It's been said that: "one good turn deserves another". In a game, when you have a big turn, you are making it more difficult for your opponent to respond in kind. If you play a big threat and are close to a win, then your opponent not only needs timely removal, but also needs a threat of his own to turn the tables. But what if we change up the phrase a bit. What if instead of 'one good turn' we made our own 'turn one good'?
For the purpose of this article let's assume you aren't winning or losing on turn one. How do you use it? What is the best thing your deck can do? The first turn is often written off. People don't take it seriously or don't take full advantage of it. Let's look at some typical turn one plays in Commander and evaluate their strategic potential.
LAND, GO.
This is by far the most common opening that I see. The 'big mana' nature of the format unfairly slants people away from making cheap plays that are less powerful. Using your first turn to play a ETB tapped land is what I consider to be the standard play in the format. You give up the ability to present any interaction on this turn to make it easier to interact on future turns by fixing your mana. This is almost always telegraphed to your opponent, especially through body language. Some players tank on their mulligan choice, eventually keep and do nothing for three turns, slouched in their chair. Don't...do that. If you don't care about your posture at least care about posing a threat to your opponent. Make them think you have a game plan, a good hand, a card to play. This is the big difference between a tapped land and a fetch land. It presents potential interaction. You will actually need to have itin order for your opponent to respect it. So play lands that enter the battlefield untapped and play cards to take advantage of that. If your opponent is slumped in his chair throwing tap lands at the table go on the aggressive (or disruptive).
ROCKS.
This is a very strong opening. I don't just mean Sol Ring and friends. Expedition Map, Wayfarer's Bauble, and various spellbombs are all good openings. These are enablers, they let you get on to bigger and better things. They speed you up, change the angle of attack, or show off your theme. I titled this category to refer to any old random artifact, but it is slightly more inclusive than that. The point here is that you are doing something that isn't necessarily easy to interact with.
MANA DORKS
I don't support playing mana dudes in the general case. They are so bad against board sweepers (and board sweepers are so common) that you need a special reason to be playing them. I consider one drop mana dudes to be 'smoke' cards. They indicate fire. Their deck is chock full of juicy three drops like Birthing Pod, they have tribal synergies, their general is typically a three drop or a voltron candidate, maybe they're packing anthem or overrun effects. This is a weaker opening than an artifact because it is subject to more removal, but it should tell you something about your opponent's deck. There is a reason that they are playing ostensibly inferior cards: they either need them or can take advantage of them.
DISRUPTION
This is my personal favorite way to open a game. I happen to have the advantage of playing against some greedy opponents. They lean heavy on their Kodama's Reach or their early Brainstorm. When you take away this key resource it becomes abundantly clear that they should have mulliganed. Unfortunately, a lot of players just aren't skilled enough to evaluate their opening hands in conjunction with an opponent's typical openings. Playing against me you learn to do this quickly. Losing isn't always bad, but losing in a painful and shameful way because of a mistake you made before the game even began really seems to grind peoples gears. My advice is this: "turn fear against the fearful." Then your playgroup will be the ones having Duress-induced nightmares instead of you.
DRAW FIXERS
This is a pretty decent way to open a game. Fixing your cards is just like fixing your mana. You give up tempo now so that later you can have the right pieces in place to capitalize. The trouble with this is Preordain, Ponder, and Brainstorm are some of the hardest cards in the game to play correctly. Making bad decisions on how and when to play them can cost you the game. Not to mention that you actually have to make the best possible decision while resolving the spell. As I mentioned above, cards like this tend to put greedy people on the edge of terrible decisions. Greedy keeps are only one notch better than outright awful keeps and the line between them is sometimes blurry. With all that behind us, I play the bricks off of this card and others like it. It is a fantastic top deck and it glues together your early game. It finds what you need and that is what you really needed all along. It is your best card and the card you have been looking for.
AGGRO
This usually means playing a pint-sized beater. Some of them are good. Some of them are embarrassingly bad. I can recommend some if you are feeling frisky, but I like to stay away from stuff like this. It is good, but it just isn't going to be good enough against the best decks. Forty life is a lot to tackle without backup. As I have said before Aggro isn't really a thing in this format. As I have also said, Aggro-Control decks are the best of the 'fair' decks. Getting down a few attackers and backing them up with counterspells and land destruction is an easy way to steal a win. The faster you can set this up the better so start early.
The main lesson here is to think hard about what your deck's first turn looks like. What is the best thing you can be doing? What happens on average? What are you vulnerable to? What can you take advantage of?
Final thought: According to Husky Starcraft, "Every game has an early game, but not every game has a late game." Put them to the sword on turn one and you might just save yourself some grief later.
Happy Saturday Zoners. We're bringing you a nice simple topic for discussion this week, cause it's been kind of a doozy this week:
Which card do we wish was Legendary?
This is The Stack!
GRANDPA GROWTH'S PICK
Grandpa Growth- THUMBS UP
Bet you didn't seen this one coming did you? People often ask me what it would take for aggro to make it in big league Commander. You're looking at it. Aggro suffers because there isn't a critical mass of truly bananas aggro cards. These decks need to 'have it' to stand a chance of winning. How about always having it turn one on the play? I truly believe that Commander stands to gain dramatically by having a mono red aggro deck that can 1. race tier one combo decks and 2. compete with mutliplayer control decks on sheer power level.
I tossed around a lot of ideas for today, which wouldn't surprised you if you knew how much I think about this exact topic. I apply this thought filter to nearly every new creature idea that comes out. So often, Wizards saves their most original designs for the higher rarities and makes them legendary anyway since having too much of a good thing can be bad for formats. Some other options off the top: Empyrial Archangel, Magus of the Future, Fauna Shaman, Mystic Snake, Lord of Extinction, Deathrite Shaman, The new Ogre Battledriver from M14, Phyrexian Obliterator, Mother of Runes...pretty much if it has ever been relevant in EDH I want it to be legendary. Johnny Confidant- THUMBS UP
Goblin HOOO!!! Ah man, a one drop that brings friends? That's my kind of Goblin. I haven't dipped my toe into the tribal aspect of EDH, but goblins would be one I would try.
Probably the real scare about him as a legendary is how fast he can bring the game, turn one he's out, turn two he's swinging and the slowest player is fuel for the effect. The downside to this is Goblins are not that strong so adding global creature buffs could really help out. That said it's still a nasty effect that is sure to bring the pain.
Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
Normally, I'd laugh at the idea of having a goblin as a commander (save for maybe Kiki-Jiki), but I've seen the Goblin Lackey in action and he means business. Stuff the deck full of things like Tectonic Rift or anything that can paralyze creatures en masse and a Fire Whip and watch him reproduce.
A good thing about mono-red is that it is usually faster than most control decks and can easily gain the upper hand early on in the game; the tricky part is keeping the upper hand. Goblin Lackey is a perfect example of what I call an "engine." It's a card that can do things repeatedly at some cost, be it paying mana, attacking, sacrificing, etc. However, I'm not 100% convinced that he'd be a good commander.
He's an easy target for one (one-drop 1/1). He can certainly help, but his scope is rather limited (seems like he does only one thing, which is not even guaranteed). Granted a deck should not rely heavily on its commander, the commander should be able to help out in multiple ways.
Nonetheless, it's a nasty goblin perfect for nasty goblin decks, so why not make it another goblin legend?
Furthermore, I'd like to see a card called "Diplomacy Helmet." Artifact-Equipment, only usable by goblins...
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS DOWN
First, GG picking a red card should be noted. Tis a rarity beyond mythic.
Overall though, I have a lot of problems with the theory he's given, but I'll save those thoughts for a rainy day, and just talk about Lackey as a pick.
I'm not really high on Lackey, for reasons that aren't his actual function. I don't think anything named "Lackey" should be a Legend. Squee is the only fun and silly joke they get to make in the land of Goblins, and my inner Flavor-Judge is saying this would be too far.
I also think he'd have to have at least a static ability like first strike to help his case. There's just not enough power in the text box for me to turn my thumbs up.
Functionally though, free stuff is cool. Still, I'm still not sure how good that is in a 99-card Goblin deck, where everything's cheap, and you're probably not drawing enough cards to finish off an opponent if you're able to dump your hand early on with good stuff like Siege-Gang or Krenko.
Would've been way more enthused for some of GG's honorable mentions. The logic's a little Troll-y to me.
I kept coming back to this card though, because I believe the card should've been and should be Legendary. I think the reason it was decided against is because of the tribal flavor of the Lorwyn block, not necessarily the mechanics of the card.
Gilt-Leaf fits a lot of my requirements for a good build-me-around Legend in Commander. Artwork looks legendary, name sounds regal and unique, and it supports itself in design with one-of-a-kind abilities. Also- there are a lot more Druids than you think (126, per Gatherer).
Grandpa Growth- THUMBS UP
Valid points all around. I agree that this card looks, feels, and plays like a Legend. Mono Green is a cluttered design space in EDH, but this isn't like any of the pre-existing strats. Personally, I think more legends should look like this. Strategically though...I am not sure this would be viable. If you stick this and 6 other druids you should have buried them under damage or cards by now. Green doesn't really need more decks that get hosed by Wrath of God and it doesn't help that this isn't in the same color as Conspiracy or Xenograft.
Sidenote: Tamanoa not being legendary is basically a crime against Magic.
Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
I personally think that this card should be legendary on principle. The idea of taking away all lands a player controls is just too much for a non-legendary card to handle. Plus, in all the 126 druids in existence, 7 of them are legendary, and one of them is banned as a commander. The way I see it, Gilty-Leaf here being made into a legendary card is only fair.
JOHNNY CONFIDANT'S PICK
Johnny Confidant-THUMBS UP
My wishes for Deadeye are a bit of a love/hate situation. On one hand, and before the new rules change, having deadeye as a Legendary would prevent too many people from pulling off ridiculous ETB Shenanigans. Now that the rules for legendary's have changed it would be awesome to see this guy limited to one-per-person.
As for my use, having this guy as a legend would spawn an insane combo deck. Blue really has great resources of card draw, counter, bounce, and untap with its creatures entering or leaving the battlefield and he'd make good use of them. He's also got some great staying power, a 5/5 for 6? You get a 5/5 Colossal Whale for 7 and he doesen't have as much power as this spirit does.
He also self protects, if you leave enough mana open you hardly have to counter any burn/destroy spells as long as hes soulbound. all in all, I wish this guy was Legendary so bad.
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS UP
He was in my big bracket when I was choosing my pick for this week, so I'll go Thumbs Up reluctantly, but I couldn't justify picking him. Flavor-wise, I felt Soulbond on a Legendary Creature doesn't make a whole lot of sense, even if the art and most of the other stats check out. Mono-U Spirit Tribal would be pretty cool though, cause they don't really have a creature worthy of that. Grandpa Growth - THUMBS DOWN
I know hatin' is hard work, so I'll shoulder the burden. Commander players are addicted to value and I am no different. When they see a chance to get a little bit more they turn into a giddy little school girl. This card is the Magic equivalent of the following unfortunate situation: you are carrying 15 cookies and see another one laying on the table. You go to pick up that extra cookie, but you drop a bunch in the process. Achievement Unlocked: Analogue Player!
I never had a chance to play this in draft, but you won't catch me playing it anywhere else. On the other hand, the thought of a legendary Mistmeadow Witch makes me want to puke. I would lose to that card so often...
Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
From a flavor point of view, I say that his name should be changed to "Charon, Deadeye Navigator," because Greek mythology is cool. Very cool. Plus, a Soulbond legendary creature would be nice; it may encourage many instant/sorcery-only blue players to actually put creatures in their decks.
Johnny makes some good points about self protection and a decent cost-benefit analysis. My only issue with the card being legendary is that the Navigator is mono-colored, so his ability and flickering flavor cannot be used with the many sick white ETB creatures. Poor Wall of Omens; no Stonehorn, not this time; gee Sunblast, wish you could have made it out to the river.
VENSER'S JOURNALIST'S PICK
Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP Thrun, the Last Troll's best Ent friend. Granted he's not terribly overpowered, but he's a force to be reckoned with, especially with things like Rancor and all kinds of mana ramp. Any treefolk who's as powerful as all the trees in the forest combined deserves to be a legend. Not to mention that the Elder Tree carries some pretty legendary flavor text... Johnny Confidant- THUMBS DOWN
Hexproof was a nuisance before the legendary change, and now its just a little more so now after. It's a good ability, but I doubt it really makes Legendary feel well "Legendary."
Sigarda, Uril, and Geist really speak to me as Legendary's with hexproof instead of "because of hexproof". To me this guy feels like he's missing something unique. An elder tree should have vast knowledge that can aid you as it's ally.
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS DOWN
I like this card a lot, but I'm not keen on bumping it up to Legendary personally. It's a good, aggressive card, and that's fine and all. I just don't see why I'd want to play this over Omnath or Azusa, who have a lock at the three CMC. If we're going Treefolk and we want something that will scale to the game, Dauntless Dourbark just possesses more of the qualities I would look for, were I, "speaking for the Trees."
Grandpa Growth- THUMBS UP
I can see the appeal here. I had a Korlash, Heir to Blackblade deck for a long time. Having a threat that scales in power level as it becomes more expensive gives you a lot of play moving into the late game. On the topic of mono green, I considered talking about Oracle of Mul Daya in this very article, but decided against it. I am most drawn to multicolor generals so that I can play the particular color combinations I want, letting the color pie dictate my strategy and win conditions rather than predetermined themes; e.g. Hexproof enchantments or 'forests matter'.
Do you have a card you wish was Legendary? I'm sure you do. Post a good one in the comments below.
You got Landdrops again, and we're gonna do some spinning today.
Like most days, the theme is value, and I've got a few pieces of tested tech I'd like to share.
Time to dig in.
Smallpox Smallpox has floated in and out of competitive play and into Group Slug and Discard in EDH. That probably comes as no surprise.
Recently, I "found" a way to leverage its value as cheap removal in Dollar General. My Glissa, the Traitor deck gave this card a nice little home. In Multiplayer, the value on this card is pretty good, netting me about 2-3 artifacts.
It also provides some nice synergy, acting as a discard outlet. The recursion and card advantage overall is so versatile I don't have a lot of trouble satisfying the requirements. If I have artifact land in play, I can sac that or pitch it. If I have a Mimic Vat or an artifact creature out, I don't "lose" anything. It's just been good.
Credit Voucher
I forget how I actually stumbled on this card, but I had such a great feeling about it I got two copies.
Right now, both are seeing play in Hidetsugu and Glissa T's, and I love drawing it.
Say what you will about its "cuteness." Both of these decks really like having access to a couple extra cards a game.
With Hidetsugu, it synchs up well with the "Wheel" package I have, and allows me the opportunity to get an extra Wheel if I need it.
In both decks though, this gives me the opportunity to try and dig into answers or pieces that I need at instant speed. And Glissa can recur it.
Most of the time, I can afford to pitch most of my hand to draw new stuff. Though I can't guarantee I'll get all new or necessary stuff, I like my chances.
This card would probably be pretty good in other combo decks that are looking for specific pieces. Geth's Grimoire
Soon enough, the sharpie will be coming out, and I will effectively changing its name to "Greel's Grimoire."
That's just how good it's been for me and the ol' Spellshaper. The Grimoire provides such a great little two-card engine you really don't need to do anything else other than figure out how you're gonna win the game.
Even activating Greel for just 2-3 cards is enough value in a turn. The randomness ensures adequate disruption and leaves you with mana open to play threats.
Scuttlemutt
I still scroll through a lot of lists on TappedOut, and Scuttlemutt was a gem I found in an Animar list late one night.
After playing him a couple times now, I can honestly say this guy is straight tech. Though slightly more expensive, he's better than the MMD's (Myr Mana Dorks) I'm already playing, and he prevents opponents from being cheeky and playing chumps when they're facing lethal from Animar.
Oh, and if he's not doing that, he's better mana fixing, and I get to do it all after I cast him for free.
It was just too much value to pass up. So don't let Animar leave home without his favorite Scarecrow pal.
Until then, stay legit. In fact stay be too legit to quit.
As you may know, I'm not much into playing other Magic Formats.
Still, I couldn't miss the few chances I had to check out what people were playing last week during the World Championships and Magic World Cup.
So this week, we're gonna take a break from all my harebrained strategies and talk about some of the cards I was excited to see getting play in the competitive environment.
OVERVIEW
Much of the stuff I'm going to talk about was listed in the Sideboard, but that really isn't representative of a typical sideboard.
Much of the Standard and Modern was dominated by Blue/White/Red, which leveraged Sphinx's Revelation and other spells off the backs of Restoration Angel and Snapcaster Mage. Shahar Shenhar's U/W/R was actually what ended up winning the whole enchilada.
In Standard, the primary matchup was either with a mirror or Jund, with Willy Edel, Craig Wescoe, and Brian Kibler the only ones not playing the two big decks (Naya Midrange, Boros Aggro, and Gruul Aggro, respectively).
Due to all the mirror matches, the sideboard was actually pretty instrumental in most of the games I was able to watch. Particularly for non U/W/R players, which is where I found the niftier Commander-worthy tricks. CARDS FROM STANDARD
Lifebane Zombie was one of the big cards that made Jund decks relevant. Being able to get at Thragtusk, Scavenging Ooze, or Restoration Angel was good-- but knowing if Sphinx's Revelation or removal was in hand helped the Jund players make better decisions.
Being a newer card, this was one of the bigger splashes. It was played in Standard mostly, but I did see it in a deck or two during the World Magic Cup.
Brian Kibler's Gruul Aggro deck sported four whole copies of Burning Earth in the sideboard.
When I saw this in his deck feature, all I could think was, "What a badass."
Burning Earth, as he explained, was pretty instrumental against most of the Standard U/W/R and Jund decks he saw, and to compensate, he played quite a bit more basics than the rest of the field.
Willy Edel's Naya midrange also had a couple copies as well.
Of all the people in the tournament, I liked the decks Reid Duke was bringing to the table the most.
His Jund build sported a 1-of Rakdos Keyrune, which was pretty awesome.
Having one extra mana for a Rakdos's Return or a dude to chump felt like a lot of value in this environment.
I didn't get a chance to see it in play, so I don't know if it was actually good; but against other Jund decks and U/W/R, the flexibility felt neat.
Not sure it's EDH worthy, but those colors would probably do well to have some acceleration.
Assemble the Legion was in U/W/R sideboards everywhere.
I'm actually a huge fan of this card. I saw a few limited drafts where this thing just gets silly if you let it sit out long enough. And with Revelation support, the game goes so deep it's a huge swing in momentum.
In environments where creatures are few and boardsweeps are uncounterable, being able to re-load is pretty nice.
CARDS FROM MODERN
Shadow of Doubt was a surprise choice I saw in the U/W/R lists. I believe a lot of people were expecting to see Birthing Pod, and it shut down Scapeshift and fetches.
This is a card GG got me playing, and I really like it in Commander. It hoses people who play tutor style effects.
It's one of the reasons Aven Mindcensor also saw some action too.
Teferi's been in Modern sideboards for a little while now, and I find it pretty funny.
I've never actually seen him in action at the table. He's kind of a running joke amongst the announcers, but that doesn't make him irrelevant.
Teferi found his way into the U/W/R deck, I'm mostly guessing, because the list likes Flash creatures and slowing down counter magic.
The theory is sound though. I mean, he's a handful at the Commander table. That's gotta mean something.
This was actually a card from the World Magic Cup, and honestly, it was the most intriguing to me.
The deck was being played by Brazil and Belgium, and was sort of a cross between Josh Utter-Leyton's Redless Jund and the Standard Jund.
The big difference was that it played Disciple of Bolas, Thragtusk, and this guy.
I've been having a lot of fun playing Desecration Demon in EDH, and I like it a lot more than I initially anticipated.
He's a decent threat in Glissa T's and can force value triggers during combat.
In particular, getting huge damage in was helpful against some of the U/W/R matchups, getting them to use their Revelations before they were ready and mowing down their Restoration Angels.
If you're looking for the rest of the lists, or looking to find some of the replay footage, check out this link to Daily MTG.
Tip o' the cap to ya Zoners. Your Old Grandpa Growth here.
We have been talking about making a handful of changes around the blog. One of which is that I am going to spend more time focusing on top level issues: metagame strategy, game theory, design and development questions, player psychology, and fundamental play skills (mulliganing, reading, etc.).
Given that bit of information, it would seem like the perfect time for a new installment of In General...you know, the series where I talk about the game in general.
This week on the mother ship, Sam Stoddard wrote an article about what makes a card "powerful" in limited and, in fact, what the word powerful even means within the context of limited magic. Because it is used to often and with such a variable definition, it is easy to see how some confusion has grown up around this term.
You can check out the article by clicking on the word: Purple.
I think he did a great job of breaking it down for all the folks at home and he inspired me to talk about the same concept in the context of Commander.
Powerful takes on a whole different meaning. Things are just on a whole new scale. There are cards and situations you simply won't find any where else. Wish me luck as I try to answer the question: What makes a threat powerful in Commander?
Threats
I have prepared a short check list of things that I want a threat to do in my deck, listed in a loose order of importance, but the more of these things that a card does the better.
1. Ends the game by itself.
This means that this is the only card you need to win. You play it and proceed to the win phase. That simple.
Lots of cards can win the game. Merfolk of the Pearl Trident could get there, but I am talking about the realistic likelihood of stealing a win. How many outs does your opponent have? What kinds of cards do they need to stop you and how easy are those cards to come by.
Many heavy-hitting cards like Rise of the Dark Realms can easily win, but the chances of this happening without set up and protection are less good. This is why I prefer win-cons that come straight over the top and generally can't get trumped by anything that comes after. Mindslaver locks, infinite turns, Jace TMS ultimate, etc. Things that go infinite, but can be broken up like Kiki/Pestermite or Mikaeus/Triskelion are still good, but not the choice cuts. 2. Progress the game to an un-lose-able state.
These cards put you farther and farther ahead while you are on your way to a win. The longer you keep this around the more solid you are and the harder time your opponent has coming back: think Eldrazi or Consecrated Sphinx. Typically, these cards either present you with a consistent source of some resource or constantly disrupt your opponent.Threats like this obviously need protection while they do their thing, but they WILL win if left untouched. 3. Interact favorably with answers.
#1 just wins. #2 wins if it doesn't die. #3 is all about leaving you with an advantage even if your opponent has an answer.
Maybe the creature demands a specific, narrow answer like say, the ability to exile an indestructible permanent. Perhaps the threat is a creature that requires triple blocking like Guile.
The point here is that you opponent has to use more resources to deal with the threat than normal; multiple cards, special removal, unfortunate blocking arrangements, etc. The Titan cycle is a good example of a creature that leaves you with a little bit of a resource advantage even after your opponent answers them. Combining #2 and #3 is even better, like Ulamog, for instance.
4. Threaten a kill.
Why is threatening an immediate kill not as good as #2? This is very similar, but doesn't leave you ahead in the long run or the short run.
If it is answered you aren't any better off than you were before and you don't get closer to winning the longer you have a threat like this. Now granted, as the game naturally progresses, players will expend more of their resources. Hands will be empty, libraries will shrink, life totals will dwindle.
Ball Lightning isn't an EDH power house, but when your opponent is at 6 life, it will get the job done just fine. In this late game state, even weak threats have potential to close the game. If your opponent used all their removal beforehand it doesn't really matter how weak your Rakdos the Defiler is to removal.
The best threats in this category threaten a kill even early on in the game. Huge monsters, like the token from Ajani Goldmane's ultimate, aren't resilient, but it is usually a one turn clock. It goes without saying that combining #3 and #4 is pretty sick as well: Blightsteel Colossus.
5. Adding functionality/changing the angle of attack.
It's always nice to get a little something extra. Vorel of Hull Clade isn't what I would call a beater, but it does something you don't see very often. It adds utility to your deck and if your opponent is unaware of the plan or unable to interact with you, you can take games by simply being unorthodox.
This is what I mean by changing the angle of attack: take the battle to a different game zone. If they protect their life total, attack their hand. If they give up tempo to set up staunch defenses, wait them out while their library empties. If they pack their deck full of expensive spells get trigger happy with your Wasteland.
What I have just explained is disruption, not threats, but they don't always have to be different. I have won plenty of games just by having a turn one Duress. Believe it.
Look at the times, though. We are living in a golden age of creatures. They do it all now. Sin Collector, Banisher Priest, Snapcaster Mage, Deathrite Shaman, Solemn Simulacrum. These critters don't look like all that much in a fight, but they just do work. They pressure your opponents life total, protect yours, and attack another resource all at the same time. That is a lot of value for just a creature.
I will conclude with a little bit of a thought experiment. You have to choose one of the following theoretical creatures. It is the only card in your hand.
Your opponent has nothing on board, 30 life, and 2 cards in hand.
Which would you rather have:
A 22/22 Trampler
A 13/13 Haste
A 2/2 Flier that let's you draw four cards when it comes into play.
A 4/4 that destroys all but one of your opponent's lands when it comes into play.
Bonus question: How much mana would you say these cards are worth? Are their costs equal?
We've had another fun past couple of weeks here on The Stack discussing perhaps the most important topic- but let me hold that suspended for a little longer. This one's a doozy.
Though I regret to inform you- It's not Ling Wong giving birth.
Not to get your hopes up or anything, but I did get a text from GG last week hailing this particular installment as "One of the best themes ever," and I tend to agree. We're taking our "shenan's" to an all-time high with the ultimate question:
WHICH MAGIC CARD WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE ON YOUR SIDE IN A BAR FIGHT?
We made logical picks here. This is an intelligent discussion of the greatest importance, and Veej and Geej and JC all brought their A-games. Again, this isn't Panda Watch, but it's a doozy.
AND THIS IS THE STACK!
VENSER'S JOURNALIST'S PICK
Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
So,
in a bar fight, my primary goal is to get the hell out of the bar
before things really start getting messy. Any of you who have knowledge
of MTG lore and the story of Mirrodin know that Venser has the power to
teleport. Ergo, if I have a teleporter dude on my side, I can easily
just get out of the bar and get on with my life. Call me chicken, but I
honestly have no interest in partaking in an animalistic dispute with
drunken oafs.
And
one final note: Venser sacrificed himself to help free Karn from the
Phyrexians; and in a bar fight, or any fight for that matter, that level
of loyalty is a must have in your allies.
Johnny Confidant- THUMBS UP
calling
Venser, and the other Planeswalkers to help would be strong allies in a
bar. But if were all planeswalkers why cant we just planeswalk away
from the bar in the first place? If this is a Bar with a magic barrier
that prohibits "walking" away, I'd Fight with a strong ally, or a good
distraction.... Squawk..
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS DOWN
From
a barfight standpoint, this card is your
do-whatever-you-want-and-get-away-with-it badge. I'm fine with that.
From a flavor perspective, and as a character in Magic, I get it, even
though this is a pretty obvious VJ pick, and Venser has already given up
his life to save another. Hashtag, Da Chronicles of Karn-ia.
I'm
unhappy with the lack of abuse of this privilege though. That's part of
the reason I've Thumbs-ed it down. Also, I'm not sure how p-dubs rules
would work. I have a serious questionnaire about this phenomena.
-If you go unblocked, who are you dealing damage to? And does that mean your opponent wouldn't be fighting back?
-How would you know when you were allowed to start exiling stuff?
-Also, would you have to protect Venser, seeing as he has no P/T?
-If so, wouldn't he actually be more fragile than you?
I'd be curious to know how VJ thinks this would work out.
In
the realz I traded my Venser P-Dubs away, and I'm actually not sad
about this at all. Not a big fan of this card, and getting any ultimate
off in a game that isn't Gideon's means you're probably already winning
anyway. Grandpa Growth-THUMBS UP
I am not one to cry about fairness. Having a pdub on your side probably makes the idea of a bar fight irrelevant, much less the outcome. Especially
when that particular pdub can cast Time Warp and Wrath. If there was
another planeswalker in the bar things might be different. He is an
artificer and slightly less confrontational than his counterparts, which
leads me to believe he may not go out much, so he is probably like your
workaholic friend who stays in all the time. Rock bottom depth
achieved! GRANDPA GROWTH'S PICK
Grandpa Growth- THUMBS DOWN
I looked through the list of equipment cards because that was my first logical choice. However, I am going to restrict myself to people. People that I could actually bring into the bar with me, so they needed to be humanoid and not so belligerent that they would get kicked out for bad behavior. A guy who turns wolves to sheep seems somewhat useful. I can't shake the feeling that I could've come up with something better (funnier) though...
My runners up: Azorius Arrester (i.e. the cops), Riot Gear/Spikes
Johnny Confidant- THUMBS DOWN
In context of the bar fight, I can see the power of Polyforming people into sheeps as an intimidating act, but the bigger the bar the less effective it can be. But GG has a point here, being able to bring someone or something into the bar that rings no alarms can be an advantage too.
Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP
Not a bad ally in a bar fight. I personally like the master polymorpher because turning rage-filled drunks into harmless little kittens seems like a legitimate way to finagle one's way to safety. Although, bringing in the Arrester might have been a better choice. Nothing breaks up a fight like the Law.
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS DOWN
My thought on this subject was based purely on the assumption that the average person would probably be a 1/1 or 2/2 with a static ability, depending on size and athleticism. I don't think anyone, outside of the bigger professional athletes (MMA Fighters, Lineman, Rugby players, Some basketball players) or a sumo wrestler (important distinction), would be breaking the mold. Therefore, seems a little marginal return. Logic is sound, if the assumption is that you're going to always fight someone significantly bigger than you.
In actual Magic land, this is a card I've recently purchased for fun. Not sure if it's going into a deck yet, but ya never know. I have a Sorceress Queen I want to play too.
JOHNNY CONFIDANT'S PICK
Johnny Confidant-THUMBS UP
In a bar, surrounded with wizards there is but one spell i would
conjure to deal with all my foes. I would need something devastating and
brutal, Quick and horrifying.
A Carnivorous
Death-Parrot is my spell of choice. he'd look harmless until the time to
strike is near. Mainly because he's a comically deadly parrot. Granted
this card isn't to be taken seriously due to it being from an "Un" set,
but I feel that reflecting on fights can be somewhat comical in
hindsight and this captures that essence.
In flavor with the fight and this effect i'd have to continuously warn people with a "careful, he bites".
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS UP
I
like this for the "Monty Python-ness," and inherent card flavor.
Strategy's logical. I mean, none of us were gonna walk in with a Grizzly
Bear on a chain. With CDP, JC can kind of do that. Not my cup o' tea,
but I don't drink that much Darjeeling.
Grandpa Growth -THUMBS DOWN
If
you are grisly old pirate captain with a bird on your shoulder I may
not want to directly mess with you, but in a world of giant monsters,
every kind of magic you can imagine, and enchanted weapons...a regular
bird, mean or not, isn't going to do a whole lot.
Venser's Journalist- THUMBS UP, SQUAWK
Parrots
are cool to have in bar fights. They work as excellent distraction
while you grab a barstool or great backup since they can look behind you
while you focus on what's in front of you. Train your birds to say
badass lines and you might just win a bar fight out of sheer
awesomeness.
UNCLE LANDDROPS' PICK
Uncle Landdrops- THUMBS UP
I've been meditating on this one for like a week and a half, because all things being real, I don't think any of us are likely to instigate a fight.
Which is why, if I were to find myself in a compromising situation like this, I'd like to be Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting. Click it if you haven't seen it. Cause I'm not gonna run away. If I get in a fight, I get in a fight, but Plan A is to own the aggressor with my "wicked smahts."
But I'd want to go deeper, finding all the under-thought-thoughts and inspiration I wouldn't have otherwise. Hopefully, I'd be able to come with a non-Guinness related "Brilliant! Ultimatum" for my foe.
Also- I figure if things go south, playing on my momentary genius will either aid me in a fight, or help me get away. My second place choice was an Eternal Witness. Cause it would be nice to have someone who'd testify on my behalf if my plan backfired.
Johnny Confidant- THUMBS DOWN
This is a heavy spell to cast, and I'd imagine it would take some time to conjure up the mana ties in order to net the effect. It seems more defensive as a confusion spell than an offensive one. Perhaps this was UL's plan all along.... I'm already confused haha.
Grandpa Growth-THUMBS UP
Let's take a journey...to the intersection of Mechanics Avenue and Flavor Street. Getting extra cards off the top of your library is sometimes used to represent prescience; e.g. Future Sight. Sometimes it represents having a new idea; e.g. Inspiration. I am imagining that real life Brilliant Ultimatum would be the equivalent of your first five ideas just HAPPENING, for better or worse. Imaginative, psychopathic, spiritual, mundane. You might get a hot dog...OR the dream vacation spot you have been thinking about might overlay the physical reality of the bar. Speaking of physical reality what if you thought of a world with no (insert concept/material necessary for fights and bars to exist simultaneously). What if the muse spoke of the ultimate expression of peace on earth and good will to men? It would be kind of lame to say the least. This is like the Green Lantern's ring of power, except juiced by impulse instead of concentration. The consequences could be severe.
Venser's Journalist- ONE THUMB UP, ONE THUMB DOWN
Smarts can win you a fight. If you were in a bar full of college professors and other academics. Which if that were the case, the only fights being started would be carefully conducted debates. It's easy to outsmart someone with a two-digit IQ, but is it fun? Not really. Just say something that the oaf won't even comprehend and walk away.
Remember to be sure to tell us what card you'd pick to cast in a bar fight.
Until then, remember- if you ever find yourselves in the throes of a vicious cockfight, just throw your trident and walk away.
Today we're gonna evaluate past and present iterations of Chandra.
Since school's almost back in session, I'll give each version a letter grade. Here's how I broke it down:
A "C" is means one, maybe two abilities are able to be used, but possibly aren't "effective." An "A" grade means each ability is useful in the format, and "B" will obviously have stronger functionality than a "C," but isn't as consistent across its abilities.
Here we go.
Chandra Nalaar - Grade C
Let's start with where it all began... Lorwyn. This was the first
appearance of Planeswalkers ever, and so
it's where Chandra first took to the stage.
Her ultimate (-8) is what makes this appealing to me. Bonfire of the Damned is a thing to be feared as such should-- because 10 damage is usually enough to clear an opponents field, with few exceptions.
However, her other two seem pretty disappointing. For +1 you can poke your opponent which seems upsetting when you have cards like Lightning Bolt, Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle, and plenty of other cheap Red burn.
The second ability is a bit of a grey area. It's nice to make a decent burn spell that does more than what you're paying for. However, only being able to target creatures makes this rough. Chandra would have been much more threatening if she was allowed to dump all loyalty into a player and X/R/G decks that run her and Doubling Season would have loved it.
A strong nod to her starting loyalty though. Not to many Planeswalkers start so high, and at 5 for six she is sure to stick around for more than a turn and it only takes 2 turns for her to ultimate, which is what I would be playing her for.
Chandra Ablaze - Grade A
Chandra got mad, and she got mad so good!
Her first ability reminds me of UL's Sunday special about No-Mana, specifically Pyrokinesis. This is a nice recurrable 4 damage to a creature or player.
Although it is a slower than Pyro, this +1 is all that and the potato chips. Not only is it solid protection for her, it also fuels her ultimate ability, which is nice synergy.
Her (-2) is a strong nod to the "Wheel" effects that Chaos decks love so much, continuing the trend with a nice disruptive effect.
Still the true usefulness of this ability is debatable. On one hand it's perfect for decks who work well without too much set up and usually have stuff to discard, the other needs to set up to maintain board position. If used correctly, it's hand advantage.
Finally we get to her ultimate and boy is it a good one. The longer you can hold out in the game or the more you can dump into your graveyard the better this gets. Being able to perform a graveyard Flashback, for no mana cost is awesome in its own right.
Granted this all revolves around one Red focused state of mind. Mono red will love this, But I wouldn't play it in anything more than two colors only because it's so reliant on Red.
Chandra, the Firebrand - Grade C
After having a solid Red Planeswalker we get our hopes up for the next version of out Lady in Red. Sad to say I was disappointed in this one. Probably the weakest version of her. 4 CMC, 3 Loyalty and we're back with the "Poke of Doom" (+1).
Her (-2) is usable but if you're looking to copy spells more reliably, Reiterate is cheaper than this card, and you can buy it back.
Then there's her (-6), which feels underwhelming to a degree that I wonder if she even saw competitive play. The first problem I see is that it takes 3 turns to get there. This feels overcosted, considering that you can't dump 36 damage on one player or creature. At most she is kicking players for 6 life and blowing up a few utility creatures, maybe a Titan, if you're lucky. Chances are if though that if they have a Titan, this Chandra's already dead.
Chandra, Pyromaster - Grade B
After all that, we're now at the present. The new Chandra that is all over Fat packs, Booster packs, and even Intro Packs. She's hit the spotlight again.
I was lucky enough to pull her in my m14 packs. While I have not had a chance to test her, I can still give her a good look over.
For (+1) we once again gain the "Poke of Doom" for the third time, but this has a twist. Now she prevents a creature from blocking a turn or even possibly netting the lethal blow to a small utility or token creature. It's not an ideal effect but its a step in the right direction for a Pyromancer. I mean, Pyromaster.
For (0), she'll be more than happy to flavorfully "burn" an idea off the top of your head for you to use. A kind of sporadic, random mechanic that Red has acquired. Between this and her (-7), it's kind of interesting.
I like that they took and tweaked Ablaze's ultimate so that it wasn't so Red focused. Still it feels like it's missing something. Ablaze was on the right track in my mind-- Aggressive, Chaotic, and Passionate. Everything I'd use to describe a Red walker.
I'd like to reach out to you Zoners out there to let me know what you like about Chandra in all her forms and what works or falters for you. As always Zoners, Take the girl out for a ride around the Multiverse and we'll see you back here next week.
I don't know what it means,
but it's my greeting now.
Ruby Tuesdays, Zoners.
It's a nice to return to our regularly scheduled programming, but let's housekeep a little.
Big apologies for the lateness today and Sunday. Our schedule, as you've seen, has been a little off the past few weeks, and that's my bad.
We're making some changes to the blog, and I seem to be forgetting fundamentals. Like getting stuff published around the lunch hour.
But I'm back, and hopefully after this, I'll be able to get myself on track.
The topic today is something I like to talk about a lot. "Right Card, Right Deck" is a theory and a thesis I've been developing for some time now. Although I think it works mostly for Commander because of the breadth and depth of the card pool, it might work for some of the other formats I don't play or talk about.
"Right Card, Right Deck" is the underlying secret to my approach to deckbuilding, and I'd like to let you in on it with the hopes that it'll help you on your way to reaching the ultimate goal in EDH, which is hopefully to be "The Better Deckbuilder."
WHAT IS RIGHT CARD, RIGHT DECK?
At its core, "RC,RD" is the concept of finding cards by both filling a deck's needs and filling your own.
RC, RD involves leveraging your own economic efficiencies and
inefficiencies as a player with the strength and strategy of a deck to
create balanced, smooth, cohesive, and effective play.
Under
RC,RD, card choices are not dictated by "what's optimal" or "stuff you
want to play," but by a a little bit of both, resulting in a "more
unique" design that works for you.
Much of this theory is based off of my two areas of coursework during my undergrad: Creative Writing and Business Management.
In writing, I learned that the best parts of us put on the page were the ones that came from our "white-hot center," also known as the unconscious. This is the place from which we make "gut feelings" and have "emotions." It is our "soul," for lack of a better phrase, and when we learn to tune into this connection, we understand how to do a lot more than just make good card cuts or choose a Commander.
The other half seeks to strike balance with our emotions. In Business, and as part of the education for Business school, we learn about economics. This is the part of the decision-making I think many Standard and Spike-influenced players like GG use to make their decisions.
Milton Friedman. Still Everywhere.
As Economics is the study of trade-offs, behavior, and scarcity, it's a prime area of social science that can be applied to a lot of what we do as Magic players, and leads to the development of creating a deck's inherent competitive advantage.
This sounds a lot more complicated than it really is, so let me demonstrate some of my theory in specific example.
EXAMPLE
The Curious Case of Ulamog's Crusher
Much of the theory of RC,RD is the difference between my approach and Grandpa Growth's style, so we're coming out of the gate quickly with a big bomb of a case.
I'm not going to deny that playing Ulamog's Crusher in Pauper is, on the margin, a solid play. In fact, I'm not arguing on any points Grandpa has previously made about Crusher from Paupularity Contest #1 or in any of the discussions we've had about this card. I agree with them.
Still, it doesn't mean that I have to play this card, and it doesn't mean that I'm making an intentional choice not to play the better cards in the format either.
I'm doing something different entirely.
Objectification is much different in Commander than it appears.
THE RULE OF TWO OR MORE
I have a "Rule of Two" when it comes to card choices. If you can come up with two great arguments for or against playing a card, this justifies a decision. The more you can come up with, the better the case.
This is obviously subjective, and I'm sure GG would argue this can be somewhat self-serving if you don't maintain your own objectivity, but let's look at my Crusher arguments.
For starters, Simic Guildmage is a very reactive, tempo-style aggro-control deck. It relies on incremental spells and open mana to use and abuse the cards on the table and the spells in your hand.
Therefore, the traditional tapping out for Crusher on Turn 8 isn't great. By then, the deck will have probably established a decent board by controlling combat and keeping your opponent scared. Like every other deck, options and multiple lines of play are great to have, and often will force your opponent to overthink what's on the table and forget what's in your hand.
I know this because of experience. I've played Crusher in the deck, and found him in my hand with no real reason to tap out and play him. So I cut him.
Also, Pauper as a format still has consistent removal in most of the better decks, and Crusher, to me, just isn't worth tapping out for when most players are more than happy to spend their first piece of removal on him.
This is true of most threats, I know. I guess that makes Crusher still somewhat viable.
Then there's synergy. And when we apply the RC, RD philosophy, the deck's needs are a lot clearer, a competitive advantage is born, and something a little more special happens. The deck becomes more than just a bunch of cards you're playing.
Since every Pauper deck still needs big dudes, and Simic Guildmage, in this case, is no different. Fundamentals are always key, and Simic G gets no preferential treatment.
Rather than look at some of the more obvious spells, let's stick with the deck's sole competitive advantage. Simic G plays with Auras and +1/+1 counters, and the best thing it does is make your opponent's turn a nightmare to navigate. Having to process my side of the board and pick out what spells to play is rough. And I always need to have responses. The Back Door is what makes this deck work well.
Using this knowledge, it's pretty easy to see what not to play. Which is how a very unfamous OG like Cytospawn Shambler can find his way on a list over something like Crusher.
I know he's not as good as Crusher on the aggregate, and that's great. "Staples," and cards people are more familiar with tend to draw a lot more attention turn in and turn out. Though Timmy creatures always get a chunk of attention, Shambler probably is disproportionately less likely to be answered than Crusher.
This is particularly great for us, because in Simic G, he's actually MORE of a threat if you let me untap. Multiple graft counters and the option to get damage through is actually more important than just attacking and trying to rack up card advantage every turn with the obligatory Crusher.
Cytospawn Shambler also gives a back door. Whereas tapping out for Crusher is high-risk when I have board state, Shambler with a couple mana to spare ensures I'm going to get something, even if it's just a single +1/+1 counter. That doesn't sound like much, but against a good player, this can be a big game.
GOALS AND CRITICISMS OF RIGHT CARD, RIGHT DECK
As it stands, I think my example demonstrates a strong rationale for trading out threats in deck. But I'm sure you could ask, why can't Ulamog replace another card?
You can do things however you want. Everyone will have different ratios and playstyles, but I think the point is pretty clear on how much value is created by actually not playing Crusher within this context.
The point of Right Card, Right Deck is to find not just "good" cards, but the "right" ones, in every version of this word as you understand it. I find a lot of success in using underplayed cards like Glacial Chasm as I do in playing Cultivate. Being able to get value out of cards within context is the best way to improve a deck.
Right Card Right Deck is a way to structure your deck to play with a
fluidity and a consistency that you're happy with. In this philosophy,
we are able to facilitate and "optimize without optimizing" a deck the
way a competitive player might think while ultimately making it
stronger.
RC, RD isn't about being a TryHard. It's about Trying Smart.
It is important to understand the difference between RC, RD and what we Commander players call the "GoodStuffs" deck, which relies on the individual strength of cards, and doesn't necessarily apply a competitive advantage or a strong sense of synergy across the whole deck.
There is also the other end of the spectrum- the "Jank Funsies" deck. Playing too many things that you just "like" cause you want to play them. It's important to know that good deck design inhibits winning too.
Finding the balance between these two things is not easy. If it were, everyone would be doing it. It takes time to figure out your own idiosyncrasies in play style, and what kinds of cards you're good at playing versus others.
Well, I've gone and talked quite a bit. If you have questions, or want to talk shop a little more, I'm always available to help out if you comment below or email me at UncleLanddrops@gmail.com.
On Thor's Day, JC's back with an informative Card Corner on the Lady in Red, Chandra.
Until then, here's an informative clip on the first Red P-Dubs, and a quick little secret about how a booster pack is made.
Welcome back to another edition of the Paupularity Contest! I'm your host Grandpa Growth.
Today we are going to be looking at another one of our humble narrator's decklists. This time: Uncle Landdrops' Simic Guildmage Deck.
The original guildmages have always been a great choice for a Pauper general. They have a wide range of functions, reasonable stats, offer you your choice of two-color combinations, and are easy to cast.
Out of the ten original GMs, this is the one you are least likely to see on the other side of the table. We all know that UL has a passion for underplayed cards and never shies away from a challenge. This card has some very unique abilities. Let's take a look at the deck list and see how he's using them. The List
Lands: 38
Evolving Wilds
16 Forest
16 Island
Rupture Spire
Simic Growth Chamber
Simic Guildgate
Terramorphic Expanse
Transguild Promenade
Creatures: 27
Aethersnipe
Archaeomancer
Battering Krasis
Bramble Elemental
Cloudfin Raptor
Coiling Oracle
Crocanura
Cytospawn Shambler
Drift of Phantasms
Elgaud Shieldmate
Fertilid
Fierce Empath
Floodchaser
Imperiosaur
Krosan Tusker
Merfolk Looter
Mnemonic Wall
Mold Shambler
Mulldrifter
Ondu Giant
Penumbra Spider
Sentinel Spider
Shambleshark
Stormbound Geist
Thornweald Archer
Thought Courier
Yavimaya Elder
Enchantments: 15
Alexi's Cloak
Ancestral Mask
Beastmaster's
Magemark
Chant of the
Skifsang
Eel Umbra
Flight of Fancy
Forced Adaptation
Infiltrator's
Magemark
Lignify
Narcolepsy
Rancor
Shielding Plax
Traveler's Cloak
Tricks of the
Trade
Vanishing
Sorceries: 10
Cultivate
Deep Analysis
Divination
Explore
Kodama's Reach
Ponder
Preordain
Prey Upon
See Beyond
Temporal Spring
Instants: 9
Capsize
Clockspinning
Evolution Charm
Inspiration
Muddle the Mixture
Naturalize
Oona's Grace
Snakeform
Sprout Swarm
Card Choices
This is a budget list. One that specifically focuses on NOT playing some of the marquee cards in the format. You don't see any Eldrazi here. Muddle the Mixture is the only counter spell. No Commander Tower. Instead of just jamming every over-played card into the deck UL has created a synergy-based strategy using a critical mass of creatures. He can set up a favorable board state by shuffling counters. This makes combat tough to navigate for the opponent.
Some cards I really like in this list: Clockspinning, Evolution Charm, Infiltrator's Magemark, Elgaud Shieldmate. Some stuff you don't see every day huh? Clockspinning can grow a threat large enough that it is too tough to kill in combat. Magemark can help punch through big damage later in the game while Shieldmate can protect your threat of choice from becoming the victim of shenanigans.
S.W.O.T.
Strengths: This list is playing a ton of creatures. With plenty of duders running around this deck can get off to fast starts and trade off threats aggressively. The home team is well equipped to take advantage of slower decks that need time to build to high cost power plays. Always having access to a two drop beater means that we can get on the warpath immediately and with a Shielding Plax to follow up this deck can assemble some pretty saucy nut draws. There is plenty of card draw and ramp here as well to help capitalize on any early-game advantage you get.
Weaknesses: Blue-Green has always been light on removal. This list is no exception. Creatures that hit the battlefield are going to stay there. Traditionally the remedy for this problem has been to over-rely on counter spells and bounce effects for tempo-based aggression. This list doesn't have any of that so any deck with a better 'A' plan is going to be trouble. Staying aggressive and try to overwhelm the opponent with small advantages. If you happen to run into a Rock Slide or Evincar's Justice...well, they can't always have it right?
Opportunities: Control decks that rely on spot removal are going to have a tough time keeping up with all the threats in this list. This will really be an advantage late when their resources are low. Hooking up a Shroud effect will likely be game over. Other similar decks that want to flood the ground with chumps will be easy pickings. This deck has ways to grow and punch through in the late game which is a strong strategic advantage.
Generals we want to see: Nucklavee, Trostani's Summoner, Sprouting Thrinax, Auriok Salvagers. (durdlers one and all)
Threats: As I mentioned earlier, any deck that has a faster or more powerful game plan is just going to win. This deck finds consistency through redundancy, but sometimes you need something different to win instead of more of the same.
Secondly, any deck that has an interactive early game can slow the game down to the point where a mass of cheap creatures is less effective. Early removal, counterspells, and particularly creatures with dat booty will spell trouble. I was actually just chatting with UL about a potential Wall of Denial Defender theme deck. While probably not a great deck in general it looks like just the kind of thing that will give Simic Guildmage fits. Similarly, cheap 2-for-1's on our threats are tough.
Generals we don't want to see: Psychatog, Flametongue Kavu/Nekrataal, and the aforementioned Wall of Denial
That's all for this week. Feel free to leave feedback for Landdrops or me in the comments below. GG.
