Hey Zoners! Welcome to another You Make the Pick. This is a short weekday segment where I show you a booster pack, tell you the story behind it, talk about the cards, share what my pick would be, and then you guys let us know in the comments what you would take.
Last weekend was Pro Tour Born of the Gods, if you missed out on any of the coverage then you should definitely go check it out on dailymtg.com. They have text coverage, decklists, player interviews, video of every feature match, and also: a draft viewer, where you can see every pick from every seat in the exciting Theros block team draft format. There was a draft tech on day one of the coverage featuring Hall of Famer William 'Huey' Jensen. He was at the table drafting with other notable names like Travis Woo and fellow HoF member Antione Ruel. This is what Huey saw for his first pick of the draft on day one of the Pro Tour:
It is pretty interesting to step inside the mind of a Magic pro, especially one of the all-time greats. So here we have a playable rare in Fated Intervention, which is strong, but not crazy good and requires a heavy Green commitment. Drown in Sorrow is a decent card, but hard to abuse in booster draft. Black happens to be one of the better colors in Born of the Gods and the flat out best in Theros in my opinion. Staking a claim early could be very profitable if you see some Gray Merchants later in the draft. This format seems to be a little faster than triple Theros, so having a sweeper might come in handy if you plan on drafting a slower strategy. Aerie Worshipers is also pretty incredible in limited and a fine pick here, although Blue is weaker in Born of the Gods. That could be good or bad because it might actually scare other drafters away from the color. Most all of the commons are pretty bad, the only one worth talking about is the Bolt of Keranos.
That just so happens to be what Huey took from the pack. Starting off with a removal spell is a great idea and Red a strong color in all three packs of this format. Taking the bolt here will send a signal that Red isn't open since the next best card is...well yea there isn't another Red card worth taking early. I think that I would probably have taken the Drown in Sorrow because I really like Black, but he is the Pro and I am the chumpy community author. The only real question left to ask is...what would you take?
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
UL's Better Deckbuilding: Daxos of Meletis EDH
Hey Zoners! Welcome back to another installment of Better Deckbuilding.
Today's design features one of the more popular Legends to come out of Theros- Daxos, the shirtless swordsman extraordinaire.
Today's design features one of the more popular Legends to come out of Theros- Daxos, the shirtless swordsman extraordinaire.
WHY DAXOS?
Normally, I'm not one to jump on the new Commander train when a card comes out.
Obviously, Daxos was an exception. I've liked and entertained building Thada Adel for a while, and I thought Daxos offered a very similar-but-different way to create a deck that would allow me to play my opponent's cards to assemble exciting board states.
This quality of improvisation and his unique evasion were both what drew me to the card and the catalyst for the challenges I faced in assembling my list.
THE DECKBUILDING PROCESS
Building Daxos was a lot different from most of my other designs for several reasons.
I actually began design after Theros came out, with the idea of playing some serious Stax-Style cards like Frozen Aether, Kismet, Winter Orb, and Meekstone to create favorable control elements for Daxos.
However, after learning his ability wouldn't allow me to play my opponent's lands, I lost my motivation for a while, so I unsleeved him and put all my card choices back for a while. Sometimes this is a necessary component to deckbuilding, especially when the designer can't find a clear vision for the deck. A couple months later I saw Johnny Confidant's list, and it gave me a few nice ideas for fixing my own problems.
Although Daxos possesses a rather underrated set of combat skills, he still promotes a very random and spontaneous way of deck design. His damage is much like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates- it's just hard to know what you're going to want in a game, and hard to know what you're going to cast off of someone's library. Either way, the life gain and Commander damage combine nicely to stabilize the value.
This also means you still have to play threats. Daxos isn't going to get 21 damage without a few tricks, and when you're hitting your opponent's lands, and not drawing into cards you need, it's easy to lose games.
So unlike most of my decks, which have a very methodical Pick Commander-Plan Strategy-Design-Test-Re-Tool plan, I realized that the only way I was going to be able to balance its reactive qualities properly was to get it on the kitchen table as quick as possible. So I adapted my methods, and it paid off.
This isn't my favorite way to build decks- I tend to find I'm no different than most in this regard. Putting decks out before you're satisfied sets a design up for failure before it begins. Confidence is an important part of the game, and any trace of doubt you may have is almost always going to seep into the game at some point. The "Heart of the Cards" is real, folks, and this seemingly silly faith is a source of competitive advantage when you've practiced with a deck and you know it inside and out.
Still, if you're able to effectively manage your expectations about a deck, it only inhibits your deckbuilding prowess. With Daxos, I was able to bring it into both 1v1 and multiplayer games knowing what it was going to do against good and bad matchups in a regular game setting. As a result, I was able to carve out its identity and smooth out my problems.
PILOTING THE DECK
In a number of ways, mine was based off JC's deck, which consisted of combining strong "Good Stuff" cards with Daxos to create aggressive threats and have a little counterspell backup. Things that gave us double strike, and Swords in particular, provided the deck with strong Daxos pumps and a little extra value whenever Daxos would deal damage.
After talking with JC about piloting the deck, I took his blueprints a step further by enhancing the strengths of the deck, transforming it into a basic "GoodStuffs" deck by maximizing the value of many of the cards that were already powerful parts of Magic's history.
Most of my decks have hubs and themes that get built around, and Daxos is no different. The first is combat damage triggers. Much like Daxos, the Commander Card Pool is chock-full of cool creatures and artifacts that offer unique triggers that activate in combat. Combined with Swords, these cards are the driving force of the deck, which is interesting when you consider this combination to be more like the "Slow-Zorius" decks I coined in Ravnica Limited, and less like a weenie Aggro deck.
In piloting the deck, it's definitely a sweet blend of the two. The Control elements can drive the Aggro parts, and vice versa- creating a very effective blend that can match the speed of the table.
As a result of Daxos' ability, there's also a different approach to the way you play spells. 70-80% of the time, tapping out in the first main is not going to be great- especially when Daxos is out getting damage and a random card.
However, rather than waste time on irrelevant cards like Lantern of Insight, what I found to be slightly more effective is just playing Instants- counterspells, disruption- anything that I can hold in my hand so that I can respond if someone tries to disrupt combat. Since we don't tap out until our second main, we can almost always ensure our interests are protected.
Plus, it gives us the element of surprise when we flip awesome things. Early on in testing I flopped a bunch of nice ones: Oracle of Mul Daya, Markov Blademaster, Brutalizer Exarch. I've even double-striked a Vigor and Sepulchral Primordial off the top of someone's library.
Still, there are plenty of ways to make your own luck with Daxos- so let's pop the hood and check out some of the tech.
THE TECH
There are quite a few cards with "put on top of owner's library" in my Daxos list that make for some nice versatility.
Disempower is probably the "weakest" one of them, but only because the other cards are Memory Lapse, Lapse of Certainty, and Unexpectedly Absent. Unlike the overcosted Griptide or Vanishment, Disempower sacrifices popularity and versatility for a cheap casting cost.
All that said, I like this card quite a bit. It can be a poor man's Unexpectedly Absent if our opponents play Gods, or a way to steal their Eldrazi Monument during combat and before damage is dealt. The tempo brings huge swings, and it can be done in the most favorable moments.
I'm not sure of the potential Disempower has in other decks, but I have a good feeling that if you try it out you probably won't be disappointed.
Any opportunity I have to showcase my cool lands I'm going to do it.
I think it's still all the rage in tournament Geist of Saint Traft decks to play his favorite castle, and I'm playing it here for the same reasons. Again, our mana stays untapped through combat, so this can be a nice trick if your opponent(s) was/were born yesterday and forgot about the things they do in the mainstream world of Magic.
If your opponent is chump-blocking, or flashing in tricks, this is also a good thing too.
In my group, this card got the mispronounced nickname of "Django Castle," which is also why I'm playing it. Any opportunity to play cards with nicknames is fun, and it's a great little card for other decks too- especially Captain Sisay.
Yeah. That's right.
I know it's not tech, but I had the opportunity to play a Magic classic in here, and I took it.
Earlier I mentioned that there's troubleshooting to be done here. When you're not getting threats off the top of your opponent's library, or cards from your own, it's a difficult place to be in.
Divination is not something I'm recommending for a Daxos deck, but I like it a lot more than playing nonsense like Ponder.
And even though I really dig the new art on this reprint, my Divination is the Yu-Gi-Oh card Pot of Greed (Which does the same thing in their game), and was gifted one by a guy in my playgroup.
The deck is a little light on land (37) because I have access to a plethora of mana rocks, and Divination can help me smooth out my land plays. That's mostly what it's here for.
Sometimes, you just gotta stack fun cards on top of more fun.
As predicted, Lavinia is silly good. Combined with Daxos, she's even better.
And in my meta, because it's almost always going to have a red player at the table, it makes her one of the best. She shuts down just about every creature that could block Daxos while also being a decent threat. It's win-win, basically.
I play a few blink effects, but there's so much tempo and value to be had, it's nuts. I can only imagine what proper decks built around her might do, and it's been making me cringe since she was spoiled last year. I'm glad I haven't seen any yet, but I don't know how long we're going to be able to keep that up.
Definitely a great pal for Daxos, and vice versa. The Azorius deck has gotten so much stronger just in the last year with her, Daxos, Medomai, and Render Silent. I'm really surprised we don't see more of U/W floating around. Then again, we can't all be Venser's Journalist.
I know much of the Daxos design is not original, and so it's no surprise to see Elspeth, Knight-Errant. Her magic is no secret.
But it's worth pointing out how neat she is in conjunction with Daxos. Many times people will make a dude with her ability and not think twice.
However, Daxos keeps it fresh. It's actually Elspeth's pumps and evasion in here that has proven to be much more instrumental in ending games.
Turning Daxos into a 5/5 flyer is absurd even without double strike or a sword, as it ups an 11-turn clock if she's not dealt with.
I know I'm just supporting an already innately good card, but being able to make a good card better is rare. Adding dimensions to them demonstrates unparalleled sense of respect to other players, to the game of Magic, and to the cards themselves. Overall, it's just good business, and that's what TGZ is all about. So I'd be remiss if I avoided it.
Most of the planeswalkers in this deck are not here simply because this is a Good Stuff deck, even though they are part of the stereotype associated with it. They help "gain life" by taking damage away from you, and giving Daxos a way to continue to be unblockable and relevant as the game scales. Opening hands in this deck with mana rocks and an early P-Dub almost always ensure that the game is going to be quick. This has been the case in most 1v1 matchups I've played.
The last card in our list is Thran Dynamo, and it's kind of interesting.
You see, because of the way that Daxos' ability works, Thran Dynamo and other boring mana rocks like it have the capacity to accept change.
Via Daxos' ability, this colorless mana can be colored mana, which is a very interesting Magic rule-breaker. Creating ramp support has never been so neat, and it allows us to play cards that may be out of our price range in the early turns.
Thran Dynamo and Mana Vault are two cards I play in here that I can ramp with quickly, and that also smooth out my draws long term. With less lands, these cards are just as important in supporting my mana base as they are in supporting our ability on offense to cast whatever we can get our hands on.
Anyway, this is the current list: Daxos of Meletis EDH, and Johnny Confidant's list that inspired mine- Daxos of Mediocrity EDH. Please check 'em out, +1 them if you like 'em, and suggest to us some neat tech if you think it'll help.
With that, I'll end my turn.
-UL
Obviously, Daxos was an exception. I've liked and entertained building Thada Adel for a while, and I thought Daxos offered a very similar-but-different way to create a deck that would allow me to play my opponent's cards to assemble exciting board states.
This quality of improvisation and his unique evasion were both what drew me to the card and the catalyst for the challenges I faced in assembling my list.
THE DECKBUILDING PROCESS
Building Daxos was a lot different from most of my other designs for several reasons.
I actually began design after Theros came out, with the idea of playing some serious Stax-Style cards like Frozen Aether, Kismet, Winter Orb, and Meekstone to create favorable control elements for Daxos.
However, after learning his ability wouldn't allow me to play my opponent's lands, I lost my motivation for a while, so I unsleeved him and put all my card choices back for a while. Sometimes this is a necessary component to deckbuilding, especially when the designer can't find a clear vision for the deck. A couple months later I saw Johnny Confidant's list, and it gave me a few nice ideas for fixing my own problems.
Although Daxos possesses a rather underrated set of combat skills, he still promotes a very random and spontaneous way of deck design. His damage is much like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates- it's just hard to know what you're going to want in a game, and hard to know what you're going to cast off of someone's library. Either way, the life gain and Commander damage combine nicely to stabilize the value.
This also means you still have to play threats. Daxos isn't going to get 21 damage without a few tricks, and when you're hitting your opponent's lands, and not drawing into cards you need, it's easy to lose games.
So unlike most of my decks, which have a very methodical Pick Commander-Plan Strategy-Design-Test-Re-Tool plan, I realized that the only way I was going to be able to balance its reactive qualities properly was to get it on the kitchen table as quick as possible. So I adapted my methods, and it paid off.
This isn't my favorite way to build decks- I tend to find I'm no different than most in this regard. Putting decks out before you're satisfied sets a design up for failure before it begins. Confidence is an important part of the game, and any trace of doubt you may have is almost always going to seep into the game at some point. The "Heart of the Cards" is real, folks, and this seemingly silly faith is a source of competitive advantage when you've practiced with a deck and you know it inside and out.
Still, if you're able to effectively manage your expectations about a deck, it only inhibits your deckbuilding prowess. With Daxos, I was able to bring it into both 1v1 and multiplayer games knowing what it was going to do against good and bad matchups in a regular game setting. As a result, I was able to carve out its identity and smooth out my problems.
PILOTING THE DECK
In a number of ways, mine was based off JC's deck, which consisted of combining strong "Good Stuff" cards with Daxos to create aggressive threats and have a little counterspell backup. Things that gave us double strike, and Swords in particular, provided the deck with strong Daxos pumps and a little extra value whenever Daxos would deal damage.
After talking with JC about piloting the deck, I took his blueprints a step further by enhancing the strengths of the deck, transforming it into a basic "GoodStuffs" deck by maximizing the value of many of the cards that were already powerful parts of Magic's history.
Most of my decks have hubs and themes that get built around, and Daxos is no different. The first is combat damage triggers. Much like Daxos, the Commander Card Pool is chock-full of cool creatures and artifacts that offer unique triggers that activate in combat. Combined with Swords, these cards are the driving force of the deck, which is interesting when you consider this combination to be more like the "Slow-Zorius" decks I coined in Ravnica Limited, and less like a weenie Aggro deck.
In piloting the deck, it's definitely a sweet blend of the two. The Control elements can drive the Aggro parts, and vice versa- creating a very effective blend that can match the speed of the table.
As a result of Daxos' ability, there's also a different approach to the way you play spells. 70-80% of the time, tapping out in the first main is not going to be great- especially when Daxos is out getting damage and a random card.
However, rather than waste time on irrelevant cards like Lantern of Insight, what I found to be slightly more effective is just playing Instants- counterspells, disruption- anything that I can hold in my hand so that I can respond if someone tries to disrupt combat. Since we don't tap out until our second main, we can almost always ensure our interests are protected.
Plus, it gives us the element of surprise when we flip awesome things. Early on in testing I flopped a bunch of nice ones: Oracle of Mul Daya, Markov Blademaster, Brutalizer Exarch. I've even double-striked a Vigor and Sepulchral Primordial off the top of someone's library.
Still, there are plenty of ways to make your own luck with Daxos- so let's pop the hood and check out some of the tech.
THE TECH
Disempower is probably the "weakest" one of them, but only because the other cards are Memory Lapse, Lapse of Certainty, and Unexpectedly Absent. Unlike the overcosted Griptide or Vanishment, Disempower sacrifices popularity and versatility for a cheap casting cost.
All that said, I like this card quite a bit. It can be a poor man's Unexpectedly Absent if our opponents play Gods, or a way to steal their Eldrazi Monument during combat and before damage is dealt. The tempo brings huge swings, and it can be done in the most favorable moments.
I'm not sure of the potential Disempower has in other decks, but I have a good feeling that if you try it out you probably won't be disappointed.
| The "D" is silent. |
I think it's still all the rage in tournament Geist of Saint Traft decks to play his favorite castle, and I'm playing it here for the same reasons. Again, our mana stays untapped through combat, so this can be a nice trick if your opponent(s) was/were born yesterday and forgot about the things they do in the mainstream world of Magic.
If your opponent is chump-blocking, or flashing in tricks, this is also a good thing too.
In my group, this card got the mispronounced nickname of "Django Castle," which is also why I'm playing it. Any opportunity to play cards with nicknames is fun, and it's a great little card for other decks too- especially Captain Sisay.
I know it's not tech, but I had the opportunity to play a Magic classic in here, and I took it.
Earlier I mentioned that there's troubleshooting to be done here. When you're not getting threats off the top of your opponent's library, or cards from your own, it's a difficult place to be in.
Divination is not something I'm recommending for a Daxos deck, but I like it a lot more than playing nonsense like Ponder.
And even though I really dig the new art on this reprint, my Divination is the Yu-Gi-Oh card Pot of Greed (Which does the same thing in their game), and was gifted one by a guy in my playgroup.
The deck is a little light on land (37) because I have access to a plethora of mana rocks, and Divination can help me smooth out my land plays. That's mostly what it's here for.
Sometimes, you just gotta stack fun cards on top of more fun.
And in my meta, because it's almost always going to have a red player at the table, it makes her one of the best. She shuts down just about every creature that could block Daxos while also being a decent threat. It's win-win, basically.
I play a few blink effects, but there's so much tempo and value to be had, it's nuts. I can only imagine what proper decks built around her might do, and it's been making me cringe since she was spoiled last year. I'm glad I haven't seen any yet, but I don't know how long we're going to be able to keep that up.
Definitely a great pal for Daxos, and vice versa. The Azorius deck has gotten so much stronger just in the last year with her, Daxos, Medomai, and Render Silent. I'm really surprised we don't see more of U/W floating around. Then again, we can't all be Venser's Journalist.
But it's worth pointing out how neat she is in conjunction with Daxos. Many times people will make a dude with her ability and not think twice.
However, Daxos keeps it fresh. It's actually Elspeth's pumps and evasion in here that has proven to be much more instrumental in ending games.
Turning Daxos into a 5/5 flyer is absurd even without double strike or a sword, as it ups an 11-turn clock if she's not dealt with.
I know I'm just supporting an already innately good card, but being able to make a good card better is rare. Adding dimensions to them demonstrates unparalleled sense of respect to other players, to the game of Magic, and to the cards themselves. Overall, it's just good business, and that's what TGZ is all about. So I'd be remiss if I avoided it.
Most of the planeswalkers in this deck are not here simply because this is a Good Stuff deck, even though they are part of the stereotype associated with it. They help "gain life" by taking damage away from you, and giving Daxos a way to continue to be unblockable and relevant as the game scales. Opening hands in this deck with mana rocks and an early P-Dub almost always ensure that the game is going to be quick. This has been the case in most 1v1 matchups I've played.
You see, because of the way that Daxos' ability works, Thran Dynamo and other boring mana rocks like it have the capacity to accept change.
Via Daxos' ability, this colorless mana can be colored mana, which is a very interesting Magic rule-breaker. Creating ramp support has never been so neat, and it allows us to play cards that may be out of our price range in the early turns.
Thran Dynamo and Mana Vault are two cards I play in here that I can ramp with quickly, and that also smooth out my draws long term. With less lands, these cards are just as important in supporting my mana base as they are in supporting our ability on offense to cast whatever we can get our hands on.
Anyway, this is the current list: Daxos of Meletis EDH, and Johnny Confidant's list that inspired mine- Daxos of Mediocrity EDH. Please check 'em out, +1 them if you like 'em, and suggest to us some neat tech if you think it'll help.
With that, I'll end my turn.
-UL
Sunday, February 23, 2014
In General: The Modern Approach
Hello Zoners. I am Grandpa Growth, your regular Sunday writer. This is In General, your regular Sunday column. In General focuses on discussion of higher level strategy, player psychology, game theory, and other loosely related topics. In General is not the place for my thoughts on individual cards...usually.
You see today, I am at home watching coverage of the Top 8 of Pro Tour Born of the Gods in Valencia, Spain. The Constructed format for this tournament is Modern. Wizards has established a pattern of wanting to showcase a "fresh" format for the Pro Tour, so that everyone at home can watch the top players in the world design and play decks for an unexplored metagame. *BUZZ WORD ALERT*! Metagame huh? Metagame is the umbrella for all the things that relate to the game, but are outside of an actual game of Magic. In this context I am referring specifically to the metagame composition - the breakdown of all the viable decks available to players. In a solved format this is a known quantity. There will be statistical analysis available that documents each major deck's win percentage against the other major decks and what percentage of the total player base at recent tournaments have been playing each deck. No such information exists for Commander, but that is the nature of a casual format. Next week, in fact, I will be discussing how the idea of the metagame influences Commander as a format, but that is not what I am talking about today.
Today, I am talking about how Wizards accomplishes the task of taking a solved format and essentially wrecking it. You see, this is how you make a "fresh format" out of an existing one. In Standard, cards rotate on a yearly basis and new cards are coming out every few months. Because the card pool is sufficiently small, each of these changes makes a significant impact on what decks are viable in the format. Modern has a much larger card pool, so new cards are much less likely to be powerful enough to impact the format at large. Cards also don't rotate out, so the only way Wizards can remove something from Modern is to put it on the Banned list. This is the exact tactic that they have chosen to control the Modern metagame and it is an interesting decision that I believe has applications to Commander.
Wizards unbanned Bitterblossom and Wild Nacatl just weeks before the Pro Tour, ensuring that new (old) decks would become viable and the Pros would need significant amounts of testing with and against these previously unusable archetypes. With Modern, Wizards has adopted the unwritten policy that whenever the Banned and Restricted List is updated, they will typically ban the best card in the best deck at that time. Once established, this meant that players who invest in the format could expect it to change more frequently than Legacy and also expect that any deck dominant enough to win consistently, would not stay legal for more than a few months at a time.
This was essentially all preamble to a simple question. What if Commander was managed this same way? It is no secret that I am not a supporter of the so-called "Official" Banned List. There is simply nothing official about casual Magic. If you have issues with a particular card, deck, or person in your local metagame then you should deal with those issues individually. Don't rely on, and certainly don't endorse, other people putting rules on they way that you have fun with your friends. That is how I feel at least. Anyway, the point I am making is that this could provide a much more intuitive guiding principle for establishing a banned list. Instead of listing all the cards that commander.net moderators don't like, we could have a more objective and democratic system.
For example, Nekusar, the Mindrazer is popular in my group these days. Keep in mind this just an example, I don't think these decks are even good, much less worthy of a ban, but for argument's sake let's say I started an open-ended poll. I want to shake up my metagame, so I ask people what they think the best card in the best deck is. If people feel like I do, they will inevitably start naming cards that are in these Nekusar decks. Winter Orb, Back to Basics, maybe Phyrexian Tyranny, or even Nekusar himself. If the consensus is to ban a card that is popular in Nekusar decks, we know Nekusar is a problem in my group. If the group consistently points out a particular card, then we should think about banning that card to put the power level and popularity of Nekusar decks back in line with the rest of the format. Every six months-to-a-year we could re-examine the list and use the same system to take cards off the list. If the majority of people seem to think that allowing Braids, Cabal Minion as a Commander would help diversify the format, then heck, we can give it a go.
This is more of a thought experiment than anything. The idea intrigued me and I think that there is potential for it to supplant the Official Banned and Restricted List in my sphere of influence. So, rather than asking if you support this idea since that isn't really the point, I want ask: what do you think the best archetype in Commander is and what single card could you take away that would make you stop wanting to play, or hate playing against, that archetype?
-GG
You see today, I am at home watching coverage of the Top 8 of Pro Tour Born of the Gods in Valencia, Spain. The Constructed format for this tournament is Modern. Wizards has established a pattern of wanting to showcase a "fresh" format for the Pro Tour, so that everyone at home can watch the top players in the world design and play decks for an unexplored metagame. *BUZZ WORD ALERT*! Metagame huh? Metagame is the umbrella for all the things that relate to the game, but are outside of an actual game of Magic. In this context I am referring specifically to the metagame composition - the breakdown of all the viable decks available to players. In a solved format this is a known quantity. There will be statistical analysis available that documents each major deck's win percentage against the other major decks and what percentage of the total player base at recent tournaments have been playing each deck. No such information exists for Commander, but that is the nature of a casual format. Next week, in fact, I will be discussing how the idea of the metagame influences Commander as a format, but that is not what I am talking about today.
Today, I am talking about how Wizards accomplishes the task of taking a solved format and essentially wrecking it. You see, this is how you make a "fresh format" out of an existing one. In Standard, cards rotate on a yearly basis and new cards are coming out every few months. Because the card pool is sufficiently small, each of these changes makes a significant impact on what decks are viable in the format. Modern has a much larger card pool, so new cards are much less likely to be powerful enough to impact the format at large. Cards also don't rotate out, so the only way Wizards can remove something from Modern is to put it on the Banned list. This is the exact tactic that they have chosen to control the Modern metagame and it is an interesting decision that I believe has applications to Commander.
Wizards unbanned Bitterblossom and Wild Nacatl just weeks before the Pro Tour, ensuring that new (old) decks would become viable and the Pros would need significant amounts of testing with and against these previously unusable archetypes. With Modern, Wizards has adopted the unwritten policy that whenever the Banned and Restricted List is updated, they will typically ban the best card in the best deck at that time. Once established, this meant that players who invest in the format could expect it to change more frequently than Legacy and also expect that any deck dominant enough to win consistently, would not stay legal for more than a few months at a time.
This was essentially all preamble to a simple question. What if Commander was managed this same way? It is no secret that I am not a supporter of the so-called "Official" Banned List. There is simply nothing official about casual Magic. If you have issues with a particular card, deck, or person in your local metagame then you should deal with those issues individually. Don't rely on, and certainly don't endorse, other people putting rules on they way that you have fun with your friends. That is how I feel at least. Anyway, the point I am making is that this could provide a much more intuitive guiding principle for establishing a banned list. Instead of listing all the cards that commander.net moderators don't like, we could have a more objective and democratic system.
For example, Nekusar, the Mindrazer is popular in my group these days. Keep in mind this just an example, I don't think these decks are even good, much less worthy of a ban, but for argument's sake let's say I started an open-ended poll. I want to shake up my metagame, so I ask people what they think the best card in the best deck is. If people feel like I do, they will inevitably start naming cards that are in these Nekusar decks. Winter Orb, Back to Basics, maybe Phyrexian Tyranny, or even Nekusar himself. If the consensus is to ban a card that is popular in Nekusar decks, we know Nekusar is a problem in my group. If the group consistently points out a particular card, then we should think about banning that card to put the power level and popularity of Nekusar decks back in line with the rest of the format. Every six months-to-a-year we could re-examine the list and use the same system to take cards off the list. If the majority of people seem to think that allowing Braids, Cabal Minion as a Commander would help diversify the format, then heck, we can give it a go.
This is more of a thought experiment than anything. The idea intrigued me and I think that there is potential for it to supplant the Official Banned and Restricted List in my sphere of influence. So, rather than asking if you support this idea since that isn't really the point, I want ask: what do you think the best archetype in Commander is and what single card could you take away that would make you stop wanting to play, or hate playing against, that archetype?
-GG
Saturday, February 22, 2014
The Stack #45- Card Name Re-Assignment
After several weeks of vacation, it's time to get back on our weekend routine.
The Stack returns this week with a fun pastime GG and I used to have back when we were playing on the regular- the Nickname game.
Having so many cards in the format means we get the wonderful opportunity to continue to enjoy making new names as well as continuing to keep alive those made-up names from competitive decks of the past.
Nicknaming cards is one of the many ways I'm able to gratify good ones, excite mediocre ones, and convince myself that playing bad ones are totally worth it. They come from all different facets of humor tactics and pop culture, and I tend to think it's a key tactic in helping me to maintain my competitive edge while remaining not too serious.
So we're going to share some of our more recent nomenclature with you. This is it!
GRANDPA GROWTH'S PICK
Grandpa Growth- THUMBS UP
The Convertible Turtle. And really, what else would you even call him? This definitely isn't my favorite nickname, but a good one nonetheless, though this is surely my favorite Turtle. Even as a Pauper-only playable, this is still by far the best Turtle ever printed. Speaking of which, why no love for the Turtle tribe? What's up with that Wizards?
From a flavor perspective this card is total nonsense. A gigantic turtle would not exactly be an effective hunter. In fact there is no way something this big could reasonably survive in a desolate environment like a desert or salt flat. There just isn't enough food. And if anything it would most certainly be an herbivore and thus, there wouldn't be much of a need for all the snapping - the plants don't run away.
I have to confess I am a pretty savage abuser of card nicknames. Understanding my speech during a game of Magic is practically impossible because of all the shortcuts, nicknames, and inside jokes. It's like I am talking in nerd code. My pen name for this very blog is a direct port of a card nickname. Bonus points if you know what it is. Hint: it was featured in the now derelict "Super Secret Sunday" series.
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS UP
Interesting language for sure, but I like the image evoked a lot more. What would a turtle do with the top down, cruising down the street? Would he look for other chick turtles? Would he feel nervous and naked? I don't know what to do if philosophy and science can't answer my questions.
Anyway, I keep finding myself trying to make "Convertible" and "Turtle" rhyme, but mostly because it makes me feel like a little kid again, bashing action figures together on the floor of my little playroom growing up. That's a little memoir-y, but I kind of have history slingin' Turtle around back in Zenny (slang for Zendikar; be hip even if you aren't folks), when I didn't care about rarity, and lands seemed to drop from the sky whenever I wanted. Now, I have days where I can't seem to hit any lands, and my collection of Calcite Snappers were handed down to my brother.
VENSER'S JOURNALIST'S PICK
Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
Call me boring, but I usually refer to Bruna here as "Light of Abra Kadabra." It makes sense, no? She's somewhat of an enchantress, so the name fits the kind of spellcasting/spell inclusion you see in most decks that utilize this angel.
Interestingly, I've never put her at the forefront of a deck. She currently resides in my Rafiq of the Many deck alongside her sister "Sigarda, Crazy Bird Lady."
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS UP
I have no problem with malapropism. Mistaking words for other words can be comical, and often hilarious. I like the way words sound, and sometimes changing just one word in a sentence or phrase can be costly, or cause infectious laughter. Just ask the folks who created "Damn You AutoCorrect!"
Anywho, my personal favorite Magic malapropism is "Baklava Reaches," which is what I've learned to affectionately call "Lavaclaw Reaches" because my friends sometimes get dyslexic and have a taste for Greek pastries.
In my neck of the woods though, Bruna is named after her corresponding PowerPuff Girl, Bubbles. I'd printed up the whole squad and presented them to some players in the area with various versions of the team, for fun and local blog networking/marketing. Hopefully, it's paying off.
Grandpa Growth- THUMBS DOWN
Pop culture isn't everyone's strong suit, but it happens to be one that I share with UL. Bruna/o Mars is a much more nickname for this place and time in which we live. Even if you aren't into pop music he did perform at the Superbowl, which is one of the most watched television events of the year, every year.
I wouldn't call someone boring though, that is just rude.
UNCLE LANDDROPS' PICK
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS UP
When I was hanging out with my friends at Theros prerelease, I started calling him, "The Burger King" because of how fun and creepy and worthless this card is. Though he is still a seldom talked about part of Magic for now, the name has stuck and so has an insatiable craving for breakfast every time I talk about it. Or maybe it's... brains?
Grandpa Growth- THUMBS UP
I can definitely see this catching on, although the low playability and general unpopularity of this color combo is likely to limit the infection rate. He even looks like The King. No not Elvis you annoying- SO ANYWAY. I used to love those silly Burger King commercials where The King would run around committing cheeky shenanigans. Too bad Burger King and the Murder King are so awful. Well, at least they have something in common.
Side Note: Why do some activated abilities function in the graveyard and some don't? I am not a big fan of rules, but I truly despise exceptions. Having a case-by-case standard for this type of thing really rubs me the wrong way.
Well, that about wraps 'er up.
If you guys have nicknames, be sure to share them with us in the comments below.
Happy Norse Apocalypse day.
-UL/VJ/GG
The Stack returns this week with a fun pastime GG and I used to have back when we were playing on the regular- the Nickname game.
Having so many cards in the format means we get the wonderful opportunity to continue to enjoy making new names as well as continuing to keep alive those made-up names from competitive decks of the past.
Nicknaming cards is one of the many ways I'm able to gratify good ones, excite mediocre ones, and convince myself that playing bad ones are totally worth it. They come from all different facets of humor tactics and pop culture, and I tend to think it's a key tactic in helping me to maintain my competitive edge while remaining not too serious.
So we're going to share some of our more recent nomenclature with you. This is it!
GRANDPA GROWTH'S PICK
The Convertible Turtle. And really, what else would you even call him? This definitely isn't my favorite nickname, but a good one nonetheless, though this is surely my favorite Turtle. Even as a Pauper-only playable, this is still by far the best Turtle ever printed. Speaking of which, why no love for the Turtle tribe? What's up with that Wizards?
From a flavor perspective this card is total nonsense. A gigantic turtle would not exactly be an effective hunter. In fact there is no way something this big could reasonably survive in a desolate environment like a desert or salt flat. There just isn't enough food. And if anything it would most certainly be an herbivore and thus, there wouldn't be much of a need for all the snapping - the plants don't run away.
I have to confess I am a pretty savage abuser of card nicknames. Understanding my speech during a game of Magic is practically impossible because of all the shortcuts, nicknames, and inside jokes. It's like I am talking in nerd code. My pen name for this very blog is a direct port of a card nickname. Bonus points if you know what it is. Hint: it was featured in the now derelict "Super Secret Sunday" series.
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS UP
Interesting language for sure, but I like the image evoked a lot more. What would a turtle do with the top down, cruising down the street? Would he look for other chick turtles? Would he feel nervous and naked? I don't know what to do if philosophy and science can't answer my questions.
Anyway, I keep finding myself trying to make "Convertible" and "Turtle" rhyme, but mostly because it makes me feel like a little kid again, bashing action figures together on the floor of my little playroom growing up. That's a little memoir-y, but I kind of have history slingin' Turtle around back in Zenny (slang for Zendikar; be hip even if you aren't folks), when I didn't care about rarity, and lands seemed to drop from the sky whenever I wanted. Now, I have days where I can't seem to hit any lands, and my collection of Calcite Snappers were handed down to my brother.
VENSER'S JOURNALIST'S PICK
Call me boring, but I usually refer to Bruna here as "Light of Abra Kadabra." It makes sense, no? She's somewhat of an enchantress, so the name fits the kind of spellcasting/spell inclusion you see in most decks that utilize this angel.
Interestingly, I've never put her at the forefront of a deck. She currently resides in my Rafiq of the Many deck alongside her sister "Sigarda, Crazy Bird Lady."
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS UP
I have no problem with malapropism. Mistaking words for other words can be comical, and often hilarious. I like the way words sound, and sometimes changing just one word in a sentence or phrase can be costly, or cause infectious laughter. Just ask the folks who created "Damn You AutoCorrect!"
Anywho, my personal favorite Magic malapropism is "Baklava Reaches," which is what I've learned to affectionately call "Lavaclaw Reaches" because my friends sometimes get dyslexic and have a taste for Greek pastries.
In my neck of the woods though, Bruna is named after her corresponding PowerPuff Girl, Bubbles. I'd printed up the whole squad and presented them to some players in the area with various versions of the team, for fun and local blog networking/marketing. Hopefully, it's paying off.
Grandpa Growth- THUMBS DOWN
Pop culture isn't everyone's strong suit, but it happens to be one that I share with UL. Bruna/o Mars is a much more nickname for this place and time in which we live. Even if you aren't into pop music he did perform at the Superbowl, which is one of the most watched television events of the year, every year.
I wouldn't call someone boring though, that is just rude.
UNCLE LANDDROPS' PICK
When I was hanging out with my friends at Theros prerelease, I started calling him, "The Burger King" because of how fun and creepy and worthless this card is. Though he is still a seldom talked about part of Magic for now, the name has stuck and so has an insatiable craving for breakfast every time I talk about it. Or maybe it's... brains?
Grandpa Growth- THUMBS UP
I can definitely see this catching on, although the low playability and general unpopularity of this color combo is likely to limit the infection rate. He even looks like The King. No not Elvis you annoying- SO ANYWAY. I used to love those silly Burger King commercials where The King would run around committing cheeky shenanigans. Too bad Burger King and the Murder King are so awful. Well, at least they have something in common.
Side Note: Why do some activated abilities function in the graveyard and some don't? I am not a big fan of rules, but I truly despise exceptions. Having a case-by-case standard for this type of thing really rubs me the wrong way.
Well, that about wraps 'er up.
If you guys have nicknames, be sure to share them with us in the comments below.
Happy Norse Apocalypse day.
-UL/VJ/GG
Friday, February 21, 2014
TGZ News 2/21/14
Hey Zoners! Big news from the Magic world and beyond. I am back in the world of the internet living and much has happened since our last news segment. Let's dig in and see what all the fuss is about.
For the last few years Wizards has been in the habit of releasing new casual products every Summer. This has brought us some awesome products like the Commander pre-constructed decks and Planeschase. This years product is called Conspiracy and is designed for multiplayer drafting. As a big fan of casual drafting, I am very excited by this. The preview cards revealed with the announcement have already got me salivating, but what I am most excited about is this: this is the newest expert level product that also shares a name with a card. You can read the product info here: http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/arcana/1430
This year's From the Vault product is also poised to deliver excitement. FtV: Annihilation, as it's called, is a collection of the most 'brutal' cards from Magic's history. As always, they have teased the announcement by showing one of the beautiful new pieces of art and, always, the internet is aflutter with speculation as to what this card might be. If you as me the answer is pretty clear, Sulfur Vortex. It is brutal, powerful, has a storied history within the game, playability in Legacy and Cube, and has never received a reprint.
http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/arcana/1426
Magic has always had appeal to collectors, but many of the side merchandise have never really caught on. Wizards plans to change this with a new line of collectible figurines from Funko featuring the ionic planeswalkers from Magic. http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/arcana/1431
Finally, Pro Tour Born of the Gods begins today. The top players in the World are going to be battling it out with Modern decks featuring the brand new Modern Banned list. So far, the effects have already been felt with Wild Nacatl powering a resurgence of Aggro Zoo decks alongside a small smattering of Faerie decks utilizing Bitterblossom. You can follow the coverage all weekend long on dailymtg.com and you can watch the live web stream here: http://webcastplayer.wizards.com/
For the last few years Wizards has been in the habit of releasing new casual products every Summer. This has brought us some awesome products like the Commander pre-constructed decks and Planeschase. This years product is called Conspiracy and is designed for multiplayer drafting. As a big fan of casual drafting, I am very excited by this. The preview cards revealed with the announcement have already got me salivating, but what I am most excited about is this: this is the newest expert level product that also shares a name with a card. You can read the product info here: http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/arcana/1430
This year's From the Vault product is also poised to deliver excitement. FtV: Annihilation, as it's called, is a collection of the most 'brutal' cards from Magic's history. As always, they have teased the announcement by showing one of the beautiful new pieces of art and, always, the internet is aflutter with speculation as to what this card might be. If you as me the answer is pretty clear, Sulfur Vortex. It is brutal, powerful, has a storied history within the game, playability in Legacy and Cube, and has never received a reprint.
http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/arcana/1426
Magic has always had appeal to collectors, but many of the side merchandise have never really caught on. Wizards plans to change this with a new line of collectible figurines from Funko featuring the ionic planeswalkers from Magic. http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/arcana/1431
Finally, Pro Tour Born of the Gods begins today. The top players in the World are going to be battling it out with Modern decks featuring the brand new Modern Banned list. So far, the effects have already been felt with Wild Nacatl powering a resurgence of Aggro Zoo decks alongside a small smattering of Faerie decks utilizing Bitterblossom. You can follow the coverage all weekend long on dailymtg.com and you can watch the live web stream here: http://webcastplayer.wizards.com/
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Spin It Into Myth: Two Seldomly-Used Sorceries, A Super-Cheap Aura, and Planeswalker Cameo
Welcome back for another round of Spin It Into Myth, TGZ's #1 doctor recommended on-going source for Landdrops-tested sketchy tech that might have the right amount of skills to pay the bills.
Sawtooth Loon- The Daxos deck likes the option of having extra card draw every turn. But with a low creature count, this is definitely not necessarily the best support in design. Not a flop, but not a total success either.
We've got some results from our last installment, as well as some more goofy try-ables to chitchat about, so let's get started.
LAST TIME, ON SPIN IT INTO MYTH...
LAST TIME, ON SPIN IT INTO MYTH...
There were a bunch of sketchy dudes we were trying out- Sawtooth Loon, Firefist Striker, Marton Stromgald, Nylea's Disciple, and Fleshwrither. So let's do a quick summary of the results.
Sawtooth Loon- The Daxos deck likes the option of having extra card draw every turn. But with a low creature count, this is definitely not necessarily the best support in design. Not a flop, but not a total success either.
Nylea's Disciple- I gained a crap ton of life off this card, but ended up cutting it in favor of more removal and to focus on a more Silvos-centric strategy. Ended up being a flop in interest of deck design.
Firefist Striker- What a beating. Almost always triggers Battalion, which helps to protect him and prevent our opponents from being able to solve the Animar damage problem with just one creature, and is a nice 2-drop that helps us get big with our Commander. More success than not.
Marton Stromgald- Better than I imagined, but still not great. Makes all of my mana dorks better.
Fleshwrither- Definitely a hit. Lots of access to tech, and though it's a little slow, it's not gonna get removed unless someone's playing overcautious.
Marton Stromgald- Better than I imagined, but still not great. Makes all of my mana dorks better.
Fleshwrither- Definitely a hit. Lots of access to tech, and though it's a little slow, it's not gonna get removed unless someone's playing overcautious.
THE NEW STUFF
GG was the first to turn me onto playing singleton Snow-Covered basics as a way get more value out of Realms Uncharted.
Frankly, I wish I knew this existed before one of the guys in my group showed up with the ColdSnap duals and this card as a way to get ultra-mega card advantage for his five-color Reaper King deck.
I'm stoked for this, and I'm going to try it out in every deck. I might even start playing an extra Snow-Covered land.
Frankly, I wish I knew this existed before one of the guys in my group showed up with the ColdSnap duals and this card as a way to get ultra-mega card advantage for his five-color Reaper King deck.
I'm stoked for this, and I'm going to try it out in every deck. I might even start playing an extra Snow-Covered land.
Yeah, I know this is a planeswalker, so it seems like a thing that shouldn't be getting tested here in the land of sketchy stuff.
However, I think there's more to discuss than you might think. Vraska isn't actually intimidating if we try to classify her as a "threat." Back when she was spoiled, GG and I had a discussion about it. I thought it was good. He thought it was suspect.
Truth is, Vraska is probably going to be a lot better classified as an answer. Her second ability is going to prove more useful than waiting to tick her up to 7 and trying to get lucky.
Still, I was able to get my hands on one recently, and I'm anxious to see how it's going to play in an environment where she can be heavily guarded.
However, I think there's more to discuss than you might think. Vraska isn't actually intimidating if we try to classify her as a "threat." Back when she was spoiled, GG and I had a discussion about it. I thought it was good. He thought it was suspect.
Truth is, Vraska is probably going to be a lot better classified as an answer. Her second ability is going to prove more useful than waiting to tick her up to 7 and trying to get lucky.
Still, I was able to get my hands on one recently, and I'm anxious to see how it's going to play in an environment where she can be heavily guarded.
Now, Ground Rift is a little more under-the-radar.
Part of my Commander New Year's Resolution is to make a Boros deck that works in some way in the format.
It probably won't, but that doesn't mean I won't give it my best effort.
With access to Heroic, cheap Auras that can bounce themselves, and ways to generate tokens, Ground Rift seems to be a pretty nice little trick I can play to get my Storm on. Now, Heroic isn't going to trigger on Storm copies, but if our initial target is our own creature, we can still get a decent return on investment. Ground Rift and Astral Steel seem like the big winners in terms of Storm, but I will be playing almost all of them if I can.
Part of my Commander New Year's Resolution is to make a Boros deck that works in some way in the format.
It probably won't, but that doesn't mean I won't give it my best effort.
With access to Heroic, cheap Auras that can bounce themselves, and ways to generate tokens, Ground Rift seems to be a pretty nice little trick I can play to get my Storm on. Now, Heroic isn't going to trigger on Storm copies, but if our initial target is our own creature, we can still get a decent return on investment. Ground Rift and Astral Steel seem like the big winners in terms of Storm, but I will be playing almost all of them if I can.
Last on the list is Flickering Ward. This is a card that's popped up in a lot of Bruna + Heroic decks as well as Anax and Cymede, which is the design I'm working on.
Protection on a Commander is usually huge, but isn't always a be-all investment. I like the flexibility I have with this. There are a couple of other nice ways to reap benefits off of cheap, re-castable Auras. Celestial Ancient and Sigil of the Empty Throne provide additional value on return as well. As long as I can keep instant-speed responses for protection not on my turn, Flickering Ward will help me cover the rest.
I've got plenty of other cool tech in these more eccentric decks I'm working on, and I hope to be able to share it in more vivid design soon.
Stack's back after a nice 3-week vacation. So be sure to check us out Saturday and see what we've got on tap.
Protection on a Commander is usually huge, but isn't always a be-all investment. I like the flexibility I have with this. There are a couple of other nice ways to reap benefits off of cheap, re-castable Auras. Celestial Ancient and Sigil of the Empty Throne provide additional value on return as well. As long as I can keep instant-speed responses for protection not on my turn, Flickering Ward will help me cover the rest.
I've got plenty of other cool tech in these more eccentric decks I'm working on, and I hope to be able to share it in more vivid design soon.
Stack's back after a nice 3-week vacation. So be sure to check us out Saturday and see what we've got on tap.
Pass it up.
-UL
-UL
You Make the Pick #4
Welcome, welcome! Grandpa Growth back here with another You Make the Pick! I think the great internet recession of 2014 is behind me now so I will be able to get back to a more regular posting schedule. You Make the Pick is a fun, bite-sized, mid-week segment where we look at a booster pack. I will talk about the merits of certain cards and explain what I think the pick should be, but then I hand it over to you guys! Sound off in the comments with what you would take.
Now, weeks ago I promised that there would be new YMTP segments once Born of the Gods came out...and then I dropped off the map. BUT NOW I'M BACK BABY! BotG has come out on MtGO and the ques are firing! It is time to crack open some booster packs and draft! Let's take a look here at a fresh pack:
Straight away I am thinking about the rare. Black was a very strong color in Theros, so staking a claim in Black with pack one could pay big dividends later in the draft! Aside from that the pack is very weak, there is a solid Black uncommon in Forlorn Pseudamma, which could potentially put one of the players to our left in Black as well. That wouldn't be ideal, but the other options are not very exciting. Pheres-Band Raiders is a decent incentive to play Green and a decent card to ramp into, but there are definitely better cards in the format. This pack is so shallow that we can't expect to wheel anything reasonable.
Not much else to say; this pack is pretty cut and dried. It is always good to ease back into the swing of things once you have taken some time off. So now you know what I would pick, the only question left is...what would you take?
Now, weeks ago I promised that there would be new YMTP segments once Born of the Gods came out...and then I dropped off the map. BUT NOW I'M BACK BABY! BotG has come out on MtGO and the ques are firing! It is time to crack open some booster packs and draft! Let's take a look here at a fresh pack:
Straight away I am thinking about the rare. Black was a very strong color in Theros, so staking a claim in Black with pack one could pay big dividends later in the draft! Aside from that the pack is very weak, there is a solid Black uncommon in Forlorn Pseudamma, which could potentially put one of the players to our left in Black as well. That wouldn't be ideal, but the other options are not very exciting. Pheres-Band Raiders is a decent incentive to play Green and a decent card to ramp into, but there are definitely better cards in the format. This pack is so shallow that we can't expect to wheel anything reasonable.
Not much else to say; this pack is pretty cut and dried. It is always good to ease back into the swing of things once you have taken some time off. So now you know what I would pick, the only question left is...what would you take?
Sunday, February 16, 2014
In General: Vehicular Cardslaughter
Hello again Zoners! Long time no see! Indeed, your old Grandpa Growth ran into a patch of bad internets and blew a tire on the information super highway. Shortly after the BotG set review was finished I started having some problems that are not yet resolved, so we will just hope I can post at least on my regular days. I will attempt to throw in some Snap Keeps and You Make the Picks when I can, but it could be a stretch until I have a proper internet connection.
But you guys don't want to hear about that! You want to hear about games, strategy, psychology, the fun stuff that I talk about every week in my regular column (this column) In General. Before the set review went up I had just completed a three part series about investing, in the gaming sense. How to commit resources to profitable ends, how to compare multiple investments, and how to decide which is the best use for your resources. You can find those articles here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. This is important to mention because today's topic is closely related to the points I made in the investment series. You see, today we are going to talk about vehicles.
So What is a Vehicle Grandpa?
When I say vehicles, some will think of those potentially annoying, potentially awesome missions in shooter games where they give you a jeep, unlimited ammo, and an unholy horde of bad guys to riddle full of holes. I am not talking about that kind of vehicle. A vehicle is the 'thing' you sink your resources into when you invest. Examples from finance are stocks, bonds, ETFs, etc. Vehicles are the set of all possible uses for your resources, broken down into discreet categories based on their similarities of input and output. Let's look at the card types in Magic and I will show you what each different vehicle gets you.
Types of Vehicles In Magic
Creatures (Threat) - An aggressive creature is looking to do damage. Decks capitalize on this by building a critical mass of threats early on in the game and dealing lethal damage before more powerful cards can stabilize the board. Almost always these Creatures cost some amount of mana and one card. You put you card from hand onto the battlefield and hopefully it pays off in a steady stream of damage over the next few turns.
It is important to mention that playing a threat is almost always a tempo-neutral play, but removing a creature is not. You gain tempo from threats by playing more than one at a time or playing more than your opponent can remove. You lose tempo on a threat when the opponent kills your expensive guy with a cheap removal spell AND does something else that is relevant with the mana he saves. I see a lot of internet rhetoric concerning tempo that is unclear about what it means in the game so I need to make this point clear: If I play a guy on my turn, then you kill it on your turn and pass back to me, there was no change in tempo. It sucks that my guy bit the dust, but our relative resources stayed the same from beginning to end, we both lost the same amount of stuff: some mana, one card, and one turn's worth of time.
Creatures (not threats) - We just learned how a threat can net tempo by taking away your opponent's FUTURE time. Some Creatures, earn you tempo not by taking it away from an opponent, but by making more of it for you. People often talk about these as "defensive creatures" and it is true that many Defender cards and other assorted "big booty" Creatures accomplish this task very well, but remember that defensive creatures only give you tempo that you would have lost to an opposing threat. If you play a Steel Wall and your opponent never attacks and instead kills you with Tendril's of Agony, your Creature didn't get you any tempo at all. The general case though, is this: Playing a defensive Creature costs mana and a card. It doesn't damage to an opponent, but instead prevents damage to you. Which, as stated, gives you back the time that you would have lost.
Engines - An engine is simple in theory, but sometimes more complex in execution. You build the engine. Then every time you feed it fuel you get some output. This differs from other 'investichantments' in that you have to pay to make it work in addition to having a down payment just to create the option. The returns are heavily quantized and, in some cases, even further delayed. Thankfully though, Magic has been kind to engines over the years. Many of the game's defining decks run these kinds of cards. Unfortunately, they are difficult to categorize because the costs, inputs, outputs, and overall quality of each, is unique. This is a small, but diverse category full of easily broken cards like Necropotence and Sliver Queen.
Planeswalkers - This category is even more difficult to evaluate because the outcomes of the investment vary so widely. All planeswalkers though cost mana and a card, most are expensive enough to require an entire turn's worth of mana to play, but they are difficult to remove. Often they will require multiple attacks or a combination of removal in order to deal with them. The payoff comes from activating the loyalty abilities, which you can do once every turn. These incremental returns are obvious, but there is also the internal 'subgame' of ticking the planeswalker up towards the ultimate or down to get value, all the while trying to protect it from attackers. The best planeswalkers allow you to generate more of a core resource on every turn. If you can tick up to gain life, cards, or access to more mana, then you are very likely to win a longer game.
Removal and Disruption - A lot of Instants and Sorceries fall into the category of destroy/discard/counter target NOUN. The basic formula for this is that we are trading a card in hand and a very small amount of mana for primarily TIME. Why do you kill creatures? So that you won't die, pretty simple. It is easy to work backwards and apply that concept to countering a threat on the way down or picking it out of their hand with a Thoughtseize. When you use disruption, you are trying to slow down or outright STOP your opponent from doing something. Certain strategies that require key cards, like combo decks, are very vulnerable to disruption. Whereas strategies with few card types and lots of redundancy, like Red Deck Wins, are harder to disrupt and generally bounce back faster.
Magic is a large, old, and incredibly complex game. This is only a samll handful of the most common vehicles for investment, but there are plenty more that occur regularly like card draw or mana acceleration. Nearly every card in the game comes with some resource investment attached. This is a broad principle that you must consider when designing a strategy: what resources are you investing? What are you investing them in? What are the weaknesses and strengths of those investments AND how can you take advantage of what your opponent has invested? The answers to these questions are the key to the game. Understanding resource management is a fundamental, critical skill that casual players under-consider.
Well that's about enough for today Zoners! Coming up next week on TGZ we are back with a new edition of The Stack, a new You Make the Pick with Born of the Gods, and regularly scheduled posts of from the guys.
-GG
But you guys don't want to hear about that! You want to hear about games, strategy, psychology, the fun stuff that I talk about every week in my regular column (this column) In General. Before the set review went up I had just completed a three part series about investing, in the gaming sense. How to commit resources to profitable ends, how to compare multiple investments, and how to decide which is the best use for your resources. You can find those articles here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3. This is important to mention because today's topic is closely related to the points I made in the investment series. You see, today we are going to talk about vehicles.
So What is a Vehicle Grandpa?
When I say vehicles, some will think of those potentially annoying, potentially awesome missions in shooter games where they give you a jeep, unlimited ammo, and an unholy horde of bad guys to riddle full of holes. I am not talking about that kind of vehicle. A vehicle is the 'thing' you sink your resources into when you invest. Examples from finance are stocks, bonds, ETFs, etc. Vehicles are the set of all possible uses for your resources, broken down into discreet categories based on their similarities of input and output. Let's look at the card types in Magic and I will show you what each different vehicle gets you.
Types of Vehicles In Magic
| Goblin Guide is leading the league in points. He is well known for his ability to put opponents on a clock from the beginning of a game. |
It is important to mention that playing a threat is almost always a tempo-neutral play, but removing a creature is not. You gain tempo from threats by playing more than one at a time or playing more than your opponent can remove. You lose tempo on a threat when the opponent kills your expensive guy with a cheap removal spell AND does something else that is relevant with the mana he saves. I see a lot of internet rhetoric concerning tempo that is unclear about what it means in the game so I need to make this point clear: If I play a guy on my turn, then you kill it on your turn and pass back to me, there was no change in tempo. It sucks that my guy bit the dust, but our relative resources stayed the same from beginning to end, we both lost the same amount of stuff: some mana, one card, and one turn's worth of time.
| In a somewhat strange new example, Medomai literally CREATES time by giving you extra turns. That is value. |
| A Haiku: Engines are great, they win games. This card is broken. Poetry is difficult. |
| Elspeth put 'dubs on the map. Shards of Alara brought the infant card type to new heights of power on the back of this card. |
Magic is a large, old, and incredibly complex game. This is only a samll handful of the most common vehicles for investment, but there are plenty more that occur regularly like card draw or mana acceleration. Nearly every card in the game comes with some resource investment attached. This is a broad principle that you must consider when designing a strategy: what resources are you investing? What are you investing them in? What are the weaknesses and strengths of those investments AND how can you take advantage of what your opponent has invested? The answers to these questions are the key to the game. Understanding resource management is a fundamental, critical skill that casual players under-consider.
Well that's about enough for today Zoners! Coming up next week on TGZ we are back with a new edition of The Stack, a new You Make the Pick with Born of the Gods, and regularly scheduled posts of from the guys.
-GG
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Old Commanders Die Hard
It's a new year, which usually means I'm trying new Commanders I haven't played yet- but not so far.
Currently, my deck portfolio has seen the return of some faces that I thought I might never play again, and today feels like as good a time as any to talk about some lists I'm looking forward to sharing with you when they're done.
MOMIR VIG, SIMIC VISIONARY
The first one on the list is my favorite Ravnica baddie, and perhaps one of the most anticipated. Cause I knew it wouldn't be long before Momir Vig was back leading another deck for me.
On the first go-around, my original Vig design was one of the first decks I was ever proud of. It's the deck that's launched not only my quest to replicate its strength and power and ingenuity into other color pies, but also the motivation to log my quest and its findings here on The General Zone.
However, unlike his last go-around, Momir Vig makes his comeback to my little collection with more tech and more fun.
One of the current themes I have along this deck and the rest of these re-instated veterans is the idea of reactive/interactive win conditions.
So instead of running a multinational ramp/control conglomerate, Momir Vig is now opening the doors to a brand new copy shop, filled with as many fun tricks as my opponents can play.
DORAN, THE SIEGE TOWER
My favorite treefolk is back again from his previous exploration into Aura magic to do exactly what Under Armour does: Protect my house.
I'm not gonna lie to you guys. I'm moderately-to-severely obsessed with the concept of the Doran Defender deck, but I haven't seen anyone with the guts to play nothing but defenders in the main deck- something that I believe is totally plausible in this color combo.
Again, this is another reactive deck predicated on playing prevent/control with only a handful of notable win conditions, but I think it'll be fun. It justifies the playing of several cards I don't like in already powerful decks (cough Sorin Markov cough), and I'm looking forward to it.
At worst, this deck will be hilarious. At best, it'll be hilarious, and even though I can still lose, at least I'll get to laugh.
SYGG, RIVER CUTTHROAT
After several failed attempts to build Wydwen, and in a desperate attempt to stay away from building an abusive Oona deck, I ended up settling on trying to make something that was less serious than most of my other decks. Enter the meaner Sygg.
In learning from the short-lived failures I made in my previous version, this attempt with Sygg is to create a tribal deck that's wholly thematic without having to sacrifice effectiveness to the point where the deck is horrible.
Still, we're going rogue- Rogue tribal, and because the rogue creatures are so bad in this deck, I pretty much have no choice but to steal other people's tech in order to win. Pure theme amirite?
What excites me is that like Doran, I feel much more comfortable playing some of my least favorite cards in Magic- Bribery, Desertion and other Control Magic effects. Also like Doran- we're fully committed to not breaking our design rules. All Rogues for creatures, and all manner of hood rat style spells will help to shape and define this hopefully good-but-probably-silly little brew I'm working on.
I hope to have these lists up in the near future when they're ready. Also, for you Stack lovers, we'll be returning to our regularly scheduled programming next week, and Grandpa Growth is back tomorrow, so be sure to check that out.
Pass Turn.
-UL
Currently, my deck portfolio has seen the return of some faces that I thought I might never play again, and today feels like as good a time as any to talk about some lists I'm looking forward to sharing with you when they're done.
MOMIR VIG, SIMIC VISIONARY
On the first go-around, my original Vig design was one of the first decks I was ever proud of. It's the deck that's launched not only my quest to replicate its strength and power and ingenuity into other color pies, but also the motivation to log my quest and its findings here on The General Zone.
However, unlike his last go-around, Momir Vig makes his comeback to my little collection with more tech and more fun.
One of the current themes I have along this deck and the rest of these re-instated veterans is the idea of reactive/interactive win conditions.
So instead of running a multinational ramp/control conglomerate, Momir Vig is now opening the doors to a brand new copy shop, filled with as many fun tricks as my opponents can play.
DORAN, THE SIEGE TOWER
I'm not gonna lie to you guys. I'm moderately-to-severely obsessed with the concept of the Doran Defender deck, but I haven't seen anyone with the guts to play nothing but defenders in the main deck- something that I believe is totally plausible in this color combo.
Again, this is another reactive deck predicated on playing prevent/control with only a handful of notable win conditions, but I think it'll be fun. It justifies the playing of several cards I don't like in already powerful decks (cough Sorin Markov cough), and I'm looking forward to it.
At worst, this deck will be hilarious. At best, it'll be hilarious, and even though I can still lose, at least I'll get to laugh.
SYGG, RIVER CUTTHROAT
In learning from the short-lived failures I made in my previous version, this attempt with Sygg is to create a tribal deck that's wholly thematic without having to sacrifice effectiveness to the point where the deck is horrible.
Still, we're going rogue- Rogue tribal, and because the rogue creatures are so bad in this deck, I pretty much have no choice but to steal other people's tech in order to win. Pure theme amirite?
What excites me is that like Doran, I feel much more comfortable playing some of my least favorite cards in Magic- Bribery, Desertion and other Control Magic effects. Also like Doran- we're fully committed to not breaking our design rules. All Rogues for creatures, and all manner of hood rat style spells will help to shape and define this hopefully good-but-probably-silly little brew I'm working on.
I hope to have these lists up in the near future when they're ready. Also, for you Stack lovers, we'll be returning to our regularly scheduled programming next week, and Grandpa Growth is back tomorrow, so be sure to check that out.
Pass Turn.
-UL
Thursday, February 13, 2014
(Bringin' It) Back From The Brink #4: Dark Ascension's Increasing Cycle
Welcome back to TGZ for your favorite Retro Cycle Review, Zoners.
Today's travels take us to the not too distant gothic horror block Innistrad, as we get another look at one of the all-around most playable set of spells Magic has made for EDH to date: the cycle of "Increasing" cards. There's a lot to like and not a lot of time to waste, so let's get to it.
Increasing Confusion
We'll start simple and easy. While most blue cards are in the Top 2 of their little cycles, Increasing Confusion is probably the most middling.
Grandpa Growth talks a lot about the ineffectiveness of milling in Commander, mostly because it gives players more space to work with instead of less. That's probably the biggest fault of the mechanic though, and not necessarily this card.
In its own arena of niche-y mill spells, Increasing Confusion is right up there with Traumatize and Mind Grind. The Flashback bonus because of the card's innate ability is also very strong.
One of the neat little qualities about Increasing Confusion that I see people often do is pay U to mill zero, then U and 13 to mill for 26 in the later stages of games. I'm not sure that's the best way to play the card, but it is a neat trick if you're milling and trying to get the game over with. Planning ahead is really key with this card, and the best way to get ahead early, mill 5 or 6, and then go in for a big one later.
In ranking them, I think this is probably the actual middle of the cycle. But it does have my favorite art. It fits the theme of blue, the theme of this card, and frankly, I just like seeing books and scrolls flying all over the place. It might just be the only reason worth watching the 1994 Macaulay Culkin/Christopher Lloyd film, The Pagemaster.
Increasing Devotion
Conversely, one of the biggest issues I have with Increasing Devotion is the color scheme in the art.
Flavor-wise, it makes sense. People are trying to believe in Avacyn, and the hope she'll be back. So more followers followed by MORE followers makes a world of sense.
What doesn't is why the swords and gloves of the people around this gray statue of Avacyn seem to be as stiff as Avacyn. Were these men not gloved, I might at least get the sense that these were living human beings, and not just parts to a bigger statue of a bunch of men around Avacyn. I know it's picky and weird, but think about that famous Iwo Jima memorial where all the men are raising the American flag together. This could very well be that, but we're not mind readers. A little more clarity would've gone a long way, if you care about art.
As far as the spell itself, it's not terrible. I've played this card in several decks, and find it to be the premier version of Zendikar's Conqueror's Pledge. The fact that it's sorcery speed isn't doing anyone favors, but if you like feeding cards to Skullclamp and you play white, this could be the card you're looking for. Overall, I find it to be right below Increasing Confusion in this cycle. It just doesn't put up enough firepower until it's too late.
Increasing Vengeance
If Mono-Red were real, than I think Increasing Vengeance might have a chance.
This card is number 2 in its own cycle, but it's actually lower on the totem pole in terms of Fork/Reverberate effects. This is because it can only copy spells you have, which is a huge bummer. If it didn't, this card just might be snapped.
Still, it's an instant, and one that is useable in the right decks. A couple friends of mine have found great homes for this little red puppy in Lu Bu Trick Voltron and a Jeleva Creatureless deck, so I'm sure there's plenty of value to be found. It just takes effort, which isn't what people want to do if they're more interested in playing Magic than the enchanting and sometimes depressing process of deckbuilding, like me.
Verdict on the art is that it would be a lot better if the flames didn't look like orange beams of snot. The art theme along Innistrad really had a crisp, gritty-ness to it, which can be totally got when you look at the spellcaster and the fence he seems to be standing on. Unfortunately, I'm just too afraid of catching the world's most ironic cold by looking at the rest of it.
Increasing Savagery
Well, here's the rock bottom of the cycle. Fortunately, it isn't the rock bottom of the typical Magic cycle.
Unlike Scourge's Decree of Savagery, it's more recent allusion did not get the benefit of Instant speed. Again, that might just be too good.
Still, that doesn't mean it's altogether irrelevant. I'll admit that it's definitely a build-around-me card, that's in need of a serious +1/+1 counter value theme, but I think it can be done. These days there are plenty of Hexproof and Regenerate-able green creatures around. And if they aren't what you're looking for, there's always Mycoloth. There's always Marath. There's always Vorel.
Increasing Savagery has surely gotten better in the last year, but I'm still going to stand behind GG's assessment from a bygone discussion that Sorcery speed pushes this card to the brink of getting consistent work.
Art-wise, I have almost the same problem I did with Increasing Devotion. The sense and image feel solid. The monster in the open window really works for me. What doesn't is the weird color choice emanating from light source coming in the corner of the room, when there's clearly an unlit candle right above it. The monster could also appeal to our senses a little more as well.
Overall, Increasing Savagery probably owns the worst combined score of the group. Again, that's not a statement on how bad it is, but just how effective the rest of them are.
Increasing Ambition
I know I'm not the only one that thinks this card is straight up dope.
Splashable, recurrable, scary- these are the things I want when I'm looking for powerful black cards.
With Demonic Tutor now in the realm of expensive, and Vampiric just a tad further, I don't think it's too far of a stretch to say that Increasing Ambition is and has been the new Diabolic Tutor for a while now.
This is mainly because this card can go in EVERY deck with black in its colors, not to mention just about every archetype. Are you looking for a counterspell or removal? Get Ambitious. Are you looking for a combo piece? How about two combo pieces? Get Ambitious. Do you like being terrified by cultists with makeshift Gristlebrand skulls? Get Ambitious.
I think you see my point. Increasing Ambition is a lot better than not increasing it, and it outclasses any and all of the affordable black tutors, even though you're going to probably play them anyway. So go get more than you bargained for.
That's all I have for today. Be sure to check back with me on Saturday when I do something that is once again not The Stack, which I promise will return with a thirst for vengeance and blood next week.
-UL
Today's travels take us to the not too distant gothic horror block Innistrad, as we get another look at one of the all-around most playable set of spells Magic has made for EDH to date: the cycle of "Increasing" cards. There's a lot to like and not a lot of time to waste, so let's get to it.
Increasing Confusion
Grandpa Growth talks a lot about the ineffectiveness of milling in Commander, mostly because it gives players more space to work with instead of less. That's probably the biggest fault of the mechanic though, and not necessarily this card.
In its own arena of niche-y mill spells, Increasing Confusion is right up there with Traumatize and Mind Grind. The Flashback bonus because of the card's innate ability is also very strong.
One of the neat little qualities about Increasing Confusion that I see people often do is pay U to mill zero, then U and 13 to mill for 26 in the later stages of games. I'm not sure that's the best way to play the card, but it is a neat trick if you're milling and trying to get the game over with. Planning ahead is really key with this card, and the best way to get ahead early, mill 5 or 6, and then go in for a big one later.
In ranking them, I think this is probably the actual middle of the cycle. But it does have my favorite art. It fits the theme of blue, the theme of this card, and frankly, I just like seeing books and scrolls flying all over the place. It might just be the only reason worth watching the 1994 Macaulay Culkin/Christopher Lloyd film, The Pagemaster.
Increasing Devotion
Flavor-wise, it makes sense. People are trying to believe in Avacyn, and the hope she'll be back. So more followers followed by MORE followers makes a world of sense.
What doesn't is why the swords and gloves of the people around this gray statue of Avacyn seem to be as stiff as Avacyn. Were these men not gloved, I might at least get the sense that these were living human beings, and not just parts to a bigger statue of a bunch of men around Avacyn. I know it's picky and weird, but think about that famous Iwo Jima memorial where all the men are raising the American flag together. This could very well be that, but we're not mind readers. A little more clarity would've gone a long way, if you care about art.
As far as the spell itself, it's not terrible. I've played this card in several decks, and find it to be the premier version of Zendikar's Conqueror's Pledge. The fact that it's sorcery speed isn't doing anyone favors, but if you like feeding cards to Skullclamp and you play white, this could be the card you're looking for. Overall, I find it to be right below Increasing Confusion in this cycle. It just doesn't put up enough firepower until it's too late.
Increasing Vengeance
This card is number 2 in its own cycle, but it's actually lower on the totem pole in terms of Fork/Reverberate effects. This is because it can only copy spells you have, which is a huge bummer. If it didn't, this card just might be snapped.
Still, it's an instant, and one that is useable in the right decks. A couple friends of mine have found great homes for this little red puppy in Lu Bu Trick Voltron and a Jeleva Creatureless deck, so I'm sure there's plenty of value to be found. It just takes effort, which isn't what people want to do if they're more interested in playing Magic than the enchanting and sometimes depressing process of deckbuilding, like me.
Verdict on the art is that it would be a lot better if the flames didn't look like orange beams of snot. The art theme along Innistrad really had a crisp, gritty-ness to it, which can be totally got when you look at the spellcaster and the fence he seems to be standing on. Unfortunately, I'm just too afraid of catching the world's most ironic cold by looking at the rest of it.
Increasing Savagery
Unlike Scourge's Decree of Savagery, it's more recent allusion did not get the benefit of Instant speed. Again, that might just be too good.
Still, that doesn't mean it's altogether irrelevant. I'll admit that it's definitely a build-around-me card, that's in need of a serious +1/+1 counter value theme, but I think it can be done. These days there are plenty of Hexproof and Regenerate-able green creatures around. And if they aren't what you're looking for, there's always Mycoloth. There's always Marath. There's always Vorel.
Increasing Savagery has surely gotten better in the last year, but I'm still going to stand behind GG's assessment from a bygone discussion that Sorcery speed pushes this card to the brink of getting consistent work.
Art-wise, I have almost the same problem I did with Increasing Devotion. The sense and image feel solid. The monster in the open window really works for me. What doesn't is the weird color choice emanating from light source coming in the corner of the room, when there's clearly an unlit candle right above it. The monster could also appeal to our senses a little more as well.
Overall, Increasing Savagery probably owns the worst combined score of the group. Again, that's not a statement on how bad it is, but just how effective the rest of them are.
Increasing Ambition
Splashable, recurrable, scary- these are the things I want when I'm looking for powerful black cards.
With Demonic Tutor now in the realm of expensive, and Vampiric just a tad further, I don't think it's too far of a stretch to say that Increasing Ambition is and has been the new Diabolic Tutor for a while now.
This is mainly because this card can go in EVERY deck with black in its colors, not to mention just about every archetype. Are you looking for a counterspell or removal? Get Ambitious. Are you looking for a combo piece? How about two combo pieces? Get Ambitious. Do you like being terrified by cultists with makeshift Gristlebrand skulls? Get Ambitious.
I think you see my point. Increasing Ambition is a lot better than not increasing it, and it outclasses any and all of the affordable black tutors, even though you're going to probably play them anyway. So go get more than you bargained for.
That's all I have for today. Be sure to check back with me on Saturday when I do something that is once again not The Stack, which I promise will return with a thirst for vengeance and blood next week.
-UL
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Command Zone OG's #3: Deception, and Ostracized Wizards
With Grandpa and the gang out planeswalking in the real, we have another week with a triple-dose of Landdrops. Honestly, I wasn't sure what to do since they let me out off the proverbial leash, but I think I figured out between yesterday's post and today how I can accomplish the two things that are on my mind: Do an installment of Command Zone OG's, and make serious fun of Duel Commander's banlist.
For those who don't really know, the so-called 1v1 "competitive" EDH variant is referred to as Duel Commander. When you add up all those words in the back end of the last sentence, I trust that you've come to a similar conclusion about how strange and ludicrous that sounds. Apparently, it was developed by the French, so if you're looking for someone to blame, well- blame yourself if you're playing their silly, Diet Coke version of fun.
ON THE RISE(?)
This morning I saw the first lists emerge on TappedOut for Phenax, and was once again left confused and semi-excited.
The Phenax deck designs seem to be incorporating these huge do-nothing Defenders coupled with enchantments to get the God to appear.
Now, there is a big question mark here, but I thought it was just worth mentioning that it looks like Mill strategies have been given some serious power and innovation in the last year or so, and the trend is continuing.
The Phenax deck designs seem to be incorporating these huge do-nothing Defenders coupled with enchantments to get the God to appear.
Now, there is a big question mark here, but I thought it was just worth mentioning that it looks like Mill strategies have been given some serious power and innovation in the last year or so, and the trend is continuing.
More time might mean this deck gets better, I'm not sure. But even if it's not good, the deck still seems interesting enough to want to be played and played against. For some, that just might be enough to sway you.
Should any of you find good lists for Phenax, or any of the new gods, please share them with me.
Should any of you find good lists for Phenax, or any of the new gods, please share them with me.
ALWAYS AROUND(?)
It seems to me the threat of Zur at a table is a lot worse than actually having Zur around.
Apparently though, that didn't stop the Duel Commander staff from banning this guy a week or so ago.
Hailed as one of the best decks in their "format," the attempt to quell Zur's power while keeping him in the game for the longest time was to ban Vanishing, which is apparently the best card he could tutor for.
So yeah. They banned Vanishing. Only after realizing that a tutorable Rest in Peace plus Helm of Obedience was the biggest offender that they finally took Zur out of the Command Zone, unbanning the phasing Aura.
Now, I'm not saying Zur isn't good. All of this just seems a bit foolish. One of my favorite quotes is an Oscar Wilde one- "It is with the best intentions that the worst work is done." Seems to me like they could improve by taking a more Joker-esque approach. Be more like a dog chasing cards.
Again, Zur or the threat of this deck should always be around. He makes Necropotence even cheaper than it already is, and has access to plenty of free and neat tech. Even my Pauper version of this deck was pretty good.
UNDER THE RADAR(?)
Along with the Duel Commander "banning" (which is obviously not a real banning) of Zur came the surprise ban of our favorite Beast Wars Magic card.
According to their rationale, this card is just "too good with other cards." Apparently Birthing Pod gives them too much value. Hokori makes things too one-sided. And Bloom Tender gives them too much mana.
In Duel Commander Tournament circuits, this deck showed up in three different Top 8's, and that was enough for their little gang of folks to say, "No, not anymore!" and clip Derevi's poor wings.
So be on the lookout, guys. Derevi's a real terror. Sixty percent of the time, she's going to wreck your metagame every time.
Much like Zur, it's not about the lack of power. Obvious power is obvious. Banning a card because a deck designer knows how to power up cards is perhaps the worst banning explanation to date. Especially when this deck really isn't Zur in terms of its raw power.
As far as the normal metagame goes, Derevi will probably never be "under the radar" because she was part of a Commander expansion. Still, it's kind of a shock that I haven't heard dominating tales or heard of solid lists for the Empyrial Tactician. Especially none that were ban-worthy.
Again, I'd love to be proven wrong. So if you find one, send it my way in the comments below.
Here's to hoping you guys have a good Lazy Sunday.
-UL
Apparently though, that didn't stop the Duel Commander staff from banning this guy a week or so ago.
Hailed as one of the best decks in their "format," the attempt to quell Zur's power while keeping him in the game for the longest time was to ban Vanishing, which is apparently the best card he could tutor for.
So yeah. They banned Vanishing. Only after realizing that a tutorable Rest in Peace plus Helm of Obedience was the biggest offender that they finally took Zur out of the Command Zone, unbanning the phasing Aura.
Now, I'm not saying Zur isn't good. All of this just seems a bit foolish. One of my favorite quotes is an Oscar Wilde one- "It is with the best intentions that the worst work is done." Seems to me like they could improve by taking a more Joker-esque approach. Be more like a dog chasing cards.
Again, Zur or the threat of this deck should always be around. He makes Necropotence even cheaper than it already is, and has access to plenty of free and neat tech. Even my Pauper version of this deck was pretty good.
UNDER THE RADAR(?)
According to their rationale, this card is just "too good with other cards." Apparently Birthing Pod gives them too much value. Hokori makes things too one-sided. And Bloom Tender gives them too much mana.
In Duel Commander Tournament circuits, this deck showed up in three different Top 8's, and that was enough for their little gang of folks to say, "No, not anymore!" and clip Derevi's poor wings.
So be on the lookout, guys. Derevi's a real terror. Sixty percent of the time, she's going to wreck your metagame every time.
Much like Zur, it's not about the lack of power. Obvious power is obvious. Banning a card because a deck designer knows how to power up cards is perhaps the worst banning explanation to date. Especially when this deck really isn't Zur in terms of its raw power.
As far as the normal metagame goes, Derevi will probably never be "under the radar" because she was part of a Commander expansion. Still, it's kind of a shock that I haven't heard dominating tales or heard of solid lists for the Empyrial Tactician. Especially none that were ban-worthy.
Again, I'd love to be proven wrong. So if you find one, send it my way in the comments below.
Here's to hoping you guys have a good Lazy Sunday.
-UL
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Five Cards I'm Playing From Born of the Gods
Heya Zoners! Weekend Greetings to all!
This obviously goes without saying, but I think these are all successful ways to define a card that calls itself a Champion.
Like Courser, I'm a fan of this card design top-down. Sweet art, name, affordable cost, ripe for abuse, and ripe for re-abuse, if the price is right.
With yesterday marking the official release of the second Theros block, it's high time we talk about my favorite highlights and question marks of my BotG pre-order.
5. Courser of Kruphix
It might just be me, but it seems like the only god worthy of playable disciples is Kruphix. His prophet is powerful, and so is this guy.
I'm not going to dwell on GG's assessment, because I think this card is one of the better cards in the set for all the game play knowledge Grandpa dropped in the review.
Still, this guy is a Centaur. And a moderately cool-looking one at that. Two things that Magic has been real antsy about making interesting in its illustrious history.
On the flip side, his enchantment typing is bittersweet. I love the border, hate the "this dies to Naturalize" that comes with it.
Kudos to Eric Deschamps, who rarely disappoints and often gets his work on the money cards. May the odds be ever in his favor?
I'm not going to dwell on GG's assessment, because I think this card is one of the better cards in the set for all the game play knowledge Grandpa dropped in the review.
Still, this guy is a Centaur. And a moderately cool-looking one at that. Two things that Magic has been real antsy about making interesting in its illustrious history.
On the flip side, his enchantment typing is bittersweet. I love the border, hate the "this dies to Naturalize" that comes with it.
Kudos to Eric Deschamps, who rarely disappoints and often gets his work on the money cards. May the odds be ever in his favor?
4. Champion of Stray Souls
Champion of Stray Souls is the best spelling and redux of an already existing card named "Conjurer's Closet."
Welcome to ETB abuse 2.0, which comes in the form of creature, kills things in the name of awesome, and doesn't have to die if you don't want it to.
Welcome to ETB abuse 2.0, which comes in the form of creature, kills things in the name of awesome, and doesn't have to die if you don't want it to.
This obviously goes without saying, but I think these are all successful ways to define a card that calls itself a Champion.
Like Courser, I'm a fan of this card design top-down. Sweet art, name, affordable cost, ripe for abuse, and ripe for re-abuse, if the price is right.
There are always a few cards in each set that have a solid feel and design to them. They are the kinds of creatures and spells that have flavor, power, and bring exciting elements to the game that push the multiple axes by which we can interact. These are the cards I most enjoy, and I'm hoping this will be one of them.
3. Unravel the AEther
My first response when this was spoiled was an emphatic fist pump followed by a "Hell Yes!"
The Theros release party was actually more of a coming out party for Deglamer, as reasonable Commander players everywhere where running on the bank to get ways to deal with the Gods.
So I thank the Gods (Well, let's call them the "R&Dieties") we got a functional reprint of Deglamer. I look forward to beating face on all future Swords, Gods, and other pesky noncreature nonsense.
So I thank the Gods (Well, let's call them the "R&Dieties") we got a functional reprint of Deglamer. I look forward to beating face on all future Swords, Gods, and other pesky noncreature nonsense.
Get your playset. It's worth the $.40 you spend on it.
2. Archetype of Imagination
So far, I've written pretty glowing reviews about my favorite Top 5 BotG cards.
But none should glow as brightly as this one. The blue archetype is my favorite card in Born of the Gods.
But none should glow as brightly as this one. The blue archetype is my favorite card in Born of the Gods.
Per the typical blue-leaning we see in R&D, this card is significantly better than its fellow cycle-mates.
Why? Because it makes your creatures unblockable. All of them.
Yeah, I know there's a card that already does this in blue. His name is Sun Quan, and he lords over all the Wu's.
In Animar, he also used to lord over all the "Woo's!" as well. Now, there's another sheriff in town. A prettier, skinnier one that I think is just as useful, and certainly a little more exciting for me. I love this card, and I hope I can find a way to make it playable in a couple other decks too. I can hear the voices of three Aggro-Wizard Tribal players cheering and dancing like Darth Vader just died.
Why? Because it makes your creatures unblockable. All of them.
Yeah, I know there's a card that already does this in blue. His name is Sun Quan, and he lords over all the Wu's.
In Animar, he also used to lord over all the "Woo's!" as well. Now, there's another sheriff in town. A prettier, skinnier one that I think is just as useful, and certainly a little more exciting for me. I love this card, and I hope I can find a way to make it playable in a couple other decks too. I can hear the voices of three Aggro-Wizard Tribal players cheering and dancing like Darth Vader just died.
1. Perplexing Chimera
So people who haven't read my article yet are already coming up to me on the streets which I haven't been out on yet, and they're asking me, "Yo Landdrops- how can Archetype be your favorite if it's not Number 1 on your list?"
Well, the answer is simple, anonymous mob that doesn't exist anywhere outside the hypothetical situation we now mutually share. It's perplexing.
Specifically, a most Perplexing Chimera, and the one I'm most interested and excited to play. PC has the most upside to any prospect in the set, and its mystery brings both fun and intrigue to the game.
I have a feeling he could very well be the life of the party in some games. Back in Ravnica, we had a junk rare named Conjured Currency that was just so close to being fun that it hurt.
Perplexing Chimera really succeeds in all the facets where Conjured Currency failed. Where Currency had an upkeep trigger and the feeling like everyone was going to get screwed over (the world's most disappointing-yet-accurate flavor), Chimera has that free-market spirit we all know and love. The option to trade your silly 3/3 with something better on the stack is, to quote nefarious Gotham Crime Boss Carmine Falcone, "Power you can't buy." Most game states are going to stay disrupted for a very lengthy period of time if this thing gets passed around, and I predict it will agitate people.
Just be prepared to break a mental sweat.
Just be prepared to break a mental sweat.
Well, that's all I got for today. GG's currently off the grid, so I'll be coming at you live tomorrow where I'll either be berating Duel Commander as a format or giving you a new episode of Command Zone OG's.
Until next time, don't forget to take out your Sylvan Primordials. Cause that shit is banned.
Until next time, don't forget to take out your Sylvan Primordials. Cause that shit is banned.
-UL
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Card Corner: Fleshwrither
Sorry I wasn't able to get to the metaphorical "phone" Tuesday, but Landdrops is back for a quick little installation of Card Corner before I move on to a day's Magic playing.
Our card today came to us a long time ago from the future- though that's only confusing if you believe that this didn't come out of a Bruce Campbell film first.
His name is Fleshwrither, and no, he isn't a "boomstick." He's not really trying to impress with his ability to turn sideways. He's just here to cheat everything I like into play.
Fleshwrither's Transfigure ability is the only ability of its kind, and it isn't that awesome. Let's be honest- a 3BBBB tutor that's temporarily a 3/3 is probably not as good as tapping out on Turn 4 to Diabolic Tutor, then proceeding to playing a threat the following turn.
Well, maybe I'm under-representing this clown. You see, mono-Black creatures actually start their natural curve of playable-ness at Turn 4. From the aggressive beats of Worldwake's Abyssal Persecutor to the new mana/Extort specialist Crypt Ghast, there has been a recent influx of cards that Fleshy can go get for us- including Standard's new favorite mono-black Devotees, Desecration Demon and Erebos.
Oh, and did I mention he can go get a Solemn Simulacrum?
How much more do I need to sell you on this?
There are plenty of sweet combos that can be pulled off in conjunction with sacrifice triggers too. America's Second Favorite Black Enchantment (No one beats Necropotence, obviously), Grave Pact, likes the value here, as does the ability to get it back via Reanimation. Using other cards to justify playing Fleshwrither isn't a good idea, but it goes to show that in a longer game this card can be abused more than a Diabolic Tutor, it avoids counterspells, and has the ability to go find several different kinds of 4-cost creatures in a Sorcery-speed tight spot.
If you want to see a great-but-randomly built around Fleshwrither package, check out my Greel, the Mind Raker EDH.
That's all I got for today. Tune in Saturday for another "Not The Stack" weekend as I go over what cool Born of the Gods goodies I'm looking forward to playing!
-UL
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Born of the Gods Set Review: Utility and Mana
Hello and welcome to the third and final installment of the Born of the Gods set review. If you missed them you can see parts one and two by clicking on the links: Part 1 Part 2
Today we will be talking about the utility and mana cards from the set and basically everything else that we haven't had a chance to talk about yet.
A mana card is something that either produces mana, fixes colors, or helps expand your resources in some way, e.g. putting extra lands into play. A utility card expands the functionality of your deck beyond just Creatures and removal. They let you draw cards, search through your deck, and do all sorts of other fun stuff. Many cards potentially fall into this category, but, of course, an explanation as to why is important.
The Cards
D(jk2m2389/mxuTuLyOIU_EN.jpg)
This is my personal favorite card from the set and the one that you are most likely to see around the table, with the exception of the Legendary Creatures, obviously. This compares favorably with Oracle of Mul Daya, which is one of the best cards in the format and a huge fan favorite. This is cheaper, has a bigger body, and potentially gains you a hand full of life; both from the ability to block and the triggered ability.
There is a real concern for me with the Enchantment Creatures that don't have Bestow. They are incidientally exposed to more kinds of removal than a normal Creature. In the case of a card like Oracle, killing it quickly helps limit the value that it can generate. Being able to use a Naturalize effect to stop Courser of Kruphix is going to be a real bummer when it happens to you.
D(jk2m2389/pCVvIZTsDZ_EN.jpg)
For some reason, Commander players still find a reason to play Explosive Vegetation even though there are much better cards they should be playing instead. Maybe now they will finally stop...and play this. Or maybe they will really outdo themselves and play one of the half-dozen or so better alternatives.
I find it weird that journeys are sometimes used to provide the flavor for grabbing additional lands. Now, I get it. That makes sense on the surface, but what about a journey THROUGH some place implies OWNERSHIP? Quite frankly, I don't take kindly to people walking into my kitchen like they own the place.
D(jk2m2389/T88GXTf6Ig_EN.jpg)
So I have been thinking a bit about this card and I am pretty convinced that I have it figured out. You always leave two stacks empty to minimize your losses. That wasn't much of a puzzle and this isn't much of a card. Do not, under any circumstances, confuse this with a playable card. Even if you never had to sacrifice anything and it only affected opponents I would still not recommend playing this.
D(jk2m2389/BAxuA9NIzZ_EN.jpg)
The list of blah-o-mancy cards is getting a bit out of hand. I don't think this card is so bad though. If it draws you 4+ cards you made out like a bandit. Promise of Power is a very strong, very playable card. This takes more to set up, but for that extra work you can scale the power up further and you gain a small amount of control over what number it lands at. Ultimately, I think I would rather just have Night's Whisper, but that card is very underplayed in my opinion.
D(jk2m2389/HHE9ZZ8ypL_EN.jpg)
This HAS to be the worst mana rock ever. While your friends are busy trying to build a train to magical christmas land you can just play a regular two mana accelerator and win. I wouldn't play this even if there were only two X's in the cost. What is the point? There are plenty of ways to generate mana, even colored mana, much more efficiently than this. If you see someone puts this and Energy Chamber into the same deck, you know you've got a real scrub on your hands. Don't play them, they are going to make you worse at Magic.
Also, the flavor here is too silly for me to abide. It is a cornucopia...in space. That somehow generates the same energy that comes for the land. You work it out.
D(jk2m2389/Us7iSUdyMu_EN.jpg)
Because of the large libraries in Commander, decks need a critical mass of card manipulation and tutoring to smooth their draws and make sure things run properly. Even restricted tutors like this can be very powerful. Tutoring for multiple cards at once allows you to search for all the pieces of a combo simultaneously and often win on the spot. Think about why Gifts Ungiven is so good. It can find multiple pieces of multiple combos and has no real drawback in Commander. This is basically two Idyllic Tutors stapled together and there are plenty of Enchantment-themed decks that can't wait to get their hands on this.
It is always interesting to look at the symbolism of other cultures and how these ideas became established. This flavor text isn't half bad. Self-examination is key to explaining all of life's mysteries, both from within and beyond ourselves.
D(jk2m2389/rdVDFIGwgs_EN.jpg)
At five mana, this has a very safe cost. This isn't going to run rampant accross the format, but it can certainly be powerful. Captain Sisay is an established tier 2 deck and this card will find a home in that archetype. The ability to dig yourself into a threat when the gas tank has run dry is a huge bonus- if a somewhat inefficient use of mana. Sometimes you just need a little extra boost to clear a string of lands off the top of your deck, there is no shame in that. I would expect to see multiple archetypes adopt this as a card advantage engine in combination with other forms of card manipulation like Sylvan Library.
Artist William Murai has only been working on the game for a little over a year, but has already produced some very impressive pieces. This isn't his best work in my opinion, that honor would have to go to Brainstorm, but this shows you a much better example of his style. Deep backgrounds, multiple subjects, truly magnificent lighting, and fine detail. A fine young professional and a true credit to the medium of digital art.
D(jk2m2389/LGuIRMawV3_EN.jpg)
Born of the Gods brings us three more "Temples". These cards have proven their mettle in Standard and Modern. When the cycle is complete expect for them to become unanimous inclusions in Commander as well. There is not much else to say; their power and effectiveness have been well documented and exhaustively discussed by writers both more eloquent and qualified than I. Play them, you are running out of excuses not to.
Well, there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. This concludes the Set Review. Make sure to leave your comments and suggestions below. If you enjoyed the review, please become one of the Zoners! Like and follow The General Zone. We will be back to our old tricks next week with regular posts from Johnny Confidant, Uncle Landdrops, Venser's Journalist, and myself.
-GG
Today we will be talking about the utility and mana cards from the set and basically everything else that we haven't had a chance to talk about yet.
A mana card is something that either produces mana, fixes colors, or helps expand your resources in some way, e.g. putting extra lands into play. A utility card expands the functionality of your deck beyond just Creatures and removal. They let you draw cards, search through your deck, and do all sorts of other fun stuff. Many cards potentially fall into this category, but, of course, an explanation as to why is important.
The Cards
D(jk2m2389%2FmxuTuLyOIU_EN.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*)
This is my personal favorite card from the set and the one that you are most likely to see around the table, with the exception of the Legendary Creatures, obviously. This compares favorably with Oracle of Mul Daya, which is one of the best cards in the format and a huge fan favorite. This is cheaper, has a bigger body, and potentially gains you a hand full of life; both from the ability to block and the triggered ability.There is a real concern for me with the Enchantment Creatures that don't have Bestow. They are incidientally exposed to more kinds of removal than a normal Creature. In the case of a card like Oracle, killing it quickly helps limit the value that it can generate. Being able to use a Naturalize effect to stop Courser of Kruphix is going to be a real bummer when it happens to you.
D(jk2m2389%2FpCVvIZTsDZ_EN.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*)
For some reason, Commander players still find a reason to play Explosive Vegetation even though there are much better cards they should be playing instead. Maybe now they will finally stop...and play this. Or maybe they will really outdo themselves and play one of the half-dozen or so better alternatives.I find it weird that journeys are sometimes used to provide the flavor for grabbing additional lands. Now, I get it. That makes sense on the surface, but what about a journey THROUGH some place implies OWNERSHIP? Quite frankly, I don't take kindly to people walking into my kitchen like they own the place.
D(jk2m2389%2FT88GXTf6Ig_EN.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*)
So I have been thinking a bit about this card and I am pretty convinced that I have it figured out. You always leave two stacks empty to minimize your losses. That wasn't much of a puzzle and this isn't much of a card. Do not, under any circumstances, confuse this with a playable card. Even if you never had to sacrifice anything and it only affected opponents I would still not recommend playing this.D(jk2m2389%2FBAxuA9NIzZ_EN.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*)
The list of blah-o-mancy cards is getting a bit out of hand. I don't think this card is so bad though. If it draws you 4+ cards you made out like a bandit. Promise of Power is a very strong, very playable card. This takes more to set up, but for that extra work you can scale the power up further and you gain a small amount of control over what number it lands at. Ultimately, I think I would rather just have Night's Whisper, but that card is very underplayed in my opinion.D(jk2m2389%2FHHE9ZZ8ypL_EN.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*)
This HAS to be the worst mana rock ever. While your friends are busy trying to build a train to magical christmas land you can just play a regular two mana accelerator and win. I wouldn't play this even if there were only two X's in the cost. What is the point? There are plenty of ways to generate mana, even colored mana, much more efficiently than this. If you see someone puts this and Energy Chamber into the same deck, you know you've got a real scrub on your hands. Don't play them, they are going to make you worse at Magic.Also, the flavor here is too silly for me to abide. It is a cornucopia...in space. That somehow generates the same energy that comes for the land. You work it out.
D(jk2m2389%2FUs7iSUdyMu_EN.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*)
Because of the large libraries in Commander, decks need a critical mass of card manipulation and tutoring to smooth their draws and make sure things run properly. Even restricted tutors like this can be very powerful. Tutoring for multiple cards at once allows you to search for all the pieces of a combo simultaneously and often win on the spot. Think about why Gifts Ungiven is so good. It can find multiple pieces of multiple combos and has no real drawback in Commander. This is basically two Idyllic Tutors stapled together and there are plenty of Enchantment-themed decks that can't wait to get their hands on this.It is always interesting to look at the symbolism of other cultures and how these ideas became established. This flavor text isn't half bad. Self-examination is key to explaining all of life's mysteries, both from within and beyond ourselves.
D(jk2m2389%2FrdVDFIGwgs_EN.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*)
At five mana, this has a very safe cost. This isn't going to run rampant accross the format, but it can certainly be powerful. Captain Sisay is an established tier 2 deck and this card will find a home in that archetype. The ability to dig yourself into a threat when the gas tank has run dry is a huge bonus- if a somewhat inefficient use of mana. Sometimes you just need a little extra boost to clear a string of lands off the top of your deck, there is no shame in that. I would expect to see multiple archetypes adopt this as a card advantage engine in combination with other forms of card manipulation like Sylvan Library.Artist William Murai has only been working on the game for a little over a year, but has already produced some very impressive pieces. This isn't his best work in my opinion, that honor would have to go to Brainstorm, but this shows you a much better example of his style. Deep backgrounds, multiple subjects, truly magnificent lighting, and fine detail. A fine young professional and a true credit to the medium of digital art.
D(jk2m2389%2FLGuIRMawV3_EN.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*)
Born of the Gods brings us three more "Temples". These cards have proven their mettle in Standard and Modern. When the cycle is complete expect for them to become unanimous inclusions in Commander as well. There is not much else to say; their power and effectiveness have been well documented and exhaustively discussed by writers both more eloquent and qualified than I. Play them, you are running out of excuses not to.Well, there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. This concludes the Set Review. Make sure to leave your comments and suggestions below. If you enjoyed the review, please become one of the Zoners! Like and follow The General Zone. We will be back to our old tricks next week with regular posts from Johnny Confidant, Uncle Landdrops, Venser's Journalist, and myself.
-GG
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)