MTG Salvation

I know that I've been away for a while (newborn humans in my Family yay!) but with the announcement that the site is closing down I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for all the XCB 'games' over the years. I've always felt incredibly welcome here when I drop in for a few months after years away and even though I've been gone more than I've been here, I will miss this part of this place.

Good Games, Well Played.

Only if you're being cucked by spells. If an activated ability, triggered ability, or game rule is cucking you, you're out of luck.

Where should I put all these bricks?

Quote from PerfectHandMagic »

On a separate topic, I like to keep the ban list as a short as is reasonable, which means there are usually some number of cards that I keep on an informal watch list. At the moment, that list consists of two cards:


1) Time Vault
Time Vault / Voltaic Key shows up less than I expect it to, but the combo nonetheless makes me a bit nervous every time I run a land rule format with more than two cards (or two cards with a built-in win condition).

2) Dark Depths
Originally, Vampire Hexmage was banned instead, because – of the two cards – Depths is the one that could still see play. Depths does see play and does so more than I'd anticipated. That's not necessarily a problem, as its results are inconsistent. What I'm interested in is how players feel about the card; does it feel oppressive/stifling, or is it just a good win condition?


I'm interested in reading players' thoughts on these two cards. Also, are there any other cards that should be on my watch list?
Thanks!

I would love to see a Depths ban - or a Thespian's Stage ban if you really want to cling to the idea that paying 30 for Marit Lage might happen. I actually don't mind it in Vanilla sorts of rounds, but I hate that there's an obviously reasonable deck that gets around many of the special rules rounds that only impact spells.

I also want to belatedly second superbajt's comments that last week's format was too complex for me. I submitted Depths because I couldn't reason my way out of that set of rules and I just wanted to sidestep it - but I don't love that I had that option.

Quote from Personman »

I think it would be fine to take Extra Pick even further, and just do Pick Two, from every pack. Being allowed to keep your options open sounds nice.

two from every pack but your deck may not contain two cards from the same pack also seems like a good idea to me.

Quote from Personman »

Wait, what? Why wouldn't Arterial Flow be legal?

Because this week specifically you can easily cast it off of two lands, before discard is permitted.

Since we're having this great discussion can I take this opportunity to say the one thing I don't like about xcb is that I always want to have more discussion of the format as I'm prepping for it, but obviously that doesn't make sense if we're all trying to compete. This discussion after the fact is almost as good and I hope we can have more like it.

So when I'm on the play vs Sigarda/Savage Summoning/Voidstone

You cast Savage Summoning on my upkeep, and I let it resolve.
--
If you cast 6/6 sigarda, then I'm going to be able to counter Gargoyle when the time comes, and make 3 cats per turn in the meantime. I think those cats will race sigarda alone:
Sigarda hits me to 14, I make 3 cats.
I hit you to 14.
Sigarda hits me to 8, I make 3 cats.
I hit you to 2.
Sigarda hits me to 2, I make 3 cats.
I kill you.
So, back in my first upkeep, you've got to make 4/4 gargoyle instead.
---
You cast Savage Summoning on my upkeep, and I let it resolve. You cast Gargoyle (4/4), and in response I make 6 cats.
You main-phase your 5/5 sigarda and pass.
If I attack now I loose 2 cats and all hope.
You attack with sigarda (15)
I attack with 6 cats (10) now only 5 cats.
You attack with sigarda (10)
I attack with 5 cats (2) now 4 cats
You attack with sigarda (5)
I attack with 4 cats and win.
So, back when you started the race, you must instead not attack. Sigarda, Gargoyle, and 6 cats stare at each other forever.

I asert that we are 4-1

Lets try the same logic against the other angel. I don't think it works out my way.

You cast Savagse Summoning on my upkeep and I let it resolve. You have to make Gargoyle for basically the same reason as above.
I make 6 cats in response.
You make angel of sanctions on your main phase, eat one cat (5 cats remain) and attack with gargoyle (I go to 16)
I attack with 5 cats (12) now 4 cats
You attack with gargoyle (12)
I attack with 4 cats (4) now 3 cats
You attack with gargoyle (8)
I attack with 3 cats and kill you.
So, back when you started the race, you must instead not attack. Angel of Sanctions, Gargoyle, and 5 cats stare at each other forever.

I assert that we are 4-1

Quote from ManyCookies »

Wait hold a jiffy, can't the Dark Depths deck win before its opponent's turn 2?

Naw, because it needs to make 2 land drops and then get over summoning sickness. It wins during its 3rd turn combat step.

Name suggestions for that format: Increasing Omniscience or Incremental Omniscience

I spent a bunch of time refining strategies using Lion's Eye Diamond along with madness and/or flashback only to realize that both of those things end up spending mana to cast spells. I'm sure my search for other options didn't find nearly everything that can be done under this restriction. I can't wait to see what everyone else found.