Something different is ok, but I think you should keep it Classic related (for the preservation of your "brand" wink ;) wink). Glad to see the Saga draft, not interested in Standard. It just seems like there are so many resources out there for Standard, you should stay in your niche cause Classic needs it!
Wiffy man I love the videos been watching for some time.
I am glad you ventured into standard and I hope you will post more videos for that format in the future!
In game 1 match 3 vs Valakut you could have lead with Inkmoth and got in for 1 poision turn 2. This ultimately could have won the game when tempered steel came down later and inkmoth was getting in for 3. Not criticizing just pointing out something I observed.
I have been playing this deck in standard a fair amount and I do not really like the blue splash for preordain. The inconsistencies this brings just so you can try to fix them with preordain does not seem like a good trade off. I realize you didn't build the deck and it went 4-0. I think your better off mono white or splashing for card draw such as Dark Tutelage. Preordain just doesn't seem good enough here.
If the blue is kept I think Flashfreeze would be a better SB option than mana leak. Or in addition to mana leak.
2 mox opal seems better to me than 3. I noticed you SB 1 in game 2. In playing the deck a fair amount 2 is what I settled on. I would rather only have 1 dead draw than possibly 2 and a dead draw more frequently. The teetering peaks could have been something better for sure.
Wizards has to be seriously considering some way to get Masques online considering it is free money for them once they pass the threshold of development costs (i.e. coding all the cards so they work within the client). Unspeakable has a good idea in offering them for the price they were originally available at (I believe $3 or 3.50 in this case), but I would go even further. These cards hold no real value outside of their use in eternal format tournaments and EDH/Commander since they cannot be redeemed, so there's no reason Wizards can't offer them for $2 a pack or $2.50 (even $3 seems somewhat reasonable). If nothing else, prices should stabilize somewhat since the prices of individual cards on the secondary market should adjust to the price of the packs (since bots/stores will open packs until it is no longer profitable to do so). Obviously this is not going to happen since wizards is pretty dead set on 1 pack = $4 regardless of redeemability, but it would certainly help sell the set, if that's wizards' #1 concern with releasing it online.
Premise: while totally within their right to limit the number of giveaway they were gonna give...
1. They should have said that up front there would be a tier 1 prize which was limited and a Tier B (Tier ZZZ in comparison in my opinion but, as said, it's just my opinion) unlimited prize.
2. They should have chosen a totally different kind of event, due to the limited number of entries. Not queues set up several days prior the date at a fixed time that kept reservations even if you logout.
3. They should have stuck with their plan of limited entries if they really meant to.
The whole debacle, to cite you, could have been easily avoided if they just opened the scheduled queues live, at the scheduled times.
Many would have probably still complained about that, but I think a part of them (myself included, even if I couldn't enter) would not.
wotc still has not said when or if the makeup events are happening.
The whole debacle should never have happened anyways. They know exactly how many warmarks were available, and how many possible entrants to these tourneys there was, yet they decided to make not nearly enough tourneys to handle it.
WOTC's approach to release of the older sets did not work for Mirage. The problem is the cards simply didn't have enough value to make sense for one to crack packs in a draft. The low supply that resulted never raised the price of any of the individual cards enough to compensate for this. The problem for Masques will be even worse, since this was a famously weak set. I've always thought they should have encouraged cracking packs of the older sets by offering them for the price they were sold for at the time. However, they haven't done this, and I am sure they are not going to change policy for Masques now. The best alternative solution would be to simply get a list something like what Peter has posted and package it as "the best of Masques" and sell it for a reasonable price, a bit like the "from the vault" series. I don't really expect this either. WOTC has been strangely stubborn on this issue, and I expect them to stubbornly stick to their format; releasing Masques in drafts that no one will play, resulting in a severe shortage of cards that warps formats using the older cards.
With regard to drafting for fun, the consensus that I've heard is that Masques block was fairly lame, with drafting rebels dominating just about everything else. I'm sure there will be anecdotes that can contradict this, but frankly none of the mechanics released in this block outside of the spellshapers worked out very well, resulting in a weak set for both constructed and limited.
Hey Jake, I'd love to see you run some UW Control in Standard once M12 is out. I'm really intrigued to see how the deck will perform with Oblivion Ring and all the other interesting additions M12 might provide.
Regarding this article, quality stuff as always, tho I have to say that I was a bit bored sometimes. I guess that's the formats fault and not yours since I really enjoy being guided through a deck and an event by you.
does anyone think that the prizes for a 20 tik game 1st place should be more than four pax? even w/ both promos it still seems like a loss even to win 1st...idk
If commons from a draft set are selling at 6 bucks, that set is getting drafted heavily, I guarantee it. MED1 has basically 3 valuable cards in it and people couldn't get enough packs. Still wasn't enough to get FOW to a reasonable price (is 40 like Jace and Goyf too much to ask?) but MM would be worth drafting for the commons and playable rares like Port and Misdirection.
I hope they get these out before they both with stuff like the power 9, since legacy events fire a lot more consistently than classic. It would be funny to have the power 9 popping up in commander decks, but that's just as an observer who doesn't play the format.
Magistrates scepter + core tapper + voltaic construct = gg, infinite turns no problem loved this combination in extended protected with blue control, fun stuff, not too powerful as could be disrupted pretty easily, but if you have the right protections, you were good
One factor that will draw me to masques like crazy... It is a great block for limited play. The "bombs" typically have answers, very few of the cards are "broken", and its a block where they intentionally attempted to slow down the game, and make it fun. So many cool cards become almost playable in this slower format. Heck two big (still sought) cards from this block are made to slow the game even more, being Port, and Tangle Wire.
Sneak attack is a hell of a player, but downrating to 1 on the only visit I've seen him make is kind of classless... explain yourself without being a prick?
I hope in the last week you've gotten better in playing against this deck as you had no idea what your opponent was up to rd 2 tournament 1. I mean you didn't understand when your opponent was going for the win instead of killing your donks in game 1, didn't understand why your opponent was confused when you didn't swing with an oracle, thought your opponent was so lucky for having 2 mountains in game 2 to kill you when they were revealed to be in hand. I can continue which is even worse. How about instead of blaming luck you try to figure out what you did wrong. Of course your opponent is a bad player except that whole being in the top 10 of the mol player of the year race. Sorry you didn't get lucky living the dream game 2. I was fully expecting you too that's why I typed that. Please understand why I was making the plays I was playing instead of calling me bad. I was playing that matchup on a whole different level than you were.
If Masques is as unpopular as people claim it will be and it doesn't get drafted much, those in-demand expensive commons might not go down a whole lot. Especially in the future after it has come and gone. Exhibit A: Lotus Petal.
Because Invigorate was only in Garruk vs. Liliana and one of the commander decks, it ranges from $6-$13, depending on the version because it rules in infect. It is in prophecy
Nice piece. A friend and I talk all the time about how much we want to see Masques block online. The one card I'm really looking forward to that you didn't mention is Soothsaying.
Agreed on pretty much all you say here; but I don't understand who you are referencing by "he" here (unless another comment was deleted or some such thing). As I said in the videos and in the article the format is extremely clunky overall and not a personal favorite.
I think you are right, and that they will announce a Modern/Overextended format, but they were never going to reprint the "duals" in M12. That would leave 3 months of chaos, since standard would have dual lands and fetchlands, which would make it the best mana fixing in the history of the format.
Cards like lashwrithe would be insane in this environment, and the new hexproof forest-goyf would also be abusive. You could make a mana base better than current extended, and I doubt that's something they want.
I don't know for sure when they will announce the format or even if they will reprint the shocklands, but it doesn't surprise me at all that it hasn't happened yet.
Something different is ok, but I think you should keep it Classic related (for the preservation of your "brand" wink ;) wink). Glad to see the Saga draft, not interested in Standard. It just seems like there are so many resources out there for Standard, you should stay in your niche cause Classic needs it!
I love Penguin TV, but opening this and seeing Standard is like going to a Led Zeppelin concert and seeing they've been replaced by Lady Gaga. >_<
Looking forward to the return to Classic content next week.
Wiffy man I love the videos been watching for some time.
I am glad you ventured into standard and I hope you will post more videos for that format in the future!
In game 1 match 3 vs Valakut you could have lead with Inkmoth and got in for 1 poision turn 2. This ultimately could have won the game when tempered steel came down later and inkmoth was getting in for 3. Not criticizing just pointing out something I observed.
I have been playing this deck in standard a fair amount and I do not really like the blue splash for preordain. The inconsistencies this brings just so you can try to fix them with preordain does not seem like a good trade off. I realize you didn't build the deck and it went 4-0. I think your better off mono white or splashing for card draw such as Dark Tutelage. Preordain just doesn't seem good enough here.
If the blue is kept I think Flashfreeze would be a better SB option than mana leak. Or in addition to mana leak.
2 mox opal seems better to me than 3. I noticed you SB 1 in game 2. In playing the deck a fair amount 2 is what I settled on. I would rather only have 1 dead draw than possibly 2 and a dead draw more frequently. The teetering peaks could have been something better for sure.
Anyhow thanks for the videos. My 2 cents.
Wizards has to be seriously considering some way to get Masques online considering it is free money for them once they pass the threshold of development costs (i.e. coding all the cards so they work within the client). Unspeakable has a good idea in offering them for the price they were originally available at (I believe $3 or 3.50 in this case), but I would go even further. These cards hold no real value outside of their use in eternal format tournaments and EDH/Commander since they cannot be redeemed, so there's no reason Wizards can't offer them for $2 a pack or $2.50 (even $3 seems somewhat reasonable). If nothing else, prices should stabilize somewhat since the prices of individual cards on the secondary market should adjust to the price of the packs (since bots/stores will open packs until it is no longer profitable to do so). Obviously this is not going to happen since wizards is pretty dead set on 1 pack = $4 regardless of redeemability, but it would certainly help sell the set, if that's wizards' #1 concern with releasing it online.
Well, the real points of my argument are:
Premise: while totally within their right to limit the number of giveaway they were gonna give...
1. They should have said that up front there would be a tier 1 prize which was limited and a Tier B (Tier ZZZ in comparison in my opinion but, as said, it's just my opinion) unlimited prize.
2. They should have chosen a totally different kind of event, due to the limited number of entries. Not queues set up several days prior the date at a fixed time that kept reservations even if you logout.
3. They should have stuck with their plan of limited entries if they really meant to.
The whole debacle, to cite you, could have been easily avoided if they just opened the scheduled queues live, at the scheduled times.
Many would have probably still complained about that, but I think a part of them (myself included, even if I couldn't enter) would not.
wotc still has not said when or if the makeup events are happening.
The whole debacle should never have happened anyways. They know exactly how many warmarks were available, and how many possible entrants to these tourneys there was, yet they decided to make not nearly enough tourneys to handle it.
In Match two when they crush your Glint Hawk Idle , Why did you not turn it into a creature so that it would not be a valid target crush?
Edit: Nevermind I watched the rest of the video. But that interaction was in draft and block not just standard.
I indeed referred to UW Control, much along the lines of what Andrew Roystan used at PTQ Columbus, but including M12 stuff (deck can be found 2nd from the top at http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/td/151 ).
But hell..you can do cawblade too. Seeing how much you love(d) the deck that'll surely make for some good videos. :)
WOTC's approach to release of the older sets did not work for Mirage. The problem is the cards simply didn't have enough value to make sense for one to crack packs in a draft. The low supply that resulted never raised the price of any of the individual cards enough to compensate for this. The problem for Masques will be even worse, since this was a famously weak set. I've always thought they should have encouraged cracking packs of the older sets by offering them for the price they were sold for at the time. However, they haven't done this, and I am sure they are not going to change policy for Masques now. The best alternative solution would be to simply get a list something like what Peter has posted and package it as "the best of Masques" and sell it for a reasonable price, a bit like the "from the vault" series. I don't really expect this either. WOTC has been strangely stubborn on this issue, and I expect them to stubbornly stick to their format; releasing Masques in drafts that no one will play, resulting in a severe shortage of cards that warps formats using the older cards.
With regard to drafting for fun, the consensus that I've heard is that Masques block was fairly lame, with drafting rebels dominating just about everything else. I'm sure there will be anecdotes that can contradict this, but frankly none of the mechanics released in this block outside of the spellshapers worked out very well, resulting in a weak set for both constructed and limited.
Yeah I probably will go over cawblade once m12 comes out online :D. One of my favorite decks. If you mean actual UW control I may go over that too.
Hey Jake, I'd love to see you run some UW Control in Standard once M12 is out. I'm really intrigued to see how the deck will perform with Oblivion Ring and all the other interesting additions M12 might provide.
Regarding this article, quality stuff as always, tho I have to say that I was a bit bored sometimes. I guess that's the formats fault and not yours since I really enjoy being guided through a deck and an event by you.
wait i read it wrong im getting some coffee
does anyone think that the prizes for a 20 tik game 1st place should be more than four pax? even w/ both promos it still seems like a loss even to win 1st...idk
If commons from a draft set are selling at 6 bucks, that set is getting drafted heavily, I guarantee it. MED1 has basically 3 valuable cards in it and people couldn't get enough packs. Still wasn't enough to get FOW to a reasonable price (is 40 like Jace and Goyf too much to ask?) but MM would be worth drafting for the commons and playable rares like Port and Misdirection.
I hope they get these out before they both with stuff like the power 9, since legacy events fire a lot more consistently than classic. It would be funny to have the power 9 popping up in commander decks, but that's just as an observer who doesn't play the format.
Thanks for the quality video commentary. I learned a bit. I hope to see this deck against the other two decks sometime.
I remember limited in this block - and I don't remember Rebels being all that slow...
Magistrates scepter + core tapper + voltaic construct = gg, infinite turns no problem loved this combination in extended protected with blue control, fun stuff, not too powerful as could be disrupted pretty easily, but if you have the right protections, you were good
One factor that will draw me to masques like crazy... It is a great block for limited play. The "bombs" typically have answers, very few of the cards are "broken", and its a block where they intentionally attempted to slow down the game, and make it fun. So many cool cards become almost playable in this slower format. Heck two big (still sought) cards from this block are made to slow the game even more, being Port, and Tangle Wire.
I'm in... Gimmie.
Sneak attack is a hell of a player, but downrating to 1 on the only visit I've seen him make is kind of classless... explain yourself without being a prick?
I hope in the last week you've gotten better in playing against this deck as you had no idea what your opponent was up to rd 2 tournament 1. I mean you didn't understand when your opponent was going for the win instead of killing your donks in game 1, didn't understand why your opponent was confused when you didn't swing with an oracle, thought your opponent was so lucky for having 2 mountains in game 2 to kill you when they were revealed to be in hand. I can continue which is even worse. How about instead of blaming luck you try to figure out what you did wrong. Of course your opponent is a bad player except that whole being in the top 10 of the mol player of the year race. Sorry you didn't get lucky living the dream game 2. I was fully expecting you too that's why I typed that. Please understand why I was making the plays I was playing instead of calling me bad. I was playing that matchup on a whole different level than you were.
If Masques is as unpopular as people claim it will be and it doesn't get drafted much, those in-demand expensive commons might not go down a whole lot. Especially in the future after it has come and gone. Exhibit A: Lotus Petal.
Because Invigorate was only in Garruk vs. Liliana and one of the commander decks, it ranges from $6-$13, depending on the version because it rules in infect. It is in prophecy
$6-13 for a common...
Wizards, I implore you, release masques block!!
Nice piece. A friend and I talk all the time about how much we want to see Masques block online. The one card I'm really looking forward to that you didn't mention is Soothsaying.
Agreed on pretty much all you say here; but I don't understand who you are referencing by "he" here (unless another comment was deleted or some such thing). As I said in the videos and in the article the format is extremely clunky overall and not a personal favorite.
Thank you for the comment.
I think you are right, and that they will announce a Modern/Overextended format, but they were never going to reprint the "duals" in M12. That would leave 3 months of chaos, since standard would have dual lands and fetchlands, which would make it the best mana fixing in the history of the format.
Cards like lashwrithe would be insane in this environment, and the new hexproof forest-goyf would also be abusive. You could make a mana base better than current extended, and I doubt that's something they want.
I don't know for sure when they will announce the format or even if they will reprint the shocklands, but it doesn't surprise me at all that it hasn't happened yet.