5) Has anyone used her -3 more than twice in a game? (Casting a second Vraska doesn't count.)
I've had it used twice on me in a game. He dropped it, killed my Garruk Relentless, had blockers to protect to get it back up, then used it again on my Rest in Peace. The second time the board was empty (he mutilated) and I got a charm token at the end of his turn to kill it. It was a pain to deal with, but he had nothing after I removed it, and I won that game.
Also, keep in mind that if you don't really want the card, and believe it will drop, you don't have to insist on absolute top dollar. If someone tells you that they value Jace at $50, tell them that you're willing to trade it to them for $45 or so. You'll still get a good amount of decent things that you want, and your trade partner will feel like they're getting a bit of a deal.
I'm intrigued about the group sealed format from the World Cup. I'm thinking about trying to get a little 4-team tourney together at my store, but can't find hard and fast rules about it. How many packs do the teams open? I'm guessing that it isn't 18 (3 sealed pools for 3 decks), cause you get to use the good cards in off colors in each pool. My guess is that you build 3 decks from 15 or 16 packs.
Is there a site (I've looked and can't find one) that lists all of the rules they used for the Cup? The only change I know that I'd make is I'd use 3 man teams, thus eliminating the "coach" position.
Blade Splicer is the problem. Strangleroot Geist will only swing into the 3/3 golem with first strike. It would be lucky for Strangleroot Geist to get in two damage before Blade Splicer comes down.
I also think that Image is a huge problem with running geist. If I play geist turn 2, and they image it, I feel like I can't play any better creatures until I get a counter on the image.
I'm finding that this is an odd deck to build. I think that the 4 and less CMC curve is pretty obvious (pretty much exactly what DXI has), and that the difficult decisions is in the 5 spot. There 2-3 deck spots for them, and 4 different cards that could occupy those spots. Thundermaw/Sigarda/Wolfir/Thragtusk. I think the best of the two are Thundermaw or Wolfir for any non-delver matchup, and Sigarda is best against delver. Thragtusk is good, but just not good enough, methinks.
On a side note, I tried to text my buddy the other day that I was switching to Naya Rancor, and autocorrect changed it to Naya Fanciful. I would like to submit a new deck name for us all.
I have a feeling that the days of one mana library manipulation spells are behind us, at least in standard. Eternal formats have more than enough good manipulation spells to play with.
I'm simply making a prediction, but I think it would be a good move. I think 2 mana is a more appropriate cost for ponder type effects, anyway.
I think 2 infernos and an elesh norn are a mistake. If you're going to play elesh, you should have a 6 drop that you want to pod away, like wurmcoil. Inferno kills so fast, that you shouldn't want to pod it away.
I also think that Slayer's Stronghold is better than Cavern. If you're podding, the uncounterability doesn't matter, and you're not tribal enough to really benefit from the fixing (you've got a fair number of humans, but I don't think it's worth it.) giving haste to whatever you just podded into is simply awesome (especially inferno).
If you're worried about the early dudes, play aggresive and side the hate.
He's asking about hexproof guys.
Racing them will be hard, and will leave you just praying that they don't have a god hand. whipflare is a good one to board in, cause you can get it off before they can increase savagery. Divine Deflection is a great tool in racing as well.
I usually use tcgplayer for daily results for other formats, but they're horrible at listing the 4-0 decks for block. I can't seem to find a site that posts up to date daily results for the format. Does anyone know of one?
Wizards (and a lot of people on the forums) is fighting the wrong fight with cards like Cavern of Souls. Draw-go control decks haven't been a problem in standard for over ten years. When blue decks have been OP, it's been because of tempo decks made viable by of cheap efficient creatures that will win games by themselves if protected and are in blue or blue friendly colors. For example, Squadron Hawk, Stoneforge Mystic, Bitterblossom, and now Delver, Snapcaster, and Geist.
This *kills* traditional control decks because any good counters and draw spells are even better in the tempo decks since they can produce a winning game state so early. It's also why they can't print a new powerful counterspell. Delver with mana leak + Snapcaster + another strong 2cc counter? Good luck dealing with the turn 1 Delver opening.
The format would be healthier and more diverse if cheap aggro cards were made more difficult to combine with counterspells (by having gruul or orzhov mana costs for instance). That would make aggro, control, and ramp all viable, just like it was in Ravnica, which many people consider to have produced the best MTG standard formats, but by printing these super efficient creatures in white and blue, they've sacrificed an entire popular archetype with no real way to bring it back until those creatures rotate.
(yes, control decks can just stock up on sweepers now, but mirror matches will lead to a ridiculous number of draws as both decks will have far more answers than threats and no way to push damage though, and who wants that?)
I completely agree. When blue creatures start matching red creatures in terms of aggressiveness, you have a serious problem.
You also illustrated why I have stopped playing control decks. The mirrors are excruciatingly boring.
I don't know, seems like everything in MtG is better with flash. The number of combat tricks/upkeep triggers/EtB removal/sorcery evasive necessary (untap killers)/counterspell wasters seems pretty near equal to the number of creatures in the game. The last point is especially interesting because it's always nasty when the Control player has to tap out right before you untap.
Against control, you're better off casting those on your turn and having mana leak mana, instead of having them countered during your opponent's end step. Against aggro, you're better off casting them earlier to gain board presence.
It's good for your topdecked cards on turn 12, but who plays a card that's only really good when you're in late game topdeck mode?
Stop stereotyping reality.
I've had it used twice on me in a game. He dropped it, killed my Garruk Relentless, had blockers to protect to get it back up, then used it again on my Rest in Peace. The second time the board was empty (he mutilated) and I got a charm token at the end of his turn to kill it. It was a pain to deal with, but he had nothing after I removed it, and I won that game.
Is there a site (I've looked and can't find one) that lists all of the rules they used for the Cup? The only change I know that I'd make is I'd use 3 man teams, thus eliminating the "coach" position.
I also think that Image is a huge problem with running geist. If I play geist turn 2, and they image it, I feel like I can't play any better creatures until I get a counter on the image.
On a side note, I tried to text my buddy the other day that I was switching to Naya Rancor, and autocorrect changed it to Naya Fanciful. I would like to submit a new deck name for us all.
I'm simply making a prediction, but I think it would be a good move. I think 2 mana is a more appropriate cost for ponder type effects, anyway.
I also think that Slayer's Stronghold is better than Cavern. If you're podding, the uncounterability doesn't matter, and you're not tribal enough to really benefit from the fixing (you've got a fair number of humans, but I don't think it's worth it.) giving haste to whatever you just podded into is simply awesome (especially inferno).
He's asking about hexproof guys.
Racing them will be hard, and will leave you just praying that they don't have a god hand. whipflare is a good one to board in, cause you can get it off before they can increase savagery. Divine Deflection is a great tool in racing as well.
If you insist on running Craterhoof, I would definitely run Myr Battlesphere.
I completely agree. When blue creatures start matching red creatures in terms of aggressiveness, you have a serious problem.
You also illustrated why I have stopped playing control decks. The mirrors are excruciatingly boring.
Against control, you're better off casting those on your turn and having mana leak mana, instead of having them countered during your opponent's end step. Against aggro, you're better off casting them earlier to gain board presence.
It's good for your topdecked cards on turn 12, but who plays a card that's only really good when you're in late game topdeck mode?