Basically - it's just weird.
I know it's not a helpful answer, but the match-making system used by Arena doesn't really follow much in the way of logic.
Based on what people have said:
Your Rank has some degree of influence, the cards in your deck have a degree of influence and your overall win-rate has a degree of influence.
So a deck that has lots of rare & powerful cards can be matched against a deck which doesn't, because the owner of the "power" deck has had a loosing streak, possibly with different decks.
Though this is only the case in the free / best of 1, ladder matches. Different when you play best of 3, apparently.
You can build a pretty strong black & red deck from your starting card pool.
Usually enough to win the odd game here and there.
That's enough to keep you going for the first week or two - which should let you get some additional, 2 colour, free / starting decks.
Which, in turn, give you more cards in your pool to build decks from.
General advice from there seems to be save up all the Gold you earn: Don't buy individual packs.
Instead use the Gold to enter Drafts: These give you a higher percentage of Rare / Mythics than purely opening packs does, even if you loose all of the draft games you play.
Player 1 (their main phase) casts oath of nissa, it resolves. Trigger goes on the stack. Can I let the trigger resolve down to an empty stack, see what my opponent gets as part of the resolution of the ability (for sake of argument a creature), then cast an instant back onto that empty stack, before they get to cast their creature.
No - you can not.
Once your opponent's spell resolves they will be the first person to receive priority, which means they can cast their creature before you can act.
Only if they choose not to cast anything do you receive priority.
(If, at that point, you choose not to cast anything the game moves on to the next phase because both players have passed priority in succession on an empty stack)
That said - if your opponent does cast a creature spell you can then respond to that spell being put on the stack by playing an instant.
Meaning your instant will resolve before their creature arrives on the battlefield.
You may be thinking about tournament shortcuts: These assume a player casting a spell always passes priority to their opponent after their spell resolves.
If I play Assure // Assemble using the Assembly part and then have Vanquisher's Banner already in play am I able to draw 3 cards from it's static ability?
No: Assemble is not a creature spell, it is an Instant.
Compare the two cards - Assemble and Conclave Guildmage - halfway down the card, on the Guildmage, is the word "Creature" - that's what defines the card as being a Creature Spell, and only spells with the word Creature can trigger the Banner.
For Conclave Guildmage If I activate it's 2nd ability and tap it to create a token, can that token be countered?
Not by Counterspell, because you are using an ability, not casting a spell.
But it can be countered by a spell, or ability, which counters an activated ability - such as Voidslime
-- I disagree with Stormageddon*, as Mental Misstep doesn't work vs Wyrmcalling. Then I get to buyback my Wyrmcalling and just keep getting bigger and bigger tokens.
*Respectfully and politely
That said I'm more than happy to be corrected on any of this if there are plays I'm not seeing
(as ever)
On the play I lead with Figure of Destiny, which grows faster than your available mana, until your turn 5, when you can kill a 4/4
By which time I can keep casting Wyrmcalling with buyback, and you run out of spells.
If I'm drawing, I *think* I win: I cast Figure & Assassin, which draw fire.
Then I'm again at the point where I can keep casting Wyrmcalling with buyback, and you run out of spells.
Win
Your Boggle gets up to 5/5 on your turn 3
My Figure of Destiny is 4/4 on turn 3, which you can safely attack past
After that I have a 4/4 figure and a 1/1 Assassin, which you can't afford to attack into, as then all 3 will die and I'll be the only player with a threat left.
After that I get to a point where where I can keep casting Wyrmcalling with buyback and overwhelm you.
Win
You misstep Assassin & Figure (because you can't misstep Wyrmcalling unless x = 0)
I could be wrong here, but I can't think you can make a Hydra that's big enough to kill me before my turn 5, at which point I can keep casting Wyrmcalling with buyback and overwhelm you.
Win, I think, but am not 100% on this one
I think Path takes out Figure
Devil's Play takes out Assassin
Wyrmcalling is is faster than Secure the Wastes, as you get X 1/1's, and get 1 Wyrm at a time, which gradually grows. Well unless I make it to mt turn 10, when I can start making 2 Wyrms a turn...
But there could easily be a point I'm not seeing where your collection of 1/1's plus a flashbacked Devil's Play is fast enough.
vs 1) xStormaggedonx
Swan Song / Sphinx of the Final Word / Gainsay
Win
Swan song does nothing
Gainsay takes out Sower, so that you can keep Sphinx
2x True-Name Nemesis outrace 1x Sphinx
2) Anachronity :: Djinnanigans
Tempest Djinn / Tempest Djinn / Tempest Djinn
Win
Sower steals 1 Djin, which then can block another.
3) Mother Mamba
Kefnet's Last Word / Glyph Keeper / Gainsay
Lose
Gainsay vs my 1st Nemesis
Sower can't nab Glyph Keeper, and Last Word steals it if I play it.
Your Glyph Keeper outraces my one Nemesis.
4) ManyCookies :: Fish-Fish
Master of the Pearl Trident / Master of the Pearl Trident / Arcane Denial
Lose
Arcane Denil vs Sower of Temptation
2x Master of the Pearl Trident outrace 2 True-Name Nemesis via Islandwalk.
If you're still feeling out of your depth, there's a free-to-play & download PC game called Magic Duels which contains some pretty good tutorials.
It's not 100% perfect, has its own deck construction rules, and is now a little out of date.
But if you've the time and inclination it makes for a pretty good learning experience in terms of "how to play the game".
6) Sizel :: Goblins!
Keeper of Kookus / Warbreak Trumpeter / Skirk Fire Marshal
6x Loss
1x Draw
Not exactly a stellar performance...
vs 1) Mother Mamba
Lightning Bolt / Kargan Dragonlord / Chandra, Torch of Defiance
Loss: Dragonlord is too fast for me to go off without killing myself too.
vs 2) Anachronity
Collective Defiance / Pardic Dragon / Lightning Bolt
Loss: Collective Defiance forces me to discard my T5 play, which is basically my Win-Con.
vs 3) ManyCookies :: Hateful Ramp
Simian Spirit Guide / Geosurge / Hateflayer
Loss: Agree with Many Cookies
vs 4) Danxor3
Keeper of Kookus / Krenko, Mob Boss / Siege-Gang Commander
Loss, I think. There's a lot of branching plays. But I think you can use either Krenko OR Siege-Gang to force me to explode Fire Marshal, and then finish me off with whichever one you didn't use earlier.
vs 5) NTheo
Ghostfire / Vulshok Refugee / Shunt
Loss:
Ghostfire vs Keeper means your Refugee cancels my Morph, so you don't do that.
Ghostfire vs Morph means means my Keeper + Fire Marshal race Refugee.
Refugee is faster.
vs 7) xStormaggedonx
Dragon Whisperer / Purphoros, God of the Forge / Rekindling Phoenix
Loss: I can't deal with a recurring Phoenix, and can't race it.
vs 8) CalvinSchwa
Combat Celebrant / Splinter Twin / Collective Defiance
I think it's a Draw.
If you're on the play, you can T3 Collective Defiance to make us both discard our hands, at which point my 1/1 eventually wins.
Otherwise I've enough time to play my Morph as well as the Keeper.
Your T4 can Collective Defiance my Morph, and make us both discard, which will leave my 1/1 staring at your 4/1: Draw.
If you Twin your Celebrant, my 1/1 can block (and kill) each attacking token.
You eventually have to decide to stop attacking me. I make a Fire Marshal and have 2 creatures to your 1, which means I would win.
Disagree with @Sizel regarding Sacred Mesa.
That's some awfully lazy scoring...
Many apologies: It was rushed, rather than lazy, but yeah - you're right.
Sorry to anyone else too - I'll try to edit my post if I spot disagreements as I'm catching up on the thread.
Edit: I think it's Dragonlord, Hammer and Mayor (twice)...
Vs 1a) Guul Draz Assassin
Win: Vraska’s -3 kills Assassin, ultimate for the win..
Vs 1b) Sacred Mesa
Loose: Loose: Too many tokens, too quickly
Vs 2a) Mayor of Avabruk
Loose: Tokens beat down Vraska
Vs 2b) Kiku, Night’s Flower
Win: Vraska’s -3 kills Kiku, ultimate for the win..
Vs 3a) Voidstone Gargoyle
Loose: Gargoyle shuts down Vraska
Vs 3b) Putrid Leach
Win: Vraska’s -3 kills Leach, ultimate for the win..
Vs 4a) Nicol Bolas, the Ravager
Loose: Discard Vraska
Vs 4b) Stillmoon Cavalier
Draw: Stillmoon attacks Vraska and both die.
Vs 5a) Hammer of Purphoros
Loose: Vraska either dies to 1 token per turn, then you just make more tokens to kill me…
OR Vraska’s -3 kills Hammer, but existing Golem kills her, then kills me.
Vs 5b) Kargan Dragonlord
Win: Vraska’s -3
Vs 7a) Mayor of Avabruk
Loose: Tokens beat down Vraska
Vs 7b) Phyrexian Revoker
Lose: I can’t activate loyalty abilities
Vs 8a) Metrognome
Win: Vraska -3 the Card, then +1’s or -3 kill remaining Gnome.
Vs 8b) Nether Spirit
Draw: Vraska ticks up by 2 every 2 turns, Spirit attacks for 2 every 2 turns. Neither of us can progress.
Vs 1a) Guul Draz Assassin
Win: Can make tokens too fast for Assassin to keep up.
Vs 1b) Sacred Mesa
Draw: Snap!
Vs 2a) Mayor of Avabruk
Loss: Agree with Convoy_Avenger: Didn't allow for the play of holding back the Mayor and sending in tokens to kill 3 blockers at a time
Vs 2b) Kiku, Night’s Flower
Win: Can make tokens too fast for Kiku to keep up
Vs 3a) Voidstone Gargoyle
Draw: Gargoyle shuts off my ability to produce more tokens. But I have at least 3, which meas I can block & kill Gargoyle.
Vs 3b) Putrid Leach
Win: Can make tokens too fast for Leach to keep up
Vs 4a) Nicol Bolas, the Ravager
Win: Can make tokens too fast for Bolas to keep up
Vs 4b) Stillmoon Cavalier
Loose: Prot White means I can’t chump block. Can’t race either.
Vs 5a) Hammer of Purphoros
Loose: Hammer tokens too big for me
Vs 5b) Kargan Dragonlord
Loose: Dragonlord tramples
Vs 7a) Mayor of Avabruk
Loss: Agree with Convoy_Avenger: Didn't allow for the play of holding back the Mayor and sending in tokens to kill 3 blockers at a time
Vs 7b) Phyrexian Revoker
Lose: I can’t make tokens
Vs 8a) Metrognome
Win: Can make tokens too fast for Gnomes to keep up
Vs 8b) Nether Spirit
Win: Can make tokens too fast for Spirit to keep up
I know it's not a helpful answer, but the match-making system used by Arena doesn't really follow much in the way of logic.
Based on what people have said:
Your Rank has some degree of influence, the cards in your deck have a degree of influence and your overall win-rate has a degree of influence.
So a deck that has lots of rare & powerful cards can be matched against a deck which doesn't, because the owner of the "power" deck has had a loosing streak, possibly with different decks.
Though this is only the case in the free / best of 1, ladder matches. Different when you play best of 3, apparently.
You can build a pretty strong black & red deck from your starting card pool.
Usually enough to win the odd game here and there.
That's enough to keep you going for the first week or two - which should let you get some additional, 2 colour, free / starting decks.
Which, in turn, give you more cards in your pool to build decks from.
General advice from there seems to be save up all the Gold you earn: Don't buy individual packs.
Instead use the Gold to enter Drafts: These give you a higher percentage of Rare / Mythics than purely opening packs does, even if you loose all of the draft games you play.
Hope that helps.
No - you can not.
Once your opponent's spell resolves they will be the first person to receive priority, which means they can cast their creature before you can act.
Only if they choose not to cast anything do you receive priority.
(If, at that point, you choose not to cast anything the game moves on to the next phase because both players have passed priority in succession on an empty stack)
That said - if your opponent does cast a creature spell you can then respond to that spell being put on the stack by playing an instant.
Meaning your instant will resolve before their creature arrives on the battlefield.
You may be thinking about tournament shortcuts: These assume a player casting a spell always passes priority to their opponent after their spell resolves.
Blimey, that was a close one then!
Thank you for working your way through all of that.
No: Assemble is not a creature spell, it is an Instant.
Compare the two cards - Assemble and Conclave Guildmage - halfway down the card, on the Guildmage, is the word "Creature" - that's what defines the card as being a Creature Spell, and only spells with the word Creature can trigger the Banner.
Not by Counterspell, because you are using an ability, not casting a spell.
But it can be countered by a spell, or ability, which counters an activated ability - such as Voidslime
Guul Draz Assassin / Figure of Destiny / Wurmcalling
-- I disagree with Stormageddon*, as Mental Misstep doesn't work vs Wyrmcalling. Then I get to buyback my Wyrmcalling and just keep getting bigger and bigger tokens.
*Respectfully and politely
That said I'm more than happy to be corrected on any of this if there are plays I'm not seeing
(as ever)
Win (both games), x5!(I think)
Loss (both games) x1 (vs Anachronity)
Devil's Play / Devil's Play / Banefire
Win.
On the play I lead with Figure of Destiny, which grows faster than your available mana, until your turn 5, when you can kill a 4/4
By which time I can keep casting Wyrmcalling with buyback, and you run out of spells.
If I'm drawing, I *think* I win: I cast Figure & Assassin, which draw fire.
Then I'm again at the point where I can keep casting Wyrmcalling with buyback, and you run out of spells.
3) Mother Mamba
Slippery Bogle / Ethereal Armor / Ethereal Armor
Win
Your Boggle gets up to 5/5 on your turn 3
My Figure of Destiny is 4/4 on turn 3, which you can safely attack past
After that I have a 4/4 figure and a 1/1 Assassin, which you can't afford to attack into, as then all 3 will die and I'll be the only player with a threat left.
After that I get to a point where where I can keep casting Wyrmcalling with buyback and overwhelm you.
4) xStormaggedonx
Mental Misstep / Mental Misstep / Mistcutter Hydra
Win
You misstep Assassin & Figure (because you can't misstep Wyrmcalling unless x = 0)
I could be wrong here, but I can't think you can make a Hydra that's big enough to kill me before my turn 5, at which point I can keep casting Wyrmcalling with buyback and overwhelm you.
5) Anachronity :: Devastating Gelatin!
Exploration / Gelatinous Genesis / Devastating Summons
Agreed
6) Superbajt :: Gauntlet Member
Spell Pierce / Helix Pinnacle / Isolate
Win
Isolate kills Figure
Spell Pierce slows me down, but I can still cast Assassin & Wyrmcalling
Helix Pinnacle isn't fast enough.
7) ManyCookies :: X-treme Sports
Secure the Wastes / Devil's Play / Path to Exile
Win, I think, but am not 100% on this one
I think Path takes out Figure
Devil's Play takes out Assassin
Wyrmcalling is is faster than Secure the Wastes, as you get X 1/1's, and get 1 Wyrm at a time, which gradually grows. Well unless I make it to mt turn 10, when I can start making 2 Wyrms a turn...
But there could easily be a point I'm not seeing where your collection of 1/1's plus a flashbacked Devil's Play is fast enough.
As things stand there is no way to trade cards.
Or even, as far as I know, to remove them from your collection.
True-Name Nemesis / True-Name Nemesis / Sower of Temptation
2x Win (vs 1 + 2)
2x Lose (vs 3 + 4)
vs 1) xStormaggedonx
Swan Song / Sphinx of the Final Word / Gainsay
Win
Swan song does nothing
Gainsay takes out Sower, so that you can keep Sphinx
2x True-Name Nemesis outrace 1x Sphinx
2) Anachronity :: Djinnanigans
Tempest Djinn / Tempest Djinn / Tempest Djinn
Win
Sower steals 1 Djin, which then can block another.
3) Mother Mamba
Kefnet's Last Word / Glyph Keeper / Gainsay
Lose
Gainsay vs my 1st Nemesis
Sower can't nab Glyph Keeper, and Last Word steals it if I play it.
Your Glyph Keeper outraces my one Nemesis.
4) ManyCookies :: Fish-Fish
Master of the Pearl Trident / Master of the Pearl Trident / Arcane Denial
Lose
Arcane Denil vs Sower of Temptation
2x Master of the Pearl Trident outrace 2 True-Name Nemesis via Islandwalk.
It's not 100% perfect, has its own deck construction rules, and is now a little out of date.
But if you've the time and inclination it makes for a pretty good learning experience in terms of "how to play the game".
Keeper of Kookus / Warbreak Trumpeter / Skirk Fire Marshal
6x Loss
1x Draw
Not exactly a stellar performance...
Lightning Bolt / Kargan Dragonlord / Chandra, Torch of Defiance
Loss: Dragonlord is too fast for me to go off without killing myself too.
vs 2) Anachronity
Collective Defiance / Pardic Dragon / Lightning Bolt
Loss: Collective Defiance forces me to discard my T5 play, which is basically my Win-Con.
vs 3) ManyCookies :: Hateful Ramp
Simian Spirit Guide / Geosurge / Hateflayer
Loss: Agree with Many Cookies
vs 4) Danxor3
Keeper of Kookus / Krenko, Mob Boss / Siege-Gang Commander
Loss, I think. There's a lot of branching plays. But I think you can use either Krenko OR Siege-Gang to force me to explode Fire Marshal, and then finish me off with whichever one you didn't use earlier.
vs 5) NTheo
Ghostfire / Vulshok Refugee / Shunt
Loss:
Ghostfire vs Keeper means your Refugee cancels my Morph, so you don't do that.
Ghostfire vs Morph means means my Keeper + Fire Marshal race Refugee.
Refugee is faster.
vs 7) xStormaggedonx
Dragon Whisperer / Purphoros, God of the Forge / Rekindling Phoenix
Loss: I can't deal with a recurring Phoenix, and can't race it.
vs 8) CalvinSchwa
Combat Celebrant / Splinter Twin / Collective Defiance
I think it's a Draw.
If you're on the play, you can T3 Collective Defiance to make us both discard our hands, at which point my 1/1 eventually wins.
Otherwise I've enough time to play my Morph as well as the Keeper.
Your T4 can Collective Defiance my Morph, and make us both discard, which will leave my 1/1 staring at your 4/1: Draw.
If you Twin your Celebrant, my 1/1 can block (and kill) each attacking token.
You eventually have to decide to stop attacking me. I make a Fire Marshal and have 2 creatures to your 1, which means I would win.
Many apologies: It was rushed, rather than lazy, but yeah - you're right.
Sorry to anyone else too - I'll try to edit my post if I spot disagreements as I'm catching up on the thread.
Edit: I think it's Dragonlord, Hammer and Mayor (twice)...
6b) Vraska the Unseen
5 wins, 2 draws, 7 loses.
Vs 1a) Guul Draz Assassin
Win: Vraska’s -3 kills Assassin, ultimate for the win..
Vs 1b) Sacred Mesa
Loose: Loose: Too many tokens, too quickly
Vs 2a) Mayor of Avabruk
Loose: Tokens beat down Vraska
Vs 2b) Kiku, Night’s Flower
Win: Vraska’s -3 kills Kiku, ultimate for the win..
Vs 3a) Voidstone Gargoyle
Loose: Gargoyle shuts down Vraska
Vs 3b) Putrid Leach
Win: Vraska’s -3 kills Leach, ultimate for the win..
Vs 4a) Nicol Bolas, the Ravager
Loose: Discard Vraska
Vs 4b) Stillmoon Cavalier
Draw: Stillmoon attacks Vraska and both die.
Vs 5a) Hammer of Purphoros
Loose: Vraska either dies to 1 token per turn, then you just make more tokens to kill me…
OR Vraska’s -3 kills Hammer, but existing Golem kills her, then kills me.
Vs 5b) Kargan Dragonlord
Win: Vraska’s -3
Vs 7a) Mayor of Avabruk
Loose: Tokens beat down Vraska
Vs 7b) Phyrexian Revoker
Lose: I can’t activate loyalty abilities
Vs 8a) Metrognome
Win: Vraska -3 the Card, then +1’s or -3 kill remaining Gnome.
Vs 8b) Nether Spirit
Draw: Vraska ticks up by 2 every 2 turns, Spirit attacks for 2 every 2 turns. Neither of us can progress.
6a) Sacred Mesa
6 wins, 2 draws, 6 loses.
Vs 1a) Guul Draz Assassin
Win: Can make tokens too fast for Assassin to keep up.
Vs 1b) Sacred Mesa
Draw: Snap!
Vs 2a) Mayor of Avabruk
Loss: Agree with Convoy_Avenger: Didn't allow for the play of holding back the Mayor and sending in tokens to kill 3 blockers at a time
Vs 2b) Kiku, Night’s Flower
Win: Can make tokens too fast for Kiku to keep up
Vs 3a) Voidstone Gargoyle
Draw: Gargoyle shuts off my ability to produce more tokens. But I have at least 3, which meas I can block & kill Gargoyle.
Vs 3b) Putrid Leach
Win: Can make tokens too fast for Leach to keep up
Vs 4a) Nicol Bolas, the Ravager
Win: Can make tokens too fast for Bolas to keep up
Vs 4b) Stillmoon Cavalier
Loose: Prot White means I can’t chump block. Can’t race either.
Vs 5a) Hammer of Purphoros
Loose: Hammer tokens too big for me
Vs 5b) Kargan Dragonlord
Loose: Dragonlord tramples
Vs 7a) Mayor of Avabruk
Loss: Agree with Convoy_Avenger: Didn't allow for the play of holding back the Mayor and sending in tokens to kill 3 blockers at a time
Vs 7b) Phyrexian Revoker
Lose: I can’t make tokens
Vs 8a) Metrognome
Win: Can make tokens too fast for Gnomes to keep up
Vs 8b) Nether Spirit
Win: Can make tokens too fast for Spirit to keep up
Does Vraska not kill the Cavalier?
Protection doesn't save him, as the +1 is not Targeted?
Composite Golem / Nim Deathmantle / Myr Matrix
vs 1) xStormaggedonx
Strionic Resonator / Disdainful Stroke / Blightsteel Colossus
I win both
You cast Blightsteel on T2, and can't attack until your T3.
My T2 I have infinite Myr.
vs 2) ManyCookies :: Me Smash
Black Lotus / Kozilek, Butcher of Truth / Meteor Golem
I loose both
You win as I can't combo off in a single turn, and you can destroy whichever combo piece I play first via Meteor Golem or Annihilator.