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[Angry Grimace]

Lol @ the fat pack I opened.

Narset, Enlightened Master
Zurgo Helmsmasher
Pearl Lake Ancient
Ashcloud Phoenix
Windswept Heath
Clever Impersonator (foil)
Rakshasa Deathdealer

 

[kirblar]

good long-term foil + fetchland = win.

 

[bigkrev]

ALERT

SAITO IS POSTING DECKS

ALERT

 

[Angry Grimace]

lol saito

4 Bloodstained Mire
4 Temple of Malice
4 Nomad Outpost
2 Caves of Koilos
2 Battlefield Forge
2 Temple of Triumph
2 Temple of Silence
2 Mountain
2 Swamp
1 Plains
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

3 End Hostilities
3 Hero’s Downfall
3 Despise
4 Lightning Strike
3 Bile Blight
4 Mardu Charm
4 Read the Bones
3 Anger of the Gods
1 Empty the Pits

3 Elspeth, Sun’s Champion
3 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker

 

[sgjackson]

My LGS ran some single-elimination Khans draft pods tonight, went 1-1 going Jeskai, losing round 2 to a mull to 5 game 1 and keeping a 2 lander that really didn't get there game 3. Was a little tilting losing like that because I thought my deck was solid, but that's Magic for you.

Does anyone else feel like you want to be more control than tempo as Jeskai? The games I won I got there by keeping threats off the board with red removal and getting value off of Treasure Cruise/Warden of the Eye/Master the Way before eventually going over the top with Jeskai Windscout/Master of the Hidden Way, all of which were solid to awesome. Meanwhile the Prowess cards didn't really feel great and I wasn't as impressed with Force Away as I thought I'd be.

 

[bigkrev]

I love how dumb and greedy this deck is.

While i'm not sure if 20 lands is the right number (every spell in the deck is 1 mana except stoke), I really like the idea here. Much different from the Rabblemaster type decks I was thinking about. This seems designed to punish the slower manabases we now have.

 

[acheron_xl]

Almost everything costs 1? I'd be tempted to run 4x Mire, 4x Foothills and like 10 Mountains. But I'm no expert.

 

[divisionbyzorro]

I love how symmetrical his decklists always are.

 

[Arksy]

So I went to my first FNM draft just earlier today. W/L/D 1:1:1......

First time I've ever played magic as well. I'm not sure if it's my scene...I assumed it'd be a bunch of 25+ish people getting progressively more drunk as the night went on but it was mostly kids.

I kind of enjoy the fact that you're playing with real people in front of you as opposed to getting pejoratives yelled at you through the internet. I like the game...I need a hobby after abandoning my old one for good (hobby war-gaming)..but the prevalence of kids puts me off a little.

 

[Wichu]

I'm gonna build Simic Morph, with Prophet of Kruphix for flash shenanigans (it's really good with how morph distributes the mana cost over two turns, too!)

Somebody please convince me that this is an awful idea.

Or even better, convince me to play five-colour morph instead

 

[bigkrev]

He's also posted a few lists using Singing Bell Strike. I wonder if that card is actually real?

If nothing else, it's a hell of a way to deal with a turn 1 elf out of blue.

 

[divisionbyzorro]

If nothing else, we now know that Saito is not God's Beard. I was starting to wonder for a while there.

 

[bigkrev]

I'm gonna build Simic Morph, with Prophet of Kruphix for flash shenanigans (it's really good with how morph distributes the mana cost over two turns, too!)

Somebody please convince me that this is an awful idea.

Or even better, convince me to play five-colour morph instead

I'm digging the Miser's 3x Hornet Queen

 

[ShadowSoldier89]

So I went to my first FNM draft just earlier today. W/L/D 1:1:1......

First time I've ever played magic as well. I'm not sure if it's my scene...I assumed it'd be a bunch of 25+ish people getting progressively more drunk as the night went on but it was mostly kids.

I kind of enjoy the fact that you're playing with real people in front of you as opposed to getting pejoratives yelled at you through the internet. I like the game...I need a hobby after abandoning my old one for good (hobby war-gaming)..but the prevalence of kids puts me off a little.

maybe try a different store? my local is like 4 people less than 18, everyone else ranges from 21-a couple guys in their 50s, and almost everyone is pretty cool. The one guy in his 50s is one of my favorite guys to play too, really nice guy, always experimenting in decks, and will just chat the whole match casually

 

[Wichu]

I'm digging the Miser's 3x Hornet Queen

Might Ghostfire Blade be worth playing?

Other than that and Prophet, my brew so far looks similar. Not too keen on Hornet Queen, though - how useful is it really?

 

[SigmasonicX]

I'm not a fan of Hornet Queen due to how there's nothing green about it except it being a hornet. That said, it puts 6 power worth of creatures into the air in green, and produces four flying deathtouch blockers.

Still holding out for someone to make a brew with Terra Stomper.

 

[divisionbyzorro]

I'm not a fan of Hornet Queen due to how there's nothing green about it except it being a hornet. That said, it puts 6 power worth of creatures into the air in green, and produces four flying deathtouch blockers.

Still holding out for someone to make a brew with Terra Stomper.

That would require someone to remember that it's in Standard.

 

[block tower]

im new to magic the gathering and have been playing with some dudes at my colleges mtg club. i had a few questions about deck building and acquiring new cards?

-so with deck building should i just buy the Magic the Gathering 2015 Core Set Deck Builder's Toolkit, or is it better to just buy MTG 2015 booster packs?

-other question, why does Wizard release so many cards each year, it seems like there are a ton of cards that get released each year? its bit overwhelming to someone new like me, are MTG players expected to collect/buy all these new cards yearly?

 

[The Technomancer]

im new to magic the gathering and have been playing with some dudes from school in our universities magic club. i had a few questions about deck building and acquiring new cards?

-so with deck building should i just buy the Magic the Gathering 2015 Core Set Deck Builder's Toolkit, or is it better to just buy MTG 2015 booster packs?

Generally speaking if you want to build a specific deck either track down the single cards and buy them online or else find people around you who will trade for them. Buying booster packs is usually just for fun, or else for draft, which is a super fun format. Drafting involves buying a bunch of packs and then everyone opens them and takes turns picking cards to build decks, and its a very different dynamic.

-other question, why does Wizard release so many cards each year, it seems like there are a ton of cards that get released each year? its bit overwhelming to someone new for me, are MTG players expected to collect/buy all these new cards yearly?

Nah, you don't need anywhere near all of the cards. The vast majority of the cards exist either because there are casual decks that might find a use for them or in order to create a fun draft environment.

 

[block tower]

Generally speaking if you want to build a specific deck either track down the single cards and buy them online or else find people around you who will trade for them. Buying booster packs is usually just for fun, or else for draft, which is a super fun format. Drafting involves buying a bunch of packs and then everyone opens them and takes turns picking cards to build decks, and its a very different dynamic.

so from what series or years could i build a relevant deck with, and how long does a MTG series or expansion stay relevant before being outdated by competition rules or other things?

Nah, you don't need anywhere near all of the cards. The vast majority of the cards exist either because there are casual decks that might find a use for them or in order to create a fun draft environment.

so most cards released in the expansions aren't worth picking up unless i want to custom build a deck from that series? so how do you know when you should or shouldnt get new MTG cards?


sorry if these questions sound dumb, its just been awhile since i got into a trading card game. the last one i was into was Pokemon when i was younger, which is a much simpler game in terms of how many cards there are, so the sheer number of MTG cards has me confused about somethings haha.

 

[Zocano]

So I'm trying to work off of this decklist from SCG that I thought looked neat. Mostly how Rabblemaster helps (at least a little) with U/R artifacts gameplan:

U/R Doom Rabble

but I dunno how I feel about Daring Thief and Howl. They feel like they're nearly do-nothing cards. Ghostfire Blade fits right in especially with the ornithopters and the rest seems fairly standard for UR artifacts.

The thing is, the general plan of UR artifacts just feels like less efficient mono-red/mono-black all in aggro.

Chief Engineers just kinda sits there and tries to be an engine for your engines. Like most sub top-tier decks, it just feels like it's trying to be gimmicky without really trying to be hyper efficient.

Which... I guess ends up the crux of deck building. I want to make a fun deck but I don't want to make a bad deck, right? But fun just always feels like it equates with bad and efficient decks just end up usually really boring (unless you were called B/G zombies from INN-RTR standard).

 

[The Technomancer]

so from what series or years could i build a relevant deck with, and how long does a MTG series or expansion stay relevant before being outdated by competition rules or other things?

It depends on what format the guys at your club are playing. If they're playing Standard that only includes cards from the two most recent years. However if they're just playing casual "build what you want" well, that could be anything. Magic is pretty good about keeping power creep under control, so I have decks that feature cards from across its entire 20 year history.

My advice, especially if they're playing casually, is to build the majority of your decks with cards from the last three years or so specifically because they'll be easier to find, and then either get advice or look for yourself to figure out if there are any specific older cards that seem like a good fit.

so most cards released in the expansions aren't worth picking up unless i want to custom build a deck from that series? so how do you know when you should or shouldnt get new MTG cards?

You should always get new MTG cards

Seriously though, there are a million different ways people interact with the game. Some people buy lots of new cards to make decks specific to that era or expansion. A lot of people, like me, have figured out a half dozen deck styles we enjoy and every time a new expansion comes out we look for the cards that would fit well into those styles. And a lot of people acquire cards as a byproduct of drafting.

 

[TheSeks]

so most cards released in the expansions aren't worth picking up unless i want to custom build a deck from that series? so how do you know when you should or shouldnt get new MTG cards?

The general rule of thumb is: xTH edition (generally called "20XX" now) + next set/"block" of 3 for the standard tourney people.

Buuuuuut if they include cards from previous sets, you can use those cards in a "newer" deck. Issue is if the card gets a buff/nerf/rule change you have to remember those rule changes. :/

It's kinda why I stopped playing Magic: It's a HUGE money sink to "keep up with the jones" in regards to "legal"/modern play. Legacy is easier because you can get a bunch of cards for cheap, but at the same time HARDER because you have to pay more for a bunch of "powerful"/rare cards. :/

I've kinda gone into just collecting cards on Magic Online now. D: Which reminds me, the wishlist system in the new client is a bit funky.

 

[kirblar]

Modern's been pretty stable for the past 2 years- the banlist finally settled into a good spot once they axes DRS- the problem is that the demand keeps going up and skyrocketing prices.

 

[bigkrev]

-so with deck building should i just buy the Magic the Gathering 2015 Core Set Deck Builder's Toolkit, or is it better to just buy MTG 2015 booster packs?

If you are just getting started out and want to play for fun before deciding if you want tithe part of your earnings to the WOTC gods, Deck Builder Toolkits are the best way to go. You get enough basic land to build any deck you want, a bunch of staple commons, and some boosters. I'd also look to the M15 Clash Pack- if you wanted to buy 4 of them, you could assemble a deck that would do reasonably well at a local tournament, but even buying 1 would help you out

-other question, why does Wizard release so many cards each year, it seems like there are a ton of cards that get released each year? its bit overwhelming to someone new like me, are MTG players expected to collect/buy all these new cards yearly?

so most cards released in the expansions aren't worth picking up unless i want to custom build a deck from that series? so how do you know when you should or shouldnt get new MTG cards?

There are 2 main ways to play Magic- Constructed (which is where you build your deck from your collection and play with it), and Limited (where you build a new deck from sealed product). The 2 most popular limited formats are Booster Draft (You get 3 packs, everyone opens a new pack, takes one card, passes the rest of the cards to the left, and then takes the pack passed to them, takes a card, passes the rest, ect until the pack is empty, then you start again with another booster. Then, you build a deck with the cards you drafted and as much basic land as you want) and Sealed Deck (you take 6 boosters, open them up, and make a deck using them and as much basic land as you want).
A majority of commons and uncommons in each set are designed for Limited- because they are the cards that are going to be most frequently seen in the format, and unless the cards lead to playable decks, the format is unplayable.
If you just care about competitive constructed, you can probably figure out exactly what cards you are going to need from the set by looking at the spoiler list and then ignore everything else, while you need to care about everything for limited

so from what series or years could i build a relevant deck with, and how long does a MTG series or expansion stay relevant before being outdated by competition rules or other things?

For constructed, the 2 most popular formats are Standard and Modern. Modern allows for every card printed from 8th Edition (Summer 2003 set) into perpetuity, and does not rotate.
Standard, currently, allows 2 Blocks worth of sets at a time. The current structure of a block is Fall Expansion, Winter Expansion, Spring Expansion, and Summer Core Set.
Right now, the Theros block, consisting of Theros, Born of the Gods, Journey into Nyx and Magic 2015, and the Khans block, consisting of Khans of Tarkir (as of right now) are legal. Starting next year, this all goes out the window, with Blocks becoming 2 sets instead of 4 sets, and 3 blocks being legal at a time.

In general, cards are legal for about 18 months when they are printed.

 

[ThLunarian]

I read the comments on Chapin's article about aggro decks, and it looks like either we were wrong about Mardu Ascendancy, or Chapin is keeping that card under wraps and doesn't want anyone to know about it, because there's a Mardu token deck in his article and Ascendancy isn't in it.

 

[kirblar]

I read the comments on Chapin's article about aggro decks, and it looks like either we were wrong about Mardu Ascendancy, or Chapin is keeping that card under wraps and doesn't want anyone to know about it, because there's a Mardu token deck in his article and Ascendancy isn't in it.

There's a lot of "we don't want to show our good stuff" going on in the SCG articles. I appreciate Kibler just talking about Limited. Chapin's always just throwing shells out like Saito, though- so that's not a big deal.

Red is obviously the base color for a Mardu deck, not black, cause it has all the best critters for that style of deck.

 

[OnPoint]

Modern's been pretty stable for the past 2 years- the banlist finally settled into a good spot once they axes DRS- the problem is that the demand keeps going up and skyrocketing prices.

That brings up the interesting point then of when is the format considered stale, and how do you combat that. Do you continue to introduce new strategies through the new sets? Do you eventually unban some cards?

Personally, I'm not unhappy with how they've been handling the banlist. I think they've done a good job taking out cards that cause problems while they're slowly unbanning cards that are pretty OK now. Bitterblossom could stand to drop in price, though, please.

I'm also really happy with the fact that Pod has not been banned. It's an awesome strategy that doesn't see play in any other format. It gives it a unique, 'see this here' type of feeling. I'd say Splinter Twin and Storm (though that's been MIA lately huh?) are the same way.

I just wish they'd make certain cards more available. Tarmogoyf is way too hard to get, as are other staples, and Modern Masters was only a small help. I understand we're getting MM2 at some point, but there's no guarantee those cards will be included.

 

[duxstar]

Out of all of Saitos decks only 2 or 3 have ideas I didn't really think about / haven't seen, the morph deck being one of them , and intriguing.

Kinda reinforced a couple thoughts I had about the decks I've been testing though.

 

[kirblar]

That brings up the interesting point then of when is the format considered stale, and how do you combat that. Do you continue to introduce new strategies through the new sets? Do you eventually unban some cards?

Personally, I'm not unhappy with how they've been handling the banlist. I think they've done a good job taking out cards that cause problems while they're slowly unbanning cards that are pretty OK now. Bitterblossom could stand to drop in price, though, please.

I'm also really happy with the fact that Pod has not been banned. It's an awesome strategy that doesn't see play in any other format. It gives it a unique, 'see this here' type of feeling. I'd say Splinter Twin and Storm (though that's been MIA lately huh?) are the same way.

I just wish they'd make certain cards more available. Tarmogoyf is way too hard to get, as are other staples, and Modern Masters was only a small help. I understand we're getting MM2 at some point, but there's no guarantee those cards will be included.

Legacy is "Stale" and it's fine.

 

[joelseph]

Hate when people do this, but... opened a foil flood strand today!! Going to hold onto this shiny piece of cardboard for a while. =)

 

[Angry Grimace]

Modern's been pretty stable for the past 2 years- the banlist finally settled into a good spot once they axes DRS- the problem is that the demand keeps going up and skyrocketing prices.

At this point stuff getting unbanned seemed a lot more likely than banned.

That brings up the interesting point then of when is the format considered stale, and how do you combat that. Do you continue to introduce new strategies through the new sets? Do you eventually unban some cards?

Personally, I'm not unhappy with how they've been handling the banlist. I think they've done a good job taking out cards that cause problems while they're slowly unbanning cards that are pretty OK now. Bitterblossom could stand to drop in price, though, please.

I'm also really happy with the fact that Pod has not been banned. It's an awesome strategy that doesn't see play in any other format. It gives it a unique, 'see this here' type of feeling. I'd say Splinter Twin and Storm (though that's been MIA lately huh?) are the same way.

I just wish they'd make certain cards more available. Tarmogoyf is way too hard to get, as are other staples, and Modern Masters was only a small help. I understand we're getting MM2 at some point, but there's no guarantee those cards will be included.

Cards that I think get unbanned eventually? Ancestral Vision, Bloodbraid Elf, Deathrite (eventually, when people get the bad taste out of their mouths), Grave-Troll. The only really saucy card on that list that will ever get unbanned is BBE though.

 

[f0rk]

There's a lot of "we don't want to show our good stuff" going on in the SCG articles.

Do you think they will hold anything back for the pro tour considering they are playing in the open tomorrow?

 

[Angry Grimace]

Do you think they will hold anything back for the pro tour considering they are playing in the open tomorrow?

Assuredly.

 

[OnPoint]

At this point stuff getting unbanned seemed a lot more likely than banned.

Cards that I think get unbanned eventually? Ancestral Vision, Bloodbraid Elf, Deathrite (eventually, when people get the bad taste out of their mouths), Grave-Troll. The only really saucy card on that list that will ever get unbanned is BBE though.

I agree with both of your points. I think unbannings are more unlikely than bannings. I also think those are probably the most likely candidates.

Legacy is "Stale" and it's fine.

Yeah but WotC isn't pushing Legacy like they are Modern (or at all, really). Modern is important for card growth, while Legacy is there to keep old folgies happy.

 

[SigmasonicX]

Another survey

 

[kirblar]

Deathrite is never coming back, lol. Thing warps the entire format around it.

BBE could definitely come back. GGT/AV are maybes- AV less likely.

 

[Angry Grimace]

Deathrite is never coming back, lol. Thing warps the entire format around it.

BBE could definitely come back. GGT/AV are maybes- AV less likely.

If they're printing stuff like Dig Through Time and Treasure Cruise, I'm not sold on Ancestral Vision being broken.

 

[kirblar]

If they're printing stuff like Dig Through Time and Treasure Cruise, I'm not sold on Ancestral Vision being broken.

Those die to RIP and are incredibly conditional even without it.

Visions' problem is Cascade, as well as it just being a really unfun card in general.

 

[Angry Grimace]

The card "Treasure Cruise" is actually pretty funny. Like, why is it a cruise? And why do they insist on taking your parents bones as payment to go on the cruise?

 

[SigmasonicX]

The card "Treasure Cruise" is actually pretty funny. Like, why is it a cruise? And why do they insist on taking your parents bones as payment to go on the cruise?

Well the Sultai seem more than happy to use dead things as furniture, so it's not all that strange.

 

[MjFrancis]

I like this list the best.

Twenty untapped lands, five playsets of Mardu's best one-drops, Rabblemaster for a curve-topper, Ascendancy for protection & going wide, Trumpet Blast for a finisher and Stoke the Flames & Lightning Strike for reach.

Ideally:

T1: 1 drop
T2: 2x 1 drops
T3: Mardu Ascendancy
T4: Trumpet Blast.

Simply beautiful. Outruns Aetherspouts & End Hostilities. Mono-black aggro doesn't goldfish this well, that's for sure.

 

[Angry Grimace]

I'm just not convinced aggro is super well-positioned against all the random lifegain decks that have a crap load of big-butt aggro-stalling shit like Caryatid/Courser.

 

[SigmasonicX]

I just remembered, have any conclusions been reached about the playability of Aggressive Mining?

 

[f0rk]

I'm just not convinced aggro is super well-positioned against all the random lifegain decks that have a crap load of big-butt aggro-stalling shit like Caryatid/Courser.

The format seems bad for 1 drops, but having 20 of them might be OK with all that consistency. Stoke the Flames seems like a key card for reach.

 

[kirblar]

I'm just not convinced aggro is super well-positioned against all the random lifegain decks that have a crap load of big-butt aggro-stalling shit like Caryatid/Courser.

The issue is more that reactive strategies are abysmal in this format. The removal is expensive and favors tempo plays rather than control ones.

 

[Angry Grimace]

I guess I should head down to FNM tonight. My deck isn't ready yet, but I got tons of crap to trade, I guess. I'm just not excited about giving away a fetchland worth of value to get even more Courser of Kruphix, but goddamnit I'm insistent on playing Courser with Chandra, Pyromaster.

 

[y2dvd]

Just yall wait. I will be trolling FNM in a BUG shell with Phenax, Ashiok, Kiora's Follower, Thassa's Ire, and a whole lot of defenders. Making the dream happen!

 

[Angry Grimace]

I just think Chandra + Courser is legit.

E: but then again I had a BUG shell with Ashiok, Kiora and Jace last year so don't trust my card evaluation.

(Also, I only own 1 copy of Xenagos, the Reveler =V)

 

[divisionbyzorro]

I just think Chandra + Courser is legit.

Too bad you're losing their other BFF: Domri.