without Apprentice was five months too long.
Both of the combo decks I goldfished today sport Stifle-Nought with FOW backup as an alternate "oops" win condition.
Let's play for money.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Getting older...
What if all the cards you remember playing with when you first learned about magic were suddenly legal again? Now, what if I told you they were? Pretty exciting to say the least. Now that I have your attention, I have a special treat for you today. Most of you know that when I write over here it's usually tournament features or deck features (which I haven't done in a while). Today, we're going to dive head first into the format known as Legacy.
Dan is usually good for random deck shout outs and event breakdowns from Legacy, but recently Starcitygames.com announced their plans for the Starcity Open Series. Expanding on the popular 5k series from the past few years they've added more dates across the US and made it so that every date is now 2 days with Standard and Legacy being featured. Players with enough points at the end of the year are eligible to compete in the Starcitygames.com Invitational to close the year. This means more people playing Legacy and a push to make Legacy a relevant format. So, why should we play Legacy?
Pete Hoefling describes Legacy as "the best format you're not playing" and I have to agree. You see, unlike Standard and Extended, Legacy is a very open format. Sure some decks are better than others, but it's the variety and diversity of Legacy that is the pure draw of the format. Many cards that may have been forgotten long ago by tournament grinders and people with pro level aspirations make an appearance and some are pretty successful. Think about how much fun you had playing with Survival of the Fittest on your kitchen table. Now, imagine winning some cash while playing those same Survivals.
ISN'T LEGACY REALLY EXPENSIVE TO PLAY?
Initially it can seem that way. A lot of the cost upfront comes from buying all the ABUR dual lands and Force of Wills. After that you don't need them anymore. So while you're buying the latest hot standard cards trying to keep up with an ever changing meta game the Legacy players who bought duals 6 years ago are still playing with those duals. Sure, you have to keep up with the new sets so you can continue to innovate your deck, but Legacy doesn't feature the same overhauls that Standard features. So, while it may seems expensive for a brand new Legacy player, the cost for being competitive isn't nearly as daunting as Standard.
WHY SHOULD I CARE ABOUT LEGACY?
Like it or not, this format is becoming relevant. With the newly minted Starcitygames.com open series along with this year's Grand Prix schedule we now have more chances than ever to play Legacy. Given the success of the 5k series in the past, this years outlook seems bright. I would expect more people to be playing magic this year than ever before as such more people will be playing Legacy than ever before. Did I mention how much fun this format is to play?
HOW CAN I FIND A DECK TO PLAY?
Finding a Legacy deck is as easy as looking for one. Deckcheck.net is an excellent resource for finding a deck to begin with. Be careful though, watch the dates and amount of people playing in an event when looking at deck lists. While, that False Cure/Skyshroud Cutter deck looks neat and won last week, the event only had 12 players. Also, mtgthesource.com is a forum dedicated to Legacy with lots of loyal readers and posters who can help you out with your list while sharing their current list. They've also broken down the top decks in the format usually with a primer for learning to play them.
WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT LEGACY?
Obviously with the open series we'll be featuring a little more Legacy content. Already, Dan has been providing you with interesting decks and analysis on them. Starcitygames.com features 2 weekly Legacy writers on the free side. Combo that with mtgthesource.com and deckcheck.net and you have lots of resources to learn this format. Also, our podcast, DrawGo Radio is featuring more Legacy content complete with deck breakdowns and general information for being as good as you can be in Legacy.
Hopefully I've swayed you to the dark side of Magic. A land where Noble Hierarchs battle alongside Daze and Nimble Mongoose. A place where Grindstone and Progenitus are both competitive. in general, a place where combos battle big monsters and devastating control spells. Just a few games and I promise you'll be hooked just like the menfolk you could play!
Until next time,
Steven
Dan is usually good for random deck shout outs and event breakdowns from Legacy, but recently Starcitygames.com announced their plans for the Starcity Open Series. Expanding on the popular 5k series from the past few years they've added more dates across the US and made it so that every date is now 2 days with Standard and Legacy being featured. Players with enough points at the end of the year are eligible to compete in the Starcitygames.com Invitational to close the year. This means more people playing Legacy and a push to make Legacy a relevant format. So, why should we play Legacy?
Pete Hoefling describes Legacy as "the best format you're not playing" and I have to agree. You see, unlike Standard and Extended, Legacy is a very open format. Sure some decks are better than others, but it's the variety and diversity of Legacy that is the pure draw of the format. Many cards that may have been forgotten long ago by tournament grinders and people with pro level aspirations make an appearance and some are pretty successful. Think about how much fun you had playing with Survival of the Fittest on your kitchen table. Now, imagine winning some cash while playing those same Survivals.
ISN'T LEGACY REALLY EXPENSIVE TO PLAY?
Initially it can seem that way. A lot of the cost upfront comes from buying all the ABUR dual lands and Force of Wills. After that you don't need them anymore. So while you're buying the latest hot standard cards trying to keep up with an ever changing meta game the Legacy players who bought duals 6 years ago are still playing with those duals. Sure, you have to keep up with the new sets so you can continue to innovate your deck, but Legacy doesn't feature the same overhauls that Standard features. So, while it may seems expensive for a brand new Legacy player, the cost for being competitive isn't nearly as daunting as Standard.
WHY SHOULD I CARE ABOUT LEGACY?
Like it or not, this format is becoming relevant. With the newly minted Starcitygames.com open series along with this year's Grand Prix schedule we now have more chances than ever to play Legacy. Given the success of the 5k series in the past, this years outlook seems bright. I would expect more people to be playing magic this year than ever before as such more people will be playing Legacy than ever before. Did I mention how much fun this format is to play?
HOW CAN I FIND A DECK TO PLAY?
Finding a Legacy deck is as easy as looking for one. Deckcheck.net is an excellent resource for finding a deck to begin with. Be careful though, watch the dates and amount of people playing in an event when looking at deck lists. While, that False Cure/Skyshroud Cutter deck looks neat and won last week, the event only had 12 players. Also, mtgthesource.com is a forum dedicated to Legacy with lots of loyal readers and posters who can help you out with your list while sharing their current list. They've also broken down the top decks in the format usually with a primer for learning to play them.
WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT LEGACY?
Obviously with the open series we'll be featuring a little more Legacy content. Already, Dan has been providing you with interesting decks and analysis on them. Starcitygames.com features 2 weekly Legacy writers on the free side. Combo that with mtgthesource.com and deckcheck.net and you have lots of resources to learn this format. Also, our podcast, DrawGo Radio is featuring more Legacy content complete with deck breakdowns and general information for being as good as you can be in Legacy.
Hopefully I've swayed you to the dark side of Magic. A land where Noble Hierarchs battle alongside Daze and Nimble Mongoose. A place where Grindstone and Progenitus are both competitive. in general, a place where combos battle big monsters and devastating control spells. Just a few games and I promise you'll be hooked just like the menfolk you could play!
Until next time,
Steven
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
It's beautiful.
Dredge list with ACTUAL LANDS + Bloodghast and a transformative beatdown sideboard rocks an 80-man.
Boosh.
That Dark Painter list is a new one by me as well.
In a slightly smaller event, Entomb once again shows it is crazy.
Most of the time when I read Cunning Wish in Uwb Landstill lists I think it should be Vindicate. The tempo-loss of wishing seems huge when you're most vulnerable in the early game; by the time Wish gets awesome you should be all locked up anyway. But for Steven's benefit, here is a list that does basically everything we thought it should.
The rest of that Top 8 is worth looking at too just for the highly novel Loam list and a very strange Iggy/Belcher hybrid.
In other news, Survival of the Fittest turns me on, whether it be the Gbr variant with Thoughtseize, Therapy and potentially Recurring Nightmare, or the Bant/Exalted shenanigan.
Bant-wise though, this is my new crush.
Go ahead and click through to that Top 8 for an aggro Dark Depths list as well. Supercute!
Oh, and last thing: Did you know Noble Hierarch into Cold-Eyed Selkie is the play in Vintage right now? It's news to me, too, but color me excited.
Boosh.
That Dark Painter list is a new one by me as well.
In a slightly smaller event, Entomb once again shows it is crazy.
Most of the time when I read Cunning Wish in Uwb Landstill lists I think it should be Vindicate. The tempo-loss of wishing seems huge when you're most vulnerable in the early game; by the time Wish gets awesome you should be all locked up anyway. But for Steven's benefit, here is a list that does basically everything we thought it should.
The rest of that Top 8 is worth looking at too just for the highly novel Loam list and a very strange Iggy/Belcher hybrid.
In other news, Survival of the Fittest turns me on, whether it be the Gbr variant with Thoughtseize, Therapy and potentially Recurring Nightmare, or the Bant/Exalted shenanigan.
Bant-wise though, this is my new crush.
Go ahead and click through to that Top 8 for an aggro Dark Depths list as well. Supercute!
Oh, and last thing: Did you know Noble Hierarch into Cold-Eyed Selkie is the play in Vintage right now? It's news to me, too, but color me excited.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
PTQing in Nashville
After a less than stellar 5k run, I found myself sitting down the next day for a PTQ. We sit down for the player meeting and are informed that we have 211 strong leading to 8 rounds of sealed deck action. I get passed a pool that looks like this:
Blue
Cancel 2
Cosi's Trickster
Gomazoa
Lethargy Trap
Living Tsunami
Paralyzing Grasp 2
Roil Elemental
Shoal Serpent
Trapfinder's Trick
Welkin Tern 2
Whiplash Trap
Artifacts
Adventuring Gear
Blazing Torch
Expedition Map 2
Explorer's Scope
Spidersilk Net
Stonework Puma
Black
Blood Seeker 2
Bog Tatters
Crypt Ripper
Desecrated Earth
Giant Scorpion
Grim Discovery
Hagra Diabolist
Halo Hunter
Heartstabber Mosquito 2
Hideous End
Marsh Casualties
Surrakar Marauder
Vampire's Bite
Green
Beast Hunt
Grazing Gladeheart
Greenweaver Druid
Harrow
Lotus Cobra
Nissa's Chosen
Oran-Rief Recluse
Quest for the Gemblades
Savage Silhouette
Scythe Tiger
Tanglesap
Turntimber Basilisk
Turntimber Ranger
Vastwood Gorger
Vines of the Vastwood
Zendikar Farguide
White
Arrow Volley Trap
Brave the Elements
Cliff Threader
Kor Outfitter
Kor Sanctifiers
Narrow Escape
Ondu Cleric
Pillarfield Ox 2
Quest for the Holy Relic
Shieldmate's Blessing
Steppe Lynx
Lands
Greypelt Refuge
Jwar Isle Refuge
Scalding Tarn
Sejiri Refuge
Turntimber Grove
Red
Bladetusk Boar 2
Goblin Ruinblaster
Goblin Shortcutter
Goblin War Paint
Magma Rift 2
Molten Ravager
Murasa Pyromancer
Plated Geopede
Quest for Pure Flame
Ruinous Minotaur
Tuktuk Grunts
Unstable Footing
Burst Lightning
Nothing real impressive here aside from the money cards. Black immediately stood out as the color I really wanted to play as it had most of the removal and a solid rare in Halo Hunter. From there I had to find a second color. Blue seemed pretty good with a Roil Elemental, Paralyzing Grasp, Welkin Tern, and Cancel. Red had the Bladetusk Boars and Burst Lightning. White was fairly unplayable. In the end I chose to play Green. I had opened most of my favorite cards in green with a Harrow, Grazing Gladeheart, and Turntimber Ranger so I set about building and ended up with this.
Grazing Gladeheart
Harrow
Turntimber Ranger
Turntimber Basilisk
Nissa's Chosen
Quest for the Gemblades
Vines of the Vastwood
Zendikar Farguide
vastwood Gorger
Bog Tatters
Crypt Ripper
Giant Scorpion
Hagra Diabolist
Halo Hunter
2x Heartstabber Mosquito
Hideous End
Marsh Casualties
Surrakar Marauder
Stonework Puma
Expedition Map
Blazing Torch
10x Swamp
8x Forest
Pretty solid creature base and a fair bit of removal. Green also helped provide to help in fixing for the triple black Halo Hunter. The only card I felt I should play, but I didn't was Grim Discovery. After a few mind sludges I realized that maybe I wanted to get my guys back from the yard. So, how did it go?
Round 1 against Scott:
Scott told me he was a newer player and that he was playing in his first PTQ. I didn't write him off as such a novice and he didn't disappoint.
Game 1 he beats me around while I try to gain a stable board position. Then he shows me his bomb, Sphinx of Jwar Isle. I commit a few guys to the board, including a kicked oran-rief recluse and kicked heartstabber mosquito to kill some guys. Along the way I get a counter on Quest for the Gemblades and when he rumbles in with his Sphinx while I'm at 4 I send my recluse adventuring and take down the menace. I take game 1 a few turns later.
Game 2 he leaves my Gladeheart unchecked and I gain a pile. Halo Hunter hits the table for me and he retaliates with his Sphinx, but the life gain combined with the fact that my hunter hits harder seals game 2 for me.
Matches: 1-0 Games: 2-0
Round 2 against Curtis:
Game 1 he never really gets started. I play some guys and he plays some removal but not enough and Halo Hunter seals the deal.
Game 2 he hits Mind Sludge on 6 for my hand which included my Hunter. I try to recover but eventually just die.
Game 3 he hits Mind Sludge again, but this time he backs it up with a flurry of Hideous Ends, Marsh Casualties, and a Disfigure. I ask him what it's like to get such a removal heavy pool. He responds by telling me it's pretty nice. I figured that out.
M: 1-1 G: 3-2
Round 3 against Dillon:
Dillon is a local from back home and the match was pretty relaxed as such. We discussed Grand Prix plans for next season and possible Legacy decks while shuffling. Soon it was down to business.
Game 1 We trade blows with some dudes, then he shows me Day of Judgement. I rip Halo Hunter off the top and win. Lucky me...
Game 2 he has no answer for my turn 5 Halo and it goes the distance.
M: 2-1 G: 5-2
Round 4 against Rob:
Rob seemed like a pretty nice guy, and told me he misbuilt his sealed...
Game 1: Sure enough he was having some issues getting his mana online and it allowed me to bring the pain.
Game 2: We spend some time sideboarding and he comes back with all the black removed and playing better green spells. I mull to 6 and he smashes me in record time.
Game 3: Rob lands turn 2 Luminarch's Ascension. I play a guy on 3 that's dealt with, a guy on 4 that's dealt with, and 2 guys on 5 that are also dealt with. Luminarch activates and he beats me down with angels.
M: 2-2 G: 6-4
Here I faced a decision, I'm most likely out of contention for a top 8 spot, so I could drop and not feel bad. On the other hand, Saturday had ended badly and I could possibly make up some lost rating points if I won a few more matches. I decided to stay in until I took a 3rd loss.
Round 5 against Clay
Game 1 took a solid 30 minutes that ended with me decking him while having 1 card in my library and a massive creature stall on the ground.
Game 2 is a little better. He's playing red/white allies with a splash for hagra diabolist, I manage to play both my rares and then out dude him.
M: 3-2 G: 8-4
Round 6 against Thomas
Game 1 he plays 3 Journey to Nowhere hitting all of my good guys. Unfortunately for him, he didn't have a lot to work with outside of that and I still manage to pull it out.
Game 2 we battle for a while. He knocks me to 2 and I land Grazing Gladeheart and start playing some lands and getting back into the game. I start to draw my removal and make a comeback leaving him with a Torch Slinger equipped with a Machete and Adventuring Gear. He taps out main phase 1 for a KICKED(!) Conquerer's Pledge and swings with a 6/5 Slinger. I look at my hand, see my marsh casualties and decide to go to 2. Untap casualty the board away and swing with just enough to win.
M: 4-2 G: 10-4
Round 7 against Michael
I had the read on him from the last round when he played a friend and knew he was packing Hellkite Charger and a couple Mind Sludges.
Game 1 he gets a solid draw with Vampire Lacerator and Vampire Nighthawk. He out races me with his guys and beats me soundly.
Game 2 he lands Lacerator again and it deals a pile of damage, only this time it's to him. I take this one home with the assist.
Game 3 a couple of big swings take this one down for the home team.
M: 5-2 G: 12-5
So with a round to go I realize I can still prize with a win and that a couple of locals are in good shape to top 8. Time to close it out then.
Round 8 against Corey
Game 1 he plays some little guys and once they're out of the way I start swinging with mine. Halo Hunter creates another win on it's demon back.
Game 2 he lands Sphinx of Jwar Isle and I hit Halo Hunter. I land my Gladeheart just in time to allow me to win the race.
M: 6-2 G: 14-5
All said and done I manage a respectable 25th and regain the points lost from Saturday. One thing I noticed about Zendikar sealed over the course of the day is that the format isn't as fast as people think it is. Sure, you have a few matches where your opponent can kill you really fast, but the format can lend itself a control/midrange strategy if you get the proper cards. Unfortunately, the format leans heavily on the black side making black removal slightly less good, but only slightly. On the positive side of a heavy black sealed format you get cards like Bog Tatters as a maindeckable niche card.
Lastly, I would like to promote my other endeavors, mainly Draw Go Radio. Draw Go Radio is a podcast featuring myself, Carlos, Eric, and Tyler all of STD fame! Find us every week at DrawGoRadio.blip.tv or on iTunes by searching for DrawGo Radio. You can find our twitter feed @DrawGoRadio and become our fan on Facebook. Shameless self promotion over.
Until next time, turn 'em sideways
Steven
Blue
Cancel 2
Cosi's Trickster
Gomazoa
Lethargy Trap
Living Tsunami
Paralyzing Grasp 2
Roil Elemental
Shoal Serpent
Trapfinder's Trick
Welkin Tern 2
Whiplash Trap
Artifacts
Adventuring Gear
Blazing Torch
Expedition Map 2
Explorer's Scope
Spidersilk Net
Stonework Puma
Black
Blood Seeker 2
Bog Tatters
Crypt Ripper
Desecrated Earth
Giant Scorpion
Grim Discovery
Hagra Diabolist
Halo Hunter
Heartstabber Mosquito 2
Hideous End
Marsh Casualties
Surrakar Marauder
Vampire's Bite
Green
Beast Hunt
Grazing Gladeheart
Greenweaver Druid
Harrow
Lotus Cobra
Nissa's Chosen
Oran-Rief Recluse
Quest for the Gemblades
Savage Silhouette
Scythe Tiger
Tanglesap
Turntimber Basilisk
Turntimber Ranger
Vastwood Gorger
Vines of the Vastwood
Zendikar Farguide
White
Arrow Volley Trap
Brave the Elements
Cliff Threader
Kor Outfitter
Kor Sanctifiers
Narrow Escape
Ondu Cleric
Pillarfield Ox 2
Quest for the Holy Relic
Shieldmate's Blessing
Steppe Lynx
Lands
Greypelt Refuge
Jwar Isle Refuge
Scalding Tarn
Sejiri Refuge
Turntimber Grove
Red
Bladetusk Boar 2
Goblin Ruinblaster
Goblin Shortcutter
Goblin War Paint
Magma Rift 2
Molten Ravager
Murasa Pyromancer
Plated Geopede
Quest for Pure Flame
Ruinous Minotaur
Tuktuk Grunts
Unstable Footing
Burst Lightning
Nothing real impressive here aside from the money cards. Black immediately stood out as the color I really wanted to play as it had most of the removal and a solid rare in Halo Hunter. From there I had to find a second color. Blue seemed pretty good with a Roil Elemental, Paralyzing Grasp, Welkin Tern, and Cancel. Red had the Bladetusk Boars and Burst Lightning. White was fairly unplayable. In the end I chose to play Green. I had opened most of my favorite cards in green with a Harrow, Grazing Gladeheart, and Turntimber Ranger so I set about building and ended up with this.
Grazing Gladeheart
Harrow
Turntimber Ranger
Turntimber Basilisk
Nissa's Chosen
Quest for the Gemblades
Vines of the Vastwood
Zendikar Farguide
vastwood Gorger
Bog Tatters
Crypt Ripper
Giant Scorpion
Hagra Diabolist
Halo Hunter
2x Heartstabber Mosquito
Hideous End
Marsh Casualties
Surrakar Marauder
Stonework Puma
Expedition Map
Blazing Torch
10x Swamp
8x Forest
Pretty solid creature base and a fair bit of removal. Green also helped provide to help in fixing for the triple black Halo Hunter. The only card I felt I should play, but I didn't was Grim Discovery. After a few mind sludges I realized that maybe I wanted to get my guys back from the yard. So, how did it go?
Round 1 against Scott:
Scott told me he was a newer player and that he was playing in his first PTQ. I didn't write him off as such a novice and he didn't disappoint.
Game 1 he beats me around while I try to gain a stable board position. Then he shows me his bomb, Sphinx of Jwar Isle. I commit a few guys to the board, including a kicked oran-rief recluse and kicked heartstabber mosquito to kill some guys. Along the way I get a counter on Quest for the Gemblades and when he rumbles in with his Sphinx while I'm at 4 I send my recluse adventuring and take down the menace. I take game 1 a few turns later.
Game 2 he leaves my Gladeheart unchecked and I gain a pile. Halo Hunter hits the table for me and he retaliates with his Sphinx, but the life gain combined with the fact that my hunter hits harder seals game 2 for me.
Matches: 1-0 Games: 2-0
Round 2 against Curtis:
Game 1 he never really gets started. I play some guys and he plays some removal but not enough and Halo Hunter seals the deal.
Game 2 he hits Mind Sludge on 6 for my hand which included my Hunter. I try to recover but eventually just die.
Game 3 he hits Mind Sludge again, but this time he backs it up with a flurry of Hideous Ends, Marsh Casualties, and a Disfigure. I ask him what it's like to get such a removal heavy pool. He responds by telling me it's pretty nice. I figured that out.
M: 1-1 G: 3-2
Round 3 against Dillon:
Dillon is a local from back home and the match was pretty relaxed as such. We discussed Grand Prix plans for next season and possible Legacy decks while shuffling. Soon it was down to business.
Game 1 We trade blows with some dudes, then he shows me Day of Judgement. I rip Halo Hunter off the top and win. Lucky me...
Game 2 he has no answer for my turn 5 Halo and it goes the distance.
M: 2-1 G: 5-2
Round 4 against Rob:
Rob seemed like a pretty nice guy, and told me he misbuilt his sealed...
Game 1: Sure enough he was having some issues getting his mana online and it allowed me to bring the pain.
Game 2: We spend some time sideboarding and he comes back with all the black removed and playing better green spells. I mull to 6 and he smashes me in record time.
Game 3: Rob lands turn 2 Luminarch's Ascension. I play a guy on 3 that's dealt with, a guy on 4 that's dealt with, and 2 guys on 5 that are also dealt with. Luminarch activates and he beats me down with angels.
M: 2-2 G: 6-4
Here I faced a decision, I'm most likely out of contention for a top 8 spot, so I could drop and not feel bad. On the other hand, Saturday had ended badly and I could possibly make up some lost rating points if I won a few more matches. I decided to stay in until I took a 3rd loss.
Round 5 against Clay
Game 1 took a solid 30 minutes that ended with me decking him while having 1 card in my library and a massive creature stall on the ground.
Game 2 is a little better. He's playing red/white allies with a splash for hagra diabolist, I manage to play both my rares and then out dude him.
M: 3-2 G: 8-4
Round 6 against Thomas
Game 1 he plays 3 Journey to Nowhere hitting all of my good guys. Unfortunately for him, he didn't have a lot to work with outside of that and I still manage to pull it out.
Game 2 we battle for a while. He knocks me to 2 and I land Grazing Gladeheart and start playing some lands and getting back into the game. I start to draw my removal and make a comeback leaving him with a Torch Slinger equipped with a Machete and Adventuring Gear. He taps out main phase 1 for a KICKED(!) Conquerer's Pledge and swings with a 6/5 Slinger. I look at my hand, see my marsh casualties and decide to go to 2. Untap casualty the board away and swing with just enough to win.
M: 4-2 G: 10-4
Round 7 against Michael
I had the read on him from the last round when he played a friend and knew he was packing Hellkite Charger and a couple Mind Sludges.
Game 1 he gets a solid draw with Vampire Lacerator and Vampire Nighthawk. He out races me with his guys and beats me soundly.
Game 2 he lands Lacerator again and it deals a pile of damage, only this time it's to him. I take this one home with the assist.
Game 3 a couple of big swings take this one down for the home team.
M: 5-2 G: 12-5
So with a round to go I realize I can still prize with a win and that a couple of locals are in good shape to top 8. Time to close it out then.
Round 8 against Corey
Game 1 he plays some little guys and once they're out of the way I start swinging with mine. Halo Hunter creates another win on it's demon back.
Game 2 he lands Sphinx of Jwar Isle and I hit Halo Hunter. I land my Gladeheart just in time to allow me to win the race.
M: 6-2 G: 14-5
All said and done I manage a respectable 25th and regain the points lost from Saturday. One thing I noticed about Zendikar sealed over the course of the day is that the format isn't as fast as people think it is. Sure, you have a few matches where your opponent can kill you really fast, but the format can lend itself a control/midrange strategy if you get the proper cards. Unfortunately, the format leans heavily on the black side making black removal slightly less good, but only slightly. On the positive side of a heavy black sealed format you get cards like Bog Tatters as a maindeckable niche card.
Lastly, I would like to promote my other endeavors, mainly Draw Go Radio. Draw Go Radio is a podcast featuring myself, Carlos, Eric, and Tyler all of STD fame! Find us every week at DrawGoRadio.blip.tv or on iTunes by searching for DrawGo Radio. You can find our twitter feed @DrawGoRadio and become our fan on Facebook. Shameless self promotion over.
Until next time, turn 'em sideways
Steven
Thursday, November 12, 2009
WHAT IS
HIS 60TH CARD?!
http://www.deckcheck.net/deck.php?id=29607
My guess is Eternal Witness. Makes for cute Intuition piles where Volrath's Stronghold and Life From the Loam are concerned.
Hott.
http://www.deckcheck.net/deck.php?id=29607
My guess is Eternal Witness. Makes for cute Intuition piles where Volrath's Stronghold and Life From the Loam are concerned.
Hott.
Monday, November 2, 2009
This is
why I suddenly want Bitterblossoms:
Stalker-Faeries - 5/283.
Plus I think their current lull of $9 is a mistake due to the Standard rotation. The card is a Jitte, and $9 there was a mistake as well - one upon which I am glad to have seized.
Stalker-Faeries - 5/283.
Plus I think their current lull of $9 is a mistake due to the Standard rotation. The card is a Jitte, and $9 there was a mistake as well - one upon which I am glad to have seized.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
This top 8
is awesome.
And not just because it's the first statistically relevant top 8 on DeckCheck in like a month.
Here's a link to the neatest deck in it; you can click through for the other seven.
That's right; it's a motherfucking Show and Tell deck. That top 8'd a 40-man. It cheats Progenitus or Empyrial Archangel in on turn 2, usually with FOW or Daze backup, and runs 4 Mystical Tutors just to be certain. And if you're thinking of racing it, the guy effectively runs 8 Control Magics.
Holy shit that looks fun.
Then there's a competent if uninspired WW/u list, though I'd probably drop the fourth Avenger in favor of a fourth Mom. The sideboard Enlightened Tutor package is cute, if not tech, and it's always nice to see a WW/u/x list that doesn't think it has to include the whole FOW/Brainstorm/Standstill/WTFever package.
What else? Enlightened Tutor is less sexy in the Enchantress list that placed second... I just can't see tolerating the loss of card advantage being worth the potential consistency boost when you already have access to Sterling Grove.
Oh, and the Merfolk list that won it is fucking clean and beautiful at a perfect 20/20/20. And he boards Back to Basics like a champ which redeems the lack of catch-all temporary solution to permanents like Echoing Truth anywhere in the 75.
So yeah, lots of fun shit to think about, other than what fail it is to wish Gaddock Teeg and Cataclysm could play together, which is what I usually do lately.
In other news, come to the drunkdraft at Andrew's next weekend.
And blow me.
-D
And not just because it's the first statistically relevant top 8 on DeckCheck in like a month.
Here's a link to the neatest deck in it; you can click through for the other seven.
That's right; it's a motherfucking Show and Tell deck. That top 8'd a 40-man. It cheats Progenitus or Empyrial Archangel in on turn 2, usually with FOW or Daze backup, and runs 4 Mystical Tutors just to be certain. And if you're thinking of racing it, the guy effectively runs 8 Control Magics.
Holy shit that looks fun.
Then there's a competent if uninspired WW/u list, though I'd probably drop the fourth Avenger in favor of a fourth Mom. The sideboard Enlightened Tutor package is cute, if not tech, and it's always nice to see a WW/u/x list that doesn't think it has to include the whole FOW/Brainstorm/Standstill/WTFever package.
What else? Enlightened Tutor is less sexy in the Enchantress list that placed second... I just can't see tolerating the loss of card advantage being worth the potential consistency boost when you already have access to Sterling Grove.
Oh, and the Merfolk list that won it is fucking clean and beautiful at a perfect 20/20/20. And he boards Back to Basics like a champ which redeems the lack of catch-all temporary solution to permanents like Echoing Truth anywhere in the 75.
So yeah, lots of fun shit to think about, other than what fail it is to wish Gaddock Teeg and Cataclysm could play together, which is what I usually do lately.
In other news, come to the drunkdraft at Andrew's next weekend.
And blow me.
-D
Monday, July 27, 2009
Extended in Kentucky - SA
The Kentucky Open. Typically a defining tournament in US magic since it happens a week or two before Nationals. By now we've all read the various tournament reports and seen the deck lists, but for those who were unaware they had an Extended tournament to. I wish I could sit here and tell you all about how I crushed the competition and walked away with a win and the 32 dual land prize, instead you get to hear the story of crushing defeat and the lessons that can be derived. Before we can get into the tournament itself you need to know that I played Tezzerator, a deck I've been a fan of for quite sometime.
Here's my list:
TEZZERATOR
2 Vedalken Shackles
4 Thirst for Knowledge
3 Tezzeret the Seeker
3 Stifle
3 Spell Snare
1 Pithing Needle
3 Firespout
1 Ensnaring Bridge
2 Engineered Explosives
2 Cryptic Command
4 Chrome Mox
3 Chalice of the Void
3 Vendilion Clique
4 Trinket Mage
2 Steam Vents
1 Seat of the Synod
1 Riptide Laboratory
4 Polluted Delta
1 Miren, the Moaning Well
6 Island
1 Great Furnace
3 Flooded Strand
1 Breeding Pool
2 Academy Ruins
Sideboard:
3 Blood Moon
3 Krosan Grip
2 Quagnoth
3 Hurkyl's Recall
2 Threads of Disloyalty
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Trinisphere
No major changes in the list. No new tech for you to peek at and have an advantage since I'm writing about extended well before it's relevant, just your basic Tezz list.
Rnd 1 against Steve Sadin:
Game 1: We both mulligan to 6 and keep. He opens with a Wild Nacatl off a fetch land. I land a Chalice of the Void set at 1, effectively shutting down most of his deck. He recovers with tarmogoyf and Knight of the Reliquary until I land an Ensnaring Bridge. A few turns later I play a Chalice for 2 shutting down his burn spells. He scoops it up and we go to game 2.
Game 2: I board in 3 Blood Moon and 2 Threads of Disloyalty. Once again the mulligan demons decide to show up and after a mulligan to 6 we're off. This game is much more in his favor as he lands turn 2 gaddock teeg into tarmogoyf face beatings as I'm stuck with no answers and few lands. I pack it in after a couple of turns hoping game 3 is better.
Game 3: No changes to the board and I decide to keep a hand with one land and double chrome mox (BAD IDEA!). I lead with a land and a chrome mox. He attempts to ancient grudge my mox. I spell snare it. He untaps plays Knight of the Reliquary. Meanwhile, I've drawn my third chrome mox with very few imprint targets. I have found my third land finally. After a second knight hits his side of the board I think it's a good idea to play more chrome moxen, send a tezzeret into play finding my ensnaring bridge. Unfortunately, he still has the ancient grudge in the yard to blow it up. I die 2 turns later.
1-2, 0-1
Rnd 2 against Johnathan Smith:
Game 1: mulligan to 6. Turn 1 Spark elemental, guess who's playing burn! I have chalice for 1 thinking it would buy me sometime to recover. He rift bolts and magma jets me out of the game in no time. On to game 2
Game 2: I board in my Krosan Grips for his Sulfuric Vortex and my trinisphere. I'm on the play and have chalice for 1 again, not learning my lesson game 1. He follows the same strategy as he used game 1. This time he has a shattering spree for my chalice so he can bolt my face. I found trinisphere a turn too late.
1-4, 0-2, Drop.
Ok, so now we know what happened. Why did it happen? For starters I mulliganed a lot, the deck just wasn't with me when it came to drawing.
I walked into the ancient grudge game 3 of round 1: Information about your opponent's hand is invaluable. Any chance you have to gain a fair and legal advantage by knowing something your opponent didn't want you to know is always good. I had all the knowledge I needed to not play into his ancient grudge but instead I only thought about staying alive and panicked.
Knowing your opponent's deck as opposed to the deck you tested against: A while back I read an article about playtesting. I think it was over on channelfireball.com. In it, the author talked about innovating your playtest gauntlet prematurely. Sadly, I did just that. Our burn deck featured more 1-drop burn spells then the guy I played round 2. Because of this I played a Chalice of the Void set for 1 because it would've been devastating to our red deck. His red deck was a little more resilient to such a play and as such I felt safer than I really was.
All in all the trip was a lot of fun, as usual with this group. I'd like to properly thank Will for driving and Carlos and Flynn for being entertaining as always. Also, I'd like to thank the city of Louisville for having multiple Denny's.
Until Next Time,
Steven
Here's my list:
TEZZERATOR
2 Vedalken Shackles
4 Thirst for Knowledge
3 Tezzeret the Seeker
3 Stifle
3 Spell Snare
1 Pithing Needle
3 Firespout
1 Ensnaring Bridge
2 Engineered Explosives
2 Cryptic Command
4 Chrome Mox
3 Chalice of the Void
3 Vendilion Clique
4 Trinket Mage
2 Steam Vents
1 Seat of the Synod
1 Riptide Laboratory
4 Polluted Delta
1 Miren, the Moaning Well
6 Island
1 Great Furnace
3 Flooded Strand
1 Breeding Pool
2 Academy Ruins
Sideboard:
3 Blood Moon
3 Krosan Grip
2 Quagnoth
3 Hurkyl's Recall
2 Threads of Disloyalty
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Trinisphere
No major changes in the list. No new tech for you to peek at and have an advantage since I'm writing about extended well before it's relevant, just your basic Tezz list.
Rnd 1 against Steve Sadin:
Game 1: We both mulligan to 6 and keep. He opens with a Wild Nacatl off a fetch land. I land a Chalice of the Void set at 1, effectively shutting down most of his deck. He recovers with tarmogoyf and Knight of the Reliquary until I land an Ensnaring Bridge. A few turns later I play a Chalice for 2 shutting down his burn spells. He scoops it up and we go to game 2.
Game 2: I board in 3 Blood Moon and 2 Threads of Disloyalty. Once again the mulligan demons decide to show up and after a mulligan to 6 we're off. This game is much more in his favor as he lands turn 2 gaddock teeg into tarmogoyf face beatings as I'm stuck with no answers and few lands. I pack it in after a couple of turns hoping game 3 is better.
Game 3: No changes to the board and I decide to keep a hand with one land and double chrome mox (BAD IDEA!). I lead with a land and a chrome mox. He attempts to ancient grudge my mox. I spell snare it. He untaps plays Knight of the Reliquary. Meanwhile, I've drawn my third chrome mox with very few imprint targets. I have found my third land finally. After a second knight hits his side of the board I think it's a good idea to play more chrome moxen, send a tezzeret into play finding my ensnaring bridge. Unfortunately, he still has the ancient grudge in the yard to blow it up. I die 2 turns later.
1-2, 0-1
Rnd 2 against Johnathan Smith:
Game 1: mulligan to 6. Turn 1 Spark elemental, guess who's playing burn! I have chalice for 1 thinking it would buy me sometime to recover. He rift bolts and magma jets me out of the game in no time. On to game 2
Game 2: I board in my Krosan Grips for his Sulfuric Vortex and my trinisphere. I'm on the play and have chalice for 1 again, not learning my lesson game 1. He follows the same strategy as he used game 1. This time he has a shattering spree for my chalice so he can bolt my face. I found trinisphere a turn too late.
1-4, 0-2, Drop.
Ok, so now we know what happened. Why did it happen? For starters I mulliganed a lot, the deck just wasn't with me when it came to drawing.
I walked into the ancient grudge game 3 of round 1: Information about your opponent's hand is invaluable. Any chance you have to gain a fair and legal advantage by knowing something your opponent didn't want you to know is always good. I had all the knowledge I needed to not play into his ancient grudge but instead I only thought about staying alive and panicked.
Knowing your opponent's deck as opposed to the deck you tested against: A while back I read an article about playtesting. I think it was over on channelfireball.com. In it, the author talked about innovating your playtest gauntlet prematurely. Sadly, I did just that. Our burn deck featured more 1-drop burn spells then the guy I played round 2. Because of this I played a Chalice of the Void set for 1 because it would've been devastating to our red deck. His red deck was a little more resilient to such a play and as such I felt safer than I really was.
All in all the trip was a lot of fun, as usual with this group. I'd like to properly thank Will for driving and Carlos and Flynn for being entertaining as always. Also, I'd like to thank the city of Louisville for having multiple Denny's.
Until Next Time,
Steven
Monday, June 8, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
DP: Gleaning Heat from European Top 8s
A couple of hott and scientific Legacy Top 8s posted over on DeckCheck.
FRENCH DRAGON STOMPY
The first is supposedly the biggest non-Wizards Legacy event, Bazaar de Moxen, with 474 players, and wouldn't you know it but Dragon Stompy took it home. The build is fairly boilerplate, with one exception.
The deck contains zero Arc-Sloggers.
In its stead, the player is running 4x Taurean Mauler.
People have complained about consistency issues and inbuilt non-bos in Dragon Stompy since its inception. Seriously, casting Arc-Slogger is hhhaaaarrrrddd when more than 20% of your lands destroy themselves as soon as you play more land.
At the same time, having Arc-Slogger trapped in your hand cold sucks when a gangster wants to get hellbent and eat face with his Pit-Dargon.
Sometimes you can't even imprint the Slogger to Chrome Mox due to your own Trinisphere. Next thing you realize, you're 24, so even if Chuck-E-Cheese wasn't bankrupt, your mom STILL wouldn't take you there to cheer your sad ass up.
What I'm saying is sometimes Dragon Stompy makes it difficult to win with Dragon Stompy.
After James Mink made Top 4 at GP: Chicago, he wrote that Jitte was largely unnecessary, except against tribal aggro. Mink played an insurance mountain (read: one extra beyond the prescribed ten) which probably helped him resolve Arc-Slogger when it mattered. So why the hell would Mink need Jitte when his library is face up and the opposing team is full of holes? No wonder he found it unnecessary.
By contrast, with no Slogger, the European version probably NEEDS Jitte, in order to sling -1/-1 counters across the board and get better mileage out of its ponderous 12 - Twelve! - gray ogres. Sixteen if you count the Raiders as 2/2 for (3), really.
Ugr Faerie Fish
Anyway, in the same event was a beautiful Ugr aggro/control deck.
12 Creatures: 2 Cloud of Faeries, 2 Ninja of the Deep Hours, 4 Tarmogoyf, 4 Spellstutter Sprite.
26 Spells: 4 Brainstorm, 3 Daze, 2 Fire/Ice, 3 Lightning Bolt, 4 Force of Will, 3 Spell Snare, 3 Stifle, 3 Standstill, 1 Crucible of Worlds.
22 Land: 3 Polluted Delta, 2 Flooded Strand, 4 Mishra's Factory, 3 Wasteland, 1 Mutavault, 3 Tropical Island, 3 Volanic Island, 2 Island, 1 Breeding Pool.
Basically this looks to me like a mix between Tempo Thresh/R and NinjaStill, except unlike NinjaStill it probably actually fucking works.
Synergies I like about this deck:
- Crucible-Wastelock.
- Cloud of Faeries into Standstill.
- Spellstutter Sprite into Ninja of the Deep, now I'm holding Spellstutter Sprite again!
- Fire + Goyf > Opposing Goyf.
And the deck boards Shackles and Threads just to be certain it drinks other Goyfs' milkshakes.
It also boards one random Misdirection, which I like to imagine spent the day puking in opponents' shoes and cancelling their credit cards while they were on the phone with their dads. That is to say, I like to imagine the Misdirection was like the gift of an unwanted cat, or a 17-year-old roommate.
Lorescale Coatl
Now we move to the other Top 8, a humble (by comparison) 42-man in Madrid.
I've been waiting patiently to start seeing Thresh variants with Lorescale Coatl, which appears similiar to Quirion Dryad, except that the Coatl is a Binford nailgun to the Dryad's Swingline stapler. Hell, even the added U in the casting cost is awesome; now it pitches to Force of Will! Hey great!
I will admit I'm a little puzzled by the inclusion of Price of Progress in the board here. I thought the opponent in this match-up would be eager to board POP in, since it likely Sixes the Coatl player, but I guess in the right situation, if one of the fetches you crack goes for a basic island, then you Eight the other guy when it matters. Get there?
Variants on the last two decks:
Much of the remainder of that Spanish Top 8 is variations on the above two ideas. Lots more decks with Tarmogoyf and Fire/Ice and either Lorescale Coatl or Spellstutter Sprite. Vendilion Clique seems to find room either way; I'm sure bottoming Fire/Ice was sauce in the semis.
I suspect if the Stifle/Wasteland tempo package is this successful in the Spanish meta, Dragon Stompy players must come out in force. But then, the red removal package shines there - Mountains/schmountains! Lightning Bolt and Fire still kill Magus of the Moon just fine.
And stuff...
omfg i wanna play wilt-leaf liege in standard even more than usual lately.
D-Po out.
FRENCH DRAGON STOMPY
The first is supposedly the biggest non-Wizards Legacy event, Bazaar de Moxen, with 474 players, and wouldn't you know it but Dragon Stompy took it home. The build is fairly boilerplate, with one exception.
The deck contains zero Arc-Sloggers.
In its stead, the player is running 4x Taurean Mauler.
People have complained about consistency issues and inbuilt non-bos in Dragon Stompy since its inception. Seriously, casting Arc-Slogger is hhhaaaarrrrddd when more than 20% of your lands destroy themselves as soon as you play more land.
At the same time, having Arc-Slogger trapped in your hand cold sucks when a gangster wants to get hellbent and eat face with his Pit-Dargon.
Sometimes you can't even imprint the Slogger to Chrome Mox due to your own Trinisphere. Next thing you realize, you're 24, so even if Chuck-E-Cheese wasn't bankrupt, your mom STILL wouldn't take you there to cheer your sad ass up.
What I'm saying is sometimes Dragon Stompy makes it difficult to win with Dragon Stompy.
After James Mink made Top 4 at GP: Chicago, he wrote that Jitte was largely unnecessary, except against tribal aggro. Mink played an insurance mountain (read: one extra beyond the prescribed ten) which probably helped him resolve Arc-Slogger when it mattered. So why the hell would Mink need Jitte when his library is face up and the opposing team is full of holes? No wonder he found it unnecessary.
By contrast, with no Slogger, the European version probably NEEDS Jitte, in order to sling -1/-1 counters across the board and get better mileage out of its ponderous 12 - Twelve! - gray ogres. Sixteen if you count the Raiders as 2/2 for (3), really.
Ugr Faerie Fish
Anyway, in the same event was a beautiful Ugr aggro/control deck.
12 Creatures: 2 Cloud of Faeries, 2 Ninja of the Deep Hours, 4 Tarmogoyf, 4 Spellstutter Sprite.
26 Spells: 4 Brainstorm, 3 Daze, 2 Fire/Ice, 3 Lightning Bolt, 4 Force of Will, 3 Spell Snare, 3 Stifle, 3 Standstill, 1 Crucible of Worlds.
22 Land: 3 Polluted Delta, 2 Flooded Strand, 4 Mishra's Factory, 3 Wasteland, 1 Mutavault, 3 Tropical Island, 3 Volanic Island, 2 Island, 1 Breeding Pool.
Basically this looks to me like a mix between Tempo Thresh/R and NinjaStill, except unlike NinjaStill it probably actually fucking works.
Synergies I like about this deck:
- Crucible-Wastelock.
- Cloud of Faeries into Standstill.
- Spellstutter Sprite into Ninja of the Deep, now I'm holding Spellstutter Sprite again!
- Fire + Goyf > Opposing Goyf.
And the deck boards Shackles and Threads just to be certain it drinks other Goyfs' milkshakes.
It also boards one random Misdirection, which I like to imagine spent the day puking in opponents' shoes and cancelling their credit cards while they were on the phone with their dads. That is to say, I like to imagine the Misdirection was like the gift of an unwanted cat, or a 17-year-old roommate.
Lorescale Coatl
Now we move to the other Top 8, a humble (by comparison) 42-man in Madrid.
I've been waiting patiently to start seeing Thresh variants with Lorescale Coatl, which appears similiar to Quirion Dryad, except that the Coatl is a Binford nailgun to the Dryad's Swingline stapler. Hell, even the added U in the casting cost is awesome; now it pitches to Force of Will! Hey great!
I will admit I'm a little puzzled by the inclusion of Price of Progress in the board here. I thought the opponent in this match-up would be eager to board POP in, since it likely Sixes the Coatl player, but I guess in the right situation, if one of the fetches you crack goes for a basic island, then you Eight the other guy when it matters. Get there?
Variants on the last two decks:
Much of the remainder of that Spanish Top 8 is variations on the above two ideas. Lots more decks with Tarmogoyf and Fire/Ice and either Lorescale Coatl or Spellstutter Sprite. Vendilion Clique seems to find room either way; I'm sure bottoming Fire/Ice was sauce in the semis.
I suspect if the Stifle/Wasteland tempo package is this successful in the Spanish meta, Dragon Stompy players must come out in force. But then, the red removal package shines there - Mountains/schmountains! Lightning Bolt and Fire still kill Magus of the Moon just fine.
And stuff...
omfg i wanna play wilt-leaf liege in standard even more than usual lately.
D-Po out.
Friday, May 8, 2009
NinjaStill: Drawing Cards is Not Enough
So last night Ryan and I approximated the mono-blue ninja deck for some Legacy shenanigans.
It went about like this:
Creatures - 22 - 3 Ornithopter, 3 Mothdust Changeling, 3 Mistblade Shinobi, 3 Looter il-Kor, 4 Ninja of the Deep Hours, 4 Spellstutter Sprite, 2 Trinket Mage.
Spells - 18 - 2 Umezawa's Jitte, 1 Shuriken, 1 Relic of Progenitus, 4 Force of Will, 3 Spell Snare, 3 Stifle, 4 Standstill.
Land - 20 - 4 Mutavault, 1 Tolaria West, 1 Riptide Laboratory, 1 Wasteland, 1 Seat of Synod, 12 Islands.
We tested it about five games apiece against Team America, Aggro Loam, and Enchantress.
It was not very good. At least, after turn 5 or so it was basically shitty, on the balance.
The deck draws a lot of cards, and that is swell. However, most of the cards it draws just cause it to draw more cards.
Granted, this is not always a terrible strategy. A deck like Threshold plays 12 or so cantrips, only a handful of creatures and counters, and what would appear to be nowhere near enough land - like 17.
Threshold just uses the cantrips as a consistency engine, maximizing card quality while filling its graveyard for profit. The few creatures, counters and removal spells it plays are all top-notch - Goyf, FOW and Swords to Plowshares - and because it sculpts its hand so perfectly, the deck doesn't have to screw around with inferior filler spells.
This does not work with the ninja deck. In part I think this is because unlike Thresh, the deck has no means of filtering its draws. In part I think also it's because the creatures do not present a scary clock or even come close trading with Goyf, barring an active Jitte. Last but not least, Mistblade Shinobi is cute, but once the opponent re-plays his fatty and can block, his utility plummets.
Most games started with Ryan doing his best to keep me off Standstill. He was never happy when it resolved, and I would usually get in for 8 or 10 damage in the early turns, between Thopter-dropping Ninja of the Deep, and Spellstutter Sprite and Looter-il-Kor getting in for a few points. Somewhere in there I might Force of Will a Pernicious Deed or Spell Snare a Dark Confidant, whatever.
Once I ran out of counters, Ryan would resolve a Tarmogoyf and my ninjas would become useless. Messy combat would ensue and usually I would not draw enough threats to push through the final few points.
So. Scratch that off my list of decks to try, and file it under "danger of cool things."
In other news: Dreadstill + Elspeth = Red Bull gives this giant robotic worm from hell WIIIIIINNNGGSSSSSS..... (because the planeswalker makes the Dreadnought fly for extra win).
Still to come: Zur! The Enchanter. Plus: T2 - Dark Bant, without the dark?
It went about like this:
Creatures - 22 - 3 Ornithopter, 3 Mothdust Changeling, 3 Mistblade Shinobi, 3 Looter il-Kor, 4 Ninja of the Deep Hours, 4 Spellstutter Sprite, 2 Trinket Mage.
Spells - 18 - 2 Umezawa's Jitte, 1 Shuriken, 1 Relic of Progenitus, 4 Force of Will, 3 Spell Snare, 3 Stifle, 4 Standstill.
Land - 20 - 4 Mutavault, 1 Tolaria West, 1 Riptide Laboratory, 1 Wasteland, 1 Seat of Synod, 12 Islands.
We tested it about five games apiece against Team America, Aggro Loam, and Enchantress.
It was not very good. At least, after turn 5 or so it was basically shitty, on the balance.
The deck draws a lot of cards, and that is swell. However, most of the cards it draws just cause it to draw more cards.
Granted, this is not always a terrible strategy. A deck like Threshold plays 12 or so cantrips, only a handful of creatures and counters, and what would appear to be nowhere near enough land - like 17.
Threshold just uses the cantrips as a consistency engine, maximizing card quality while filling its graveyard for profit. The few creatures, counters and removal spells it plays are all top-notch - Goyf, FOW and Swords to Plowshares - and because it sculpts its hand so perfectly, the deck doesn't have to screw around with inferior filler spells.
This does not work with the ninja deck. In part I think this is because unlike Thresh, the deck has no means of filtering its draws. In part I think also it's because the creatures do not present a scary clock or even come close trading with Goyf, barring an active Jitte. Last but not least, Mistblade Shinobi is cute, but once the opponent re-plays his fatty and can block, his utility plummets.
Most games started with Ryan doing his best to keep me off Standstill. He was never happy when it resolved, and I would usually get in for 8 or 10 damage in the early turns, between Thopter-dropping Ninja of the Deep, and Spellstutter Sprite and Looter-il-Kor getting in for a few points. Somewhere in there I might Force of Will a Pernicious Deed or Spell Snare a Dark Confidant, whatever.
Once I ran out of counters, Ryan would resolve a Tarmogoyf and my ninjas would become useless. Messy combat would ensue and usually I would not draw enough threats to push through the final few points.
So. Scratch that off my list of decks to try, and file it under "danger of cool things."
In other news: Dreadstill + Elspeth = Red Bull gives this giant robotic worm from hell WIIIIIINNNGGSSSSSS..... (because the planeswalker makes the Dreadnought fly for extra win).
Still to come: Zur! The Enchanter. Plus: T2 - Dark Bant, without the dark?
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Eternal Daydreamzzz
by DP
As the three people that read this know, my main format is Legacy, and I plan to use this spot to arrange my thoughts on whatever decks I'm developing.
To begin, let me admit that if I hated fun and cared only about flying elbow-first through opponents like a rally car through a crowd of spectators, I'd build one of the many Threshold variants.
Let me explain:
Everyone going to Grand Prix: Chicago knew the main deck to beat would contain Tarmogoyf, Brainstorm and Force of Will.
Granted, there is a whole spectrum of such decks; Tempo Thresh with Bolts, CounterTop Thresh with Swords, Team America, Ugx Dreadstill, baseruption, Goyféd Landstill variants, It's The Fear, etc. Regardless, they all plan to kill you with unfair fat while burying your dreams of having land, resolving spells and basically playing Magic.
My point being, everyone going to Chicago knew their deck had to drop buckets of neurotic cats on said match-up's face while it slept. But ultimately, what won was simply the same deck, plus tuned for the mirror.
Tangeant on Nassif's build: If you're already running a low curve and Divining Top, it's probably a mistake Not to play Dark Confidant. And what's better than killing the other guy's Tarmogoyf? Stealing it with Sower and Shackles, that's what. Take a hint from Extended, cha!
Anyway, the reason I bring this up is, because I am the main Legacy player I know, it does not make sense to just build the established best deck, choke-slam all takers and call it a day. I would have no takers, and therefore no fun!
Instead I have to vary my repertoire, so I can attract casual interest from my friends without ruining Sunday afternoon - which is basically what you're doing when you Crucible-Wastelock a suffocating opponent already flailing under Counterbalance.
I like to think this steady churn of decks makes me a better player; it forces me to examine off-beat builds that can randomly top 4 a Grand Prix, like Dragon Stompy. And it causes wise investments: I picked up my set of Tombstalkers at $3ish because I wanted to play Pox. Now it turns out they have wider applications and their value is spiking, but I am already armed. Thank you, random jank, for steering my collection in useful directions!
Regrettably, there is a downside to all this. It is the Danger of Cool Things. That is, the allure of trying to accomplish awesome plays, but at the expense of consistency, versatility and general practicality.
It is, after all, a slippery slope from weird-but-good decks to weird-and-silly-but-ultimately-suboptimal decks. I consider this the fine line between Dreadstill, which is no joke, and Thresh variants with Natural Order for Progenitus, which is cute but not much of an improvement on the established build.
Not to say that cool, goofy builds never win - they can, especially when thrown like a grenade into an unsuspecting meta. But let's face it: While it's awesome to trap a man with a White Stax shell, then kill him with Leyline of the Void/Helm of Obedience, there is a reason I saw that deck at a low table in Chicago.
So, what you can expect from this space is my investigation into what is simply rad, and what is rad and actually wins.
Some previews of decks I'm building:
Zur the Enchanter fetching Steel of the Godhead, Oblivion Ring and Pernicious Deed. Support: FOW, Confidant, Swords.
Mono-blue Ninja Faeries. Sample, ideal opening:
Turn 1: Island, Ponder, go.
Turn 2: Island, Cloud of Faeries, Standstill, go.
Turn 3: Ninja of the Deep Hours, ¡IHATEYOU!, go.
Turn 4: Profit.
-Dan
As the three people that read this know, my main format is Legacy, and I plan to use this spot to arrange my thoughts on whatever decks I'm developing.
To begin, let me admit that if I hated fun and cared only about flying elbow-first through opponents like a rally car through a crowd of spectators, I'd build one of the many Threshold variants.
Let me explain:
Everyone going to Grand Prix: Chicago knew the main deck to beat would contain Tarmogoyf, Brainstorm and Force of Will.
Granted, there is a whole spectrum of such decks; Tempo Thresh with Bolts, CounterTop Thresh with Swords, Team America, Ugx Dreadstill, baseruption, Goyféd Landstill variants, It's The Fear, etc. Regardless, they all plan to kill you with unfair fat while burying your dreams of having land, resolving spells and basically playing Magic.
My point being, everyone going to Chicago knew their deck had to drop buckets of neurotic cats on said match-up's face while it slept. But ultimately, what won was simply the same deck, plus tuned for the mirror.
Tangeant on Nassif's build: If you're already running a low curve and Divining Top, it's probably a mistake Not to play Dark Confidant. And what's better than killing the other guy's Tarmogoyf? Stealing it with Sower and Shackles, that's what. Take a hint from Extended, cha!
Anyway, the reason I bring this up is, because I am the main Legacy player I know, it does not make sense to just build the established best deck, choke-slam all takers and call it a day. I would have no takers, and therefore no fun!
Instead I have to vary my repertoire, so I can attract casual interest from my friends without ruining Sunday afternoon - which is basically what you're doing when you Crucible-Wastelock a suffocating opponent already flailing under Counterbalance.
I like to think this steady churn of decks makes me a better player; it forces me to examine off-beat builds that can randomly top 4 a Grand Prix, like Dragon Stompy. And it causes wise investments: I picked up my set of Tombstalkers at $3ish because I wanted to play Pox. Now it turns out they have wider applications and their value is spiking, but I am already armed. Thank you, random jank, for steering my collection in useful directions!
Regrettably, there is a downside to all this. It is the Danger of Cool Things. That is, the allure of trying to accomplish awesome plays, but at the expense of consistency, versatility and general practicality.
It is, after all, a slippery slope from weird-but-good decks to weird-and-silly-but-ultimately-suboptimal decks. I consider this the fine line between Dreadstill, which is no joke, and Thresh variants with Natural Order for Progenitus, which is cute but not much of an improvement on the established build.
Not to say that cool, goofy builds never win - they can, especially when thrown like a grenade into an unsuspecting meta. But let's face it: While it's awesome to trap a man with a White Stax shell, then kill him with Leyline of the Void/Helm of Obedience, there is a reason I saw that deck at a low table in Chicago.
So, what you can expect from this space is my investigation into what is simply rad, and what is rad and actually wins.
Some previews of decks I'm building:
Zur the Enchanter fetching Steel of the Godhead, Oblivion Ring and Pernicious Deed. Support: FOW, Confidant, Swords.
Mono-blue Ninja Faeries. Sample, ideal opening:
Turn 1: Island, Ponder, go.
Turn 2: Island, Cloud of Faeries, Standstill, go.
Turn 3: Ninja of the Deep Hours, ¡IHATEYOU!, go.
Turn 4: Profit.
-Dan
Carlos Reborn; STD Posts 5-1-1 Resultsss
Hello, friends; it is DanPo.
Hear this and fear this, mothers and fuckers: I will be contributing here when the fancy strikes me, and will endeavor to baffle you with style and tech. Deal.
Saturday the Sexy Team of Dudes represented in Nashville's Alara Reborn pre-release, and Carlos savagely vanquished a month-long drought that began moments after the STD rendered Pat Chapin impotent in Chicago.
Carlos' Esper deck contained such hice as Sen Triplets and a foil Akrobot: Sphinx of the Steel Winds. It was like watching a factory machine that conveys fresh grapes beneath an unrelenting steel piston, but here the grapes were the heads of Carlos' opponents and the piston was his elbow.
-
His main brag in the early rounds occurs in game three as he's bearing down on an opponent with his Akrobot. The player tries to steal the match with Slave of Bolas (new Threaten) targeting the Sphinx. Carlos panics!
"That's enough to kill me," he blurts. His opponent nods and starts to pile his cards together in satisfaction, when, "Wait..."
Carlos riffles through his hand and counts to himself. He reads the cards. He counts again. What plan could he be hatching? He...
"Oh, nevermind!" Carlos says, revealing his ruse: "My guy is pro-red." He glares. Then his elbow slams down like a meteor. GG.
Hear this and fear this, mothers and fuckers: I will be contributing here when the fancy strikes me, and will endeavor to baffle you with style and tech. Deal.
Saturday the Sexy Team of Dudes represented in Nashville's Alara Reborn pre-release, and Carlos savagely vanquished a month-long drought that began moments after the STD rendered Pat Chapin impotent in Chicago.
Carlos' Esper deck contained such hice as Sen Triplets and a foil Akrobot: Sphinx of the Steel Winds. It was like watching a factory machine that conveys fresh grapes beneath an unrelenting steel piston, but here the grapes were the heads of Carlos' opponents and the piston was his elbow.
-
His main brag in the early rounds occurs in game three as he's bearing down on an opponent with his Akrobot. The player tries to steal the match with Slave of Bolas (new Threaten) targeting the Sphinx. Carlos panics!
"That's enough to kill me," he blurts. His opponent nods and starts to pile his cards together in satisfaction, when, "Wait..."
Carlos riffles through his hand and counts to himself. He reads the cards. He counts again. What plan could he be hatching? He...
"Oh, nevermind!" Carlos says, revealing his ruse: "My guy is pro-red." He glares. Then his elbow slams down like a meteor. GG.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
PTQ Nashville Style
PTQ report from Nashville, TN 3/21:
So, Saturday was our local PTQ in Nashville. Unlike Chicago where I thought untested Naya was the way to go I found myself sleeving up UGW Wizards. Here's the deck:
1 Meloku
3 Tarmogoyf
4 Spellstutter Sprite
3 Vendelion Clique
2 Venser
3 Path to Exile
4 Spell Snare
2 Cryptic Command
4 Mana Leak
4 Ancestral Visions
2 Vedalken Shackles
2 Umezawa's Jitte
2 Engineered Explosives
4 Mutavault
2 Hallowed Fountain
2 Breeding Pool
2 Riptide Laboratory
4 Polluted Delta
3 Flooded Strand
7 Island
SB:
2 Gilded Light
3 Kataki, War's Wage
2 Sower of Temptation
1 Engineered Explosives
2 Circle of Protection: Red
2 Relic of Progenitus
3 Stifle
I managed to finish a respectable 4-2-2. I don't remember enough to give a full tournament report but here are some highlights:
Round 2 against Mono-Black Control my hand is stripped to 3 cards and he drops a Nyxathid. The problem, I have an Ancestral Visions coming off suspend the next turn. Combined with my draw for turn puts me at 7 cards = dead Nyxathid.
Round 4 against Mono-Red Burn in game 2 I'm on the play. He suspends turn 1 rift bolt, on his upkeep I play gilded light forcing him to bolt himself. Later on after bashing with Tarmogoyf a lot, he's at 3 and forced to shrapnel blast my 'goyf then suspends rift bolt and passes. The result? Another gilded light to the face, for the win! Unfortunately, he wins the match but not before I make him sweat a lot!
I forced the draws against Reliquary loam and Astral Slide, 2 match-ups I'm not sure I should ever win so to not take the losses there is a small victory in itself.
My losses were to Fae and Mono-Red, and I managed to skip the zoo match-up completely. If were to play this deck again (which I would!) I would try to find room in the sideboard for targeted artifact removal, probably krosan grip. Since in the mirror you really need an answer for either Jitte or Vedalken Shackles.
Also, Congratulations to Ryan on his first PTQ top 8 and to our friend Brad on 10th place.
Until next time!
Steven
So, Saturday was our local PTQ in Nashville. Unlike Chicago where I thought untested Naya was the way to go I found myself sleeving up UGW Wizards. Here's the deck:
1 Meloku
3 Tarmogoyf
4 Spellstutter Sprite
3 Vendelion Clique
2 Venser
3 Path to Exile
4 Spell Snare
2 Cryptic Command
4 Mana Leak
4 Ancestral Visions
2 Vedalken Shackles
2 Umezawa's Jitte
2 Engineered Explosives
4 Mutavault
2 Hallowed Fountain
2 Breeding Pool
2 Riptide Laboratory
4 Polluted Delta
3 Flooded Strand
7 Island
SB:
2 Gilded Light
3 Kataki, War's Wage
2 Sower of Temptation
1 Engineered Explosives
2 Circle of Protection: Red
2 Relic of Progenitus
3 Stifle
I managed to finish a respectable 4-2-2. I don't remember enough to give a full tournament report but here are some highlights:
Round 2 against Mono-Black Control my hand is stripped to 3 cards and he drops a Nyxathid. The problem, I have an Ancestral Visions coming off suspend the next turn. Combined with my draw for turn puts me at 7 cards = dead Nyxathid.
Round 4 against Mono-Red Burn in game 2 I'm on the play. He suspends turn 1 rift bolt, on his upkeep I play gilded light forcing him to bolt himself. Later on after bashing with Tarmogoyf a lot, he's at 3 and forced to shrapnel blast my 'goyf then suspends rift bolt and passes. The result? Another gilded light to the face, for the win! Unfortunately, he wins the match but not before I make him sweat a lot!
I forced the draws against Reliquary loam and Astral Slide, 2 match-ups I'm not sure I should ever win so to not take the losses there is a small victory in itself.
My losses were to Fae and Mono-Red, and I managed to skip the zoo match-up completely. If were to play this deck again (which I would!) I would try to find room in the sideboard for targeted artifact removal, probably krosan grip. Since in the mirror you really need an answer for either Jitte or Vedalken Shackles.
Also, Congratulations to Ryan on his first PTQ top 8 and to our friend Brad on 10th place.
Until next time!
Steven
Monday, March 9, 2009
Theft. Big Problem or Biggest Problem?
If you speak to a magic player about things that upset them about other players you commonly get 2 answers. Intentionally cheating during a game and stealing. Over the weekend especially on Friday many people found their bags, cards and all, stolen. So what do you do? Well, neither the venue staff or the tournament organizers are responsible for your belongings the best you can hope for is to have misplaced it and some honest individual found it and turned it in to event staff. However, at such a high level event it seems to be getting harder to have such luck. Many people found their bags taken from right beside them, as happened to a close friend of STDs. So what can you do if you find that your belongings have been removed from your person?
Step one is obviously to check with event staff to see if it was turned in. Many times at smaller events this is the case and you will soon be reunited with your belongings.
But what happens when you aren't lucky enough to have a happy reunion with the countless dollars you have invested over the course of your playing career? Unfortunately, many times you just lose it. Unless they catch the person who took your stuff then you probably have no hope in seeing it returned and even if they do, depending on how long it's taken then to apprehend the fiend then they may have already sold your cards.
This weekend one such card thief was caught in the act during Grand Prix Chicago. He was caught Saturday afternoon during round 4 trying to grab another bag. Fortunately for the unknowing player a judge saw the whole thing and caught him. Early estimates indicate that upwards of 30 bags and collections were found inside the persons hotel room. In addition to the bags in Chicago he has also been suspected in similar incidents from Grand Prixs in Denver and Los Angeles. Sadly, stopping one person won't stop all of them, so when playing an event of any size remember to always keep your stuff with you and when you're playing keepyour bag under your chair and wrap the strap around leg.
Until next time,
Steven
Step one is obviously to check with event staff to see if it was turned in. Many times at smaller events this is the case and you will soon be reunited with your belongings.
But what happens when you aren't lucky enough to have a happy reunion with the countless dollars you have invested over the course of your playing career? Unfortunately, many times you just lose it. Unless they catch the person who took your stuff then you probably have no hope in seeing it returned and even if they do, depending on how long it's taken then to apprehend the fiend then they may have already sold your cards.
This weekend one such card thief was caught in the act during Grand Prix Chicago. He was caught Saturday afternoon during round 4 trying to grab another bag. Fortunately for the unknowing player a judge saw the whole thing and caught him. Early estimates indicate that upwards of 30 bags and collections were found inside the persons hotel room. In addition to the bags in Chicago he has also been suspected in similar incidents from Grand Prixs in Denver and Los Angeles. Sadly, stopping one person won't stop all of them, so when playing an event of any size remember to always keep your stuff with you and when you're playing keepyour bag under your chair and wrap the strap around leg.
Until next time,
Steven
Grand Prix Recap!
With over 1200 people in attendance, Grand Prix Chicago shattered the previous North America Grand Prix record. Did I mention it was Legacy? A format usually relegated to kitchen tables in the United States and often seen as unsupported by big events from Wizards and the DCI. However, every couple years there is a Grand Prix, the last of such was in Columbus, often cited as GP-Flash. So what does all this mean to you? Well, several members of STD made the 9 hour journey to the state of Illinois to play in this record breaking event. How'd we do? Not well, of the four of us who played and whopping 0 made day 2.
Even let downs have high points though, Carlos was featured in a match over at the mothership during round 3. His opponent, none other than Patrick Chapin. When the smoke cleared after two games against what some consider one of the best minds in the game an elated Carlos was the one with the victory. His prize, a one-way ticket to defending US Nationals champion Michael Jacobs. This time, however, Carlos wouldn't fare as well, losing the match, his first of the weekend. Carlos would go on to post a 4-3 record before dropping.
Dan was playing Dragon Stompy, a last minute audible from the more consistant, though arguably less explosive Dreadstill. On a roller coaster ride of a day he would go on to post a 3-3 record.
I decided to play the explosive deck, Ad Nauseam Tendrils. Ending the day at 3-2.
With some luck a full tournament report from each of us including decklists will happen this week.
Until then,
Steven
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
BIG weekend for the Team
So last Saturday was the block tournament held at Outer Limits. A group of 16 strong showed up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, save our own Ryan who thought food poisoning was a good idea 2 days before. When the smoke would clear at the end of the day the only 4-0 would be myself with a Grixis control deck that performed so badly in testing I almost didn't play.
So, let's see the list:
4x Sedraxis Specter
3x Viscera Dragger
2x Broodmate Dragon
4x Hell's Thunder
2x Caldera Hellion
2x Cruel Ultimatum
4x Blightning
2x Infest
4x Agony Warp
3x Courier's Capsule
3x Grixis Charm
3x Resounding Thunder
4x Crumbling Necropolis
4x Savage Lands
5x Island
5x Mountain
5x Swamp
1x Forest
Sideboard:
4x Jund Charm
1x Grixis Charm
2x Infest
4x Naturalize
3x Cancel
1x Forest
Couple things about the deck:
1. I'm usually very against running lands in the sideboard but with only 5 green sources main I felt like siding in either the Jund Charms or the Naturalizes would leave them dead without at least 1 more source available.
2. Broodmate Dragon is good.
Following the block tournament on Saturday, Ryan and I along with our friends Tyler and Chad took the STD show on the road to McMinnville for a little Sunday standard action. I sleeved up Kithkin for the occassion while Ryan played GWU 'Lark, Chad played Mono-Red, and Tyler piloted B/W Tokens. In the swiss rounds Ryan and I both went 3-0-1 while Chad went 3-1. When the top-4 had settled the placings went 1, 2, 3 for STDs.
Love,
Steven
So, let's see the list:
4x Sedraxis Specter
3x Viscera Dragger
2x Broodmate Dragon
4x Hell's Thunder
2x Caldera Hellion
2x Cruel Ultimatum
4x Blightning
2x Infest
4x Agony Warp
3x Courier's Capsule
3x Grixis Charm
3x Resounding Thunder
4x Crumbling Necropolis
4x Savage Lands
5x Island
5x Mountain
5x Swamp
1x Forest
Sideboard:
4x Jund Charm
1x Grixis Charm
2x Infest
4x Naturalize
3x Cancel
1x Forest
Couple things about the deck:
1. I'm usually very against running lands in the sideboard but with only 5 green sources main I felt like siding in either the Jund Charms or the Naturalizes would leave them dead without at least 1 more source available.
2. Broodmate Dragon is good.
Following the block tournament on Saturday, Ryan and I along with our friends Tyler and Chad took the STD show on the road to McMinnville for a little Sunday standard action. I sleeved up Kithkin for the occassion while Ryan played GWU 'Lark, Chad played Mono-Red, and Tyler piloted B/W Tokens. In the swiss rounds Ryan and I both went 3-0-1 while Chad went 3-1. When the top-4 had settled the placings went 1, 2, 3 for STDs.
Love,
Steven
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Shards of Alara Block Constructed
With the PTQ season rolling into full swing and everybody testing extended, along with Prerelease in just under 3 weeks (Feb 1st, 12:30p Outer Limits Murfreesboro). Outer Limits in Murfreesboro is hosting a Shards of Alara Constructed event on Jan 24. Registration opens at 12:00 pm and round 1 starts at 1pm. Entry fee is $5. Join us here over the next 2 weeks as we throw out some decklists and possibly some testing results for this event.
Until Next Time,
Steven
Until Next Time,
Steven
Sunday, January 4, 2009
without a dope beat to step to
so it's been a while since we updated here at STDs. Just to let you know we haven't forgotten it's just been a slow couple weeks leading up to 2009. I can assure you, however, that we'll be back bringing you news and stories about our antics again soon. Hold tight!
love,
steven
love,
steven
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