GP Lille has come and gone. What did it show us? There were a lot of Delver decks on coverage, especially grixis delver. Surprisingly it was the more "traditional" 4 colour / Castelvania Delver decks that made the top 8 rather than the newer Angler versions of the deck. The big take away for me is that Dig Through Time is excellent. I already knew that but after watching a bunch of games play out and playing with Dig Through Time more on MODO I am even more convinced of its power. I will be jamming as many decks with Dig Through Time over the coming months. Dig Through Time feels almost as good as treasure cruise and that is likely not a good sign for the card or the health of legacy...
The two decks (other than the 4c Delver) that interested me the most were the following:
http://www.mtgtop8.com/event?e=10022&d=257797&f=LE
I have Infect built online and I have played it to a few good finishes, including my first daily event 4-0. This update is similar to one that Tom Ross has talked about several times. I have always been a little leery of the white splash in the past, as I am not sold on whether it is needed or not. In such a large and diverse field having access to the powerful white sideboard cards seems to have paid off in this case.
http://www.mtgtop8.com/event?e=10022&d=257800&f=LE
Saito's Grixis Delver is the other deck that interested me. While Saito did not top 8 he did go 9-0 on day 1 with his take on Grixis. The main thing of note is the Dig Through Time's replacing what used to be Treasure Cruise.
I have played the deck in 1 daily event so far and went 3-1. I lost to MUD through a game where he was on the play and went turn 1 COTV. Then I lost another game because I misclicked on my brainstorm and put the cards back in the wrong order which meant I didn't have a blue card for his Trinisphere...and I never drew a 3rd land. The main deck looks pretty perfect to me but I think there is some work in the sideboard. I would like to shoehorn in a Rakdos Charm since it gives another artifact hate card as well as a graveyard hate card which is something the deck currently has 0 of.
Oh yeah and before I forget, I have finally bought my power 9, set of Mishra's Workshops and Bazaar of Baghdad's online. So I should be able to start jamming some vintage in the near future.
Cheers,
Simon
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
MTG Origins Legacy & Modern Set Review
It's that time again for my Legacy and Modern Review of the newest set MTG Origins!
Despite being a "Core Set" with several reprints and only a handful of new cards, there are some pretty spicy cards in this set. My prediction is that MTG Origins has the largest impact of any core set on Standard and Modern. In addition, the card prices from this set could be very interesting to watch. We will have to wait and see how popular the draft format is but traditionally core set chase cards have gone for some serious money (see Baneslayer Angel, etc.). This time around I think we have more sleepers compared to chase rares like Baneslayer Angel but sometimes it is the slow and steady gainers that you want to keep track of.
White
Hallowed Moonlight - More ways to disrupt Reanimator and Elves are always appreciated but costing 2 mana in legacy is a tall order (especially when we could just play containment priest). For modern we probably don't have enough targets to make this worthwhile but it is worth mentioning that it has some interesting interactions with Kikki-Jikki and Splinter Twin. Buying you 1 turn though is likely not enough.
Vryn Wingmare - Thalia is the best of these effects but Vryn can also trade with a Delver of Secrets which is a nice bonus. More 1 butt's in Death and Taxes seems like it could be asking for trouble though. When Death and Taxes first came around as a deck some people were really high on Glowrider and Vryn is a big upgrade from that.
Starfield of Nyx - Enchantress has been aching for some new cards for the past several blocks. Enchantress lovers thought that their time had come when Theros block was announced but they were left wanting. Starfield of Nyx adds a win condition and a slow Replenish effect to the deck, all while being an enchantment while you are "going off." Also this card will likely look awesome in foil because of the art and colouring.
Blue
Harbinger of the Tides - Holy Tempo batman. This guy is pretty sweet, as a quasi time walk you can put your opponent quite far behind all while laying out your army of little fish. The added bonus of using him later as a Venser creature bounce is also a nice option. This guy is going to make racing merfolk quite difficult for fair decks. The downside is that if your opponent is not sure whether they should attack, then not is often the answer now because of the creature being tapped clause.
Jhessian Thief - Is it too much to ask for Ophidian to be playable again? This is likely the best Ophidian that we have seen in a while with the exception of Ohran Viper who I still think is an excellent creature and wildly underplayed. This little thief will probably see 0 play but that doesn't mean that I wont try and play it in some format...Maybe Pauper or Vintage?
Mizzium Meddler - This guy could see some play in modern, he survives lightning bolt and can mess with your opponents Splinter Twin, etc.
Black
Dark Petition - An obviously powerful Tutor + Dark Ritual. In legacy 5 mana is a huge wall to overcome. If people start playing this, then I think I will be dazing and spell piercing a lot of these. For Modern, there aren't any black rituals so I am not sure how good this card is. Also worth mentioning is that flipping this to an Ad Nauseam will hurt a lot.
Gnarlroot Trapper - This guy is like a reverse elves of the Deep Shadow that has an extra ability! Unfortunately, his mana ability only casts elves which means he is probably a no-go in legacy due to having to cast Natural Order and Glimpse of Nature but for modern this guy is sweet. This guy lets elves play defense as well, which is something that elves have often struggled with in the past.
Green
Animist's Awakening - I have no doubt that Travis Woo will try something with this card. For legacy, the easiest deck to look at is lands. Honestly, I am not sure if lands is the right home for this card but this is the powerful sort of card that could change how a deck plays. What other land win conditions are there other than Thespian Stage + Dark Depths and Man Lands? If there is something spicy out there, we could have a fun brew on our hands.
Dwynen, Gilt-Leaf Daen - This guy has the right stats to block Delver and pump your elf team. He is probably a little corner case and may be a sideboard card but fetching him up with Green Sun Zenith and attacking with your team is going to gain you a lot of life.
Evolutionary Leap - I like where Wizards head is at, this card could be totally busted or complete trash, only time will tell. This is probably more of a modern card than anything else though. For modern I think we want to utilize Persist, Dredge, Vengevine, etc. to gain some value. In legacy, I am not sure what we want to do with creatures in hand...
Herald of the Pantheon - This guy isn't going to resurrect enchantress from the dead but he will be a welcome addition to the sideboard of the people who still play the deck (anybody out there?). He can buy you some time which is all you really want if you are playing that deck.
Red
Abbot of Keral Keep - I think we will end up calling this guy the red Snapcaster Mage. He seems very good for both Standard and Modern. Could UR Burn become a thing in modern with this guy and Snapcaster Mage? I don't see this guy being strong enough in legacy, if he had flash then we could talk.
Goblin Piledriver - A reprint for legacy but a first printing for modern. This little guy will put goblins on the map but the world is pretty hateful to goblins with all those bolts, etc. I also do not think pro-blue is particularly valuable in modern at the moment, with the exception of merfolk and Pestermite / Deceiver Exarch.
Magmatic Insight - A potential combo card for Goblin Charbelcher/ Empty the Warrens, or some other red based combo deck in Legacy or Modern? Someone more combo inclined will have to bust this card but it is definitely on my "to watch list."
Molten Vortex - This might be my favorite card in the set (until I start losing to it). A small upfront mana investment, a largely irrelevant downside and its in the correct colour. I have been mulling the idea of putting Cursed Scroll in more decks lately (mostly Delver decks)...this is likely just better and slightly harder to kill. I think most decks only want 1 or 2 of this effect but if you can get two activations from this in an aggressive deck then you have likely won the game. It also "combos" well with Grim Lavamancer by putting lands into the graveyard.
Pia and Kiran Nalaar - A human siege-gang commander but with tokens that have evasion? There is a Death and Taxes list which is currently popular online that runs Imperial Recruiter and Magus of the Moon. I could see wanting one Pia and Kiran Nalaar in the 75 since you can search for it with Imperial Recruiter. It is very awkward that Pia and Kiran Nalaar costs 4 mana since you never want to set your vial to 4...also worth noting is that with Pia and Kiran Nalaar in play you have a use for those extra dead Aether Vials, Phyrexian Revokers and any additional Equipment. Also worth mentioning is that Cavern of Souls on Human will help you pay for an uncounterable Pia and Kiran Nalaar. Note - Pia and Kiran Nalaar is an annoyingly long name...I vote we rename it PKN which sounds like a political party from North Korea..
Land
None.
Artifact
Hangarback Walker - I like this guy quite a lot. He can fit in most parts of your curve and can gain some value if you have some time. I see this guy having potential in Modern (Affinity) and Legacy (MUD). The fact that he insulates you from spot removal and sweepers is very nice and providing flying attackers/blockers is icing on the cake. This guy is also a complete and utter house in Standard, I see this guy being played a lot in all sorts of archetypes...
Gold
Shaman of the Pack - Shaman of the Pack could be the missing piece of the Modern Elves deck to push it into true Tier 1 status.
This is the biggest bunch of potential payable's in a while from ANY Magic set. I think Magic Origins will be an understated hit in eternal formats.
Cheers,
Simon
Despite being a "Core Set" with several reprints and only a handful of new cards, there are some pretty spicy cards in this set. My prediction is that MTG Origins has the largest impact of any core set on Standard and Modern. In addition, the card prices from this set could be very interesting to watch. We will have to wait and see how popular the draft format is but traditionally core set chase cards have gone for some serious money (see Baneslayer Angel, etc.). This time around I think we have more sleepers compared to chase rares like Baneslayer Angel but sometimes it is the slow and steady gainers that you want to keep track of.
White
Hallowed Moonlight - More ways to disrupt Reanimator and Elves are always appreciated but costing 2 mana in legacy is a tall order (especially when we could just play containment priest). For modern we probably don't have enough targets to make this worthwhile but it is worth mentioning that it has some interesting interactions with Kikki-Jikki and Splinter Twin. Buying you 1 turn though is likely not enough.
Vryn Wingmare - Thalia is the best of these effects but Vryn can also trade with a Delver of Secrets which is a nice bonus. More 1 butt's in Death and Taxes seems like it could be asking for trouble though. When Death and Taxes first came around as a deck some people were really high on Glowrider and Vryn is a big upgrade from that.
Starfield of Nyx - Enchantress has been aching for some new cards for the past several blocks. Enchantress lovers thought that their time had come when Theros block was announced but they were left wanting. Starfield of Nyx adds a win condition and a slow Replenish effect to the deck, all while being an enchantment while you are "going off." Also this card will likely look awesome in foil because of the art and colouring.
Blue
Harbinger of the Tides - Holy Tempo batman. This guy is pretty sweet, as a quasi time walk you can put your opponent quite far behind all while laying out your army of little fish. The added bonus of using him later as a Venser creature bounce is also a nice option. This guy is going to make racing merfolk quite difficult for fair decks. The downside is that if your opponent is not sure whether they should attack, then not is often the answer now because of the creature being tapped clause.
Jhessian Thief - Is it too much to ask for Ophidian to be playable again? This is likely the best Ophidian that we have seen in a while with the exception of Ohran Viper who I still think is an excellent creature and wildly underplayed. This little thief will probably see 0 play but that doesn't mean that I wont try and play it in some format...Maybe Pauper or Vintage?
Mizzium Meddler - This guy could see some play in modern, he survives lightning bolt and can mess with your opponents Splinter Twin, etc.
Black
Dark Petition - An obviously powerful Tutor + Dark Ritual. In legacy 5 mana is a huge wall to overcome. If people start playing this, then I think I will be dazing and spell piercing a lot of these. For Modern, there aren't any black rituals so I am not sure how good this card is. Also worth mentioning is that flipping this to an Ad Nauseam will hurt a lot.
Gnarlroot Trapper - This guy is like a reverse elves of the Deep Shadow that has an extra ability! Unfortunately, his mana ability only casts elves which means he is probably a no-go in legacy due to having to cast Natural Order and Glimpse of Nature but for modern this guy is sweet. This guy lets elves play defense as well, which is something that elves have often struggled with in the past.
Green
Animist's Awakening - I have no doubt that Travis Woo will try something with this card. For legacy, the easiest deck to look at is lands. Honestly, I am not sure if lands is the right home for this card but this is the powerful sort of card that could change how a deck plays. What other land win conditions are there other than Thespian Stage + Dark Depths and Man Lands? If there is something spicy out there, we could have a fun brew on our hands.
Dwynen, Gilt-Leaf Daen - This guy has the right stats to block Delver and pump your elf team. He is probably a little corner case and may be a sideboard card but fetching him up with Green Sun Zenith and attacking with your team is going to gain you a lot of life.
Evolutionary Leap - I like where Wizards head is at, this card could be totally busted or complete trash, only time will tell. This is probably more of a modern card than anything else though. For modern I think we want to utilize Persist, Dredge, Vengevine, etc. to gain some value. In legacy, I am not sure what we want to do with creatures in hand...
Herald of the Pantheon - This guy isn't going to resurrect enchantress from the dead but he will be a welcome addition to the sideboard of the people who still play the deck (anybody out there?). He can buy you some time which is all you really want if you are playing that deck.
Red
Abbot of Keral Keep - I think we will end up calling this guy the red Snapcaster Mage. He seems very good for both Standard and Modern. Could UR Burn become a thing in modern with this guy and Snapcaster Mage? I don't see this guy being strong enough in legacy, if he had flash then we could talk.
Goblin Piledriver - A reprint for legacy but a first printing for modern. This little guy will put goblins on the map but the world is pretty hateful to goblins with all those bolts, etc. I also do not think pro-blue is particularly valuable in modern at the moment, with the exception of merfolk and Pestermite / Deceiver Exarch.
Magmatic Insight - A potential combo card for Goblin Charbelcher/ Empty the Warrens, or some other red based combo deck in Legacy or Modern? Someone more combo inclined will have to bust this card but it is definitely on my "to watch list."
Molten Vortex - This might be my favorite card in the set (until I start losing to it). A small upfront mana investment, a largely irrelevant downside and its in the correct colour. I have been mulling the idea of putting Cursed Scroll in more decks lately (mostly Delver decks)...this is likely just better and slightly harder to kill. I think most decks only want 1 or 2 of this effect but if you can get two activations from this in an aggressive deck then you have likely won the game. It also "combos" well with Grim Lavamancer by putting lands into the graveyard.
Pia and Kiran Nalaar - A human siege-gang commander but with tokens that have evasion? There is a Death and Taxes list which is currently popular online that runs Imperial Recruiter and Magus of the Moon. I could see wanting one Pia and Kiran Nalaar in the 75 since you can search for it with Imperial Recruiter. It is very awkward that Pia and Kiran Nalaar costs 4 mana since you never want to set your vial to 4...also worth noting is that with Pia and Kiran Nalaar in play you have a use for those extra dead Aether Vials, Phyrexian Revokers and any additional Equipment. Also worth mentioning is that Cavern of Souls on Human will help you pay for an uncounterable Pia and Kiran Nalaar. Note - Pia and Kiran Nalaar is an annoyingly long name...I vote we rename it PKN which sounds like a political party from North Korea..
Land
None.
Artifact
Hangarback Walker - I like this guy quite a lot. He can fit in most parts of your curve and can gain some value if you have some time. I see this guy having potential in Modern (Affinity) and Legacy (MUD). The fact that he insulates you from spot removal and sweepers is very nice and providing flying attackers/blockers is icing on the cake. This guy is also a complete and utter house in Standard, I see this guy being played a lot in all sorts of archetypes...
Gold
Shaman of the Pack - Shaman of the Pack could be the missing piece of the Modern Elves deck to push it into true Tier 1 status.
This is the biggest bunch of potential payable's in a while from ANY Magic set. I think Magic Origins will be an understated hit in eternal formats.
Cheers,
Simon
Monday, June 29, 2015
Magic Online / MODO / MTGO Daily Event Legacy - June 2015
It finally happened...I have RUG built on MODO.
http://mtgo-stats.com/decks/player/samuraisocks
http://mtgo-stats.com/decks/17953
http://mtgo-stats.com/decks/17749
See above for the RUG lists I have been playing. The deck has been doing great other than I keep losing my last round to Miracles or Jeskai Stoneblade... The main deck is pretty stock minus the Forked Bolt / Dismember split. There is a lot of Grixis Delver running around at the moment with Gurmag Angler so I could see going back to x2 Dismember. As a general rule, I hate having dismember in my deck since it is dead vs. combo decks and control decks (usually) but it has been pretty good for me online so far.
Moving to the only part that I am not sure of...the sideboard.
Sideboard 1:
I like that I have managed to cut the targets for Wear/Tear against Miracles in sideboard 2. The downside it is that it makes me cut the cards that are best against Miracles. I haven't fully fleshed out if it is better to have the powerful cards or turn off 1/2 of their post sideboard cards.
The cards I am talking about are:
Pithing Needle
Null Rod
Sulfuric Vortex
Sylvan Library
Winter Orb
The jury is still very much out on this one.
-Cheers-
http://mtgo-stats.com/decks/player/samuraisocks
http://mtgo-stats.com/decks/17953
http://mtgo-stats.com/decks/17749
See above for the RUG lists I have been playing. The deck has been doing great other than I keep losing my last round to Miracles or Jeskai Stoneblade... The main deck is pretty stock minus the Forked Bolt / Dismember split. There is a lot of Grixis Delver running around at the moment with Gurmag Angler so I could see going back to x2 Dismember. As a general rule, I hate having dismember in my deck since it is dead vs. combo decks and control decks (usually) but it has been pretty good for me online so far.
Moving to the only part that I am not sure of...the sideboard.
Sideboard 1:
| 1 Blue Elemental Blast | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 Envelop | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 Flusterstorm | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 Spell Pierce | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 Forked Bolt | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 Grim Lavamancer | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 Pyroblast | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 Sudden Demise | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 Sulfuric Vortex | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 Destructive Revelry | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 Grafdigger's Cage Sideboard 2:
|
I like that I have managed to cut the targets for Wear/Tear against Miracles in sideboard 2. The downside it is that it makes me cut the cards that are best against Miracles. I haven't fully fleshed out if it is better to have the powerful cards or turn off 1/2 of their post sideboard cards.
The cards I am talking about are:
Pithing Needle
Null Rod
Sulfuric Vortex
Sylvan Library
Winter Orb
The jury is still very much out on this one.
The rest of the sideboard feels very good. I think I am still the only person running 3 Destructive Revelry but it is good for me every time I cast it. I have blown up several Counterbalances and Bloodmoons which always feels good. Ancient Grudge doesn't do that. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| -Cheers- | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |
-Cheers-
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Magic Online / MODO / MTGO Daily Event Legacy - May 2015
I finally got around to playing in my first Legacy Daily event thanks to the huge mother of a storm that came through Houston and flooded most of the city.
For those not in Houston:
http://www.weather.com/safety/
Hence work was cancelled, daycare was cancelled, court was cancelled, etc. Having the day at home with the family was great and thankfully we had electricity and Internet!
My weapon of choice for the Legacy Daily was Infect. I have played infect a few times in small legacy events in paper and I played quite a lot of modern infect online several months ago. I felt pretty comfortable with the deck since it bridges the gap between Modern Infect and Legacy Delver. I had just bought my Wastelands, so I had the entire deck complete minus 1-2 cards which are not 100% essential to run (Stifle & Karakas). After playing 1 random match in the tournament practice room versus a Storm opponent (Won 2-1) to get rid of the MODO rust, I was ready to enter my first Legacy Daily.
List:
(Will link to Daily Decklists)
For some reason I am not having any luck finding the daily decklists for the event I played in. I will list the event # and maybe someone who is more familiar with MODO can help me out.
Round 1 - Miracles
G1 - He played land go and I just chipped away at him until he died.
G2 - I beat his Bloodmoon because I had a guy in play and then force of willed his removal spell.
2-0
Round 2 - Storm
G1 - Quick clock and a few counterspells is good enough to get it done.
G2 - My opponent went lotus petal, brainstorm. I force of willed his brainstorm and then won from there.
2-0
Round 3 - UR Delver (or Mono Red with Gitaxian Probe)
G1 - My opponent probed me and played some red spells.
G2 - I dazed his Eidolon of the Great Revel and then he conceded...
2-0
Round 4 - COTV Affinity
G1 - I am ahead but we are racing when my opponent plays Tezzeret and uses the get an artifact in the top 5 ability. He finds...and Ornithopter which will work great against my Inkmoth Nexus...I manager to squeak out the game anyway but it feels way closer than it should be.
G2 - I counter his COTV and slowly grind him out from there.
2-0
Playing 4 rounds and winning each 2-0 is pretty nice. The deck played very well but I would probably add the 2 cards into the deck even though I didn't miss them too much for this tournament (Add +1 Stifle, +1 Karakas & Remove -1 Crop Rotation, -1 Spell Pierce).
Now I need to decide what to do with the 11 Tempest Remastered Booster Packs I won...
Next purchase is a playset of Tarmogoyf's when Modern Masters comes out...I hope they drop to around $50 a pop from the $65 or so that they are at right now.
Cheers,
Simon
MODO SN - samuraisocks
For those not in Houston:
http://www.weather.com/safety/
Hence work was cancelled, daycare was cancelled, court was cancelled, etc. Having the day at home with the family was great and thankfully we had electricity and Internet!
My weapon of choice for the Legacy Daily was Infect. I have played infect a few times in small legacy events in paper and I played quite a lot of modern infect online several months ago. I felt pretty comfortable with the deck since it bridges the gap between Modern Infect and Legacy Delver. I had just bought my Wastelands, so I had the entire deck complete minus 1-2 cards which are not 100% essential to run (Stifle & Karakas). After playing 1 random match in the tournament practice room versus a Storm opponent (Won 2-1) to get rid of the MODO rust, I was ready to enter my first Legacy Daily.
List:
(Will link to Daily Decklists)
For some reason I am not having any luck finding the daily decklists for the event I played in. I will list the event # and maybe someone who is more familiar with MODO can help me out.
Round 1 - Miracles
G1 - He played land go and I just chipped away at him until he died.
G2 - I beat his Bloodmoon because I had a guy in play and then force of willed his removal spell.
2-0
Round 2 - Storm
G1 - Quick clock and a few counterspells is good enough to get it done.
G2 - My opponent went lotus petal, brainstorm. I force of willed his brainstorm and then won from there.
2-0
Round 3 - UR Delver (or Mono Red with Gitaxian Probe)
G1 - My opponent probed me and played some red spells.
G2 - I dazed his Eidolon of the Great Revel and then he conceded...
2-0
Round 4 - COTV Affinity
G1 - I am ahead but we are racing when my opponent plays Tezzeret and uses the get an artifact in the top 5 ability. He finds...and Ornithopter which will work great against my Inkmoth Nexus...I manager to squeak out the game anyway but it feels way closer than it should be.
G2 - I counter his COTV and slowly grind him out from there.
2-0
Playing 4 rounds and winning each 2-0 is pretty nice. The deck played very well but I would probably add the 2 cards into the deck even though I didn't miss them too much for this tournament (Add +1 Stifle, +1 Karakas & Remove -1 Crop Rotation, -1 Spell Pierce).
Now I need to decide what to do with the 11 Tempest Remastered Booster Packs I won...
Next purchase is a playset of Tarmogoyf's when Modern Masters comes out...I hope they drop to around $50 a pop from the $65 or so that they are at right now.
Cheers,
Simon
MODO SN - samuraisocks
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
May Update
Life has been super busy. Work + Baby + Wife has left me with little time for Magic (paper or electronic).
Next week I will be in Norway/Sweden so things are not going to calm down any time soon.
Hopefully when I get back I can buy some cheap MODO wastelands. While I am gone you guys need to get busy drafting Tempest Masters...
-Cheers-
Next week I will be in Norway/Sweden so things are not going to calm down any time soon.
Hopefully when I get back I can buy some cheap MODO wastelands. While I am gone you guys need to get busy drafting Tempest Masters...
-Cheers-
Monday, April 20, 2015
Will Power Gaming Mox Jet Tournament April 18 2014 - Standard 2nd Place Report Simon Christie
The list -
Mono Red
Game 1 - This is likely mono reds best matchup. The game plan is simple play guys + smash face, then when he is close to stabilizing + tapped out you burn them out.
Game 2 - See game 1, only this time your opponent has 2/3 mana sweepers. Before the tournament I thought about running 1 Collateral Damage to mitigate Bile Blight, I still like the idea but I don't know if we need it.
I think I may have made a slight misplay in game 2 when I played a Hordeling Outburt on turn 3 and my opponent cast Silumgar's Scorn without revealing a dragon. I could have played Dragon Fodder which would have meant he would have had to reveal a dragon or not cast the card (since I could then have paid 1 mana). This is a tough spot, I am not sure if you are supposed to play around Force Spike/Counterspell in this situation or not.
Round 4 - (GR Dudes)
My opponents asks if I will concede. I say we can play or draw. He chooses to play.
Game 1 - We get into a race in the mid game due to his Surrak coming down and creating some additional hasty damage.
Game 2 - Turn 3 Hornet's Nest. Ouch. I play on and hope to draw a Goblin Heelcutter and/or Frenzied Goblin. It doesn't ever happen though.
Round 5 - (Abzan Aggro/Mid)
ID
Semi - (GR Dudes)
This is the same guy as Round 4. So I know what I am up against.
Game 1 - He is on the play but I manage to make some favorable trades which put him in an awkward position for racing. I manage to burn out his final life points.
Game 2 - He accelerates into some quick fat dudes and I am unable to keep up.
Game 3 - My opponents first play is a flashed in Boon Satyr. I have the searing blood though. I easily take the game from there.
I forget which game I made the mistake but I made the first glaring mistake on the day in this match. I had played a turn 1 Lightning Berserker and my opponent had played a turn 1 Elf. I have a wild slash in hand and a bunch of two drops. I attack with Lightning Berserker (I am fine with the trade) and my opponent declines to trade...only I don't pump the Berserker even though I know I am going to kill the elf. That 1 point didn't end up mattering but it could have.
Quarter - (Abzan Control) Joe Bass
Game 1 - I play guys and smash but Joe is able to slow the game down enough to get double Courser and a Siege Rhino down. Too many big butts.
Game 2 - I curve out and get hit with some removal but I keep playing my cards conservatively while whittling away at his life total.
Game 3 - My opponent mulligans and my quick draw punishes him hard.
Also worth noting is that Joe played turn 1/2 thoughtseized me all 3 games...I don't think this is a valid plan (especially on the draw). Thoughseize does nothing if it is not in your opening 7 since it is so hard to play mid/late game.
Finals - (Abzan Aggro/Mid)
No split finals...so this is for all the marbles.
Game 1 - My opponent is on the play. I mulligan to 5...If I had drawn a second land a turn or two sooner (not like turn 5) then I think I win this game. I got my opponent down to ~7 before he manages to play Surrak into Sorin (the 1 of Sorin obviously). If I had my second land then I would have been able to Stoke the Flames....
Game 2 - I curve out pretty perfectly but my hand is kind of clogged with Goblin Token cards, so I am forced to play them out. My opponent casts x2 Drown in Sorrow and x2 Bile Blight during this game...I can still win if I draw a burn spell over x2 turns in the mid-game while my opponent is at 5 life and I have a Wild Slash in Hand.
It would have been nice to at least get a game 3 against my opponent but it was not to be. I was so looking forward to winning my second Mox Jet.
All in all it was a good day for Mono Red and I will be slinging mountains again if I have any other Standard tournaments coming up.
Cheers,
Simon
Mono Red
Creatures (20)
3 Zurgo Bellstriker
4 Foundry Street Denizen
1 Frenzied Goblin
3 Lightning Berserker
4 Monastery Swiftspear
2 Eidolon of the Great Revel
3 Goblin Heelcutter
Lands (20)
20 Mountain
Spells (20)
4 Wild Slash
4 Stoke the Flames
3 Lightning Strike
1 Titan's Strength
4 Dragon Fodder
3 Hordeling Outburt
1 Hall of Triumph
Sideboard [15]
3 Prophetic Flamespeaker
1 Hall of Triumph
4 Searing Blood
4 Roast
2 Arc Lightning
1 Harness by Force
The main deck was pretty close to perfect but I think the sideboard could take a little tweaking.
I decided that I would stick with Mono Red rather than pushing for the RG Atarka version which has a terrible mana base.
The first thing I had to do Saturday morning was buy some cards to complete the new list. After spending $1.28 on a couple of roasts and a dragon fodder my deck was ready to go. :)
Round 1 - (Abzan Aggro) Collin Rountree
Game 1 - I play dudes and proceed to smash him down to ~9 life, then I start to get brick walled as he continues to hit his mana and keeps playing 3/3s. He then gains some life off of Siege Rhino and I end the game with 8 mountains in play and 2 more in hand...oh buddy.
Game 2 - I curve out and Roast all of his guys. Wow Roast is a crazy good magic card for mono red. Being able to kill Siege Rhino is all kinds of spicy. Usually, I am just happy if he cannot block.
Game 3 - I re-sideboard since I am on the draw and bring in a miser Searing Blood. I end up killing his Rakshasa Deathdealer with that Searing Blood. That extra damage lets me easily win the race. He had a turn where he played and attacked with a Siege Rhino instead of a Surrak. If he had attacked with Surrak I would have had a hard time racing him back. Also I Roasted a bunch of his critters.
Round 2 - (Jeskai Tokens)
Game 1 - This is not a great matchup but I manage to kill him when he is forced to tap his guys to Stoke the Flames and it lets me get in with a huge hasty Lightning Berserker for a bunch (~5/6).
Game 2 - I side out all the guys with a 1 butt and you know what card is super sweet? Prophetic Flamespeaker. :)
Round 3 - (UB Control) David
Game 2 - See game 1, only this time your opponent has 2/3 mana sweepers. Before the tournament I thought about running 1 Collateral Damage to mitigate Bile Blight, I still like the idea but I don't know if we need it.
I think I may have made a slight misplay in game 2 when I played a Hordeling Outburt on turn 3 and my opponent cast Silumgar's Scorn without revealing a dragon. I could have played Dragon Fodder which would have meant he would have had to reveal a dragon or not cast the card (since I could then have paid 1 mana). This is a tough spot, I am not sure if you are supposed to play around Force Spike/Counterspell in this situation or not.
Round 4 - (GR Dudes)
My opponents asks if I will concede. I say we can play or draw. He chooses to play.
Game 1 - We get into a race in the mid game due to his Surrak coming down and creating some additional hasty damage.
Game 2 - Turn 3 Hornet's Nest. Ouch. I play on and hope to draw a Goblin Heelcutter and/or Frenzied Goblin. It doesn't ever happen though.
Round 5 - (Abzan Aggro/Mid)
ID
Semi - (GR Dudes)
This is the same guy as Round 4. So I know what I am up against.
Game 1 - He is on the play but I manage to make some favorable trades which put him in an awkward position for racing. I manage to burn out his final life points.
Game 2 - He accelerates into some quick fat dudes and I am unable to keep up.
Game 3 - My opponents first play is a flashed in Boon Satyr. I have the searing blood though. I easily take the game from there.
I forget which game I made the mistake but I made the first glaring mistake on the day in this match. I had played a turn 1 Lightning Berserker and my opponent had played a turn 1 Elf. I have a wild slash in hand and a bunch of two drops. I attack with Lightning Berserker (I am fine with the trade) and my opponent declines to trade...only I don't pump the Berserker even though I know I am going to kill the elf. That 1 point didn't end up mattering but it could have.
Quarter - (Abzan Control) Joe Bass
Game 1 - I play guys and smash but Joe is able to slow the game down enough to get double Courser and a Siege Rhino down. Too many big butts.
Game 2 - I curve out and get hit with some removal but I keep playing my cards conservatively while whittling away at his life total.
Game 3 - My opponent mulligans and my quick draw punishes him hard.
Also worth noting is that Joe played turn 1/2 thoughtseized me all 3 games...I don't think this is a valid plan (especially on the draw). Thoughseize does nothing if it is not in your opening 7 since it is so hard to play mid/late game.
Finals - (Abzan Aggro/Mid)
No split finals...so this is for all the marbles.
Game 1 - My opponent is on the play. I mulligan to 5...If I had drawn a second land a turn or two sooner (not like turn 5) then I think I win this game. I got my opponent down to ~7 before he manages to play Surrak into Sorin (the 1 of Sorin obviously). If I had my second land then I would have been able to Stoke the Flames....
Game 2 - I curve out pretty perfectly but my hand is kind of clogged with Goblin Token cards, so I am forced to play them out. My opponent casts x2 Drown in Sorrow and x2 Bile Blight during this game...I can still win if I draw a burn spell over x2 turns in the mid-game while my opponent is at 5 life and I have a Wild Slash in Hand.
It would have been nice to at least get a game 3 against my opponent but it was not to be. I was so looking forward to winning my second Mox Jet.
All in all it was a good day for Mono Red and I will be slinging mountains again if I have any other Standard tournaments coming up.
Cheers,
Simon
Thursday, April 2, 2015
Hearthstone Update (April 2015)
Since my foray into MODO I have almost completely forgot about Hearthstone...I guess the $100 I spent on that game was a waste. This is why I always stick with Magic even if another game looks good or interesting to me. Magic is such a proven product and it is simply a safer bet. In addition, any money you do invest money into Magic you can get back out pretty easily by selling. Other games just do not have this ability.
I still think Hearthstone Online is > MODO from a program, technology, visual and pretty much every other standpoint except the actual game itself. While Hearthstone stands up to Magic quite well it just isn't the same.
I could have bought 2 Wastelands online with the $100! Sigh.
-Cheers-
PS - I am not ruling out going back to Hearthstone at some point but the idea of spending any money on it is very unappealing.
I still think Hearthstone Online is > MODO from a program, technology, visual and pretty much every other standpoint except the actual game itself. While Hearthstone stands up to Magic quite well it just isn't the same.
I could have bought 2 Wastelands online with the $100! Sigh.
-Cheers-
PS - I am not ruling out going back to Hearthstone at some point but the idea of spending any money on it is very unappealing.
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