Arjan van Leeuwen, the Grand Prix Parix 2008 champion, wins his second Grand Prix in Alara limited, defeating Reinhold Kohl in the quarterfinals 2-1, Shuuhei Nakamura in the semifinals 2-0, and Robert van Medevoort in the finals 2-0.
Exotic Orchard raises an interesting quandary which I'm unsure if everyone is aware of yet:
When both you and your opponent play Orchards, they turn into Reflecting Pools for both of you.
So, theoretically, as more and more people play Exotic Orchard, it gets better and better. My question is, will Magic players build to give each other this advantage or to take it away?
I personally think that the card will not see play, as if people end up playing it, a few will refuse to, and screw the rest over, especially considering that many decks are not dependent on pools. However, the possibility that the metagame as a whole could play the Orchard as Reflecting Pools 5-8 is interesting.
Wait, what?!
How does THAT work?
And honestly, I don't think any deck needs Fellwar Pools other than QNT, which has good enough mana as is. But if what you say about it is true, that is a rather interesting prisoner's dilemma.
This card really god damn makes me sad... They obviously don't test limited during development anymore and don't want enjoyable limited environments which take at least a slight amount of skill. They want a format which consists mainly of "Have an answer now or lose," which to be honest, isn't all too interesting.
Well, it is a rare...they're allowed to print bomb rares. (see: Time Spiral block)
And come on, every creature is "have an answer or lose." Some are just much better than others
problem is this deck has a hard time beating death loam, also crypts are good against dredge which normally either wins or loses before a bridge is online.
the 4 missing cards are spark elementals.
I tried running 4 nexuses, but whenever i drew one, i was always wishing it was another land. they just seem very isolated to me, and aimed at one particular hate that i can always seem to bypass.
What are you TALKING about?
Loam should be a complete bye...
You should definitely not be building your sideboard with Dredge in mind. You might as well be aiming for the kithkin matchup...
I'm not sure what you mean about the Nexuses, but I disagree with you. They're good against Zoo, because you can block and Shrapnel Blast, and they're good in any matchup where you're trying to get damage in, as in this deck every activation and hit is like getting half a card.
Afte brainstorming with a friend, we came as with this list. The mana base probably needs a lot of work. Please, keep in mind that this list is made to beat AGGRO ONLY. Sorry for the caps, wanted to make it perfectly clear.
Kitchen Finks: "Come on, who, in their right mind would play Finks and War Monk in the same 75 cards of 5cc?" my RDW opponent thinks. I smirk. "Well, Gibbs would!" I cheer while sideboarding.
Jund Charm: Just to avoid the Hell's Thunder/Demigod shenanigans. Might be good vs. Kithkin too. Instant speed sweepers rule, ain't they?
Bant Charm: Call me a Demiphobe, but I really want to avoid dying ot it.
Cloudthresher: There's this Elves player, who really loves his Bitterblossoms...
Condemn: One more for stuff that's worth removing. Demigods, Hell's Thunders, GW Lieges, Man lands...
Ajani Vengeant: Just some more life gain for RDW matchup.
Okay, the biggest problem with this list, in my opinion, is the mana. Could you, please, helm me make it better?
Fire-Lit Thicket is actually the worst land imaginable in this deck; it was in Gabriel Nassif's version at Worlds and it was completely miserable. If you're going to play Ajani and Firespout you should probably run a Battlefield Forge or two.
That seems kind of poor, considering the fact that none of your lands actually produce black and you need Manamorphose or Lotus Bloom in play to cast it....
Yeah, that's pretty much the point of Brain Freeze.
Remand and Pact serve completely different functions imo. Remand is in the maindeck as a way to "interact" with your opponent so you live until you go off, and also as a bad way to sculpt a good hand.
Pact on the other hand is played during your combo to protect it.
Derailed thread is derailed.
Wizards R&D have decided that Counterspell is overpowered. And they're some pretty smart people. On the other hand, Unsummon and Boomerang are very niche cards. Not all blue decks play them, not even the majority of blue decks play them. Historically the best blue decks are not tempo based.
The sideboard is mostly for Faeries. I am thinking about sideboarding like this:
+2 Negate +4 Vexing Shusher +4 Broken Ambitions +2 Terror +2 Cloudthresher
-2 Garruk Wildspeaker -3 Wrath of God -2 Pyroclasm -2 Condemn -2 Broodmate Dragon -3 Ajani Vengeant
I am really doubtful about the Garruk Wildspeaker slot. Any opinions about this list are most welcome. If someone could also offer a manabase, I would be really happy too
Garruk is awful in this deck, why are you playing it? It should definitely be Terror which is pretty good vs. Faeries.
Not great. It just encourages overcommitting so your opponents can Wrath.
In beatdown mirrors this seems like a good way to outmidrange your opponent. That said, there are no good Jund beatdown decks, and this is nowhere near powerful enough to create one.
It's funny how you immediately assume I can't play against blue based on one sentence I wrote.
The only reason these cards rarely see play is because each block usually has a redux version of one or both that uses block mechanics and is more relevant, or because they print cards like venser and repulse, which effectively negate blue's "weakness" of not being able to deal with resolved threats well. If card parity versions were not printed, these would see some play (and have in the past) since the tempo grab they offer is potent.
Based on your statement should I assume that you think counterspell was fairly costed?
So based on your statements, should I assume that Disperse and Wipe Away are overpowered?
Martial Coup [/B]: Many people will nay say this card because they try to equate this to Wrath. This card is closer in kin to Decree of Justice, just with an extra bonus of a buyer's reward with the Wrath effect. In limited is a bomb, no question. In constructed it can act as Wrath 5-7, with the alternative to "cycle" it for chumpers.
It's not really close to Decree. Decree was uncounterable and drew you a card at instant speed. I would put this more at the Supply side of Supply/Demand, but even that had other uses like fetching an answer or Sky Swallower. This card seems like a win more to me. By the time you get to 7 you should win already with better cards. (Cruel Ultimatum?)
Paragon of the Amesha : lately in constructed mana bases don't mean much, so even with this card's domain effect it could see play in constructed. I know for certain that this will see play as a limited high pick, especially with mana fixers thus far.
This is definitely not going to see play in Constructed. Mana bases are one thing, but it's just not powerful enough and too vulnerable. I agree with you about Limited though, it's super-Knight of the Skyward Eye which is already fantastic.
[B]Unsummon : Gyah, not this nutter again. I do love to loathe this spell, especially when so many creatures cost so much and in weird casting costs. Limited will play it mid to high, constructed will abuse it yet AGAIN.
Except it won't be abused, any more than it already is. It's in 10th Edition.
EDIT: Blergh. Reading the thread is tech.
Countersquall: This is a lovely variant of Negate, with the bonus of bleed. It will see play in constructed because of that alone. Limited may use it if you really need to, but much of the stuff you play is creatures so it’s a coin flip.
The "bleed" is irrelevant for a lot of the decks that could cast this consistently on turn 2. Agreed about Limited though, no one played Negate in Limited.
Also, you have to consider how epic Bolas really is. By having one part sticking out, you declare that part more epic than the rest of him, which isn't really right.
LMAO.
That's a great point. Well said sir.
The Ooze seems kind of mediocre....For all the people talking about putting this in Jund Ramp, consider the fact that the deck isn't invested in the board. It casts Jund Charms and Firespouts and Rampant Growths to stay alive, then plays a Broodmate Dragon. At which point this really seems unnecessary.
Now look at an aggro deck which this would fit best in. There aren't really many good black/green creatures you could play (I'm just begging to have someone make me a jackass here but I can't think of anything), so you would need to have a black creature and a green creature. At that point you're just begging to get Wrathed.
http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/eventcoverage/gprot09/welcome
Wait, what?!
How does THAT work?
And honestly, I don't think any deck needs Fellwar Pools other than QNT, which has good enough mana as is. But if what you say about it is true, that is a rather interesting prisoner's dilemma.
Well, it is a rare...they're allowed to print bomb rares. (see: Time Spiral block)
And come on, every creature is "have an answer or lose." Some are just much better than others
What are you TALKING about?
Loam should be a complete bye...
You should definitely not be building your sideboard with Dredge in mind. You might as well be aiming for the kithkin matchup...
I'm not sure what you mean about the Nexuses, but I disagree with you. They're good against Zoo, because you can block and Shrapnel Blast, and they're good in any matchup where you're trying to get damage in, as in this deck every activation and hit is like getting half a card.
Hendrix's, which had 3 Thoughtcast, Terrors, and Delays, is rather loose. But I like the Atogs.
Fire-Lit Thicket is actually the worst land imaginable in this deck; it was in Gabriel Nassif's version at Worlds and it was completely miserable. If you're going to play Ajani and Firespout you should probably run a Battlefield Forge or two.
Yeah, that's pretty much the point of Brain Freeze.
Remand and Pact serve completely different functions imo. Remand is in the maindeck as a way to "interact" with your opponent so you live until you go off, and also as a bad way to sculpt a good hand.
Pact on the other hand is played during your combo to protect it.
Wizards R&D have decided that Counterspell is overpowered. And they're some pretty smart people. On the other hand, Unsummon and Boomerang are very niche cards. Not all blue decks play them, not even the majority of blue decks play them. Historically the best blue decks are not tempo based.
Now can we get back to the Conflux?
@ ChaosKye, yes, they don't lose until their draw.
Garruk is awful in this deck, why are you playing it? It should definitely be Terror which is pretty good vs. Faeries.
In beatdown mirrors this seems like a good way to outmidrange your opponent. That said, there are no good Jund beatdown decks, and this is nowhere near powerful enough to create one.
So based on your statements, should I assume that Disperse and Wipe Away are overpowered?
It's not really close to Decree. Decree was uncounterable and drew you a card at instant speed. I would put this more at the Supply side of Supply/Demand, but even that had other uses like fetching an answer or Sky Swallower. This card seems like a win more to me. By the time you get to 7 you should win already with better cards. (Cruel Ultimatum?)
This is definitely not going to see play in Constructed. Mana bases are one thing, but it's just not powerful enough and too vulnerable. I agree with you about Limited though, it's super-Knight of the Skyward Eye which is already fantastic.
Except it won't be abused, any more than it already is. It's in 10th Edition.
EDIT: Blergh. Reading the thread is tech.
The "bleed" is irrelevant for a lot of the decks that could cast this consistently on turn 2. Agreed about Limited though, no one played Negate in Limited.
I suggest you look at Disperse and Wipe Away for cards that are costed as you suggest.
LMAO.
That's a great point. Well said sir.
The Ooze seems kind of mediocre....For all the people talking about putting this in Jund Ramp, consider the fact that the deck isn't invested in the board. It casts Jund Charms and Firespouts and Rampant Growths to stay alive, then plays a Broodmate Dragon. At which point this really seems unnecessary.
Now look at an aggro deck which this would fit best in. There aren't really many good black/green creatures you could play (I'm just begging to have someone make me a jackass here but I can't think of anything), so you would need to have a black creature and a green creature. At that point you're just begging to get Wrathed.