In my list I see it replacing Monstrous carabid.
Pros: doesnt have to suicide attack, its cheaper to hard cast, haste can really help against control, bounce protect them against wraths
Cons: if it cant attack, it will get bounced back, 1 toughtness can be bad against random small creatures LE brings back for out opponent (but trample can balance this lightly), if you cast LE only with bunch of these guys and dont kill with one attack, it can be awkward...
For me, I see it as an upgrade, definitely gonna try it. More I think about it, I could really be a great tool against UW control. On turn 3 you can start whacking with this and it stays protected from wrath/sorcery speed removal. If they counter it, good, one less counter for LE. Also, sometimes you have to cast LE in your turn, only to see terminus/verdict on their turn and these guys just laugh to that. What do you think?
I like him but that one toughness doesn't make me happy. It does improve the hard cast plan but I think the trample damage isn't going to be relevent enough off LE for our plan A. Hope I'm wrong. I will certainly try him out. He could be a great fit in "that other LE deck".
So we get more or less left out of any shot in the arm from MH save a few potential sideboard hopefuls? I feel it was intentional. Here's to hoping a shift in power results from new hate toward our thorns in the side and perhaps some potential newish archetypes infuencing the meta. Seems to me that it's more likely we will continue to have the same issues to fight through. Time will tell...
I'm still curious about the new mulligan potential so I look forward to some reports. I've been out of commission for a while so trying to stay informed. Seems the most obvious advantage gained (if any) is the Leyline sideboard plan. We've learned to deal with burn to some degree but an improved chance at shutting them down is some good.
Short answer: Grafdigger's isn't a problem as the creatures don't enter from the graveyard. Rest in Peace is something that your have to play around. I'm still a fan of running 4 Beast Within in my 75 though it seems to be getting a lot less common. Worst case, go to the fatty hard cast back up plan and hope for the best.
Printed a cheap way to deal with Sensei's Divining Top, now unban it please... Granted the top player can often play around it but hey, it's some kind of hate.
White weenie is a good go to (classic archetype) and they have continued to print great stuff for it over the years. As TBuzzsaw suggests above, soldiers can kick some serious butt. Super straight forward creature based deck with a plethora of creature abilities to choose from. In white you have access to many cards that hate on your opponents stuff whatever it may be. Good old Armageddon is a great play after you dump all your cheap guys out if casual or old formats is your game. Plenty of decks online to look at. Swords to Plowshares has been reprinted enough to be very affordable for casual/old formats. Path to Exile not so much but it's a solid card you are planning on investing some cash for white staples. The metalcraft angle can be loads of fun too but the best cards can get pretty spendy depending on your budget. Budget builds are fine if your opponents aren't bringing serious thunder.
These days each card has a very real market value. There are a number of ways of calculating that but a distinct value exists whatever your calculation method. Trying to get the better deal or trying not to get taken to the cleaners should not even be a thing unless that's a game that people like to play. The biggest problem I run into is people disregarding actual value because they don't believe it's a true indicator even though it's the very definition of market value. If one speculates that a card is or will be worth much more then take it out of your damn binder already. Had some fool a couple of weeks ago send me a pic from eBay of a 3 month old sale to establish a price. Based on the last sale and mtgtrader market value his proposed price was 1/3 it's current value (pretty rare card with few on the market). The fact that he even tried to pull that jazz is not only a waste of my time but it warrants a swift kick to the nether regions. Disclaimer: I don't advocate violence and all, even when deserved.
As Bran mentions above, to the penny is silly. Within a dollar on sizable trades or rounding bulk rares a reasonable amount works fine and doesn't tie up nearly as much time.
Also, "for every good call, there's a bad call" is incorrect. It's more like "for every 5 good calls, there's 1 bad call."
I can come up with a lot of examples on both sides. There are so many ways one can speculate. Long term speculation (the luxury of waiting it out) is certainly the most doable but I am a player 1st and foremost so there is a limited amount of energy/time I'm willing to spend. Sometimes the ban list can mess things up too. Fortunately in the case of BBE I started buying up copies of every version (foils in particular) I could when the price hit bottom just for the heck of it (because it's a fricken great card) and it worked out pretty well. Though the banning of Steel Overseer was unlikely given other far worse targets, total affinity domination due to that card would have presented at least an element of risk as with any speculation. Being good at speculating is great and all but I don't think it's as common as you make it out to be. I assume it's because no one brags about failures.
Obviously the "buying singles is better" argument is widely known as the best financial choice but the fun of opening packs, drafting, and redrafting (if you are a cheap bastard) is a worth while use of time and money. Coming out ahead, even if just a little, is totally doable opening boxes. As a previous poster mentioned, you have to be on top of it to recover your cost. Sometimes you lose out on 20 bucks or so but in a game this expensive, what does the equivalent of an Uber ride really matter to your bottom line.
I find trading to be far more difficult these days as well and it has been that way for a while. For me it's easier to concentrate widely desireable cards in one binder as those are the cards most people will want and rather than trying to establish equal value by digging through bulk rares I prefer cash to make up any difference. Saves time and current card value can be found at the touch of a phone. Assuming the other trader isn't just stacking a binder with bulk rares it works pretty well. Looking through bulk rares is not a good use of time when they can be had on the cheap online without wasting any time at all.
It's funny that some people here argue that "you can make your value back when buying a box," yet fail to realize that if they just speculated on specific cards and bought, let's say, 20-30 copies of that card instead, they would get a much bigger profit.
You assume speculating is an easy task. I am a pretty good judge of card quality and viability in competitive play as I have been at this a very long time. That being said, the big online retailers often get it wrong even with their deep pockets and a pooling of minds that they have at their disposal. Much like the stock market, for every good call there is at least a bad call. I have rarely been able to recover my costs on a box even if it takes more effort than I'd prefer to trade up into said speculated cards. I'm not in this for the business, just for fun. Plenty of better ways to profit than speculating on MTG.
Additionally, over time a lot of random cards considered chafe when released end up picking up a lot of value that very few had foreseen. Commander has been quite a boon to piles of random cracks since it's inception.
Though I've been taking a break, I have generally bought a box or 2 of each set. Except for absolute dud sets, it tends to work out. By selling or trading hype cards for the cards I like and the diamonds in the rough it has almost always worked out financially. Cracking boosters is fun and presale prices are quite affordable so what the heck. Granted working a box for value requires some due diligence but it's all part of the fun. Sometimes you hit the lottery with you foils/chase rates making it even more fun. Also presale prices can be ridiculous unless you see through the hype. I also like to try out random cards before deciding on buying a playsets to see how they work in my decks. I am too lazy to proxy and reread what cards do when testing them out. I will supplement by ording the must haves, usually a bit after release. When Bob was released they were going for like 2 bucks at our LGS. I bought every one I could find. I also like to give away cards that I won't use and have little value to players that don't spend a lot on cards, especially if it fits into one of their decks.
For all the Blood Moon advocates. Do you adjust your manabase with more basics or just rely on cycling access to your couple of basics prior to slamming it? I already run a couple of basics for opposing blood moons (or Path to exile). I assume land cyclers are vital with this strat but it does require playing "lesser" cyclers than those we have available. I suppose it doesn't matter what you kill them with if you have shut them down. How many blood moons is enough to ensure topdecking one before they are able to get positioned to mess with your plans?
So I just moved to a new town and going into a blind meta. This is the list I just put together. Any critique would be most welcome as I have not run Living End since the lists of old. The manabase feels a bit off and the sideboard is undecided (i.e. not sure on Leylines). Stoked to get out and get after it next weekend. Has Raging Ravine fallen completely out of favor?
I like him but that one toughness doesn't make me happy. It does improve the hard cast plan but I think the trample damage isn't going to be relevent enough off LE for our plan A. Hope I'm wrong. I will certainly try him out. He could be a great fit in "that other LE deck".
And a fine one at that.
I'm still curious about the new mulligan potential so I look forward to some reports. I've been out of commission for a while so trying to stay informed. Seems the most obvious advantage gained (if any) is the Leyline sideboard plan. We've learned to deal with burn to some degree but an improved chance at shutting them down is some good.
Short answer: Grafdigger's isn't a problem as the creatures don't enter from the graveyard. Rest in Peace is something that your have to play around. I'm still a fan of running 4 Beast Within in my 75 though it seems to be getting a lot less common. Worst case, go to the fatty hard cast back up plan and hope for the best.
As Bran mentions above, to the penny is silly. Within a dollar on sizable trades or rounding bulk rares a reasonable amount works fine and doesn't tie up nearly as much time.
I can come up with a lot of examples on both sides. There are so many ways one can speculate. Long term speculation (the luxury of waiting it out) is certainly the most doable but I am a player 1st and foremost so there is a limited amount of energy/time I'm willing to spend. Sometimes the ban list can mess things up too. Fortunately in the case of BBE I started buying up copies of every version (foils in particular) I could when the price hit bottom just for the heck of it (because it's a fricken great card) and it worked out pretty well. Though the banning of Steel Overseer was unlikely given other far worse targets, total affinity domination due to that card would have presented at least an element of risk as with any speculation. Being good at speculating is great and all but I don't think it's as common as you make it out to be. I assume it's because no one brags about failures.
Obviously the "buying singles is better" argument is widely known as the best financial choice but the fun of opening packs, drafting, and redrafting (if you are a cheap bastard) is a worth while use of time and money. Coming out ahead, even if just a little, is totally doable opening boxes. As a previous poster mentioned, you have to be on top of it to recover your cost. Sometimes you lose out on 20 bucks or so but in a game this expensive, what does the equivalent of an Uber ride really matter to your bottom line.
You assume speculating is an easy task. I am a pretty good judge of card quality and viability in competitive play as I have been at this a very long time. That being said, the big online retailers often get it wrong even with their deep pockets and a pooling of minds that they have at their disposal. Much like the stock market, for every good call there is at least a bad call. I have rarely been able to recover my costs on a box even if it takes more effort than I'd prefer to trade up into said speculated cards. I'm not in this for the business, just for fun. Plenty of better ways to profit than speculating on MTG.
Additionally, over time a lot of random cards considered chafe when released end up picking up a lot of value that very few had foreseen. Commander has been quite a boon to piles of random cracks since it's inception.
4 Fulminator Mage
4 Simian Spirit Guide
2 Archfiend of Ifnir
3 Horror of the broken lands
4 Monstrous Carabid
4 Street Wraith
3 Desert Cerodon
1 Shriekmaw
3 Faerie Macabre
Spells (13)
3 Living End
3 Beast Within
3 Demonic Dread
4 Violent Outburst
1 Blood Crypt
2 Bloodstained Mire
1 Blooming Marsh
2 Copperline Gorge
1 Forest
1 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Stomping Ground
1 Swamp
1 Forest
1 Dryad Arbor
2 Blackcleave Cliffs
1 Wooded Foothills
3 Verdant Catacombs
1 Brindle Boar
2 Gnaw to the Bone
1 Krosan Grip
1 Beast Within
3 Ricochet Trap
4 Leyline of the Void
2 Ingot Chewer
1 Shriekmaw