1. Deathrite Shaman: So much ability for just one card, I love playing with a 1 mana creature that is just as powerful on turn 1 as he is on turn 15. The level of interaction it gives me with my opponent and all the ways it can affect the game at any point just make me feel super powerful whenever I play with it and it's awesome.
2. Yawgmoth's Bargain: Now HERE'S a nostalgia pick, Sabre Bargain was the first competitive deck I ever built in magic so it will always have a special place in my heart. Also, after watching Caleb Durward use it in ANT, it makes me wish it were legal in Legacy.
3. Thorn Elemental Never really saw competitive play but the first time I laid eyes upon it it made my Timmy sense tingle in a way it never had before. It was also the first card that I actively collected multiple copies of. I still remember the joy of getting my first foil one or sending a bunch away and having rk post sign them.
Dishonorable Mention: Morphling: God, remember when this thing was the greatest creature in the history of magic? It was everywhere and I never could afford a playset. It does kinda amuse me that it's little brother Aetherling is such a prominent presence in standard all these years later tho.
I find it hard to pick, as so many cards are lousy in one format and excellent in another. But, taken in isolation, and just in terms of enjoyable they are to play:
While the mechanic is fairly simple, to me she is the perfect mix of white flavor and white ability, yet also very different from the straight-forward heroism one often sees in white cards.
Mechanically, I like that it forces you to build around it, and that its effect is not a sure thing, yet it's potentially a huge, early threat. I love the The Fly reference, and in general the mad scientist flavor of it all ( Innistrad is my favorite set for flavor ).
I have nostaliga on Arcbound Ravager when it was in standard... now you are old?
I have nostalgia for Psychatog. Standard needs a win condition like that again.
The win condition we could probably hobble together. It's the counterspells and cheap draw that made Psychatog. Psychatog may as well have been Morphling, Aetherling, Eternal Dragon, or Baneslayer Angel. He was just there to do the clean up job left behind after Counterspell, Circular Logic, Force Spike, Chainer's Edict, and Upheaval, and Fact or Fiction had their fun.
I really miss when spells were good.
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Currently playing:
Standard: I, for one, welcome our new rhinoceros overlords
Modern: Pod's dead, Bob's back.
Legacy: Lands, Deathblade, Death and Taxes, Elves, MUD
Retired Legacy: Merfolk, Goblins, Jund, Delver, Reanimator
1.) Mind's Desire: TEPS was the first deck I ever played in a competitive format, and even though i couldn't afford it at the time IRL i do keep the deck sleeved up on my desk for nostalgia purposes.
2.) Swans of Bryn Argoll: Because its awesome, and one of the last standard decks i actually considered interesting.
3.) Life from the Loam: Drawing 3 cards a turn is pretty sweet, especially in grindy GBx decks
Hey guys so I've actually moved on from commander on to 60 card decks so I don't have any commander decks.
Anyway I've started my own gameplay channel in which I play games (Magic also)
Doom Blade: my first experience with removal spells. Short, simple, and to the point. Ran 4 of them in Standard and have one in each of my black EDH deck.
Grave Pact: I love sacrificing creatures for value and what better value is there than forcing my opponents to sacrifice creatures as well
Fact or Fiction: One of the best card drawing spells in the game. The thing I love about it most is optimizing the piles. I have almost as much fun deciding how to split the piles for my opponent as I do playing the card. Almost.
Maelstrom Wanderer: Cascade is like a free present and this guy gives 2. Insane card advantage and tempo advantage. Also as a general no one wants to kill him as you just keep getting more stuff.
Life from the Loam: G/B/x recursion is one of my favorite types of deck to play and this card goes in nearly all of them. It mills you, gets card advantage, lets you keep up with land drops, etc.
1. Oracle of Mul Daya: I'm enjoying Courser now, but that card was just the perfect design in terms of power level, uniqueness, and fun. Never topdeck a land again. Yes please.
2. Precursor Golem: first and only card I ever speculated on at 25 cents for a rare when I saw how well it performed in RUG decks protecting Jace, the Mind Sculptor. Then next season Delver happened. Flyers and Vapor Snag. Just pure kryptonite. I hope it gets reprinted at some point so it gets another chance to be good in standard.
3. Squadron Hawk: so many synergies can be introduced to your deck without creating anything broken. Plus flying is a cool ability.
1. Oracle of Mul Daya: I'm enjoying Courser now, but that card was just the perfect design in terms of power level, uniqueness, and fun. Never topdeck a land again. Yes please.
I combine that with Sensei's Divining Top in EDH. It's a circus of value.
1) Vendilion Clique Flavorful yet playable. Very good yet not overpowered. Whats not to love?
2) Rampaging Baloths MOAR BEASTS!! Its fun and very ool as well
3) Snapcaster Mage If this was banned in modern I dont know what I'd do with myself...
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Currently Playing:
Modern: RUGScapeshift[RUG...Occasionally with goyfs RUGTarmotwinRUG(RIP)
Legacy: UWxuwr miracles and stonebladeUWx
Commander: UWRShu Yun/Ruhan SmashUWR
1. Lightning Bolt - This card defines Magic for me. I always feel like I have so many options in my hand when I draw it.
2. Hymn to Tourach - "Hymn, Hymn, I win". I love discard and the sadfaces this card causes are a thing of a beauty to a black magic-user like myself.
3. Chaos Orb - While I've only ever been able to play this card in a casual "Alpha only" format with some friends of mine, it's always a riot when it hits the table. Cards get moved, the skill of the flip/throw and the discussions about what a card like that means for the game are always a fun topic. I wish they could have kept a mechanic like this in the game somehow, but I understand that it's an antiquated but ambitious relic of a fledging game of the past.
Goblin Welder - No one card is quite the same. The shenanigans and value are just too strong.
Gush - The sheer value is so good, and it plays well in the sorts of decks in enjoy. It also creates and interesting metagame whenever it is involved, I feel.
Ponder - Ponder standards are the only ones I truly enjoy playing. It makes me feel like the luck factor is much smaller, and that I have legitimate control over my deck.
Putrid Leech
It's a beast. It epitomizes the BG beater. Above the curve with its efficient pump. Balanced, yet situationally overpowered.
Gorgeous flavor text. Interesting gameplay. I could go on about this little monster.
Maelstrom Pulse BG DBZ in a card. I also have a thing for sorceries.
Deathrite Shaman
I had my heart set on it the day it was spoiled. Almost cheered me up from the crushing disappointment that was Vraska the Unseen.
I preordered over 20 at $4 each. Just kicking myself I didn't think to get foils while they were still low.
You don't call "dying to removal" if the removal is more expensive in resources than the creature. If you have to spend BG (Abrupt Decay), or W + basic land (PtE) to remove a 1G, that is not "dying to removal". Strictly speaking Goyf dies to removal, but actually your removal is dying to Goyf.
Stoneforge Mystic - UW Stoneblade was the first deck I built when I came back to Magic in 2011 and decided to take the plunge into Legacy. The reason for that deck choice was Stoneforge Mystic. I love how efficient this card is, how she easily fits in Aggro, Midrange, and Control (she really only is a misfit in combo) and how she can fetch the right equipment for the right situation. I fortunately never played Standard when it destroyed that format so I have no grudges against this card.
Tinker - Probably the most broken of my favourite cards. Back when I played "casual" (casual being taken very loosely because all of my playgroup's decks were full of banned cards) I had a 4Tinker.dec and there was nothing quite like having four cards that basically read "you win the game." I only wish I could play with it more often because it's banned in pretty much every format.
Thoughtseize - Borderline oppressive, but this card accomplishes so much for just B and 2 life. You get to see their hand, figure out how to sculpt the next few turns, AND disrupt said hand almost always completely. Great in every format. I like it so much that I recently bought a second playset.
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Special thanks to Hakai Studios and SushiOtter for the sig!
Legacy:UR Sneak and Show IUBG Team America IX Metalworker MUD Modern:UBR Blue Jund IWBX Eldrazi Processors IX Affinity IWRG Nacatl Burn IGR Tron IUBR Grishoalbrand
1. Zur's Weirding -> I like quirky cards that can be built around to establish a lock.
2. Knight of the Reliquary -> I like repeatable tutors, as long as they're not overpowered.
3. Soltari Guerillas -> I have a soft spot for this card. I included it in my first "competitive" deck just because being gold was cool, and it pretty much taught me that card advantage wins games.
1. Jace, the Mind Sculptor - My wife got me From the Vault 20 for Christmas. I had wanted this card just for my collection. The fact that she got it for me makes it even more special.
2. Wurmcoil Engine - I look for excuses to put this thing in decks, even if it doesn't make sense. UWR Control finisher? Sure! Any tron deck ever? You know it! Bogles? EFF IT WHY NOT! I have 4 copies right now, 2 normal, 1 promo, and 1 foil.
3. Snapcaster Mage - This little bugger has won me more games than any other card. My favorite way to use him is actually just getting those red zone beats in. SNAPPY GOING TO WORK.
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2. Yawgmoth's Bargain: Now HERE'S a nostalgia pick, Sabre Bargain was the first competitive deck I ever built in magic so it will always have a special place in my heart. Also, after watching Caleb Durward use it in ANT, it makes me wish it were legal in Legacy.
3. Thorn Elemental Never really saw competitive play but the first time I laid eyes upon it it made my Timmy sense tingle in a way it never had before. It was also the first card that I actively collected multiple copies of. I still remember the joy of getting my first foil one or sending a bunch away and having rk post sign them.
Dishonorable Mention: Morphling: God, remember when this thing was the greatest creature in the history of magic? It was everywhere and I never could afford a playset. It does kinda amuse me that it's little brother Aetherling is such a prominent presence in standard all these years later tho.
I find it hard to pick, as so many cards are lousy in one format and excellent in another. But, taken in isolation, and just in terms of enjoyable they are to play:
Martyr of Sands
While the mechanic is fairly simple, to me she is the perfect mix of white flavor and white ability, yet also very different from the straight-forward heroism one often sees in white cards.
Delver of Secrets
Mechanically, I like that it forces you to build around it, and that its effect is not a sure thing, yet it's potentially a huge, early threat. I love the The Fly reference, and in general the mad scientist flavor of it all ( Innistrad is my favorite set for flavor ).
Humility
The funniest mechanic in any multiplayer game. So very, very mellow!
UTeferi, Temporal ArchmageU's prison: blue is the new orange is the new black.
Mizzix Of The Izmagnus : wheels on fire... rolling down the road...
BSidisi, Undead VizierB: Bis zum Erbrechen
GTitiania, Protector Of ArgothG: Protecting Argoth, by blowing it up!
GYisan, The Wanderer BardG: Gradus Ad Elfball.
Duel EDH: Yisan & Titania.
In Progress: Grand Arbiter Augustin IV duel; Grenzo, Dungeon Warden Doomsday.
The win condition we could probably hobble together. It's the counterspells and cheap draw that made Psychatog. Psychatog may as well have been Morphling, Aetherling, Eternal Dragon, or Baneslayer Angel. He was just there to do the clean up job left behind after Counterspell, Circular Logic, Force Spike, Chainer's Edict, and Upheaval, and Fact or Fiction had their fun.
I really miss when spells were good.
Standard: I, for one, welcome our new rhinoceros overlords
Modern: Pod's dead, Bob's back.
Legacy: Lands, Deathblade, Death and Taxes, Elves, MUD
Retired Legacy: Merfolk, Goblins, Jund, Delver, Reanimator
1) Loyal Cathar
2) Slave of Bolas
3) Blind Obedience
From a gameplay perspective:
1) Lingering Souls
2) Remand
3) Primeval Titan
I don't always post about Rafiq of the Many, but when I do, I cardlink to the original artwork, and not the supplementary product version.
"I trust myself to do my duty, even unto death. It's what comes after that I'm afraid of."
"Just fight without fear. Your soul is protected by the hand of Avacyn and will never submit to evil."
2.) Swans of Bryn Argoll: Because its awesome, and one of the last standard decks i actually considered interesting.
3.) Life from the Loam: Drawing 3 cards a turn is pretty sweet, especially in grindy GBx decks
Deathrite Shaman- Got me into legacy
Smokestack- I love competitive edh
Anyway I've started my own gameplay channel in which I play games (Magic also)
Twitch:
https://www.twitch.tv/dies_to_doom_blade
Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/UpsidedownHandshake
Mother of Runes: who doesn't like mom?
Lightning Bolt: in your face, mofo.
Honorable mentions: Brainstorm (who doesn't like to find what one's need?), Winter Orb (yeah, I was that guy), and Stasis (because of the art).
Grave Pact: I love sacrificing creatures for value and what better value is there than forcing my opponents to sacrifice creatures as well
Army of the Damned: ZOMBIES!
-Anonymous
Maelstrom Wanderer: Cascade is like a free present and this guy gives 2. Insane card advantage and tempo advantage. Also as a general no one wants to kill him as you just keep getting more stuff.
Life from the Loam: G/B/x recursion is one of my favorite types of deck to play and this card goes in nearly all of them. It mills you, gets card advantage, lets you keep up with land drops, etc.
Honourable mentions: Cryptic Command, Gifts Ungiven and Chrome Mox.
2. Precursor Golem: first and only card I ever speculated on at 25 cents for a rare when I saw how well it performed in RUG decks protecting Jace, the Mind Sculptor. Then next season Delver happened. Flyers and Vapor Snag. Just pure kryptonite. I hope it gets reprinted at some point so it gets another chance to be good in standard.
3. Squadron Hawk: so many synergies can be introduced to your deck without creating anything broken. Plus flying is a cool ability.
I combine that with Sensei's Divining Top in EDH. It's a circus of value.
2) Rampaging Baloths MOAR BEASTS!! Its fun and very ool as well
3) Snapcaster Mage If this was banned in modern I dont know what I'd do with myself...
Modern:
RUGScapeshift[RUG...Occasionally with goyfs
RUGTarmotwinRUG(RIP)
Legacy:
UWxuwr miracles and stonebladeUWx
Commander:
UWRShu Yun/Ruhan SmashUWR
2. Hymn to Tourach - "Hymn, Hymn, I win". I love discard and the sadfaces this card causes are a thing of a beauty to a black magic-user like myself.
3. Chaos Orb - While I've only ever been able to play this card in a casual "Alpha only" format with some friends of mine, it's always a riot when it hits the table. Cards get moved, the skill of the flip/throw and the discussions about what a card like that means for the game are always a fun topic. I wish they could have kept a mechanic like this in the game somehow, but I understand that it's an antiquated but ambitious relic of a fledging game of the past.
My Kamigawa cube.
My Mirage Cube
Intet the dreamer: It's fun casting omniscience fro 2U
Scroll rack: "I don't like this hand, may I take a new one? :)"
Thanks Argentleman;)
WB Teysa token aggroBW (retired)
MAKING (Onmath, Numot, maybe something in Esper)
Gush - The sheer value is so good, and it plays well in the sorts of decks in enjoy. It also creates and interesting metagame whenever it is involved, I feel.
Ponder - Ponder standards are the only ones I truly enjoy playing. It makes me feel like the luck factor is much smaller, and that I have legitimate control over my deck.
Knight of the Reliquary - obviously strong, but has some subtle uses also. It's just too bad Deathrite has weakened its ability to grow huge in Legacy
Flickerwisp - I remember testing Death and Taxes against my friend's Tezzeret deck, and he was always praying I wouldn't have one of these
Can you imagine if it had Flash.....
It's a beast. It epitomizes the BG beater. Above the curve with its efficient pump. Balanced, yet situationally overpowered.
Gorgeous flavor text. Interesting gameplay. I could go on about this little monster.
Maelstrom Pulse
BG DBZ in a card. I also have a thing for sorceries.
Deathrite Shaman
I had my heart set on it the day it was spoiled. Almost cheered me up from the crushing disappointment that was Vraska the Unseen.
I preordered over 20 at $4 each. Just kicking myself I didn't think to get foils while they were still low.
"OH GOD MY BRAIN IS EXPLOADING AT HOW BAD THE ART IS ON MY OWN CARD"
-A friend's first impression of Ancestral Recall
10/10, I tapped.
Tinker - Probably the most broken of my favourite cards. Back when I played "casual" (casual being taken very loosely because all of my playgroup's decks were full of banned cards) I had a 4Tinker.dec and there was nothing quite like having four cards that basically read "you win the game." I only wish I could play with it more often because it's banned in pretty much every format.
Thoughtseize - Borderline oppressive, but this card accomplishes so much for just B and 2 life. You get to see their hand, figure out how to sculpt the next few turns, AND disrupt said hand almost always completely. Great in every format. I like it so much that I recently bought a second playset.
Special thanks to Hakai Studios and SushiOtter for the sig!
Legacy: UR Sneak and Show I UBG Team America I X Metalworker MUD
Modern: UBR Blue Jund I WBX Eldrazi Processors I X Affinity I WRG Nacatl Burn I GR Tron I UBR Grishoalbrand
Everytime I see a death and taxes list cutting down from four of these I die a little inside.
SkullClamp
Mind Funeral
The cards that I remember making the biggest plays with.
That's what Aether Vial is for, and it leads to some spectacularly lopsided plays.
2. Knight of the Reliquary -> I like repeatable tutors, as long as they're not overpowered.
3. Soltari Guerillas -> I have a soft spot for this card. I included it in my first "competitive" deck just because being gold was cool, and it pretty much taught me that card advantage wins games.
1. Jace, the Mind Sculptor - My wife got me From the Vault 20 for Christmas. I had wanted this card just for my collection. The fact that she got it for me makes it even more special.
2. Wurmcoil Engine - I look for excuses to put this thing in decks, even if it doesn't make sense. UWR Control finisher? Sure! Any tron deck ever? You know it! Bogles? EFF IT WHY NOT! I have 4 copies right now, 2 normal, 1 promo, and 1 foil.
3. Snapcaster Mage - This little bugger has won me more games than any other card. My favorite way to use him is actually just getting those red zone beats in. SNAPPY GOING TO WORK.