Generally speaking once the cat is out of the bag about what the hot trending cards are they become much higher priority picks. The effect is usually somewhat gradual but in time you should never see a money card passed unless someone cracks an insanely good pack and you are lucky to be near them downriver.
I will most probably try what you are suggesting but there is one thing I'm not sure to have understood correctly.
If I do 2-man queue for SOM Block for example, everytimes I win I get a SOM booster. It is a good thing for my draft, but I still need tickets to buy the MBS booster right and pay the 2 tickets fees?
To have tickets I need to sell cards that I drafted. But as you said in a previous article, there's is not a lot of cards I can sell for tickets in SOM block so I will need to be lucky to get these kind of cards.
I you write that with 75% of win you make profit, is it by selling boosters? If so I never tried but is there's a lot of people buying SOM boosters?
Lastly, I draft a lot of Urza's draft this past month. As a result at the end, I arrived kinda even after a month (Which is not that bad since I played a lot of Magic without spending money). My main point is that during all these drafts I made, I never had the chance to received from another player any expensive rare like show and tell. Is it just me or maybe now people are just aware of these cards cards that worth a lot?
NIce job. I can tell the affinity has a mistake but if people looked and did some math its fairly clear the cards dont belong in the deck and i understand you arent saying to play them as well. That said do make sure you fully check your decklists for old stragglers like thos e9 lands.
Jund is by far the best deck. It plays 8 Vindicate, Deed, Void and the best 2 drop in the entire format=Putrid Leech and the best turn 2 removal in Terminate.
Nice read, and I'm looking forward to this top 10 ways to not go infinite. I've been out of constructed since SOM block rotation and all I've been doing to go infinite is 4 pack sealed. It's infinite, but it's that +0.2 tix kind of infinite that gets you nowhere.
Can't wait to get into block constructed! I didn't notice so much 2-1 splitting back when I played dailies in the summer. Is it really that common? Sounds like a great deal.
I haven't played a lot of Boros lately, so maybe Hero is better than Koth postboard, but I would want to maximize cards to fight DOJ.
As far as the Sword vs Emeria, I don't know the decklist, but I assume they are running mystics, squadron hawks, wall of omens, pilgrim's eye, etc, all cards that keep your hand full of gas. The extended version runs flickerwisp to take advantage of all the ETB triggers. I assume they are running 4x Sun Titan since he's a big part of the Emeria engine, bringing back fetchlands, creatures, Emeria the Sky Ruin and Tec Edges, not to mention creatures sacc'd to mortapod.
I'm surprised you won since that deck is usually auto-win vs aggro, and pretty much auto-loses to Valakut.
We had another record turnout at When Worlds Kaleid tonight, and there was much excitement about the format change. :) Next week will be the new K-scope format, and I am very interested to see what's going to hit the tables. I'm hoping to see all of you K-scope players show your ugly mugs, and I am making it a point to be in the /join Kaleidoscope room when I'm online.
The new expensive plainswalker comes from a smaller set in the middle of a block. It's almost like this has happened before. It sounds like Wizards has found a formula to keep people drafting the first big set from a block even after all the value has gone out of it. It's almost like they were in the business to make money. It will be interesting to see if the next big power plainswalker is released the same way.
I do have feast in my sideboard on the video but it doesn't show up on the decklist because Pure doesn't have links to Sword of Feast and Famine.
Body and Mind v Emeria - If your opponent gets to active Emeria state the mill isn't likely to matter as much as your slow speed. It does enhance Sun Titan; but I hadn't seen any from him and thought it was worth generating another non-red creature to attack with. As opposed to discard for a deck that ends up in topdeck mode rather easily.
Koth I have, the list I chose didn't play Koths and I can't argue either way in that regards. All I know is the list I chose top 8'd a premiere and similar lists did well in dailies that week so I figured it was a safe choice.
If you guys run a search for LoA on morphling.de look how many decks it sees play in. I know what the Classic metagame is like right now. The Vintage metagame is similar. It's logical to me to think that if it can see play in Vintage, it should be seeing play in Classic.
You can't think of it in terms as being only fantastic in the control matchup. It's fantastic when you play it with 6-7 cards in hand, period. Which can happen against any deck. Yes, it shines against control, but that isn't its only forte. And you have to remember that the downside to this is so marginal! Looking beyond the situations where it isn't actively drawing you cards, it is still a land that taps for mana.
Yes I should have been specific, Blazing Torch is not an answer for Boros against specifically Phyrexian Crusader unless you would already have a Mortapod or Bonehoard out, although realistically you should always search up bonehoard first vs UB Crusader decks, since it ducks inquisition. You ran into that protection issue with torch a lot in Zendikar block, for anyone who remembers it.
Firewalkers are a big deal in the boros mirror, and are seeing a lot of play now due to the rise of monored. Certain equipment are also unplayable against certain decks, like SoBaM vs Vampires. I'm also pretty surprised you don't have feast and famine in your sideboard, especially since Vampires is a very real deck, sadly, and a fairly bad matchup for Boros.
I would also have sided out Body and Mind vs Monowhite Emeria decks, not only because it feeds Emeria, but it also feeds Sun Titan. Feast and Famine/Koth are great win conditions vs those decks, but I assume you don't have Koth due to price? 2/2 Koth/Oxid Ridge is pretty standard, and Oxid Ridge does not dodge removal.
I was wondering, since you already have the FOW's, any chance of playing something like Reanimator? The deck is a little slower since Personal Tutor is hardly Mystical Tutor, but a fairly reliable turn 3 reanimate via exhume is still pretty great, and it is a lot better and consistent than Show and Tell/Sneak Attack decks that still exist.
You also still get plenty of those turn 2 reanimate Iona, Inkwell or whatever with Daze/FOW backup that just beats almost every other deck legacy.
I think it is a much more interesting and interactive deck than, say, Alluren, Dredge or Tendrils decks, which play a lot of solitaire.
Thank you all for the 5 Star Ratings, it really helps motivate me :D.
On Blazing Torch: Rules Quote
"10/1/2009: The source of the damage is Blazing Torch, not the equipped creature. However, the equipped creature's ability is what targets the creature or player. If Blazing Torch is equipped to a red creature, for example, the ability couldn't target a creature with protection from red. It could target a creature with protection from artifacts, but all the damage would be prevented."
So it doesn't hit unless its on a nonwhite non red creature.
Although, good points to bring up are perilous myr (as you mentioned) and quicksand possibilities in sideboard. (I still don't think Phy crusader is prevalent enough for these drastic options.)
On Mark of Mutiny: Act of treason type cards lends themselves to being "all in" cards; the ideal goal for casting them is that your opponent dies this turn (or is mortally wounded). Since these cards are usually card disadvantage. The extra damage is often more relevant than the 1 extra p/t coming back. (Since if you don't wrap up the game the turn you steal, you are really far behind)
Same Reason Mono Red played Char when it was available, getting an extra point of damage in is usually worth the risk of taking a little more damage yourself, if your opponent is at 4 and you Char them, the drawback doesn't matter. (Unless you were at 2 :P)
I liked the article but the Star Rating system left me quite confused. I think it needed explaining at the top of the article. I'm not sure what 'playability' means in the sense you are using it. Is it looking at how easy/difficult the deck is to play or how competitive it is against the field.
I assumed with cost the more stars the cheaper the deck, but that doesn't seem to ring true with your ratings. The $6 White Weenie deck gets a '1-Star' for Cost, as does the $32 Mono Blue Control deck.
Finally, I'm guessing investment relates to the reusability of the cards in the deck. Though this also isn't explained very clearly. For instance, I don't understand why the Orzhov Control deck's cards are a better investment than those in the Burn or Mono-Blue Control decks. I'd imagine burn spells and counter spells are much more universally useful than cards like Blind Hunter etc.
Just wanted to say, if anyone is having issues with Phyrexian Crusaders, or Kor Firewalkers, there are some great answers that Boros has available. Besides having bonehoard maindeck vs these creatures, Blazing Torch as a 1-of in the board allows you to tutor up an answer with stoneforge, and at the worst it can be used to go straight to the dome. I always liked it better than Perilous Myr, because you don't have sacrifice outlets like Kuldotha Red.
I may not be spotting it, but why are there Evolving Wilds in the Affinity list? I doesn't have any basic lands ... And tbh, it's a fairly high lands count (25) for an Affinity list.
Wasn't even been aware they changed the pauper dailys to weekdays. Here I thought it was limited to Sat-Sun. That makes it much more viable and good on them for doing it. It's been a long time since I brushed off my pauper deck.
I disagree on the thing about not enough pauper DE's, before the change to 2 events an hour, with pauper and legacy being my primary constructed formats, I was seriously thinking about getting into block. However that has changed, in the next 24 hours are 4 Pauper daily events (same as scars block or standard) and 99% of them fire on time. It is very true about 8-mans though, you are pretty much out of luck on those unless you want to play standard.
As far as playing core set, I honestly wouldn't know. My primary limited format at the moment is Zen, so I just go with either whatever pack has the highest value, or whatever queue is about to have a daily/has a person in the 2-man.
Always enjoy these articles. Nice to see you giving an aggro deck a run out this time.
Personally, I quite enjoy running aggro decks and Boros certainly has some pretty explosive power.
Mark of Mutiny is vastly superior to Act of Treason. Although it has other uses, its primary purpose is to steal Primevals. The Valakut matchup is a pure race and you should have them in single digits before Titan hits the board, otherwise you were going to lose anyway. Since the Mark is not meant to be played unless it's going for lethal, the counter is a bonus, not a drawback.
Generally speaking once the cat is out of the bag about what the hot trending cards are they become much higher priority picks. The effect is usually somewhat gradual but in time you should never see a money card passed unless someone cracks an insanely good pack and you are lucky to be near them downriver.
Again another very good article.
I will most probably try what you are suggesting but there is one thing I'm not sure to have understood correctly.
If I do 2-man queue for SOM Block for example, everytimes I win I get a SOM booster. It is a good thing for my draft, but I still need tickets to buy the MBS booster right and pay the 2 tickets fees?
To have tickets I need to sell cards that I drafted. But as you said in a previous article, there's is not a lot of cards I can sell for tickets in SOM block so I will need to be lucky to get these kind of cards.
I you write that with 75% of win you make profit, is it by selling boosters? If so I never tried but is there's a lot of people buying SOM boosters?
Lastly, I draft a lot of Urza's draft this past month. As a result at the end, I arrived kinda even after a month (Which is not that bad since I played a lot of Magic without spending money). My main point is that during all these drafts I made, I never had the chance to received from another player any expensive rare like show and tell. Is it just me or maybe now people are just aware of these cards cards that worth a lot?
Thanks
Just did a tournament podcast with my pal David
We look at tournaments each week and I wanted to plug the pilot episode
http://jake_antonetz.podbean.com/2011/03/26/mtg-tournament-cast-rough-dr...
Thanks!
ok ty
NIce job. I can tell the affinity has a mistake but if people looked and did some math its fairly clear the cards dont belong in the deck and i understand you arent saying to play them as well. That said do make sure you fully check your decklists for old stragglers like thos e9 lands.
Jund is by far the best deck. It plays 8 Vindicate, Deed, Void and the best 2 drop in the entire format=Putrid Leech and the best turn 2 removal in Terminate.
Correct the decklists, is not just the lands in affinity, check some numbers. Then I'll save this article to check it out constantly.
Nice read, and I'm looking forward to this top 10 ways to not go infinite. I've been out of constructed since SOM block rotation and all I've been doing to go infinite is 4 pack sealed. It's infinite, but it's that +0.2 tix kind of infinite that gets you nowhere.
Can't wait to get into block constructed! I didn't notice so much 2-1 splitting back when I played dailies in the summer. Is it really that common? Sounds like a great deal.
I haven't played a lot of Boros lately, so maybe Hero is better than Koth postboard, but I would want to maximize cards to fight DOJ.
As far as the Sword vs Emeria, I don't know the decklist, but I assume they are running mystics, squadron hawks, wall of omens, pilgrim's eye, etc, all cards that keep your hand full of gas. The extended version runs flickerwisp to take advantage of all the ETB triggers. I assume they are running 4x Sun Titan since he's a big part of the Emeria engine, bringing back fetchlands, creatures, Emeria the Sky Ruin and Tec Edges, not to mention creatures sacc'd to mortapod.
I'm surprised you won since that deck is usually auto-win vs aggro, and pretty much auto-loses to Valakut.
We had another record turnout at When Worlds Kaleid tonight, and there was much excitement about the format change. :) Next week will be the new K-scope format, and I am very interested to see what's going to hit the tables. I'm hoping to see all of you K-scope players show your ugly mugs, and I am making it a point to be in the /join Kaleidoscope room when I'm online.
The new expensive plainswalker comes from a smaller set in the middle of a block. It's almost like this has happened before. It sounds like Wizards has found a formula to keep people drafting the first big set from a block even after all the value has gone out of it. It's almost like they were in the business to make money. It will be interesting to see if the next big power plainswalker is released the same way.
I do have feast in my sideboard on the video but it doesn't show up on the decklist because Pure doesn't have links to Sword of Feast and Famine.
Body and Mind v Emeria - If your opponent gets to active Emeria state the mill isn't likely to matter as much as your slow speed. It does enhance Sun Titan; but I hadn't seen any from him and thought it was worth generating another non-red creature to attack with. As opposed to discard for a deck that ends up in topdeck mode rather easily.
Koth I have, the list I chose didn't play Koths and I can't argue either way in that regards. All I know is the list I chose top 8'd a premiere and similar lists did well in dailies that week so I figured it was a safe choice.
If you guys run a search for LoA on morphling.de look how many decks it sees play in. I know what the Classic metagame is like right now. The Vintage metagame is similar. It's logical to me to think that if it can see play in Vintage, it should be seeing play in Classic.
You can't think of it in terms as being only fantastic in the control matchup. It's fantastic when you play it with 6-7 cards in hand, period. Which can happen against any deck. Yes, it shines against control, but that isn't its only forte. And you have to remember that the downside to this is so marginal! Looking beyond the situations where it isn't actively drawing you cards, it is still a land that taps for mana.
Yes I should have been specific, Blazing Torch is not an answer for Boros against specifically Phyrexian Crusader unless you would already have a Mortapod or Bonehoard out, although realistically you should always search up bonehoard first vs UB Crusader decks, since it ducks inquisition. You ran into that protection issue with torch a lot in Zendikar block, for anyone who remembers it.
Firewalkers are a big deal in the boros mirror, and are seeing a lot of play now due to the rise of monored. Certain equipment are also unplayable against certain decks, like SoBaM vs Vampires. I'm also pretty surprised you don't have feast and famine in your sideboard, especially since Vampires is a very real deck, sadly, and a fairly bad matchup for Boros.
I would also have sided out Body and Mind vs Monowhite Emeria decks, not only because it feeds Emeria, but it also feeds Sun Titan. Feast and Famine/Koth are great win conditions vs those decks, but I assume you don't have Koth due to price? 2/2 Koth/Oxid Ridge is pretty standard, and Oxid Ridge does not dodge removal.
Thank you, that make perfectly sense. :)
I was wondering, since you already have the FOW's, any chance of playing something like Reanimator? The deck is a little slower since Personal Tutor is hardly Mystical Tutor, but a fairly reliable turn 3 reanimate via exhume is still pretty great, and it is a lot better and consistent than Show and Tell/Sneak Attack decks that still exist.
You also still get plenty of those turn 2 reanimate Iona, Inkwell or whatever with Daze/FOW backup that just beats almost every other deck legacy.
I think it is a much more interesting and interactive deck than, say, Alluren, Dredge or Tendrils decks, which play a lot of solitaire.
Thank you all for the 5 Star Ratings, it really helps motivate me :D.
On Blazing Torch: Rules Quote
"10/1/2009: The source of the damage is Blazing Torch, not the equipped creature. However, the equipped creature's ability is what targets the creature or player. If Blazing Torch is equipped to a red creature, for example, the ability couldn't target a creature with protection from red. It could target a creature with protection from artifacts, but all the damage would be prevented."
So it doesn't hit unless its on a nonwhite non red creature.
Although, good points to bring up are perilous myr (as you mentioned) and quicksand possibilities in sideboard. (I still don't think Phy crusader is prevalent enough for these drastic options.)
On Mark of Mutiny: Act of treason type cards lends themselves to being "all in" cards; the ideal goal for casting them is that your opponent dies this turn (or is mortally wounded). Since these cards are usually card disadvantage. The extra damage is often more relevant than the 1 extra p/t coming back. (Since if you don't wrap up the game the turn you steal, you are really far behind)
Same Reason Mono Red played Char when it was available, getting an extra point of damage in is usually worth the risk of taking a little more damage yourself, if your opponent is at 4 and you Char them, the drawback doesn't matter. (Unless you were at 2 :P)
I liked the article but the Star Rating system left me quite confused. I think it needed explaining at the top of the article. I'm not sure what 'playability' means in the sense you are using it. Is it looking at how easy/difficult the deck is to play or how competitive it is against the field.
I assumed with cost the more stars the cheaper the deck, but that doesn't seem to ring true with your ratings. The $6 White Weenie deck gets a '1-Star' for Cost, as does the $32 Mono Blue Control deck.
Finally, I'm guessing investment relates to the reusability of the cards in the deck. Though this also isn't explained very clearly. For instance, I don't understand why the Orzhov Control deck's cards are a better investment than those in the Burn or Mono-Blue Control decks. I'd imagine burn spells and counter spells are much more universally useful than cards like Blind Hunter etc.
Just wanted to say, if anyone is having issues with Phyrexian Crusaders, or Kor Firewalkers, there are some great answers that Boros has available. Besides having bonehoard maindeck vs these creatures, Blazing Torch as a 1-of in the board allows you to tutor up an answer with stoneforge, and at the worst it can be used to go straight to the dome. I always liked it better than Perilous Myr, because you don't have sacrifice outlets like Kuldotha Red.
A good article, that may have needed a polish.
I may not be spotting it, but why are there Evolving Wilds in the Affinity list? I doesn't have any basic lands ... And tbh, it's a fairly high lands count (25) for an Affinity list.
Wasn't even been aware they changed the pauper dailys to weekdays. Here I thought it was limited to Sat-Sun. That makes it much more viable and good on them for doing it. It's been a long time since I brushed off my pauper deck.
I disagree on the thing about not enough pauper DE's, before the change to 2 events an hour, with pauper and legacy being my primary constructed formats, I was seriously thinking about getting into block. However that has changed, in the next 24 hours are 4 Pauper daily events (same as scars block or standard) and 99% of them fire on time. It is very true about 8-mans though, you are pretty much out of luck on those unless you want to play standard.
As far as playing core set, I honestly wouldn't know. My primary limited format at the moment is Zen, so I just go with either whatever pack has the highest value, or whatever queue is about to have a daily/has a person in the 2-man.
Always enjoy these articles. Nice to see you giving an aggro deck a run out this time.
Personally, I quite enjoy running aggro decks and Boros certainly has some pretty explosive power.
Such a deck can NEVER work with 22 lands. Hammy's version is similar, your decks need 25 lands at least...
Mark of Mutiny is vastly superior to Act of Treason. Although it has other uses, its primary purpose is to steal Primevals. The Valakut matchup is a pure race and you should have them in single digits before Titan hits the board, otherwise you were going to lose anyway. Since the Mark is not meant to be played unless it's going for lethal, the counter is a bonus, not a drawback.