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[Alien Manobo]

I'm starting to get paired up with real dickheads more often in Xmage. I'm up a game playing against Tron and opponent just idles on his end step just when I have the kill next turn.

If only this was a real game in paper /rant

 

["God's Beard!"]

I think the only interesting card in Abzan is Dromoka's Command. That is a fun card to resolve.

I'm hugely in favor of more modular cards in general. It's a good way to create powerful cards and open the skill gap between players while actually making the game more fun.

 

[Frankie Williamson]

Still waiting for an actually GOOD R/G commander that isn't Xenagos. Ah, screw it. I'll just use Xenagos.

I know he's not optimal, but I have a R/G Thromok deck that is a ton of fun to play. I've had him hit the table, deal 529 damage via Warstorm Surge, swing into another opponent because of Anger and then I flung him at my last opponent.

It was a magical Christmas land play, but it was awesome.

 

[Hero]

Research study explicitly focusing on women and tournament entry in section II : http://web.stanford.edu/~niederle/Gender.Niederle.pdf

TONS of data there sourced from a massive amount of earlier studies.

Yeah, thought there was another study that shows boys/men generally prefer competitive environments while girls/women prefer team-oriented ones.

 

["God's Beard!"]

What are the good commanders anyway? I love my finely tuned Teysa deck and probably won't build another Commander deck, but it'd be interesting to know since I don't follow the format at all.

I get crushed by my girlfriend's turn 4 Rafiq+Sovereigns+Eldrazi Conscription combo every game.

 

[kirblar]

Yeah, thought there was another study that shows boys/men generally prefer competitive environments while girls/women prefer team-oriented ones.

There's a lot of research coming out, but it's a very recent area of concern (last decade or so.) I was actually surprised the gap is already noticeable at 3 years old, thought it would have come later on closer to puberty.

 

[divisionbyzorro]

When is the Pax panel/party?

 

[bigkrev]

When is the Pax panel/party?

10:30 EDT for the Panel. I don't think they are streaming the party this year (all info will come from the panel)

 

[Hecatonchires Custom]

[QUOTE="God's Beard!";176878197]What are the good commanders anyway? I love my finely tuned Teysa deck and probably won't build another Commander deck, but it'd be interesting to know since I don't follow the format at all.

I get crushed by my girlfriend's turn 4 Rafiq+Sovereigns+Eldrazi Conscription combo every game.[/QUOTE]

In no specific order

Regular Commander - Zur, Derevi, Mimeoplasm, Prossh, Narset, Brago etc.

Duel Commander - Marath, Animar, Geist, Grand Arbiter Aug IV, Prossh, Jenara, Tasigur, Maelstrom Wanderer somehow.

 

[y2dvd]

Finally played Standard again last night. It's been a few months. Hangarback Walkers everywhere. Dang this card is good.

 

["God's Beard!"]

Who does everybody like for World Champion? It's hard for me to root against Paul Rietzl because he impressed me the most watching him play, but Sam Black probably has the best shot at breaking through if anybody does just by having the only non-abzan control deck. I'd be happiest if Owen Turtenwald won, though.

 

[bigkrev]

[QUOTE="God's Beard!";176882069]Who does everybody like for World Champion? It's hard for me to root against Paul Rietzl because he impressed me the most watching him play, but Sam Black probably has the best shot at breaking through if anybody does just by having the only non-abzan control deck. I'd be happiest if Owen Turtenwald won, though.[/QUOTE]

Paul is someone who for YEARS has worked a real job in the cooperate world and somehow has still managed to play at a high level, which is really cool.

 

[ironmang]

Pretty sure I'm dead for top 8 now at 10-4. Breakers pretty good though for placing. Great weekend though for never playing either of these decks before yesterday.

 

[ultron87]

Pretty sure I'm dead for top 8 now at 10-4. Breakers pretty good though for placing. Great weekend though for never playing either of these decks before yesterday.

Congrats! That's an awesome record!

 

[Angry Grimace]

10:30 EDT for the Panel. I don't think they are streaming the party this year (all info will come from the panel)

The party had fetches last year lol

 

[kirblar]

Paul is someone who for YEARS has worked a real job in the cooperate world and somehow has still managed to play at a high level, which is really cool.

The Anti-LSV

Gideon + the allied lands for the party. It's why they leaked.

 

[Jhriad]

Research study explicitly focusing on women and tournament entry in section II : http://web.stanford.edu/~niederle/Gender.Niederle.pdf

TONS of data there sourced from a massive amount of earlier studies.

Interesting paper. With several studies able to close the gender gap in tournament entry it's findings contravene the interpretation of the emotional response study you posted previously, at least in regards to whether or not competitive play participation by women is predicated largely on a psychosomatic response to competitiveness. I don't know that I'm surprised at the degree to which the confidence and beliefs of the sexes determined their tournament participation but the degree to which women specifically competing in a mixed gender competition affected their performance when compared to single gender competitions was a little surprising. Got to do some stuff to do around the house but I'll finish reading the rest of the paper tonight. I might try to look up some of the studies it's referencing so I can give those a once over. Thanks for the link, Kirblar.

 

[kirblar]

Interesting paper. With several studies able to close the gender gap in tournament entry it's findings contravene the interpretation of the emotional response study you posted previously, at least in regards to whether or not competitive play participation by women is predicated largely on a psychosomatic response to competitiveness.

The one earlier was actually showing the men as the ones who are having the abnormal response relative to the women in competitive games (where their positives skyrocketed), but not cooperative ones, where the genders were roughly the same. It fits with:

Differences between men & women in cooperation are nuanced & mixed. In competition the differences are large & robust

edit: Given the prevalence of Girl's sports in the US, the divide emerging as early as it does is something that makes me rethink my previous assumption that this was minor until puberty hits and diverges everyone.

 

[Toxi]

Not really. Wort copies spells, which R/G shouldn't be doing and Ruric Thar probably dies a thousand times a game and prevents me from playing my spells.

Xenagos is powerful and exactly what R/G should be doing, but it acts more like a Fires of Yavimaya on steroids than actually being a creature. To me, it feels a bit like cheating.

Have you seen a decent Raidmother deck? She's absolutely nuts and is probably the most powerful commander in RG. Tokens and doubled X spells win games.

Ruric Thar is a great commander that's absolutely backbreaking against some decks. As long as you play a primarily creature-based strategy, he won't hinder much because you have control over when he's out.

 

[Etrian Oddity]

Oh, yeah. Sam Black should win because he's the only one not playing Abzan. Hope it will finally die once rotation starts. #prayfortemur

Loss of Elvish Mystic, unless they bring in a new 1-drop dork, is gonna hurt Temur.

I'll figure out a way around it, though. I'm fairly invested in this deck and it's pretty fun.

 

[ironmang]

Congrats! That's an awesome record!

Finished 12-4. 6-2 in both formats. Great weekend.

Edit: top 16

 

["God's Beard!"]

Finished 12-4. 6-2 in both formats. Great weekend.

Edit: top 16

Fantastic!

 

[Matriox]

Finished 12-4. 6-2 in both formats. Great weekend.

Edit: top 16

Congrats!! I tried to do a 5k iq today in columbus, failed with a 2-2-1 before dropping, but seriously that's awesome!

 

[kirblar]

"The characters need to represent our values as a brand"

Mary Sues confirmed.

 

[duxstar]

I really don't like mono whites chance against abzan, especially if any of them have bile blights or mainboard languishes.

The #1 reason ? Abzan charm, and Utimate price the cards are too good and they have better answers main to your hangarbacks than you do theirs. Knight of the white orchid is nice until it's left to face a fleecemane lion all alone. The only thing that might work in your favor is the mastery of the unseens if the game goes long.

I'll test their Deck more later tonight but the similar decks I played with just got run over by fleece mane into anafenza into siege rhinos.

 

[bigkrev]

Finished 12-4. 6-2 in both formats. Great weekend.

Edit: top 16

Awesome job!
We should probably keep a tally in the thread of the best finish in an event by a MTGGaffer.

Oh and a Spoiler
Gideon's Reproach
1W Common
Instant
Deal 4 to an attacking or blocking creature

 

[Matriox]

Eldraziiiii!

 

["God's Beard!"]

Those aren't Eldrazi.

Also, I'm not a big fan of BW Spirits in MM2, but sometimes your first two picks are Midnight Banshee into Necroskitter and you wind up with 5 rares in BW.

 

[Matriox]

[QUOTE="God's Beard!";176900077]Those aren't Eldrazi.[/QUOTE]

Yeah lack of annihilator is sad, although I understand why it's missing .

 

[kirblar]

....blehhhh

 

[SigmasonicX]

Eldraziiiii!

Pretty neat commons. I'm surprised we're still getting an 8/9 size creatures at common, especially with trample.

 

[bigkrev]

Has there ever been an 8/9 before?

 

[Joe Molotov]

That Nissa quote sounds like something they stole from LOTR.

 

[divisionbyzorro]

Laaame

 

[Matriox]

Fling dem colorless.

 

[Hero]

I really like the Eldrazi border.

 

[SigmasonicX]

Fling dem colorless.

Kind of odd that the first would have a colored activation cost, but whatever. Besides devoid, it's a pretty typical red rare.

The art for Mist Intruder is interesting.

I do like the devoid borders. It looks like the Eldrazi will be appearing in every color this time, since I don't believe they appeared in blue before.

 

[y2dvd]

Congrats!! I tried to do a 5k iq today in columbus, failed with a 2-2-1 before dropping, but seriously that's awesome!

This + Soulfire = hella life gain.

If Devoid is a thing, then Ugin's value is going way down.

 

[Matriox]

Interesting, Eldrazi Scion instead of spawns, but 1/1 now.

Goofed up, fixed now.

 

[Matriox]

I love creatures that do stuff on cast.

Whoops. Didn't mean to double post apologies.

 

[Horatorobor]

Those Eldrazi cards sure look nice.
Maybe we'll get an Eldrazi planeswalker of some sort

 

[bigkrev]

Interesting, Eldrazi Scion instead of spawns, but 1/1 now.

Goofed up, fixed now.

This is pretty close to Cloudgoat Ranger/Seige Gang, but with a much larger base body. Should be Standard playable

 

[The Technomancer]

Hmmmmm

I liked the gameplay of 0/1 Spawn a lot

Curious to see why they went to 1/1

 

[SigmasonicX]

Interesting, Eldrazi Scion instead of spawns, but 1/1 now.

Goofed up, fixed now.

Surprising that we're getting two new creature types. I like the idea of processors taking eaten (exiled) cards and turning them into babies. I guess the decision to make 1/1 scions instead of 0/1 spawns was to make them a bit more aggressive. In any case, they wouldn't reprint any of the previous spawn generators, due to them being tied to colored Eldrazi or tribal spells.

 

[Angry Grimace]

Blight Herder seems really good.

 

[charlequin]

I just love that this is a big Eldrazi that throws little Eldrazi at you.

Eldraziiiii!

Hmm, so much for everyone on Zendikar being from the Ulamog brood.

 

[Hero]

I just love that this is a big Eldrazi that throws little Eldrazi at you.



Hmm, so much for everyone on Zendikar being from the Ulamog brood.

Barrage reminds me of Attack On Titan for some reason.

 

[Matriox]

Not a new spoiler, but a better shot of the ally from intro pack.

 

[kirblar]

Barrage reminds me of Attack On Titan for some reason.

That's totally what I would have used for inspiration for this set.

 

[Hero]

That's totally what I would have used for inspiration for this set.

Me too, I feel like the overwhelming terror of the Titans in their size, strength and number would've been a good basis. Art of Eldrazi just eating the natives of Zendikar would've been awesome.