This is the question at the heart of the debate: Consistency. Why is Endemic Plague banned but Extinction legal? why is Unnatural Selection still banned? If Arboria, why not Solitary Confinement or Ensnaring Bridge? With these bannings, they're effectively making a statement about how they want the format to look. The question remains if they will go back and retroactively ban cards that meet the same criteria to further define that look, or allow it to remain as it is.
I can see why they could ban Arboria: I mentioned in the podcast that there's no self-destruct button, no limiting factor. You stick it down when you have a tribe to abuse it and if your opponent doesn't have a naturalize effect, he's toast.
Solitary confinement needs at least one other card, Hammy suggested Squee, in order to attain the same unlimited result: Not only is it vulnerable to enchant removal, but also discard and graveyard removal. All niche solutions, but perhaps R&D is willing to let 2-card combos slide but wants to clamp down on single card locks.
I'd be very interested in delving into their reasoning and future plans as well: Are the past inconsistencies set in stone? How do you fairly regulate a format which has no official support and thus is purely casual, if still popular?
Actually as I also said in the article, I had some reports from the Standard queues with Merfolk and Doran but then I decided to do something relaxing and something that is fun. I do such casual articles from time to time and this was another one of them.
I especially like to be competitive in Kaleidoscope but hopefully this article shows that the format can also be a lot of "fun" to play.
I love the No Survivors idea, and the Kaleidoscope decks. It was your articles on Kaleidoscope (discussing how to work around Anathemancer) which first got me interested in the format. So you've been responsible for me spending a lot more on MTGO to get the right multicoloured cards. Maybe I should stop reading your column before I bankrupt myself?
it's been a decade but it is still a lasting memory of my life. I have been lucky enough to spend 3 summers in Greece and know how wonderful the area is. Enjoy your vacation.
I think a UW fog based Poly-Progenitus deck is naked without Thopter Foundry. With this little trinket you can drop it turn three, sacrifice itself to itself during your opponents EOT, and Polymorph turn 4. Just something to think about.
I found this sight and I love rogue decks and I am definitely a "Combo, I wanna break this card" type player. But I try very hard to build competitive combo decks yet you are trying to tell me that Jungle Weaver is a win condition? No, if your playing Naya colors, then play Wooly Thoctar as a win condition! Afraid of fliers? then play Spectral Procession or ranking canopy?! NOT JUNGLE WEAVER. I understand you can cycle him but that is not what card draw is. A Mulldrifter is card draw and a Esper charm is card draw. So yes Blue is where you get card draw not green. I love crazy deck ideas that are competitive but your fight to the death deck is not competitive. It would need several changes and should definitely not include Jungle Weaver or Huntpride.
Yes, that was me. You recommended I file for a refund and told me about the mox crash. I was ok with converting TTS into M10x3, though I really wanted to play for the QP because I had confidence in my deck.
Sad to hear you didn't qualify. Better luck next time. Enjoyed the article, especially your discussion of the validity of swiss - something I've been pondering myself.
Good to hear that Siege Gangs will be making an appearance in the next article. :) I love them, although i don't own any online yet (I'm so ultra budget that even 1 Ticket for a staple card is too much for my taste. Also I expect the price will still drop a bit in the next weeks.).
Nice take on the R2G1 play. Baiting the Essence Scatter with the vamp is a solid line that I should have considered both during the game and in the column.
Thanks everyone for the comments, feedback, and analysis of the P1P2 pick, some very insightful perspectives to be sure.
I'm putting in 80-hour work weeks right now as I approach the end of a project, and unfortunately, Magic writing has had to give. As a result, no follow-up column today, but I will do my best to have an article up next week--thanks for understanding.
Lol, you were there too? I was the one playing with Basic Land (who also writes on this site), and he cast the Mox. It was the longest draft I ever played, I think it lasted a bit over 30 hours. :) Nice article, no time now to make very specific omments.
I am glad my previous comments were helpful, and I couldn't agree more that if you want to go infinite constructed is the best way to do it. Personally I find it hard to believe that anyone really goes infinite drafting. I haven't actually ran any numbers but my rough guess of my avg ticket value of cards I pull from a draft would be 1.5-2.5. This means I need to get about 3 packs per draft average in prizes, and frankly I am not that much better than the competition and doubt many(if any) players are.
I have not tested it, but affinity seems like a very weak matchup and the board doesn't seem to have any help for it. That seems like something I would want to change. Combo seems good game one and great game 2/3 since grapeshot has to the target the flagbearerer, you have a few random counterspells to throw a wrench in their combo and lifegain makes going off turn 4 a risky proposal. What concerns me from looking at the deck are slivers, affinity, and potentially other non-burn aggro decks. I think I may build it and play a few matches with it.
This is the question at the heart of the debate: Consistency. Why is Endemic Plague banned but Extinction legal? why is Unnatural Selection still banned? If Arboria, why not Solitary Confinement or Ensnaring Bridge? With these bannings, they're effectively making a statement about how they want the format to look. The question remains if they will go back and retroactively ban cards that meet the same criteria to further define that look, or allow it to remain as it is.
I can see why they could ban Arboria: I mentioned in the podcast that there's no self-destruct button, no limiting factor. You stick it down when you have a tribe to abuse it and if your opponent doesn't have a naturalize effect, he's toast.
Solitary confinement needs at least one other card, Hammy suggested Squee, in order to attain the same unlimited result: Not only is it vulnerable to enchant removal, but also discard and graveyard removal. All niche solutions, but perhaps R&D is willing to let 2-card combos slide but wants to clamp down on single card locks.
I'd be very interested in delving into their reasoning and future plans as well: Are the past inconsistencies set in stone? How do you fairly regulate a format which has no official support and thus is purely casual, if still popular?
Thanks for the kind words.
Actually as I also said in the article, I had some reports from the Standard queues with Merfolk and Doran but then I decided to do something relaxing and something that is fun. I do such casual articles from time to time and this was another one of them.
I especially like to be competitive in Kaleidoscope but hopefully this article shows that the format can also be a lot of "fun" to play.
LE
I love the No Survivors idea, and the Kaleidoscope decks. It was your articles on Kaleidoscope (discussing how to work around Anathemancer) which first got me interested in the format. So you've been responsible for me spending a lot more on MTGO to get the right multicoloured cards. Maybe I should stop reading your column before I bankrupt myself?
Nice article, have a great holiday.
Thanks whiffy :).
LE
Thopter Foundry is definately a very nice idea. Thanks for mentioning.
LE
Why was Arboria banned but Solitairy allowed?
it's been a decade but it is still a lasting memory of my life. I have been lucky enough to spend 3 summers in Greece and know how wonderful the area is. Enjoy your vacation.
I think a UW fog based Poly-Progenitus deck is naked without Thopter Foundry. With this little trinket you can drop it turn three, sacrifice itself to itself during your opponents EOT, and Polymorph turn 4. Just something to think about.
I found this sight and I love rogue decks and I am definitely a "Combo, I wanna break this card" type player. But I try very hard to build competitive combo decks yet you are trying to tell me that Jungle Weaver is a win condition? No, if your playing Naya colors, then play Wooly Thoctar as a win condition! Afraid of fliers? then play Spectral Procession or ranking canopy?! NOT JUNGLE WEAVER. I understand you can cycle him but that is not what card draw is. A Mulldrifter is card draw and a Esper charm is card draw. So yes Blue is where you get card draw not green. I love crazy deck ideas that are competitive but your fight to the death deck is not competitive. It would need several changes and should definitely not include Jungle Weaver or Huntpride.
We were talking about that last week.
Yes, that was me. You recommended I file for a refund and told me about the mox crash. I was ok with converting TTS into M10x3, though I really wanted to play for the QP because I had confidence in my deck.
Yeah, the accent is awesome! I wish I had a cool accent... sadly I'm just middle american 'blah'.
*sniffle*
I must admit, I'm rather partial to it. Thanks for the kind words.
Sad to hear you didn't qualify. Better luck next time. Enjoyed the article, especially your discussion of the validity of swiss - something I've been pondering myself.
Good to hear that Siege Gangs will be making an appearance in the next article. :) I love them, although i don't own any online yet (I'm so ultra budget that even 1 Ticket for a staple card is too much for my taste. Also I expect the price will still drop a bit in the next weeks.).
The Mox, I was reading this thinking to myself, I think that was the event I cast the Diamond. I got my three packs and the Diamond (30 tix).
You're welcome.
Nice take on the R2G1 play. Baiting the Essence Scatter with the vamp is a solid line that I should have considered both during the game and in the column.
Thanks everyone for the comments, feedback, and analysis of the P1P2 pick, some very insightful perspectives to be sure.
I'm putting in 80-hour work weeks right now as I approach the end of a project, and unfortunately, Magic writing has had to give. As a result, no follow-up column today, but I will do my best to have an article up next week--thanks for understanding.
Thanks for the nod AJ :)
Lol, you were there too? I was the one playing with Basic Land (who also writes on this site), and he cast the Mox. It was the longest draft I ever played, I think it lasted a bit over 30 hours. :) Nice article, no time now to make very specific omments.
thought I was logged in
I am glad my previous comments were helpful, and I couldn't agree more that if you want to go infinite constructed is the best way to do it. Personally I find it hard to believe that anyone really goes infinite drafting. I haven't actually ran any numbers but my rough guess of my avg ticket value of cards I pull from a draft would be 1.5-2.5. This means I need to get about 3 packs per draft average in prizes, and frankly I am not that much better than the competition and doubt many(if any) players are.
I have not tested it, but affinity seems like a very weak matchup and the board doesn't seem to have any help for it. That seems like something I would want to change. Combo seems good game one and great game 2/3 since grapeshot has to the target the flagbearerer, you have a few random counterspells to throw a wrench in their combo and lifegain makes going off turn 4 a risky proposal. What concerns me from looking at the deck are slivers, affinity, and potentially other non-burn aggro decks. I think I may build it and play a few matches with it.