Thanks for this article. Without doubt, when the time comes, I will surely make use of this. Can we somehow make this a "sticky article" so we can look at it anytime we want? And as you say Hamtastic, please do update it often.
Thanks guys! Yeah, I've actually been waiting for a while for the NDA to be lifted so I could submit this article. :) I'll be keeping this article up to date as things change in the client, or perhaps make update articles for when things change. That would allow for some change history which could be very interesting.
Nice Article, can someone please tell me if this article is even legal? I recall there was an attachement in the beta that stated a pretty big NDA (non-disclosure agreement) and I would hate to see someone get in trouble because of that...
YAAAAY! I love Pestilence too! Great article by the way. I haven't built a pestilence deck on mtgo yet myself. I have this old school real life deck still put together I like to still PWN people with. Just wish I could build it on MTGO...(stupid freakin not all the cards online) :(
The thing that stood out the most in this article for me was the deck frames. Simple and perfect! I've been trying to get that kind of an effect for a very long time! Mind if i steal it? :P (seriously though it's awesome and I'd love to use it)
Just my thoughts, but trying to go into white pack two was possibly not the best idea. You had already passed a few good white cards, like Balista Squad, Aven Flock/Skyhunter, etc... in pack 1, likely putting your neighbor into white. Plus it appears that one of the main people passing to you in pack one was taking the other decent white cards already as you didn't see much good white either.
You also had some questionable picks (like the icy, but you recognized that later). As a matter of fact, I'd rank Icy almost above warhammer. Icy shuts down the warhammer AND the creature it's on and is ridiculously powerful in 999.
Sudden Spoiling combos well with Pyrohemia. That way you get rid of any pro red creatures your opponent may have, such as Soltari Priest, and all the opponents fatties get fried for 5 mana (BBRR1). Then your buffed slivers attack unopposed.
Any of the split second spells make a good fit with BGR slivers as they louse up UW and UB Teferi decks - but Pyrohemia may be just the ticket to overcome WW in TSB, which is the main meta today.
As you know we are still in "beta" so please post your issues with the editor on the boards. I need to know what you all are having problems with so we can fix them. Great first article for puremtgo evu!
Well, I just loved the article. Perfectly done. Very clean and nice to read. All the decks are very creative and I can image that they are much fun to play. 5 star out of 5! (I would have given 6 out 5 but there is no such option!)
So, I've already finished one of the homework assignments: building a Pyrohemia deck with Blue cards. The Blue primarily contributes card-drawing... by way of dying Zuberas:
------------------------
4 Mountain
3 Island
3 Plains
4 Terramorphic Expanse
2 Steam Vents
2 Sacred Foundry
2 Hallowed Fountain
4 Forbidden Orchard
4 Silent-Chant Zubera
4 Ember-Fist Zubera
4 Floating-Dream Zubera
4 Rushing-Tide Zubera
3 Pyroclasm
2 Sun's Bounty
1 Echoing Truth
3 Darksteel Ingot
4 Faith's Fetters
4 Pyrohemia
3 Furnace of Rath
------------------------
This deck reuses the Orchard/Pyrohemia combo, which I like more the more I play with it, and adds the synergistic Sun's Bounty as a repeatable source of life gain: note that dying Spirit tokens go to their *owner's* graveyard, thus triggering the recover mechanic! It also features Furnace of Rath, which enhances the potency of Pyrohemia, and ensures that Rushing-Tide Zubera will always be dealt damage in even-numbered increments. Unfortunately, I'm breaking the rule I established in the Sliver deck by only running 16 Zuberas, and not finding room for Burning-Eye Zubera. I just couldn't figure out what to cut. However, recent testing suggests that Pyroclasm really isn't pulling its weight, so I might look at replacing those three cards with some combination of Burning-Eye, Echoing Truth (pretty much your only out against something like Worship), Darksteel Ingot, or other card-drawing. Anyway, the best thing about this deck is that, if you take out the dual lands (I'd probably replace them with Azorious Chanceries and Mountains), there are only seven rares, and they're all under a ticket (Forbidden Orchards are .90 each, and Furnaces of Rath are .40 each), which makes this another great place to start if you're new or on a budget.
That's one assignment done; now here are two more: build Pyrohemia decks (1) around a creature type other than Slivers or Zuberas, and (2) around the Onslaught junk rare Convalescent Care.
There are a couple of things I'd like to edit -- e.g., I wrote a better teaser for the front page -- but I'm having issues with the editing system, so I'll leave it alone for now, for fear of making things worse.
but your articles are making things easier for me in draft. I'm noticing lots of things in what I do and the choices of picks. On the bright side I am not so easy to beat :) I'll be looking for more articles! keep it going, good job dude.
Great Article! I'm very impressed and its nice to see someone besides me working on ways to beat net decks, not become them. Great names for your decks too.
Hey man, great stuff. This article pretty much has everything you can ask for. Useful insight, valid strategy, and an enormous amount of personality. Keep up the good work.
I really did enjoy this style of article, it was great, but there is room for imrpovement. I think it would be outstanding if you would bring the deck "MGA" into a PE, and comment on your plays, etc. and explain which cards to sideboard against which decks.
You have the gist of it with this style of video, and you obviously have the great talent of commentary and video-editing, you just need to take the idea one step further!
You're right. Except that RG has problems with color balance- the creatures are all green, the spells all red (and yes, some creatures are red as well). Running Brute Force over a burn spell retains color balance, whereas running Giant Growth could lead to worse mana and therefore worse draws. I also should have been more explicit in saying that I don't think that Brute Force could only work in the current RG mode, but also in a new, more creature (less burn) oriented RG deck featuring the most efficient creatures (high power to cost ratio) and both Giant Growth and Brute Force.
I think the article has some merrits. As thejitte pointed out is common sence what to take out and what not to add. For me though its being able to identify which cards are the week links. That one or two cards that seems to work sometimes, but consistantly falls behind on par. Here is an article I would also like to see touched on. The mana curve. Mysticlancer wrote a deck on what cards to choose based on how good they are in a draft. Well after you have your card pool ( and this goes for draft or constructed), how do you determine that you have a decent mana curve. I never really understood how to determin that. I have an idea what it represents but now how to get to that stage. So thats an article I would like to see and I will post this in the forums as well.
I will tell you if it wasnt for net decks, I would probably never play competition level magic.
A good article for people at the stage in their magic playing life where they just keep on adding cards to their pile of stuff they like, but who want to learn how to build more consistent decks. Bit of a narrow focus, bit of a short article, but good for pointing out what most people would assume to be obvious, but isn't for some. My advice would be perhaps to broaden your appeal: You give examples from several different decks, but the people who would most benefit from the article wouldn't necessarily know what went into a good example of the archetypes. The topic is a useful one, but you need to think about which audience you're writing for. There is promise here, and I know full well what you're capable of in terms of the creative side, but you need to raise your game a little in your next article.
Thanks for this article. Without doubt, when the time comes, I will surely make use of this. Can we somehow make this a "sticky article" so we can look at it anytime we want? And as you say Hamtastic, please do update it often.
Thanks guys! Yeah, I've actually been waiting for a while for the NDA to be lifted so I could submit this article. :) I'll be keeping this article up to date as things change in the client, or perhaps make update articles for when things change. That would allow for some change history which could be very interesting.
under no circumstances should you actually play Sprouting Phytohydra and Pyrohemia in the same deck.
I took it a step further and added Rite of Passage also. The stack quickly got insane.
The NDA was lifted a few hours ago.
Nice article, though there's a lot more that could be covered in a future article.
Nice Article, can someone please tell me if this article is even legal? I recall there was an attachement in the beta that stated a pretty big NDA (non-disclosure agreement) and I would hate to see someone get in trouble because of that...
YAAAAY! I love Pestilence too! Great article by the way. I haven't built a pestilence deck on mtgo yet myself. I have this old school real life deck still put together I like to still PWN people with. Just wish I could build it on MTGO...(stupid freakin not all the cards online) :(
The thing that stood out the most in this article for me was the deck frames. Simple and perfect! I've been trying to get that kind of an effect for a very long time! Mind if i steal it? :P (seriously though it's awesome and I'd love to use it)
Overall a great article!
Just my thoughts, but trying to go into white pack two was possibly not the best idea. You had already passed a few good white cards, like Balista Squad, Aven Flock/Skyhunter, etc... in pack 1, likely putting your neighbor into white. Plus it appears that one of the main people passing to you in pack one was taking the other decent white cards already as you didn't see much good white either.
You also had some questionable picks (like the icy, but you recognized that later). As a matter of fact, I'd rank Icy almost above warhammer. Icy shuts down the warhammer AND the creature it's on and is ridiculously powerful in 999.
but 'grats on the win!
Dude, that was the bomb.
under no circumstances should you actually play Sprouting Phytohydra and Pyrohemia in the same deck.
-Oh man, I laughed until I cried.
/me goes to put both those cards in the same deck
Sudden Spoiling combos well with Pyrohemia. That way you get rid of any pro red creatures your opponent may have, such as Soltari Priest, and all the opponents fatties get fried for 5 mana (BBRR1). Then your buffed slivers attack unopposed.
Any of the split second spells make a good fit with BGR slivers as they louse up UW and UB Teferi decks - but Pyrohemia may be just the ticket to overcome WW in TSB, which is the main meta today.
As you know we are still in "beta" so please post your issues with the editor on the boards. I need to know what you all are having problems with so we can fix them. Great first article for puremtgo evu!
Well, I just loved the article. Perfectly done. Very clean and nice to read. All the decks are very creative and I can image that they are much fun to play. 5 star out of 5! (I would have given 6 out 5 but there is no such option!)
So, I've already finished one of the homework assignments: building a Pyrohemia deck with Blue cards. The Blue primarily contributes card-drawing... by way of dying Zuberas:
------------------------
4 Mountain
3 Island
3 Plains
4 Terramorphic Expanse
2 Steam Vents
2 Sacred Foundry
2 Hallowed Fountain
4 Forbidden Orchard
4 Silent-Chant Zubera
4 Ember-Fist Zubera
4 Floating-Dream Zubera
4 Rushing-Tide Zubera
3 Pyroclasm
2 Sun's Bounty
1 Echoing Truth
3 Darksteel Ingot
4 Faith's Fetters
4 Pyrohemia
3 Furnace of Rath
------------------------
This deck reuses the Orchard/Pyrohemia combo, which I like more the more I play with it, and adds the synergistic Sun's Bounty as a repeatable source of life gain: note that dying Spirit tokens go to their *owner's* graveyard, thus triggering the recover mechanic! It also features Furnace of Rath, which enhances the potency of Pyrohemia, and ensures that Rushing-Tide Zubera will always be dealt damage in even-numbered increments. Unfortunately, I'm breaking the rule I established in the Sliver deck by only running 16 Zuberas, and not finding room for Burning-Eye Zubera. I just couldn't figure out what to cut. However, recent testing suggests that Pyroclasm really isn't pulling its weight, so I might look at replacing those three cards with some combination of Burning-Eye, Echoing Truth (pretty much your only out against something like Worship), Darksteel Ingot, or other card-drawing. Anyway, the best thing about this deck is that, if you take out the dual lands (I'd probably replace them with Azorious Chanceries and Mountains), there are only seven rares, and they're all under a ticket (Forbidden Orchards are .90 each, and Furnaces of Rath are .40 each), which makes this another great place to start if you're new or on a budget.
That's one assignment done; now here are two more: build Pyrohemia decks (1) around a creature type other than Slivers or Zuberas, and (2) around the Onslaught junk rare Convalescent Care.
Thanks for posting the article, Heath!
There are a couple of things I'd like to edit -- e.g., I wrote a better teaser for the front page -- but I'm having issues with the editing system, so I'll leave it alone for now, for fear of making things worse.
but your articles are making things easier for me in draft. I'm noticing lots of things in what I do and the choices of picks. On the bright side I am not so easy to beat :) I'll be looking for more articles! keep it going, good job dude.
My comment is there, where you want it to be :)))
Great Article! I'm very impressed and its nice to see someone besides me working on ways to beat net decks, not become them. Great names for your decks too.
Hey man, great stuff. This article pretty much has everything you can ask for. Useful insight, valid strategy, and an enormous amount of personality. Keep up the good work.
I really did enjoy this style of article, it was great, but there is room for imrpovement. I think it would be outstanding if you would bring the deck "MGA" into a PE, and comment on your plays, etc. and explain which cards to sideboard against which decks.
You have the gist of it with this style of video, and you obviously have the great talent of commentary and video-editing, you just need to take the idea one step further!
Great Article, loved the card idea's, i'm always overlooking lots of cool cards, so that really helped :D
You're right. Except that RG has problems with color balance- the creatures are all green, the spells all red (and yes, some creatures are red as well). Running Brute Force over a burn spell retains color balance, whereas running Giant Growth could lead to worse mana and therefore worse draws. I also should have been more explicit in saying that I don't think that Brute Force could only work in the current RG mode, but also in a new, more creature (less burn) oriented RG deck featuring the most efficient creatures (high power to cost ratio) and both Giant Growth and Brute Force.
Just a side note. I was half asleep when I wrote that comment below so...I appoligize if sentences make no sence.
I think the article has some merrits. As thejitte pointed out is common sence what to take out and what not to add. For me though its being able to identify which cards are the week links. That one or two cards that seems to work sometimes, but consistantly falls behind on par. Here is an article I would also like to see touched on. The mana curve. Mysticlancer wrote a deck on what cards to choose based on how good they are in a draft. Well after you have your card pool ( and this goes for draft or constructed), how do you determine that you have a decent mana curve. I never really understood how to determin that. I have an idea what it represents but now how to get to that stage. So thats an article I would like to see and I will post this in the forums as well.
I will tell you if it wasnt for net decks, I would probably never play competition level magic.
A good article for people at the stage in their magic playing life where they just keep on adding cards to their pile of stuff they like, but who want to learn how to build more consistent decks. Bit of a narrow focus, bit of a short article, but good for pointing out what most people would assume to be obvious, but isn't for some. My advice would be perhaps to broaden your appeal: You give examples from several different decks, but the people who would most benefit from the article wouldn't necessarily know what went into a good example of the archetypes. The topic is a useful one, but you need to think about which audience you're writing for. There is promise here, and I know full well what you're capable of in terms of the creative side, but you need to raise your game a little in your next article.
Brute Force has been legal for RG for a long, long time now, ever since it was called Giant Growth.