After the on-stream discussion last night, my favourite 5 most instructional red decks:
5. Patrick Sullivan, Koth Aggro, 1st Place SCG NJ 2011 list
4. Fabian Thiele, Koth Control, Top 8 PT Nagoya 2011 list
3. Raphael Levy, Red Deck Wins, Top 8 PT Yokohama 2007 list
2. Michael Jacob, Demigod Red, 1st Place, US Nationals 2008 list
1. Masahiro Kuroda, Kuroda Red, 1 Place, PT Kobe 2004 list
I'll be playing FNM hosted by Alphabot. Discussion and entry stuff here.
I'll be playing my Dos Rakis list, refined based on metamorph's suggestions with my own personal playtesting favorite card right now: Rakdos's Return. It simply wrecks midrange and control strategies. Also means a big Sphinx's Revelation isn't the end of the game for me. My list is as follows:
Are you here more for Gruul or Boros post-GTC? I'm more into Gruul (obviously) and just cannot decide wether go more red or green. I really like the idea of G/r Gruul, because I love Strangleroot Geist and can see some serious potential in Experiment One. On the other hand Ash Zealot and Stonewright are one serious tag team.
I really hope for a Uncommon Gruul 3 Drop, something like Dreg Mangler or Hellhole Flailer would be nice. I know we can predict that Flinthoof Boar is our pseudo-3-drop but it can also be cast on Turn 2 and then curve into the 3 Drop and wreck face.
Furthermore should we stay fast Aggro with Gruul or transform into mora of a midrange Deck ? With Huntmaster or something like that.
I probably try out everything, just want to ask for other opinions and perhaps a few advices.
My FNM on MTGO. I lost round 2 due to keeping a bad hand on Game 3 - in retrospect it was obviously a bad keep, since I had a Cackler with a Swamp. I wouldn't have been able to play any creatures until Turn 3 even if I had drawn land in a decently timed fashion.
Round 4, Rakdos's Return gives me Game 2 by making him discard his entire hand, which included an Angel of Serenity, Huntmaster of the Fells, and Pillar of Flame(protects my other Aristocrat in hand). Big Return happens at 2:18:00.
As usual, Aristocrats beat face all night long.
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Occasionally streaming Pauper. Stop by Here for chatting and viewing pleasure!
Just played my first Standard DE in some time... and promptly went 0-2, losing in two to Reanimator and then in 3 to G/W thanks to having to mull to 4 just to get 2 lands in game 3
On the positive side, I then started the recent Modern DE with midrange red and so far am 2-0, beating Tron in 2 games (thanks to two straight turn three Magus) and outlasting Storm in 3 games. Both Thundermaw Hellkite and Koth are very much playable in modern!
I really need to get a better hang of standard. I haven't won any of the 2-man queues I joined either
And lost 1-2 to Dredgevine. My opponent got out a Skaab Ruinator, Gravecrawler and 3 Vengevines at the last possible moment. Followed by an Iona the next turn.
All while I had a powered up Dragonlord and Thundermaw out. Oh, and then I draw the Grafdigger's Cage. Argh!
Just played my first Standard DE in some time... and promptly went 0-2, losing in two to Reanimator and then in 3 to G/W thanks to having to mull to 4 just to get 2 lands in game 3
On the positive side, I then started the recent Modern DE with midrange red and so far am 2-0, beating Tron in 2 games (thanks to two straight turn three Magus) and outlasting Storm in 3 games. Both Thundermaw Hellkite and Koth are very much playable in modern!
I really need to get a better hang of standard. I haven't won any of the 2-man queues I joined either
2-mans are bad right now, especially since packs are selling for so little. Daily Events are the only reasonable investment at the moment, and even those are kinda meh, you're getting <18 tix for a 6 tix investment. Unfortunately, the market just sucks right now, so best to just stick to the best possible chance of paying out.
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Occasionally streaming Pauper. Stop by Here for chatting and viewing pleasure!
Just won game 4 2-0 against a Jund deck that was undefeated up to that point! 3-1 isn't so bad!
Game 1 he actually kept a 1-lander and started off with a fetch land and a Deathrite Shaman. I'm guessing he was planning a turn 2 Bob which never happened because I bolted that elf right away. He only got up to 2 lands before I won.
Game 2 I locked him out for a few turns with Magus of the Moon before he bolted that. In the meantime a lone Ash Zealot kept going under a 3/4 Goyf thanks to my two Lavamancers protecting her. In this game he cast 3 Goyfs and all of them got killed off while I was stuck on 3 lands! Once I got my fourth land I cast Koth and he conceded soon thereafter.
2-mans are bad right now, especially since packs are selling for so little. Daily Events are the only reasonable investment at the moment, and even those are kinda meh, you're getting <18 tix for a 6 tix investment. Unfortunately, the market just sucks right now, so best to just stick to the best possible chance of paying out.
I wanted to try a few games to see if I can get the hang of the current meta. But yeah, those and 8-mans are not worth the tickets in the long run.
I didn't realize that you can't get more than 3 tickets for a RTR pack now. That really sucks
So, I spent the day at my LGS. I drafted and did abysmally, because I'm not very experienced. I did manage to hate draft a Isperia, Supreme Judge from pack 2 and a Jace, Architect of Thought from pack 3. I was already in BRG at this point, so I wasn't going to change colors.
I decided to follow everyone's advice and try to put 4x Falkenrath Aristocrat in in the Dos Rakis deck. I could not find any in stock around me. So, I put in the 2 Rakdos, Lord of Riots in the MB and picked up 2 Olivia Voldaren. I know they are inferior to the Aristocrat, but I made do. I played Rakdos in each of my first games and boarded him our for Olivia in the remaining games. They never came into play. Each match I won was by turn 5.
The only round I lost was round 3 against Zombies. Game 1, I mulliganed to 4 and could not draw more than 2 lands. Game 2, I blew him out by turn 5. Lightning Mauler, Ash Zealot and Hellhole Flailer worked their asses off. Game 3 was a repeat of Game 1. Mulliganed to 5, had to use removal for the first 3 turns just to stay alive. By the time I finally got some dudes on the board it was a Stromkirk Noble turn 5 and I just couldn't get out of it. He ended up going 4-0, so I don't feel too bad, but if I could have drawn lands I would have gotten the win.
I registered for a second pre-release. I chose Boros for 2pm that Saturday. I'll play Dos Rakis again at FNM, Gruul at midnight for the pre-release, come home and get some sleep and go back for Boros. With Legacy tomorrow (hopefully making) and draft Tuesday evening, I'm going to be getting a lot of MtG in the next week. Looking forward to it.
Hey everybody, I'm sorry I haven't been around much the last couple of weeks, but it has been one hell of a time to be me.
Last week I managed to catch the flu and then I had to fly around the country for internship interviews. Then, this week, I managed to develop a bacterial upper-respiratory infection, while classes started (meaning I've had to teach and do clinical work without much of a voice). I've also got more interviews next week...
I'm right there with you. I caught the flu two weeks ago, developed a URI, then a sinus infection. I went to the doctor once last week and once this week and I've spent more time home sleeping than at work. I'm on steroids, DM cough syrup and omdansetron (for nausea/vomiting). I think I'm finally getting better. Hope you get better quickly. I talk on the phone all day and have lost my voice several times, so I know how bad it sucks to lose something you need for work.
4-1'd at fnm. Sometimes you t1 noble, t2 noble noble, and the deck plays itself from there. Only loss was to g/w aggro.
Gratz, man!
I had a similar with a 2 land hand through turn 4. Out comes Cackler. Out comes Ash Zealot. Out comes Lightning Mauler. 2 more Cacklers follow, unleashed and teamed with Mauler. 2x Hellrider was in my hand, but I couldn't get over 3 land. Still won.
I had a similar with a 2 land hand through turn 4. Out comes Cackler. Out comes Ash Zealot. Out comes Lightning Mauler. 2 more Cacklers follow, unleashed and teamed with Mauler. 2x Hellrider was in my hand, but I couldn't get over 3 land. Still won.
It can be fun to just roll your opponent off 2-3 land, but it's not so fun for them I notice.
Finished out this FNM season (for me anyway) in good form--went 5-1 for 3rd place. My only match loss was to the 1st-place finisher who was running his take on the BG Aggro Ooze/Wolves deck. We split games 1 & 2 then variance kept me from even showing up for the 3rd game...had to mull to 5 and at that kept a 1-lander and did not see 2nd mana before he toasted me. I flipped ahead and it was card 16 in the deck...ugh. But variance aside, the deck ran extremely well all night, feeding me a constant stream of early building beats. KoI is far from dead...he showed well all night, and he and Noble were just merciless against the Boros Aggro (mainly humans) that I played for 3rd.
I almost wish GTC were not upon us...Dos Rakis has been a blast to play!
My sincere thanks to all here for the remarkable font of experience and crafting that has been shared throughout the RtR season--this clan truly rocks! A special shout-out to my Dos Rakis brothers for all fun that went into seeing the deck take shape. I raise my glass (Boulevard Dark Truth Stout, to be precise) to all of you and look forward to the ongoing adventure.
With pre-release costing 35 bucks, will the cards that come out of it even be close to worth it or is it more for the fun/experience and potential winnings?
After the on-stream discussion last night, my favourite 5 most instructional red decks:
5. Patrick Sullivan, Koth Aggro, 1st Place SCG NJ 2011 list
4. Fabian Thiele, Koth Control, Top 8 PT Nagoya 2011 list
3. Raphael Levy, Red Deck Wins, Top 8 PT Yokohama 2007 list
2. Michael Jacob, Demigod Red, 1st Place, US Nationals 2008 list
1. Masahiro Kuroda, Kuroda Red, 1 Place, PT Kobe 2004 list
2-mans are bad right now, especially since packs are selling for so little. Daily Events are the only reasonable investment at the moment, and even those are kinda meh, you're getting <18 tix for a 6 tix investment. Unfortunately, the market just sucks right now, so best to just stick to the best possible chance of paying out.
Yeah it is pretty awful I am just doing a lot of tournament practice, which is much less exciting.
Am I right to assume that this is because everyone is selling them before GTC lands, and then GTC packs will be around 3.75 like RTR was a few weeks ago? Or did something else happen that I should be aware of?
After the on-stream discussion last night, my favourite 5 most instructional red decks:
5. Patrick Sullivan, Koth Aggro, 1st Place SCG NJ 2011 list
4. Fabian Thiele, Koth Control, Top 8 PT Nagoya 2011 list
3. Raphael Levy, Red Deck Wins, Top 8 PT Yokohama 2007 list
2. Michael Jacob, Demigod Red, 1st Place, US Nationals 2008 list
1. Masahiro Kuroda, Kuroda Red, 1 Place, PT Kobe 2004 list
Sorry! That's pretty cool though, have you been playing non-stop since then?
Hope you get well soon Aesnath.
R Reach out and torch someone R
Find me on MTGO under the same username
5. Patrick Sullivan, Koth Aggro, 1st Place SCG NJ 2011 list
4. Fabian Thiele, Koth Control, Top 8 PT Nagoya 2011 list
3. Raphael Levy, Red Deck Wins, Top 8 PT Yokohama 2007 list
2. Michael Jacob, Demigod Red, 1st Place, US Nationals 2008 list
1. Masahiro Kuroda, Kuroda Red, 1 Place, PT Kobe 2004 list
Videos:
Kuroda vs Nassif, Finals Pro Tour Kobe 2004
Sullivan vs Eisenhauer, Finals SCG NJ 2011
Fabian Thiele deck tech
Raphael Levy deck tech
Jacob vs Black, Finals US Nationals 2008 Game 1
Jacob vs Black, Finals US Nationals 2008 Game 2
Jacob vs Black, Finals US Nationals 2008 Game 3
Jacob vs Black, Finals US Nationals 2008 Game 4
Enjoy!
Want to see me in action? Check out my stream! Currently broadcasting Boros Burn in Standard. Full archive available.
Want to play better magic? Come join us at diestoremoval.com
I'll be playing my Dos Rakis list, refined based on metamorph's suggestions with my own personal playtesting favorite card right now: Rakdos's Return. It simply wrecks midrange and control strategies. Also means a big Sphinx's Revelation isn't the end of the game for me. My list is as follows:
4 Stromkirk Noble
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Ash Zealot
4 Knight of Infamy
3 Hellhole Flailer
4 Falkenrath Aristocrat
2 Hellrider
Spells:
4 Pillar of Flame
4 Searing Spear
2 Mizzium Mortars
1 Ultimate Price
2 Cavern of Souls
4 Blood Crypt
4 Dragonskull Summit
1 Swamp
1 Rakdos Guildgate
12 Mountain
3 Duress
2 Rakdos Charm
1 Ultimate Price
3 Tribute to Hunger
3 Hound of Griselbrand
2 Sever the Bloodline
1 Rakdos's Return
Tune in to my stream and feel free to tell me how bad I am. No spying if you're in the event either(if you do, I'll still win :P)!
Starts in 40 min
Fires :symr:f Salvation
Thanks for including my brainy treatise on draw percentages on the front page. Feels nerdy man!
Watch my Twitch.tv stream.
Take the Ham Challenge.
Want to see me in action? Check out my stream! Currently broadcasting Boros Burn in Standard. Full archive available.
Want to play better magic? Come join us at diestoremoval.com
On a high note..FAristocrats arrived in the mail today (along with Sblade Paladins).
Are you here more for Gruul or Boros post-GTC? I'm more into Gruul (obviously) and just cannot decide wether go more red or green. I really like the idea of G/r Gruul, because I love Strangleroot Geist and can see some serious potential in Experiment One. On the other hand Ash Zealot and Stonewright are one serious tag team.
I really hope for a Uncommon Gruul 3 Drop, something like Dreg Mangler or Hellhole Flailer would be nice. I know we can predict that Flinthoof Boar is our pseudo-3-drop but it can also be cast on Turn 2 and then curve into the 3 Drop and wreck face.
Furthermore should we stay fast Aggro with Gruul or transform into mora of a midrange Deck ? With Huntmaster or something like that.
I probably try out everything, just want to ask for other opinions and perhaps a few advices.
BUG Aggro
My FNM on MTGO. I lost round 2 due to keeping a bad hand on Game 3 - in retrospect it was obviously a bad keep, since I had a Cackler with a Swamp. I wouldn't have been able to play any creatures until Turn 3 even if I had drawn land in a decently timed fashion.
Round 4, Rakdos's Return gives me Game 2 by making him discard his entire hand, which included an Angel of Serenity, Huntmaster of the Fells, and Pillar of Flame(protects my other Aristocrat in hand). Big Return happens at 2:18:00.
As usual, Aristocrats beat face all night long.
Fires :symr:f Salvation
PM about the tournament next week so I can join!
Want to see me in action? Check out my stream! Currently broadcasting Boros Burn in Standard. Full archive available.
Want to play better magic? Come join us at diestoremoval.com
On the positive side, I then started the recent Modern DE with midrange red and so far am 2-0, beating Tron in 2 games (thanks to two straight turn three Magus) and outlasting Storm in 3 games. Both Thundermaw Hellkite and Koth are very much playable in modern!
I really need to get a better hang of standard. I haven't won any of the 2-man queues I joined either
For Zem.
And lost 1-2 to Dredgevine. My opponent got out a Skaab Ruinator, Gravecrawler and 3 Vengevines at the last possible moment. Followed by an Iona the next turn.
All while I had a powered up Dragonlord and Thundermaw out. Oh, and then I draw the Grafdigger's Cage. Argh!
2-mans are bad right now, especially since packs are selling for so little. Daily Events are the only reasonable investment at the moment, and even those are kinda meh, you're getting <18 tix for a 6 tix investment. Unfortunately, the market just sucks right now, so best to just stick to the best possible chance of paying out.
Fires :symr:f Salvation
Game 1 he actually kept a 1-lander and started off with a fetch land and a Deathrite Shaman. I'm guessing he was planning a turn 2 Bob which never happened because I bolted that elf right away. He only got up to 2 lands before I won.
Game 2 I locked him out for a few turns with Magus of the Moon before he bolted that. In the meantime a lone Ash Zealot kept going under a 3/4 Goyf thanks to my two Lavamancers protecting her. In this game he cast 3 Goyfs and all of them got killed off while I was stuck on 3 lands! Once I got my fourth land I cast Koth and he conceded soon thereafter.
I wanted to try a few games to see if I can get the hang of the current meta. But yeah, those and 8-mans are not worth the tickets in the long run.
I didn't realize that you can't get more than 3 tickets for a RTR pack now. That really sucks
Want to see me in action? Check out my stream! Currently broadcasting Boros Burn in Standard. Full archive available.
Want to play better magic? Come join us at diestoremoval.com
I decided to follow everyone's advice and try to put 4x Falkenrath Aristocrat in in the Dos Rakis deck. I could not find any in stock around me. So, I put in the 2 Rakdos, Lord of Riots in the MB and picked up 2 Olivia Voldaren. I know they are inferior to the Aristocrat, but I made do. I played Rakdos in each of my first games and boarded him our for Olivia in the remaining games. They never came into play. Each match I won was by turn 5.
Deathrite Shamans never stood a chance. Trostani, Selesnya's Voice died immediately to Dreadbore. UW control shenanigans didn't help and were shut down with a boarded in Duress.
The only round I lost was round 3 against Zombies. Game 1, I mulliganed to 4 and could not draw more than 2 lands. Game 2, I blew him out by turn 5. Lightning Mauler, Ash Zealot and Hellhole Flailer worked their asses off. Game 3 was a repeat of Game 1. Mulliganed to 5, had to use removal for the first 3 turns just to stay alive. By the time I finally got some dudes on the board it was a Stromkirk Noble turn 5 and I just couldn't get out of it. He ended up going 4-0, so I don't feel too bad, but if I could have drawn lands I would have gotten the win.
I registered for a second pre-release. I chose Boros for 2pm that Saturday. I'll play Dos Rakis again at FNM, Gruul at midnight for the pre-release, come home and get some sleep and go back for Boros. With Legacy tomorrow (hopefully making) and draft Tuesday evening, I'm going to be getting a lot of MtG in the next week. Looking forward to it.
EDIT:
I'm right there with you. I caught the flu two weeks ago, developed a URI, then a sinus infection. I went to the doctor once last week and once this week and I've spent more time home sleeping than at work. I'm on steroids, DM cough syrup and omdansetron (for nausea/vomiting). I think I'm finally getting better. Hope you get better quickly. I talk on the phone all day and have lost my voice several times, so I know how bad it sucks to lose something you need for work.
Gratz, man!
I had a similar with a 2 land hand through turn 4. Out comes Cackler. Out comes Ash Zealot. Out comes Lightning Mauler. 2 more Cacklers follow, unleashed and teamed with Mauler. 2x Hellrider was in my hand, but I couldn't get over 3 land. Still won.
It can be fun to just roll your opponent off 2-3 land, but it's not so fun for them I notice.
Ha! Yeah. They don't like it at all. Every time I sat down the response was, "Oh, crap (or some variant). Rakdos. I have my work cut out for me."
I almost wish GTC were not upon us...Dos Rakis has been a blast to play!
My sincere thanks to all here for the remarkable font of experience and crafting that has been shared throughout the RtR season--this clan truly rocks! A special shout-out to my Dos Rakis brothers for all fun that went into seeing the deck take shape. I raise my glass (Boulevard Dark Truth Stout, to be precise) to all of you and look forward to the ongoing adventure.
Thank you very much sir!
Am I right to assume that this is because everyone is selling them before GTC lands, and then GTC packs will be around 3.75 like RTR was a few weeks ago? Or did something else happen that I should be aware of?
R Reach out and torch someone R
Find me on MTGO under the same username
Z--this info needs to be linked on a front page somewhere, here or more likely the primer. Thanks so much for so much awesomeness!!