First week in the new month. Let's see how it turned out:
1 SALAd - Metagame this! (9th) 24+8=32
Black Lotus, Ritual of Restoration, Leveler/Blinding Angel
Blinding Angel rocked against creatures. Leveler rocked against... not much.
2 SorryGuy - Play the same deck in every format? Sure why not! (1st) 33+15=48 **
Mishra's Workshop, Scalding Tongs, Ensnaring Bridge/Sphrere of Restiance
Yeah, why not? This deck seems to be the current metagame definition. Great jorb!
YOu'd probably have been better off switching the main/SB cards.
8 worthawholebean - The Best Part of Waking Up (7th) 23+10=33 *
Black Lotus, Show and Tell, Serra Avatar/Dragon Tyrant
Your sideboard choice left much to be desired. Best Title
9 Tahn - I'll try to go 4-1.dec (10th) 26+5=31
Black Lotus, Treasure Hunter, Ensnaring Bridge / Dissipate
Going second you screwed yourself; Bridge kept you from mounting any offense, so you drew against creature decks and lost against non-creature decks.
10 help im a bug - Stop. (6th) 32+2=34
Black Lotus, Treasure Hunter, Aura of Silence/Blood Moon
Going first, you went house. Not a lot of artifacts going second though, so you got housed.
11 jcsuperstar - Traitorous Assembly Workers Making Spherical Powder Kegs in City Factory! Resistance is Futile! (13th) 13+9=22
City of Traitors, Mishra's Factory, Powder Keg/Sphere of Resistance
A lot of draws. Playing City first is generally a bad idea, even if Sphere will keep your opponent neutered. Sol Ring would have been a better choice.
13 Silver Seraph - I think that works too... (8th) 32+1=33
Black Lotus, Treasure Hunter, Distress/Blood Moon
Discard of any kind going second is usually wasted. Switching the two would probably have been the better choice.
[font=Fixedsys] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
1 X 2 1 4 1 1 D 1 D 1 1 D 1 24
2 2 X 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 11 2 2 33
3 1 3 X 3 3 3 D 8 3 3 D 3 3 26
4 4 4 3 X 4 D 4 4 4 4 D 4 4 29
5 D 2 5 5 X 5 5 8 D D 5 5 5 24
6 1 2 6 6 6 X D 8 D 6 6 D 6 21
7 7 7 7 7 7 D X 7 7 7 D 7 7 32
8 8 2 8 4 8 8 D X D 8 8 12 8 23
9 9 2 3 9 9 D 9 9 X 9 D 9 9 26
10 10 10 10 10 10 D 10 10 10 X D 10 10 32
11 D 11 D D D D D D D D X 12 D 13
12 12 12 D 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 X 12 34
13 13 13 13 13 13 D 13 13 13 13 D 13 X 32
8 15 8 7 1 6 5 10 5 2 9 8 1[/font]
Next Week's Format: Due to popular demand, it's Vanguard. Each player gets one Vanguard card.
<edit> Here's who has who so far:
Ertai
Gerrard
Karn - SorryGuy
Maraxus - Chipanzee
Mirri
Sisay
Tahngarth
Barrin - r_x_
Greven il-Vec
Orim - SOS
Selenia - SALAd
Starke
Eladamri
Multani
Oracle
Rofellos
Sidar Kondo
Sliver Queen, Brood Mother - aurorasparrow
Ashnod - WhammWhamme
Gix
Mishra - worthawholebean
Serra - spuzzem king
Urza - Silver Seraph
Xantcha
Here's how it's going to work:
Rule #1: Priority is with the current POTM standings. SorryGuy picks his first, Chimpanzee second, and so on. With new players picking last.
Please note: If you don't plan to play this week, please note on this thread to let the other players know.
Rule #2: The following Vanguard cards are banned:
Squee - +3 cards, useless ability
Crovax - +2 cards
Hanna - No. Just no.
Volrath - See Crovax
Lyna - See Crovax
Takara - +3 Cards
Tawnos - See Takara
Titania - See Crovax
Rule #3 - Those with +1's get an additional card in hand (So they're playing 4.5 CB this week). Those with negative starting hand size start with that many cards from their deck in their library (please note on your decklist which cards start in the library)
Rule #4: Have fun!
Oh, and BTW: when you submit your deck, I will give each player 5 bonus POTM points that can name the game and circumstances in which "Yellowish-blue" came from. Sumbit with your deck. (Not on this board...)
Full rules:
Each player submits a deck with a total of four cards in this format:
Each match will consist of two games, each player playing first. The player playing second will play the two fixed cards and the maindeck card. The player going first may choose before his first turn whether to play his maindeck card or his sideboard card. (Again, only the player going FIRST may change the card)
As in all CB games, the entire deck is in your hand, you don't lose to decking, and each player gets to see the other's hand, so not only does each player make the best play possible, the sideboarding player may select the better card of the two. Alsom random effects go against the caster
Banned List:
The Rack
Form of the Dragon
Trinisphere
Balance
Strip Mine
Wasteland
Glacial Chasm
Blackmail
Coercion
Cabal Therapy
Mesmeric Fiend
Abandon Hope
Nezumi Shortfang
Pulse of the Dross
Meddling Mage
Leonin Squire
Show and Tell
All ante cards
Any card that forces your opponent to discard more than 1 card a turn.
Any non-mass-produced card (Proposal, 1996 World Champion, etc.)
Unglued
Unhinged
And, as usual, No Cheese(TM) (No multi-discarding, no 1st turn kills)
well i forgot to play last week, but i want to get in on this format, so i guess ill wait till other people have claimed their vanguards before i pick one
But it looks to me like I should go (using regular 3cb scoring)
0 3 X 6 6 3 1 0 6 3 4 6 3 = 41
you realize I can play the Idol, then the Scales if they drop a threat and not risk loss of my idol, right?
and Vanguard format is sooooo broken. +1 cards is just insane, even without force of will. Seriously, ASHNOD? He should be the FIRST one banned. I think it would be better just to translate extra/fewer cards into more/less life, with each card worth, I don't know, 3-5 life.
hannas not that bad, i mean its hanna weak over at 4cb i dont think thatll be disasterous
Let's see... an extra card and a personal Helm of Awakening... no thank you.
Quote from aurorasparrow »
I dont understand the scoring system
The grid lists who wins when the vertical axis plays first, with "D" meaning a draw. I've constructed a MS Excel sheet to maintain the game, so it's easier to cut/paste directly from there.
you realize I can play the Idol, then the Scales if they drop a threat and not risk loss of my idol, right?
Yeah. You won quite a bit with the Scales, but the ones you lost to either could work around the Scales or had threats with CMC higher than 3.
and Vanguard format is sooooo broken. +1 cards is just insane, even without force of will. Seriously, ASHNOD? He should be the FIRST one banned. I think it would be better just to translate extra/fewer cards into more/less life, with each card worth, I don't know, 3-5 life.
I think it'll work itself out in the end; I have faith in the deckbuilding ability of the players and the ability to anticipate. Sideboarding is going to be even more key in this matchup, IMHO.
At this point, we're still waiting on SorryGuy's pick. I will update the thread with the available cards as they become... well, available.
Ashnod is top of the list with those two out of the way, but I didn't bother trying to break her since I figured someone else would take her by now. Still, 4.5 cards is better than less than 4.5 cards.
"There is no royal road to science, and only those who do not dread the fatiguing climb
of its steep paths have a chance of gaining its luminous summits"
-Karl Heinrich Marx Cube
Contact has been sporadic, so Seraph, Urza's yours. I'll take Selenia. Left to draft is help im a bug, Tahn, Unstable, SOS, and jcsuperstar. I will extend the deck submission deadline to Monday just before midnight.
so theres only a few people ahead of me, i think my pick order is as follows
serra, greven, oracle, xancha, ertei, sidar kondo, tahngarth, ill take whats left, but ill start bui;ding with serra, if it hasnt been picked be 10
Okay. Last chance. I'm extending the deadline one more day. I need decks from SorryGuy and aurorasparrow, and from this point on, it's first come, first served on the Vanguards.
Oh, and as I was telling spuzzem king, if I ever offer to have Vanguard as a format again, please have someone ban me. That is all.
<edit> Because of the confusion, if there's anyone left who cares, the next two formats (and probably for the forseeable future) will be normal formats.
The format would be okay if you 1. modify the vanguards so they are more balanced and relevant and 2. Let players use whichever ones they want (multiple players can use the same vanguard.)
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I'm a mathematics postdoc researching evolution and complex systems. Learn about these ideas here!
The format would be okay if you 1. modify the vanguards so they are more balanced and relevant and 2. Let players use whichever ones they want (multiple players can use the same vanguard.)
Okay, if (and I stress IF) I ever run Vanguard, I will create my own specifically for this format. As for number 2, if I were to allow that, I'd have 75% using one Vanguard and 25% rogue that would get trounced. This is part of the reason why Hanna was banned; I seem to recall on a Magic Invitational using the newer Vanguard Cards at that time, a stunning majority used and abused Hanna.
That said, I'll be holding off on the special formats for the time being. Call this an object lesson.
1 SALAd - Metagame this! (9th) 24+8=32
Black Lotus, Ritual of Restoration, Leveler/Blinding Angel
Blinding Angel rocked against creatures. Leveler rocked against... not much.
2 SorryGuy - Play the same deck in every format? Sure why not! (1st) 33+15=48 **
Mishra's Workshop, Scalding Tongs, Ensnaring Bridge/Sphrere of Restiance
Yeah, why not? This deck seems to be the current metagame definition. Great jorb!
3 aurorasparrow - trumped (5th) 26+8=34
Mishra's Workshop, Chimeric Idol, Wheel of Torture/Culling Scales
Culling Scales was kind of a catch-22: you play it first, your opponent watches it go away. Your opponent had too much of a chance to react.
4 WhammWhamme - Throwaway (4th) 29+7=36
Black Lotus, Treasure Hunter, Misguided Rage/Dissipate
Dissipate ruled going first, Rage, not as much. I, personally, am not a big fan of the Rage as it gives your opponent too much choice.
5 Unstable - Researching the Elephant Proportions (12th) 24+1=25 *
Black lotus, Academy Researchers, Elephant Guide/Mythic Proportions
Too much creature hate. Otherwise, a very keen idea. Most creative deck
6 SOS - Enough to get LED banned? (11th) 21+6=27
Quicksand, Lion's Eye Diamond, Roar of the Wurm / Arrogant Wurm
Nope.
7 r_x_ - Alfred/Nether Pox.dec (3rd) 32+5=37
Black Lotus, Pox, Glowrider/Nether Spirit
YOu'd probably have been better off switching the main/SB cards.
8 worthawholebean - The Best Part of Waking Up (7th) 23+10=33 *
Black Lotus, Show and Tell, Serra Avatar/Dragon Tyrant
Your sideboard choice left much to be desired. Best Title
9 Tahn - I'll try to go 4-1.dec (10th) 26+5=31
Black Lotus, Treasure Hunter, Ensnaring Bridge / Dissipate
Going second you screwed yourself; Bridge kept you from mounting any offense, so you drew against creature decks and lost against non-creature decks.
10 help im a bug - Stop. (6th) 32+2=34
Black Lotus, Treasure Hunter, Aura of Silence/Blood Moon
Going first, you went house. Not a lot of artifacts going second though, so you got housed.
11 jcsuperstar - Traitorous Assembly Workers Making Spherical Powder Kegs in City Factory! Resistance is Futile! (13th) 13+9=22
City of Traitors, Mishra's Factory, Powder Keg/Sphere of Resistance
A lot of draws. Playing City first is generally a bad idea, even if Sphere will keep your opponent neutered. Sol Ring would have been a better choice.
12 Chimpanzee - Spiritual Revival (2nd) 34+8=42
Black Lotus, Nether Spirit, Pox/Last Rites
This seems to be the other half of the metagame.
13 Silver Seraph - I think that works too... (8th) 32+1=33
Black Lotus, Treasure Hunter, Distress/Blood Moon
Discard of any kind going second is usually wasted. Switching the two would probably have been the better choice.
POTM Standings
1 SorryGuy 58
2 Chimpanzee 42
3 worthawholebean 38
4 r_x_ 37
5 WhammWhamme 36
6 aurorasparrow 34
7 help im a bug 34
8 Silver Seraph 33
9 SALAd 32
10 Tahn 31
11 Unstable 30
12 SOS 27
13 jcsuperstar 22
Next Week's Format: Due to popular demand, it's Vanguard. Each player gets one Vanguard card.
<edit> Here's who has who so far:
Ertai
Gerrard
Karn - SorryGuy
Maraxus - Chipanzee
Mirri
Sisay
Tahngarth
Barrin - r_x_
Greven il-Vec
Orim - SOS
Selenia - SALAd
Starke
Eladamri
Multani
Oracle
Rofellos
Sidar Kondo
Sliver Queen, Brood Mother - aurorasparrow
Ashnod - WhammWhamme
Gix
Mishra - worthawholebean
Serra - spuzzem king
Urza - Silver Seraph
Xantcha
Here's how it's going to work:
Rule #1: Priority is with the current POTM standings. SorryGuy picks his first, Chimpanzee second, and so on. With new players picking last.
Please note: If you don't plan to play this week, please note on this thread to let the other players know.
Rule #2: The following Vanguard cards are banned:
Squee - +3 cards, useless ability
Crovax - +2 cards
Hanna - No. Just no.
Volrath - See Crovax
Lyna - See Crovax
Takara - +3 Cards
Tawnos - See Takara
Titania - See Crovax
Rule #3 - Those with +1's get an additional card in hand (So they're playing 4.5 CB this week). Those with negative starting hand size start with that many cards from their deck in their library (please note on your decklist which cards start in the library)
Rule #4: Have fun!
Oh, and BTW: when you submit your deck, I will give each player 5 bonus POTM points that can name the game and circumstances in which "Yellowish-blue" came from. Sumbit with your deck. (Not on this board...)
Full rules:
Each player submits a deck with a total of four cards in this format:
[Deck title]
[Fixed card1]
[Fixed card2]
[Maindeck card]/[Sideboard card]
Each match will consist of two games, each player playing first. The player playing second will play the two fixed cards and the maindeck card. The player going first may choose before his first turn whether to play his maindeck card or his sideboard card. (Again, only the player going FIRST may change the card)
As in all CB games, the entire deck is in your hand, you don't lose to decking, and each player gets to see the other's hand, so not only does each player make the best play possible, the sideboarding player may select the better card of the two. Alsom random effects go against the caster
Banned List:
The Rack
Form of the Dragon
Trinisphere
Balance
Strip Mine
Wasteland
Glacial Chasm
Blackmail
Coercion
Cabal Therapy
Mesmeric Fiend
Abandon Hope
Nezumi Shortfang
Pulse of the Dross
Meddling Mage
Leonin Squire
Show and Tell
All ante cards
Any card that forces your opponent to discard more than 1 card a turn.
Any non-mass-produced card (Proposal, 1996 World Champion, etc.)
Unglued
Unhinged
And, as usual, No Cheese(TM) (No multi-discarding, no 1st turn kills)
Deadline for entries is Mon April 18, 23:59:59 pm
I have never won a CB before, that is cool....
So I know I am stupid but you think you could explain Vanguard a little more? I think it has to do with role-playing but I do not really know.
Well I guess I am picking first, I need to think about this, if I forget can some PM me in two days maybe?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpgjnU7C3Aw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe7kkZixasc
3CB and 4CB5CB!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpgjnU7C3Aw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe7kkZixasc
But it looks to me like I should go (using regular 3cb scoring)
0 3 X 6 6 3 1 0 6 3 4 6 3 = 41
you realize I can play the Idol, then the Scales if they drop a threat and not risk loss of my idol, right?
and Vanguard format is sooooo broken. +1 cards is just insane, even without force of will. Seriously, ASHNOD? He should be the FIRST one banned. I think it would be better just to translate extra/fewer cards into more/less life, with each card worth, I don't know, 3-5 life.
4th place at CCC&G Pro Tour
Chances of bad hands (<2 or >4 land):
21: 28.9%
22: 27.5%
23: 26.3%
24: 25.5%
25: 25.1%
26: 25.3%
Let's see... an extra card and a personal Helm of Awakening... no thank you.
The grid lists who wins when the vertical axis plays first, with "D" meaning a draw. I've constructed a MS Excel sheet to maintain the game, so it's easier to cut/paste directly from there.
Yeah. You won quite a bit with the Scales, but the ones you lost to either could work around the Scales or had threats with CMC higher than 3.
I think it'll work itself out in the end; I have faith in the deckbuilding ability of the players and the ability to anticipate. Sideboarding is going to be even more key in this matchup, IMHO.
At this point, we're still waiting on SorryGuy's pick. I will update the thread with the available cards as they become... well, available.
Ertai
Gerrard
Karn - SorryGuy
Maraxus - Chipanzee
Mirri
Sisay
Tahngarth
Barrin - r_x_
Greven il-Vec
Orim
Selenia
Starke
Eladamri
Multani
Oracle
Rofellos
Sidar Kondo
Sliver Queen, Brood Mother - aurorasparrow
Ashnod - WhammWhamme
Gix
Mishra - worthawholebean
Serra
Urza
Xantcha
help im a bug on deck, then SilverSeraph, then me. At least let me know what Vanguard you're using, even if you don't have a deck ready.
Edit: jc I do not want you to hate me but I just re-read Karn because of your post and I so want it. If I still have first pick I want Karn.
<edit> If necessary, I will stretch the deadline by a couple days.
And someone stole my Karn.
Ashnod is top of the list with those two out of the way, but I didn't bother trying to break her since I figured someone else would take her by now. Still, 4.5 cards is better than less than 4.5 cards.
Ashnodding.
of its steep paths have a chance of gaining its luminous summits"
-Karl Heinrich Marx
Cube
4th place at CCC&G Pro Tour
Chances of bad hands (<2 or >4 land):
21: 28.9%
22: 27.5%
23: 26.3%
24: 25.5%
25: 25.1%
26: 25.3%
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpgjnU7C3Aw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe7kkZixasc
Contact has been sporadic, so Seraph, Urza's yours. I'll take Selenia. Left to draft is help im a bug, Tahn, Unstable, SOS, and jcsuperstar. I will extend the deck submission deadline to Monday just before midnight.
Chop, chop, people. Time's a-wastin'
serra, greven, oracle, xancha, ertei, sidar kondo, tahngarth, ill take whats left, but ill start bui;ding with serra, if it hasnt been picked be 10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpgjnU7C3Aw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe7kkZixasc
Oh, and as I was telling spuzzem king, if I ever offer to have Vanguard as a format again, please have someone ban me. That is all.
<edit> Because of the confusion, if there's anyone left who cares, the next two formats (and probably for the forseeable future) will be normal formats.
The format would be okay if you 1. modify the vanguards so they are more balanced and relevant and 2. Let players use whichever ones they want (multiple players can use the same vanguard.)
Okay, if (and I stress IF) I ever run Vanguard, I will create my own specifically for this format. As for number 2, if I were to allow that, I'd have 75% using one Vanguard and 25% rogue that would get trounced. This is part of the reason why Hanna was banned; I seem to recall on a Magic Invitational using the newer Vanguard Cards at that time, a stunning majority used and abused Hanna.
That said, I'll be holding off on the special formats for the time being. Call this an object lesson.