divisionbyzorro
Member
It took me a couple of reads of Drana to understand just how important First Strike is on her. She's really strong.
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Magic: the Gathering - Battle for Zendikar |OT| Lands matter (but nothing else does)
- Thread starter SigmasonicX
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Jund Counters: run Drana, Hardened Scales, Shaman of the Great Hunt, and tokens. Commence the jigglin.
This link doesn't like me for some reason. Heres the SCG article.
This link doesn't like me for some reason. Heres the SCG article.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
.....shiiiiit does that work? Is there room for things to happen between first strike and regular damage?
Yeah, it is a nice card for teaching about the different damage steps in the combat phase.
divisionbyzorro
Member
Yeah I didn't get it at first. My first thought was "that's kinda disappointing that it doesn't add the counters when she attacks." It seemed so lame on a Mythic, so I went back to re-read to make sure I wasn't missing something. Turns out I was. You definitely get the counters between first strike and regular damage.
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
Probably for a deck that doesn't exist yet, which is probably some kind of aggro Allies deck.
I could again, see a BR deck that tries to get a bunch of Scions or whatever in play and buff them up. The problem is that a deck like that is really susceptible to something like Languish. Then again, BR Dragons is a very good deck right now and everything in the deck dies to Languish also.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
I get how first strike works, but with damage not using the stack I didn't realize that there was a chance for anything to happen between first strike and regular damage being dealt. If a triggered ability can occur off of first strike damage before regular is dealt, does that mean I have a chance to respond in general?
EDIT: This feels obvious for triggered abilities that don't affect other creatures on the board, the fact that her triggered ability has a chance to change what damage is being dealt by all other creatures threw me off
divisionbyzorro
Member
Eh, it's not that I don't know how First Strike works. It's that I didn't read the triggered ability with the context of having First Strike the first time, and I read it as "after you've already dealt damage you get extra counters," which isn't at all what it really does.
Exactly. It's very easy for your mind to separate the keyworded abilities from the triggers and not interpret them as one cohesive thing.
I'm not gonna lie. I didn't realize she'd hit, then trigger the bonus, then the other creatures hit with bonuses. Like the logic makes sense now that I've seen it broken down, and I would have probably figured it out while playing, but it did not jump out at me.
Yeah, both players get priority after first strike damage is dealt. So you can do stuff like finishing off a creature that took First Strike damage with a burn spell, before it gets a chance to hit back.
Familienoberhauptvogel
Banned
Sounds intriguing
Even if you do it's easy to miss the implications and really nothing to deride someone for.
This is super bizarre to me because my name is Noyan.
I love 43lands.dec in legacy so at least that makes sense though
Wrote an article about Retreat to Coralhelm. Half because I'm excited as hell about the card, half because I need to refresh my writing skills.
http://youcantkeepjohnnydown.tumblr...9/retreat-to-coralhelm-zoo-moderns-newest-toy
I haven't submitted it anywhere yet because I'm so rusty. Any suggestions on editing, manabase, or card selection would be much appreciated.
I'm also looking to trim the article down as much as possible (it's way too long), so I might move it to wordpress and install some AutoCard plugins instead of having card images everywhere. Either that or cut the section on card choices altogether.
http://youcantkeepjohnnydown.tumblr...9/retreat-to-coralhelm-zoo-moderns-newest-toy
I haven't submitted it anywhere yet because I'm so rusty. Any suggestions on editing, manabase, or card selection would be much appreciated.
I'm also looking to trim the article down as much as possible (it's way too long), so I might move it to wordpress and install some AutoCard plugins instead of having card images everywhere. Either that or cut the section on card choices altogether.
Drana v1.0 was a limited beating. Drana v2.0 keeping the tradition alive I see 
Yes whenever a trigger......triggers, it goes on the stack and players can respond as normal. It will be placed on the stack and resolve before we can move between steps. First Strike and Normal Damage were always different steps that one can only move between once all players have passed priority and the stack is empty.
Yes whenever a trigger......triggers, it goes on the stack and players can respond as normal. It will be placed on the stack and resolve before we can move between steps. First Strike and Normal Damage were always different steps that one can only move between once all players have passed priority and the stack is empty.
A Serious Man
Member
That Hangarback Walker card might finally find some use in a deck like this.
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
The way I was testing it out was with
Deck: Knightfall
//Creatures
4 Knight of the Reliquary
3 Snapcaster Mage
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Noble Hierarch
3 Birds of Paradise
//Spells
3 Path to Exile
4 Remand
1 Dispel
1 Spell Pierce
4 Serum Visions
4 Retreat to Coralhelm
//Land
2 Windswept Heath
4 Temple Garden
4 Hallowed Fountain
4 Breeding Pool
2 Forest
2 Plains
1 Island
3 Sejiri Steppe
2 Flooded Strand
1 Sandsteppe Citadel
//Sideboard
2 Stony Silence
3 Leyline of Sanctity
2 Qasali Pridemage
2 Voice of Resurgence
1 Path to Exile
2 Geist of Saint Traft
1 Kataki, War's Wage
2 Relic of Progenitus
Display deck statisticsThe plan I was going with was to run the deck a lot more like Twin, as a value deck that threatens to combo off with Knight of the Reliquary. The mana base is tough to figure out because you can't actually run that man fetchlands because you still need a specific number of lands to sac to Knight of the Reliquary.
My post probably comes off meaner than I wanted it to. I was just surprised since everybody posting that has been posting in these threads for a good while and thus I know have lots (years) of experience. Drana v2.0 reads so linear to me that it screamed "this is the point of the card" with the first strike & counters interaction.
I like this. Mind if I toss it into the article? If I do, should I just credit Angry Grimace, or would you like to be credited under another name?
"God's Beard!"
Member
I love this Scion token. The Ally art being unfinished is super embarrassing though.
Card is nuts.
Rumor was true.
Finally, been waiting for a deck to make use of Hangarback Walker
EDIT: Heres an article with all 25 of the new art for the full art expedition lands :http://www.dailydot.com/esports/mtg-bfz-expeditions-sneak-peek/
No card frames, just the art.
Scalding Tarn
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
Hangarback, Shaman of the Great Hunt, Drana = Dumb
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
Finally, been waiting for a deck to make use of Hangarback Walker
EDIT: Heres an article with all 25 of the new art for the full art expedition lands :http://www.dailydot.com/esports/mtg-bfz-expeditions-sneak-peek/
No card frames, just the art.
New phone backgrounds get!
>.> Good idea...
A Serious Man
Member
Oh. My. God.
"God's Beard!"
Member
wowowow
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
Polluted Delta
jesus how much is this going to cost
Most magic players are horrible at evaluating cards without playing them, myself included. See Jace, Vryn's Prodigy and Hangarback Walker for just a couple of the most recent egregious examples.
Personally, for every card I spec early like Monastery Swiftspear for Modern Burn, there are a half dozen other cards I over- or under- evaluate. I was very certain that Xathrid Necromancer would find a home, well, anywhere.
divisionbyzorro
Member
Wasn't it played in some variant of The Aristocrats?
Rumor was true.
Bunch of Hangarback tokens, this creature, Sorin +1.
Sometimes I look at cards and go "Woah". Then I read them again and I'm like "Meh, I guess not". Those are the ones I should buy up immediately. I did it with Sphinx's Rev, Oujiai 2.0, and Hangarback. I failed to buy any of them and now here I am regretting it slightly haha
I will probably pick up 1 or 2 Drana if the preorder prices aren't too high.
I get why they're doing this but surely it's no skin off their back to host and moderate an official forum?
Time and Money spent not making games, so I doubt they will do anything to replace them
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
I guess its fine; its not something I've tested, its just a random brew. I just think the KOTR/Coralhelm combo would probably be better as a standalone and the rest of the deck just a regular value deck.
WanderingWind
Mecklemore Is My Favorite Wrapper
Detail on this one seems nuts for card size. Geez.
Sigh.
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
I'm not impressed with all of them, but the good ones are gorgeous
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
I'm still struggling to come up with a deck idea that isn't "Rhinos" or "plug Drana into a deck I already have."
Looking at mtgtop8 it appears that Xathrid Necromancer actually saw a lot of play in Inn-Rtr Standard, so that was a little surprising. I even ran it in a B/R Aggro build for FNMs, but I was playing a budget deck. It's 20 cents now if you want to try and jam it in a Tier 3 Aristocrats deck in Modern!
darkside31337
Tomodachi wa Mahou
In limited? Yeah. Old Drana was a fucking machine.
In constructed, no way. It's a strong card, a pseudo Glorious Anthem attached to a decent sized body that grows quick (and if it does you probably won).
Also not surprised they shut down their forums. This is a company that can't bother actually paying folks to fix MTGO, they aren't going to keep forums up given its not giving them actually in return.
It's even got an awesome foil printing if you buy repacked packs at Target.
Why can't they ever put more useful cards in those lol
"God's Beard!"
Member
Here's where I'm at on the latter as the spoilers are unrolling:
Mardu Tokens
22 Creatures
- 2 Soulfire Grandmaster
- 4 Hangarback Walker
- 4 Dragon Fodder
- 4 Hordeling Outburst
- 4 Monastery Mentor
- 3 Drana, Liberator of Malakir
- 1 Secure the Wastes
5 Planeswalkers
- 3 Sorin, Solemn Visitor
- 2 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
10 Spells
- 2 Firey Impulse
- 4 Exquisite Firecraft
- 4 Crackling Doom
23 Lands
- 1 Foundry of the Consuls
- 1 Mortuary Mire
- 3 Shambling Vent
- 4 Caves of Koilos
- 4 Nomad Outpost
- 2 Smoldering Marsh
- 4 Bloodstained Mire
- 1 Swamp
- 1 Mountain
- 2 Plains
Sideboard
- 4 Butcher of the Horde
- 2 Duress
- 1 Mardu Charm
- 1 Hallowed Moonlight
- 2 Outpost Siege
- 3 Arc Lightning
- 1 Erase
- 1 Ruinous Path
SigmasonicX
Member
Uncharted Realms - Memories of Blood
Some pretty interesting stuff in this story. Summary:
* Drana and her vampires are protecting thousands of mortals. The vampires feed on the ones near death or too weak to go on, which no one is particularly happy with, but it is the best they can do.
* A group of kor are sent by Gideon to ask Drana to join with him (not her in particular; they were sent to search for any groups of survivors). Apparently, Gideon managed to retake the Sea Gate off screen. I suppose this makes sense, since it would just be more Gideon fighting, and they will have to do that again for when Ulamog itself attacks. I'm guessing this will be a campaign in Magic Duels, though.
* Drana agrees to join if the kor help her against the Eldrazi horde coming up behind them.
* In the battle, Drana sends off a group of child soldiers to attack a huge Eldrazi, which angers Gideon's kor soldiers, who go off to fight the big Eldrazi instead; this was Drana's intention, to get them to willingly sacrifice themselves, since no vampire would ever do that.
* While the kor distract the big Eldrazi, Drana plunges into its "heart" and tries to drain its "blood". As she absorbs its essence, she uncovers her earliest memories. It turns out the vampires on Zendikar were born from Ulamog's hunger while it was sealed, which was so great that it gathered matter into mouths to eat with, eyes to seek with, brains to out-think prey with, etc. until it formed intelligent beings over the course of hundreds of years, and they gained independence from Ulamog.
* The Eldrazi's "thoughts" go into Drana and she learns that the Eldrazi have a place where they are meant to be, but their purpose is to consume, so that's what they do.
* As Drana absorbs more of the Eldrazi, she starts turning into an Eldrazi herself, becoming incorporated into the one she thought she was absorbing, but her desire to be her own master takes hold and she breaks free.
* Drana uses the energy she absorbed to boost all of her soldiers, particularly saving a child soldier she had gotten attached to, and they defeat the Eldrazi horde. She decides to go to the Sea Gate to aid Gideon.
Next week, more Nissa. And in three weeks, Nissa again! At least Kiora will finally show up in two weeks.
Some pretty interesting stuff in this story. Summary:
* Drana and her vampires are protecting thousands of mortals. The vampires feed on the ones near death or too weak to go on, which no one is particularly happy with, but it is the best they can do.
* A group of kor are sent by Gideon to ask Drana to join with him (not her in particular; they were sent to search for any groups of survivors). Apparently, Gideon managed to retake the Sea Gate off screen. I suppose this makes sense, since it would just be more Gideon fighting, and they will have to do that again for when Ulamog itself attacks. I'm guessing this will be a campaign in Magic Duels, though.
* Drana agrees to join if the kor help her against the Eldrazi horde coming up behind them.
* In the battle, Drana sends off a group of child soldiers to attack a huge Eldrazi, which angers Gideon's kor soldiers, who go off to fight the big Eldrazi instead; this was Drana's intention, to get them to willingly sacrifice themselves, since no vampire would ever do that.
* While the kor distract the big Eldrazi, Drana plunges into its "heart" and tries to drain its "blood". As she absorbs its essence, she uncovers her earliest memories. It turns out the vampires on Zendikar were born from Ulamog's hunger while it was sealed, which was so great that it gathered matter into mouths to eat with, eyes to seek with, brains to out-think prey with, etc. until it formed intelligent beings over the course of hundreds of years, and they gained independence from Ulamog.
* The Eldrazi's "thoughts" go into Drana and she learns that the Eldrazi have a place where they are meant to be, but their purpose is to consume, so that's what they do.
* As Drana absorbs more of the Eldrazi, she starts turning into an Eldrazi herself, becoming incorporated into the one she thought she was absorbing, but her desire to be her own master takes hold and she breaks free.
* Drana uses the energy she absorbed to boost all of her soldiers, particularly saving a child soldier she had gotten attached to, and they defeat the Eldrazi horde. She decides to go to the Sea Gate to aid Gideon.
Next week, more Nissa. And in three weeks, Nissa again! At least Kiora will finally show up in two weeks.
"God's Beard!"
Member
The Technomancer
card-carrying scientician
Zendikar vampires being essentially sort of Eldrazi spawn is pretty cool, I guess. The idea of "hunger" as a type of magic is an interesting one, its supposedly what Sorin's part in the original imprisonment plan was, manipulating it to focus them on Zendikar
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