Collected Company could definitely have made my Top 5, in fact it probably should have had I thought about it more. It does seem really exciting I just can't quite figure out how it's going to fit in.
I also considered discussing Roast, but at two mana and sorcery speed I just feel like it's not going to be good enough. It's a good answer to Goyfs and Rhinos, which might be good enough, but with Dismember, Combust and various other removal spells available I'm not sure it makes the cut.
It is shame that there are no Modern playable Dragons in a very Dragon heavy set. I thought about Dragonlord Dromoka for a while, whether she can see some SB play. There are better options like; Batterskull or even Baneslayer Angel. Still, she can be a good budget replacement for some decks.
Here is my top 5,
1-Collected Company (Fact or Fiction for the creature decks, I'm so much excited for this card)
2-Myth Realized
3-Atarka's Command (I think it is better in zoo decks, rather than Burn)
4-Dromoka's Command
5-Roast
Thanks man. I appreciate that. I've been splitting my time between the brew, and two other storm decks I downloaded.
I had my first experience of losing to shops, where if I had Hurkyl's Recall instead of rebuild, I might have been able to do something. Seems like spheres are just about the worst card to face for any kind of storm deck.
Sorry if my reply to the comments are so late ghosfire blade is surely a good addition for the ensoul artifact deck. As I said about the KTK Pure event I am still thinking of a host and sponsors. I hope I can find them before the DTK release event is over. Misterpid yes abzan advantage can be used in a Mardu clan but it would count as one of the 10 last spell that you are going to use.
It's a spicy one too! GGs the other day. They were probably a lot closer than it looked from your side of the table; one less counter for me in either one and I think you had me. Can't wait to see your refinements and eventual article on it.
Assuming Tempest Remastered sells well, I fully expect them to do Masques Remastered in the summer or fall of this year, and Daze is one of the big $$$ cards in that block.
Goodstuff list : So I'm strictly a pauper player, and my playset of Daze that I consider not-a-great-card-in-pauper is now circa $100. I could fulfil my new card needs for about 2 years if I sell. When do you suppose the next reprint will happen?
Yeah that makes sense. I still like 8-4s because if I feel like I really understand a format and it rewards that understanding I want to play in a way that if my deck is not good I get out fast and when I do make it to the finals I get an average of 6 packs (or more if I really am above most competition).
So I would love to have 6-2-2-2 and 8-4 as the normal for any formats and just 6-2-2-2 for less played formats.
Oh I didn't mean it like that! Sorry! Proofreading is totally on the writer. You can't be expected to catch everything! My question wasn't meant to be critical, more curious. Sorry!
I think I actually prefer 6-2-2-2 even above 5-3-2-2. I get the thing about rewarding the person that made it to the finals. But, I find it weird that Player A could play against the same people as player B, both of them getting their only loss from the eventual winner of the draft, but player B gets a smaller prize simply because their wins were chronologically challenged. With that said, I do think that 5322 is easily better than either 84 or Swiss, and I would still draft 5322's a ton if they replaced 4322s.
Like TugaChampion said, 6222 is better than 84 4322 or 321. Winning a swiss and taking a loss is pretty crappy. I did 4322s even though I was forfetting 1/8 pack of EV because I wanted to profit from winning a queue while still getting something for winning a round.
Yeah, this does seem cool. I played 8-4's for a little while, but once I started not doing well more often than not, it just felt awful, because I also have very limited time to play these things.
I dont like the new 6-3x2. I play swiss because of the lower skill level of my opponents compared to the 8-4. Merging 8-4 and swiss will probably increase the level of competition compared to the swiss and I will get smashed out. I predict that the new queues will be dominated by the 8-4 players and that the old swiss players will abondon the drafts or lose out.
Good article this week Pete. I completely agree with the 6-2-2-2 queues. I don't draft like I used to, and this is the type of payout I prefer. I would be sad to only get 2 packs for coming in second, but then maybe I'll learn!
Honestly, I'd rather just draft 6-2-2-2 in every format either. When I draft on MTGO, I tend to do swiss queues about ten times as often as 8-4 queues, and the reason is that since I have a full time job, as well as two kids, I have to actively set aside time to do drafts. So I get to block out about 2 1/2 to 3 hours to draft. If I do an 8-4 and lose in the first round, I know that I won't be able to hop in another draft and reliably finish my draft within that window of time, so it means that I blocked out time and paid for a draft, but only got to play one round. With swiss, I've always known that I'll at least be able to play my three rounds.
The problem is that I want to play at a higher level of competition and I want to play in a queue with a higher payout, but the amount of play time I get tends to trump that. So I've always ended up doing 84s only when I know that I have the entire day to draft.
6-2-2-2s are perfect for me, because it has the higher payout, and still brings in competitive players, but I still know that I'm going to get to play at least two rounds, and I'll likely get to play three rounds even if I lose in the first round. Basically, I'm always going to get the full draft experience that I paid for and blocked out time for, but I also get the competition that I don't find in the swiss queues.
I think that I'll probably be going back to do at least as many KTK drafts as DTK drafts now that this new structure is being used for Encore drafts. I mean, I would even grind out Masques queues at this payout structure.
I guess my point is that when you say that "this isn't anyone's preferred solution," I just wanted to add a data point saying that it is exactly my preferred solution.
6-2-2-2 is a great solution because it solves the two biggest pain points of drafts.
1. Being eliminated in the first round with no prize. Even the best decks in the world get an unlucky match or draw.
2. When you finish the draft portion of a Swiss draft and realize that even if you win the tournament, you've sill lost money on the draft.
Norin never gets the counter. He does his disappearing act as soon as you attack.
Anafenza would not be good for Norin decks, as Norin will likely be getting the counter all the time.
Living Lore and Temporal Trespass ftw.
Assault Formation and Wall of Tanglecord.
I think, for me, the most exciting card of the set is Ojutai Exemplars.
Thanks for the comment Romellos.
Collected Company could definitely have made my Top 5, in fact it probably should have had I thought about it more. It does seem really exciting I just can't quite figure out how it's going to fit in.
I also considered discussing Roast, but at two mana and sorcery speed I just feel like it's not going to be good enough. It's a good answer to Goyfs and Rhinos, which might be good enough, but with Dismember, Combust and various other removal spells available I'm not sure it makes the cut.
Great article Olaw,
It is shame that there are no Modern playable Dragons in a very Dragon heavy set. I thought about Dragonlord Dromoka for a while, whether she can see some SB play. There are better options like; Batterskull or even Baneslayer Angel. Still, she can be a good budget replacement for some decks.
Here is my top 5,
1-Collected Company (Fact or Fiction for the creature decks, I'm so much excited for this card)
2-Myth Realized
3-Atarka's Command (I think it is better in zoo decks, rather than Burn)
4-Dromoka's Command
5-Roast
Thanks man. I appreciate that. I've been splitting my time between the brew, and two other storm decks I downloaded.
I had my first experience of losing to shops, where if I had Hurkyl's Recall instead of rebuild, I might have been able to do something. Seems like spheres are just about the worst card to face for any kind of storm deck.
Sorry if my reply to the comments are so late ghosfire blade is surely a good addition for the ensoul artifact deck. As I said about the KTK Pure event I am still thinking of a host and sponsors. I hope I can find them before the DTK release event is over. Misterpid yes abzan advantage can be used in a Mardu clan but it would count as one of the 10 last spell that you are going to use.
It's a spicy one too! GGs the other day. They were probably a lot closer than it looked from your side of the table; one less counter for me in either one and I think you had me. Can't wait to see your refinements and eventual article on it.
I heartily agree with this statement.
There we go, $80 richer. About 100% profit. Fingers crossed for a reprint and the price going back to 10 tix.
Assuming Tempest Remastered sells well, I fully expect them to do Masques Remastered in the summer or fall of this year, and Daze is one of the big $$$ cards in that block.
Goodstuff list : So I'm strictly a pauper player, and my playset of Daze that I consider not-a-great-card-in-pauper is now circa $100. I could fulfil my new card needs for about 2 years if I sell. When do you suppose the next reprint will happen?
Yeah that makes sense. I still like 8-4s because if I feel like I really understand a format and it rewards that understanding I want to play in a way that if my deck is not good I get out fast and when I do make it to the finals I get an average of 6 packs (or more if I really am above most competition).
So I would love to have 6-2-2-2 and 8-4 as the normal for any formats and just 6-2-2-2 for less played formats.
Oh I didn't mean it like that! Sorry! Proofreading is totally on the writer. You can't be expected to catch everything! My question wasn't meant to be critical, more curious. Sorry!
I just wanted to throw in my data point and say that I love the 6-2-2-2 format for all of the reasons that Matt stated above.
I think I actually prefer 6-2-2-2 even above 5-3-2-2. I get the thing about rewarding the person that made it to the finals. But, I find it weird that Player A could play against the same people as player B, both of them getting their only loss from the eventual winner of the draft, but player B gets a smaller prize simply because their wins were chronologically challenged. With that said, I do think that 5322 is easily better than either 84 or Swiss, and I would still draft 5322's a ton if they replaced 4322s.
Like TugaChampion said, 6222 is better than 84 4322 or 321. Winning a swiss and taking a loss is pretty crappy. I did 4322s even though I was forfetting 1/8 pack of EV because I wanted to profit from winning a queue while still getting something for winning a round.
REANiMatoR! Yeah! Seriously though, that deck is the nut if it runs hot. Turn one, turn two unbeatable plays are commonplace.
Yeah, this does seem cool. I played 8-4's for a little while, but once I started not doing well more often than not, it just felt awful, because I also have very limited time to play these things.
I'll probably get wrecked though. I've only won two matches out of six or so.
Guess who got a Vintage deck? This guy! I'll look for ya!
I dont like the new 6-3x2. I play swiss because of the lower skill level of my opponents compared to the 8-4. Merging 8-4 and swiss will probably increase the level of competition compared to the swiss and I will get smashed out. I predict that the new queues will be dominated by the 8-4 players and that the old swiss players will abondon the drafts or lose out.
Good article this week Pete. I completely agree with the 6-2-2-2 queues. I don't draft like I used to, and this is the type of payout I prefer. I would be sad to only get 2 packs for coming in second, but then maybe I'll learn!
Zach
Honestly, I'd rather just draft 6-2-2-2 in every format either. When I draft on MTGO, I tend to do swiss queues about ten times as often as 8-4 queues, and the reason is that since I have a full time job, as well as two kids, I have to actively set aside time to do drafts. So I get to block out about 2 1/2 to 3 hours to draft. If I do an 8-4 and lose in the first round, I know that I won't be able to hop in another draft and reliably finish my draft within that window of time, so it means that I blocked out time and paid for a draft, but only got to play one round. With swiss, I've always known that I'll at least be able to play my three rounds.
The problem is that I want to play at a higher level of competition and I want to play in a queue with a higher payout, but the amount of play time I get tends to trump that. So I've always ended up doing 84s only when I know that I have the entire day to draft.
6-2-2-2s are perfect for me, because it has the higher payout, and still brings in competitive players, but I still know that I'm going to get to play at least two rounds, and I'll likely get to play three rounds even if I lose in the first round. Basically, I'm always going to get the full draft experience that I paid for and blocked out time for, but I also get the competition that I don't find in the swiss queues.
I think that I'll probably be going back to do at least as many KTK drafts as DTK drafts now that this new structure is being used for Encore drafts. I mean, I would even grind out Masques queues at this payout structure.
I guess my point is that when you say that "this isn't anyone's preferred solution," I just wanted to add a data point saying that it is exactly my preferred solution.
The new "swiss" format is actually just double elimination.
6-2-2-2 is a great solution because it solves the two biggest pain points of drafts.
1. Being eliminated in the first round with no prize. Even the best decks in the world get an unlucky match or draw.
2. When you finish the draft portion of a Swiss draft and realize that even if you win the tournament, you've sill lost money on the draft.