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[kirblar]

[QUOTE="God's Beard!";132944336]There's a big difference between my deck and Gb Devotion. Doomwake is a 5-mana sweeper that doesn't even kill Rabblemaster.

It's a great card in Green because of Eidolon of Blossoms, but the trigger is so much worse than say, Wingmate Roc for what I want to do. It's basically a dead mainboard card in too many matchups and not a good sideboard card for the things I need. Why would I bring in a Doomwake Giant? It's slows down my mana curve and doesn't kill things I have trouble with. That's the exact opposite of what you want for your sideboard. Killing my opponent's hornet tokens while keeping mine is so situational and low impact that I don't even care.[/QUOTE]
The matches you want Doomwake in are the ones that Wingmate Roc is actively bad in (i.e., you're on defense.) Because you can't accellerate Roc out all that quickly due to zero mystics its lifegain is going to be too late against a Rabblemaster. No, Doomwake doesn't kill it directly, but it nails all its tokens and can block it easily. And against Jeskai, you'd rather Cut their rabblemasters anyway.

You also need a way to trump opposing Queens - Without Doomwake mirrors become incredibly obnoxious.

 

[Firemind]

These prereleases are wack.

Matches always go to time. Dreadful.

Yes. See my impressions early from FNM and an invi qual I did. A bunch of deck owns aggro. Who needs a 4 mana sweep when you got a few 3 mana sweepers to take care of aggro?

There was a two mana sweeper in the last block. You just need to play around it if possible. For example, I try to keep a Rabblemaster in hand as a follow-up to a sweeper. God's Willing is also pretty decent in this format. Not so much against Drown in Sorrow, but to keep your Rabblemaster alive after a Anger of the Gods or random removal.

 

[kirblar]

Ashen Rider has been a brick every time I've seen it. I'd rather it be a Soul of Innistrad.

edit: I've brought the Doomwakes in for literally every matchup I've had so far- I'm just gonna try rolling with them main instead of the Wingmates and the Ashen Rider.

 

[Firemind]

I just decked myself with Narset. She can't even fight through Disowned Ancestor. Where are the Spectral Flights in this format? :lol

Half of the times you can out tempo the Abzan decks though. The key is to bounce (or kill but sometimes they're too big for your burn spells after one outlast) their ridiculous slivers, especially the lifelink and reach one. Making them spend one or even two turns to outlast gives you enough time to force enough damage. I reckon Jeskai is more playable in draft, since the rest has to fight over Abzan. That does mean that certain white cards have a premium, since you share that colour with Abzan. Seeker of the Way has been tremendous for me. Not a lot of creatures can trade with this guy and often times you can just bluff a spell. Abzan Falconer also overperformed. Flying is super important in the Jeskai decks and not many flyers can battle a 3/4. The other white outlast creatures are also very good, but the flyer is the best of the lot.

I think Jeskai is better than Mardu for this job, unless you open Butcher of the Horde or something. As I said before, bounce is a huge tempo swing and blue has additional flyers and unblockables. Red is more of a support colour, since most of their weenies are stopped dead, as early as turn one (hi disowned ancestor). Black does have the 3/3 flyer with delve and better hard removal, but is otherwise weaker than blue in my opinion. Drafting Mardu also means you share two colours with Abzan instead of one. Mardu seems like a trap to me. :lol

 

[f0rk]

I just decked myself with Narset. She can't even fight through Disowned Ancestor. Where are the Spectral Flights in this format? :lol

Half of the times you can out tempo the Abzan decks though. The key is to bounce (or kill but sometimes they're too big for your burn spells after one outlast) their ridiculous slivers, especially the lifelink and reach one. Making them spend one or even two turns to outlast gives you enough time to force enough damage. I reckon Jeskai is more playable in draft, since the rest has to fight over Abzan. That does mean that certain white cards have a premium, since you share that colour with Abzan. Seeker of the Way has been tremendous for me. Not a lot of creatures can trade with this guy and often times you can just bluff a spell. Abzan Falconer also overperformed. Flying is super important in the Jeskai decks and not many flyers can battle a 3/4. The other white outlast creatures are also very good, but the flyer is the best of the lot.

I think Jeskai is better than Mardu for this job, unless you open Butcher of the Horde or something. As I said before, bounce is a huge tempo swing and blue has additional flyers and unblockables. Red is more of a support colour, since most of their weenies are stopped dead, as early as turn one (hi disowned ancestor). Black does have the 3/3 flyer with delve and better hard removal, but is otherwise weaker than blue in my opinion. Drafting Mardu also means you share two colours with Abzan instead of one. Mardu seems like a trap to me. :lol

I think the consensus is to pick two enemy colours and keep the third as a splash. I've only drafted once, as Azban, but I took no fixing except a Windswept Heath and my mana was miserable because the 3 colours were about equal. Probably better to have 2 main colours and 2 splashes even.

 

[kirblar]

Hornet Queen is now $4 and may still be rising. You're welcome.

 

[Wichu]

Hornet Queen is now $4 and may still be rising. You're welcome.

I pulled one a while back and traded it for Astral Cornucopia because I didn't think it was worth anything

At least I still have one from the Commander precons.

EDIT: On the other hand, someone at the same draft gave me a pile of commons/uncommons that included Stoke the Flames. You lose some, you win some

 

[Firemind]

I think the consensus is to pick two enemy colours and keep the third as a splash. I've only drafted once, as Azban, but I took no fixing except a Windswept Heath and my mana was miserable because the 3 colours were about equal. Probably better to have 2 main colours and 2 splashes even.

Yeah, I'd advise to pick fixing high (except banners of course lol). Even if you're only in two colours of the trilands, that's fine. I splashed a single Murderous Cut and it was doing some serious work. Anyting that lets you cheat mana and play two spells in one turn are huge tempo swings.

It's no different from Shards of Alara, really. I'd even say two colour decks with very light splashes are possible and, of course, the five colour durdle special.

 

[divisionbyzorro]

So is it just me, or is going first an ABSURD advantage in this draft format compared to others?

 

[kirblar]

So is it just me, or is going first an ABSURD advantage in this draft format compared to others?

Getting to unmorph first is huge, yes.

 

[ThLunarian]

Hornet Queen is now $4 and may still be rising. You're welcome.

You just made me about $10 in trade value. This partially helps to make up for Mardu Ascendancy, thanks

 

[ElyrionX]

Hornet Queen is now $4 and may still be rising. You're welcome.

So tempted to spec on this.

 

[divisionbyzorro]

This draft format is really weird. The only format I drafted with Morph in it before was Time Spiral, but that just felt (like everything in that format) like a splash mechanic. This is the first set built around morph that I've played.

It's going to take a lot of getting used to. My gut reaction is to strongly dislike it, but I need to push that aside, step back, and study what's actually going on. I think my card evaluation isn't right at the moment; I need to be warping my picks around the ways morphs play into the format, and at the moment I'm not (and it's costing me). I should probably watch some streamers with more experience than me do some drafts and try to get a feel for how it flows. I'm not having a terrible run (I'm winning about half of my games), but I feel really "lost."

 

[Angry Grimace]

This is a draft format where you can live the 4 color dream.

 

[OnPoint]

Hornet Queen is now $4 and may still be rising. You're welcome.

Please keep going Queen!

 

["God's Beard!"]

What is your decklist Kirblar?

This is a draft format where you can live the 4 color dream.

I love this format. Everything from 2-color tempo to 5-color good stuff seems viable. White might be strong and blue might be weak, but it's not as lopsided as people think.

 

[kirblar]

This draft format is really weird. The only format I drafted with Morph in it before was Time Spiral, but that just felt (like everything in that format) like a splash mechanic. This is the first set built around morph that I've played.

It's going to take a lot of getting used to. My gut reaction is to strongly dislike it, but I need to push that aside, step back, and study what's actually going on. I think my card evaluation isn't right at the moment; I need to be warping my picks around the ways morphs play into the format, and at the moment I'm not (and it's costing me). I should probably watch some streamers with more experience than me do some drafts and try to get a feel for how it flows. I'm not having a terrible run (I'm winning about half of my games), but I feel really "lost."

If you feel very constrained by your mana- that's the point. It feels almost Hearthstone-esque in that you have many, many things to do with it and are very constained re: opportunity cost.

Current list:

4 Sandsteppe Citadel
4 Murderous Cut
4 Siege Rhino
3 Nyx Weaver
2 Temple of Malady
2 Temple of Plenty
4 Satyr Wayfinder
2 Whip of Erebos
4 Commune with the Gods
4 Sylvan Caryatid
3 Hornet Queen
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
3 Windswept Heath
2 Plains
2 Swamp
2 Forest
4 Llanowar Wastes
2 Rescue from the Underworld
2 Banishing Light
2 Caves of Koilos
4 Doomwake Giant
SB: 2 Bile Blight
SB: 2 Hero's Downfall
SB: 2 Reclamation Sage
SB: 1 Resolute Archangel
SB: 2 Drown in Sorrow
SB: 1 Soul of Innistrad
SB: 1 Pharika, God of Affliction
SB: 2 Thoughtseize
SB: 2 Erase

- I want a way to get rid of Hornet Queen in-hand, I may want to try Necromancer's Stockpile.

 

[inthrall]

Hornet Queen is now $4 and may still be rising. You're welcome.

May need to get some more soon... On a similar note, picked up my Jeskai Ascendancies at $0.60, they are now at $6.00

 

[ThLunarian]

May need to get some more soon... On a similar note, picked up my Jeskai Ascendancies at $0.60, they are now at $6.00

Unload them within the next month or two. When they get banned they're going to plummet.

 

[inthrall]

If you feel very constrained by your mana- that's the point. It feels almost Hearthstone-esque in that you have many, many things to do with it and are very constained re: opportunity cost.

- I want a way to get rid of Hornet Queen in-hand, I may want to try Necromancer's Stockpile.

I've had similar experiences, and put 2 Doomwake in the main, however I found I liked the Ashen Rider enough to add a second one.

Unload them within the next month or two. When they get banned they're going to plummet.

Yeah, good idea. Whats the date on the next banlist announcement?

 

[SigmasonicX]

I don't think Jeskai Ascendency will be too powerful in Standard, and as for Modern, it seems like if any card is going to be banned, it would actually be Glittering Wish.

 

[divisionbyzorro]

I might piss myself laughing if Jeskai Ascendancy Storm was the deck that caused Glittering Wish to get banned in Modern.

 

[kirblar]

Without Mystic I'm just not hitting 8 mana soon enough to cast Ashen Rider.

I might piss myself laughing if Jeskai Ascendancy Storm was the deck that caused Glittering Wish to get banned in Modern.

Nah, they're not that stupid.

 

[Crocodile]

When is the next Modern GP/PT? I want to see this Jeskai Ascendancy deck in action with a large enough sample size and now that people know its a thing.

 

[Repgnar]

I'm reading up on the newcomers guide in the OP and Reddit's MTG intro post. The area i'm currently living at has a pretty big MtG crowd and due to a new internet provider pretty much killing any online games I can play i'm looking to get into Magic. I've played the Planeswalker game in the past and plan on playing it a bit this week to refresh myself on the rules. The local gaming store has draft events every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for sure and was wondering if it's normal for new people to show up to those? It's a four day weekend coming up so I wouldn't mind spending some of it getting used to MtG. If I have the basic rules down before this Thursday would that be enough for a draft? I wouldn't go in expecting anything else but learning the rules and getting to know some of the local players.

 

[f0rk]

I'm reading up on the newcomers guide in the OP and Reddit's MTG intro post. The area i'm currently living at has a pretty big MtG crowd and due to a new internet provider pretty much killing any online games I can play i'm looking to get into Magic. I've played the Planeswalker game in the past and plan on playing it a bit this week to refresh myself on the rules. The local gaming store has draft events every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for sure and was wondering if it's normal for new people to show up to those? It's a four day weekend coming up so I wouldn't mind spending some of it getting used to MtG. If I have the basic rules down before this Thursday would that be enough for a draft? I wouldn't go in expecting anything else but learning the rules and getting to know some of the local players.

Every store is different but they should be friendly to new players if you let them know your experience. Especially on Friday nights

 

[SigmasonicX]

I'm reading up on the newcomers guide in the OP and Reddit's MTG intro post. The area i'm currently living at has a pretty big MtG crowd and due to a new internet provider pretty much killing any online games I can play i'm looking to get into Magic. I've played the Planeswalker game in the past and plan on playing it a bit this week to refresh myself on the rules. The local gaming store has draft events every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for sure and was wondering if it's normal for new people to show up to those? It's a four day weekend coming up so I wouldn't mind spending some of it getting used to MtG. If I have the basic rules down before this Thursday would that be enough for a draft? I wouldn't go in expecting anything else but learning the rules and getting to know some of the local players.

Oh sure, new people are always expected at drafts. Now what could be an issue is that the set probably being drafted, Khans of Tarkir, will probably be more complex than what you are used to from Duels of the Planeswalkers. You may want to at least go over the mechanics of the set.

 

[Repgnar]

Thanks for the info guys. I'll read up on the new mechanics. Will have another friend with me, and possibly a third, learning as well.

 

[Angry Grimace]

I might piss myself laughing if Jeskai Ascendancy Storm was the deck that caused Glittering Wish to get banned in Modern.

Nah they'll ban Ascendancy.

 

[Firemind]

Foiled by Abzan Guide again. I'm willing to bet I haven't seen the last of it. That and Abzan Ascendancy are pretty strong. At least I managed to beat two Mardu decks in a row. Ponyback Brigade is just really mediocre.

Also, Flying Crane Technique literally did nothing for me. sadface

 

[SigmasonicX]

Am I missing something? This is the first time I've ever seen Glittering Wish pop up in Modern decks, but you guys are acting like it's a mainstay.

 

[inthrall]

Am I missing something? This is the first time I've ever seen Glittering Wish pop up in Modern decks, but you guys are acting like it's a mainstay.

"Glitter Storm" is the latest rage in the format, can pull off a T2 kill if its very lucky (and not disrupted), with a T3 kill being way more likely

 

[phazedplasma]

Melissa Detora in the GP finals

 

["God's Beard!"]

Foiled by Abzan Guide again.

I have an unhealthy addiction to Bestiaire.

 

[bigkrev]

-Allegedly- the MTGO PTQ was such a hot mess that they actually CALLED the winner and asked him to replay the final match

 

[inthrall]

Melissa Detora in the GP finals

She lost

-Allegedly- the MTGO PTQ was such a hot mess that they actually CALLED the winner and asked him to replay the final match

This is ridiculous, did he decline? I sure as hell would've

[QUOTE="God's Beard!";133050209]I have an unhealthy addiction to Bestiaire.[/QUOTE]

That fitted surprisingly well...

 

["God's Beard!"]

- I want a way to get rid of Hornet Queen in-hand, I may want to try Necromancer's Stockpile.

I've considered the same thing, but I don't think it's worth a card that doesn't really get us enough value. Also, Nyx Weaver is 6 mana for half a restock in a lot of matchups, so I've been looking at different options. Restock, Pharika's Mender, Gravedigger. But none of it quite works.


Also, I'm still not sold on the Doomwake plan. Moving away from the fliers makes us weaker against the matchups that are actually hard like Gx Devotion, and we don't really need the help against aggro. And without Eidolons of Blossoms it doesn't seem like you'll get the mass of enchantments to wipe Coursers and Stormbreaths. And Pharika is kind of a nonbo with the deck. I'll keep the idea in mind though.

 

[kirblar]

[QUOTE="God's Beard!";133063355]I've considered the same thing, but I don't think it's worth a card that doesn't really get us enough value. Also, Nyx Weaver is 6 mana for half a restock in a lot of matchups, so I've been looking at different options. Restock, Pharika's Mender, Gravedigger. But none of it quite works.


Also, I'm still not sold on the Doomwake plan. Moving away from the fliers makes us weaker against the matchups that are actually hard like Gx Devotion, and we don't really need the help against aggro. And without Eidolons of Blossoms it doesn't seem like you'll get the mass of enchantments to wipe Coursers and Stormbreaths. And Pharika is kind of a nonbo with the deck. I'll keep the idea in mind though.[/QUOTE]
Pharika's for mirrors.

 

["God's Beard!"]

Pharika's for mirrors.

Ah, you mean exile all their creatures in the graveyard then wipe the tokens with constellation?

 

[Angry Grimace]

[QUOTE="God's Beard!";132982526]I love this format. Everything from 2-color tempo to 5-color good stuff seems viable. White might be strong and blue might be weak, but it's not as lopsided as people think.[/QUOTE]

The other side of the coin is you can have a miserable draft where you commit to some clan and nothing ever materializes in those colors and just want to immediately drop because you have no chance, e.g. just now I drafted Mantis Rider and then Flying Crane Technique next pack. The biggest problem being no fixing whatsoever in UWR.

[QUOTE="God's Beard!";133064834]Ah, you mean exile all their creatures in the graveyard then wipe the tokens with constellation?[/QUOTE]

The meta will shake out in like two weeks after the PT. Just board in whatever beats your friends at FNM and then worry about it on Monday.

 

["God's Beard!"]

Something really crazy has to happen for 60% of the color pie to disappear.

 

[Angry Grimace]

[QUOTE="God's Beard!";133065140]Something really crazy has to happen for 60% of the color pie to disappear.[/QUOTE]

Sure, I guess there are cards, but they're shit. The point is that its a lot easier to fuck up a three-color centered draft than say, a Theros block one.

 

["God's Beard!"]

Sure, I guess there are cards, but they're shit. The point is that its a lot easier to fuck up a three-color centered draft than say, a Theros block one.

I'm fine with that. Decision-making is definitely a step above Theros, and 10 steps above the trash that was M15. I like this set more every time I draft, lots of fun decks going around. UR tempo is my favorite so far.

 

[Negator]

-Allegedly- the MTGO PTQ was such a hot mess that they actually CALLED the winner and asked him to replay the final match

Reading the fallout on twitter is entertaining as hell. What a clusterfuck.

 

[Big One]

So in my search for a good two drop in my Naya deck, I've been playing War-Named Aspirant which is decent in theory, but in practice is rather meh.

Eidolon is a great card, however I feel like having soley a burn ability is kind of meh since I already run 11 burn cards.

I finally settled on Fleecemane Lion, and I have no idea why I wasn't playing this before. 2 for 3/3 is already really powerful, and it's monstrous ability makes him killer in a mid-to-late game board state. I saw this card being played in everything but for some reason didn't put two-and-two together in developing this deck and now I'm starting to make it more "complete" so to speak.

 

[acheron_xl]

The biggest problem being no fixing whatsoever in UWR.

You could always luck into a Rattleclaw Mystic. That guy seems like he's playable everywhere. Chances are he taps for at least one of your colors.

 

[Matriox]

1 Heliod, God of the Sun
1 Keranos, God of Storms

1 Disdainful Stroke
2 Last Breath
3 Lightning Strike
1 Nullify
1 Reprisal
2 Anger of the Gods
3 Banishing Light
4 Dissolve
4 Steam Augury
4 End Hostilities
2 Dig Through Time

2 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
3 Elspeth, Sun's Champion

4 Battlefield Forge
3 Flooded Strand
3 Island
1 Mountain
3 Mystic Monastery
2 Plains
3 Shivan Reef
4 Temple of Enlightenment
2 Temple of Epiphany
1 Temple of Triumph

Ideally I'd like 1 more Sarkhan but I can't afford it, probably wont have enough time to test for friday but I havn't been to FNM for a couple of months, I'll just have fun if nothing else. Especially with all of this agro running around.

Ended up getting 2nd this weekend at my FNM with this list, lost in the final round to a 4colorgoodstuff.dec. Overall pretty happy with the list, Heliod was my ehh card that actually performed extremely well for me in the games I used it but overall I think I'd rather just have another Elspeth or Sarkhan. Also stepping down the end hostilities to 2 for more anger of the gods which is exactly what I wanted to see against all of these rabblemasters and hornet queens. Also want some Nyx-Fleece Rams in my main somewhere, lack of lifegain is really troublesome against these tempo decks.

 

[Firemind]

There's also the ritual hill giant. As I said before, pick lands high, which was kind of the same in triple Shards. The trilands were fine as 2nd-6th pick.

In other news, mahamoti djinn is pretty damn good in this format. Trade a bunch of guys then drop this bad boy. I even cancelled a kill shot at one point. Cancel is playable in this slow format. As is mindblast which can double up as a finisher (provided there are no abzan guides).

 

[divisionbyzorro]

-Allegedly- the MTGO PTQ was such a hot mess that they actually CALLED the winner and asked him to replay the final match

And it is this kind of shit exactly that keeps me from making what should be braindead easy speculative investments in the MTGO economy.

Although at this point I don't even feel sorry for people who play these high-level events on MTGO. You're just doing it to yourself at this point.

 

[Wichu]

Is Plummet playable in Standard? My U/G deck needs a way to deal with aggressive flyers like Mantis Rider and Stormbreath. Or should I just play counterspells since I'm in blue?