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By: BlippyTheSlug, Volker Kirstein
Sep 12 2014 12:00pm
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I don't play MTGO anymore. I still log on to the client two or three times a week to run events, but I don't hang out, or play. Maybe that will change again down the road, but for now... No. If you're one of the people having no issues with MTGO, more power to you. Go hard, and enjoy yourself. I'm not going to turn this into a "bash v4" piece, there is plenty of that going around. I really do appreciate all the work and effort that went into it, and really do hope they get the issues worked out. I'm done holding my breath, and am moving on.

I really don't know this article series is going to adapt to this. I'm trying to transition myself over to paper play, and not sure how to transition this series to reflect that; it's a bumpy road. Overdriven! has always been about bringing you online Modern (from the Slugs point of view), and Overdrive! propaganda. I feel like I've been straying from that. Especially now that I'm not even playing online.

The Community Cup is this weekend. The CCC always brings up mixed feelings in me. A few years back, I was approached and asked if I would be able to go if invited. Fate being the [REDACTED] she is, I had to say no. (I can't enter the USA) Sure, I got a consolation prize of running a PRE to select some online players for some CC points, but that's like having the keys to the kingdom dangled in your face, and all you're allowed to do is drive a bus past the exit to the park. I was pleased at the recognition, and bitter (oh so bitter!) that circumstance would have me turn it away. I'm disappointed as to where I've ended up from there. I'm still waiting for my Pepsi.

I'm still waiting for a lot of things.

Like, how after hearing online players cry about Vintage prize payouts on MTGO, and, how after hearing that cry and going out of my way to provide an online Vintage tournament with decent prize support, I can't get a dozen people to come play.

 

We had twelve registered, but one was a no-show, so we had eleven to start. Eleven. To play for a pool of $100 and 12 Vintage Masters boosters.

Don't think my sponsors haven't noticed.

I'm brainstorming various ideas to keep it afloat; Dojo has pretty much said they're willing to keep going at 50% of current payout.

Or possibly a "per person" pool.

The thing being, I'm not sure if I want to continue presenting this (what I consider to be) "elite" event to a seemingly uncaring community. If a dozen Vintage players can't show up for a free tournament with decent prizes, what's the point?

 

 

Modern FNM: Regroup!

It looks like my very first hurdle for out of town play is a stumble. I can't afford to hop on a bus to Saskatoon in the time frame provided. Hell, I can barely afford to eat next week; I am literally about two weeks away from being homeless at any given point in time. You think I exaggerate for effect here, but I'm not. I need a patron. Anyone wanna pay my bus fare/accommodations in return for me sporting your t-shirt and/or hoodie, and talking up your shop?

Anyway, this is what I'm rocking for tonight's FNM:

Elspeth Goes Goth
A FNM brainfart by Yours Truly
Creatures
4 Liliana's Specter
4 Pack Rat
4 Ravenous Rats
12 Creatures

Other Spells
3 Castigate
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Lingering Souls
3 Path To Exile
2 Phyrexian Arena
4 Thoughtseize
4 Zealous Persecution
24 Other Spells
Planeswalkers
2 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
2 Planeswalkers

Lands
4 Godless Shrine
4 Isolated Chapel
2 Mutavault
4 Plains
6 Swamp
2 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
22 Lands
 
Elspeth, Knight-Errant

The basic game plan is disrupt and clog/ping until I can get a rat pack going.

Elspeth makes for flying rats.

Ravenous Rats is an excellent clay pigeon; disrupting their hand, and drawing removal. If it sticks, it also pumps the pack.

Zealous Persecution often acts as a board wipe in the early game, clearing out swarms of pesky x/1s at instant speed.

I used Castigate over Tidehollow Sculler because I don't want whatever I pluck out to come back to his hand. Ever. (The flip side being that Castigate is a dead draw late game when their hand is already empty. But this is true of all hand disruption)

 

The Twitterverse 

Magic Online

Other MTG/Wotc

 

 

Overdrive!, which started on July 4th, 2011, is the original Modern format Player-Run Event! In fact, Overdrive! is even older than Modern, having started out as an event in the Overextended format. Overdrive! is a single elimination event: two men enter, one man leaves. Registration is done via Gatherling. You can find more information at the main event thread here.

 

 

Overdrive! #148
Players: 14
Champion: flioxan / Soul Sisters
Runner up: arcaniathe / Living End
Decklists and results from all Overdrive! events can be found here.  

flioxan brought this Soul Sisters to the dance, and danced all over Infect, U Tron, Goblins, and Living End to emerge as Overdrive! #148 champion.

arcanaithe brought that evil brew, Living End, to the fray. After a first round BYE, he buried Tokens and Infect before losing to Soul Sisters.

Living End
arcaniathe, Overdrive! #148 runner-up
Creatures
3 Avalanche Riders
4 Deadshot Minotaur
2 Igneous Pouncer
3 Jungle Weaver
4 Monstrous Carabid
3 Pale Recluse
3 Shriekmaw
4 Street Wraith
3 Valley Rannet
29 cards

Other Spells
4 Demonic Dread
3 Living End
4 Violent Outburst
11 cards
Lands
3 Dragonskull Summit
3 Forest
3 Mountain
1 Plains
4 Rootbound Crag
2 Sunpetal Grove
4 Swamp
20 cards

 

 


BlippyTheSlug on MTGO
Blog: Read At Your Peril (NSFW!)

 

10 Comments

I have a new modem so by ScionOfJustice at Fri, 09/12/2014 - 16:40
ScionOfJustice's picture

I have a new modem so hopefully I won't drop out next Overdrive!

I cannot even log in of late by Elbinac at Sat, 09/13/2014 - 11:58
Elbinac's picture

I cannot even log in of late as the launcher crashes as soon as it loads..

You probably need to clear by longtimegone at Sat, 09/13/2014 - 18:27
longtimegone's picture

You probably need to clear your clickonce application cache.

Eh? by Elbinac at Sat, 09/13/2014 - 23:28
Elbinac's picture

It was just the last update that started the issue.
Kind of a bummer for the Community Cup weekend to be made off limits by a login screen that crashes and pops up an error report after about a second.

"The task 'Loading Card Data...' failed to complete."
And yes I've sent the error reports.

Google "How to Clear by longtimegone at Sun, 09/14/2014 - 00:22
longtimegone's picture

Google "How to Clear ClickOnce Application Cache"

This should resolve your problem. Your installation is corrupted, but a standard uninstall will not get all of the files.

The 'fixes' suggested did not by Elbinac at Sun, 09/14/2014 - 01:55
Elbinac's picture

The 'fixes' suggested did not resolve the issue.
And MTGO is the only software displaying any issues.

*edit*
I did find a resolution, now.
But it was far simpler.
I just needed to delete the old client.
Somehow the latest update had my computer trying to run the old client again.

ClickOnce is a platform for by longtimegone at Sun, 09/14/2014 - 04:22
longtimegone's picture

ClickOnce is a platform for installing software, not a component that is itself damaged.

When a clickonce application fails to update, the cache files for that application, and that application only, can become corrupted. When v4 won't even load the updater, that's the reason why.

It seems you got your icons swapped around, they changed the new one to match the old one at some point.

Bad Moon Rising. by TheKidsArentAlright at Sat, 09/13/2014 - 18:51
TheKidsArentAlright's picture

If you want to get attendance up for the Vintage events, I think the best thing you can do is advertise it on The Mana Drain. It's probably the single largest Vintage Magic community on the internet, and I would venture to guess that a majority of the regulars there have bought into MODO. I've heard mention of BMR in a few threads, but a dedicated announcement for each tournament would probably go a long way toward getting the word out and the players in.

aye.. by Elbinac at Sat, 09/13/2014 - 22:37
Elbinac's picture

In addition to getting the word out more, you might be able to draw in more newish players by offering both regular and "lite" Vintage in a rotation.
And possibly other variations.

E.I. Have the main events be full on no holds barred Vintage.
And have alternate events where the more intimidating decks are put on the shelf.
to let newer folks dip their toes into the card pool and warm up to the full brutal glory.

If you're looking for a by TheKidsArentAlright at Sun, 09/14/2014 - 04:09
TheKidsArentAlright's picture

If you're looking for a low(er) cost, off-the-wall format, you could always try to play Old School a.k.a. '93/'94. The premise of the format is that it's a throw back to the earliest days of Magic. You get to play some really cool cards that, for whatever reason, have been pushed out of competitive play. Online would need rules tweaks to adapt the format from paper, but you could start with something like this.

-Legal Sets- (all cards originally printed in the following sets are legal)
Alpha/Beta/Unlimited
Revised
Arabian Nights
Antiquities
Legends
The Dark
Fallen Empires

-Restricted List-
Ancestral Recall
Balance
Black Lotus
Black Vise
Braingeyser
Channel
Demonic Tutor
Fork
Library of Alexandria
Mana Drain
Mana Vault
Maze of Ith
Mind Twist
Mirror Universe
Mishra's Workshop
Mox Emerald
Mox Jet
Mox Pearl
Mox Ruby
Mox Sapphire
Power Artifact
Recall
Regrowth
Sol Ring
Strip Mine
Time Vault
Time Walk
Timetwister
Wheel of Fortune

As the card pool is static, the B&R list is often tweaked from event to event in order to keep the format from completely stagnating.

There's actually a ton of viable strategies as well. Of course, there's the classics of Weissman's "The Deck" and Crusade/Armageddon powered White Weenie. There's also other aggressive strategies like Zoo. There's even a Jund Midrange deck with awesome stuff like Hypnotic Specter, Sedge Troll and Juzam Djinn. There's a control reanimator deck dubbed "The Machine" packing Triskelion, Tetravus, Animate Dead, Hell's Caretaker, Bazaar of Baghdad, and Jalum Tome.

Other possible formats in the same vein that have been tossed around but not really played would be Pre-Foil (everything before 7th/Urza Block) and Pre-Modern (everything before 8th/Mirrodin).