There are days I honestly wonder why I play sealed events anymore - the guy in the first round always has a pool that makes you scream for a deck check, not caring about the USC penalty you take when you see that the pool is legit; and the guy in the second round is just playing "**** the two colors you happened to pick" and from there you my as well drop because you're not getting any prizes even if you win out.
I ended up building GW aggro/midrange, expecting 6/6 regenerating baloths to win most games. First round my opponent has scavenging ooze, ogre battledriver, and TWO KALONIA HYDRA. I ask for a deck check, and get a game loss for USC when it turns out to be legit. Granted he played two kalonia hydra, so it was virtually impossible for me to salvage that match. My Second round opponent has double lifebane zombie and rips out any threat I could ever draw.
Looking back, I might have been able to do marginally better with GB and using the nightwing shades for beats, but against those two...well, that's why I'm here and not still in the event.
Where did I **** up? Is there a deck that stares you in the face that I just missed?
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Top 16 - 2012 Indiana State Championships Currently Playing: GBStandard - Golgari Safari MidrangeBG RBWModern - Mardu PyromancerWBR RLegacy - Good Old Fashioned BurnR
There is no question that that's a weak pool, but you've got some cards in green which can win you games out of nowhere and are really quite strong. The colour's fairly deep too so you want to be playing heavy green. Also imo your white is really, really awful. Fiendslayer paladin might be good with trollhide but outside of that is bad, and there's no other colours there that I'd want to play really. I'd much rather UG with that pool, whale is quite the bomb and the armours fit in with the "all in" high variance plan of the deck. Plus opportunity is only like the best card in the format:
You could make an argument for 9/8 split on lands, but I'd rather maximise the chances of a good howl and you don't need to play claustrophobia early. It's also possible that lay of the land could go in there given the number of double coloured cards in each colour.
Black looks like your best colour, but holeymoley, all the cards cost 5 mana! Ideally there's something better, or another colour that fills out our 2-3-4 slots that are the core of the deck.
Nothing really... I guess BG is it, since Verdant Haven can ramp us up to 5 quicker, plus we have the highest quality early dudes.
The more I see this list, the more in love I am with the idea of Child of night wearing Trollhide.
I ended up building GW aggro/midrange, expecting 6/6 regenerating baloths to win most games. First round my opponent has scavenging ooze, ogre battledriver, and TWO KALONIA HYDRA. I ask for a deck check, and get a game loss for USC when it turns out to be legit.
That sounds pretty unbelieveable that you got a game loss for that. Perhaps it was HOW you called for the deck check, rather than the fact that you did it?
That sounds pretty unbelieveable that you got a game loss for that. Perhaps it was HOW you called for the deck check, rather than the fact that you did it?
I was clearly pissed off when I asked for the deck check, but I thought I kept it civil enough. Apparently the judge disagreed and issued the USC immediately after confirming the veracity of the list. The Head Judge then pulled me aside as I signed the match slip and said how the point of the tournament wasn't to win, it was to play - and that I shouldn't be taking it so seriously.
...It's like he forgets that there's a ****ing trip to Valencia on the line here.
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Top 16 - 2012 Indiana State Championships Currently Playing: GBStandard - Golgari Safari MidrangeBG RBWModern - Mardu PyromancerWBR RLegacy - Good Old Fashioned BurnR
Black looks like your best colour, but holeymoley, all the cards cost 5 mana!
really? There's two black cards that I'd actively want to play in that pool (segnir and liturgy), shade is in the borderline playable category for me and corrupt is only really good in heavy black. Opportunity, colossal whale, claustrophobia and seakite are all cards I'm actively excited to be playing, blue seem far stronger than the black pool. obviously green's a given just so you have some bodies and because it has the deepest number of playables.
I was clearly pissed off when I asked for the deck check, but I thought I kept it civil enough. Apparently the judge disagreed and issued the USC immediately after confirming the veracity of the list. The Head Judge then pulled me aside as I signed the match slip and said how the point of the tournament wasn't to win, it was to play - and that I shouldn't be taking it so seriously.
...It's like he forgets that there's a ****ing trip to Valencia on the line here.
No, the judge is right, and you have to remember, when talking to judges, you have to play by their rules.
I would have responded by completely agreeing with the judges. I'd also say that my pool was below average and that I harbored no illusions that I'd be winning the tournament. I then would have asked him if there were any conditions under which he thought that requesting a deck check of the opponent was reasonable (because I think the opponent having duplicates of a playable mythic are pretty good reasons to request a DC). And depending on how the conversation goes (if he's already pegged you as a rules lawyer then there's no favourable impact you can have on him and no point pursuing the conversation further) I might also suggest that giving out USCs for deck checks could have a chilling effect on people who might feel they are being cheated. It's pretty miserable feeling that you are or might be being cheated by your opponent, but if you speak up, YOU will be the person punished.
Ultimately my gut-read on this is that you didn't get your penalty for calling the DC, it was likely for the way you did it and any ancillary comments you might have made.
really? There's two black cards that I'd actively want to play in that pool (segnir and liturgy), shade is in the borderline playable category for me and corrupt is only really good in heavy black. Opportunity, colossal whale, claustrophobia and seakite are all cards I'm actively excited to be playing, blue seem far stronger than the black pool. obviously green's a given just so you have some bodies and because it has the deepest number of playables.
No arguement from me, Opportunity is great and likely the best card in the pool.
Try comparing the following between blue and black:
1. Two drops (worth more than usual because this deck wants to run triple Trollhide)
2. Removal
3. Flyers/evasion
Those are kinda the things I think you are looking for in a cardpool.
yeah, you certainly have a point on the two drops, although gladecover scout is arguably as good as a child of night given that wring flesh is a card. Claustrophobia is roughly as good as liturgy though, seakite is evasion and ambush-removal for small creatures and blue has the advantage of two game winning bombs which puts it pretty clearly ahead for me. Looking back over my list, it does need the verdent haven though, probably in place of one of the armours.
yeah, you certainly have a point on the two drops, although gladecover scout is arguably as good as a child of night given that wring flesh is a card. Claustrophobia is roughly as good as liturgy though, seakite is evasion and ambush-removal for small creatures and blue has the advantage of two game winning bombs which puts it pretty clearly ahead for me. Looking back over my list, it does need the verdent haven though, probably in place of one of the armours.
I agree the two premium removal spells are about the same value. And Seakite *is* a great card.
And yeah, running two 7 drops and no ramp is probably a bit slow. Verdant Haven does want to be in there.
i not sure if people quite realise this yet. I drafted quad-seakite the other day which was as insane as you'd think, and splashed U for triple seakite in my GB sealed pool to amazing effect. it's seriously one of the best cards in the format particularly in multiples because they double block really well if needed.
Whatever, I'll say it. That judge was waaay out of line. DC is there for a reason and seeing two of the best mythic's come down is as good a reason as you are going to get.
As for the pool, I'd go W/U and live the late game dream.
This is the pool I got passed:
WHITE:
BLUE:
BLACK:
RED:
GREEN:
ARTIFACTS
I ended up building GW aggro/midrange, expecting 6/6 regenerating baloths to win most games. First round my opponent has scavenging ooze, ogre battledriver, and TWO KALONIA HYDRA. I ask for a deck check, and get a game loss for USC when it turns out to be legit. Granted he played two kalonia hydra, so it was virtually impossible for me to salvage that match. My Second round opponent has double lifebane zombie and rips out any threat I could ever draw.
Looking back, I might have been able to do marginally better with GB and using the nightwing shades for beats, but against those two...well, that's why I'm here and not still in the event.
Where did I **** up? Is there a deck that stares you in the face that I just missed?
Currently Playing:
GBStandard - Golgari Safari MidrangeBG
RBWModern - Mardu PyromancerWBR
RLegacy - Good Old Fashioned BurnR
Clan Contest 3 Mafia - Mafia Co-MVP
1 Colossal Whale
2 Illusionary Armor
1 Nephalia Seakite
1 Opportunity
1 Time Ebb
1 Water Servant
1 Deadly Recluse
1 Enlarge
1 Howl of the Night Pack
2 Giant Growth
1 Gladecover Scout
1 Rootwalla
2 Rumbling Baloth
1 Sporemound
3 Trollhide
1 Voracious Wurm
7 Island
You could make an argument for 9/8 split on lands, but I'd rather maximise the chances of a good howl and you don't need to play claustrophobia early. It's also possible that lay of the land could go in there given the number of double coloured cards in each colour.
Nothing really... I guess BG is it, since Verdant Haven can ramp us up to 5 quicker, plus we have the highest quality early dudes.
1 Corpse Hauler
1 Deadly Recluse
1 Voracious Wurm
1 Rootwalla
1 Brindle Boar
2 Rumbling Baloth
1 Sporemound
1 Sengir Vampire
2 Nightwing Shade
2 Giant Growth
3 Trollhide
1 Verdant Haven
1 Liturgy of Blood
1 Enlarge
1 Corrupt
9 Swamp
8 Forest
1 Lay of the Land
1 Gladecover Scout
2 Minotaur Abomination
2 Nightwing Shade
The more I see this list, the more in love I am with the idea of Child of night wearing Trollhide.
That sounds pretty unbelieveable that you got a game loss for that. Perhaps it was HOW you called for the deck check, rather than the fact that you did it?
I was clearly pissed off when I asked for the deck check, but I thought I kept it civil enough. Apparently the judge disagreed and issued the USC immediately after confirming the veracity of the list. The Head Judge then pulled me aside as I signed the match slip and said how the point of the tournament wasn't to win, it was to play - and that I shouldn't be taking it so seriously.
...It's like he forgets that there's a ****ing trip to Valencia on the line here.
Currently Playing:
GBStandard - Golgari Safari MidrangeBG
RBWModern - Mardu PyromancerWBR
RLegacy - Good Old Fashioned BurnR
Clan Contest 3 Mafia - Mafia Co-MVP
really? There's two black cards that I'd actively want to play in that pool (segnir and liturgy), shade is in the borderline playable category for me and corrupt is only really good in heavy black. Opportunity, colossal whale, claustrophobia and seakite are all cards I'm actively excited to be playing, blue seem far stronger than the black pool. obviously green's a given just so you have some bodies and because it has the deepest number of playables.
No, the judge is right, and you have to remember, when talking to judges, you have to play by their rules.
I would have responded by completely agreeing with the judges. I'd also say that my pool was below average and that I harbored no illusions that I'd be winning the tournament. I then would have asked him if there were any conditions under which he thought that requesting a deck check of the opponent was reasonable (because I think the opponent having duplicates of a playable mythic are pretty good reasons to request a DC). And depending on how the conversation goes (if he's already pegged you as a rules lawyer then there's no favourable impact you can have on him and no point pursuing the conversation further) I might also suggest that giving out USCs for deck checks could have a chilling effect on people who might feel they are being cheated. It's pretty miserable feeling that you are or might be being cheated by your opponent, but if you speak up, YOU will be the person punished.
Ultimately my gut-read on this is that you didn't get your penalty for calling the DC, it was likely for the way you did it and any ancillary comments you might have made.
No arguement from me, Opportunity is great and likely the best card in the pool.
Try comparing the following between blue and black:
1. Two drops (worth more than usual because this deck wants to run triple Trollhide)
2. Removal
3. Flyers/evasion
Those are kinda the things I think you are looking for in a cardpool.
I agree the two premium removal spells are about the same value. And Seakite *is* a great card.
And yeah, running two 7 drops and no ramp is probably a bit slow. Verdant Haven does want to be in there.
i not sure if people quite realise this yet. I drafted quad-seakite the other day which was as insane as you'd think, and splashed U for triple seakite in my GB sealed pool to amazing effect. it's seriously one of the best cards in the format particularly in multiples because they double block really well if needed.
As for the pool, I'd go W/U and live the late game dream.
Keep in mind that you're only getting one side of the story in this thread.