Elspereth's Ultimate ability does next to nothing to result in the game ending in your favor. Sure, it can protect creatures you have in play from removal, but you have to have those creatures in play in the first place when the ability is activated.
Actually, her ultimate affects everything you will ever have on the board for the rest of the game, whether it's in play when the ultimate goes off or not. From the Shards mini-faq:
Quote from Shards FAQ »
Once Elspeth's third ability resolves, it's continually in effect until the game ends, even if Elspeth has already left play or leaves play at some point afterwards. It doesn't lock in what it applies to. Since the effect states a true thing about a set of permanents, but doesn't actually change the *characteristics* of those permanents, it will apply to whatever artifacts, creatures, enchantments, and lands you happen to control at any point in the game from that time forward. It will apply to such permanents that come under your control after the ability has resolved, and it will cease to apply to permanents that leave your control. Since the ability doesn't change those permanents' characteristics, if any of them loses all abilities, it will still be indestructible.
So that Empyrial ArchangelAkrasan Squire you play the turn after you fire of Elspeth's ultimate? Indestructable, and not even snakeforming it will kill it. I think that's pretty useful in the right deck. (edited because I forgot the archangel had shroud, but you know what I mean.)
So after my spectacular failure at drafting last week, I'm thinking about playing in my first Standard FNM tourney this week. I really like mono-plains deck I have, and would like some feedback on it since I don't really have a way to test it against the major archetypes on my own. I also need help creating a sideboard. Other than Forge-Tender and Ruined Halo, I don't know what else to put in the sideboard that's castable in mono-white.
The deck aims to play some of the best cheap white creatures (FoD, Finks, Stillmoon) + lots of lifelink. Edges are there for either edge-nip-lol fun or to trigger the mimics. Endless Horizons is a good turn 5+ deck thinner. I've been thinking about exchanging the Divinity of Prides for Battlegrace Angel, but the Angels can't get as potentially large as the Divinity, and don't trigger the mimics or the Liege.
As the title says, tournament packs of Shards are awesome. I've bought 3 so far, and I got Rafiq in the first, Ajani Vengenant in the second, and Elspeth in the one I bought today. I don't even know why I bothered with normal packs, if these are any indication I should have bought a box of tournament packs instead of one of boosters. How's everyone else doing with pulls from them?
In a sanctioned draft, you play the person that drafted opposite you, meaning the bomb you pass has to make it by 3 other people before it affects your first game.
In the 2nd round, you have only a 1/4 chance of playing against that card. I don't feel like running the math on the 3rd round but you get the idea. There's a decent probability you won't even play against it.
I did not know this. The draft I went to was supposedly an official FNM thing, but 10 people showed up, so they split us into 2 groups of 5 for the drafting part (I overheard something about buy-ins and the DCI not being happy?). My first game was actually against someone from the other group. I won, and my next game was against someone from my draft group. I lost that one, and since they were doing single elimination that was it for me for the night.
Take the best card for you, and only hatedraft when there's NOTHING for you.
One thing about that night that I didn't like was that were were very few cards I was happy about taking. I don't remember exactly what I took instead of the ultimatum, but I do remember it wasn't all that great. Should I have taking the bomb instead of something like an Undead Leotau, or should I only "hatedraft" if I'm playing blue-black and everything available is green and red?
On Friday night I played in my very first draft. It was an ALA/ALA/ALA draft, and apparently the card pool was fairly weak; people at my table kept complaining how bad their decks were. I don't know if that's chance, ALA draft in general, or the skill of the players at my table. I sort of knew what to expect from reading stuff online, but reading and playing are two different things. Some of the things I learned from that night:
Do not let your first few pics determine your colors
I had a choice between an Oblivion Ring and a Jund Charm in my first pack. I went with the Jund charm, and from then on went with Jund cards, even when it quickly became clear that the card pool for it was weak.
You will end up drafting far more cards that you will put in your deck - not every card has to be a perfect fit!
Related to the previous lesson. For some reason I didn't do the math and had it in my head that I would be getting just enough cards to make a deck out of. If I had realized I would have extras, I would have been more than willing to let the aforementioned Jund charm go into the unused pile and switched to a better combination of colors.
Unconditional spot removal is better than conditional mass removal
That damn Jund charm again. I picked it because I figured the instant speed pyroclasm would come in handy, and it did. Once. The other times I had to use one of the other modes when the pyroclasm would have been worse for me, or wouldn't have touched my opponent's creatures. Having an o-ring instead would have been much more useful.
Take any bombs you see. Better have it unused in your pocket than used against you.
I got passed a Cruel Ultimatum and, because it wasn't in my colors and I wanted to be fair, passed it along. Later I played the person who took it, and it was devastating to play against. He even told me after the match that I shouldn't have let it go no matter the colors. The lesson here is to take any bombs you see. You can try to splash for them later, and even if you can't you've proactively removed a big threat from someone else's deck.
Yea, that one first pick and my own mindset did me in that night. My deck was very weak, and I got knocked out in the second round. I learned though, and might try again when the store does another draft in 2 weeks. I'd appreciate any advice for a newbie, especially about reading signals. If no one is commenting on what they're taking, what signals am I supposed to be reading? Is it just what cards I'm being passed? How does that tell me what everyone else is playing?
3 -> 4 -> 5 color does seem like an obvious progression this block could take, and while that would be fine, I hope they go a different route. 3 color is about the limit of what most people, especially casual players, are willing to handle in a deck. I have enough trouble making sure I can cast my Stoic Angel on turn 4, I don't want to have to worry about squeezing in another color or two so I can play the cool cards in the next set.
Personally, I hope the next two sets are more about expanding the conflict in the sets. Bant vs. Bant in Shards, Bant vs. Esper and Naya in Conflux, and finally everyone vs. everyone in Reborn. Thus there would still be a majority of gWu cards in the next two sets, but have some WR, GUR, and even WUBRG cards. It'd be a nice way to keep the flavor of the three shards and the tricolor theme throughout the block while still allowing for more color combinations.
It might make it more color-intensive than you wanted, but what about a cost of something like 1(2/G)(R/G)(R/G) for Mana Resonance? It still gives green quicker access to the spell and might be less confusing to read.
I'm in a similar situation. I'm not a great player, but I play with people who are at a lower level than I. I would suggest not playing anything resembling a net deck, instead do what others have suggested and make something a little unique and wacky. Don't worry about consistency. Play something that has interesting interactions but ones that aren't guaranteed to come out every turn. Also try putting yourself on a higher curve and pack less removal. A lot of less advanced players forget to make room for removal and other answers, and can get annoyed when your deck always seems to disrupt theirs and they can't do anything to yours.
I want to make sure I have this right: I have a Murderous Redcap in play. I cast a Caldera Hellion, devouring the Redcap. The Hellion will come into play and deal its 3 damage before the Redcap persists back, at which point the Redcap can then deal 1 damage to whatever is left on the board.
Is this correct? The Redcap is devoured as the Hellion is coming into play, and the Hellion deals its damage when it comes into play. I'm unsure if there's a timing window between the as and the when when the Redcap could come back into play and get destroyed by the Hellion. (I hope that's clear)
Hi everybody. I've been lurking here for a few months now (ever since I found out you were the main source of preview spoilers), and I finally decided to join. I started playing back in Revised, stopped during Ursa's block because of a move, and I just got back into the game last year just before Lorwyn.
I'm mostly a casual player; my friends and I play together a couple of time a week. Official stuff like FNM intrigues me, but I'm afraid of getting my ass kicked. ;-)
I'm looking forward to finally joining in the discussions here. I only wish I had joined a few weeks ago when Alara was still being spoiled. Now I'll have to wait months before I can complain that creatures die to removal!
Actually, her ultimate affects everything you will ever have on the board for the rest of the game, whether it's in play when the ultimate goes off or not. From the Shards mini-faq:
So that
Empyrial ArchangelAkrasan Squire you play the turn after you fire of Elspeth's ultimate? Indestructable, and not even snakeforming it will kill it. I think that's pretty useful in the right deck. (edited because I forgot the archangel had shroud, but you know what I mean.)My deck:
3 Nip Gwyllion
3 Figure of Destiny
3 Nightsky Mimic
3 Stillmoon Cavalier
4 Kitchen Finks
3 Spitemare
3 Voracious Hatchling
2 Deathbringer Liege
2 Divinity of Pride
3 Unmake
3 Oblivion Ring
2 Endless Horizons
4 Burrenton Forge-Tender
2 Ruined Halo
2 Archon of Justice
The deck aims to play some of the best cheap white creatures (FoD, Finks, Stillmoon) + lots of lifelink. Edges are there for either edge-nip-lol fun or to trigger the mimics. Endless Horizons is a good turn 5+ deck thinner. I've been thinking about exchanging the Divinity of Prides for Battlegrace Angel, but the Angels can't get as potentially large as the Divinity, and don't trigger the mimics or the Liege.
I appreciate any help, thanks.
I did not know this. The draft I went to was supposedly an official FNM thing, but 10 people showed up, so they split us into 2 groups of 5 for the drafting part (I overheard something about buy-ins and the DCI not being happy?). My first game was actually against someone from the other group. I won, and my next game was against someone from my draft group. I lost that one, and since they were doing single elimination that was it for me for the night.
One thing about that night that I didn't like was that were were very few cards I was happy about taking. I don't remember exactly what I took instead of the ultimatum, but I do remember it wasn't all that great. Should I have taking the bomb instead of something like an Undead Leotau, or should I only "hatedraft" if I'm playing blue-black and everything available is green and red?
- Do not let your first few pics determine your colors
I had a choice between an Oblivion Ring and a Jund Charm in my first pack. I went with the Jund charm, and from then on went with Jund cards, even when it quickly became clear that the card pool for it was weak.
- You will end up drafting far more cards that you will put in your deck - not every card has to be a perfect fit!
Related to the previous lesson. For some reason I didn't do the math and had it in my head that I would be getting just enough cards to make a deck out of. If I had realized I would have extras, I would have been more than willing to let the aforementioned Jund charm go into the unused pile and switched to a better combination of colors.
- Unconditional spot removal is better than conditional mass removal
That damn Jund charm again. I picked it because I figured the instant speed pyroclasm would come in handy, and it did. Once. The other times I had to use one of the other modes when the pyroclasm would have been worse for me, or wouldn't have touched my opponent's creatures. Having an o-ring instead would have been much more useful.
- Take any bombs you see. Better have it unused in your pocket than used against you.
I got passed a Cruel Ultimatum and, because it wasn't in my colors and I wanted to be fair, passed it along. Later I played the person who took it, and it was devastating to play against. He even told me after the match that I shouldn't have let it go no matter the colors. The lesson here is to take any bombs you see. You can try to splash for them later, and even if you can't you've proactively removed a big threat from someone else's deck.
Yea, that one first pick and my own mindset did me in that night. My deck was very weak, and I got knocked out in the second round. I learned though, and might try again when the store does another draft in 2 weeks. I'd appreciate any advice for a newbie, especially about reading signals. If no one is commenting on what they're taking, what signals am I supposed to be reading? Is it just what cards I'm being passed? How does that tell me what everyone else is playing?Personally, I hope the next two sets are more about expanding the conflict in the sets. Bant vs. Bant in Shards, Bant vs. Esper and Naya in Conflux, and finally everyone vs. everyone in Reborn. Thus there would still be a majority of gWu cards in the next two sets, but have some WR, GUR, and even WUBRG cards. It'd be a nice way to keep the flavor of the three shards and the tricolor theme throughout the block while still allowing for more color combinations.
Best: Tie between Elspeth, Knight-Errant and Empyrial Archangel - Both are awesome. Elspeth might edge out the Archangel because she costs less, but both have a huge impact. Also, Empyrial Archangel has the best art in the set.
Is this correct? The Redcap is devoured as the Hellion is coming into play, and the Hellion deals its damage when it comes into play. I'm unsure if there's a timing window between the as and the when when the Redcap could come back into play and get destroyed by the Hellion. (I hope that's clear)
I'm mostly a casual player; my friends and I play together a couple of time a week. Official stuff like FNM intrigues me, but I'm afraid of getting my ass kicked. ;-)
I'm looking forward to finally joining in the discussions here. I only wish I had joined a few weeks ago when Alara was still being spoiled. Now I'll have to wait months before I can complain that creatures die to removal!