First, every time we look to revise my cube the newest guy points to fanatic and asks, "Is that still good enough?" Every time the old members remind them of the functionality that fanatic provides and the flexibility that it presents.
I'd say I'm surprised this still comes up but it seems like people think that fanatic was great because it was a one that traded with 2s. That is totally wrong. Fanatic was (and is) great because of the flexibility that it allowed. If you need bloodthirst turned on but they dropped a knight, fanatic is your guy. When the other guy leads with birds or hierarch, fanatic is your guy. When you have shot your wad but the other guy is still at 1 and you are facing an exalted angel, fanatic is your guy.
It's true that fanatic is no longer the gold standard of red one drops, but it is still firmly in the top tier. It slows down ramp decks, punishes tempo decks, and sneaks in for little incremental damages. It also is great for blocking. I have probably played a dozen games where I have used fanatic to chump a wurmcoil so they don't get the life. Two power one drops are nice and all but the only red 'one's that I take over fanatic are goblin guide, figure of destiny, and sometimes grim lavamancer (deck dependent). The thing he has going for him that most of the other one drops don't is that one damage is ALWAYS relevant for something. Even late game when most other one drops might as well be land draws, fanatic still has value.
I'm pretty excited about this card. Gives you the good early game option and gives you a game ending late game option. The best part is the instant speed bounce their board.
Not scammed people on ebay. Stole cards from people IRL then selling them on ebay. The last item sold is a mox emerald that was stolen (hasn't posted feedback yet).
Just for your information some of the cards have gone up on ebay under the name raineyalterations. You might keep an eye on that if this creep scammed you.
My friend also got scammed by this person. My wife is an attorney and we are trying to see if there are people who want to file a joint lawsuit against this individual. If you have been scammed by Brian Byrd, please get in contact with me. Thank you
I'm not here to get at anyone in particular, just want to know if that call was something I should have expected, and something I should expect in the future.
There are always going to be bad judge calls and a fair amount of the time those calls cost people games. So in that regard, yes, you should realize that bad calls can and do happen, even at the head judge level.
I personally was playing to make day 2 of a grand prix and had a judge rule that my opponent had to shuffle his library whether he searched or not off of my path to exile. Normally this would be no big deal but he had just set up his topdecks with congregation at dawn. The judge ruled that way because he used the terminology "failed to find" when declining the ability instead of just saying I choose not to search.
The thing is that judges don't want to give hints to players about how to play the game and the actual phrasing of what is said can be very important in defining the outcome of situations. Much like in your instance how there are two separate triggers in his upkeep (if it flips) so you have to specify that the first trigger going on the stack is what you are responding to.
My advice would be to not wait until the last moment as that created an unnecessary opportunity for confusion, much like when my opponent said "fail to find" instead of declining the search. You just open up the door for bad calls.
PS: Before anyone gets on me for lawyering a win, the judge was standing there and told us his ruling without being called.
I did some work putting together my best recollections of previous standard along with some other people and scouring internet sources. This goes from 4th edition to 10th edition. Obviously there are decks left out but I tried to make sure that each deck was dominant for a good period or tier 1 for an extended period (6+ months). Anyway there are some links to lists and stuff.
I went to a ptq two weeks ago with a dredge list finished in 12th by punting round 2 and then going all in into a turn 2 bojuka bog in the win and in round. Here is my report, if anyone is interested.
Well I couldn't help myself. I went to battle with the dredge deck. I figure I've played that deck more than any other and probably more than anybody else. Why not see if it has what it takes to be a big player. So here is the list that I used.
Round 2 vs Jeff Zandi playing Jund
Game 1 I got a reasonably quick hand and made him play defensive. Then eventually milled all 4 vines into my yard and stomped him in a blaze of glory (actually using the ruinator as one of the triggers too).
Game 2 I got stomped as all the milling in the world couldn't reveal anything helpful at all. (0 Vines, 0 Gnaws)
In retrospect I was thinking I should have just held mana up for the Gnaw, which I think would have won me the game, but I now think the correct play was to just play an Imp, that way he cannot use the bolt to kill the imp and attack with everyone and still kill me. And if the imp dies I can dredge it for big bonuses on the gnaw. Oh well, I've been telling everyone that this was the hardest deck to play out of the lot of them and I'll offer this as further proof. Just so damn many decision trees.
Round 7 vs Zack playing RDW
Game one I never flip a Gnaw or a vine and he crushes me
Game two he knocks me to 12 before the gnaw (16) and conceedes with two more in the yard.
Game 3 I am at 8 when I gnaw for over 40.
Conclusions
Finish in 12th place. but I hate the world because of a turn 2 bog, could have played around it but thought the turn 3 ruinator would beat him. I'm pretty sure his only out for it is //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Seismic">+[Assault]"]Seismic Assault + 3x lands but I probably shouldn't have stacked my eggs quite so close to the fall. Once again infinity decisions wins me some and loses me some. But I feel like I played pretty well all in all but now I have something to look forward to being better at next time.
The rav duals are all equal to each other obviously. The issue is that the best lands in the format are fetch lands. The same fetch lands that are the strongest fixing in the format which don't appear in friend colors. If you don't think that the best decks are enabled by the best mana then that is your call (I disagree), but you can't argue that fetches aren't the strongest mana fixing. Those are the ones that I was referring to as the strongest lands.
There's no need whatsoever to reprint Onslaught fetches. 5 fetches is enough for modern and mana is already easy enough. 5 more fetches would make the format worse rather than better. The Zendikar fetches aren't prohibitively expensive and cover the format's needs.
Isho: Dominaria names are more or less considered "generic" as it's the default normal plane.
I think not having friendly fetches makes the mana bases kinda silly. In most formats wizards prefers it to be easier to play friend colors than their enemy counterparts. Take current standard for example where you have the quick duals and the core set duals for friendly colors compared to only the inn duals for enemy colors. Last standard you had the man duals, quick duals, and core duals vs fetches. Before the APO pain lands you never had enemy color duals come into play untapped (since revised obv) and they had a drawback too, like the tempest duals.
Having the best dual lands in modern be enemy colors is a mistake if you ask me. Fetches enable more manabases and more shenanigans than even the original duals. If you look at an average legacy deck it will run more fetches than abu duals because they can fetch those or a basic to dodge wasteland. So in modern you have something that is the reverse of most of the history of magic (at least since 4th ed) in that the best dual lands in the format are enemy colored.
This bothers me and I believe this to be one of the culprits for a deck like boros being playable while you see very few gruul decks, just for example. Just my opinion but the friendly fetches are one of the most glaring vacancies in the format.
all i'm seeing in the forums at the moment are knee-jerk negative threads, created by people who seemingly have an axe to grind. no discussion, no "weighing it in", no thought exercises or genuine consideration.
you can't hate a mechanic like this until you've seen the entirety of the set, played with it for a while and actually experienced it. (and even then, "hate" is a very strong word for what is essentially a bit of fun printed on some cardboard).
If wizards wanted people to react to the mechanic as a whole having looked at the whole set and played it all together then they wouldn't have released it in a small sampling of cards for you to look at. The whole point is for people to judge it based on limited information and they are hoping you will love it and get excited over it. It doesn't appear to have worked for them in this instance. I don't mind people liking it, I don't understand it, but I don't mind it. I just have to think it is comical how everyone gets all butthurt to defend wizards and criticize people for making snap emotional judgements that don't jive with theirs, when that is the whole point of the tightly controlled set roll-outs.
I could be wrong about the duress being game 1, but since I was running GW Vengevine I have no idea why he would have boarded it in against me (6 non creature, nonland cards in my deck).
I know for a fact that he didn't play any planeswalkers against me.
Vampires is still a very good deck with a solid set of options. I don't see how anyone can see all of it's results and still hold out that it is not a top deck.
I'd say I'm surprised this still comes up but it seems like people think that fanatic was great because it was a one that traded with 2s. That is totally wrong. Fanatic was (and is) great because of the flexibility that it allowed. If you need bloodthirst turned on but they dropped a knight, fanatic is your guy. When the other guy leads with birds or hierarch, fanatic is your guy. When you have shot your wad but the other guy is still at 1 and you are facing an exalted angel, fanatic is your guy.
It's true that fanatic is no longer the gold standard of red one drops, but it is still firmly in the top tier. It slows down ramp decks, punishes tempo decks, and sneaks in for little incremental damages. It also is great for blocking. I have probably played a dozen games where I have used fanatic to chump a wurmcoil so they don't get the life. Two power one drops are nice and all but the only red 'one's that I take over fanatic are goblin guide, figure of destiny, and sometimes grim lavamancer (deck dependent). The thing he has going for him that most of the other one drops don't is that one damage is ALWAYS relevant for something. Even late game when most other one drops might as well be land draws, fanatic still has value.
There are always going to be bad judge calls and a fair amount of the time those calls cost people games. So in that regard, yes, you should realize that bad calls can and do happen, even at the head judge level.
I personally was playing to make day 2 of a grand prix and had a judge rule that my opponent had to shuffle his library whether he searched or not off of my path to exile. Normally this would be no big deal but he had just set up his topdecks with congregation at dawn. The judge ruled that way because he used the terminology "failed to find" when declining the ability instead of just saying I choose not to search.
The thing is that judges don't want to give hints to players about how to play the game and the actual phrasing of what is said can be very important in defining the outcome of situations. Much like in your instance how there are two separate triggers in his upkeep (if it flips) so you have to specify that the first trigger going on the stack is what you are responding to.
My advice would be to not wait until the last moment as that created an unnecessary opportunity for confusion, much like when my opponent said "fail to find" instead of declining the search. You just open up the door for bad calls.
PS: Before anyone gets on me for lawyering a win, the judge was standing there and told us his ruling without being called.
standard decklist project
Well I couldn't help myself. I went to battle with the dredge deck. I figure I've played that deck more than any other and probably more than anybody else. Why not see if it has what it takes to be a big player. So here is the list that I used.
4 +[Cryptologist]"]Enclave Cryptologist" target="blank"> //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Enclave">+[Cryptologist]"]Enclave Cryptologist
4 +[Looter]"]Merfolk Looter" target="blank"> //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Merfolk">+[Looter]"]Merfolk Looter
4 +[Thug]"]Golgari Thug" target="blank"> //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Golgari">+[Thug]"]Golgari Thug
4 +[Wurm]"]Boneyard Wurm" target="blank"> //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Boneyard">+[Wurm]"]Boneyard Wurm
4 +[Imp]"]Stinkweed Imp" target="blank"> //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Stinkweed">+[Imp]"]Stinkweed Imp
2 +[Ruinator]"]Skaab Ruinator" target="blank"> //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Skaab">+[Ruinator]"]Skaab Ruinator
3 "]Splinterfright" target="blank"> //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Splinterfright">"]Splinterfright
4 "]Vengevine" target="blank"> //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Vengevine">"]Vengevine
4 +[Looting]"]Faithless Looting" target="blank"> //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Faithless">+[Looting]"]Faithless Looting
1 +[From]+[the]+[Loam]"]Life From the Loam" target="blank"> //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Life">+[From]+[the]+[Loam]"]Life From the Loam
2 +[to]+[the]+[Bone]"]Gnaw to the Bone" target="blank"> //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Gnaw">+[to]+[the]+[Bone]"]Gnaw to the Bone
2 +[Mine]"]Gemstone Mine" target="blank"> //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Gemstone">+[Mine]"]Gemstone Mine
4 +[Rainforest]"]Misty Rainforest" target="blank"> //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Misty">+[Rainforest]"]Misty Rainforest
1 +[Catacombs]"]Verdant Catacombs" target="blank"> //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Verdant">+[Catacombs]"]Verdant Catacombs
2 +[Pool]"]Breeding Pool" target="blank"> //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Breeding">+[Pool]"]Breeding Pool
1 +[Grave]"]Watery Grave" target="blank"> //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Watery">+[Grave]"]Watery Grave
1 +[Vents]"]Steam Vents" target="blank"> //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Steam">+[Vents]"]Steam Vents
1 +[Tomb]"]Overgrown Tomb" target="blank"> //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Overgrown">+[Tomb]"]Overgrown Tomb
1 +[Ground]"]Stomping Ground" target="blank"> //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Stomping">+[Ground]"]Stomping Ground
2 "]Island" target="blank"> //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Island">"]Island
1 "]Forest" target="blank"> //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Forest">"]Forest
3 +[Grudge]"]Ancient Grudge" target="blank"> //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Ancient">+[Grudge]"]Ancient Grudge
2 +[s]+[Claim]"]Nature's Claim" target="blank"> //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Nature">+[s]+[Claim]"]Nature's Claim
1 +[of]+[Revelation]"]Ray of Revelation" target="blank"> //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Ray">+[of]+[Revelation]"]Ray of Revelation
3 +[Trap]"]Mindbreak Trap" target="blank"> //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Mindbreak">+[Trap]"]Mindbreak Trap
3 +[Orb]"]Torpor Orb" target="blank"> //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Torpor">+[Orb]"]Torpor Orb
1 +[to]+[the]+[Bone]"]Gnaw to the Bone" target="blank"> //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Gnaw">+[to]+[the]+[Bone]"]Gnaw to the Bone
1 +[Charm]"]Jund Charm" target="blank"> //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Jund">+[Charm]"]Jund Charm
I tried endlessly to get Tjaden to talk me out of playing this monstrosity but he just wasn't up to the task. So it was game on!
Round 1 vs Seamus playing Storm
He won the die roll and plays a //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Gitaxian">+[Probe]"]Gitaxian Probe off a shock. I then play a //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Faithless">+[Looting]"]Faithless Looting discarding a //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Golgari">+[Thug]"]Golgari Thug and a land. He does nothing and passes back. On my turn I dredge the thug getting a //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Vengevine">"]Vengevine and a //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Stinkweed">+[Imp]"]Stinkweed Imp !! WOW! So I play a //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Bird">+[of]+[Paradise]"]Bird of Paradise and an //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Enclave">+[Cryptologist]"]Enclave Cryptologist get a vine back and beat in. He misses another land drop so then I dredge the imp revealing another //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Vengevine">"]Vengevine . I play my land and go //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Boneyard">+[Wurm]"]Boneyard Wurm into //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Golgari">+[Thug]"]Golgari Thug to pop #2 into play! Isn't it nice when a plan all comes together?
Game 2 I didn't get nearly as aggressive a start with the only creatures being 2 and 3 costing and only having 3 lands but he was stuck on one land again so 2 attacks from a //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Splinterfright">"]Splinterfright finished him off.
Round 2 vs Jeff Zandi playing Jund
Game 1 I got a reasonably quick hand and made him play defensive. Then eventually milled all 4 vines into my yard and stomped him in a blaze of glory (actually using the ruinator as one of the triggers too).
Game 2 I got stomped as all the milling in the world couldn't reveal anything helpful at all. (0 Vines, 0 Gnaws)
Game 3 was pretty interesting and I think it was my first play mistake of the day. It came to a point where I had a //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Skaab">+[Ruinator]"]Skaab Ruinator in play with 4 lands, while he had a //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Bloodbraid">+[Elf]"]Bloodbraid Elf and 2 //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Dark">+[Confidant]"]Dark Confidant s also with 4 lands (it was my turn 5). The life totals were 13-11 in my favor. I chose to attack, which I believe is right, he has 2x confidant so I don't want to play defensive. Now in my graveyard I had a //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Faithless">+[Looting]"]Faithless Looting , a //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Gnaw">+[to]+[the]+[Bone]"]Gnaw to the Bone , and exactly 1 creature ( //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Vengevine">"]Vengevine ). I had 2 //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Stinkweed">+[Imp]"]Stinkweed Imp s and a //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Golgari">+[Thug]"]Golgari Thug in my hand. The line of play that I took was flashing back the looting discarding both imps and not drawing anything I could play. I figured that this line made it irrelevant if he killed ruinator or not since I would dredge an imp and flashback gnaw for enough life that confidants would kill him first. Well he revealed a two cc spell and a land (life is 13-4 now) then used a fecth to get a shock going to 1. Cast a 2nd elf which revealed nothing of consequence (maybe tarmogoyf?) and attacked for 10. Then lightning bolted me. FTW.
In retrospect I was thinking I should have just held mana up for the Gnaw, which I think would have won me the game, but I now think the correct play was to just play an Imp, that way he cannot use the bolt to kill the imp and attack with everyone and still kill me. And if the imp dies I can dredge it for big bonuses on the gnaw. Oh well, I've been telling everyone that this was the hardest deck to play out of the lot of them and I'll offer this as further proof. Just so damn many decision trees.
Round 3 vs Korey playing Melira
Game 1 he mulls to 6 and keeps a hand that goes //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Birds">+[of]+[Paradise]"]Birds of Paradise into //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Kitchen">+[Finks]"]Kitchen Finks but I had flipped into double vines, so he didn't have the time to set up his double birthing pods to combo me out.
Game 2 he went //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Melira,">+[Sylvok]+[Outcast]"]Melira, Sylvok Outcast into //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Kitchen">+[Finks]"]Kitchen Finks but then stalled just a bit and I was able to kill melira. When the scores were 10-18 and he played a //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Mikaeous,">+[the]+[Unhallowed]"]Mikaeous, the Unhallowed . At which point I brought 4 //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Vengevine">"]Vengevine s crashing in on him to put it to 10-12. Unfortunately he had the //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Chord">+[of]+[Calling]"]Chord of Calling for a //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Viscera">+[Seer]"]Viscera Seer that let him gain infinite life here. It was kind of funny/awkward when he called Eric Jones over to ask about how the interaction worked and kept saying that Persist and Undying countered each other and Eric would coyly say, "That's not how it works." But then he would say, "I can't tell you how to play your deck." In response to, "Well how does it work?" Good times.
So game 3 we have a pretty cool situation. I am at 15 with a vengevine, a bird, and a //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[splinterfright">"]splinterfright (7/7) in play. He is at 16 with a //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Birthing">+[Pod]"]Birthing Pod , //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Melira,">+[Sylvok]+[Outcast]"]Melira, Sylvok Outcast , //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Kitchen">+[Finks]"]Kitchen Finks , and //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Murderous">+[Redcap]"]Murderous Redcap in play. I have an //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Ancient">+[Grudge]"]Ancient Grudge , 3 //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Faithless">+[Looting]"]Faithless Looting , and 2 //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Vengevine">"]Vengevine in my yard. So I basically figure out that I have to beat him this turn lest he have a chord of calling or another pod in his hand. I could either try to pull the vines back or go all in on my //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Splinterfright">"]Splinterfright I figure that I can double flashback faithless with 2 //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Stinkweed">+[Imp]"]Stinkweed Imp s in my yard so I can effectively mill myself for 25 cards this turn. He had 6 toughness in play and could block the vine so effectively 8 toughness so I needed 16+8 = 24 points of damage so the 'fright had to grow by 13 out of 25 cards. I'll take those odds any day. Well the splinterfright ended up as a 23/23 and got there!
I find it kinda funny how that game went down since I think my very best shot at winning there was //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Splinterfright">"]Splinterfright and I boarded that card out more than any other at the tournament but it had it's blaze of glory right there for sure.
Round 4 vs Jason playing RDW
The basic tenants of playing this deck against red is "Stall to Gnaw". So in game 1 I start doing my thing as he starts burning me down. I get a //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Vengevine">"]Vengevine into play to trade with his //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Keldon">+[Marauders]"]Keldon Marauders and then recur it to get in the way of his //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Goblin">+[Guide]"]Goblin Guide until I am at 6 life when I flip a //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Gnaw">+[to]+[the]+[Bone]"]Gnaw to the Bone into the yard and gain 10. After that Vines made quick work of him.
Game 2 he plays a turn 1 //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Relic">+[of]+[Progenitus]"]Relic of Progenitus and proceeds to bolt me with impunity. On the key turn he has just played a //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Grim">+[Lavamancer]"]Grim Lavamancer and I have a level 1 //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Enclave">+[Cryptologist]"]Enclave Cryptologist , I have a //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Golgari">+[Thug]"]Golgari Thug , a //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Vengevine">"]Vengevine , and 4 other creatures in the graveyard but am at 4 life. I need to make him use the relic since he had played with a land open the whole game. So I play //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Gnaw">+[to]+[the]+[Bone]"]Gnaw to the Bone in my upkeep which he responds to by popping the relic so after that resolves I tap the cryptologist to discard a vengevine to at least get two life out of the deal. I was hoping that I could get back going but on his next turn he slaps down a //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Leyline">+[of]+[Punishment]"]Leyline of Punishment and makes it jsut a matter of time until I get burned out.
Game 3 he starts with a turn 0 leyline so at least I know the stakes this time. I fill my yard up pretty full and when I am at 9 life I draw a //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Nature">+[s]+[Claim]"]Nature's Claim to kill his leyline and then cast gnaw for 32 with another one in the yard. GG.
Round 5 vs Ryan playing Boros.
I am on the play and get a turn one looting off while he hits turn one //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Goblin">+[Guide]"]Goblin Guide . He gets to attack me down to 13 before I can stick a vine in front of his guide and wait for a bit. Then I gain 34 life off a //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Gnaw">+[to]+[the]+[Bone]"]Gnaw to the Bone and his attack back for 9 wasn't enough as 4 vines came out the next turn.
Game 2 I have an early vine fighting against his turn 1 //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Steppe">+[Lynx]"]Steppe Lynx . Once again I am on the trade, trade, trade, gnaw plan. He attacks me down to 4 with most of his board dead and goes for it with //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Lightning">+[Bolt]"]Lightning Bolt + //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Lightning">+[Helix]"]Lightning Helix . I cast the //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Gnaw">+[to]+[the]+[Bone]"]Gnaw to the Bone (for 6) that I had been sandbagging and on my turn flash it back so I end up at 8 life. A turn later I flip Gnaw number 2 and go up 24 more.
Round 6 vs Sam playing AggroLoam
Game 1 he has a turn 1 //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Thoughtseize">"]Thoughtseize to steal my //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Faithless">+[Looting]"]Faithless Looting but I land a big //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Boneyard">+[Wurm]"]Boneyard Wurm that trumps his //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Countryside">+[Crusher]"]Countryside Crusher then flip a vine into the yard ftw!
Game 2 I flip 2 vines into the yard on turn 3 and then bring them back while he plays //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[bojuka">+[bog]"]bojuka bog to steal my graveyard. Then he //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Ghost">+[Quarter]"]Ghost Quarter s his own bog to play //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Life">+[from]+[the]+[Loam]"]Life from the Loam to get it back /sick tech. I draw a third vine and attack him to 4 as he blocks one with a 6/6 crusher. He goes down to 1 to fetch the lands to play an //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Obstinate">+[Baloth]"]Obstinate Baloth that moves him back up to 5 then I still have a turn to draw a one drop to get the vine back from the yard before he bogs it but pretty soon thereafter he plays a //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Seismic">+[Assault]"]Seismic Assault to go with his infinite //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Bojuka">+[Bog]"]Bojuka Bog s and takes the game.
Game 3 I keep a pretty awesome hand of fetch, mine, looter, thug, imp, vine, ruinator and he mulls to 6. On turn 2 I draw a faithless looting and pop that boy down discarding the thug and imp. On his turn 2 I am met with epic sadness as he plays a //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Bojuka">+[Bog]"]Bojuka Bog . My world comes crashing down and I'm pretty confident that i have just been whipped. I played out the rest of the round in ghost fashion. I ask him afterwards how many bogs he's playing he says one. One bog was the only thing stopping the turn 3 ruinator... (he also had 2 //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Jund">+[Charm]"]Jund Charm s as his only other hate) And thus are the days of our lives. Next he has //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Pyroclasm">"]Pyroclasm for my looter. Anyways he crushed me with 2 crushers from there.
Round 7 vs Zack playing RDW
Game one I never flip a Gnaw or a vine and he crushes me
Game two he knocks me to 12 before the gnaw (16) and conceedes with two more in the yard.
Game 3 I am at 8 when I gnaw for over 40.
Conclusions
Finish in 12th place. but I hate the world because of a turn 2 bog, could have played around it but thought the turn 3 ruinator would beat him. I'm pretty sure his only out for it is //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=+[Seismic">+[Assault]"]Seismic Assault + 3x lands but I probably shouldn't have stacked my eggs quite so close to the fall. Once again infinity decisions wins me some and loses me some. But I feel like I played pretty well all in all but now I have something to look forward to being better at next time.
The rav duals are all equal to each other obviously. The issue is that the best lands in the format are fetch lands. The same fetch lands that are the strongest fixing in the format which don't appear in friend colors. If you don't think that the best decks are enabled by the best mana then that is your call (I disagree), but you can't argue that fetches aren't the strongest mana fixing. Those are the ones that I was referring to as the strongest lands.
I think not having friendly fetches makes the mana bases kinda silly. In most formats wizards prefers it to be easier to play friend colors than their enemy counterparts. Take current standard for example where you have the quick duals and the core set duals for friendly colors compared to only the inn duals for enemy colors. Last standard you had the man duals, quick duals, and core duals vs fetches. Before the APO pain lands you never had enemy color duals come into play untapped (since revised obv) and they had a drawback too, like the tempest duals.
Having the best dual lands in modern be enemy colors is a mistake if you ask me. Fetches enable more manabases and more shenanigans than even the original duals. If you look at an average legacy deck it will run more fetches than abu duals because they can fetch those or a basic to dodge wasteland. So in modern you have something that is the reverse of most of the history of magic (at least since 4th ed) in that the best dual lands in the format are enemy colored.
This bothers me and I believe this to be one of the culprits for a deck like boros being playable while you see very few gruul decks, just for example. Just my opinion but the friendly fetches are one of the most glaring vacancies in the format.
If wizards wanted people to react to the mechanic as a whole having looked at the whole set and played it all together then they wouldn't have released it in a small sampling of cards for you to look at. The whole point is for people to judge it based on limited information and they are hoping you will love it and get excited over it. It doesn't appear to have worked for them in this instance. I don't mind people liking it, I don't understand it, but I don't mind it. I just have to think it is comical how everyone gets all butthurt to defend wizards and criticize people for making snap emotional judgements that don't jive with theirs, when that is the whole point of the tightly controlled set roll-outs.
I know for a fact that he didn't play any planeswalkers against me.
G1:
Phyrexian Crusader
Inkmoth Nexus
2x Inquisition of Kozilek
Duress
Skitheryx
Into the Roil
Mana Leak
G2:
Inquisition
2x Contagion Clasp
2x Disfigure
3x Tumble Magnet (FML :()
Phyrexian Vatmother
Doom Blade
G3:
Inquisition
Doom Blade
Skithyrix
Into the Roil
*I'm sure he played other cards this game but I don't remember them as my hand was a real clunker.
yes that uncommon was much more annoying
Spam.