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[Jarate]

It might be the magic gods telling you to reanalyze your mana base. Or else it's just variance.

pfffft, statistical analysis, who does that...

No, but Ive already got that shit figured out, it just was a shitstorm yesterday of getting really shitty opening hands, like getting a hand of 6 mana, mulliganing and getting 1 mana. That happened like 3 times in a matter of like 12 games.

 

[JulianImp]

Idk what it is, but last night I could not draw mana to save my life, and when I did, I drew like 4 mana in a row for an aggro deck in a hand where I started off with 3-4 mana

is this the magic gods telling me to move onto a different deck?

Randomness is part of what makes Magic interesting, so it's okay to get mana flooded every now and then. If you've chosen the right amount of lands for your deck (based on your mana curve), then you did all you could and shouldn't feel bad if you end up drawing all 24 lands one after the other.

It's really strange how people overemphasize the times when their deck didn't give them what they wanted compared to the number of times they drew what they needed (but I guess it happens with most other things in life as well).

Magic Online often gets hated for its "bad shuffler", but I'd wager its pseudorandom number generator is a lot more reliable than our shuffling skills, for example.

On the Saturday prerelease, both my opponent and I mulliganed to 5 in both games we played. I'd say a very important part of the game is knowing when to mulligan when the choice isn't that obvious (as in, discounting unplayable hands due to not having enough lands, or too many, or lands/spells of the wrong colors).

 

[An-Det]

It's really strange how people overemphasize the times when their deck didn't give them what they wanted compared to the number of times they drew what they needed (but I guess it happens with most other things in life as well).

If you're playing to your outs, when you dont draw what you need it's a bad beats story, and when you do you're an awesome skilled player for drawing what you need in the knick of time. We romanticize the end result when it's the buildup that shows the true skill. Knowing how to properly mulligan and the ins and outs of matchups and probabilities so you can play to your favor is where it's at.

 

[fifasnipe2224]

Anyone looking to trade?
HAVE
Detention Sphere
Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
Immortal Servitude
Unexpected Results
Signal the Clans
Simic Manipulator
Golgari Grave-Troll
Traumatize
Dreg Mangler
Helvault
--------------------
WANT
Ajani Goldmane
Garruk Wildspeaker
Pristine Angel
Zealous Conscripts
Meloku the Clouded Mirror
Pariah's Shield
Seizan, Perverter of Truth
Celestial Ancient
Argentum Armor
Living Hive

 

[FieryBalrog]

I've been collecting Oozes for a while, and it'd be great to finally get a lord for them. Experiment Kraj was the closest they ever came to printing an ooze lord. I got my hands on all oozes and ooze-related spells (yes, even Voidslime), plus a few non-ooze cards like Mire's Toll and Mire Boa (because both ooze and mire were translated to "cieno" in spanish, so we got them as "Peaje del cieno" and "Boa del cieno"). It's a fun tribe to collect, mostly because not many collect them compared to angels, dragons and/or vampires.

So, do any GAFfers keep any special collections of their own?

I'm almost done collecting every card by the artist Kaja Foglio.

Then I'll get started on her husband Phil. I love both their art.

Also, you're right that a lot of people collect angels, dragons and demons. I'm doing it myself (the foil versions, at any rate)

 

[divisionbyzorro]

So have you guys seen Adam Prosak's "Oops - All Spells" Legacy list featuring some innocent looking cards from Gatecrash? (I prefer "Look Ma - No Lands!") He's claiming turn one wins at a rate far surpassing that of Goblin Charbelcher decks.

http://www.starcitygames.com/article/25582_Unveiling-Oops-All-Spells.html

You can goldfish it here; it seems remarkably consistent, and perfect if the meta is still full of decks without Force of Will.

http://playtest.tappedout.net/oops-all-spells-29-01-13-3/

TLDR: use the Belcher plan of free mana (Spirit Guides, Chrome Mox, Lotus Petal, etc) and rituals (Dark Ritual, Cabal Ritual, Grim Monolith) to cast one of the black creatures that "grinds" a player (Balustrade Spy, Undercity Informer). Except - wait for it - you have no lands.

So you flip your library into your graveyard, putting 3 Narcomoeba into play, then flashback Dread Return on an Angel of Glory's Rise, putting Laboratory Maniac and Azami into play, then draw a card and win the game. If any of the combo pieces are in your hand, you can always Cabal Therapy yourself to get them into your yard...

 

[Haly]

WOTC was right, Gatecrash really is the Johnny set.

 

[OnPoint]

So have you guys seen Adam Prosak's "Oops - All Spells" Legacy list featuring some innocent looking cards from Gatecrash? (I prefer "Look Ma - No Lands!") He's claiming turn one wins at a rate far surpassing that of Goblin Charbelcher decks.

http://www.starcitygames.com/article/25582_Unveiling-Oops-All-Spells.html

You can goldfish it here; it seems remarkably consistent, and perfect if the meta is still full of decks without Force of Will.

http://playtest.tappedout.net/oops-all-spells-29-01-13-3/

TLDR: use the Belcher plan of free mana (Spirit Guides, Chrome Mox, Lotus Petal, etc) and rituals (Dark Ritual, Cabal Ritual, Grim Monolith) to cast one of the black creatures that "grinds" a player (Balustrade Spy, Undercity Informer). Except - wait for it - you have no lands.

So you flip your library into your graveyard, putting 3 Narcomoeba into play, then flashback Dread Return on an Angel of Glory's Rise, putting Laboratory Maniac and Azami into play, then draw a card and win the game. If any of the combo pieces are in your hand, you can always Cabal Therapy yourself to get them into your yard...

Shame the 'Oops all X' can't be used with 'Oops all Faeries', or maybe a reanimator deck titled 'Oops all buried'. I'd laugh for days.

 

[An-Det]

So have you guys seen Adam Prosak's "Oops - All Spells" Legacy list featuring some innocent looking cards from Gatecrash? (I prefer "Look Ma - No Lands!") He's claiming turn one wins at a rate far surpassing that of Goblin Charbelcher decks.

http://www.starcitygames.com/article/25582_Unveiling-Oops-All-Spells.html

You can goldfish it here; it seems remarkably consistent, and perfect if the meta is still full of decks without Force of Will.

http://playtest.tappedout.net/oops-all-spells-29-01-13-3/

TLDR: use the Belcher plan of free mana (Spirit Guides, Chrome Mox, Lotus Petal, etc) and rituals (Dark Ritual, Cabal Ritual, Grim Monolith) to cast one of the black creatures that "grinds" a player (Balustrade Spy, Undercity Informer). Except - wait for it - you have no lands.

So you flip your library into your graveyard, putting 3 Narcomoeba into play, then flashback Dread Return on an Angel of Glory's Rise, putting Laboratory Maniac and Azami into play, then draw a card and win the game. If any of the combo pieces are in your hand, you can always Cabal Therapy yourself to get them into your yard...

I love this deck. Prosak was gushing over it during a stream a week or two ago, and while it seemed a bit weird it seems like so much fun. The only cards in it that I dont have are the mill creatures and the junk rares, I think I'm going to put this together and jam.


Edit: been goldfishing with this for a half hour or so. Love the feel of this deck (I do tend to enjoy playing glass cannons), but it really needs to be running Phantasmagorian. So many hands have the 4th Narcomoeba in hand, leaving you unable to get any combo pieces (Azami, Maniac, or Angel) into the yard if they are in hand (plus unable to Therapy an opponent, but Gorian wont help that). Not sure if it has a future, but seeing as Belcher seems occasional play then who knows.

Edit 2: The OP in relevant thread on the Source would suggest running -1 Balustrade Spy, +1 Bridge From Below to remedy the problem of not being able to Therapy like we want. The deck is fairly different from Prosak's, but that individual change is solid. Going to go through the thread now.

 

[rCIZZLE]

I love this deck. Prosak was gushing over it during a stream a week or two ago, and while it seemed a bit weird it seems like so much fun. The only cards in it that I dont have are the mill creatures and the junk rares, I think I'm going to put this together and jam.


Edit: been goldfishing with this for a half hour or so. Love the feel of this deck (I do tend to enjoy playing glass cannons), but it really needs to be running Phantasmagorian. So many hands have the 4th Narcomoeba in hand, leaving you unable to get any combo pieces (Azami, Maniac, or Angel) into the yard if they are in hand (plus unable to Therapy an opponent, but Gorian wont help that). Not sure if it has a future, but seeing as Belcher seems occasional play then who knows.

Is there any way to increase the card size on that site? Seems like a cool option but I'm having trouble reading the cards.

 

[An-Det]

Is there any way to increase the card size on that site? Seems like a cool option but I'm having trouble reading the cards.

No idea, I put together the deck in paper after I couldn't easily mill my whole deck on that site.

 

[Lucario]

WOTC was right, Gatecrash really is the Johnny set.

Johnny here. Except for EtI and borborygmos, I'm not pleased.


The Johnny set was New Phyrexia.


Also: I keep noticing that Firemind's Foresight is quickly becoming the best card in every EDH deck I'm putting it in. It's kind of scary. Might try a toolbox Standard deck for my new (too casual for me to actually try to win at and feel good about it) LGS that tries to run 1-2, there's certainly some valid targets.

 

[Lucario]

I now want Foresight to cost 3UUR.

Just imagine:



End step on turn 6, Firemind's Foresight. Grab fog, cyclonic rift, and sphinx's reveleation.

Next turn rift your opponent's board away.

Next turn rev for 5 cards and 5 life.

Still probably far too slow and clunky for competitive standard, but I don't give a shit, I'm throwing one in omnidoor to test.

 

[Willectro]

Thanks for the suggestions on the previous page.

What is my best bet if I want to get into MTGO? On my schedule, MTGO will probably make the most sense.

I have an account and have done a few drafts. At this point should I wait for Gatecrash, then decide on a deck and purchase it from bots?

I'm not looking to be amazing, I just want to balance between winning a few games and not spending a fortune.

 

[kirblar]

I now want Foresight to cost 3UUR.

Just imagine:



End step on turn 6, Firemind's Foresight. Grab fog, cyclonic rift, and sphinx's reveleation.

Next turn rift your opponent's board away.

Next turn rev for 5 cards and 5 life.

Still probably far too slow and clunky for competitive standard, but I don't give a shit, I'm throwing one in omnidoor to test.

This is probably why it costs 7 when it "feels" like it should cost 6.

 

[CorruptShadow]

Johnny here. Except for EtI and borborygmos, I'm not pleased.

You don't like?

Toss this on it in a Modern Deck

 

[Yeef]

Simic is more or less all Johnny cards. Orzhov also has a bunch of Johnny cards. Alms Beast especially so. Dimir, obviously, is also a pretty Johhny based guild.

 

[JulianImp]

Simic is more or less all Johnny cards. Orzhov also has a bunch of Johnny cards. Alms Beast especially so. Dimir, obviously, is also a pretty Johhny based guild.

At first I thought Alms Beast gave itself lifelink as well as its blockers, but when I played with it it made for some really interesting matches, where it'd often deal 12 damage to my opponents without them blocking it once, and once they had some defenses it basically stood there without doing a thing, to avoid giving my opponents their life back while I dealt the last few points of damage.

 

[Transhuman]

You don't like?

Toss this on it in a Modern Deck

I like arcane teachings a bit more.

 

[ultron87]

I love that you and your opponent can both have Obzedat active and hitting every turn. The flavor of them just bouncing around helping everyone is really funny.

 

[JulianImp]

I love that you and your opponent can both have Obzedat active and hitting every turn. The flavor of them just bouncing around helping everyone is really funny.

I really like it when a card's mechanics and flavor work together in fun ways like that. However, I'm a bit wary of the new Ghost Dad's power level, which is ridiculous compared to its former self. Of course he's considerably weaker against instant-speed removal, but now he's 100% safe from sorceries, doesn't require keeping mana open and creatures you can sacrifice, and drains your opponent for a four-point life swing.

I guess the council would get along really well with evolve creatures as well. I really wish I had opened it in my orzhov pack... out of the four RTR and GTC prereleases I attended, I never got the guild leaders in my packs; I hated my first RTR prerelease the most, where I chose Izzet but ended up opening the ridiculously non-Izzet Conjured Currency (yuck!), while two of the four remaining Izzet players got Niv-Mizzet.

It's a bit sad how they finally realized the mistake they made with Hexproof. What probably begun as a variation on shroud that "feels better" to its controller ended up introducing a vexing non-interactive mechanic into the game. Spikes always liked powerful shroud creatures such as Sphinx of Jar Jar (er, Jwar Isle) even without the ability to target them, and hexproof can be abused when it's on efficient creatures to wreck your opponents without giving them a chance to interact.

When it was legal, I had two copies of the rare */* treefolk for 2G in a monogreen deck of mine, and it was basically broken in half all by itself. Being able to force fights with Ulvenwald Tracker or enchanting it with Rancor was really unfair at my local FNM, and I felt like it was the right card to fetch with my lone Green Sun's Zenith or Mwonvuli Beast Trackers 90% of the time.

I wish they'd go back to shroud, or try to find a way to make auras more viable by themselves, rather than by printing ideal aura-wearers.

 

[PsionBolt]

I wish they'd go back to shroud, or try to find a way to make auras more viable by themselves, rather than by printing ideal aura-wearers.

They printed a viable-by-itself aura in Gatecrash! ...But it reads "enchanted creature has hexproof." I don't know whether to laugh at Wizards, or feel like Wizards is laughing at me.

 

[OnPoint]

I really like it when a card's mechanics and flavor work together in fun ways like that. However, I'm a bit wary of the new Ghost Dad's power level, which is ridiculous compared to its former self. Of course he's considerably weaker against instant-speed removal, but now he's 100% safe from sorceries, doesn't require keeping mana open and creatures you can sacrifice, and drains your opponent for a four-point life swing.

I guess the council would get along really well with evolve creatures as well. I really wish I had opened it in my orzhov pack... out of the four RTR and GTC prereleases I attended, I never got the guild leaders in my packs; I hated my first RTR prerelease the most, where I chose Izzet but ended up opening the ridiculously non-Izzet Conjured Currency (yuck!), while two of the four remaining Izzet players got Niv-Mizzet.

It's a bit sad how they finally realized the mistake they made with Hexproof. What probably begun as a variation on shroud that "feels better" to its controller ended up introducing a vexing non-interactive mechanic into the game. Spikes always liked powerful shroud creatures such as Sphinx of Jar Jar (er, Jwar Isle) even without the ability to target them, and hexproof can be abused when it's on efficient creatures to wreck your opponents without giving them a chance to interact.

When it was legal, I had two copies of the rare */* treefolk for 2G in a monogreen deck of mine, and it was basically broken in half all by itself. Being able to force fights with Ulvenwald Tracker or enchanting it with Rancor was really unfair at my local FNM, and I felt like it was the right card to fetch with my lone Green Sun's Zenith or Mwonvuli Beast Trackers 90% of the time.

I wish they'd go back to shroud, or try to find a way to make auras more viable by themselves, rather than by printing ideal aura-wearers.

Motha fuckin Alchemist's Refuge!

But seriously, it's a cool card that I think is seeing some overhype. I don't think Ghost Council is as good as everyone else does, but that just means I'm probably wrong.

 

[f0rk]

I think you want to put him in decks as a finisher that want sweepers which is kind of unfortunate.

 

[The Adder]

Asking opinions: Can a Black/White/Green deck with 2 Abundant Growths and 2 Verdant Harvests, but no Red mana afford to add Domri Rade to it?

Basically every creature in the deck either has deathtouch or flying and the fliers all have either lifelink or extort. Then a bunch of white spells like safe passage and pacifism for stall. Domri Rade seems like a really good card to tie this all together, making my deathtouch legion a real threat. But, as I said, this deck has no red mana, though it has ways of generating it. Worth it?

 

[Sinatar]

Asking opinions: Can a Black/White/Green deck with 2 Abundant Growths and 2 Verdant Harvests, but no Red mana afford to add Domri Rade to it?

Basically every creature in the deck either has deathtouch or flying and the fliers all have either lifelink or extort. Then a bunch of white spells like safe passage and pacifism for stall. Domri Rade seems like a really good card to tie this all together, making my deathtouch legion a real threat. But, as I said, this deck has no red mana, though it has ways of generating it. Worth it?

What is Verdant Harvest?

Anyways, we are currently in the magical christmasland of MTG mana in standard, splashing some red should be a piece of cake.

 

[The Adder]

What is Verdant Harvest?

Anyways, we are currently in the magical christmasland of MTG mana in standard, splashing some red should be a piece of cake.

*Haven

Sorry 'bout that.

http://static.starcitygames.com/sales/cardscans/MAG_GTC/VerdantHaven.jpg (If that didn't clarify)

 

[Sinatar]

Oh verdant haven is too slow at 3 mana. Just run some farseeks and a couple of stomping grounds. Problem solved.

 

[The Technomancer]

*Haven

Sorry 'bout that.

http://static.starcitygames.com/sales/cardscans/MAG_GTC/VerdantHaven.jpg (If that didn't clarify)

If you can afford it I'd just drop the money on some Stomping Grounds honestly

 

[The Adder]

If you can afford it I'd just drop the money on some Stomping Grounds honestly

Yeah, I'm not big enough into the game to drop > half the price of the Planeswalker I'm considering buying on a shockland I only need because of said Planeswalker. Only really considering Domri Rade because he's less than $25.

But seriously, thanks for the advice.

Oh verdant haven is too slow at 3 mana. Just run some farseeks and a couple of stomping grounds. Problem solved.

Even considering it replaced a 2 drop in a deck where almost every creature is a 2 drop?

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Finally a foil StP.....(judge foil)

I dislike the art. looks like some golf club. I prefer the Ice Age and DvD one.

It's not bad per say but it comes off as really lazy. It does nothing for me.

What did everyone think of the prerelease? Was the set fun or disappointing?

 

[Yeef]

Tons of fun in limited. Dimir seems to have gotten the short end of the stick though. Every other guild is fairly well-balanced among commons and uncommons for limited. Boros and Simic are pretty ridiculous with the right rares.

 

[The Adder]

I just came to the realization that I've been using my strategy inefficiently...

I can extort off of a cipher.

I have Shadow Slice in my deck to cipher to my tiny little 1/1 and 1/2 flyers. Basically resulting in 4 damage getting through every time one of them successfully swings. But I can extort off of that! I can get an additional point of damage and an additional point of life off of each hit.

If I have all my extorters out I can get 8 damage in one swing.

If I've encoded 2 cards that's 12 damage (at the cost of 8 mana)

If both those were Shadow Slice, that's 15 damage total.

Granted, this won't happen often, or at all, really, but still!

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

What will draft become? 2 packs of rtr and 1 pack of gatecrash?

 

[kirblar]

What will draft become? 2 packs of rtr and 1 pack of gatecrash?

3xGatecrash

When DGM comes out, it then becomes DGM->GTC->RTR.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

3xGatecrash

When DGM comes out, it then becomes DGM->GTC->RTR.

Ah, ok. It's done by size whether it splits right?

 

[Lucario]

I no longer have time for competitive magic thanks to school, and my kiki-pod deck on MTGO has just been kind of.... sitting there.

Anybody wanna buy it, or some of the other cards in my MTGO account? I can give you a pretty damn good deal.

 

[Willectro]

I no longer have time for competitive magic thanks to school, and my kiki-pod deck on MTGO has just been kind of.... sitting there.

Anybody wanna buy it, or some of the other cards in my MTGO account? I can give you a pretty damn good deal.

How good of a deal?

 

[Transhuman]

Ah, ok. It's done by size whether it splits right?

I think the last set of a block always does a split draft. Correct me if I'm wrong anyone.

I'm pretty sure they're typically done reverse chronologically. For instance DGM > GTC > RTR.

 

[f0rk]

I think the last set of a block always does a split draft. Correct me if I'm wrong anyone.

I'm pretty sure they're typically done reverse chronologically. For instance DGM > GTC > RTR.

Not for Zendikar. I think they like to mix it up now and then.

 

[JulianImp]

I think the last set of a block always does a split draft. Correct me if I'm wrong anyone.

I'm pretty sure they're typically done reverse chronologically. For instance DGM > GTC > RTR.

RTR block was special. Most of the time, new sets get drafted with older ones, unless it's a weird experiment like the Lorwyn/Shadowmoor mini-blocks or Rise of the Eldrazi. I haven't checked DGM, but RTR and GTC are both large sets if I'm not mistaken; this was all part of an experiment design has been doing to make block structures less rigid and more interesting.

As far as limited is concerned, I think it's always common to see the aggro color combinations doing better close to the set's release, but as time goes on players will catch on to other viable strategies. I think blue still has enough evasion to be a worthwile color, despite being called weak, but it's true that removal isn't as cheap or as powerful as in previous sets, and most creatures are fairly small early on (mostly with 2 or 3 power/toughness, I think). Like I said before, evasive creatures aren't as common or as large as in previous sets, either (most are 2/2s), but anti-flier cards are also really limited.

 

[PsionBolt]

I think the last set of a block always does a split draft. Correct me if I'm wrong anyone.

Not for Zendikar. I think they like to mix it up now and then.

Avacyn Restored was AVR-AVR-AVR. I think they just make it up depending on how well the sets 'go together'.

 

[OnPoint]

Avacyn Restored was AVR-AVR-AVR. I think they just make it up depending on how well the sets 'go together'.

Pretty sure it depends on the size of the block. INN block was Big-Small-Big. This one is Big-Small-Small.

 

[Sinatar]

Pretty sure it depends on the size of the block. INN block was Big-Small-Big. This one is Big-Small-Small.

Ravnica is Big-Big-Small.

 

[OnPoint]

Ravnica is Big-Big-Small.

Huh. Weird. I didn't realize Gatecrash was a big one. Makes sense I suppose.

 

[Keru_Shiri]

Man, I just realized there's going to be 4 big sets that will be standard legal at once. That's a lot of cards.

 

[bigkrev]

I'm pretty sure we are in an era where 2 Big, 1 Small is the new normal for block structure. 3 of the last 4 blocks have been like that.

 

[BlewHedgehog]

Played my Junk Tokens deck last night one more time before that reverse Intangible Virtue shows up in sideboards everywhere. Had two pretty (almost) sweet plays:

1) Went for ultimate with Vraska against a Bant control deck with Golgari Charm as backup against Supreme Verdict. It caused a pretty big crowd to form. We were all disappointed when He overloaded Cyclonic Rift instead =(

2) Had a whole squad of planeswalkers out against an Esper control list. He had been carefully managing Vraska's counters to keep her below 3, but eventually Sorin got high enough that I used him to nuke his two Lingering Souls tokens and my Vrsaka, bringing Vraska back into play to destroy the Runechanter's Pike that was keeping him in the game.

Ended up splitting the finals. What a fun deck. I hope it's still playable after GTC. It doesn't seem strong enough to warrant the hate of that B enchantment, but it's such an easy sideboard choice that I'm sure people will mindlessly throw it into their bad sideboards all over FNM.

 

[OnPoint]

Why is it so God damned hard to find Portuguese basic lands to buy online?!

 

[kirblar]

Why is it so God damned hard to find Portuguese basic lands to buy online?!

.....no portugese.