Thanks for passing that on, Paul. :) I'm gong to do my damnedest to borrow a computer in a relatively soundproof room for Monday, 3rd January just so we can do this.
I think blood moon along with Armageddon and other mass land hosers basically are part of the non spoken social contract as cards not to play. You play those often enough you will find yourself not completing many games I think.
You shouldn't pop it. I've actually won a few games by the Mono U player reining and killing my Koth and me just playing another. The only was you should pop it is if a Liquimetal Coating is on the board.
When there are a total of 3 spells that destroy it (1 of which is played) big non artifact dudes are awesome. I tried getting liege of the tangle to work but it just didn't :/.
The worst match up is UW which is still the best deck in the format. The only way monoblue beats UW is when it gets the nuts or when UW screws of floods.
While the mana base for 100cs and commander is similar, they can be very different. Commander is much more forgiving so budget lands don't affect the playability of your deck much. When your goal is at least 10 mana by turn 10 you should have the colors to cast anything, so you don't have to worry as much about color fixing if you are playing a 2-3 color deck. Also, by managing when to play lands that you can use right away and those that come into play tapped you can minimize the loss of tempo. It won't matter much if you play Lightning Greaves on turn 3 rather than turn 2, but you do want to play your Titans on turn 6 (or earlier).
Another thing about commander is I find many players play way too many non-basic lands. One blood moon and they can't do anything. Any with 3 opponents, chances are you will run into non-basic land hate fairly often.
Very comprehensive and a great way for all players to quickly put together a first draft for a mana base or, if they don't have all the cards yet, give them a way to maintain a wishlist and figure out their spending priorities.
Just a few points, some of which have been covered...
First, you mentioned the set of cycling lands which cost C to cycle, but there's also a set that costs 2 to cycle. They can be quite handy in dual- and tri-coloured decks if you're missing one of the colours you need since as long as you have 2 mana, you'll always be able to cycle them away, which is sometimes a reason to run them over the cycle-for-C variety.
Second, yeah, you had to draw the line somewhere, but thanks for listing some of the options like the trilands and vivid lands in your follow-up comment.
Third, you can sometimes do with much fewer of the powerful, expensive land cards for mono-coloured decks. I've got a mono-white weenie deck that uses just Tectonic Edge, Flagstone of Trokair, Karakas and Horizon Canopy as its only non-basics. A mono-red weenie aggro deck could also use a similarly low number if it was willing to leave out CIPT lands. Besides being cheaper, such a mana base can be a lot more consistent than a fully-powered one, meaning you're not stuck with CIPT lands like man-lands or colourless-only lands like Wasteland in the first few turns where mana really counts the most.
I suppose the last two points are fairly important to point out for players wishing to enter these formats. Looking at lists like these where the price ranges for a mana base are listed as between around 75 and 230 can look fairly daunting. I think it's important to point out that players can get into the format by spending a lot less. Even 5-colour decks can work with a very cheap (much less than 75!) mana base, especially if you play green as a major colour. For example, the deck listed here: http://www.mtgoacademy.com/budget-cuts-back-to-basics/
Finally, wouldn't it be great if the client could open a deck file and add all the cards in it to the current deck? I'd personally love to be able to build decks in a more modular way, but right now the only way to merge decklists is to do it outside the client in a text editor. Unless and until Wizards do decide to add that feature, though, at least we still have the cut/paste option, so these lists are still very handy.
Well yeah. I can have a million life and it wouldn't matter against infect. I'd rather bring in cheaper solutions to shut down one of their infectors, which is essentially all wurmcoil does in that match up.
Not sure if I follow you there. But there was a time in Standard where you weren't guaranteed one of the following match ups: Valakut, U/W U/B RUG BUG Control, Boros, WW Quest, or B/R Vampires. Occasionally you get Elves, which is usually an easy match up.
I like that play a lot! With my opponent on 4 land, it's highly likely to eat his whole turn without him playing a card from his hand, which is very valuable tempo gain and well worth a point to the face. Keeping the Cur alive that turn as a blocker would have been valuable too. Nicely spotted! I didn't see that during the game or in analyzing it and writing it up after. Subtle, clever moves like that are probably one of the things separating me from the pro players. (That's certainly not the ONLY thing though, just one of 'em!) One of the benefits of writing these articles is having people point out things I missed and can learn from, so thank you very much.
I have made plays like waiting to force a use of Culling Dais until their turn, and then killing another thing or forcing blocks etc., so they end up with one less Culling Dais counter overall. I think I need to move the Dais up in my evaluations a bit, after watching LSV abuse one along with a Myrsmith, I can see people have been undervaluing it.
Or rather a strategic commitment. That is the real issue with nonbasics. They commit you to certain types of play. In some decks that commitment is a foregone conclusion (5color control for example) others like mono red the commitment is purely icing on the cake if the rest of the deck is solid.
Using all mountains isn't a handicap. It's a way to lower your land count by guaranteeing that every land you draw taps for red mana whenever you want it. Adding Wasteland to that is basically an extra spell, and leaving it out is defensible. Adding manlands and stuff like Keldon Megaliths is a matter of personal choice.
The constructed format is Heirloom Classic, the event starts at 11AM standard pacific time.
The links at the top of the article will get you to the legal card list and the tappedout card search engine, as well as the main thread for the events with the most up to date news.
I suspect the mention of TheKid isn't about saying everyone can do what he does. More it is a kind of test if you will. Those with native skill/talent CAN overcome budget problems even if the average player can not. I do not like this suggestion either as it seems to be a cop out answer to the "the format is too expensive" complaint being issued. It IS too expensive for the average player. That is the only correct answer. The fact of the matter is 100cs will never be inclusive and will always be a club format. It is set up to take advantage of owning expensive cards and imho that is how it should be. I don't want the elitists playing my favorite formats. Keep them in 100cs. :) (Yes I know how ironically intolerant that sounds. :P)
Thanks for passing that on, Paul. :) I'm gong to do my damnedest to borrow a computer in a relatively soundproof room for Monday, 3rd January just so we can do this.
Hehe well it does feel like a long time ago when you're into competitive Standard, and you're being handed free byes every now and then.
Mark of Mutiny on Precursor Golem = Good times!
Searing Blaze on Precursor Golem = 2 Mana for Instant Chandra Ultimate!
Arc Trail on Turn 2 and 3 Poison guy = I feel bad for them because it feels like I snuck a Constructed deck into a Draft queue =/
I think blood moon along with Armageddon and other mass land hosers basically are part of the non spoken social contract as cards not to play. You play those often enough you will find yourself not completing many games I think.
You shouldn't pop it. I've actually won a few games by the Mono U player reining and killing my Koth and me just playing another. The only was you should pop it is if a Liquimetal Coating is on the board.
When there are a total of 3 spells that destroy it (1 of which is played) big non artifact dudes are awesome. I tried getting liege of the tangle to work but it just didn't :/.
The worst match up is UW which is still the best deck in the format. The only way monoblue beats UW is when it gets the nuts or when UW screws of floods.
Great Article.
I would like to see another on budget lands too.
While the mana base for 100cs and commander is similar, they can be very different. Commander is much more forgiving so budget lands don't affect the playability of your deck much. When your goal is at least 10 mana by turn 10 you should have the colors to cast anything, so you don't have to worry as much about color fixing if you are playing a 2-3 color deck. Also, by managing when to play lands that you can use right away and those that come into play tapped you can minimize the loss of tempo. It won't matter much if you play Lightning Greaves on turn 3 rather than turn 2, but you do want to play your Titans on turn 6 (or earlier).
Another thing about commander is I find many players play way too many non-basic lands. One blood moon and they can't do anything. Any with 3 opponents, chances are you will run into non-basic land hate fairly often.
Very comprehensive and a great way for all players to quickly put together a first draft for a mana base or, if they don't have all the cards yet, give them a way to maintain a wishlist and figure out their spending priorities.
Just a few points, some of which have been covered...
First, you mentioned the set of cycling lands which cost C to cycle, but there's also a set that costs 2 to cycle. They can be quite handy in dual- and tri-coloured decks if you're missing one of the colours you need since as long as you have 2 mana, you'll always be able to cycle them away, which is sometimes a reason to run them over the cycle-for-C variety.
Second, yeah, you had to draw the line somewhere, but thanks for listing some of the options like the trilands and vivid lands in your follow-up comment.
Third, you can sometimes do with much fewer of the powerful, expensive land cards for mono-coloured decks. I've got a mono-white weenie deck that uses just Tectonic Edge, Flagstone of Trokair, Karakas and Horizon Canopy as its only non-basics. A mono-red weenie aggro deck could also use a similarly low number if it was willing to leave out CIPT lands. Besides being cheaper, such a mana base can be a lot more consistent than a fully-powered one, meaning you're not stuck with CIPT lands like man-lands or colourless-only lands like Wasteland in the first few turns where mana really counts the most.
I suppose the last two points are fairly important to point out for players wishing to enter these formats. Looking at lists like these where the price ranges for a mana base are listed as between around 75 and 230 can look fairly daunting. I think it's important to point out that players can get into the format by spending a lot less. Even 5-colour decks can work with a very cheap (much less than 75!) mana base, especially if you play green as a major colour. For example, the deck listed here: http://www.mtgoacademy.com/budget-cuts-back-to-basics/
Finally, wouldn't it be great if the client could open a deck file and add all the cards in it to the current deck? I'd personally love to be able to build decks in a more modular way, but right now the only way to merge decklists is to do it outside the client in a text editor. Unless and until Wizards do decide to add that feature, though, at least we still have the cut/paste option, so these lists are still very handy.
Very playable and very good!
Well yeah. I can have a million life and it wouldn't matter against infect. I'd rather bring in cheaper solutions to shut down one of their infectors, which is essentially all wurmcoil does in that match up.
Sorry I was being ironic because you make it sound like ages and ages ago when it was probably what a month or two? A blink to me.
Finally a format where something resembling Shivan Dragon is playable!
Not sure if I follow you there. But there was a time in Standard where you weren't guaranteed one of the following match ups: Valakut, U/W U/B RUG BUG Control, Boros, WW Quest, or B/R Vampires. Occasionally you get Elves, which is usually an easy match up.
Yeah so many decades ago right? I miss being able to bring carbines into the cas cas room and toss a grenade in the general direction of the mizers.
Looks like I will need to do another Heirloom Commander Deck.
I like that play a lot! With my opponent on 4 land, it's highly likely to eat his whole turn without him playing a card from his hand, which is very valuable tempo gain and well worth a point to the face. Keeping the Cur alive that turn as a blocker would have been valuable too. Nicely spotted! I didn't see that during the game or in analyzing it and writing it up after. Subtle, clever moves like that are probably one of the things separating me from the pro players. (That's certainly not the ONLY thing though, just one of 'em!) One of the benefits of writing these articles is having people point out things I missed and can learn from, so thank you very much.
I have made plays like waiting to force a use of Culling Dais until their turn, and then killing another thing or forcing blocks etc., so they end up with one less Culling Dais counter overall. I think I need to move the Dais up in my evaluations a bit, after watching LSV abuse one along with a Myrsmith, I can see people have been undervaluing it.
Nice report as always!
I'm having a lot of fun with the league (despite a poor personal score), and of course the weekly events are full of action too.
Heirloom Commander sounds interesting too, will have to try it someday! :)
Or rather a strategic commitment. That is the real issue with nonbasics. They commit you to certain types of play. In some decks that commitment is a foregone conclusion (5color control for example) others like mono red the commitment is purely icing on the cake if the rest of the deck is solid.
Using all mountains isn't a handicap. It's a way to lower your land count by guaranteeing that every land you draw taps for red mana whenever you want it. Adding Wasteland to that is basically an extra spell, and leaving it out is defensible. Adding manlands and stuff like Keldon Megaliths is a matter of personal choice.
@ brandonQDSH
The constructed format is Heirloom Classic, the event starts at 11AM standard pacific time.
The links at the top of the article will get you to the legal card list and the tappedout card search engine, as well as the main thread for the events with the most up to date news.
Be great having you there,
X-
I suspect the mention of TheKid isn't about saying everyone can do what he does. More it is a kind of test if you will. Those with native skill/talent CAN overcome budget problems even if the average player can not. I do not like this suggestion either as it seems to be a cop out answer to the "the format is too expensive" complaint being issued. It IS too expensive for the average player. That is the only correct answer. The fact of the matter is 100cs will never be inclusive and will always be a club format. It is set up to take advantage of owning expensive cards and imho that is how it should be. I don't want the elitists playing my favorite formats. Keep them in 100cs. :) (Yes I know how ironically intolerant that sounds. :P)
What's the format for the Constructed tournament? What time?
i will give the list a try...I may make a couple changes...because I love me some dragons...
maybe -1 spikeshot, -1 golem +2 Dragons
I agree with the liquimetal assessment. I was running it in the SB for a month...but found it lacking. Id rather pack "real" answers or threats.
I usually just rein a Koth @ 5 loyalty and pop it, or keep it around when it has less loyalty so he has to play two more to stick one