Gifts is broken. I don't currently have the tix for it or Id consider buying a set. Forbidden Orchard has a home in certain combo decks. I played against one the other day involving the enchant that deals 2 to creatures as they are played and another that makes you sac a land when a creature dies and Dingus Staff which deals damage to the dome when a creature dies. I stopped the combo with Creeping Molds and Counters but it was not an easy game. So it does have some playability in Classic though I believe it is a bit to slow to really do anything in tourney. It is tourney play that drives prices up right?
The knights do seem very cheap. Knight of the Reliquary has a lot of potential in Bant/Naya as a cheap monster/thinner. It's draw back is that it doesn't have haste, and is vulnerable to removal (like any man) and can be infinitely blocked. Some of that can be fixed but I suspect that is the reason it sits in the Bargain bin. Knight of the White Orchid is semi useful. The main problem is that they are situationally good and can't be used to get one plains if you are screwed. They are good in mono white or heavy white builds but the WW cost makes them hard to play in other decks.
Ranger of Eos is a bit more surprising as it is a quite versatile fetcher. I am certain he will rise eventually in status. Same for DC but DC's drawback is scary. Anything that locks him down makes him a lose condition. I am surprised his price is that high really. 2.5 is borderline expensive.
Yeah - I agree this isn't one of my best nor most innovative by any means. I didn't want to do one of my normal style set reviews for M2010, I just wanted to make a fairly basic primer. Next time I touch M10 I'm going to do less of a theoretical/overview type article - I don't much like how this turned out aside from it being a quick and easy read.
As for best common: Doom Blade or Lightning Bolt - though I could make an argument for Terramorphic Expanse as being one of very few mana fixers.
Splashing can still be good. However, it's very difficult to get it working perfect.
My rule of thumb for splashes: for every 3rd color mana in those spells I had 2 appropriate basic lands.
IE. Splashing 1 Fireball - Add 2 Mountain.
You are correct about sticking to 2 colors. I'd rather take a very solid 2 color deck that isn't "splashy" but very consistent. Tempest drafts on MTGO are good practice for this.
I think that one thing the "mediocre" player who is going to jump into drafting come M2010 is splashing and the lack of mana fixers. I saw a lot of this at my local prerelease where people were picking Fireball and Lightning bolt to splash with a couple of mountains and then grumbling about mana as they scoop.
I'm not saying playing 3 colors isn't going to work, and the "expert drafters" are going to play how they've always played but I have seen my share of players who are still in the ARB mindset playing 3 colors or splashhing for something cool only to see it fizzle on the board.
Skill Borrower doesn't really feel like the centerpiece of the deck. When you're playing with Remand, Cryptic Command, Animate Dead, Oona, etc., this isn't so much a Skill Borrower.dec as a powerful UB recursion deck which can get cute with Skill Borrower to soften the blow of being pounded by top-tier tourney cards.
Feature #2,835 I'd like to see on MTGO: the ability to tag cards as your preferred version, so when you include add a card to a deck, it uses your preferred ones automatically. That would include basics added for drafts and sealed.
That's a pretty baller move, Basic; I may start doing that! Drafting with "un" basics would be sweet.
I like Casual decks and I am pretty much a casual player. I like the idea of the deck and since I own most of these cards in paper, I will try it out in my casual group there before investing in the MODO version. I like how you took the time to give a budget version as well. Good job.
You can also save your deck, go to deck editor and load your decklist, swapping out the basics for a different basics (sometimes if I have time I throw in my LRW foils) for * and giggles.
Master of Etherium at 2.00 they can be massive 3 drops
Banefire at 1.90 - uncounterable burn that's unpreventable...has won many a games
Auriok Champion at 2.75, such a difficult card to get rid of and always pays you back in life gain
Kataki, War's Wage - 5.00 - One of my favourite anti-artifact cards that just wreaks havoc if not removed.
Fantastic comment, and one that I think is dead on accurate.
The most difficult thing I've ever had to do in Magic was to stop being a Spike. I'm back to a spike again now, but I did make the transition back for the time I wanted to and focused on just having fun in all aspects of Magic instead of focusing on the win at all costs.
Seriously, very very very hard to stop being a Spike once you're a Spike.
I try to find the most interesting or unique representation from the top eight decks. Pumble's list may not be the best one, but it was the only Elf list that contained a secondary win condition - Mirror Entity.
Also, you mention that the deck can gain infinite life, and that list doesn't even have warden, which is think is one of the best reasons to run elves.
"I put my dreams of granduer behind me in order to make the most of my limited time by playing instead of coming up with the next big thing."
Honestly, I think this is a "phase" that many Magic players go through. After the novelty of the game wears off, the game becomes more of a competition than a place for innovation or an arena in which you can experience something.
Or, in other words, it's my opinion that some players start as "Spikes", while other players tend to gravitate to being "Spikes" as they become more jaded with a game that they've played a long time. That leaves a majority of the "Johnnies" and "Timmies" to be relatively newer players that have the ability (and time?) to bring fresh ideas to the table.
To each their own, but I'll probably keep resisting the pull to be a Spike and stay my good ole' Johnny self for a nice long while.
I don't disagree with anything you said (although as noted above, Deathmark is usually good enough for the main in this format), but that's mostly because I don't think you've said enough to disagree *with*. I appreciate that this is meant to be more of a beginner's guide than anything else, but there isn't anything here that wouldn't be obvious within five minutes of reading pretty much any other article about M10, or even 5 minutes of looking at the setlist itself. I'd honestly like a shade more content. For instance: you mentioned that some of White's removal is pseudo-removal, but the truth is that all of it is; Harm's Way aside (and at uncommon you won't see quite as much of it), White doesn't have a single spell that can deal with a Merfolk Looter, and only one SB spell (Purge) that deals with Goblin Artillery. Or to pick another random question, which uncommon would you rather see, Mind Control or Sleep or Serra or Fireball? Does where you are in a draft make any difference in that ranking? How good do the draw spells seem to be in this format, how much is it about card advantage and how much is it about just getting there first with your guys? Heck, even 'what do you think is the best common in the set?' -- people may disagree with you, but at least it'll be something to talk about.
I'm not saying that this is a horrible article; as I said, I don't really disagree with anything that was said. But you can do a *lot* better than this, and I think you owe better than this to your readers. I'll be looking forward to the next one.
Nice article, one of the few "casual" articles I do more than just skim trough. Budget is kinda boring, but I understand many appreciate that.
Correct me if I`m wrong, but saying "Unfortuantely these guys do absolutely nothing to benefit Skill Borrower. Flying, haste, protection, first strike, vigilence, trample, morph, etc. are all static abilities and do not work with Skill Borrower." seems kinda...wrong. Sure, none of the abileties you listed benefit Skill Borrower, but Akroma also has Firebreathing :)
Gifts is broken. I don't currently have the tix for it or Id consider buying a set. Forbidden Orchard has a home in certain combo decks. I played against one the other day involving the enchant that deals 2 to creatures as they are played and another that makes you sac a land when a creature dies and Dingus Staff which deals damage to the dome when a creature dies. I stopped the combo with Creeping Molds and Counters but it was not an easy game. So it does have some playability in Classic though I believe it is a bit to slow to really do anything in tourney. It is tourney play that drives prices up right?
The knights do seem very cheap. Knight of the Reliquary has a lot of potential in Bant/Naya as a cheap monster/thinner. It's draw back is that it doesn't have haste, and is vulnerable to removal (like any man) and can be infinitely blocked. Some of that can be fixed but I suspect that is the reason it sits in the Bargain bin. Knight of the White Orchid is semi useful. The main problem is that they are situationally good and can't be used to get one plains if you are screwed. They are good in mono white or heavy white builds but the WW cost makes them hard to play in other decks.
Ranger of Eos is a bit more surprising as it is a quite versatile fetcher. I am certain he will rise eventually in status. Same for DC but DC's drawback is scary. Anything that locks him down makes him a lose condition. I am surprised his price is that high really. 2.5 is borderline expensive.
Completely agree - tombstalker is a bomb, and loves low curve controllish decks in ext/class.
You costing me money though - gots to hit up heath for cards I was ignoring, every time this article comes out ;) props.
Yeah - I agree this isn't one of my best nor most innovative by any means. I didn't want to do one of my normal style set reviews for M2010, I just wanted to make a fairly basic primer. Next time I touch M10 I'm going to do less of a theoretical/overview type article - I don't much like how this turned out aside from it being a quick and easy read.
As for best common: Doom Blade or Lightning Bolt - though I could make an argument for Terramorphic Expanse as being one of very few mana fixers.
its a smaller set so don't you see the Mythics come up more often in draft?
I'll keep doing them as long as people keep enjoying them, and heath has low prices
Hamletback Goliath or Apocalypse Hydra would be a nice addition.
Splashing can still be good. However, it's very difficult to get it working perfect.
My rule of thumb for splashes: for every 3rd color mana in those spells I had 2 appropriate basic lands.
IE. Splashing 1 Fireball - Add 2 Mountain.
You are correct about sticking to 2 colors. I'd rather take a very solid 2 color deck that isn't "splashy" but very consistent. Tempest drafts on MTGO are good practice for this.
I think that one thing the "mediocre" player who is going to jump into drafting come M2010 is splashing and the lack of mana fixers. I saw a lot of this at my local prerelease where people were picking Fireball and Lightning bolt to splash with a couple of mountains and then grumbling about mana as they scoop.
I'm not saying playing 3 colors isn't going to work, and the "expert drafters" are going to play how they've always played but I have seen my share of players who are still in the ARB mindset playing 3 colors or splashhing for something cool only to see it fizzle on the board.
RagMan
Skill Borrower doesn't really feel like the centerpiece of the deck. When you're playing with Remand, Cryptic Command, Animate Dead, Oona, etc., this isn't so much a Skill Borrower.dec as a powerful UB recursion deck which can get cute with Skill Borrower to soften the blow of being pounded by top-tier tourney cards.
If only skill borrower was legendary. Even sticking to blue-only, you could create a monster EDH deck.
Feature #2,835 I'd like to see on MTGO: the ability to tag cards as your preferred version, so when you include add a card to a deck, it uses your preferred ones automatically. That would include basics added for drafts and sealed.
That's a pretty baller move, Basic; I may start doing that! Drafting with "un" basics would be sweet.
I like Casual decks and I am pretty much a casual player. I like the idea of the deck and since I own most of these cards in paper, I will try it out in my casual group there before investing in the MODO version. I like how you took the time to give a budget version as well. Good job.
You can also save your deck, go to deck editor and load your decklist, swapping out the basics for a different basics (sometimes if I have time I throw in my LRW foils) for * and giggles.
I love this series of article. Keep them coming.
Another few cards that I feel are undervalued are
Master of Etherium at 2.00 they can be massive 3 drops
Banefire at 1.90 - uncounterable burn that's unpreventable...has won many a games
Auriok Champion at 2.75, such a difficult card to get rid of and always pays you back in life gain
Kataki, War's Wage - 5.00 - One of my favourite anti-artifact cards that just wreaks havoc if not removed.
Cheers
wait, no, blue doesn't have removal??? and green's removal is crap??
:O
SOUND THE ALARMS!
I don't agree with this. In Pauper, I am a total Spike- it's my competitive outlet.
However, in Tribal, Commander, and other formats, I try to have fun and build other decks. It's just how I am wired I suppose.
-Alex
Fantastic comment, and one that I think is dead on accurate.
The most difficult thing I've ever had to do in Magic was to stop being a Spike. I'm back to a spike again now, but I did make the transition back for the time I wanted to and focused on just having fun in all aspects of Magic instead of focusing on the win at all costs.
Seriously, very very very hard to stop being a Spike once you're a Spike.
I try to find the most interesting or unique representation from the top eight decks. Pumble's list may not be the best one, but it was the only Elf list that contained a secondary win condition - Mirror Entity.
Also, you mention that the deck can gain infinite life, and that list doesn't even have warden, which is think is one of the best reasons to run elves.
Couldn't find a better elves decklist? He couldn't even be bothered to fill out the sideboard.
"I put my dreams of granduer behind me in order to make the most of my limited time by playing instead of coming up with the next big thing."
Honestly, I think this is a "phase" that many Magic players go through. After the novelty of the game wears off, the game becomes more of a competition than a place for innovation or an arena in which you can experience something.
Or, in other words, it's my opinion that some players start as "Spikes", while other players tend to gravitate to being "Spikes" as they become more jaded with a game that they've played a long time. That leaves a majority of the "Johnnies" and "Timmies" to be relatively newer players that have the ability (and time?) to bring fresh ideas to the table.
To each their own, but I'll probably keep resisting the pull to be a Spike and stay my good ole' Johnny self for a nice long while.
The surprising thing about Elves is not that it's the best deck, but that the best deck gets such a poor following.
I don't disagree with anything you said (although as noted above, Deathmark is usually good enough for the main in this format), but that's mostly because I don't think you've said enough to disagree *with*. I appreciate that this is meant to be more of a beginner's guide than anything else, but there isn't anything here that wouldn't be obvious within five minutes of reading pretty much any other article about M10, or even 5 minutes of looking at the setlist itself. I'd honestly like a shade more content. For instance: you mentioned that some of White's removal is pseudo-removal, but the truth is that all of it is; Harm's Way aside (and at uncommon you won't see quite as much of it), White doesn't have a single spell that can deal with a Merfolk Looter, and only one SB spell (Purge) that deals with Goblin Artillery. Or to pick another random question, which uncommon would you rather see, Mind Control or Sleep or Serra or Fireball? Does where you are in a draft make any difference in that ranking? How good do the draw spells seem to be in this format, how much is it about card advantage and how much is it about just getting there first with your guys? Heck, even 'what do you think is the best common in the set?' -- people may disagree with you, but at least it'll be something to talk about.
I'm not saying that this is a horrible article; as I said, I don't really disagree with anything that was said. But you can do a *lot* better than this, and I think you owe better than this to your readers. I'll be looking forward to the next one.
You are absolutely correct! I forgot about the firebreathing of Miss Red Akroma..
Nice article, one of the few "casual" articles I do more than just skim trough. Budget is kinda boring, but I understand many appreciate that.
Correct me if I`m wrong, but saying "Unfortuantely these guys do absolutely nothing to benefit Skill Borrower. Flying, haste, protection, first strike, vigilence, trample, morph, etc. are all static abilities and do not work with Skill Borrower." seems kinda...wrong. Sure, none of the abileties you listed benefit Skill Borrower, but Akroma also has Firebreathing :)