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.

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...

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!!!!!!!

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….

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….

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...

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)

The 2nice 2010’s awards!!!!

The 2nice 2010’s awards!!!!

Alright lame but heck I had to do a recap of the year or just the more memorable moments. Pretty much everyother tv show, social media, and whatever does this. So keeping up with originality, I should stick with the crowd. Not really going to be rewards, just what's memorable about magic for me and well everyone else.

Card of the year?

Sheesh this is a tough one, there really is two top candidates. One was the most dominating card in all of standard for the first half of the year, until it rotated(or cascaded) out. The other is a major powerhouse in standard, and sees play in every format up to vintage. Unfortunately for bloodbraid’s sake, I am going to have to take:

















Too Nice: so what’s it like winning card of the year?
Jace: Shhh I am brainstorming
Too Nice: well the dci are currently investigating you for warping type two, what do you say to that?
Jace: Listen, no one seals my fate, before I get to fate seal them!! Also judging by what’s coming in this blog I suggest to the readers to stop now, it just goes downhill from here.
Too nice: Well there you have it Jace, the mind sculptor, proving all you need in life is money!

Cards of the year 2010:
1. Jace, the mind sculptor
2. Bloodbraid elf(released in 2009, but had a great run in 2010)
3. Survival of the fittest(had a really good run in 2010, legacy card of the year)
4. Vengevine
5. Primeval titan
6. Fauna shaman
7. Goblin guide
8. Baneslayer angel
9. Lightning bolt
10. Raging ravine

Biggest trend of 2010: The growth of independent tournament series.

Around three years ago, no one had any of these tournaments to go out and win money, amateur would either have to go to a PTQ , win, then win big at the professional level or do well at Grand Prix. The starcity open series, tcgplayer opens, and others are great ways for amateurs to win some money. Also the focus, is slightly taken away from pro-players and more on the open circuit.

Honorable mention:

The birth of commander as format. EDH and commander were always everyone’s favorite casual format, but wizards my think about sanctioning and making it official. Obviously it wouldn’t be for rating, just bragging rights.

Other honorable mention:

Huge trend in the call for banning cards. I mean it’s always been there but now it’s more prolific than ever. Wizards has already banned mystical tutor, to some surprise, but who knows how legacy will look tomorrow.


Most Memorable tournament(for me):























October vestal legacy event

It had a solid 16 finish, a therapy that wasn’t, plus it rehashed the bravado that we should all expect for me. It was at a time were you know, I needed a lift, and I got it. If you want more coverage check out my blog from that event, and check out blue waffles.

Honorable mention:

Friday Night Magic - 2010-09-10

I beat spencer in a tight match, with my Chandra killing his Baneslayer, and it was the first time I ever played against Jeff in a close match, that I ended up losing. This is also important as it was the last time I ever played RDW while shards block was legal in type two.

Hopes for 2011(magic wise)

1. Bigger prize pool at third
2. No cards get banned in 2011 or 2010 in any of the formats.(ie no cards get printed that are nuts and what’s legal in legacy and standard stay legal)
3. Good red cards(hopefully goblns) get printing, a good two drop, like hellspark elemental
4. Someone from 3rd Universe playing on the pro tour.
5. The jets winning the superbowl(if that’s no magical, I don’t know what its).
6. Titans return in 2012.
7. People stop being lurkers on this blog
8. My attempt to try and be a DM doesnt fail


Props of 2010:
Bryan Deyo, for making 3rd sanctioned for gaming.

Bobby Greene, for making an awesome cube














Mark Jacobs, for having an awesome D&D game

The people at 3rd universe for playing the game each and every week.

















Slops:

People who make bad calls

Tom Brady

Lurkers who read someone hard work and refuse to post any comments!!

People who post gross stuff on their blogs


Most memorable quote 2010:


"Do you think i'm pretty without any make up?"


Until next year...

Life Lessons

I received the recent criticism of only writing for people only involved in competitive magic, and cutting the laymen a tad short, well for this articleI should write, for well the game in general. A long time ago, Tom Rose asked me to write an essay about life lessons from Magic. This was years ago, and knowing his memory, he might not remember, but I still feel somewhat obliged. Besides I am in a very introspective mood. Well I guess that brings me to lesson one:

1. Be confident in what you do, but never arrogant. Humility is important, confusing but important (lol esoteric rules joke). Put yourself in the right framework.

Honestly I would probably just say I am competent at the game, someone like Dan Jordan is good at the game, Gerry Thompson is great at the game, and the Finkels, LSVs, Nassifs, and Buddes are truly awesome. Everything really needs a framework for improvement. Many people I see get real confident and well basically assume there unstoppable, as soon as you do that, well you headed right into a wall. Be truthful about yourself, sure you smart and good, but look for areas of improvement.
I dated a girl back at Marist, and she said was probably more moral than 99.9% of human beings. That promptly end our relationship (not on the spot, more like wow that’s stupid), cause it’s just impossible. Sure you can be good, but how many tough ethical decisions do you make a day? Probably none. Same goes to magic, sometimes you play like a pro, but we all slip and well noob it up.

That said…

2. Just cause you aren’t the best, even good at something try it out, it could be lame, people might make fun of you, but hey f_K em.

A while back I got into writing lame poetry, at first it was to impress someone (I am looking at you Panos), but after awhile I found it aesthetically pleasing. I also started this blog to blog about gay erotica and then it turned into a magic blog. Both have been well mediocre to terrible, but hey irritating people is fun too. Sure you might lose a lot in magic, but hey really the journey is the most important bit. If you’re not good at draft, try type two, not good at that, try edh, not good at all of those, well play anyway if it’s fun to try and improve, besides I really need my rating to increase. I think Babe Ruth said it best:

“I spent my money on women, cars and booze, the rest I squandered”

Oops wrong Ruth quote,

“The fear the striking out should never stop you from hitting a home run”

Sorry about the technical difficulties, my point is hit at the hot girl at the end of the bar, apply to that job that’s a reach, and try a new hobby, cause at the end of the day they could all lead to good things or not. But heck we all know what happens when you do nothing.

“Gee, its lonesome in the outfield. It's hard to keep awake with nothing to do”

-Babe Ruth


3. Be pleasant, be a good sport, try and obey the rules, but never forget the most important rule of standing up for yourself and keeping your honor intact. If you don’t have honor, you don’t have much.

I pretty much always shake hands after matches, a long time ago I beat a player, and he refused to shake hands with me after the match because A. I suck B. He was mana screwed. At the end of the day, well we all know who looked real bad at life rather than magic. A lot of people also say you should only shake after a tight match or a big match. Why not every match? Sportsmanship is important and shaking confirms the legitimacy of the result.

That’s not to say shake EVERY match, as if someone’s a jerk, is cheating, or hates life. One PTQ that I went to in NYC a few months ago, I beat my opponent but never opted to shake, why? the whole time he complained about my deck choice, and how lucky I was. He also insisted on having me shuffle his deck after every fetchland rather than me cut it, almost called a judge on it. Those may be true but, really try and enjoy yourself.

At college, I had similar situation. There was a guy I know through friends who well, is pretty much not a nice guy. I will call him Chuck. Last week in school senoir year, he got into an altercation with someone, spat on them and kicked them in the face. When I scolded him for doing this he tried he threatened me, and spat at me. Five minutes after things were calmed down, Chuck tried to offer a handshake and make it all better. I didn’t take it because well, I deserve better than that. To this day it has alienated someone of my college friends, but at the end of the day you can’t forgive people for everything.

I never really regreted that, for many reasons, one he was a dick outside of that situation, and well two, if people think I should be treated like that, oh well. Afterward I learned to stick up for myself, and fight for me, people aren’t always going to be good to you. However, still treat people with respect and sportsmanship.

4. Live with your decisions

Many magic players learn this the hard way, that taking things back, are actually against the rules. A slight aside, the slogan “no regrets” is actually the stupidest thing anyone has ever said. Probably up there with “hey let’s do heroine.” Life is one big lesson for the next life(as in the next generation). You should have regrets about things you have done, that is not to say be depressed constantly about times you messed up. Heck at times all of us are whores, liars, and not good people. We are all stupid financially, and with playing magic. However, there is a lesson at the end of the day.

“hey man I don’t even care about the past, it’s all about the future, no regrets”

The past is really all we have to learn from. The emotion of regret is according to Webster “to feel sorry and sad about something previously done or said that now appears wrong, mistaken, or hurtful to others” the point is to move on from that feeling to feeling of confidence, but you need that cycle. Sure you may have stolen from the candy store, sure you may have dated the wrong girl just for ass, sure you may have spent too much money, the point is to live with those decisions and not run away from them(all of those are real memories). Cause in fact Magic, just like life has no take backs.

5. Love what you do; who you’re with, the point in life is to enjoy it.

At the end of the day, all we know about this world is well that there is this world. Technology hasn’t proved any other planet with life, although we might suspect extraterrestrial life. Gods, spirits, and angels only appear in what we can so far tell are works of fiction. The only thing you know about this worlds, is well you, what’s there in front of you, and how you feel about all of it. Altough, many would even dispute that claim. Eitherway there is this illusion or reality that comes before us known as life. Magic is the funnest game out there, but many people get upset over it at times. My advice, find the right play group, format, and store to try and maximize the excitement of the game. It isn’t fun, do something else, which may sound anti-magic but heck it’s the truth. The game isn’t for everybody. The reason why we play, is because we love it, not any other reason.

In life you got to do the same thing. Don’t like your girlfriend? Dump her. Don’t like the school you go to? Go to another. Don’t like your job? Grab the Pennysaver. Magic shows that if you take the right approach to things you can be successful, if you can’t find sucess try something else.

Anyway those are the lessons Magic can show you, I hope you liked them. As a good exercise, if you’d like, write what gaming has shown you. If you didn’t like a lesson I put, write why, and then flame me constantly with criticism.

Until next time…

Should they join Kor Firewalker?

Hey kids! Congrats to Jeff Thomas on winning the last FNM! I think he is still busy making soldier tokens down at 3rd right now. Unfortunately I have decided that a much more interesting discussion would be on the proposal to ban both Jace the mind sculptor in Standard and Survival of the Fittest in legacy. Right now those two cards are inarguably dominating the format and definitely presenting a huge change in the way people build decks. You either beat them(sometimes!) or join them. Anyway let’s talk about the history of banning cards…

Wizards of the Coast official position on banning cards is well, you shouldn’t ban cards, only in dire circumstances. In the past five years, in standard they have let the cards play out unitil rotation…leading to well a player base filled with whiners(not the kind in california or france). The past two standard formats were dominated by Bitterblossum and bloodbraid elf, which in the end weren’t banned, and well dominated until their respective rotations. The last cards to be banned where the well affinity bannings in 2005 which banned all of the artifact lands, disciple of the vault, and arcbound ravager, which led to well the format being dominated by tooth and nail where some people argued for that to be banned as well.

Affinity was one of the most degenerative decks of all time, probably next to academy as the best type two deck of all time. The format forced people to main deck artifact hate, which was almost insane given how bad artifact hate was against the rest of the decks in the meta. Affinity had turn 3-4 kills, was quite resilient to hate, and could win out of nowhere. And that’s even without skullclamp which was banned the previous fall for well being one the best cards of all time.

I guess it all kinda arbitrary, but I suppose it needs to reach the affinity line in terms of power, performance, and well reiliancy. Altough one could quickly argue that all of those strategies and Jace are just as dominiate, I would tell them that having the rest of the field would have 8-12 dead cards against non-affinity opponents. Affinity also gave the opponent very little time to react, and made things very non-interactive(not a Webster word). Either way, point conceded that its very arbitrary the line to ban cards.

Now, that brings us to legacy, legacy being an eternal format which well I guess the “wait till rotation” route doesn’t work out. The last card to be banned was mystical tutor, a key card in both reanimator and Storm decks. Mystical was thought to keep getting more and more powerful, decks were simply made to find there instant or sorcery, play it and win the game.

Alright I guess I will just make a chart based off of past criteria and well my pretend expert opinion:

Suspect #1:

Jace the Minscupltor

Format dominating?

Totally guilty of that, in the last stars city open it was 50% of the top 16. Once played the card needs to be immediately dealt with.

Create a non-intereactive style of play?

Well not really, the thing about jace is that it gets better with player skill, it bounces creatures, finds answers, and controls the opponents draw step. In fact, the card is all about intereaction.

Quick end to games? A combo engine?

Not really, it will certainly put the opponent ahead but it’s not an engine. It finds answers.

Finds a home in a variety of decks?

Yes, it’s not just putting one strategy ahead, there are many kinds of jace decks. Right now we have RUG cobra, UB control, and UR destructive force. Which is a definite argument for it stay giving that it allow multiple types of strategy.

Unstoppable?

Well not really, the valakut ramp decks apparently have good game against the blue decks, and another plan is just win before turn one with vampires, goblins, or elves. Pyromancer’s ascension deck is also a good choice against the Jace decks too. Yes it’s a card advantage, and will take the game over if unanswered but it’s not unstoppable.

You can kill planeswalkers with burn, attacking it, or playing another Jace. Who needs Maelstrom pulse and oblivion ring? Well everyone, but they are not the only the cards.

Verdict:

You probably shouldn’t ban it, there will always be the ‘best’ card in standard. Its powerful, it does win games, but at the end of the day it promotes interaction and smart play. Sure its one of the best blue cards since well I guess brainstorm that doesn't mean its ban worthy.

Suspect #2

Survival of the fittest.

Format dominating?

Yes it certainly is the most popular strategy. However, it doesn’t show up as much as Jace does, however it is a bigger format.

Create a non-interactive style of play?

Yes, it certaintly does. Games in which survival “goes off” are incredibly non-interactive, the other player has to have the answer within a turn or lose.

Quick end to games? A combo engine?

Oh yeah, that’s what it is, an engine with vengevines or necrotic ooze.

Unstoppable?

Well no, but it’s quite resilient. There are a lot of good cards against survivial. But they have plenty of search and discard and counters to play around the hate. Also many have alternate wins with being a ug madness deck or a gw agro. So while you have all those anti-survival cards you have to deal with mongrel or goyf coming in at you.

Will it continue to dominate?

Well I will put it this way if they ban both vengevine and necrotic ooze, survival would still be quite playable as a draw engine, in fact there will probably be cards in the future that will break it.

Verdict:

At the end of the day, I am against survival being banned; however, it seems that has much more criteria to be banned than Jace does. One it’s a combo engine and two there is no rotation
While I say that it’s more bannable than Jace, I still am against banning it. In fact, I am against banning mystical tutor as well. There has to be points were we accept the power level of some cards. Survival is definitely equal to mystical’s power level so I won’t be surprised to see it get the ax.

Props:
Mark Sanchez the best QB in the NFL, yeah I said it

Slops:
The guy in my comments who I remember in the 7th round for taking out a baby and skinning it in front of everyone. Now whose the lying cheater!! =P
You guys for not mentioning anything about blue waffles

Anyway until next time….

Goblins, the road to recovery, blue waffles,the therapy that wasn't, and why I play

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don't be a square, cube

So there I was, down to five, lil bear at 3 with an an army of dudes, one being my own Simic Sky swallower(that he bribed), a tide sculler holding onto my malstrom pulse, and an army of black fairy and white sprit tokens ready to chew on my face. On my side an Obelisk of Alara(with a faith feathers on it lol), cameleon collosus, mana vault, and sylan library. My hand was two lands, a nekrataal, and something I can't quite remember. I peer with my sylvan libray and my three cards are Shriekmaw, mana leak and Contract from below. I have ten cards in my library, and I know my way out. I draw two off my library, because of sylvan libray. I have 8 cards in my library. I cast contract from below ante-ing a mana leak(that I intentionally put back). I draw my library. Grab the viridian shaman i was looking for, blow up his tide sculler, grab my pulse, pulse the feathers, and then obelisk of alara dealing three damage thanks to the rupture spire....

I was dead set on writing about Magic 2011 limited. However, the only thoughts I have right now are on cube. For those that do not know, Cube is a limited format, where a player with a large collection, in our local case Bobby "lol Foils" Greene, builds a limited format, containing some of the best cards in the game. Cube has a lot of nuances. This article will be mainly a strategy and general ideas on how one should approach the cube. For those seeking more information than my lame opinion try http://www.cubedrafting.com/. For those who have never played in a cube, ask grandpa about it, and if its cool with grandpa welcome aboard,just don't pull a "Garrett." Anyway, without futher ado, here are some thoughts on the cube:

1. Card advantage is key.

When ever I draft cube I see fact or fiction and Sylvan Library get passed around the table faster than a joint at a strait edge convention. I just pick that stuff up and start giggling.("did dave rice pull a mike phelps and ruin his nice guy image?") Guys, even if the cards you drafted are worse, they should outnumber and thus probably overpower their cards if you have drawn more than them. A player who sees 21/40 cards should beat the guy who sees 14/40 cards. Tempo, should also be mentioned, but only to a small degree. I will put it this way, the decks that win everyweek wins off of card advantage, however please take sol ring and black lotus early and often. Altough if you think about it, sol ring is better than lotus in card advantage, it will be there for you everyturn.

2. Build a deck with powerful cards with some synergy, not a deck with weak cards and tons of synergy, it will not pan out as well.

Cube is not about building constructed deck out of cards you drafted, its about building a broken limited deck. A lot of people I see(myself included) go after the cool one too punches. That said, when you pick a survival of the fittest(a good to great card by itself) and find squee take it. It makes one of your best cards, your best card. However, many people get stuck with their darksteel collusuck or their squee, goblin nanothing, sitting in their hand and mocking them with their uselessness.

3. There's really only three good archtypes in cube.

Mid-range blue with green sometimes white for bant and azorious stuff, or red for blood braid, some gruul stull but mostly izzet stuff. This deck has efficent creatures, some card avantage, and counters to stop the other blue decks with awesome cards and aggroo decks with reach. They like cheap card advantage, big creatures, and exceleration.(key cards Noble Hierarch, Lotus coatl, Sylvan library, and broken blue spells). Then the more control version of blue with white or black or black/red for removal and card advantage with contract(draw 7's), wrath effects, and discard. Jace the mind scupltor and planeswalkers shine in this deck, not that they dont in others, but they shine even more here. Esstentially one is creature based with blue spells to break the game open, and the other is instant and socery based, with creatures to finish the job. It's about ration and the other colors you use in blue, I suppose. The last is the underdrafted agroo achetypes, hopefully has green for some card avatange with survival or sylvan library, or has black/red for discard, bob, and hopefully contract from below. I keep saying contract from below because its the best card ever. Red I hate to say it has a lot to catch up with the other colors in this, and is mostly in support with burn for removal and only really has wheel of fortune as the busted card. Altough reach and removal is something that is good to pick up. Keep in that mind

So in summary there's:
A. The midrange to more aggressive blue deck
B. The more controling blue deck
C. the undrafted aggroo deck

The overall problem is that blue is the most drafted color. Everyone is either playing it as the main, or as the splash color. I love watching cryptic command shuffle around the table as everyone knows they can't possible play it. Blue's downfall in the cube is the color, being the known as best color.

4. Look for a shard, guild or color combo that shows up.

When looking at the draft, there are plenty of discounts to be found for the smart shopper. The cube is filled full of clunky mana costs, that perfectly to fit your bant, UBR, or some other deck. I was in bant last wednesday, I had to decide between baneslayer angel or bant charm. Bant charm was the perfect card, it counters a broken spell, it takes care of a good creature, and destroys an obnoxious equipment. However, I took baneslayer, why?? Someone, is going to be in white out of five people. The charm is really only for my deck. Sure enough 15th pick bant charm came my way. This isnt to say don't pick the best card, but also think about what other players are taking and what is likely to be taken because you could end up with two good cards rather than one.

Also think about fixing, grabing a land 4th or 5th pick solidifying a splash can be a very solid choice. Don't get caught running 3 or 4 colors and no fixing.

5. Have fun.(oh dave and his folksy lessons on life)

At the end of the day, magic is about making mistakes and learning from them. In fact, you can probably see a whole bunch of them right on this page. Still, go out and hack with stacks.

until next time....

Ain’t nothing by G(nome) thang

Ain’t nothing by G(nome) thang
By David Rice

Hear that sound, man you in trouble,
Rolling that dice, he’s about to get double.
Seeing that Gnome roll around seawell,
You know he shot Chenron, straight to hell.

Cause…
HE’S POPPY!
He’s Poppycock.
HE’s COCKY!
You bout to get shocked!
HE’S POPPY!
He’s Poppycock.
He’s stocky!
He’ll show what he’s got!

He’s changes shirts to green, blue, or red,
Watch out demon’s you about to get dead.
He’s got fireball, lightning grasp, and magic missle,
Watch him clean up bad guys as quick as a whistle.

Cause….
HE’S POPPY!
He’s Poppycock.
He’s Sloppy!
You about to get Dropped!
HE’S POPPY!
He’s Poppycock!
He’s naughty!
Painting the town colors in lots of spots!

Now his on a boat, catching some waves,
Going to save some lizards in a cave.
Relying on homeboys Rothar, Gwayne, and Kalareth,
They will win, now that’s a safe bet.

Cause…
HE’S POPPY!
He’s Poppycock.
HE’s COCKY!
You bout to get shocked!
HE’S POPPY!
He’s Poppycock.
HE’S POPPY!
Getting hit dad’s respect is what he saught!

New fnm format????

Well, I have decided to add my two cents into what the new tournament format at 3rd should be. There has been a lot of discussion about how we should organize the prize pool. Hmm, I guess I should go through the history of Friday Night Magic at 3rd universe.

In the beginning, we had four rounds and whoever was on top after the four rounds, was the winner. Usually that meant whoever, had 12 points or 4-0 was declared champion. The people in the 3-1 bracket usually were in the top four places of the tournament. We went that route for many reasons. One, it was easy, go undefeated and win. Two, it was a small shop, no need to get complex. Three, the prizes were not big enough to fight over. And four, well the tournament organizers didn’t know how program playoffs into the system.

Then bigger tournaments happened at third universe. Occasionally there would be two people who were undefeated. The biggest debate was when Robert “Civil war vet” Greene and Dylan Demartino, both sitting at 4-0, one got a box, and one got three packs o_0. Tie breakers determined the winner, and with a big prize, the difference is huge. Playoffs were immediately entered into the discussion about how to resolve this matter to ban tie breakers. The next prerelease came and went. This time playoffs were added, with a cut to the top 4. In the fourth round, Jesse “Cruel Ultimatum” Adams and Garrett, intentionally drew thus giving each 10 points(3-0-1), which after much debate is more than 9 points(3-1). Intentional draws are when too players decide to draw the match(before play has started) so each get one point in the total standings, rather than one getting three points and the other zero. Thus both benefit rather than one benefiting and one losing out. Intentional Draws have been in competitive magic since the beginning of the pro-tour. Believe it or not they were very controversial, as they are inherently anti-competitive as you are “supposed” to try and win each game. (http://www.starcitygames.com/magic/misc/853_The_Most_Broken_Tournament_Mechanic_Ever.html).In fact, similar strategies like “taking a knee”( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarterback_kneel) were at one time controversial, are now like intentional draws accepted by the public. Many seeing an intentional draw for the first time were not happy with this move, although I am perfectly fine with the practice

In the weeks that followed, we had a cut to top 8, which had mixed reviews. I remember one tournament were I was 1-3 and then playing in the top 8, which was almost embarrassing. I really didn’t have any reason to be there. Playoffs in any competitive environment are supposed to mean something; you achieved the right to be there. 1-3 is achieving something? Not really, that’s a bad performance. I shouldn’t be allowed to try and win the tournament with that record.

Anyway we see that we need to have the following, a system that promotes competition (where you try and win every game), a system where people do not lose on tie breakers, and one that is based off of achievement. The best one I can think of is one based off of record rather than standings:
4 wins gets the best prize, maybe two packs and a good foil and a so-so foil. 3 wins gets a pack and a so-so foil. (depending on attendance, Bryan’s generosity, and meaning of the event.)

And that’s the new format I propose. For one thing, there would no longer be anyone who comes in first. So there will be no champion. However, you will get what you achieved, it isn’t based on crazy math, and it’s based on wins. It’s also pretty simple, everyone gets it. If anyone thinks of a better idea please post below.

There is an old cliché in sports “you are your record.”

Until next time…