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[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

I love having three days a week off, but the weekends really hurt the Magic tourney life.
Luckily at least I have Friday nights off, and there is a shift bid coming up so maybe I can pull a weekend day off for the first time in the six years that I have been here.

Ya, I've been kicking around the idea of getting a second job over the summer but I'd never make a magic tourney again.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Are there any good standard black decks to build besides vampire and infect? It seems like those are the only cards I have in black. I might need to buy more zendikar block to mix things up.

 

[Hex]

Are there any good standard black decks to build besides vampire and infect? It seems like those are the only cards I have in black. I might need to buy more zendikar block to mix things up.

Those are pretty much it other than Blue/Black control.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Those are pretty much it other than Blue/Black control.

Blargh.

 

[Hex]

Blargh.

Black hand destruction is quite good though, but you definitely want to splash blue.
Duress, Memoricide, Inquisition of Kozilek...things like that.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Black hand destruction is quite good though, but you definitely want to splash blue.
Duress, Memoricide, Inquisition of Kozilek...things like that.

I was thinking about a discard deck since that beat me yesterday. Is it possible to make a good land destruction deck with the current cards?

 

[Hex]

I was thinking about a discard deck since that beat me yesterday. Is it possible to make a good land destruction deck with the current cards?

Not really, there are so so few things out there to really kill lands.
I would love to see a return to it.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Not really, there are so so few things out there to really kill lands.
I would love to see a return to it.

That's a shame, I figured as much since I don't see a lot of land destruction cards. That's a fun deck to play.

 

[Hex]

That's a shame, I figured as much since I don't see a lot of land destruction cards. That's a fun deck to play.

I would love to see Armageddon, Flashfires, Balance, Sinkhole, Stone Rain, Ice Storm, Strip Mine all return

 

[The Technomancer]

I would love to see Armageddon, Flashfires, Balance, Sinkhole, Stone Rain, Ice Storm, Strip Mine all return

Yeah.....R&D has made conscious steps away from land destruction though. Its probably the most un-fun deck to play against, even more then blue control. At least with counterspells you get a chance to play the spell and have it stopped, as opposed to the frustration of having everything sitting in your hand because your opponent took away your land.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Yeah.....R&D has made conscious steps away from land destruction though. Its probably the most un-fun deck to play against, even more then blue control. At least with counterspells you get a chance to play the spell and have it stopped, as opposed to the frustration of having everything sitting in your hand because your opponent took away your land.

Ya, I was going to say I enjoy it coming back as long as no one plays it but me. Getting locked down in that situation blows.

 

[Hex]

Yeah.....R&D has made conscious steps away from land destruction though. Its probably the most un-fun deck to play against, even more then blue control. At least with counterspells you get a chance to play the spell and have it stopped, as opposed to the frustration of having everything sitting in your hand because your opponent took away your land.

I agree, it was always the complete ass once you realized that the person you were playing against was playing Land Kill in combo with the orb where you can only untap so many permanents per turn.

 

[alternade]

Won one round yesterday. Yay. But man infect blue black is hard to play. Besides proliferate and distortion strike its hard to get those hits in faster. Doesn't help that like 3 games I played were against knight decks that were indestructible and had protection from black.

 

[Hex]

Won one round yesterday. Yay. But man infect blue black is hard to play. Besides proliferate and distortion strike its hard to get those hits in faster. Doesn't help that like 3 games I played were against knight decks that were indestructible and had protection from black.

Yeah protection can mess your day up, you have to hope you pull a Ratchet Bomb or a Black Sun's Zenith depending on what you use for sweeping.

 

[The Technomancer]

Yeah protection can mess your day up, you have to hope you pull a Ratchet Bomb or a Black Sun's Zenith depending on what you use for sweeping.

Or alternatively Neurok Invisimancer and Distortion Strike

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

If anyone can give advice on anything to change/improve for my wurm deck I'd appreciate it. Right now I have:

21x Forest
1x Oran-Rief, the Vastwood

4x Viridian Emissary
4x Quilled Slagwurm
4x Overwhelming Stampede
4x Pelakka Wurm
4x Ondu Giant
4x Duskdale Wurm
4x Llanowar Elves
4x Greenweaver Druid
1x Engulfing Slagwurm
2x Asceticism
1x Creeping Corrosion
2x Green Sun's Zenith

Sideboard

4x Gravity Well
3x Engulfing Slagwurm
1x Praetor's Counsel
2x Whispersilk Cloak
1x Darksteel Plate
1x Back to Nature
1x Khalni Hydra
1x Lead the Stampede
1x Back to Nature

I'm thinking about getting 4 Terra Stompers since they are 8/8 Trample and only cost 6 to play. I got stuck at 6 mana sometimes so I'd like Terra. Maybe Khalni Hydra since it has trample and usually have 4 or 5 monsters out at any time due to elves and such so he should get out early. Wish I had 4 Green Sun's but they're too pricey to buy. I can get my Wurm's out at about 5 turns on average with some being 4 turns and other times not until about turn 6 but have fodder from my giants and such that lets me search, also my emissary are nice fodder since no one wants to kill them. Thanks for any ideas you can think of.

Also people said Thrun would be good in my deck. Would he actually be?

 

[Hex]

If anyone can give advice on anything to change/improve for my wurm deck I'd appreciate it. Right now I have:

21x Forest
1x Oran-Rief, the Vastwood

4x Viridian Emissary
4x Quilled Slagwurm
4x Overwhelming Stampede
4x Pelakka Wurm
4x Ondu Giant
4x Duskdale Wurm
4x Llanowar Elves
4x Greenweaver Druid
1x Engulfing Slagwurm
2x Asceticism
1x Creeping Corrosion
2x Green Sun's Zenith

Sideboard

4x Gravity Well
3x Engulfing Slagwurm
1x Praetor's Counsel
2x Whispersilk Cloak
1x Darksteel Plate
1x Back to Nature
1x Khalni Hydra
1x Lead the Stampede
1x Back to Nature

I'm thinking about getting 4 Terra Stompers since they are 8/8 Trample and only cost 6 to play. I got stuck at 6 mana sometimes so I'd like Terra. Maybe Khalni Hydra since it has trample and usually have 4 or 5 monsters out at any time due to elves and such so he should get out early. Wish I had 4 Green Sun's but they're too pricey to buy. I can get my Wurm's out at about 5 turns on average with some being 4 turns and other times not until about turn 6 but have fodder from my giants and such that lets me search, also my emissary are nice fodder since no one wants to kill them. Thanks for any ideas you can think of.

Also people said Thrun would be good in my deck. Would he actually be?

Bellowing Tanglewurm
GG3
Has Intimidate
All green creatures that you control have intimidate.

4/4

 

[Hex]

Also, my personal opinion:

I would drop overwhelming stampede and put in some Garruk Wildspeaker

At the least you can pull his overrun ability on his second turn out and he is already giving you more mana.
When going right he is giving you more mana and giving you a reusable overrun.

Thrun would be a sideboard against blue in your deck pretty much.

For sideboard:
Autumn's Veil

Acidic Slime

I have also become a fan of Plummet recently
And you alread have Creeping Corrosion

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Also, my personal opinion:

I would drop overwhelming stampede and put in some Garruk Wildspeaker

At the least you can pull his overrun ability on his second turn out and he is already giving you more mana.
When going right he is giving you more mana and giving you a reusable overrun.

Thrun would be a sideboard against blue in your deck pretty much.

I must have skimmed too quick on bellowing tanglewurm, didn't realize it gives all my creatures intimidate. The overwhleming stampede kicks the shit out of garruk in my mind. Giving all my monsters at least +7/+7 or +8/+8 if I have my quilled slagwurm out and trample has won me countless games. Having 15/15 with trample and even my elves become 8/8 with trample causes on average 40-50 something damage all with trample.

 

[Hex]

I must have skimmed too quick on bellowing tanglewurm, didn't realize it gives all my creatures intimidate. The overwhleming stampede kicks the shit out of garruk in my mind. Giving all my monsters at least +7/+7 or +8/+8 if I have my quilled slagwurm out and trample has won me countless games. Having 15/15 with trample and even my elves become 8/8 with trample causes on average 40-50 something damage all with trample.

It can, but you can play Garruk on turn 3 easily (elf, land land land - play Garruk- untap two lands)- and you can overrun next turn or put beasts into play or have two extra mana every turn- best part is it does not have to be basic land so you can untap Oran Rief twice a turn.

Actually I misread Overwhelming Stampede, I can see where it would definitely be a boon in your deck with sub heavy hitters.

 

[WanderingWind]

I really hate overwhelming stampede. Such a broken card. And I have three of them in my new green deck. My wife pulled a Elspeth out of a pack the other day. Vampire Hexmages are sooooo good.

What's a side board, by the way?

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

I really hate overwhelming stampede. Such a broken card. And I have three of them in my new green deck. My wife pulled a Elspeth out of a pack the other day. Vampire Hexmages are sooooo good.

What's a side board, by the way?

When you play in a tournament you must have at least a 60 card deck and then you are allowed 15 cards that are left off to the side (In addition to your at least 60 card deck) that you can swap cards from your deck to the sideboard in between games of a match.

And ya, I know overwhelming stampede will not be reprinted and they will go back to overrun. Overwhelming stampede is ridiculously broken but I won't complain!

It can, but you can play Garruk on turn 3 easily (elf, land land land - play Garruk- untap two lands)- and you can overrun next turn or put beasts into play or have two extra mana every turn- best part is it does not have to be basic land so you can untap Oran Rief twice a turn.

Actually I misread Overwhelming Stampede, I can see where it would definitely be a boon in your deck with sub heavy hitters.

Ya, I would definitely agree if Overrun was around instead of the stampede but effectively doubling my creatures' power and making my 1/1 elves super powered is ridiculous for 2 green and 3.

 

[WanderingWind]

Heh. So, I just had an awesome game with the stampede. Pulled enough mana from elves and fertile lands to pull crash of worms really early and play its recall. So, 4 elves (3 llanowars and an elder) 6 6/6 worms and then...stampede.

Card is just ridiculous.

 

[Hex]

I can not believe that I am getting ready to pay $15 each for a set of the Black Sun's Zenith promos

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

I can not believe that I am getting ready to pay $15 each for a set of the Black Sun's Zenith promos

:lol And I thought I had a problem.

 

[Akim]

Got top 8 at both the gamedays I went to. I think I'm gonna use the zeniths as trade fodder.

 

[Hex]

:lol And I thought I had a problem.

You do not know the half of it.
Ok my pick up list in the past week or so (the abridged version)

1 Sealed Japanese Booster Box - Mirroden Besieged
3 Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
3 Primeval Titan
1 Mox Opal
2 Jace Beleren
4 Spine of Ish Sah
4 Kuldotha Forgemaster
4 Misty Rainforest
1 Sangromancer
2 Black Sun's Zenith
4 Red Sun's Zenith
4 Blue Sun's Zenith
4 Creeping Corrosion
2 Phyrexian Revoker
4 Shimmer Myr
6 Decimator Web
3 Inkmoth Nexus
1 Thrun, the last Troll
1 Green Sun's Zenith
1 Japanese Marsh Flats
2 Japanese Scalding Tarns
1 Japanese Bloodghast
1 Japanese Oracle of Mul Daya
2 Eldrazi Monument
2 Master of the Hunt (Legends)

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

I've got a question, why do people buy japanese cards of magic? It's so annoying that there are two people at the shop I go to that have half their deck is japanese cards so I can't tell what they do. Are they cheaper or something?

 

[Orayn]

I've got a question, why do people buy japanese cards of magic? It's so annoying that there are two people at the shop I go to that have half their deck is japanese cards so I can't tell what they do. Are they cheaper or something?

They might save a few bucks on occasion, but it's really just a matter of the player in question being super familiar with their deck already and wanting to spice things up a little.

 

[An-Det]

Japanese cards (and foreign in general) is typically seen as more stylish or pimp than English. I enjoy the look of it on some cards (and it isnt usually a problem for more common cards), but I tend towards english so I can always see the card text in case I need a clarification.

 

[The Technomancer]

Yeah, I knew a guy who loved that half the cards in his Orzhov deck were in Russian.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Ya, I figured it was either cost or "look cool" I just hate I don't have the text and instead have someone half ass regurgitation of it. Just an annoyance to make a strategy when you can't see what the card does, especially with how unfamiliar with the cards I am.

 

[Takuan]

Grats to those who got full art Zeniths. I have a bunch of cards that I could make a standard deck with, but I really doubt I'd be able to make something competitive when people at my LGS have multiples of all the killer cards out there, whereas I might have only 1 of multiple staples required for any given deck. I could definitely make a bunch of solid casual decks, but in competition I'm sure players would have answers for just about everything I play.

So anyway, I picked up a Worldwake fatpack today and got:

2x Marshall's Anthem
1x Goliath Sphinx
1x Anowan, the Ruin Sage
1x Selective Memory :|
1x Kalastria Highborn
1x Something Occultist (black card that digs opponent's creatures from the graveyard when a certain condition is met)
1x Wrexial, the Risen Deep

Total jank. What's funny is my buddy bought one at another store and also got the 2x Marshall's Anthem and the one Selective Memory. I'm not sure about the other cards, 'cause he didn't mention 'em. Well, at least I have more full art lands - I was planning on purchasing an 80-land lot, so this saves me the trouble. I'll buy 1 more at a later date, and if I still don't get lucky, that's it for me.

 

[Hex]

I've got a question, why do people buy japanese cards of magic? It's so annoying that there are two people at the shop I go to that have half their deck is japanese cards so I can't tell what they do. Are they cheaper or something?

I just get tired of seeing the same thing all of the time so I try and mix it up.
Plus the resale on Japanese cards is higher and Japanese MtG cards always fetch a premium.
Also I am lazily trying to learn Japanese.
I also like Russian cards, but they are harder to come by and I also like German.

Chinese and Spanish cards you can usually find a little cheaper than english.

 

[Hex]

Ya, I figured it was either cost or "look cool" I just hate I don't have the text and instead have someone half ass regurgitation of it. Just an annoyance to make a strategy when you can't see what the card does, especially with how unfamiliar with the cards I am.

I usually keep a spoiler book that comes with fatpacks or printed spoiler sheet with me just in case someone pushes the issue

 

[Takuan]

I just get tired of seeing the same thing all of the time so I try and mix it up.
Plus the resale on Japanese cards is higher and Japanese MtG cards always fetch a premium.
Also I am lazily trying to learn Japanese.
I also like Russian cards, but they are harder to come by and I also like German.

Chinese and Spanish cards you can usually find a little cheaper than english.

I think a lot of MTG nerds are also into anime, so anything with Japanese characters is automatically more special. The main reason I bought Japanese MBS boosters was to try and get a Japanese Tezz to resell, then to buy a normal Tezz and come out on top $10-$20, but I quite like having Japanese Rot Wolves.

I bought a Russian Nova Seeker at this year's Toronto GP, just for the hell of it. It only cost half a dollar.

 

[Hex]

I think a lot of MTG nerds are also into anime, so anything with Japanese characters is automatically more special. The main reason I bought Japanese MBS boosters was to try and get a Japanese Tezz to resell, then to buy a normal Tezz and come out on top $10-$20, but I quite like having Japanese Rot Wolves.

I bought a Russian Nova Seeker at this year's Toronto GP, just for the hell of it. It only cost half a dollar.

I used to mainly do things like Lightning Bolts, Llanowar Elves (Now I run 4 Beta)...various commons like that.
Luckily I have been finding good deals on other harder things and the MBS box ended up being fantastic.
I will almost definitely get an M12 box and an Action box in Japanese and then pretty much just buy playsets of all of the rares in english like I did with MBS

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

I used to mainly do things like Lightning Bolts, Llanowar Elves (Now I run 4 Beta)...various commons like that.
Luckily I have been finding good deals on other harder things and the MBS box ended up being fantastic.
I will almost definitely get an M12 box and an Action box in Japanese and then pretty much just buy playsets of all of the rares in english like I did with MBS

I always HATED the old art for llanowar elves.

 

[Hex]

I always HATED the old art for llanowar elves.

I kind of liked what Anson Maddocks was going for by going away from the pretty fae like elves so I liked it for that.
But there has definitely been better art since.

 

[Takuan]

Personally, I love the most recent art for Llanowar Elves, but it doesn't seem to fit their ability. They don't seem like warriors.

 

[An-Det]

Alix Hatfield just won Game 2 in the SCG NJ finals through multiple Thoughtseizes and Hymn to Tourach's, it was masterful. Alix is playing High Tide combo like a master vs Eli Kassis playing Junk. Stream can be seen here as they go to game 3:

http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/expandnews.php?Article=21264

 

[Hex]

Personally, I love the most recent art for Llanowar Elves, but it doesn't seem to fit their ability. They don't seem like warriors.

Very true.
I wonder what cards will get a facelift in M12

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

Very true.
I wonder what cards will get a facelift in M12

I'm more interested in what planeswalkers will be kept around for the new core set since M11 had a pretty good amount. Jace reprint? :lol

Edit: And if circle of protections will rotate back in.

 

[alternade]

Alix Hatfield just won Game 2 in the SCG NJ finals through multiple Thoughtseizes and Hymn to Tourach's, it was masterful. Alix is playing High Tide combo like a master vs Eli Kassis playing Junk. Stream can be seen here as they go to game 3:

http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/expandnews.php?Article=21264

Looking at some of the top 8 decks and trying to wrap my head around have no creatures in some of them. Idk but it looks to me that the game has become more reliant on creatures?

Oh and I'm organizing my cards now and finding a lot of combos I would have never noticed. How does everyone organize?

 

[siddx]

I'm more interested in what planeswalkers will be kept around for the new core set since M11 had a pretty good amount. Jace reprint? :lol

Edit: And if circle of protections will rotate back in.

They would never bring Old jace back...I hope. I mean wizards has done some pretty stupid shit before so you never know.

I'm thinking Ajani and Nicol Bolas might make a reappearance. Since they have a VS. deck coming out, I would think they would do what the did with Jace and Chandra and just have alternate art versions in the VS. deck.

 

[Hex]

Updated my Tezzeret - Astrocreep 2011 deck

4 Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
3 Jace Beleren

4 Everflowing Chalice (Need 2 more)
4 Tumble Magnet
2 Contagion Engine 1 Contagion Engine
1 Contagion Clasp
1 Mindslaver (Need 1)
4 Sphere of the Suns
2 Ratchet Bomb (Can always use more)

1 Shimmer Myr
4 Kuldotha Forgemaster (Need 4)
1 Blightsteel Colossus (Need an english one)
1 Spine of Ish Zah (Need 1)
2 Throne of Geth
1 Black Sun's Zenith
3 Stoic Rebuttal 3 Duress
3 Preordain Thinking of pulling these for two Inquisition of Kozilek and another Black Sun's Zenith

4 Inkmoth Nexus
2 Tectonic Edge (Need more)
8 Island
6 Swam

 

[Takuan]

The planeswalkers are all but guaranteed to be getting, at the very least, visual updates. It's reasonable to expect the Lorwyn versions, but I'd welcome Ablaze/Mind Sculptor to be the new "base" walkers, with updates to Liliana and Garruk - I think they're the only Lorwyn walkers who haven't received the alternate treatment.

Liliana Unveiled? Garruk, the Cursed/Doomed? Last I read, Liliana's veil was killing her and Garruk was all messed up by her spell. A GB walker would be cool, methinks. Wishful thinking, though. The ho-hum art for Jace makes me think they're sticking with the vanilla walkers.

 

[siddx]

Updated my Tezzeret - Astrocreep 2011 deck

4 Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
3 Jace Beleren

4 Everflowing Chalice (Need 2 more)
4 Tumble Magnet
2 Contagion Engine 1 Contagion Engine
1 Contagion Clasp
1 Mindslaver (Need 1)
4 Sphere of the Suns
2 Ratchet Bomb (Can always use more)

1 Shimmer Myr
4 Kuldotha Forgemaster (Need 4)
1 Blightsteel Colossus (Need an english one)
1 Spine of Ish Zah (Need 1)
2 Throne of Geth
1 Black Sun's Zenith
3 Stoic Rebuttal 3 Duress
3 Preordain Thinking of pulling these for two Inquisition of Kozilek and another Black Sun's Zenith

4 Inkmoth Nexus
2 Tectonic Edge (Need more)
8 Island
6 Swam

No memnites?
I suggest that if you decide not to add the two inquisitions to the deck, you should remove the duress' from the deck and replace them with something else, perhaps mana leak. Either go with 5 discard cards or none, 3 is too little to be of great use and yet still take up valuable space.

 

[Hex]

No memnites?
I suggest that if you decide not to add the two inquisitions to the deck, you should remove the duress' from the deck and replace them with something else, perhaps mana leak. Either go with 5 discard cards or none, 3 is too little to be of great use and yet still take up valuable space.

Yeah I just have to work out the curve on it.
Want to do maybe 3 duress, 2 inquisition and 1 memoricide in the final product.
Will be getting some playgroup time tomorrow and will get to see how it flows
Also thinking of pulling one Forgemaster or the shimmer for a Wurmcoil Engine and one Sphere of the Suns for a Mox Opal

 

[siddx]

Yeah I just have to work out the curve on it.
Want to do maybe 3 duress, 2 inquisition and 1 memoricide in the final product.
Will be getting some playgroup time tomorrow and will get to see how it flows
Also thinking of pulling one Forgemaster or the shimmer for a Wurmcoil Engine and one Sphere of the Suns for a Mox Opal

I will tell you from experience, when a wurmcoil engine hits the board, your opponent groans, even if it's just internally. They know if they don't remove it immediately, next turn something of theirs is going to die regardless of power, you are going to gain 6 life, and unless they exile it to kill it, you are still going to end of with two 3/3's with nasty abilities. It is such a great card and is so ridiculously cheap for what it gives you.