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[zethren]

Seems pretty good. Love a fun angel.

 

[FieryBalrog]

Does not seem that difficult, honestly. That'd be a nutty common.

Boros Elite is enormously worse than Experiment One. The latter is a good one-drop that will probably see Constructed play, the former is terrible and not very good in limited either.

Even if they create an environment where you reliably have the ability to attack with three guys, which I doubt, it's inherently very weak- all the enemy needs to discourage battalion is having a dude fatter than your weakest attacker, let alone any removal. They would have to make the payoff really worth it, and so far, that looks not to be the case. The mechanic is simultaneously non-trivial to turn on and very easily interfered with by an opponent.

Obviously a card like Firemane Avenger is still great in limited, simply because it's a 3/3 flier for 4 and it's ability going off clears the way to attack, but it's not exactly hard for a rare flier to be good in limited. Avenger is still a pretty weak card and seems awful in Standard, especially with Restoration Angel around and an environment full of hasted creatures and ETB value creatures.

The Bracers have me pretty excited, especially for EDH.

Bracers are perfect as a backup Voltaic Construct in my Karn deck, because they can go infinite with Grim/Basalt Monolith and Karn, in a fashion similar to Rings of Brighthearth.

I love Karn's ability.

Oh, they're going to be insane in Azami, too, when I finish converting Arcanis to Azami.

 

[red13th]

I just got into this. Is the slope as slippery as it feels already, GAF?

Yes it is

Oh, they're going to be insane in Azami, too, when I finish converting Arcanis to Azami.

Azami draws two cards per wizard with bracers, seems pretty cool.

 

[Leunam]

Really looking forward to the new set. Been waiting for Boros but I may end up rolling Simic.

 

[Negator]

Burning-Tree Emissary is nuts. There are so many relevant two drops in red and green and can make some super explosive openers.

Red can go BTE into Lightning Mauler, Mogg Flunkies, or Gorehouse Chainwalker.

Green can go BTE into Mayor of Avabruck, Flinthoof Boar, or ramp with Farseek.

You can mix and match any of these cards in a RG deck, not to mention any of the new RG cards that may show up in Gatecrash.

 

[Zoibie]

I just got into this. Is the slope as slippery as it feels already, GAF?

I'm playing a mostly plains and forest deck from a ravnica intro deck (Selesnya Surge) beefed up a little from some trading and extra booster packs. Feel like I'm learning faster than expected but tokens still confuse me sometimes. I need to print out some token cards..

It sure is. I've been hooked on this game ever since I was introduced to it around the time M13 was released. Embrace it!

But yeah, getting much more excited about the Gruul mechanic now that I've seen a few more cards. Not exactly sure what kind of deck I'd try based around Bloodrush but it sounds like it'll be fun to experiment with.

 

[Keru_Shiri]

My only problem with Burning-Tree Emissary is that the mana she gives off doesn't allow for a T2 Ash Zealot or Shred-Freak.

 

[f0rk]

kirblar what do you think about Mystical Teachings in Modern? There were 2 in the 24/12 modo PTQ finishing 6th (Esper) and 9th (added red).

Not sure if it's just worse than Sun Titan control thinking about it.

 

[An-Det]

Vindicate

But I love getting to play with Cabal Therapy. Got me my first PTQ T8.

My man. Cabal Therapy is where it's at.

 

[bigkrev]

Check out this brew that top 32'd the Modern Online PTQ
(http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Digital/MagicOnlineTourn.aspx?x=mtg/digital/magiconline/tourn/4775904)
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Forest
3 Horizon Canopy
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Razorverge Thicket
4 Temple Garden
3 Verdant Catacombs

4 Gladecover Scout
2 Kor Spiritdancer
4 Slippery Bogle

4 Daybreak Coronet
4 Ethereal Armor
4 Hyena Umbra
2 Lifelink
4 Path to Exile
4 Rancor
4 Spider Umbra
4 Spirit Mantle

SB:
2 Choke
2 Ethersworn Canonist
2 Nature's Claim
3 Qasali Pridemage
4 Relic of Progenitus
2 Torpor Orb

I love when people use unplayable draft chaft to win games in big tournaments

 

[GoutPatrol]

Totally playing Boros or Gruul for the pre-release now.

 

[zethren]

Experiment One just had great flavor.

Gonna play Simic at release myself.

 

[ultron87]

Experiment One is a Human Ooze! That's just the best.

 

[Sinatar]

Equipped with:

Combined with a few defenders +

= Infinite mana in standard. lol

 

[Haly]

Coooooooool.

To bad you'd have to use Nibilis and Axebane Guardian.

 

[Sinatar]

Coooooooool.

To bad you'd have to use Nibilis and Axebane Guardian.

Hence the lol. =p

 

[FieryBalrog]

Azami draws two cards per wizard with bracers, seems pretty cool.

Or, better yet, goes infinite with Aphetto Alchemist or Fatesticher equipped with Illusionist's Bracers (both Wizards that should be in Azami anyway, which is the best part)

If you have Azami out, this draws your deck, or you can get infinite X where X is anything one of your Wizards can tap for

Not that Azami being super Spikey is anything new.

 

[castlegar]

So I have the cards to build one of these decks, and I'm wondering which might be more effective/well-constructed. Opinions/help?

Red/Black Aggro
or
Red/Black Vampires

 

[Haly]

Well, RB Aggro is actually a deck in Standard right now, while Vampires is a casual thing. Going by that I'd say RB Aggro.

 

[Smilax]

Here is the new Shock Land arts

 

[Haly]

Just reaffirms that the original shockland art is the best.

 

[Sinatar]

I think the new ones compare pretty favorably to the OG's, definitely moreso then RTR did.

 

[The Technomancer]

New Watery Grave, Godless Shrine, and Sacred Foundry are better then the old art. I like both breeding pools, and I like the old Stomping Ground better

 

[Smilax]

New Dimir cards

 

[kirblar]

New Ghost Council is slightly ridiculous. Too bad Thraggy exists.

 

[Yeef]

You missed Ghost Council.

Gotta say, I like both Ghost Council and Lazav a lot.

 

[divisionbyzorro]

From anywhere. Screw you, Grisly Salvage.

 

[The Technomancer]

New Ghost Council is interesting. Very similar to the old one, but it gains potency at the expense of being able to save itself

 

[Haly]

Yeaaaaah, these guys are jokes compared to the original Ghost Council of Orzhova.

EDIT: Visually i mean.

 

[The Technomancer]

The biggest issue I see with the new Ghost Council is that you lose the ability to block with it if you go for the flicker. it pushes you towards a more bleedy play style, which is more in line with the guild I guess, where as the old GC was more of a robust beater. You could swing and then activate the ability to keep him back for next turn, and the gain/lose 1 was icing on the cake. And of course pop him out in response to a spell or ability

Of course there's much more external flickering in the environment right now, which makes the shift from 1 to 2 life a potentially huge deal

 

[Haly]

It's prety big. +1/+1 for all ur simic creatures.

 

[Sinatar]

Lazav is the nuttiest reanimator hate I've seen.

Oh you tossed a Griselbrand? Guess I have a hexproof one now that doesn't legendary poof if you unburial yours.

Cray cray

 

[Inflammable Slinky]

The biggest issue I see with the new Ghost Council is that you lose the ability to block with it if you go for the flicker. it pushes you towards a more bleedy play style, which is more in line with the guild I guess, where as the old GC was more of a robust beater. You could swing and then activate the ability to keep him back for next turn, and the gain/lose 1 was icing on the cake. And of course pop him out in response to a spell or ability

Of course there's much more external flickering in the environment right now, which makes the shift from 1 to 2 life a potentially huge deal

More importantly, what is being played right now that can kill a ghost dad that flickers every turn?

 

[Sinatar]

More importantly, what is being played right now that can kill a ghost dad that flickers every turn?

Selesnya Charm and Murder are about it, barring new removal in GC.

 

[narcosis219]

Is Lazav something worth preordering? I see this seeing constructed play. If not main, then side for reanimator hate definitely.

 

[siddx]

I see Lazav doing some ridiculous shit in matches. The hexproof and the fact it doesn't copy the name is pretty nutty. He almost makes a milling deck worth considering, at least for casual play.

 

[GoutPatrol]

Equipped with:

Combined with a few defenders +

= Infinite mana in standard. lol

You have given me a new idea I really want to screw around with.

 

[An-Det]

Lazav is kinda nuts. Wow.

The biggest issue I see with the new Ghost Council is that you lose the ability to block with it if you go for the flicker. it pushes you towards a more bleedy play style, which is more in line with the guild I guess, where as the old GC was more of a robust beater. You could swing and then activate the ability to keep him back for next turn, and the gain/lose 1 was icing on the cake. And of course pop him out in response to a spell or ability

Of course there's much more external flickering in the environment right now, which makes the shift from 1 to 2 life a potentially huge deal

Plus you could still put damage on the stack back then, on top of all of this. Damn I loved Ghost Council.

 

[zethren]

Dimir is looking super fun.

 

[Smilax]

Nothing special, just how the packs will look. Somehow I knew it was going to be orange.

 

[divisionbyzorro]

Reddit's preview card:

This could be pretty sweet in limited. If you built your deck right, he's like a Lava Axe with a body tacked on for additional mana.

 

[Sinatar]

If he was human he'd fit into the human reanimator deck nicely. As is he won't see much play outside of draft.

 

[f0rk]

New Dimir cards

I'm not sure if Lazav is good maindeck without building around him completely, but he is an amazing sideboard card against reanimator.
The keyrune is basically Creeping Tar Pit and I can imagine it seeing play if a proper UB control deck comes up, unlike how I imagine Cipher turning out. Although the mana is going to be so good having 3 or 4 colours might be close to strictly better than 2.

 

[robotzombie]

In two headed giant, if one opponent has a pariah's shield, can you just choose to attack the other opponent so that the damage doesn't go to the creature with the shield equipped?

 

[kirblar]

So who wants to build Boby-Renaissance Reanimator?

 

[Sinatar]

In two headed giant, if one opponent has a pariah's shield, can you just choose to attack the other opponent so that the damage doesn't go to the creature with the shield equipped?

In 2HG it's all one opponent, so no.

 

[divisionbyzorro]

You have given me a new idea I really want to screw around with.

Even better: try Captain of the Mists, Illusionist's Bracers, and Gilded Lotus.

 

[ultron87]

In two headed giant, if one opponent has a pariah's shield, can you just choose to attack the other opponent so that the damage doesn't go to the creature with the shield equipped?

In 2HG it's all one opponent, so no.

I believe it actually works out that it is two opponents with a shared life total.

You do attack them as a group and their creatures can all block everything, but when it comes time to assign combat damage you pick one of them. Usually it doesn't matter but in a case like Pariah's Shield you can just assign to the other player to get around it.

 

[Sinatar]

I believe it actually works out that it is two opponents with a shared life total.

You do attack them as a group and their creatures can all block everything, but when it comes time to assign combat damage you pick one of them. Usually it doesn't matter but in a case like Pariah's Shield you can just assign to the other player to get around it.

You can't assign combat damage to a player in 2HG. You attack your opponent which is both players.

When playing 2HG the wording on cards in regards to "player" and "opponent" is very important.

 

[ultron87]

You can't assign combat damage to a player in 2HG. You attack your opponent which is both players.

When playing 2HG the wording on cards in regards to "player" and "opponent" is very important.

From the Two-Headed Giant FAQ: https://www.wizards.com/ContentReso...ering_TwoHeaded_Giant_Tournament_FAQ_PDF1.pdf

How is combat damage assigned?
As the combat damage step begins, the active team announces how each attacking creature will assign
its combat damage. If an attacking creature would assign combat damage to the defending team, the
active team chooses only one of the defending players for that creature to assign its combat damage to.
Then the defending team announces how each blocking creature will assign its combat damage.