There you are, "bloody" in one of my post titles. Proves I'm an Aussie. Aside from that, I'm really bloody torn.
It's about Black. We've gotten along forever, ever since I first Terror'd a creature in Mirrodin, then later when Doran came out, and again we fell in love as I took hands with Walking-Terror aka Shriekmaw. Whenever I do tests it usually tells me I'm Rakdos or Dimir, so black or black, but lately... We've been having difficulties.
You know Slaughter Games? I wrote about it just last post, 'course you remember! I tried the deck again today, and got fed up, deciding I'd had enough. So removing all the black from my deck, I saw once again the "love pump" that makes each player build the decks they do. It's like imagining not being with your sweety (assuming you're on good terms), you'd just miss them too much.
Same here. There's only about half my lands gone, and Nicol Bolas and Slaughter Games itself, and Nephalia Drownyards and such. All good cards I want to have. And to replace them all, WHITE!
What does white offer? FIRST off, Terminus. I instantly loved it around preview time, and knew wrath for W was always going to be popular. It also does Angels but relying on the random topdeck for angels/win con is silly, even if heavily undercosted. It does allow for Angel of Serenity, Restoration Angel, Oblivion Ring and Detention Sphere, ALL cards I love just as much as the black side of my deck. So I want them all, and can't play them all, because there's no such thing Watery Grave x4 or Godless Shrine x4 in Standard at the moment.
So I must choose, and do not know what to do. I have an idea -- the Slaughter Games deck is powerful, when it works it's amazing, plus it's the most information rich deck out there. Turn 4, I get to see your everything unless you concede. You wont though, that's silly, so I can see all the cute little tech that people are playing and are thinking "Ha, no one else will be playing this!"
It's not long term though. It hasn't got much outright power, just really picks on tiny weenie decks once I stabilise. So I'm thinking that the sneaky clever deck would be best for, wait for it, GP Grinders. Yeah, Friday can be Slaughter Games all the way. That leaves Serious Deck of Choice #1 to be the Day 1, Day 2 part of my game, but what's that going to be?
My natural attraction was to blue/red/white, so I'm thinking at the moment that that's it, and I'm going to have to figure it out really soon. Next thursday I leave, so by then I'd better have my deck chosen. Do I go Bant though, with it's quick ramp, permissable control and giant boom-booms? (That 10/10 in two parts for six mana, Armada Wurm? YEAH!) Or does everyone expect it so they build the 8+ Terminus deck to eat me arse out?
I don't know. I do know playing Elves will get the elves killed because everyone kills elves. So there's no point. Wait for turn 2 naturally and cast Far Seek, ya know? It'd also allow for a clever splash of any colour I want, seeing there's a nonForest nonBasic of whatever colour you'd like, say W for the definate ability to Terminus?
Though Terminus and Armada Wurm in the same deck == the sillies.
The options are great, powerful and all look enticing. Nothing looks as good as just playing super control and nuking the board until I can drop my large slow lads that just glomp up the ground. This suggests some kind of 4-colour deck, though I REALLY don't think the decks can support it, and Far Seek would only half fix that.
So that's my position, and I'm torn. I've come full circle to love Slaughter Games again, and I know plenty of people wouldn't even consider it legitimate, so being suddenly pants'd in game 1 by this "horrible card" would do loads to tilt an unwary opponent.
But I can't shake the idea that there's something more consistent out there, that everyone else is playing. Is that the Rogue calling me, "Fooox... it's a good, clever, but above all legitimate idea...!"
I certainly hope not, will keep you posted.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Monday, October 22, 2012
Oh God we've been rude!
It's been a while (you don't say) but we've been busy! We are testing, a lot, and we'll have the story to tell longer and better once it settles down, I guess. The basics have been simple enough. Build what you think is good, play. Does it win? good, now find another angle, build and play that, and then battle against itself and each other. What's the weaknesses? Do we see any emerging "simply better" play styles or decks?
In the beginning, g/w lost to wrath. Still true, but it's quite savage when it's full tilt.
Blue white miracles is still and will always be a thing, but then again "randomly, off the top" will also be, and sometimes that fails to show up.
What have I done?
After my silly performance at the GPT in Gosford (I got a good article outta horrid player behaviour) I took it apart and we looked at the day. I fear I'm repeating myself, so I'll just summarise that I thought double up Chandra/Slaughter Games would be a great deck to try out.
And it was. I took it to FNM, lost round 1 against control (HOW!?) and then won the next three rounds against varying aggro/tribal decks. Fun, all round, but when you go Slaughter Games it's fun. When you drop Chandra, ping a dork and stabilise, then double Slaughter Games the next turn it's even more fun, but your opponent's quickly get the idea that your deck isn't sporting, well not really even though the card exists, and plays rather more of a "stop hitting yourself" kind of game.
One opponent, on Golgari 'fun stuff' (by fun stuff I mean cards the player just liked and enjoyed, so they played that), commented that it wasn't really fun to apart his own cards, seeing I used Mindclaw Shaman to cast his Jarad's Orders (failing to find the second creature, so I just fished out that nice 2/2 Goblin), then when he cast his Demon of 6/6 tap down I stole it with my topdecked Nicol Bolas. Anything left in the deck I stole away completely with Slaughter Games, so he felt rather like he didn't enjoy losing to his own stuff. He was an awful good sport though, not getting irate when going after Tamiyo and missing, when he used Death-Rite Shaman to "kill her off", only to be informed about the redirect damage rules not working for "life loss", only damage.
That was week 1. Week 2 went far worse, when match 1 I was against the very same opponent, and he'd listened to ALL my advice and had a much more formidable deck. I didn't get my awesome starts, he didn't get his demon at me too quickly, and we end up drawing the round.
I'm paired up and lose when my opponent simply rips me a new one with green white monsters, Angels and Ajani. Slaughter Games, thou art too slow!
Round 3 I'm against my mate who I offer to sign the slip before the match is started. He's playing a silly 1/1 attackers deck, with Lily as pump, only her pump occurs once before she needs to refill. Chandra against these "little creatures" deck is really good, especially as a PW hidden behind the Hover Barrier, she clicks up to her ultimate (and beyond, not point losing her) quite regularly, especially when you've had the chance to Slaughter Games and know exactly how to play around their hand contents/what they might play.
Round 4 I'm trounced by Spirits that aren't targetable, and Mizzium Mortars that are too slow. 7 mana to nuke the board? Didn't really happen, and turn 2 Invisible Stalker beats turn 3 Slaughter Games anyway.
So off that FNM I decided to retire the idea, figuring it was a better Modern deck. Not that decks aren't that quick, but I think of the deck fondly, but mostly as a "cute filler" that fills a space not considered by the more popular/winning decks.
Don't get me wrong -- being able to hit with Slaughter Games is such a gain on information I'm entertaining running it for games 1, but games 1 only. Games 2/3 sure they've sideboarded, but 45 cards at the least must remain the same, plus you'll recognise the deck, then know the match up. Who knows? The idea, while great and powerful, is still too inconsistent. When I had nothing in hand but the Slaughter Games, or when they had double removal for Hover Barriers #1 and #2 it was just curtains after some more "umming" and "ahhing" from me.
So I conversed with James and Ammy, and decided that the team would all play different decks. Rather than an agreed upon "best deck" we'd all play our own brand of deck, allowing our prefered play style to offer up extra skill, allowing us to perform our best, rather than to let the deck's do the main load of work.
So considering that I'm returning to the blue/white/red build from the GPT. Yes, that means two weeks of "wasted" testing, on Slaughter Games and not "Murdoch Control", but that's OK by me. It meant I tried something, got out there, and saw that it worked and then didn't. It also doesn't change what I'm taking with me to NZ, which is all the Standard cards that I own. All together we'll have the meat of the cards that we all need, allowing us to build on the spot whatever's desired. Maybe not perfectly, but James/Ammy are arriving a few days before me, so getting the cards we need (1 Tamiyo, please!) won't prove too hard.
In the mean time, I'm going to write an article about all the current mechanics in Standard, how they work and how to fight them. Hopefully food for thought for all the people attending, or to help with deck building ideas.
Who knows, I may end up running Slaughter Games at the GP anyway!
Fox out.
In the beginning, g/w lost to wrath. Still true, but it's quite savage when it's full tilt.
Blue white miracles is still and will always be a thing, but then again "randomly, off the top" will also be, and sometimes that fails to show up.
What have I done?
After my silly performance at the GPT in Gosford (I got a good article outta horrid player behaviour) I took it apart and we looked at the day. I fear I'm repeating myself, so I'll just summarise that I thought double up Chandra/Slaughter Games would be a great deck to try out.
And it was. I took it to FNM, lost round 1 against control (HOW!?) and then won the next three rounds against varying aggro/tribal decks. Fun, all round, but when you go Slaughter Games it's fun. When you drop Chandra, ping a dork and stabilise, then double Slaughter Games the next turn it's even more fun, but your opponent's quickly get the idea that your deck isn't sporting, well not really even though the card exists, and plays rather more of a "stop hitting yourself" kind of game.
One opponent, on Golgari 'fun stuff' (by fun stuff I mean cards the player just liked and enjoyed, so they played that), commented that it wasn't really fun to apart his own cards, seeing I used Mindclaw Shaman to cast his Jarad's Orders (failing to find the second creature, so I just fished out that nice 2/2 Goblin), then when he cast his Demon of 6/6 tap down I stole it with my topdecked Nicol Bolas. Anything left in the deck I stole away completely with Slaughter Games, so he felt rather like he didn't enjoy losing to his own stuff. He was an awful good sport though, not getting irate when going after Tamiyo and missing, when he used Death-Rite Shaman to "kill her off", only to be informed about the redirect damage rules not working for "life loss", only damage.
That was week 1. Week 2 went far worse, when match 1 I was against the very same opponent, and he'd listened to ALL my advice and had a much more formidable deck. I didn't get my awesome starts, he didn't get his demon at me too quickly, and we end up drawing the round.
I'm paired up and lose when my opponent simply rips me a new one with green white monsters, Angels and Ajani. Slaughter Games, thou art too slow!
Round 3 I'm against my mate who I offer to sign the slip before the match is started. He's playing a silly 1/1 attackers deck, with Lily as pump, only her pump occurs once before she needs to refill. Chandra against these "little creatures" deck is really good, especially as a PW hidden behind the Hover Barrier, she clicks up to her ultimate (and beyond, not point losing her) quite regularly, especially when you've had the chance to Slaughter Games and know exactly how to play around their hand contents/what they might play.
Round 4 I'm trounced by Spirits that aren't targetable, and Mizzium Mortars that are too slow. 7 mana to nuke the board? Didn't really happen, and turn 2 Invisible Stalker beats turn 3 Slaughter Games anyway.
So off that FNM I decided to retire the idea, figuring it was a better Modern deck. Not that decks aren't that quick, but I think of the deck fondly, but mostly as a "cute filler" that fills a space not considered by the more popular/winning decks.
Don't get me wrong -- being able to hit with Slaughter Games is such a gain on information I'm entertaining running it for games 1, but games 1 only. Games 2/3 sure they've sideboarded, but 45 cards at the least must remain the same, plus you'll recognise the deck, then know the match up. Who knows? The idea, while great and powerful, is still too inconsistent. When I had nothing in hand but the Slaughter Games, or when they had double removal for Hover Barriers #1 and #2 it was just curtains after some more "umming" and "ahhing" from me.
So I conversed with James and Ammy, and decided that the team would all play different decks. Rather than an agreed upon "best deck" we'd all play our own brand of deck, allowing our prefered play style to offer up extra skill, allowing us to perform our best, rather than to let the deck's do the main load of work.
So considering that I'm returning to the blue/white/red build from the GPT. Yes, that means two weeks of "wasted" testing, on Slaughter Games and not "Murdoch Control", but that's OK by me. It meant I tried something, got out there, and saw that it worked and then didn't. It also doesn't change what I'm taking with me to NZ, which is all the Standard cards that I own. All together we'll have the meat of the cards that we all need, allowing us to build on the spot whatever's desired. Maybe not perfectly, but James/Ammy are arriving a few days before me, so getting the cards we need (1 Tamiyo, please!) won't prove too hard.
In the mean time, I'm going to write an article about all the current mechanics in Standard, how they work and how to fight them. Hopefully food for thought for all the people attending, or to help with deck building ideas.
Who knows, I may end up running Slaughter Games at the GP anyway!
Fox out.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Open all writers!
Just a quick note. I've changed the account settings, so you'll see posts from Fox Murdoch, as well as JDNoice, Ammonium and iRony now, not just Fox. This is great, because I don't know when you'll see updates! Who knows, maybe some crackers deck that I'm not privy too, which we battle in the Top 2 and I lose to a fellow teammate. Hilarious.
In the latest news, tonight is FNM again, which is about the 3rd last before GP Auckland itself. I'm counting down the FNMs obviously as a kind of testing ground, but also as a good way to just get that whiff of the metagame that I'm expecting. The problem is I'm using a smallish sample from the western suburbs of Sydney, surely that's going to be different from the Auckland of New Zealand?
I don't think it matters too much. When everyone comes together, there's an accepted "right" and "not so right" way to do things, that is competitive or casually. Lots of players show up at a GP for the fun, so their decks aren't honed and they don't mind coming where they come. Others are built for violence and winning, and will likely go winwinwinwinwinwinwinwiwniwniwiwn day 2 top 8. It's the day 2 people that will matter more, I think, so simply see what the CARDS themselves are spawning (in terms of deck ideas that work, as well as colour combinations that are being championed) and to then respond to that. For example I don't expect to fight ANY Orzhov. If someone does show up with a clever black/white deck, it'll have inferior lands seeing they tap for a turn and don't abuse the ridiculous easy three-colour mana bases available to us.
I'd like to test Grixis tonight, but depending on numbers I make take another Travis Woo build to the red zone. It's Dirt Cheap Dirty Red, and you can find it here: http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/woo-brews-dirt-cheap-dirty-red/
After tonight there is only two FNMs left, though Blacktown does run a thursday night's worth of Magic, so that's another potential testing ground.
Expect more always!
In the latest news, tonight is FNM again, which is about the 3rd last before GP Auckland itself. I'm counting down the FNMs obviously as a kind of testing ground, but also as a good way to just get that whiff of the metagame that I'm expecting. The problem is I'm using a smallish sample from the western suburbs of Sydney, surely that's going to be different from the Auckland of New Zealand?
I don't think it matters too much. When everyone comes together, there's an accepted "right" and "not so right" way to do things, that is competitive or casually. Lots of players show up at a GP for the fun, so their decks aren't honed and they don't mind coming where they come. Others are built for violence and winning, and will likely go winwinwinwinwinwinwinwiwniwniwiwn day 2 top 8. It's the day 2 people that will matter more, I think, so simply see what the CARDS themselves are spawning (in terms of deck ideas that work, as well as colour combinations that are being championed) and to then respond to that. For example I don't expect to fight ANY Orzhov. If someone does show up with a clever black/white deck, it'll have inferior lands seeing they tap for a turn and don't abuse the ridiculous easy three-colour mana bases available to us.
I'd like to test Grixis tonight, but depending on numbers I make take another Travis Woo build to the red zone. It's Dirt Cheap Dirty Red, and you can find it here: http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/woo-brews-dirt-cheap-dirty-red/
After tonight there is only two FNMs left, though Blacktown does run a thursday night's worth of Magic, so that's another potential testing ground.
Expect more always!
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
You don't say? We do.
So in the latest news, the GPT for Gosford has been and gone and we have success! Well that is, Ammy has success. She won the thing, got the byes, so well done to her. That means the team atleast has a first round bye, and there's a chance James will make the top of this weeks event at Mega Games, Penrith, which is sealed.
Sunday is another event, which I'll have the joy of attending thanks to not working.
The write up of the GPT is going up on Good Games once I finish writing it tonight, so for you dedicated and long haired giant co-players, I'm going to quickly put up a pick and rumourise about what's good.
My blue red white was fun and cute but never sculpted enough. James' white/green really packed a punch, but died after he saw any kind of wrath. Ammy's deck was controlly, slow and really packed a punch with it's angels, whenever they randomly showed up, and Ammy just had the ability to take each round and win.
Discussing her win afterwards we came to the idea that the deck itself wasn't super great, but the meta was just well positioned for it. There was no control that wasn't either worse (mine) or just easy to play around (who isn't holding a Syncopate when they pass with two up?) and some lucky Angels for, say, 9!
I don't think that matters as much, the meta, compared to how well Ammy just seems to play all the time. For such a young player (young in years of playing, not age) shes consistently good, also winning a grinder at Melbourne GPT earlier this year.
We also talked about what we like. I like the stupidly powerful creatures there are when uncontested, so green white. I like white and blues ability to mess with everyone, and just save creatures. We must take into account that Terminus is a Wrath for W, seeing you can ramp up, bump your hand and be comPLETEly undone for a teeny tiny W. One card, one mana, no creature pressure. Although that must lead to "kept pressure" of Thragtusk, but a 3/3 is obviously preferable to a board of bash. The biggest "creature" is the Wurm that's a 10/10 for 6. In two bodies, withOUT the same name so Detention Sphere only half answers it. Sweepers answer it, or another "bigger" threatening thing. More on that later.
The Zombie threat is no longer really relevant I think, because the Pillar of Flame/Terminus 8-suite really deters anyone from playing, and if they do, they're immediately met with proper irriversible counters. So ha, right?
Ditto control, anything they'd like to keep has to deal with spells that say "I can't be countered, actually," so that must be taken into account.
That's my experience and I'm sticking to it. So seeing all of the above, I've got two ideas. What is proactive, expects a catastrophic turn, then rebuilds and hopes for no repeat show. That's BANT, which isn't new at all, and well supported, and allows the flex and muscle of green and white to be upheld, and not simply fall apart without the support of blue.
The second deck is completely the opposite, hoping to abuse the mother-lovin' SHIT out of Slaughter Games. You want my opinion of it? Wait for my report on the GPT, round 2. It made me lame and mute for the first time in Magic playing. Not a "wow, that's huge and great!" kind of way, but more "there is no response for this."
It's Grixis Control, and it uses a lot of things to make the board really complicated and sticky. Rather than Terminus/Pillar of Flame to deal with creatures permanently, we're just going to cast about 8 Slaughter Games, off of Snapcaster Mage for 5-8, and after the first Slaugher Games in game 1 we'll know exactly what to play, forever. There's a picture, and it's got the cards I want to include, but we haven't a list yet.
The obvious test is to build the two decks and fight them against each other, and they pit both against lesser versions of themselves, Angels, and Zombies, Golgari and other random junk that wont do anything.
Stormtide Leviathan. The card deserves a mention as an unsung hero, seeing it can rip apart an offensive nonflying team, as you'll find in the Selesnya decks. What can they do about it apart from Oblivion Ring? And we'll have ways to bounce it to allow the dealing with that.
Now how do I attach pictures?
Sunday is another event, which I'll have the joy of attending thanks to not working.
The write up of the GPT is going up on Good Games once I finish writing it tonight, so for you dedicated and long haired giant co-players, I'm going to quickly put up a pick and rumourise about what's good.
My blue red white was fun and cute but never sculpted enough. James' white/green really packed a punch, but died after he saw any kind of wrath. Ammy's deck was controlly, slow and really packed a punch with it's angels, whenever they randomly showed up, and Ammy just had the ability to take each round and win.
Discussing her win afterwards we came to the idea that the deck itself wasn't super great, but the meta was just well positioned for it. There was no control that wasn't either worse (mine) or just easy to play around (who isn't holding a Syncopate when they pass with two up?) and some lucky Angels for, say, 9!
I don't think that matters as much, the meta, compared to how well Ammy just seems to play all the time. For such a young player (young in years of playing, not age) shes consistently good, also winning a grinder at Melbourne GPT earlier this year.
We also talked about what we like. I like the stupidly powerful creatures there are when uncontested, so green white. I like white and blues ability to mess with everyone, and just save creatures. We must take into account that Terminus is a Wrath for W, seeing you can ramp up, bump your hand and be comPLETEly undone for a teeny tiny W. One card, one mana, no creature pressure. Although that must lead to "kept pressure" of Thragtusk, but a 3/3 is obviously preferable to a board of bash. The biggest "creature" is the Wurm that's a 10/10 for 6. In two bodies, withOUT the same name so Detention Sphere only half answers it. Sweepers answer it, or another "bigger" threatening thing. More on that later.
The Zombie threat is no longer really relevant I think, because the Pillar of Flame/Terminus 8-suite really deters anyone from playing, and if they do, they're immediately met with proper irriversible counters. So ha, right?
Ditto control, anything they'd like to keep has to deal with spells that say "I can't be countered, actually," so that must be taken into account.
That's my experience and I'm sticking to it. So seeing all of the above, I've got two ideas. What is proactive, expects a catastrophic turn, then rebuilds and hopes for no repeat show. That's BANT, which isn't new at all, and well supported, and allows the flex and muscle of green and white to be upheld, and not simply fall apart without the support of blue.
The second deck is completely the opposite, hoping to abuse the mother-lovin' SHIT out of Slaughter Games. You want my opinion of it? Wait for my report on the GPT, round 2. It made me lame and mute for the first time in Magic playing. Not a "wow, that's huge and great!" kind of way, but more "there is no response for this."
It's Grixis Control, and it uses a lot of things to make the board really complicated and sticky. Rather than Terminus/Pillar of Flame to deal with creatures permanently, we're just going to cast about 8 Slaughter Games, off of Snapcaster Mage for 5-8, and after the first Slaugher Games in game 1 we'll know exactly what to play, forever. There's a picture, and it's got the cards I want to include, but we haven't a list yet.
The obvious test is to build the two decks and fight them against each other, and they pit both against lesser versions of themselves, Angels, and Zombies, Golgari and other random junk that wont do anything.
Stormtide Leviathan. The card deserves a mention as an unsung hero, seeing it can rip apart an offensive nonflying team, as you'll find in the Selesnya decks. What can they do about it apart from Oblivion Ring? And we'll have ways to bounce it to allow the dealing with that.
Now how do I attach pictures?
Saturday, October 6, 2012
GPT Gosford (3 decklists)
OK so today, team You Don't Say are seated at GPT Gosford, waiting to start. We've got the armada wurm deck (JNoice as pilot) the blue white red anti-zombies (yours truly) and Ammiracles (miracles, Ammy), while iRony judges an event miles away.
Here's the decklists, I'll try and write a report after each round. At the moment, 8 have shown up so yay!
"Non-bies" is meant to play 8 main answers to Zombies, and board into quick beaters against the mirror/control. I don't assume they'll leave their removal in for the match up, so yay. Originally have Supersonic Dragon in, but changed them for Hellkite when you realise the stats are obv better.
4 Hallowed Fountain
4 Steam Vents
2 Glacial Fortress
1 Clifftop Retreats
1 Sulfur Falls
1 Cavern of Souls
5 Island
5 Plains
2 Mountain
---
25 lands
4 Steam Vents
2 Glacial Fortress
1 Clifftop Retreats
1 Sulfur Falls
1 Cavern of Souls
5 Island
5 Plains
2 Mountain
---
25 lands
4 Lyev Skyknight
2 Geist of St Traft
2 New Prahv Guildmage
2 Thundermaw Hellkite
1 Angel of Serenity
---
11 creatures
2 Geist of St Traft
2 New Prahv Guildmage
2 Thundermaw Hellkite
1 Angel of Serenity
---
11 creatures
4 Terminus
4 Pillar of Flame
3 Jace Architect of Thought
3 Detention Sphere
3 Izzet Charm
2 Thoughtflare
2 Azorious Keyrune
1 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
1 Oblivion Ring
1 Amass the Components
---
24 other
3 Knight of Glory
2 Supreme Verdict
2 Rest in Peace
2 Outwit
1 Zealous Conscripts
1 Vandalblast
1 Detention Sphere
1 Fall of the Gavel
1 Snapcaster Mage
1 Mizzium Mortars
---
15 others
The next deck is James', that we tested last night that I couldn't deal with unless I have WRATH x8!! So that's why Terminus danced a lot between main and sideboard for me. James ramps, gets out 5/5 Wurms that you can't deal with save wraths, then wins. It's cute and strong, and I like it. Even Jace/Tamiyo are useless against it because they don't deal with both halves. Here it is, "Value Town." (Gavony Township is nicknamed Super Town after I couldn't remember the name.)
James’ Value Town
8 Forest
2 Plains
4 Temple Garden
4 Sunpetal Grove
4 Gavony Township
2 Cavern of Souls
---
24 lands
2 Plains
4 Temple Garden
4 Sunpetal Grove
4 Gavony Township
2 Cavern of Souls
---
24 lands
4 Arbor Elf
4 Avacyn’s Pilgrim
4 Restoration Angel
4 Thragtusk
3 Loxodon Smiter
3 Borderland Ranger
2 Armada Wurm
2 Trostani, Selesyna’s Voice
2 Sigarda Super Awesome blocker
---
26 creatures
26 creatures
4 Farseek
2 Selesnya Charm
2 Oblivion Ring
---
8 other
2 Selesnya Charm
2 Oblivion Ring
---
8 other
3 Garruk, Primal Hunter
3 Centaur Healers
2 Wolfir Silverheart
2 Rest in Peace
2 Sigarda
1 Acidic Slime
1 Mikaeus, thte Lunarch
1 Selesnya Charm
3 Centaur Healers
2 Wolfir Silverheart
2 Rest in Peace
2 Sigarda
1 Acidic Slime
1 Mikaeus, thte Lunarch
1 Selesnya Charm
-- 15 SB
Ammonium's deck is blue white planeswalkers.
Ammonium's deck is blue white planeswalkers.
4 Glacial Fortress
4 Hallowed Fountain
3 Azorious Guildgate
8 Island
3 Plains
3 Seraph Sanctum
1 Ghost Quarter
---
26 lands
2 Snapcaster Mage
1 Drogskol Reaver
---
3 creatures
4 Jace, Architect of Thought
3 Terminus
3 Entreat the Angels
3 Supreme Pizza
3 Think Twice
2 Cyclonic Rift
2 Azorious Keyrune
2 Sphinx's Revelation
2 Dissipate
2 Negate
2 Thoughtscour
2 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
1 Detention Sphere
---
31 others
SIDEBOARD
3 Geist of St Traft
3 Feeling of Dread
2 Erase
2 Tormod's Crypt
2 Jace Memory Adept
1 Dissipate
1 Angel of Glory's Rise
1 Purify the Grave
At the moment we're waiting to start, and I'm trying to convince Ammonium to take out the Seraph's Sanctums for 2 Ghost Quarter and 1 Azorious Guildgate.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Tested, kinda.
After a very quick goldfish test, I've taken out the Terminus. Just two, but there was never a good time to cast it without having my own team swept along too, if they weren't the Azorious Keyrunes. The Runes are great, allowing for a lot of 'safe' power to hide in plain site. With the cards I have, I substituted a few cards, and Azorious Charm in place of Izzet Charm wasn't good. Without other monsters to use all three abilities against, I always cycled it.
The lands weren't bad but a few times I was hungry for red mana (maybe 2 Izzet Keyrunes? NAAAH) but having an army, then adding four to it with Supersonic Dragon was great. Though seeing I've only got 2 Dragons/Goblin Rally it didn't really go off and my aerial attack was always the quickest route. If I proxied the full playsets would it be different? Who cares, the "sudden Goblins" at about as much impact as the "hidden in plain sight until needed" Azorious Keyrunes, which really are great. Did I mention that? I think I'm in love!
Also the draw four, discard two is bonkers. Just nuts. That's great. If you don't need to, hold out on your Izzet Charms loot mode, and just use the above. I think two is right (of the draw four) with still four of the Izzet. This is exciting!
ON ANOTHER NOTE
I organised my cards and realised that the sets make a complete circle of colours (as opposed to last time, 4 3 and 3 didn't allow it) but it's also based solely around the good brainy colours (white blue red) and the evil savage colours (green black red). Of course it makes for a good story, and shows both sides of the same evil!
Then I thought, wait I'm being biased and only seeing the colours I wanna see. It was true! You could say red was the evilest colour, using ruthless black and cold, calculating blue. Black's allies, but reds in the middle. And on the other side? White gets it's buddies, green and blue! This really speaks to an opposites theme, seeing red is chaos and white is order. With buddies both to back them up in their aims!
Just wanted to point that out as a great bonus of the set. Even the way the guilds are represented tell an awesome story.
The lands weren't bad but a few times I was hungry for red mana (maybe 2 Izzet Keyrunes? NAAAH) but having an army, then adding four to it with Supersonic Dragon was great. Though seeing I've only got 2 Dragons/Goblin Rally it didn't really go off and my aerial attack was always the quickest route. If I proxied the full playsets would it be different? Who cares, the "sudden Goblins" at about as much impact as the "hidden in plain sight until needed" Azorious Keyrunes, which really are great. Did I mention that? I think I'm in love!
Also the draw four, discard two is bonkers. Just nuts. That's great. If you don't need to, hold out on your Izzet Charms loot mode, and just use the above. I think two is right (of the draw four) with still four of the Izzet. This is exciting!
ON ANOTHER NOTE
I organised my cards and realised that the sets make a complete circle of colours (as opposed to last time, 4 3 and 3 didn't allow it) but it's also based solely around the good brainy colours (white blue red) and the evil savage colours (green black red). Of course it makes for a good story, and shows both sides of the same evil!
Then I thought, wait I'm being biased and only seeing the colours I wanna see. It was true! You could say red was the evilest colour, using ruthless black and cold, calculating blue. Black's allies, but reds in the middle. And on the other side? White gets it's buddies, green and blue! This really speaks to an opposites theme, seeing red is chaos and white is order. With buddies both to back them up in their aims!
Just wanted to point that out as a great bonus of the set. Even the way the guilds are represented tell an awesome story.
Ravnica upon us
Hallo readers. What's hip?
Return to Ravnica is here. That's pretty big. I enjoyed two flights at Mega Games, penrith, as Izzet then Azorious. The most of that was written in my good games article, which can be read here: http://community.goodgames.com.au/
And now testing has begun! JDNoice and Ammonium are already testing, but I had to skip it on account of today's public holiday status. Public transport for two hours on a normal day turns into a life sentence when it's public holiday timing.
We cracked some good cards between us all, but I feel the strongest pull towards blue/white with a sub theme blue/red. Not surprising. The main punch of the deck will the aggressive version of the blue/white creatures from the deck I rumourised about previously, also including Supersonic Dragon for fast punches outta nowhere and Goblin Rally. At instant speed, that card is great fun.
Terminus, I love it too much to leave out, so that's staying in, as well as 4 of the Azorious Keyrune because Wrath/animate/bash is always so good. Especially when you sweep zombies under the rub, taking no extra damage. A list:
4 Steam Vents
4 Hallowed Fountain
6 Islands
6 Plains
2 Izzet Guildgate
2 Azorious Guildgate
---
24 lands
4 Judge's Familiar
4 Knight of Glory (I figured the pro black, in an early aggressive meta would be free wins)
4 Lyev Skyknight (this over Arctic Aven because it really allows the first two beats to continue, adding while applying pressure.
4 Supersonic Dragon
---
16 creatures
4 Goblin Rally
4 Terminus
4 Azorious Keyrune
4 Detention Sphere.
4 Izzet Charm
---
20 other
Gone is the "cutesy poo" combo of Voidstalker and Index. While Index is occasionally useful, it's no good when you see awful, and still don't have a Voidstalker ready. Stalker itself is good as proper removal, seeing the offending creature is actually removed from the battlefield. Sure they might come back, but just play another one!
I imagine a sideboard would get down to really ridiculous beatdown, featuring the colour based artifact to give us a 3/3 flyer on turn 2. It sounds great to me.
It is possible that New Prahv Guildmage is the better two drop, but I can't shake the idea that everyone's favourite multi colour bashers will be everywhere, so Rakdos and Golgari, you don't say.
sideboard:
4 Civic Saber (do note, does not pump toughness)
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Supreme Verdict
3 Essence Backlash
3 Annihilating Fire
3 Izzet Staticaster
Maybe that. Yes this list specifically ignores a lot of the actual Standard environment, but seeing so much of it dissappeared over night, there's not really a Standard to build against. I'm going to start attending more FNM now too, seeing the evolution of the Standard environment is going to be super critical, and watching it's every move will be reported here.
At the moment, code fun.
Thanks for reading.
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