- Agiknight
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Member for 14 years, 6 months, and 12 days
Last active Fri, Oct, 21 2016 08:47:01
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Elfguardian posted a message on Advice for a Standard noobie - what to buy?I'd recommend an R/G Energy or R/W dwarves/tokens vehicles variant for a newer player. Straight-forward with a nice low skill floor. Budget variants can still be effective until you can get better cards(like smuggler's or gideon).Posted in: Standard Archives -
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JonInWherever posted a message on UB zombies - public enemy No. 1 ?Flaying TendrilsPosted in: Standard Archives -
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max_vergara posted a message on UB zombies - public enemy No. 1 ?Declaration in StonePosted in: Standard Archives -
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infectiousbaloth posted a message on Competitive forum, I'd like to have a chat with you.MODS: if this thread is seen as inappropriate, feel free to lock it down, delete it, whatever.Posted in: Standard Archives
Standard Competetive forum members, we've all done our share of boasting on the internet, our share of fabricating. Exaggeration, if you will. But I think things have come to a head.
I was reading the FNM results thread and found that a lot of people are placing very well. For those among us who regularly place well, kudos! But I'm a competent player from a very competitive area (central MD, Baltimore area) and I would say that despite having a number of decent finishes at larger (GP, SCG Opens, PTQ) and smaller (FNM, IQ) events I certainly don't finish in the top 8 every week, and the last time I played an FNM without dropping a game was back in post-banning caw-blade standard when I played Birthing Pod and had a turn 2 pod almost every single game.
This isn't limited to the FNM results thread for certain, as I've played lots of lists of various decks (Ghost Pants, Esper Control, RDW, Jund) where people claim some card is bonkers and they've tested it and it's great, but my experience is absolutely horrible. To me, that means they haven't done sufficient testing and it's just a pet card. It's fine to have pet cards (mine is Geist of Saint Traft. I'm not the guy who won the grinder in London with RDW + Geist, but I admire whoever that is) but they should not be put forth with falsified testing results, as I've seen in this forum.
I'd imagine that since we are all here in the competitive section, that we are here to get better. So let's all get better together and build a stronger competitive community on MTGS, cut out the nonsense. If you haven't tested something, don't post about it. If you're dismissing something out of theory, don't claim to have tested it, and if you didn't top 8 FNM, don't tell us you did. However, it seems that a lot of semi-competitive people have made their way here, and from my understanding of what this subforum was supposed to be, have no reason to be here. That's not to say that brewing should be discouraged at all, merely to say that when someone tells you that your U/G hexproof deck is worse that Bant Hexproof and you have no empirical data to back up why yours is better, you should not be posting in competitive.
Also, the pseudo-budget decks are insane. If you're running a two color big mana deck which excludes Thragtusk, it's probably not because Boros Reckoner is a big presence in the format, it's probably because you don't have an extra $60 to shell out for Thragtusks. That's fine, and I totally respect that. I didn't play Chrome Mox in my U/G madness decks back in the day because I couldn't afford them. But the competitive forum is not the place for your budget brews.
Thanks for listening.
EDIT2: Thanks for the suggestion, Sasky, it works. Also, thanks to Koopa for updating it anyway! -
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AEIOUsometimesY posted a message on Duskmantle Seer seems a little grumpy.Posted in: Rumor Mill ArchiveQuote from OPMDon't turn this into reddit, homie.
Quote from NGWGod I hate Grumpy Cat....
Seriously, she has no business on these forums.
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metamorph posted a message on M13 Set ReviewThis is my set review with an orientation towards cards that are playable in competitive standard. i will be highlighting the most interesting (to me) cards in M13 and briefly discussing possible applications of them. i will not be giving numerical rankings to the cards as i feel that sort of review adds little value. hopefully my comments and evaluations are helpful to some people.Posted in: Standard Archives
White
Ajani, Caller of the Pride - I think this card is very strong but it is also highly specialized. It is a role player. It only really does one thing, which is creature enhancement. Its got more in common with equipment or Glorious Anthem then it does with anything else. This is, however, a very good creature enhancer. The +1 ability is pretty average but at least makes Ajani on par with a basic enhancer like Glorious Anthem. The -3 ability is what makes Ajani really dangerous. This represents a nearly unparalleled ability to raise the clock on your opponent without overextending more creatures onto the board. the -8 ability will rarely be used but it is noteworthy how powerful it is. the threat of it resolving puts alot of pressure on control decks to actually find a way of getting rid of Ajani, and not merely removing all your creatures.
Ajani's Sunstriker - less powerful then [card]Knight of Meadowgrain[/card[ but still potentially playable. lifelink is an extremely powerful ability and should never be ignored when it is on a reasonably costed creature.
Odric, Master Tactician - sealed deck bomb. not going to compare well to other 4 drops in constructed, even after set rotations. Wouldn't you always choose to play Sublime Archangel instead of this?
Planar Cleansing - this is in the set instead of Day of Judgment. thats generally a downgrade (though it might indicate a 4 mana white sweeper in the fall set) but this card has always been playable in its own right. In particular it is one of the better ways for control decks to deal with Planeswalkers.
Serra Avenger - i don't see this as being playable. it is mana efficient but from the 4th turn onwards it has to deal with fighting against Restoration Angel in the air and it loses that fight.
Sublime Archangel - this is a very real card. it is comparable to Hero of Bladehold in terms of power level, and in some ways significantly better. the potency of the interaction this has with Lingering Souls should not be ignored. thats practically a whole deck all by itself. like Hero of Bladehold the only downside to this card is vulnerability to instant speed removal. however, this is still one of the best all-time 4 drop creatures and should see alot of play.
Blue
Archaemancer - this looks like a classic "almost" to me. it is in many ways like a more fairly costed version of Eternal Witness (which was undercosted). on the other hand it may be too slow for most standard metagames.
Augur of Bolas - i think this card is actually being overestimated by many people. its not bad by any means, but there is a huge difference between this and Sea Gate Oracle. being able to filter for lands is a big deal. this can't do that. thats a huge deficiency. in fact, this is capable of outright whiffing on occasion and requires you to play a very high spell count. its not nearly as versatile as some similar cards it has been compared with.
Fog Bank - this doesn't look like the sort of card that we're normally interested in playing, but it is a rare case of a Wall that can block almost ANYTHING indefinitely and only costs 2 mana. the amount of frustration this can cause an aggro deck is pretty fierce. this is definitely sideboard playable.
Jace's Phantasm - i think it would be a huge mistake to try and build your deck to activate this card. i do however see this as playable as a sideboard card against opponents that will naturally fill their graveyards. this could be an important creature for breaking open Delver mirrors or Control mirrors.
Rewind - this is in the place of Cancel in this core set and i feel like its a huge upgrade. there aren't many 4 mana counterspells that have ever been worth playing, but this is one of them.
Sphinx of Uthuun - going forward (october and beyond) we're in the brave new world of no titans. this is exactly the sort of creature that starts to look appealing in that world. it has a nice large body and it produces HUGE value even if removed. those are the qualities that make Titans strong. this card has it too, its just weaker than Titans. when it doesn't have to compete with those overpowered monsters it starts to look excellent.
Talrand's Invocation - this is an "almost" worth keeping an eye on. with any kind of creature pumping (Intangible Virtue, for example) this becomes really impressive.
Black
Crippling Blight - another solid 1 mana black removal spell to compete with Dead Weight and Tragic Slip. situationally better than either of its competitors. might be a preferred card for aggressive black decks like Zombies or Vampires.
Disciple of Bolas - i'm not a huge fan of this card. it looks alot like Momentous Fall except even slower and more awkward. i could be wrong here, this effect is uncommon and hard to evaluate. but i'm reluctant to say this is playable. you'd have to have some high power creatures that you are comfortable sacrificing for this to be worth your trouble and even then it seems a little underpowered for a 2 card combo.
Duress - thank god its back. the absence of this card in the format has been one of the reasons Delver has been so dominant. this should be a big help.
Liliana of the Dark Realms - this is a heavily niche planeswalker but it might excel in its niche. this offers power to mono-black control decks. that is usually a bad archetype but with the reprinting of Mutilate we now have to more seriously consider its viability again. This card can potentially begin to dominate a game if you manage to cast it on an empty board. so kill all your opponents guys (mono-black control is already good at this) then cast a Liliana of the Dark Realms and start building to critical mass. mind you this is totally unplayable outside of mono-black control and every other deck interested in a black planeswalker should be looking at Liliana of the Veil.
Murder - this is no Doomblade. the extra mana really hurts. not going to be an issue over the summer but in October when Go for the Throat and Doomblade rotate out we'll have to keep our fingers crossed or a replacement in the fall expansion. this isn't going to cut it as a constructed removal spell. 3 mana is too much.
Mutilate - obviously this card is very powerful in mono-black. it won't be playable outside of mono-black decks until we have some dual-lands that count as swamps to work with though (wait for october). for the next few months though this should be a major player in the metagame, powering up mono-black zombie decks and maybe even reviving mono-black control.
Nefarox, Overlord of Grixis - this is another creature that gets to see the light of day in a world with no Titans. keep your eye on him for October, as the effect is very strong and the body size is respectable.
Ravenous Rats - i love these little guys! they only occasionally show up in competitive decks but its always nice to have the option. they make great speed bumps for control decks looking to buy time in the early game.
Vampire Nighthawk - one of the better 3 mana black creatures of all time. this has always been a boon to control decks as a very versatile way to deal with attackers that your removal otherwise has trouble with (looking at you St. Traft). also a reasonable way for control decks to incorporate a mechanism for harrassing planeswalkers, which is otherwise difficult for them.
Vampire Nocturnus - will mono-black vampires be a deck? probably not, since so much of the vampire tribe in Innistrad is in red. that probably excludes this from being playable in competitive standard.
Red
Crimson Muckwader - this has alot of potential in BR decks, though probably will not fully realize that potential until the fall (assuming we see a reprint of Blood Crypt). 3 power 2 drops are always worth paying attention to. the regeneration on this is a bit pricey but gives a good option for swinging into blockers in the midgame.
Flames of the Firebrand - this is a truly excellent card for all sorts of decks. it is simultaneously useful for clearing out x/1 chump blockers, doming your opponet for 3, or acting as a mini-sweeper to clear out a 1/1 and a 2/2 at the same time. should see lots of play.
Krenko's Command - this is a pretty decent 2 drop for aggressive red decks. any kind of power boosting effect makes this very potent. we have Goblin Chieftain (until October anyway) already, so keep an eye out for similar effects that can make Krenko's Command really strong.
Magmaquake - Earthquake is slightly better, but this is not a bad card by any means. more suitable for control decks though. instant speed, removing planeswalkers, and not damaging your own life total make this a very control oriented card.
Mogg Flunkies - this is our replacement for Stormblood Berserker and it is very good. look for haste creatures to synergize with this. red aggro decks already want haste creatures at 3 and 4 mana so it just makes sense to run Flunkies.
Thundermaw Hellkite - yea, this is awesome. Not quite Baneslayer awesome but close. One of the power cards of the set and a real boost to mono-red, red-green, and red-black aggro decks. this elegantly solves the 1/1 flying souls chump blocker problem and it hits hard and fast and the right point on the mana curve. expect this to finish plenty of games.
Torch Fiend - this is not an exciting card by any means but it is highly functional. this is the sort of versatile, maindeck playable artifact destruction that can be really important for red aggro decks.
Green
Elderscale Wurm - this is a very powerful creature. it basically beats red aggro decks all by itself. its just a major trump in all kinds of aggro matchups. its puts your opponent to the harshest of removal tests. "can you remove a 7/7? you literally cannot win until you do, meanwhile i'm attacking you with a huge monster"
Flinthoof Boar - another powerful member of this allied land cycle of creatures. 2nd turn 3/3's are great. so are 3rd turn 3/3 haste guys. this might not be playable until the (expected) reprint of Stomping Grounds in the fall, but it will be excellent with that card.
Ground Seal - will this be an effective card against Snapcaster Mage? its possible, but Snapcaster Mage decks have so many other strong cards in them as well that taking out just that one seems like an exercise in futility. this looks more like a hoser of reanimator decks to me, in which case its competing with Grafdigger's Cage and may be preferred for green decks.
Mwonvuli Beast Tracker - this isn't a powerhouse, but is a versatile utility card. sometimes you just gotta go find your Acidic Slime or your big trampling finisher. this lets you manage your topdecks, which is nice.
Quirion Dryad - this is a card i'm very excited about. 5 color green looks more and more likely with the fall expansion being a multicolor set of some kind, and existing cards like Abundant Growth and Borderland Ranger helping fix the mana.
Rancor - obviously this is a powerhouse for aggro decks. not much more needs to be said. Red/Green aggro just got a big shot in the arm.
Ranger's Path - this compares well to historical predecessors like Explosive Vegetation. this puts the lands into play untapped, which is very nice, and does not require basic forests, so can find shocklands. this is a great card for ramp decks.
Silklash Spider - this is a turbo-hoser against flyers. very effective sideboard card. unfortunately it has no EtB effect so it is not effective against Vapor Snag. this might prevent it from being a seriously usable card for a little while.
Thragtusk - excellent value creature that is REALLY frustrating for red aggro decks to break through. good against everything though, just versatile and full of value. should see lots of play. and yeah, finally a Vapor Snag resistant 5 drop. this could be one of the crucial cards in breaking the dominance of Delver.
Yeva, Nature's Herald - not bad. 4/4 for 4 mana is always playable. flash is an ability that is either great or useless, depending on the circumstances so i hesitate to say this will be heavily played. it will have its moments though. could be a really sweet card in a UG deck for example.
Lands, Artifacts, etc.
Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker - if ever there was a card that did 8 mana worth of work it was this one. this was always borderline in Grixis Control, and in a slower format might make it.
Gilded Lotus - this card is awesome. the effect is so powerful that it demands you find a way to break it. at minimum this is your most realistic way to actually cast 8 drops like Nicol Bolas. at maximum this is a component of instant winning combos that involve infinite mana or cards like Omniscience.
Stuffy Doll - this is a fascinating little card for control decks. it might be much less useful in the current metagame (which has a significant amount of -X/-X stuff) than it was last time but its still a really funny way of taking control of the game and eventually winning it. it works well in red control decks in particular, allowing your global damage cards like Blasphemous Act to become outright win conditions.
Cathedral of War - this card is hard to evaluate and has received much debate already. i'm on the fence. i'm not sure about it. i think it has alot of potential and should be tested in mono-color aggro decks that can support colorless lands. we'll see if its good or not.
Hellion Crucible - this looks like an excellent card for mono-red aggro. it might superficially seem slow and clunky but it is not. it is a land that extends the reach of your deck significantly with minimal cost. red decks are prone to running out of gas around turn 4 or 5 and generally try to finish the game 3-4 turns later by building up to a second wave (preferablly with haste creatures) or drawing into burn spells. hellion crucible automatically joins that second wave with a big 'ole 4/4 haste. awesome.
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Anger of the Gods
Drown in Sorrow
Destructive Revelry
Reclamation Sage
Erase
Take your pick, they all wreck the deck.
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Also not liking the Despises in the board. Even against Midrange, I feel like most mainboard cards are more relevant than the 3rd & 4th Despises. Tying to think of what else I would want, and honestly a 3rd Negate and 3rd Stroke seem like good options.
1x Dig Through Time
2x Dissipate
4x Dissolve
1x Empty the Pits
3x Hero's Downfall
4x Jace's Ingenuity
1x Murderous Cut
2x Utter End
Planeswalker (2)
2x Elspeth, Sun's Champion
Creature (2)
2x Prognostic Sphinx
Sorcery (12)
2x Despise
2x Drown in Sorrow
4x End Hostilities
4x Thoughtseize
2x Caves of Koilos
4x Island
4x Polluted Delta
3x Swamp
4x Temple of Deceit
4x Temple of Enlightenment
4x Temple of Silence
1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
2x Despise
2x Disdainful Stroke
2x Drown in Sorrow
2x Negate
4x Nyx-Fleece Ram
1x Pearl Lake Ancient
2x Pharika's Cure
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Wurmcoil kills both of them before they can be cast. Progenitus can stalemate Wurmcoil if Progenitus is on the play.
Edit: Wurmcoil actuall beats Progenitus regardless because has to take 18 on the play before he can cast it, then Wurmcoil splits into 2 when Progenitus blocks and then Wurm gets in for the last 3.
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Glissa doesn't beat Wurmcoil because if Glissa and Wurmcoil both swing every turn Wurmcoil wins. If Wurmcoil doesn't swing and tries to block Glissa, Glissa wins. If Glissa doesn't swing and Wurmcoil does, she wins. But Glissa has to swing in order to win. So the best solution for both is to not swing and they stalemate.
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No, it is not possible. All the client does is show you pictures. Everything that matters (shuffling, die rolling, card collections, etc) is handled on the server.
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BALL LIGHTNING HELIX!
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What does that have to do with the topic at all?
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