I personally got irritated every time I was on SCG prior to the new layout because of mass of advertisements that was at the top of the screen. Also I like that no matter where I am on the page I can open up my account info and cart without having to scroll to a different part of the page. I actually like the change
If it's a situation where someone is in a "feels bad" position like having just been mana screwed/flooded, I'll usually lead with "sorry about the luck" and then follow with "but they were good games anyway." I try to make it obvious that I understand the tone of the encounter instead of just using a default action or tone and getting miffed when the other person is irritated at my comment.
The reasoning for this is the the Exile zone is by default a face up zone. So when a card exiles something it is visible to all players unless it is specified that the card or object is face down as is the case with Colfenor's Plans. Because plans specifies that the cards are exiled face down it must specify as an effect that you are allowed to look at the cards while they are exiled.
alright, i'm feeling rather stupid from overthinking this after trying to explain what it helps against to a friend i only managed to get us both confused.
Pithing Needle
OK so i know it will stop planeswalkers, but the mana qability is what's throwing me off. Does that clause mean that avacyn's pilgrim still works?
You missed the card tag this time around. From the Comp Rules:
605.1. Some activated abilities and some triggered abilities are mana abilities, which are subject to special rules. Only abilities that meet either of the following two sets of criteria are mana abilities, regardless of what other effects they may generate or what timing restrictions (such as “Activate this ability only any time you could cast an instant”) they may have.
605.1a. An activated ability is a mana ability if it meets three criteria: it doesn't have a target, it could put mana into a player's mana pool when it resolves, and it's not a loyalty ability. (See rule 606, "Loyalty Abilities.")
605.1b. A triggered ability without a target that triggers from activating a mana ability and could put mana into a player’s mana pool when it resolves is a mana ability.
So avacyn's pilgrim still works under pithing needle, but Deathrite Shaman's first ability doesn't because it targets.
Gisela reduces each instance of damage by half rounded up. So when you activate Olivia twice it is 1 (prevent half rounded up), then 1 (prevent half rounded up)
Gisela's second ability would prevent half of the 1 damage rounded up which is 1 damage, so it would do no damage.
Olivia's ability does not need to deal that damage for the creature to be turned into a vampire. It only needs to resolve completely, as that part of the effect isn't tied to if damage was dealt or not.
There aren't really any explicit rules except those regarding prevention effects. This is more of a case that you do what the ability says and continue forward.
The reason you can't do that to return the scarecrone is because the second ability requires you to target when you activate the ability. At that time the scare crone isn't in your graveyard so it isn't a legal target.
You could activate the second ability and respond with the first but you would not get the result that you desire. You would have to return an artifact creature that was already in the graveyard prior to activating the ability.
Yeah bro you should totally rip off your friend before he realizes you value $10 over your friendship
I'm not saying that you should value 10$ over a friendship (and if this breaks up the friendship it wasn't going to last long anyway). Just that if one of my buddies that I play MtG with said hey I'll trade you this foil steam vents for your regular angel of serenity, I wouldn't think twice about taking him up on it. Then again I'm of the mindset that if you don't know what your cards are worth then it is your loss...
There is a guy online that does some dubstep work (actually really good), all of his songs are reference to MtG cards, like one is called Natural order. He also has an album I believe that is called Factor Friction. I'll see if I can dig up a link to some of his stuff
As to the foil shocklands from RTR I got 35$ each in trade with a vendor for my Hallowed fountain, and Steam Vents. so if you can pick up a foil Temple garden for 20$ I would snap that up while your friend is still oblivious.
Your steam vents trade was a good one...
if you are getting from vendors, expect to pay 40ish for the blue ones and around 30 for the others.
My Wife doesn't really play (at the moment...but I'm still trying to get her to play so she can come to GPs and such with me and enjoy herself). She used to get into a game everyonce in a while back in high school and I've played with her a couple of times myself. She is a bird fanatic, and sometimes I wonder if she is part bird, so obviously she likes bird cards (I've started collecting them for her). But she really appreciates the power of all the cards and the reasons for playing them, regardless of what the colors are or what type of creature it is.
I think the price pattern of Diaochan will be similar to Xiahou Dun, so it might not be wise to hoard the artful beauty.
I agree, and trying to artificially drive up the price even by a small margin seems like a losing proposition given that just like Xiao-dun her price was propped up almost exclusively by rarity.
I think EDH is playable without staples and you can still do well enough and have fun. Obviously, it really depends on where you play and how competitive people get with the "casual" format.
In addition to this, many of the "staples" are very affordable in non foil, it is the foils that are over the top in this format but that's ok cause you don't need foils to play...
So my LGS is doing a $10 buy-in 16-player minimum tournament where 1st place gets a Commander's Arsenal. (only 1st place wins anything, other to finishers get a promo card or something similar)
The format is randomly grouped pods of 4, multiplayer commander. (starting life 40, multiplayer banlist)
Is it just me or is this a horribly stupid idea just begging to be abused by people teaming up and making everyone frustrated? There are a few value-shark-Spikes in the area who I predict will show up and just game the sh** out of this format with Arcum Daggson/Sharuum/Zur...
What are your thoughts on the store doing this? Does this seem like a good or bad idea, fair to the players?
If it is a tournament with a prize then it's totally within their rights to play a hyper competetive deck with super abusive combos...I'm working with my LGS to run a competetive 1v1 tourney for the arsenal where it is swiss rounds and then cut to top 4 for a multiplayer pod where the winner gets the arsenal. So needless to say I think a tourney is a good idea, but a tourney with multiplayer pods for rounds seems awkward at best....
EDIT: double nath'd
Pithing Needle
You missed the card tag this time around. From the Comp Rules:
605.1a. An activated ability is a mana ability if it meets three criteria: it doesn't have a target, it could put mana into a player's mana pool when it resolves, and it's not a loyalty ability. (See rule 606, "Loyalty Abilities.")
605.1b. A triggered ability without a target that triggers from activating a mana ability and could put mana into a player’s mana pool when it resolves is a mana ability.
So avacyn's pilgrim still works under pithing needle, but Deathrite Shaman's first ability doesn't because it targets.
Olivia's ability does not need to deal that damage for the creature to be turned into a vampire. It only needs to resolve completely, as that part of the effect isn't tied to if damage was dealt or not.
There aren't really any explicit rules except those regarding prevention effects. This is more of a case that you do what the ability says and continue forward.
The reason you can't do that to return the scarecrone is because the second ability requires you to target when you activate the ability. At that time the scare crone isn't in your graveyard so it isn't a legal target.
You could activate the second ability and respond with the first but you would not get the result that you desire. You would have to return an artifact creature that was already in the graveyard prior to activating the ability.
EDIT: nath'd
GoC you copy?
I'm not saying that you should value 10$ over a friendship (and if this breaks up the friendship it wasn't going to last long anyway). Just that if one of my buddies that I play MtG with said hey I'll trade you this foil steam vents for your regular angel of serenity, I wouldn't think twice about taking him up on it. Then again I'm of the mindset that if you don't know what your cards are worth then it is your loss...
EDIT: found it...his name is Spruke
Your steam vents trade was a good one...
if you are getting from vendors, expect to pay 40ish for the blue ones and around 30 for the others.
I agree, and trying to artificially drive up the price even by a small margin seems like a losing proposition given that just like Xiao-dun her price was propped up almost exclusively by rarity.
In addition to this, many of the "staples" are very affordable in non foil, it is the foils that are over the top in this format but that's ok cause you don't need foils to play...
If it is a tournament with a prize then it's totally within their rights to play a hyper competetive deck with super abusive combos...I'm working with my LGS to run a competetive 1v1 tourney for the arsenal where it is swiss rounds and then cut to top 4 for a multiplayer pod where the winner gets the arsenal. So needless to say I think a tourney is a good idea, but a tourney with multiplayer pods for rounds seems awkward at best....