It doesn’t matter if their is a card shop or not, I don't have one in my town, but my playgroup consists of 5-6 people (including me). although I have the same problem about the skill level. 2-3 play it on a much higher level then the other 3. It's really annoying seeing that they again waste their disenchant on an unequipped warhammer, with no creature in play, when you now a bargain is gonna hit the table. I've myself quitted playing the game for 6-7 months now. I do play it from time to time, but not as regular as I used to be.
And I to hate those tribal sets. They're so *****ing linear. If you play elf, you have to play ...., if you play merfolk, you have to play.... etc.
I want to make my own decks with my own ideas. are they super creative? Never bin made by somebody else? probably not. But at least I know I made them and I had fun making em.
It sounds like you are in the exact same position I am.
Thanks to all who have given their imput. I think that the root of my problem does lie in the fact that playing on MTGO exclusively has taken away a lot more from the game then I thought it would. But I really do have about 2 people that play around me. The only place to buy cards is in a local bookstore (and that is packs only)... there are no hobby/game stores around me.
I've tried taking a break and coming back, I haven't played since before Future Sight came out. It didn't really do anything though. Probably because I really am not a fan of Lorywn. Building tribal decks has always seemed to me like building a pre-built deck. All the correct choices are laid out for you and everyone else's deck of the same tribe will essentially be the same as yours. Maybe if I had come back in the middle of an awesome set or something...
I used to play magic quite a bit... mostly casual, a bit of competitive but lately it has lost the appeal. Tournament play annoys me as it costs lots of money and then I usually still lose a lot because I find it dull and uninteresting to play the most popular (best) decks. Casual play is fun for all of a couple games and then I get tired of the deck since it either gets stomped and I get annoyed or I win a lot and get bored.
Then I spend hours and lots of money getting a new deck only to have the same experience.
It might be partly through the fact that I play on MTGO because there are about 2 other people in my area that actually play mtg other then me. And... they are really bad and refuse to take any advice whatsoever.
i.e. Playing Jareth, Phage, and about 7 other creatures above 7 mana in a W/B weenie deck with 18 land, 75 cards, and no removal.
Hmm... quite a beater. I think it would be best if you were to add a bit to the mana cost. Consider Kodama of the North Tree. It's a 6/4 with the same abilities. It has the same converted mana cost, but requires three colored mana -- all of the same color. It got played a lot and was really quite vicious to play against.
Armored Bear has an easier mana cost, and due to the increased point of toughness, is quite a bit harder to kill. The increase from 4 to 5 may not seem like a lot, but if you consider how many 4/x creatures there are, as opposed to 5/x creatures, there is a good difference. It's the difference between being able to be stopped by a mid-range creature and needing a definite fatty to stop it.
That's also not even considering the number of spells that do at least 4 damage compared to 5. Think Sulfurous Blast, Wildfire, etc. Shroud is really quite a boost to have on a creature, since you really need a mass-damage spell or a creature large enough to stop it. It also means that every last point of toughness is quite important.
Personally, I would advise changing the mana cost to 3WGG. It would still get played (might still be too powerful), but adding the extra colored mana would go a long way in moderating its power.
Good card overall though -- simple, yet powerful. I like the flavor text too.
Thought Pruning -- WB
Enchantment
If, at the beginning of your turn, all players have zero cards in hand, flip Thought Pruning.
--------------------
Delve into Memories
Instant
When Thought Pruning is flipped, put Delve into Memories on the stack.
Until end of turn, you may play cards in your graveyard without paying their mana cost. Until end of turn, whenever a card would be put into your graveyard from anywhere, remove that card from the game instead.
Chaos Wand is incredibly, unbelievably broken. Get a Wierd Harvest and a easy discard source going, and pump out as many fatties as you want.
Terra Sink is an incredibly cool idea, but again... crazy broken. Get a monoblue control deck going and they can tap out as much as they want during their turn and still counter anything you can throw at them. I would make so it has a real mana cost as well. To make things interesting... make it a blue mana cost. =)
As someone else mentioned, Prism Mage has been done before, but the Prism counterspell is a neat idea.
And then there is the equipment. Breaking the trend set by the first two cards... this one is pretty darn bad. 3 to play and 3 to equip... and it prevents one damage? Basically the same thing as giving the creature +0/+1, and would you pay 6 mana to do that?
As an aside, I really liked the "classroom" presentation, it was very neat and well-done.
I agree that City of the Clouds needs to be changed. Aside from the rule issues of it not having a mana cost (can be gotten around by changing it to... "You may play City of the Clouds as a sorcery with mana cost 0).
But as it is, it is probably even better then the original W/U dual. It would be a dual land with no drawback that could also increase your storm count.
Now, I'm not sure, but it could be pretty interesting to test it like this.
City of the Clouds - 0
Sorcery Land T: Add W or U to your mana pool.
I like it though. The first thing I thought of was that it would be broken in storm decks... but the mana cost is a bit prohibitive, and probably lessens the abusability.
Overall, it would probably be a somewhat weak Johnney card that could see some use with Locket of Yesterdays, Cloud Key, and the like. However, it is a bit too expensive to see play out of casual. Well costed though, since if it cost less, it could get kinda broken.
Nice flavor too.
Risky Bribe - U
Instant
As an additional cost to play Risky Bribe, pay the mana cost of target creature or lose life equal to that creatures power plus its toughness.
You control target creature.
Interesting card, works very well with dredge strategies (obviously). I think that the biggest problem with it is that it just doesn't feel very black to me. It really seems like it would be better suited to a green card. Not to say it doesn't work as a black card, it just feels more green to me.
Imprisonment -- WU
Sorcery
Remove all creatures from the game.
Each player may play cards they own that have been removed from the game by Imprisonment.
I know people are going to be screaming that it is undercosted... but think about it. Wrath costs 4 mana, and this costs 2. Wrath gets rid of all the creatures permanently, yet this allows them to replay them, plus... this requires you play two colors in your deck. A two mana discount seems fair since the effect is only temporary.
First off, this post assumes you are trying to make this competitive. If this is a casual deck... all the same stuff applies, it is probably just not such an issue.
So basically... a U/G control type build. I see a couple problems straight off. You have... 11 creatures that can attack, only 7 of which have greater then 0 power, and only 8 of which can be the target of your 6 pump spells. Your biggest creature is a 4/5 (excepting massive Draining Whelks). True, your Quagnoths will be nice against discard and control, but are you planning on beating down with the three of them for the win? Or are you planning on winning with BoP + Moldervine Cloak? (Remember that Quagnoth cannot be the target of your spells either, not just your opponent's).
Against aggro, I simply don't think there is any real chance you can slow them down enough to count... pure counterspells never stopped any halfway decent aggro deck. Carven Caryatid and Wall of Roots are good, but I doubt they will be able to stop a full-fledged Boros or Gruul deck, and even if you can stall the ground, you have no way to remove critters from the board, meaning that they can just keep on building up an army until they overrun you -- I doubt that a pumped Bird or a Quagnoth will be enough to save you.
Against control... they fight counter to counter, and then wrath/damnation away your few critters until there is nothing left. As for combo... your main weapon is the extensive counter suite, but if a combo deck couldn't get around counterspells, people wouldn't play it.
Now... on to advice. The deck really does look like it has some potential, but needs to be a bit more balanced. Cut a few of the counters, 8 is still quite a few. Add in some more creatures, with an emphasis on hard-to-block guys, or fliers -- stuff that you can put cloak on and wreak havoc with. Definitely lose the Llanowar Reborns, since all they are ever going to do is pump up a bird or something a tiny, insignificant amount, and in return they will slow you down a turn.
Anyways... I'm sorry if I was a bit harsh, and perhaps a little bit rambling, I just kinda said what came into my head, I'm much too tired now to come up with a nice, eloquent way to say things. Anyways... good luck with it, give it a few tweaks, and it could do alright after all.
Back in middle school (yeah, yeah), I had a good friend who I would play magic with quite often. He had played magic a year or so before, but was just getting back into it (we had quite the thriving magic community there, 10-20 players usually).
Despite him just getting back into the game, he had some pretty good decks and was pretty matched with me (the current best player). Problem was... he wasn't too clear on some of the rules. Oh sure, he knew most of them, but every now and again... we would run into something he had just completely screwed up. To make things worse, he was always positive that he was correct and would argue quite loudly and vehemently to make is point.
Ok... there is the background on my friend, now here is the sweet story.
We were playing a game, me with a wierd U/B/R control deck and him with generic monoblack. He had seven swamps, and that was all. I had three islands, a mountain, and two swamps, a Zuran Orb, and a Krovikan Vampire. It is his turn.
"What? You can't do that. You can only sacrifice your own creatures"
"No way, that's stupid! Why would you sacrifice your own guys? You sacrifice your enemies, not your allies."
"We've run into this before... you still don't know all the rules that great, and on this one, you are wrong. You have to sacrifice one of your own creatures, the Centaur is dead."
"Dude, I don't want to play with you if your gonna cheat, especially if your just making up rules that don't make any sense!"
So, I think for a bit... then respond.
"Ok, fine. We will play by your rules. The vampire is dead. Is it my turn?"
"Yes."
"Ok... I sacrifice all your lands to my Zuran Orb, I gain 14 life. Mountain, Shivan Hellkite. Your turn."
"Uh.... um.... I guess that I was wrong about that rule, perhaps...."
Damn straight
As a friend of mine said later...
"Cost of a booster pack: $4, cost of a box of deck sleeves: $6, beating Cory at his own rules: priceless."
I play airsoft pretty regularly with a group of friends, but lately not a whole lot of people can come to the games. So... I'm wondering if any of you out there have any good ideas for game modes that would be good for 3-5 people playing out in fairly dense woods with a bit of man-made cover.
Just so you don't suggest them... things we already play: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Center Flag, Parasite (starts out like deathmatch, then when you get shot, you join the team of the person who shot you).
Casual players can use basic lands. If the dualies were common, they'd be too powerful in draft
So... suddenly since someone doesn't play competitively, they don't give a **** about the quality of their deck and should all just use the cheapest, worst options avaliable?
And concerning the percived monopoly on the mp3 market, not true at all. They just market the most. There are any number of other good players if you look.
Actually... they are fairly dominant. I think the most recent stat I have seen said 60-something percent of the market share.
Quote from Zyrakris »
I hate iPod, iTunes, and the iPod craze with a passion anyway. I filter it in with all the other popular stuff I hate, like Pop hybrid music (Pop/Rock, Pop/Punk, etc.) and MySpace.
I have had several mp3 players before my current one, a 30 gb iPod video, and I can honestly say that I like the iPod the best. First off... everything works perfectly, which is more then I can say for some mp3 players I've had. It's kinda hard to describe, but it just has so many tiny, little touches that add up to a big deal.
However, after disagreeing with you on the first point, I'd like to agree with you on the second... which is the pop hybrids. Really, really irritating. Especially pop-punk. I listen to punk, stuff which a lot of the people reading this probably haven't ever heard (not an insult) and it really irritates me when you get the guys (and girls) who are all proud because they are so "punk" listening to Fall Out Boy and Taking Back Sunday. It's also pretty annoying when someone thinks that when I say I like punk music... I like those sorts of bands.
As for the people getting stabbed and mugged in plain sight... a good technique is rather then simply saying "Help" or something, in which case everyone assumes that someone else is going to help, single out a individual person (preferably someone who looks like they can do something), make direct eye contact, and say something along the lines of, "I need YOUR help!"
It sounds like you are in the exact same position I am.
I've tried taking a break and coming back, I haven't played since before Future Sight came out. It didn't really do anything though. Probably because I really am not a fan of Lorywn. Building tribal decks has always seemed to me like building a pre-built deck. All the correct choices are laid out for you and everyone else's deck of the same tribe will essentially be the same as yours. Maybe if I had come back in the middle of an awesome set or something...
Then I spend hours and lots of money getting a new deck only to have the same experience.
It might be partly through the fact that I play on MTGO because there are about 2 other people in my area that actually play mtg other then me. And... they are really bad and refuse to take any advice whatsoever.
i.e. Playing Jareth, Phage, and about 7 other creatures above 7 mana in a W/B weenie deck with 18 land, 75 cards, and no removal.
Anyways... how do I make magic fun again?
Creature - Wizard
When Brainwasher is turned face-up, you may gain control of target spell or permanent.
Morph - 5UU
2/2
(Remember, since you can turn a creature face-up at any time you wish, it can get around the split-second.)
Armored Bear has an easier mana cost, and due to the increased point of toughness, is quite a bit harder to kill. The increase from 4 to 5 may not seem like a lot, but if you consider how many 4/x creatures there are, as opposed to 5/x creatures, there is a good difference. It's the difference between being able to be stopped by a mid-range creature and needing a definite fatty to stop it.
That's also not even considering the number of spells that do at least 4 damage compared to 5. Think Sulfurous Blast, Wildfire, etc. Shroud is really quite a boost to have on a creature, since you really need a mass-damage spell or a creature large enough to stop it. It also means that every last point of toughness is quite important.
Personally, I would advise changing the mana cost to 3WGG. It would still get played (might still be too powerful), but adding the extra colored mana would go a long way in moderating its power.
Good card overall though -- simple, yet powerful. I like the flavor text too.
Thought Pruning -- WB
Enchantment
If, at the beginning of your turn, all players have zero cards in hand, flip Thought Pruning.
--------------------
Delve into Memories
Instant
When Thought Pruning is flipped, put Delve into Memories on the stack.
Until end of turn, you may play cards in your graveyard without paying their mana cost. Until end of turn, whenever a card would be put into your graveyard from anywhere, remove that card from the game instead.
Terra Sink is an incredibly cool idea, but again... crazy broken. Get a monoblue control deck going and they can tap out as much as they want during their turn and still counter anything you can throw at them. I would make so it has a real mana cost as well. To make things interesting... make it a blue mana cost. =)
As someone else mentioned, Prism Mage has been done before, but the Prism counterspell is a neat idea.
And then there is the equipment. Breaking the trend set by the first two cards... this one is pretty darn bad. 3 to play and 3 to equip... and it prevents one damage? Basically the same thing as giving the creature +0/+1, and would you pay 6 mana to do that?
As an aside, I really liked the "classroom" presentation, it was very neat and well-done.
But as it is, it is probably even better then the original W/U dual. It would be a dual land with no drawback that could also increase your storm count.
Now, I'm not sure, but it could be pretty interesting to test it like this.
City of the Clouds - 0
Sorcery Land
T: Add W or U to your mana pool.
Basically, it would be a counterable land.
I like it though. The first thing I thought of was that it would be broken in storm decks... but the mana cost is a bit prohibitive, and probably lessens the abusability.
Overall, it would probably be a somewhat weak Johnney card that could see some use with Locket of Yesterdays, Cloud Key, and the like. However, it is a bit too expensive to see play out of casual. Well costed though, since if it cost less, it could get kinda broken.
Nice flavor too.
Risky Bribe - U
Instant
As an additional cost to play Risky Bribe, pay the mana cost of target creature or lose life equal to that creatures power plus its toughness.
You control target creature.
Imprisonment -- WU
Sorcery
Remove all creatures from the game.
Each player may play cards they own that have been removed from the game by Imprisonment.
I know people are going to be screaming that it is undercosted... but think about it. Wrath costs 4 mana, and this costs 2. Wrath gets rid of all the creatures permanently, yet this allows them to replay them, plus... this requires you play two colors in your deck. A two mana discount seems fair since the effect is only temporary.
So basically... a U/G control type build. I see a couple problems straight off. You have... 11 creatures that can attack, only 7 of which have greater then 0 power, and only 8 of which can be the target of your 6 pump spells. Your biggest creature is a 4/5 (excepting massive Draining Whelks). True, your Quagnoths will be nice against discard and control, but are you planning on beating down with the three of them for the win? Or are you planning on winning with BoP + Moldervine Cloak? (Remember that Quagnoth cannot be the target of your spells either, not just your opponent's).
Against aggro, I simply don't think there is any real chance you can slow them down enough to count... pure counterspells never stopped any halfway decent aggro deck. Carven Caryatid and Wall of Roots are good, but I doubt they will be able to stop a full-fledged Boros or Gruul deck, and even if you can stall the ground, you have no way to remove critters from the board, meaning that they can just keep on building up an army until they overrun you -- I doubt that a pumped Bird or a Quagnoth will be enough to save you.
Against control... they fight counter to counter, and then wrath/damnation away your few critters until there is nothing left. As for combo... your main weapon is the extensive counter suite, but if a combo deck couldn't get around counterspells, people wouldn't play it.
Now... on to advice. The deck really does look like it has some potential, but needs to be a bit more balanced. Cut a few of the counters, 8 is still quite a few. Add in some more creatures, with an emphasis on hard-to-block guys, or fliers -- stuff that you can put cloak on and wreak havoc with. Definitely lose the Llanowar Reborns, since all they are ever going to do is pump up a bird or something a tiny, insignificant amount, and in return they will slow you down a turn.
Anyways... I'm sorry if I was a bit harsh, and perhaps a little bit rambling, I just kinda said what came into my head, I'm much too tired now to come up with a nice, eloquent way to say things. Anyways... good luck with it, give it a few tweaks, and it could do alright after all.
Back in middle school (yeah, yeah), I had a good friend who I would play magic with quite often. He had played magic a year or so before, but was just getting back into it (we had quite the thriving magic community there, 10-20 players usually).
Despite him just getting back into the game, he had some pretty good decks and was pretty matched with me (the current best player). Problem was... he wasn't too clear on some of the rules. Oh sure, he knew most of them, but every now and again... we would run into something he had just completely screwed up. To make things worse, he was always positive that he was correct and would argue quite loudly and vehemently to make is point.
Ok... there is the background on my friend, now here is the sweet story.
We were playing a game, me with a wierd U/B/R control deck and him with generic monoblack. He had seven swamps, and that was all. I had three islands, a mountain, and two swamps, a Zuran Orb, and a Krovikan Vampire. It is his turn.
He plays an Accursed Centaur.
"I sacrifice your Vampire"
"What? You can't do that. You can only sacrifice your own creatures"
"No way, that's stupid! Why would you sacrifice your own guys? You sacrifice your enemies, not your allies."
"We've run into this before... you still don't know all the rules that great, and on this one, you are wrong. You have to sacrifice one of your own creatures, the Centaur is dead."
"Dude, I don't want to play with you if your gonna cheat, especially if your just making up rules that don't make any sense!"
So, I think for a bit... then respond.
"Ok, fine. We will play by your rules. The vampire is dead. Is it my turn?"
"Yes."
"Ok... I sacrifice all your lands to my Zuran Orb, I gain 14 life. Mountain, Shivan Hellkite. Your turn."
"Uh.... um.... I guess that I was wrong about that rule, perhaps...."
Damn straight
As a friend of mine said later...
"Cost of a booster pack: $4, cost of a box of deck sleeves: $6, beating Cory at his own rules: priceless."
I play airsoft pretty regularly with a group of friends, but lately not a whole lot of people can come to the games. So... I'm wondering if any of you out there have any good ideas for game modes that would be good for 3-5 people playing out in fairly dense woods with a bit of man-made cover.
Just so you don't suggest them... things we already play: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Center Flag, Parasite (starts out like deathmatch, then when you get shot, you join the team of the person who shot you).
Thanks in advance!
So... suddenly since someone doesn't play competitively, they don't give a **** about the quality of their deck and should all just use the cheapest, worst options avaliable?
Sorry, that just really struck a nerve.
Actually... they are fairly dominant. I think the most recent stat I have seen said 60-something percent of the market share.
I have had several mp3 players before my current one, a 30 gb iPod video, and I can honestly say that I like the iPod the best. First off... everything works perfectly, which is more then I can say for some mp3 players I've had. It's kinda hard to describe, but it just has so many tiny, little touches that add up to a big deal.
However, after disagreeing with you on the first point, I'd like to agree with you on the second... which is the pop hybrids. Really, really irritating. Especially pop-punk. I listen to punk, stuff which a lot of the people reading this probably haven't ever heard (not an insult) and it really irritates me when you get the guys (and girls) who are all proud because they are so "punk" listening to Fall Out Boy and Taking Back Sunday. It's also pretty annoying when someone thinks that when I say I like punk music... I like those sorts of bands.
As for the people getting stabbed and mugged in plain sight... a good technique is rather then simply saying "Help" or something, in which case everyone assumes that someone else is going to help, single out a individual person (preferably someone who looks like they can do something), make direct eye contact, and say something along the lines of, "I need YOUR help!"