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Magic: the Gathering |OT4| Izzet Me; Izzet You? A Love Story

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D

divisionbyzorro

Member
Yeef said:
Yes and no. For most people, magiccards.info is going to have a far more robust search, but Gatherer actually allows for regular expressions while searching, which is super powerful if you know what you're doing.
Click to expand...

Really now. That's cool; I didn't realize that. I'll have to keep that in mind.
 
O

OnPoint

Member
I bought my playset of See the Unwritten last night. I feel like that card is going to see stupid growth short term once it can be broken with Eldrazi and other fatties (Atarka, Bellower, etc). Maybe it'll be a simply casual build but who knows. If Mill can win a PT, why not a Standard version of Sneak and Show.

[QUOTE="God's Beard!";175372071]
This everybody for the current cockatrice playgroup?

Current Cockatrice playgroup:



  • I never really see anybody on except dux.[/QUOTE]

    I really gotta sign on and figure it out haha
 
M

Matriox

Member
blindrocket said:
Could anyone please explain to me what a Stax Commander is?
Click to expand...

Image.ashx


Comes from a combination of Smokestack and "Taxing" a player, so it basically takes advantage of stuff like Winter Orb, Lodestone Golem, Tangle Wire, Ect. and becomes InconveniencePlayers.dec. It also usually runs a bunch of tokens to take better advantage of stuff like Grave Pact/Dictate of Erebos and controls the board that way.

Ghave, Guru of Spores is a pretty typical stax commander.
 
D

divisionbyzorro

Member
I'd say the stereotypical Stax commander is Derevi. Put a Winter Orb/Static Orb/Hokori on the battlefield, then Derevi's ability to untap your own lands so you get to cast spells and nobody else gets to.
 
M

Matriox

Member
divisionbyzorro said:
I'd say the stereotypical Stax commander is Derevi. Put a Winter Orb/Static Orb/Hokori on the battlefield, then Derevi's ability to untap your own lands so you get to cast spells and nobody else gets to.
Click to expand...

That's possible. Honestly, its been a long time since I've seen someone playing Derevi in general lol. Just kind of how the play groups have transitioned I guess.

EDIT: That, and its been forever since I've played any EDH outside of my close playgroup, which is usually the same 4 decks.
 
B

blindrocket

Member
Thanks for the explanation on the Stax Commander. I've been reading a lot of questions asked about who the best one is on the Commander Facebook group.
 
A

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
Its funny, everyone calls those Stax decks, but I always just called them Stasis decks, although most people usually use that term to refer to decks that actually use the card Stasis.
 
A

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
Yeef said:
I more commonly see them called prison decks more than anything else.
Click to expand...
Sometimes I've even seen that extended out to tax decks. Pretty much any unfun deck that doesn't let you play Magic.
 
A

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
Also, lol at this dumb brew I've been losing a lot with on MODO

Deck: Temur Unwritten
u.gif
r.gif
g.gif


//Creatures
4 Elvish Mystic
4 Sylvan Caryatid
4 Savage Knuckleblade
3 Surrak, the Hunt Caller
1 Surrak Dragonclaw
3 Stormbreath Dragon
2 Woodland Bellower
2 Dragonlord Atarka
1 Xenagos, God of Revels

//Spells
4 See the Unwritten
4 Stubborn Denial

//Land
4 Frontier Bivouac
3 Temple of Abandon
4 Wooded Foothills
2 Temple of Mystery
2 Yavimaya Coast
2 Shivan Reef
3 Crater's Claws
4 Forest
2 Island
2 Mountain

//Sideboard
1 Disdainful Stroke
3 Feed the Clan
1 Temur Charm
3 Gaea's Revenge
2 Seismic Rupture
2 Orbs of Warding
3 Roast

Display deck statistics

I'm not gonna pretend its good, but its pretty fucking funny when you See the Unwritten with nothing but a Surrak, the Hunt Caller on the battlefield (and some mana dorks), and hit Xenagos, God of Revels and Woodland Bellower (fetching Savage Knuckleblade, which you tap a red to give haste).
 
G

"God's Beard!"

Member
I love Lantern Control and I do believe it's the best control deck in Modern. The problem is that it's one of those decks where people don't realize they've lost and won't concede game 1 and sit there every turn thinking for two minutes even though they have no options. It's like the Elixir control deck from last Standard season in terms of win speed. That causes a lot of problems in real tournament settings.
 
A

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
[QUOTE="God's Beard!";175445892]I love Lantern Control and I do believe it's the best control deck in Modern. The problem is that it's one of those decks where people don't realize they've lost and won't concede game 1 and sit there every turn thinking for two minutes even though they have no options. It's like the Elixir control deck from last Standard season in terms of win speed. That causes a lot of problems in real tournament settings.[/QUOTE]

Being the best control deck in Modern isn't exactly a high bar. Control isn't a good archetype in Modern.

"I can't win the game without running out of time" isn't a positive for your deck either. It means you get a shitload of draws.
 
G

"God's Beard!"

Member
Firemind said:
GB. Hand in your Grixis card, please.
Click to expand...

But I just did another grixis control cube draft :p

Vamp Tutor, Entomb, Reanimate, Living Death kreygasm
Mana Leak, Remand, Counterspell, Snapcaster kreygasm
plus dreadbore on the splash lol

I mulled to 3 and conceded game 1 against my first opponent so I wouldn't have to show cards when he rakdos'd me, then game 2 I living death'd him bringing back nekrataal to kill his one reanimated dude, snapcaster for vamp tutor, sidisi for counterspell and sheoldred. Game three I kept 6 lands Lifebane Zombie against my opponent's green-based jund ramp deck and drew 5 spells in a row for the crushing win(remand, entomb, vamp tutor, counterspell, jace beleren) :p

dat raw skill

Angry Grimace said:
Being the best control deck in Modern isn't exactly a high bar. Control isn't a good archetype in Modern.

"I can't win the game without running out of time" isn't a positive for your deck either. It means you get a shitload of draws.
Click to expand...

That's exactly it.
 
A

Alien Manobo

Member
[QUOTE="God's Beard!";175372071]


edit:
This everybody for the current cockatrice playgroup?

Current Cockatrice playgroup:

  • Ultron87
  • WWind
  • HeebyGB
  • phazedplasma
  • G.ZZZ
  • Jhriad
  • Truman
  • Roy_Burns
  • Bandini
  • duxstar
  • SourShoes
  • Onpoint
  • Kirblar
  • sinuosity

I never really see anybody on except dux.[/QUOTE]

I'd love to join your playgroup if ever you guys decide to switch to Xmage
 
G

GoutPatrol

Forgotten in his cell
Went 2-1 drafting to get a promo Serum Visions, then went 0-3 in the late night follow-up draft. I feel like every Origins deck needs to be like half two-drops.

I just wished we got enough people to play Modern more.
 
B

blindrocket

Member
Are Stax decks viable in duel Commander?

Or are they primarily a multiplayer EDH deck?

I'm looking for a card called Anger and none of the local stores have it though I know I've seen it at one shop before. It's so cheap I hate to eBay it. lol
 
M

Matriox

Member
blindrocket said:
Are Stax decks viable in duel Commander?

Or are they primarily a multiplayer EDH deck?

I'm looking for a card called Anger and none of the local stores have it though I know I've seen it at one shop before. It's so cheap I hate to eBay it. lol
Click to expand...

If you want to pm me an address I'll mail you one assuming you're in the US.

I don't know duel Commander due to never playing it, but I assume it can be powerful, but might be a little slow. I really don't know how fast or slow the format is.
 
B

blindrocket

Member
Matriox said:
If you want to pm me an address I'll mail you one assuming you're in the US.

I don't know duel Commander due to never playing it, but I assume it can be powerful, but might be a little slow. I really don't know how fast or slow the format is.
Click to expand...

Hey that's very nice of you! I appreciate that a lot.

Duel Commander is 1 vs 1 and like a competitive form of Commander. Decks usually weed out the cards that durdle around and I think that they are more fine tuned. However, I'm new to the format so to speak. It has a different ban list than regular Commander.
Here's the website: http://www.duelcommander.com/

I was looking at a poll of most played Commanders on a FB group, and the mono red Planeswalker came in second. Surprised, I looked him up and he does seem pretty powerful.

635501534171054613.jpeg
 
A

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
I tried to see if she'd fit and it was close but no dice. She tries on her own though.
 
I

Infinite Stars

Member
Angry Grimace said:
The commander clause makes its almost impossible he'd ever show up in standard.
Click to expand...

Well, not Daretti C14 edition, but I could see a functional reprint without the Commander clause.

I still don't get why Planeswalkers have to have the 'Can be your commander" to be a commander. They're functionally treated the same as Legendary creatures by the game.
 
T

The Technomancer

card-carrying scientician
Infinite Stars said:
Well, not Daretti C14 edition, but I could see a functional reprint without the Commander clause.

I still don't get why Planeswalkers have to have the 'Can be your commander" to be a commander. They're functionally treated the same as Legendary creatures by the game.
Click to expand...
At a guess? The (non-Wizards) Commander rules overseers are uncomfortable with every planeswalker being a commander. I could see LotV being incredibly obnoxious
 
G

Giant Panda

Member
I just signed up for Cockatrice as Giant_Panda. I'm still learning how to use the program correctly but I was able to make a deck at least.
 
A

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
charlequin said:
Because random Planeswalkers play miserably as Commanders and the ones in C14 are designed in a few different ways to work well in the format.
Click to expand...

Planeswalkers are kind of OP to begin with
 
M

Matriox

Member
I'm cool with any PW as a commander personally, the fact most can't deal commander damage is a real consideration when building your deck. If you can't deal with infinite life combo then that's gonna suck to be you.

Sorin v1 can definately deal with it, but at least you can prepare for him to drop. It's not like he can make multiple people at 10 very quickly without help.
 
G

"God's Beard!"

Member
Are any of the Planeswalkers good enough as commanders to get banned? Sorin Markov, Jace TMS, Ral Zarek, Tezzeret the Seeker, Karn and Dack are the best ones I can think of, and maybe Sorin and Jace would get banned?

Matriox said:
I'm cool with any PW as a commander personally, the fact most can't deal commander damage is a real consideration when building your deck
Click to expand...
Gideon and Sarkhan can!
 
E

ElyrionX

Member
Don't think any of the PWs are good enough to get banned. Even JTMS is not very good in Commander.

Sorin is obnoxious as hell though.
 
M

Matriox

Member
[QUOTE="God's Beard!";175540854]Are any of the Planeswalkers good enough as commanders to get banned? Sorin Markov, Jace TMS, Ral Zarek, Tezzeret the Seeker, Karn and Dack are the best ones I can think of, and maybe Sorin and Jace would get banned?


Gideon and Sarkhan can![/QUOTE]

Lol I clarified to most! I could see Jtms being a really bad idea now that you say it. Sorin doesn't really scare me too much, but I've never played against a build around him so its hard to say whether hes too strong as a commander. I'd still be cool with allowing it just to see how people build their decks and adjust from there, It'd be fun to build UW Vensor bounce!
 
S

SigmasonicX

Member
Second draft of Battle for Zendikar OT OP (first for reference). Didn't realize Wizards' planes guide and planeswalkers guide had so much detail until now, though they are inconsistently updated. Notably, the summary for Nissa in the planeswalkers guide (but not on her page) still lists her as an elf supremacist.

MoS2pCG.png



Welcome to the Multiverse! There are multiple worlds that exist side by side in different dimensions, known as planes, and each plane is as different as night is from the day. All of them, however, have a form of magical energy known as mana, generated from bonds to the land, that can be channeled into powerful spells. Residents of these planes are usually unaware of other worlds, but there are some special beings with the ability to safely travel between them, known as Planeswalkers.

Magic: the Gathering is a Trading Card Game, the first of its kind, developed by Richard Garfield and his playtesters for the gaming company Wizards of the Coast in 1993. The game quickly became a big hit, it is currently bigger than it has ever been. In the standard game, you and your opponent play the role of dueling Planeswalkers, using customized 60-card decks made up of your spells, the creatures you can summon, your mana bonds with lands, and even other Planeswalkers you can call in to help out. Whoever can get his or her opponent down to 0 life, from a start of 20, wins.

GETTING STARTED
If you're a beginner, feel free to come in--that's why this is in OT, after all. Spoiler season is one of the most exciting times for a Magic player, and it would be great for more to join in. Us regulars can get a bit technical with card evaluations, and many of us will loudly proclaim that a cool-looking card is junk, or say that a lame-looking card is really powerful, but feel free to ask us if you want an explanation.

To get started, check out this link by TheSeks (somewhat outdated) or the official page. Basically:
* It's recommended that new players play Magic Duels (thread). It's a great way to learn the game on your own, and it's free!
* To get your physical collection started, buy a Deck Builder's Toolkit, which includes not just a starting collection of cards (including a lot of lands), but also has some booster packs and is a good place to store cards.
* Alternatively, you can buy an Intro Pack, a low-power prebuilt deck that comes with a few booster packs. For each set release, five Intro Packs are released. There are also Clash Packs and Duel Decks that provide two decks for a game right out of the box, but are a bit more complicated, the latter more so.
* Once your skill advances, another popular way to play Magic casually is Commander. Each player chooses a legendary creature to act as commander and then chooses 99 additional cards, one of each card that isn't a basic land (of which you can have any number) and only of the colors of the commander, to make up the deck. In games, each player starts at 40 life and there are typically four or more players. Wizards provides prebuilt decks for this format too.
* While game stores will often hold Magic events at other times, every store that has Magic events will have Friday Night Magic. There, you will be able to find other players in your area to both have matches with and trade with. Find game stores here. And to get started participating in your local game store (LGS) scene, attend a prerelease!

PRERELEASE
While the set won't officially be sold until the release date, that isn't the first time you can get your hands on the new cards. Game stores hold prerelease events for every set, and in this set's event, every player is given a box with six booster packs and a random additional rare card. From this pool of cards, all of which you keep, each player builds a deck of 40 cards and participates in a round robin tournament. This is a fun and casual event, where everyone is still trying to figure out the set, so don't worry about messing up. In addition to normal duels, there are also Two-Headed Giant events, where you pair up with another player and face off against another team.

Prerelease events will be held on September 26-27, 2015. Call your local game store a few days ahead of time to register, or they might just run out of room. Find local game stores here.

CHANGES
This set marks the start of a major change to how Magic sets are handled, with an in-depth explanation for why here. In short, the two-set block model means:
* No more core sets.
* Blocks will have two sets instead of three. Yes, that means Battle for Zendikar block will only have two sets.
* Without any core sets, there will now be two blocks a year.
* Standard (a rotating format that only includes the latest sets) rotates with each block, so it will now rotate twice a year. Three blocks will be in Standard at a time. Sets will be in Standard for a max of 18 months.

With the release of Battle for Zendikar, the legal sets in Standard will be: Khans of Tarkir, Fate Reforged, Dragons of Tarkir, Magic Origins, and Battle for Zendikar.

XPhfjjx.png

Lore introduction
Guide to Zendikar

Long ago, before mana even developed distinct colors, the Eldrazi were born in the gaps between planes. Like Planeswalkers, they are able to travel between worlds, but they devour every one that they come across. There appear to be swarms of Eldrazi, but in fact, there are only three, whose projections into the third dimension appear as distinct beings. Over 6000 years ago, they were sealed inside Zendikar, a wild plane overflowing with mana. When we last visited that plane, they were released thanks to the machinations of an evil dragon Planeswalker named Nicol Bolas. The good Planeswalkers present were forced to flee, but as a clue to defeating them is found in the leylines of Zendikar, and two of the three Planeswalkers who originally sealed the Eldrazi reunite, it becomes clear that now is the time to fight back.

Stories leading up to Battle for Zendikar:
Limits - Gideon fights day and night on both Zendikar and Ravnica, until he discovers a ray of hope in Zendikar's leylines.
Catching Up - Jace is asked for help on Ravnica.
Unkindness of Ravens - As Liliana wonders if she should help on Zendikar, she encounters an old foe.
Offers to the Fire - Chandra tries to find peace at her old monastery.
For Zendikar - Nissa becomes unsure of if she can stop the Eldrazi.

Story archive - Scroll to the bottom for chronological order; the layout of this archive is trash.

MECHANICS
In addition to the "evergreen" mechanics available to every set, the following mechanics are receiving focus in Battle for Zendikar.
<INSERT MECHANICS REVEALED BY PAX, WITH EXAMPLE CARDS>

RESOURCES
Official articles - Nicknamed the Mothership, these articles are the primary source of news. Recommended columns are Making Magic, written by the head designer, Mark Rosewater (aka MaRo); Uncharted Realms, which tells the story, written by various authors; and Latest Developments, written by various Magic developers. The other articles generally discuss deck building. For older articles before the site changed, go here.
Blogatog - Tumblr ran by Mark Rosewater where he answers questions, updates very frequently.
Drive to Work - Mark Rosewater's weekly podcast about Magic that he literally records as he drives to work. Two episodes are released every Friday.
MTG Salvation's Rumor Mill - The best place to get new card information. The community sucks, though.
Gatherer - The official method of searching through released cards. Has an autocomplete.
magiccards.info - The better search engine for cards, with bigger pictures and more details. But it doesn't have an autocomplete.
Game store locator

Credit to WanderingWind for the large images.
 
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