Magic: The Gathering,GO TEAM MS!

[AGar]

I read it as there's a paid prerelease and a free prerelease. Which would make more sense.

[InflatablePie]

Those are for FNM. I was saying I might get credit to cover prereleases.

[AGar]

Oh. The store I played at did that too.

[InflatablePie]

a) Waste Not art + costing 2cmc = awesome!
b) new card frame is weeiiiird.

Also, from MaRo:

While design was working on Theros, I started a weekly meeting where Ethan and Shawn, with a little guidance from me, were going to start working on "Huey" (2014's large October set). The idea was that we would work on something a year ahead of time. This would allow us the freedom to work on a project that wasn't time sensitive. If Ethan and Shawn failed, we would still have our normal design time, but if they succeeded we could use their work once Huey design began.

I decided to start by talking through with them where Huey stood. When I laid out the seven-year plan to Aaron several years before, I had sold Huey on a unique block structure. I explained to them what this block structure was and then I asked them to figure out a block where this structure made sense.

Large-Large-Large sets? Or 2 (or 4) sets?

[hasdgfas]

I could see Large/Large/Large

[Thestatusquo]

Those are balls.

[Sudo_Nym]

Wall of Fire sucks no matter what, but Waste Not is going to depend a lot on the support.

[Thestatusquo]

I'm talking about the frames. I am pretty sure you knew this.

[Sudo_Nym]

I'm pretty sure I don't care about the frames. I'm pretty sure you're still bitching that they discontinued the old white frames.

[Thestatusquo]

White frames?

[Sudo_Nym]

White frames?

See? This is exactly what I'm talking about.

[Thestatusquo]

Sudo I'm like 80% sure not even you have a damn clue what you're going on about.

[Sudo_Nym]

Sudo I'm like 80% sure not even you have a damn clue what you're going on about.

Thank you!

[bv310]

This was an odd conversation. Also, I think I like the new frames. I'll have to see the other colours/rarities before I make up my mind.

[Fate]

is it bad i cant tell what the difference is

[xRECKONERx]

text box hangs over the background now

[AGar]

Also, from MaRo:

While design was working on Theros, I started a weekly meeting where Ethan and Shawn, with a little guidance from me, were going to start working on "Huey" (2014's large October set). The idea was that we would work on something a year ahead of time. This would allow us the freedom to work on a project that wasn't time sensitive. If Ethan and Shawn failed, we would still have our normal design time, but if they succeeded we could use their work once Huey design began.

I decided to start by talking through with them where Huey stood. When I laid out the seven-year plan to Aaron several years before, I had sold Huey on a unique block structure. I explained to them what this block structure was and then I asked them to figure out a block where this structure made sense.

Large-Large-Large sets? Or 2 (or 4) sets?

Eh, I don't think he'd do Large/Large/Large - he's said before he wouldn't do anything for the sake of box checking, and in separate questions he said that Large/Large/Large would be just something to do for box-checking. 4 sets has kinda/sorta been done, so I don't think he's going to do that. Can't start with a Small for draft environment purposes... I actually have no clue what this could mean.

[kdowns]

Esper Humans is fun to play

[xRECKONERx]

Could be double small set double small set? Or double small - small - small?

[Thestatusquo]

I'm probably going to be going to GP richmond, just for NC scummer info. Anyone down there thinking of going? It's modern, so I'll probably have a deck or two to loan out if someone needs one.

[Shanba]

My standard testing with BV on cockatrice has brought forth decks: one solid, one... well.

This red/white control deck is because I really like anger of the gods and chained to the rocks.
http://deckstats.net/deck-3404742-e72e8 ... 59958.html

This one is many colours and has young pyromancers in it.
http://deckstats.net/deck-3404720-fbff9 ... 194f6.html

[InflatablePie]

re: RW Control
-1 Heliod, -1 Purphoros, -1 Elspeth
+2 Hammer of Purphoros, +1 Spear of Heliod

4x Anger + 4x Chained fuck over your control matchup. Hammers help that a bit, and can also help against mana flood and deal with aggro by spawning 3/3s. I love Hammer in my RW Devo deck. I also like Spear in a control shell, mainly for the activated ability, not to mention it saves your Dragons from opposing Mortars. Ran into a Naya control-ish deck last week and Spear caused me a lot of problems.

Reasoning for the cuts: 3 Elspeth seems a bit much when you have a lot of threats+finishers (Dragon, Assemble, Elspeth, Chandra). Heliod seems to do the least in this deck, although situationally he'd be okay (I imagine Vigilance isn't terrible, and it does spawn tokens). Only other card I could think to cut would be a Purphoros. He's better than Heliod, but I like Chandra better (having 3 of her is fine, for card 'draw') in the 4-mana slot. Could also cut the singleton Helix, but I like that as a one-of as well. Could also cut a Chained/Anger if you're running into a lot of Control: Spear would be better usually, since it blanks Aetherling/Mutavaults.

I imagine the board has some combo of:
4x Boros Charm (control, mono-B over Dragons)
1x Assemble (mono-B)
1x Mortars (for Blood Baron)
1-2x Last Breath (for mono-U)
1-2x Wear/Tear (mostly for D-Sphere)
1-2x Glare of Heresy (mirror, WW, Wx control)
?x Hammer (if you don't want to run them main)
2x Helix (could be useful sometimes)
1-2x Burning Earth (if you run into a lot of Esper/Naya/Dega/Junk)
maybe 4x Firedrinker Satyr for control/mono-B matches where you need creatures? seen some RW Devo lists do that

[Shanba]

re: RW Control
-1 Heliod, -1 Purphoros, -1 Elspeth
+2 Hammer of Purphoros, +1 Spear of Heliod

4x Anger + 4x Chained fuck over your control matchup. Hammers help that a bit, and can also help against mana flood and deal with aggro by spawning 3/3s. I love Hammer in my RW Devo deck. I also like Spear in a control shell, mainly for the activated ability, not to mention it saves your Dragons from opposing Mortars. Ran into a Naya control-ish deck last week and Spear caused me a lot of problems.

Reasoning for the cuts: 3 Elspeth seems a bit much when you have a lot of threats+finishers (Dragon, Assemble, Elspeth, Chandra). Heliod seems to do the least in this deck, although situationally he'd be okay (I imagine Vigilance isn't terrible, and it does spawn tokens). Only other card I could think to cut would be a Purphoros. He's better than Heliod, but I like Chandra better (having 3 of her is fine, for card 'draw') in the 4-mana slot. Could also cut the singleton Helix, but I like that as a one-of as well. Could also cut a Chained/Anger if you're running into a lot of Control: Spear would be better usually, since it blanks Aetherling/Mutavaults.

I imagine the board has some combo of:
4x Boros Charm (control, mono-B over Dragons)
1x Assemble (mono-B)
1x Mortars (for Blood Baron)
1-2x Last Breath (for mono-U)
1-2x Wear/Tear (mostly for D-Sphere)
1-2x Glare of Heresy (mirror, WW, Wx control)
?x Hammer (if you don't want to run them main)
2x Helix (could be useful sometimes)
1-2x Burning Earth (if you run into a lot of Esper/Naya/Dega/Junk)
maybe 4x Firedrinker Satyr for control/mono-B matches where you need creatures? seen some RW Devo lists do that

The boros charm firedrinker satyr plan simply doesnt work for this deck - the plan of beat them down and burn them out is fine when you have other threats the are relatively cheap, but the first thing that hits for damage in this deck costs 3, so you'll never have enough to kill them before the revs and such kick in. When you build a deck like this you have to be prepared to fight the control decks in the lategame somewhat, which is obviously a losing proposition and hence why most midrange decks have a bad matchup against control. This one has a worse one than most, but its not keel down and die. But anyway, the point is that we're not winning by beating down with a 2/1 for a few turns. It just doesn't do enough. Nor does boros charm, which is honestly only ever going to be 4 damage for 2 mana in the deck (we have few permanents that are likely to be destroyed - exiled (detention sphere) and bounced (cyclonic rift), yes, destroyed, not as frequently.)

Scrylands and magma jets do a good job managing the manabase, generally, but a deck like this is always going to suffer from that kind of thing from time to time.

Spear of heliod is definitely a consideration, but it feels pretty win more-ish - if we have a bunch of tokens down, its rare we need them to be 2/2s - and in the situations where that would be useful, purphoros I think normally does a better job.

The extra walkers and win conditions are concessions to that matchup - we have enough action to last the course against anything trying to beat us down, since our board wipe costs 3 and we have a bunch of other removal to supplement it. Heliod is definitely the weakest of those, but acts as another thing to try and tax their detention spheres. Purphoros is the better god by a margin and heliod could definitely face the axe.

Mortars is actually pretty clunky in the deck because its very rare we'll be overloading it for any reasonable kind of value - we have too much removal and mass removal that we want to be casting for that to be a thing very often, so it's normally just 2 mana kill a small creature, which isn't a great rate of return. Blood baron is the reason it is in the deck - it replaced the warleader's helixes that previously had those slots.

sideboard is currently
4 Chandra's Phoenix
2 Celestial Flare
2 Pithing Needle
2 Glare of Heresy
1 Ratchet Bomb
2 Mizzium Mortars
2 Wear // Tear

of which by far the worst are the chandra's phoenixes and the celestial flares which should be cut for something better. Pithing needle is amazing, and, among other things, a clean answer to aetherling and jace - two cards the deck struggles with. Mortars in case they're packing blood barons and as maybe an extra cheap removal spell against mono-u or w/r beatdowns, wear//tear and glare of heresy for the esper matchup.

[Fate]

wait what shanba plays standard

[Shanba]

wait what shanba plays standard

Only on cockatrice gaming with bv