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[Tunoku]

Had a ton of fun at FNM yesterday. Did an AER draft and opened a Tezzeret, so I was just like "fuck it" and forced UB. I'll show you my picks later. Had all three modules and two of those proliferate 2/1 fliers. It was sweet.

Afterwards we only had 6 people who wanted to do another draft since most folks were playing modern, so we decided to do a Conspiracy 2 draft. Had an ok UW deck. I only won because one of my opponents went all in and killed the third person with an Overrun. Then they spent their Beast Within to handle my Ghostly Prison and I got to stick a Sphinx of Magosi and managed to win with a couple of swings. It was also sweet.

Got a Recruiter of the Guard and Expropriate from my prize packs. Someone pulled a foil Daretti, which is apparently worth a billion dollars. The foil mythics in that set are unreal.

 

[Rafy]

I keep doing badly at drafts no matter the deck. Granted I am a new player and last night was only my 5th draft but come on!

Drafted a good green black Aggro deck with enough buffs and still: I only won 1 round, another was a draw and lost 2... The one round I won was because someone dropped...

My introduction to the paper version of the game was the AER prerelease, and been to every FNM since but I still can't catch a break.

I listened to all 10-15 hours of the limited resources set review podcast, printed the evaluations and studied them, and simulated drafts on draftsim and besteaire for hours each week.

So my question is: is this just horrible luck on my part or am I actually doing something (horribly) wrong?

I don't mean this post to come off as me being a crybaby, I am just trying to figure out what I am doing wrong and how I can fix it. If anything, I am frustrated with myself I can't figure this out.

 

[Santiako]

I keep doing badly at drafts no matter the deck. Granted I am a new player and last night was only my 5th draft but come on!

Drafted a good green black Aggro deck with enough buffs and still: I only won 1 round, another was a draw and lost 2... The one round I won was because someone dropped...

My introduction to the paper version of the game was the AER prerelease, and been to every FNM since but I still can't catch a break.

I listened to all 10-15 hours of the limited resources set review podcast, printed the evaluations and studied them, and simulated drafts on draftsim and besteaire for hours each week.

So my question is: is this just horrible luck on my part or am I actually doing something (horribly) wrong?

I don't mean this post to come off as me being a crybaby, I am just trying to figure out what I am doing wrong and how I can fix it.

Keep practising. You've just started, you're bound to get better. Ask for advice when deckbuilding, ask your opponents for advice after the match, etc, but really the best thing is to keep playing.

If you have any of your sealed/draft pools you can show it to us and we can discuss it.

 

[Tunoku]

Yeah, just keep playing and try to look back at your games and see what you could have done differently. Try to apply some advice LR gives outside their set reviews, they have those topics during the draft season. Last episode focused on some level ups and the progression from playing your spells, having a plan, and knowing that your opponent has a plan, for instance. But most of all, just keep playing.

 

[Rafy]

Yeah, just keep playing and try to look back at your games and see what you could have done differently. Try to apply some advice LR gives outside their set reviews, they have those topics during the draft season. Last episode focused on some level ups and the progression from playing your spells, having a plan, and knowing that your opponent has a plan, for instance. But most of all, just keep playing.

Yep, I listened to that before I left for FNM last night. They had some really useful advice and I was actually able to apply some of it immediately.

Last night was particularly frustrating because I got two people with Planeswalkers back to back. There was little I could do about that.

I don't think I have sorted my pool from last night yet so I'll try and post it here when I get home this afternoon. Anyone know a site I can use for that?

 

[Santiako]

Yep, I listened to that before I left for FNM last night. They had some really useful advice and I was actually able to apply some of it immediately.

Last night was particularly frustrating because I got two people with Planeswalkers back to back. There was little I could do about that.

I don't think I have sorted my pool from last night yet so I'll try and post it here when I get home this afternoon. Anyone know a site I can use for that?

tappedout is the site that most people use.

 

[Tunoku]

Anyone else going to Game Day today? I really want that Ajani playmat. It looks dope af.

 

[panzone]

Anyone else going to Game Day today? I really want that Ajani playmat. It looks dope af.

I'm going in an hour. UR thopter deck, I don't have much expectations but I need to at least win some boosters since I've a draft tomorrow.

 

[Santiako]

Grand Prix Pittsburgh Day One - Standard stream should be starting soon.

Paul Cheon on coverage! Should be fun.

 

[Supast4r]

The reason why Chalice is spiking to such a high level is that Chalice is a reasonable card to play in the sideboard of almost every non-aggressive Modern deck anyways.

It's like if Null Rod were legal (and not Reserved) - its completely reasonable for a deck that isn't hurt by that effect would want to play it. There's actually a ton of completely reasonable effects people don't really play that often but nobody would say anything if you did, e.g. Pithing Needle.

I have a sneaking suspicion that there is a shop that bought a ton because hey know it's not in the new modern masters

 

[y2dvd]

Anyone else going to Game Day today? I really want that Ajani playmat. It looks dope af.

Going with Jeskai Control. Not running Saheeli though.

 

[Supast4r]

But look at the last year or two. The modern meta has shifted dramatically, many decks have gone in and out of favour. You still had to invest a bunch for your 1 deck to keep up if it's not something like fish or burn and even those might have to invest in powerful sideboard cards.

This is such hyperbole. The decks that are consistent in modern that haven't changed much in the past year are: burn, tron, affinity, eldrazi, 50 shades of grixis (control,midrange,delver), bg (kind/abzan), jeskai (control/nahiri), etc. These decks may have gained a card or so but if you have the core to these decks there wasn't much change.

 

[Santiako]

Sultai Marvel on stream. Spicy!

Sultai Marvel Emerge actually, deck looks great.

 

[Wulfric]

GAF, Game Day is in two hours and I'm not ready; wat do?

Tappedout: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/11-02-17-JFb-gb-aggro/

3x Drana, Liberator of Malakir
4x Gifted Aetherborn
2x Grim Flayer
2x Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
3x Rishkar, Peema Renegade
2x Verdurous Gearhulk
4x Walking Ballista
4x Winding Constrictor

4x Blossoming Defense
2x Fatal Push
3x Grasp of Darkness
1x Liliana, the Last Hope
1x Nissa, Voice of Zendikar
2x Ob Nixilis Reignited

Lands (23)
3x Blooming Marsh
4x Evolving Wilds
4x Forest
3x Hissing Quagmire
9x Swamp

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

This is such hyperbole. The decks that are consistent in modern that haven't changed much in the past year are: burn, tron, affinity, eldrazi, 50 shades of grixis (control,midrange,delver), bg (kind/abzan), jeskai (control/nahiri), etc. These decks may have gained a card or so but if you have the core to these decks there wasn't much change.

tron has gone through every shade of colour, eldrazi still has no consensus, bg is constantly switching gears and got expensive new cards (Kalitas, Chandra, Grim Flayer), even jeskai had an ascendancy stint.

GAF, Game Day is in two hours and I'm not ready; wat do?

what is the ob nixilis for and what do you need so many evolving wilds for? Also no trackers?

 

[Wulfric]

tron has gone through every shade of colour, eldrazi still has no consensus, bg is constantly switching gears and got expensive new cards (Kalitas, Chandra, Grim Flayer), even jeskai had an ascendancy stint.


what is the ob nixilis for and what do you need so many evolving wilds for? Also no trackers?

Bobby Nixon was a kill spell basically, and most G/B lists have 4 Evolving Wilds. For example: this one

I'm replacing Obby with two Tireless Trackers.

 

[Supast4r]

tron has gone through every shade of colour, eldrazi still has no consensus, bg is constantly switching gears and got expensive new cards (Kalitas, Chandra, Grim Flayer), even jeskai had an ascendancy stint.


what is the ob nixilis for and what do you need so many evolving wilds for? Also no trackers?

Most jund decks don't play grim flayer, at most play 1 kalitas and afloat play 1-2 Chandra. That's literally like $50 added to your deck. That's one deck. Jeskai ascendency was a different deck from jeskai control, the deck has been dead since the cruise ban, etc. The other versions of tron have always been around and they don't add less expense cards than bg does. Other than that the majority of modern decks have remained the same or got subtle upgrades. If $50 at most a year for upgrades is too much for you then magic shouldn't be your hobby imho. It's a luxury hobby for a reason.

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

Most jund decks don't play grim flayer, at most play 1 kalitas and afloat play 1-2 Chandra. That's literally like $50 added to your deck. That's one deck. Jeskai ascendency was a different deck from jeskai control, the deck has been dead since the cruise ban, etc. The other versions of tron have always been around and they don't add less expense cards than bg does. Other than that the majority of modern decks have remained the same or got subtle upgrades. If $50 at most a year for upgrades is too much for you then magic shouldn't be your hobby imho. It's a luxury hobby for a reason.

I was speaking of the pyromancer's ascendancy jeskai deck not the jeskai ascendancy jeskai deck.

Bobby Nixon was a kill spell basically, and most G/B lists have 4 Evolving Wilds. For example: this one

I'm replacing Obby with two Tireless Trackers.

but that list has 11 delirium cards to your 2.

 

[Santiako]

What do you mean when you say Eldrazi still has no consensus? Bant Eldrazi is an established tier 1 deck and has a stock decklist.

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

that there's half a dozen different eldrazi decks, bant eldrazi is one of them.

 

[Wulfric]

I was speaking of the pyromancer's ascendancy jeskai deck not the jeskai ascendancy jeskai deck.

but that list has 11 delirium cards to your 2.

Ah, I didn't think about that. I can't trigger Delirium anyways unless I have a planeswalker in the grave. Do I just take all the Wilds out then? If I replace them with a 2 Swamp and 2 Forest, the colored mana % stays the same. I also added a Blooming Marsh on tappedout.

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

Ah, I didn't think about that. I can't trigger Delirium anyways unless I have a planeswalker in the grave. Do I just take all the Wilds out then? If I replace them with a 2 Swamp and 2 Forest, the colored mana % stays the same. I also added a Blooming Marsh on tappedout.

wilds still work well with tracker and the deck has quite demanding mana from GG on Nissa to a ton of BB and GB cards so you might want the wilds anyway. Can't tell you what's the best manabase here.

 

[Santiako]

Ah, I didn't think about that. I can't trigger Delirium anyways unless I have a planeswalker in the grave. Do I just take all the Wilds out then? If I replace them with a 2 Swamp and 2 Forest, the colored mana % stays the same. I also added a Blooming Marsh on tappedout.

I'd try to fit 4 Fatal Push main and I'm not a big fan of Drana. She doesn't do enough for 3 mana imo. If you have more Verdurous Gearhulks I'd go up to 4.

that there's half a dozen different eldrazi decks, bant eldrazi is one of them.

Bant is the consensus.

 

[Wulfric]

I'd try to fit 4 Fatal Push main and I'm not a big fan of Drana. She doesn't do enough for 3 mana imo.

I only have 2 Push sadly. What would you have in the Drana slot? Is a fourth Rishakar okay?

The mana is super awkward. I would give anything for Verdant Catacombs right now lol

 

[Santiako]

I only have 2 Push sadly. What would you have in the Drana slot? Is a fourth Rishakar okay?

The mana is super awkward. I would give anything for Verdant Catacombs right now lol

Rishkar I'd only go up to 3. If you have more gearhulks or nissa I'd play more. Maybe Servant of the Conduit to help smooth the mana as well. Catacomb Sifter is also a 3 drop I'd play before Drana.

 

[Mega Spooky]

I keep doing badly at drafts no matter the deck. Granted I am a new player and last night was only my 5th draft but come on!

I started playing at the SOI prerelease, and felt a lot like you did when I was learning to draft. I didn't know how to read the table, I wasn't familiar with the tribe synergies, I often picked cards that I thought would work together and didn't. I also asked a lot of questions. Every time I didn't 100% understand what was going on, I asked. No matter how basic I thought the question was. If I won a single match, I was happy with that. It took me months to get to a place where I was consistently winning, especially against people that have been in the game for a decade or more. There is a certain amount of luck in the cards, but like anything else, it's skill you have to build.

 

[Wulfric]

Rishkar I'd only go up to 3. If you have more gearhulks or nissa I'd play more. Maybe Servant of the Conduit to help smooth the mana as well. Catacomb Sifter is also a 3 drop I'd play before Drana.

That's gonna be a negative on Nissa and Gearhulk. Thanks for the advice, I'll check the bulk box before I turn the decklist in. Honestly I just want to win some store credit and a Yaheeni's Expertise promo; I can buy the playmat online later.

 

[Santiako]

That's gonna be a negative on Nissa and Gearhulk. Thanks for the advice, I'll check the bulk box before I turn the decklist in. Honestly I just want to win some store credit and a Yaheeni's Expertise promo; I can buy the playmat online later.

Good luck!

 

[Ashodin]

That's gonna be a negative on Nissa and Gearhulk. Thanks for the advice, I'll check the bulk box before I turn the decklist in. Honestly I just want to win some store credit and a Yaheeni's Expertise promo; I can buy the playmat online later.

Awww I wanted to hear cat man stories

 

[Santiako]

BDM's mic has either been off or extremely low volume for like 40 minutes now and they keep ignoring the chat telling them about it. sigh

 

[panzone]

Awww I wanted to hear cat man stories

I've lost against a turn 6, from hand, Saheeli cat today.

I know it's my fault because of all the signals, but come on.

 

[Tunoku]

Game Day did not go well. BR Zombies is not easy to play and also difficult to sideboard with. And the mana base can be frustrating at times with 14 basics. I might switch to the UR Fevered Visions build, depending on how much aggro is running around. I really enjoy playing with Amalgam, then it's just a choice between Kozilek's Return and Voldaren Pariah. I like having access to Fatal Push and Disintegration. But Fevered Visions is also strong. Really depends on your meta, I guess.

EDIT: Regarding cats, I had a pretty sweet game against Jeskai Saheeli today. I was stuck on one land for 5 turns and my opponent managed to stick a Saheeli. I kept discarding to handsize and my yard was already filled with Amalgams and their friends. My opponent goes into the combo already getting ready to scoop up his lands, and I just Lightning Axe his kitten. Then a draw a swamp off the top, and Transgress my opponent, exiling his second Felidar Guardian. And then it was just recurring Zombie beats after that.

 

[Ashodin]

Game day also sucked.

 

[Santiako]

Came back to the stream, dude dressed as Wolverine is playing. wat

 

[duxstar]

I don't play standard and no one drafts around here ..... magic is leaving me behind. If standard was better I might be tempted to buy into standard on mtgo.

 

[Tunoku]

Steve Rubin 8-0 with his UR Emerge deck, aw yeah. I woke up from my nap and coverage was still on my screen. And now I'm scrambling to sleeve up the deck. Turns out I don't have a single stitchwing lying around. I got everything else.

 

[Santiako]

Steve Rubin 8-0 with his UR Emerge deck, aw yeah. I woke up from my nap and coverage was still on my screen. And now I'm scrambling to sleeve up the deck. Turns out I don't have a single stitchwing lying around. I got everything else.

Yeah, I've said before that if I were to play standard that would be my deck of choice. Feels really good.

 

[y2dvd]

Went 1-3 in gameday. Yikes! Aggro was too fast for my Jeskai Control deck and Sphinx of the Final Word shuts me down in a control mirror. Lost to that Sphinx last night also. I need to pick me up a copy for the sb.

 

[Tunoku]

I ordered the cards I needed to build the Izzet Emerge deck. It might not be a good meta choice by this time next week, but I got no competitive tournaments coming up in a while and this deck seems like my jam. And as I'm writing this Rubin lost a game to 4c Saheeli, my other favorite deck in this Standard.

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

Wasn't the guy that just scooped still able to win?

 

[Tunoku]

I think his opponent only had one blocker (EDF). And on the next turn he would have had a Gearhulk, an Awoken Horror, and a Fumarole to attack with. So yeah, he screwed up there. Also, his opponent probably shouldn't have cast the the Deep-Fiend at that point and maybe waited until his opponents upkeep + he didn't make a single Thopter with his Virtuoso, which was way more relevant than any potential Marvel activations in that spot.

EDIT: Seems like the match was in extra turns?

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

Oh a draw would make way more sense. Explains everything, so it's probably the case.

 

[Tunoku]

Well, the Marvel player was up a game, so the match would still go to him, right?

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

Then I don't get it again. If he was up a game and it was extra turns then it was over when UR visions guy passed turn 4.

 

[Tea Time]

Steve Rubin 8-0 with his UR Emerge deck, aw yeah. I woke up from my nap and coverage was still on my screen. And now I'm scrambling to sleeve up the deck. Turns out I don't have a single stitchwing lying around. I got everything else.

Is the list for it up anywhere?
It looked pretty cool.

 

[Tunoku]

You can take a look at some lists here, Tea Time:
https://www.mtggoldfish.com/archetype/standard-grixis-emerge-32933#online

We don't know Rubin's exact 75 yet, but you can use these as relatively close approximations.

 

[Joe Molotov]

Came in 2nd at Game Day with Mono Red Aggro.

Went 2-1-1 (ID) in swiss, winning against U/B Control and G/B Aggro, and losing to Naya Superfriends. Beat G/W Tokens in the first round of Top 8 and then had a rematch against Naya Superfriends, but I won the that time. Ultimately, Mardu Vehicles was just too strong, though.

Got $25 store credit for runner-up.

 

[Tea Time]

Thanks. I was going to play Temur Eldrazi at game day tomorrow but might give this a whirl instead.

 

[Wulfric]

Eh, I got 9th place out of 18; 2-1-2 overall. I traded for Yahenni's Expertise; it's quite pretty.

 

[traveler]

I feel like Ad Nauseam is probably the best deck in Modern right now, but I'd be wary to buy into it since a Simian ban renders the deck unplayable and it's always at risk of a ban. The BR Pack Rat deck looks great, Todd Stevens was playing it quite a bit on stream so you might be interested in watching that.

Thanks, I'll check it out!

Doesn't look like the deck creator has posted anything about it anywhere and there's no real discussion on the list on MTGSalv or the spikes/modern reddits. Kind of baffled as it's one of these weird decks that actually plays really well in my experience and has solid matchups.