Did you burn the capsizes to draw more cards with the wall then? What did you do while waiting to draw the answer is my question? Did you bounce their inexpensive threats? What is the play like if you don't have your answers against an aggressive deck?
Interesting article as always! Is there a written or unwritten rule or etiquette to the format, whereby fast combo wins are highly frowned upon? Goblin Charbelcher is a one card combo in Hermit Druid decks; Mindslaver+Academy Ruins would also be a natural fit.
Virtually every avatar just makes me think "combo".
In my opinion Alex's articles are the best ones you can find on pauper. If anyone thinks they could do better well then go ahead and try...this site's open to anyone to write.
If there are some readers here, who have problems with authority, they should consider taking them to the psychologist of there choice.
Alex's articles are very well written. If some readers cant bear them without seeing him win some tournaments, thats inherently their problem. He explained his card choices and his analysis in a coherent, logical and last but not least enjoyable way. What anyone wants to do with it - well thats a personal decision, isnt it?
Hmmm, Bone Splinters is nice. As is Tendrils of Despair. I am tempted to try Bone Splinters first simply because I can use it even with only a Bronze Bombshell, and then get their best creature, deal 7 and have my bombshell back by my next turn.
Harsh yea, uncalled for no. SpikeBoy's articles have a tone of authority, yet without that first-person "here's my experience" narrative. If I didn't know him personally, I would guess he's talking out of his ass. He isn't. But a walkthrough or two should do the trick, right? Let's see em, Alex!
I think the comments are a little harsh and uncalled for. I partly agree that Spike should play in a few more events and yes the decks are slightly out there sometimes but I love reading these articles and I would much rather have them than not have anything at all. As far as a writer, Spike is really good and very few people could write articles on the same level, much less someone who actually understands and cares about pauper as much as Spike.
If you are interested in decks for tournaments then these are the options:
Aggro: Sligh, Sligh w/Stone Rain, Mono W Cataclysm, Mono B Hatred, Mono U Aggo with Hammerhead Shark and Cloud Spirit and Manta Riders and Curiosity, BR Beatdown (Dauthi + some Moggs).
You can always try building some other decks but these will be the ones you will have to beat in tournaments. Slivers would be interesting for starters. Or you can always try a deck around Angelic Protector + any damage redirecting Kor (such as Nomads en-Kor) + Worthy Cause. Gain 1000 life and then F6 the rest of the game.
ok i never got legacy paperwise before i got online so all i knew really was classic for eternal formats. Legacy seems cheaper but for some reason i doubt it. Though once it comes online I will probably give it a shot with High tide and kobold-clamp.
Yeah. Urza's Block adds about 10 cards or so. MED4 will be another pile. Although remember - some cards you can run 4 of Legacy are 1 of Vintage, and some cards you can run 4 of in Vintage are banned in Legacy. Neither format is a more or less restrictive subset than the other.
The practical difference are the decks played. Classic is much closer to Vintage now.
Legacy Decks: merfolk, goblins, counter-top Goyf (or anything), pox and everything mono-black usually does, solidarity, unpowered dredge, zoo, things like that.
Classic Decks: vintage dredge, vintage Oath, Flash, ANT, and Helm-Line combos. That's not all of them. The lack of Workshop kind of hurts.
Thrull may not be the right call MD, but it's a backbreaker SB card vs. control and combo in Tortured Existence decks, which my next article in queue talks about. Recyclable Distress is great!
And thank you everybody for the positive feedback. Next article is different, but I could definitely talk more about pauper fundamentals and what makes the best decks tick if there's interest.
Pauper has long been one of my favorite formats and as a result, Alex has been one of my favorite magic players. His play is tight and his decks powerful and innovative.
To be honest,the only thing he's really bad at is sticking to the winning deck (instead choosing to stay three more steps ahead of the curve).
Luckily for me, I can simply take his decks into the queue and be assured that I stand a great chance against the metagame (a fact I've personally abused countless times when I run low on tickets or am bored out of my mind).
Cool article Spike, the deck looks like a blast to play. Nice to see the sub shambler get some exposure. One problem... the store is out of Rancors!!!!
Wasn't Alex the one to come up with WW and Goblins to begin with. Not for PDC but I seem to remember all MBC and WG MBC Hate with a little Affinity thrown in there as the major arch-types.
Thank you for your reply. I do want to spend more time writing about things that are relevant to the format as a whole- I felt this was one such item (and I wanted to write about Goblins, but MTGO ate those games).
I would like to write about my experience in the queues, but it isn't constructive for anyone to go "I played Storm three times and he did his thing and won" (which happened in the preparation for this article).
While Goblins and WW make up a significant portion of the meta, so do other decks, which I have yet to face in the queues. I also, as mentioned, like playing in TP so people can watch and we can discuss the game after the fact.
With regards to what's doing well and why, I did not know such an article was in demand. I can surely work on something to that effect.
Also to comment thou on your reply Alex WW and goblins pretty DO make up the large majority of the meta right now. So playing vs those decks would actually be a good measure of a deck and or idea you have behind it. I'm sorry that i'm comming off to critical but time after time since you've effectively quit playing and focusing on school/work/ect, and nothin wrong with that doing that stuff mind you, infact i applaud it, We havne't seeing you write much of anything that's relevant to the current state of the format what decks are preforming well or why. I understand that this takes time in which u might not have but at least admit that rather then have newer players get mislead grap one of your decks and try to go into a que or PE or even PRE and get curb stomped and feel awful because of it. NO one wants a newbies first experience to be that way.
He makes a brief mention to the goblins deck in now way shape or form does it show any true ability to do anything against goblins. You never know till you've actually done the dirty work of actually play things out. Listing pet decks is fine and all but when u have a opening line like that then have a article like this is just reminds me of the bank commercial with the 2 little girls and the pony. You're really not getting anything relevant to the format. Also keep in mind Alex is supposed to be the community affairs liaison. So don't you figure maybe he should actually partake in the said community at least SOME ?
Regarding my ability to play in PREs/PEs/Queues. I stated in this article why I feel the queues are bad for testing, but I'll supplement my point here. The decks you are likely to face in a queue are those that are mostly likely to win one match of Magic. A deck like Storm, Affinity, Goblins (and to as lesser extent, Slivers and White Weenie). These decks are great for the queues since unless you run into specific targeted hate, you are likely to be able to win 2 out of the 3 games and therefore the entire tournament, netting you a pack. You are far less likely to face the slower control decks in the queues, mostly due to the fact that you can make a lot more profit by running a blitz deck over and over than winning with MBC. Storm can win on turn two (I know, it's happened to me in the queues); control takes much longer. For someone trying to shark with their collection, which is a better option?
I would love to play in the PREs and Weekend Challenges, but right now, my life does not permit that. I work at a college doing student activities, meaning I work a lot of nights and weekends. I also am active in my local MTG: Pants community, so between work and other responsibilities, I can't always set aside six-ten hours for an event.
So I play mostly in Tournament Practice, building decks and playing against whatever is in there. Sure, I queue once in a while, and I play on writing about those experiences when I have the time. At the same time, if you want to question my decks, play them for yourself.
I am sorry about the misleading header about Goblins, but I this deck does well against the Red Menace. Shambler + Gladeheart provides a solid package to wipe the board and gain life.
Take care,
-Alex
I noticed that in this article and the previous one an "anonymous," probably the same one, has been flinging unjustified hate at Alex. Where is the mentioning of goblins in this article? Second paragraph after he posts his list.
I don't know if my 2cents mean anything to you guys but from the times I've played against Alex I can tell he knows what he's doing. In my mind, being able to soundly back up your card choices and playing properly aren't two seperate attributes, rather they overlap each other. You could argue with his choices, and sometimes I do (mana tithe? :P), but if you're unsure of his skill you can always challenge him online.
I can understand people wanting to see deck spotlights being seen in a competitive environment. 2mans are fine, but PEs require to devote an entire day towards. If the PE falls on a day that you're working/classes there's just no way to even try.
On the actual deck: I would say maybe -1 pyro +1 gladeheart for the SB. Shame about combo though. There's not much you can do in those colors, a combination of stone rain and grudge are your best bet and then pray for a non-bushwhacked warrens.
Did you burn the capsizes to draw more cards with the wall then? What did you do while waiting to draw the answer is my question? Did you bounce their inexpensive threats? What is the play like if you don't have your answers against an aggressive deck?
Interesting article as always! Is there a written or unwritten rule or etiquette to the format, whereby fast combo wins are highly frowned upon? Goblin Charbelcher is a one card combo in Hermit Druid decks; Mindslaver+Academy Ruins would also be a natural fit.
Virtually every avatar just makes me think "combo".
In my opinion Alex's articles are the best ones you can find on pauper. If anyone thinks they could do better well then go ahead and try...this site's open to anyone to write.
If there are some readers here, who have problems with authority, they should consider taking them to the psychologist of there choice.
Alex's articles are very well written. If some readers cant bear them without seeing him win some tournaments, thats inherently their problem. He explained his card choices and his analysis in a coherent, logical and last but not least enjoyable way. What anyone wants to do with it - well thats a personal decision, isnt it?
Hmmm, Bone Splinters is nice. As is Tendrils of Despair. I am tempted to try Bone Splinters first simply because I can use it even with only a Bronze Bombshell, and then get their best creature, deal 7 and have my bombshell back by my next turn.
How about Thoughtpicker Witch, or Carnage Altar as sac outlets? Or perhaps Bone Splinters?
For the removing of your own creatures, what about Tendrils of Despair.
Harsh yea, uncalled for no. SpikeBoy's articles have a tone of authority, yet without that first-person "here's my experience" narrative. If I didn't know him personally, I would guess he's talking out of his ass. He isn't. But a walkthrough or two should do the trick, right? Let's see em, Alex!
I think the comments are a little harsh and uncalled for. I partly agree that Spike should play in a few more events and yes the decks are slightly out there sometimes but I love reading these articles and I would much rather have them than not have anything at all. As far as a writer, Spike is really good and very few people could write articles on the same level, much less someone who actually understands and cares about pauper as much as Spike.
If you are interested in decks for tournaments then these are the options:
Aggro: Sligh, Sligh w/Stone Rain, Mono W Cataclysm, Mono B Hatred, Mono U Aggo with Hammerhead Shark and Cloud Spirit and Manta Riders and Curiosity, BR Beatdown (Dauthi + some Moggs).
Control: Mono U Control, Mono U Mindless Blue, CounterPhoenix, Tradewind Awakening, UB Ensnaring Jank (Ensnaring Bridge + Bottomless Pit), Humility / Orim's Prayer Control.
Combo: Horsecraft, Recurring Death.
I think that's all.
You can always try building some other decks but these will be the ones you will have to beat in tournaments. Slivers would be interesting for starters. Or you can always try a deck around Angelic Protector + any damage redirecting Kor (such as Nomads en-Kor) + Worthy Cause. Gain 1000 life and then F6 the rest of the game.
I hope this helps.
LE
ok i never got legacy paperwise before i got online so all i knew really was classic for eternal formats. Legacy seems cheaper but for some reason i doubt it. Though once it comes online I will probably give it a shot with High tide and kobold-clamp.
Yeah. Urza's Block adds about 10 cards or so. MED4 will be another pile. Although remember - some cards you can run 4 of Legacy are 1 of Vintage, and some cards you can run 4 of in Vintage are banned in Legacy. Neither format is a more or less restrictive subset than the other.
The practical difference are the decks played. Classic is much closer to Vintage now.
Legacy Decks: merfolk, goblins, counter-top Goyf (or anything), pox and everything mono-black usually does, solidarity, unpowered dredge, zoo, things like that.
Classic Decks: vintage dredge, vintage Oath, Flash, ANT, and Helm-Line combos. That's not all of them. The lack of Workshop kind of hurts.
Thrull may not be the right call MD, but it's a backbreaker SB card vs. control and combo in Tortured Existence decks, which my next article in queue talks about. Recyclable Distress is great!
And thank you everybody for the positive feedback. Next article is different, but I could definitely talk more about pauper fundamentals and what makes the best decks tick if there's interest.
Pauper has long been one of my favorite formats and as a result, Alex has been one of my favorite magic players. His play is tight and his decks powerful and innovative.
To be honest,the only thing he's really bad at is sticking to the winning deck (instead choosing to stay three more steps ahead of the curve).
Luckily for me, I can simply take his decks into the queue and be assured that I stand a great chance against the metagame (a fact I've personally abused countless times when I run low on tickets or am bored out of my mind).
-Sebastian
I was woundering Erman is there any out of the ordanary deck in the format I would like to hear about them since Im intrested in the format.
Cool article Spike, the deck looks like a blast to play. Nice to see the sub shambler get some exposure. One problem... the store is out of Rancors!!!!
I had nothing to do with the development of Goblins.
Wasn't Alex the one to come up with WW and Goblins to begin with. Not for PDC but I seem to remember all MBC and WG MBC Hate with a little Affinity thrown in there as the major arch-types.
Thank you for your reply. I do want to spend more time writing about things that are relevant to the format as a whole- I felt this was one such item (and I wanted to write about Goblins, but MTGO ate those games).
I would like to write about my experience in the queues, but it isn't constructive for anyone to go "I played Storm three times and he did his thing and won" (which happened in the preparation for this article).
While Goblins and WW make up a significant portion of the meta, so do other decks, which I have yet to face in the queues. I also, as mentioned, like playing in TP so people can watch and we can discuss the game after the fact.
With regards to what's doing well and why, I did not know such an article was in demand. I can surely work on something to that effect.
-Alex
Also to comment thou on your reply Alex WW and goblins pretty DO make up the large majority of the meta right now. So playing vs those decks would actually be a good measure of a deck and or idea you have behind it. I'm sorry that i'm comming off to critical but time after time since you've effectively quit playing and focusing on school/work/ect, and nothin wrong with that doing that stuff mind you, infact i applaud it, We havne't seeing you write much of anything that's relevant to the current state of the format what decks are preforming well or why. I understand that this takes time in which u might not have but at least admit that rather then have newer players get mislead grap one of your decks and try to go into a que or PE or even PRE and get curb stomped and feel awful because of it. NO one wants a newbies first experience to be that way.
He makes a brief mention to the goblins deck in now way shape or form does it show any true ability to do anything against goblins. You never know till you've actually done the dirty work of actually play things out. Listing pet decks is fine and all but when u have a opening line like that then have a article like this is just reminds me of the bank commercial with the 2 little girls and the pony. You're really not getting anything relevant to the format. Also keep in mind Alex is supposed to be the community affairs liaison. So don't you figure maybe he should actually partake in the said community at least SOME ?
Regarding my ability to play in PREs/PEs/Queues. I stated in this article why I feel the queues are bad for testing, but I'll supplement my point here. The decks you are likely to face in a queue are those that are mostly likely to win one match of Magic. A deck like Storm, Affinity, Goblins (and to as lesser extent, Slivers and White Weenie). These decks are great for the queues since unless you run into specific targeted hate, you are likely to be able to win 2 out of the 3 games and therefore the entire tournament, netting you a pack. You are far less likely to face the slower control decks in the queues, mostly due to the fact that you can make a lot more profit by running a blitz deck over and over than winning with MBC. Storm can win on turn two (I know, it's happened to me in the queues); control takes much longer. For someone trying to shark with their collection, which is a better option?
I would love to play in the PREs and Weekend Challenges, but right now, my life does not permit that. I work at a college doing student activities, meaning I work a lot of nights and weekends. I also am active in my local MTG: Pants community, so between work and other responsibilities, I can't always set aside six-ten hours for an event.
So I play mostly in Tournament Practice, building decks and playing against whatever is in there. Sure, I queue once in a while, and I play on writing about those experiences when I have the time. At the same time, if you want to question my decks, play them for yourself.
I am sorry about the misleading header about Goblins, but I this deck does well against the Red Menace. Shambler + Gladeheart provides a solid package to wipe the board and gain life.
Take care,
-Alex
Ignore the trolls. No reasonable member of the MTGO community could doubt Alex's credibility.
This is the perfect deck for [card]Ember Weaver[/card]. Did you give the spider any consideration?
correction, my next tournament will be on 1/17 at 4:00pm EST, and not 5:00pm EST.
I noticed that in this article and the previous one an "anonymous," probably the same one, has been flinging unjustified hate at Alex. Where is the mentioning of goblins in this article? Second paragraph after he posts his list.
I don't know if my 2cents mean anything to you guys but from the times I've played against Alex I can tell he knows what he's doing. In my mind, being able to soundly back up your card choices and playing properly aren't two seperate attributes, rather they overlap each other. You could argue with his choices, and sometimes I do (mana tithe? :P), but if you're unsure of his skill you can always challenge him online.
I can understand people wanting to see deck spotlights being seen in a competitive environment. 2mans are fine, but PEs require to devote an entire day towards. If the PE falls on a day that you're working/classes there's just no way to even try.
On the actual deck: I would say maybe -1 pyro +1 gladeheart for the SB. Shame about combo though. There's not much you can do in those colors, a combination of stone rain and grudge are your best bet and then pray for a non-bushwhacked warrens.