And the answer is no- I don't mind pulling a "Weevil" and throwing cards emphatically into the ocean. Especially if they're ones recommended and passed on by "Grandpa." Yes, I mean the relevant, legal target, Old Man Growth. Truth be told, this next vid is probably a more accurate representation of how I'd do it.
This week, however, we're all cool as cukes. In fact, we're so calm, that it seems when we picked our favorites from Dragon's Maze no one actually put up a fight. Let's just hope the government is testing out something in the air that will result in us turning into Reavers and we'll end up wiping out everything beyond the Central Planets. Yeah, that was for you, Firefly fans. If you don't know what I'm talking about, well, there's a YouTube video for that.
Fortunately, all they've done is a few random tests with some sexy-new zombifying drug we now call Bath Salts.
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| NOTE: Eating people is very comparable to what Reavers do. Thank God we've caught these psychos before they started wearing our skin as clothing though. Mine wouldn't be too fashionable. |
So if you're looking for us to "hit ourselves as hard as we can," you'll have to wait til next week. Here are our picks anyway, so you can get to blowing up the format with all the obvious goodies that Dragon's Maze brought us.
VENSER'S JOURNALIST'S PICK
Essentially a Time Stop for three and that's just swell by me. I am a fan of counter spells and this one is my second favorite, second to Countersquall. Esper control will hug this card till the game ends.
Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP (NATURALLY)
This has got to be my favorite counterspell ever, because it not only shuts down the countered spell, but renders the rest of your opponent's turn, well, silent. I also love playing Standard, so the fact that I can put Silence-effects in a standard deck makes me squeal with joy.
Grandpa Growth- THUMBS UP
VJ nailed it. This card is the business. Powerful. Elegant. Simple. Nostalgic. This is the kind of card that makes me want to keep playing Magic.
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS UP
Good card is good, I'm just not calling it the "bee's knees." To me, this is part of what is gonna make playing Lavinia more than sadistic. Cause it's not like she had little baby toys. There's real stuff in U/W, and they just seem to be getting an upgrade while other colors stay relatively inferior. Good news is the spell's still got to resolve, so my advice is to dig out Spell Pierce and Dispel and remind your Azorius friend that David still slays Goliath. Or, if you want to get real cute, remind them carefully of what Silence actually looks like.
JOHNNY CONFIDANT'S PICK
I'm already looking at my Karador, Ghost Chieftain deck for potential slots. Ten cards from your library or not, the fact that if it's non-creature I still get something out of it. It's a risky card granted but since I reanimate fairly well the risk will more than likely pay off. Can't wait to get my hands on one, FOILED!
Uncle Landdrops- TWO THUMBS UP
Can't wait for this one either. It's an enchantment with some really innovative design, and I love recurring stuff. I've got one copy on the pre-order, and two decks it could go into. Wherever it goes, I know my playgroup will definitely start packing more Naturalize. They're gonna need it.
Venser's Journalist- NOT SURE
I was never big into the whole graveborn/graveyard retrieval, but it seems to work in theory. Based on what I've seen from other graveyard decks, this card might not be entirely worth the 6 mana it takes to cast. Granted you get to fill your graveyard with things and stuff, the "choose a card at random" isn't really the most effective way to pick at your graveyard.
Grandpa Growth- THUMBS UP
Super sick. I like extra cards and I am willing to pay for them This card isn't much of a risk because you are essentially guaranteed to get your card back. Either they use a card to blow it up or you start the value engine and get off to the races. This is a funny card. The random selection is kind of a bummer and 6 is a lot to pay for an extra card a turn, but the chance of putting a dude back in play is a fun mechanic and worth the price. I especially dig that there is no weird restriction on putting things back into your graveyard like Yawgmoth's Agenda.
GRANDPA GROWTH'S PICK
Grandpa Growth- THUMBS UP
I love pauper. I play a bunch of it. I have a pauper cube; it is my favorite format. This block has been great for pauper: Common dual lands, Bloodrush, great new multicolored cards in under-represented color combos. Now this? I am WET....and covered in water.
Johnny Confidant- THUMBS UP
The Creature version of Saving Grasp. Some scoff at "save your creature" spells like this but would you want to be at the wrong end of your General or worse, having your leader "tucked". He's tribal, instant-speed and cost approved. I want to see more commons like this, How bout some Blue/Green's? XD
Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
This card is very similar to Whitemane Lion, save for the U in his mana cost. Both cards are great and work very well as protectors from boardwipes; this guy's one of the few ways of saving your general from a Supreme Verdict.
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS UP
An interesting pick here. Like VJ said, we've all kinda seen and played this guy before if you've seen Mr. Lion, so I'm not ready to set myself on fire about this card, but for being a common, this is fairly nuts. Too bad I can't rock U/W like VJ can.
UNCLE LANDDROPS' PICK
| The Red Hot Chili Peppers Movie Cast: Flea, played by Man U's Wayne Rooney Chad Smith, played by Will Ferrell Anthony Kiedis, played by Notion Thief SIGN. ME. DAFUQ. UP. |
This, Plasm Capture, Progenitor Mimic, and the two big Golgari cards round out my Top 5. So this pick wasn't easy.
But I had a Notion, and the only prescription for it was--
Whoops. I ruined it. Well, you get where I was going.
MOAR CARD DRAW!
I had to go with one of my favorite nonsensical frontmen, Mr. Anthony Kiedis. He's quite the spicy Chili Pepper, and I've got big plans for him in this new Lazav deck I just finished. So he'll perhaps be the most immediately useful in a deck where I'm trying to play a bunch of Windfall-style effects to get people to bin their things. You discard your hand, I draw your cards, and mine? Yeah. This isn't fair. Howling Mine and Font of Mythos are a little less nice now, and that's okay. I'm sure the birds will share their lonely view with you when you snap lose to the insane tempo and draw power this card has.
Johnny Confidant- THUMBS UP
I'll allow you to play your Consecrated Sphinx and pass turn, During my upkeep I'll flash this guy in and squeal with joy as I sit and enjoy the benefits of your 6cmc bad decision. I'm happy to finally see a strong Dimir card for EDH that effects so many card advantage spells and permanents out there. Rhystic Study? thanks. Mind's Eye? Bet you'd like to use that. Phyrexian Arena? Awww you shouldn't have :)
Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
He's a mean, sneaky bastard that other Blue decks will come to rue, especially if combined with Kami of the Crescent Moon. Flash makes him a great response to Mind Springs and Sphinx's Revs. The 3/1 power/toughness, however, leaves a bad feeling in my stomach though, since once he's out, it takes only a ping to excecute this thief.
Grandpa Growth- THUMBS UP
This is a decent counter spell variant. I stand by what I said in my set review. 3 to 4 is a big difference; a difference that will stop this card from seeing mainstream play. I expect this card to go on the radar immediately. People will see it, become aware of it, and begin to play around it. Also, if your plan for victory revolved around you resolving a huge Mind Spring, you pretty much deserve to lose. Leave Counter back up. When in doubt: leave counter backup backup. Just don't fall victim to this guy.
Hopefully though, you've already fallen victim to the patterns that come at the end of every Stack.
So once again, be sure to check out GG on Sunday with a nice little In General piece called, "Things Magic Players Say." It's a good 'un, so don't miss out.
Barring some serious emergency, or a VJ article, I'll probably be around on Tuesday doing something relevant. Maybe I'll make good on that Repay In Kind article I keep putting off. I'm not sure. I've got a lot of different things to choose from, now that I'm not mouthing off most of the week.
And JohnnyCon will be serving up some sweet budget Tech this Thursday, so don't miss your chance to find out about some nice cards that won't make you overdraft the rent check.
Till then, promise me you won't do Bath Salts, rescue your crazy sister named River from the clutches of the Alliance, or get on a ship named Serenity without me.
Cause you can't take the sky from me. And by the sky, I mean Inara.
-UL
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