The Rally deck will be fun until anyone with white starts running Hallowed Moonlight in the board.
Well, Anafenza is though already. But still I'm gonna build this deck for some standard testing for game day. Probably Negate could help against that sideboard tech. Furthermore, now the deck is known, so I'd probably put some Heroes Downfall in the MB to combat Anazenza's/Ashiok's.
Anafenza is in Abzan sure, however Hallowed Moonlight will fit for anything else running white.
So is Tickal out? I just tuned in and didn't here rally mentioned for top 8.
Yeah, the fun new brews were nowhere to be seen. Top 8 was 3 GR Devotion, an Abzan Control, UW Heroic, UW Control, Jeskai Tokens, and Mardu Dragons. But top 4 was all three GR Devotions and UW Heroic. Pretty boring, if you ask me.
Edit: A GB elves list in the top 64, 3 goblins lists, a single Constellation list, and a sweet list with Swiftspear, Abbott, and Rabblemaster backed by burn.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
One of these day I have to get myself organizized.
I liked how Tuan explained the Sword of the Animist tech. I hand't thought of the interaction with Courser and it seems like a pretty reasonable card to play in the ramp deck.
Tuan may have made a few missplays, but I don't think he played awfully by any means. His deck was fine, clearly something he built, and he did a good job with it. Hope he enjoys the prize money.
Very little new, same meh meta with R/G and Abzan decks fighting some fringe decks, but taking the majority of the top spots. Surprised to see no Mono Black Devotion at all, the deck doesn't look too bad, but Abzan control might tear it apart with Abzan Charm and Dromoka's Command having too many good modes(seriously Wizards the amount of push put into G/W the past few sets is insane).
Eh, that final was a pure showcase of Magic's bad side. Mize scrys 10+ times in game 2 and can't find one of his 12 instants that would win the game, and then has to mull to 3 in game 3 and can't draw a second land. Massive favourite in the matchup, gets beaten entirely by his own bad luck. Always a shame to see, especially as Tuan had lucksacked his way past Mirriam in the previous round too despite making error upon error upon error. <Must be nice to win a Top 8 even though you play like ***** because your opponents get screwed over by chance.>
Anyway, I'm slightly disappointed by the decks present to be honest, but I think I've just been spoiled by both Khans and Dragons previously. Not much innovation. The 5-Colour Rally deck was hilarious but was always going to start losing when people realised what he was doing (it reminded me of that Jeskai Ascendancy Heroic combo deck a few months back in that once you knew the plan, you could stop it). The only actually interesting new brew was the UW Thopter deck, but again that might just be because Hoogland is a really good player. I remember him absolutely tearing it up with a UR Dragons deck post-DTK that looked the bees knees, but in actuality amounted to nothing at all - it was just that Hoogland overperformed with it because he's excellent at the game.
We'll have to see what comes of the metagame, but from this it looks like the two best decks in the format (Abzan Control and Gr Devotion) are still the uncontested best decks in the format.
Please keep the criticism constructive. Thanks! -- Lugger
Of course there's no innovation. All the big names are keeping their best kept secrets for the Pro Tour. People like Brad Nelson and Ross Mirriam were playing a deck for the sake of playing. Give it a couple weeks and The real innovations from origins will come to bare.
When you look at it like that, it makes sense. There was what, less than 800 people playing? I guess the real good stuff will have to wait.
I mean it happens every set release. Of the players that attend the events prior to the PT those that will be at the PT play a deck that is already a known quantity in order to hide their innovations. I mean I'm sure CFB and the Pantheon are already deep in testing and will have their house near the venue rented soon. None of them even attended the Open and their wasn't a GP to be played this weekend. And by that I'd be surprised if any of the players on the major teams will be at Dallas next weekend. Most of the times if they play at something its one that is near the event site which in this case is Vancouver. However that does mean that Dallas will in all likely-hood be wide open next week.
Blows my mind that more didn't sleeve up the new Chandra in the mono-red decks. She's miles ahead of Pyromaster. Kinda understand the argument that Chandra, Fire of Kaladesh dies to removal but opponent will be using their burn/removal on Rabblemaster/etc. so then you untap and do 5 to face and get a 5loyalty PW for 1RR which will do a ton more work than Pyromaster. Maybe it's just the inelastic SCC mentality and no one actually tested her and played ignorant by focusing on what's on paper and not what she actually does. I know I didn't fully realize how easy she was to flip until you test and see how often you have 2 1-3cc spells on turn 4 after untapping and drawing.
It's an instant speed 5/5 trampler for 4. Wtf do you people want seriously? It has applications in populate/ above the curve beats decks, or in Bant control/ flash. I seriously think anyone mad at this card for any reason other than losing an attacker to instant speed wurm, should go home and make their own awesome card game and leave the rest of us alone.
Blows my mind that more didn't sleeve up the new Chandra in the mono-red decks. She's miles ahead of Pyromaster. Kinda understand the argument that Chandra, Fire of Kaladesh dies to removal but opponent will be using their burn/removal on Rabblemaster/etc. so then you untap and do 5 to face and get a 5loyalty PW for 1RR which will do a ton more work than Pyromaster. Maybe it's just the inelastic SCC mentality and no one actually tested her and played ignorant by focusing on what's on paper and not what she actually does. I know I didn't fully realize how easy she was to flip until you test and see how often you have 2 1-3cc spells on turn 4 after untapping and drawing.
Chandra is a hard sell right now because Rabblemaster wins the game so much faster if unchecked and Hordeling Outburst is resilient to removal and synergizes so well with Stoke. She might have a chance to shine after rotation but right now if my opponent can't remove my red three drop I want it to be Rabbles. Hell, Outburst is theoretically 2 damage a turn after an opponent burns removal on one of the tokens, which is the same as Chandra with less effort.
I think we will see better control decks evolve but for now tapping 3 land for 3+ mana is the best way to win games and you can be totally sure Wizards will never print a land that does that in standard EVER AGAIN.
Esper Dragons is just too easy to beat with Abzan using Den Protector.
The simple solution is to just play the busted Nykthos deck and run the gauntlet. This is what Brad Nelson and crew have been doing for weeks and they've done very well.
I feel the deck is far too complicated for the average player to not go to time with. A lot of moving pieces.
The pro tour is going to be on another level. You can almost forget about the results this week really.
I Stream MTGO on Twitch: broodwarjc
I also post recordings of those streams on Youtube: broodwarjcavidgamer
Standard Deck:
BUPirates
Modern Deck:
B8-Rack
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. With nothing rotating the good decks will stay good.
37%
UR Blue-Red Control
Modern:
UBR Grixis Control
UWR Jeskai Control
http://www.mtggoldfish.com/price/Fate Reforged/Rally the Ancestors#online
I believe so, same reason Scapeshift->Valakut works.
Anafenza is in Abzan sure, however Hallowed Moonlight will fit for anything else running white.
edit:nvm, looking at yesterday lol
He had a rough day 2, was at 9-3 at one point.
Yeah, the fun new brews were nowhere to be seen. Top 8 was 3 GR Devotion, an Abzan Control, UW Heroic, UW Control, Jeskai Tokens, and Mardu Dragons. But top 4 was all three GR Devotions and UW Heroic. Pretty boring, if you ask me.
UR ....... WUBR ........... WB ............. RGW ........ UBR ....... WUB .... BGU
Spells / Blink & Combo / Token Grind / Dino Tribal / Draw Cards / Zombies / Reanimate
Edit: A GB elves list in the top 64, 3 goblins lists, a single Constellation list, and a sweet list with Swiftspear, Abbott, and Rabblemaster backed by burn.
Tuan may have made a few missplays, but I don't think he played awfully by any means. His deck was fine, clearly something he built, and he did a good job with it. Hope he enjoys the prize money.
Modern - GB Elves, UW Ojutai Control
Legacy - BWG Junk Stoneblade
Gay and Proud
#MakeAmericaGreatAgain
I Stream MTGO on Twitch: broodwarjc
I also post recordings of those streams on Youtube: broodwarjcavidgamer
Standard Deck:
BUPirates
Modern Deck:
B8-Rack
Of course there's no innovation. All the big names are keeping their best kept secrets for the Pro Tour. People like Brad Nelson and Ross Mirriam were playing a deck for the sake of playing. Give it a couple weeks and The real innovations from origins will come to bare.
UR ....... WUBR ........... WB ............. RGW ........ UBR ....... WUB .... BGU
Spells / Blink & Combo / Token Grind / Dino Tribal / Draw Cards / Zombies / Reanimate
I mean it happens every set release. Of the players that attend the events prior to the PT those that will be at the PT play a deck that is already a known quantity in order to hide their innovations. I mean I'm sure CFB and the Pantheon are already deep in testing and will have their house near the venue rented soon. None of them even attended the Open and their wasn't a GP to be played this weekend. And by that I'd be surprised if any of the players on the major teams will be at Dallas next weekend. Most of the times if they play at something its one that is near the event site which in this case is Vancouver. However that does mean that Dallas will in all likely-hood be wide open next week.
Ever since Dragonlord Atarka came onto the scene the Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx busted mana deck is near unbeatable.
I think we will see better control decks evolve but for now tapping 3 land for 3+ mana is the best way to win games and you can be totally sure Wizards will never print a land that does that in standard EVER AGAIN.
The simple solution is to just play the busted Nykthos deck and run the gauntlet. This is what Brad Nelson and crew have been doing for weeks and they've done very well.