That's a pretty bold statement there. Having 4 tap lands is good, but slow. I really don't see how that compares with a cycle of cards that dominated every format.
These could actually be good for the game. One of the worse feelings in the game is getting Mana screwed and not even being able to play the game in the first place.
T1- Play Fetch, crack before t2, slam one of these and whatever you fetched. (2 lands)
T2- Play fetch, crack fetch and this, slam two more of these. ( 5 lands)
T3- play land, crack two of these, dig one more out ( 7 lands )
They are broken and would be a four of in almost every single deck in every format short of Vintage. It ramps better that Azusa and it’s both free and can’t be removed. Tempo decks could clear out lands and not worry about top decking lands. Combo could go off quicker. Control could run less lands and more answer. Also all of this is free and at common. It essentially a Squadron Hawk Mox with Suspend 1, that can’t be countered.
Short answer: No. Gambling refers to games of chance and luck. Very rarely are games of skill classified as gambling (Poker being an example.) While chance does factor into every game of Magic, skill vastly outweighs chance on the outcome of 99% of games.
Long Answer: Sure you could argue that’s it gambling as any endeavor in which you risk money or capital to earn more money or capital could be considered “gambling.” Magic, poker, investing, starting a business, fantasy sports, flipping real estate, and thousands of other actions are inherently a “gamble” as actions outside of your control can positively or negatively effect your position.
Is competitive Magic “gambling” in the strictest version of the term? Nope....
The set has JTSM, Bob, Karn, STFM, VoR, Mox Opal, Chrome Mox, Bridge, Ballista, Mana Crypt, Noble, and a dozen other staples across all formats at rare or higher. Multiple staple $5 bills at uncommon. And the starting base for entire archetypes at common. Even without two rares per pack and free alt full art box toppers it’s a great set. I think if Wizards stuffed $50 bills in every pack some people would be upset with the way they folded them. If you’re priced out of these packs or boxes buy singles. Name a booster box ever released by Wizards that wasn’t a lottery...
Forgive me for not using card tags, but I’m on my phone and about to hop a probably empty flight so I’m rushing a bit.
I’ve been playing Caw Blade in pauper for about 5 years. A couple notes (but what works for me doesn’t work for everyone):
*I’ve never ran multiples of the same equipment. I run 1x Bonesplitter, 1x Bladed Bracers, 1x Mantle of Tides. Mantle is great with Brainstorm and opens up interesting combat tricks most opponents don’t consider.
* I run 2x Guardian and 2x Seraph of Dawn. The angel with Bonesplitter and Bracers attached is a Baneslayer with Vigilance and opponents will quickly dump all removal in hand to get to her.
*I run 2x Angelic Renewal which protects my bombs in a format full of removal and is just unfair when paired with Mulldrifter.
*Depending the meta, I either run 4x Thraben Inspector (grindier metas) or Seeker of the way (faster metas).
*You will need counterspells in a competitive environment.
*12 cantrips is a bit redundant for me with 4x mullsdrifter, 4x Inspector, and the birds. I run 4x Brainstorm, 2x Ponder, 2x Preordain.
*With Trinket Mage it is never a bad idea to run a Relic main deck as it hurts so much of the meta.
*Sideboard I always have a couple flag bearers to eat removal and couple copies of Echoing Truth against tokens.
It’s not that they want to remove shuffle effects from the game. That’s impossible and would severely limit card design. It’s that they know they want a collective effort to limit mid game shuffling because it slows the game down and doesn’t play well with growing stream views.
Banning fetches from the start serves two purposes:
1) Of the top played cards in modern with shuffle effects only Trophy ports over to Pioneer so they have already drastically cut shuffling from format to format. That being said, they still to allow color fixing for deck construction so Fabled Passage is a good start as a card that won’t be jammed into every deck, and must be played smartly.
And 2) They can test the strength of “broken” cards in a vacuum of an eternal format without their primary enablers (fetches). The results of that test will likely dictate which direction the format goes in the future.
I’d venture to guess that the first thought the majority of enfranchised players had at the announcement was “awesome I get to brew with DTT or DRS again” not “ah the mana base is going to be less optimal”. Which I’m sure was their goal.
I would put the majority of my budget into the mana base first and foremost and then build around that. UW even at two colors is an extremely greedy and intensive mana base and if you are setting behind etb tapped lands early you will lose. Even when growing your deck, purchasing Cryptics, Snaps, and Jaces will leave you will a hand full of dead cards if you can’t cast them. Spend the first $150-$170 on 5-6 fetches, 3-4 shocks, 2-3 checks, 2 colonnades, and 3-4 field of ruins. Spend the other $50-$75 and build around that and then grow.
*Now I’ve told you to put the majority of your budget around the mana base. How do you build around that?
Counter Control:
2-3x Remand
2-3x Mana Leak
2x Spell Snare
2x Dovin’s Veto (1 main 1 SB)
2x Logic Knot
1x Archmage’s Charm
2x Detention Sphere
4x Path to Exile
2x Supreme Verdict
1x Wings of Abandon
2x Mission Briefing (Budget Snap)
Win Cons
2x Restoration Angel (Budget Clique - strictly worse without Etb’s to abuse, but a decent clock against decks you need to put on a clock. My second choice would be Geist, but just for a clock I want some sort of evasion.
1x Secure the Wastes
1x Torrential Gearhulk
My personal budget favorite:
2x Luminarch’s Ascension . I utilized this my finisher of choice for about a year. You can easily win the turn after it is turned on, it forces opponents to pressure you when they might be best suited to hold back, and it is really strong in the mirror (where you will struggle with a budget list.) The other strength is that it isn’t widely played so many opponents don’t understand how dangerous it is for you to tick it up in their end step to bring it online, build 3-4 Serra Angels, and then untap. Most decks are dead then.
Some interesting stuff here. The only reason I prefer Preordain over Ponder is the rare occasions I Ponder and need one of the three but really have no interest of drawing one or more of the other two and I lack a shuffle outlet. It doesn't happen often, but when it does I would always say, "I wish I could have scry'd those away..."
Aven Riftwatcher is interesting. Especially with Jeskai dominating the format. I might try it out.
Has anyone tried Mantle of Tides yet? It's can be tutored, we can usually attached it for free without effort, and we can attach it at instant speed for combat tricks with Brainstorm.
Awesome to come across another Pauper Caw Blade fan. I've been running UW Caw Blade in the format for about 3/4 years and it could be my one of my top three favorite decks across all constructed formats. A couple comments, suggestions, and ideas from probably 500+ UW Caw Blade games:
*There is almost zero draw back (and a lot to gain in certain situations) from dropping one Island and Plains and running a singleton Seat of the Synod and Ancient Den whenever you are running Trinket Mage. You might only tutor for an artifact land with Mage 5%-10% of the time, but it's never a bad play when you do so. The move can be a life saver when you need to make a land drop, and in the late game if you have already exhausted your equipment, it just continues card advantage. Opponents hardly ever board in artifact hate against us (it's not their priority) and if they do, they will gunning for equipment not lands. I feel that running one of each is just a percentage better play in 100% of decks running Trinket Mage.
*It might just be a personal preference, but I feel running redundant equipment main deck isn't the best move unless burn is prevalent in the meta and I might run 2x Lifestaff. I feel it clogs up spots I can fill with other utility and card advantage. I believe this because A) We aren't winning matches on turns 1-4 by overwhelming an opponent. We win on turn 7+ with our card advantage protecting our evasive threats. A Guardian of the Guildpact unchecked with one equipment is usually going to win the game. Redundant equipment clogs up spots that can be used to protect our finishers, because as much as Guardian is the format's True-Name Nemesis - it is still format rife with Edicts (although not near as much as before Delver was nerfed), fogs, and Dinrova Horror. Also, with all the matches I've played with the deck I can probably count the number of times an equipment has been countered or blown up on two hands. Opponents just don't focus on them.
*Trinket Mage also means a Relic of Progenitus main deck is a percentage better play. We are greatly disadvantaged against Jeskai Snow and Tron without a Relic in play and without the chance to land a Relic game 1 we basically concede that game unless they are mana screwed because unfortunately they do what we want to do (survive to mid-late game and overwhelm with card advantage) better than we do. Relic, however, causes them to be much less efficient at that. Relic hurts Jeskai, Tron, Turbo Fog, BR Re-antimator, Tortured Existence, and UB Teachings which are all decks you will run into in a competitive environment and it also clears out flashback edicts. I would almost guess I have tutored for a relic more times with my first Trinket Mage of a match than all equipments combined.
*I like Mulldrifter more than Court Hussar and I've tried CH a lot. It's arguably the best creature in the format and does two things we really want (evasive threat and card advantage) very well. It also eats some much unwarranted removal from inexperienced players because they see a Mulldrifter and freak out for some reason.
*My favorite tech is 2x Angelic Renewal. It turns Mulldrifter into "Draw 4 with a 2/2 Flying Stick" for 3WU and invalidates removal that does get through to our finishers.
Currently I play 50% UW control, 40% Affinity, and 10% random jank depending on my mood and the meta. From a few days of testing:
Drown in the Loch is pretty good and might convince me to move from UW to Esper short term. Being modal it is rarely a dead card compared to something like Veto or Push. It scales so it is solid in almost all stages of the game and only once do I remember having to do work to turn it on. Very pleased with it. Started with 2, testing with 3 now.
Mystic Sanctuary is really really good, but and I don't think I want more than 2. Testing 2 in UW and 1 in Esper. Some really interesting lines have come from running it. Path, fetch Mystic, top path, opt, path again. Against UW control I vetoed a PW with 4 mana up, responded to second PW with Cryptic bouncing Mystic, and slammed a Teferi and Mystic topping veto then ticked up and draw veto again. Oppo scooped. It will be a modern staple as at least a singleton in all control decks. It's also disgustingly good in Legacy Threshold decks.
Emry, Lurker of the Loch tested in Affinity. It was meh. Best work it did was take a bolt once that should have been directed at an Overseer. Experimental Frenzy is the engine to run and Emry does nothing to warrant one of the minimal slots left in the deck.
Ran into several Tron decks testing Once Upon a Time. T1 my response was "uggh". Anything later than that I was more like "yes please, sounds good." I would imagine if you flipped those thoughts I could have been in their mind.
More recently, Planeswalkers used to be legendary based on their type, not card name. So barring Mirror Gallery, you couldn't have two Jaces or Lilianas. There's not really a cool rules trick with this, as killing your own planeswalkers is rarely an optimal line. I suppose you could steal theirs with Dominus of Fealty or something and legend rule it with your own planeswalker of the same type.
During the dark days of Caw Blade it was common place for many blue decks to also run 1 or 2 Jace Beleren as it was basically 1UU "Destroy JTSM"
Quickest, easiest, and most secure way? Consign them to an eBay power seller like PWCC, Probstein, or Sean Bassisk. You would be looking at paying 7%-9% as a commission after fees, but you will be guaranteed to get paid and fast. These guys mostly move sports memorabilia but likely wouldn’t turn down a lot like this. If you would like their contact info feel free to PM me.
T1- Play Fetch, crack before t2, slam one of these and whatever you fetched. (2 lands)
T2- Play fetch, crack fetch and this, slam two more of these. ( 5 lands)
T3- play land, crack two of these, dig one more out ( 7 lands )
They are broken and would be a four of in almost every single deck in every format short of Vintage. It ramps better that Azusa and it’s both free and can’t be removed. Tempo decks could clear out lands and not worry about top decking lands. Combo could go off quicker. Control could run less lands and more answer. Also all of this is free and at common. It essentially a Squadron Hawk Mox with Suspend 1, that can’t be countered.
Long Answer: Sure you could argue that’s it gambling as any endeavor in which you risk money or capital to earn more money or capital could be considered “gambling.” Magic, poker, investing, starting a business, fantasy sports, flipping real estate, and thousands of other actions are inherently a “gamble” as actions outside of your control can positively or negatively effect your position.
Is competitive Magic “gambling” in the strictest version of the term? Nope....
I’ve been playing Caw Blade in pauper for about 5 years. A couple notes (but what works for me doesn’t work for everyone):
*I’ve never ran multiples of the same equipment. I run 1x Bonesplitter, 1x Bladed Bracers, 1x Mantle of Tides. Mantle is great with Brainstorm and opens up interesting combat tricks most opponents don’t consider.
* I run 2x Guardian and 2x Seraph of Dawn. The angel with Bonesplitter and Bracers attached is a Baneslayer with Vigilance and opponents will quickly dump all removal in hand to get to her.
*I run 2x Angelic Renewal which protects my bombs in a format full of removal and is just unfair when paired with Mulldrifter.
*Depending the meta, I either run 4x Thraben Inspector (grindier metas) or Seeker of the way (faster metas).
*You will need counterspells in a competitive environment.
*12 cantrips is a bit redundant for me with 4x mullsdrifter, 4x Inspector, and the birds. I run 4x Brainstorm, 2x Ponder, 2x Preordain.
*With Trinket Mage it is never a bad idea to run a Relic main deck as it hurts so much of the meta.
*Sideboard I always have a couple flag bearers to eat removal and couple copies of Echoing Truth against tokens.
Keep fighting the good fight.
Sincerely,
U
Banning fetches from the start serves two purposes:
1) Of the top played cards in modern with shuffle effects only Trophy ports over to Pioneer so they have already drastically cut shuffling from format to format. That being said, they still to allow color fixing for deck construction so Fabled Passage is a good start as a card that won’t be jammed into every deck, and must be played smartly.
And 2) They can test the strength of “broken” cards in a vacuum of an eternal format without their primary enablers (fetches). The results of that test will likely dictate which direction the format goes in the future.
I’d venture to guess that the first thought the majority of enfranchised players had at the announcement was “awesome I get to brew with DTT or DRS again” not “ah the mana base is going to be less optimal”. Which I’m sure was their goal.
*Now I’ve told you to put the majority of your budget around the mana base. How do you build around that?
Card advantage and hand sculpting:
4x Opt
3x Think Twice
1x Fact or Fiction
1x Sphinx’s Revelation
Counter Control:
2-3x Remand
2-3x Mana Leak
2x Spell Snare
2x Dovin’s Veto (1 main 1 SB)
2x Logic Knot
1x Archmage’s Charm
2x Detention Sphere
4x Path to Exile
2x Supreme Verdict
1x Wings of Abandon
2x Mission Briefing (Budget Snap)
Win Cons
2x Restoration Angel (Budget Clique - strictly worse without Etb’s to abuse, but a decent clock against decks you need to put on a clock. My second choice would be Geist, but just for a clock I want some sort of evasion.
1x Secure the Wastes
1x Torrential Gearhulk
My personal budget favorite:
2x Luminarch’s Ascension . I utilized this my finisher of choice for about a year. You can easily win the turn after it is turned on, it forces opponents to pressure you when they might be best suited to hold back, and it is really strong in the mirror (where you will struggle with a budget list.) The other strength is that it isn’t widely played so many opponents don’t understand how dangerous it is for you to tick it up in their end step to bring it online, build 3-4 Serra Angels, and then untap. Most decks are dead then.
Budget Sideboard:
2x Damping Sphere
2x Dispel
2x Tormod’s Crypt
1x Dovin’s Veto
2x Ceremonious Rejection
1x Timely Reinforcements
1x Celestial Purge
Fit the rest to your meta.
My upgrade order would be:
Narset
2-3 FoN
2 Little Teferi
2 Big Teferi
2 Snaps
2 Cryptics
1 JTMS
3rd Snap
3rd Cryptic
Sideboard upgrades
Stony Silence
Rest In Peace
Aven Riftwatcher is interesting. Especially with Jeskai dominating the format. I might try it out.
Has anyone tried Mantle of Tides yet? It's can be tutored, we can usually attached it for free without effort, and we can attach it at instant speed for combat tricks with Brainstorm.
*There is almost zero draw back (and a lot to gain in certain situations) from dropping one Island and Plains and running a singleton Seat of the Synod and Ancient Den whenever you are running Trinket Mage. You might only tutor for an artifact land with Mage 5%-10% of the time, but it's never a bad play when you do so. The move can be a life saver when you need to make a land drop, and in the late game if you have already exhausted your equipment, it just continues card advantage. Opponents hardly ever board in artifact hate against us (it's not their priority) and if they do, they will gunning for equipment not lands. I feel that running one of each is just a percentage better play in 100% of decks running Trinket Mage.
*It might just be a personal preference, but I feel running redundant equipment main deck isn't the best move unless burn is prevalent in the meta and I might run 2x Lifestaff. I feel it clogs up spots I can fill with other utility and card advantage. I believe this because A) We aren't winning matches on turns 1-4 by overwhelming an opponent. We win on turn 7+ with our card advantage protecting our evasive threats. A Guardian of the Guildpact unchecked with one equipment is usually going to win the game. Redundant equipment clogs up spots that can be used to protect our finishers, because as much as Guardian is the format's True-Name Nemesis - it is still format rife with Edicts (although not near as much as before Delver was nerfed), fogs, and Dinrova Horror. Also, with all the matches I've played with the deck I can probably count the number of times an equipment has been countered or blown up on two hands. Opponents just don't focus on them.
*Trinket Mage also means a Relic of Progenitus main deck is a percentage better play. We are greatly disadvantaged against Jeskai Snow and Tron without a Relic in play and without the chance to land a Relic game 1 we basically concede that game unless they are mana screwed because unfortunately they do what we want to do (survive to mid-late game and overwhelm with card advantage) better than we do. Relic, however, causes them to be much less efficient at that. Relic hurts Jeskai, Tron, Turbo Fog, BR Re-antimator, Tortured Existence, and UB Teachings which are all decks you will run into in a competitive environment and it also clears out flashback edicts. I would almost guess I have tutored for a relic more times with my first Trinket Mage of a match than all equipments combined.
*I like Mulldrifter more than Court Hussar and I've tried CH a lot. It's arguably the best creature in the format and does two things we really want (evasive threat and card advantage) very well. It also eats some much unwarranted removal from inexperienced players because they see a Mulldrifter and freak out for some reason.
*My favorite tech is 2x Angelic Renewal. It turns Mulldrifter into "Draw 4 with a 2/2 Flying Stick" for 3WU and invalidates removal that does get through to our finishers.
*I love Seraph of Dawn along with Guardian of the Guildpact as a 2x each of finishers for the deck. It's also Baneslayer Angel with vigilance if you can attach a Bladed Bracers. I also often feel it is more important to protect than Guardian and wins games more efficiently.
*Personal preference: I actually prefer Preordain over Ponder.
Best of luck!
Drown in the Loch is pretty good and might convince me to move from UW to Esper short term. Being modal it is rarely a dead card compared to something like Veto or Push. It scales so it is solid in almost all stages of the game and only once do I remember having to do work to turn it on. Very pleased with it. Started with 2, testing with 3 now.
Mystic Sanctuary is really really good, but and I don't think I want more than 2. Testing 2 in UW and 1 in Esper. Some really interesting lines have come from running it. Path, fetch Mystic, top path, opt, path again. Against UW control I vetoed a PW with 4 mana up, responded to second PW with Cryptic bouncing Mystic, and slammed a Teferi and Mystic topping veto then ticked up and draw veto again. Oppo scooped. It will be a modern staple as at least a singleton in all control decks. It's also disgustingly good in Legacy Threshold decks.
Emry, Lurker of the Loch tested in Affinity. It was meh. Best work it did was take a bolt once that should have been directed at an Overseer. Experimental Frenzy is the engine to run and Emry does nothing to warrant one of the minimal slots left in the deck.
Ran into several Tron decks testing Once Upon a Time. T1 my response was "uggh". Anything later than that I was more like "yes please, sounds good." I would imagine if you flipped those thoughts I could have been in their mind.
Tonight I'm going to test Brazen Borrower, Fae of Wishes, and maybe Hypnotic Sprite in a UB Tempo deck for giggles. If it works I'll call it "Brazers".
During the dark days of Caw Blade it was common place for many blue decks to also run 1 or 2 Jace Beleren as it was basically 1UU "Destroy JTSM"