MTG Salvation

Quote from Sheldon »

We're happy to take reasonable suggestions.

Can't say I've seen anything of the sort. *Shrug*

Your taking into account neither the fact that early mana is worth far more than late mana nor that early mana snowballs into more mana later (especially when you get to use that mana every turn for those early turns).
In a pure numbers stance, sure 2 is less than X. In actually impacting the game a turn 1 +2 can certainly do as much or more to win you a game than a later game +x.

Because she costs 6 mana which makes her hard to play super early (outside of help from cards like Sol Ring/Mana Crypt/Mana Vault/ect...).
A Narset on turn 4/5 isn't nearly as bad as one on turn 3. At least you have a chance to have an answer in time.
At least that's why I have much more issue with Sol Ring/Mana Crypt than I do Narset.

Also not budget related in my view on them...

I would rank them behind Fetches, ABU, and Shocks but above Filter, Check, or Painlands. The main thing is that these can be fetched. Even if the have to enter the battlefield tapped that's often something you can work around (like if you're searching and don't need the mana right away, just search these up tapped and leave your ABU/shocks in the deck) and if not it's still a dual for your fetches. Filter and Pain lands cannot be searched up (outside of general land searchers like Expedition Map) and as such loose alot of relative value to me (not to mention their other drawbacks).

IMO 2 color decks want these badly and will always run their version (again, just behind Fetches, ABUs and Shocks). 3 color decks can probably run them over some of their unsearchable alternatives (Pains and Filters) but they aren't a must.

The problem with the "Show them how bad these cards are by building your own deck using them to rub it in their face" argument is that it's a pointless one. The banlist isn't balanced around how powerful cards are, just the RC personal tastes. There are cards not banned worse than the cards that are but it's okay because the RC says it is. Sadly you might only show them how right they are (at least in their eyes). And even if you don't, if you get into an arms race using powerful cards, it isn't going to ever stop nor would getting them to agree to use the RC's banlist rein things in. They'll just use the unbanned broken cards.

Simply put just talk to them and find out what the group as a whole wants to do. If the group wants to use the banlist and only a few disagree, point out to them how it's the majority's position and ask them to consider it. If the majority wants to use the banned cards than by all means do. You might find it works better or maybe after enough games where no one has fun they'll change their minds. If you still can't agree perhaps a compromise (say every other game uses the banlist or low powered deck match or something). The point is to talk it out and be flexible, just like it is in every adult conversation.

Drana all on her own still grows. She must be answered before she hits even once or she is harder to remove than Matis is and it's a faster clock (7 turns for mantis vs 6 turns for Drana, even taking into account haste).
That said Haste and Vigilance (and not legendary) add alot of utility to Mantis while Drana has alot of synergy with other creatures. If I had to pick just one for overall power purposes I'd go Drana personally.

Quote from Slivortal »

Step X describes every deck's gameplan; play things that cause you to win unless something would make you lose.

You've summed up every Magic deck with that set of statements.

Tron is a deck with a very defined game plan and has very little variation in said game plan. That's not a bad thing. That's a commentary on how focused and refined the deck is to this goal.
GR Tron specifically has this game plan even further focused compared to Ux Tron decks and as such has fewer lines that diverge from it's main path.
GR Tron has fewer plans for disrupting the opponent compared to U Trons and instead simply goes over the top of whatever they are doing with it's more powerful cards much of the time.
Where say a UW Tron deck (or a Splinter Twin deck or whatever) can fall back on its other cards and play a largely reactionary based game, GR Tron does not easily leave its path nor go far when it does.

I've played Tron quite a bit (both G and U based) and I can certainly say that in my experience GR Tron is much less interactive than many decks, almost combo deck like in its focus on its own goals.
Again, that's not a bad thing, just my observation. Seeing as the poster wanted to know what GR Tron is like, I gave them my view on it.

Quote from Slivortal »

Maybe if you're playing favorable MUs all day. Tap out for a huge colorless threat vs. Twin and you'll just die.

That's where step x comes in.

Doesn't seem overly powerful. The fact that they even get to choose which card to discard makes this pretty tame all things considered.
Defiantly weaker than Thoughtseize, probably not strong enough to beat out Duress or Cabal Therapy in older formats too. So maybe standard playable in the right environment but could easily see no play at all.

Quote from SplashBros »

This may be an odd question, but as someone who is potentially gonna build RG Tron, how fun/how many lines of play are there? or is it simple as hope to land something turn 3 etc etc?;o

Well GR Tron is certainly a deck that has a very clear and set path it wants to follow each game.
As such if it deviates from that path it's only because the opponent made it. So no it's not a deck with a ton of variation between games (if the Tron deck can help it).
What variation you will find is going to come from Sideboards (both yours and your opponents).

As for if it's fun... Well that certainly depends on the player to decide. Do you consider the following fun?
1) Find Tron
2) Find colorless bomb
3) Play colorless bomb
4) Repeat 1-3 till opponent is dead
x) if 1-3 would not be possible, or you would die first, evaluate why and take what counter measures you can, then return to 1-3

If yes then it is, if no then it's not.

Yep I was looking at this card when it was just spoiled as a 2/3 with it's counter pumping ability.
Now that it's a Flyer and has First Strike (pumping the team before they hit even) she seems like an easy call for one of the better cards from this set.

Man, when I last saw this card in the spoilers it just had the pump effect and the p/t. Now that it also has Flying and First Strike? Wow. This is a great card.

I've been looking into Recross the Paths Belcher myself as an easy extra deck to add to my current PSI deck (most of the pricey cards carry over).
Being able to really actively make use of your Sideboard beyond random having Burning Wish and the mana to use it is a pretty interesting and desirable feature of RtP to me.

Anyhow my question would be what do people think of Act on Impulse in place of Meditate. My main issue with Meditate is that it's a bit tough to cast Pre-Recross and it's got a clear downside should you cast it and not win that turn. Impulse lets you still get LED, LED, Cantrip * X -> BW -> Trendrils piles which means you can easily win off Impulse just fine. Impulse has the benefit of being much easier to cast and removing cards from the game is generally better than having them in hand with this deck so you can crack LEDs without losing your cards (not that this is a big advantage). Meditate does give you that extra card which is a big deal but...

Reins of Power and Domineering Will are both very powerful cards in normal usage but both can be used to help or hinder one or more opponents at once.