Hello foil pack!
HAPPY NEW YEAR.
I just wanted to let everyone know going forward I will be posting my blogs on The Meadery. See you there.
Hello foil pack!
HAPPY NEW YEAR.
I just wanted to let everyone know going forward I will be posting my blogs on The Meadery. See you there.
Hello Foil Pack!
It's been a little while since the last post since my last post. I have been Tinkering with Esper in Modern, but at times it has been quite frustrating. After putting together, and taking apart several decks I decided to scratch everything and begin from the ground up.
When going through this exercise I tried to Learn from the Past and review previous Esper decks I used to play, and I landed on Solar Flare. I actually played this deck twice during it's reign in Standard. The first instance was during Ravnica/Time Spiral block when cards like Zombify were key in resurrecting your win condition. The most recent version used cards like Sun Titan, Phantasmal Image, and Liliana of the Veil to have a consistent threat and board presence.
Ever since I have seen the
creature
3 Sun Titan
2 Phantasmal Image
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1 Necrotic Sliver
1 Snapcaster Mage
planeswalker
3 Liliana of the Veil
enchantment
1 Seal of Doom
sorcery
4 Lingering Souls
4 Serum Visions
3 Supreme Verdict
2 Unburial Rites
instant
4 Forbidden Alchemy
3 Mana Leak
2 Think Twice
2 Doom Blade
land
5 Plains
4 Hallowed Fountain
3 Emeria, the Sky Ruin
3 Flooded Strand
3 Marsh Flats
2 Ghost Quarter
2 Godless Shrine
2 Prairie Stream
1 Watery Grave
sideboard
3 Lone Missionary
2 Aven Mindcensor
2 Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver
2 Stony Silence
1 Bribery
1 Aura of Silence
1 Detention Sphere
1 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Ratchet Bomb
1 Nihil Spellbomb
As you can see the deck relies upon more spells and less creatures giving it more of a mid-range reanimation feel. The deck space is a little tight so I could not run 4 Path to Exile, and chose to run Doom Blade instead.
The manabase is super greedy and will be the first thing I change. If we get a WB BZF style dual land in Oath of the Gatewatch I may reconsider this manabase.
Out of the board Aura of Silence was pretty sweet. It has a way to deal with many pesky artifacts and can be brought back with an active Sun Titan.
This is version 1 of the deck. What do you think? What would you change, and why?
That's all for this time. I'll be playing this in the coming week as I have some paid time off from work. Until then...
TAP MORE MANA!!!
Hello Foil Pack,
Holy cow has it been a long time. Since my last blog, article, ...thing, I started a new job so I have made little time to articles. I hope you all have been well. I have a lot to cover so let's get started.
Over the past few weeks (prior to this past Friday) I was playing Affinity. It's a fun deck but still needs some work. I know I don't like Hangarback Walker in the deck, so that's going to be my first change. After a few weeks of that I went back to my bread and butter: Jund. Getting the Steve Argyle Liliana of the Veil playmat also influenced that decision a bit.
Here is the list:
creatures
4 Dark Confidant
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Scavenging Ooze
1 Olivia Valdaren
1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
planeswalkers
4 Liliana of the Veil
spells
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Terminate
2 Kolaghan's Command
2 Maelstrom Pulse
2 Abrupt Decary
2 Thoughtseize
lands
4 Blackcleave Cliffs
4 Raging Ravine
4 Verdant Catacombs
3 Bloodstained Mire
2 Swamp
2 Forest
2 Wooded Foothills
1 Blood Crypt
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Stomping Ground
sideboard
3 Kitchen Finks
1 Damnation
1 Chandra, Pyromaster
1 Shatterstorm
1 Huntmaster of the Fells
1 Slaughter Games
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Feed the Clans
1 Abrupt Decay
1 Golgari Charm
1 Grim Lavamancer
1 Slaughter Pact
1 Engineered Explosives
Since playing this deck I took out 1 Terminate MD for 1 Slaughter Pact, and added 1 Ancient Grudge (now 2 total) to the side. Most of the matchups I see are Affinity, Grixis, Infect, Ad Nauseum and Zoo. I'm sure there is more but these seem most common. I may make some changes to the board for those matches if these cards do not work.
This weekend though, at the suggestion of my friend Adam, I played Jund in Legacy. Oh man did it feel good cascading with Bloodbraid Elf again. I even had a player Stifle the trigger in a game.
Here is the list:
creatures
4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Dark Confidant
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Bloodbraid Elf
planeswalkers
4 Liliana of the Veil
spells
4 Thoughtseize
3 Hymn to Tourach
3 Punishing Fire
3 Abrupt Decay
3 Lightning Bolt
2 Sylvan Library
lands
4 Grove of the Burnwillows
4 Verdant Catacombs
3 Badlands
3 Bloodstained Mire
3 Wasteland
2 Bayou
2 Wooded Foothills
1 Swamp
1 Forest
sideboard
2 Duress
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Red Elemental Blast
2 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Slaughter Games
1 Choke
1 Krosan Grip
1 Golgari Charm
1 Null Rod
1 Umezawa's Jitte
Ok ok so the sideboard is not ideal, but there is room for improvement. Here is my matchup breakdown:
RUG Delver 2-0
Goblins 1-2
Grixis Delver/Pyromancer 2-0
D&T 2-0
One thing I noticed is that people packed hate for Punishing Fire, and normally that was just Surgical Extraction. I know Cabal Therapy is also present in my meta so I wonder if I need to run a few Kolaghan's Command in the board (taking out Punishing Fire if I see this hate). I'm not 100% sure yet. Sylvan Library was insane, and it always came down right in time to set up my cascade triggers.
This deck was a hell of a lot of fun to play (again), and I look forward to getting more reps in with it during our weekly Sunday Legacy events here in the Dayton and Springfield (Ohio) areas.
So...what do you think? What do you like or dislike? Leave a comment and let me know.
Until next time (which won't be as long as the last time)...TAP MORE MANA!!!
Hello Foil Pack!
I hope you all have enjoyed the game since the last article, however today the topic may turn a tad serious. This is not aimed at any one person, or group, and is more of a "food for thought" approach. So without further delay here we go.
Recently the internet was on tilt with the prices of Battle for Zendikar fat packs being above MSRP. This topic has been discussed in length by many outlets however there are a few points I want to address about this before we get to the true reason for today:
...and my last point of that segues into the meat of this discussion.
Jace is not what is wrong with Standard.
Yes. You heard it here first. Jace, Vryn's Prodigy last weekend exploded in price to it's now $80 price tag. Remember when there were articles, mainly on websites that promote the sale of cards, declaring Jace to not be that good? Well I for one wasn't sold on that, tried him myself last Standard, and thought he was really good. It turns out he still is, and those without him are late to the party. ...but how are people late for him?
You see the true problem with Standard, and the game in general, is the player base. When tourneys become a version of World Poker Tour we can not then turn around and complain about increase in card prices. Everyone is going to see a strategy they like, and want to try it for themselves, however this often times is done without any original thought in the process. Players will wait for additional word from the hive mind of players on how to proceed instead of giving counter-argument to suggestions they bring up. Granted this happens after the deck is already highlighted on camera, and those getting in are now behind the meta, however that's another issue entirely. The issue is when a blue card, especially one named Jace, doubles in price in one weekend people want to point the finger at him instead of look in the mirror. We all have a hand in this game we enjoy, but do we truly enjoy the game or just look at it for a way to make money? Especially when our focus is on decklist after decklist to copy and paste into ours while no thoughts are being made to improve a strategy. Have I "net decked" before? Sure I have, however I take from what I learn and adapt. This often times does not happen. When our focus is on the top prize, and being overly disappointed when you finish in just the top 8, it takes away from the fun of the game. When sportsmanship is pushed aside, and we accuse others of cheating when making a mistake with a new card it strikes at the core integrity of the game. When we look at the cards we have as a way to make money instead of looking at them as a way to connect with other people then that is a huge problem. When we hop from store to store to grab sealed product to sit on just to eventually flip for only a small profit (because no one buys from each other at retail price) then it hurts the growth of the game. We, the players, are the biggest problem with the game.
Yes I have not won anything in the game, and my point of view may be skewed. I simply do not have the time to invest in Standard. Plus what I have seen people put themselves through just to be that good is, to me, not worth it. If you are "chasing the White Dragon" and get there then congrats to you. "You do you" as the kids say nowadays, but these issues that arise about finance, cost, barriers of entry are all potentially harmful to the game.
For instance with a new format mono Red (or mostly Red) strategies are well positioned from the start, and while they do fall off often times they maintain their competitive level throughout their times in Standard mainly because the cost to obtain the cards (the barrier to entry) is not that steep. Brian Demars won SCG Indy with an Atarka Red deck, and looking at the contents the price averages out over $380.00. For a Red deck. When a non-blue card in Standard increases in price substantially (such as Hangarback Walker pre Event Deck announcement) no one declares that a problem with the game, however if Jace increases then the finger pointing goes towards blue decks, cards, and players, even if a blue deck did not win the tournament.
Above all else we need to calm down. We can sit here and discuss the costs of cards, decks, sealed product, and more until Khans/Fates rotates out of Standard yet it will do nothing to what is happening now. All of the cards will eventually fall in price as more and more product is opened. If you want to play then you have to pay. If that is now or later is your choice. Magic is not a sprint, it's a marathon. Just prioritize what you want, and get what you need without sacrificing your basic needs. Also keep in mind you need practice with the cards once you obtain them (preferably before).
Magic is a fun game, and a not so fun game, all at the same time. We can make it fun again for all, but only if we work together to do so.
Before I go I wanted to give a shout out to Teia Rabishu and this article: The Magic Street Journal: Wizards Always Hurts The Ones They Love
Until next time...TAP MORE MANA!
Hello again Foil Pack!
I hope you all enjoyed the Battle for Zendikar preview season, and are looking forward to pre-release. I for one am not that excited. A lot of the cards seem to be the same cards we have already had, but with different timing rules, rarities, or new abilities. For instance Ruinous Path is a sorcery version of Hero's Downfall and has Awaken. Ugin's Insight is essentially Jace's Ingenuity upgraded to rare, and changed into a sorcery. It has Scry along with the draw. There are others but you get the point. This, along with the lack of instant speed card draw, is a big reason I am not impressed. Having to purchase the same cards I already own for a second time just to play Standard is disappointing.
This, along with some other reasons, has lead me to stop playing Standard.
Back in the early 90's, before Magic, I spent many an evening watching sports on cable TV. It was a relatively new concept back then, and most of the evenings were spent watching MLB on ESPN. During this same time my local area picked up WGN, and with that came Cubs games, White Sox games, and the NBA with the Chicago Bulls. My interests in sports was branching out. I already loved baseball, was trying to learn the NFL (started watching during the Bengals Super Bowl run), found college sports, and now I'm watching Michael Jordan school some folks on the hardwood. It was a great time. 16 years old, get a job, buy sports apparel to wear throughout the year depending on what season it was.
...but then it became too much to handle. One sport's season bled into another. Trying to balance commitments to school, myself, my job, and sports was a challenge (all while trying to build a social life). Suddenly it was 1993. I graduated. I had been reading comics, and was introduced to Magic: the Gathering. Something had to give so I focused on MLB watching the other sports in passing. Next thing I know I meet my wife, get married, become a father, and move out on my own. More things had to give.
Magic has followed the same pattern.
I started playing in Ravnica/Time Spiral standard. There were 2 stores here that ran tournaments. One was a casual atmosphere, the other more competitive. I have seen this area grow with support of the game, and the game itself grow. The last few years of Standard I have been longing for formats in the past, and as I have played a lot of Modern since March I have noticed that I enjoy this more. A lot more. I also notice I have not had a lot of time to play cards as I have aged. Responsibilities change, some things desire more focus over others, and adjustments must be made. In truth a lot of these thoughts started happening about 4 years ago when I was hoping Standard would be rotate slower, thus allowing me to play cards I liked longer. As I look at Modern the majority of the cards seeing played are from sets I enjoyed a lot.
I will still be playing Legacy along with Modern, and while I am not opposed to playing Standard the things I need to play it well (time and money) are not present nor present in the foreseeable future.
So just like sports teams interest can wax and wane. Fan bases increase and decrease as teams evolve and people choose to pay attention to other things when their interest is lost.
Don't worry though. You'll still get plenty of Magic talk from me. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook as I will post there a lot, and provide write ups here weekly.
Until next time...
JORDAN, FOR THE WIN!! *swish as the buzzer sounds*
Hello Foil Pack! I am back from a weekend open with more tales of the game we love, Magic: the Gathering. Let's kick things off with discussion of Modern.
The Star City Games Open Series rolled through Cincinnati this past weekend. I chose to take Jund with me, and was looking forward to a good time (as these tournaments usually are). I was not on my game. At all. Jund recently won an open (Charlotte, August 22nd), and a part of me felt like the room was going to be more aggressive to combat it, and other slower decks (Grixis variants, Tron, etc). I was looking at Joe Herrera's deck from the Charlotte open and really liked the inclusion of Abbot Of Keral Keep. His Prowess trigger makes sense in a midrange deck wanting to cast more non-creature spells to clear the way for our threats (namely Tarmogoyf), and he acts like Bob's other brother Darryl (points to you for understanding that reference). I still felt the deck was pretty threat light, and one of the issues I am coming across with the deck is trying to fight it's bad matchups. Of them, Tron, Burn, and Infect, I knew I could have a better game 1 against several of them with one inclusion main deck. That was Grim Lavamancer. I expected a lot of Infect, Affinity, and Burn this weekend, and was quite correct in my expectations. I never faced any of those matchups though.
Here is my list for reference:
Creatures (14)
1 Grim Lavamancer
1 Abbot of Keral Keep
4 Dark Confidant
3 Scavenging Ooze
4 Tarmogoyf
1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
Planeswalkers (4)
4 Liliana of the Veil
Lands (24)
1 Forest
2 Swamp
4 Blackcleave Cliffs
1 Blood Crypt
3 Bloodstained Mire
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Overgrown Tomb
4 Raging Ravine
1 Stomping Ground
4 Verdant Catacombs
2 Wooded Foothills
Spells (18)
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Kolaghan's Command
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Terminate
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Maelstrom Pulse
2 Thoughtseize
Sideboard
1 Sowing Salt
3 Fulminator Mage
3 Kitchen Finks
1 Abrupt Decay
3 Leyline of the Void
1 Olivia Voldaren
2 Anger of the Gods
1 Damnation
When reviewing Joe's decklist I also went back to my decklist from the Modern Open in Columbus earlier this summer. Jund really has not changed much this summer, but still puts up solid numbers. I believe the Cincinnati Open was the first one in awhile where we did not see it top 8, however there was at least 1 in the top 16, and 4 total in the top 32. It will still be a deck, and with the new lands coming from Battle for Zendikar (more on that in a moment) Jund will be here to stay.
This was the breakdown of my day (round, matchup, match result):
1: Death and Taxes 2-1 / 1-0
2: Grixis Twin 1-1-1 / 1-0-1
3: Temur Twin 0-2 / 1-1-1
4: Amulet Bloom 0-2 / 1-2-1
5: Evolutionary Elves 2-0 / 2-2-1
6: Grixis Cruel Control 1-1-1 / 2-2-2
Yeah. 2 ties, and it wasn't even Father's Day (JOKES! I HAS THEM ALL!). Normally I feel pretty solid vs Grixis, however with the threats in Jund (at least in this list) being just 1 creature it feels pretty easy for the control decks to 1-for-1 me. A lot. Like infinity times. It may be time to go back to a Huntmaster build. I know some out there do not like him, but he does help vs Burn, and provides a clock if left unchecked. Huntmaster + Liliana of the Veil puts a lot of pressure on the opponent to play their cards allowing you to have answers as their hand slowly gets depleted. I may come off of Leyline of the Void. The card seems "ok", and I found it hurting Tarmogoyf when I had both cards on the field. It is hard to close out a game when your main threat can barely attack for more than 2 or 3 points of damage a turn. All in all I am glad I went, even though my results were subpar at best. I was able to get pieces to finish off a few decks, and pair down my cards closer to decks I play, as opposed to having a bunch of incomplete decks.
Prior to the open I saw several Esper Mentor decks at a local event which I will work on in the coming weeks.
I stated in a previous article that I was going to go a Standard IQ. I decided against it and put my focus towards the Modern open (and the Standard IQ this weekend is also out as well). I wish I could do them all, but I have not played a lot of Standard this season. I was curious as to how I reached this point and looked back on this Khans induced Standard we are in, and realized I squandered my resources. When looking at the beginning of a block, or now these two-set expansions, we need to identify what decks can come out of these. With Khans it was clearly Abzan. Sure each tribe was well represented throughout the block, and even a little in Origins, however I chose to ignore it and tried to force Esper. Wasting all this time on an archetype that did not arrive until Dragons of Tarkir was definitely a learning experience (to say the least). One thing some of us do with the game is long for an archetype previously represented instead of enjoying the ones we have now, or evaluating what is available. Now that we are on the cusp of rotation expecting to be able to pick up a deck and do well seems futile. I have not given up on playing Abzan entirely, or even Esper for that matter, however we will have to wait for the rest of Battle for Zendikar to be leaked for us to make a proper (and correct) decision.
However what is that decision truly? This all depends on our goals within the game. With literally a multitude of formats available for play the decisions can be endless, however one thing that is sometimes overlooked is who we are in comparison to the game's mechanics. Recently Wedge at The Manasource did a video on the color pie, and what each color represents. You can check it out here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ReIn6rU_fQ). Ever since I cast my first Serra Angel, Wrath of God, and Counterspell I have been a control player. When I show up in a room people expect to see me play a blue source on turn one, and win the long game. This lead me to joining the Miracles train last winter, and picking up control cards for future Modern decks beyond Jund. It took me a long time to come to this decision. The part of me that wants to literally "PLAY EVERYTHING" has been taken to dealer booths, and store counters a lot over the last months to pair things down to this. Now that we are here we can properly evaluate the coming cards for what we want, instead of their overall power, or power in decks we do not know (or have a history with).
With that being said let's take a look at the planeswalkers of Battle for Zendikar.
Gideon, Ally of Zendikar (http://www.mtgsalvation.com/cards/battle-for-zendikar/25865-gideon-ally-of-zendikar)
This guy is pretty ridiculous. Xenagos the Reveler was a huge problem for us control players, however that was only played in RGx decks. Gideon on the other hand can be played anywhere that a player has white mana, which makes him incredibly powerful (and sought after). For us control players he will fill the role of Elsepth as she departs, and pairs better with Sorin, Solemn Visitor as even Gideon himself can get in on the action. The fact that Gideon can protect himself, then attack after a boardwipe for 25% of the opponent's life total is something to consider as well. I will definitely need several of these.
On Nixils, Reignited (http://www.mtgsalvation.com/cards/battle-for-zendikar/25896-ob-nixilis-reignited)
Wow! Not many are impressed with this card, but I am. He can immediately murder a creature when he enters, or draw you a card and push his loyalty nearly out of reach. I actually want to try one of him in Jund for Modern. In Standard I can see him being an impressive inclusion in most planeswalker based control decks. Board wipe + this guy's +1 will help you turn the corner, and none of the opponent's creatures are safe. I'll need a few.
Kiroa, Master of the Depths (http://www.mtgsalvation.com/cards/battle-for-zendikar/25898-kiora-master-of-the-depths)
Ok this card is, as the kids say, pretty dope. All of her abilities are back breaking, and even the thought of Hangarback Walker along with her +1 is enough for people's jaws to drop. If control strategies start to become UGx we will have to adjust accordingly. Adding black means that along with Ob Nixils she provides insane card advantage. Adding white means you can board wipe, attack with Gideon, and untap a land to help fuel a counterspell. As far as Temur strategies I am sure she will have a home there, but I have no experience with that shell.
Beyond just the planeswalkers the new dual lands will be a nice bonus. These lands, that I call Discount Double Checks, do require having 2 basics in play in order for them to be untapped upon entry. Notice that it does not ask the type of basic land that is already in play? I don't think 4 color strategies will appear, but it is important to note. With the fetchlands in Standard the mana is going to be really (really) good, and I wish we had it this good for Esper when Theros/Khans was Standard. Yes I know it still is for a few weeks, but I am looking forward here.
The main thing that has caused the biggest buzz with the Battle for Zendikar announcements has been the Zendikar Expeditions. These "treasures" will be full art foil versions of the new dual lands, the shocklands (all 10), and all 10 of the fetchlands (originally printed in Onslaught and Zendikar respectively). These look nice. Like really nice. The artwork is super, and kudos to Wizards of the Coast for taking this rather large step to do this.
I won't be looking for any.
I know this may sound odd, but I am not as excited as others to find these. I would rather buy an original pack foil Polluted Delta, than hunt for one in the BfZ packs. Call me crazy, but that's who I am. I hope you all enjoy them, and if I do happen to be fortunate enough to rip one from a pack I will gladly trade it to a player, however as much as I like foils I would rather have the original pack foil for a deck.
That's all I have for this week. Next week may be brief and only discuss spoilers (and possibly deck concepts as the previews start to shape up). My birthday is this weekend, and no Magic will be played. I know. A shock I'm sure.
Make sure to look for me, MTGPackFoils, on Facebook & Twitter. Until then...TAP MORE MANA!
Hello Foil Pack! That's the nickname we are going with for now. GP Charlotte is well behind us, and the impact of Origins cards in Modern is still starting to be felt so let's check out a few decks.
The buzz all weekend was over Chris VanMeter's Elves deck, Here is the list:
Creatures (30)
4 Arbor Elf
4 Elvish Mystic
4 Elvish Visionary
4 Essence Warden
4 Heritage Druid
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Nettle Sentinel
1 Regal Force
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
Lands (17)
5 Forest
2 Horizon Canopy
1 Temple Garden
3 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1 Pendelhaven
Spells (13)
4 Cloudstone Curio
4 Evolutionary Leap
4 Summoner's Pact
1 Weird Harvest
Sideboard
2 Spellskite
1 Burrenton Forge-Tender
1 Eternal Witness
2 Ranger of Eos
1 Reclamation Sage
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Back to NatureBurrenton Forge-Tender
3 Chord of Calling
3 Dismember
For starters I did not know Weird Harvest was in Modern (and it's pretty cool here). Yes that's right. You see Evolutionary Leap here. I will admit that I immediately left my home and picked up the last 3 I needed to finish my playset. I know you all may be wondering what happened to Chord of Calling, but as you see that is in the board. Wonder how it works? Wonder no more!
"Heritage Druid + 2 Nettle Sentinels and another one-drop.
This is the combo that can happen on turn two!
Turn one: Forest, Nettle Sentinel.
Turn two: Forest, Nettle Sentinel, Heritage Druid, activate Heritage Druid for GGG.
Cast Evolutionary Leap, untapping the two Nettle Sentinels. Use the last G in the pool to cast another one-mana Elf, which untaps the Nettle Sentinels and lets us tap them and the new Elf for GGG. We can then use G to Leap the new Elf, which will find us either another one-mana Elf, an Elvish Visionary, a Regal Force, or an Emrakul, the Aeons Torn. If we don't have an Elvish Visionary or another one-mana Elf in our hand then we risk fizzling if we hit either of the big drops, but with the odds in our favor we will likely hit a one-mana Elf. This lets us cast it with G left in our pool and untap the Nettle Sentinels. We can then make GGG with our Sentinels and the new Elf (giving us GGGG) total, and then Leap the new Elf away and repeat. Every one-mana Elf that we hit with the Evolutionary Leap will generate one mana, and every Elvish Visionary gives us an extra card and stays neutral on mana generation (make GGG spend 1GG to cast and Leap). At this point we can continue this cycle and generate one mana every time weLeap into a one-mana creature until we can cast Emrakul, the Aeons Torn – as early as turn two!"*
(*from the SCG article)
Seems pretty cool right? While the combo does feel fragile you can also combo with Cloudstone Curio to gain infinite life with Essence Warden as another way to win. Sure there are no lords here, but that is because you need the Keebler Elves and other 1 drops to make the deck run. Unlike some combo decks there are cards in the board to help it fight against red sweepers (Burrenton Forge-Tender), and ways to re-establish the combo if you lose a piece (Ranger of Eos).
Take it for a spin and tell me how you feel the deck runs.
Shaheen Soorani took Esper Mentor for another ride, but was subsequently vanquished during day 1. I played Esper Mentor about a month ago locally and I really like the deck. Modern is increasingly becoming more and more creature based, and us control players are being pushed to the side of the table formerly taken by combo players. That's right. We are below combo players in the hierarchy! This is unacceptable! *ahem*
Anyway here is his list:
Creatures (8)
4 Monastery Mentor
3 Snapcaster Mage
1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
Planeswalkers (2)
2 Sorin, Solemn Visitor
Lands (22)
1 Island
1 Plains
3 Celestial Colonnade
1 Drowned Catacomb
4 Flooded Strand
2 Ghost Quarter
1 Godless Shrine
2 Hallowed Fountain
2 Marsh Flats
4 Polluted Delta
1 Watery Grave
Spells (28)
4 Cryptic Command
1 Dismember
4 Mana Leak
4 Path to Exile
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Lingering Souls
4 Serum Visions
1 Timely Reinforcements
Sideboard
3 Kor Firewalker
2 Stony Silence
2 Celestial Purge
1 Dispel
2 Surgical Extraction
1 Gideon Jura
1 Bribery
1 Supreme Verdict
1 Thoughtseize
1 Wrath of God
Notice Gideon is in the board. Expect him to return to (his rightful) MD status soon. The Timely Reinforcements as the 3rd Lingering Souls seems really good, especially if you expect a lot of burn based strategies. It's nice to see he is up to 4 Serum Visions as when playing blue you need to cast that card, or you lose. I don't like probe here and would rather run 4 Inquisition of Kozilek & 2 Thoughtseize. This would leave a few spots open for additional counterspells (Remand, Negate, Spell Snare all come to mind).
The true spice though is the Bribery in the SB. While it is not to the level of Telemin Performance vs Lands in Legacy it is pretty sweet. If information is king then you get to look at the entire deck. The ENTIRE DECK. Then you can take their creature (Emrakul?) and put it into play on your end. Nice.Eldrazi.Sir.
Overall if you are playing this deck I would not give up on it. 4 Cryptics + 2 Ghost Quarters seems a little greedy. I would cut a Cryptic to lessen the impact on the manabase. Also a few cards to take a look at for the board are Skeletal Vampire (Don't laugh. Evasion, regen for 0 mana, and makes more dudes), and Blind Obedience.
The deck that caught my eye though was this one, which placed 20th, and piloted by Mario Lillard:
Creatures (4)
4 Snapcaster Mage
Planeswalkers (3)
1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
2 Sorin, Solemn Visitor
Lands (25)
3 Island
2 Plains
1 Swamp
3 Celestial Colonnade
1 Creeping Tar Pit
2 Drowned Catacomb
4 Flooded Strand
1 Ghost Quarter
2 Glacial Fortress
1 Godless Shrine
2 Hallowed Fountain
2 Polluted Delta
1 Watery Grave
Spells (28)
1 Anticipate
3 Cryptic Command
2 Deprive
1 Dismember
2 Esper Charm
2 Mana Leak
1 Mystical Teachings
4 Path to Exile
1 Slaughter Pact
2 Spell Snare
1 Sphinx's Revelation
4 Lingering Souls
2 Supreme Verdict
2 Bitterblossom
Sideboard
2 Engineered Explosives
1 Spellskite
3 Leyline of Sanctity
2 Stony Silence
1 Celestial Purge
3 Dispel
2 Geist of Saint Traft
1 Wrath of God
Oh man. OH MAN. Look at this sweetness. Mystical Teachings can get you exactly what you need, when you need it. This deck has some similarities with Shaheen's in Lingering Souls, Snapcaster Mage, and Sorin, however this tries to play the role of a true control deck. A few things I notice about this:
0 Serum Visions?
Bitterblossom?
2 Geist in the board (imho should be 3 or 0)?
Leyline over Kor Firewalker + Timely Reinforcements + Pulse of the Fields?
...and that is where I want to start. Yes I was on the bandwagon of Leyline of Sanctity in the boards of white decks, but no more. What happens when you draw another copy late? The only deck this would be solid in is Junk...errr...Abzan Midrange where you can + Liliana of the Veil to pitch it (and grow your Tarmogoyf). I think players look at Timely Reinforcements as a hate card for Red, but they are only partially correct. Life is important in all matches, especially if your opponent is playing Red...but even if they are not playing Red. These cards need to be in the deck in some number.
I like these two Esper decks, and I can see a union between both styles being good. One card I would like them to use is Jace, Vryn's Prodigy.
Michael Majors took home 5th place with this:
Creatures (10)
4 Snapcaster Mage
4 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
Planeswalkers (2)
2 Liliana of the Veil
Lands (23)
2 Island
1 Mountain
2 Swamp
3 Blackcleave Cliffs
1 Blood Crypt
2 Bloodstained Mire
2 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Darkslick Shores
4 Polluted Delta
3 Scalding Tarn
1 Steam Vents
1 Watery Grave
Spells (25)
3 Kolaghan's Command
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Remand
2 Spell Snare
3 Terminate
2 Thought Scour
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Serum Visions
Sideboard
2 Dragon's Claw
2 Nihil Spellbomb
2 Spellskite
3 Dispel
3 Molten Rain
2 Pyroclasm
1 Thoughtseize
Yes that IS Jace in the deck. REJOICE GRIXIS PLAYERS! YOU DON'T HAVE TO (always) PLAY SPLINTER TWIN!!! Ok so we know this already, right? What we did not know is how Jace would work in Modern, and he's awesome (duh).
Look at the synergy between Jace, Snapcaster Mage, and Kolaghan's Command. Gross.
What Jace, Vyrn's Prodigy does is actually make Snapcaster Mage better. How? With Snapcaster all of your spells cost 1U + it's CMC to flashback. Jace doesn't. All of your sorcery speed spells (read: Serum Visions) cost just it's CMC to play with Jace's ability. That is what we call #MaxValue. This allows Snapcaster Mage to focus on flashing back instant speed spells.
Before we go there is one more deck we have to talk about. JUND!
Creatures (13)
1 Abbot of Keral Keep
4 Dark Confidant
3 Scavenging Ooze
4 Tarmogoyf
1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
Planeswalkers (4)
4 Liliana of the Veil
Lands (24)
1 Forest
2 Swamp
4 Blackcleave Cliffs
1 Blood Crypt
3 Bloodstained Mire
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Overgrown Tomb
4 Raging Ravine
1 Stomping Ground
1 Twilight Mire
4 Verdant Catacombs
1 Wooded Foothills
Spells (19)
2 Abrupt Decay
1 Kolaghan's Command
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Terminate
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Maelstrom Pulse
3 Thoughtseize
Sideboard
1 Nihil Spellbomb
3 Fulminator Mage
3 Kitchen Finks
1 Abrupt Decay
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Olivia Voldaren
2 Anger of the Gods
2 Damnation
1 Shatterstorm
This was piloted by Joseph Herrera who won the whole damn this. Congrats man. As a Jund player this makes me happy. Elated. Like ecstatic. Two weeks ago I came off of Tasigur but was back on board with 1 in the MD. I went 2-2 this weekend. and the card that helped was actually Abrupt Decay, and Joseph was also on the same split I was. My list Friday was very similar to his. I did not have Damnation, nor Kitchen Finks, opting for more threats and Huntmaster of the Fells. 0 Unravel the Æther seems odd as Keranos is a card to be worried about, but that Abbot of Keral Keep is really good. I was able to pick up one (foil!) right after the decklists were posted, and this card is like a 5th Bob. I will be testing this deck out over the next week leading to the open.
We can talk more Modern. A lot. Like infinity times. However this is just a taste as to what's going on now, and still nothing with Hangarback Walker in Affinity, but maybe that is down the road? Also let us not forget Battle for Zendikar previews begin this weekend (and Wil Wheaton is one of the hosts for this???), so we will be entering my favorite time of the year really soon...preview season.
This weekend I will be battling at the Standard 5K in Columbus.
Until next week...TAP MORE MANA!!
Hello fellow players! First a disclaimer.
I thought SCG Charlotte was this past weekend. I guess it's this weekend? My mistake. So Modern discussion will happen with next week's article. This week I took an old friend for a spin. Esper Control (no Dragons).
I would post a decklist,...but it's already deconstructed so there is no need. Plus we are going to rotate Theros out soon. It was nice to assemble a Planeswalker-Voltron though. During one game I had Ugin, Elspeth, Narset, and Jace, Telepath Unbound in play. Ashiok was in the graveyard. It was pretty sweet...wait...what are you asking about? Oh the new Jace?
Yeah this guy is the truth. Seriously.
I will admit I misread him at first. He only needs cards in the graveyard to ignite, not just instants or sorceries (although those help). Often times I was playing him after there were 4-5 cards in the graveyard, and then activating him on my upkeep. During one such interaction against Elves I did not want to lose the other cards in my hand, so I discarded the card I drew. It was Languish. I then used Jace to -3 and cast Languish. It was so good. These are things I want to do, a lot, infinite times, forever.
So what this past weekend (where I went 2-1-1 on Friday and 2-2 on Saturday) did was threefold.
1: Triple color wedges are bad in Standard. Might be for awhile.
2: If not in a Khan play mono or two color strategies.
3: What else can I use Jace in? Can I use him, and Liliana, Heretical Healer too? What about eternal formats?
So yes I am brewing, but mostly theroy crafting at the moment. I am almost done with having a Standard foundation for the future rotation, and then in about a few weeks it will be time for spoilers (and pre-orders of singles).
There is one other thing I wanted to address. I want to come up with a nickname for all of you who follow. What should it be? Head over to my Facebook page (search for MTGPackFoils) to take part in that discussion.
Until next week, when we will discuss Modern, TAP MORE MANA!!
Greetings fellow card floppers. Here we are again with yet another article. Since the last one there has been a lot of buzz with the news of no fetchlands in Battle for Zendikar, the Pro Tour, the new Commander set this November, and more.
...and there are plenty of other outlets for those topics. Today I will be going over what I have been playing lately. Let's start with Standard.
Since GP Chicago hit, and actually by round 3 (I believe) the buzz has been about Hangarback Walker and Thopter Spy Network (#thanksHoogland). Luckily I picked mine up before the spike, and Hangarback is still on the rise as we speak (as in nearing a $20 price tag. TWENTY!). While Jeff Hoogland piloted a UW version of this deck, Jim Davis wrote an article about a UB version. I figured I would give that a spin.
Creatures (4)
4 Hangarback Walker
Planeswalkers (3)
3 Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver
Lands (27)
4 Darksteel Citadel
5 Island
2 Swamp
4 Dismal Backwater
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Tomb of the Spirit Dragon
1 Opulent Palace
4 Polluted Delta
4 Temple of Deceit
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Spells (26)
3 Thopter Spy Network
3 Artificer's Epiphany
3 Clash of Wills
4 Dig Through Time
1 Disdainful Stroke
3 Dissolve
4 Hero's Downfall
2 Ultimate Price
1 Crux of Fate
2 Languish
Sideboard
1 Cranial Archive
1 Bile Blight
1 Disdainful Stroke
2 Negate
2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
1 Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
3 Drown in Sorrow
4 Thoughtseize
Now I did make a few changes, namely with the lands. The Evolving Wilds replaced Flooded Strand, but that may not be right. For FNMs it feels ok. Tomb of the Spirit Dragon however is completely new. Yes it's a fun-of-1-of, however once you get your network online a few activations of this can seal the win.
I have played this deck for a few weeks, even getting into the top 8 of Game Day at Gem City Games. Languish is a real powerhouse here as your guys are simply replaced when you kill your own Walker. Several games had starting interactions of turn 2 Walker, turn 3 Ashiok, turn 4 Languish. Also the ability to draw 2 cards at instant speed, and lose none, is really good thanks to Artificer's Epiphany.
Ashiok is, and has been the truth. I was able to take so many creatures recently with him, including finding the new Gideon's spark. Just gross.
Where this deck is weak? Drawing counterspells after the spell you need to counter is resolved. Also opposing enchantments are difficult / impossible to address.
Could this deck survive the loss of Theros block + M15? Not likely. Darksteel Citadel is too good, however never say never.
How do we prepare for Battle for Zendikar? Well currently I am looking at Jeskai cards, and may build a control deck to run for the next few weeks. I hear Jace, Vryn's Prodigy, and Magmatic Insight are really good. Oh and Narset, Transcendent too.
Next week we will discuss Modern, the coming SCG Open in Cincinnati, any new tech revealed from this week's SCG Open, and...well it will probably just be a lot of words about Jund.
Until then...TAP MORE MANA!!!
Hello fellow players.
It's that time of year again. No I am not talking about the MLB Trade Deadline, but the MtG Trade Deadline. Origins is upon us, and while everyone is scratching their heads wondering how they missed Thopter Spy Network and other related cards (good for you if you didn't) we should not overlook that Theros block will be leaving soon.
I could sit here and go over each card in the three sets that make up the block, explain what to hold and what to get rid of, and more...but I will not. What I will do is explain what could be done with these cards that you won't be able to play in Standard.
So to start let's take the easy road:
1. Keep them. Seriously. Sure they may lose their value, but if you do play Modern (or EDH) you may want to keep these cards. There will be more cards printed down the road which could make them viable in other formats (especially Modern). Could they literally sit in your binder forever like the lowest grade B-movies in the 2 for $5 bin at your local department store? Sure. Could they be worth something down the road? Sure. Could they get some use in a game? Sure. This part is completely up to you.
2. Keep some, dump the rest. This is key for those who do play Modern often. At this point you will want to keep the cards you may not be running in Standard, move those to a Modern deck, and have 1-2 Standard decks to play that won't lose a lot of pieces (see Abzan Midrange, or Temur Midrange, Sultai graveyard related decks, or perhaps Esper Dragons). By doing this you will need to be selective with what you get rid of. If your Modern decks do not play blue or black then Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver will need to go on the block. Not playing red? Say goodbye to Stormbreath Dragon. Where do you get rid of these cards? Well we will cover that in a moment.
3. Get rid of them all. This is a common tactic done shortly before a block rotates out of Standard. Some players can bare to be without optimal cards that are about to rotate for a few weeks to a few months. While this option feels...drastic...keep in mind if you have waited until now the prices for your cards have already started to drop.
So if you are trading these cards where do you trade them? To players? To stores? Buylist them? Each of these questions has various factors related to them so let's go over these options.
In MLB when a team wants to trade a player they have to not only gauge interest other teams have, but also go in knowing they may (and often do) get less than want they want. In MtG this is known as trading down. Either way the one on the receiving end gets more in quantity than quality, so it's not all negative. Before making the first step you need to figure out what you need in return (this is assuming you are not just stocking up on store credit).
Let us assume you need cards for Standard. Here are a few ideas you can take a look at:
1. Build a deck based on one of the tribes from Khans of Tarkir. Both Khans and Fate will be in Standard until spring of next year, so you still have time. I feel strategies will be built with these cards as the foundation. Sure there will be new decks to crop up, and dual colored decks will be in Standard, but this is a solid direction to go.
2. Pick up specific singles that may do well post Theros block rotation. Possible options include:
Monastery Mentor
all of the Dragonlords
any Planeswalker from the Khans block
any legendary wedge leader from Khans or Fate (ex: Tasigur, the Golden Fang)
The financial side is something I am not 100% familiar with, but if your collection is lacking but your decks are fine this would be a solid way to start. Once these cards start to show more play you have stock to trade into things you want.
Ok so we have some ideas. Now where to take your soon to rotate cards? Honestly if no one wants to take your cards in trade you will want to find a store that provides you the best value for your cards in return. This will require legwork, and the store that gives you the best return may not have cards you are wanting the day you are there. However if anyone understands this time of year more than others it's the people that run your favorite local gaming store.
Does it sound simple? Maybe, but it does take some time to work, and execute, to work to your advantage going forward. To recap keep in mind you will be taking a loss more often than not, but in doing so you are working on future wins. Just like a team in MLB.
That's all for now. Have fun building for the future. Until next time...TAP MORE MANA!!