I'm still processing that this is happening. Thank you, everyone, who helped get the forums on it's feet; who has kept them afloat since then; who has used or frequented the forums and added to or been part of the community here. It's been almost 15 years ago now, and it's crazy to think Sally has been around this long.
I'm glad that the staff are working on something to continue the community - unfortunately I don't have a phpBB2 forum hosted on a random friend's server to pull out of my pocket, this time
- Kelzam
- Registered User
-
Member for 19 years, 8 months, and 7 days
Last active Tue, Feb, 27 2024 20:02:49
- 14 Followers
- 7,182 Total Posts
- 923 Thanks
-
Dec 29, 2017Kelzam posted a message on MTGSalvation's Deckbuilder is Here!A few things I feel need to be introduced to make this worth using over other similar resources, that I currently find a little frustrating:Posted in: Articles
- The ability to re-position each section. Right now, no matter what, any section I add using the Add Section widget on the side appears below the Early/Mid/Late Game section. There can be information that is better explained in sections before those. Before I get into the early game, it's probably better to tell them how to mulligan, which I want to be it's own section. Also, I feel like Quick Info makes more sense as a section above the deck list for people to have a quick read about the deck before they start pouring through the deck list to see if it sounds like something they even want to read on about.
- The same ability to add card images to the pre-made text sections that you can add to the sections made with the Add Section feature; as well as the ability to create card links in the input text that appears in the text boxes, like we are able to do on the forums in our existing deck threads.
- Sorting capabilities for the deck list. Custom categories like those on TappedOut and the ability to tag cards with another tag other than it's default type. For example, I might want to use add the tag "Mana Acceleration" to Sol Ring instead of Artifacts, and have the capability of viewing the deck listed using custom tags to make it easier for readers to understand.
-
Feb 3, 2014Kelzam posted a message on Launch Giveaway!My favorite card is easily Arcbound Ravager. I've always loved Artifact-based decks, so when Mirrodin block was releasing I was in heaven. The deck it was part of was definitely too powerful for Standard (thanks in no part to Disciple of the Vault and the cycle of Artifact lands). But, now I play Affinity in Modern and get the same enjoyment as I did in Standard. The reason Arcbound Ravager is my favorite about all the rest though is that he let's you play both in proactive and reactive manners. The versatility is just amazing, letting you prepare an Etched Champion for an alpha strike or respond to removal of him by pouring all his counters on your Inkmoth Nexus. He's also a centerpiece in one of the few decks that aren't tri-color goodstuff.decs. There's an unfortunate lack of focus in most decks and many are simply piles of good cards that happen to fit into a guild or wedge combinations.Posted in: Announcements
-
Jan 26, 2011Kelzam posted a message on Project thoughtsIt's always good to see someone getting enjoyment out of their work or projects While I don't have any suggestions for it personally, I thought I'd post to thank you for essentially doing the forum community a service in the process.Posted in: Nis Blog
-
Jun 23, 2009Kelzam posted a message on The Moldy, Rusty GoodbyeBasically, after deciding I really want to start playing Magic again, I found that my 8 years worth of collecting cards were victim to a basement flooding, and only 3 cards survived.Posted in: Xenphire Blog
I decided to add a TL;DR summary -
Jun 8, 2009Kelzam posted a message on Selective ReadingI'll quote the posts I was referring to for clarity:Posted in: Xenphire Blog
Quote from The RiddlerI cannot see the Angel art being a Threaten-like spell, because whatever is threatening the angel into being evil, somehow also gave the angel the dark crown and glowing eyes, and whoever is controlling it isn't even present in the picture. Like the original art, I'd expect the person(s) threatening the victim to actually be present. I would also expect the background to be more in line with the soldier she's beating than the bloody palette selected (If the background were blue or white for example, she'd stick out showing something isn't right, for example).
Judging by the the glow, she's either been possessed by an evil force or she's just evil to begin with. The guy has clearly been beaten, he looks worn down and like he's struggling to get away - just look at his posture. The angle of his legs suggest he's nearly crawling.
While she wouldn't be the typical Fallen Angel what with lacking the black wings, the art tries too hard to make her look evil for it to be used on something like Threaten, IMO. I would have to doubt it's any form of control Magic, because while red might cause rage, she's clearly being driven by magic or has been possessed. The only other color possibility would be blue and blue wouldn't have an effect like that on a creature. Black doesn't do control Magic.
Re: the Sphinx: Oh god my eyes.
Quote from Ash316It would be funny then if this turned out to be Ritual of the Machine.;) I don't think it is, but there have been control cards in black. It's just doesn't go along with what they would want to do with a Core set. But as others have said, because of the background it does look more like a Red card. I just think it will be Threaten.
To answer your question, I'm not saying someone can't disagree with someone else, what I'm saying is it'd be nice if people that post in the Rumor Mill weren't so terrible about selective reading. The Riddler made several good points against the already lacking-in-reasoning assumption most of the sheep have made that the artwork has to be Threaten. The one guy who quoted him clearly didn't even bother reading his posts or didn't even try to understand his points. You have one guy posting something logical, breaking away from the mindless masses that make up the Rumor Mill posters and shining a light of intelligence on a thread, and it goes by practically unnoticed. I just find it frustrating, because it's like people there are a bunch of zombies.
You might disagree because of how you feel about reading longer posts, but I personally would rather read some posts with content that are actually logical, than the posts of hundreds of mouthbreathers repeating "Cool card" "This must be X" ad infinitum who don't even think about what they're posting. I do realize the moderators do their best to curb the spam, but I find the very nature of the average Rumor Mill poster to be quite frustrating. Different from person to person I suppose, but I think the quality of poster should be higher in the 'Mill. The Rumor Mill for a lot of new users will be the first impression of MTGS because early spoilers have been an attention-getter that has brought a good chunk of the user base to MTGNews, and now here. You come on as a new user and see a bunch of sheep, you're inclined to register and start the same sort of habits you see.
And yeah I have seen the *** vs. Damnation thread. It's another example of sheep posting the same thing over and over despite any amount of evidence to prove one way or another. Reading people's response to Charlequin's last few posts has been nervewracking at most. -
Jun 8, 2009Kelzam posted a message on Emotional rollercoasterLife is what you make of it, but ending is never the answer. In a lot of ways, suicide is a selfish thing - you probably know or have heard of many people that have lived much more painful lives, but they've endured it and it made them better people. Love is all around you, and when you end your own life, you hurt those around you.Posted in: Archon Kamigawa Blog
Let me relate your personal life to mine:
I was bullied from my pre-teen years until I graduated because I was gay, I became depressed and went from 150lbs. to 215lbs in a matter of a year and a half before graduating. I finally got accepted to a good college, got in a bad relationship, shot up to 250 lbs., and failed out of college and got terminated. Now, things like a suspension from school or the illnesses I've had seem like nothing compared to the $30,000 of debt over my head.
That is a lot to deal with. But you know why I don't kill myself? Because I'm only human, and I can endure it. We all make mistakes, we go through bad times, but we can learn from our mistakes and endure our tough times and be stronger people for it. I have family and friends that love me, and you probably do too. You haven't even begun your life yet, you're still in school - you have many years ahead of you for things to get better, to be happy and shape your life as you see fit.
Life is a gift, don't throw it away. Taking your own life is only running away from your problems, and should there be a God in the afterlife your karma will follow you. You can endure, and see that maybe things really aren't that bad, and that there's more to life than the negative side of things. - To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Moving forward, all activity and updates on this Primer will be over on MTG Nexus. I'll be reading back through the pages of discussion on this thread and intend on making a "FAQ/Previous Discussion" section to summarize a lot of what we've discussed here over the years, though that may take some time. You can find the new thread here:
https://www.mtgnexus.com/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=267
I'll also be posting brand new Primers, and just posted one for Elenda, the Dusk Rose
https://www.mtgnexus.com/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=477
Jonas and tarotplz have already found their way over there to the thread. I hope I'll see others join, as well! Thank you to everyone for your contributions in the thread here over all of this time! I have some interesting plans for the future of the Ayli Primer over on Nexus
I appreciate healthy debate and discussion over the format. BUT, it gets a bit ridiculous seeing months and months of discussion of the same handful of vocal people coming back and posting new anecdotal stories to try to crusade to make their case when the entire rest of the format has settled fine. Especially considering this card has been out in the wild for... *looks up the release date of Aether Revolt* ...almost 3 years, now. Because that's not enough, the argument is now "It's getting worse! New cards are being printed!" ...And? How many threads pop up here every set with a kneejerk reaction about the supposed power level of a card. Simic Ascendancy anyone? Narset, Parter of Veils? Razaketh, the Foulblooded? Please. Give the sensationalism a rest.
Here's my list and my thoughts on it, at the moment:
1 Yawgmoth, Thran Physician
Planeswalker
1 Liliana, the Last Hope
1 Liliana of the Dark Realms
1 Karn Liberated
1 Sorin Markov
1 Karn, Scion of Urza
1 Karn, the Great Creator
1 Ugin, the Ineffable
1 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
Enchantment
1 Phyrexian Scriptures
1 Nest of Scarabs
1 Bloodchief Ascension
1 Crumbling Ashes
1 Call to the Grave
1 Necromancy
1 Bitterblossom
1 Bridge from Below
1 Dreadhorde Invasion
Creature
1 Pitiless Plunderer
1 Kokusho, the Evening Star
1 Pawn of Ulamog
1 Archfiend of Ifnir
1 Sifter of Skulls
1 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
1 Smothering Abomination
1 Zulaport Cutthroat
1 Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder
1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
1 Bloodsoaked Champion
1 Burnished Hart
1 Psychosis Crawler
1 Reassembling Skeleton
1 Bloodghast
1 Necroskitter
1 Avatar of Woe
1 Horobi, Death's Wail
1 Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
1 Mindcrank
1 Oblivion Stone
1 Mirage Mirror
1 Commander's Sphere
1 Thought Vessel
1 Sol Ring
1 Mind Stone
1 Illusionist's Bracers
1 Caged Sun
1 Everflowing Chalice
1 Expedition Map
1 Coldsteel Heart
1 Mana Vault
1 Gilded Lotus
1 Lightning Greaves
Land
1 Field of Ruin
1 Buried Ruin
1 Maze of Ith
1 Crypt of Agadeem
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Reliquary Tower
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Vesuva
1 Cabal Coffers
1 Cabal Stronghold
1 Emergence Zone
1 Karn's Bastion
22 Snow-Covered Swamp
1 Barren Moor
1 Decree of Pain
1 Torment of Hailfire
1 Beseech the Queen
1 Dark Deal
1 Black Sun's Zenith
1 Exsanguinate
1 Final Parting
1 Command the Dreadhorde
1 Dead of Winter
Instant
1 Cabal Ritual
1 Dark Ritual
1 Liliana's Triumph
Anyway, that's about it for my testing with the deck so far. I know my build is quite different at the moment, though I aim for a similar path once I can acquire the appropriate cards
This response is so ironic it could be in Napoleon Dynamite 2. Jivantuna is spot on and the response actually proves his point. I'm dying.
Tarotplz hits the nail on the head. Kaya's Guile is pretty neat, but it doesn't do anything that other options can't do a lot better that are attached to bodies to reanimate.
Understood 😊 I was just curious - wasn't judging by any means! I'm actually interested in this because I already have so many "get easy value" competitive decks (Windgrace, Maelstrom Wanderer, Jhoira) and was brainstorming (fyi that autocorrected to barnstorming and it's not even wrong) how to do Niv-Mizzet that wasn't just doing Superfriends as a copout or another straight play-all-this-goodstuff-value.dec. so the Astral Genssis build you have here has really piqued my interest 😊
Very much interested to see how this version develops!
Vindicate not being an Instant is a good point, and you're quite correct in the context of Cloudstone Curio and other similar combo pieces. But still, blowing up utility lands and the rest of the <3CC targets is really important in my meta. It may well be a meta call for a lot of people. But overall, I do definitely prefer Vindicate. Anguished Unmaking and Utter End can't target lands which means waiting on Ashen Rider or Archon of Justice to handle them.
I agree on that respect. I'm not convinced on running it, but it was one of the more interesting cards for Ayli to talk about. I do like that it is Instant speed and can be done without mana open. There's a lot of decks out there that can build a board state out of nowhere, slam down Craterhoof Behemoth and swing out of nowhere. Unfortunately other than False Prophet most of our board wipes can't handle that despite doing our best to keep boards down. So, it's got some potential in that regard, I think
I can only speak for my build, but at least personally, I sacrifice enough to Ayli or drain with Gray Merchant of Asphodel to off set a lot of the life loss I incur most games (just not enough to run something like Bolas's Citadel), so I don't think it'll be too bad
I think this might be a meta thing, as well! Truthfully more people in my play groups should be blowing up Angelic Renewal, but I think a lot gave up because they know it'll just hit the battlefield again as soon as I get Sun Titan out there
Although my feelings on Despark differ, I added a section for it above I meant to address this and it slipped through the cracks.
I do very much like Generous Gift! I'm also very interested in Force of Despair and Silent Clearing More board wipe options are always welcome, and late game lands that turn into card draw sounds fantastic! (also which could be brought back with Sun Titan to sac again for more draw, if no better targets existed!)
I would never play Despark over Utter End, Anguished Unmaking or Vindicate. I don't like the condition that the target must have a 4CMC or greater on Despark. It's easy to be tricked into thinking it's a good card because it only costs WB, but it's far too inconsistent for my tastes. Outside of a tokens build, Orzhov is not a color combination that works fast. That is why I don't mind the 4CMC for Utter End. Orzhov is a slow roll, building up incremental value until it snowballs into an engine that is too hard to stop. I'd rather utter end Scavenging Ooze and stop my graveyard from being eaten, or Eternal Witness to stop recursion shenanigans, than sit with a 2CMC card in my hand that can't hit half the potential problems on the board.
I'll gladly pay 1 more than I do for a Vindicate to exile something, because there is so much recursion in the format that exiling threats is one of the best things you can do. But those threats aren't always 4CMC and above. Sometimes they're Cloudstone Curios, or Ashnod's Altars and other 2-3 mana sac outlets or engines that you don't want them to be able to get back. I run both Anguished Unmaking and Utter End and Vindicate because 1.) depending on other people having good threat assessment is a liability, and 2.) the ability to surgically remove basically any target is an effect worth some redundancy. I'd still have Vindicate over this as a way to easily take out Maze of Ith, Volrath's Stronghold, Gavony Township, Gaea's Cradle, Itlimoc, Cradle of the Sun etc. on top of any other target without Indestructible that it can hit. Costing 1-2 mana less than the existing options does not make it worth it, when it excludes so many important targets.
Angel of Despair aside, there is Archon of Justice, Return to Dust, False Prophet, Ashen Rider, Mangara of Corondor/Angel of Serenity/Fiend Hunter + sac outlets. Orzhov doesn't have a lack of ways to permanently flat out exile various things of the entire spectrum of CMC. Despark is frankly outclassed and overrated.
I don't even get started on those running Profane Procession.
Edit: I'll also clarify I'm not considering cEDH because cEDH isn't how the vast majority of people play Commander, and it's not like Ayli is a cEDH-worthy Commander. So, I'm not sure how what place cEDH discussion has here.