Hey guys, I'm back! My computer was in the shop for a few days, but luckily its back much sooner than I expected it! Is there anything important I may have missed?
Not really. We turned in our submission for the Clan Contest.
Random topic of discussion, perhaps, for my clan mates. Are you getting anyone you know from your regular gaming group (your local guys) any cards for Christmas?
I only ask cause I'm about to grab my friend a copy of Angus Mackenzie he has been wanting for awhile. I kind of dread seeing it in play, especially knowing that won't be his only way of locking the game up in his favor.. but I know he'll enjoy it.
I would, if I knew what anyone needed. Haven't been playing much with my usual group, so I have no idea what anyone's looking for.
@Dechs: Yours is the more logical way to look at it. I understand what you're trying to say, so don't think you're not communicating it properly. I can be a little shortsighted in the way I view things.
It impacts a game slightly more than shuffling a library would. Unless your meta is heavy on tutors and top-deck manipulation, exiling cards off the top is little more than putting them on the bottom of the library. It just says "you won't draw these cards this game." If I were playing a mill deck? Yes, it would have an impact. If I were abusing Jeleva's ability to free cast more? Yes, it would have an impact. As it stands? Not really noticeable.
For one guy I exiled three lands and a ramp critter. I helped him because he drew gas that next turn.
Maybe I overvalue the exile effect, but I've just never been upset about what I've taken away from my opponents. I've even eliminated two players, in separate games, after I exiled the last of their decks and passed the turn.
Dude, I have yet to impact the game with Jeleva. The first time I played her she was Chaos Warp'd in response to greaves, even though the best thing she could cast was Opportunity.
The last game I played with her, she hit the table twice. Four cards from four players: All I got was a Demonic Tutor and she died to a boardwipe before I could attack. Second casting, she nabbed a Path of Exile, Reigns of Power, and Ghostaway. The only thing useful there was Path of Exile, but again, she died before I could attack.
Shameless self plug: There's a half hour of voting left and I'm only one vote away from Best Avatar... little help?
Already voted for you.
You don't think exiling a handful of cards from everyone impacts the game? I've been rocking Jeleva for a while and that's mostly what I do with her. If I actually get to attack with her, sweet. If not, oh well. Kill her and cast again. Wash, rinse, and repeat, as necessary.
Well, by the time we got to the Hawaiians, we already had plenty of practice committing atrocities against indigenous cultures. It's practically an American tradition by now.
I joke, but there is this pain in my heart for those people.
It's a pretty fair assessment of how we've done things in 'Murica. I agree that it's really sad, though.
For those of you who have the endless itch to brew new things, what deck are you currently working on or have plans to build?
For me, I'm brainstorming a Mono-R Kumano, Master Yamabushi BURN deck. I'll include lots of mana doublers, and damage doublers, plus things like Repercussion, red boardwipes, and some deathtouch effects (definitely rolling with Basilisk Collar).
Building a Melek, Izzet Paragon deck. It's going to be storm, of course, but I plan on making the mana cost extremely low. It's definitely going to by "Glass Canon" deck. It'll be able to win on other peoples' turns, so I'll wait until everybody is tapped out, or when they try to win, and combo off.
I love that song! I learned of it last year, it's quite beautiful, though when I learned of it I learned of the atrocities america caused to Hawaii and the Hawaiian culture, it made me incredibly sad.
Erebos, God of the Dead is a pretty good utility commander, being reliable, if painful, card draw. And if Oloro, Ageless Ascetic decks are running around in your meta, you automatically have an off switch for their shenanigans.
I don't think I'd run this, personally. There are so many other options in :symb:. If it didn't cost so much, or hit everyone, maybe. I get that it's a wipe and card draw. Hitting one player for eight mana isn't enough for me.
man, the amount of people claiming to have ripped people on trades in the confession thread is scary.
There's a few people I've seen doing that here. It's always the friday a set gets released and new players pop in and crack boxes. They descend like vultures on the newds and grab all the "good" cards in exchange for the timmy cards.
The only time I've done that, I tried to tell the guy what the card (foil Duplicant, before the Arsenal dropped the price) was worth. Some people just don't care.
Not really ripping him off in that scenario, but I felt a little bad about it.
I've seen plenty of people at my LGS that practically brag about screwing others over on trades. I think I'm going to start calling people out on it, because I hate that predatory attitude. I know I've been burned. I blame myself for not checking, though.
If someone is cool with a lopsided trade, that's a whole other story. Some people are strange like that.
If you want to get a little better at poker, continue to play casually with one change. Make every poker night a $10 buy in tournament where the winner gets all the cash. It's a trivial amount of cash and at the end of the day, everyone should be pretty even. The thing is, as soon as there is money on the line, you'll notice everyone plays a lot differently.
If you want to get awesome at poker, play it online without a chatroom. You won't get any cues for someone bluffing except their betting patterns. Betting patterns are the most reliable way to read an opponent, so learning to not rely on the other cues will help you avoid being fooled by them.
Both of those are pretty good ideas. I know some of my friends will be down to play some low-stakes tourneys. Just gotta find the time.
(So that the other clans never realise what we did.)
On unrelated note: I just finished making my gingerbread dough for tomorrow. We planned to bake gingerbread together with my friends, and decided to make them shaped like organic molecules.
... and while we are on topic, what are your favourite Christmas Carols, clan(wo)men?
"Feliz Navidad" is my favorite song. But it has to be the original version.
Not really. We turned in our submission for the Clan Contest.
I would, if I knew what anyone needed. Haven't been playing much with my usual group, so I have no idea what anyone's looking for.
Geist of Saint Traft is really strong.
Maybe I overvalue the exile effect, but I've just never been upset about what I've taken away from my opponents. I've even eliminated two players, in separate games, after I exiled the last of their decks and passed the turn.
Already voted for you.
You don't think exiling a handful of cards from everyone impacts the game? I've been rocking Jeleva for a while and that's mostly what I do with her. If I actually get to attack with her, sweet. If not, oh well. Kill her and cast again. Wash, rinse, and repeat, as necessary.
You're welcome!
And I know what you mean. I have done none of the baking I wanted to do, so I need to get on that.
It's a pretty fair assessment of how we've done things in 'Murica. I agree that it's really sad, though.
Building a Melek, Izzet Paragon deck. It's going to be storm, of course, but I plan on making the mana cost extremely low. It's definitely going to by "Glass Canon" deck. It'll be able to win on other peoples' turns, so I'll wait until everybody is tapped out, or when they try to win, and combo off.
EDIT: Chains of Mephistopheles, too.
This sums up the type of player I am.
Oblivion Ring it.
Cast Apocalypse.
Pray that no one can do anything about it.
That's 'Murica for you.
I've seen plenty of people at my LGS that practically brag about screwing others over on trades. I think I'm going to start calling people out on it, because I hate that predatory attitude. I know I've been burned. I blame myself for not checking, though.
If someone is cool with a lopsided trade, that's a whole other story. Some people are strange like that.
Seriously, though. Just because one has long hair and a beard, it doesn't mean they partake of illicit substances.
That's cool. I'm not much of a Speed player, to be honest. Never really played it much, though.
Both of those are pretty good ideas. I know some of my friends will be down to play some low-stakes tourneys. Just gotta find the time.
(They are onto us, Bur!)
"Feliz Navidad" is my favorite song. But it has to be the original version.
As far as carols, I really like "We Three Kings."