Actually, match reports for casual decks aren't useless. You just have to remember that the reason for including them is slightly different to tournament decks.
One of the main reasons for including match reports for a tournament deck is to showcase how your new deck performs against an existing respected tournament deck. To give it kudos so to speak.
Match reports for casual don't need to do this because you don't need to prove your deck has game against any particular deck. But in the same way that I find it hard to visualise the living room when my wife is talking wallpapers and new curtains, I find it hard to visualise how a deck plays with just a deck list. I can't tell if the deck list you just gave is utter jank or genius. You should include match reports because people want to see how the deck works in a game environment. Even with a casual deck I'd like to know that a deck has a least a little game. Besides, no-one said you had to show all the games you play. You can include only the ones that show what your deck is capable of.
Oh.. and there's the fact that it's always fun to read match reports regardless of the opponent.
By the way, I liked the article and the deck looks fun. But given what I said above, what do I know :)
...and good deck, but you're essentially playing Elves, I just feel it was misleading to call it Elf Destruction when very little destruction took place. Just my point of view, which isn't worth much, just an observation that made me feel a bit mislead. I do have a Pauper LD deck that I've been working on for the past year, but it still isn't quite there yet, though Roiling Terrain certainly gave it a bit more validity.
Still, I liked the article, clearly for the Elves! part of it.
Hundreds of people read your article, 1 posts something nasty about the casual room, you do the math.
Fun looking deck, to say the least.
Also, I'd consider an avatar that put you less all in (isn't there one that gives you a random land per turn so you can potentially hard cast these fatties).
I don't know... people keep asking for match reports, but aren't they meaningless in the casual room? "First I played against a guy with a tournament deck and lost. Then I played against a 9th edition starter deck and won. Then I played against a guy whose connection dropped."
Exhume is going to way better then thought because the Eldrazi commons are going to be huge. The deck might be really fast and lockable with an Annihilator creature turn 1.
I just checked out your Youtube channel and really enjoyed all of those "big mana" four color decks. I really enjoyed how they worked across a number of different formats. This is a little off topic for this article, I know, but do you think Intelligent Monster is still viable?
I think the videos and commentary were really valuable. Good article, dawg.
Good stuff! I have a deck that's mono black that's pretty nasty, using the above cards, but also Dark Ritual and Choking Sands - I use shadow creatures/Bonesplitters for the pressure. Seems the ill fate of all LD strategies...that you draw it when your opp. is flooded, and come up one short when they're hurting - great vids!
Good article, but quite a few cards in your banned list can't be in this format, and thus shouldn't be on the list. By my count, you can remove 37 cards from your banned list because there they don't appear in any 5th edition or later main set, or any Ice Age or later block.
Of the cards in your list, only the following could be legal in the format:
Amulet of Quoz
Atog
Cranial Plating
Demonic Consultation
Disciple of the Vault
Dream Halls
Earthcraft
Entomb
Frantic Search
Goblin Recruiter
Grim Monolith
Gush
Hermit Druid
Memory Jar
Metalworker
Mind Over Matter
Mind’s Desire
Necropotence
Oath of Druids
Replenish
Skullclamp
Time Spiral
Tinker
Tolarian Academy
Vampiric Tutor
Windfall
Worldgorger Dragon
Yawgmoth’s Bargain
Yawgmoth’s Will
The rest are all pre-5th edition, pre-Ice Age, or from Portal sets.
Hey Motu, I really like this article, it was well-written and the replays were enjoyable. However, I think Soulwind is right, you would be better off running a transformational land destruction sideboard than having it main-deck. Even game 1 you have the potential against UB to blow them out with your elves, and then bring in the land destruction package for games 2 (and if necessary, 3).
I had to sell out all my classic cards a while back because the only events they ran were weekend afternoons.. I work every weekend afternoon and only get time off random days a week. so I had to get out of that investment.
although breaking into standard is actually a lot more expensive. No guarantees if I buy Baneslayers now that they won't just automatically crash once they rotate standard. at least with Duals or Force of Will you know it'll keep a fairly steady value over time.
If you're going to list Boomerang, you should also consider Aether Tradewinds. Both of them are much more tempo plays than proper LD, though. By itself (meaning you have to bounce one of your own lands too), Tradewinds is almost strictly worse in a pseudo-LD role than Solfatara (which replaces itself, and might also be a card to consider), but if you have something else to bounce it mightn't be too bad. Bouncing a Mulldrifter you cast with Evoke could work, but you'd need 6 mana and that's a weird mix of a tempo card with a card advantage card which just seems wrong. Probably the "correct" card to play with Aether Tradewinds is Spreading Seas.
I'd also consider putting some Dark Rituals in your black deck. Being able to cast LD before turn 3 can punish bad mulligan decisions. A turn one LD spell mightn't be the best of strategies, though. It's probably better to lead out with Duress/Distress so you can see which colours they have and need, then hit their most important land or Karoo land on turn 2. Knowledge of their hand is quite important, so maybe something like Lost Hours could get a slot too? It can't attack like Chittering Rats can, but it's one mana cheaper and because you can look at their hand, you can be certain that they won't have a counter for any LD you play on the next turn.
I don't think that was his point. I think he was trying to say if you are already playing Legacy the jump into Classic won't be to much more at this point. Once Legacy gets up and running Classic might not die just because it won't cost much more to transition into the format.
Of course this is all before we get Power online, which will happen.
Legacy isn't what is responsible for killing classic, WOTC is responsible for that by changing entry fees for tournaments, not having a consistant tournament time. I know for a fact I used to participate in Saturday Night Tournaments at 7pm CST. These events always fired and I played in almost everyone of them. Then they decided to change the times. There was also an event that happened every Sunday at 2pm CST and that event regularly fired.
It was the scheduling change that did away with Classic, the player base while small has always been there to support it.
The key cards in Classic are the dual lands. They are also costly.
Assuming that someone starts with all the Legacy Staples is like saying that it is easy to run a mile, and assuming thet they have already run the first 5,000 feet.
Liked the article. And I agree with you, you were drafting with idiots. Leaving a Hideous End until pick 6 in pack 1, and then passing all of the Disfigures in Pack 2 confirm your words. I do however disagree with your earlier post about not splashing for Disfigures, I have done, still do, and will continue to do so effectively.
The key cards in Classic are pretty cheap with a few exceptions.
Vampiric Tutor - Expensive
Oath - Expensive
Strip Mine - Moderate (Expect this to be in MEDIV and come down)
Demonic Tutor - Moderate (Expect this to be in MEDIV and come down)
Yawgmoth's Will - Moderate (Will come down in the next few weeks)
Mana Drain - Moderate but you need 4
Bazaar of Baghdad - Moderate but you need 4
Balance - Fairly cheap
Tinker - Fairly cheap
Mana Crypt - Fairly cheap
Imperial Seal - Cheap
Necro - Cheap
Consultation - Cheap
If you look at Classic decks that get played you don't need Mana Drains. Bazaars and Oaths are only used in one deck. If you plan on building a Classic deck and own Legacy staples it is not that bad. For instance converting Legacy Dredge to Classic Dredge is pretty cheap. Same with Legacy ANT and even more-so with Legacy Merfolk. The biggest expense would be building Oath which would add up to be around 200 tickets.
Actually, match reports for casual decks aren't useless. You just have to remember that the reason for including them is slightly different to tournament decks.
One of the main reasons for including match reports for a tournament deck is to showcase how your new deck performs against an existing respected tournament deck. To give it kudos so to speak.
Match reports for casual don't need to do this because you don't need to prove your deck has game against any particular deck. But in the same way that I find it hard to visualise the living room when my wife is talking wallpapers and new curtains, I find it hard to visualise how a deck plays with just a deck list. I can't tell if the deck list you just gave is utter jank or genius. You should include match reports because people want to see how the deck works in a game environment. Even with a casual deck I'd like to know that a deck has a least a little game. Besides, no-one said you had to show all the games you play. You can include only the ones that show what your deck is capable of.
Oh.. and there's the fact that it's always fun to read match reports regardless of the opponent.
By the way, I liked the article and the deck looks fun. But given what I said above, what do I know :)
considering all the talk about building a deck to deal with storm, it would have been nice to see your deck vs. a storm match-up in the videos.
match reports are meaningless. but they are entertaining to read, which is good.
...and good deck, but you're essentially playing Elves, I just feel it was misleading to call it Elf Destruction when very little destruction took place. Just my point of view, which isn't worth much, just an observation that made me feel a bit mislead. I do have a Pauper LD deck that I've been working on for the past year, but it still isn't quite there yet, though Roiling Terrain certainly gave it a bit more validity.
Still, I liked the article, clearly for the Elves! part of it.
What about using the Sky swallower with the cards that screw the opponent?
Nice article. But you didn't even consider Sensei's Dividing Top for the deck? And no, casual decks don't need match reports.
Hundreds of people read your article, 1 posts something nasty about the casual room, you do the math.
Fun looking deck, to say the least.
Also, I'd consider an avatar that put you less all in (isn't there one that gives you a random land per turn so you can potentially hard cast these fatties).
Why would anyone play in casual if all their games were like that?
I don't know... people keep asking for match reports, but aren't they meaningless in the casual room? "First I played against a guy with a tournament deck and lost. Then I played against a 9th edition starter deck and won. Then I played against a guy whose connection dropped."
I guess I'll think about it.
Exhume is going to way better then thought because the Eldrazi commons are going to be huge. The deck might be really fast and lockable with an Annihilator creature turn 1.
Very interesting deck and I really like your writing style. Could we get some match reports though?
I just checked out your Youtube channel and really enjoyed all of those "big mana" four color decks. I really enjoyed how they worked across a number of different formats. This is a little off topic for this article, I know, but do you think Intelligent Monster is still viable?
I think the videos and commentary were really valuable. Good article, dawg.
Good stuff! I have a deck that's mono black that's pretty nasty, using the above cards, but also Dark Ritual and Choking Sands - I use shadow creatures/Bonesplitters for the pressure. Seems the ill fate of all LD strategies...that you draw it when your opp. is flooded, and come up one short when they're hurting - great vids!
Good article, but quite a few cards in your banned list can't be in this format, and thus shouldn't be on the list. By my count, you can remove 37 cards from your banned list because there they don't appear in any 5th edition or later main set, or any Ice Age or later block.
Of the cards in your list, only the following could be legal in the format:
Amulet of Quoz
Atog
Cranial Plating
Demonic Consultation
Disciple of the Vault
Dream Halls
Earthcraft
Entomb
Frantic Search
Goblin Recruiter
Grim Monolith
Gush
Hermit Druid
Memory Jar
Metalworker
Mind Over Matter
Mind’s Desire
Necropotence
Oath of Druids
Replenish
Skullclamp
Time Spiral
Tinker
Tolarian Academy
Vampiric Tutor
Windfall
Worldgorger Dragon
Yawgmoth’s Bargain
Yawgmoth’s Will
The rest are all pre-5th edition, pre-Ice Age, or from Portal sets.
Hey Motu, I really like this article, it was well-written and the replays were enjoyable. However, I think Soulwind is right, you would be better off running a transformational land destruction sideboard than having it main-deck. Even game 1 you have the potential against UB to blow them out with your elves, and then bring in the land destruction package for games 2 (and if necessary, 3).
I had to sell out all my classic cards a while back because the only events they ran were weekend afternoons.. I work every weekend afternoon and only get time off random days a week. so I had to get out of that investment.
although breaking into standard is actually a lot more expensive. No guarantees if I buy Baneslayers now that they won't just automatically crash once they rotate standard. at least with Duals or Force of Will you know it'll keep a fairly steady value over time.
Prismatic Lens
If you're going to list Boomerang, you should also consider Aether Tradewinds. Both of them are much more tempo plays than proper LD, though. By itself (meaning you have to bounce one of your own lands too), Tradewinds is almost strictly worse in a pseudo-LD role than Solfatara (which replaces itself, and might also be a card to consider), but if you have something else to bounce it mightn't be too bad. Bouncing a Mulldrifter you cast with Evoke could work, but you'd need 6 mana and that's a weird mix of a tempo card with a card advantage card which just seems wrong. Probably the "correct" card to play with Aether Tradewinds is Spreading Seas.
I'd also consider putting some Dark Rituals in your black deck. Being able to cast LD before turn 3 can punish bad mulligan decisions. A turn one LD spell mightn't be the best of strategies, though. It's probably better to lead out with Duress/Distress so you can see which colours they have and need, then hit their most important land or Karoo land on turn 2. Knowledge of their hand is quite important, so maybe something like Lost Hours could get a slot too? It can't attack like Chittering Rats can, but it's one mana cheaper and because you can look at their hand, you can be certain that they won't have a counter for any LD you play on the next turn.
Just my two cents. Nice article.
I don't think that was his point. I think he was trying to say if you are already playing Legacy the jump into Classic won't be to much more at this point. Once Legacy gets up and running Classic might not die just because it won't cost much more to transition into the format.
Of course this is all before we get Power online, which will happen.
Legacy isn't what is responsible for killing classic, WOTC is responsible for that by changing entry fees for tournaments, not having a consistant tournament time. I know for a fact I used to participate in Saturday Night Tournaments at 7pm CST. These events always fired and I played in almost everyone of them. Then they decided to change the times. There was also an event that happened every Sunday at 2pm CST and that event regularly fired.
It was the scheduling change that did away with Classic, the player base while small has always been there to support it.
The key cards in Classic are the dual lands. They are also costly.
Assuming that someone starts with all the Legacy Staples is like saying that it is easy to run a mile, and assuming thet they have already run the first 5,000 feet.
Seems to me that you're pretty much dropping the land destruction route against every deck except
UB Teachings and Storm...
If that's the case, wouldn't it make more sense to start with your pure elf deck and side IN the
land destruction package against those 2 decks?
LD, huh? I keep right clicking on the article, but I can’t find BLOCK USER and CONCEDE MATCH in the menu.
But videos in articles are awesome.
The first really interesting pauper deck I've seen in awhile.
Pete
Liked the article. And I agree with you, you were drafting with idiots. Leaving a Hideous End until pick 6 in pack 1, and then passing all of the Disfigures in Pack 2 confirm your words. I do however disagree with your earlier post about not splashing for Disfigures, I have done, still do, and will continue to do so effectively.
Solid read, man.
The key cards in Classic are pretty cheap with a few exceptions.
Vampiric Tutor - Expensive
Oath - Expensive
Strip Mine - Moderate (Expect this to be in MEDIV and come down)
Demonic Tutor - Moderate (Expect this to be in MEDIV and come down)
Yawgmoth's Will - Moderate (Will come down in the next few weeks)
Mana Drain - Moderate but you need 4
Bazaar of Baghdad - Moderate but you need 4
Balance - Fairly cheap
Tinker - Fairly cheap
Mana Crypt - Fairly cheap
Imperial Seal - Cheap
Necro - Cheap
Consultation - Cheap
If you look at Classic decks that get played you don't need Mana Drains. Bazaars and Oaths are only used in one deck. If you plan on building a Classic deck and own Legacy staples it is not that bad. For instance converting Legacy Dredge to Classic Dredge is pretty cheap. Same with Legacy ANT and even more-so with Legacy Merfolk. The biggest expense would be building Oath which would add up to be around 200 tickets.