MTG Salvation

That's an unfortunate side effect of O.C.D.. I've opted out of playing a lot of decks, and even some formats because I have a mental barrier to playing with proxies. I'd love to play vintage, but until I win P9 I'm not going too. (That being said I don't like deck pimping. So at least that "saves" me a little money.)

I can honestly say I've been fairly responsible buying, and selling cards since coming back to magic 6-8 months ago, but I do fine myself spending a little to much time late at night reading top 8 deck lists, and brewing. That being say the only format that I truly enjoy playing is legacy, and I'm going to have to start buying duals, and fetches soon if I actually want to play any SCG opens, or GPs.

People who play magic are a very special breed. We are generally intelligent, quirky, and strive for perfection, and for spikes this can get a little out of hand. I know from personal experience that I've thought about a misplay, or sideboard selection when I probably shouldn't have been, like in the middle of a midterm, or a meeting at work. Now I know generally people are distracted by their hobbies, whether it's baseball, knitting, or just interneting, but with magic I find that it can be consuming. I know that I have definitely been addicted to magic in the past, and it got to an unhealthy level. How do you folks manage to keep yourselves at a healthy level? I.e. Making sure you're giving your partner the attention he/she deserves, your kids the support they need, being able to hang out with your non-magic playing friends without it detracting from the experience, and keeping on track with your career goals, while still playing competitive level magic, and participating in the magic community? Also what's the right balance for you?

(Keep in mind you can not be wrong, I'm just interested.)

Why'd you quite? I mean good for you by the way, but was there a specific reason?

Great job man.

Off the top of my head
U/G/W/b Blinkly bits

I was actually try to build something very simaliar to this with Momentary blink, and a couple more comes into play effects. If you can stall until latter in the game it oozes card advantage. (I'm really trying to make mulldrifter work but it is pretty slow.)

It seems to me that most decks in this format just lose to hard counters, and targeted timely removal. That being said you do see most decks just beating down with exarchs of finks for the win, so blink turns into value fog.

So counter anything they play, and eventually value the out, or sit on you hands long enough to play out value creatures, and suede-counter they're removal with blinks for extra value. Seems good against everything in the format, but robots, and scapeshift?

Thoughts?

1.) death is good. Dying may not be, but death is.

2.) I can't think of anything more hellish than living forever.

Quote from dwchang

I hate foils so this is easy. Beta Power.

+1

Quote from Sparki

Shipping in a bubble mailer with tracking is. $1.93 through paypal, with an extra $1 insurance per $100.

I find it really hard to believe all of your stuff comes damaged through USPS, unless you aren't packaging right. If it was USPS's fault every time, a lot of online card stores would not be in business.

Are you mailing in a padded bubble mailer? Toploaders taped closed?

I agree with I must be doing something wrong. I just don't know what it is. I am using a bubble mailer and collectors sleeves. I just don't know what more I should be doing. Also for some the insurance I'm buying is costing me $3-4 and it ands up costing $6-7 to ship a trade worth $30. It just seems like I'm losing money.

Also thanks for all the advice.

I've gotten back into magic over the last six months, and I've been trying to grow and swap out my collection by using online trading/selling cards (on places like eBay), and I swear I've lost way more money then I've gained, because the usps has lost or damaged so many of the items I've shipped. Not only are they costing me a fortune, but they are making me look bad. Over the last two months alone, I've sent out at least $400 worth of cards that have either not made it to their final destinations, which basically mean I'm paying full price to throw my cards away, or when they do get there they're bent or even creased. Am I missing something, or do I just need a $100 minimum so that tracking, and insurance don't completely blank any profit that could be made? Am I the only person having this problem?

Congrats on your finish today. That's a great record for your second GP. (It's a really a great record period.)

Is anyone run meddling mage (if you run blue) or revoker? Those two see kind of important? Also no Serra avenger?

Also why would run mana dorks in D&T don't you curve out at three?
Is anyone running Samurai of the Pale Curtain? It seems good at least in the sideboard.
Also seems hokori, dust drinker like an option

I was just about to edit my post, because upon second look I did find GPSB, as well a couple other events. I do how ever believe my point is still valid. If you look at the number of top8's vs. the number of first place finishes both decks are extremely dis advantaged.

I did my research. Neither of those two have won a major event (again 200+) in the last year. They are good decks, and they do make it to top8's all the time, but most of the time they come in 2-8, and I don't go to a major event to come in secound place. That's the problem. You normally have one of the major three in the finals, and if you're sitting with one of those two decks your opponent has the advantage. The Rug delver match up isn't 50/50 for D&T it's closer to 55/45 or maybe event 60/40, and if you watch top8 tournament coverage you easly calm that those number aren't even accurate.

There is nothing wrong with prices in legacy with the exception of duals, FOW, goyf, and bobs (but the last two are driven up by modren and vintage respectively, IMO). The problem in my opinion, is that you can't be truly competitive with out them. I challenge anyone to build a deck that is good enough against the field to make it to top 8(200+), that can also win a top 8 over decks like X/u/g delver, sneak and show, or stoneblade. You just don't have the tools available to you in a single color. So you have a situation where if you have money, and a little time, you can beat someone who has done more work to pilot a mono colored deck, and I think that's a reasonable argument for why legacy not in a good state right now.

The buy in to tier 1 is not realistic for the average play. I the only format I take seriously is legacy, and as of right not I'd have to barrow a deck to play a major event. That just doesn't seem right.