Gideon is one of the three mythics in the set, so shouldn't be have one passive and three actives, not just two? Also suspicious that they're using an otherwise unannounced mythic edition version that uses the same art.
While I, locally, did not see much of this occurring, one thing I'd like to bring up is that these packs seem VERY map-able.
While opening my wife & I's prize packs (about a box or so's worth), we noticed a large prevalence of the first three cards being jeskai-cartouches. When I brought this up at one of the later events during deck construction, it took only moments for people to point out that they were indeed holding packs where the red, white and blue cartouches were the first three cards in the pack. Also of note was that green cartouches were near the end of the commons.
I'm sure there are more instances of various cards being repeated across many boosters, but aside from the cartouches, I didn't notice them.
Reminds me of old Mirrodin packs always having the same couple artifact lands together in the same positions in packs.
I also remember hearing that Eldritch Moon boxes Mythics were always in the same covered pack.
There was also tons of faded/bolded misprint packs going around, and it often wasn't the whole pack, but just random cards in them that would be faded or bolded.
Point being, for any judges & TOs may want to be on the lookout for sketchy behaviour.
Doesn't exactly instill a ton of confidence in WotC when there's half-assed production going out.
an older list i made, sought to drop a serra avatar with trosti in play, gaining life and doubling the avatar's p/t at the same time. then play fungal sproutingfor (X=Serra avatar's power) bazillion saprolings - that then make you gain life from trosti again. havent updated it yet with dragon's maze
Why not use essence harvest? Then a trostani'd Serra Avatar becomes a win-con
I think maybe the meaning of my post was lost due to translation. Cripple - Causing something to move improperly.
You are saying that the deck performs better without duels. That is just silly. You have too many lands that slow servitude. You could run a green and black or white one rather than a forest to gain the % in being able to cast the needed spells. A white black duel could take the place of a swamp so you can reward slightly better. These changes help you rather than cripple you. Only slightly though. It's better than having to play a wilds to fetch the correct color. Due to having it come into play tapped. If you already have the color you need then you can play a basic or whatever. Allowing you to go off a turn faster. Or actually having the mana when they sweep your board. Idk how many times it happens when you need that 4th mana and you still need to color fix. It's safer to run a few duels than not doing so.
Alright, my bad for misunderstanding your intention. But I don't feel the deck runs "improperly" either. I find it's remarkably consistent considering how bad the mana base looks (believe me, I know).
Due to Abundant Growth, I've never actually had the issue where I can't cast Servitude/Reward when I need to. Wilds' land ETBing tapped isn't really a problem, since I rarely crack more than one wilds a game after the first turn. I usually save them for Rewards in order to thin more, and just slap a growth on them or quarters (due to my meta, I prefer to use my quarters as strip mines, and put the abundant growth on the wilds).
I'll concede it might be 'safer' to run a shock or two. But I feel like, at the margin, it's hurting rather than helping. It's either shocking me, or ETBing tapped, and I can't fetch it, since no farseek, and I can't ramp off it, since no arbor elf. I haven't had any issue with casting servitude or reward.
The only time I've had issues with colour, is not having enough of a colour to activate guildmage abilities repeatedly (which is rarely a thing I want to do anyway).
I can see the scenario where I hit no wilds or growths, and would love shocks, but I've probably already lost that game by then, so I feel it's a moot point.
1) Elvish Visionary looks key, and/or the blue version of him; that being said, could they be run without supporting the color of mana needed to play them, just to make your lands better?
2) Faithless looting seems very necessary, lots of lists in aren't running it for some reason.
3) Blood Artist wincon > Lab Maniac. Because if you can draw your deck (By the time you go off, say, generously, ~30 cards?) then you can just kill them with one blood artist.
4) This deck looks hilariously fun.
5) Correct me if I'm wrong, but Flayer of the Hatebound is just bad, right? I mean, there is no situation in which you don't have to pay 6 for it. Do you really want to spend a turn playing it? Winning seems like a better plan.
1) Yes. Visionary/Apprentice are VERY key. I suppose you cut run a WBR version, and get all your cantrips out of prophetic prism/trading post, but I prefer the constant digging provided the creatures. You could easily cut U, but Visionary/Abundant Growth is really good in this deck.
2) I don't run it because it does nothing for the Faith's Reward, and I'm more in the WBG than the UR. I run the one-of Nivix, and rarely loot with it. I feel that straight digging > looting.
3) Definetly true. Blood artist is easily the best wincon. It's so good that is makes Viskopa Guildmage amazing too.
4) It REALLY is.
5) I personally have my one-of Flayer on the chopping block, along with Nivix Guildmage & the two Gatecreepers. I'm really starting to lean towards changing the Flayer for a single maindeck War Priest of Thune instead, since at six, it's not worth the mana to play it, and it doesn't work with servitude (well, it does... but it doesn't come back with it), and you can get the win out of blood artist or viskopa guildmage way easier/earlier than working your plays around the flayer.
So your saying running 2 less basics cripples your deck? That's about the silliest thing I've ever heard of. Yes you get a few less activations of GC but you get a smoother base.
Actually, it doesn't make the deck run any smoother. It only makes it run worse. The scenario where you'd rather those lands be shocks instead of basics is so minutely unlikely that it's not worth running them. Never said it cripples it. Just said it doesn't actually help it.
Basic strategy is to just cantrip non-stop and then win. I'm currently trying out a bunch of one-ofs and so far they're all solid choices... Except maybe Nivix.
The Rogue's Passage is for getting through with Bloodthrone.
The 5C thing isn't hurting... at all... The deck's been incredibly consistent all month that I've been playing it.
The guildmages... Viskopa doubles your bloodartist win-con for three mana. That is amazing. The lifelink ability helps against most match-ups.
Korozda is AMAZING. So many times I can drop her on turn 5 and then win with the 3-mana ability. The sac-for-saprolings only really comes up with Gatecreepers, to get two more creatures for later, or if I have a ton of mana.
Nivix is only good enough to warrant one slot, and I'll probably be cutting it soon... As much as I like the ability to "go infinite" off of the second ability, I either need a lot of basics left in the deck with 2 GQ on-board, or need the full playset of ghost quarter out... neither happen very frequently... And I don't really like the loot-engine as much as I'd prefer another Alchemist Apprentice.
Like the guy above said. Jar of eyeballs is AMAZING.
Disciple+Bloodthrone+Viskopa has won me games before too.
As for the sideboard... I always bring in at least one War Priest against anyone producing white mana, on the assumption they're bringing in Rest in Peace, and usually find other things to hit too... Should probably be maindecking one, since it can also act as a Ghost Quarter to hit Abundant Growth for cantrips off Faith's Reward.
Skullcrack is because Thrag/Sphinx's is prevalent in my meta.
Crypt Creeper deals with things with undying and flashback, which are also prevalent for me.
I'm considering throwing a Torch Fiend in the SB, since Keyrunes are also everywhere, but decided the second Viskopa does more...
I've contemplated a cantrip-heavier build with Prophetic Prism and Trading Post (and maybe Torch Fiend), but decided this works great as it is.
Combo-ing with Dual Casting + Mauler + BTE is NOT something I miss. Way too convoluted. So I cut red almost entirely.
Skarrg Guildmage was another consideration, to turn on lands before a FR to get more Blood Artist triggers, but never tried it yet.
If I cut anything, it's Gatecreeper Vines and Nivix Guildmage. It'd probably be for more Alchemist Apprentices and another guildmage(Viskopa/Korozda/Skarrg) or a maindeck War Priest of Thune.
While opening my wife & I's prize packs (about a box or so's worth), we noticed a large prevalence of the first three cards being jeskai-cartouches. When I brought this up at one of the later events during deck construction, it took only moments for people to point out that they were indeed holding packs where the red, white and blue cartouches were the first three cards in the pack. Also of note was that green cartouches were near the end of the commons.
I'm sure there are more instances of various cards being repeated across many boosters, but aside from the cartouches, I didn't notice them.
Reminds me of old Mirrodin packs always having the same couple artifact lands together in the same positions in packs.
I also remember hearing that Eldritch Moon boxes Mythics were always in the same covered pack.
There was also tons of faded/bolded misprint packs going around, and it often wasn't the whole pack, but just random cards in them that would be faded or bolded.
Point being, for any judges & TOs may want to be on the lookout for sketchy behaviour.
Doesn't exactly instill a ton of confidence in WotC when there's half-assed production going out.
The format even had a better name, "Post-Modern"
Why not use essence harvest? Then a trostani'd Serra Avatar becomes a win-con
Alright, my bad for misunderstanding your intention. But I don't feel the deck runs "improperly" either. I find it's remarkably consistent considering how bad the mana base looks (believe me, I know).
Due to Abundant Growth, I've never actually had the issue where I can't cast Servitude/Reward when I need to. Wilds' land ETBing tapped isn't really a problem, since I rarely crack more than one wilds a game after the first turn. I usually save them for Rewards in order to thin more, and just slap a growth on them or quarters (due to my meta, I prefer to use my quarters as strip mines, and put the abundant growth on the wilds).
I'll concede it might be 'safer' to run a shock or two. But I feel like, at the margin, it's hurting rather than helping. It's either shocking me, or ETBing tapped, and I can't fetch it, since no farseek, and I can't ramp off it, since no arbor elf. I haven't had any issue with casting servitude or reward.
The only time I've had issues with colour, is not having enough of a colour to activate guildmage abilities repeatedly (which is rarely a thing I want to do anyway).
I can see the scenario where I hit no wilds or growths, and would love shocks, but I've probably already lost that game by then, so I feel it's a moot point.
1) Yes. Visionary/Apprentice are VERY key. I suppose you cut run a WBR version, and get all your cantrips out of prophetic prism/trading post, but I prefer the constant digging provided the creatures. You could easily cut U, but Visionary/Abundant Growth is really good in this deck.
2) I don't run it because it does nothing for the Faith's Reward, and I'm more in the WBG than the UR. I run the one-of Nivix, and rarely loot with it. I feel that straight digging > looting.
3) Definetly true. Blood artist is easily the best wincon. It's so good that is makes Viskopa Guildmage amazing too.
4) It REALLY is.
5) I personally have my one-of Flayer on the chopping block, along with Nivix Guildmage & the two Gatecreepers. I'm really starting to lean towards changing the Flayer for a single maindeck War Priest of Thune instead, since at six, it's not worth the mana to play it, and it doesn't work with servitude (well, it does... but it doesn't come back with it), and you can get the win out of blood artist or viskopa guildmage way easier/earlier than working your plays around the flayer.
Actually, it doesn't make the deck run any smoother. It only makes it run worse. The scenario where you'd rather those lands be shocks instead of basics is so minutely unlikely that it's not worth running them. Never said it cripples it. Just said it doesn't actually help it.
Deck doesn't run if it can't fetch it's colours off evolving wilds/ghost quarter/gatecreeper.
The deck literally cannot run shocks, and is better for it.
As much as I would love to run them, it just... works better.
1 Rogue's Passage
4 Evolving Wilds
4 Ghost Quarter
4 Swamp
4 Forest
2 Plains
1 Mountain
1 Island
Creatures (26)
4 Blood Artist
4 Bloodthrone Vampire
4 Cartel Aristocrat
1 Disciple of Griselbrand
2 Gatecreeper Vine
4 Elvish Visionary
2 Alchemist's Apprentice
1 Snapcaster Mage
1 Nivix Guildmage
1 Viskopa Guildmage
1 Korozda Guildmage
1 Flayer of the Hatebound
4 Faith's Reward
4 Immortal Servitude
4 Abundant Growth
1 Jar of Eyeballs
4 Tragic Slip
4 War Priest of Thune
3 Skullcrack
3 Crypt Creeper
1 Viskopa Guildmage
Basic strategy is to just cantrip non-stop and then win. I'm currently trying out a bunch of one-ofs and so far they're all solid choices... Except maybe Nivix.
The Rogue's Passage is for getting through with Bloodthrone.
The 5C thing isn't hurting... at all... The deck's been incredibly consistent all month that I've been playing it.
The guildmages... Viskopa doubles your bloodartist win-con for three mana. That is amazing. The lifelink ability helps against most match-ups.
Korozda is AMAZING. So many times I can drop her on turn 5 and then win with the 3-mana ability. The sac-for-saprolings only really comes up with Gatecreepers, to get two more creatures for later, or if I have a ton of mana.
Nivix is only good enough to warrant one slot, and I'll probably be cutting it soon... As much as I like the ability to "go infinite" off of the second ability, I either need a lot of basics left in the deck with 2 GQ on-board, or need the full playset of ghost quarter out... neither happen very frequently... And I don't really like the loot-engine as much as I'd prefer another Alchemist Apprentice.
Like the guy above said. Jar of eyeballs is AMAZING.
Disciple+Bloodthrone+Viskopa has won me games before too.
As for the sideboard... I always bring in at least one War Priest against anyone producing white mana, on the assumption they're bringing in Rest in Peace, and usually find other things to hit too... Should probably be maindecking one, since it can also act as a Ghost Quarter to hit Abundant Growth for cantrips off Faith's Reward.
Skullcrack is because Thrag/Sphinx's is prevalent in my meta.
Crypt Creeper deals with things with undying and flashback, which are also prevalent for me.
I'm considering throwing a Torch Fiend in the SB, since Keyrunes are also everywhere, but decided the second Viskopa does more...
I've contemplated a cantrip-heavier build with Prophetic Prism and Trading Post (and maybe Torch Fiend), but decided this works great as it is.
Combo-ing with Dual Casting + Mauler + BTE is NOT something I miss. Way too convoluted. So I cut red almost entirely.
Skarrg Guildmage was another consideration, to turn on lands before a FR to get more Blood Artist triggers, but never tried it yet.
If I cut anything, it's Gatecreeper Vines and Nivix Guildmage. It'd probably be for more Alchemist Apprentices and another guildmage(Viskopa/Korozda/Skarrg) or a maindeck War Priest of Thune.
I'm calling FTV:20's 2011 slot as Squadron Hawk right now.