This is no surprise. Sheldon's article last week mentioned he was taking out Tajuru Preserver and putting Brooding Saurian back in. Emrakul explains the Preserver, Saurian must mean one of the new cards (or theme of a deck) is stealing someone's goodies (a la Bribery, Annex, etc).
Did you get this information from the new Commander site?
edit: mtgcommander.net gives this information. Also cool that I can use Thelon of Havenwood for a BG Commander. go, go thallids!
I would be the alluded to (wants to own every card ever made) online player, admittedly. However, that aside, there are a bunch left out that bug the heck out of me. My hope is that they are saving things intentionally to add to P9 stuff for a ME5. My biggies missing (other than the P9) are mainly black at this point. Stone-Throwing Devils, and Shahrazad being my biggest dissapointments. I understand shahrazad being left out, as the Barbary Apes may have trouble coding it, and the fact that it's banned (tho for a terrible reason, which has no parallel online, as rented hallspace limits is not really a problem online).
At least we got Gate to Phyrexia, so my silly Pre-Ice Age Mono-Black deck can kill artifacts. Amazing that to date that card is still unique in black.
I totally agree with Nettling Imp, and Sorceress Queen also, they totally should have been in there.
Also, tho off topic, I'm still a little salty about the RARE slotted Sinkhole.
I'm 100% sure that it is possible to get into the championship as of now. Eight weeks is enough time to get a few top-4s and a couple of points from swiss rounds. Winning a tournament (or more) would definitely help a lot.
I'm not sure how many Top-4's are required though. That's very hard to tell and it also depends on what others do too.
You make an excellent point that drafting and Block are good ways to build a collection, particularly starting from nothing. A new player just starting an MTGO account will have a good experience drafting a new set, trying different archetypes, and then using those cards in Block tournaments. Each block format experience is different, and at least in SoM, the block decks are much, much cheaper than competitive Standard decks. You get a good value for the money spent, are competing in events, and *hopefully* becoming a better player by seeing new card interactions & power levels.
I've been thinking of sinking some money into a block deck (since I don't play limited) to 1) be more competitive and 2) get a jump on Standard post-Jace, I mean post-Zendikar block. The deck or decks I play may not port to Standard, but some of the cards will no doubt be useful in future play.
Sheldon Menery wrote an article for ChannelFireball some time ago wherein he described how easily the douchebaggery could be dealt with. He and fellow judges were playing EDH after a tournament and a kid came by asking if he could join in. They welcomed him to the table. The kid proceeded to lock them all out of the game a few turns later.
Rather than scoop up their cards, however, Sheldon and the rest congratulated the kid and kept playing. The kid watched for a while, but got bored, said his goodbyes, and wandered off. Sheldon makes a strong argument for the social contract and punishment. The kid's punishment was not to play; it was unfun for him to sit and only watch.
That having been said, I like card interactions. Someone once said the "addiction" of Magic occured for each of us the same way: when we looked at a card and thought "that would go good with ", it was over; we were hooked. In a casual game, I don't mind combos much. Some players just want to see it "go off". When Ravnica was in standard, I played against a 5-color Eye of the Storm deck. I'd never seen it "go off". I sat for quite a few minutes while my opponent took extra turns, laboring over tapping his/her mana. At some point s/he apologized for taking so long (to kill me, I assumed), and that s/he had played around 12 games so far and still never went off. Everyone else had conceded before then.
I couldn't rob this person of their desire just to see their deck work, so I sat for quite a while, eventually dying. The player thanked me for waiting when others didn't. I lost a casual game, so what? I sat there for 10 more mintues F2ing my heart out, so what? I made this person feel good about themselves, and that mattered to me. I got a thrill out of seeing the deck go off, and I know my opponent did.
On the other hand, my nephew played a UB mill deck that locked me out with Isochron Scepter imprinted with Counterspell and Arcane Laboratory. When he pulled the deck out, I told him to put it away, because I was sick of playing against it, getting murdered by a Scalpelexis while getting milled.
These two situations are similar in that they show how I've been locked out. The difference is, the Eye of the Storm pilot had never been given a chance to "go off", my nephew had played the Mill deck countless times, and it was now unfun for me to play against.
If someone in a casual playgroup wants to try a new combo deck, let them. See the smile on their face when they go off, congratulate them while also asserting you don't want to play against that deck every time you sit across from them (virtually or physically). Moderation is key. As Leviathan said above, don't be stingy with congratulating a player for the win, booting them, then playing for 2nd place.
3 Mark of Mutiny
1 Moltentail Masticore
4 Jinxed Idol
2 Furnace Celebration
2 Burst Lightning
3 Brittle Effigy
So, in come the whys:
Jinxed Idol - The most different SB card from other lists (actually, never saw any list playing it). All in all, it provides extra damage against U/B or U/W control, and the price for bumping it back to your opponent is quite cheap... which is not the case if your opponent tries to bump it back to you, because he doesn't have much creatures, and in that case he will sacrifice a blocker, which is always good for you. On the other hand, this card combos a lot with other cards in the deck, like Furnace Celebration or Moltentail Masticore. Every time I play an Idol, I'm very happy because it will deal, at least, 2 damage, or worse case scenario will make your opponent sac a creature, allowing 1 more of your attackers to get in. But the real sweetness comes in the form of Jinxed Idol + Mark of Mutiny, I mean, give me your Titan, stuff 7, let me sac it to my... oops, your Jinxed Idol and have another 2?!? Sounds good. =)
Moltentail Masticore - Well, actually I'm playing IRL with this deck, and I couldn't afford 2 Koth of the Hammer or really wanted to borrow 2 from the community (I'm playing in a money top8, and wouldn't like my opponents to know what am I playing with). In practical terms, however, I find the Masticore much more aggressive than Koth, since it can always spit 4 damage in this deck. Also, as you know, this deck suffers a lot if it doesn't kill or if it doesn't put your opponent in a precarious position until the 6th or so turn, and if you run out of gas and happen to play a Masticore in mid to late game, it will pay off musch faster than koth, since it can also block and is very hard to remove. As for SB matters, it is a valuable ally against Firewalkers along with Brittle Effigy.
Brittle Effigy - When I first looked at it, I thought immediatly Kor Firewalker, but these days you have plenty of targets, like Emrakul, Avenger, Titans, Baneslayer, Engine, Iona,... all in all, it's much more effective than Perilous Myr, because Perilous needs to be sacced in order to kill a Firewalker, which means you need to spend two cards to deal with 1 problem, that is Kuldotha Rebirth + Peilous Myr (and this if he isn't already more than a mere 2/2, like when he is equipped with a Sword or the likes), and this proves to be inefficient, since what this deck needs is to have cards that do 2 for 1, and not the opposite. So, even though the Effigy is a 1for1, it will pay off much more than a Myr. Whenever you face a monster of the above list, then think which would you prefer to have on the table.
No Mox Opal - Moxes suck in this deck, I'd rather play Ornithopter, since it can deal damage, while the Mox can't.
1: it's Legendary, which by itself turns it into a mere target for Kuldotha Rebirth, and in that case the Thopter still is much better, since it can be a target and swing when Bushwhacked and still defend against something.
2: since people have already realised that Burst Lightning is much more effective than Galvanic Blast, and since in that case metalcraft becomes irrelevant, why keep the Mox?
No non basic except for fetches - As Price said, basics are the most realiable, and they exempt you from costs like coming into play tapped, which is a no-no in this deck. In the first 3/4 turns, you NEED to play lands that come untapped, or else... it becomes irrelevant if you make your Guide +2/+0 on turn 2, since you'd much rather something else, I'm sure. Unless there's a land that makes all your creatures unblocable when it comes into play, then I'll play Mountains any day.
Furnace Celebration - I got the idea from this thread, and it's quite smart actually. I thought it was random at first, or even noobish, I admit, but thinking about it makes sense to play 2, since it will be a very good card against the above mentioned U/W and U/B from mid to late game. This card even combos with my Jinxed Idol perfectly, and I'm quite happy to play it tomorrow in the top 8. Thanks for this, guys. =)
As for just 1 Burst maindeck, I really prefer Masticore over it, since the meta in the top8 tells me it will pay off much more. But I'd stick to 3 main deck otherwise. No Arc Trail in the SB is also because of the meta, or I'd run 3. All critics, good or bad, are more than welcome. =)
Yeah, my deck is a rip off Flippers_Girrafe's deck from one of the earlier seasons, I found the deck quite good and bought what I needed for it. And I made it worse. :(
I would definately change some things up if I had more tix at disposal, but I'm in the format for the fun, and trust me, I had more fun in these 4 events than any others I've played in the last few months, barring Heirloom. Thumbs up for the tournament, the organizers and every single player.
I hope to see more people playing it.
Also, I've only seen 1 UB teachings (and lost to it) :)
The Helm/Line deck is interesting indeed as it's based on one of my decks from the first season of BYOS, I was chatting to DH about it as I just happened to drop in as a watcher when he was using it.
I didn't know it won the event though.
Oh and you forgot combo decks I have a quite a few up my sleeves tested and raring to be played, I just need to find the time to play in an event.
Expect to face some UB Teachings control decks (in the hands of good players I might add), a lot of Aggro in the form of Allies or Zoo or Vampires or mono Red, and some midrange decks (Rock, Sea Stompy). Then there are those poison decks (they look easy and cheap but they always win!), and there is that HelmLine deck as well (and from time to time we see also some Storm decks).
Oh and then there is me! But who knows what I'll bring to the next event?!!? :)
Yeah, it's not a very common deck, but still, I really can't believe they left it out. =/ So weird. I can't help wonder if it was accidental or intentional, and I'm not really sure which is worse.
This was a better podcast than usual, perhaps because of all the changes and the fact that you missed two weeks, so there wasn't the usual, "not a lot going on" line you usually use. I'd also like to add that I really hope Keya becomes a permanent fixture in these podcasts.
As for pricing, I find it hilarious that all the speculators loaded up on Maelstrom Pulse, Knight of the Reliquary, etc., due to some recent articles advocating doing so, and as it turns out those were no shows at Worlds and the entire Extended meta is completely different than Amsterdam. I know that SHOULD be a kind of "duh" considering the loss of Time Spiral block, but nevertheless, it was clear that no one knew or was openly talking about a post-rotation Extended with any accuracy.
If this podcast came out after Worlds, I'm surprised there wasn't even a slight mention of the feeding frenzy that went on for Necrotic Ooze, Tempered Steel, Fulminator Mage, and other break out cards. It was kind of interesting to be a part of the frenzy. The bots were sold out quite quickly, but I managed to snag about 20 Oozes. =)
Yeah Control tribal is really tough. You need to double your creatures as control aspects in some manner. Thus Merfolk and Fae are the best control creatures. Now I am talking denial more than board control. Boros (Soldiers, Giants with Wrath, Plow, Path, Bolt, L Helix,) does a good job of Board Control as do Golgari (Zombies/Elves with Pernicious and Mpulse and Damnation) and Orzhov (Knights, Angels).
Yeah that's where the rules updates get posted. He is putting Saurion back in because Memnarch is now a legal commander.
Hey I play some pre ice age decks in the casual room sometimes... find me online and we can duel it out 1995 style!
This is no surprise. Sheldon's article last week mentioned he was taking out Tajuru Preserver and putting Brooding Saurian back in. Emrakul explains the Preserver, Saurian must mean one of the new cards (or theme of a deck) is stealing someone's goodies (a la Bribery, Annex, etc).
Did you get this information from the new Commander site?
edit: mtgcommander.net gives this information. Also cool that I can use Thelon of Havenwood for a BG Commander. go, go thallids!
Emrakul just got banned. I'm sure it will be updated online soon. That should take care of one problem at least.
I would be the alluded to (wants to own every card ever made) online player, admittedly. However, that aside, there are a bunch left out that bug the heck out of me. My hope is that they are saving things intentionally to add to P9 stuff for a ME5. My biggies missing (other than the P9) are mainly black at this point. Stone-Throwing Devils, and Shahrazad being my biggest dissapointments. I understand shahrazad being left out, as the Barbary Apes may have trouble coding it, and the fact that it's banned (tho for a terrible reason, which has no parallel online, as rented hallspace limits is not really a problem online).
At least we got Gate to Phyrexia, so my silly Pre-Ice Age Mono-Black deck can kill artifacts. Amazing that to date that card is still unique in black.
I totally agree with Nettling Imp, and Sorceress Queen also, they totally should have been in there.
Also, tho off topic, I'm still a little salty about the RARE slotted Sinkhole.
I'm 100% sure that it is possible to get into the championship as of now. Eight weeks is enough time to get a few top-4s and a couple of points from swiss rounds. Winning a tournament (or more) would definitely help a lot.
I'm not sure how many Top-4's are required though. That's very hard to tell and it also depends on what others do too.
LE
Oh I really do want to play again but for me to play an event on Sundays would require someone else to host the Tribal Apocalypse events.
edit-Fixed....
With eights weeks left is it possible to get into the championship, how many top four's are required?
You make an excellent point that drafting and Block are good ways to build a collection, particularly starting from nothing. A new player just starting an MTGO account will have a good experience drafting a new set, trying different archetypes, and then using those cards in Block tournaments. Each block format experience is different, and at least in SoM, the block decks are much, much cheaper than competitive Standard decks. You get a good value for the money spent, are competing in events, and *hopefully* becoming a better player by seeing new card interactions & power levels.
I've been thinking of sinking some money into a block deck (since I don't play limited) to 1) be more competitive and 2) get a jump on Standard post-Jace, I mean post-Zendikar block. The deck or decks I play may not port to Standard, but some of the cards will no doubt be useful in future play.
Sheldon Menery wrote an article for ChannelFireball some time ago wherein he described how easily the douchebaggery could be dealt with. He and fellow judges were playing EDH after a tournament and a kid came by asking if he could join in. They welcomed him to the table. The kid proceeded to lock them all out of the game a few turns later.
Rather than scoop up their cards, however, Sheldon and the rest congratulated the kid and kept playing. The kid watched for a while, but got bored, said his goodbyes, and wandered off. Sheldon makes a strong argument for the social contract and punishment. The kid's punishment was not to play; it was unfun for him to sit and only watch.
That having been said, I like card interactions. Someone once said the "addiction" of Magic occured for each of us the same way: when we looked at a card and thought "that would go good with ", it was over; we were hooked. In a casual game, I don't mind combos much. Some players just want to see it "go off". When Ravnica was in standard, I played against a 5-color Eye of the Storm deck. I'd never seen it "go off". I sat for quite a few minutes while my opponent took extra turns, laboring over tapping his/her mana. At some point s/he apologized for taking so long (to kill me, I assumed), and that s/he had played around 12 games so far and still never went off. Everyone else had conceded before then.
I couldn't rob this person of their desire just to see their deck work, so I sat for quite a while, eventually dying. The player thanked me for waiting when others didn't. I lost a casual game, so what? I sat there for 10 more mintues F2ing my heart out, so what? I made this person feel good about themselves, and that mattered to me. I got a thrill out of seeing the deck go off, and I know my opponent did.
On the other hand, my nephew played a UB mill deck that locked me out with Isochron Scepter imprinted with Counterspell and Arcane Laboratory. When he pulled the deck out, I told him to put it away, because I was sick of playing against it, getting murdered by a Scalpelexis while getting milled.
These two situations are similar in that they show how I've been locked out. The difference is, the Eye of the Storm pilot had never been given a chance to "go off", my nephew had played the Mill deck countless times, and it was now unfun for me to play against.
If someone in a casual playgroup wants to try a new combo deck, let them. See the smile on their face when they go off, congratulate them while also asserting you don't want to play against that deck every time you sit across from them (virtually or physically). Moderation is key. As Leviathan said above, don't be stingy with congratulating a player for the win, booting them, then playing for 2nd place.
Been testing with Kuldotha Red for future Standard, and my list is as follows:
4 Goblin Guide
4 Goblin Bushwhacker
4 Goblin Chieftain
4 Memnite
2 Spikeshot Elder
2 Moltentail Masticore
4 Chimeric Mass
3 Panic Spellbomb
4 Kuldotha Rebirth
2 Devastating Summons
4 Lightning Bolt
1 Burst Lightning
4 Arid Mesa
4 Scalding Tarn
14 Mountain
Sideboard
3 Mark of Mutiny
1 Moltentail Masticore
4 Jinxed Idol
2 Furnace Celebration
2 Burst Lightning
3 Brittle Effigy
So, in come the whys:
Jinxed Idol - The most different SB card from other lists (actually, never saw any list playing it). All in all, it provides extra damage against U/B or U/W control, and the price for bumping it back to your opponent is quite cheap... which is not the case if your opponent tries to bump it back to you, because he doesn't have much creatures, and in that case he will sacrifice a blocker, which is always good for you. On the other hand, this card combos a lot with other cards in the deck, like Furnace Celebration or Moltentail Masticore. Every time I play an Idol, I'm very happy because it will deal, at least, 2 damage, or worse case scenario will make your opponent sac a creature, allowing 1 more of your attackers to get in. But the real sweetness comes in the form of Jinxed Idol + Mark of Mutiny, I mean, give me your Titan, stuff 7, let me sac it to my... oops, your Jinxed Idol and have another 2?!? Sounds good. =)
Moltentail Masticore - Well, actually I'm playing IRL with this deck, and I couldn't afford 2 Koth of the Hammer or really wanted to borrow 2 from the community (I'm playing in a money top8, and wouldn't like my opponents to know what am I playing with). In practical terms, however, I find the Masticore much more aggressive than Koth, since it can always spit 4 damage in this deck. Also, as you know, this deck suffers a lot if it doesn't kill or if it doesn't put your opponent in a precarious position until the 6th or so turn, and if you run out of gas and happen to play a Masticore in mid to late game, it will pay off musch faster than koth, since it can also block and is very hard to remove. As for SB matters, it is a valuable ally against Firewalkers along with Brittle Effigy.
Brittle Effigy - When I first looked at it, I thought immediatly Kor Firewalker, but these days you have plenty of targets, like Emrakul, Avenger, Titans, Baneslayer, Engine, Iona,... all in all, it's much more effective than Perilous Myr, because Perilous needs to be sacced in order to kill a Firewalker, which means you need to spend two cards to deal with 1 problem, that is Kuldotha Rebirth + Peilous Myr (and this if he isn't already more than a mere 2/2, like when he is equipped with a Sword or the likes), and this proves to be inefficient, since what this deck needs is to have cards that do 2 for 1, and not the opposite. So, even though the Effigy is a 1for1, it will pay off much more than a Myr. Whenever you face a monster of the above list, then think which would you prefer to have on the table.
No Mox Opal - Moxes suck in this deck, I'd rather play Ornithopter, since it can deal damage, while the Mox can't.
1: it's Legendary, which by itself turns it into a mere target for Kuldotha Rebirth, and in that case the Thopter still is much better, since it can be a target and swing when Bushwhacked and still defend against something.
2: since people have already realised that Burst Lightning is much more effective than Galvanic Blast, and since in that case metalcraft becomes irrelevant, why keep the Mox?
No non basic except for fetches - As Price said, basics are the most realiable, and they exempt you from costs like coming into play tapped, which is a no-no in this deck. In the first 3/4 turns, you NEED to play lands that come untapped, or else... it becomes irrelevant if you make your Guide +2/+0 on turn 2, since you'd much rather something else, I'm sure. Unless there's a land that makes all your creatures unblocable when it comes into play, then I'll play Mountains any day.
Furnace Celebration - I got the idea from this thread, and it's quite smart actually. I thought it was random at first, or even noobish, I admit, but thinking about it makes sense to play 2, since it will be a very good card against the above mentioned U/W and U/B from mid to late game. This card even combos with my Jinxed Idol perfectly, and I'm quite happy to play it tomorrow in the top 8. Thanks for this, guys. =)
As for just 1 Burst maindeck, I really prefer Masticore over it, since the meta in the top8 tells me it will pay off much more. But I'd stick to 3 main deck otherwise. No Arc Trail in the SB is also because of the meta, or I'd run 3. All critics, good or bad, are more than welcome. =)
Hello everyone, DH here
Yeah, my deck is a rip off Flippers_Girrafe's deck from one of the earlier seasons, I found the deck quite good and bought what I needed for it. And I made it worse. :(
I would definately change some things up if I had more tix at disposal, but I'm in the format for the fun, and trust me, I had more fun in these 4 events than any others I've played in the last few months, barring Heirloom. Thumbs up for the tournament, the organizers and every single player.
I hope to see more people playing it.
Also, I've only seen 1 UB teachings (and lost to it) :)
Well, we are excitedly waiting your return to the BYOS battlefields Mr. Flippers :). You are, after all, the champion of season one.
But don't forget that time is also running out. We just played week nine last Sunday. So whatever you'll do, you should do quickly.
Awaiting to meet you on the battlefield.
LE
Well after posting that I have placed in the packs in 6 straight DE's..I 0-2 droped yesterday...yeah karam
The Helm/Line deck is interesting indeed as it's based on one of my decks from the first season of BYOS, I was chatting to DH about it as I just happened to drop in as a watcher when he was using it.
I didn't know it won the event though.
Oh and you forgot combo decks I have a quite a few up my sleeves tested and raring to be played, I just need to find the time to play in an event.
About the current BYOS meta:
Expect to face some UB Teachings control decks (in the hands of good players I might add), a lot of Aggro in the form of Allies or Zoo or Vampires or mono Red, and some midrange decks (Rock, Sea Stompy). Then there are those poison decks (they look easy and cheap but they always win!), and there is that HelmLine deck as well (and from time to time we see also some Storm decks).
Oh and then there is me! But who knows what I'll bring to the next event?!!? :)
LE
Yeah, it's not a very common deck, but still, I really can't believe they left it out. =/ So weird. I can't help wonder if it was accidental or intentional, and I'm not really sure which is worse.
This was a better podcast than usual, perhaps because of all the changes and the fact that you missed two weeks, so there wasn't the usual, "not a lot going on" line you usually use. I'd also like to add that I really hope Keya becomes a permanent fixture in these podcasts.
As for pricing, I find it hilarious that all the speculators loaded up on Maelstrom Pulse, Knight of the Reliquary, etc., due to some recent articles advocating doing so, and as it turns out those were no shows at Worlds and the entire Extended meta is completely different than Amsterdam. I know that SHOULD be a kind of "duh" considering the loss of Time Spiral block, but nevertheless, it was clear that no one knew or was openly talking about a post-rotation Extended with any accuracy.
If this podcast came out after Worlds, I'm surprised there wasn't even a slight mention of the feeding frenzy that went on for Necrotic Ooze, Tempered Steel, Fulminator Mage, and other break out cards. It was kind of interesting to be a part of the frenzy. The bots were sold out quite quickly, but I managed to snag about 20 Oozes. =)
...actually I already have my Hyper Build ready :-) It will be bad in the Meta, but I will try it once!
Yeah I know :) Naga loves him some hyper cascading. :) I wish him luck against the field. Not an easy bunch that.
Paul, I'm 110% sure he will try Hypergenesis first :). And I think he will be successful with that deck too.
LE
Buy your firemane angels now and save yourself time. :p
Great read again!
I will come back to this article for an overview of possible decks etc. before playing my first BYOS event some day!
I saw the HelmLine deck in action, looks interesting...
at first Ishan's Shade is named Ihsan's Shade and has protection from white.
And really there are only 3 creatures with pro black (and among them only 1 is common):
Minion of Leshrac
Cemetery Gate
Spirit of the Night
20 points to Erik for the double pun.
Yeah Control tribal is really tough. You need to double your creatures as control aspects in some manner. Thus Merfolk and Fae are the best control creatures. Now I am talking denial more than board control. Boros (Soldiers, Giants with Wrath, Plow, Path, Bolt, L Helix,) does a good job of Board Control as do Golgari (Zombies/Elves with Pernicious and Mpulse and Damnation) and Orzhov (Knights, Angels).