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Welcome to One Double O #8!

This week, we'll be looking at Conflux but before I go on with the main topic, I also want to talk about the Singleton 100 format in general.

2-man Singleton 100 Constructed

Firstly, I want to say a nice thank you to Wotc for having 2 man Singleton queues up and running. It was definitely a good move since getting 4 people seems to be almost impossible. (It's also nice to see my ratings climb slowly from just Singleton 100 sanctioned games.) I have played quite a considerable number of 2 mans over the past week and I have enjoyed being able to play in these 2 man queues. It's a quick way to play a sanctioned game and you don't have to wait too long for one to start like a 4 man queue.

4-man Singleton 100 Constructed

Even after having put up a decent win ratio, I am not really drawn to the idea of putting 6 tickets on the line for a 4-2 payout. It's much easier to get a 2 man queue started and the high cost of entering the game is somewhat scary. I don't know about others but with the inherent instability of the format, I don't think I'll ever be confident enough to want to play in the 4 man queue that has a large entry cost and there is essentially not much incentive to want to play in a 4 man queue over a 2 man queue. For those to work, I would suggest putting up something nice as part of the entry like say one of those APEC promo lands that are already coded?

One Double O Viewpoint: Is Singleton 100 Casual?

Next, I want to address this concern from people playing Singleton 100. Singleton 100 is a casual format that is not like any other "casual" formats. It currently exists as a "casual" format that plays with powerful cards. It is unavoidable. The format exists to let people play with good cards (especially those that won't see play in classic/extended). There are just too many good cards from the collective sets online. Even the sub par cards like prophetic bolt (I like this card) are actually quite strong. I think there is no point playing with such heavy restrictions if players just want to make "janky" decks. The whole point is to play with cards with hidden potential or are just strong and pit them against other strong cards. This does not necessarily mean that money.dek wins but it does not also mean that you should hope to enjoy playing weak cards. Power is spread throughout all rarities and there are certainly very powerful commons that one can easily have access to like faith's fetters, for example, which can deal with any troublesome permanent just like how an expensive vindicate can.

Some commons are very good.
(Disclaimer: This picture does not belong to me but it drives my point across. I like altered art too.)

Of course, some money cards make playing the deck easier like dual lands for example. They may be expensive but you can potentially get one out of a 222 draft if you're lucky and you don't need to collect a full playset. You will only need to have one and spare copies can be traded into the others that you do not have. That is why I like playing Singleton 100. I do not have a sizable income like most players have. People can dump in hundreds of dollars while I can probably afford to only pay for a sealed event in a month (out of my own pocket). This is the only format where I can slowly build up my collection of powerful cards as I am not restrained by the concept of having a playset. A competitive deck can be made at a cheaper cost than what one would actually require to make a standard deck because you would most probably need cards that have already rotated out of play (and they are much cheaper than cards currently in standard). A good number of decent uncommons/commons are dirt cheap so a measly ticket could easily be converted into a good number of cards. Of course, there are expensive cards that every Singleton 100 player should try to obtain but aside from lands and a few cards like force of will, most playable cards don't cost too much.

I preach that any decent deck can win and I mean it. However, I really mean decent decks when I say decent decks. Any player who wants to play the format should play a "good" strategy that does not need to be the most efficient one but not the deck concept should not be too far fetched. You can't expect to beat opponents with tons-of-fatties-but-no-mana-acceleration.dek or mill-you-to-death-in-a-100-card-format-using-millstone.dek. Those just don't work.

The simplest way to make a deck is to look at a strong deck that exists in other formats, look for similar cards and put them together into a deck. Any format (even pauper) can be emulated in Singleton 100 but of course you don't get to translate their full power over. Even so, just having a frame that works is very useful when building a deck.

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Set of the Week: Conflux!

Every set is spoiled just before the paper prerelease and the online release would always take at least one month before the cards get uploaded online. Of course, this happens to prevent the set from getting completely leaked out like it once did a long time ago when they tried beta testing with Judgment in an effort to synchronize the paper and the online release. I tend to hold on to my own opinions regarding the new sets until a set is confirmed as spoilers are not 100% accurate. Also, by the time I start writing, I get a good amount of input from various opinions from everywhere as everyone is more than eager to discuss new cards. Using all the various inputs I can, hopefully, provide the most relevant analysis concerning the new cards and their applications in Singleton 100.

This time, right after the Conflux hype online, the third 100 Card Singleton Weekend Premier Event will commence. In fact, it takes place on the very day following the Conflux Championships. I personally don't like the need to rush to buy the relevant cards as the popular ones would definitely be very pricey but what needs to be done has to be done.

One trap that many of us fall into is that we always want to play with new cards until they are proven to be less relevant than current cards. This makes new decks more vulnerable than old decks because some of the new cards may very well not be as good as people believe them to be.

The point of this article is to filter out the possibly good cards for you to choose whether or not to use them rather than to slowly look through the full set.

This time, instead of putting all the playable cards together, I will divide the cards into:

High Potential Cards and Playable Cards

so that the high potential cards get more attention while those who want to look at the less important cards can take a look at the other section.

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High Potential Cards

Lapse of Certainty

A white memory lapse that costs 1 more mana. Even if it loses when directly compared to the blue instant, it is a very potent gem in white and decks with white but not blue can now enjoy the powerful effect. It compares on a totally different level as with Cancel vs Counterspell as it is now in a color that can maximize the tempo gain from this card without trying too hard.

Martial Coup 

I have high expectations for this card as it combines a board sweeper with win conditions and the cost is very tough to justify when you put individual effects and their respective costs together. In other words, it is undercosted for its effect. Even if you are forced to cast it earlier than with x=5, it is capable of doing something useful rather than stay as a dead card in your hand. Its versatility is another selling point but you optimally want at least x=5 and any higher is also very good.

Path to Exile

Ok. I'm going to get shot here. In this format, Path to Exile is not as good as most people would believe. While it is definitely a good piece of removal (it is good), it is fundamentally different from Swords to plowshares that most people compare to and has to be evaluated totally differently. The main reason: it gives your opponent a land. (Probably why Utopia vow was not played) I do not dare to comment about this in other formats but Singleton currently is slow. Unless you are really in a very strong position, casting this spell at the "less optimal" time can be deadly. This card's value in a game increases the later into the game you are and it can be negative early on. Early on, giving your opponent an extra land is really detrimental as your opponent can jump up the mana curve and this is crucial until around turn 4 where the difference between 5-6 mana may not be as obvious. I would think that it becomes safe to cast it without restrain at turn 4 at the earliest.

The point about having a cheap spell is to be able to cast it early or cast them together with big spells. The effect Swords to plowshares is not directly affected by time so its effectiveness can be at a certain level throughout the whole game. Path to Exile is a good card that is a little over-hyped and the fact will sink in after awhile.

Banefire

People compare this card to Demonfire and say it's "better than Demonfire" which I would choose to disagree to that. The strength of Demonfire comes from both its hellbent-uncounterability and its RFG (remove from game) effect. Also, it is not very often that a player can get up to at least 6 mana in a red deck to make it uncounterable. I would consider this card a high quality card under Demonfire but above the other X burn spells.

Hellspark Elemental

It should deal the first 3 points at least and probably could sneak out 1-2 extra points of damage without the use of another card, making it worth considering. It is a good thing that Skullclamp is not in the format now. Who knows how much more powerful this card would have been otherwise.

Matca Rioters

Potentially a 3 mana 5/5, this card fits wonderfully into a domain-zoo deck. It should normally be at least a 3 mana 3/3 if you can have a dual land and another basic land in play. It has a friendly casting cost as well.

Noble Hierarch

To set things right, this is not Birds of paradise. This is better than Llanowar elves and can fit very well in bant colors but if you need black or red mana, you should not replace Birds of paradise with it thinking you have an extra point of damage. Of course, having this in addition to birds of paradise is definitely good since there is nothing much else better than it is.

Knight of the Reliquary

In this format, this is at least a 3 mana 3/3 since you would tend to play cycling lands and fetchlands. The ability is just gravy to make it better. It lets you convert forests/plains into assorted man-lands and other useful lands but I don't think one should be too obsessed with the ability.

Maelstrom Archangel

Connect and get to drop anything you want. Wow. Her mana cost may be prohibitive but that is probably the only reason why you get a 5/5 flying (that is black too) and lets you drop your powerful cards onto the digital table. Of course, you don't really want to play tons of cards you can't cast but even cheating out a simple dragon for free is a huge swing in board position and it makes playing the angel worth it. Reanimator is a deck that can easily house the angel and even possibly hardcast her if the mana base is made more versatile.

Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker

This planeswalker is special. It requires you to play into the late game and I would strongly believe that if your board position is not one in which you are horribly losing, casting this would win you the game over the course of a few turns. Its 8 mana casting cost is a turn off for many people who would be inclined to classify it as an unplayable card plainly due to that factor.

Sphinx Summoner

My reasoning for this card being in this section is a very simple one: When you cast this on turn 5, you can set up a turn 6 sharuum the hegemon which is a very powerful defensive maneuver since it can stall the board and create a very strong self-protecting engine. A 5 mana 3/3 flying may not be too impressive but the 5/5 following it that mimics a broodmate dragon (since it recurs Sphinx Summoner which can incidentally find sanctum gargoyle to further protect this setup).

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Playable Cards

Court Homunculus

Another W for 2/2 (1/1 at times) which can be easily supported in WW or in some decks with a good number of artifacts.

Scepter of Dominance

A icy manipulator specially made for white. I'm not sure how it would impact the Singleton 100 scene but mono-white control would probably be a stronger archetype to play. WW might be able to house this card but I would need to test it first before giving a definite statement.

Wall of Reverence

 4 mana for a wall that ups your life. Put one of this in your deck and mono-red or RG would have some trouble beating you.

Brackwater Elemental

A blue Hell's thunder? It certainly looks like one at the common level and it also deters big creatures from attacking you. A very cool card.

Esperzoa

This card has quite high potential as it is at least a 4/3 flying defensive body that has to be recast every turn. If you have another artifact, this becomes an offensive body. If that artifact has some extra effect like ("comes into play draw a card" for instance), you get to use that effect every turn if you keep recasting the artifact.

Ethersworn Adjudicator

This card is similar to (Meloku, the clouded mirror) in how it functions. You don't really want to sink all your mana into it while you hope it stays alive longer. Unfortunately, this card belongs to a more narrow family but should work quite well in a UBW control deck which I would be happy to test.

Inkwell Leviathan

A 7/11 islandwalk, trample, shroud. Shroud makes it a good reanimation target. I'm not very sure how else you want to play it but it can recur to Academy ruins as well.

Master Transmuter

The closest card is probably elvish piper. You need to return an artifact to pay for the cost. I notice that you might be able to use this as an undying blocker (by returning herself, since she's an artifact too, and putting her down again). She works with Sensei's Divining top too. Since we don't have Mishra's Workshop in the format, I have no idea where you want to play her in but she definitely looks like she could be maximized somewhere (a concept deck?).

Traumatic Visions

A 5 mana counterspell that lets you search for a basic land for 1U. Sometimes, being able to find a land is very important especially for a blue-heavy deck. I can't say for sure whether or not a 5 mana counterspell is worth playing or not but the card is unique. I would be testing this card for sure.

Extractor Demon

If you are wondering why this card is "playable", it has 2B: unearth and it gives you a 5/5 flier. In other words, this is like a 3 mana black (ball-lightning) if you manage to get it into the graveyard. It might have more applications but just for what I mentioned, I give it the playable stamp.

Kederekt Parasite

While this looks silly, an underworld dreams for B with a 1/1 body with an additional cost of needing a red permanent can be quite strong actually. People like 1 mana 1/1s that can deal a significant amount of damage throughout a game and this is probably one of those that can.

Nyxathid

With a healthy number of discard cards in the format, I think that this card would fit very well in a deck with some amount of discard and obviously the "heavy discard" archetypes.. It is a very strong anti-aggro option as well since aggro decks down cards really fast. I expect this card to be tested in various decks with discard elements (just to be safe).

Scepter of Fugue

This card is widely discussed. I think its a decent card that fits well in a black heavy deck (look at the casting cost of BB). It's strong because it's so hard to remove (when compared to nezumi shortfang) and dropping 1 card a turn is very tough to beat.

Wretched Banquet

A sorcery version of porphyry nodes. There are not many spells that cost B that can kill creatures on turn 1 other than innocent blood and it works somewhat different from innocent blood in the way that you can choose what to kill (if the creatures have the same minimum power) but you can't get past untargetability.

Viashino Slaughtermaster

At the very least, this card is a 2 mana bear. People love reckless charge for some reason and this card put together with it is crazy. This card is much more playable than boros swiftblade because of its friendly mana cost. It does die to -x/-1 effects or 1 damage pings but it easily abused for a greater effect.

Volcanic Fallout

Uncounterable pyroclasm + 2 damage to each player. If you need a pyroclasm effect and you can pay the RR1, why not? I'm not too excited since Singleton 100 is not a format that is dominated by a certain flying tribe.

Worldheart Phoenix

If you can get all 5 colors of mana out, you can keep recurring a 4/4 flier! Wow! It was ruled at my area that you could play it at 4 mana from your graveyard as a 2/2 flying but I don't really think that's how its supposed to work. I will play this in a domain deck for sure.

Cliffrunner Behemoth

A 4 mana 5/3 that could have haste/lifelink. 4 mana for 5 power is decent. If you can get it powered up, it's actually quite strong. You can play this in a RGW (zoo?) deck.

Might of Alara

Gaea's Might with another name. Singleton 100 is the format that appreciates such moves by Wotc to reuse a totally identical effect and give it a different name while everyone else is cursing and swearing at new names for something they've seen a long time ago.

Soul’s Majesty

This is another green card draw but it needs you to have a creature in play for it to do something. You can potentially draw many more cards than Harmonize but it all depends on where you throw this card into. This and Wild mongrel would let you swap your bad cards for a big hand.

Thornling

A green creature that can get become indestructable, gain haste, trample and alter its power/toughness like Morphling. Not a really big fan of it because you need a reasonable amount of mana to make it work well but indestructability is a very potent ability.

Child of Alara

A 6/6 trample with a oblivion stone stuck to it. I'm not a big fan of it since it doesn't really die easily if you want the O. Stone effect to work. You could play it in reanimator and you want a board sweeper.

Countersquall

Negate + 2 lifeloss. A very strong UB card that puts UB in an easier position to pressure opponents.

Fusion Elemental

WUBRG for an 8/8 elemental. If you have some 5 color deck somewhere, you might want to play a vanilla 8/8. It's definitely a very fat creature although not very spectacular by itself.

Goblin Outlander

A very good upgrade of Shivan zombie since it's a goblin and can therefore fit in a goblin deck (obviously). A goblin with protection from white is not too shabby and I think that it could cause some trouble in some situations.

Malfegor

If you have a BR control deck, you could sweep away problematic creatures and have a decent threat (6 mana 6/6 flying) on the board but of course, you would have nothing left in your hand. Strong against aggressive decks and might be decent against control decks (if you don't discard too many cards or if you manage to eat away strong creatures like Exalted angel).

Meglonoth

A very strong anti-RG card for RGW since it is a decent 6 mana 6/6 that can sneak out huge chunks of damage in the combat phase.

Progenitus

WWUURRBBGG for a 10/10 protection from everything. You can't reanimate it but you can natural order it out (or you could use one of the few other green spells that let you drop a green creature from your hand). I am waiting for Oath of Druid to come online but that won't probably happen until many years later. I'd keep one for now.

Shambling Remains

A very strong RB aggro card for its stats for 3 mana and it also has unearth to pressure the opponent heavily, especially against control decks. I like it.

Vedalken Outlander

Unlike Goblin Outlander, this card is somewhat different from Galina's knight. This is an artifact and is not a merfolk. It can work with artifact friendly decks but it becomes vulnerable to green artifact hate. It's not that easy to evaluate this card but I think being an artifact lets you play it in a UW control deck (since you can discard it to Thirst for knowledge or can also interact with Sharuum the hegemon in esper-colored decks.

Armillary Sphere

I don't think this is too strong because it uses the critical turns to work (turn 2,3 if used early) but I have to say that it is a card that allows you to make a total comeback against blood moon effects. I would play either this or Wanderer's twig in a 4c/5c deck that runs many non-basics.

Ancient Ziggurat 

I once wanted to make a 5c deck using pillar of the paruns but somehow I wanted to play creatures and spells that were mono-colored. This card presents the exact same problem but from a different angle. It does make it much easier to play a multi-colored creature based deck but not being to churn out usable mana might hurt at some point in time.

Exotic Orchard

This is no Reflecting pool and could possible churn out one random mana (depending on what your opponent is playing). While there are some multicolored decks around, there is no guaratee that your opponent is not playing a mono-colored deck. I would test this card properly before cementing it in a deck. Do note that fetchlands don't produce mana so players might purposely hold their fetchlands up to disrupt you.

Rupture Spire

 It looks like a fine card to have but you only really want it in a deck where you can afford to give the early turns away because you are essentially -1 mana on the turn you play it rather than +0 for a land that comes into play tapped. The 5c it can give is very tempting though.

Unstable Frontier

This card is very different from Shimmering grotto even though they are both very similar. You can add Domain count and you can't filter mana you already have in your mana pool unlike the grotto. I would think that this would be useful in some situations but it's not something you want in all your decks because it is inefficient without a specific function in the deck.

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General Buying Strategies for New Sets
(which would be useful to know if you want to buy cards before the early PE)

1) Buy the hot rares early, specifically around the first week of release events after people open a good number of packs and before people start to feel that they want to buy cards. (Only if you need a card early)

Good rares follow this odd trend: Insane prices when released => plunged prices after release events start => rising prices at the closing of the release events.
Of course, almost all cards are much cheaper when they rotate out (except for Tarmogoyf from what I know)
 

2) Buy the hot uncommons as late as possible but while it is still opened in drafts.
If some cards are played in extended/classic rather than in standard, they will tend to climb in prices after the drafts for the set become less common (like when the next block comes up).
 

3) You don't want to buy good commons early. If you have to, borrow from a friend.
There isn't a real reason why you should be paying too much for a measly common that is still fresh and is flooding fast into the market.
 

4) Find mtgotraders for what you need!

If you are a player who is not very interested in saving fractions of a ticket, convenience is probably what you want. Just go to www.mtgotraders.com and you can pay for cards via paypal and have the cards all ready for your collection really fast if you are online during store hours. If you have event tickets, you can look around the online bots. The mtgotraders chain of bots have their prices at competitive prices updated frequently so you can pick up a chase rare at a good price. I personally find rares priced very well because bots don't work in whole numbers. (You get to save fractions over human traders)

Of course, there are other bots around but the popular bots tend to be at similar prices so unless you search through many of the less popular bots to find one with slightly lower prices for certain cards, you probably won't find very much better prices.It does take quite long to look through the less popular bots and you may not necessarily find better prices unless you get lucky so my advise is to find a trustworthy bot chain as they are very convenient for your gaming needs.

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Conflux as a Whole

Conflux will have a small impact on Singleton 100 as a whole. I would believe that the new cards would tend to promote playing slower strategies but some decks have gained small playables from the set. Red and White could be considered the winners from Conflux, followed by 5c which has some interesting cards for both the aggressive variations or the control variations.

It is generally a nice set but it does not have cards that threaten to change the way the format is played so one does not really have to change the configurations of existing decks.

An archetype that I think has gained a little is the rare dredge archetype, which I believe that I have yet to try on Singleton 100, with unearth cards and the unmentioned unearthing rat that can serve as a discard outlet, a discard outlet from the graveyard or also Ichorid food if need be.

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Last Words

In the next One Double O, we'll take a look at consistency techniques in Singleton 100 and we'll also have Conflux Release events upon us.
I hope that everyone manages to get what they need for the tournament. I, fortunately, have a small wants-list for the tournament so I'm not too pressured to make quick buys but I'll definitely by playing a couple of CCC drafts.

See you again!

tarmotog on MTGO
tarmotog@hotmail.com
tarmotog on www.myMTGO.com