I never won any big tourneys with my variants, so Mike Long has me on that score, but I have been running Prosbloom since visions came out (the first time). I recall being really disappointed in his deck only really having one way to win. Granted his was tourney and mine was a type one "fun deck" that just killed my friends and local tourney players. I really prefer my old version, which I play from time to time on MTGO since Masters Edition came out online, which the main kill is storm seekers. Lots of fun. Braingeyser can also be a fun kill with this deck.
Anyway great article, and I love to play my 8 some odd prosbloom decks online (tho sadly the mechanic takes a bit too long and is annoying to play on MTGO) if anyone wants to see this in action.
By my standards, this _is_ a short article. I was in a rush to get my initial thoughts on the subject out, but I have to admit my critics are absolutely spot on. This article would have been better with a couple more days taken over it to add in a few more findings and explorations, maybe another deck or two. Nonetheless, it does have jut about enough useful content to justify its publication, but I promise my readership that when next I broach the subject of Kaleidoscope, it will be longer, more in-depth, and with better deck examples.
I had a Kaleidoscope article submitted over a week ago, which was longer and featured some deck ideas, but I guess the site didn't want to put it up. I have to agree that I would like to have seen this article fleshed out more.
i treid to get into EVERY one of the free sealed events, so i was up for 32 hours strait so i wouldnt miss my chance to click in, didnt make it into a single one and saw MENY of the same people in ALL 4, WOTC realy screwed this one up, can they actualy do ANYTHING rite?
same sunject pritymuch is the lack of careing from them for us multi players. same lame bugs and seat aragment that still dont work a year after 3.0 release. im starting to get realy frustraited with a company who just cant make the best game ever work properly online.
You're right, there's one big event that uses Ala Block Constructed. Unfortunately (for paper players) there's no Qualifiers that use the format so there's really not going to be a lot of constant discussion of the format except what happens online.
For those that are qualified and want to practice though, MTGO is going to be the best place! :D
Free events are just a lottery - obviously WOTC can't give all of their customers free product, so they chose to give a few lucky ones something. I don't know what's so frustrating about that - it's not like you lost anything that was rightfully yours...
Basically, the whole thing is just like the MacDonalds promotion where they give about every third customer a free small soft drink (do they do that in the US?) - nobody would scream 'aholes' to the counter personell because he didn't get the free drink and the guy on the next table did.
Granted, the way they did it was probably not good - it would have been better if they had just given away random invitations instead of making it first come first served, but the outcome is the same. And that there were client errors is unfortunate, but really doesn't change anything - if you can't join the event because of the bug it really is not more unfortunate than not being able to join because you clicked half a second too late ... it's just all about luck.
Sorry, but in all honestly, I can't quite get what the fuzz is all about ...
so i tried and tried to get my CAW freebie yesterday, only to be met with 1000 other people on the east coast and a dozen error messages taunting me and not allowing me to join in. thanks a lot wotc for customer apprication for the f'ed lag over the last month only to be spit on for what they call "apprication" when i get errored out of free product. tip of my hat to you aholes!
Sorry but I have to agree with Blade here. Whilst I know the amount of time and effort involved in writing an article I was very disappointed by the execution of this article. I think Blade sums this up. The new format offers many many points for discussion and your article seems too narrow and does not add anything to what has already been written on K-Scope. I clicked on the article with high expectations and more talk of the Pillar of the Paruns. Sorry to be critical but in the current state I am confused why this is on the front page. I usually enjoy your articles but feel this fall way short. Please see this as constructive critism rather than an attack. I look forward to seeing a more detailed article outlining your thoughts on this new and dynamic format. Best wishes Under_The_Hammer
Hi Blade, thanks for taking the time to read the article. I agree the article looks ugly I am really sorry about this I am still coming to terms with the new editing front. This problem seems to be specific to me as deck lists and margins still look professional in other authors articles. It is something I am not proud of and will look to improve. I am glad you like the content.
I agree the RDW eck is not something I would decide to run, that said the list made Top 8 and I am sure this could have been matchup specific. I really want to cover the individual events in more detail in addtion to just listing decks. Give me time once the replays are back on and ill try and improve this aspect too. See you in cleint.
Eternal_hammer
That Red Burn deck is horrible, so many cards maindeck that are SB material at best. Guess I wont complain if many ppl copy that list and get matched against me. :p
Regarding the article the information provided was good, while the different decklist layouts and the gfx in general was rather irritating on the eye.
would you play kalediostone on its own? no... playing it just for some synergy is only going to help you once in a while when you have both cards, and the bonus is that you get to draw a card for 2 mana every turn until esperzoa dies.
Dark Depths was the worst of the casual versions I put together. Way too much was needed to go right and it was very hard to get everything together with enough life to spare. I did win a couple games with it, but it's woefully underpowered compared to pretty much anything else I tried to win with. But if any engine can make it work, this is one of the few that can.
I had a lot of fun with that engine and I'll probably keep updating as I get new cards to use with it. :)
Etherium Sculptor, Master Transmuter, Kaleidostone
I never won any big tourneys with my variants, so Mike Long has me on that score, but I have been running Prosbloom since visions came out (the first time). I recall being really disappointed in his deck only really having one way to win. Granted his was tourney and mine was a type one "fun deck" that just killed my friends and local tourney players. I really prefer my old version, which I play from time to time on MTGO since Masters Edition came out online, which the main kill is storm seekers. Lots of fun. Braingeyser can also be a fun kill with this deck.
Anyway great article, and I love to play my 8 some odd prosbloom decks online (tho sadly the mechanic takes a bit too long and is annoying to play on MTGO) if anyone wants to see this in action.
Look me up
Undeadgod on mtgo
I think ou really shine with this articles :)
I hope you meant blandestk, as my article is its own version of Duke Nukem Forever. ;)
By my standards, this _is_ a short article. I was in a rush to get my initial thoughts on the subject out, but I have to admit my critics are absolutely spot on. This article would have been better with a couple more days taken over it to add in a few more findings and explorations, maybe another deck or two. Nonetheless, it does have jut about enough useful content to justify its publication, but I promise my readership that when next I broach the subject of Kaleidoscope, it will be longer, more in-depth, and with better deck examples.
To be quick and to the point.
Also Blade your article is going up shortly.
I had a Kaleidoscope article submitted over a week ago, which was longer and featured some deck ideas, but I guess the site didn't want to put it up. I have to agree that I would like to have seen this article fleshed out more.
i treid to get into EVERY one of the free sealed events, so i was up for 32 hours strait so i wouldnt miss my chance to click in, didnt make it into a single one and saw MENY of the same people in ALL 4, WOTC realy screwed this one up, can they actualy do ANYTHING rite?
same sunject pritymuch is the lack of careing from them for us multi players. same lame bugs and seat aragment that still dont work a year after 3.0 release. im starting to get realy frustraited with a company who just cant make the best game ever work properly online.
Randel Flag
But you do still have to have the Ajanis and Elspeths which seem to be in every deck left and right, with a hint of Sarkhan Vol here and there.
Probably because it's a lot of fun and you don't need to buy Wrath, Figure of Destiny and Reflecting pool. :p
Very true, it's almost as popular as standard in the Tournament Practice room at times!
You're right, there's one big event that uses Ala Block Constructed. Unfortunately (for paper players) there's no Qualifiers that use the format so there's really not going to be a lot of constant discussion of the format except what happens online.
For those that are qualified and want to practice though, MTGO is going to be the best place! :D
Free events are just a lottery - obviously WOTC can't give all of their customers free product, so they chose to give a few lucky ones something. I don't know what's so frustrating about that - it's not like you lost anything that was rightfully yours...
Basically, the whole thing is just like the MacDonalds promotion where they give about every third customer a free small soft drink (do they do that in the US?) - nobody would scream 'aholes' to the counter personell because he didn't get the free drink and the guy on the next table did.
Granted, the way they did it was probably not good - it would have been better if they had just given away random invitations instead of making it first come first served, but the outcome is the same. And that there were client errors is unfortunate, but really doesn't change anything - if you can't join the event because of the bug it really is not more unfortunate than not being able to join because you clicked half a second too late ... it's just all about luck.
Sorry, but in all honestly, I can't quite get what the fuzz is all about ...
I thought Pro Tour Honolulu was Block Constructed/Draft format?
The CAW events were quite painful to watch. I tried to get into one as well but failed miserably, so I share your frustrations. :(
I'm looking forward to the textless terrors though.
so i tried and tried to get my CAW freebie yesterday, only to be met with 1000 other people on the east coast and a dozen error messages taunting me and not allowing me to join in. thanks a lot wotc for customer apprication for the f'ed lag over the last month only to be spit on for what they call "apprication" when i get errored out of free product. tip of my hat to you aholes!
Sorry but I have to agree with Blade here. Whilst I know the amount of time and effort involved in writing an article I was very disappointed by the execution of this article. I think Blade sums this up. The new format offers many many points for discussion and your article seems too narrow and does not add anything to what has already been written on K-Scope. I clicked on the article with high expectations and more talk of the Pillar of the Paruns. Sorry to be critical but in the current state I am confused why this is on the front page. I usually enjoy your articles but feel this fall way short. Please see this as constructive critism rather than an attack. I look forward to seeing a more detailed article outlining your thoughts on this new and dynamic format. Best wishes Under_The_Hammer
Hi Blade, thanks for taking the time to read the article. I agree the article looks ugly I am really sorry about this I am still coming to terms with the new editing front. This problem seems to be specific to me as deck lists and margins still look professional in other authors articles. It is something I am not proud of and will look to improve. I am glad you like the content.
I agree the RDW eck is not something I would decide to run, that said the list made Top 8 and I am sure this could have been matchup specific. I really want to cover the individual events in more detail in addtion to just listing decks. Give me time once the replays are back on and ill try and improve this aspect too. See you in cleint.
Eternal_hammer
Prophecy/Exodus, tomato/tomahto... It's all old sets with crazy cards! :D
That Red Burn deck is horrible, so many cards maindeck that are SB material at best. Guess I wont complain if many ppl copy that list and get matched against me. :p
Regarding the article the information provided was good, while the different decklist layouts and the gfx in general was rather irritating on the eye.
Sorry, seems like an early draft to me.
would you play kalediostone on its own? no... playing it just for some synergy is only going to help you once in a while when you have both cards, and the bonus is that you get to draw a card for 2 mana every turn until esperzoa dies.
Running 4 esperzoa and not running a cantrip artifact seems grossly negligent.
Dark Depths was the worst of the casual versions I put together. Way too much was needed to go right and it was very hard to get everything together with enough life to spare. I did win a couple games with it, but it's woefully underpowered compared to pretty much anything else I tried to win with. But if any engine can make it work, this is one of the few that can.
I had a lot of fun with that engine and I'll probably keep updating as I get new cards to use with it. :)
Thanks for the fixes, Mr. jimmy-jam-jaaaamUUUrrrrAAAAA!