I play Red. I like Red. I can count backwards in units of 2 or 3. I can open up 7 cards and decide if I will kill my opponent on turn 4 or turn 6. I know if I should remove their man or push the damage to the face. I know those decision trees. This is where Magic is very comfortable for me. This is where I like to play and how I like to play.
So I built a control deck.
I watched a good friend of mine pilot Blue Black control with some success for no small amount of time. He is essentially the only person, who regularly plays Standard, I know in our meta that seems to be truly comfortable with control as an archetype. So instead of looking to White for the secondary colour, I naturally drifted toward Black.
The very first card I started with was Think Twice. This card, as I have found in course of play, is amazing. If you don't need to cast a counter spell, you can cast it or flash it back. It works so much better than ponder for what you want to be doing in a control deck. Leave mana up to make your opponent not cast spells.
Next I added what is by and large my favourite card in this entire deck. Forbidden Alchemy digs you to the answer you need and with appropriate use of a Snapcaster Mage (a natural 4 of in most control decks) often nets you at least two solutions to whatever problem the board state may currently present. The 7 mana required to flash back Alchemy usually shows up by turn 7-9 and once you have done that, you feel like you are cheating. When you feel like you are cheating, you know your deck is doing what you want.
Speaking of feeling like cheating, Consecrated Sphinx fits that bill quite well. A big butt and the ability to fly doesn't hurt this card advantage machine. As a 6 drop, this indeterminately sexed creature may not finish a game but it almost certainly ensures that its controller has access to the resources that will.
So what do we dig to? First and most obviously are the 4 Mana Leaks that serve as the backbone of the counter package. Next, I elected for just 3 Dissipates. More often than not, I found that between 4 Snaps and 3 of these bad boys, if I so desired a spell to be removed from the game instead of resolve, I could make it so.
After those sweet counter spells, we need to have some sweet removal to dig to as well. The first of which is the ever classic Doom Blade. Why this instead of Go for the Throat? The answer is simple. In the present standard metagame, black creatures are as scarce as good blue planeswalkers. I put 2 Blades in, because we have more removal coming right up.
In the standard of Geist of Saint Traft, Thrun, the Last Troll and Dungrove Elder nontargeted removal and boardwipes become increasingly important. First up, I have 2 Geth's Verdicts. The reason for these over Tribute to Hunger is a bit complex. If mana dorks are present, you essentially need to cast 2 verdicts to hit the guy you actually want gone for either Verdict or Tribute. This means that between turn 3 and 4 you cannot cast and then Snapcaster back Tribute. However you can do that with Verdict. Yes, this means your mana base has certain requirements, which will be addressed further south in the article. On the other hand, Tribute can gain you some life that can actually be relevant in getting the control deck into the late game, where the deck truly shines. I find that a more guaranteed kill of your problem creatures is more important against the decks where it really matters.
Next up, we need to clear the board. For this, I have chosen Life's Finale. Against the present saturation of Aggro swarm lists and against Wolf Run, this can be quite punishing. Black Sun's Zenith was the other option for sweeping the board clean but as both cards need 6 mana to be appropriately effective, I would rather have a card that I can Snap back a little later in the game with an added bonus of potentially poaching men from their deck.
So we have a fair package of removal and counter spells, we should look to things that the deck cannot presently handle. If, Jace forbid, something makes its way through our wall of counterspells that we cannot simply remove with some creature removal, this deck folds fairly quickly. Appropriately placed Oblivion Rings or the odd planeswalker can turn our plan on its head. After a quick Gatherer search, I found that no card in Standard in Blue or Black said "Destroy target planeswalker or enchantment" which seems like a giant weakness to this deck. But then I discovered a solution to these pesky things. I turn my problems into 3/3 beasts via Beast Within. I know, its Green. More mana trouble ahead. But we can stretch the mana base to actually have a deck that can deal with every card that comes down, at least until WotC prints a card that can't be countered, sacrificed, or destroyed.
Now that we have three colours to work with we can take a look at what can be both a win condition and a source of card advantage-essentially the Standard Bitterblossom. Garruk Relentless/Garruk, the Veil-Cursed can be a midgame threat that puts pressure up in the control match up. He can make blockers and act as removal against aggro decks and in a pinch can turn over and make some deathtouch dudes that may eventually trample over even the most stalwart of defenses. Not needing to waste time casting men allows you to keep that mana up to leak away whatever your opponent, who is now on the backfoot, may be trying to answer that Garruk with. He fulfills a suite of slots in just one card. Thanks, Green!
However, we cannot win on the back of Garruk alone. No indeed. So what fantastic finisher do I have in store for this deck? Frost Titan, perhaps? Too cheap! Then maybe the Fireball on wheels, Myr Battlesphere? Too creature! I'll give you a hint. This card has 3 Black mana symbols and a killer flavor text. Sorin's Vengeance! Too often did Grave Titan come down only to have a flier finish up its controller with little more than a few attack phases. Instead this both acts as an end game finisher and a stabilizer for the life total. A few turns later, Snapcaster Mage can flash this spell back, or you can keep bashing with 2/2 wolves from Garruk. For this sweet tech, I must tip my hat to my control playing friend Chris Allen.
Let us take a look at this mana base. It is tricky but not ambitious. First, we have some utility lands to look at. Ghost Quarter is no Tectonic Edge but if you have to kill a land, you take what you can get. Nephalia Drownyard doesn't quite stand up to its Worldwake counterpart either but it does offer the ability to expand your handsize (or mill your opponent out). Out of all the lands in this deck, this is the one I most want to turn into basic land but the advantage it creates can be massive. Just be judicious with the mill in the control match-up. Fair warning.
Next up, I have a singleton Traveler's Amulet. The reason for this over any Shimmering Grottos is twofold. First, having another, land that doesn't produce a colour by itself is actually a serious problem. Secondly, there were not enough cards with apostrophes in this deck list (now there are 4). There are 4 Islands, 3 Swamps and a Forest to get with this Amulet, and in a pinch you can Ghost your own land for appropriate fixing. That should be a rare happening though. Selecting the appropriate basic land to fetch, or play, is super important for this deck, given the abundance of buddy lands.
All told, there are 10 of the aforementioned buddy lands. We have 3 Woodland Cemeteries and 3 Hinterland Harbors, allowing us access to 7 total Green sources and allowing us to still cast the double Blue or Black spells that might otherwise have been tricky. 4 Drowned Catacombs and 3 of the Scars early lands (Darkslick Shores) make up the rest of the Blue/Black mana production. This means that we have 14 Blue sources and 13 Black sources. Given 25 land in the deck, you can reliably cast all of your spells and even flash back a turn 4 Verdict without too much trouble. The complete list can be found below.
Instants: 21
4 Think Twice
4 Forbidden Alchemy
4 Mana Leak
3 Dissipate
2 Doom Blade
2 Geth's Verdicts
2 Beast Within
Planeswalkers: 3
3 Garruk Relentless
Sorcerys: 4
2 Life's Finale
2 Sorin's Vengeance
Creatures: 6
4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Consecrated Sphinx
Artifacts: 1
1 Traveler's Amulet
Lands: 25
2 Ghost Quarter
2 Nephalia Drownyard
4 Island
3 Swamp
1 Forest
3 Darkslick Shores
4 Drowned Catacomb
3 Hinterland Harbor
3 Woodland Cemetery
Control is not by any means a style that I am comfortable with and to wiser eyes that may be obvious by my justifications and even by my choices. However I have had immense levels of fun and a fair amount of success playing this deck. If you play the deck correctly, you can often surprise your opponent with a turn 4 Garruk or a random Beast Within just by making your land drops carefully. That can be a huge advantage to you over the course of a game. If I can stress anything about playing this deck, it is keeping track of what you have played and what could be in your deck still. You have to be all there to sling these spells.
If you want to hear more of what I have to say, you can listen to the podcast, Planeswalker Asylum, I partake in on a biweekly basis. You can also consult me via the Twitter @samdavisboyhero. Thank you for reading! If you have questions or criticisms, feel free to comment or contact me however you see fit, though I take offense at too many bricks through my window.
Until next time, keep your sleeves clean and your beasts within.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Saturday, December 24, 2011
I Made a List and Checked It Twice
As many of you are likely aware, the DCI recently updated the Banned and Restricted list, removing two cards from the Modern format. Punishing Fire and Wild Nacatl have gone the way of Ponder and Preordain. With those out of the way, I have a few ideas for the upcoming Modern PTQ season that won't break the bank, allowing you to keep some of your Christmas cash in your pocket.
I have been working on an Aggro/Loam list designed to put enough pressure to give combo a problem and still have a solid match up against the multiple Zoo decks floating around. Initially this list was Red and Green but the thought of putting a little Black into the mix was creeping in to the thought process. I still believe that this list has great potential in a post Nacatl Modern, perhaps even more so than it did before.
Let's talk core pieces. Countryside Crusher, Seismic Assult, and Life from the Loam are where we want to start. You can already see where this is headed. It is a cute combo and can absolutely destroy a lesser aggro deck if the combo comes online. The fact that Crusher ensures that your draws are live for the rest of the game is also a pretty large factor in beating other decks. Any two of these pieces can actually run away with a board state and getting all three together is very powerful.
Now you are expecting me to say Swans of Bryn Argoll next. Well more likely you are expecting me just to say Swans, because no one actually knows the full name of that card. But we aren't playing it. As cute as it is, I think that this deck is strong enough without playing it. Additionally, the extra lands that Seismic-Swans wants to play coupled with the lack of Ponder and Preordain to filter to the combo make that particular take on the deck feel weaker.
What do the colours Red and Green make you think of in the entire aggro spectrum of Magic? The first thing that pops into my head is the glory days of Bloodbraid Elf! The trill of cascading into some sweet free spells gives this deck some serious card advantage in addition to Loam. You may think that Bloodbraid into Loam may be a bit of a non-bo but in reality, you have likely cracked 2-3 fetch lands before getting to the needed mana base to actually cast our Christmas coloured elf. This allows you to get the rest of your engine started, as a worst case scenario.
What else might we want to cascade into? Well first off, we are already on the beat down plan and getting in some early damage won't be the worst. Goblin Guide makes a sweet 1 drop and also isn't the worst thing to cascade in to for added pressure. Along the same line both Keldon Marauders and Hellspark Elemental serve the same purposes in this Modern list as they would in a Legacy burn list.
The final addition, excluding Bolt (a clear must for this list), is Boggart Ram-Gang. Not something I would typically suggest, in a format where Tarmogyf exists along with Knight of the Reliquary, having what equates to an unblockable man that can double as a deterrent to the aggressiveness packed into those two powerhouses can be a powerful aid. The fact that you can cascade into this fellow or cast it with ease isn't the worst thing ever.
You will note, I squeezed two Teetering Peaks into this deck's mana base. As Modern denies us access to Barbarian Ring, we have to make due with this slightly lesser land based aggression. Slapping 2 more damage on a Ram Gang or an Elemental demands a Path to Exile in response and frankly our opponent can't afford to spend resources there with a Crusher continually getting bigger. Diversifying threats will ensure that any deck that gets a little greedy with their list will most assuredly be punished with losses.
Mans: 24
4 Countryside Crusher
4 Bloodbraid Elf
4 Goblin Guide
4 Keldon Marauders
4 Hellspark Elemental
4 Boggart Ram-Gang
Enchantments: 4
4 Seismic Assult
Sorcerys: 4
4 Life from the Loam
Instants: 4
4 Lightning Bolt
Lands: 24
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Arid Mesa
2 Stomping Ground
11 Mountain
1 Forest
2 Teetering Peaks
As far as not breaking the bank, if you don't mind supplying your own basic lands, Star City Games can provide this entire list (shopping frugally, of course) for $196.72 plus S&H. Getting in to Modern for under $200 is fairly doable and you end up with 8 fetch lands that are playable in both Modern and Legacy, which is a sound investment if you intend to continue playing Magic on a reasonably competitive level.
At the very least, I hope this has given you something to think about for the upcoming season. If you want to hear what I have to say about the current Magic culture and developments, you can find Planeswalker Asylum over on Couch Pirate Radio. You can also find me saying largely irrelevant things on Twitter @samdavisboyhero. Any feedback you have is appreciated and thanks for reading!
Until next time, keep your sleeves clean and your cascades full of value.
I have been working on an Aggro/Loam list designed to put enough pressure to give combo a problem and still have a solid match up against the multiple Zoo decks floating around. Initially this list was Red and Green but the thought of putting a little Black into the mix was creeping in to the thought process. I still believe that this list has great potential in a post Nacatl Modern, perhaps even more so than it did before.
Let's talk core pieces. Countryside Crusher, Seismic Assult, and Life from the Loam are where we want to start. You can already see where this is headed. It is a cute combo and can absolutely destroy a lesser aggro deck if the combo comes online. The fact that Crusher ensures that your draws are live for the rest of the game is also a pretty large factor in beating other decks. Any two of these pieces can actually run away with a board state and getting all three together is very powerful.
Now you are expecting me to say Swans of Bryn Argoll next. Well more likely you are expecting me just to say Swans, because no one actually knows the full name of that card. But we aren't playing it. As cute as it is, I think that this deck is strong enough without playing it. Additionally, the extra lands that Seismic-Swans wants to play coupled with the lack of Ponder and Preordain to filter to the combo make that particular take on the deck feel weaker.
What do the colours Red and Green make you think of in the entire aggro spectrum of Magic? The first thing that pops into my head is the glory days of Bloodbraid Elf! The trill of cascading into some sweet free spells gives this deck some serious card advantage in addition to Loam. You may think that Bloodbraid into Loam may be a bit of a non-bo but in reality, you have likely cracked 2-3 fetch lands before getting to the needed mana base to actually cast our Christmas coloured elf. This allows you to get the rest of your engine started, as a worst case scenario.
What else might we want to cascade into? Well first off, we are already on the beat down plan and getting in some early damage won't be the worst. Goblin Guide makes a sweet 1 drop and also isn't the worst thing to cascade in to for added pressure. Along the same line both Keldon Marauders and Hellspark Elemental serve the same purposes in this Modern list as they would in a Legacy burn list.
The final addition, excluding Bolt (a clear must for this list), is Boggart Ram-Gang. Not something I would typically suggest, in a format where Tarmogyf exists along with Knight of the Reliquary, having what equates to an unblockable man that can double as a deterrent to the aggressiveness packed into those two powerhouses can be a powerful aid. The fact that you can cascade into this fellow or cast it with ease isn't the worst thing ever.
You will note, I squeezed two Teetering Peaks into this deck's mana base. As Modern denies us access to Barbarian Ring, we have to make due with this slightly lesser land based aggression. Slapping 2 more damage on a Ram Gang or an Elemental demands a Path to Exile in response and frankly our opponent can't afford to spend resources there with a Crusher continually getting bigger. Diversifying threats will ensure that any deck that gets a little greedy with their list will most assuredly be punished with losses.
Mans: 24
4 Countryside Crusher
4 Bloodbraid Elf
4 Goblin Guide
4 Keldon Marauders
4 Hellspark Elemental
4 Boggart Ram-Gang
Enchantments: 4
4 Seismic Assult
Sorcerys: 4
4 Life from the Loam
Instants: 4
4 Lightning Bolt
Lands: 24
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Arid Mesa
2 Stomping Ground
11 Mountain
1 Forest
2 Teetering Peaks
As far as not breaking the bank, if you don't mind supplying your own basic lands, Star City Games can provide this entire list (shopping frugally, of course) for $196.72 plus S&H. Getting in to Modern for under $200 is fairly doable and you end up with 8 fetch lands that are playable in both Modern and Legacy, which is a sound investment if you intend to continue playing Magic on a reasonably competitive level.
At the very least, I hope this has given you something to think about for the upcoming season. If you want to hear what I have to say about the current Magic culture and developments, you can find Planeswalker Asylum over on Couch Pirate Radio. You can also find me saying largely irrelevant things on Twitter @samdavisboyhero. Any feedback you have is appreciated and thanks for reading!
Until next time, keep your sleeves clean and your cascades full of value.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Keeping Clean All Weekend: a Scrub's Tale of the Star City Invitational
Amid the hullabaloo of the scandalous, but not entirely unexpected, accusations against Alex Bertoncini and the article written by Brian Kibler about the problems with PWP, it seems one very important thing was forgotten: there was an Invitational this weekend. Now I am sure that there will be a few hundred tournament reports written about that and both Opens. That is not what I will be doing. I don't think you want to hear a play by play of even the most interesting game states. Instead, I am going to walk you through some things I learned over the course of the weekend and maybe that might help you the next time you head off to a Star City, or any Magic, event.
The first thing that should be noted is I am not a competitive player. I don't go to a lot of tournaments and I don't make an attempt to say ahead of the meta or to brew up the most secret of technologies. Instead, I enjoy the mildly competitive nature of FNM. I have never played a Grand Prix or a Pro Tour Qualifier. Instead, I have played what comes to three open weekends held by Star City. This likely means that my evaluative criteria may be slightly skewed. I feel that some of the things I learned, others may have picked up elsewhere without any real effort and think nothing of the observations I noted this weekend. In any instance, I hope this serves someone, somewhere.
It was late, Thursday when the three of us finally pulled away from Norman. The 18 hour drive was daunting and I had already made a 5 hour round trip earlier that day. However, I took the wheel and set our course eastward, toward opportunity and excitement. The drive was not dull. We talked. We laughed. Occasionally the passengers slept as their turn at the wheel neared. And of course, I got to catch up on a few choice podcasts while I awaited my turn in the back seat.
We pulled into Charlotte 17 hours later, despite the multiple deer sightings, the horror movie fog that covered the mountains eerily along I-26, and our slight detour to the pleasant state of South Carolina. Having made excellent time, we checked in to our hotel and proceeded to the venue a mere three blocks away. We sign up for the Invitational and the three of us acquire our free sleeves. You should note that this is only the second thing I have ever gotten from playing Magic, aside from product. I was thrilled to receive these, despite not actually wanting them at all.
Now here is where I thought the learning started. As we walk away, on the look out for trades and an empty table to iron out a few sideboard details, I run into a fellow I met at Star City Kansas City. He is from Canada and is friends with one of the 3-D alterists that were present at the Invitational. I note all this because there is almost no reason for me to know anyone from Canada. Except he plays Magic. He immediately recognized me and took a few moments to talk while he sideboarded for the match he was presently playing. This was surprising.
I look a little different than I did at the KC Open. November caused hair to sprout from my face and I was dressed reasonably well instead of just jeans and a t-shirt. I hardly recognize me. Yet he snap identified me. Why does he care about some kid he met a few months ago who lives in Oklahoma? Because over the course of that Open, I built a rapport with him, along with several other people whom I also ran in to over the course of the Invitational. I know what you are likely thinking: "Well I'm glad you made friends, Sam. Now why does this matter even remotely?"
It matters because I realized that the main reason I still play Magic is not the challenge to my mind, nor the competitive atmosphere, but the people who also play Magic. The community is what makes Magic fun to me. My best stories from the event don't come from my sweet plays or my bad beats but from the car rides there and back and from sitting at tables just talking with people or from our evening ritual of dining at Buffalo Wild Wings (For 3 days I ate nothing but BWWs. My insides feel odd.). This learning experience began long before I got to Kansas City or played my first game day.
Sitting down across from my round 1 opponent, I was cheerful and so was he. I told him "Good Luck" and he replied with "Have Fun" which is something that I feel most Magic players forget. I enjoyed myself immensely all three games we played, despite the fact that in game 2, I literally could not cast any spells by my turn 2. Thanks, double Chalice of the Void. At the end of the match, I emerged victorious and cordially offered the handshake, thanking him for the games. Instead of my opponent's former positive outlook, I was met with a limp handshake and a fair amount of ridicule for my deck choice.
This player put me on tilt simply by being rude. Our games were fairly matched and each player demonstrated a fair amount of play skill and competence. Why then should he ridicule me for my deck choice? If anything, shouldn't I ask him why he chose his deck? The point I am attempting to make here is were I a less involved player, his conduct would have put me off Magic. Don't be that player. Yes, losing is bad but being a poor sport about it is worse. I know that the rage happens. But, as far as that tournament goes, a high majority of those players were adults. What is so special about Magic players that we feel like we can act like children? This kind of conduct hurts the game as a whole and is deplorable. Despite the stakes, at the end of the game you should recognize that at some point it is just a game and as my opponent said "Have Fun."
I played Burn for the Legacy portion of the Invitational (Shocking, I know.) and went 3-1. One other member of our car also opted to fling red spells instead of trying to make the fish swim upstream against Snapcaster Mage and the 12 swords (If I ever start a MTG related band, I so just found my band name). He went 3-1. Austin Yost also decided to burn it up and went 4-0 in the Legacy portion day 1. This is a point of pride for me. Ignore for a moment the fact that I am bragging on myself. One thing I noticed when watching the other two play is how confident they were about things. Then I realized that I too was exceptionally confident when I played.
Confidence is a huge strength in Magic. Not in the annoying, cocky sense but simply acting as if you are constantly making the best play not only presently but the best play imaginable. If you act like every spell you cast is a blowout, even if your opponent knows your list back to front, they start to wonder if this is the spell that blows them out. And as your confidence persists, despite possibly being on the clearly losing side of table, your opponent will start to question their own plays. I noted that most players, even ones who claimed many years of competitive play, were unsettled by my ease during the games. The fact that I was playing a deck that can just up and kill you from 18 on turn 4 also aided to the tilting but as I watched our friend play Caw Blade (I refuse to call that deck or any of its variance anything else), his play was tight and though his deck was not as explosive, there was a confidence there that mimicked the Burn players and that showed in his opponents.
Now perhaps you know all of these things but I think everyone could use a reminder occasionally. I actually was fortunate enough to be handed the perfect example while watching the Invitational, waiting for my next Legacy round to begin. Brian Kibler shuffled up across from a person I did not recognize. He drew his 7 after his opponent cut his deck. He looked at his hand, frowned slightly, and called a judge. He had forgotten to take one of his sideboard cards out from the previous round. He received a game loss and then proceeded to lose the match in game 3, I believe. The judge awarding the game loss apologized and Kibler simply smiled and said that it was okay; it was part of the game. He never got mad or acted rude towards his opponent, despite the fact that he was in a very awkward position, being down game 1. Instead he remained cheerful, focused, and cordial.
In short, Brian Kibler is how Magic players should act. He is friendly, even to people he doesn't know and likely has a great deal of friends and support from the Magic community. He doesn't act on tilt or rage, despite the times when he likely feels foolish or frustrated. He acts like an adult and has my utmost respect due to this. I know it isn't as catchy but perhaps the Magic community should #EmulateKibler. Be friendly, mature, and confident and even if you lose more games than you win, you will still be a better player than many of your opponents.
I know this wasn't my usual lighthearted, jovial romp through the magical, Christmas land of Magic but I feel that these observations need to be shared. Despite not taking home anything tangible, aside from 80 sleeves, the experience was worth every minute and dollar and I hope that my experience helps you. I hope the next time you want to flip a table because your opponent casts their 4th Doom Blade in a row, you decide instead to smile and politely ask "Targeting?"
If you actually want to hear my sweet stories from this weekend, tell me in the comments or contact me on Twitter @samdavisboyhero. Since you clearly have too much time on your hands, you should probably head over to Couch Pirate Radio and listen to the latest Planeswalker Asylum. Thanks for reading!
Until next time, keep your sleeves clean and your handshake firm.
The first thing that should be noted is I am not a competitive player. I don't go to a lot of tournaments and I don't make an attempt to say ahead of the meta or to brew up the most secret of technologies. Instead, I enjoy the mildly competitive nature of FNM. I have never played a Grand Prix or a Pro Tour Qualifier. Instead, I have played what comes to three open weekends held by Star City. This likely means that my evaluative criteria may be slightly skewed. I feel that some of the things I learned, others may have picked up elsewhere without any real effort and think nothing of the observations I noted this weekend. In any instance, I hope this serves someone, somewhere.
It was late, Thursday when the three of us finally pulled away from Norman. The 18 hour drive was daunting and I had already made a 5 hour round trip earlier that day. However, I took the wheel and set our course eastward, toward opportunity and excitement. The drive was not dull. We talked. We laughed. Occasionally the passengers slept as their turn at the wheel neared. And of course, I got to catch up on a few choice podcasts while I awaited my turn in the back seat.
We pulled into Charlotte 17 hours later, despite the multiple deer sightings, the horror movie fog that covered the mountains eerily along I-26, and our slight detour to the pleasant state of South Carolina. Having made excellent time, we checked in to our hotel and proceeded to the venue a mere three blocks away. We sign up for the Invitational and the three of us acquire our free sleeves. You should note that this is only the second thing I have ever gotten from playing Magic, aside from product. I was thrilled to receive these, despite not actually wanting them at all.
Now here is where I thought the learning started. As we walk away, on the look out for trades and an empty table to iron out a few sideboard details, I run into a fellow I met at Star City Kansas City. He is from Canada and is friends with one of the 3-D alterists that were present at the Invitational. I note all this because there is almost no reason for me to know anyone from Canada. Except he plays Magic. He immediately recognized me and took a few moments to talk while he sideboarded for the match he was presently playing. This was surprising.
I look a little different than I did at the KC Open. November caused hair to sprout from my face and I was dressed reasonably well instead of just jeans and a t-shirt. I hardly recognize me. Yet he snap identified me. Why does he care about some kid he met a few months ago who lives in Oklahoma? Because over the course of that Open, I built a rapport with him, along with several other people whom I also ran in to over the course of the Invitational. I know what you are likely thinking: "Well I'm glad you made friends, Sam. Now why does this matter even remotely?"
It matters because I realized that the main reason I still play Magic is not the challenge to my mind, nor the competitive atmosphere, but the people who also play Magic. The community is what makes Magic fun to me. My best stories from the event don't come from my sweet plays or my bad beats but from the car rides there and back and from sitting at tables just talking with people or from our evening ritual of dining at Buffalo Wild Wings (For 3 days I ate nothing but BWWs. My insides feel odd.). This learning experience began long before I got to Kansas City or played my first game day.
Sitting down across from my round 1 opponent, I was cheerful and so was he. I told him "Good Luck" and he replied with "Have Fun" which is something that I feel most Magic players forget. I enjoyed myself immensely all three games we played, despite the fact that in game 2, I literally could not cast any spells by my turn 2. Thanks, double Chalice of the Void. At the end of the match, I emerged victorious and cordially offered the handshake, thanking him for the games. Instead of my opponent's former positive outlook, I was met with a limp handshake and a fair amount of ridicule for my deck choice.
This player put me on tilt simply by being rude. Our games were fairly matched and each player demonstrated a fair amount of play skill and competence. Why then should he ridicule me for my deck choice? If anything, shouldn't I ask him why he chose his deck? The point I am attempting to make here is were I a less involved player, his conduct would have put me off Magic. Don't be that player. Yes, losing is bad but being a poor sport about it is worse. I know that the rage happens. But, as far as that tournament goes, a high majority of those players were adults. What is so special about Magic players that we feel like we can act like children? This kind of conduct hurts the game as a whole and is deplorable. Despite the stakes, at the end of the game you should recognize that at some point it is just a game and as my opponent said "Have Fun."
I played Burn for the Legacy portion of the Invitational (Shocking, I know.) and went 3-1. One other member of our car also opted to fling red spells instead of trying to make the fish swim upstream against Snapcaster Mage and the 12 swords (If I ever start a MTG related band, I so just found my band name). He went 3-1. Austin Yost also decided to burn it up and went 4-0 in the Legacy portion day 1. This is a point of pride for me. Ignore for a moment the fact that I am bragging on myself. One thing I noticed when watching the other two play is how confident they were about things. Then I realized that I too was exceptionally confident when I played.
Confidence is a huge strength in Magic. Not in the annoying, cocky sense but simply acting as if you are constantly making the best play not only presently but the best play imaginable. If you act like every spell you cast is a blowout, even if your opponent knows your list back to front, they start to wonder if this is the spell that blows them out. And as your confidence persists, despite possibly being on the clearly losing side of table, your opponent will start to question their own plays. I noted that most players, even ones who claimed many years of competitive play, were unsettled by my ease during the games. The fact that I was playing a deck that can just up and kill you from 18 on turn 4 also aided to the tilting but as I watched our friend play Caw Blade (I refuse to call that deck or any of its variance anything else), his play was tight and though his deck was not as explosive, there was a confidence there that mimicked the Burn players and that showed in his opponents.
Now perhaps you know all of these things but I think everyone could use a reminder occasionally. I actually was fortunate enough to be handed the perfect example while watching the Invitational, waiting for my next Legacy round to begin. Brian Kibler shuffled up across from a person I did not recognize. He drew his 7 after his opponent cut his deck. He looked at his hand, frowned slightly, and called a judge. He had forgotten to take one of his sideboard cards out from the previous round. He received a game loss and then proceeded to lose the match in game 3, I believe. The judge awarding the game loss apologized and Kibler simply smiled and said that it was okay; it was part of the game. He never got mad or acted rude towards his opponent, despite the fact that he was in a very awkward position, being down game 1. Instead he remained cheerful, focused, and cordial.
In short, Brian Kibler is how Magic players should act. He is friendly, even to people he doesn't know and likely has a great deal of friends and support from the Magic community. He doesn't act on tilt or rage, despite the times when he likely feels foolish or frustrated. He acts like an adult and has my utmost respect due to this. I know it isn't as catchy but perhaps the Magic community should #EmulateKibler. Be friendly, mature, and confident and even if you lose more games than you win, you will still be a better player than many of your opponents.
I know this wasn't my usual lighthearted, jovial romp through the magical, Christmas land of Magic but I feel that these observations need to be shared. Despite not taking home anything tangible, aside from 80 sleeves, the experience was worth every minute and dollar and I hope that my experience helps you. I hope the next time you want to flip a table because your opponent casts their 4th Doom Blade in a row, you decide instead to smile and politely ask "Targeting?"
If you actually want to hear my sweet stories from this weekend, tell me in the comments or contact me on Twitter @samdavisboyhero. Since you clearly have too much time on your hands, you should probably head over to Couch Pirate Radio and listen to the latest Planeswalker Asylum. Thanks for reading!
Until next time, keep your sleeves clean and your handshake firm.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
I've Still Got All Trees
As with most things in my life, Twitter inspired me to finally put finger to keyboard on a Doran list for Modern. Yes, folks I am writing about something besides mono-Red. I will allow time for gasps and swoons to resolve.
Now that that is over with, let's get down to the nuts and bolts of this list. The first thing a Doran list needs is Doran, the Siege Tower. The trick with Doran is that he is legendary so just don't play two. You are playing modern so like as not you are at least proficient with the legend rule but one never knows.
This deck has the potential to be underpowered without Doran. For this there are two immediate fixes. The first is Treefolk Harbinger. An obvious powerhouse for this deck, he can find the man that will make him a 3/3 for one green or he can go get those nonbasics you need to actually cast the tri-colour king of trees. Murmuring Bosk, Overgrown Tomb, Temple Garden, and if you felt so inclined (We don't have any such feeling) Sapseep Forest and Dryad Arbor are all Forests. Harbinger actually fetches 45% of your entire deck. He has some versatility.
Now that you have Doran, you need to protect him. He will be the most popular removal target on your entire board. Well guess who eats removal and doesn't have defender. Spellskite! For guessing correctly, you get to add what potentially equates to a 4/4 for 2 colourless mana into your deck. Cue victory noises.
However you cannot always go straight to Doran and beat face. You need to have mans that can be decent without the treefolk shaman. The first half of this solution is just a treefolk: Dungrove Elder. Another tutor target for the Harbinger and a fellow that, given an all forest mana base, will get absolutely massive. The fact that the sweetest removal in the format, Path to Exile, cannot hit him and just makes him bigger is pretty sweet. Your opponents won't be thrilled to work for your game plan with their removal.
The second half, a shaman (see what I did there?), has synergy with and without the Siege Tower. Skinshifter has 3 forms that are all relevant in this deck. In form of Rino, he tramples for 4. In form of Bird, he flies for 2. In form of Plant, he is a 0/8. So with Doran on the table, he is an 8/8. And he does not gain defender as a Plant! Absolutely nuts.
Now that we have all these sweet mans, I feel like they might need some support. First off, no matter who you are, in the realms of Magic, you can carry a sword. The developers are very progressive that way. The Sword I have in mind is Sword of Feast and Famine. Protection from green means you will get in for your damage a fair amount of the time, which means your best buddy (your opponent) is going to smile cheerfully and make his hand size one card smaller. He, or she, will be even more thrilled when you untap your lands and get to show him even more awesome things your deck can do.
Why not Slagwurm Armor? It would be such a power house if you ever got it on a man with Doran on the table, and even if you don't have the big guy, beating in with a Dungrove that can take an extra 6 points of punishment from those pesky chump blockers seems good. The prohibitive thing on this fine piece of equipment is that pesky 3 to equip. If, may heaven forbid, you go to equip and your best buddy decides not to be a pal and removes your man from the board, you have sunk most of your turn right there. Now let us say you get to equip and bash. Chump block! Your friend just throws one of his beasties under the bus. And where did that 3 mana get you? The exact same place a regular attack would have gotten you. It should be noted that, for the most part, your men will have a higher toughness than your opponents and like as not will trade up if double blocking is the order of the day. So Armor gets you a lot of mana investment for little reward. Cute but all in all just a "Win More" card.
Now your men have something to do with their hands, or branches as the case may be, you should probably give some thoughts to putting some pals in your deck. You know, just in case your opponent doesn't feel so chatty. I think that a gruff green walker by the name of Garruk fits the ticket here. There are 3 versions of this sweet fellow that you might desire to summon to your aid.
The biggest Garruk, weighing in at a whopping 5 converted mana cost, is Garruk, Primal Hunter. He draws you cards, which frankly is absolutely nuts for green. A massive power house. However he doesn't quite fit in this list. He comes down at 5 and makes a 3/3. Nothing to sneeze at but still not the board impacting play that you quite desire. Secondly he draws based on the highest power amongst your mans, many of which have 0 power. Whomp Whomp.
Next up, Garruk Relentless shows up a turn sooner and starts making 2/2 wolves. Or he can put up the fisty cuffs and bully that Noble Hierarch straight to the graveyard. He provides an alternate threat that easily gets out of control unless quickly answered. Moreover, he protects himself from those other nasty aggro lists, so long as they don't feel like taking to the skies. I feel like 3 of these fellows might not be a bad addition.
But wait! There's more! Garruk Wildspeaker! Yeah you know who that is. No, not the guy for Point Break. You know. He was from Lorwyn. Yeah now you remember. He untaps two land! That can equip a sword or play 3 of our 5 men. That can leave up Path mana. (Oh we are playing Path, btw. It really is the sweetest removal.) After he does that, leave him behind a guy or two for one turn. Then he gives all your fellows +3/+3 and Trample. That should mean you win. And even if it doesn't, it will likely tip the balance in your favor.
So these plansewalker things seem pretty powerful. It would be a major bummer if your opponent had one. We need a plan to deal with that, if at all possible. Normally I would suggest a ring of some sort. Perhaps to oblivion. However we are playing modern! That means we have Vindicate. Well. Not quite. But we still get to play Maelstrom Pulse. It even gets rid of that pesky triple Nacatl beatdown plan that can occasionally happen in Zoo.
Mans: 20
4 Doran, the Siege Tower
4 Treefolk Harbinger
4 Spellskite
4 Dungrove Elder
4 Skinshifter
Planeswalkers: 5
3 Garruk Relentless
2 Garruk Wildspeaker
Artifacts: 3
3 Sword of Feast and Famine
Instants: 4
4 Path to Exile
Sorcerys: 3
3 Maelstrom Pulse
Lands: 25
4 Murmuring Bosk
4 Overgrown Tomb
4 Temple Garden
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Marsh Flats
5 Forest
Well that looks like one heck of a list, at least to me. I will allow you to think of an appropriate sideboard, given your meta. However I do have a few suggestions.
Sword of Light and Shadow is a pretty decent answer to a faster clock and it helps make chumps constantly occur. Were you so inclined, you could move these to the main and play Liliana of the Veil and Inquisition of Kozilek* and have a more Rock like build of Doran, which may be what the meta calls for eventually. However I presently believe that the aggro list above is better suited for the decks that came out of Worlds.
*Why Thoughtseize isn't what you want to be playing in this list. First, you rarely need to take anything over 4 cmc and you essentially never need to take a land. Additionally, have you seen this mana base? Seriously, you might as well start your life at 14. Playing Seize just makes it that much harder. Inquisition hits everything you will generally want to get rid of and Pulse should take care of the rest. If they are going to wipe the board, you can see that with Inquisition and play accordingly.
Another thing I wouldn't hate to stick in the board is Summoning Trap and/or Guttural Response. I honestly believe that a control match up will be hard fought for this deck but still winnable. A good side will be a part of that.
Along those lines, Thrun, the Last Troll is a fair man. He might even be maindeck able in the future. However I presently feel that there are not enough board wipes actively being played in the format to warrant him main and the deck runs smoothly without him.
Give serious thought to Nature's Claim, Naturalize, or even Qasali Pridemage. Personally, I favor the Pridemage but if the list shifts to a more control/rock oriented focus, Claim is a solid card. They play it in Vintage after all.
Hopefully you will be turning some Trees sideways in a Modern tournament near you. If this list inspired you, even if it inspired you to rage at my awful deck building skills, please let me know. You can obviously comment on the post or you can tweet at me @samdavisboyhero or even send me a strongly worded electronic mail. If you just like what I have to say, you can hear me making what I can only assume are iTunes explicit remarks over on Couch Pirate Radio under the Planeswalker Asylum category.
Until next time, keep your sleeves clean and your toughness high.
Now that that is over with, let's get down to the nuts and bolts of this list. The first thing a Doran list needs is Doran, the Siege Tower. The trick with Doran is that he is legendary so just don't play two. You are playing modern so like as not you are at least proficient with the legend rule but one never knows.
This deck has the potential to be underpowered without Doran. For this there are two immediate fixes. The first is Treefolk Harbinger. An obvious powerhouse for this deck, he can find the man that will make him a 3/3 for one green or he can go get those nonbasics you need to actually cast the tri-colour king of trees. Murmuring Bosk, Overgrown Tomb, Temple Garden, and if you felt so inclined (We don't have any such feeling) Sapseep Forest and Dryad Arbor are all Forests. Harbinger actually fetches 45% of your entire deck. He has some versatility.
Now that you have Doran, you need to protect him. He will be the most popular removal target on your entire board. Well guess who eats removal and doesn't have defender. Spellskite! For guessing correctly, you get to add what potentially equates to a 4/4 for 2 colourless mana into your deck. Cue victory noises.
However you cannot always go straight to Doran and beat face. You need to have mans that can be decent without the treefolk shaman. The first half of this solution is just a treefolk: Dungrove Elder. Another tutor target for the Harbinger and a fellow that, given an all forest mana base, will get absolutely massive. The fact that the sweetest removal in the format, Path to Exile, cannot hit him and just makes him bigger is pretty sweet. Your opponents won't be thrilled to work for your game plan with their removal.
The second half, a shaman (see what I did there?), has synergy with and without the Siege Tower. Skinshifter has 3 forms that are all relevant in this deck. In form of Rino, he tramples for 4. In form of Bird, he flies for 2. In form of Plant, he is a 0/8. So with Doran on the table, he is an 8/8. And he does not gain defender as a Plant! Absolutely nuts.
Now that we have all these sweet mans, I feel like they might need some support. First off, no matter who you are, in the realms of Magic, you can carry a sword. The developers are very progressive that way. The Sword I have in mind is Sword of Feast and Famine. Protection from green means you will get in for your damage a fair amount of the time, which means your best buddy (your opponent) is going to smile cheerfully and make his hand size one card smaller. He, or she, will be even more thrilled when you untap your lands and get to show him even more awesome things your deck can do.
Why not Slagwurm Armor? It would be such a power house if you ever got it on a man with Doran on the table, and even if you don't have the big guy, beating in with a Dungrove that can take an extra 6 points of punishment from those pesky chump blockers seems good. The prohibitive thing on this fine piece of equipment is that pesky 3 to equip. If, may heaven forbid, you go to equip and your best buddy decides not to be a pal and removes your man from the board, you have sunk most of your turn right there. Now let us say you get to equip and bash. Chump block! Your friend just throws one of his beasties under the bus. And where did that 3 mana get you? The exact same place a regular attack would have gotten you. It should be noted that, for the most part, your men will have a higher toughness than your opponents and like as not will trade up if double blocking is the order of the day. So Armor gets you a lot of mana investment for little reward. Cute but all in all just a "Win More" card.
Now your men have something to do with their hands, or branches as the case may be, you should probably give some thoughts to putting some pals in your deck. You know, just in case your opponent doesn't feel so chatty. I think that a gruff green walker by the name of Garruk fits the ticket here. There are 3 versions of this sweet fellow that you might desire to summon to your aid.
The biggest Garruk, weighing in at a whopping 5 converted mana cost, is Garruk, Primal Hunter. He draws you cards, which frankly is absolutely nuts for green. A massive power house. However he doesn't quite fit in this list. He comes down at 5 and makes a 3/3. Nothing to sneeze at but still not the board impacting play that you quite desire. Secondly he draws based on the highest power amongst your mans, many of which have 0 power. Whomp Whomp.
Next up, Garruk Relentless shows up a turn sooner and starts making 2/2 wolves. Or he can put up the fisty cuffs and bully that Noble Hierarch straight to the graveyard. He provides an alternate threat that easily gets out of control unless quickly answered. Moreover, he protects himself from those other nasty aggro lists, so long as they don't feel like taking to the skies. I feel like 3 of these fellows might not be a bad addition.
But wait! There's more! Garruk Wildspeaker! Yeah you know who that is. No, not the guy for Point Break. You know. He was from Lorwyn. Yeah now you remember. He untaps two land! That can equip a sword or play 3 of our 5 men. That can leave up Path mana. (Oh we are playing Path, btw. It really is the sweetest removal.) After he does that, leave him behind a guy or two for one turn. Then he gives all your fellows +3/+3 and Trample. That should mean you win. And even if it doesn't, it will likely tip the balance in your favor.
So these plansewalker things seem pretty powerful. It would be a major bummer if your opponent had one. We need a plan to deal with that, if at all possible. Normally I would suggest a ring of some sort. Perhaps to oblivion. However we are playing modern! That means we have Vindicate. Well. Not quite. But we still get to play Maelstrom Pulse. It even gets rid of that pesky triple Nacatl beatdown plan that can occasionally happen in Zoo.
Mans: 20
4 Doran, the Siege Tower
4 Treefolk Harbinger
4 Spellskite
4 Dungrove Elder
4 Skinshifter
Planeswalkers: 5
3 Garruk Relentless
2 Garruk Wildspeaker
Artifacts: 3
3 Sword of Feast and Famine
Instants: 4
4 Path to Exile
Sorcerys: 3
3 Maelstrom Pulse
Lands: 25
4 Murmuring Bosk
4 Overgrown Tomb
4 Temple Garden
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Marsh Flats
5 Forest
Well that looks like one heck of a list, at least to me. I will allow you to think of an appropriate sideboard, given your meta. However I do have a few suggestions.
Sword of Light and Shadow is a pretty decent answer to a faster clock and it helps make chumps constantly occur. Were you so inclined, you could move these to the main and play Liliana of the Veil and Inquisition of Kozilek* and have a more Rock like build of Doran, which may be what the meta calls for eventually. However I presently believe that the aggro list above is better suited for the decks that came out of Worlds.
*Why Thoughtseize isn't what you want to be playing in this list. First, you rarely need to take anything over 4 cmc and you essentially never need to take a land. Additionally, have you seen this mana base? Seriously, you might as well start your life at 14. Playing Seize just makes it that much harder. Inquisition hits everything you will generally want to get rid of and Pulse should take care of the rest. If they are going to wipe the board, you can see that with Inquisition and play accordingly.
Another thing I wouldn't hate to stick in the board is Summoning Trap and/or Guttural Response. I honestly believe that a control match up will be hard fought for this deck but still winnable. A good side will be a part of that.
Along those lines, Thrun, the Last Troll is a fair man. He might even be maindeck able in the future. However I presently feel that there are not enough board wipes actively being played in the format to warrant him main and the deck runs smoothly without him.
Give serious thought to Nature's Claim, Naturalize, or even Qasali Pridemage. Personally, I favor the Pridemage but if the list shifts to a more control/rock oriented focus, Claim is a solid card. They play it in Vintage after all.
Hopefully you will be turning some Trees sideways in a Modern tournament near you. If this list inspired you, even if it inspired you to rage at my awful deck building skills, please let me know. You can obviously comment on the post or you can tweet at me @samdavisboyhero or even send me a strongly worded electronic mail. If you just like what I have to say, you can hear me making what I can only assume are iTunes explicit remarks over on Couch Pirate Radio under the Planeswalker Asylum category.
Until next time, keep your sleeves clean and your toughness high.
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