As I predicted, the metagame adjusted out of fear of Sphere of Resistance. It actually turned out that only one person played Sphere, although others chose a similar card in Spiketail Hatchling. Others chose to play around the Sphere or to hate it out, while others simply ignored it. All in all, though, there were lots of interesting choices this round.
1 - fadeblue - Elvish Spirit Guide, Oxidize, Hollow Trees, Tempting Wurm
Green Machine This was decent. I think I could've picked something better than Wurm. Maybe I should've just used Hivemaster's deck.
2 - Dusk_ - Peat Bog, Dark Ritual, Dark Ritual, Drain Life
Down the Drain Nice Too bad you didn't choose Consume Spirit instead, which would've turned one of your losses into a draw. Oh well.
3 - Lone Warrior - Mishra's Workshop, Mana Vault, Sphere of Resistance, Rackling
Grab Life by the Balls.dec Interesting choice with the Rackling. As I thought, though, Sphere decks just weren't as strong against a prepared field.
4 - Chimpanzee - Mishra's Workshop, Null Rod, Ensnaring Bridge, Steel Golem
SHUT DOWN! Null Rod is fairly effective. Unfortunately, there was also plenty of artifact destruction and non-creature threats.
5 - 20Bux - Mishra's Workshop, Mox Pearl, Mana Crypt, Platinum Angel
Warning: Slow Play Platinum Angel is a powerful card. Too bad you chose to sacrifice a slot just to play around Sphere; an extra utility card would've been helpful.
6 - Glix - Conjurer's Bauble, City of Traitors, Helm of Awakening, Arcbound Ravager
Death by Bauble Wheee! Infinite Ravagers with infinite counters! This deck rocked the house!
7 - Whamme - Mercadian Bazaar, The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale, Chalice of the Void, Form of the Dragon
My sphere is okay going second. And has a friend. Tabernacle wasn't too effective this round, but the Chalice was useful. It also helped that many people were playing small threats, which gave you time to bring out Form.
8 - Hivemaster - Plains, Abolish, Fountain of Cho, Preacher
Preaching to the converted Solid deck. This performed very well, as it did in the second Fork format.
9 - Feyd_Ruin - Mishra's Workshop, Mishra's Workshop, Ensnaring Bridge, Darksteel Reactor
Anti-Sphere Decent idea, but it was just too vulnerable to disruption.
10 - Nazgul_Master - Spiketail Hatchling, Remote Farm, Swords to Plowshares, Mox Sapphire
The Overlooked Monster in 4cb.dec The Hatchlings are good, but you don't have a backup threat for the times you need to counter a critical spell.
11 - Alfred - Maze of Ith, Maze of Ith, Mercadian Bazaar, Rolling Thunder
Hate.dec The Mazes were brilliant, as most decks were relying on a pair of creatures. Rolling Thunder was a good choice too, giving you a noncreature threat and a way to kill creatures if necessary.
12 - Greebo - Mox Sapphire, Annul, Flying Men, Seal of Removal
Air Force One! One! One! One! One! One.... Good control in theory, but it just didn't hold up. Annul was semi-useful, as was Seal, but you were often simply outpowered.
13 - wonkey_donkey - Lotus Petal, Dark Ritual, Agonizing Memories, Brothers Yamakazi
Rulebreaker Agonizing Memories can be a real pain. You generally got an auto-win going first (Brothers is a nice choice!), but often the deck couldn't do much going second.
14 - BlueMage76 - Arcbound Ravager, Mox Ruby, Thought Prison, Mishra's Workshop
Thoughtless Technically illegal, but it was too late and I felt bad about the DQ last round. I only allowed this deck to remove one card. But note to all: Illegal decks will from now on be DQ'ed without mercy.
15 - Yawgmoth - Mana Crypt, Eye of Ramos, Illusions of Grandeur, Donate
TRIX Trix couldn't muster too many wins this time. Too much hate running around.
16 - NavyJoe - Mox Emerald, Rancor, Berserk, Ornithopter
Me so Orny! Death by Ornithopter is pretty cruel This deck was too slow (3rd turn) to win without any form of disruption/control.
17 - SALAd - Leveler, Mishra's Workshop, Mox Emerald, Naturalize
Split With Sphere, Dominate the Rest (hopefully) Levelers are usually nice in this format, but a variety of decks were able to easily handle them.
18 - Thoomor - Mox Sapphire, Spiketail Hatchling, Spiketail Hatchling, Echoing Truth
Force Spiketail Doubling up on Spiketail was a good idea, as it gave you a backup threat after using the first pair to counter. Truth was handy when going second, as it sometimes let you get another chance to counter a critical spell.
19 - r_x_ - Mox Emerald, Chalice of the Void, Powder Keg, Arcbound Ravager
I'm still mad at you for DQing me last round without telling me first... (.dec) Typical power control cards, but they just weren't enough. Keg is sometimes too slow against the big-cc spells in this format.
20 - Uncle Istvun - Mana Crypt, Grim Monolith, Mycosynth Golem, Platinum Angel Plaffinity 2 Golems + 2 Angels is a pretty nice set of threats. Lots of hate kept you from running too many people over.
21 - deari - The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale, Mishra's Factory, Mox Sapphire, Indentured Djinn
I hope I actually win games. Well, you did actually win games. Two Djinns aren't bad, but the Tabernacle didn't really do much for you this round.
1. Glix - Death by Bauble - 84
2. Dusk_ - Down the Drain - 72
2. Whamme - My sphere is okay going second. And has a friend. - 72
4. Hivemaster - Preaching to the converted - 70
5. Alfred - Hate.dec - 69
5. BlueMage76 - Thoughtless - 69
5. wonkey_donkey - Rulebreaker - 69
8. Lone Warrior - Grab Life by the Balls.dec - 64
9. Thoomor - Force Spiketail - 62
10. SALAd - Split With Sphere, Dominate the Rest (hopefully) - 61
11. fadeblue - Green Machine - 59
11. Uncle Istvun - Plaffinity - 59
13. Chimpanzee - SHUT DOWN! - 58
14. r_x_ - I'm still mad at you for DQing me last round without telling me first... (.dec) - 57
15. Nazgul_Master - The Overlooked Monster in 4cb.dec - 56
16. Greebo - Air Force One! One! One! One! One! One.... - 48
17. Yawgmoth - TRIX - 47
18. deari - I hope I actually win games. - 43
19. Feyd_Ruin - Anti-Sphere - 39
20. 20Bux - Warning: Slow Play - 34
21. NavyJoe - Me so Orny! - 13
Congrats to Glix for winning 4CB #51 and for having the coolest deck! This is your 5th win!!
Props to NavyJoe for best deck name!
And it's that time again! Our January Player of the Month is... Whamme! Congratulations! You've come up with some great decks this past month, and they've paid off well
4CB #52 is a normal format. Betrayers of Kamigawa is now legal. This is the first week of the February season.
Refer to the 4CB page for rules, archives, and Player of the Month standings.
Don't forget to submit your deck to me via PM. The format is:
Well, abolish did MUCH better this time than last time... last time it barely went above average. Probably because Preacher's a better threat than Eternal Dragon (stupid me bein paranoid about removal).
Edit: Props to glix for figuring out how to break bauble without your deck being illegal. My ideas was bauble/lotus petal, which is illegal because it's infinite mana. Silly me for forgetting the helm would duplicate for a free ravager (or many free ravagers).
Yeah, Memories is technically legal. I thought about banning it, but I haven't seen it to be too devastating because the opponent still gets those cards back. In a normal format, the opponent recovers from the Memories on turn 2, which is hardly broken. In the Fork format, it's a bit stronger, but it tends to 3-3 so it's not likely to dominate the field.
Huh? How this infinite combo works? :sweat::confused:
1) Play CoT, tap for
2) Play HoA, gets a twin for free. All spells cost less to play
3) Play Ravager (for free, as - = :0mana:) and his twin
4) Play Bauble (also free, as - = :0mana:), gets cloned also
5) Sacrifice the real Ravager to the token one, token gets 2 +1/+1 counters, Ravager goes to graveyard
6) and sacrifice the real Bauble to put Ravager on the bottom of your empty library and draw it
7) Do the same with the fake Bauble to regrow the real one
8) End result: one (token) Ravager with 3 +1/+1 counters on it and both cards back in your hand
9) Repeat at step 3 as often as you want.
Note that this is NOT a first-turn win as the army of (effectively) infinite ravagers still has to attack
1 - fadeblue - Elvish Spirit Guide, Oxidize, Hollow Trees, Tempting Wurm
Green Machine
This was decent. I think I could've picked something better than Wurm. Maybe I should've just used Hivemaster's deck.
2 - Dusk_ - Peat Bog, Dark Ritual, Dark Ritual, Drain Life
Down the Drain
Nice Too bad you didn't choose Consume Spirit instead, which would've turned one of your losses into a draw. Oh well.
3 - Lone Warrior - Mishra's Workshop, Mana Vault, Sphere of Resistance, Rackling
Grab Life by the Balls.dec
Interesting choice with the Rackling. As I thought, though, Sphere decks just weren't as strong against a prepared field.
4 - Chimpanzee - Mishra's Workshop, Null Rod, Ensnaring Bridge, Steel Golem
SHUT DOWN!
Null Rod is fairly effective. Unfortunately, there was also plenty of artifact destruction and non-creature threats.
5 - 20Bux - Mishra's Workshop, Mox Pearl, Mana Crypt, Platinum Angel
Warning: Slow Play
Platinum Angel is a powerful card. Too bad you chose to sacrifice a slot just to play around Sphere; an extra utility card would've been helpful.
6 - Glix - Conjurer's Bauble, City of Traitors, Helm of Awakening, Arcbound Ravager
Death by Bauble
Wheee! Infinite Ravagers with infinite counters! This deck rocked the house!
7 - Whamme - Mercadian Bazaar, The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale, Chalice of the Void, Form of the Dragon
My sphere is okay going second. And has a friend.
Tabernacle wasn't too effective this round, but the Chalice was useful. It also helped that many people were playing small threats, which gave you time to bring out Form.
8 - Hivemaster - Plains, Abolish, Fountain of Cho, Preacher
Preaching to the converted
Solid deck. This performed very well, as it did in the second Fork format.
9 - Feyd_Ruin - Mishra's Workshop, Mishra's Workshop, Ensnaring Bridge, Darksteel Reactor
Anti-Sphere
Decent idea, but it was just too vulnerable to disruption.
10 - Nazgul_Master - Spiketail Hatchling, Remote Farm, Swords to Plowshares, Mox Sapphire
The Overlooked Monster in 4cb.dec
The Hatchlings are good, but you don't have a backup threat for the times you need to counter a critical spell.
11 - Alfred - Maze of Ith, Maze of Ith, Mercadian Bazaar, Rolling Thunder
Hate.dec
The Mazes were brilliant, as most decks were relying on a pair of creatures. Rolling Thunder was a good choice too, giving you a noncreature threat and a way to kill creatures if necessary.
12 - Greebo - Mox Sapphire, Annul, Flying Men, Seal of Removal
Air Force One! One! One! One! One! One....
Good control in theory, but it just didn't hold up. Annul was semi-useful, as was Seal, but you were often simply outpowered.
13 - wonkey_donkey - Lotus Petal, Dark Ritual, Agonizing Memories, Brothers Yamakazi
Rulebreaker
Agonizing Memories can be a real pain. You generally got an auto-win going first (Brothers is a nice choice!), but often the deck couldn't do much going second.
14 - BlueMage76 - Arcbound Ravager, Mox Ruby, Thought Prison, Mishra's Workshop
Thoughtless
Technically illegal, but it was too late and I felt bad about the DQ last round. I only allowed this deck to remove one card. But note to all: Illegal decks will from now on be DQ'ed without mercy.
15 - Yawgmoth - Mana Crypt, Eye of Ramos, Illusions of Grandeur, Donate
TRIX
Trix couldn't muster too many wins this time. Too much hate running around.
16 - NavyJoe - Mox Emerald, Rancor, Berserk, Ornithopter
Me so Orny!
Death by Ornithopter is pretty cruel This deck was too slow (3rd turn) to win without any form of disruption/control.
17 - SALAd - Leveler, Mishra's Workshop, Mox Emerald, Naturalize
Split With Sphere, Dominate the Rest (hopefully)
Levelers are usually nice in this format, but a variety of decks were able to easily handle them.
18 - Thoomor - Mox Sapphire, Spiketail Hatchling, Spiketail Hatchling, Echoing Truth
Force Spiketail
Doubling up on Spiketail was a good idea, as it gave you a backup threat after using the first pair to counter. Truth was handy when going second, as it sometimes let you get another chance to counter a critical spell.
19 - r_x_ - Mox Emerald, Chalice of the Void, Powder Keg, Arcbound Ravager
I'm still mad at you for DQing me last round without telling me first... (.dec)
Typical power control cards, but they just weren't enough. Keg is sometimes too slow against the big-cc spells in this format.
20 - Uncle Istvun - Mana Crypt, Grim Monolith, Mycosynth Golem, Platinum Angel
Plaffinity
2 Golems + 2 Angels is a pretty nice set of threats. Lots of hate kept you from running too many people over.
21 - deari - The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale, Mishra's Factory, Mox Sapphire, Indentured Djinn
I hope I actually win games.
Well, you did actually win games. Two Djinns aren't bad, but the Tabernacle didn't really do much for you this round.
Results:
X|1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-0-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-0-1
-----------------------------------------------
1|X-0-6-2-6-0-0-0-6-2-2-6-0-0-6-6-6-6-2-3-0 = 59
2|6-X-0-6-6-3-6-6-6-2-6-6-0-0-1-6-3-0-0-3-6 = 72
3|0-6-X-3-3-3-0-0-6-4-6-3-3-3-3-6-3-4-4-3-1 = 64
4|2-0-3-X-4-3-0-1-0-2-0-6-3-4-6-6-4-4-4-4-2 = 58
5|0-0-3-1-X-6-3-0-0-0-0-0-3-3-6-2-0-0-3-2-2 = 34
6|6-3-3-3-0-X-6-6-3-6-6-6-3-3-3-6-6-6-3-0-6 = 84
7|6-0-6-6-3-0-X-6-6-6-0-6-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3 = 72
8|6-0-6-4-6-0-0-X-6-0-0-6-0-2-6-6-6-6-4-6-0 = 70
9|0-0-0-6-6-3-0-0-X-2-0-1-3-1-0-6-0-0-0-2-6 = 36
0|2-2-1-2-6-0-0-6-2-X-0-2-3-3-3-6-6-4-3-3-2 = 56
1|2-0-0-6-6-0-6-6-6-6-X-6-3-2-0-6-6-0-6-0-2 = 69
2|0-0-3-0-6-0-0-0-4-2-0-X-3-0-6-6-3-3-3-6-3 = 48
3|6-6-3-3-3-3-3-6-3-3-3-3-X-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3 = 69
4|6-6-3-1-3-3-3-2-4-3-2-6-3-X-6-3-3-3-3-3-3 = 69
5|0-4-3-0-0-3-3-0-6-3-6-0-3-0-X-6-0-3-1-0-6 = 47
6|0-0-0-0-2-0-3-0-0-0-0-0-3-3-0-X-0-0-0-0-2 = 13
7|0-3-3-1-6-0-3-0-6-0-0-3-3-3-6-6-X-3-3-6-6 = 61
8|0-6-1-1-6-0-3-0-6-1-6-3-3-3-3-6-3-X-3-6-2 = 62
9|2-6-1-1-3-0-3-1-6-3-0-3-3-3-4-6-3-3-X-3-3 = 57
0|3-3-3-1-2-6-3-0-2-3-6-0-3-3-6-6-0-0-3-X-6 = 59
1|6-0-4-2-2-0-3-6-0-2-2-3-3-3-0-2-0-2-3-0-X = 43
Rankings:
1. Glix - Death by Bauble - 84
2. Dusk_ - Down the Drain - 72
2. Whamme - My sphere is okay going second. And has a friend. - 72
4. Hivemaster - Preaching to the converted - 70
5. Alfred - Hate.dec - 69
5. BlueMage76 - Thoughtless - 69
5. wonkey_donkey - Rulebreaker - 69
8. Lone Warrior - Grab Life by the Balls.dec - 64
9. Thoomor - Force Spiketail - 62
10. SALAd - Split With Sphere, Dominate the Rest (hopefully) - 61
11. fadeblue - Green Machine - 59
11. Uncle Istvun - Plaffinity - 59
13. Chimpanzee - SHUT DOWN! - 58
14. r_x_ - I'm still mad at you for DQing me last round without telling me first... (.dec) - 57
15. Nazgul_Master - The Overlooked Monster in 4cb.dec - 56
16. Greebo - Air Force One! One! One! One! One! One.... - 48
17. Yawgmoth - TRIX - 47
18. deari - I hope I actually win games. - 43
19. Feyd_Ruin - Anti-Sphere - 39
20. 20Bux - Warning: Slow Play - 34
21. NavyJoe - Me so Orny! - 13
Congrats to Glix for winning 4CB #51 and for having the coolest deck! This is your 5th win!!
Props to NavyJoe for best deck name!
And it's that time again! Our January Player of the Month is... Whamme! Congratulations! You've come up with some great decks this past month, and they've paid off well
4CB #52 is a normal format. Betrayers of Kamigawa is now legal. This is the first week of the February season.
Refer to the 4CB page for rules, archives, and Player of the Month standings.
Don't forget to submit your deck to me via PM. The format is:
[Deck Name]
[Card 1]
[Card 2]
[Card 3]
[Card 4]
Good luck all!
Edit: Props to glix for figuring out how to break bauble without your deck being illegal. My ideas was bauble/lotus petal, which is illegal because it's infinite mana. Silly me for forgetting the helm would duplicate for a free ravager (or many free ravagers).
Huh? How this infinite combo works?
1) Play CoT, tap for
2) Play HoA, gets a twin for free. All spells cost less to play
3) Play Ravager (for free, as - = :0mana:) and his twin
4) Play Bauble (also free, as - = :0mana:), gets cloned also
5) Sacrifice the real Ravager to the token one, token gets 2 +1/+1 counters, Ravager goes to graveyard
6) and sacrifice the real Bauble to put Ravager on the bottom of your empty library and draw it
7) Do the same with the fake Bauble to regrow the real one
8) End result: one (token) Ravager with 3 +1/+1 counters on it and both cards back in your hand
9) Repeat at step 3 as often as you want.
Note that this is NOT a first-turn win as the army of (effectively) infinite ravagers still has to attack