Is there a budget alternative to Opal? What would be good until I can afford them?
There is no budget version of Mox Opal. You either get it or you don't, and I'd get them as soon as possible because once all the budget players buy in to Affinity, it's going up go up even higher.
There's a reason why Arcbound Ravager is buylist for $15.00 on SCG (and sold out at $29.99) and Mox Opal is buylist for $20 on SCG. These are going to sell like hotcakes as a good amount of new players are going to roll into Affinity just because it's cheap and great in the current meta.
Trust me, buying 4x Mox Opal for about $100 is a pretty good bet right now because there's actually plenty of space to go up once people catch on to it, and it is a requirement in every Affinity deck especially when the new rule change takes place.
The supply of Mox Opal isn't going up any higher, but the demand is going to go up a lot because of the new players coming in and the budget players wanting to build the best Affinity deck they can get their hands onto, kind of like what's happening here. I was talking to a store owner who told me that Shattering Spree is likely to sell out as well just because of how popular Affinity is likely going to be in the next months because of all the reprints, especially in relation to the other tier 1, tier 2 decks in the format.
Get is no budget version. You either get it or you don't, and I'd get them as soon as possible because once all the budget players buy in to Affinity, it's going up go up even higher.
There's a reason why Arcbound Ravager is buylist for $15.00 on SCG (and sold out at $29.99) and Mox Opal is buylist for $20 on SCG. These are going to sell like hotcakes as a good amount of new players are going to roll into Affinity just because it's cheap and great in the current meta.
Trust me, buying 4x Mox Opal for about $100 is a pretty good bet right now because there's actually plenty of space to go up once people catch on to it, and it is a requirement in every Affinity deck especially when the new rule change takes place.
Ok. I can probably pick some up in a few weeks once I have more money ($2500 on a transmission for my car won't really let me toss too much into magic for a while). Until then, how's this look?
Countermagic is the smell before rain, the sun on the horizon and the chocolate chips in my mint chocolate chip ice cream. It's the first time I saw a woman naked and the first time I smelled perfume. It's that feeling you get when you know you're right.
But most of all; it's the feeling of playing Magic
Ok. I can probably pick some up in a few weeks once I have more money ($2500 on a transmission for my car won't really let me toss too much into magic for a while). Until then, how's this look?
Landbase is good, but you might want to drop to 16 lands (and add 4 Inkmoth Nexus when they're available yo you) and down to just 1-2 basics to "counter" Path to Exile. Also if you finally opt for the burn version seeing from the amount of Blasts you have, you might want to cut Thirsts and maybe probes. If you want to go for the U/R cut Thirsts and Shrapnel Blasts for some Thoughtcast, Also, I'd run a full playset of Signal Pest
Countermagic is the smell before rain, the sun on the horizon and the chocolate chips in my mint chocolate chip ice cream. It's the first time I saw a woman naked and the first time I smelled perfume. It's that feeling you get when you know you're right.
But most of all; it's the feeling of playing Magic
Aaaagh! Stop thinking about colors. Yes, they take money, but void and opal (and drum) mean one doesn't care. Any double mana cost is dead to us, and all 5 colors can fit in if the effect is right
Fling is bad and the origional build had all the artilands.
The gameplan is to use the high equipment count to increase the threat of any and all creatures. Since you have access to Ravagerd already, you could easily replace Husks, if you ised my list as a starting point.
The Probes and Thoughtcasts help to draw into threats as fast, and sometimes faster, than the opp can answer them. Probes are particularly helpful in being aware of traps the opp might be setting up for you, allowing you to avoid being 2-for1'd.
I've tested this list against Pod, and it does rather well, thanks to the amount of draw, threat density, and the ability to turn what could otherwise be a bad topdecked Ornithopter or Signal Pest into that last bit of damage.
I feel that Springleaf Drums are one of the key cards in the deck, giving you that extra boost of tempo when you need it. I'd definitely run 4 before I ever started considering Paradise Mantle. A critter tapping for mana with Mantle is a critter that should be attacking.
There is no budget version of Mox Opal. You either get it or you don't, and I'd get them as soon as possible because once all the budget players buy in to Affinity, it's going up go up even higher.
There's a reason why Arcbound Ravager is buylist for $15.00 on SCG (and sold out at $29.99) and Mox Opal is buylist for $20 on SCG. These are going to sell like hotcakes as a good amount of new players are going to roll into Affinity just because it's cheap and great in the current meta.
Trust me, buying 4x Mox Opal for about $100 is a pretty good bet right now because there's actually plenty of space to go up once people catch on to it, and it is a requirement in every Affinity deck especially when the new rule change takes place.
The supply of Mox Opal isn't going up any higher, but the demand is going to go up a lot because of the new players coming in and the budget players wanting to build the best Affinity deck they can get their hands onto, kind of like what's happening here. I was talking to a store owner who told me that Shattering Spree is likely to sell out as well just because of how popular Affinity is likely going to be in the next months because of all the reprints, especially in relation to the other tier 1, tier 2 decks in the format.
Ok. I can probably pick some up in a few weeks once I have more money ($2500 on a transmission for my car won't really let me toss too much into magic for a while). Until then, how's this look?
4 Ornithopter
4 Memnite
4 Vault Skirge
4 Etched Champion
4 Steel Overseer
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Galvanic Blast
3 Shrapnel Blast
3 Gitaxian Probe
2 Thirst for Knowledge
Artifacts (8)
4 Cranial Plating
2 Paradise Mantle
2 Springleaf Drum
4 Blinkmoth Nexus
4 Darksteel Citadel
4 Glimmervoid
2 Island
3 Mountain
Landbase is good, but you might want to drop to 16 lands (and add 4 Inkmoth Nexus when they're available yo you) and down to just 1-2 basics to "counter" Path to Exile. Also if you finally opt for the burn version seeing from the amount of Blasts you have, you might want to cut Thirsts and maybe probes. If you want to go for the U/R cut Thirsts and Shrapnel Blasts for some Thoughtcast, Also, I'd run a full playset of Signal Pest
Thanks to DNC from Heroes of the Plane Studios for the sig
Check my Pauper Cube!
I do second the acquisition of Mox Opals.
I'm not able to afford the Opals right now (life gets in the way again), but other than that I have most of the cards I need right now
Fling is bad and the origional build had all the artilands.
4 Memnite
4 Signal Pest
4 Vault Skirge
4 Flayer Husk
4 Bonesplitter
4 Cranial Plating
4 Chromatic Star
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Thoughtcast
4 Galvanic Blast
4 Island
4 Mountain
The gameplan is to use the high equipment count to increase the threat of any and all creatures. Since you have access to Ravagerd already, you could easily replace Husks, if you ised my list as a starting point.
The Probes and Thoughtcasts help to draw into threats as fast, and sometimes faster, than the opp can answer them. Probes are particularly helpful in being aware of traps the opp might be setting up for you, allowing you to avoid being 2-for1'd.
I've tested this list against Pod, and it does rather well, thanks to the amount of draw, threat density, and the ability to turn what could otherwise be a bad topdecked Ornithopter or Signal Pest into that last bit of damage.
I feel that Springleaf Drums are one of the key cards in the deck, giving you that extra boost of tempo when you need it. I'd definitely run 4 before I ever started considering Paradise Mantle. A critter tapping for mana with Mantle is a critter that should be attacking.
Lantern Control
(with videos)
Uc Tron
Netdecking explained
Netdecking explained, Part 2
On speculators and counterfeits
On Interaction
Every single competitive deck in existence is designed to limit the opponent's ability to interact in a meaningful way.
Record number of exclamation points on SCG homepage: 71 (6 January, 2018)
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