The thing that I like with Ugin in addition to O-Stone is that even though it isn't that great in some matchups, it ends up being decent purely because it gives us another way to win. I used to play this deck about a year or so ago but one of the problems I had with the deck was that it was very easy to run out of gas before finding a win condition. Ugin shores that up nicely while letting you demolish in certain matchups. On the surface, he seems like everything this deck wants in a MD win condition. He's the single biggest reason I'm picking this deck up again (plus the bans didn't hurt either )
Not sure how WotW works with it, but that's a pretty awesome find.
With Clash of Realities, Will-o'-the-Wisp is a cheap Spirit that bolts another creature for little cost. Plus it absorbs incoming bolts pretty well, making it a creature they often don't want to target. Side note, another gem that works well with Clash of Realities is Gratuitous Violence. Every Spirit dealing 6 to a creature on ETB seems good.
I'm going to be trying out this gem in my Olivia Spirits/ping type deck. Basically, I'm aiming to cause chaos with it while breaking parity by landing spirits that are either resilient or my opponents don't want to kill such as:
Prismatic Omen is definitely better, but I'll probably be trying it out as a 1-of in my experimental Scapeshift/Gifts Ungiven list. Being able to search up Snapcaster/Noxious Revival/Prismatic Omen/Realmwright is definitely a decent Gifts stack. Even though the deck doesn't need it, sometimes you need to go off w/ 6 lands via Omen or Realmwright. It's nice too because you rarely ever want multiples of Omen/Realmwright, which makes Gifts a viable tutor for the package.
EDIT: Another benefit too is that Realmwright is tutorable via Chord of Calling, which could breed a new type of Scapeshift list focused on creature-based land search like Coiling Oracle, Wood Elves and such. The advantage of this is obviously having more chump blockers when necessary (along with providing another wincon in the form of Kessig Wolf Run).
You lose no tempo by using the mana to equip things, which at that point, you can make the argument that it really doesn't matter that much if they take out your Emissary.
Eh, my LGS refused to do this event. Said if I wanted to do pack wars, I can go buy some booster packs. <_<
Sounds like you need to find a new LGS, if you can. What a junky thing to do to it's customers for little to no gain. Next time they say that, just mention that you'll plan on doing so, just by buying them from a competitor, online or local.
Seems like a pretty sweet opportunity to just play some Magic, for free. Just another thing WotC is doing right.
Part of the problem with this deck is that you don't have very effective ways of protecting Champion of Lambholt. You have blink effects, but this resets her. What about Deranged Outcast for the 2 drop? He'd provide some protection from burn, give you a quick boost if you needed to alpha strike, and his threat of activation can make combat terrible for your opponent, if they can block.
Also, why not Silverblade Paladin? Seems like the type of guy you want to get through consistently. Plus he's champ with Deranged Outcast since Outcast can help reset a bad soulbond, while pumping double strikers (something that Mirran Crusader doesn't work well with).
I'm still a bit skeptical either way, due to the mixed information in the reports given, even down to people in the Tutor poll thread switching their positions from saying their stores have received them and then saying otherwise further down the thread all the while trying to feebly harass those who are annoyed over this. If it is a falsehood or there is some other explanation, I hope WotC does give an answer soon.
About those foil tokens in the EBay picture... I've got a fairly high quality camera, yet no matter the angle, I can't get the same shimmer, especially with the foiling changes that seem to have been made in AVR. I'm wondering if those were somehow created otherwise.
If anyone else still doubts, I can definitely grab my camera and take about a hundred pictures of the cards from different angles. Hell I'll even take video of me holding them. They are in fact real. No joke. No troll.
I'm still not really believing the promo foil cards other than the tokens/Commander ones.
As that stands, it does seem like the whole kind of incentive of a booster pack, which is, you know, alright and all. When you know that's what the result is actually going to be. However, we had no forehand knowledge of what was going to be in there due to the no discussion clause. I'm not sure this is the actual marketing angle they were going for, but it does seem to be a little underhanded and inconsiderate of the playerbase on the whole, where the Sealed events are done specifically to make things an even playing field for all matters save applied experience and expert-level luck. I guess I'm not entirely disappointed, but it does leave an aftertaste I can't help but find a tad bitter.
Let me get this straight. You are disappointed because you didn't know what was in the Helvault ahead of time, which would've defeat the entire purpose of the Helvault and getting achievements to unlock it? Admit it, you're disappointed your Helvault didnt have more free stuff than the free stuff you already got, which was more than the amount of free stuff you normally get at a prerelease. Talk about greedy.
Should I complain because I didn't get more than a 2 dollar rare in any of my packs all weekend? Maybe they should tell me what's in my packs before I buy them. That seems fair and really smart too.
By the way, anyone who paid the same price for the Helvault prerelease as a regular prerelease and claims that the Helvault items weren't 'free', don't understand what free is in the context of retail and marketing.
Opened a premium helvault at the LGS today with judge decree of justice as the special cards. These things exist, no doubt about it. I'm not sure if one exists with demonic tutors as the promos or not, as this set is based around angels and exalted angel and decree of justice are both angelic in nature. The helvault also had foil tokens and foil oversized cards as well as normal dice. I'm just sad because I couldn't participate in the helvault today, but I could in the other helvault yesterday that of course had all the normal stuff in there.
Not sure if it was the same place or not, but yeah I was at my prerelease today in the Minneapolis area and lo and behold, foil tokens, foil oversize promos and a promo Decree of Justice for everyone.
Felt extremely lucky to get these; in fact, just felt lucky to get more free stuff in general (as I went to the one on Saturday as well, to which we received normal everything). So if there are still any non-believers... believe!
I opened 16 packs all weekend and the best rare I got was probably the GU land or Killing Wave. Craterpoop Behemoth and Malignus were the mythics I pulled *Yawn*. Oh well, it's all variance anyways; sometimes you pull money cards, sometimes you don't.
At any rate, the coolest part between the 2 Helvault prereleases I went to was that the second one had foil tokens, foil large promos, and promo Decree of Justices for everyone!
Dread Slaver
The top end of any zombie deck that already plays a bunch of removal. Sure it probably won't live for long, but attack/block, then steal their Titan late game with Tragic Slip is what keeps this deck alive late game. The fact that it turns guys into Zombies is relevant for bringing back late game Gravecrawlers.
Lunar Mystic
'Instant' and 'draw a card' are two phrases I love seeing. I love seeing both on the same card even more, especially when you have a card like Snapcaster Mage in Standard. Maybe fit into a RU Burning Vengeance deck with all the flashback draw spells?
Captain of the Mists
Even though his tap ability costs some mana, the fact that you can flash in Snapcaster to untap and block or double block is definitely a thing. Plus, it's abusable with tons of cheap humans, with flicker shenanigans, and with plenty of other humans like Thraben Doomsayer. 1U: Make a 1/1 Human token isn't too bad. Oh and yes, it's another card that combos with Splinter Twin (not Kiki-Jiki though).
Zealous Conscripts
He deals with a lot of top end cards that red often has troubles with (huge titans or PW's out of control). He has an "enters battlefield" effect that is abusable with other cards like Pod and all the flicker effects. He also clears out blockers for your team; what doesn't this guy do?
Descent into Madness
When we have tons of token makers, this card builds its own deck. Especially since you're in black, you have access to one of the easiest ways to stop opposing tokens in Curse of Death's Hold.
Champion of Lambholt
GWb Tokens or Humans becomes a deck because of this card. I mean how hard is it to just drop this, play a couple tokens and swing for unblockable every turn after. I almost want to try this card with Mentor of the Meek for sick value.
I like the idea behind Brain Freeze in that Food Chain deck but I was curious if you realized that Food Chain mana can only be used on creatures. It seems you'd need 6 mana the turn you'd want to go off with BF. I agree with Chrome Mox not being optimal, although it does allow for t2 SnT.
I kinda mulled over Noble Hierarch vs. Chrome Mox. The Mox seems like a sweet way to protect half of your combo; exile the Griffin, then play it when you don't need the accel anymore. But Hierarch is a creature which accels you greatly when you get Food Chain down. I also thought about Draining Whelk for mid combo protection too, but not sure.
It should work because semblance anvil says card types that share a type as the exiled card cost 2 less. It doesn't say anything about the card having to be imprinted still just that it share a type as the card you chose to exile.
I believe it would work. Fun little idea you have there.
It doesn't work. Think about it; where does the card go once you cast it from exile? To the battlefield. That link is no longer there between the "exiled card" and Semblance Anvil. And once you cast it and try to exile it again by some other means, the game doesn't remember that the Misthollow Griffin was exiled; it thinks it's a new card now and isn't imprinted to the Anvil anymore.
On a side note, this card is fun. Way fun. Sure it's infinite mana for creatures with Food Chain, which is awesome. I also want to make a deck that does nothing by exile things through Force of Will and Misdirection. If only there was a reliable way to get it back to your hand after you cast it...
Eon Hub seems like a match made in heaven for Karona, since it gets rid of the ability for other opponents to gain control of it. Plus it messes with the game state.
With Clash of Realities, Will-o'-the-Wisp is a cheap Spirit that bolts another creature for little cost. Plus it absorbs incoming bolts pretty well, making it a creature they often don't want to target. Side note, another gem that works well with Clash of Realities is Gratuitous Violence. Every Spirit dealing 6 to a creature on ETB seems good.
I'm going to be trying out this gem in my Olivia Spirits/ping type deck. Basically, I'm aiming to cause chaos with it while breaking parity by landing spirits that are either resilient or my opponents don't want to kill such as:
Mix with cards like Grave Pact, Vicious Shadows and Mimic Vat and well, you can see where I'm going with this.
EDIT: Another benefit too is that Realmwright is tutorable via Chord of Calling, which could breed a new type of Scapeshift list focused on creature-based land search like Coiling Oracle, Wood Elves and such. The advantage of this is obviously having more chump blockers when necessary (along with providing another wincon in the form of Kessig Wolf Run).
T1: Land, Silver-Inlaid Dagger
T2: Land, Emissary, Equip Dagger
T3: Land, Silverblade Paladin, swing for 10.
You lose no tempo by using the mana to equip things, which at that point, you can make the argument that it really doesn't matter that much if they take out your Emissary.
Sounds like you need to find a new LGS, if you can. What a junky thing to do to it's customers for little to no gain. Next time they say that, just mention that you'll plan on doing so, just by buying them from a competitor, online or local.
Seems like a pretty sweet opportunity to just play some Magic, for free. Just another thing WotC is doing right.
Also, why not Silverblade Paladin? Seems like the type of guy you want to get through consistently. Plus he's champ with Deranged Outcast since Outcast can help reset a bad soulbond, while pumping double strikers (something that Mirran Crusader doesn't work well with).
If anyone else still doubts, I can definitely grab my camera and take about a hundred pictures of the cards from different angles. Hell I'll even take video of me holding them. They are in fact real. No joke. No troll.
Let me get this straight. You are disappointed because you didn't know what was in the Helvault ahead of time, which would've defeat the entire purpose of the Helvault and getting achievements to unlock it? Admit it, you're disappointed your Helvault didnt have more free stuff than the free stuff you already got, which was more than the amount of free stuff you normally get at a prerelease. Talk about greedy.
Should I complain because I didn't get more than a 2 dollar rare in any of my packs all weekend? Maybe they should tell me what's in my packs before I buy them. That seems fair and really smart too.
By the way, anyone who paid the same price for the Helvault prerelease as a regular prerelease and claims that the Helvault items weren't 'free', don't understand what free is in the context of retail and marketing.
Not sure if it was the same place or not, but yeah I was at my prerelease today in the Minneapolis area and lo and behold, foil tokens, foil oversize promos and a promo Decree of Justice for everyone.
Felt extremely lucky to get these; in fact, just felt lucky to get more free stuff in general (as I went to the one on Saturday as well, to which we received normal everything). So if there are still any non-believers... believe!
I opened 16 packs all weekend and the best rare I got was probably the GU land or Killing Wave. Craterpoop Behemoth and Malignus were the mythics I pulled *Yawn*. Oh well, it's all variance anyways; sometimes you pull money cards, sometimes you don't.
At any rate, the coolest part between the 2 Helvault prereleases I went to was that the second one had foil tokens, foil large promos, and promo Decree of Justices for everyone!
The top end of any zombie deck that already plays a bunch of removal. Sure it probably won't live for long, but attack/block, then steal their Titan late game with Tragic Slip is what keeps this deck alive late game. The fact that it turns guys into Zombies is relevant for bringing back late game Gravecrawlers.
Lunar Mystic
'Instant' and 'draw a card' are two phrases I love seeing. I love seeing both on the same card even more, especially when you have a card like Snapcaster Mage in Standard. Maybe fit into a RU Burning Vengeance deck with all the flashback draw spells?
Captain of the Mists
Even though his tap ability costs some mana, the fact that you can flash in Snapcaster to untap and block or double block is definitely a thing. Plus, it's abusable with tons of cheap humans, with flicker shenanigans, and with plenty of other humans like Thraben Doomsayer. 1U: Make a 1/1 Human token isn't too bad.
Zealous Conscripts
He deals with a lot of top end cards that red often has troubles with (huge titans or PW's out of control). He has an "enters battlefield" effect that is abusable with other cards like Pod and all the flicker effects. He also clears out blockers for your team; what doesn't this guy do?
Descent into Madness
When we have tons of token makers, this card builds its own deck. Especially since you're in black, you have access to one of the easiest ways to stop opposing tokens in Curse of Death's Hold.
Champion of Lambholt
GWb Tokens or Humans becomes a deck because of this card. I mean how hard is it to just drop this, play a couple tokens and swing for unblockable every turn after. I almost want to try this card with Mentor of the Meek for sick value.
3 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
1 Kozilek, Butcher of Truth
4 Raven Familiar
4 Snapcaster Mage
4 Misthollow Griffin
Spells:
3 Manipulate Fate
4 Force of Will
4 Show and Tell
2 Daze
4 Brainstorm
1 Misdirection
4 Food Chain
4 Chrome Mox
2 Scalding Tarn
2 Verdant Catacombs
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Tropical Island
2 Forest
4 Island
I kinda mulled over Noble Hierarch vs. Chrome Mox. The Mox seems like a sweet way to protect half of your combo; exile the Griffin, then play it when you don't need the accel anymore. But Hierarch is a creature which accels you greatly when you get Food Chain down. I also thought about Draining Whelk for mid combo protection too, but not sure.
It doesn't work. Think about it; where does the card go once you cast it from exile? To the battlefield. That link is no longer there between the "exiled card" and Semblance Anvil. And once you cast it and try to exile it again by some other means, the game doesn't remember that the Misthollow Griffin was exiled; it thinks it's a new card now and isn't imprinted to the Anvil anymore.
On a side note, this card is fun. Way fun. Sure it's infinite mana for creatures with Food Chain, which is awesome. I also want to make a deck that does nothing by exile things through Force of Will and Misdirection. If only there was a reliable way to get it back to your hand after you cast it...
Plus it seems pretty good with Moorland Haunt, Skaab Ruinator, Molten-Tail Masticore and even Seance. Okay Seance might be a stretch.