MTG Salvation

My very first event after more then 10 years out of the game was a draft, I believe only my second draft ever. No rare redraft though. I went in and talked to the owner the week before to see if I felt comfortable there. I had no idea about drafting and didn't know the set at all-just after Dragon's Maze so one of each of the RTR block. No made me feel uncomfortable or like an idiot. I lost horribly and went home and read up on drafting:) Actually won a few weeks later, small attendance and sheer dumb luck for that one. Still playing although draft is still not my best format even though I really like it, go figure.
Do let people know you're a newbie, make sure you understand the rules and ask the other players for help. One of the newbies at my store wanted me to look at his draft deck. Just looking at it in this hands came the question-"how many cards in the deck". He had 60 and didn't realize the minimum was 40. He quickly thinned it down. The speech by retiredrascals up there is pretty close to what I do. Go, have fun, and realize it will be a learning experience. Read up on drafting and the current sets beforehand if you can.
Mary

Do most stores use a timer during playoffs in a single elimination tournament? During our games day they were originally using a timer during the top 8. Because we were tied at time, the result would have been randomly determined by the program. Much unhappiness ensued and we ended up playing the third game anyway. I lost, but no problems there.
The question is, is this common? The owner has been told by Wizards that he can use a timer. Our normal fnm is round based on attendance, then payoffs based on record. Which is not an issue. But gameday plays to top for the mat. And they are having their first PPTQ next week, would this be normal or acceptable for that? I work there part time, and I want to have the events run both correctly and to have it be attractive to players. So what would be both normal to most players as well as most likely to attract and keep players.
Thanks, Mary

Not sure if this the right thread to post in, but it seems like the best fit. I normally set in collector number order. I would prefer to sort the old sets the same way. Are there any simple text type lists that have them in that order? Or at least some simple text list that I can easily reorganize? I know there are lists out there, but they are not in a simple list. I know I can download funkier html lists and convert them into a simple list, but it takes forever. Didn't know if anyone else had done it already, or knew of the best resource for lists of sets. Any help would be appreciated.
Mary

Villainous Wealth is just too much fun. I run it in a green devotion shell. People have actually scooped when faced with "Wealth for 11". My record is in the 30's though. Getting Elspeth and Stormy in one pull makes grown men swear repeatedly-I've done it multiple time too:)) When done enough time other players get genuinely nervous about it. I untapped with the prophet and started counting my devotion. My opponents question to me "is wealth an instant or sorcery". I love watching them twitch sometimes. Bonus, big green monsters are perfectly capable of winning the game without wealth, it just adds to the fun.

The Rhino is nuts good. Let's give a comparison shall we? Lightning Strike costs 2 and does three damage to an opponent. Now, for a measly 2 additional mana, you also gain 3 life AND are left with a 4/5 trampling body afterwards. Which passes the vanilla test without the enter the battlefield effects as is. And it's 5 toughness puts it out of all of the burn spells in standard for an easy kill. In summary, we get a 6 point life swing with a beefy hard to kill body left behind for 4 mana? Sign me up!
Mary

I read through this thread with interest. I will preface my opinions/suggestions by stating I am most definitely NOT a spike, in fact most spikes drive me nuts:) However that doesn't make you a bad magic player or person. Suggestions as follows
1-You need to play at your local shop. Really. I have no idea how good or bad you really are, but you'll most likely find out there. You need actual competition, it will satisfy you far more to play with others who are serious about the game. Not all stores are necessarily competitive so you need to check them out.
2-Your friends also need to check out the lgs, it will make them better players also. I know my local store has a casual night aimed at newer players, which encourages them to learn. Speaking of which....
3-Spikes are usually terrible magic teachers. No patience and understanding at all. At the local store your friends may find a more patient and helpful teacher:)) That's me at my store, I have a beginner friendly deck to play against newbies and help with deck tech. After running through a few games with my newbie deck, I run my standard deck against them. After 4 or 5 games with them pulling no mana, I pull their 80 card deck apart to find it has 17 land. Once I explain that my deck that killed them has 24, they are usually willing to make changes with my help. People are often much more open to changes when it isn't friends/family making them.
4-Go to tournaments! You really, really need it. Even if you get hammered it will make you happy to play in those environments. I think you will be more tolerant of your friends when you have another outlet for competition.

You really just need to play with more people then just your friends. Eventually you'll get so aggravated with them that it could effect your friendship. Go play with other crazy spikes and have fun.
Mary

I'm trying my best not to get too snarky with this reply. So to you like the 'idea' of commander, but not the rules? And the rules you dislike you consider arbitrary and annoying? Rules ARE arbitrary! And other players here have already explained why most of them are in place. Commander allows for a massive cardbase to potentially be use, but you can't have everything you want all the time. And it seems to me that's what you want. If you're playgroup agrees change what rules you use, fine. If you sit down with me and say "I want to play EDH" we're playing by the rules. Because otherwise it isn't commander.
Mary

For basic lands, ask the experienced players if they'd be willing to give you. I've given a lot of basic land to people. Don't buy products to get land, at worst in most stores they sell basic lands cheaply. Now that Khans has started prerelease, the refuge lands have been printed as commons. Very soon most people will have far more then they need. You can either trade for them, or hope some folks may be generous and just give you them. Once drafting starts a lot of players just dump the cards that don't have any value to them. 'Draft chaft' it's called, if you go and draft you can always ask if there are cards players don't want that you will happily take them. I know this involves a lot of asking for freebies, but the worst folks will do is say no. So long as you don't overdo it shoudn't be a problem. Good luck!
Mary

My deck ended up being 4 colors last night. Temur with a splash of black for 3 cards. 3 of the refuge lands splashed for black and one Polluted Delta helped. Honestly the mana was pretty solid-I ran 18 lands and it seemed to work well. Unfortunately in our single elimination tournament my first match was the mirror, and he got me. He had no trouble splashing a 4th color either.
Mary

Only creatures huh? Okay. I'd suggest Regal Force and Primordial Sage, for drawing cards. You're going to need it. I'd also suggest Deadwood Treefolk for getting some of those creatures back from the graveyard. Archetype of Endurance will also help against selective removal from your opponent. Homeward Path will help when someone steals your goodies too. Nyxthos, Shrine to Nyx will help you generate even more mana. And Reliquary Tower will let you keep the extra cards you draw. Terrastadon will give you more removal too. As someone who runs a Gruul deck, I see 2 problems. One, no library manipulation. You can't draw that you need when you need it. Sylvan Library, Sensei's divining Top or Crystal Ball. . And when they start killing your creatures en masse-and they will-you have almost no way of getting your graveyard back. An Elixer of Immortality would help some. While these are not creatures, they are all permanents that would work with Primal Surge. Good luck with you're deck.
Mary

Yes I am familiar with the stack. My understanding of how to stack the the triggers isn't always perfect which is why I will ask questions occasionally. I was sure the hydra would live, but wasn't sure how the stack let me draw cards. I DO understand now.
Mary

Thank you! That was a wonderful breakdown and helps a great deal. I think it was the last know information part that was throwing me off. The rest made sense beforehand. I need to go through the rules again so I understand it better. My opponent and I both messed parts of this last night and I didn't realize it until well after FNM was over. Thanks again
Mary

Okay, two questions on Genesis Hyrda. First, I cast Genesis Hydra and hit Prime Speaker Zegana with Kiora's Follower my only other creature on my board. Zegana enters before the hydra, and I would draw 3 cards-at this point both my opponent and I are thinking the reverse that I would draw cards off the hydra. He quicken into a planar cleansing in response to Zegana's etb trigger. Okay, so two questions. Would I get to draw cards off of her etb trigger before the board is wiped? And two, would the hydra be killed since the it wouldn't come into play until after Zegana hits the playing field? Any help clarifying this in my head would be appreciated.
Mary

I run life from the loam in my Borborgymos Enraged deck. 5 cycle lands, strip mine and the hermit druid all work with it. And I run lots of basics in it, it's not a 'hermit druid' deck. But I throw lands with Borbor and getting lands in-and out-of the graveyard is part of my deck. It does good work in my deck.
Mary

Thanks for the replies. I just wasn't sure if the scry would trigger before it was revealed. I'm familiar with the 'play with the top card revealed' otherwise from the oracle of mul daya. I didn't realize with choice the life part with the shocklands, and I do need to know that one. I"m used to showing all my draws with the oracle. The help is appreciated.
Mary