I am preparing for nats and I've been testing both online and on paper. Here are some thoughts:
- 26 lands + 4 Approach seems like the best combination. I frequently played my cycling lands because it's so important not to lose land drops. I've lost so many favorable matchups due to missing crucial land drops.
- Immolating Glare is very good. Blessed Alliance has been clunky for me at times, so I started testing the 3 Alliance/ 2 Glare split and have never changed it even though I have made several other changes since the deck first appeared.
- jacobk's list is very good. I think at least one Gideon of the Trials is correct. Not sure about the Ramunap matchup though. Without Linvala, the Preserver and/or Regal Caracal, you are forced to mulligan into Authority of the Consuls or you just lose. Even then, mulliganing to 5 while trying to reach 7 mana as soon as possible might not be enough to stay alive, even with the Authority down.
- I tested mana rocks as well to accelerate the deck. They were decent enough, but I changed my mind immediately after an Abrade smashed my turn 4 Hedron Archive. Lesson learned: Don't give your opponent targets for their dead cards in the first game
Has anyone tested Spell Queller? I used to play them but was discouraged by the Fumigate nonbo and in matchups where you side out Fumigate, Negates are also effective (having both Negate and Queller in the sb is too many slots).
I presume he ran the Godless because he didn't have access to a Scrubland. I know there are conflicting opinions on UB vs BR but I don't have the Seas. I've been testing online and the deck seems like great fun and relatively consistent, but I could just be running hot. I like the fact that it has 8 disruption pieces maindeck.
Question for you experts: Do I wait until G3 to board in Wear//Tear, or do I assume everyone has them in their board and bring them in for Game 2?
Not an expert by any stretch, but in my opinion you should know at least which matchups have Chalice/Leyline (Stompy, Eldrazi, etc.) and are expected to board that in against you. Expecting Grafdigger's Cage is a bit more difficult to predict. Usually most people just bring in Surgicals. Scouring the 5-0 decklists on MTGO leagues will probably give you an idea what sideboard cards people usually bring in.
I personally like the UB version where looting is replaced by careful study and you have access to Show and Tell after sb. What happens if the Scrubland gets Wasted?
The most probable explanation for not naming it Eternal Masters is that Eternal Masters only contained non modern-legal cards and this could have legal cards from any expansion without restrictions.
But eternal masters *had* modern legal cards. Wrath of God, Isochron Scepter, Call the Skybreaker, Eight-and-a-Half Tails...
My mistake, that was the case with the MTGO-only set Vintage Masters.
The most probable explanation for not naming it Eternal Masters is that Eternal Masters only contained non modern-legal cards and this could have legal cards from any expansion without restrictions.
Game 3: hit the dream hand, Land, 2 x ritual, Grisel, Collective brutality, exhume, Chancellor
Reveal Chancellor
Play Land
Cast Ritual (go to 3B) Cast Collective brutality pitching Grisel & Chancellor(go to 1B) he reveals no forces which suprises me but has GY hate so that's why he keeps i guess
Cast Ritual
Cast Exhume for Grisel
activate Grisel, find a reanimate and bring in the chancellor.
OPP folds.
How did you escalate twice with no creature in play?
Nice report. I'm also thinking of bringing that to GP Vegas but let's see what Amonkhet has in store first (probably nothing, but it's a graveyard set so who knows..).
Considering that they thought that GP Utrecht results were relevant and not the two GPs of the previous day (where it was just two archetypes facing each other), it is pretty clear that the explanation text was written before these GPs. If they had 1-2 more weeks of data it is possible that they would ban some stuff.
This is rather disappointing... Standard is very bad right now and will continue to be for many weeks. A quick look at this weekend GP top 8s really shows the issue. Nothing but Mardu vs Copycat and mirror matches. The latest Cardboard crack comic nails it.
I understand that banning stuff would make many people unhappy but come on... Standard is completely solved and boring at the moment.
My guess is that this was already locked for the set before the Probe ban. Unfortunately Storm uses Gifts now and no tier 1 deck plays this card in Modern so the price will be very low.
Okay, what the hell is going on here? Is there some sick combo that works off of this? Avacyn's Judgment? Devil's Playground? I can't pin this one down.
Todd Anderson made top 4 in yesterday's large SCG tournament, playing a sweet U/R control deck with Goggles and Fall of the Titans.
I'm anxious to see if the ally-colored rare dragons are available to be opened up as the prerelease promos when you choose your clan. I imagine they probably are. Hope someone can confirm, because like the poster directly above me, I also collect foil dragons.
- 26 lands + 4 Approach seems like the best combination. I frequently played my cycling lands because it's so important not to lose land drops. I've lost so many favorable matchups due to missing crucial land drops.
- Immolating Glare is very good. Blessed Alliance has been clunky for me at times, so I started testing the 3 Alliance/ 2 Glare split and have never changed it even though I have made several other changes since the deck first appeared.
- jacobk's list is very good. I think at least one Gideon of the Trials is correct. Not sure about the Ramunap matchup though. Without Linvala, the Preserver and/or Regal Caracal, you are forced to mulligan into Authority of the Consuls or you just lose. Even then, mulliganing to 5 while trying to reach 7 mana as soon as possible might not be enough to stay alive, even with the Authority down.
- I tested mana rocks as well to accelerate the deck. They were decent enough, but I changed my mind immediately after an Abrade smashed my turn 4 Hedron Archive. Lesson learned: Don't give your opponent targets for their dead cards in the first game
Has anyone tested Spell Queller? I used to play them but was discouraged by the Fumigate nonbo and in matchups where you side out Fumigate, Negates are also effective (having both Negate and Queller in the sb is too many slots).
Not an expert by any stretch, but in my opinion you should know at least which matchups have Chalice/Leyline (Stompy, Eldrazi, etc.) and are expected to board that in against you. Expecting Grafdigger's Cage is a bit more difficult to predict. Usually most people just bring in Surgicals. Scouring the 5-0 decklists on MTGO leagues will probably give you an idea what sideboard cards people usually bring in.
I personally like the UB version where looting is replaced by careful study and you have access to Show and Tell after sb. What happens if the Scrubland gets Wasted?
My mistake, that was the case with the MTGO-only set Vintage Masters.
Nope, Desert is a land type, not a creature type.
How did you escalate twice with no creature in play?
Nice report. I'm also thinking of bringing that to GP Vegas but let's see what Amonkhet has in store first (probably nothing, but it's a graveyard set so who knows..).
I understand that banning stuff would make many people unhappy but come on... Standard is completely solved and boring at the moment.
Todd Anderson made top 4 in yesterday's large SCG tournament, playing a sweet U/R control deck with Goggles and Fall of the Titans.
Uninvited Guest -> Uninvited Geist
Furtive Homonculus -> Furtive Homunculus
Nibilis of Dusk -> Niblis of Dusk
Scourge Wold -> Scourge Wolf
Creeping Dead -> Creeping Dread
Duskwatch -> Duskwatch Recruiter
Choken Estuary -> Choked Estuary
There may be more but I hadn't time to check.
Yes they are: http://gavinverhey.tumblr.com/post/108208315591/fate-reforged-employee-prerelease-today-lets
That means 10 rares are out for each clan.
EDIT: Dragons are IN: http://gavinverhey.tumblr.com/post/108208315591/fate-reforged-employee-prerelease-today-lets