2019 Holiday Exchange!
 
A New and Exciting Beginning
 
The End of an Era
  • posted a message on RW Exert
    Glorybringer seems a bit slow for this deck. the main synergy is Initiate and Celebrant. the glorybringer seems a bit late for the party, yes? ideally you want to exert the Celebrant on turn 4, so imho the celebrant should be the top of your creature mana curve.

    I'd cut the dragon and go with 4 Soul-Scar Mage to help weaken the various indestructible creatures with your damage spells and have an early game threat.

    I'd also add 4 Insult/Injury as the turn 4 play when you exert with the Celebrant. two combat phases with double damage for each attack should win you games.
    Posted in: Standard Archives
  • posted a message on Embalm... more creature feature
    there are ways to control creatures other than sending them to the graveyard, just saying.
    Posted in: Standard Archives
  • posted a message on When to Switch Decks
    it depends on the format you're playing. if you mostly play 'casual' with your friends then switch decks whenever you feel like it.

    i also mostly play casual with my friends. I have 75 decks and the main issue for me is choosing which deck to play. do whatever gives you the most enjoyment from the game.
    Posted in: Magic General
  • posted a message on BUG Energy Stompy
    i'm curious how this plays.

    my first impression is that this might work better as an aggro/control deck with fewer creatures and more hexproof, indestructible, and counter spells. invert the card count with something like 16 creatures and 24 spells.

    possibly something like this...

    Longtusk Cub
    Skyship Plunderer
    Winding Constrictor
    Rishkar

    Fatal Push
    Blossoming Defense
    Turn Aside
    Heroic Intervention
    Aether Meltdown
    Glimmer of Genius
    Posted in: Standard Archives
  • posted a message on Want suggestions on spider deck
    I love tribal decks, but this list has some issues. Sure, the deck should be fun to play, but it should also be effective.

    this list doesnt take advantage of the "spider" type with cards like Alpha Status or Stoneforge Masterwork, and unfortunately there aren't any spider lords, yet. Come on WoTC!!!

    I like the graveyard shenanigans, but I think the concept can be more streamlined.

    Adding red into the mix just for Giant Trap Door Spider seems like it complicates the mana base and makes the mana less dependable.

    in addition to the complex mana base, this list has a top heavy mana curve but lacks ramp or extra mana sources.

    I also dont see a clear plan for exactly how the deck is supposed to win. it seems caught between wanting to play big creatures or swarming with spider tokens. I'm not confident the list can do either of those things to full effectiveness.

    here's a list I put together that I think remedies a lot of the issues mentioned above. the main goal of this deck is to swarm with spider tokens while plowing through the library and dumping cards into the graveyard. it makes use of creatures, rather than spells, that provide recursion for any card you need from your graveyard. the mana curve is much more streamlined and the deck only runs green and black instead of a 3 color mana base. it also has extra mana sources and land fetch to help play high cmc cards and activated abilities. While it lacks as much spider tribal flavor as the original list, I like the idea of a weird human cult protecting a filthy spider lair until all the baby creepy-crawlies come pouring out to swarm the opponent.




    Renowned Weaver provides a play on the first and second turn if nothing else is available. you can sac it to increase the graveyard count for Graverobber Spider and Spider Spawning

    Deathcap Cultivator is a versatile mana dork with a deathtouch delerium bonus that should be easy for this list to establish.

    Den Protector has decent evasion but more importantly it helps grab cards from the graveyard back into your hand.

    Nyx Weaver puts cards into the graveyard and helps get them back into your hand.

    Graverobber Spider is the plan B win con beatstick and is a decent budget-minded substitute for Ishkanah.

    Vessel of Nascency helps fill the graveyard and get a card you need. can be used for land fetch to ensure you play a land each turn in the opening of the game.

    Drown in Filth also helps fill the graveyard while killing your opponent's biggest creature threats.

    Arachnogenesis neutralizes the opponent's swarm attacks and helps generate your spider swarm. this is probably the best recursion target for Den Protector and Nyx Weaver.

    Spider Spawning should be the final nail in the opponent's coffin.

    the lands help fix the mana base, draw cards, and fill the graveyard to make Drown in Filth a powerful kill card.
    Posted in: Casual & Multiplayer Formats
  • posted a message on Renegade Revolt Help
    here's an intersting take on the idea. but I dont think Grim Flayer and Greenwheel Liberator are going to do much vs Mardu Vehicles or even BG Snek.


    http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/brewed-force-abzan-rallier/
    Posted in: Standard Archives
  • posted a message on Why is mtg mainly male orientated?
    Quote from Bearscape »
    What is the female to male ratio for the MtG fanbase right now? My own anecdotal experience would say like 95% male. Such a huge difference comes from somewhere, and I do not believe it comes just from malignant intent or prejudice. The majority of players, including me, are adults who would love to see more people get into the game regardless of gender.


    my apologies for being a bit aggressive here. I'm not disputing that more men than women play MTG. however that does not mean MTG inherently appeals more to men than women. again, this fits into a gender biased mentality about games in general.

    if we look at this from a sociological point of view, we see that the "early adopters" of MTG were mostly male. it stands to reason that most other people within their (the early adopters) spheres of gaming influence were also male. to me this is a more reasonable explanation about the male dominance of MTG than any of the stereotypical nonsense posted so far in this thread.
    Posted in: Magic General
  • posted a message on Why is mtg mainly male orientated?
    Quote from Bearscape »
    magic apparently has elements that are more appealing to men than women. On top of that, even if it is not with intent, a mostly male fanbase will keep away women simply because being a minority might make some women feel intimidated or even unwelcome.


    this is only your opinion unless you can show actual proof. how, exactly, is MTG more appealing to men than women? i'm honestly curious.

    being a minority might make someone feel a bit intimitdated, but it doesn't make anyone feel unwelcome unless the majority behaves in an unwelcoming way.
    Posted in: Magic General
  • posted a message on Renegade Revolt Help
    Quote from lajube »


    I just remembered, the best revolt enabler in standard, nobody even mentioned on this thread yet: Felidar Guardian. Blinking a Rallier is good stuff.


    IF you have a revolt permanent already in play, then yes, it's an excellent option. blinking a Rallier is good stuff, IF there's a sweet 2 cmc target you can abuse two or three turns in a row. what do you suggest? I've pored over the 1 and 2 cmc W/B/G, artifact, and land options as a target for Rallier and can't come up with anything that will bury an opponent or provide an overwhelming advantage for the revolt player. do we start looking at red & blue Rallier targets and go for a 4 color deck??? yikes!
    Posted in: Standard Archives
  • posted a message on Why is mtg mainly male orientated?
    MTG as a game is not male oriented, but it does have a male culture. This has nothing to do with women not liking games or fantasy, thats just sexist logic. I know LOTS of women that enjoy card games and fantasy genre stuff. It also has nothing to do with women not being competitive. Give me a frickin break. Can we please bury these outdated stereotypes.

    <My guess, it has much more to do with the behavior of socially stunted nitwits with sexist attitudes like some of the people posting on this thread.>

    example A
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2014/10/17/more-women-play-video-games-than-boys-and-other-surprising-facts-lost-in-the-mess-of-gamergate/?utm_term=.871123e1167a


    example B
    http://www.annathemag.com/home/2016/7/7/the-women-behind-magic-the-gathering
    Posted in: Magic General
  • posted a message on Renegade Revolt Help
    I've done some playtesting on Untap and found certain revolt cards to be rather underwhelming, mostly the beatstick cards that get +1/+1 counters. it's just not enough of a bonus to make a difference unless we try to shoehorn Winding Constrictor into the deck. however, I dont think its better than the existing B/G snek decks.

    imho, these are the "best" revolt cards. finding the right mix is tricky, but I think Fatal Push and the Rallier x4 makes a lot of sense.

    Fatal Push
    Hidden Stockpile
    Renegade Rallier what's the best target in standard right now? Selfless Spirit? Evolving Wilds for mid game ramp?
    Solemn Recruit only because of double strike. i really wish this was 2 cmc with a 1/3 P/T.
    Vengeful Rebel

    the next issue is deciding which revolt triggers are the best. imho, the best triggers don't cost any mana to activate (or only a little bit of mana), have a low cmc of 1 or 2, and dont have any conditions. but these cards also need to be great cards regardless of their revolt trigger potential. please add suggestions to this list!

    creatures
    Hope of Ghirapur is good but conditional
    Thraben Inspector is a good card but adds 2 colorless to revolt cost
    Selfless Spirit is a good card and a free cost instant speed revolt trigger. a bit conditional if you want to maximize the timing of indestructible bonus.
    Greenbelt Rampager only usable on your turn and requires an energy dump if you want lots of repeat usage. also adds 1 green to revolt cost.
    Aethergeode Miner only usable on your turn, is a turn slower, but is a free mana cost trigger with potential for repeat usage
    Walking Ballista is an ok revolt trigger but doesnt live up to its potential without Winding Constrictor

    enchantments
    Hidden Stockpile good but conditional, adds 1 colorless to the revolt cost
    Unbridled Growth isn't an awesome card by itself. it does provide card draw and mana fixing which is crucial if going with a 3 color deck.
    Gonti's Machinations is an ok effect for only 1 black and a free mana cost instant speed trigger, but requires energy = conditional

    instants
    Altar's Reap adds 2 mana to the revolt cost and is conditional. might be a decent card draw/revolt trigger option in the mid and late game.

    sorceries
    ...

    artifacts
    all of the "implements" are meh
    Renegade Map an unconditional instant speed trigger, but is a turn slower and is just a "meh" card otherwise
    Stitcher's Graft is a decent trigger but adds 2 mana to the revolt cost and is a meh card compared to competitive equipment from past standard decks
    Terrarion an unconditional instant speed trigger and mana fixer with card draw, but is a turn slower and requires two mana to activate
    Slab Hammer is a decent trigger but is a meh card compared to competitive equipment from past standard decks.

    lands
    Evolving Wilds an unconditional instant speed trigger, but effect is less useful in mid and late game.


    what's the final verdict? imho the main problem right now with revolt is the lack of powerful, standard competitive cards that are also great revolt triggers. most viable revolt triggers provide card draw and mana fixing which is nice, but not exactly stuff that will take command of a game from an opponent playing Mardu Vehicles, Cat Combo, or B/G Snek. I'm hoping the next set will have better Revolt triggers and Revolt cards. I like the revolt mechanic a lot, it's simple and fun. but I'm really struggling to see how it can be competitive right now.
    Posted in: Standard Archives
  • posted a message on White/Red Human Token deck.
    this list makes humans and tokens very well, but thats all it does. there's zero interaction or answers for your opponent's threats. at some point those 29 creatures become a redundant "win more" plan. why not trim 4 or 5 of them and install some spells that do something other than make more human tokens?
    Posted in: Casual & Multiplayer Formats
  • posted a message on Tell me about pauper
    one of the main issues with paper pauper is the banned list. it varies a bit depending on your LGS. here's a good guideline that includes the online pauper banned list and paper pauper suggested additional banned list...

    http://mtg.gamepedia.com/Pauper_Magic



    this pauper deck is popular in my local meta. it's all about card advantage and wearing down the opponent.

    https://www.mtggoldfish.com/archetype/pauper-kuldotha-boros-21706#online


    and here's a list of the most popular pauper decks.

    https://www.mtggoldfish.com/metagame/pauper#online


    imho, sweeper style cards are a must have for pauper. tokens and swarm decks are everywhere.

    here is my mono black pauper deck. it uses Crypt Rats and Pestilence to wipe annoying swarms off the table. it has ramp and finishes with life drains from the Merchant and Corrupt.

    Blood Pet 4
    Crypt Rats 4
    Cemetery Gate 4
    Gray Merchant of Asphodel 4

    Dark Ritual 4
    Sign in Blood 4
    Dash Hopes 4
    Pestilence 4
    Corrupt 4

    Swamp 24
    Posted in: Paper Pauper and Peasant
  • posted a message on Mono Green Beasts peasant casual.
    if you want to stay strictly with a peasant format beast deck, this is what I suggest...

    Skyshroud Ridgeback 4
    Garruk's Companion 3
    Kalonian Tusker 2
    Leatherback Baloth 3
    Wirewood Savage 2
    Advocate of the Beast 2
    Blastoderm 4

    Rancor 4
    Aspect of Hydra 4
    Evolution Charm 4
    Provoke 4
    Epic Confrontation 4

    Forest 20

    for the 5 uncommons I would go with 2 Tuskers and 3 Leatherbacks. they are super stout beasts and provide lots of devotion for Aspect of Hydra.

    for the spells...
    Rancor of course
    Aspect of Hydra should be about +4/+4 or higher for only 1 green
    Evolution Charm provides land if you need it, graveyard recycling, or evasion
    Provoke and Epic Confrontation let your big beasts stomp your opponent's creatures
    Posted in: Paper Pauper and Peasant
  • posted a message on I need help with building and buying.
    if you have 300 dollars to spend on Standard, I'm assuming you want enough cards to build a competitive deck so you can play in Standard tournaments?

    two scenarios...

    1. you buy a few boxes of cards but dont get all the specific cards you want/need to build a competitive deck. you sell the most valuable singles that you dont want/need so you can in turn buy the specific cards you need to build your deck. not such a great way to spend 300 dollars imho.

    2. spend your 300 dollars on specific cards you need to build the standard deck you want to play.
    Posted in: Standard Archives
  • To post a comment, please or register a new account.