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[red13th]

Best block is Urza's to me.
2nd best is Ravnica (almost tied with Urza's), 3rd is either Mirage or Tempest.
Started at 4th Edition, left at Masques, came back for Ravnica and been playing on-and-off ever since.

 

[Chojin]

Best block is Urza's to me.
2nd best is Ravnica (almost tied with Urza's), 3rd is either Mirage or Tempest.
Started at 4th Edition, left at Masques, came back for Ravnica and been playing on-and-off ever since.

I seem to miss all the scary blocks

I didn't really play competitively during Necro Summer, I went to college when Urza block was out and was too busy trying to get laid, and took magic off during Faeries reign It just seems the only one I got to be smacked with was Caw Blade.

Well that's not true, I think I was repressing Raffinity :\

Edit:

WHOOT. I just found out Oblivion Ring is back. U/W will REIGN AGAIN. All Hail Venser!

 

[ScrabbleDude]

Thanks for the advice, Chojin. I'll start there.

 

[Crocodile]

T-Minus 10 minutes until new Chandra is spoiled!
*thisgunabgud.gif*

Also Kamigawa gets way too much hate IMO.

 

[The Technomancer]

Okay, new Chandra rocks

EDIT: Oh wow, the Sundial looks good. Or...well...potentially good. Stops a lot of tricks.

 

[traveler]

Sundial + glacial chasm is gg if your opponent doesn't have an answer.

 

[Keru_Shiri]

DAT CHANDRA!

 

[The Technomancer]

Sundial + glacial chasm is gg if your opponent doesn't have an answer.

Hm? I'm assuming you end your turn before your upkeep every turn and mill your opponent out?

 

[An-Det]

I do love taking judge calls at my LGS. A friend leads us away from the tables, alluding to a tough question, we go outside and shut the door. He pulls out a bottle of rum, hands it to me and tells me to answer the rules question. Good times.

We ended up being a few people short for Legacy tonight (tons of people for drafting though), so we played Type 1 most of the night. It was strange playing that again, but a lot of fun. I'd forgotten quite how different it is compared to even Legacy, testing decision trees far broader than any other format. So good.

 

[KuroNeeko]

I've been out of the loop for awhile but my favorite set was Fallen Empires. I just liked the atmosphere behind it all. Thallids came out for the first time. Hominids were terribad but so cool. I liked the core set of Ice Age as well, with the snow-covered lands.

I liked Mirage as well as they'd just introduced phasing and flanking. The whole desert / Africa setting was cool and I remember thinking I was the sh!t with Jokulhaups and Sandbar Crocodiles.

Spoiler

lol

. Was also the block I managed to qualify for the PTQ.

Wish I'd been there for Ravnica - seems like an interesting set. I got to see some of the cards on MTGO a few years back.

DotP 2012 had me looking at wizards.com looking for events in my area - but seems like it's more of a money sport than ever. I really miss the days when the internet was less prevalent and people gathered in small groups to try to come up with the latest tech. There was a lot more freedom to play around whereas now we get working deck builds with the pre-release spoiler lists. Just don't have the time to devote to it anymore. Really was my favorite game back in the day.

 

[rexor0717]

Chandra, get in that Niv-Mizzet deck. It will help me to take infinite turns.

 

[NorrenRadd]

Ask any questions here. I think you'll be surprised how easily a lot of it comes to you.

Where is the best place to freely read all of the lore?

 

[-tetsuo-]

Where did you guys see the new chandra?

 

[Chromax]

 

[Enordash]

Because Magic is a fantasy game where wonderful beasts and powerful sorcery clash.

I don't like the Giant and Kithkin tribes either. Barely tolerate Goblins.

I think it was mostly the drawing style. Give me pseudo-magical samurais and ninjas, with taints of aether of something. Not literally "normal" samurais and ninjas. Found it so bland, all too anchored in our conception of the Edo era.

I liked the Rat tribe it brought. That was good. But also hated its depictions of Demons (again too anchored in Japanese style) and spirits.

To each their own, I suppose. My favorite art from the Kamigawa block was Higure (a ninja). On that note, do you have a favorite artist or artists? I really like Chippy. Also Justin Sweet and RK Post (old school). And to be sure, there will always be a special place in my heart for Claymore J. Flapdoodle.

 

[Enordash]

I'm pretty excited about that Chandra. Hopefully she isn't just used as a lame version of Fork. Her bomb is good, but I could have gone for a little better +1 ability. If it would have been +2 or 2 damage, I would have jumped with joy.

 

[WanderingWind]

I've decided that I'm cutting off contact with this thread as Innistrad approaches. I don't care about M12 (as I originally thought it was just a couple of new cards) but I don't want the whole of the next block spoiled for me.

 

[manipulate]

Fuck, I took a little while out of the game and it seems everything has changed! Combat damage no longer uses the stack?? Fuck's with that shit?

Is M12 just the next core set (like 6th ed, 10th ed, etc) or does it have some extra gimmicks?

 

[The Technomancer]

Where is the best place to freely read all of the lore?

http://wiki.mtgsalvation.com/

I've decided that I'm cutting off contact with this thread as Innistrad approaches. I don't care about M12 (as I originally thought it was just a couple of new cards) but I don't want the whole of the next block spoiled for me.

It might be a good idea for us to adopt a "spoiler free" policy exactly, just for reasons like that. Require tags and such.

 

[Enordash]

Fuck, I took a little while out of the game and it seems everything has changed! Combat damage no longer uses the stack?? Fuck's with that shit?

Is M12 just the next core set (like 6th ed, 10th ed, etc) or does it have some extra gimmicks?

They decided that damage using the stack made no sense no matter how you look at it. It sucks though because cards like Mogg Fanatic really got nerfed in the process. M12 is the next core set, but since M10, it's more half reprints and half all new cards.

 

[Enordash]

It might be a good idea for us to adopt a "spoiler free" policy exactly, just for reasons like that. Require tags and such.

I wish we didn't have to, lol. Coming from the Game of Thrones thread, I'm fed up with spoiler controversy. I guess to me, knowing a card before it comes out doesn't really spoil anything for me. I will be respectful of people's wishes though.

 

[ScrabbleDude]

Should I wait to sign up on MTGO until M12 comes out? Will that change my free M11 booster to M12? I'd hate to get a bunch of cards only to have them out of standard right away.

 

[traveler]

Hm? I'm assuming you end your turn before your upkeep every turn and mill your opponent out?

Yup. You can't actually end before your upkeep, but you can end in response to the upkeep trigger, ending your turn and getting rid of the trigger. If your opponent has an alternate win con, a way to shuffle their gy into their deck, land hate or artifact hate, it won't work, though. Pretty fragile.

 

[Keru_Shiri]

Fuck, I took a little while out of the game and it seems everything has changed! Combat damage no longer uses the stack?? Fuck's with that shit?

Is M12 just the next core set (like 6th ed, 10th ed, etc) or does it have some extra gimmicks?

It's the next core set. Since M10, Core Sets can now contain brand new cards instead of just reprints, so that might be a few new sub-themes, but its still a core-set.

 

[The Technomancer]

Yup.

Seems good, but I wouldn't call it "gg" that fast. They've still got their turns, if they've got any enchantment or land removal then you're screwed.

 

[traveler]

Not to mention its the most boring combo ever when it does work.

 

[The Technomancer]

Not to mention its the most boring combo ever when it does work.

It might be worth it to keep your opponents from activating all of their time-invariant abilities at the end of your turn though.

 

[Merino]

Hmmz, seems like they have a 'mixed' booster display at our LGS.
12 Scars boosters + 12 Beseiged + 12 New Phyrexia for the same price as a regular booster display (though slightly more expansive than buying a regular booster display online).

I feel it's a bit more risky on the mythic-ratio side but it also seems to be a great way to get a basic collection from the latest block without having to buy a booster display of each set (maybe add onto it through drafts).

This way I'll feel like I have at least a base to go from building decks and allows me to concentrate on M12 and the new block (which will be in standard for 2 years from now so ultimately is best bang for the buck) when it comes to an actual booster display.

 

[Chojin]

Holy crap at Smallpox. Looks like they're pushing for MBC! Maybe? Finally? Could all the stars be aligning?

It might be worth it to keep your opponents from activating all of their time-invariant abilities at the end of your turn though.

I guess you could throw in some crop rotations, tabernacles, and mazes. Woah. Its Lands.dec Cept you can't drop lands. Honestly I find it more abuseable playing it with glimmerpoint stag, journey to nowhere, astral slide, anything that has at end of turn effects.

Its pretty damn cool though, there's so many things you can do with it, I love cards like the sundial.

 

[Macattk15]

Just started up on MTGO. Made a splicer deck that I find quite fun and that I am winning quite a bit with on casual play.

Precursor Golems with the right cards and splicers out really F people up.

I kinda wanna build a poison deck and mess around with it. Was thinking of buying that Ravaging Swarm intro pack and then tweaking it.

 

[Enordash]

Seems good, but I wouldn't call it "gg" that fast. They've still got their turns, if they've got any enchantment or land removal then you're screwed.

This combo just seems like a bad version of Worship or something. Also, I re-read Personal Sactuary. Prevents the damage only during your own turn? No sale.

 

[y2dvd]

Just started up on MTGO. Made a splicer deck that I find quite fun and that I am winning quite a bit with on casual play.

Precursor Golems with the right cards and splicers out really F people up.

I kinda wanna build a poison deck and mess around with it. Was thinking of buying that Ravaging Swarm intro pack and then tweaking it.

I love me some B/G infect, but man do I get owned by burn decks. D:

 

[The Technomancer]

Just started up on MTGO. Made a splicer deck that I find quite fun and that I am winning quite a bit with on casual play.

Precursor Golems with the right cards and splicers out really F people up.

I kinda wanna build a poison deck and mess around with it. Was thinking of buying that Ravaging Swarm intro pack and then tweaking it.

Grab yourself a Rite of Replication for those Golems and go to town.

 

[Chojin]

Man that Sundial has me daydreaming some crazy johnny applications. It combos with any ETB detrimental effects like Phyrexian Dreadnought and Hunted Horror. Its redundancy with Torpor orb and stifle. Looks like I'll be building a kooky legacy deck soon. Hell its a way to get Emrakul, dark and blightsteel Colossusand Progenitus into the graveyard for reanimation!

Edit: scratch that, I don't think it works with Progenitus and the Colossus, those are "instead" effects. Though it does work for Eldrazi

 

[alternade]

So what's everyone playing/building for the first post ban FNM? I'm thinking of a just making a big green deck for kicks.

 

[red13th]

Even though I had never noticed before that all other planeswalkers had 2 coloured mana in their cost, Chandra's casting cost with a single red feels so odd.

 

[Chojin]

Holy crap new Garruk is pretty damn good. Card draw is awesome for green. Nuff said.

 

[MasterShotgun]

I really like it, but I can't tell if it's better than the old one.

 

[OnPoint]

Couple quick questions:

1. Say I play a creature with a kicker cost. Then I play a card that unsummons it back to my hand, but gives me tokens in the amount of the casting cost. Does the kicker cost count if paid, or does it simply reference the base non-kicker casting cost?

2. A creature with first strike blocks a creature with double-strike. What happens. Also, what if a creature has first strike AND double strike?

 

[Vanillalite]

*Loses Nerd Cred*

Never played Magic, and I've always wanted to try. Would the new video game version be suffice for a noob to learn how to play, and have fun? I want to pick it up on steam, and would have last weekend if I didn't find out I needed front tires (400 dollars later grrr).

 

[Chojin]

Couple quick questions:

1. Say I play a creature with a kicker cost. Then I play a card that unsummons it back to my hand, but gives me tokens in the amount of the casting cost. Does the kicker cost count if paid, or does it simply reference the base non-kicker casting cost?

Kicker doesn't add to the actual casting cost of the card. Say you have something like Repeal being used on a "kicked" Æther Figment it would only cost 2U to repeal the Figment regardless if it was kicked or not.

2. A creature with first strike blocks a creature with double-strike. What happens. Also, what if a creature has first strike AND double strike?

Double strike makes first strike redundant. Having both on a creature does nothing extra. Combat is resolved just like two first strikers going head to head, except the doublestriker will deal "regular" damage if it survived the first strike damage.

Example: Boros Swiftblade attacks and Hobgoblin Dragoon blocks. Both deal 1 damage for the "first strike" but only the Swiftblade deals a second point of damage during "regular strike" phase. Hobgoblin dies.

However if Swiftblade attacks into a Goblin Brawler "First strike" deals one damage to the goblin, and 2 to the Swiftblade. Swiftblade dies and there is no "regular" strike phase for the Swiftblade and the Goblin lives.

I really like it, but I can't tell if it's better than the old one.

I really like it. Turn 5 is when green usually "runs out of gas." There's a ton of creatures on turn 3 and 4 to refill your hand if need be.

If your board was swept on turn 4, you can still plop a 3/3 turn 5 and draw 3 on turn 6. And don't get me started on curving to a Primeval titan and then drawing 6. You gotta do something with all that land especially after "Kut" is kut when Innistrad rolls out.

He's reaaaaly good For green

 

[Guesong]

Angelic Destiny
Oh my.
Grand Arbiter
OH MY.

Wizards like White confirmed. Then again I suppose you can just Shock the Arbiter on your turn, but that sets you back mana-wise...

Also like the Arachnus Spider they spoiled. Spider Tribal could make an interesting thing in casual...

As for Garruk, well, he is powerful. About all I can say lol, except I'm disappointed he doesn't play that well with Garruk's Horde.

EDIT : Apparantly I can't image link from MTGSalvation...oh well. I'm forcing you guys to click, I'm so evil!

EDIT 2 : I suck at linking so I just took them down lol, just go to the rumor mill on MTG Salvation. T_T

 

[kafka rock opera]

*Loses Nerd Cred*

Never played Magic, and I've always wanted to try. Would the new video game version be suffice for a noob to learn how to play, and have fun? I want to pick it up on steam, and would have last weekend if I didn't find out I needed front tires (400 dollars later grrr).

Yup the video game version is great. It gives you a fantastic grounding for the rules since it wont allow you to make the wrong move so if you do ever transition into playing for real you will be good to go for the most part.

Really looking forward to M12 now since i see all this green and white love which are my favorite colors!

 

[TheSeks]

*Loses Nerd Cred*

Never played Magic, and I've always wanted to try. Would the new video game version be suffice for a noob to learn how to play, and have fun? I want to pick it up on steam, and would have last weekend if I didn't find out I needed front tires (400 dollars later grrr).

Yes, DotP 2009 or 2012 are decent start "gateway drugs" into Magic. But don't expect them to be perfect, as there is NO DECK EDITOR (*RAGE*) in them.

 

[Merino]

So I just got the War of Attrition deck in the mail today (bought it after the ban).

Say I want to adjust the deck but still keep it legit for tournament play. Naturally the first thing to go out would be the two Mystics. So what would that leave me? What can I best purchase and put in and what to take out.

Seems like Mirran Crusaders and Puresteel Paladin's would be nice additions to the deck.
Maybe a Sword or Batterskull if I'm lucky enough to pull it from a booster.

Here's the decklist for those who don't know it:
2 Dread Statuary
21 Plains

4 Elite Vanguard
1 Kemba, Kha Regent
2 Kor Duelist
4 Leonin Relic-Warder
4 Leonin Skyhunter
1 Mirran Crusader
4 Porcelain Legionnaire
1 Puresteel Paladin
2 Stoneforge Mystic

1 Apostle's Blessing
1 Bonehoard
1 Darksteel Axe
4 Flayer Husk
4 Journey to Nowhere
1 Sickleslicer
1 Skinwing
1 Sword of Vengeance

Sideboard
1 Apostle's Blessing
2 Arrest
3 Celestial Purge
1 Kor Duelist
4 Kor Firewalker
4 Revoke Existence

 

[Macattk15]

Really liking my mono Green infect deck I made. Inkmoth Nexus are fun.

I've killed some people in 3 turns with it quite often. Struggles against control decks sometimes though. Gonna throw some cards in my sideboard to help I think.

4x Glistener Elf
2x Necropede
4x Ichorclaw Myr
3x Rot Wolf
2x Viridian Corrupter
2x Mycosynth Fiend
2x Phyrexian Swarmlord
2x Cystbearer

1x Carrion Call
4x Giant Growth
4x Groundswell
4x Primal Bellow
2x Cultivate

2x Contagion Clasp

4x Inkmoth Nexus
18x Forest

What do you guys think? Too many creatures or non-optimal ones? Maybe drop some creatures and add some more instant pumps? I like the Ichorclaws because often they go unblocked and then I pump them up .... been working like a charm.

Sideboard :

2x Autumn's Veil
1x Melira, Sylvok Outcast
3x Pistus Strike
4x Unnatural Predation
2x Vines of Vastwood
2x Tezzeret's Gambit
1x Contagion Clasp

 

[Guesong]

So I just got the War of Attrition deck in the mail today (bought it after the ban).

Say I want to adjust the deck but still keep it legit for tournament play. Naturally the first thing to go out would be the two Mystics. So what would that leave me? What can I best purchase and put in and what to take out.

Seems like Mirran Crusaders and Puresteel Paladin's would be nice additions to the deck.
Maybe a Sword or Batterskull if I'm lucky enough to pull it from a booster.

Here's the decklist for those who don't know it:
2 Dread Statuary
21 Plains

4 Elite Vanguard
1 Kemba, Kha Regent
2 Kor Duelist
4 Leonin Relic-Warder
4 Leonin Skyhunter
1 Mirran Crusader
4 Porcelain Legionnaire
1 Puresteel Paladin
2 Stoneforge Mystic

1 Apostle's Blessing
1 Bonehoard
1 Darksteel Axe
4 Flayer Husk
4 Journey to Nowhere
1 Sickleslicer
1 Skinwing
1 Sword of Vengeance

Sideboard
1 Apostle's Blessing
2 Arrest
3 Celestial Purge
1 Kor Duelist
4 Kor Firewalker
4 Revoke Existence

See, in my understanding, if your deck doesn't have Stoneforge Mystics + good equipments, then it's not tournament viable at all.

You'd be almost better to keep it intact since you can legally play with it if you don't change anything to it.

 

[LegendOfGood]

Won a kitchentable draft last night. Blighted Agent + Mutagenic Growth FTW.

 

[Merino]

See, in my understanding, if your deck doesn't have Stoneforge Mystics + good equipments, then it's not tournament viable at all.

You'd be almost better to keep it intact since you can legally play with it if you don't change anything to it.

So is a white-equipment deck post ban useless then? Or is it just that I would have to replace 80% of the cards to make it work without Mystics?

Isn't the Paladin's ability to equip for 0 enough to build an equipment deck around?
I realize though without the Mystics it's useless to have so many singleton equipment since I won't be able to search for them in the deck.

I believe I read somewhere that the original deck is about low-mid-tier tournament level. That's ok for the first match(es) but I might want to get something more competitive after.

Besides it doesn't really matter if I can use it in tournaments at all. I'm mostly aching to play a mono-black deck anyway's and I bought this to use with another event deck (still on the fence on which one to get) to play with my gf.

 

[Guesong]

I wouldn't say it is totally useless, but......

Equip for 0 is a nice bonus, but it won't make you win games. Stoneforge Mystic allowed you to go fetch overpowered equipments (Sword of Feast and Famine) to equip them to freaking powerhouses that also happened to be equipments (Batterskull) or simply to some Squadron Hawks, that you were almost assured to have 4x in your hand and the battlefield. Plus, the Mystic allowed you to play Batterskull 2 turns earlier. And it's a vigilance lifelink 4/4 with bounce to protect it........

In all actuality, it's not Stoneforge Mystic that was broken per se (well....with Splinter Twins). It's really the apparition of Batterskull that shot the deck from "great" to "omfg this is broken". But things are as they are, and so it's the Mystic that is banned.

However, if you want a tournament-esque level deck to work with, I'd strongly recommand the "Into the Breach" monored deck that was in Mirrodin Besieged. I happened to draw 2 Hero of Oxid Ridge from boosters and simply threw them into the deck and my god it wrecks face. It is the only Event deck, imho, worthy of the title. It really is a competitive deck from the get-go, as opposed to some better-than-theme-deck.