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By: BlippyTheSlug, Volker Kirstein
Sep 07 2012 1:10pm
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Disclaimer: I've changed my mind, and decided to keep writing articles while on vacation. Some of this article was written prior to leaving. Most of it was written at various cybercafes. 

 

Shocklands Are Back, Baby!

  One of the biggest barriers to entry in Modern, especially in paper, has always been the price of shocklands. Over the past few months, there has been much speculation as to whether or not these lands would be in Return To Ravnica.

  Shocklands, for those of you who aren't familiar with the term, are non-basic lands from the original Ravnica set that have two basic land types, and come into play tapped unless you pay two life. This is the equivalent of shocking yourself. Hence the term "shockland". Since these lands have the basic land types, they can be searched for with cards that say "search your library for a (land type)..." in the text box. (These cards are known as "Fetches") This makes them highly desirable for decks with multicolor manabases.

 

   WotC has promised reprints of older cards specifically to help out the Modern format, and...

  ...WotC delivers! Woo hoo! I can only imagine the jubilation of Modern players everywhere as WotC confirmed at the PAX Party that shocklands would indeed be in the forthcoming Return To Ravnica set! Paper players were surely dancing and carousing in the streets, much to the consternation of "normal" folk who don't play MTG, and don't realize the significance. "George, why is that young man running through the streets shouting 'Go, go, Ravnica'?" "It's the full moon, Margaret."

 

Jace 4.0 Jace, Architect of Thought

  Return To Ravnica also brings us another version of Jace. This will be his fourth incarnation. While at first glance Jace 4.0 appears to be meh, I'm sure with the right build he can be a powerhouse. I don't see him being used in Modern much, but I have been wrong before. More than once.

  The biggest problem I have with the new Jace: now I have to find new art for all Jaces! When I'm searching for planeswalker alt art, I like to use the same model for all iterations of a planeswalker. For example, the different Ajani's are all the same cosplay cat-girl in various poses, Sorins are all the same goth girl, Chandras are all the same redhead, and so forth. Sooo... Now I have to find another photoshoot featuring a blue haired girl and do it all again.

  On a side note, if you are interested in using alt art on your own client (alt art is only visible in your own client), you can find out more by reading my MTGO alt art primer here.

 

 

 

Monster Garage

  As sometimes happens in these hard economic times, I had to liquidate my collection for a cash influx. After collecting quotes and cashing out, this left me with my PRM Guru Basic Lands. Period. However, since I'm such a dedicated pimp , I do have a continual weekly budget* that I can rebuild with. So I'm going to chronicle my rebuilding somewhat, along with prices, just to see how expensive it is to get into Modern in a vacuum.

  * As you may or may not know, hosts running sponsored events receive bot credit on the sponsor's bot for running the events. I also "get coin" for writing these articles, the amount thereof varying depending on various arcane feng shue. All of this is scattered over a few bots, so it's not like I can pull up to a bot with 50 tix in pocket. It's some here, a little more there, more somewhere else.

  Before leaving on vacation, I was watching the Player of the Year events, and saw Yasooka's Eternal Command deck. Needless to say, I fell in love with it, and want to build this deck:

Eternal Command
Shouta Yasooka - 2nd, 2012 World Championship
Utility
4 Snapcaster Mage
3 Eternal Witness
3 Vendilion Clique
Beaters
3 Tarmogoyf
13 Creatures

Utility
4 Aether Vial
Control
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Vapor Snag
Counters
4 Cryptic Command
3 Mana Leak
3 Spell Snare
2 Remand
Draw & Filter
2 Serum Visions
2 Thirst for Knowledge
26 Other Spells
Basic Lands
1 Forest
4 Island
1 Mountain
Fetches
4 Scalding Tarn
3 Misty Rainforest
Dual
3 Flooded Grove
2 Copperline Gorge
1 Breeding Pool
1 Steam Vents
1 Stomping Ground
21 Lands

Aether Vial

 

 

  I'm obviously not alone in this, and figured the price of Snapcaster Mage and Aether Vial would jump. Especially after 6 appearances since the last time I checked results. Yay for cybercafes! Yay for online bookmarks!

  In anticipation of this price jump, before I left, I hurried up and used the credits from my last article, Overdrive! #61, and WAFTT #22 to buy a playset of each, at 7.58 & 4.05 each, respectively. Snappys are now 9.28, and Vials 4.86, so I got in on time! Woo hoo! These are "staples", so it's not like I'm never going to use them even if I don't build this deck. I picked up playset of Spell Snare and Mana Leak*, as well. Spread out over three bots, that ate up all my credit again. The biggest obstacles to this deck are going to be the Cliques and Goyfs. Especially the Goyfs. If anyone wants to donate a Goyf or two to the cause, I won't say no!

  In the meantime, Eternal Witness has also jumped up almost 2 tickets. I suppose Recollect, or something similar, could be used in a pinch.

  * I got "regular" Leaks; the PRM versions will have to hold off until I'm better situated, deckwise.

My Collection
 
Creatures
4 Blood Artist
4 Blood Seeker
1 Blood Tyrant
4 Bloodbraid Elf
4 Bloodcrazed Neonate
4 Bloodghast
2 Bloodline Keeper
4 Erdwal Ripper
4 Gatekeeper of Malakir
1 Garza Zol, Plague Queen
4 Goblin Guide
4 Grim Lavamancer
4 Guul Draz Vampire
4 Hellspark Elemental
4 Kalastria Highborn
4 Leatherback Baloth PRM
4 Malakir Bloodwitch
4 Markov Blademaster
4 Memnite PRM
4 Nyxathid
4 Obstinate Baloth
4 Pulse Tracker
4 Rakish Heir
4 Snapcaster Mage
4 Stromkirk Captain
4 Stromkirk Noble
4 Vampire Hexmage
4 Vampire Nighthawk
4 Vampire Nocturnus
2 Vein Drinker
4 Vexing Devil
4 Viscera Seer
118 Creatures
Other Spells
4 Aether Vial
4 Blightning PRM
4 Bloodchief Ascension
4 Brave the Elements PRM
4 Bump in the Night
4 Burst Lightning
4 Cancel PRM
4 Condemn PRM
4 Consuming Vapors
2 Death Cloud
4 Doom Blade PRM
4 Earthquake
4 Feast of Blood
4 Fireball PRM
4 Flame Javelin PRM
4 Flames of the Blood Hand
4 Giant Growth PRM
4 Go for the Throat
4 Harrow PRM
4 Hideous End
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Lava Spike
4 Lightning Bolt PRM
4 Mana Leak
4 Mindcrank
4 Putrefy PRM
4 Relic of Progenitus
4 Rift Bolt
4 Searing Blaze PRM
4 Shard Volley
4 Sign in Blood
4 Spell Snare
4 Smash to Smithereens
4 Staggershock PRM
4 Terminate
4 Tezzeret's Gambit
4 Volcanic Fallout
4 Volt Charge
4 Wrench Mind
Planeswalkers
1 Ajani Goldmane
4 Garruk Wildspeaker
159 Other Spells

Lands
4 Arid Mesa
4 Bojuka Bog
4 Dragonskull Summit
32 Forest
39 Island
3 Lavaclaw Reaches
37 Mountain
35 Plains
1 Raging Ravine
4 Savage Lands
36 Swamp
4 Treetop Village PRM
203 Lands

  Total spent: ~145
  6 Decks:

  • B Vamps
  • BR Vamps
  • Bloodcrank
  • (Budget) Jund Death Cloud
  • Vex Bomb
  • Vex Bomb Bump

 

 

  So now I have to wait until I get back before I rebuild further. (Obviously!) I will most likely concentrate on fetches, shocks, and cheap staples like O-ring with the change. Manabases are important!

  *doing a bad Donna Summers impression* He works hard for the money... So hard for it, honey...

 

 

Oh, Canada!

  Having a wonderful time, glad you're not here! Here are some reflections from the first few days...

  September 1

  I'm jonsing to play a game
  Which is why I went away
  Hopefully in a while
  I can abstain from play with a smile

  Stars dancing slowly
  The monkey sleeps inside me
  Horses on my bed

September 2

I awake on the ground, sun in my eyes
I roll in the dew and look to the skies
My ancient joints creak as I slowly stand
My bleary eyes peer at the waking land
Birdsong slowly makes it's way to my ears
As my eyes focus the source becomes clear
Naked in the meadow, I whistle back
Stretching and yawning, my back gives a crack
Aromas of nature waft through my nose
Honeysuckle, canola, and wild rose
I gather my clothes, reluctantly dress
Where I'll go today, I can't even guess
But surely I'll find something to impress
Beauty in Canada's great wilderness

September 3

The world's largest teepee
The tunnels of Al Capone
Are cool things to see
Even alone
Maybe I'll stay
And act bourgeois
Spend a few days
In the town of Moose Jaw

 

 

Overdrive! #62

  Overdrive! #62 will take place on Monday, September 17 at 8:30PM Eastern.

 

Eurodrive! #44

  Eurodrive! #44 will take place on Saturday, September 22 at 1200 GMT.

  


 Where Angels Fear To Tread #23

   Where Angels Fear To Tread #23 will take place on Sunday, September 16 at 1800 GMT.

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 Comments

I feel like I've made the by BlippyTheSlug at Wed, 11/13/2013 - 03:56
BlippyTheSlug's picture

I feel like I've made the "big time" if I'm worth spamming! :)

I know, right? Especially by The D.K. at Wed, 11/13/2013 - 11:41
The D.K.'s picture

I know, right? Especially year old articles! XD

Oh, and we know, JXClaytor. :P At least someone does actually moderate the spam here. I know plenty of places that wouldn't give a crap.

They are very good at it, I by JXClaytor at Wed, 11/13/2013 - 12:02
JXClaytor's picture

They are very good at it, I appreciate the ones that attempt to make it sound like they went over the article.

I try to take care of them as by JXClaytor at Wed, 11/13/2013 - 07:47
JXClaytor's picture

I try to take care of them as soon as possible, but I do sleep:(