In theory, tri-lands look better. In practice, I have found the panoramas to work better. Once you have played the set let me know how you feel about it.
I have played both. I have found panoramas to be better in my draft decks than the tri-lands.
I wouldn't play a panorama turn one unless I knew I was up against a slow deck or had a tri-color spell to play turn 3. I would save it for when I needed the color fixing. If I never need the color fixing it comes into play untapped and I don't "miss" a land drop. Which would you rather top-deck on turn 6 when you want to play your fatty.
I would gladly play up to 4 panoramas in my draft deck. I wouldn't say the same for tri-lands.
I started playing it last weekend when I switched the deck up to Nameless and swap. I must say I never used it to search up a land. It was awsome to top deck late and get either the Doran or removal I needed to finish the game. I still played 4 birds but augmented them with 3 Harbingers.
I am tempted to go down to 22 land since I lost 2 matches to flood on Saturday.
I decided to go with 4 Crib Swaps bacause Colossus is all over my meta. I would play Colossus as well but I don't want to sacrifice my first and second born to get them. I'd also play more Needles and Pates but my others were stolen.
Alittle match history from Saturday:
Round one: Hakkon B/G
Game one everything went as planned for me, turn 2 Doran followed by 3 Goyfs over time. I got a little lucky in that he didn't get a second green source until turn 6.
Game 2 I flooded and died horribly.
Game 3 I flooded again but kept a land lite hand, I then proceeded to play a Crib swap too early to try and remove Hakkon. He Namelessed his own Hakkon and next turn top decked a Colossus and won 2 turns later.
Round 2: Mono B Korlash
Game one kept a hand that gave me turn 2 Doran which was deathmarked (yes he had them main), turn 3 Stupor or Goyf (I played Stupor before the goyf) and proceeded to draw 12 land in a row.
Game 2 I kept a 3 lander. Turn 2 Stupor folowed by turn 3 Stupor into turn 4 Viper and Goyf. He scooped to turn 5 Doran.
Game 3 I kept a 4 lander with Birds, Doran and Stupor. He turn 1 Thoughtsiezes and takes the Doran. I draw a warhammer play birds and pass. He deathmarks my bird and Thoughtsiezes again taking the stupor. I proceed to draw land until he kills me with Korlash.
At this point I was ready to drop from the tourney, but decided to stay in. I didin't lose another game that night.
I played a wierd Treefolk deck in round 3. Elementals in round 4 and Rouges in round 5.
Overall, I like the deck and feel it has game against the field. I used to have mana elves inplace of the Harbingers. I like the versatility of the Harbingers better especially mid to late game.
I was responding to Silo9's comment about no packmasters in Cato's deck.
No, if you untap with it you may win (even that isn't a garantee). That is a big if against any deck running Black or White. Not to mention, if the packmaster dies, your wolves lose deathtouch. So you are stuck with 1-2 2/2 tokens.
This is all assuming you can even get it into play in the first place. I wouldn't take an inconsistant card like that to a major tournament.
If you can't tell, I was burned by the card in a tournament this past weekend (not states). Most times I drew it I was so far ahead it made no difference. Other times I drew it at the wrong moment. I went 3-1-1 in the tournament, lost in the first round of top 8 because my deck decided not to show up. You can't win a game when the only spells you draw are the four in your opening hand. The only game loses (2) I had in the swiss were the times I had a packmaster stranded in my hand.
No packmasters is the right call. Even playing 26-30 elves there are still times the packmaster will get stuck in your hand. You don't want that to happen in a big tournament, let alone an FNM. Packmaster is the absolute worst card you can draw post wrath.
There are just too many ifs with the card, you can only play it if you have another elf/changling in play. If you untap with it you may win. Those two alone are enough to keep it out of a tournament deck.
Cato's deck is a masterpiece and should be stickied as a deck to beat.
Unfortunately I'm stuck on location until late tonight. I'll be in town over the weekend and through next Sat. Sept. 1st. I'm willing to drive quite a distance to play in a tournement, though. I'm from Detroit so I'm used to driving long ways to get somewhere.
People, if you read the autocard, there is already a ruling from 2001 stating it only triggers once from a multi-colored spell.
On topic, I can't wait to start playing this card. I missed it the first time around, and I usually only play standard and limited so this should be great.
If a pro athlete is warned to clean up their play by the commissioner of whatever league they play in, wouldn't they get suspended if they didn't comply?
Mori repeatedly recieved warnings, then warned personally by the judge manager that this would happen if he didn't clean up his play. He forced the DCI's hand when he made this last play error.
I still fail to see how this is an "unsolvable green fatty" in the magic context of unsolvable creatures (i.e. Akroma, Simic Skyswallower, Darksteel Colossus and Giant Solifuge).
Doesn't make sence after the thread title was changed.
Another Future Sight card, illustrated by Hideaki Takamura, is also tied to Venser. You'll have to see how at the prerelease. Keep an eye on magicthegathering.com to see Venser's story develop.
It says the card is tied to Venser not is Venser. That art doesn't look like it would go on a creature card anyway.
As for abilities, I'm guessing either:
Creatures you control gain vigilance and are unblockable
-or-
Creatures you control get +1/+1 and are unblockable
I can't think of a different blue ability for creatures. Unless it is Exalted and creatures you control gain Vigilance.
I wouldn't play a panorama turn one unless I knew I was up against a slow deck or had a tri-color spell to play turn 3. I would save it for when I needed the color fixing. If I never need the color fixing it comes into play untapped and I don't "miss" a land drop. Which would you rather top-deck on turn 6 when you want to play your fatty.
I would gladly play up to 4 panoramas in my draft deck. I wouldn't say the same for tri-lands.
Panoramas : 3rd-5th
Tri-lands : 5th-8th
Obelisks : 9th+
The panoramas also offer the shuffle effect as well as searching for the land. Not to mention deck thinning.
Product:
- 1 Tournament Pack of Shards of Alara
- 3 Booster Packs of Shards of Alara
- 1 Special Commemorative Shards of Alara foil promo card (while supplies last)
Looks like it this is a local issue.I started playing it last weekend when I switched the deck up to Nameless and swap. I must say I never used it to search up a land. It was awsome to top deck late and get either the Doran or removal I needed to finish the game. I still played 4 birds but augmented them with 3 Harbingers.
My list:
4 Doran, the Siege Tower
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Ohran Viper
3 Treefolk Harbinger
4 Tarmogoyf
Instants
4 Crib Swap
3 Nameless Inversion
Sorceries
4 Stupor
2 Profane Command
Plainswalkers
3 Garuk, Wildspeaker
2 Loxodon Warhammer
Lands
3 Murmuring Bosk
3 Llanowar Wastes
1 Caves of Kiolos
1 Brushland
4 Guilt-Leaf Palace
2 Gemstone Mine
1 Forest
4 treetop Village
1 Pendelhaven
2 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
2 Extirpate
2 Pithing Needle
3 Riftsweeper
3 Seal of Primordium
2 Cloudthresher
2 Tormod's Crypt
I am tempted to go down to 22 land since I lost 2 matches to flood on Saturday.
I decided to go with 4 Crib Swaps bacause Colossus is all over my meta. I would play Colossus as well but I don't want to sacrifice my first and second born to get them. I'd also play more Needles and Pates but my others were stolen.
Alittle match history from Saturday:
Round one: Hakkon B/G
Game one everything went as planned for me, turn 2 Doran followed by 3 Goyfs over time. I got a little lucky in that he didn't get a second green source until turn 6.
Game 2 I flooded and died horribly.
Game 3 I flooded again but kept a land lite hand, I then proceeded to play a Crib swap too early to try and remove Hakkon. He Namelessed his own Hakkon and next turn top decked a Colossus and won 2 turns later.
Round 2: Mono B Korlash
Game one kept a hand that gave me turn 2 Doran which was deathmarked (yes he had them main), turn 3 Stupor or Goyf (I played Stupor before the goyf) and proceeded to draw 12 land in a row.
Game 2 I kept a 3 lander. Turn 2 Stupor folowed by turn 3 Stupor into turn 4 Viper and Goyf. He scooped to turn 5 Doran.
Game 3 I kept a 4 lander with Birds, Doran and Stupor. He turn 1 Thoughtsiezes and takes the Doran. I draw a warhammer play birds and pass. He deathmarks my bird and Thoughtsiezes again taking the stupor. I proceed to draw land until he kills me with Korlash.
At this point I was ready to drop from the tourney, but decided to stay in. I didin't lose another game that night.
I played a wierd Treefolk deck in round 3. Elementals in round 4 and Rouges in round 5.
Overall, I like the deck and feel it has game against the field. I used to have mana elves inplace of the Harbingers. I like the versatility of the Harbingers better especially mid to late game.
Why no Thoughtsieze?
No, if you untap with it you may win (even that isn't a garantee). That is a big if against any deck running Black or White. Not to mention, if the packmaster dies, your wolves lose deathtouch. So you are stuck with 1-2 2/2 tokens.
This is all assuming you can even get it into play in the first place. I wouldn't take an inconsistant card like that to a major tournament.
If you can't tell, I was burned by the card in a tournament this past weekend (not states). Most times I drew it I was so far ahead it made no difference. Other times I drew it at the wrong moment. I went 3-1-1 in the tournament, lost in the first round of top 8 because my deck decided not to show up. You can't win a game when the only spells you draw are the four in your opening hand. The only game loses (2) I had in the swiss were the times I had a packmaster stranded in my hand.
There are just too many ifs with the card, you can only play it if you have another elf/changling in play. If you untap with it you may win. Those two alone are enough to keep it out of a tournament deck.
Cato's deck is a masterpiece and should be stickied as a deck to beat.
Unfortunately I'm stuck on location until late tonight. I'll be in town over the weekend and through next Sat. Sept. 1st. I'm willing to drive quite a distance to play in a tournement, though. I'm from Detroit so I'm used to driving long ways to get somewhere.
i'm in town on business and will have the weekend off and am looking for any local standard tournaments, even small store tournemants are fine.
On topic, I can't wait to start playing this card. I missed it the first time around, and I usually only play standard and limited so this should be great.
edit: Man, I must type slow
Mori repeatedly recieved warnings, then warned personally by the judge manager that this would happen if he didn't clean up his play. He forced the DCI's hand when he made this last play error.
I still fail to see how this is an "unsolvable green fatty" in the magic context of unsolvable creatures (i.e. Akroma, Simic Skyswallower, Darksteel Colossus and Giant Solifuge).Doesn't make sence after the thread title was changed.
This is a Johnny card if I ever saw one.
Another Future Sight card, illustrated by Hideaki Takamura, is also tied to Venser. You'll have to see how at the prerelease. Keep an eye on magicthegathering.com to see Venser's story develop.
It says the card is tied to Venser not is Venser. That art doesn't look like it would go on a creature card anyway.