2019 Holiday Exchange!
 
A New and Exciting Beginning
 
The End of an Era
  • posted a message on [DKA] Briarpack Alpha
    Quote from Serpos of Urug
    So maybe you don't wax expert on limited environments until you actually DO have more experience with the set?

    I mean, are we seriously saying a midrange dude with flash and a relevant ETB ability is a bad card, especially in a format that cares about when you cast spells? Feel free not to draft this card; I will appreciate it getting passed my way.


    Sure hes right that you can not say if its "the best" green uncommun available ; but no question its a pretty strong card.

    Flash is a pretty nasty thing in Green Limited ; just say Go flip Werewolfs and be ready for action.


    How good a Hill Giant is (3/3) depends a lot on the set ; so here hes right ; but its not that this is the first big set with complete new cards ; we allready know that 3 power is quite a deal in this set with the amount of 3 thoughness around.

    The trick also helps a lot against red burn, which we have plenty.


    Overall solid card ; but "how" strong it is might vary slighty ; while unquestionable it is "strong" in Limited.
    Posted in: The Rumor Mill
  • posted a message on [DKA] AU/NZ judge preview: Lost in The Woods
    Quote from Cyanfunk
    Suddenly I flashback to the drafts at my library where I would draw ten lands in a row while getting the crap kicked out of me.


    Would be obvisious good if all "forests" would simply have this ability.



    Could really be an actual "forest" land with a Maze of Ith like ability.

    Somehow i would like that way more ; especially as it would be way more playable aswell.
    Posted in: The Rumor Mill
  • posted a message on [DKA] Briarpack Alpha
    Briarhorn was sure pretty good ; and a Hill Giant with flash and pump is good anyway ; does not matter its strictly worse, as its still better than a normal Hill Giant, which you have plenty of aswell.
    Posted in: The Rumor Mill
  • posted a message on [DKA] DailyMTG Previews 1/18: Helvault; Lingering Souls
    Quote from Talcos
    Whether or not the Helvault turns out to be constructed playable, I love the card because it can serve multiple functions.

    Defensively speaking, it can exploit the ETB abilities of your own creatures, enables you to get around spot removal, and helps you recover from a wrath effect by sparing your best creature.

    It can also be used offensively against your opponent's creatures. Particularly interesting would be a situation in which you and your opponent both have creatures exiled by the Helvault; your opponent may not want to destroy it even if they were able to do because it means you get back creatures as well.

    As for Lingering Souls, I think we can all see that it is a valuable addition to standard, especially for WB token decks.



    This is true. There's little reason to run Lingering Souls if you aren't running black, since Midnight Haunting then produces the same amount of tokens but at instant speed.

    However, it will be interesting to see whether cards like Lingering Souls push the competitiveness of WB token decks to the point that they start to edge out other token-loving decks.


    BW allready is stronger than green at tokens ; flying is the key.

    Non-flying tokens are simply way worser.

    Being white is quite something aswell with all the "Crusade" effects around.

    Can easily see a deck that uses just tokens from Elspeth / Sorin and the token spells, pretty devastating if you get 3x 2/2 flyers or even 3/3 flyers.

    And worst to worst, you have a lot of blockers.


    As it is, all you need is a small amount of black for Sorin and flashback ; thats all ; would not aim to play anything with BB or worser ; Manabase in standard is that bad.
    Posted in: The Rumor Mill
  • posted a message on [DKA] DailyMTG Previews 1/17: Hellrider, Predator Ooze, etc.
    Quote from Woocls
    However, if I use my ancient grudge on your whatever and then you hit a cage I'm boned. So, I have to play with the anticipation that you'll draw your hate. Your hate card can just be played and let lie while I have to hoard mine and hope for the best. Also, your single sideboard card hits so many different strategies compared to ancient grudge (for the same mana) which only hits artifacts and is merely a tempo slow down vs a complete deck shut down. Your hate cards are not equal with one being favorable in all situations where a deck doesn't use graveyard or library effects themselves.


    Ancient Grudge is enough to win against a fair amount of equipment based decks ; as they suck without Swords and the like.

    And we have Steel-Aggro ; all i would say is Ancient Grudge is pretty much more reliable "usefull" than the 1 mana artifact.


    The bad thing about a hate card is that you most certainly wont have it maindeck.

    So if we play a match and i have 60:40 against you, and with the hate you have 60:40 ; well its a fair deal.


    The hate card isnt that deadly as you make it ; if your deck is unable to deal with a 1 mana artifact AND shut down by it ; then thats allready a mistake in your deck construction.



    Looking at the UB Lich decks, its allmost sure they will pack either green or red in addition ; and if worst comes to worst ; you play Tezzeret on your own to animate the artifact just to kill it with creature destruction.

    Otherwise you can play transformation sideboard ; get rid of the combo ; and play a simpel UB Controll after sideboard.


    Overall the big point is if a MetaGame actual "needs" the hate ; better pack hate against Steel-Aggro and Mono-Red ; why hate a deck just 1 person under 100 plays ?
    Posted in: The Rumor Mill
  • posted a message on [DKA] DailyMTG Previews 1/17: Hellrider, Predator Ooze, etc.
    Quote from kaldare
    Odd that they bothered to prevent casting spells from the library. I guess it's just a aesthetics thing. The first ability affects graveyard and library, so the second one does too?
    As far as I can tell, it only affects 11 cards in existence:
    Djinn of Wishes
    Future Sight
    Galvanoth
    Garruk's Horde
    Knowledge Exploitation
    Leaf-Crowned Elder
    Magus of the Future
    Panglacial Wurm
    Spellshift
    Sunforger
    Temporal Aperture


    Well most of them are from the short past of magic ; so its very likely we will get more.

    I will for sure get 4 of these.

    Its the kind of card that a long time incredible cheap, then jumps up if the cards get released its supposed to work with.

    Amulet of Vigor was the same ; ridiculous amount of cash price.
    Posted in: The Rumor Mill
  • posted a message on [DKA]Magic Show preview via SCG Live - Vorapede
    Huh? Standard is more affordable now than it's been in quite some time. The most expensive things out there right now are...really, the manabases. And by that, I mean Inkmoth Nexus. and the other big expensive creature you'll want in multiples is Snapcaster Mage.

    Wait, hold on. Those are both rares. Looking at what is commonly observed to be the most popular deck in standard, UW Humans/Delver, the mythic rares are Sword of War and Peace and Geist of Saint Traft. Snapcaster Mage is more expensive than either.

    "All about unobtainable mythic cards", indeed. And more on subject, this card isn't going to be very expensive at all. It's certainly powerful, but probably not more than 10 dollars.


    Well the 5 power is a big lay down if you want to force against titan size (6/6).

    Overall the Undying mechanic looks way better on cheap creatures then on fatties ; with the late game your opponent is likely to have "something" to keep your creature in check permanently ; early on, against your wave of attackers ; the only real answer is mass removal ; which is super bad against Undying.

    So while a pretty brutal card on itself ; its a mechanic thats best on cheap creatures.


    The best standard "Money wise" was around with Madness / Elves and stuff like that.

    Tons of com/uncom , manabases were cheap aswell.


    Today they nearly print no good creature that is not rare / mythic ; planeswalkers are "forced" to mythic and nearly allways good and fatties tend to be rare/mythic aswell.


    Standard overall is pretty expensive ; at least if you keep playing it and rotate with formats (which can mean you make profit if you are lucky ; or you lose money if your cards get way cheaper).



    In my area its likely that someone will get an Legacy deck sooner than a Standard one ; simply because the Legacy cards keep value or get more expensive ; nearly never lose value (and a bunch of the good cards are All-stars for any format anyway).

    For tournaments we give away expensive single cards ; no booster packs ; so all that might make the cut.


    But Boosters are expensive in Germany, compared to US , Standard might be way "cheaper" format.
    Posted in: The Rumor Mill
  • posted a message on Cranial Insertion: Question Salad
    The Intentional Draw thing kinda provokes manipulation or not ?

    I mean , can i make like 20 intentioanl draws, just because we "calculated" it gives an edge ?

    No idea if it does, it just got me a bad feeling to think about it the next time someone gives a result like:

    Win 2: Lose 0: Draw 55
    Posted in: Articles
  • posted a message on [DKA] DailyMTG Previews 1/16: Mikaeus, the Unhallowed, Flayer of the Hatebound
    Well he combos with Triskelion and many other stuff ; beside being a creature that is big enough to win on its own.

    Triskelion combo :

    Triskelion 1/1 + 3x +1/+1 ; gets +1/+1 from him ; use the +1/+1 counters to shoot 2 times at Triskelion itself and 1 at your opponent.
    Repeat with an extra +1/+1 counter as much as you like.


    Also works with Persist i assume ; but less combo like (as you need an extra sacrifice).



    So what ever he is ; EDH makes it a combo card, if he finds a way for Standard is questionable ; but i would not count him out.

    I buy all i can get for ~2$ thats for sure.
    Posted in: The Rumor Mill
  • posted a message on [DKA] Beguiler of Wills
    Quote from clan_iraq
    Yeah in all fairness it would actually be quite perfectly balanced with hexproof on it. Since it only works based on you having a large number of creatures out to use its ability on anything but walls, that makes it an overextension card that gets sat down hard by sweepers- and sweepers ignore hexproof. So hexproof would just cover some of her glaring issues while leaving her main weakness unaddressed, making it pretty balanced and almost plausibly usable (but still not really)

    But wizard's official policy is "Mind Control is better than you think!" and prints jank like this that you wouldn't even be especially happy to draw in limited


    A reusable mind control is allready strong ; give it hexproof and its just an totally unfun card ; as it takes over games and evolves games totally around it.

    Its not that everyone plays a ton of mass removal ; just control has a real mass removal ; anyone else does not play any.

    For aggro its pretty much impossible to win against a reusable mind control if its going for you.

    Thats what Vedalken Shackles was ; and its horrible to play against it if you can not attack without running in your own creatures.



    Having a large amount of creatures isnt even that difficult taking the high amount of token generators in the set especially in white.


    So yes, the card is allready a bomb to no end in limited, its obvisious worse than Olivia, but pretty powerfull if a blue deck has such strong removal at hand.


    However, cards like that are "forbidden" to have hexproof ; it totally kills the card balance to give hexproof on just about anything.



    All that said, its a Rare that does its job ; and its no secret that the "real" good cards are simply too cheap compared to effects that are otherwise comparable, this is not such a card.
    Posted in: The Rumor Mill
  • posted a message on [DKA] DailyMTG Previews 1/12: Havengul Lich; Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
    Quote from Tanion
    Stupid question: It does bring the creature back from the graveyard right? Or is his ability basically imprint for creatures?


    You simply cast the card, really not complicated.


    The card is strong enough to be a player in Standard ; Spellskite is actual what makes this tick, together with Snapcaster and all the insane stuff.

    Well just imagine, you play Solarflare ; a more creature heavy solar flare ; with a bunch of removal for your snapcaster.

    You survive by Reinforcements and Snapcaster / Go for the Throat and Spellskite ; then pop the lich.

    Whatever your opponent does, you can play your creatures from your grave, namely Snapcaster and reuse Reinforcements and all your removal ; while keeping and endless stream of Spellskites.

    Annoying enough that a lich can help you to get "another" lich from your graveyard, they are actual "undead" no matter what.


    If a controll deck has the lich and untaps, its a world of pain for everyone and the amount of card advantage will bury any opponent.


    Sounds overall promising, requires interaction with your deck ; its not a Titan that simply works.
    Posted in: The Rumor Mill
  • posted a message on [DKA] Falkenrath Aristocrat - channelfireball.com preview
    Its not that we have not enough -X/-X effects to make this card suffer from its 1 thoughness.

    If i have the choice of a 2RB vampire, Olivia is plain better.

    If this would at least cost 1RB, that would be quite a beating.
    Posted in: The Rumor Mill
  • posted a message on [DKA] DailyMTG Previews 1/11: Sorin, Lord of Innistrad; Secrets of the Dead
    If you want a compare to this Sorin then its Elspeth.

    Decks that play Elspeth will at least consider using Sorin, if it makes sence to play black.

    In Legacy a Stoneforge mythic deck might have a viable reason to run Sorin together with Elspeth, you have to remove blue for black ; might not be a bad idea to use Dark Confidant / Vindicate with Discard instead of Force of Will.

    In a 1on1 fight Elspeth and Sorin win against Jace, and they proof to be better against beatdown.


    So all makes sence, its totally possible to run black/white/green instead of blue/white/green ; but it depends a lot on your metagame what is better.



    In direct comparision to Elspeth its not clear which one is better, both make a pretty similiar job (while ironically Elspeth will kill Sorin, just because of the +3/+3 flying).

    If the Anthemn would be +1/+1 i would jump on the train ; but a +1/+0 feels kind of random.
    Posted in: The Rumor Mill
  • posted a message on [DKA] Preview Card from GeekDad Wired Blog - GhoulTree
    Quote from Hinotama
    One word away from being a pretty awesome card: Undying

    Agree with dredge too.



    That's because vanilla creatures that are expensive suck balls. Wizards is finally realizing this.


    Most creatures get a lot better with "undying".

    Just imagine Snapcaster with Undying ; yea why not, piss on magics power creep.



    Overall i think with this kind of stuff a green / blue self mill deck might become viable for standard, as we have the GG 2/1 Undying and this guy to make it slighty more resilent.

    Currently its just a question if the deck might run better with black for spider spawning and the like ; or red for the study effects.


    But this seems at least to be a card that is quite usefull as a creature, i just get 4 and be happy.
    Posted in: The Rumor Mill
  • posted a message on [DKA] Preview Card from GeekDad Wired Blog - GhoulTree
    Quote from ShadowFenril
    I didn't think about that! Hm...might replace Death's Shadow in mine with this. Sure, it's 3 points weaker, but I can easily cast this guy, so he's not just useless graveyard fodder.


    Good idea, might do the same ^^
    Posted in: The Rumor Mill
  • To post a comment, please or register a new account.