $500 to buy stuff with.

I signed up because bored and I like the idea of stock market type things, and invested in a fuckton of Blind Obedience and Boros Charm (obvpicks), as well as some Master Biomancer/Prime Speaker Zegana, and a handful of random smaller stuff like Domri/Aurelia Warleader/Deathpact Angel/Gyre Sage.

Should be interesting to see how these cards rise/fall. Also I'm really tempted to buy $10-$20 in Boros Charm. They've gone up $.25 in the last two days alone...

[InflatablePie]

Trade Fury now/soon before it drops. Preferably for shocks.

Opened a UB and RW shock, didn't do well in sealed with Simic. Trying again Sunday w/ Orzhov.

[InflatablePie]

Assemble is great if you can get it to stick, jsyk.

[InflatablePie]

First was Boros, think the rest of top 4 was Gruul. Going Orzhov Sunday.. Went against them 3 times and did pretty bad. Extort hurts.

[edit] also:

Rares: White+Green Primordial, W/R + U/B Shock, Stolen Idenity (clone, Cipher), Biovisionary (control 4+ EOT, win)
Stuff that was great: Frilled Oculus, Spell Rupture, Elusive Krasis, Leyline Phantom, Aetherize, Totally Lost, Simic Charm, Stolen Identity
Stuff that was meh: Ivy Lane Denizen, Shambleshark, Scatter Arc, Burst of Strength

[InflatablePie]

Orzhov is amazing. Didn't pull any great rares bomb-wise. Got a Godless Shrine, white Primordial, black primordial, Biovisionary, Unexpected Results, Legion Loyalist.

Match 1 - 2:0 vs Boros. Don't remember this match tbh.
Match 2 - 2:0 vs Dimir. Opponent mulled to 5 both games.
Match 3 - 1:1:1 vs. Simic. We both were playing slow. Played out game 3 and I would have won.
Match 4 - 2:1 vs Orzhov. Game 3 went to 5-turns. I had discarded/milled him for two Treasury Thrulls, the Angel that grants flying/lifelink/first strike, and a white Priomordial. On my last turn I topdecked a Syndic, extort-casted him, swung in for 5 flying (Kingpin's Pet + Madcap Skills) and a 2/2 Rat with him at 7. He blocked the rat with all his remaining creatures, I casted Smite on my rat and Extort for the remaining damage.
Match 5 - 2:0 vs Orzhov. Game 1: T1 land, T2 Syndic, T3 Madcap Skills Extort swing 5 (14), T4 Holy Mantle swing 7 (7), he scooped. Madcap Skills wins games.

Won 5 packs. Pulled a Master Biomancer and a Foil Breeding Pool (!!).

Awesome day.

[InflatablePie]

I don't think they'll be random, but I think/hope that there won't be 5 set combinations. Like, if you pick Guild A you get Guild B as your ally, but if you pick Guild B as your primary guild, you get Guild C.

[InflatablePie]

go Esper and run Rest In Peace mainboard

also:
4 Boros Reckoner
4 Stuffy Doll
4 Blasphemous Act
1 Into the Maw of Hell
4 Reverberate
4 Faithless Looting
3 Wild Guess
22 Mountain
3 Chandra, the Firebrand
2 Ghost Quarter (Hellion Crucible?)
4 Pillar of Flame
4 Searing Spear
1 Harvest Pyre
SB: 2 Pithing Needle
SB: 3 Tormod's Crypt
SB: 2 Smelt
SB: 4 Annihilating Fire
SB: 4 Skullcrack

Might try out Naya Stuffy after running this through testing a few times. Seems like a fun idea.

[InflatablePie]

what happened to the R/G stuffy dool deck you were gonna make me Pie T_T

idk lol

[InflatablePie]

The only reason I'd run Captain over Mayor is if I wanted to spend $0.08 instead of $8 for the playset. Mayor is better because of the constant +1 rather than conditional (even if it disappears because of flipping, don't you get Wolves too?), but I could see it used as a substitute if someone's on a tight budget or something.

Then again if you're shelling out for shocks/duals/Hellriders/Domri, just go and grab the Mayors.

[InflatablePie]

So I would like a bit of help with my Guttersnipe deck. I've tried multiple variations, and there's just so many cards I want to throw in that I can't find the right balance/flow for the deck.

This was the original iteration:

Spoiler: Deck 1

9 Island
7 Mountain
4 Izzet Guildgate
2 Steam Vents

4 Delver of Secrets
4 Goblin Electromancer
4 Guttersnipe

4 Curiosity
4 Faithless Looting
4 Desperate Ravings
4 Negate
4 Searing Spear
4 Think Twice
2 Dissipate

SB: 4 Pillar of Flame
SB: 2 Pithing Needle
SB: 2 Tormod's Crypt
SB: 4 Frostburn Weird
SB: 1 Dissipate
SB: 2 Talrand, Sky Summoner

This got me 3rd at the Constructed tourney I took it to. I liked that it could combo off pretty nice, but disliked the matchup against aggro (RDW or Rakdos). Tormod's ended up useless in the SB because no one really runs too much GY-stuff at my LGS.

I also hated getting screwed out of mana, or having no way to protect my Snipes other than Negates (useless against Abrupt Decay). 22 Lands seemed too few, even with all the draw. Plus there'd be times where the dig spells would backfire, usually causing me to discard stuff I actually needed.

Spoiler: Deck 2

11 Island
4 Mountain
4 Izzet Guildgate
4 Steam Vents

4 Goblin Electromancer
4 Guttersnipe
4 Delver of Secrets

3 Curiosity
2 Runechanter's Pike
3 Negate
4 Searing Spear
4 Think Twice
2 Dissipate
3 Hands of Binding
4 Unsummon

SB: 4 Pillar of Flame
SB: 4 Frostburn Weird
SB: 2 Dissipate
SB: 2 Reverberate
SB: 3 Cyclonic Rift

This version seemed better, dropping the dig spells for Pikes and Hands of Binding. 23 lands also gave me slightly more mana to work with, which was a huge boon (plus getting ahold of the full set of Steam Vents). Hands worked really well with Guttersnipe, since it triggers off of those as long as I can connect with damage. The thing is, though, it made this deck too aggro-y and kept losing to removal (basically a 2-for-1 with Curiosity or Hands attached). The Pikes felt kind of clunky due to taking 4 mana to play and equip (even on separate turns), and the Unsummons didn't help much with surviving removal.

So I tried this:

Spoiler: Deck 3

4 Izzet Guildgate
4 Steam Vents
10 Island
5 Mountain

4 Goblin Electromancer
4 Guttersnipe
4 Delver of Secrets
2 Talrand, Sky Summoner

3 Curiosity
4 Think Twice
4 Searing Spear
3 Negate
3 Izzet Charm
2 Dissipate
2 Cyclonic Rift
2 Mizzium Skin

SB: 2 Dissipate
SB: 1 Negate
SB: 2 Augur of Bolas
SB: 4 Pillar of Flame
SB: 4 Frostburn Weird
SB: 2 Reverberate

This is probably my preferred list. Talrand mainboard helps give me an alternate wincon in case of Guttersnipe-failure, Mizzium Skin protects fairly well for cheap, and Rift helps me bounce anything that I've already allowed to hit the field that I need gone. I also added Izzet Charm; while I did not like it in the first decklist, it helps more here as an early answer to aggro in lieu of Pillar, as well as allowing for dig (since I dropped Looting and Ravings).

As for the SB, I like both Augur and Weirds to sub in for aggro. Weird is better as it blocks everything except Hellkite/Aristocrat, I think, but running two Augur helps me dig for much-needed spells lategame. Not sure how well Reverb works in this deck yet, so I may drop it from the board for something else. Mizzium Mortars?

Any suggestions are appreciated, although I prefer budget options. Not sure if I can get a set of Sulfur Falls or else I'd already be running them.

[InflatablePie]

Curiosity ... has antisynergy with ... Guttersnipe.

I disagree.

Although yeah, it does lessen my Delver flip chances slightly. Might get ahold of two Lighthouse. Should Syncopate replace Negate/Dissipate/Izzet Charm, or the two Mizzium Skin?

[InflatablePie]

American Control, GW Humans, GW Aggro. Lost to Kibler's Golgari Fight Club.

I think only one regular plays Esper Control occasionally, and I've only seen Bantchantment pop up once. Played Mono-Black Control/Vamps last week and ran into Jund, saw two Naya Humans decks too, but other than those it was pretty much mostly aggro (RDW, Rakdos, GW, Golgari Zombies, etc.).

[InflatablePie]

Reckoner and Strangleroot Geists I disagree with. [edit] ninja

Wild Defiance was great when Infect was a thing.

When I think "untapped potential in Standard" I'm thinking Master Biomancer and such.

[InflatablePie]

newer boxes are harder/practically impossible to map after Wizards noticed people catching on to things like this, I believe

also nothx, Thraggy is gonna sink after rotation and I don't feel like investing in a set

[InflatablePie]

he won't be reprinted, MaRo said that the LTB trigger was a huge mistake and they should have made it "dies" in hindsight

I think

[InflatablePie]

-2 Soul Ransom
-1 Izzet Charm
-1 Cyclonic Rift(/Think Twice?)
+2 Augur of Bolas
+2 Searing Spear

personal preference. definitely drop the 2 Ransom for either Spear or Augur, IMO. maybe even drop another card for a 4th augur.

ransom LOOKS fun (and may even work in that deck if your opponent can't deal with it) but I prefer Augur, especially if you're running Snipe AND Talrand, plus that combined with Staticaster gives you a great edge towards aggro.

might steal that list and try out some variations, it looks like fun

[InflatablePie]

yeah, Stats might work better SB.

I personally don't like Delver (weakest card in my Guttersnipe deck tbh) but it could work w/ Dimir Charm. Run 4 though.

2 Ransom for 2 Augur and a Snipe for a Spear sounds good in that case. Swap the Staticasters for Delver and flip the charm numbers?

[InflatablePie]

AGar: Infinity on a Budget

Not sure if that's where you got the idea or not. Either way, as someone who piloted a Primal Surge/Lab Maniac deck, I wanna try this. I don't have the mana-base (the harbors anyway) but I don't suppose it's THAT necessary.

Also I feel like Alchemist's Refuge would be okay as a two-of here for SURPRISE FLASH DOUBLE LAB MANIAC HUE

[InflatablePie]

After looking at a ton of different budget decks (since the ones I have were kinda meh, and are worse after GTC), I want to try and play Standard Elves.

This is what I'm thinking. Obviously I need two more Breeding Pools (and maybe the Harbors, but I don't want to invest $40+ in something that's rotating out and may not be reprinted that doesn't see much play in older formats).

[InflatablePie]

Also: what's the P1P1 here?

Spoiler: p1p1

I wanna say Kingpin's Pet is a solid choice, but idk...

[InflatablePie]

I think I have one. ScumHaus

might

have a playset between the three of us but idk.

Also you guys should swing by at some point before Thursday so I can test my deck (once I get the cards I need from Brock's trunk <_<)

[InflatablePie]

TappedOut's April Fool's thing is amazing.

I like it, but I think I'd rather have Dissipate than Counterflux. Exile is probably going to be more useful than Overload.

I suggested this, she said she still needs to pick them up (and I can loan them out since I'm running LOL STANDARD EGGS this week for funsies). Can also loan out a Drowned Catacomb and Dragonskull if you want/need more flexible mana (to replace one island/mountain).

re:boardwipes. Mortars does deal with Smiter/Resto though. I would also suggest Mutilate, but you only have 8 swamps, which is a problem. Cyclonic Rift? Yes, it only bounces, but if you can control to 7 it can work very well. Also instant-speed, and can remove planeswalkers or other specific troublesome things on their upkeep. Not to mention if you draw/Augur a counterspell a few turns too late, bounce->counter is always fun.

I would personally run Brimstone as a 2-of and up Spear to 4 or mainboard the other Rakdos' Return, since it's only better than Spear upon Morbid trigger. You have very limited ways of hitting that (Bonfire, Spear, Izzet Charm mode vs Naya Humans etc., Dreadbore - 7 or 9. Or suiciding your own guys). If you're using it for Morbid-removal, use Slip.

You can also drop all three and up your Delver/Augur to 4. I'm surprised you're not running all 4 actually, since Delver is a great turn 1 (although a terrible topdeck) so you always want it opening hand, and Augur not only blocks aggro T2 but gets stuff in your hand for both control and Guttersnipes. I'd suggest that, personally: -3 Brimstone, +1 Delver +1 Augur +1 Spear/Return. Probably Return, but -shrug-. You could also drop the Delver completely, and a Brimstone, and have two extra card slots. Limits your damages though and means you have to deal with relying on Olivia/Dragon/Guttersnipes for damage.

[edit] Think Twice is a fine card. Instant-speed card draw plus flashback is amazing flexibility: perfect for control. I didn't like it when I first tried it out (towards the end of Scars rotation) but I've grown to appreciate it.

[InflatablePie]

It's just that Aggro is Aggro. Land Creature Swing End turn, Rinse and Repeat.

sometimes you go Creature Swing Land End turn.

or even Swing Land Creature End turn.

mind gamez

[InflatablePie]

1x Alchemist's Refuge
4x Evolving Wilds
5x Forest
4x Glacial Fortress
5x Island
2x Plains
4x Sunpetal Grove

2x Azorius Charm
4x Farseek
2x Selesnya Charm
4x Dissipate
4x Oblivion Ring
4x Amass the Components
4x Supreme Verdict

4x Augur of Bolas
4x Centaur Healer
3x Drogskol Reaver

I have three Temple Gardens and a Breeding Pool you can use if I'm not running them (and the set of Sunpetals).

I think you want your manabase to be:
1x Alchemist's Refuge
4x Hallowed Fountain
3x Temple Garden
1x Breeding Pool
4x Glacial Fortress
4x Sunpetal Grove
1x Plains
4x Island
3x Forest

depending on what you put in, change the basics around.

Also with Farseeks you shouldn't need the Wilds too much.


Other suggestions for stuff to add to mainboard
- Resto Angel x2 (feel free to borrow mine)
- Angel of Serenity x2 (not sure if it's better than Drogskol though)
- Urban Evolution (I like this better than Amass in Bant, a 2/2 split might work assuming you don't drop the Amass completely for something else)
- Think Twice (another card draw option but idk what to cut for it)
- Jace, AoT (since you have two; card advantage!)

I like dropping a Drogskol/O-Ring for two Resto and the Amass for 2x Urban Evolution (or 1/1 split) and 2x Jace AoT. You can't cut your Augur/Healers really, Farseek ramps/fixes (maybe drop 1 if necessary?), Charms are needed MB as well and Dissipate is your only counterspell. O-Ring is good for targeting big threats if you miss a counter, and dealing with planeswalkers. Verdict can't be cut down because Blitz decks threaten lethal by T4 (e.g. Experiment One into BTE+Mauler swing 6, Haste Boar swing 9).

SB could look something like:
- Selesnya and Azorious Charms x1 each
- Rest in Peace x3?
- Terminus x3?
- Rhox Faithmender x2 (only if you keep Drogskol)
- Detention Sphere x3?
- insert two SB slots here (I like Negate)

And (speaking of perfect segways), Render Silent could prove interesting in this deck as well.

[InflatablePie]

What the fuck

[InflatablePie]

what

the

fuck

[InflatablePie]

Also, DGM will have ten intro packs and each one will have the guild champion as the foil rare.

So if Fate wants a foil one for his Runic Thar EDH deck...

Also:

Spoiler: LOL THRAGTUSK RESTO ANGEL LOL

pretty sure I'm done playing Standard seriously till rotation

[edit]

Spoiler: Nuwen help me figure out how to break this guy

[InflatablePie]

Spoiler: Advent of the Wurm

Spoiler: Simic Champion

Spoiler: WHAT THE HELL IS THIS

Spoiler: Sin Collector

[InflatablePie]

Spoiler: Orzhov Champion

Tajic smiled as if expecting Teysa's request all along. "You want me to help you run the maze and steal the prize from the insatiable claws of Niv-Mizzet? My pleasure."

"No," Teysa said. "I want you to help me destroy the Obzedat."

Spoiler: Gatekeepers

[InflatablePie]

Yeah, she does. Most of the guild champs seem to be for EDH. Also:

Spoiler: Rakdos Champion

Spoiler: Azorius Champion

[InflatablePie]

t5 splatter thug, unleash, swing 7+ with two first strike

I can see it being okay in RB aggro, especially after rotation when we lose Aristocrat and Hellrider.

[InflatablePie]

"swing 7+ with first strike" on Turn 5 in a redsmash deck really isn't incredible though

Random example:
t1 cackler, t2 chainwalker (2 damage), t3 thug (5), t4 rakdos champ (12), t5 thug and chainwalker (18)

Not factoring removal, obv.

[InflatablePie]

The thing about mill decks and Abberation/Phantasm is that it attacks from two angles: mill and damage.

I tried coming up with a good Dimir Control-Mill list and I just couldn't find anything to work. If I put in too much mill, I lacked removal/counters/creatures.

I've run cheap mono-Black control before (lots of targeted removal, Mutilates, Vamp Nighthawks, Bloodline Keepers and Bloodgift Demons) and I've heard of mono-Blue control being possible (Augur and Delver with lots of counterspells). Combing the two -could- work... you're probably better off going that route.

[InflatablePie]

we just got some spoilers

we just got some spoilers

we just got some spoilers

wonder what they are

But seriously, Nivix Cyclops looks neat.

[InflatablePie]

DGM CARD IMAGE GALLERY

decent/good commons/uncommons after a quick skim:

Spoiler: cards

- Boros Mastiff
- Lyev Decree
- Wake The Reflections

- Murmuring Phantasm
- Runner's Bane
- Wind Drake

- Rakdos Drake
- Sinister Possession

- Punish The Enemy
- Weapon Surge

- Mending Touch
- Mutant's Prey
- Battering Krasis

- Ascended Lawmage
- Deputy of Acquittals
- Restore the Peace

- Profit & Loss
- Sin Collector
- Tithe Drinker

- Far and Away
- Warped Physique
- Woodlot Crawler

- Blast of Genius
- Nivix Cyclops

- Carnage Gladiator
- Showstopper
- Spike Jester

- Korozda Gorgon
- Putrefy

- Armed & Dangerous
- Gruul War Chant
- Zhur-Taa Druid

- Gleam of Battle
- Viashino Firstblade
- Warleader's Helix

- Bronzebeak Moa
- Trostani's Summoner
- Unflinching Courage

- Beetleform Mage
- Bred For The Hunt
- Krasis Incubation
- Species Gorger

[InflatablePie]

Orzhov. I may play Golgari in a second event, but Simic and Selesnya look tempting... Or Dimir for the guild pin.

[InflatablePie]

Orzhov. I may play Golgari in a second event, but Simic and Selesnya look tempting... Or Dimir for the guild pin.

guild what

source

What does it mean to run the Implicit Maze? It means playing Magic on behalf of your guild!

First off, you will receive a button with your guild symbol on it to clearly identify your affiliation.

This is important because...

Your game store (with whom you preregistered, right?) will prominently display a poster showing Ravnica's Implicit Maze. On the poster will be ten guild symbols that track how far each guild has moved through the Implicit Maze. Between rounds of play, the tournament organizer will advance the various guild symbols based upon how many matches that guild's representatives won and how many players are in the event. Every victory you achieve helps move your guild forward through the Implicit Maze.

[InflatablePie]

Any of the NC players wanting to draft GTC one last time before tonight's prerelease? I'm tempted [to try mono two drops], despite taking a nap being the better idea, but if I'm the only one going I'll be less inclined.

[InflatablePie]

6x DGM sealed is gonna be such a clusterfuck >_>

[InflatablePie]

6x DGM sealed is gonna be such a clusterfuck >_>

Sealed for this set should be 2-2-2, I think. AVR was different, since it was a large set.

Not if six of us are splitting a box of DGM (unless we bought a variety box or something).

[InflatablePie]

So if any of you pull a Varolz at prerelease, especially a foil

:3

[InflatablePie]

Pulled Obzedat, Teysa, foil Varolz. Went 3-3. Had fun though; this prerelease was probably my favorite one so far even if I didn't win packs.

Got 2HG tomorrow night, then Sunday afternoon (picked Izzet because WHY NOT, RUG IS AWESOME). inb4 I get Izzet/Dimir and win everything

[InflatablePie]

I proceeded to go 4-2 for the night with the goddamn Bronzebeak Moa + Eyes in the Skies + Armed//Dangerous combo. Swing for 2? No blocks? Eyes in the Skies pumps it to an 8/8, then I play Armed to make it a 9/9 with double strike.

But Armed is a sorcery?

Nominate xRECKONERx for It's A Sorcery

[InflatablePie]

Abrupt Decay will hold value, if not go higher.

GTC's red shocks are also slightly pricier, last I checked, so there's that too.

[InflatablePie]

http://www.reddit.com/r/magicTCG/commen ... chet_bomb/

so about them Advents, Reck

[InflatablePie]

So I really want to take Kaufmann's Gruul Deck to Game Day but I also don't think I wanna spend $40+ on Reckoners. Anyone have ideas?

Was thinking either Pyreheart Wolf (add in 2 Lightning Mauler over 2 other creatures or something?), Ash Zealot (might as well be a 3-drop with BTEs in the 2-drop slot), or splashing black for Dreg Manglers (and maybe Exava, or Dreadbores/Abrupt Decays if I can afford them). Or maybe running non-creatures (Gruul War Chant? seems iffy. Armed/Dangerous, Rancor? too much instant speed removal, bleh. Brimstone Volley, Fling, other burn? maybe.) but meh.

I was going to just run a cheap Jund aggro with Spike Jesters+Zealots over BTE in the 2-drop slot but the manabase seemed kinda greedy... dunno.

[InflatablePie]

Pretty much. Except I'm pretty sure Fate is not running 5 Hellrider LEARN TO MATH.

I'm guessing Mauler > Striker if I'm running Wolves, plus it allows for turn2 LM-BTE shenanigans.

Alternatively I can just take Mono-Black Control (with extra Vampires) but meh.

[InflatablePie]

So this got first place at Ohio TCGPlayer States:

4 Cloudfin Raptor
4 Experiment One
4 Geist of Saint Traft
4 Strangleroot Geist
4 Voice of Resurgence
2 Young Wolf

2 Call of the Conclave
2 Feeling of Dread
4 Rancor
4 Rapid Hybridization
2 Rootborn Defenses
1 Selesnya Charm
2 Unsummon

4 Breeding Pool
1 Forest
4 Hallowed Fountain
4 Hinterland Harbor
4 Sunpetal Grove
4 Temple Garden

SB:
3 Dryad Militant
2 Ground Seal
3 Nearheath Pilgrim
2 Ray of Revelation
4 Spell Rupture
1 Unflinching Courage

I remember Shea or Reck or someone thinking of Bant Aggro with Cloudfin Raptor and this deck looks pretty close. So that's neat. And it plays Voice because value I guess.

[InflatablePie]

Cersei is pretty strong.

[InflatablePie]

So, in the next week or two I'll have the ability to start regularly going to my LGS (it's an hour+ walk away, getting a bike from one of esurio's friends soon[tm]). Sadly, I don't have a standard deck to run. Part of me wants to run Gruul Aggro, part of me wants to try Mono Black Control, and part of me wants to try Selesnya Aggro, but I don't really have the parts for any of those decks. The most important factor is that I'm on a budget: I don't want to drop cash on Reckoners or Lilly or Voices.

I did find a fun-looking Seles Aggro deck, minus one glaring not-budget-friendly playset:

4x Avacyn's Pilgrim
4x Dryad Militant
4x Experiment One
4x Loxodon Smiter
2x Restoration Angel
3x Thalia, Guardian of Thraben

4x Voice of Resurgence

4x Advent of the Wurm
4x Call of the Conclave
4x Selesnya Charm

7x Forest
7x Plains
4x Temple Garden
4x Sunpetal Grove
1x Gavony Township

SB:
3x Beckon Apparition
3x Nearheath Pilgrim
3x Oblivion Ring
2x Faith's Shield
2x Nevermore

2x Restoration Angel

This'll cost me $30 to put together (Wurms, Smiters, some commons/uncommons) not counting the Restos in the sideboard (meh) and Voices, and most of the mainboard survives rotation. It looks generally pretty solid. I'm just not sure what to sub in. When in doubt, add Rancor?

[InflatablePie]

Silverblade is double-white; makes it kinda clunky to cast when I want t1 Experiment a lot of the time. Not a bad suggestion (also, pricy, and dies to Pillar, which is becoming more common).

Also Thalia with 12 spells is fine, it usually doesn't come down till t3 or so anyway.

"The main difference this deck has from my block deck is Thalia, Guardian of Thraben over Rootborn Defenses. For the most part, I think this is an upgrade. It helps to slow down the Reanimator decks while also staving off Supreme Verdict for a turn.
...
The small amount of anti-synergy between [Advent] and Thalia isn't usually relevant. Thalia usually dies against aggro (you can double block something with it and another creature so that it dies when you want it to die), and against control Thalia is good until they play Supreme Verdict, at which point you can cast your Advent of the Wurm without having to pay the extra from Thalia since she is no longer in play (and that is exactly when you want to cast the wurm anyway)."

[InflatablePie]

Also, I was hoping to do a MM draft or pick up a pack or two if the LGS near me wasn't charging $13/pack, $40/draft...

[InflatablePie]

I think G into GW into 1WW into 1GGW is too greedy though, especially with 8 "duals" and no fixing other than pilgrims. No shock means I'm fucked.

[InflatablePie]

>running gates in an aggro deck

I'll still keep Silverblades in mind if I somehow get them, but they also rotate in ~3mo. so meh

[InflatablePie]

Flashwurms

I mean, I could drop money on Reckoners instead (an extra $10 to build over this list) and save up for Domris in the side I guess.

Also most of RG aggro dies a bit after rotation, I thought.

[InflatablePie]

Alright, Fate, you've converted me. I'm buying stuff for R/G Sligh this week, practicing/tweaking for the next monthish, then taking it to a PTQ and the end of July.

On that note, what the fuck do I put in my sideboard help

http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/pies-gruuldw/

[InflatablePie]

fixed

[InflatablePie]

The other downside to running Pillars SB is that it takes up 3-4 SB slots, which I don't like doing. I might just drop the Madcaps for LMs to add extra security against control G1. I could also try running 2 Pillar main (add one and an Electrickery to the side), three Madcap main, drop a Rider, and go back to 20 land to add 3x LM, but that dilutes my deck slightly. Hrm.

If I were to leave the MB alone and drop the 2 Bloods (I do like the idea of having it in there but meh), I probably would add another Electrickery. Is Ash Zealot SB-worthy? Should I use 2 or 3 if I'm using her? I could drop Loyalists+Bloods for an Electrickery and three Zealots (or run a one-of if I go with the MB plan above).

[InflatablePie]

Only downside is that it hurts my game 1 against Jund or any other deck that runs lots of early removal. Slip etc. in response to capping a Noble sucks, as does swinging into AzoCharm. It ends up being a 2 mana for 3/6+ damage spell if it connects once, but it doesn't do much to build up my board. High risk.

[InflatablePie]

I have a soft spot for Madcap ever since the GTC prerelease (Orzhov splashing red solely for a Madcap and Arrows): T1 land, T2 Syndic, T3 Madcap extort swing: 14, T4 Holy Mantle swing: 7, opponent scooped.

But yeah, Madcap can be worth it if it connects twice. Shea and Fate hit it right on the nose (Fate especially; I was gonna respond with "it may be a 2-for-1, but... so?" <_<)

[InflatablePie]

4-0'd at FNM with Gruul Aggro (running two Pillar and three Madcap, 3 Mauler, and standard otherwise (4 Cackler, Noble, BTE, Boar, Reckoner, Rampager, Hellrider, Spear).

@Fate: Is Volcanic Strength necessary in the board? I couldn't find a game tonight where I really preferred it over Madcap. In the mirror it races harder (although I guess your stuff can still die to spears etc.) and also gives the option of clearing their side of the board since they can choose to block. Plus Reckoner-Madcap is hilarious. I think I boarded them in once on the draw and switched them back on the play.

Also, trying out this for the SB: 2 Pillar, 2 Skullcrack, 2 Ranger's Guile, 3 Wolf, 3 VS, 2 Legion Loyalist, 1 Electrickery. Might sub the single Elec for either another Loyalist, or an Act, or something. I dunno.

[InflatablePie]

Last week was: Grixis control, BG aggro, Aristocrats Act II, can't remember the others. Saw UWR control, Reanimator, mono-red aggro, Gruul aggro, Bant ETB (Angel/Slime/Resto/Thrag/Luminate Primordial/Conjurer's Closet/etc).

This week (where most people were going to GP Miami so the attendance was almost half) had Seles Tokens, Grixis control x2, Bant aggro, Boros aggro, Wolf Run Junk, and some other stuff.

No idea just yet how to classify my meta but it seems midrange-heavy

[InflatablePie]

http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/saints-and-charlatans/

Thoughts?

(Also, feels bad dropping SO MUCH MONEY on cards but I've been keeping my eye on similar lists for a while and I took the plunge.)

[InflatablePie]

No, but I do have two Scriveners laying around... Sadly they die to Pillar and don't fly. They're not too bad, especially if I've lifelinked up with either Barons or Azorius Charms (Knight+SF'd Geist+angel, azo charm, swing 9 gain 9?). Plus I only run a few high drops, it usually hits a low spell or a land.I side them out against control, usually, because I don't need them drawing more cards. Not sure if it's the right play or not.

The guy in the video-link of the description for that deck said he wasn't sure about Seer himself, and said he'd probably sub him out for another Baron and a Sublime Archangel or something. Of course, in one of the later games the Seer was very useful and got him a win.

I also kinda want a second Cavern with all the control around here... name Spirit with one and Vampire with the other.

[InflatablePie]

Saw someone playing Bant Aggro at last week's FNM. I remember seeing Young Wolf, Experiment One, Strangleroot Geist, Rancor, Rapid Hybridiaztion, Seles and Simic Charm... Can't remember what else. Oh, and Voice. So there's that.

[InflatablePie]

Alternatively, Reck, if you have the money for some lands, try this.

Should probably pick up shocks now if you want them anyway since they're kinda cheap, they're probably gonna rise up around Jan/Feb and keep value after rotation... if you look at it that way you can justify buying 4 Hinterland Harbor (only land in the deck that rotates out) and the rest of the deck is dirt cheap.

[edit] It also has your two favorite things: red smashy things and Cloudfin Raptor.

[InflatablePie]

Got top 4 with Esper aggro the other night (promo Cackler get!). Lost to RBW Goodstuff.dec; that shit was painful. Best match was against Seles/junk Tokens in top 8: dropped a Duskmantle Seer at 5 with him at ~16, he hit me for two, I revealed a land then drew a Verdict and bashed his face in with Geist.

Using 5 Knights (three Glory, two Infamy, might reverse that for next time) and a singleton Faith's Shield, otherwise my list remains almost the same as the deck I copied. It came in handy once against Dega Goodstuff, letting me live for one extra turn, but doesn't do much else (can't target KoInfamy or Blood Baron, Geist has hexproof already...). I'm thinking a one-of Terminus might work better. Also not sure if I should run them in the board over Verdict. Saw a lot of Golgari Charms and Rootborn Defenses and stuff; I might be better running a singleton mainboard and going 1:1 in the side. Dunno, still have time to work on it before the PTQ.

[InflatablePie]

RBW is pretty obnoxious yeah.

wait esper aggro wut

you

o pie

I know ;_;

Also, apparently the guy that built the deck has updated his choice of main and side: http://www.channelfireball.com/articles ... ith-esper/

I knew Cavern > Haunt was a good idea. Also Lavinia in the board wat

re: one of Terminus, eh. Ehhh. I suppose Dread is great but... I dunno, I just want access to two Terminus and I want to keep a Verdict too. :<

[edit]

The UWR matchup is Esper Aggro’s dream matchup. As a deck choice,

Esper excels in a field of UWR and Aristocrats

over any other metagame composition.

saw like 6 people playing AmeriControl and some 'crats players on Friday. mwahahah.

[InflatablePie]

Advent is $4ish, Tomb is $8-$9.

@panzer: Standard, at the moment, has about over a dozen popular deck archetypes, including but not limited to: Mono Red Aggro, R/G Aggro, B/W/G Midrange, B/W/G Tokens/Death Triggers, R/W/G Midrange, U/W/R Control, G/B Control, R/W/B Midrange, R/W/B Tokens/Death Triggers, U/W/G Midrange, U/W/G Hexproof, R/B/G Midrange, U/W/B Control, G/W Aggro, U/W Control, R/B Aggro, G/R Midrange... someone tell me if I missed a popular Tier 1/2 deck type. (And I'm playing U/W/B Aggro.)

Drafting is the best way if you're coming back, yeah, or doing research and straight buying singles if you just want to jump into Standard.

[InflatablePie]

1) There's no legendary rule anymore as of the past 24 hours ish. Or, it's changed: if you copy an opponent's legendary, you both keep it. If you copy your own legendary, you choose one to destroy.

2) You copy the token (Progenitor Mimic does not become a token). The ProMimic then creates a token copy each upkeep. So 27/27 Ooze -> 27/27 Ooze + 27/27 ProMimic-Ooze -> 27/27 Ooze + 27/27 ProMimic-Ooze + 27/27 ProMimic-Ooze-Token -> etc.

3) The latter.

(I think these are right...)

[InflatablePie]

Reck: :3

Also available in Bant (flicker), BUG ( removal) and Junk (both).

I guess R gives you Frenzied Tilling though.

[InflatablePie]

Demolish is bad though. <_<

I need to run Deadeye+Slime before rotation; never did make that deck happen.

---

So, my Esper Aggro deck isn't working out in a local meta full of control and whatnot... so I'm trying something new. I was looking up the RB Trading Post decks and some people in the later threads eventually moved on to using Homicidal Seclusion over it. So someone posted a deck I liked and I changed it around a bit:

2x Aetherling

3x Azorius Charm
3x Dissipate
3x Far / Away
4x Syncopate
4x Think Twice
1x Feeling of Dread

2x Supreme Verdict
4x Terminus

2x Haunted Plate Mail

3x Homicidal Seclusion
2x Oblivion Ring

2x Gideon, Champion of Justice

2x Cavern of Souls
2x Drowned Catacomb
4x Glacial Fortress
4x Godless Shrine
4x Hallowed Fountain
2x Plains
3x Isolated Chapel
4x Watery Grave

Sideboard:

3x Appetite for Brains
1x Blind Obedience
2x Celestial Flare
3x Dispel
1x Pithing Needle
3x Renounce the Guilds
2x Rest in Peace

Essentially, it's UW control splashing black for Far/Away and Homicidal Seclusion. It uses Wraths and other removal to clear the board for a single swinger: Plate Mail, giant Gideon, or Aetherling, and swings in for a bunch of lifelink damage.

The original list ran Devour Flesh and something else black I think, and a Reap Intellect in the board (which I'd like to try out but meh). I noticed it was mostly WU anyway, so I dropped some black sources and threw in two Plains (slightly better mana this way; I've drawn all checklands SO MANY TIMES). Far/Away comes out for Appetite usually anyway, so meh. It's almost similar to an Azorius list I saw on tcgplayer, except this one bashes in with lifelink creatures instead of using Sphinx's and Drownyard (don't wanna spend $60 for 3 Sphinx's :<)

[InflatablePie]

Go for it. It's a work in progress; let me know how it does.

original list
also this

[InflatablePie]

They both have their uses. The thing about Seclusion over Rising is the lifelink, which I kinda like better than an extra Demon. Especially in a deck where you may need to stabilize life totals, especially if you aren't running Sphinx's. Also mana costs (doubleblack).

Shea, I understand your points. I still like Mail though; it protects Gideon and gets Seclusion bonus if it's all I have. As for why I'm playing these over other control/finishers, I'd play 3 Sphinx's and just Aetherling as a finisher if I had the money.

I'll think things over if I actually end up running the deck and don't just go back to RG Aggro.


Also, Reck, I just saw another neat deck on r/spikes if you want something else to playtest...

Spoiler: Hexproof

http://www.reddit.com/r/spikes/comments ... _the_best/



I've been meaning to type up a primer and this is a perfect reason to do so. I also shouldn't have posted a 'rogue' deck here in spikes without fully thinking about this first. My apologies to the subreddit. So anyways, here we go:

Put 100 bant hexproof players in a room (oh god), sit them down and ask them all what is the number one thing that costs them the game. (Outside of the tendency of the deck to make you want to pull out your hair due to such high variance.) Almost 100% of them will say that wipes or pseudo-wipes is their bane. Now of course they can counter that come post-board (with a mediocre, reactive answer IMO, rootborn defenses.) Now this puts the hexproof deck in an awkward position, you can keep your 3 mana up when you expect a wipe next turn and fall behind when they just tempo you out instead or you can just pray they don't have it and put a bunch of auras on your dude. So let's do some thinking, what is a cheaper and overall better answer to wipes that also has 3 major uses and costs 1 less mana?

Boros Charm

That is the bread and butter, and there are FOUR mainbdeck. The obvious use is the indestructibility, add in the fact you have reach with 4 damage off the top and you replace the whole Silverblade Paladin gimmick with this simple 2 mana instant and you have a card that bant hexproof can only wish they had access to. Since we have that out of the way let's go through the deck card type by card type.

CREATURES

Judge's Familiar

All hexproof decks need access to a one drop, you simply will fall way too far behind if you don't have one in a lot of match-ups, especially on the draw. If worse comes to worst and they have an aggressive opening you simply CANNOT wait to put auras on your turn 2 creature during your turn 3 while they throw their one drop, Burning Tree, and insert card here at you.

The thing that makes the judge special is that is EATS up removal. When people see you play an untapped shockland and take two to get this dude out they knee-jerk react and put way too much priority on it. I've had so many games where they kill the owl just to have me drop a fencing ace and all the auras I have during the turns after. Also the sac ability is extremely relevant in regards to anti-countermagic and anti-tempo. You will not believe how many people forget about this ability.

Against a lot of decks you can get away with even putting your auras on him, not only does he have built in evasion but it's impossible not to be able to cast him on turn one because of the hybrid cost! When you look at all the one drops in standard in these colors this guy is leaps and bounds above the rest, and on top of that he actually fits into a 'hexproof/auras' deck rather well.

Invisible Stalker/Fencing Ace

The brothers-in-arms from hexproof decks past and present are at it again but with some new toys this time around (come the auras section you will see). They need no explanation. You play them as you would any hexproof deck. Play them safely and pay attention to how your opponent is playing. Invisible Stalker is the trusty 2 drop while if you are facing the right deck/don't mind taking risks you can drop the Fencing Ace on turn 2. Try to get a read on your opponent though, because I won't lie... dropping a fencing ace and trying to pants him up on turn 3 only to have him killed in response is always painful and quite hard to come back from. That's the nature of Fencing Ace though, if you can get him to stick he will win the game before turn 4 is over. He is just that good. He helps you learn risk/reward times 30,000.

Geist of Saint Traft

Seriously, this dude makes me get goosebumps. How thrilling it is to play with him when he is the backbone in a deck and all the new auras he gets in this color shard makes me excited beyond compare. Playing with him is less straight-forward than you may think though. It's always hard to choose whether to sandbag your auras for him or go all in on a stalker/ace. How to use him is completely situational based on your opponent and what his opening is.

AURAS

Ethereal Armor/Furor of the Bitten

The good old one mana for a HUGE upside cards (even when they are the only auras the cost/effect is insane)

Armor is good on turn 3, armor is good on turn 13. Armor is always good. Whether it's adding +6/+6 and first strike or +1/+1 and first strike it is probably the aura you want to see in your opening hand above any other. The cost is so cheap and it works rather well with the other one drop aura.

Furor of the Bitten? What in the hell is that card you ask. Well Mangus Khan this little gem is efficient and effective on every-single-one of your creatures. It makes Geist big enough where he doesn't give a fuck about anything (obviously don't put it on him if they have defensive smiters.. you get the drill) and it makes everyone else effective beaters. (There have been many games where I've turn one familiar'd and turn 2 Furor'd him and outraced my opponent easily.) The 'drawback' of having to attack every turn is mitigated by the fact that you're going to be either getting in unblockable/with evasion. Or you are going to be on a double striking body/beefy Geist minimum. Furor plays excellently with other auras and multiple furors with an ethereal armor are the biggest bang for your buck you are going to get in any hexproof deck hands down. Double striking 8/8 Fencing Aces swinging in on turn 3 is actually the norm as cool as that sounds. Turn 4 kills are more or less when this deck wins and it's because of the power of Furor a lot of times.

Spectral Flight/Madcap Skills

Not much to say about Spectral, it's in every hexproof deck for a reason. Evasion and +2/+2 for one blue and one colorless is pretty hard to compete with. It lets Geist bust through ground pounders with the greatest of ease. Seriously, as a competitive magic player anyone of you will understand why this card works in this deck.

Now, part of me wants to say Boros Charm is the reason I play this deck. That would be wrong though, the only thing more fun than Boros Charm and all of it's massive uses is my little friend that gives 3 power and an EXTREMELY relevant ability for just one red and one colorless.

Madcap Skills my friends, this card is B O N K E R S on any of the creatures in this deck. In your head right now think about how it works with each creature, think about the power it adds and think about the pseudo-evasion it adds. It makes combat a nightmare for the opponents. Turn one Familiar into turn 2 Madcap Skills? Check. Turn 2 Fencing Ace into turn 3 Skills and Armor? Check. Turn 3 Geist into turn 4 double Madcap Skills? Check. Seriously, all of the auras in this deck mix and match soo well and the fact that big boomers are all TWO mana auras makes me giddy like a little girl on giddy little girl day. We more speed/quickness/explosiveness and the ability to rebuild after something bad happens much easier/cheaper than Bant hexproof: advantage USA.

Madcap skills has won me so many games where they only have one creature. Oh you have a defensive Loxodon that is going to murder Mr. Traft if he attacks? Sorry sir maybe next time.. and bring a friend. :/ Oh you have a defensive Reckoner that would usually end Mr. Trafts day early? Nope, sorry brother. You need two creatures now to stop my one and do you think I'm lollygagging while you set up your defense? Nope. I'm actually putting spectral flight on Sir Geisty and now you need two flying creatures just to slow him down for a turn. Thank you, come again.

Gift of Orzhova

Lastly we have this little treat. This is our Unflinching Courage, this helps up clamber back into the game against any nuts draw from aggro. This is Geists BEST FRIEND. This card is relevant late game, early game and during ANY part in the game. If you can connect even once with this aura attached to any of your creatures you have bought yourself a turn at minimum to set up your master plan. The mana is perfect for this deck as well. Double white and a colorless is the easiest to cast life-gaining aura in standard and I will trade flying for trample and +1/+1 any day. This card in itself makes it so your Geist is the most efficient machine. At minimum you are hitting for 7 and gaining 3 back. Trust me your usually not just going to have a creature with this aura only. Most of the time we are looking at Spectral Flight, Armor and Orzhova on St. Traft. Yeah I'll swing for 12 and gain 8 life back, thank you.

LANDS

(Yes, there is an extremely important land in this deck.)

Slayers' Stronghold

Something that hexproof has always had trouble against was matches where their opponents can deal with their threats and make the game drag out a long time (think both players have ten lands) Many decks can do this but whereas with Bant you will topdeck a creature and drop it only to have them deal with it before you can swing this strange little Avacyns 50 cent rare changes EVERYTHING. Now you can actually put use to your late game topdecks with the haste function. I've gotten so many control decks to less than 10 life and they turn the corner and are able to deal with all my threats. This is BAD for hexproof. With bant I feel powerless, every time I drop a creature they smack it down before I can untap. Now I can sandbag a few auras and wait for a creature and BOOM attack with a topdecked Geist with 2 auras on it because of haste. This has caught more decks off-guard than you can shake a stick at, and if I wasn't in the USA colors I couldn't even dream of winning with hexproof when it comes to topdeck wars.

SIDEBOARD/MATCH-UP/SUMMARY

Ah the board, where the boys become the men. Against a lot of decks you actually will do NO boarding because you can race just the same, but some decks do cause some trouble post-board. When needed though, the board is where I feel this deck outperforms Bant again.

Nearhearth Pilgrim/Boros Reckoner/Gift of Orzhova

Nothing tells the oppositions aggro deck you love them like this suite. Oh hey there Naya Blitz, R/G aggro, Jund aggro or any creature based matchup.. hope you don't mind if I attach my Pilgrim to an unblockable stalker with 3 power boosting auras on him. You got me down to 5 life while you are at 17? Pretty normal occurrence to be honest, don't fret though. Now watch as I gain ten life per turn and you can do nothing about it. It's tempting to suit up an Familiar or Fencing ace in this matchup but they ALWAYS have the spear. Keep that in mind. Play smart and tight and even on the draw it's pretty hard to lose if you get even one of your sideboard cards.

Wait, you're telling me that my hexproof deck has the mana base to support Reckoner? Oh well let's see how it works. Let me assure you, it works. Once again against any creature based deck I will happily slow my roll a turn or two to play my Reckoner instead of my Geist. Obviously if I am on the play and have an opportunity to slam a Geist and they don't have the 'nuts Blitz draw' I will still do so.

Lastly 2 more copies of Gift, I cannot tell you how often I have fallen to sub 5-10 life and this single card has pulled me out of the hole when Bants Unflinching Courage could not. The evasion is absolutely amazing and once again well worth the 1 power and trample.

Tajic, Blade of the Legion/Cavern of Souls/Purify the Grave

One thing any kind of hexproof has trouble with as mentioned before in the Slayers Stronghold section is when control decks/jund midrange decks turn the corner versus you. Slayers Stronghold can only do so much when they have a grip full of counterspells, board wipes, Revelations, Olivias, and other creature kill. This is where our secret weapon comes in. The 4 mana CMC of Big Daddy Tajic really is negligible when the game goes on long and when he hits the table there are only a few cards in standard that can interact with him the way your opponents want to. Naming human with Cavern always get my opponents scratching their head until they see him come down. He suits up and finishes the game shortly after. A caverned Tajic is a lot of decks worst nightmare and once he puts an aura or two on, the indestructibility really shines. I would almost prefer it over hexproof to be honest.

The Purifies are there to keep Snapcaster Mage/Aristocrats/reanimator decks honest. You don't even really need to side them in that often because we have VERY good match-up versus these decks already but constant flash-backed lingering souls can gunk up the board just enough to slow us down to the point where they can turn the corner themselves.

The board is fairly self-explanatory, the only thing that throws people off is Tajic at first, but he shores up a lot of weaknesses while also being in our slice of color pie. I see this card seeing a lot of standard play post rotation and I'm just hopping on the train ahead of time. Post board he has single-handedly taken so many games off of control decks by himself (with the help of caverns of course) and will continue to do so.

---

Do you ever have trouble with the mana base?

No, I have played over 100 matches with this list and I can honestly say this is a strength over Bant, we can always cast our turn one Familiar and literally every step on the curve is covered from most of our lands. Topping out at three and having Gift of Orzhova be hybrid mana (let alone how easy it is to cast reckoner post board) really help this super strong mana base. The fact that most of power enchantments cost ONE colored mana and maybe one colorless really help this cause. The power level of madcap skills versus the casting cost/how easy it is to cast in this deck really really push it hard.

How does this deck mulligan?

Very well for the same reasons as above. The owl being hybrid mana absolutely helps tons and having so many cheap CMC enchantments makes even mulligans to 5 extremely doable. I'd say I mulligan 1 out of 7 games, compared to when I played Bant I had to mulligan what seemed like every other game.

Describe your match ups?

Coming soon.

Do you choose this over bant because of the inevitability of surviving board wipes?

Coming soon.

[InflatablePie]

Not sure if it's better, I said it was neat. They look even minus whatever Bant got from M14 (Witchstalker and... whatever else). Main reason to play it seems to be Boros Charm (although Bant gets access to Pilgrim+Voice).

Both decks die to Terminus though so shrug.

[InflatablePie]

[InflatablePie]

splash blue for battle of wits

[InflatablePie]

I lost to Burn At The Stake tonight. Young Pyromancer, Molten Birth, Reforge, Looting, Battle Hymn, Infernal Plunge, Past in Flames, etc.

It was hilarious.

[InflatablePie]

4x Loxodon Smiter

4x Brave the Elements

More like... Brave The Elephants.

...

Trostani's good sideboard against aggro (also good MB as a 2-of... I may suggest her over Ajani) same with Unflinching Courage and Centaur Healer. Also, -1 of each basic and +2 Gavony Township.

Scavenging Ooze can be a good 2-drop either mb or sb. Fiendslayer Paladin and Path of Bravery seem like neat ideas; I especially like Fiendslayer against Jund because it's basically Hexproof. Mutavaults can work in a two-color deck if you can get them.

GW sideboards aren't too hard to come up with:

4x Unflinching Courage (aggro)
2x Oblivion Ring (PWs/big threats]
3x Ray of Revelation [hexproof etc]
3x Rest in Peace/Scavenging Ooze [GY hate]
3x ??? [against whatever your meta has a lot of] (2x Trostani/1x [Pithing Needle/O-Ring] 3x Fiendslayer Paladin, ???)

[InflatablePie]

Ajani really isn't that bad...

Not terrible, I agree, but probably better in a more white-weenie than token build.

[InflatablePie]

Hah.

$6 seems about right; I think Paladin has the potential to climb a bit higher actually. I'd probably pick those up before the Oozes if you're starting from mostly scratch; you can use RiP until you get them and build the deck slowly. Pick up whatever you need for the mainboard first (guessing three Sovereign, Advents, and a Smiter or two? should be around $30, which is what the Oozes will cost :s).

[InflatablePie]

2-3 sounds right.

[InflatablePie]

https://mtgshops.com/posts/ryan-archer- ... -top-8/138

It plays Voice, but hey, worth checking out.

[InflatablePie]

Someone went to Worlds with UB control. Looked similar, but ran 2 Augur 3 Snap 1 Aetherling, some Dissipate etc.

No Jace AoT?

(speaking of, got a playset off SCG for 32 woop woop)

[InflatablePie]

Take out a Crypt Incursion, Opportunity, Aetherling, and both Psychic Strikes for 1 Syncopate 2 Dissipate 2 Snap. Maybe drop both Mutilate for another Memory Adept and Snap. Ratchet Bomb also good, maybe go down a Scatter and something else or board it.

Overload Rift also takes 7 btw. Not that I don't like the card.

[InflatablePie]

Dunno about running Connections with no lifegain. Jund runs it because Thragtusk, Esper because Sphinx etc.

Also, the Worlds deck was also in a smaller tournament than, say, a local PTQ so keep that in mind.

[InflatablePie]

Dissipate is better atm because of exiling. Syncopate is great too. Slightly better than Psychic Strike; exiling is stronger than 2/3rds of a Drownyard. Still like only one Aetherling though; if you're doing the mill plan, go with that, one is fine as an alternate wincon and it blocks well if you'd rather Jace-mill.

the fuck did you trade off the snaps for shit, I would have loved those

I guess I just don't like even one Incursion because this deck does seem a little weak to UWR or UW Flash and it's fairly useless against them. Sideboard is fine of course.

How does this deck do against Jund?

[InflatablePie]

Yeah, always keep a counter up for RR.

My meta's heavy control and Jund (basically FotM-ville, huge rise in Jund post-m14) so I'm biased, if it's heavy aggro up there then I guess one CI is fine.

[InflatablePie]

I tried the LSV variant for funsies on Cockatrice. Made some changes: took out the snaps for an Augur/Diss/Sync, traded the Scatter/1 Alchemy/2 Curses for 2 Jace AoT and 2 Far/Away.

Played against Jund, won game 1 lost game 2. Game three ulted Jace, cast Garruk from his deck and eventually ulted him... with a dozen lands because lolUBcontrol.

I asked him at one point if a card was resolving EoT and he responded "I don't play bs colors". #shitjundplayerssay

Only thing I don't like about lacking Snaps is being pretty useless without counterspells in hand. :<

[InflatablePie]

T1 Swamp
T1 Forest, Arbor Elf
T2 Island, Augur, grab Warped Physique
T3 Forest, Strangleroot Geist, attack with both... quit game?

Cockatrice is not the best testing environment.

[edit] Played a few more times and wow, this deck is fun.

[InflatablePie]

Add Young Pyromancer. You're gonna need more instants and sorceries, so switch some pump stuff out for Remand, Spell Snare, Mana Leak and Probe. Since you're running those, go ahead and add Delver and Telling Time over the infect stuff. Clique is also good here

The mana needs to be fixed though, so grab some Scalding Tarn and Misty Rainforest. I don't even know why you're running Forests in UR Tempo, you're only using Rainforest to fetch Islands...

[InflatablePie]

Standard Pauper MTGO Tourney, winner gets a Taiga. If anyone's interested.

Don't think I wanna buy an MTGO account just for this, although Standard Pauper sounds fun.

[InflatablePie]

It's an actual Taiga though.

[InflatablePie]

eh, you don't play anything until turn 3 anyway

[InflatablePie]

I was thinking Junk might be okay. White gives Pacifism, Flare and Sunspire Gatekeepers (for value). Also Cloudshift shenanigans.

[InflatablePie]

Hey DDD, still looking for a playset of Geists?

Also, do you have anything interesting up for trade? I may do it for a playset of Deathrites if you'd be able to spare them.

[InflatablePie]

Drafted a foil Mutavault.

Today has been a good day.

[InflatablePie]

>A card that could have been in Modern Masters

Thoughtseize?

[edit] and of course that's reddit's top guess.

[InflatablePie]

Spoilers, ho!

Enchantment Creatures wat

[InflatablePie]

both the Commune players and AGar/Sudo both have valid points and I don't think there's a need to "win" this argument

it's not useless to brew up Block+Core decklists, but at the same time we won't know what the meta will be until a month or two after release

Is that cuz of gambling laws or something?

it's actually illegal in Florida (and other states) to accept tourney fees because it's seen as "gambling".

which segues into: it's illegal to sign up for MTGO and get prizes if you live in those states. which I found out after I signed up for an account (mostly just to practice drafts and such). not like they check your info though

also MTGO runs incredibly shitty on my laptop and I don't know why, so I guess I'll be using esurio's comp (and/or teaching her how to draft using that).

[InflatablePie]

Minotaur 1RR
2/3 Trample
Other Minotaurs you control gain +1/+1 and Trample

Better Sign In Blood: 2B
Sorcery: Scry 2, draw 2, lose 2 life.

Legendary Land:
(t): add (1)
(2),(t): pick a color, add mana equal to devotion to that color

Elspeth 4WW
4 loyalty
+1: 3 1/1 W soldier tokens
-3: wrath all creatures with power 4+
-7: emblem: "your creatures have +2/+2 and flying"

Cerberus 3BR
6/6
Can't be blocked except by 3+
cards in GY can't be targeted
when ~ dies, exile it. each player returns all creatures in GY to their hands

and more from PAX

[InflatablePie]

also:
Chained to the Rocks
W
Enchant Mountain you control.
ETB: exile target creature until ~ leaves the field

[InflatablePie]

Pie, both clients? Either version three or the beta might run better depending on which one you've tried. If you're trying the beta, and its crashing a lot, thats because there are a lot of bugs and its not really stable yet.

Beta. I'll try v3.

[InflatablePie]

shit now I have to make x+99 saprolings in Ghave EDH

anyway, bought a playset of Curse of the Swine for $1 each. I figure I can't lose

much

here.

Also:
Omenspeaker 1U
Creature - Human Wizard [Common]
When Omenspeaker enters the battlefield, scry 2.
1/3

Flamespeaker Adept 2R
Creature - Human Shaman [Uncommon]
Whenever you scry, Flamespeaker Adept gets +2/+0 and gains first strike until end of turn.
2/3

[InflatablePie]

The regular MTGO client works!

Drafted a UG tempo-ish deck that wasn't anything too amazing. Lost to a draft deck in a 4-3-2-2 that had:
2+ Auramancers
Xathrid Necromancer
Angelic Accord
Trading Post
Path of Bravery
2+ Pacifism
2+ Quag Sickness
2+ Soulmender
(2+?) Dawnstrike Paladin
2+ Divine Favor

It was kind of silly.

[InflatablePie]

not confident enough in my ability to draft to do 8-4s just yet. mostly just want to use mtgo for draft practice when I can't get out to my LGS.

at least if I win the first round in a 4-3-2-2 consistently, I can pay only ~$5 for a draft pretty much.

[InflatablePie]

phantom events actually give out a pack? hmm.

[InflatablePie]

Xenagos, the Reveler

Card Type: Planeswalker

Subtype: Xenagos

Loyalty: 3

Casting Cost: 2RG

Card Text: +1: Add X mana in any combination of R and/or G to your mana pool, where X is the number of creatures you control.
0: Put a 2/2 red and green Satyr creature token with haste onto the battlefield.
-6: Exile the top seven cards of your library. You may put any number of creature and/or land cards from among them onto the battlefield.

now pre-ordering from SCG for a low low price of $40.

[InflatablePie]

Picture would really make this better.......
....

...
...
.

nope, too lazy

[InflatablePie]

thanks shea. and peg.

[InflatablePie]

All of today's spoilers are great.



The self-hate cards are hilarious. "Hey guys, Obzedat (or any black creature of choice) is great because it doesn't get hit by Doom - a...aww. "

[InflatablePie]

oh, and I drafted the Trading Post/Angelic Accord/Sanguine Bond/Archangel deck in a newb-phantom-draft.

that was fun.

[InflatablePie]

Scry lands!

[InflatablePie]

Not sure how I feel about devotion as a mechanic, but I'm hoping it means mono-color becomes a thing.

mono-black pls

[edit] this seems silly

[InflatablePie]

I guess I'll try an 8-4...

Spoiler: welp

[InflatablePie]

I think I'd have run the shocks and goblin diplomat over glimpse, rod of ruin, and frost breath.

eh, true. can always sub those in though

rod helped win me match 1 (also works with Dismiss), Frost is good against some decks (and with 3 Archaeomancers it's practically like a Limited snapcaster-deck) and I like Glimpse in some situations. I did sub glimpse out for another disperse in my last game, it's probably the weakest card I have

wish I got a blue staff but I picked something else over the one I saw pack one.

oh, btw, pack one pick one was between Colossal Whale, Opportunity, Time Ebb, Divination, and literally nothing else good in any other color. how I ended up mono-blue idk

[InflatablePie]

Lost in the finals to a UB deck that took my whale ;_;

In the last game, it got a Drake. Bounced it, got Drake back, Scattered it, he Negated, I Cancelled. Next turn he threw down a Corrupt. I should have Claustrophobia'd it instead of counterspell-fighting and would have been able to leave Cancel mana up for the Corrupt the next turn. Bleh.

Did okay against a GW aggro deck actually. Last game (1-1), got down to one life, topdecked Dismiss (9 mana, zephyr on field). Played, killed his Banisher Priest, got back a messenger drake, all he had was a sliver token, then wrecked his board next turn.

[InflatablePie]

http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=11368

interesting article involving drafting W/GW/RW in M14.

[InflatablePie]

Swan Song (U)
Instant - Rare
Counter target instant, sorcery or enchantment spell. It's controller puts a 2/2 blue bird creature token onto the battlefield.
"Most enlightened mages create beauty from violence" - Medomai, the Eternal

Spoiler: Mono-U Control, you say?

4x Swan Song
4x Omenspeaker
4x Ratchet Bomb
4x Dissolve
3x Curse of the Swine
4x Jace, AoT
2x Aetherling
2x Opportunity
3x Syncopate
2x Rapid Hybridization
2x Cyclonic Rift/Disperse
26x Land

(p.s. - yes I know this isn't that amazing but shutup)

[InflatablePie]

I'd rather give my opponent a 2/2 than say, an Ashiok

Spoiler:

haha just kidding they can have the ashiok

[edit] I'm dumb and forgot it doesn't counter planeswalkers. IT COUNTERS EVERY OTHER NONCREATURE THOUGH ;_;

[InflatablePie]

speaking of ashiok, I don't think she's great but she could be better than people are making her out to be atm

I think she'll go the way of Vraska and be mostly overlooked until the meta's just right/she'll be mostly a sideboard card.

[InflatablePie]

white weenie getting some cool stuff.

[InflatablePie]

2/2 Double Strike with no abilities isn't terribly good.

it has an ability

also, doesn't Dispel see a lot of Modern play

[InflatablePie]

Full Theros spoilers got leaked.

Did some quick math for Limited creatures solely based off p/t:
Commons: 127 power/163 toughness (62 cards) [average 2.05/2.63]
Uncommons: 83 power/91 toughness (34 cards) [average 2.44/2.67]

Broken down by color:
White Commons: 25/34 (14 cards) [average 1.79/2.43]
Blue Commons: 20/35 (11 cards) [average 1.82/3.18]
Black Commons: 24/30 (12 cards) [average 2.0/2.5]
Red Commons: 25/22 (11 cards) [average 2.27/2.0]
Green Commons: 30/33 (11 cards) [average 2.73/3.0]
Artifact Commons: 3/9 (3 cards) [average 1.0/3.0]

White Uncommons: 5/9 (4 cards) [average 1.25/2.25]
Blue Uncommons: 14/14 (4 cards) [average 3.5/3.5]
Black Uncommons: 11/13 (5 cards) [average 2.2/2.6]
Red Uncommons: 16/13 (5 cards) [average 3.2/2.6]
Green Uncommons: 14/16 (5 cards) [average 2.8/3.2]
Gold Uncommons: 19/23 (9 cards) [average 2.11/2.56]
Artifact Uncommons: 4/3 (2 cards) [average 2.0/1.5]

Total: 210 power/254 toughness (96 cards)

[total average 2.19/2.65]

note: there's a 2/2 that's a 4/2 upon etb till eot, and a */3 flyer. I made them 2/2 and 0/3, not that it affects the calculations much.

I don't feel like figuring out the math to account for commons being more prevalent. Chances are 3/3s or 2/3s are decent picks, or anything that is good removal for x/3 or higher.

Also green seems strong.

[InflatablePie]

well then:

Spoiler: all common p/t

White: 25/34 (14 cards)
1CMC
1/1
0/4

2CMC
1/1
2/1
1/3
2/2

3CMC
2/2
3/2
2/2
1/4

4CMC
1/2
3/3

5CMC
3/2
3/5


Blue: 20/35 (11 cards)
1CMC
1/2

2CMC
2/1
1/3

3CMC
2/3
2/2
1/4

4CMC
3/2
1/5

5CMC
0/4
3/4

6CMC
4/5


Black: 24/30 (12 cards)
1CMC
1/1

2CMC
1/1
2/2
3/3

3CMC
2/1
2/3

4CMC
2/2
1/3
3/3
2/4

5CMC
2/4

6CMC
3/3


Red: 25/22 (11 cards)
1CMC
1/1
1/1

2CMC
2/1
2/1
2/3

3CMC
2/2(4/2)
2/2
1/2

4CMC
4/3
3/3

5CMC
5/3


Green: 30/33 (11 cards)
1CMC
1/1

2CMC
2/2
2/1
1/2

3CMC
3/2
3/3

4CMC
3/3
2/2

5CMC
4/5
3/7

6CMC
6/5


Artifact: 3/9 (3 cards)
2CMC
2/1

3CMC
0/6
1/2

Spoiler: all uncommon p/t

White: 5/9 (4 cards)
1CMC
1/2

2CMC
1/1

5CMC
2/3

6CMC
1/3


Blue: 14/14 (4 cards)
3CMC
2/2

4CMC
3/3

5CMC
5/5

6CMC
4/4

Black: 11/13 (5 cards)
1CMC
2/1

3CMC
2/2

4CMC
2/2
3/3

5CMC
2/5

Red: 16/13 (5 cards)
2CMC
2/1

3CMC
2/3

4CMC
4/2
3/3

5CMC
5/4

Green: 14/16 (5 cards)
3CMC
2/1

4CMC
1/4
3/3

5CMC
3/3

6CMC
5/5

Gold: 19/23 (9 cards)
2CMC
1/2
2/2
1/2

3CMC
*/3
3/3

4CMC
3/2

5CMC
2/3
4/3
3/3


Artifacts: 4/3 (2 cards)
3CMC
2/2

4CMC
2/1

[InflatablePie]

Yeah, there's lots of Heroic, Bestow, Monstrosity, a few token generators... just thought the info could be useful/interesting to someone.

Spoiler: more useless math

toughness 1 - 14 common / 5 uncommon
toughness 2 - 19 common / 10 uncommon
toughness 3 - 15 common / 13 uncommon
toughness 4 - 7 common / 3 uncommon
toughness 5 - 5 common / 3 uncommon
toughness 6 - 1 common
toughness 7 - 1 common

power 1 - 18 common / 6 uncommon
power 2 - 21 common / 21 uncommon
power 3 - 15 common / 8 uncommon
power 4 - 3 common / 3 uncommon
power 5 - 1 common / 3 uncommon

I feel like most removal is going to be through aura'd up dudes since actual removal seems a bit light. Also the format seems a bit slow, but maybe that's just me.

[InflatablePie]

Creatures:
4x Boros Reckoner

4x Ash Zealot

4x Burning-Tree Emissary

4x Firefist Striker
4x Rakdos Cackler

4x Legion Loyalist

4x Firedrinker Satyr

3x Purophos, God of the Forge

4x Young Pyromancer
1x Ogre Battledriver/Pyrewild Shaman

Spells:
4x Magma Jet
4x Lightning Strike
4x Shock

3x Awaken the Ancient

Land:

22x

18x

Mountain

2x Mutavault

Sideboard:

3x Electrickery
3x Weapon Surge

3x Skullcrack

3x

4x

Burning Earth

3x Madcap Skills

2x Peak Eruption (or +1 Mortars/+1 Skullcrack)
2x Mizzium Mortars
2x Legion Loyalist
2x Act of Treason