Magic: The Gathering,GO TEAM MS!

[hasdgfas]

Not a fan of Jeskai Ascendency? It seems like a combo enabler to me. Now, granted, to take full advantage of it, you need creatures, but it can let you draw your entire deck.

[Thestatusquo]

Not a fan of Jeskai Ascendency? It seems like a combo enabler to me. Now, granted, to take full advantage of it, you need creatures, but it can let you draw your entire deck.

RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE.

[Natirasha]

Well, I would go tonight, but I'm actually spending the weekend in the suburbs til our apartment is ready.

And, well, I'm living with Nacho starting next week so I'm sure we'll get to meet. I'll be sure to check out the Dice Dojo. I knew Pastimes was in the area, but I'm kinda predisposed to dislike them due to how they're awful TOs, also the hardcore grinder culture is a little sickening to me--I'm looking for a shop with a competitive scene, but still a bit less hardcore so to speak.

[Thestatusquo]

Dojo is probably the place for you. Which suburbs? I work in downers grove and if you're nearish to there I would be willing to give rides.

[Natirasha]

Rockford.

[Thestatusquo]

Ewwwwwwwwwwwww

[Thestatusquo]

That's not a suburb. That's just Wisconsin.

[Natirasha]

Yeah I figured. Next time!

[hitogoroshi]

Hey speaking of Wisconsin, Cow, you gonna be at the Saturday morning pre-release at I'm Board? I'll be there in my ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ shirt reppin' Azban.

[PeregrineV]

Going to try for 3 pre-releases this weekend. Will also try to document it better for a post-game report and criticism.

[sthar8]

real winners go to five.

[Thestatusquo]

This format sucks.

Its just like yo lets play 5 toughness dudes and then stare at each other until one of us decks.

[chamber]

The draft too or just the sealed?

[Natirasha]

That's roughly what it equates to in draft too, from my 10+ cockatrice drafts.

I actually kinda like it, it's like Dragon's Maze done better.

Evasion and bruteforce mechanics are at a super premium this set.

[Thestatusquo]

The draft too or just the sealed?

I haven't drafted it yet.

[kdowns]

Natrisha, if you're willing to share, what RDW list did you Playtest with? I am building another to give it a go.

[Natirasha]

I just play vs randoms on cockatrice, so I don't have a specific list I'm playing against, but if I were to spitball one right now it'd look something like this.

Spoiler: Quick & Dirty Mono Red

4x Foundry Street Denizen
4x Firedrinker Satyr
2x Monastery Swiftspear
4x War-Name Aspirant
2x Borderland Marauder
4x Mogis' Warhound
4x Goblin Rabblemaster
3x Ashcloud Phoenix
---
4x Stoke the Flames
4x Lightning Strike
3x Titan's Strength
---
20x Mountain
2x Temple of Malice

Especially going into week one, there is gonna be a lot of board stalls and generic fatties, I think. This list sorta is trying to go over them, with Warhound & Titan's Strength. Also, these cards provide a small hedge against Drown in Sorrow, which will prove to be the deck's biggest weakness I think. I would pack Stormbreaths/Sarkhan and probably an additional land(?) in the board to go later. Frenzied Goblin might be better than Swiftspear(in fact, considering the metroplex meta, I'd say almost definitely), as might be Stormbreath or something over Ashcloud--I think the card is really good and is a good way to close games out, but I might be wrong there. I don't play red aggro pretty much ever.

EDIT: Oh yeah, I forgot Jeering Instigator is a card and should probably just have the Phoenix Slots--Instigator is a card that is not on the radar atm, but is likely just super stupid when trying to break through Seige Rhinos and PolyK.

[chamber]

Is Seige Rhino actually that good? People keep talking about it like it is, and I look at it, and I just don't see it being better the poly or even reaper of the wilds.

[Natirasha]

They all have their perks, but Seige Rhino is the best against aggro decks(5/5 v 4/5 really doesn't matter and gain three is relevant, also blocks Mogis Marauder) and, in the midrange grind, it's nice having your generic fatty get value before dying is solid.

PolyK I honestly think is the worst. Reaper might be better if you're hedging towards games going long enough that Hexproof is always relevant, but meh.

Also, Seige Rhino is best with Whip of Erebos.

[chamber]

How good are aggro decks actually? I assumed the base deck having 4 caryatids and 4 coursers would push aggro into fairly unplayable.

[Natirasha]

Nah, Rabblemaster is big game, and Caryatid cannot profitably block pretty much any of the creatures in the deck(Firedrinker pumps past it, can't block War-Name, Marauder is a 3/2, Warhound puts everything else over the edge). As to Courser, that's why 4x Stoke the Flames is in the deck, and you can Titan's Strength/Frenzied Goblin/Warhound past it. I'd say the minimum to actually be a good blocker in this format is to be an x/5.

As to the black aggro deck, it's even more trivial since you can fly over with Herald, downfall past courser, Boon of Erebos past(perhaps with Agent of Fates!), intimidate with Marauder, Scarhide up a Courser or your dude.

[Debonair Danny DiPietro]

Went 11-0 today; 6-0 in singles, 5-0 in 2HG, I now have 49 unopened KTK packs to my names along with the Flooded Strand in one of my boxes.

[Shanba]

I've never been a fan of reaper of the wilds. Just feels like it doesn't really do anything. 4/5 that either gets removed or you have to wait until turn 6 and then hope they don't have a sweeper for the next 5 turns while you slowly beat down and then you can't tap out of green ever again. Completely outclassed by Elspeth, awkward against Xenagos, smaller than Polukranos. I don't think Reaper is something I've ever wanted to be doing.

Siege Rhino can threaten the token making walkers cause it has trample, so you can't just block with 1 of 3 1/1s every turn, helps get you back into games against aggro decks. Granted it loses combat to Polukranos and Reaper, but oh well. It's not my favourite card but I'd much prefer to play that over Reaper.

Polukranos is just a big dumb beater who your opponent has to respect the monstrous on, I think. A useful mana sink in a Nykthos deck. Also mono green, so if there is some kind of RUG monsters then Polly obviously goes in there over the two B/G 4 drops, and while you might be losing out (not sure on that even) it's certainly not some huge drop in quality.

I don't like Reaper. Stupid card, unfun card, not very good card.

[hasdgfas]

Hey speaking of Wisconsin, Cow, you gonna be at the Saturday morning pre-release at I'm Board? I'll be there in my ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ shirt reppin' Azban.

I was out of town this weekend, or I would've been there

I should be there for Fate Reforged though. Don't expect to have any trips early next year.

[Thestatusquo]

How good are aggro decks actually? I assumed the base deck having 4 caryatids and 4 coursers would push aggro into fairly unplayable.

They're pretty bad if you're not named Tom Ross.