It would be far too easy to monoplize the entry chances for your free give away, but on the other hand I can't win if I don't enter.
I will say I enjoyed the article, and while I agree with some of the comments that have been made I hope you continue to pursue writing for this site as you certainly have potential.
well first off ill agree with one thing playing against MUC is a horribly unfun time but spike was right you are playing to win. Second i think the MUC is easier to win then you attest too, it just depends on whether or not you keep focused and patient and wait for the right time to land a threat and try to win. Second this whole post for a free card is cheap and fairly demeaning...get comments on the quality of your work not on free prizes.
'Yeah, mbc gets blown out by muc" was me, jamzonfire, so rack up two for jamzonfire.
Fenris777, its "doing well" in quees because A. people with the courage to play it in the quees right now are probably very confidant, expreienced, and skilled. B. Quee results are vbased on anecdotal evidence...we can't really prove it's doing well in the quees atm. and C. quee metagames are very unpredictable, especially because pauper quees generally only fire as 2 mans.
Why aren't people playing it? because its a really, really, really bad choice right now. Affinity, putrid leach, and slivers are all big right now. It beats mbc/u and combo, but its bad matchups are so bad and so common that i would strongly advise against playing it atm.
Kepp writing, tho, ricky; as much as i disagree with you, everybody disagreed with that guy who talked about gush, but his video uploads and stick-to-it-attitude have really improved not only his quality, but raised the bar for puremtgo.
I've got a question for ya: If you can afford to give away pulses....why are you playing pauper? I mean I love pauper, but if I could afford to drop $1000 to jump into classic or extended...I probably wouldn't be playing it.
I could write an article based on this, but I digress. I consider these two decks to be the premier control decks in the field. Seems the UB build had been posting quite a few nice finishes in the offical tournament events, but not so much in the pdc magic forums. Anyone want to expand and expound on which they like better, why, and a follow up would be "why is it doing well in tournament queues but not player run events"? Lack of pilots seems to be the answer but WHY isn't anyone playing it? Seems strange to have two completely seperate metagames for the exact same format with open knowledge available of both. Let the debate begin!
Despite the fact that MUC isn't as viable as in times past, I think some of the points are still interesting from the perspective of strategy. More useful would be some analysis of MBCu Control, since that seems to be the heir apparent in some respects to both MUC and MBC.
As for the Maelstrom Pulse thing, it seems like an interesting sociological experiment. Obviously everyone wants it, and rewarding shameless multi-posting makes in intriguing to see what limits different people have.
Man so good. I know that this topic has been broached and covered so many times, but it is always usefull to reasd again. I think you did a fantastic job on this.
My quick thoughts.
Play aheah.
I think that your examples are far too specific. If people are telling you that they are playing turn 3 with expected results of turn 13 they are a liar. I think that this should be more aptly named to- Have a Plan.
Playing w/ the gut.
I am a huge fan of this. Your gut reaction is a very good thing. This is even more true the longer you have been playing the game.
One aspect that i try to apply to my self is Intuition. It may be a blending of playing ahead and the gut, but i think that using your intuition is very important. As a personal example, round 1 game 1 turn 1 of a tournament. I am on the play and i cast cabal therapy. What do you name? my opponent had played at least 3 or 4 different decks in the last month that i was aware of. I picked Burning wish guessing that he was playing 2-land belcher. Guess what? Hit.
This is borderline silly, but Gilder Bairn and Doubling Season can add extra counters to cards that want counters. Doubling Season kind of quadruples your Braid's output if you're pumping it into Helix Pinnacle.
If you're using the output to match pace with a cumulative upkeep, then Brand of Ill Omen once it comes online. That card is kind of mean.
They are pretty close to functionally the same thing IMO. Yes you can hit lands with it, but stone rain isn't usually that great of a classic card.... Thats my thinking on them being functionally almost the same. Thanks for pointing that out though.
I may be wrong on muta but it's already dropped 16 tickets. I just cant see it going below 8. To thoose who point at factory in classic being only 3 tickets, you do realize it's *only* 3 tickets, while being both a promo card and an uncommon in ME1? And muta is flat out better in quite a few decks. Folk and goblins come to mind.
Muta might drop some in value in 2 months when it rotates. But i'm fairly confident saying at 10 bucks its a good value. Maybe it hits 8 in two months, but your missing out in 2 months of playing with this fantastic land for a total of 8 tickets at a playset. It is played in more than fae in extended.
You can't play around that? Your opponent is committing two mana per turn to make it happen. That means they're not doing much else. Land your two-drops and start doing stuff. Or play your own Boomerang and bounce their Scepter to ruin the imprint.
Red: Ancient Grudge, Overload, Fury Charm (heh)
Green: Naturalize, Gleeful Sabotage, Quiet Disrepair, certain elves
White: Disenchant, Solemn Offering
Blue: counter or bounce it (Rune Snag, Boomerang)
Here's a good philosophy to have when you're faced with unfair things like Boomerang on a stick: ask yourself if spike likes it. In this case the answer is no. That's why Scepter costs a dollar and why you're seeing it in the casual room. If Spike hates it, then something is wrong with it. So figure out what it is, or ask someone who knows. (And if Spike does like it, like Scepter/Chant, then ask Spike for the solution.)
If the ONLY way that you can survive two turns is to topdeck two consecutive Broodmate Dragons, (perhaps your opponent has four 3/3 creatures and you are on 7 life at the end of their turn with an empty board), try for it.
It would be far too easy to monoplize the entry chances for your free give away, but on the other hand I can't win if I don't enter.
I will say I enjoyed the article, and while I agree with some of the comments that have been made I hope you continue to pursue writing for this site as you certainly have potential.
My gamertag is FierceTable.
well first off ill agree with one thing playing against MUC is a horribly unfun time but spike was right you are playing to win. Second i think the MUC is easier to win then you attest too, it just depends on whether or not you keep focused and patient and wait for the right time to land a threat and try to win. Second this whole post for a free card is cheap and fairly demeaning...get comments on the quality of your work not on free prizes.
'Yeah, mbc gets blown out by muc" was me, jamzonfire, so rack up two for jamzonfire.
Fenris777, its "doing well" in quees because A. people with the courage to play it in the quees right now are probably very confidant, expreienced, and skilled. B. Quee results are vbased on anecdotal evidence...we can't really prove it's doing well in the quees atm. and C. quee metagames are very unpredictable, especially because pauper quees generally only fire as 2 mans.
Why aren't people playing it? because its a really, really, really bad choice right now. Affinity, putrid leach, and slivers are all big right now. It beats mbc/u and combo, but its bad matchups are so bad and so common that i would strongly advise against playing it atm.
Kepp writing, tho, ricky; as much as i disagree with you, everybody disagreed with that guy who talked about gush, but his video uploads and stick-to-it-attitude have really improved not only his quality, but raised the bar for puremtgo.
I've got a question for ya: If you can afford to give away pulses....why are you playing pauper? I mean I love pauper, but if I could afford to drop $1000 to jump into classic or extended...I probably wouldn't be playing it.
I could write an article based on this, but I digress. I consider these two decks to be the premier control decks in the field. Seems the UB build had been posting quite a few nice finishes in the offical tournament events, but not so much in the pdc magic forums. Anyone want to expand and expound on which they like better, why, and a follow up would be "why is it doing well in tournament queues but not player run events"? Lack of pilots seems to be the answer but WHY isn't anyone playing it? Seems strange to have two completely seperate metagames for the exact same format with open knowledge available of both. Let the debate begin!
Despite the fact that MUC isn't as viable as in times past, I think some of the points are still interesting from the perspective of strategy. More useful would be some analysis of MBCu Control, since that seems to be the heir apparent in some respects to both MUC and MBC.
As for the Maelstrom Pulse thing, it seems like an interesting sociological experiment. Obviously everyone wants it, and rewarding shameless multi-posting makes in intriguing to see what limits different people have.
My MTGO username is Vissarion, by the way. ;)
Turn two Scepter-Boomerang isn't nearly as bad as turn two Scepter-Chant =)
Man so good. I know that this topic has been broached and covered so many times, but it is always usefull to reasd again. I think you did a fantastic job on this.
My quick thoughts.
Play aheah.
I think that your examples are far too specific. If people are telling you that they are playing turn 3 with expected results of turn 13 they are a liar. I think that this should be more aptly named to- Have a Plan.
Playing w/ the gut.
I am a huge fan of this. Your gut reaction is a very good thing. This is even more true the longer you have been playing the game.
One aspect that i try to apply to my self is Intuition. It may be a blending of playing ahead and the gut, but i think that using your intuition is very important. As a personal example, round 1 game 1 turn 1 of a tournament. I am on the play and i cast cabal therapy. What do you name? my opponent had played at least 3 or 4 different decks in the last month that i was aware of. I picked Burning wish guessing that he was playing 2-land belcher. Guess what? Hit.
This is borderline silly, but Gilder Bairn and Doubling Season can add extra counters to cards that want counters. Doubling Season kind of quadruples your Braid's output if you're pumping it into Helix Pinnacle.
If you're using the output to match pace with a cumulative upkeep, then Brand of Ill Omen once it comes online. That card is kind of mean.
If you splash blue, you can also try out quicken to cast all those XR sorceries in your upkeep from braid.
They are pretty close to functionally the same thing IMO. Yes you can hit lands with it, but stone rain isn't usually that great of a classic card.... Thats my thinking on them being functionally almost the same. Thanks for pointing that out though.
I may be wrong on muta but it's already dropped 16 tickets. I just cant see it going below 8. To thoose who point at factory in classic being only 3 tickets, you do realize it's *only* 3 tickets, while being both a promo card and an uncommon in ME1? And muta is flat out better in quite a few decks. Folk and goblins come to mind.
Muta might drop some in value in 2 months when it rotates. But i'm fairly confident saying at 10 bucks its a good value. Maybe it hits 8 in two months, but your missing out in 2 months of playing with this fantastic land for a total of 8 tickets at a playset. It is played in more than fae in extended.
You can't play around that? Your opponent is committing two mana per turn to make it happen. That means they're not doing much else. Land your two-drops and start doing stuff. Or play your own Boomerang and bounce their Scepter to ruin the imprint.
Red: Ancient Grudge, Overload, Fury Charm (heh)
Green: Naturalize, Gleeful Sabotage, Quiet Disrepair, certain elves
White: Disenchant, Solemn Offering
Blue: counter or bounce it (Rune Snag, Boomerang)
Here's a good philosophy to have when you're faced with unfair things like Boomerang on a stick: ask yourself if spike likes it. In this case the answer is no. That's why Scepter costs a dollar and why you're seeing it in the casual room. If Spike hates it, then something is wrong with it. So figure out what it is, or ask someone who knows. (And if Spike does like it, like Scepter/Chant, then ask Spike for the solution.)
#9 is very good advice.
If the ONLY way that you can survive two turns is to topdeck two consecutive Broodmate Dragons, (perhaps your opponent has four 3/3 creatures and you are on 7 life at the end of their turn with an empty board), try for it.
Pretty good article, would've liked to have seen some decklists that have a good game against MUC AND the rest of the field. (MTGO name: WahooJunkie)
-malachiconstant on MTGO.
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