I just downloaded the new masterdatabase, created a deck and wanted to start playing. Problem is: everytime I get connected to an opponent, we shuffle a little, we roll a die, and then suddenly 'PLAYER LOST'. It has happened six times in a row. What's happening?
The deck is somewhat of a hybrid deck in that its creatures are there to get recurred by Makeshift Mannequin or Profane Command (I love this card) and that its creatures can recur themselves via the unearth mechanic. Corpse Connoisseur is a card I always wanted to make good use of; it's key in this deck.
The deck has lots of synergies:
(1) The Evoke/Mannequin synergy is a long known one, and it's still useful. Evoking Shriekmaw and EOT Mannequin Shriekmaw can cripple. Aethersnipe is big and can clear out annoying permanents.
(2) The Connoisseur can look for a copy of itself for later use, a Kederekt Leviathan to clear the board with (EOT with Mannequin = awesome) or a Sedraxis Specter for a quick beat and discard. Rotting Rats can discard you an unearth creature or a Mannequin target.
(3) The bounce and discard in the deck reinforce one another, especially if your opponent has an empty hand. Bounce with Aethersnipe and attack with Sedraxis Specter or play a Rotting Rats.
A few points I am not sure of:
(1) Sedraxis Specter. Is it worth splashing a third color and complicating the mana base?
(2) Rotting Rats. There are many situations when I don't want to play the card.
(3) Mind Stone. The extra mana boost is nice, especially because the deck is quite mana hungry. But it's colorless and occupies deck space which can be used for more creatures/spells.
(4) The sideboard. I always jumble it together the night before a tourney. It's not really effective.
Thoughts, comments, ciriticism and suggestions are most welcome.
With eight 'gating' creatures (Whitemane Lion, Dustmane Elemental, Stormfront Riders), I think the Curio is overkill. Instead, I would add some recurral in the form of Pit Keeper and/or Gravedigger, or Reveillark if you have them.
An opponent attacks me with -say- a Tarmogoyf, equipped with a Loxodon Warhammer. I declare my blockers: I block with a Ravenous Rats. Before damage goes on the stack, I play Whitemane Lion and return my Ravenous Rats.
My question: does Tarmogoyf still deal damage? And does my opponent gain life from his Warhammer? (My hunch is 'no', because Tarmogoyf was blocked, it would've dealt damage to my Rats and trampled over it, but it's gone now.)
I have a Phyrexian Infiltrator in play and try to swap it with a creature my opponent controls. In response he sacrifices his creature. What happens?
(I always believed the swap wouldn't take place because there can't be any exchange with only one creature. But others say the 'swap' does take place and my opponent receives my Infiltrator, because the target is still legal.)
Magic will live on. A good thing. But the game is less played than about five years ago, at least where I come from. We used to have a shop in town where every afternoon there would be around 6-10 people playing the game. Luckily I have friends with whom I play casual, but I have to travel to other cities if I want to play a game of competitive magic.
4 Mind Stone
4 Sedraxis Specter
4 Makeshift Mannequin
4 Corpse Connoisseur
4 Mulldrifter
4 Shriekmaw
4 Aethersnipe
3 Profane Command
2 Kederekt Leviathan
4 Underground River
2 Sulfurous Springs
9 Swamp
4 Island
4 Faerie Macabre
4 Infest
4 Blightning
3 Puppeteer Clique
The deck is somewhat of a hybrid deck in that its creatures are there to get recurred by Makeshift Mannequin or Profane Command (I love this card) and that its creatures can recur themselves via the unearth mechanic. Corpse Connoisseur is a card I always wanted to make good use of; it's key in this deck.
The deck has lots of synergies:
(1) The Evoke/Mannequin synergy is a long known one, and it's still useful. Evoking Shriekmaw and EOT Mannequin Shriekmaw can cripple. Aethersnipe is big and can clear out annoying permanents.
(2) The Connoisseur can look for a copy of itself for later use, a Kederekt Leviathan to clear the board with (EOT with Mannequin = awesome) or a Sedraxis Specter for a quick beat and discard. Rotting Rats can discard you an unearth creature or a Mannequin target.
(3) The bounce and discard in the deck reinforce one another, especially if your opponent has an empty hand. Bounce with Aethersnipe and attack with Sedraxis Specter or play a Rotting Rats.
A few points I am not sure of:
(1) Sedraxis Specter. Is it worth splashing a third color and complicating the mana base?
(2) Rotting Rats. There are many situations when I don't want to play the card.
(3) Mind Stone. The extra mana boost is nice, especially because the deck is quite mana hungry. But it's colorless and occupies deck space which can be used for more creatures/spells.
(4) The sideboard. I always jumble it together the night before a tourney. It's not really effective.
Thoughts, comments, ciriticism and suggestions are most welcome.
Second: Dwarven Grunt is just awful. Replace it with Spark Mage, especially if your metagame is filled with Birds of Paradise.
An opponent attacks me with -say- a Tarmogoyf, equipped with a Loxodon Warhammer. I declare my blockers: I block with a Ravenous Rats. Before damage goes on the stack, I play Whitemane Lion and return my Ravenous Rats.
My question: does Tarmogoyf still deal damage? And does my opponent gain life from his Warhammer? (My hunch is 'no', because Tarmogoyf was blocked, it would've dealt damage to my Rats and trampled over it, but it's gone now.)
The argument 'the target is still legal' would indeed be silly. It's not precisely what they said, but it was something of that fashion..
4 Ravenous Rats
4 Whitemane Lion
3 Pit Keeper
4 Phyrexian Rager
4 Thieving Sprite
4 Stonecloaker
2 Riftwatcher
4 Gravedigger
2 Galepowder Mage
4 Shriekmaw
4 Caves of Koilos
11 Swamp
10 Plains
4 Cloudchaser Kestrel
2 Aven Riftwatcher
3 Faceless Butcher
4 ?
This is an updated deck. For how it works I refer to an earlier topic: http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=65977. I'm considering adding Momentary Blink, Makeshift Mannequin and Reveillark. Also, I don't know what to sideboard.
Comments?
(I always believed the swap wouldn't take place because there can't be any exchange with only one creature. But others say the 'swap' does take place and my opponent receives my Infiltrator, because the target is still legal.)
Haha, agree.