Or, we actually haven't seen one in a long time and he's being a bit dramatic. They used to happen monthly with lots of ragey screaming. They don't now.
Haven't had one in a while because most of the folks who were complaining about the way the site was being run have been banned and/or have left because their friends were banned.
Back on topic, I actually believe that most of moderation on this site, at this point, is fair. On a VERY ironic point, I recently met one of the former moderators of this website, someone who I viewed with distaste due to how they ran their portion of the forum. I didn't know that it was them when I met them in person, had a great time in their company for the day, and now have mixed feelings about my problem with them.
All forums have their quirks, and I guess that some folks needs to learn to ignore/put up with the parts they don't like and focus on the parts they do, as nothing in this life will ever exactly perfect to how they want it to be.
Did some play testing last night with that brew, though 3 scavenging oozes were not in the main originally, however, after playing against aggro for half of the night I realized this deck is way too slow for the current aggro meta. And even with the oozes main board, it's a bad match up still. Against Mono-red aggro, best I could do was attempt to stabilize but he had too many creatures and I had not enough removal or blockers. Played against a G/B midrange deck, crushed it with little concern. Played against a white weenie deck and went 50/50 for the games. Depended on our opening hands. I need more play testing, but I really feel this deck needs more to do in the early game to not die.
Played in 6 events over the course of the weekend.
#1 Black pool, 2-2, Midnight
Game 1 tried forcing black but most of my deck was 4 CMC and up, got crushed early both games. Games 2-4 went white black and was able to snag 2 wins. Whip of Erebos is a BOMB with even mediocre creatures.
#2 Double White for 2HG, 4-0, 11 am
Wife and I paired up for 2HG, both taking white devotion packs. After opening our pools, I had her play a Mono-white list while I played mostly green, my only splash was the G/U Chimera and two of the unblockable 3/2. Our pulls were sick and none of the games were even close. Her deck had Helod, his spear, Elspeth, both of the promo Archon, and Fabled Hero. My deck had Nylea, Polukranos, Boon Satyr and the U/G land.
#3 Blue pool, 1-3, 4 pm
Went U/B , had a lot of low end spell and some dudes, but the cards didn't synergize very well and Even though I played to the best of my ability the deck didn't flesh out very well.
#4 White pool, 0-2 drop, 9 pm
Went W/R aggro, had some really good cards, but round 1 go stuck on two land for 8 turns for game 2, and curved nicely at teh start of game 3, but after turn 6 drew land lands for 9 turns, and got ground out by a U/B control deck. Round 2 faced the mirror and he just two for oned me both games. Ended up dropping and going home for sleep
#5 Red Pool, 4-0, Noon
Went red black aggro, had 1 of each minotaur in my Devotion pack, got a second Ember Swallower and just brute forced my way through each match. Only had 2 games losses the whole event, the first was on a mull to for, which ended with my opponent at 1 life and the other on keeping a 6 lander (extremely stupid) and drawing land for the first 4 turns.
#6 Green Pool, 2-2, 5 pm
Went green black. Now minor tangent before description of this event, the store I play at has a point tally for the course of the weekend that gets you more prizes for how well you do. I had hit the threshold for an extra box of product, but could not hit the threshold for an FTV:20, So I was only playing for prizes from this particular event at this point. Round 1 got paired against a friend who was 3 wins from an FTV:20, After beating him 2-1 I scooped to him to help him get his FTV. Round 2 was paired against my wife who was 3 wins from her box for the weekend, Scooped to her after beating her deck (subsequently she lost her next two matches). Then I steam rolled my next two opponents. I really feel that my deck could have 4-0'd this event as well.
Takeaway: Green was massively downplayed in the reviews that I read, same with red. Blue and Black were massively up played as well and were not so good. Also minotaur tribal in draft is going to be sick.
I was also at SCG Philly for the legacy portion playing Elves. Went 3-4 drop unfortunately, but was a fun day overall. Matches and key points were as follows:
Round 1: Burn
Result:2-0
Guy was new to legacy, even stated so before the match started. I had him dead by turn 3 both games.
1-0
Round 2: Imperial Painter
Result: 2-1
Game one went very quickly had him dead on turn 3. Game two he sided into a MUD style option and put in some Spellskites as well as Ensnaring Bridges, I sided in Emmy and Viridian Shaman. Game two took most of the round as he was very deep in thought (called judges, they watched and gave multiple cautions, but no warnings) about how to block my 1/1s and 2/2s as he had a bridge in play very early. He eventually dug out a stone to mill me out, and I unfortunately had drawn but was not able to cast Emmy. Game three went to time but I had just resolved an Emmy just before time was called, my extra turn was turn 0. On said turn, started with Elvish Visionary in hand, drew glimpse and had two symbiotes in play to I combo'd off to find Shaman or GSZ or NO so I could blow up his Bridge and win.
2-0
Round 3: Sneak and Show (?)
Result: 0-2
Games one and two were pretty uneventful, didn't see sideboard tech and he had key countermagic to keep my off my combo. I put the "?" next to the name as I didn't see Sneak Attack, but he was using Volcanic Islands and, here comes the wierd part, was using Daze, Spell Pierce, and FOW. I can understand the FOW but, the other two made me think it was a RUG Delver matchup during game one prior to him playing an Ancient tomb to S&T with.
2-1
Round 4: Bant Stoneblade
Result: 2-1
I was on the play games 1&3, game 1 I combo'd off early and had him dead by turn 3, Game two he kept me off of combo with FOW and STP. Game 3 he landed a turn 2 Stoneforge, but missed his 3rd land drop and used his 4th to waste a cradle when I had two archdruids in play. He dropped a Jitte on end of my turn 5, and could have equipped on his turn 5, but ended up scooping because I had a Dryad Arbor and a Quirion Ranger to bounce it with.
3-1
Round 5: GWB Maverick
Result: 0-2
Game one had a decent board but he ended up with 2 Moms and 2 KOTR and I never saw a GSZ or NO to get hoof with. Game two I kept a hand of 1 fetch, 1 forest, 1 GSZ, 1NO, 1 Glimpse, and two Heritage Druids. I GSZ'd for arbor turn 1, he swords it, I drew another GSZ, dropped a Heritage and a second land, he swords the heritage and drops a dryad arbor. I draw another NO and drop my remaining Heritage. He Swords the other heritage, swings with Arbor, drops another land and plays Jitte. After that I couldn't keep a dude in play and only got up to 3 lands. Very frustrating matchup.
3-2
Round 6: Omnitell
Result: 1-2
Game one he had Turn 3 S&T and I would have combo'd off if I had seen my turn. Game two I resolve a turn 2 Ruric Thar and he attempts to play through, but quickly realizes that he is dead. Game 3 I mulled away a decent hand, in hopes of seeing a ruric thar, but Didn't see it on the 6 and didn't want to just mull until I saw it, I should have kept my original 7, as I couldn't combo as well with my 6 and even had an extra turn as he had kept a slower hand that had a FOW in it.
3-3
Round 7: GWB deck that I have no clue what it was
Result: 1-2
Game one I destroyed him, had him dead on turn 3, wasn't sure what the dck was but I saw a Taiga so I boarded in my Elvish Champion and nothing else. Game two went him playing Mishra's Factory followed by Mox Diamond into Chalice of the Void at 1. This match up is where I now believe that I need a shaman in the main. Only spell I resolved was a turn 5 archdruid which he immediately abrupt decayed. Game three, I'm on the play keep my 7 as it was good, and go fetch, forest, Llanowar, go. He goes Tabernacle, Mox Diamond pitching Tabernacle, pass. I was so much on autopilot that I forgot to tap my Llanowar during upkeep, started to draw, he said "sac your elf" and I immediately went on tilt. I know for a fact that had I not forgotten to pay for my llanowar I would have been able to win the match, but I screwed up and was punished for it.
3-4
Dropped after that and played in an RTR block draft for shiggles.
At this point Ruric Thar, the Unbowed is better than Gaddock Teeg. A TES player said that he can start his combo, kill teeg with Grapeshot and then continue with his combo, however RT just makes him stop all together.
I'm currently Agnostic, leaning spiritual. Faith and beliefs are fine and all, I just don't see a place for organized religions. That whole mob mentality thing just rubs me the wrong way.
My only question now would be what I'm cutting for the Crop rotations, and how many am I to put into my deck? One guy said to cut fetchlands, but My land count is already pretty low.
My only question with crop rotation is how likely is it to be countered? I know that this deck can draw other lands in the process of comboing, but isn't it something of a blowout if they counter the rotation?
With you being on the NO plan, slamming Ol' Hoofy is too easy. He is a more consistent win, I feel. 2 is a good Number.
Move Emmy to the sideboard, for the Viridian Shaman. Emmy is a dead card if you draw him pre combo, and only needed to smash through the odd enchantress/glacial chasm/moat, or protect against the odd mill-out deck. Shaman gives you game against all the decks with Jitte/batterskull/sphere of resistance-type cards. plenty of problem artifacts to hit.
Cut the Jitte in the board for Gaddock Teeg. Absolute house in the mirror (prepare to go on the hard beats plan, or stall for the natural combo into Hoof, since you dont have pact). Also good against Storm, and happens to shut off Jace and Entreat if you get it out before they drop Jace. Also stops force of will.
My final suggestion is something i keep being told is not something we need to worry about but something ive taken to doing anyway: Cut a couple of the Fyndhorn/Llanowar and Elvish Mystics in equal number to those cut. Doing that protects you from cabal therapy/surgical extraction esque effects by minimizing the number of cards sharing a name.
I'll see if i can acquire another hoof. Teeg seems like a good Idea, just worried about getting him in hand and not having a birchlore or green sun to get it with. As to Fyndhorn and Llanowar, I usually only worry about landing one on turn one, past that it's just another card to draw off of with Glimpse, unless the opponent is removal heavy. Someone suggested removing one of my Llanowar/Fyndhorn for a 4th green sun. Thoughts?
I'm not running Deathrite Shaman as I don't have any Bayous and I only have 1 Gaea's Cradle. I run Elvish Archdruid because if my combo fizzles at all, it makes it an easier change to start aggroing out. Some other folks have mentioned cutting a Llanowar or Fyndhorn for another GSZ. If you're telling me to replace certain cards with others, I would like it if you can give me a minor explanation why. My list prior to this one had Summoner's Pact where Natural Order is currently and I cut an Archdruid from the main for the Behemoth. That list got me two different top 8s at SCG IQs before. I know how to pilot the deck, I would just like to possibly refine it if possible.
And my source is super-tight-lipped after NPH, which I'm completely fine with. Besides, this let's me play a bit of a reveal game with you all with the bits I do know.
So does this mean that WOTC is still giving out "godbooks" to pros? I can kinda understand giving it to people with journalistic uses for it, but giving it to the pros is very unfair to the meta around release plus the whole getting certain rares cheap because no one knows that they're going to be better due to soon to revealed cards.
Possibly a hint that she starts at 5 loyalty and has a Gideon style creature ability?
Haven't had one in a while because most of the folks who were complaining about the way the site was being run have been banned and/or have left because their friends were banned.
Back on topic, I actually believe that most of moderation on this site, at this point, is fair. On a VERY ironic point, I recently met one of the former moderators of this website, someone who I viewed with distaste due to how they ran their portion of the forum. I didn't know that it was them when I met them in person, had a great time in their company for the day, and now have mixed feelings about my problem with them.
All forums have their quirks, and I guess that some folks needs to learn to ignore/put up with the parts they don't like and focus on the parts they do, as nothing in this life will ever exactly perfect to how they want it to be.
Marth
4 Overgrown Tomb
4 Breeding Pool
3 Temple of Mastery
3 Watery Grave
3 Temple of Deceit
3 Island
3 Forest
1 Swamp
4 Sylvan Caryatid
3 Scavenging Ooze
2 Reaper of the Wilds
1 Prognostic Sphinx
2 AEtherling
Spells
2 Essence Scatter
3 Syncopate
3 Hero's Downfall
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Putrefy
2 Far // Away
1 Opportunity
3 Thoughtseize
2 Read the Bones
3 Jace, Architect of Thought
1 Vraska, the Unseen
Did some play testing last night with that brew, though 3 scavenging oozes were not in the main originally, however, after playing against aggro for half of the night I realized this deck is way too slow for the current aggro meta. And even with the oozes main board, it's a bad match up still. Against Mono-red aggro, best I could do was attempt to stabilize but he had too many creatures and I had not enough removal or blockers. Played against a G/B midrange deck, crushed it with little concern. Played against a white weenie deck and went 50/50 for the games. Depended on our opening hands. I need more play testing, but I really feel this deck needs more to do in the early game to not die.
#1 Black pool, 2-2, Midnight
Game 1 tried forcing black but most of my deck was 4 CMC and up, got crushed early both games. Games 2-4 went white black and was able to snag 2 wins. Whip of Erebos is a BOMB with even mediocre creatures.
#2 Double White for 2HG, 4-0, 11 am
Wife and I paired up for 2HG, both taking white devotion packs. After opening our pools, I had her play a Mono-white list while I played mostly green, my only splash was the G/U Chimera and two of the unblockable 3/2. Our pulls were sick and none of the games were even close. Her deck had Helod, his spear, Elspeth, both of the promo Archon, and Fabled Hero. My deck had Nylea, Polukranos, Boon Satyr and the U/G land.
#3 Blue pool, 1-3, 4 pm
Went U/B , had a lot of low end spell and some dudes, but the cards didn't synergize very well and Even though I played to the best of my ability the deck didn't flesh out very well.
#4 White pool, 0-2 drop, 9 pm
Went W/R aggro, had some really good cards, but round 1 go stuck on two land for 8 turns for game 2, and curved nicely at teh start of game 3, but after turn 6 drew land lands for 9 turns, and got ground out by a U/B control deck. Round 2 faced the mirror and he just two for oned me both games. Ended up dropping and going home for sleep
#5 Red Pool, 4-0, Noon
Went red black aggro, had 1 of each minotaur in my Devotion pack, got a second Ember Swallower and just brute forced my way through each match. Only had 2 games losses the whole event, the first was on a mull to for, which ended with my opponent at 1 life and the other on keeping a 6 lander (extremely stupid) and drawing land for the first 4 turns.
#6 Green Pool, 2-2, 5 pm
Went green black. Now minor tangent before description of this event, the store I play at has a point tally for the course of the weekend that gets you more prizes for how well you do. I had hit the threshold for an extra box of product, but could not hit the threshold for an FTV:20, So I was only playing for prizes from this particular event at this point. Round 1 got paired against a friend who was 3 wins from an FTV:20, After beating him 2-1 I scooped to him to help him get his FTV. Round 2 was paired against my wife who was 3 wins from her box for the weekend, Scooped to her after beating her deck (subsequently she lost her next two matches). Then I steam rolled my next two opponents. I really feel that my deck could have 4-0'd this event as well.
Takeaway: Green was massively downplayed in the reviews that I read, same with red. Blue and Black were massively up played as well and were not so good. Also minotaur tribal in draft is going to be sick.
Round 1: Burn
Result:2-0
Guy was new to legacy, even stated so before the match started. I had him dead by turn 3 both games.
1-0
Round 2: Imperial Painter
Result: 2-1
Game one went very quickly had him dead on turn 3. Game two he sided into a MUD style option and put in some Spellskites as well as Ensnaring Bridges, I sided in Emmy and Viridian Shaman. Game two took most of the round as he was very deep in thought (called judges, they watched and gave multiple cautions, but no warnings) about how to block my 1/1s and 2/2s as he had a bridge in play very early. He eventually dug out a stone to mill me out, and I unfortunately had drawn but was not able to cast Emmy. Game three went to time but I had just resolved an Emmy just before time was called, my extra turn was turn 0. On said turn, started with Elvish Visionary in hand, drew glimpse and had two symbiotes in play to I combo'd off to find Shaman or GSZ or NO so I could blow up his Bridge and win.
2-0
Round 3: Sneak and Show (?)
Result: 0-2
Games one and two were pretty uneventful, didn't see sideboard tech and he had key countermagic to keep my off my combo. I put the "?" next to the name as I didn't see Sneak Attack, but he was using Volcanic Islands and, here comes the wierd part, was using Daze, Spell Pierce, and FOW. I can understand the FOW but, the other two made me think it was a RUG Delver matchup during game one prior to him playing an Ancient tomb to S&T with.
2-1
Round 4: Bant Stoneblade
Result: 2-1
I was on the play games 1&3, game 1 I combo'd off early and had him dead by turn 3, Game two he kept me off of combo with FOW and STP. Game 3 he landed a turn 2 Stoneforge, but missed his 3rd land drop and used his 4th to waste a cradle when I had two archdruids in play. He dropped a Jitte on end of my turn 5, and could have equipped on his turn 5, but ended up scooping because I had a Dryad Arbor and a Quirion Ranger to bounce it with.
3-1
Round 5: GWB Maverick
Result: 0-2
Game one had a decent board but he ended up with 2 Moms and 2 KOTR and I never saw a GSZ or NO to get hoof with. Game two I kept a hand of 1 fetch, 1 forest, 1 GSZ, 1NO, 1 Glimpse, and two Heritage Druids. I GSZ'd for arbor turn 1, he swords it, I drew another GSZ, dropped a Heritage and a second land, he swords the heritage and drops a dryad arbor. I draw another NO and drop my remaining Heritage. He Swords the other heritage, swings with Arbor, drops another land and plays Jitte. After that I couldn't keep a dude in play and only got up to 3 lands. Very frustrating matchup.
3-2
Round 6: Omnitell
Result: 1-2
Game one he had Turn 3 S&T and I would have combo'd off if I had seen my turn. Game two I resolve a turn 2 Ruric Thar and he attempts to play through, but quickly realizes that he is dead. Game 3 I mulled away a decent hand, in hopes of seeing a ruric thar, but Didn't see it on the 6 and didn't want to just mull until I saw it, I should have kept my original 7, as I couldn't combo as well with my 6 and even had an extra turn as he had kept a slower hand that had a FOW in it.
3-3
Round 7: GWB deck that I have no clue what it was
Result: 1-2
Game one I destroyed him, had him dead on turn 3, wasn't sure what the dck was but I saw a Taiga so I boarded in my Elvish Champion and nothing else. Game two went him playing Mishra's Factory followed by Mox Diamond into Chalice of the Void at 1. This match up is where I now believe that I need a shaman in the main. Only spell I resolved was a turn 5 archdruid which he immediately abrupt decayed. Game three, I'm on the play keep my 7 as it was good, and go fetch, forest, Llanowar, go. He goes Tabernacle, Mox Diamond pitching Tabernacle, pass. I was so much on autopilot that I forgot to tap my Llanowar during upkeep, started to draw, he said "sac your elf" and I immediately went on tilt. I know for a fact that had I not forgotten to pay for my llanowar I would have been able to win the match, but I screwed up and was punished for it.
3-4
Dropped after that and played in an RTR block draft for shiggles.
I'll see if i can acquire another hoof. Teeg seems like a good Idea, just worried about getting him in hand and not having a birchlore or green sun to get it with. As to Fyndhorn and Llanowar, I usually only worry about landing one on turn one, past that it's just another card to draw off of with Glimpse, unless the opponent is removal heavy. Someone suggested removing one of my Llanowar/Fyndhorn for a 4th green sun. Thoughts?
1x Birchlore Rangers
4x Wirewood Symbiote
4x Nettle Sentinel
4x Heritage Druid
3x Quirion Ranger
4x Fyndhorn Elves
4x Llanowar Elves
4x Elvish Visionary
3x Elvish Archdruid
Spells
4x Glimpse of Nature
3x Green Sun Zenith
6x Forest
4x Verdant Catacombs
3x Misty Rainforest
1x Dryad Arbor
1x Gaea's Cradle
Win Cons
1x Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
1x Regal Force
1x Ezuri, Renegade Leader
1x Craterhoof Behemoth
2x Choke
1x Karakas
2x Krosan Grip
2x Essence Warden
2 Relic of Progenitus
1x Umezawa's Jitte
1x Viridian Shaman
1x Elvish Archdruid
1x Elvish Champion
2x Mindbreak Trap
I'm not running Deathrite Shaman as I don't have any Bayous and I only have 1 Gaea's Cradle. I run Elvish Archdruid because if my combo fizzles at all, it makes it an easier change to start aggroing out. Some other folks have mentioned cutting a Llanowar or Fyndhorn for another GSZ. If you're telling me to replace certain cards with others, I would like it if you can give me a minor explanation why. My list prior to this one had Summoner's Pact where Natural Order is currently and I cut an Archdruid from the main for the Behemoth. That list got me two different top 8s at SCG IQs before. I know how to pilot the deck, I would just like to possibly refine it if possible.
Thanks,
Marth
So does this mean that WOTC is still giving out "godbooks" to pros? I can kinda understand giving it to people with journalistic uses for it, but giving it to the pros is very unfair to the meta around release plus the whole getting certain rares cheap because no one knows that they're going to be better due to soon to revealed cards.