Given that we're in "You make the card" time, i thought it would be a good idea to brought this up
It would be obvious to think that any deck playing Balance/Cataclysm/A lot of red land destruction/Cabal Coffers would want to play it. Trouble is, its a single card that can do a lot on lots of decks. And one slot is a small price to pay. So, my question is what criteria do you people use when thinking whether or not use this artifact. If it fits the deck's theme? If you can abuse it?
Personally, if it doesnt give you manascrew (playing 1 or 2 colors) and have reasonable means of acceleration, i would put it in every deck that uses Wasteland, Cephalid Colisseum or Mouth of Ronom. Especially Mouth
I know its a format geared towards casual players and the kitchen table, but after seeing that SCG opens feature Commander free 4 all (chaos melee as they call them) as side events it prompted me to this question. In my lgs there are lots of people who play, but mostly just for playing, not for points.
Im probably either insane or drunk, but wouldn't this + Scapeshift be... interesting? I know, technically Valakut also wins on the spot while not requiring half of your lands be unfetcheable, come into play tapped duals but for some reason i can see this kinda working.
Oh hey CML, awesome to see a post from you, was tempted to forward the discussion in pm to bring it to your attention, I just came back from a local tourny(don't be fooled, pretty much super competitive, we just had most of our strong roster qualify in top 4 in a couple ptq's missing wins just by some slight issues which are being refined)
I must say I had a super fun time, but I think I'm either too bad for the deck or that I've had some questions in mind which would explain a few things for me:
I'll recap my tourny at best of my memory
game 1 UWR lost 2-1
Game one was my first real UWR game, never had a chance to try it out, I kept a decent hand which then went into killing me since it wasn't that decent...can't remember details but I lost 1, won second, almost won third but we ended at turns and well...when turns almost ended he killed me with a geist...but only barely, I did misplay a couple since I was unsure on how to play against UWR yet.
Seconda game uwr won 1-0
Again another super slow control, I won easily game one, albeit we dragged a bit since he tried to find answers and he didn't knew my deck had better counter-answers(wrath into proclamation into 80 life into gg), game 2 I was dominating but got stalled and ended at turns, still a win for me.I did love the 15 damage overkill of vizkopa in one game =P
Game 3 gruul aggro 2-0 for me
First game went superscary since he got a double rancored 4/4 with trample, I managed to find answers and win by a couple good topdecks.Game 2 he sided but didn't get that many answers and a turn 2 blind obedience into a wrath when he kinda forgot I had one in hand won me the game.Was the easiest
Game 4 mono U tron...0-2 for me
I knew I was going to get paired with my friend that got me back into magic since we always joked about it.We had to play it since we were both barely entering top 8, and well...I was at 6 points he was at 4, we could've tried some shenanigans but well didn't go as planned.Now tron I feel is THE matchup in my meta I just can't win in any way....
game 1 mindslave combo comes online, he draws a wrath from my topdeck, clears the board and in any case I was locked just the salt in the wound and even if I had a good presence, I just couldn't do anything to stop him since he had a godly hand anyway.Game 2 I sided some hate and aggressively mulliganed for it, got a turn 2 stony silence into play, and the game dragged, I couldn't break 30 life since I didn't draw martyrs, and when I had ways he had a recurring counterspell(something with buyback3) and with urza online...well.He did kill me with a flying 5/5 and wurmcoil engine and since I have to wake up early, I didn't go on and see how the tourney kept going...
Now if you are still reading this: it might be my meta, or I might just be bad but...Here atleast 2-3 players mainboard or sideboard blood moons, I couldn't have done much with all the non basic lands if I was paired with them game 1, and windbrisk...I understand the point but I never had 3 creatures on board to activate it and when I had I was either winning, or was just desperate...Thing is people here are fairly aggressive and tend to kill souls tokens and hawks and since they are 1/1 they easily go down to electrolyze, bolts and such(even thundermaw hellkite which is quite easy to see) so I can't really use them, most of the times they were dead draws.
Mistveils also where just never used since I was always too constrained with mana to activate them, or people just had enough ways to remove my cards, when they didn't I just didn't have anything worth reshuffling at 2 mana cost(tap to activate and tap the mistveil), they also came in tapped which in a couple of the pre-tourney tests just weren't bringing enough worth.I can see the lands potential but in my meta, they're almost surely dead draws.
I understand your point on the lands but I have found them huge issues in my games...I think I'm going to personally try and change the deck for my meta here and bring a couple more basics to avoid the blood moon(most games I didn't draw a fetch/basic so I would've lost there if they had), and probably I'm considering some hate against tron, I'm not sure we can support tectonic edge or quarter though...manabase felt either too short, or just flooding(second uwr game of the swiss I had 12 lands in play starting with a 1 land hand...ok we went to time and turns but damn..)
I'm also unsure on bob, I think it would've changed the dynamics, in control games they couldn't kill my creatures AND kill me, so it would've been a fantastic bait, and if he enters I'm just getting free draws.Against other decks excluding maybe the gruul I think he's ok and could be even sided in some cases.I'm not sure if I'm ok with the mainboard, I guess you know better and won't change it, but surely I have big issues with the mana base...it's just not working here <.<
edit: forgot,I'm also considering emeria as a 1x or 2x, seems nice in longer games, also...surgical extraction on a martyr was the play of the night in the first 2-1 swiss round, definitely was GG there, i kept playing but lost there...ideas how to not fold to that in game 2 or 3? Feels an almost auto-win...
Probably your meta. No junds and U-tron aren't exactly a very good representation of whether this deck works or not (i hope it does, i can reuse nearly half of my standard deck when it rotates and i do like it).
Also, i have a couple of suggestions...
Hide//Seek: Helps against some trom matchups. Mortify: Not the most efficient removal, though i would like to have one mainboard, especially if you see blood moon mb. Also screws splinter twin (the sb already has blind obedience).
Also, there isn't any of the Lifegainers ajanis thant can work here?
Voted enchant. If land comes out, whatever it comes out of this is going to either be
A) Completely broken, 150 dollar card.
B) Completely useless outside of the kitchen table or the EDH group.
C) Completely useless and period.
Lingering Souls > Timely Reinforcements. Fact. Terminus is pretty sick, but without the library manipulation blue or legacy provides its not as good as it can be. I'll stick with Damnation or Wrath of God. Slagstorm even. I would consider Inquisition of Kozilek or Castigate instead of Thoughtseize. Most cards you'll have problem with are those that can be cast before you can have your lock and answers for them.
I just can't see this working without massive amounts of discard. And if you want to use Nightveil to their most, rememeber you have to pay their spells' mana cost. So City of Brass should be in (though you can play their lands).
EDIT: for some reason i thought this was under the Modern banner. My bad.
Wouldnt this make a usable combo. Not talking tier 1 level, just a casual and FNM level thingy. Haven't come up with a list, but the most realistic would be either UB or Esper control. It's a 2 card combo, though we only need one leveler and tutors for it. All the rest of the deck can be spent to make sure that we can actually play the combo.
Why people have so much trouble to understand how the deal is?
The basic land slot is now a nonbasic land slot. In that slot chances are, you open a Gate, you open the Mythic DGM land or a shockland. However, as these shocklands are not actually part of the DGM set (they're just like the ones you can open in RTR or GTC boosters), they cant be in any other slot, being those slots rare or foil.
A couple days ago, I was watching this and wondered if it could be remade as a standard, playable worthy deck. So, this is the list (budgetish) I ended up with.
The deck just tries to survive aggro (the meta is heavy on them here, plus thats the reason there is no Geist) until the moment that every single token you put is a hard to deal with threat.
The whys Favorable Winds, Lingering Souls and Drogskol Captain are self explanatory. These are the shell of the deck. Azorius Charm: Tempo, card advantage and possibly a huge amount of life. Yeah, why not? Doomed Traveler: This is probably the best card of the deck. No, really. It's cannon fodder that makes you a token. Tokens in this deck matter. Plus it has great sinergy with Orzhov Charm and makes you not be naked after a Supreme Verdict. Blind Obedience: Gives you a little time against aggro, makes Restoration Angels not able to block your captains and, more importantly, makes every charm and spell you have a mini lightning helix. Midnight Haunting: We can't really rely only on Lingering Souls for this deck to work. Plus EOT tokens followed by Favorable Winds next turn is always nice. Growing Ranks: This is a very strange addition. Its useless against aggro and probably against midrange as well. But in the control matchup, as long as you have a Lingering Souls in your graveyard, their supreme verdicts are just minor annoyances. Rootborn Defenses: Again, useful against wrath effects and Blasphemous act, if it doesnt kill you. Dimir Charm: Got in the sb just because I like it. Not much tested though. AEtherize: Same as Dimir Charm
Cards to consider Beckon Apparition: Very Useful against Rites Intangible Virtue: It's either this or Favorable Winds. I preffer the latter as two of them pump Drogksol outside of spear range. Geist of Saint Traft: Too expensive for me. And, IMO, too slow. Could be useful though. Cyclonic Rift: Probably can take the slot of AEtherize
I did not and will not read the whole thread. But, the title is "What's with the "erotic" sleeves/playmats/alters, people? " There is a very good reason for that. Sexyness sells. Period.
It would be obvious to think that any deck playing Balance/Cataclysm/A lot of red land destruction/Cabal Coffers would want to play it. Trouble is, its a single card that can do a lot on lots of decks. And one slot is a small price to pay. So, my question is what criteria do you people use when thinking whether or not use this artifact. If it fits the deck's theme? If you can abuse it?
Personally, if it doesnt give you manascrew (playing 1 or 2 colors) and have reasonable means of acceleration, i would put it in every deck that uses Wasteland, Cephalid Colisseum or Mouth of Ronom. Especially Mouth
2/3
Vigilance
GGWW, T: Put the elemental 8/8 token
G, T: Regenerate target creature you control
And probably a flavor text that reads something along the lines of "Put a searing spear on my face"
Im probably either insane or drunk, but wouldn't this + Scapeshift be... interesting? I know, technically Valakut also wins on the spot while not requiring half of your lands be unfetcheable, come into play tapped duals but for some reason i can see this kinda working.
Probably your meta. No junds and U-tron aren't exactly a very good representation of whether this deck works or not (i hope it does, i can reuse nearly half of my standard deck when it rotates and i do like it).
Also, i have a couple of suggestions...
Hide//Seek: Helps against some trom matchups.
Mortify: Not the most efficient removal, though i would like to have one mainboard, especially if you see blood moon mb. Also screws splinter twin (the sb already has blind obedience).
Also, there isn't any of the Lifegainers ajanis thant can work here?
A) Completely broken, 150 dollar card.
B) Completely useless outside of the kitchen table or the EDH group.
C) Completely useless and period.
EDIT: And take out the Gideons. In any deck that uses Esnaring Bridge, they're USELESS. Telling that from experience.
EDIT: for some reason i thought this was under the Modern banner. My bad.
Wouldnt this make a usable combo. Not talking tier 1 level, just a casual and FNM level thingy. Haven't come up with a list, but the most realistic would be either UB or Esper control. It's a 2 card combo, though we only need one leveler and tutors for it. All the rest of the deck can be spent to make sure that we can actually play the combo.
The basic land slot is now a nonbasic land slot. In that slot chances are, you open a Gate, you open the Mythic DGM land or a shockland. However, as these shocklands are not actually part of the DGM set (they're just like the ones you can open in RTR or GTC boosters), they cant be in any other slot, being those slots rare or foil.
Probably a primer. Maybe. Blame Finkel.
A couple days ago, I was watching this and wondered if it could be remade as a standard, playable worthy deck. So, this is the list (budgetish) I ended up with.
4 Lingering Souls
4 Favorable Winds
4 Drogskol Captain
3 Midnight Haunting
4 Azorius Charm
3 Think Twice
4 Doomed Traveler
3 Orzhov Charm
2 Drowned Catacomb
1 Rootborn Defenses
3 Ultimate Price
3 Blind Obedience
1 Growing Ranks
2 Isolated Chapel
4 Hallowed Fountain
4 Godless Shrine
1 Island
4 Plains
1 Vault of the Archangel
1 Watery Grave
1 AEtherize
2 Rootborn Defenses
1 Growing Ranks
3 Negate
4 Duress
3 Dimir Charm
1 Supreme Verdict
The deck just tries to survive aggro (the meta is heavy on them here, plus thats the reason there is no Geist) until the moment that every single token you put is a hard to deal with threat.
The whys
Favorable Winds, Lingering Souls and Drogskol Captain are self explanatory. These are the shell of the deck.
Azorius Charm: Tempo, card advantage and possibly a huge amount of life. Yeah, why not?
Doomed Traveler: This is probably the best card of the deck. No, really. It's cannon fodder that makes you a token. Tokens in this deck matter. Plus it has great sinergy with Orzhov Charm and makes you not be naked after a Supreme Verdict.
Blind Obedience: Gives you a little time against aggro, makes Restoration Angels not able to block your captains and, more importantly, makes every charm and spell you have a mini lightning helix.
Midnight Haunting: We can't really rely only on Lingering Souls for this deck to work. Plus EOT tokens followed by Favorable Winds next turn is always nice.
Growing Ranks: This is a very strange addition. Its useless against aggro and probably against midrange as well. But in the control matchup, as long as you have a Lingering Souls in your graveyard, their supreme verdicts are just minor annoyances.
Rootborn Defenses: Again, useful against wrath effects and Blasphemous act, if it doesnt kill you.
Dimir Charm: Got in the sb just because I like it. Not much tested though.
AEtherize: Same as Dimir Charm
Cards to consider
Beckon Apparition: Very Useful against Rites
Intangible Virtue: It's either this or Favorable Winds. I preffer the latter as two of them pump Drogksol outside of spear range.
Geist of Saint Traft: Too expensive for me. And, IMO, too slow. Could be useful though.
Cyclonic Rift: Probably can take the slot of AEtherize
Hidden Gibbons if you use them. Otherwise, just try to outrace them. Nature's Claim if you think they'll side in Esnaring Bridge.
@fallen_angel_poet2000: Wouldn't Experiment One be a perfect fit for this deck?
Turn 1: Experiment. Turn 2 Nettle Sentinel, Dryad Militant. Turn 3 Elephant, Elite or even Vine Dryad.