Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Brew's Clues

Hey kids! Long time no see. Last couples of blogs haven’t been fit to print. Anyway with the recent banning’s, modern seems to be ripe(I mean Kird is now the best one drop?) for some brewing. Zoo is still probably on top, and other contenders are probably Affinity, Melira, Ad Nausem, Splinter Twin, Jund and possibly a teachings or gifts control list.

So a lot of green decks, some combo, and a slim chance of control. Now the next couple of decks are certainly not optimal, but hey the point of this piece is just to bring some new ideas into the format.
One of the more under-used cards in modern is my ole buddy Primeval Titan. I have been thinking about using him in a urza-tron build, the format is filled with aggro decks and running a traditional favorite against beatdown might do the trick.



























Gifts and nail
4xPrimeval Titan
4xGifts Ungiven
4xTooth and Nail
4xExplore
4xFarseek
2xsimic signet
2xGruul signet
4xRemand
3xfirespout
1xnoxious revival
1xEmrakul
1xUrbrask
1xLife of the loam
1xRevive
12xurza suite
2xBreeding Pool
2xstomping ground
4xMisty Rainforest
3xforest
1xisland

Sb:
2xbiorythem
2x Boseiju, Who Shelters All
4x repeal
4x Kitchen Finks
3xancient grudge.

Anyway, just some thoughts about what is in here and the overall goals of the deck.
The main line is to ramp to nine mana, and tooth for emrakruul and urabrask. Honestly, I think this is better than Kikki-Jikki+ Deceiver exarch, given that it is less fragile, and you pretty much always win after playing it.

Gifts Ungiven,

Alright the two main gift packages include gifting for Primeval Titan, Noxious Revival, Tooth & Nail, and Revive. The other is life of the loam, and three Urza-lands. One key thing about Primeval Titan is to grab two towers on your first turn, and then if you swing in again, grab powerplant & Mine, you end up netting two mana.

I put remand in the deck to add some extra Tempo, I definitely want some more signets possibly, just a little worried about Quasili Pridemage hitting the signet.

As far as side boarding is concerned I added Biorythem as my tech against Melira. After swinging with Emrakul, a million times, you can cast and watch their life go to zero.
Alright my next deck probably isn’t playable, but if it is I am playing it. It will put the Myr right into my opponent.

Myr Mortals
4 heartless summoning
4 fecundity
4 priest of urabrask
4 mogg warmarshall
4 myr retriever
4 myr sire
6 myr
2 grape shot
2 noxious revival
4 Idyllic tutor
2 plunge into darkness
4 city of brass
4 gemstone mine
4 relflecting pool
4 vivid crag
4 vivid grove
Sb:
4 Silence
4 Ignorant bliss
4 Perilous Myr
3 Cheers

Alright, just so you guys can figure out the deck. The goal is to two play a Myr. Turn three, drop fecundity, Turn four play heartless summoning….and then cycle through your deck until you grape shot your opponent.

I doubt this is good at all, but if there is an eight man modern tournament, watch out for this brew.

Alright guys, I am sorry there isn’t much to this post, but I figured I would finally write something. One of my regrets that I had this year is not ptqing or playing in the right tournaments. I will never be a super grinder, but I really should have played in some of the local ptq’s with Valakut, just to see how far I could take it.

Anyway, if all else fails, expect me to be swinging in with some Apes and Goyfs!


Props:

Squirtle, the best lil turtle.

Robert ‘Too Mean’ Greene

Matt Moulson

Garret “Plays the Cello” Pezzello (whose commentry in the past kept this blog afloat)

Slops:

The Philadelphia Eagles

Steve Clarry, does anyone like this kid, seriously?

Wizards of the Coast, I honestly haven’t liked most or any of your play decisions you made this
year. The sets are good, but let’s just say the main reason for writing this is the +1 on my PWPS.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

The first 'kut is the deepest

Hey kids! A lot is going on in my life right now, so right now I figured I’d write about something fun rather than dwell on it all day. Anyway, for those you who haven’t heard the news.




































What a great day for America! The Japanese are not too happy... Anyway I am writing this post just to talk about valakut, and just the first version I would play. But I guess, just to reiterate, that yes, I am pro-banning, and yes, that it's possible, I am biasest. For those that will go on to study politics and political beliefs. The main reason why possible support a policy, is largely money(altough religion certaintly plays a role in some). Anytime a "group" views it as a net gain or loss to their financial status, you will see a huge statistical correlation.(Group i am defining as a class, race, sex, gender, sexual identiy, adjective). It appears magic is the same, regardless of what's good for the game as a whole. Pretty much all of the comments are either "yay I don't have shell out or lose" to "WHY GOD?!!? why did I spend all of that money?." Either way the most powerful card since skullclamp and the best two drop or all time are now only extended legal. So we will hate to wait till that ptq season is ruined!

Creatures:


4 Primeval Titan
4 overgrown battlement
2 avenger of Zendikar
2 Oracle of Mul daya


Spells:


4 Explore
4 Harrow
2 Khalni Heart Expedition

2 Summoning Trap
4 Beast within
4 Green's sun's zenith

Lands:

11 Mountains
3 Terramorphic expanse
3 evolving wilds
4 Valakut, the molten Pinnacle
2 verdant catacombs
5 forests



Side:

4 Pyroclasm

2 Obstinate Baloth

2 Summoning Trap

4 Combust

3 nature's claim


It could be a bit soft to aggro, in the future I may run bolt over beast within and more traps in the main. However, I think Beast within is underrated in the mirror. It's land destruction, which can be pretty key in the match. Anyway just a first 'kut.





Until next time...

Friday, June 17, 2011

Stoneforge who loved me & which commander to play?

Hey kids! I know I have been writing a lot but heck I got the itch, so expect blog posts daily from now until the day you die. Alright maybe until you get exiled. There is a lot going right now in my real life as planeswalker and my pretend one as a mild mannered man working in a news agency ( I hope that reference wasn’t Louis Lame). Any way I got some quick things I felt I should write about(this time about the present in the present).






































1. Stoneforge should get the axe come the June 20th B&R announcement.




There I said it. The best two drop of all time has seen her time and should get the axe. Right now I agree with the assessment of many in that there really is only one deck. 3rd thankfully does not seem victim to this cawful problem, but elsewhere is just seems stagnant. Caw blade vs Caw blade, caw blade vs. dark blade, caw blade vs. twin blade is everywhere. Now I know a lot of people are in denial, about how busted the card is but think about it.




Here are the following things that made a great magic card:




A. Card Advantage
B. Cheating at mana
C. Low cost/tempo




Stonforeg mystic does all of three, once its down, you never have to have use your mana at sorcery speed. It cheats incredibly on mana, have you guys read batter skull? It’s also a great boost to card advantage either with being two cards for one or discard thanks to feast and famine. Still not convinced, take example from wizards words on skull clamp in 2004. This was in reference to tooth’s transition into elf & nail, solely for skullclamp.

“Note that the ideal Tooth and Nail plan makes no use of one-toughness creatures, yet the way to make the deck a winner was to add sixteen one-toughness creatures and four Skullclamps."
(http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/af17)

Now how about I do a little tweaking here.

Note that the ideal Splinter/twin plan makes no use of equipment and creatures, yet the way to make the deck a winner was to add Stoneforge, and busted equipment.

Michael Jacob twin blade

4 Preordain
3 Island
2 Plains
3 Mountain
2 Spellskite
4 Deceiver Exarch
1 Batterskull
2 Gitaxian Probe
2 Dismember
1 Sword of War and Peace
1 Jace Beleren
2 Glacial Fortress
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Evolving Wilds
3 Splinter Twin
4 Seachrome Coast
2 Mana Leak
1 Lightning Bolt
4 Stoneforge Mystic
3 Celestial Colonnade
4 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
4 Scalding Tarn
1 Spell Pierce
4 Arid Mesa
1 Into the Roil

Sideboard
1 Inferno Titan
1 Combust
3 Pyroclasm
2 Mental Misstep
1 Celestial Purge
1 Divine Offering
1 Consecrated Sphinx
1 Crush
1 Mortarpod
3 Twisted Image

Just think about that, the best thing to add to a turn 4 combo deck is a two drop creature that fetches equipment. It’s that freaking good. Anyway, it’s ultimately it’s wizards decision not mine. But I hope this is the last I have seen of her. (Well until Bobby’s a cyborg and humanity is colonizing the Gailiean moons).

2. I am really Excited about the commander release!

Anyway I scanned through the list I am going to give pluses and minuses to each one and how good it is in fun and how good I think the deck is.


Goodness is how good i think the deck will play against the others, lolfuness is the likelyhood of it bringing lols.




Here is the decks.




Mirror mastery




• 1 Riku of Two Reflections

• 1 Æthersnipe
• 1 Animar, Soul of Elements
• 1 Artisan of Kozilek
• 1 Avatar of Fury
• 1 Baloth Woodcrasher
• 1 Chartooth Cougar
• 1 Conundrum Sphinx
• 1 Deadwood Treefolk
• 1 Edric, Spymaster of Trest
• 1 Elvish Aberration
• 1 Faultgrinder
• 1 Fierce Empath
• 1 Hydra Omnivore
• 1 Intet, the Dreamer
• 1 Krosan Tusker
• 1 Magmatic Force
• 1 Magus of the Vineyard
• 1 Nucklavee
• 1 Rapacious One
• 1 Simic Sky Swallower
• 1 Spitebellows
• 1 Trench Gorger
• 1 Valley Rannet
• 1 Veteran Explorer

• 1 Armillary Sphere
• 1 Brainstorm
• 1 Call the Skybreaker
• 1 Chain Reaction
• 1 Collective Voyage
• 1 Colossal Might
• 1 Cultivate
• 1 Death by Dragons
• 1 Disaster Radius
• 1 Electrolyze
• 1 Explosive Vegetation
• 1 Fire/Ice
• 1 Firespout
• 1 Gruul Signet
• 1 Hull Breach
• 1 Hunting Pack
• 1 Invigorate
• 1 Izzet Signet
• 1 Kodama's Reach
• 1 Lightning Greaves
• 1 Prophetic Bolt
• 1 Prophetic Prism
• 1 Ray of Command
• 1 Ruination
• 1 Savage Twister
• 1 Simic Signet
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Spell Crumple
• 1 Tribute to the Wild
• 1 Vengeful Rebirth
• 1 Vow of Flight
• 1 Vow of Lightning
• 1 Vow of Wildness

• 1 Garruk Wildspeaker

• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Evolving Wilds
• 13 Forest
• 1 Fungal Reaches
• 1 Gruul Turf
• 1 Homeward Path
• 7 Island
• 1 Izzet Boilerworks
• 1 Kazandu Refuge
• 8 Mountain
• 1 Rupture Spire
• 1 Simic Growth Chamber
• 1 Temple of the False God
• 1 Vivid Crag
• 1 Vivid Creek
• 1 Vivid Grove


Pluses: Really strong ramp, arguably the best amount of card advantage. LD spells up the wazzoo. This deck does a couple really well. You will have one the two things you need to win an EDH pod, land and good card draw. You should never get mana screwed with this deck. Ruination also seems pretty tight in legacy. Best general imo.




Minuses: where are the threats? Ok you have simic sky swallower? Come on wizards, you can’t add an eldrazi or two? I feel like towards the end of the battle you will have 20 mana, but only 7 mana spells. Now I know you get some vanilla 6/5’s, but there is scarier stuff out of there.




Goodness: 8




Lolfulness: 5

Cards I wish were in there: Primeval titan, Kikki Jikki(I mean c’mon mirror mastery???), some big dudes, and tooth & nail.

Heavenly Inferno

• 1 Kaalia of the Vast

• 1 Akroma, Angel of Fury
• 1 Angel of Despair
• 1 Angelic Arbiter
• 1 Anger
• 1 Archangel of Strife
• 1 Avatar of Slaughter
• 1 Basandra, Battle Seraph
• 1 Bladewing the Risen
• 1 Boros Guildmage
• 1 Dragon Whelp
• 1 Dread Cacodemon
• 1 Duergar Hedge-Mage
• 1 Fallen Angel
• 1 Furnace Whelp
• 1 Gwyllion Hedge-Mage
• 1 Lightkeeper of Emeria
• 1 Malfegor
• 1 Mana-Charged Dragon
• 1 Mother of Runes
• 1 Oni of Wild Places
• 1 Oros, the Avenger
• 1 Orzhov Guildmage
• 1 Razorjaw Oni
• 1 Reiver Demon
• 1 Serra Angel
• 1 Shattered Angel
• 1 Tariel, Reckoner of Souls
• 1

• 1 Akroma's Vengeance
• 1 Armillary Sphere
• 1 Bathe in Light
• 1 Boros Signet
• 1 Cleansing Beam
• 1 Comet Storm
• 1 Congregate
• 1 Darksteel Ingot
• 1 Death by Dragons
• 1 Diabolic Tutor
• 1 Earthquake
• 1 Evincar's Justice
• 1 Lightning Greaves
• 1 Master Warcraft
• 1 Mortify
• 1 Orim's Thunder
• 1 Orzhov Signet
• 1 Path to Exile
• 1 Pyrohemia
• 1 Rakdos Signet
• 1 Return to Dust
• 1 Righteous Cause
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Soul Snare
• 1 Stranglehold
• 1 Sulfurous Blast
• 1 Syphon Flesh
• 1 Syphon Mind
• 1 Terminate
• 1 Vow of Duty
• 1 Vow of Lightning
• 1 Vow of Malice
• 1 Wrecking Ball

• 1 Akoum Refuge
• 1 Barren Moor
• 1 Bojuka Bog
• 1 Boros Garrison
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Evolving Wilds
• 1 Forgotten Cave
• 1 Molten Slagheap
• 8 Mountain
• 1 Orzhov Basilica
• 8 Plains
• 1 Rakdos Carnarium
• 1 Rupture Spire
• 1 Secluded Steppe
• 8 Swamp
• 1 Vivid Meadow
• 1 Zoetic Cavern


Plus: Removal, threats, and your general will cheat them in play. Generally, it will be you answering the board with removal, and hoping your guys don’t get answers. Also stranglehold, is ridiculous in the format. Tutors define EDH a lot, you get that down at the right time, no is doing anything except looking at the demons, dragon, and angels.




Minus: This deck has the least amount of card draw. You will likely run out of gas. It’s probably best with this deck to hang low and answer some stuff rather than the make a presence. Eventually you might get Kaalia to swing in, hopefully with anger in the yard or lightning greaves handy. Wrath and then play your massive fliers.




Goodness: 4

LOLfulness :9 (I lol’ed about this deck all week)

Cards I wish were in there: Some way to return creatures after a wrath, Animate dead, some indestruble angel, baneslayer.




COUNTER PUNCH!!!!




• 1 Ghave, Guru of Spores

• 1 Aquastrand Spider
• 1 Celestial Force
• 1 Chorus of the Conclave
• 1 Dark Hatchling
• 1 Deadly Recluse
• 1 Fertilid
• 1 Golgari Guildmage
• 1 Hornet Queen
• 1 Karador, Ghost Chieftain
• 1 Monk Realist
• 1 Nantuko Husk
• 1 Penumbra Spider
• 1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
• 1 Scavenging Ooze
• 1 Selesnya Evangel
• 1 Selesnya Guildmage
• 1 Shriekmaw
• 1 Sigil Captain
• 1 Spawnwrithe
• 1 Spike Feeder
• 1 Squallmonger
• 1 Symbiotic Wurm
• 1 Teneb, the Harvester
• 1 Vampire Nighthawk
• 1 Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter
• 1 Yavimaya Elder

• 1 Acorn Catapult
• 1 Afterlife
• 1 Alliance of Arms
• 1 Attrition
• 1 Aura Shards
• 1 Awakening Zone
• 1 Bestial Menace
• 1 Cobra Trap
• 1 Cultivate
• 1 Darksteel Ingot
• 1 Death Mutation
• 1 Doom Blade
• 1 Fists of Ironwood
• 1 Footbottom Feast
• 1 Golgari Signet
• 1 Harmonize
• 1 Hex
• 1 Hour of Reckoning
• 1 Lightning Greaves
• 1 Mortify
• 1 Necrogenesis
• 1 Nemesis Trap
• 1 Oblivion Ring
• 1 Orzhov Signet
• 1 Selesnya Signet
• 1 Skullclamp
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Soul Snare
• 1 Storm Herd
• 1 Syphon Flesh
• 1 Tribute to the Wild
• 1 Vow of Duty
• 1 Vow of Malice
• 1 Vow of Wildness

• 1 Barren Moor
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Evolving Wilds
• 10 Forest
• 1 Golgari Rot Farm
• 1 Orzhov Basilica
• 8 Plains
• 1 Rupture Spire
• 1 Secluded Steppe
• 1 Selesnya Sanctuary
• 8 Swamp
• 1 Temple of the False God
• 1 Tranquil Thicket
• 1 Vivid Grove
• 1 Vivid Marsh
• 1 Vivid Meadow

Strengths: you will annoy everyone with 1/1 dudes if you can make them last. If you get skullclamp expect to be enemy #1 on the table. Without a wrath on board you will dominate. Good removal and a decent amount ramp. Seems pretty good. Random note, soul snare= seal of condemn. The general is so-so but can have some good tricks.




Weakness: You will get wrathed a lot, all of those turns you waited to build your team could easily be foiled by a savage twister or some kind of wrath. Also, it plays acorn catapult?




Goodness: 6
Lolfulness: 8 (yeah this deck tickles me, I hope somewhere there is a pod of 4 of these. 10 hours of magic)




Cards I wish this had: Grave pact, Eldrazi monument, mobilization, Glare of subdual, and doubling season.




Political Puppets.




• 1 Zedruu the Greathearted

• 1 Arbiter of Knollridge
• 1 Azorius Guildmage
• 1 Brion Stoutarm
• 1 Chromeshell Crab
• 1 Court Hussar
• 1 Dominus of Fealty
• 1 False Prophet
• 1 Flametongue Kavu
• 1 Fog Bank
• 1 Goblin Cadets
• 1 Gomazoa
• 1 Guard Gomazoa
• 1 Izzet Chronarch
• 1 Jötun Grunt
• 1 Nin, the Pain Artist
• 1 Numot, the Devastator
• 1 Plumeveil
• 1 Rapacious One
• 1 Ruhan of the Fomori
• 1 Spurnmage Advocate
• 1 Vedalken Plotter
• 1 Wall of Denial
• 1 Wall of Omens
• 1 Windborn Muse

• 1 Armillary Sphere
• 1 Austere Command
• 1 Brainstorm
• 1 Breath of Darigaaz
• 1 Champion's Helm
• 1 Chaos Warp
• 1 Crescendo of War
• 1 Darksteel Ingot
• 1 Death by Dragons
• 1 Dreamstone Hedron
• 1 Fellwar Stone
• 1 Flusterstorm
• 1 Ghostly Prison
• 1 Howling Mine
• 1 Insurrection
• 1 Journey to Nowhere
• 1 Lash Out
• 1 Lightning Greaves
• 1 Martyr's Bond
• 1 Murmurs from Beyond
• 1 Oblation
• 1 Perilous Research
• 1 Pollen Lullaby
• 1 Prison Term
• 1 Propaganda
• 1 Prophetic Prism
• 1 Punishing Fire
• 1 Reins of Power
• 1 Repulse
• 1 Scattering Stroke
• 1 Skyscribing
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Soul Snare
• 1 Spell Crumple
• 1 Trade Secrets
• 1 Vision Skeins
• 1 Vow of Duty
• 1 Vow of Flight
• 1 Vow of Lightning
• 1 Whirlpool Whelm
• 1 Wild Ricochet

• 1 Azorius Chancery
• 1 Boros Garrison
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Evolving Wilds
• 12 Island
• 1 Izzet Boilerworks
• 8 Mountain
• 8 Plains
• 1 Terramorphic Expanse

Strengths: This deck seems good after reading through it. At first I thought it was weird idea but damn, it seems strong. You have to smart to manipulate this one. You have a lot of ways to stop an assault, and when they finally get through, I think the card advantage this deck have will be able to bounce, remove or exchange control with something. Has anyone read reigns of powers? Holy expletive that is not invented yet. Think about this in multiplayer, some guy is swinging his creatures into you walls. Not so fast, you switch your walls for a third player’s creatures; have them all kill each other and then bam! You get those walls back.



Weakness: WOTC what’s with the goblin cadets?? I mean love the card but in this deck, that’s a bit silly. Another possible weakness is twitter, after all political puppets have a hard time not exposing themselves sometimes.




Goodness: 9(good for goodness sake)
Lolfullness: 3(not my cup of tea)




Cards I wish it had: Jace,the mindscultor, treachery, bribery. Just going with the theme!
Fyi, love the political deck is red, white, and blue :).

Devour for power

• 1 The Mimeoplasm

• 1 Acidic Slime
• 1 Artisan of Kozilek
• 1 Avatar of Woe
• 1 Brawn
• 1 Butcher of Malakir
• 1 Damia, Sage of Stone
• 1 Dark Hatchling
• 1 Desecrator Hag
• 1 Dreamborn Muse
• 1 Eternal Witness
• 1 Extractor Demon
• 1 Fleshbag Marauder
• 1 Gravedigger
• 1 Lhurgoyf
• 1 Mortivore
• 1 Mulldrifter
• 1 Nezumi Graverobber
• 1 Patron of the Nezumi
• 1 Riddlekeeper
• 1 Scythe Specter
• 1 Sewer Nemesis
• 1 Skullbriar, the Walking Grave
• 1 Slipstream Eel
• 1 Solemn Simulacrum
• 1 Szadek, Lord of Secrets
• 1 Triskelavus
• 1 Troll Ascetic
• 1 Vorosh, the Hunter
• 1 Vulturous Zombie
• 1 Wonder
• 1 Wrexial, the Risen Deep
• 1 Yavimaya Elder

• 1 Buried Alive
• 1 Cultivate
• 1 Dimir Signet
• 1 Fact or Fiction
• 1 Golgari Signet
• 1 Grave Pact
• 1 Lightning Greaves
• 1 Living Death
• 1 Memory Erosion
• 1 Minds Aglow
• 1 Oblivion Stone
• 1 Relic Crush
• 1 Rise from the Grave
• 1 Shared Trauma
• 1 Sign in Blood
• 1 Simic Signet
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Spell Crumple
• 1 Stitch Together
• 1 Syphon Flesh
• 1 Syphon Mind
• 1 Tribute to the Wild
• 1 Unnerve
• 1 Vow of Flight
• 1 Vow of Malice
• 1 Vow of Wildness
• 1 Windfall

• 1 Barren Moor
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Dimir Aqueduct
• 1 Dreadship Reef
• 8 Forest
• 1 Golgari Rot Farm
• 8 Island
• 1 Jwar Isle Refuge
• 1 Lonely Sandbar
• 1 Rupture Spire
• 1 Simic Growth Chamber
• 1 Svogthos, the Restless Tomb
• 11 Swamp
• 1 Temple of the False God
• 1 Terramorphic Expanse
• 1 Tranquil Thicket



Strengths: got a lot good synergy, good card advantage. Best thing about reanimate strategy, you can recur your threats over and over again. Living death is some good, I heard. mimeoplasm seems good, but i think should be damia as the general for late game card advantage.

Weaknesses: not a lot removal for a black deck. Also look at counterpunch’s deck, lots of graveyard hate. So watch out for that deck. You might go for plan b, and mill your opponents out of the game. Overall I think this is a strong choice.

Goodness: 8(1 if everyone is playing counterpunch)
Lolness: 8




Fun to play and good overall. The 2 nice seal of approval!


A word on what deck to play. Play whatever seems fun to play, if winning is important to you play one of the blue decks, if not try the other ones out!!

Anyway good luck to anyone playing in the release, and may the best deck win!!!!!!!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Commander? I barely know her...

Hey kids! Right now with the release of commander coming out, and standard being about someone chick grabbing tools(which is what women are after these days!) , I felt I should do a special commander article. Jon Shannon, has been running down at third so take a look, at those tourneys.

You all might be familiar with my goblins commander list.




General:





Wort, Boggart Auntie


















The goblins

Goblin Lackey (<3)
Goblin recruiter(please unban in legacy)

Goblin Piledriver
Goblin Warchief
Goblin Ringleader
Kikki Jikki (<3)

Siege gang, Commander
Mad Auntie
Goblin King
Goblin Chieftain
Goblin Matron
Goblin Sledder
Ember Hauler
Ear wig squad
Mogg Catcher
Gemplam Incinerator
Warren Instigator
Goblin Vandal
Tuktuk Scrapper
Goblin Sharpshooter
Mogg War Marshall
Mogg Flunkies
Frog tosser banneret
Goblin Goon(what is a goon, to goblin?)
Boggart mob
Muderous red cap
Goblin Tinkerer
Goblin Busherwacker
Spike shot elder
Sparksmith
Goblin Ruinblaster
Sting scourger
Goblin Replica
chancellor of the forge
skirk prospetor
35





Spells


Dragon Fodder
Boggart Birth rite
Warren Weirding
Terminate
Hatred(<3, yes that is a love-hate relationship)
Twilight's call(Team Jacob!)
Patriarch's Bidding
Go for the throat!
Hex(I get a lot of it)
Nameless Inversion(ironic name)
Diabolic Edict
Bitumous blast
Demonic Tutor
animate dead
Shattering spree
dismember
lightning bolt
Magma Jet
Strangle Hold(holy crap that cards good in EDH, coming soon)
Phrexian Arena
Chandra
liliana
22


Cute stuff to wear!(LOL OMG)


Skull Clamp
Uzama's jitte
Basilisk Collar
3



Microsoft Accel

Sol Ring
Rados signet

Non basics

Blood Crypt
Ancient ziggarat
Rakdos Carnarium
Forgotten cave
Terramorphic Expanse/Evolving Wilds 2
Tainted peak
Badlands
Auntie's Hovel
command tower
Dragon Skull Summit
Lava Claw Reaches
Blackcleave cliffs
sulfurous springs
Bloodstaind mire


15

Mountains(13)
Swamps(9)

22

Anyway, the deck has been good, and needs some retooling. As far as what deck to buy in the new commander series. My favorite so far is Mirror Mastery. I would add the following changes after buying (although I am probably looking to add coiling oracle & spitting image).


Riku of Two Reflections











Animar, Soul of Elements

Intet, the Dreamer
Sakura Tribe elder
Fierce Empath
Edric, Spymaster of Trest

Conundrum Sphinx
Vesuvuan Shapshifter
Chartooth Cougar
Deadwood Treefolk
Elvish Aberration
Primeval Titan
Hydra Omnivore

Nucklavee
Valley Rannet
Viridian Shaman
Krosan Tusker
Simic Sky Swallower
Trench Gorger

Eternal Witness
Ulamog
Oracle of mul daya
Kozilek
Sol Ring
Armillary Sphere
Gruul Signet
Izzet Signet
Lightning Greaves
Simic Signet
Rampant Growth
search for tmrw
Brainstorm
Fire/Ice
wood elves
Force of will
Invigorate
Spell Crumple

Electrolyze
fact or fiction
Primal Command
hinder
Collective Voyage

Hull Breach
Cultivate
Kodama's Reach
Firespout
Explosive Vegetation
Chain Reaction
Green sun’s zenith
Vengeful Rebirth
Disaster Radius
Call the Skybreaker
Savage Twister
Ponder
Preordain
Command Tower

Evolving Wilds
Fungal Reaches
Gruul Turf
Homeward Path

Izzet Boilerworks
Stomping ground
Steam vents
Rupture Spire
Temple of the False God
Vivid Crag
Vivid Creek
Vivid Grove
volanic island
Taiga
Scalding tarn
Misty Rainforest
Island (6)
Mountain(7)
Forest (13)
Invoke the firemind
Draining Welk

Anyway just felt like posting deck lists, have any criticisms or just feel like getting your anger out online, let me know. Quick aside: those who are new to game, I definately recommend picking one of the decks up and then playing in one the edh tourneys, it would give you a playable deck in a casual environment. Also, plenty of complex board states come up.

See you at the draft, and if someone doesn’t keep me away from the commander release.

Until next time….

Thursday, June 9, 2011

When the game was real

Editor’s note(alright fine this is still Dave): Right now I am quite frustrated with WOTC and I know a lot of you are out there as well but I felt like I should still write about the current times in magic, and how one day we will all look back.

It was a cold dreary day in smoggy New York. The pollution nearly clouded the skies and the sun was a mere memory. However, this time period was not filled with sorrow for many, rather there was joy to be had. A young lad was meeting his Grandpa for lunch at a cheap Galilean Moon take out spot. The boy had just as his ancestor’s did many years ago learned the great skill of tapping cards and slinging spells, just like grandpa years ago.

“GRANDPA!” – The boy shrieked.

“Hey kids”-the old wrinkled man muttered. “How is my lil guy doing?”

“Good, good. Dad told me I could look through your old stuff. I can’t believe this one only has four abilities

Out came familiar picture of young hooded man, he was gazing right into the the old man's eyes. The memories of the past battles surfaced, each one more painful than the last.

“You remember this one gramps?”

“Aye, I do, he kicked my butt more times than the Scandinavians did back in WWIII. Still I long for those days.”

A puzzled look came across the young man’s face, “But why pops?”

The old man reached into his pocket and grabbed two cards and set in on the table. A jolly green giant and a small, silly goblin that let the other player draw cards were placed on the table.

“I used to face that man over and over again with these guys. A few times I got there, most of the time I fell short, real short. Although I think I won more then I let on. ”

“How do you miss him then?”

“It brings me back to the old days, life was hard back then, Americanada didn’t have the jobs it has now, my life was uncertain back then, in many ways I had the game as an outlet for the challenges I sought in my time. Reminds me of my youth, he reminds me of what stood in my way.”

“What was that?”

Money, control, and uniformity. In my twenties, a lot of those issues were brought up; I had to overcome them at some point. I remember Jace’s old buddy, she was a fair woman, who was anything but fair. Still I miss that pair ”

“You really thought about this in a card game when you were 24? Dad was right, you were a nerd”

“Son, we all have revisionist history about our lives. Looking at him now reminds me of all of those faces back then. You know old man Greene wasn’t always a Cyborg?”

“Strange, but if it was your enemy, than how can you miss it?”

“Ah life is about the journey, and rivalries were real to me back then. Your dad ever tell you about my love of football?”

“The game of light sabers and nun-chucks?”

“This was before they allowed lethal weapons. I remember my team constantly losing to this number 12 character, I forget his name now, but I still remember cheering every time we hit him and messing up his perfect hair.”

“You miss him too?”

“Of course I do, don’t you kids listen these days? Fantasies and dreams were real back then, Jace stood in my way, the New Zealand Patriots were the enemy, I hoped and prayed that I’d get there ahead of them. They made those things as special as the things I loved.”

“Well what happened?”

“I got old son, little by litte, it began phazing out. Sure I sat down and played on the side, but the rush wasn’t there, the imagination that I had couldn’t last. It came time that it wasn’t my time around anymore, I was the old guy, and the new crowd stepped and it was there game. Later, I got a good job, and other responsibilities I put ahead of magic. The fire died down, but my love of the game was still there. Life becomes real as time goes on, but you sure do miss the dreams. I’d play some more in the future but I was mostly happy to be there rather than be there to win.”

“What about this guy? He seems to lack something”

A red background and a green face jumped out. The eyes and grin that could bring even the most crotchety of old men to smile.

“I miss the days when nothing would misstep in front of him, still I miss him being summoned and all of those disconcerting faces when he crept foreword.” The old man reminisced.

“He was your favorite?”

“Aye, but in weird way all of magic was my favorite. One deck formats, greed, bad luck, mullagining down to four, and losing to a bomb rare. Sure they were problems with the game but you can’t help but laugh at all of those things now.”

“Any good stories?”

“Well mullagining down to four isn’t always bad…”

With some luck the poor kid was spared from the old man’s boring stories about some lil bear, dressing up in muppet gear, and how many people didn't know how the jolly green giant worked. The zero g chili arrived. Eating outweighed even the most important of life's lessons. The old man smiled, as he thought of all of those faces back in the universe that lived between 2nd and the 4th….

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Is reaching for your Zenith as good as it feels?

Is touching you Zenith as good as it feels?

Anyway the results from the last pro tour top 8 are in, and well we see a host of new cards and strategies both from besieged and from the evolution of the metagame. For those who need to look at the top 8 decklists here you go

Hmm let’s see if everyone is here….

Jace?!?!?

SSShhhh, we are brain storming here with a new secret agent. And it’s getting tough with all these caws!!

Goblin guide?

Why must I Shine my lantern everywhere!?!?

Stonforge mystic?

I am feasting and causing famine.

Primeval titan?

…..

Prime time titan?

…..



Where are you buddy?? Are you in the loo? Nope. On holiday? Well where is he….





















That’s right, nowhere to be found in the top 8. In fact only a few of the decks that had over 22 points were Valakut’s were in the top 8. Even a worse statistic is that it was by and large the most played deck. They problem very much lies in Stoneforge mystic and the decks inability to deal with control tapping out to play Jace or a threat, and then untapping. Although I will say that some changes could be made to the deck that will improve its new match ups. Also, if more people are packing heat for Jace and Stoneforge, Primeval will definitely make a comeback.

Hmm I guess I will make a decklist:

3 Avenger of Zendikar
3 Lotus Cobra
2 Oracle of Mul Daya
4 Primeval Titan(was thinking about cutting them)


3 Cultivate
3 Explore
4 Harrow
4 Khalni Heart Expedition
3 Lightning Bolt
4 Green Sun's Zenith


3 Evolving Wilds
5 Forest
2 Misty Rainforest
11 Mountain
1 Raging Ravine
2 Terramorphic Expanse
4 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle

Sb:
4x pyroclasm
3x summoning trap
3x nature’s claim
2x gaea’s revenge
3x acidic slime

I guess will go over some of my card choices.

The return of lightning bolt




















Lightning bolt seems to be a very good card right now in current metagame. The spell can kill Jace(sometimes!), Stonforge mystic, Lotus cobra and various other annoying pests.

Green’s Sun Zenith





















Believe it or not there is actual debate between Trap and the Zenith. Zenith always gets you what you want, when you want, and can be played at different costs. The dissent does have a point, Trap provides a foil for the blue decks in countering everything, and also comes at instance speed. End of turn titan, can just blow people out when they least expect it. Too bad you can't grab goodies like revoker or inferno titan, cause otherwise the zenith would be the best card ever.


The rest is pretty self explanatory, but if you must ask just comment.

Join me next time, when I may or may not give a tournament report of this weeks Standard FNM.

PS, if you like the new Design let me know.

Props:

All of those who liked my last post

Slops:

All of those who hated my last post

Until next time...

Friday, February 11, 2011

What's more magical than love?

Hey kids! Sorry it’s been a long time since I updated. A lot things have gone on in my life(dude that’s your excuse for everything) but with Valentine’s day I couldn’t resist doing a special blog. I, like many magic players are not currently seeing anyone in particular. Usually that means we bring out more hate than dredge game two, but eh I figured I would have a more fun blog this time around. Still love and nerdiness can exist together as one. I could write about Valakut and strategy surrounding that deck(ok you have two green sources and 4 mountains, play prime titan and then swing next turn). But that wouldn’t be too exciting. I could also write about besieged in limited, my advice is that you always pick Mortapod, except if Butterfree (http://sales.starcitygames.com/carddisplay.php?product=232124) is in your pack.

Anyway I wrote terrible love songs and poetry, and as this is the holiday of love, I feel even less lame doing this. In this first song I wrote, this about a meeting between two enemies, who despite their loyalties to their faction, they can’t quite resist the urge to fall in love. If anyone wants me to sing the tune, well come find me, but try and imagine the tune. Trust me it’s as a poppy as a gnome in Greece.























Faction infatuation
By Leonin Skyhunter.

Defending the plane as one of the strongest cats,
Then I saw her, she came straight from the vat.
I knew at that moment that things wouldn’t be the same,
How could I love someone who is destroying my plane?
She’s a messed up elf,
With no idea of self,
But still I love above her everyone elseeee……

Cause…
I’ve got Faction Infatuation,
In the heart of Mirrodin’s Devastation.
I may be a Mirran, but faction loyalty ain’t interfering,
I am in love, despite my plane disappearing,
I’ve got Faction Infatuation,
In the heart of Mirrodin’s Devastation.
I may be double white,
But that don’t mean, I have to fight,
Just love call it love at first siiiight.

While I bring metal craft,
She’ll infect me with a laugh,
This is all so great
Even with all of the proliferate.
She’s the girl I’ll date,
Even though I think and sigh,
Never gonna activate battle cry.
Why I do this we can never know why.

But I have….
Faction Infatuation,
In the heart of Mirrodin’s Devastation,
I brought my equip,
To show this love is legit.
I’ve got Faction Infatuation,
In the heart of Mirrodin’s Devastation,
I have a minus one,
And this feeling’s just begun,
Don’t know why but this love is as clear as five suns....


I think about her every now and again,
I go to hug her, realize my counter nearly at ten.
How could I be such fool?
Right in the middle of this duel,
Don’t why but I should have just fought,
Love was all that sought……

Still…..
I’ve got Faction Infatuation,
In the heart of Mirrodin’s Devastation,
This plane may be besieged,
But I have been deceived.
I have a conscious that’s corrupted,
Man that card is busted.
Still with all this information,
I can’t get rid of my Faction Infatuation
























Amount of people reading this blog before that song…10, amount afterwards….0. My parents must be so proud.
Well that was fun, either way speaking of gnomes in Greece. I know this is a magic blog, but heck D&D has love that goes with it too.

My Eldari.


By Eldrige 'Poppycock' Farragi

When first met the others took is as something small,

But at the end of the day our hearts grew bigger than them all.

For you write songs and I shoot spells,

How much our love will grow, only time will tell.

For the road ahead may be dark and steep,

Don’t worry we will get Gwain, that filthy creep.

I write this not because I am a silly gnome,

For with you Eldari, I could never feel alone.

I may change shirts, I may change shoes,

But trust me my heart will never change from you.

Kalareth may laugh, and Rothar may sneer,

That won’t matter to much to me my dear.

For they may heal and protect me so that I may live,
With you however, there is just so much you can give.

From the burrows from with I crept,

After I saw you, I was glad that I left,

Even after all of the fighting and all of the death

You’re the only one can take my breath




















Why am I writing this blog? Well the truth is it has to with the “a lot going on in my life.” Last two month’s I had two people I know pass away from heart related conditions. And well ultimately, I felt I needed a pick me up from a lot time feeling down. Either way, Valentine’s Day is a celebration of the heart. Hearts mistakenly are given the role of making us love; truth is they are around to have people to love. I hope these words aren’t taken me making light of any death, just really trying to show human spirit even with everything, and just remind people out there that, whether you with someone or not, if your reading this far through the blog you probably mean something to somebody.


Props:


Prime Titan





















Craigslist(for exposing the truth lol)



Readers of this blog




Slops:




People who make bad calls



People with 30 card sideboards



Carnifax Demon(we used to be boys)