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Magic: The Gathering
GP Manila, here I come!
by Jay Llanes on Dec.30, 2014, under Magic: The Gathering
It's December 30, 2014 as I'm writing this. I booked my flight to Manila from Singapore last October. It was the time I first found out that a Grand Prix will be held in Manila on January 3 and 4.
I've been to 2 GP's so far, both of them were limited format, GP Singapore in 2013 was draft, while GP Kuala Lumpur was sealed. Limited was never my strong suit. GP Manila, thankfully, is standard constructed. I'm waaaaaay below par than the pros, but let's just say I've had more experience playing standard constructed than draft or sealed. I'm more comfortable in this format.
So, with the upcoming Grand Prix, it begs a very important question that I really need an answer real soon… What deck do I use?
Currently, I made 2 decks for use. My ever favorite Esper Control, and my recent mono Green Villains. Here are the pros and cons:
Esper Control:
– I am used to playing control ever since Innistrad came out and continued on into RTR, Theros and stopping short of KTK, so I am very familiar with this archetype.
– This deck uses few to no creatures, rendering at least 1/3 of the current meta's cards useless against it.
– On the other hand, it is stocked with a chock full of removal spells such as Dissolve, Hero's Downfall, Utter End, End Hostilities, Thoughtseize, Bile Blight, to deal with a creature heavy meta.
– Being in a creature heavy meta, this archetype is actually favored to win (why it isn't winning will be discussed later) against the more popular Mardu and Abzan midrange decks.
– The deck is highly reactive. It relies heavily on having the right answer for the right threat at the right time. Timing is everything to this deck. Missing out on an opportunity to counter or remove a threat can have dire consequences.
– There are no powerful card draws in the current card pool. Dig Through Time is VERY powerful, Jace's Ingenuity is actually more efficient in terms of mana cost to Sphinx's Revelation, but they all lack the raw power and impact that it gave.
– Esper Control is mostly a 1-for-1 removal. Anything that upsets that balance is never good for business. A 2-for 1 Wingmate Roc, a resolved Hordeling Outburst, even a hexproof creature can easily throw a wrench in our plans (I'm looking at you, Sagu Mauler!).
– It is one-dimensional. It's a control deck. It can't change into a midrange when it suits the situation. Ergo, my opponents can easily adapt to my deck post board. My only option is to have more control-ish cards to board in, like Stain the Mind
Now, let me take you on a tour with my recent project, the Mono Green Villain:
The Mono Green Villain is primarily a mono green devotion shell with the staples Sylvan Caryatid, Courser of Kruphix, Polukranos, Arbor Colossus and Nykthos. The Villain part comes in the form of Villainous Wealth. The game plan is two-fold: the basic beatdown, or the more nefarious Villainous Wealth: generate a HUGE amount of mana via Nykthos and then use it to steal everything in your opponent's deck that isn't nailed down.
Mono Green Villain:
– This win condition is unheard of in the current meta. So the element of surprise is always on my side on game 1.
– If Villainous Wealth is somehow unavailable (bad draws and such), the deck can still function as a big beatdown deck courtesy of Polukranos and Nylea, God of the Hunt. Plus, a humongous Genesis Hydra never really hurt. Well, it is painful for my opponent.
– It takes away threats in much the same way as milling your opponent, but at the same time bolsters your board presence after the fact.
– It is highly creature dependent, a well placed board sweeper can really set us back.
– It is mana intesive. Removing my mana dorks can easily slow me down. So whether it is the beatdown plan or the stealing stuff plan, it doesn't work without my mana dorks.
There is actually a third deck that I have the option of playing, the Blue-White Heroic deck, made by a friend. He lent me this deck because Eladamri23 is actually going to borrow my green deck for play and my Esper is just sooo frickin' slow to play with and against, that it's just not practical to use it in a GP.
The pros and cons for the UW Heroic are fairly simple, but at its core, it's dependent on a highly tuned balance of creatures and targeted spells. So far, I've been goldfishing with the deck for 4 hours now. It shows promise, as it can kill opponents on turn 5, unopposed. Of course in an actual game, that's a different story. For some reason, however, I seem to get flooded either by too many lands, or too many creatures.
I still have to make some final changes to my Esper Control deck which would include more card draws, less planeswalker(s), more options for counterspells. I dunno. I need to make these changes with little or no sleep as I still have work during these times.
I know I don't have that much experience, and most likely no followers on this blog, but hey! Wish us luck!
Back to Mono G
by Eladamri23 on Dec.14, 2013, under Magic: The Gathering
One of the things that I really enjoy is writing. I would like to think that I have a knack for it. However, I don't write as often as I should. This is not due to laziness but mainly of lack of material to write about. I don't usually have the chance (time, family affairs, money issues etc.) to join all the legacy events here and there but I try to play whenever I can. Fortunately, I was able to join last Saturday's legacy at my LGS (local gaming shop). It was a 10-man event and most of the players look familiar.
Familiar by face, that is.
I don't have any idea as to what deck they're going to play except for two guys that are my buddies (one played goblins and the other played high tide).
I thought, "what the heck". I came to play and to have some fun. And that is what I'm going to do.
Before I get down to the details of my matches, I would like to give you an overview of what my elf deck looks like nowadays. In the past few months, it was U/G that had 2 sets of fetches, breeding pool (ouch!) and disruption in the form of Daze (full set) and spell pierce. It only had staff of domination + priest/archdruid combo. I had some good times with it as opponents never expect to be Dazed by an elf deck. And while having disruption is good, there is still a part of me that knew that the mono green version was actually more consistent in terms of winning by 3rd. I am still able to combo off on 3rd with 1 daze in hand but then there would be those times when I have my 2 combo pieces but I'm missing 1 or 2 elves (need at least 5 in play) because I have spell pierce/daze in my hand instead. So, with this thinking and being partly inspired by the recent success of the mainsteam elf deck, I decided to modify my deck by going back to mono. Below are the changes that I made:
(Note: The netdeck elves is not really mono as it has deathrite shaman but it has zero reactive spells just like my mono.)
– removed the Spell pierce and Daze
– put in 4 copies of Genesis Wave (welcome back!!!)
– added Nettle Sentinel (full set) and up the count of Birchlore ranger to 4
– added 3 Fauna Shaman (see next bulletpoint as to why)
– put back 1 Emrakul and 2 Concordant Crossroads
The last bit about 2 crossroads in the main might raise some eyebrows and I can't blame people doing so. I've had bad experiences with playing 2 copies (got one in my opening then I would draw my 2nd copy within the next few turns). However, those 60 cards before are much different from what I'm running for the past 2 years or so. Another thing is that my deck, except for Emrakul and 3 Fauna Shaman, are all 4-ofs. When I tried goldfishing, it didn't came up as often as before. It also complimented Genesis wave real well (wave for 3 then hitting staff, concordant and archdruid is not a bad scenario). I did some more goldfishing and found that the 3rd turn win became a much more common place. That is the reason why I'm sticking with 2 copies MD.
I think that is enough deck overview so now I'll get down to what happen in the 4-round event.
1st Round: Against Elves
1st game:
Brewers are far and few. At least in my side of the world, they are. The moment he played a mana dork on his first turn (he won the die roll and chose play), I knew I was up against the stock elf list with Glimpse of nature, Natural order and Craterhoof Behemoth. I had my combo pieces in my opening but since he was on play, he was able to go off on 3rd.
2nd game:
In all honesty, I have no cards in my sideboard that can effectively ruin elves. I boarded in cards which I thought may have some sort of impact: 2 copies of Ensnaring Bridge. I was on play and my opening hand had PoT and Genesis Wave. I played Genesis Wave for 15 on 3rd turn and hit a few lands, 2 archdruids, lots of 1cc elves and 1 CC. My opponent and I both counted the damage and it was lethal. We shuffled and prepared for the 3rd game.
3rd game:
Here is where I made a mistake that might have cost me the tournament. I was only 2nd place when the event came to a close but it might have had a different result. My opening hand was great as it had my combo pieces. There was one problem, though. It only had one land and it was Gaea's Cradle. I decided to "roll the dice" and declared keep. It was risky but since I had my pieces in my opening, I thought it was worth the risk.
My opponent was on play.
I didn't draw any lands on my first 2 turns and he had his combo on his 3rd.
That was it. I lost my first round. I didn't feel bad about it as it was no one's fault but mine. Add this to the fact that I saw how consistent my deck was (all 3 games would have my combo on 3rd; it was just a matter of who was on play and gets to 3rd turn first). Still, it got me into "what if" mode for the next couple of hours. It was a lesson learned and as blasphemous as my next statement sounds, I'm seriously contemplating on removing the lone Cradle and replacing it with a Forest.
Round 2: Against Belcher
Some of you may not know how a Belcher deck works so let me explain as quick as I can. It is a deck capable of killing an opponent on Turn 1. This is done through a lot of goblin tokens from Empty the Warrens or a straight-to-your-face direct damage from the card Goblin Charbelcher. It is a form of a storm deck and it is a kind of combo that is "all in".
That sounds like a bad matchup, right? Because my deck is a 3rd turn combo deck, right?
Our 2 games were finished in less than 5 minutes but I bet it's not the outcome that you expect.
1st game:
As we were shuffling our decks, I was looking at my opponent and I was trying to guess what deck he might be using. He was a thin guy, around 5'4, dark complexion and was way younger than me (probably around 25 or 26). We both looked at our hands, declared keep and he chose to play after winning the die roll (die roll actually happened first). He took a good look at his hand and after a few seconds, he started playing one card after the other. He played 4 spells before casting Empty the Warrens which got him 10 goblins by the end of his turn 1. I had my combo pieces in my hand and I know it would still take him 2 combat phases to actually win. I played a mana dork on my first turn then passed. He attacked for 10 then passed the turn. I played PoT and 2 more 1cc elves. I got 4 elves on battlefield, 1 mana dork and 1 Staff on hand. I passed the turn knowing that I can block one goblin to survive. That is exactly what happened then my opponent said done. Now I have to have enough mana to cast Staff and the 1cc elf in my hand. I draw a land and I thought I needed to draw off staff and hope that it is a 1cc elf. After tapping and untapping PoT courtesy of Quirion ranger, I had 6 mana (played staff off my 3 forests) and activated the draw ability of staff. I still had one mana floating.
Lo and behold, I drew a second copy of Quirion Ranger!!! Now I have my 5th elf and I can untap PoT to enable my combo.
My opponent was as surprised as I was. Of course, mine was a good kind of surprise.
2nd game:
At this point, I was in a good kind of high. For someone who doesn't have much experience in legacy tourneys, I would like to think that I have every reason to be happy for having defeated a turn 1 deck in such fashion. We both kept our opening hands (I had my combo pieces again) and he chose play. For some reason, he didn't do anything on turn 1 and passed back to me. He didn't do anything as well on turn 2 which now made me think that he kept a really bad hand. I went off on my 3rd turn and again, my opponent was shocked that the match is over. We shook hands and chatted for a bit as the others were still in their game 1.
At one point in our chat, my opponent blurted out "Wala pang 5 minutes yung laro natin ah!" (our match didn't take more than 5 minutes).
I was so pumped up going to Round 3.
Round 3: Against Sneak Show
My round 2 match was done and I had the chance to watch other people play. I saw that there was a Dredge deck, a Sneak Show deck and what I would like to assume is U/R Delver deck. In an LGS event like this, tier 1 decks like Sneak Show usually doesn't have any problems going X-0 or X-1. IMO, there are two main reasons for this: First is the fact that Sneak Show is really a powerful, explosive combo deck that has a high win percentage on Game 1's. Second, you would usually see folks joining our legacy events that are not really well-versed in said format. They are those people that don't really read much about magic and competitive formats. Hence, they usually have no idea on what are the decks that thrive in the current metagame. I don't judge them or think I'm better than them in anyway because they usually join for fun's sake only. However, it pains me a bit to see that their decks are usually plain fodder against serious players and their net decks.
This event was no exception.
When all was said and done, the Sneak show deck came out at the top of the heap.
Sadly, his record was not 4-0. ;o)
1st game:
My euphoria from my last match was starting to fade but knowing how Sneak Show's game works, my focus was still laser-like. He won the die roll and chose play (unless your opponent plays a deck with graveyard shenanigans, most players choose play). He kept his opening hand and I did the same as well. It was not a strong hand for me as I only had Fauna Shaman and none of my two combo pieces. I thought if I can untap FS on my 3rd turn, tutor PoT and play it, I would have a better chance of doing something great on my 4th. That would be either drawing Staff or tutoring for Emmy. This plan would have come into fruition if my opponent didn't play Repel on FS after I played it on my 2nd turn. I had to play FS again on my 3rd and when his 4th turn came, he played sneak show and cheated a haste Emrakul into play.
Before he played Sneak show, I thought I was lucky to be still alive on SnT's 4th turn. So much for luck. I conceded and we both prepared for Game 2.
2nd and 3rd game:
You might think I'm getting lazy while writing this that I decided to do some shortcut to my story. Fact of the matter is games 2 and 3 were basically the same. I boarded in 2 Ensnaring Bridge and took out 1 Nettle Sentinel and 1 Concordant Crossroads at the beginning of game 2. I chose play and I had my combo pieces in my hand for both games. On both games, my opponent played show and tell and I "showed" Staff while having an active Pot (active archdruid for 3rd game). His Emrakul never got to attack (due to Staff's tap ability) and both games were finished via Staff combo.
I had to control myself from shouting all types of triumphant words/sounds/noises after the match.
Round 4: Against Mono White Control (Prison?)
This was a pure control deck but (luckily) I was not able to see how the deck wins so I'll just provide details of what happened and cards that I saw from my opponent.
1st game:
I kept my opening because it had my combo pieces. My opponent kept his hand as well and he chose to play. He was able to play Moat but it was not enough to beat me. I can't exactly remember what turn I had my combo. Nonetheless, I won Game 1.
2nd game:
I boarded in 2 Naturalize and 1 Nullmage Shepherd. Like in previous games, I took out 2 1 drop elves (nettle and birchlore) and 1 CC. My opponent had an explosive hand wherein he played 2 Mox Diamond and resolved a Trinisphere. This card can slow down an elf deck big time. He then played Moat and Humility on his next 2 turns. It was an obvious lockdown so I conceded and we prepared for our 3rd game.
3rd game:
My opponent had resolved a Trinisphere on his 3rd turn. This time, it didn't have much impact as I already have an active Archdruid and a couple of elves in play. He played Moat (again) but like before, it didn't have much impact (compared to Humility). During my 4th turn, I had to re-read the wording on Trinisphere to make sure that it doesn't have any effect on Genesis Wave. I played Genesis Wave for 4 and hit Nullmage Shepherd. Now I have removal for my opponent's pesky artifacts and enchantments. At this point, he had 1 Mox Diamond and 1 Moat in play. I thought it was better to destroy Moat (this was on the same turn I played Wave) but my friend David pointed out a few hours later that I should have destroyed Mox Diamond first. He was correct because my opponent would only have 3 white mana sources left which would make him unable to play 4cc spells like Humility and Wrath of god after I pass the turn. He can draw a 4th land and still be able to play those spells but it was still a better move because Moat was not really deterrent to my game plan. It was a lucky break that came my way and it took 1 or 2 more turns before I drew a Staff.
I'm at 3-1 at that point and we were just waiting for other players to finish their games. However, I had to rush back home as I have other appointments and I just asked my friend to inform me if I made it to top 3.
I was 2nd place. I know being champ is still the main goal but I was more than glad with my results. The event was a combo world (elves, Sneak show, Dredge, Belcher) and the fact that my deck was able to keep up (and defeat most) with other combo decks certainly made my day. My SB still needs a lot of work (I am yet to obtain copies of Mindbreak Trap) and I really hope I could get my hands on this card before the year ends. With the recent success of glimpse elves, I should also try to look for a card that will improve my chances against this deck. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Until then…
Untap, Upkeep, Draw
Wearing down your opponent
by Jay Llanes on Oct.10, 2013, under Magic: The Gathering
Much as my friend is excited about playing aggro/combo (read article below this one), I'd have to say control decks are more challenging. Please note that I have chosen the word "challenging" as opposed to "exciting". Control decks take time to build, time to master, and definitely takes time to win in games and thus control decks are sometimes affectionately called "Grind" decks because it just puts both players through an ordeal.
Playing control is exactly that… controlling the game. It's not just the "Wham! Bam! Thank you Ma'am!" that aggro decks do or a One-two punch that combo decks tend to. When you play control you're in it for the long haul.
Control is about making sure you have an answer for almost anything your opponent throws at you. That in itself is a challenge when building a control deck. You have to think of almost every eventuality and prepare an answer for all of them. And that's not even enough, because when you're done controlling the game, how are you supposed to win?
There are several factors that are keys to playing control decks effectively.
1.) Preparation – playing the deck is one thing, but to win, you have to know your deck inside and out. Know your options even before coming to the table. How many board sweeps do I have? Do I have enough counter spells? Am I prepared to deal with planeswalkers? It was only recent that I realized how important this is.
2.) Denial – I once read an article about the psychological effect of countering a spell. It said, considering that let's say your opponent casts a Kalonian Hydra and you happen to have an Essence Scatter and a Doom Blade, both of which are capable of putting that hydra to the graveyard, it is much more frustrating on your opponent's part to be denied (via Essence Scatter) than it is to kill the creature. Why? It boils down to a feeling of accomplishment, which you would deny via the counterspell. Now, I'm not saying you should pepper your deck SOLELY with counterspells. That's not going to win anything. But magic is more than just playing cards, you also play your opponent's mind. Keeping your opponent off balance will wreck not only his/her strategy but also his/her composure. Deny his options by discards, deny his creatures with board sweeps, deny his big spells with counterspells and soon, your opponent will be so frustrated he/she will just throw anything he/she top decks and by then you'll just swat them away like flies.
3.) Patience – Patience is said to be a virtue. This adage is especially true with control. You're never in a rush when playing control. Remember, if for some reason, you feel the need to rush in your control deck, it means your opponent has control of the game. It's okay to take a few hits as long as it's not lethal. Control decks are like very complicated combo decks. Each card complements the others to achieve a common goal. Much like clockwork, control decks take some time to get really going, but when it does, it's a juggernaut that only a miracle (thankfully rotated out of standard) can stop.
4.) Play often, play a lot – When it comes to playing, the best teacher isn't Brian Kibler or Carsten Kotter or any big name player of any format. I can shell out everything I know and it might as well count for nothing because Magic: the Gathering is a personal game. Your experience playing the same deck with the same opponent may different from mine. You can take advise, but more importantly, learn from experience.
5.) Enjoy – Control decks aren't for everyone. Like I said, it's takes a long time, it's arduous, and takes a whole lot more brain power. Strangely enough, I enjoy seeing my opponent sweat. Seeing them grimace under their fake, put-on smile. Barely hearing their curses under their breath. I'm a bit of sadist that way. (MWAHAHAHA!) More than all the advice you'll ever hear from anyone about playing Magic, my best advice is to enjoy the game, or at least, play a deck that you most enjoy playing.
Next time, I will report on my game trends playing Esper Control/Mill in standard, how the rotation has affected my deck and the current meta (at least here in Singapore).
The Simplicity and Complexity of Combo
by Eladamri23 on Oct.06, 2013, under Magic: The Gathering
As far as I can remember, I have always been fascinated with speed. I have always taken pride in being fast in most of the things that I do. During elementary days I would take down notes and write answers as quick as I can so I can be the first to raise my hand (while holding a pencil) and first to scream "I'm finished!!!!". I am a big fan of Need for Speed games and movies from The Fast and the Furious franchise. I play lead guitars and my dream is to be able to shred like Yngwie Malmsteen and Michael Romeo. My usual set of favorite characters from anime/games are those that can move swiftly or those that can teleport (Gokou, Kamen Rider Kabuto, Raiden from Mortal Kombat, 4th Hokage Minato from Naruto, Soujiro Seta from Samurai X..this list can go on forever). There is something about haste (not the magic keyword; pun definitely not intended) that excites the very core of my soul. The idea of finishing an act/battle/game in the shortest possible time can make me smile in the middle of intensity 10 earthquake while zombies run amuck.
Let me also add that I am an impatient guy.
I think these two things are the main reasons why I am more drawn to playing aggro and combo decks compared to control. There is just something sweet about turning lots of creatures sideways and winning on 3rd or 4th turn. However, I think it's more awesome when the right cards are in place and your combo wins the game right then and there. No questions asked (unless you're playing with a newbie) and you're shuffling for the next game.
That is the easy and simple part of playing a combo deck. Find 2, 3 or even 4 cards and the game is over. Of course, in real world, most competitive legacy decks will have disruption. It could be counterspells, discard, creature kill or combination of these 3. But then again, the cream of the crop legacy decks are usually blue-based and have disruption of their own. With this, I think it's safe to say that disruption wars are even out especially on games 2 and 3.
On the top of my head, listed below are some of the more competitve and well-known legacy combo decks:
Sneak and show
The Epic Storm
Glimpse elves (what, you think I won't mention my favorite tribe?!)
Looking at the decks above, let us now discuss the complex side of this archetype; drawing the combo pieces as early as possible. I have read many articles and forum topics about combo decks and while I can't and won't discuss the intricacies of each deck, I noticed one thing in common: 1 or 2 cards make a difference. It is true. On mtgsalvation.com, the glimpse elves topic would have members debate on whether or not they need 1, 2 or no copy of Priest of Titania in their main deck. You have the argument between Summoner's Pact and Green Sun's Zenith. On the same website, SnT players discuss the merits of having intuition and the number of copies needed. For other blue-based combo, there would always be a discussion if it's okay to add a 3rd or 4th copy of Preordain. Combo players look for consistency and if we all live in "Magical Christmas Land" (Evan Erwin's fave quote), it would always be an automatic 4 of for each card. At the end of the day, I think most players decide on these things by looking at two things: tournament results of others (usually by Pros) and their own experience.
So, if you're someone new on playing legacy or have played it with an aggro or control deck, I hope I have given you a good yet informative overview of what to expect when building and playing combo. You have to win asap and you need to have the right support cards (and correct number of copies) to enable the combo.
Until then.
Untap, Upkeep, Draw.
Tournament Report: 12/01/2012 Legacy Wars
by Eladamri23 on Dec.04, 2012, under Magic: The Gathering
This would be my 2nd time to join a large legacy event (Large=30+ participants) and before I unassumingly misled some people, let me say this first: I didn't win. A couple of weeks before this tournament, I have been bragging to my MTG buddies that I have "perfected" my Kamehame Wave deck by adding Staff of Domination. Now, when I say perfected, what I mean is that I have achieved the consistency that I've been looking for this combo deck. The goal that I've been working on since Manila GP is to be able to win consistently on turn 3 and with endless mix-match of cards, I found the correct combination/number of cards. Here's what the deck looks like:
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Fyndhorn Elves
4 Heritage Druid
4 Arbor Elves
4 Quirion Ranger
3 Birchlore Rangers
4 Priest of Titania
4 Elvish Archdruid
3 Joraga Warcaller
2 Wirewood Channeler
1 Immaculate Magistrate
1 Ezuri, Renegade Leader
4 Genesis Wave
4 Staff of Domination
1 Concordant Crossroads
12 Forests
1 Gaea's Cradle
4 Faerie Macabre
4 Thorn of Amethyst
2 Beast Within
2 Naturalize
2 Choke
1 City of Solitude
For those unaware of how this deck wins on turn 3:
Turn 1: Play Forest, Play 1cc Mana dork
Turn 2: Play Forest, tap both Forests, tap 1cc mana dork, cast Elvish Archdruid (or Priest of Titania and another 1cc elf)
Turn 3: Tap 2 Forests to play 2 more 1cc elves, tap Archdruid to float 4 mana, cast either Heritage druid or Quirion Ranger, use remaining 3 mana to cast Staff of Domination.
Turn 3: Tap Elvish Archruid for mana and cast Genesis Wave; If it hits Staff of Domination, total of 5 elves in a play and a way to untap Archruid, it's game over as well.
Note: Any turn 3 (or any turn for that matter) wherein I have 4 elves + active Elvish Archdruid, Priest of Titania or Wirewood Channeler and a Staff of Domination in play and spare 3 mana to untap EA, PT or WC, then it's game over. I would have infinite mana to be used for Staff's other ability. Either I cast Concordant Crossroads so that all elves can attack on the same turn or I cast Ezuri and do the infinite pump effect on my non-summoning sickness elves.
The deck can win on turn 3. Of course, as a non-blue combo deck, it is susceptible to disruption (counterspells, discard effects etc.). It is also a bit weak against removal (e.g. Burn, black creature kill spells etc.). I say a "bit weak" because most creatures that I have are 4-ofs so I have the leisure of drawing a 2nd Priest of Titania or Elvish Archdruid or one of my 2 copies of Wirewood Channeler.
So, you may ask, why do I play this deck in a format full of disruption and removal?
– It's a deck that I designed and edited on my own
– It's not a net deck
– I enjoy playing elves
Moving on, here are the summary of the 5 rounds that I played before dropping out (it was 7 rounds and I was at 2-3)
Round 1: vs Glimpse-Elves
Game 1
As we're both elves, both our T1 started with a 1cc elf. If I remember correctly, I was able to cast Archdruid (or Priest?) on turn 2 while he played lots of elves without casting any Glimpse of Nature. I was relieved and eventually I was able to combo off on 4th turn.
Game 2
I had no SB that would be effective for Glimpse Elves so I kept my main deck intact.
Turn 1 was pretty much the same. He was able to cast PoT on Turn 2 and I cast EA on my turn 2. On turn 3, he played two or 3cc elves before playing Glimpse of Nature. He played more elves, draw more cards and the moment he played mirror entity (with wirewood symbiote in play), I stopped him and asked him to perform a shortcut as to what he needs to draw to finish the game. He showed me Ezuri and Emrakul. Nuff said.
Game 3
Turn 1 is again the same. Turn 2 for him didn't include PoT while I was able to cast EA on Turn 2. Turn 3 I cast a couple of other elves and I was able to cast Genesis Wave for 6 which got 2 Forest, 1 Elf that I can't remember,1 Staff of Domination, 1 Pot and Concordant Crossroads.
Round 2: vs Dredge
Game 1
I have read about Dredge but this was my first time playing against it in a tournament. I have a pretty good idea of how this deck can win on turn 1 and I was expecting that on our first game.
It didn't happen on first turn.
However, since I don't have the combo pieces that I needed, he was able to finish me off on 3rd or 4 turn via a dozen or so 2/2 zombies.
Game 2
SB: + 4 Faerie Macabre
Out: – 1 Joraga Warcaller, -1 Birchlore Ranger, 1 Wirewood Channeler, -1 Arbor Elf
He was able to delay my game plan early on as he cast Firestorm on my elves.My opponent was able to dredge 1 Narcomeaba and 1 Bridge from Below on Turn 2. Good thing was I had 1 FM on my opening hand and I was able to remove both cards from his graveyard. This stalled the game long enough for me to accumulate enough elves (via normal casting and via Genesis wave) and after making life computations on turn x, he conceded and we proceeded on our 3rd game.
Game 3
This was a long game that had him casting 2 or 3 Firestorm on my creatures. That was more than enough to keep me from pulling my combo. He finished me off with zombies and 2 Ichorids.
Note: The result of this matchup might have been different if I had Dense Foliage in my SB.
Round 3: vs Nic-Fit
This is my worst round of the entire event.
Game 1
I had Joraga Warcaller on my opening hand so I thought of going the aggro route when I played it on turn 3 with 1 +1/+1 counter. I decided to attack with my 3 2/2 elves to his lone Veteran Explorer. I didn't know better.
He blocked one of my elves which killed off his Veteran Explorer, prompting us to find 2 basic lands from our decks. This is one of Nic Fit's game plan to ramp up so they can cast their better, high cc spells. He then cast Garruk Relentless and killed Joraga Warcaller. Afterwards, he played Pernicious Deed which killed all my elves then it was his win from that point onwards.
Game 2
I can't remember the exact cards I got from my SB but I'm sure it included two copies of Beast Within.
I had a good hand (2 EAs and enough forest and 1cc elves). I cast Beast Within on one of his lands hoping that this would delay him. But I was wrong and he was able to recover by playing a land on succeeding turns. He was able to cast enough creatures while I struggle in finding either a Genesis wave or Staff of Domination. On the turn where he killed me, I think he got 1 3/3 Beast token (courtesy of my Beast Within), 1 Thragtusk and 1 1/1 Wolf token with Deathtouch (from Garruk, Relentless).
Round 3: vs Burn
Disclaimer: I am all for women playing Magic. As a longtime MTG player, I am willing to teach and guide them in playing MTG the correct way. I think it would benefit the MTG community if there are more female players.
However, I personally won't let any condescension be directed at me if it's not from a friend of mine. This rule of mine will apply to all regardless of gender.
Game 1
I was up against the lone female player of this legacy event. I knew she was playing RDW/Burn because I got a look at when she played against another opponent on an earlier round. I kept an open mind and didn't had any preconceived notions that other rude male players have against female opponents.
Then our game began.
She asked meticuluously for every spell that I played and always backing it up with "it should be done one at a time" or something to that effect. I wouldn't really mind hearing something like this but then again if it's with a condescending tone that makes me look like I'm the newbie (though clearly it was the other way around), it's something I can't look past into. She even had the nerve to announce that she's a trainee judge.
By the way, did I mention that this was a pretty long game?
I'm not sure if she was bad at math, or I was bad at math or we're both predicting each other's moves wrongly that made this first game a pretty long one. She had 2 Goblin Guides on her side and I had a few elves (but no PoT, EA or WC) with 1 Staff of Domination. Facing an RDW opponent, I knew I could extend the game by gaining life here and there. It did extend the game and I thought I had a good chance of racing her until she finished me off with a Fireblast and Guttersnipe's trigger.
Game 2
SB in: +4 Thorn of Amethyst
Out: – 1 Joraga Warcaller, -1 Birchlore Ranger, 1 Wirewood Channeler, -1 Arbor Elf
My opening hand showed a Thorn of Amethyst which I played on my Turn 2. When it was her turn, it became obvious that she kept a one-land hand. She was not able to play any spell and any lands on succeeding turns. I combed off on Turn 4 or 5 in front of a Judge in case she had any questions. I explained it to her in my most non-threatening voice and the Judge confirmed the validity of my combo.
Game 3
I made no changes in my SB and still had 4 Thorn of Amethyst in my deck.
She was on play and on her third turn, she decided to play Sulfuric Vortex then ended her turn without killing my PoT. When it was my turn, she didn't do anything on her upkeep. when it was my main phase, I played Staff and she let it resolved. I had 5 elves in play at that time (including 1 Quirion Ranger). IT'S COMBO TIME!!!!!
Nope. With an antagonist like this, you think I'll have it easy??
She wanted me to backtrack on the actions that I took after Staff resolved. I did. She was tapped out so I knew that the only card she can use is Fireblast. She did have Fireblast. So the stack looked something like this:
1. SoD untap ability, targeting Elvish Archdruid
2. Fireblast, targeting EA
I had enough mana to activate SoD's self untap and activate Quirion's Ranger's untap ability (targeting EA) so if I do any of these two, the stack would look like this:
1. SoD untap ability, targeting Elvish Archdruid
2. Fireblast, targeting EA
3. SoD self-untap Ability (if this resolves, I still had enough mana to activate SoD's untap ability for the 2nd time)
1. SoD untap ability, targeting Elvish Archdruid
2. Fireblast, targeting EA
3. Activate Quirion's ability, targeting Elvish Archdruid (if this resolves, then I have more than enough mana to untap SoD and untap EA again using SoD's untap ability
To make it short for those who have a better understanding of stack, I had enough mana to put another ability on stack after she played Fireblast. That being said, I still had the combo on and I'm able to perform unlimited mana and unlimited card draw before Fireblast resolves. One of her friends was sitting right next to her and explained what happened as well as other onlookers that understood what happened. She conceded but everyone can tell that she was not at all pleased at how it turned out. My friend even heard her talking to their play group after our match was done.
Yes, she was still complaining at that time.
Round 5: vs Affinity
Game 1
I have a friend who plays affinity (but not the exact net deck version) so I kinda knew the cards to lookout for: Cranial Plating and Arcbound Ravager.
I forgot that there's another trump card for Affinity: Etched Champion
He defeated me on 4th or 5th turn with a lethal attack from EC equipped with Cranial Plating.
Game 2
SB in: 4 Thorn of Amethyst (What the hell was I thinking??), 2 Naturalize, 1 Beast Within
Out: – 2 Joraga Warcaller, -2 Birchlore Ranger, 1 Wirewood Channeler, -1 Arbor Elf, 1 Immaculate Magistrate
I'm not sure if I was just tired or I became temporarily stupid when I boarded ToA. It didn't had any impact at all. I was up against an AGGRO deck. In fact, it was my plan that was delayed because of ToA in play (my Staff costs 1 more to play). In the end, I was able to kill Master of Etherium with Beast Within when he swung for lethal. However, he still had Arcbound Ravager to which he sacrificed all of his other artifacts and he sacrified AR to its ability so that it's +1/+1 counters be be put on an unblocked Ornithopter.
I got served.
At this point, I was at 2-3 and thought that it still didn't matter standings-wise if I won the remaining 2 rounds (I would be a 4-3 standing then). The only friend that was with me had dropped off earlier and it was getting pretty late. I came over to the Judge's table and informed him that I would be dropping off.
To be honest, I was expecting a better performance. But then again, no matter how much I read about legacy articles, I'm still lacking in tournament experience. My sideboard could do some improvement as well. Overall, I'd say it was still a pretty good experience which taught me a few things about my deck and MTG in general:
– Joraga Warcaller was useless almost all the time. I put him on my deck hoping that he would provide the aggro back-up plan that is needed in case the combo is disrupted. I thought he can be the spell where I can dump all my excess mana in case the combo plan isn't feasible. He didn't win any games for me.
– Much like my previous assessment of my deck's predecessor, this deck is also weak against aggro. It lost to Affinity and the zombie tokens of Dredge. I had previous tourneys where I lost to Mono-Green Stompy and Legacy Infect decks. If I don't get my hands on Elephant Grass, I'm seriously considering putting Fog on my sideboard (or it's buyback cousin Constant Mists)
– I'm considering putting back Elvish Visionary to help out on those situations where I don't have the needed combo pieces.
– If you're planning on playing a 2 color (or more) deck, make sure you have the right amount of dual-color producing lands. No one likes losing but to lose because your deck doesn't have the correct amount/type of lands is saying something else.
Until next time.
Untap, Upkeep, Draw
Long Live the (Sliver) Queen!
by Jay Llanes on Jul.06, 2012, under Magic: The Gathering
I can finally say that my Sliver Deck is complete. After years of searching and saving money (when I was a kid, money didn't come easy, in fact, even now it still doesn't come easy), I finally got my hands on a copy of Sliver Queen! This has been my most coveted, most sought after card in all my years of playing Magic.
On a previous post, I said that I already have a Sliver deck, but that composed mainly of Tempest Slivers, but no Sliver Queen. Even with the bunch of 'em I got, it only had (what I'd like to think as) the Sliver Queen's consort, the Sliver Overlord. Together with couple of other cards, the Sliver engine is complete. Below is my current build on my take of the Sliver deck:
4 Ancient Ziggurat
7 Forest
1 Island
1 Mountain
1 Plains
3 Rootbound Crag
4 Sunpetal Grove
1 Swamp
1 Acidic Sliver
2 Crystalline Sliver
2 Dormant Sliver
2 Firewake Sliver
4 Gemhide Sliver
1 Heart Sliver
2 Homing Sliver
3 Metallic Sliver
4 Muscle Sliver
1 Necrotic Sliver
4 Sinew Sliver
1 Sliver Overlord
1 Sliver Queen
2 Winged Sliver
2 Harrow
2 Intruder Alarm
2 Chromatic Sphere
2 Prophetic Prism
2 Eldrazi Monument
The sideboard consists of a slew of others slivers that provide either protection or evasion, such as Ward Sliver, Pulmonic Sliver, and Shifting Sliver.
My current build is based on either beating down a path to my opponent's door via the Muscle Slivers and Sinew Slivers (plus the X tokens courtesy of the Sliver Queen) or creating an engine to create infinite Sliver tokens (Gemhide Sliver + Sliver Queen + Intruder Alarm) or draw my entire deck onto the battlefield (Gemhide Sliver + Sliver Overlord + any sliver + Intruder Alarm). A secondary draw engine consists of using the Dormant Sliver with the Gemhide Sliver and Intruder Alarm. The Winged Sliver provides evasion, Crystalline Slivers helps against targeted spells. The spot the Eldrazi Monument takes is replaceable with any of the following: Spined Sliver, Harmonic Sliver, or Horned Sliver.
Harrow provides a means of searching for the right kind of (untapped!) mana and of course, deck-thinning. The prisms provide mana-fixing if I don't get the color of mana I need and also importantly, a cantrip or a draw if the Dormant Sliver engine stalls.
Of course, it's quite obvious that there is A WHOLE LOTTA room for improvement on my deck, and Aether Vial is definitely something I'm looking forward to adding to the deck, but for now, I'm quite happy to have my Queen finally home where she belongs.
Counter Magic
by Jay Llanes on Jul.03, 2012, under Magic: The Gathering, MTG Basics
I started my Magic days as a Black/White mage. The stark contrast has always appealed to me. How the opposites seem to work well with each other. Although I'd bet that most MTG players began their days using simple, basic aggro decks, playing creatures, deciding whether to attack or bide for an opportune time.
In my case, I'm admittedly a Johnny at heart. I started with a Black/White Pestilence control deck. It was a sick, yet warm feeling killing off creatures at my whim, keeping a White Knight on board and either a Pariah attached to it or Worship on the battlefield to keep me safe while I dish out wave after wave of damage via Pestilence. I loved feeling in control of the board… That was until I came across a Blue/Black mage that spoiled it all for me.
Anything I wanted to cast, he'd counter. And anything that fortunately got on the battlefield was either killed via a Dark Banishing or bounced with a Capsize. I'd attack with whatever was on board, but they get picked off with a Prodigal Sorcerer amped up with Death Pits of Rath. I literally had to ask permission for almost anything that I wanted to do. And I loathed it. I loathed the feeling of helplessness.
Much in the same way that Bruce Wayne wanted the criminals to share his fear of bats by becoming one, I felt the need to have my opponents share my shame of having to ask for permission for the spells they want to cast. (Insert evil laugh here)
Since then, I've devoted myself to the arcane study of the insulting arts or better known as… Counter Magic.
A friend once told me that countering a spell is really more of a psychological assault (not defense, mind you) against an adversary. Think about it.
Let's say you have an Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite on hand. It's your turn. You have enough mana to cast it. You take your chance. She lands on the battlefield! YES! And suddenly, she gets killed by a Doom Blade. Sucks, but it's okay. You were able to stick the landing, but got killed.
Now imagine the same scenario, but as you're casting Elesh Norn, your opponent would say, "Nope. You didn't ask permission." and proceeds to Cancel it. Admit it, it sucks even more to have your bad ass creature get Cancelled than it was killed. Logistically, it was an equal exchange of cards whether it was the Doom Blade or Cancel. Your card for his. In fact, Doom Blade would have been a better choice for your opponent because it would only cost 2 mana as opposed to 3 for Cancel, but having your creature spell casually waved off like it was nothing felt more… insulting. Right? Right? C'mon… you all know that feeling. On the off-side, you'd relish the feeling of superiority, of having a grand spell dismissed for a few measly mana and tearing your opponent's plans asunder. C'mon… you also know that feeling. Admit it. You love that feeling.
In my case, I'm addicted to that feeling. I want it. I enjoy it. I relish it. (Shudders!)
I've seen my share of counterspells since the early days of Magic and while most people would argue that Force of Will is THE BEST counterspell (and I agree) below are the list of (for me) the best of the rest of them in terms of utility, flavor and sheer badassery.
1.) Mana Drain – I agree that Force of Will is THE Counterspell of choice for most mages in terms of utility and and the element of surprise. However, I think, just in terms of bad assery, Mana Drain tips my list, just because it's not enough to dismiss the spell, you also get to steal the mana and turn it on your opponent's face.
2.) Counterspell – nothing beats the original. Simple. No exceptions. Just a plain "In your face" spell that says, "NO".
3.) Power Sink – This, I think, is like the schoolyard bully of counterspells. It demands your lunch AND your money. No problem if you can pay the piper, but if not, Power Sink will leave you with nothing. NOTHING. (mana-wise, at least)
4.) Dissipate – For an extra colorless mana to that of the normal counterspell, not only do you get to wave off any spell, you get to wave it off into oblivion (except in the case of the new Misthollow Griffin). As an addendum, I'd love to put in here "Counterbore" if only because it takes away ALL copies of the countered spell. It just sucks that it costs 5CC.
5.) Undermine – "Counter target spell. That spells controller loses 3 life". That, in itself, already sums what I want to do. Plus the flavor text is my all time favorite. In case you don't know, it's "Which would you like first, the insult or the injury?" Just sheer poetry and pawnage in one counterspell.
6.) Mana Leak – use only in cases of certainty and caution. Personally, I prefer pure counterspells with no exceptions, but if you're stuck with an Island and another land, Mana Leak is your friend.
There are A LOT of other counterspells available but most of them have special conditions to meet, or have too high a casting cost or have too much drawback to be of effective use. Between Negate and a Mana Leak, I'd prefer the leak any time.
In summary, counter magic is a facet of MTG gameplay that, I believe, is akin to playing poker in terms of adding excitement and calculating risks and calling bluffs. Although Blue isn't exactly the first color you'd think when someone says "adding spice" to the game, it sure adds flavor to the experience.
Until next time.
"Someday, someone will best me. But it won't be today, and it won't be you."
A Legacy event like no other
by Eladamri23 on Jun.28, 2012, under Magic: The Gathering
Hi everyone.
Let me try to take in a few deep breaths before I begin writing down all the things I've been meaning to share. I have to do this (deep breaths) to calm myself. I can't remember the last time I've been so excited to write an article. To provide you with a better insight, picture yourself during those times of triumph (e.g. graduating from college, getting a promotion, being hired by your dream employer etc.). Then, imagine not having anyone to talk to about it. Your family went on a vacation. Your friends are still at work. Your cell phones' battery went out and your charger is broken. To top it off, you don't have internet connection. That is almost how it felt for me. Almost. I was able to share my story with my wife. She can relate, to some extent, because I've taught her MTG basic game play. However, there are a thousand details that I needed to get off my chest. Details of what I have learned during the 9 hour course of the first big legacy event that I've attended.
Yes, I'm talking about the recent Grand Prix Manila in SMX convention.
Before I begin, let me re-introduce myself as it has been more than a year since my last article.
– I'm a big fan of Green Magic and I love summoning hordes of elves at my side.
– I'm not a pro MTG player and I don't claim to be an expert on it.
– I usually play Legacy because of variety of decks that I can play against.
– I play Legacy because I feel that it's worth investing money into cards that don't usually rotate out.
– I read a lot of MTG articles from Wizards.com, Starcitygames.com and Channelfireball.com. I also browse popular forums from websites like mtgsalvation.com. Because of this, I am familiar with many different legacy decks and how they work (how to play and win against most of these decks is another matter that I'm still trying to study and explore)
– I have been tweaking my home brew elf ball for the past 2 years. I have built my elf deck around Genesis wave. The most recent version that I played at GP Manila includes 4 copies of Soul of the Harvest. The basic idea is to produce lots of mana via Priest of Titania or Elvish Archdruid and Gaea's Cradle then use it for Wave. Soul of the Harvest is the card I would want to hit every time I'd resolved a Wave so that it enables me to draw cards, cast another wave until I hit/draw Concordant Crossroads. Initially, I had tried using Regal Force but before the event, I decided not to use it and play 4 SOTH instead.
Now that that's out of the way, let's get this show on the road. I will divide this article into two parts. The first part would include the lessons I've learned during the different matches. These are the small things that might be helpful to other players on their first tournament. The second part would cover other important stuff that I've seen/done/experienced on that day.
In-game Lesson 1:
"Use your sideboard cards in Game 2 even if you won Game 1"
I know what you might be thinking. Most probably, it's the same thought that I had when I realized this stupid but costly mistake on later rounds (the event was 7 rounds). For some idiotic reason, my confidence went up a million fold every time I won Game 1 that I didn't bother sideboarding on Game 2. It was a wrong theory that I had that day. Don't ask me why I came up with it. The wrong theory was, since I won Game 1, I don't want to change anything on my deck that will compromise its main build and its so-called "consistency". I cannot be more incorrect in this line of thinking. If you won Game 1 and you have the necessary hate cards in your SB then for Pete's sake, use it on Game 2. Your opponent will be using be using his own set of hate against you so you should do the same on your end. Just do it. No questions asked. Even if you have a good matchup against a particular deck, you would want to win as quickly as possible (aiming for 2-0 instead of 2-1) and using your SB cards will help a lot in achieving this goal. Out of the 7 matches that I had, I think 3 or 4 of those might have had a different outcome (won with a 2-0 instead of a 2-1, 1-2 score) if I was thinking straight. I learned that there is a very thin line between confidence and foolishness. Unfortunately, I crossed it during said event.
In-game Lesson 2:
"Be very mindful of your MTG Kitchen table habits"
Pro-player or not, I think it's safe to say that all of us have our own "habit(s)" that we often do during our kitchen table games (non-sanctioned, casual games). I'm certain that a lot of you are guilty of what I would call "auto-Scry 1" syndrome. Simply put, this is when you look at the top card of your library after seeing your opening hand. I'm guessing it's to check if it's the 1st/2nd land that you need to ensure that your opening hand will get you somewhere. Or if you're running a combo deck, you do this move to check if the top card is your 2nd/3rd combo piece. Whatever the reason behind it, "auto-Scry 1" is not allowed during proper tournaments. You may announce "mulligan" first then look at the top card but not the other way around.
After reading Lesson 1, you might be assuming that I'm guilty of the Auto-Scry 1 syndrome. I'm happy to negate that assumption and tell you point black "No". What I'm guilty of is one of my kitchen table habits that I unassumingly developed while playing against my friends' decks that run Path to Exile. The habit is that I would always pick my deck up to look for a basic land whenever I would see a white instant 1cc removal spell from my opponent. I always assumed its PTE when at times it's Swords to Plowshares (which would have me gain life instead). During the course of GP, I have encountered STP 3 or 4 times. Every single time my opponents would cast it, I would automatically pick up my deck. I would realize a second later that it's STP so I would sheepishly apologize to my opponent and put back my deck as it is. I was fortunate that my opponents were not that strict about it. It might be because of two things: Either they are just kind enough to let it go or they saw that the order of the cards in my deck remained unchanged so they just allow me to put it back. It would have been okay and all if not for the last match that I had on round 7. It was game 2 and I made the same mistake while a judge was nearby and was watching us. I got a warning for it. Yup, it happened on round 7. The last round. It happened during the time of the event where the outcome of the match won't matter much to me as I was already at 2-6. From that point onwards, I have made a mental note that I will always check if the spell is STP or PTE regardless if I'm just playing casually with friends or another sanctioned tournament.
In-Game Lesson 3:
"There is a reason why you rarely see a 5cc and up card in legacy"
In my opinion, almost all cards are good. Good in a sense that if you're able to cast Spell A in any part of the game, the board impact it brings would either fall under the category of acceptable or insanely awesome. Yes, I'm serious with that statement. Think of the most vanilla creatures you know and if you've successfully cast those creatures in a game, it nets you a.) a creature that can attack and/or block b.) a creature that can be utilize for other effect (e.g. sacrifice to net another gain). As for non-creature spells, we may have a longer list of "bad" cards (bad cards=not playable even in casual because there other cards that give you the same type of effect or better). Now, if we talk about competitive legacy cards and how they are considered "competitive", the first and obvious criteria is that the spell's effect should have a good and immediate impact in favor of the caster. For black mages out there, you might be thinking this is not always the case (as Black magic, in general, will sacrifice/give up anything for power) but then the drawbacks that you get on staple cards like Dark Confidant, Ad Nauseum, Reanimate etc. are always outweighed by the benefits that you get. The second, much stricter criteria, is that the spell has to have a low casting cost. This usually means having a cc of 0, 1, 2 or 3. Yes, you read that right. Zero cc. Force of Will, Daze, Misdirection, Lion's Eye Diamond and Lotus Petal are some of the few legacy staples that can give you a lot of tempo advantage because of the free cc.
Legacy is a brutal and fast format. It allows players to use decks that can win on turn 1 or 2. To lose tempo in such a format would almost always put you in a bad place. Oftentimes, it quite difficult to recover once you've lost tempo. Unless you're opponent became unlucky with his draws, losing tempo would usually cost you the game. Let's compare two cards to further elaborate the importance of tempo:
- Counterspell versus Force of Will
The former is a great card. It has been an integral component of decks of past and in recent months, I've seen it being used in a few blue-based decks (in place of Spell Snare, I suppose). However, the main gripe with Counterspell is that you have to have two blue mana sources available. In casual games, this is probably fine but in legacy, not all the time. You see, most decks have a turn 1 and turn 2 play. It's not always considered an optimal play to do nothing on your 2nd turn just to have 2 open blue mana on an opponent's turn. Yes, you may say that it's almost always a "1 is to 1" scenario. But why settle for this if you have FoW (and its li'l brother Daze)? These two cards would allow you to cast spells on your turn while maintaining the option of disrupting whatever your opponent does on his turn. If you've battled with a legacy merfolk deck, you would have seen this first hand.
Let's go back now to what happened in the event and how I learned the importance of tempo. As you've read above, I played Soul of the Harvest (full set) which complements the decks' theme greatly. I had this idea that even if my combo won't go off, a 3rd turn 6/6 trampler is not a bad deal. It did happen during the event. I was able to cast SOTH during my 3rd turn numerous times. The wait for my 4th turn seems like an eternity as my hands are filled with overflowing chakra to be utilize in turning SOTH sideways.
But there was always a removal courtesy of my opponent.
Every. Single. Time.
No kidding.
If you now have the slightest idea how my deck works, you would understand how detrimental it is for my deck's plan to have SOTH be destroyed/exiled/countered. I lost tempo (a lot of it) during those times. But that is not the end of the story. Since I packed 4 copies of this card, the other non-ideal scenario did come up a couple of times and it made me lose tempo as well.
I had SOTH in my opening hand but I wasn't able to cast it on 3rd, 4th or 5th turn.
Now we just made a full circle back to the title of this third bullet point. You don't want to have spells that cost 5 or more because:
– You lose a lot of tempo if the spell is countered or destroyed. The 5 mana (or more) could have been used to cast a spell or two on your turn and still have available mana left to interact with an opponent on their turn.
– You lose a lot of tempo if you are unable to cast the spell as early as possible.
There are exceptions to these guidelines, though. Reanimator and Show and Tell decks can pack huge creatures and can "cheat" them into play consistently. These creatures are usually good enough to win games by themselves. These decks are also able to "protect" their creatures by way of their counterspells.
That sums up the important lessons I've learned from this event. I hope I was able to impart some knowledge (no matter how simple they are) to whoever reads this article. I will try to write Part 2 next week which would cover other stuff that I've learned.
Until then, Untap, Upkeep, Draw.
Finally home.
by Jay Llanes on Aug.01, 2011, under Magic: The Gathering
Someone very special to me gave me a playset of Rootbound Crag and Sunpetal Grove and I held on to them for such a long time because I didn't know what deck they could be of best use. Plus, I wanted to make sure I have them in the deck that deserves them. And so, the very special lands came home with my most beloved deck. The Slivers.
Yeah, yeah. People know me as the guy who knows nothing else except milling. And i'll get to that topic on my next post. But for now, i'll have you know that before I fell in love with milling, i've always had a thing for the slivers.
The thing is, the slivers have (and I doubt if i'm wrong) ALL the generic abilities in all of Magic. Abilities like haste, flight, trample, and the more impressive ones like shroud, mana production, and destroying ANY permanent. Throw in an ability to make them indestructible and i'd probably be tempted enough to buy 5 PLAYSETS of it. Hehe. Well, indestructibility is still one more thing they don't have, but I hope they soon do.
Now if I could just find me a copy of Aether Vial…
Posted from WordPress for Android
It's been awhile (Part 1)
by Eladamri23 on Jul.26, 2011, under Magic: The Gathering
Yes, it's a title of a famous song back then, and I can't think of a more apt moniker for this article so I'm using that famous phrase (or sentence?). I have a lot of invalid/lame excuses on why it took so long for me to post yet I'm hoping that this time around, I could churn out an article every two weeks.
Moving on, I'd like to give an overview of how the current legacy metagame looks like. As much as I'd like to give a report based on local data (I'm from the Philippines), I don't have enough type 1.5 tournaments under my belt to justify what I would write. With that said, I'll write about the information that I have read from different MTG websites like channelfireball.com and starcitygames.com. I'm a big fan of the articles written on both sites and my main goal for today is to introduce everyone to recent deck archetypes that have been making Top 8's in large legacy events in the US.
First off the list is:
Hive Mind
– took 1st place in recent Starcitygames Seattle Legacy Open last July 24, 2011, as piloted by Ben Swartz
3 Grim Monolith
4 Hive Mind
4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
4 Intuition
4 Pact of Negation
3 Pact of the Titan
2 Slaughter Pact
2 Summoner's Pact
Legendary Creatures
3 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
4 Ponder
4 Show and Tell
Basic Lands
3 Island
3 Ancient Tomb
3 City of Traitors
2 Flooded Strand
1 Misty Rainforest
2 Polluted Delta
1 Scalding Tarn
2 Underground Sea
2 Volcanic Island
4 Leyline of Sanctity
4 Mental Misstep
1 Slaughter Pact
3 Spell Pierce
3 Firespout
The first time I saw this deck making Top 8 (Top 6 in Starcity games Cincinnati Open last July 17, 2011), the legacy novice in me thought "How the fuck does this combo deck win with a key spell that has a cmc of 6″?? Of course, this was before I took a good look at the list and found a couple of things that make this deck so freaking awesome. Let's state all the win conditions that this deck has:
- Resolving Hive Mind, then casting one of the "Pact" spells; this in turn would cause the opponent to copy said pact and when it's their turn, they're unable to pay for the upkeep cost which makes them lose the game
- Cheating Emrakul, Aeons Torn into play via Show and Tell
- Cheating Hive Mind into play (if I'm not mistaken, as early as Turn 2 , thanks to Ancient Tomb) via Show and Tell then casting one of the "Pact" spells
Damn, those are sweet win conditions! Seeing that there are 3 Hive Mind decks that are Top 8 in Seattle Open (event after the Cincinnati Open), I can safely say that this deck could be the new "boogeyman" in Legacy.


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- 07/11/13
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Wonderfully Woven
So some of us are going to hang out in the loft and write some poetry. You could come along. Or not. It doesn't really matter. We just thought that since it's a...
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subset: commoncrawl


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This saturday we are getting together in the Hot Springs area for a holiday celebration. Please visit the cache page for more information.
Rumor has it that a door prize will be a refurbished GPS that a local got from an out of stater because they enjoyed our local Arkansans power trail. That cacher has been gracious enough to pay it forward.
Sign up now so we can ensure to have enough food. In addition, if you choose, we are buying gifts for 2 kids thats families are in need. The needs notice its a need not wants (clothes!) are posted in a write note comment on the cache page.
LET'S COME TOGETHER DURING THE HOLIDAYS..... ARKANSAS style!!!!!!!


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By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
5/5/2014 (10 months ago)
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)
In what some will see as a welcome response to the National Security agency scandal, Apple, Facebook, and other major U.S. technology companies say they will no longer hand over users' private information to federal investigators. They say that users have a right to know in advance when their information is targeted for government seizure.
By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)
5/5/2014 (10 months ago)
Published in Technology
Keywords: Apple, Facebook, data, federal investigations
LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Tens of thousands of Americans have their Internet data dragged into criminal investigations annually. Prosecutors complain that this practice may undermine cases by alerting criminals, who seize the chance to destroy incriminating data.
Apple, Microsoft, Facebook and Google are updating their policies to expand routine notification of users about government data seizures. Yahoo announced similar changes in July.
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It's the start of a trend to insure Americans' right to privacy. U.S. tech companies will henceforth disregard the instructions stamped on the fronts of subpoenas urging them not to alert subjects about data requests. Companies which already routinely notify users have found that investigators often drop data demands to avoid having suspects learn of inquiries.
"It serves to chill the unbridled, cost-free collection of data," Albert Gidari Jr., a partner at Perkins Coie who represents several technology companies says. "And I think that's a good thing."
The Justice Department disagrees vehemently disagrees. They say this practice puts potential crime victims in greater peril.
"These risks of endangering life, risking destruction of evidence, or allowing suspects to flee or intimidate witnesses are not merely hypothetical, but unfortunately routine," department spokesman Peter Carr said.
The changing tech company policies do not affect data requests approved by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which are automatically kept secret by law. National security letters, which are administrative subpoenas issued by the FBI for national security investigations, also carry binding gag orders.
The U.S. government has previously notified people directly affected by searches and seizures - though often not immediately - when investigators entered a home or tapped a phone line. This practice has not carried over into the digital world. Cellular carriers such as AT&T and Verizon typically do not tell customers when investigators collect their call data.
Many tech companies once followed a similar model of quietly cooperating with law enforcement. Courts, meanwhile, ruled that it was sufficient for the government to notify the providers of Internet services of data requests, rather than the affected customers.
St. Florian
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By Hannah Raissa Marfil (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
Facebook's chief technology officer, Mike Schroepfer promised that the Virtual Reality (VR) program will come into life within the year. The Oculus headset, which was on their top secret list before, was announced to be available soon, but the exact release date is not ... continue reading
By Hannah Raissa Marfil
The number of young people being admitted for mental treatments since 2010 has rapidly increased. Julie Lynn Evans, a psychotherapist for over 25 years now, is grateful for the additional funding being sent into mental health services, but she believes the dilemma ... continue reading
By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
A mainstay of United States military defense, stealth bombers have been around since the Seventies. The Air Force's aging fleet is now ready for an expensive makeover. The Pentagon intends to develop a high-priority, super-classified, next-generation bomber. ... continue reading
By Hannah Raissa Marfil (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
Classic toy doll, Barbie, has been reinvented after the makers, Mattel received numerous requests for a Barbie doll that kids can talk to, according to a spokesperson of the toy company. Mattel's response is WiFi connected "Hello Barbie" that comes with an installed ... continue reading
By Abigail James (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
New gene-editing techniques are being improved and could soon eliminate inherited diseases from future generations by modifying the DNA of human egg cells. LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Although the idea of editing chromosomes in human eggs or sperm is feared, ... continue reading
By Hannah Raissa Marfil (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
A hidden camera disappeared just after an hour of being discovered at a Denver local post office, Fox31 Denver reported. People became alarmed that they are being watched as they drop-off their mails with the possibility of the camera collecting their facial features ... continue reading
By Hannah Raissa Marfil (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
By participating in the Ultimate Selfie Campaign (#ultimateselfiecampaign), people can now have millions of people across the United States see their selfie or favorite photo on digital billboards, while helping charities with a $25 donation. The project was an ... continue reading
By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
While Apple remains unusually successful, there are already naysayers lining up to predict that the company's forthcoming "Smartwatch" will be a flop. Many details about the new gadget remain under wraps. Questions remain about the watch's price, the battery ... continue reading
By Hannah Raissa Marfil (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
"Pee Power" is what the people are calling this strange innovation. British students and researchers, from the University of the West of England and the OxFam global aid agency, have invented a mode in which light bulbs can be powered by urine. The University has ... continue reading
By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
In the event the dead return to life and begin to cannibalize the living, turning them into hordes of the shuffling undead, theoretically - there would be few options. Researchers at Cornell University offer a practical bit of advice should this happen - head ... continue reading


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Ultimate Texans
Coverage of the Houston Texans from the Houston Chronicle Sports Staff
Posts filtered on Category
Bill O'Brien praises efforts of Jadeveon Clowney, Brian Cushing
PHOENIX – During the AFC coaches breakfast today, Bill O'Brien discussed two linebackers who are coming off injuries – Jadeveon Clowney and Brian Cushing. Clowney, last year's first overall pick in the draft, is recovering from microfracture surgery on his knee. O'Brien praised the effort Clowney has been putting into his rehabilitation. O'Brien said Clowney […] [Read More]
Texans' Brian Cushing has surgery on broken wrist
Texans linebacker Brian Cushing underwent offseason surgery to address a broken wrist. "I was playing with it broken for a while. … This kept getting worse and worse," Cushing told ESPN.com The sixth-year veteran has struggled with injuries in recent years, including season-ending knee surgeries in 2012 and '13. Cushing, 28, started 14 games in […] [Read More]
Cushing & Co. far from 'worried' after being unable to stop the run in loss
Giants running back Rashad Jennings ran for 176 yards one season after generating 150 against the Texans when he played for the Texans. The Giants totaled 193 yards on 42 carries in Sunday's 30-17 home win over the Texans. "They ran down hill (and), they bounced outside," inside linebacker Brian Cushing said. "They were hitting […] [Read More]
10 Things to like about the Texans' win
It's been a long time. A long, long time. 357 days to be exact. We've seen 14 losing games before the Texans finally pulled out a win. It took a change in command, a change at quarterback, and well, a whole lot of changes. I couldn't be happier right now after the Texans open the […] [Read More]
O'Brien happy to see injured players make their way back onto field
Receiver Andre Johnson, guard Brandon Brooks and inside linebacker Brian Cushing all saw action for the first time Saturday night and, yes, that pleased first-year head coach Bill O'Brien immensely. Brooks, who had been sidelined with a non-football injury, was still on the field in the fourth quarter, and Johnson, who pulled a hamstring during […] [Read More]
Cushing proves to coaches that he will be ready for season opener
DENVER – Almost lost in the excitement of the Texans' come-from-behind 18-17 victory over the Denver Broncos was inside linebacker Brian Cushing's first appearance since Oct. 20 of last season. Cushing was a spectator by the time rookie quarterback Tom Savage ignited the victory with 59 seconds remaining and the reserves on defense stopped the […] [Read More]
Photos: Texans at Broncos
[nggallery id=26155] [Read More]
Q&A on the 2014 Football Outsiders' Texans projections
Once again, it is the time of year where Football Outsiders makes their projections about all the NFL teams for the upcoming year. If you are a football junkie, I strongly recommend purchasing the 2014 Football Outsiders Almanac (Amazon link here). The yearly guide tends to either confirm or challenge your thinking about teams and […] [Read More]
Texans' Brian Cushing focusing on Week 1 return
PEARLAND — While Texans general manager Rick Smith and coach Bill O'Brien locked in on the 2014 NFL draft, linebacker Brian Cushing had a more pressing issue to attend to this weekend: his inaugural youth football camp at Pearland High School. Teaming with area high school and college coaches, Cushing led a two-day session that […] [Read More]
Photos: Sizing up the linebackers in the NFL draft
Despite the return of a presumably healthy Brian Cushing and the continued development of Whitney Mercilus and Brooks Reed, the Texans will be looking for more production from a linebacker corps that showed vulnerability during last season's disastrous 2-14 showing. Add in new defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, who will likely want to select a player or two […] [Read More]
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girl canvas prints, woman canvas prints, figure canvas prints, bridge canvas prints, landscape canvas prints, pre-raphaelite canvas prints, oil canvas prints, erotic canvas prints, erotic art canvas prints, nude canvas prints
Corner Detail: Stretched canvas print with 1.5" stretcher bars and mirrored image sides. Also available with black sides, whites sides, and 5/8" stretcher bars.
Bring your artwork to life with the texture and depth of a stretched canvas print. Your image gets printed on one of our premium canvases and then stretched on a wooden frame of 1.5" x 1.5" stretcher bars (gallery wrap) or 5/8" x 5/8" stretcher bars (museum wrap). All stretched canvases ship within 3 - 4 business days and arrive "ready to hang" with pre-attached hanging wire, mounting hooks, and nails.
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This painting depicts a girl waiting for her lover on the bridge, the pre destined meeting place. After waiting for some time, she realizes that her lover is not turning up. Waiting can be a very lonely affair. The model I used for this painting was so beautiful. Straight out of a Pre-Raphaelite painting! I decided to use very little colour except for her beautiful green eyes and with just a hint of colour in her lips.
Born 1959 in Macclesfield Cheshire. UK. I am a professional artist and am (thankfully) known worldwide for my Canine artwork. Though I also paint many other subjects such as figuratives, nudes, fantasy, equestrian and landscapes. I have over 100 limited edition prints published by the major publishers over the last 25 years or so and also many self published prints. I am self taught and I knew I wanted to be an artist by the age of five years old! My other websites are at: www.johnsilverfinearts.com www.johnsilverfinearts.co.uk I have spent most of my life studying the techniques and knowledge of the Old Masters in great detail. Much of what they knew has been lost unfortunately, but with careful study and hard work, their...
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- 87 total posts
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Discussions started by CurvesGalore
What exactly do U ladies want from a BBL?
Hey Ladies, I am new to this site and so greatful to habve an outlet. i recently decided to have the BBL after not much thought but while trolling this site< I am touched... READ MORE
Recent comments from CurvesGalore
Good luck and God Bless. Happy healing READ COMMENT
God bless and safe everything! READ COMMENT
U are hilarious, I was rolling reading your story especially when u took 2 shots, my girl! Well happy healing, hope u enjoy your body oh and Lol@Mr Bigg silly ass too READ COMMENT
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Set in the elite foxhunting community of Middleburg, Virginia, this fast-paced mystery, packed with scandal, envy, vengeance, and love, unfolds when Doug Cummings, an attractive and driven lawyer and horseman, realizes that someone is out to kill him when he barely escapes a suspicious accident. With his only known enemy-twisted psychopath Zeb McGraw-behind bars, Doug is forced to ask himself
The complex and romanticized lifestyle of elite foxhunters is revealed in this thrilling murder mystery. An attractive and wealthy lawyer and horseman, Doug Cummings personifies the old money equine subculture of Middleburg, Virginia. Driven to succeed, Cummings's climb to the top is halted when he becomes the target of a twisted scheme to frame him for the murders of his former lover and horse
When word reaches her in war-torn Afghanistan that her beloved Uncle Richard has been brutally murdered, globe-trotting photojournalist Abigale Portmann reluctantly abandons her assignment and returns to the rolling hills and rocky relationships of her past in the picturesque equestrian community of Middleburg, Virginia-a place she has painstakingly avoided for 17 years. While the sheriff thinks
What is it about cowboys that makes them so irresistible? Find out in this tantalizing collection of modern Western romances about those long, lean hunks in Stetsons and spurs who set all the gals' hearts ablaze. Bundle includes Killer Cowboy Charm, Court Me, Cowboy, The Rancher Takes a Family, Not Your Average Cowboy, Her Texan Temptation, The Last Cowboy, Hard Case Cowboy, The Cowboy Way, Every
As we exit the initial novel, Driver has killed Bernie Rose, "the only one he ever mourned," ending his campaign against those who double-crossed him. Driven tells how that young man, done with killing, later will become the one who goes down "at 3 a.m. on a clear, cool morning in a Tijuana bar." Seven years have passed. Driver has left the old life, become Paul West, and founded a successful
Rich girls do it best! At least, that's how Victoria Whitford's selling it. Sure, she's triumphantly returned home to take over the family empire, but before everything gets settled, she's treating herself to one last no-holds-barred fling. And she's got the Man To Do all primed and ready--the gardener's son. She's been having this fantasy since she was sixteen. Now Tori's up for the sexual
Journey back to a simpler time, to a small English village where nothing out of the ordinary ever happens. Except at Christmastime. When a mysterious angel suddenly appears in a lowly candlemaker's shop, the holy and the human collide in a way that only God could imagine.Glowing bright with a timeless message, The Christmas Candle will warm your heart with a surprising reminder of God's bountiful
In The Wars of Heaven, Richard Currey focuses his poetic imagination on the lives of the working class in West Virginia—a train engineer, an epileptic, coal miners and outlaws, the fragile and dispossessed—depicting an isolated world of hardship, human endurance, and hard-won dignity. Like Sherwood Anderson's "Winesburg, Ohio," Currey speaks of a rural life with power and tenderness, giving us a
Ben Abbott returns to his hometown to save his family's recession-battered real estate business, never dreaming that things are about to heat up in picturesque Newbury, Connnecticut. Broke and looking for some excitement, Ben takes a job videotaping the adulterous goings-on in a bedroom in Jack and Rita Long's "castle." But he doesn't bargain on becoming embroiled in the murder of Rita Long's


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Saturday, July 16th, 2005
This is an interesting Science site with intriguing articles like discovering why you can't tickle yourself! The site is divided up into categories: Animal World, Human Biology, Forces of Nature, Environment, Technology, Science Fiction, History, and Other News.
The front page of the site is full of the top stories from different sections. And if you scroll further down you'll be able to read more of the top headlines, check… Continue reading


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The Coronation Street and former Red Dwarf star has carved out a successful broadcasting and DJing career, presenting BBC 6 Music's Funk & Soul Show, as well as DJing regularly at the iconic Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes venue in London.
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Sleep Inn
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Phone: (828) 488-0326
Fax: (828) 488-4114
St. Mary's Episcopal Church
337 Charlotte Street
Asheville, NC 28801
+1 828 254 5836
The St. Mary's Episcopal Church is a historic church located in Asheville, North Carolina. This Anglo-Catholic parish was built in 1914 by architects Chauncey Beadle and Richard S. Smith and features Late Gothic Revival style architecture, with statues adorning the exterior red brick walls. The church building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.
Earn valuable points toward free nights.