Telemin performance too often brings up junk. It's not reliable enough for its cost. I mean, it'll mill out creatureless decks, but there aren't enough of them for it to be a concern yet.
I've said it before, I'll say it again. Blue's agressive, low-cost fliers are champs. We have enough parts already that a smooth curve is available, pretty much, and they evade earthquake, forcing opponents to stock AOE burn that can't kill sphinxes. Blue's finishers are also pretty boss, and there's enough bounce and relevant counters to make blue attractive once the cardpool grows some.
Yeah, I know that people complain about blue often, such as "I don't play blue to play beatdown decks.", but seriously. Evasion plus what's shaping up to be solid interference? It looks pretty sweet.
In monowhite tokens, lynx is a house, and is often the scariest single threat aside from any lone baneslayers placed in the deck.
Even if he only swings for full effect once(usually in the beginning), that's 4(or 5 with honor of the pure!) damage. It hurts. He's good friends with Knight of the White Orchid and fetchlands, too.
Well it only takes two cards (Altar and Appeasement). The others just help it out.
And while I'm being facetious about this 'combo' it still probably is the best draw engine in standard. And in Jund colors to boot.
This one will blow your mind too.
River Boa and Spreading Seas. Now in addition to screwing your opponent out of their colors, your 2/2 regenerating bear is unblockable. We are clearly in the middle of combo winter here.
Screw river boa. I'm pretty sure that if blue continues to get agressively costed fliers, or more solutions, or more fish, that Serpent of the Endless Seas and Spreading Seas will both be run in some kind of monoblue beats deck. Seriously. 5/5 unblockable for 5 when he comes out, and he keeps on growing. Fuel him with that one merfolk who pulls islands out for you...and yeah.
vampire combo(sanguine bond + blood tribute) is handy, considering that it's also aggro/control, and can fit within a vampire aggro/midrange framework, although the cards are pretty sucky until you finish or start drawing your tendrils of corruption. The presence of bloodghast and other vamps effectively turns what was a 3 card combo into a 2 card combo. Black has the draw and tutor capability to make it work. I just don't know if it has the sticking power.
Trade them for non-standard cards that will retain value. The thing is so inflated right now you could trade just 1 of them for 2 revised dual lands (in theory) or 5-8 Ravnica duals. It's a total bomb card but it won't stay superinflated forever.
This.
This would probably be the most prudent thing to do, provided you have a good vintage or legacy scene in your area(which probably isn't the case, actually, since said formats have been getting more expensive to play in the 10 years I've been playing seriously.)
From the packs, I cracked:
Swan Song
Hunt the Hunter
Ordeal of Heliod
Sealock Monster
Asphodel Wanderer
Breaching Hippocamp
Fellhide Minotaur
Fleetfeather Sandals
Gods Willing
Gray Merchant of Asphodel
Messenger's Speed
Prescient Chimera
Shredding Winds
Vulpine Goliath
Pack 2 was:
Daxos of Meletis
Psychic Instrusion(foil)
Dark Betrayal
Dissolve
Sentry of the Undead
Asphodel Wanderer
Cavalry Pegasus
Disciple of Phenax
Forest
Loathsome Catoblepas
Mnemonic Wall
Setessan Griffin
Titan's Strength
Voyaging Satyr
Vulpine Goliath
Not great for what I have, but the value will carry me through. Before building, I did a little trading.
I traded out a Daxos, Swan Song, and Gray Merchant for:
3 Ajani's Chosen
4 Observant Alseid
4 Hopeful Eidolon
4 Leafcrown Dryad
2 Celestial Archon
2 Heliod's Emissary
4 Chosen by Heliod
4 Ethereal Armor
2 Fencing Ace
I'm currently in the middle of deckbuilding and testing.
Looks like I'm going to be doing the M14 Lightforce deck, plus 2 Theros packs.
My votes are thus for Umara Raptor and Welkin Tern, and quite possibly also Windrider Eel.
Yeah, I know that people complain about blue often, such as "I don't play blue to play beatdown decks.", but seriously. Evasion plus what's shaping up to be solid interference? It looks pretty sweet.
It pretty much builds itself after that.
In monowhite tokens, lynx is a house, and is often the scariest single threat aside from any lone baneslayers placed in the deck.
Even if he only swings for full effect once(usually in the beginning), that's 4(or 5 with honor of the pure!) damage. It hurts. He's good friends with Knight of the White Orchid and fetchlands, too.
...I hope that nobody's playing their matches right now or have already finished, then.
Should I wait to play, then?
FFFFFFFFFFFF-
It's late. I'm obviously not of sound mind. I shouldn't hang around forums when I should be sleeping.
Screw river boa. I'm pretty sure that if blue continues to get agressively costed fliers, or more solutions, or more fish, that Serpent of the Endless Seas and Spreading Seas will both be run in some kind of monoblue beats deck. Seriously. 5/5 unblockable for 5 when he comes out, and he keeps on growing. Fuel him with that one merfolk who pulls islands out for you...and yeah.
This.
This would probably be the most prudent thing to do, provided you have a good vintage or legacy scene in your area(which probably isn't the case, actually, since said formats have been getting more expensive to play in the 10 years I've been playing seriously.)
Otherwise you might just want to get cash.
*edit: oops, named the wrong sojourner!