Thanks to everyone who responded to my question! I now finally understood something that I was mixing up. I was thinking that dmg was lowering the defense instead of markings against the defense. Now I can see why the judge made the ruling that they did. Thanks again to all the responses. That really cleared things up!!
I have a concern about a ruling I got at the SCG Atlanta Open last weekend. I believe the judge made a wrong call but I might be misunderstanding the rules. I did not argue with the judge even though I don't believe they were right. Here is the situation:
My opponent attacked with Rhonas the Indomitable with an Always Watching in play. I blocked with a Winding Constrictor that had 2 +1/+1 counters on it so it is a 4/5. Rhonas the Indomitable is a 6/6 that was blocked by a 4/5. I told my opponent AFTER combat damage, I hit Rhonas the Indomitable with a Grasp of Darkness. Now my understanding is that Rhonas the Indomitable would die even though it is indestructible. I dealt 4 damage and then finished it off with the Grasp of Darkness. I was told that it would not die since it was indestructible that it was a 2/2 with a bunch of counters on it. The best way to explained the way the judge explained it to me was more or less the damage was "prevented" and it became a 2/2 because of the Grasp and then the damage was added to it and that was why it never died. Can a level 3 judge please answer this for me? Thanks!!
Warning issued for rude behavior (asking for a level 3 judge specifically) -MadMage
I have been thinking about building this deck for the last few weeks and finally decided to give it a shot. I believe the deck will work but need to tweak it some. The purpose of this deck is to steal your opponents creatures and attack them with it and then sac them. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Hey Guys! I have been working on a deck for the last week and trying to get it flowing better. It seems to flow descent now but want it to run so much better. I know the first thing everyone will say is that I need more lands; however, the test runs I have made the last 3 days with it, I never ran into a mana problem. Here is what the deck looks like:
Any ideas on how to make the deck better are welcome. I have not really worked on a sideboard for this deck so any help on that would be welcome as well. Let me know what you think! Thanks everyone!!
Let's say that I cast Bomat Courier on T1 and attack on T1, T2, and T3. On T3 the Bomat dies. I bring the Bomat back from the graveyard and attack again. After blockers have been declared and before damage is dealt, I pay 1 Mountain and sac the Bomat to discard my hand and to draw cards. Do I still draw 4 cards since the Bomat died and came back into play or just the one?
I was working on a W/U deck totally different than the way this one has came out. Everyone I have gotten input from has suggested I go W/U control. I don't like control and don't ever build them but I decided to give it a try. I would like some suggestions on how to make the deck better and possible for a sideboard as well. I might be able to add another Avacyn, Selfless Spirit, and Gisela before FNM tonight if a trade goes through. Not sure what to take out for them though. I was thinking Bruna for the Avacyn but not sure yet on the others. Any suggestions?
I have a question about instants and sorcerys. Lets say I try to cast a sorcery as an instant, would the spell fizzle out or do I return it back to my hand since I cant play it? I have heard both answers were correct. For example, if I try to play Larger than Life after my opponent declares no blockers, does Larger than Life fizzle or return to my hand? Thanks!
My question is concerning the energy counters. I have seen that if you attack with a creature, let's say Thriving Rhino, you can not sac more than EE for its ability. I can understand that since it only attacks once. What about with Longtusk Cub? Can I sac more than EE any time to pump it up even if it attacks? Thanks!
The purpose of this deck is to control the board and my opponents hand until I can get my big guys onto the field. Being able to pop Liliana's last ability and casting From Under the Floorboards for its madness cost with lots of counters on Mage-Ring Network would produce tons of tokens. Yes, I know if someone cast Declaration in Stone that it would get rid of all my tokens so I need to keep that from happening with hand control. How does the deck look and how could improve the deck? Also, how would the deck work against aggro? I think I would have problems with creatures early on. Thanks for all suggestions!
I have been working on a BUG Tree of Perdition + Turn to Frog combo. I either have a hard time getting the Tree or Frog. Yes, I know how crazy that sounds since I am running 4 of each but I do. I have considered running 3x Gift of Tusks but would rather not if I can find a way to make the deck better without it. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!
I decided to use Gift of Tusks over Turn to Frog since it will be rotating out soon. Zulaport Cutthroat allows your opponent to lose life when a creature dies so after their life is down to 3 attack with all but 3 creatures so they will take damage from the attack. If they attack, then block with 3 creatures and allow them to loose 3 life that way. You could also use Reave Soul to destroy a Blisterpod then sack the token for 2 damage. If we have another token handy sack it for the final blow. I was considering adding 4x Fiery Impulse to make it easier to get that 3 damage across but I think adding 4x Alms of the Vein would be better since I would not have to add a fourth color. What ideas do you guys have for this deck and what suggestions do you have for a sideboard?
Thanks! I was thinking that since Turn to Frog was on the stack then it would negate Tree of Perdition even though it was on the stack. Your explanation makes a lot of sense! Thanks!!
I have a question about using Tree of Perdition and Turn to Frog. How would that combo work? Since Turn to Frog says that target creature looses all abilities how could the Tree still use it's ability? If the Tree is on the stack then Frog, the Frog would keep the tree from using it's ability since the Frog resolves first. If the Frog was cast first, then the Tree's ability would resolve first making your opponent's life 13 before the Frog resolves. Am I completely missing something here? Thanks!
My opponent attacked with Rhonas the Indomitable with an Always Watching in play. I blocked with a Winding Constrictor that had 2 +1/+1 counters on it so it is a 4/5. Rhonas the Indomitable is a 6/6 that was blocked by a 4/5. I told my opponent AFTER combat damage, I hit Rhonas the Indomitable with a Grasp of Darkness. Now my understanding is that Rhonas the Indomitable would die even though it is indestructible. I dealt 4 damage and then finished it off with the Grasp of Darkness. I was told that it would not die since it was indestructible that it was a 2/2 with a bunch of counters on it. The best way to explained the way the judge explained it to me was more or less the damage was "prevented" and it became a 2/2 because of the Grasp and then the damage was added to it and that was why it never died. Can a level 3 judge please answer this for me? Thanks!!
Warning issued for rude behavior (asking for a level 3 judge specifically) -MadMage
3x Hijack
1x Kari Zev's Expertise
4x Wrangle
3x Yahenni's Expertise
9x Mountain
3x Smoldering Marsh
9x Swamp
3x Fatal Push
3x Fiery Temper
3x Grasp of Darkness
3x Lightning Axe
2x Distended Mindbender
3x Gonti, Lord of Luxury
3x Noxious Gearhulk
18x Swamp
4x Mortuary Mire
Creatures (20)
3x Weaponcraft Enthusiast
3x Midnight Entourage
3x Gifted Aetherborn
3x Yahenni, Undying Partisan
3x Treasure Keeper
2x Vengeful Rebel
1x Metallic Mimic
1x Ironclad Revolutionary
1x Aetherborn Marauder
3x Harsh Scrutiny
3x Fatal Push
3x Transgress the Mind
3x Fortuitous Find
3x Murder
2x Perilous Predicament
1x Yahenni's Expertise
Any ideas on how to make the deck better are welcome. I have not really worked on a sideboard for this deck so any help on that would be welcome as well. Let me know what you think! Thanks everyone!!
2x Anticipate
2x Declaration in Stone
2x Displace
1x Dovin Baan
1x Fumigate
3x Immolating Glare
3x Stasis Snare
3x Void Shatter
1x Bruna, the Fading Light
1x Gisela, the Broken Blade
4x Reflector Mage
1x Selfless Spirit
3x Spell Queller
3x Thalia, Heretic Cathar
4x Thraben Inspector
1x Torrential Gearhulk
2x Evolving Wilds
6x Island
1x Meandering River
2x Needle Spires
6x Plains
1x Port Town
2x Prairie Stream
1x Sunken Hollow
3x Mage-Ring Network
17x Swamp
3x Distended Mindbender
2x Emrakul, the Promised End
1x Kothophed, Soul Hoarder
3x Noosegraf Mob
2x Skirsdag Supplicant
4x Duress
1x From Under the Floorboards
4x Ruinous Path
3x Transgress the Mind
3x Brain in a Jar
2x Prism Ring
2x To the Slaughter
1x Liliana, the Last Hope
2x Choked Estuary
7x Forest
2x Island
3x Llanowar Wastes
2x Sunken Hollow
7x Swamp
1x Yavimaya Coast
1x Emrakul, the Promised End
4x Thornbow Archer
4x Tree of Perdition
2x Ulvenwald Hydra
4x Zulaport Cutthroat
Enchantment (4)
4x Cryptolith Rite
4x Duress
3x Seek the Wilds
3x Transgress the Mind
Instant (8)
4x Anticipate
4x Turn to Frog
9x Swamp
9x Forest
2x Island
1x Sunken Hollow
1x Choked Estuary
1x Yavimaya Coast
1x Lumbering Falls
4x Blisterpod
4x Managorger Hydra
4x Tree of Perdition
3x Catacomb Sifter
4x Zulaport Cutthroat
2x Ulvenwald Hydra
1x Emrakul, the Promised End
3x Reave Soul
4x Gift of Tusks
4x Cryptolith Rite
3x Prying Questions
I decided to use Gift of Tusks over Turn to Frog since it will be rotating out soon. Zulaport Cutthroat allows your opponent to lose life when a creature dies so after their life is down to 3 attack with all but 3 creatures so they will take damage from the attack. If they attack, then block with 3 creatures and allow them to loose 3 life that way. You could also use Reave Soul to destroy a Blisterpod then sack the token for 2 damage. If we have another token handy sack it for the final blow. I was considering adding 4x Fiery Impulse to make it easier to get that 3 damage across but I think adding 4x Alms of the Vein would be better since I would not have to add a fourth color. What ideas do you guys have for this deck and what suggestions do you have for a sideboard?
That should be 4x Fiery Temper instead of 4x Fiery Impulse!!