Tried busting out some sealed lately! JD and Ammonium weren't available, so it was just iRony and me. He cracked the nuts azorious pool, with red splash. He had Isperia, supreme Verdict, double Explosive Impact, Thoughtflare, Inspiration, LOTS of good stuff.
My junk couldn't handle it, but we played until I beat him. I had to swap from my azorious attempts (wrath as well) into green/white, dropping more and more pressure every turn while waiting for the double board Wrath to occur, then keeping up Aerial Predation for Isperia. I think it was 6-1 in Rony's favour by the nights end?
We tried again for this tuesday, but Ammonium has a job interview (you go girl, tap that money source!) and JD is sick, so poop again.
It's just funny how hard it is to organise this. I've also started selling off cards I don't want and wont need for a while, especially seeing the next big Magic thing will be sealed anyway, so I need monies for that.
Oh and new years, xmas, etc etc. I haven't submitted my latest article to Good Games, so it's right here if you haven't read it yet, "http://community.goodgames.com.au/articles/magic/2012/11/22/murdoch-monthly---gp-auckland-na/"
I have the second one written and ready to go, I just need to double check it all tomorrow and then post. Ta da!!
Monday, November 26, 2012
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
The Latest of Life
Not really. I've just finished the writing on GP Auckland, right before I have to start work on finalising Popalot #11, which I attended and had a blast at.
I've also voiced my intent to get paid to write Magic on facebook, tapping ppl for what they think I might do. Usually, top 8 an event worth knowing. Also, write a lot more and play a lot more. Already in the plans!
My mate Petr and hilarious Magic comic also suggested monetizing this blog, how can I do that?
Apart from that, we're organising R2R sealed days to practice for January, though it seems like MODO would be the simplest way for individuals to do that. It's at times like these I envy James/Ammy the most, because they live with another player. How hard is it to play Magic THEN?
So cool. Also, Nick, I remembered your name correctly and put it properly in the article on GP Auckland.
Fox out.
I've also voiced my intent to get paid to write Magic on facebook, tapping ppl for what they think I might do. Usually, top 8 an event worth knowing. Also, write a lot more and play a lot more. Already in the plans!
My mate Petr and hilarious Magic comic also suggested monetizing this blog, how can I do that?
Apart from that, we're organising R2R sealed days to practice for January, though it seems like MODO would be the simplest way for individuals to do that. It's at times like these I envy James/Ammy the most, because they live with another player. How hard is it to play Magic THEN?
So cool. Also, Nick, I remembered your name correctly and put it properly in the article on GP Auckland.
Fox out.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
New Frontiers?
Hello readers once again. I am over my jetlag, and "you suck" lag, and preparing for tomorrows event hosted by POPaLOT. It's a major event, and one that they need your attendance at, because if they don't hit a certain amount they lose a premier event status.
Do you want more Magic in Australia? Play in these. It's all you can do. FREE PLUGS ASIDE, I'd like to quickly gloss over my thoughts on Standard, and how they've changed before and since GP Auckland.
For starters, Slaughter Games is a very real threat, but not an active one. You can't go turn 4 Slaughter Games without the opponent going turn 4 Unburial Rites for Angel of Serenity anyway, gee gee there fella? That doesn't mean my deck idea was bad, and I still like the idea of toying with the idea, maybe brewing it for Modern.
Also, it was clear that Standard had formed quite a few archetypes before hand, and that's not solidified with all the recent GPs. So that means its still wide open, but only so far as aggro/control goes. They're both viable with the cards available, such as "red haste deck" being great aggro, and 24+ Wraths control deck being very control. In the middle is Planeswalkers and "mid-range" but on the whole, Vraska, Nicol Bolas, O Ring and Detention Sphere help keeping any particular permanent from dealing massive damages.
So a few notes, taken today, looking back at how people imagined Standard would look.
+Zombies is no longer viable, but everyone thought it'd be the nuts rock solid. There were so many 1 drop 2 power guys!
True, but no longer relevant, seeing everyone is playing answers to normal creatures that naturally exile them upon death, such as the Pillar of Flame/Annihilating Fire or my always-favourite Terminus. Nothing turns off junk faster than that third turn Terminus for three.
+Rest in Peace would keep the graveyard decks in check, and it was waaay too strong already and Tormyd's Crypt why roflmao? Rest in Peace hasn't seen great amounts of play in many places, mostly because anyone playing white IS the reanimator deck! No one's going to play an automatic "turn myself off" in a deck if they can stop it, and it's relatively easy to. Not to say it's not in people's sideboards, but it wasn't that crash hot. Also? Abrupt Decay.
+Jace is hot and omg can't wait to play him! Well, he's great fun to -2, and he's cheap enough at four, but last time you were paying four for Jace in Standard... he got banned. This time Jace feels more like the "Ponder" of the format, which is odd seeing he's a four-drop, and a Planeswalker. Nobody has forgiven Wizards yet for Index. There's still a twinkle of hope that the new Dragon's Maze will bring the goods. That's besides my point, Jace went from $120 a playset (when I bought) to $160 (when I should've sold) down to $120 again (after the GPs and people realised he wasn't all that crash hot. Even resolving his ulty wont gaurenteed finish a game).
+Oros Zombies can live! More on that later. See also: Boros / Ozrhov.
So in playing the deck I'll take to Popalot tomorrow, I'll keep in mind my original thoughts, as can be applied to reanimator.
+Terminus in the sideboard. Game 1, I don't think I'll need to clear the board. If I do, I want the full four.
+Rest in Peace. There will be reanimator everywhere, and I want to get it. Sure, it kills my grave too, but that's why...
+Abrupt Decay and Grisly Salvage are Instants. This style of play allows me to control the board, until I'm ready to go off, of after the opponent has thought "Fiddlesticks, I'll play it honest," and paid a proper 7.
Here's the list of todays thoughts I wrote at work, pondering the imaginery make up of the meta tomorrow.
50-60% reanimator
10-20 aggro Rakdos
20% "rogue"
10% Epic Experiment
I think Travis Woo has done a lot for Magic lately, over at ChannelFireball. Apart from being highly inspirational (I've build 2 of his last 3 decks) he sports decks that ppl enjoy and play, namely dirty cheap dirt red, and Epic Experiment. It means that they'll show up as "awesome tech" that someone thinks will be really good, but really they'll die to aggro and never have to face me.
I haven't tested against a great field yet, though yesterday came second at FNM at Mega Games. After my horrid streak at GP Auckland, felt good to be playing for first.
So short of giving you an actual list, there's my thoughts and good night! Also props to Ainsley for the lift.
Fox.
ps I am the only member of You Don't Say who'll be there.
Do you want more Magic in Australia? Play in these. It's all you can do. FREE PLUGS ASIDE, I'd like to quickly gloss over my thoughts on Standard, and how they've changed before and since GP Auckland.
For starters, Slaughter Games is a very real threat, but not an active one. You can't go turn 4 Slaughter Games without the opponent going turn 4 Unburial Rites for Angel of Serenity anyway, gee gee there fella? That doesn't mean my deck idea was bad, and I still like the idea of toying with the idea, maybe brewing it for Modern.
Also, it was clear that Standard had formed quite a few archetypes before hand, and that's not solidified with all the recent GPs. So that means its still wide open, but only so far as aggro/control goes. They're both viable with the cards available, such as "red haste deck" being great aggro, and 24+ Wraths control deck being very control. In the middle is Planeswalkers and "mid-range" but on the whole, Vraska, Nicol Bolas, O Ring and Detention Sphere help keeping any particular permanent from dealing massive damages.
So a few notes, taken today, looking back at how people imagined Standard would look.
+Zombies is no longer viable, but everyone thought it'd be the nuts rock solid. There were so many 1 drop 2 power guys!
True, but no longer relevant, seeing everyone is playing answers to normal creatures that naturally exile them upon death, such as the Pillar of Flame/Annihilating Fire or my always-favourite Terminus. Nothing turns off junk faster than that third turn Terminus for three.
+Rest in Peace would keep the graveyard decks in check, and it was waaay too strong already and Tormyd's Crypt why roflmao? Rest in Peace hasn't seen great amounts of play in many places, mostly because anyone playing white IS the reanimator deck! No one's going to play an automatic "turn myself off" in a deck if they can stop it, and it's relatively easy to. Not to say it's not in people's sideboards, but it wasn't that crash hot. Also? Abrupt Decay.
+Jace is hot and omg can't wait to play him! Well, he's great fun to -2, and he's cheap enough at four, but last time you were paying four for Jace in Standard... he got banned. This time Jace feels more like the "Ponder" of the format, which is odd seeing he's a four-drop, and a Planeswalker. Nobody has forgiven Wizards yet for Index. There's still a twinkle of hope that the new Dragon's Maze will bring the goods. That's besides my point, Jace went from $120 a playset (when I bought) to $160 (when I should've sold) down to $120 again (after the GPs and people realised he wasn't all that crash hot. Even resolving his ulty wont gaurenteed finish a game).
+Oros Zombies can live! More on that later. See also: Boros / Ozrhov.
So in playing the deck I'll take to Popalot tomorrow, I'll keep in mind my original thoughts, as can be applied to reanimator.
+Terminus in the sideboard. Game 1, I don't think I'll need to clear the board. If I do, I want the full four.
+Rest in Peace. There will be reanimator everywhere, and I want to get it. Sure, it kills my grave too, but that's why...
+Abrupt Decay and Grisly Salvage are Instants. This style of play allows me to control the board, until I'm ready to go off, of after the opponent has thought "Fiddlesticks, I'll play it honest," and paid a proper 7.
Here's the list of todays thoughts I wrote at work, pondering the imaginery make up of the meta tomorrow.
50-60% reanimator
10-20 aggro Rakdos
20% "rogue"
10% Epic Experiment
I think Travis Woo has done a lot for Magic lately, over at ChannelFireball. Apart from being highly inspirational (I've build 2 of his last 3 decks) he sports decks that ppl enjoy and play, namely dirty cheap dirt red, and Epic Experiment. It means that they'll show up as "awesome tech" that someone thinks will be really good, but really they'll die to aggro and never have to face me.
I haven't tested against a great field yet, though yesterday came second at FNM at Mega Games. After my horrid streak at GP Auckland, felt good to be playing for first.
So short of giving you an actual list, there's my thoughts and good night! Also props to Ainsley for the lift.
Fox.
ps I am the only member of You Don't Say who'll be there.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Wounds and what not
So we all collective went pretty bad. "You don't say?" We do say. I think the trip overseas was great, as was seeing NZ and all the new/old players that we're used to, but in terms of achieveing results the team was lacking.
Myself the worst, I reckon. I fretted and didn't know what to play until the night before, and ended up with a very uncompetitive azorious izzet "good stuff" deck. Fine for FNM, but this is not FNM. I drew a round, that I instead conceded because I didn't want to be in the draw bracket all day, then continued to every other match of the weekend, just about. After the initial slaughtering, I could only look back at the Slaughter Games deck that I didn't play, and ponder on what it could've been.
So games aside, it was still a great time. I hadn't really packed my bag all that great. Cards first, then "essential clothing only". So shirt, pants, and 500+ pairs of socks n such. Every rare/uncommon Ravnica card that I owned, no commons and nothing from Avacyn block besides anything already in a deck.
We had a good nights practice when I showed up, greeted in the hotel lobby by the clerk, asking for me by name. That's a pretty good feeling, when you arrive, very late and very tired, in a foreign place but your mates have been asking for you by name and you know you've arrived when you get there. That was awesome.
We didn't grind very much, and I found out I didn't have that 1 bye I thought I did. Oh wells! Ammy had her three byes but didn't do crash hot, getting one more draw than she needed to make day 2. James spotted another version of his deck doing well, but in general the day was owned by the "simply most obvious best cards" in each colour. It was mostly reanimator, and again with Witton in the top 2! I remember him winning with Primeval Titan/Valakut, and cheering him on. Good decks indeed. Also another local you'll know is Justin Cheung, who made top 8 with his build. Also Robert Liu. I remember playing him once at Rony's old place, and asking him "So are you good?"
He said no. I believed him until 10 minutes later when I lost the match :P
Rangor went well with his aggro humans build, and I'm always happy to see Matt Anderson do well, this time with his blue black noncreature build. It always seems like a good call, because it immediately blanks several cards against opponents. In rare cases it can leave a deck incapable of removing "dead cards", when they haven't actually got 60 cards in their main n side that don't care about creatures.
Apart from the Magic and how various players went, there was NZ itself. Very cool place, from what I saw. One big windy street that leads to our hotel, all with a lot of places that sell alcohol, but not a singular can of Guiness. We eventually found a place that didn't care about the "new laws" that forbid singular selling of cans, so our saturday night commiserating our achievements was "fun" to say the least.
All the food on offer was pretty awful, if you went to an asian style take away. I'm sure there's good ones out there, but we were only ripped off, as tourists rather want to be. We had a very good korean bbq one night, which I was rather kicking and screaming about until my brain managed to "unlearn" the previous Mass Group Self Food Poisoning that happened when I was in the real korea, and nobody knew how to cook.
The coins were fun, but I did have the impression the entire time that we were playing with toy money. Not just the conversion rate (that was great!) but the colours, and different sizes. I didn't manage to find any of the LOTR style $1 coins, but it was still fun. Get out some money, only costs a fraction of that much. I would consider returning for a trip at some point in the future, simply because it's a nice place and the gf killed me for not taking her. You know.
SO, what do we take from this? One, I like my team. LOVE them. Two, lock in your deck a lot earlier (or in my case, DO lock in A deck) and base it on the decks that are getting coverage. There's no real use being rogue unless you're Conley Woods, in which case please come live with me and we'll brew the awesomest thing ever for GP Sydney.
Seriously. It was a great weekend, and even though we all had rough experiences (I'm thinking of the toilets on sunday night. 3 cubicles, but only 1 useable after the first was used abundantly and left broken, the other filled with my vomit from that Nandos that I just couldn't stomach) but we're all the better for it.
Next time, I would take a jacket.
Fox, for the You Don't Say team.
Myself the worst, I reckon. I fretted and didn't know what to play until the night before, and ended up with a very uncompetitive azorious izzet "good stuff" deck. Fine for FNM, but this is not FNM. I drew a round, that I instead conceded because I didn't want to be in the draw bracket all day, then continued to every other match of the weekend, just about. After the initial slaughtering, I could only look back at the Slaughter Games deck that I didn't play, and ponder on what it could've been.
So games aside, it was still a great time. I hadn't really packed my bag all that great. Cards first, then "essential clothing only". So shirt, pants, and 500+ pairs of socks n such. Every rare/uncommon Ravnica card that I owned, no commons and nothing from Avacyn block besides anything already in a deck.
We had a good nights practice when I showed up, greeted in the hotel lobby by the clerk, asking for me by name. That's a pretty good feeling, when you arrive, very late and very tired, in a foreign place but your mates have been asking for you by name and you know you've arrived when you get there. That was awesome.
We didn't grind very much, and I found out I didn't have that 1 bye I thought I did. Oh wells! Ammy had her three byes but didn't do crash hot, getting one more draw than she needed to make day 2. James spotted another version of his deck doing well, but in general the day was owned by the "simply most obvious best cards" in each colour. It was mostly reanimator, and again with Witton in the top 2! I remember him winning with Primeval Titan/Valakut, and cheering him on. Good decks indeed. Also another local you'll know is Justin Cheung, who made top 8 with his build. Also Robert Liu. I remember playing him once at Rony's old place, and asking him "So are you good?"
He said no. I believed him until 10 minutes later when I lost the match :P
Rangor went well with his aggro humans build, and I'm always happy to see Matt Anderson do well, this time with his blue black noncreature build. It always seems like a good call, because it immediately blanks several cards against opponents. In rare cases it can leave a deck incapable of removing "dead cards", when they haven't actually got 60 cards in their main n side that don't care about creatures.
Apart from the Magic and how various players went, there was NZ itself. Very cool place, from what I saw. One big windy street that leads to our hotel, all with a lot of places that sell alcohol, but not a singular can of Guiness. We eventually found a place that didn't care about the "new laws" that forbid singular selling of cans, so our saturday night commiserating our achievements was "fun" to say the least.
All the food on offer was pretty awful, if you went to an asian style take away. I'm sure there's good ones out there, but we were only ripped off, as tourists rather want to be. We had a very good korean bbq one night, which I was rather kicking and screaming about until my brain managed to "unlearn" the previous Mass Group Self Food Poisoning that happened when I was in the real korea, and nobody knew how to cook.
The coins were fun, but I did have the impression the entire time that we were playing with toy money. Not just the conversion rate (that was great!) but the colours, and different sizes. I didn't manage to find any of the LOTR style $1 coins, but it was still fun. Get out some money, only costs a fraction of that much. I would consider returning for a trip at some point in the future, simply because it's a nice place and the gf killed me for not taking her. You know.
SO, what do we take from this? One, I like my team. LOVE them. Two, lock in your deck a lot earlier (or in my case, DO lock in A deck) and base it on the decks that are getting coverage. There's no real use being rogue unless you're Conley Woods, in which case please come live with me and we'll brew the awesomest thing ever for GP Sydney.
Seriously. It was a great weekend, and even though we all had rough experiences (I'm thinking of the toilets on sunday night. 3 cubicles, but only 1 useable after the first was used abundantly and left broken, the other filled with my vomit from that Nandos that I just couldn't stomach) but we're all the better for it.
Next time, I would take a jacket.
Fox, for the You Don't Say team.
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