So, with Titan and Splintertwin out of the format, Thoughtseize loses a lot of value and i think Inquisition of kozilek is unneeded in my meta.
I'm looking for cards that replace them for my deck.
I'm thinking one more Raven's Crime, One more Darkblast and One more Lightning Bolt and something OR 3x a 1-drop. I'd really like it to be a 1-drop creature, but I don't know what.
I've had very good results in all testing and past two FNM's. Only Losses were to a Tron deck that I wasn't prepared for. I now have a Sideboard to deal with it.
Question!
I'm playing EDH and the following play just occurred:
Opponents turn, Enter the Infinite, end.
My turn, deal 26 damage, end.
Opponents turn, untap upkeep reveal Temporal Mastery on top of deck and take extra turn. Plays Platinum Angel, ends.
Opponents turn, untap upkeep draw nothing and survive. Then Windfall's, I respond to the Windfall and put Platinum Angel into his deck with Void Stalker. Windfall resolves.
WHAT HAPPENS? Does he die first as he only has 1 card in his deck and Windfall kills him first as he has less in his deck than me? Do I die as it's his spell? Is it a draw? Who wins and how (If anyone)?
This is my take on Black/Blue/Green Life from the Loam deck.
Life from the Loam is one of my top two favourite cards of all time next to Thalia, Guardian of Thraben. (which is funny, since she hard counters Loam decks)
I'll get straight to it and post a deck list and then explain my card choices. It's also 61 cards...Sorry.
Thrun, the Last Troll
This guy is a win-con that works vs anything. Good against any deck, any way, anyhow. He will go the whole 20 life, un-counterable, un-targetable, un-killable unless Wrath of God/Damnation pretty much, so only really killable in control and after sideboard, even then, he will provide problems.
Bloodghast
Great with Life from the Loam, unless you exile my Graveyard, you are not getting rid of this guy.
Unfortunately, he can't block, but our removal and counters should make up for this.
Meloku the Clouded Mirror
I've been looking for win-cons in BUG that work well with Lands, whether it's discarding them or being able to always play them.
Flying goes a long way in Modern and it gives me more fuel late in the game for Retrace.
Also, can you imagine having Meloku and Trade Routes on the field and a Life from the Loam in hand/in graveyard? Card advantage city, population: Me.
Pack Rat
I had 4 Bloodghasts and 1 AEtherling, but late game, with a Loam ready and online, packrat just seems so crazy!
Couldn't resist.
Glen Elandra Archmage
This girl is good at countering graveyard hate, and we die to graveyard hate. When someone goes to cast a Nihil Spellbomb, I want this girl to be ready and waiting.
She also flies. May come out in favour of Vendillion Clique, only bad part is that it doesn't discard, and it doesn't hit lands.
Life from the Loam
The reason I built this deck. The fuel of the deck, with cards like Raven's Crime and Bloodghast being the train.
Arguably one of the most cost effective cards in the format, it's a beautiful card to build around.
Worm Harvest
A Win-Con, a blocker producer, repeatable, works with Loam and the other discard cards in my deck.
A one of, because having two in a game won't accomplish much more than having one.
Oona's Grace
Instant. Card Draw. Retrace.
Basically made for this deck.
Again, a one of because having two in a game will give out the same results as one.
Maelstrom Pulse
Some of the best removal in the format.
Not much more to say.
Slaughter Pact
Transmuteable with Tolaria West.
Can leave self tapped out, forcing over commitment to an offense thinking it's "their chance".
Can't destroy black creatures ;_;
Remand
Great counter spell that fits snugly into this deck. Two for one. Helps vs all sorts. (Disclaimer All Sorts is not a deck)
Good stuff.
Tear // Away
I wish I could fit one more of these in, it's such a good card for this deck...
Potential two for one removal, but in times of need, can be cast turns 2/3.
Sacrifice is good vs Boggle which I have a feeling we lose to, which is why we need one more.
Bile Blight
Mini Maelstrom Pulse.
Love this card, I can see great things for it in Moderns future.
Really gotta test it. Might take one out for another Tear // Away
Trade Routes
Hard to argue with this one.
Mid-Late game, I can see this winning me games.
Anything more than a one of will be bad, because seeing two in a game will hurt my achey breakey heart.
Liliana of the Veil
Discard that works in our favour, putting lands in there for Loam/Worm Harvest.
Sacrifice Removal.
Absolutely beautiful in this deck.
Can't ask for much more.
I DON'T HAVE THE CASH FOR FETCH LANDS BECAUSE THEY ARE £70+ BNJKGNWEGOJIGABN***NHB ARGHHHH
Lands that do stuff Creeping Tar Pit
A non-wrathable win-con that I can recur with Life from the Loam.
Played over Treetop Village because it taps for two colourless.
No fourth because we don't want too many "comes into play tapped" lands because we have a very important one drop.
Horizon Canopy
Does Trade Routes' job before I have it out.
Works well with Loam. Can't run more than two because only tap for GREEn in this deck.
What are your thoughts on this deck? Any input?
Cards in? Cards out? More of what? Less of what?
Really want a one of Eternal witness to be squeezed in.
I'll post a list of cards that have gone in and come back out again below:
Well...now...this is cheeky....and well...possibly illegal. But it isn't illegal if you note it mentally
Opponent wearing glasses or sunglasses? Catch the reflection of their hand in their glasses.
Not really a mind game, but it's a good trick
1) I was playing in a legacy tourney a while back, playing elf combo...in sleeves with the red mana symbol...with all red dice. My opponent goes "playing red?" I just smiled and laughed. Whether this offers much advantage to you is debatable, but maybe he chose an improper starting hand for G1 because he thought he was combating burn? It's worth doing anyway.
I like this one, before the game has even begun, you've got a one up on them. You could go a step further and use the Fire & Lightning promotional D20 as your dice.
2) Ask your opponent not to do something. Right from the start. When they pick up your deck, untap after drawing, WHATEVER...ask them to either do something differently or not to do something. In a lot of people, this triggers some form of embarrassment/mortification/anger and it can actually throw them off their game. I've asked people shuffling my deck, and not in any particularly bad way, if they could look up from doing it so they weren't peeking at my deck. It also puts people on their guard thinking you're that guy and it gets them wound up or nervous.
I like this, might include it.
3) Talk if you can. Not about Magic if you can. Takes people out of the zone if you're engaging.
If there's a judge, they'll probably stop you, for time wasting at least, but you could start announcing everything you ever do.
You say at the beginning of each turn "Untap, upkeep, draw, entering main phase...hmmm..."
A Quick Preface
A friend of mine, he's a cheeky one. Really cheeky.
He made one of the most hilarious, brilliant, cheeky and unfortunately illegal plays I've ever witnessed or heard of.
Game one. Turn one. plays Watery Grave, pays 2 life and plays Inquisition of Kozilek.
Skip to game two. Turn one. Plays Swamp, taps for black, slightly reveals a Raven's Crime and says "reveal your hand".
His opponent reveals his hand, my friend writes down all the cards in his hand, and says "thanks".
Thankfully, this was a fairly casual event, so no punishments, but it got me thinking. What other mischievous plays could you pull, that potentially get you ahead without even playing a single card??
Unfortunately, this is an illegal play, because of ruling:
3.12 Hidden Information
Hidden information refers to the faces of cards and other objects at which the rules of the game and format do not allow you to look.
Throughout the match, a draft, and pregame procedures, players are responsible for keeping their cards above the level of the playing surface and for making reasonable efforts to prevent hidden information from being revealed.
However, players may choose to reveal their hands or any other hidden information available only to them, unless specifically prohibited by the rules. Players must not actively attempt to gain information hidden from them.
Anyway, the point of this thread is to try and pull together as many mind games as we can. They, unfortunately, have to be legal.
The great thing about mindgames, is that it's up to YOU to focus on them. You can devote as much as you need to the mindgame.
If you don't feel you can keep up a perfect mindgame while playing perfectly, then don't, just do what you can, where you can. If your opponent is lighthearted, and see's what you're doing, it's fun for both of you and they may join in. If your opponent gets tilted, then you're having a great time, not only are you having fun with your mindgame, you also have a better chance of winning.
Here's a list we've come up with:
1. "Oh, I've never played this card"
Pick up almost every card they play, barring the obvious things, like Lightning Bolt and basic lands and read said cards.
Insist you've never played the card and ask how expensive they are/how many are in their deck/whether they think it would go into your XYZ Deck.
Remember, you are fully within your right to pick up cards and read them Don't take too long as they may call a judge for time wasting.
2. The Come On
Jose Luis Velasquez went to cast his Empty the Warrens, he looks up slightly and says "use the 4 remaining mana in my pool to cast...", but he something catches his eye. In front of him, is a handsome male with a thick Pompadour hairstyle. His opponent bites his lip slightly, raises his hand to his cheek. A glint in his eye, he winks, and brushes his foot against Jose's leg. He goes on to whisper "what do you cast, Jose?". Jose runs his tongue over his lips quickly, and says "I-I actually only use two mana and cast Grapeshot for 28 d-damage" A lump rises to his throat as you tap 1 mana and cast Angel's Grace and he realises, he's been tricked.
I have yet to see this one, and I think you have to be somewhat good looking to pull this off. Ask an honest friend before you try this one, because you could just be making a fool of yourself.
3. "What texture is this?"
When you touch his sleeves, or his playmat, you ask what material it is, talk about the texture, ask how long they've been using it, whether they have had to wash it to keep it as clean as it is. "What sleeves are those? They aren't matte, what sleeves are these? I love this texture, I'm going to get a set of these sleeves. How long have you been using these sleeves for??"
Pull their mind from their cards, to everything around their cards.
4. Pretend to not be looking
Find a point off in the distance, and lock your eyes there, but focus every last bit of your attention onto the game.
Don't even look at your hand when you play counterspells, use your peripheral vision. This one is pretty tricky to do without knocking your land off the table when you go to tap them. Obviously look at what you draw, but I think it's got potential to the right player.
5. Pretend not to have a Play (Thanks to DrewReaLee)
There was a Pro Tour or high level event some time ago where Patrick Chapin was playing an opponent. When his opponent nervously said "Declare Attack", Chapin immediately picked up his pen as if signifying he was about to take all the damage. His opponent saw this and went all in, expecting Chapin to not have any response. But Chapin had a trick in his hand to make it a blow out.
6. Pretend to be a real hardcore X-colour player (Thanks to 6jerfz)
This ones quite simple really, turn up with bright red sleeves, a red dice or life counter, a red pen, a red deck box.
Play a turn 1 Swamp into Inquisition of Kozilek after they've kept a hand with 2 Kitchen Finks because they expect you to Lava Spike them.
Any suggestions? You ever played a mindgame on someone else? Ever had someone ruse you into a bad play?
I think mindgames are especially effective vs combo decks. They are trying to keep track of their storm count, or whether you've already played a counterspell or not, and they realise you're eyeing them up, or you're scratching their playmat and asking what material it's made of, if they think you could use it as a mouse mat instead of a playmat.
has anyone tried chalice of the void in either their main deck or sideboard
far too situational and only good turn 1/2 depending on what deck you're against. It can also hurt you. Keeping them off of lands is straight up better.
Using the most recent Hatebears list posted to Mtgpulse, and the most recent GW D&T list in this thread , I see that GW death and taxes is actually just GW hatebears. They are the same deck. So I take my comment back lol.
I have a G/W Hatetaxes list and I'm currently building a B/W more aggressive list, so far it's looking pretty good, I'm going to commence testing when the cards arrive Friday/Saturday.
G/W Hatebears isn't the same as G/W D&T, have a look at This.
I wouldn't call it a "bad" hatebears. It's just a hatebears with a different strategy. It basically goes "Okay, I'm going to deny fancy lands and punish all three colour decks. During this time, I will use all of these hate tactics, and instead of being a good deck that has a specific strategy, I'm going to hate out the entire meta". Hatebears is, to be honest, probably one of the smartest decks in a long time. Along with the D&T land destruction, it's incredibly potent in the correct meta.
I'd love to hear what you think of the deck. I'm a little skeptical of the Serra Avenger x2. I'm not sure what I'd replace it with though. Any tips/feedback would be great.
I'd say run EITHER Voice of resurgence OR Scavenging Ooze. There's very little room in this deck for non-synergistic cards. If your meta is graveyard heavy/aggro heavy, then run the Scavenging Ooze, if you are in a control meta, run the Voice of Resurgence and judging from your soideboard, you're in an aggro infested meta, so I'd say it's the Scavenging Ooze for you.
No Flickerwisp tricks? No Restoration Angel? Wow, if you really want to run a build without those two, I suggest taking out Aether Vial and just going straight into G/W Hatebears featuring Taxes. Look here for a decklist like that.
You're going to want a 23rd land. 22 just wont cut it with a curve of 4, especially when you're running Ghost Quarter.
I MUCH prefer Treetop Village over Stirring Wildwood. It's just bring the beats so much quicker, and in your build where you're focusing a lot more on the aggro rather than the tricks, I'd really like to see them in there.
You're running Tectonic Edge AND Ghost Quarter in a 2 colour build? That's risky. I'd say take out the Tec Edges, put in 1/2 Gavony Township and replace the third Tec Edge with some other land.
The reason I like crusader is that he is 1) Insane with swords (which Im looking for room for another copy of), and 2) double protection. He is 3cc though, which is super coveted, so maybe Ill mess around with grunts.
The reason I like sin collector is because he is tempo. He's a 2-for-1; You get a 2/1 body and you get to keep another dude that was going to die. Or you rip a draw spell that was going to find answers. Or you slow combo down. That's what this deck does. You aren't the fastest deck in the format, you are a hyper-aggressive, kind of fast deck that screws over your opponent with almost every card you play. It's all about being aggressive and pro-active; about the only reactive card we play is PtE, and we use it to clear the way for our beats, so its played in an aggressive way regardless. Instants and sorceries are what we want to be ripping for our tempo most of the time. It's not a 'trick', it's the core tenant of the deck (imo). I do admit he's maybe 1cc overcosted, which is why I like sculler more, and he's not that big, thus only 2 slots. And you're right, as far as the core is concerned he's definitely one of the first slots to look at moving. I was thinking that a high enough portion of top tier decks play removal or draw we want to rip that he's worth it, but again, if your meta is full of affinity or whatever, don't play him obviously.
Im playing a very bounce-trick-heavy list, so that's why I have 3 resto angels, but you're right Ill have to do more testing to see if he's too slow. I feel like he's really good at breaking stalls and finishing, with a 3power flying body and reusing your CIP dudes, so coming out late isn't necessarily the worst thing, but if it's too late it's either win-more or lose-more, so I guess only testing will tell.
To be honest, I find aggressive builds in G/W MUCH easier to build, you get stuff like Loxodon Smiter which just beats SO much face, especially at 3 mana. I'd honestly run him over finks. He's out of bolt range, which is a massive plus.
It also gives you access to Gavony Township which ends more games than I can count, and that's quite a lot, I can count pretty high.
G/W also makes Finks easier to cast.
But then, on the flip side of that, I suppose Vault of the Archangel is accessible in B/W.
Hmmm...choices choices...
As for resto, regardless of the amount of bouncing you want to achieve, with 4 Ghost quarters AND 3 Tectonic edges, you're going to find yourself a bit short for mana. I'd run 2.
Hmm, you've convinced me on the Sin Collector, but that means running EITHER Jotun Grunt OR Kitchen finks.
If you're aiming for aggro, I'd go Jotun, especially since it puts all your Ghost Quarters and stuff back into your deck.
At least test without the Mirran Crusader, he's only needed in the side in my meta, yours may vary however.
I posted it above so I'll avoid posting again, but yeah I agree with most of your analysis, which is why none of those dudes currently have a spot in my mainboard. I'm just saying, there's good utility creatures with hate against against specific decks (like grunts) out there, and figuring out which ones are the best is more of a meta call than anything else. And fading was referring to the fact that he kills himself eventually.
Remember that Flickerwisp resets his Cumulative Upkeep.
For the utility creatures, just chuck them into your sideboard. Unless you're running a toolbox type deck like pod or something, there's very little point in running these utility creatures because they're situational and are only good vs certain cards/decks and you would rather fill these spots with other cards.
As for spots for Finks/Jotun Grunt, I'm not bought on everyones fascination with Sin Collector, and in such an aggressive build, you don't NEED tricks, you want power, and a 4/4 for 2 is powerful.
3 Restoration Angel's is too much for a deck that want's to be LEAPING out of the gates. I'd run 2, or possibly even one depending on how much you actually like your bounce tricks.
Move at least 1x Mirran Crusader to the side. I keep 2 Mirran's in the side and NONE in the main personally, that's 3 mana slot is just too valuable to have non-synergistic cards in the main.
So, if you take out all Sin Collectors, 1x Restoration Angel and 3 Mirran Crusaders, you have yourself 6 slots, which is enough for a 3/3 split between finks and Grunt.
-3 Thoughtseize
+1 Raven's Crime
+2 Young Pyromancer
Will report after FNM tomorrow.
I'm looking for cards that replace them for my deck.
I'm thinking one more Raven's Crime, One more Darkblast and One more Lightning Bolt and something OR 3x a 1-drop. I'd really like it to be a 1-drop creature, but I don't know what.
My list:
1 Eternal Witness
1 Vengeful Pharaoh
Enchantment (4)
3 Molten Vortex
1 Seismic Assault
Instant (7)
2 Abrupt Decay
1 Darkblast
3 Lightning Bolt
1 Terminate
Planeswalker (2)
2 Liliana of the Veil
Sorcery (20)
4 Faithless Looting
4 Life from the Loam
4 Lingering Souls
1 Raven's Crime
4 Smallpox
3 Thoughtseize
4 Blackcleave Cliffs
3 Blood Crypt
3 Bloodstained Mire
1 Forest
2 Ghost Quarter
1 Godless Shrine
1 Lavaclaw Reaches
1 Mountain
2 Overgrown Tomb
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Stomping Ground
1 Swamp
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Temple Garden
1 Ancient Grudge
2 Blood Moon
1 Engineered Explosives
2 Ghost Quarter
1 Pyroclasm
2 Rakdos Charm
2 Ray of Revelation
1 Shadow of Doubt
2 Timely Reinforcements
1 Utter End
I've had very good results in all testing and past two FNM's. Only Losses were to a Tron deck that I wasn't prepared for. I now have a Sideboard to deal with it.
I'm playing EDH and the following play just occurred:
Opponents turn, Enter the Infinite, end.
My turn, deal 26 damage, end.
Opponents turn, untap upkeep reveal Temporal Mastery on top of deck and take extra turn. Plays Platinum Angel, ends.
Opponents turn, untap upkeep draw nothing and survive. Then Windfall's, I respond to the Windfall and put Platinum Angel into his deck with Void Stalker. Windfall resolves.
WHAT HAPPENS? Does he die first as he only has 1 card in his deck and Windfall kills him first as he has less in his deck than me? Do I die as it's his spell? Is it a draw? Who wins and how (If anyone)?
Thank you very much in advance!
I think it's an obvious choice.
Life from the Loam is one of my top two favourite cards of all time next to Thalia, Guardian of Thraben. (which is funny, since she hard counters Loam decks)
I'll get straight to it and post a deck list and then explain my card choices. It's also 61 cards...Sorry.
2 Thrun, the Last Troll
3 Bloodghast
3 Courser of Kruphix
1 Meloku the Clouded Mirror
2 Pack Rat
2 Glen Elendra Archmage
Interrupt/Sorcery (20)
4 Life from the Loam
1 Worm Harvest
1 Oona's Grace
4 Raven's Crime
2 Maelstrom Pulse
1 Slaughter Pact
4 Remand
1 Far // Away
2 Bile Blight
1 Trade Routes
Planeswalker (2)
2 Liliana of the Veil
Architecture (25)
NOT ENOUGH MONEY FOR FETCH LAND BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL £60+ WHICH IS HORRIFYING
4 Breeding Pool
3 Overgrown Tomb
3 Watery Grave
1 Verdant Catacombs
3 Creeping Tar Pit
1 Shizo, Death's Storehouse
1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
1 Okina, Temple to the Grandfathers
1 Tolaria West
2 Twilight Mire
2 Horizon Canopy
2 Swamp
1 Forest
3 Back to Nature
1 Spellskite
1 Engineered Explosives
2 Torpor Orb
2 Obstinate Baloth
1 Creeping Corrosion
1 Krosan Grip
1 Sever the Bloodline
CARD CHOICES
Thrun, the Last Troll
This guy is a win-con that works vs anything. Good against any deck, any way, anyhow. He will go the whole 20 life, un-counterable, un-targetable, un-killable unless Wrath of God/Damnation pretty much, so only really killable in control and after sideboard, even then, he will provide problems.
Bloodghast
Great with Life from the Loam, unless you exile my Graveyard, you are not getting rid of this guy.
Unfortunately, he can't block, but our removal and counters should make up for this.
Courser of Kruphix
Still needs more testing, but as far as I can see, it's 4 toughness, it's a good Dark Confidant replacement with 25 lands (because to hell with paying £60 each) and works well with Loam, Meloku the Clouded Mirror and Trade Routes.
Meloku the Clouded Mirror
I've been looking for win-cons in BUG that work well with Lands, whether it's discarding them or being able to always play them.
Flying goes a long way in Modern and it gives me more fuel late in the game for Retrace.
Also, can you imagine having Meloku and Trade Routes on the field and a Life from the Loam in hand/in graveyard? Card advantage city, population: Me.
Pack Rat
I had 4 Bloodghasts and 1 AEtherling, but late game, with a Loam ready and online, packrat just seems so crazy!
Couldn't resist.
Glen Elandra Archmage
This girl is good at countering graveyard hate, and we die to graveyard hate. When someone goes to cast a Nihil Spellbomb, I want this girl to be ready and waiting.
She also flies. May come out in favour of Vendillion Clique, only bad part is that it doesn't discard, and it doesn't hit lands.
Life from the Loam
The reason I built this deck. The fuel of the deck, with cards like Raven's Crime and Bloodghast being the train.
Arguably one of the most cost effective cards in the format, it's a beautiful card to build around.
Worm Harvest
A Win-Con, a blocker producer, repeatable, works with Loam and the other discard cards in my deck.
A one of, because having two in a game won't accomplish much more than having one.
Oona's Grace
Instant. Card Draw. Retrace.
Basically made for this deck.
Again, a one of because having two in a game will give out the same results as one.
Raven's Crime
Life from the Loam's best friend.
This baby is a bad draw late game, but can you can keep hands you would otherwise discard if this card is in there with it.
5 lands + Thrun, the Last Troll + Glen Elendra Archmage? Nah...5 Lands + Raven's Crime + Thrun? WINDMILL SLAM KEEP.
Maelstrom Pulse
Some of the best removal in the format.
Not much more to say.
Slaughter Pact
Transmuteable with Tolaria West.
Can leave self tapped out, forcing over commitment to an offense thinking it's "their chance".
Can't destroy black creatures ;_;
Remand
Great counter spell that fits snugly into this deck. Two for one. Helps vs all sorts. (Disclaimer All Sorts is not a deck)
Good stuff.
Tear // Away
I wish I could fit one more of these in, it's such a good card for this deck...
Potential two for one removal, but in times of need, can be cast turns 2/3.
Sacrifice is good vs Boggle which I have a feeling we lose to, which is why we need one more.
Bile Blight
Mini Maelstrom Pulse.
Love this card, I can see great things for it in Moderns future.
Really gotta test it. Might take one out for another Tear // Away
Trade Routes
Hard to argue with this one.
Mid-Late game, I can see this winning me games.
Anything more than a one of will be bad, because seeing two in a game will hurt my achey breakey heart.
Liliana of the Veil
Discard that works in our favour, putting lands in there for Loam/Worm Harvest.
Sacrifice Removal.
Absolutely beautiful in this deck.
Can't ask for much more.
I DON'T HAVE THE CASH FOR FETCH LANDS BECAUSE THEY ARE £70+ BNJKGNWEGOJIGABN***NHB ARGHHHH
Just Mana Fixing Lands:
Breeding Pool
Overgrown Tomb
Watery Grave
Verdant Catacombs
Twilight Mire
Lands that do stuff
Creeping Tar Pit
A non-wrathable win-con that I can recur with Life from the Loam.
Played over Treetop Village because it taps for two colourless.
No fourth because we don't want too many "comes into play tapped" lands because we have a very important one drop.
Shizo, Death's Storehouse
Okina, Temple to the Grandfathers
Minamo, School at Waters Edge
Makes Thrun, The Last Troll and Meloku the Clouded Mirror unblockable / +1/+1 / untaps them respectively.
Can also use Okina, giving +1/+1, then untapping Okina with Minamo and using it again. #sickplays.
Tolaria West
Searches Slaughter Pact, Horizon Canopy, Shizo, Okina, Creeping Tar Pit, any colour I need if I'm screwed for a turn 4 Thrun or something.
Works with Loam.
Horizon Canopy
Does Trade Routes' job before I have it out.
Works well with Loam. Can't run more than two because only tap for GREEn in this deck.
What are your thoughts on this deck? Any input?
Cards in? Cards out? More of what? Less of what?
Really want a one of Eternal witness to be squeezed in.
I'll post a list of cards that have gone in and come back out again below:
Forbidden Alchemy (Replaced with Trade Routes)
Boon Satyr (Replaced with Courser)
Psionic Blast (Replaced with Bile Blight)
Voidslime (replaced with Glen Elandra Archmage)
Eternal Witness (Only as a one of, couldn't find space, would love to.)
Delver of Secrets (Replaced with Bloodghast)
Not really a mind game, but it's a good trick
I like this one, before the game has even begun, you've got a one up on them. You could go a step further and use the Fire & Lightning promotional D20 as your dice.
I like this, might include it.
If there's a judge, they'll probably stop you, for time wasting at least, but you could start announcing everything you ever do.
You say at the beginning of each turn "Untap, upkeep, draw, entering main phase...hmmm..."
What a great dupe. Will add to the list.
A Quick Preface
A friend of mine, he's a cheeky one. Really cheeky.
He made one of the most hilarious, brilliant, cheeky and unfortunately illegal plays I've ever witnessed or heard of.
Game one. Turn one. plays Watery Grave, pays 2 life and plays Inquisition of Kozilek.
Skip to game two. Turn one. Plays Swamp, taps for black, slightly reveals a Raven's Crime and says "reveal your hand".
His opponent reveals his hand, my friend writes down all the cards in his hand, and says "thanks".
Thankfully, this was a fairly casual event, so no punishments, but it got me thinking. What other mischievous plays could you pull, that potentially get you ahead without even playing a single card??
Unfortunately, this is an illegal play, because of ruling:
Hidden information refers to the faces of cards and other objects at which the rules of the game and format do not allow you to look.
Throughout the match, a draft, and pregame procedures, players are responsible for keeping their cards above the level of the playing surface and for making reasonable efforts to prevent hidden information from being revealed.
However, players may choose to reveal their hands or any other hidden information available only to them, unless specifically prohibited by the rules. Players must not actively attempt to gain information hidden from them.
Anyway, the point of this thread is to try and pull together as many mind games as we can. They, unfortunately, have to be legal.
The great thing about mindgames, is that it's up to YOU to focus on them. You can devote as much as you need to the mindgame.
If you don't feel you can keep up a perfect mindgame while playing perfectly, then don't, just do what you can, where you can. If your opponent is lighthearted, and see's what you're doing, it's fun for both of you and they may join in. If your opponent gets tilted, then you're having a great time, not only are you having fun with your mindgame, you also have a better chance of winning.
Here's a list we've come up with:
1. "Oh, I've never played this card"
Insist you've never played the card and ask how expensive they are/how many are in their deck/whether they think it would go into your XYZ Deck.
Remember, you are fully within your right to pick up cards and read them Don't take too long as they may call a judge for time wasting.
I have yet to see this one, and I think you have to be somewhat good looking to pull this off. Ask an honest friend before you try this one, because you could just be making a fool of yourself.
3. "What texture is this?"
Pull their mind from their cards, to everything around their cards.
4. Pretend to not be looking
Don't even look at your hand when you play counterspells, use your peripheral vision. This one is pretty tricky to do without knocking your land off the table when you go to tap them. Obviously look at what you draw, but I think it's got potential to the right player.
5. Pretend not to have a Play (Thanks to DrewReaLee)
6. Pretend to be a real hardcore X-colour player (Thanks to 6jerfz)
Play a turn 1 Swamp into Inquisition of Kozilek after they've kept a hand with 2 Kitchen Finks because they expect you to Lava Spike them.
Any suggestions? You ever played a mindgame on someone else? Ever had someone ruse you into a bad play?
I think mindgames are especially effective vs combo decks. They are trying to keep track of their storm count, or whether you've already played a counterspell or not, and they realise you're eyeing them up, or you're scratching their playmat and asking what material it's made of, if they think you could use it as a mouse mat instead of a playmat.
far too situational and only good turn 1/2 depending on what deck you're against. It can also hurt you. Keeping them off of lands is straight up better.
I have a G/W Hatetaxes list and I'm currently building a B/W more aggressive list, so far it's looking pretty good, I'm going to commence testing when the cards arrive Friday/Saturday.
G/W Hatebears isn't the same as G/W D&T, have a look at This.
I wouldn't call it a "bad" hatebears. It's just a hatebears with a different strategy. It basically goes "Okay, I'm going to deny fancy lands and punish all three colour decks. During this time, I will use all of these hate tactics, and instead of being a good deck that has a specific strategy, I'm going to hate out the entire meta". Hatebears is, to be honest, probably one of the smartest decks in a long time. Along with the D&T land destruction, it's incredibly potent in the correct meta.
I'd say you cut Stirring Wildwood for Treetop Village.
It just gets so much more damage in.
I'd say run EITHER Voice of resurgence OR Scavenging Ooze. There's very little room in this deck for non-synergistic cards. If your meta is graveyard heavy/aggro heavy, then run the Scavenging Ooze, if you are in a control meta, run the Voice of Resurgence and judging from your soideboard, you're in an aggro infested meta, so I'd say it's the Scavenging Ooze for you.
I also suggest 2 more Horizon Canopy, Eiganjo Castle and Okina, Temple to the Grandfathers
No Flickerwisp tricks? No Restoration Angel? Wow, if you really want to run a build without those two, I suggest taking out Aether Vial and just going straight into G/W Hatebears featuring Taxes. Look here for a decklist like that.
You're going to want a 23rd land. 22 just wont cut it with a curve of 4, especially when you're running Ghost Quarter.
I MUCH prefer Treetop Village over Stirring Wildwood. It's just bring the beats so much quicker, and in your build where you're focusing a lot more on the aggro rather than the tricks, I'd really like to see them in there.
You're running Tectonic Edge AND Ghost Quarter in a 2 colour build? That's risky. I'd say take out the Tec Edges, put in 1/2 Gavony Township and replace the third Tec Edge with some other land.
To be honest, I find aggressive builds in G/W MUCH easier to build, you get stuff like Loxodon Smiter which just beats SO much face, especially at 3 mana. I'd honestly run him over finks. He's out of bolt range, which is a massive plus.
It also gives you access to Gavony Township which ends more games than I can count, and that's quite a lot, I can count pretty high.
G/W also makes Finks easier to cast.
But then, on the flip side of that, I suppose Vault of the Archangel is accessible in B/W.
Hmmm...choices choices...
As for resto, regardless of the amount of bouncing you want to achieve, with 4 Ghost quarters AND 3 Tectonic edges, you're going to find yourself a bit short for mana. I'd run 2.
Hmm, you've convinced me on the Sin Collector, but that means running EITHER Jotun Grunt OR Kitchen finks.
If you're aiming for aggro, I'd go Jotun, especially since it puts all your Ghost Quarters and stuff back into your deck.
At least test without the Mirran Crusader, he's only needed in the side in my meta, yours may vary however.
Remember that Flickerwisp resets his Cumulative Upkeep.
For the utility creatures, just chuck them into your sideboard. Unless you're running a toolbox type deck like pod or something, there's very little point in running these utility creatures because they're situational and are only good vs certain cards/decks and you would rather fill these spots with other cards.
As for spots for Finks/Jotun Grunt, I'm not bought on everyones fascination with Sin Collector, and in such an aggressive build, you don't NEED tricks, you want power, and a 4/4 for 2 is powerful.
3 Restoration Angel's is too much for a deck that want's to be LEAPING out of the gates. I'd run 2, or possibly even one depending on how much you actually like your bounce tricks.
Move at least 1x Mirran Crusader to the side. I keep 2 Mirran's in the side and NONE in the main personally, that's 3 mana slot is just too valuable to have non-synergistic cards in the main.
So, if you take out all Sin Collectors, 1x Restoration Angel and 3 Mirran Crusaders, you have yourself 6 slots, which is enough for a 3/3 split between finks and Grunt.