Good Gamery

Category: serious business

  • Breaking Triple ARB Draft: Aggro Jund Cascade

    Alara Reborn has been causing a lot of commotion throughout standard and extended because of the power of cascade to enable cards like Hypergenesis in extended and Seismic Assault/Swans in standard. Therefore, it is not surprising that cascade is overwhelmingly powerful in limited. I have been drafting triple Alara Reborn since it was released online and have developed a strategy that has been blowing other decks out of the water left and right: Aggro Jund Cascade.

    Let’s take a look at this archetype and what makes it so good. Aggro Jund Cascade is focused on cheap and powerful creatures that overwhelm your opponent before they can stabilize. It takes advantage of the power and synergies between Jund Hackblade, Putrid Leech, Violent Outburst, Bloodbraid Elf and Bituminous Blast to create explosive and overpowering starts. Direct damage and hasty creature cards like Sewn-Eye Drake, Giant Ambush Beetle, Breath of Malfegor and Igneous Pouncer help seal the deal before your opponent can make any truly impressive plays.

    The first thing to realize about triple ARB draft is that there are no turn one plays, aside from borderposts. The second thing to realize is that the sweeper spells, Zealous Persecution and Lavalanche are slower and less effective than Jund Charm, Infest and Volcanic Fallout. As a result, triple ARB really rewards playing an aggressive deck.

    Aggro Jund Cascade is faster than Naya or Bant beatdown because it’s men are either overpowered for their cost, like Putrid Leech or have haste like Jund Hackblade. Let’s take a look below at the sort of cards Aggro Jund Cascade wants at each casting cost before we discuss relative pick order.

    Two CC:

    Jund Hackblade

    Putrid Leech

    Terminate

    Colossal Might

    Sangrite Backlash

    Trace of Abundance

    Naya Hushblade

    Grixis Grimblade

    Three CC:

    Kathari Bomber

    Violent Outburst

    Jund Sojourners

    Vithian Renegades

    Four CC:

    Bloodbraid Elf

    Rhox Brute

    Sewn-Eye Drake

    Five CC:

    Bituminous Blast

    Deadshot Minotaur

    Giant Ambush Beetle

    Gorger Wurm

    Breath of Malfegor

    Slave of Bolas

    Six CC:

    Igneous Pouncer

    Valley Rannet

    Vengeful Rebirth

    Drafting this deck is pretty easy. Bloodbraid Elf and Bituminous Blast are both easy first picks. Beyond that, you assign a much higher priority to two-drops and Violent Outburst. Putrid Leech and Jund Hackblade are both worth a first pick in a pack without Elf, Blast or other removal. Terminate, Sangrite Backlash and Colossal Might are all great utility spells to hit off cascade. Grixis Grimblade is another fine two drop. Naya Hushblade is simply ok. Trace of Abundance is a fine card, but if you start drafting them, you have to make sure you are going to make good use of your acceleration. Rhox Brute is a good card to accelerate into. It’s also worth noting that almost every R/G/B rare is a bomb in ARB.

    To some extent, Violent Outburst is what keeps this deck ticking. Grab as many as you can.

    Early on, try to cut off R/G and R/B as much as possible. If you have the choice between two cards, you want to go for the faster and cheaper option or the cascade card. If you cut off R/G and R/B, what will likely happen is that you will start getting fed Putrid Leeches since no one else will be in G/B. Keep this in mind while you draft since you can focus early picks on Jund Hackblade and Violent Outburst, picking up Putrid Leeches later in the draft.

    Kathari Bomber is a great card in this deck since the 1/1 tokens it provides get turned on by Violent Outburst. The deck loves haste, too, so the unearth ability of the Bomber is great. Other notable creatures with haste are Giant Ambush Beetle, Swen-Eye Drake and Igneous Pouncer. The unexpected nature of these monsters can put a lot of pressure on a deck that thought it was stablizing, enabling you to squeeze through the last few points. Igneous Pouncer also does double duty of fixing mana, so in this regard, Valley Rannet is also worth a late pick. Sometimes a turn four play involves landcycling to get off three lands and playing a Jund Hackblade, so I usually try to pick up a couple of the landcycling guys.

    Finally, cards like Breath of Malfegor, Slave of Bolas and Vengeful Rebirth top out your curve, enabling you to sneak in the last few damage you need after your explosive starts. Colossal Might also accomplishes a similar role and should not be overlooked.

    All in all, this is a really powerful deck that can be drafted to be very consistent. Most of my deck lists have multiple Putrid Leeches, Jund Hackblades and Violent Outbursts. Everything else you draft should be to support that core strategy. Alara Reborn drafts are only live for a few more days, but armed with this archetype, you have plenty of time to go win some packs! Good luck.

  • Hypergenesis Combo in Classic

    When Alara Reborn spoilers were starting to hit the internet, the first Cascade spells appeared to show both restraint and caution from R&D, as most of the spells besides the obviously awesome Bloodbraid Elf had marginal effects. Free Spell mechanics, however, have a legacy not only of being broken, but of being unexpectedly broken, so there was still a lot of hope that Cascade would live up to its forbearers.

    One of the early contenders was a deck concept I first saw on the Starcity Games forums as an idea for Extended. The deck played as many of the 3cc Cascade spells as it feasibly could and had no cheaper spells than the chaff rare Hypergenesis, which you could conveniently play for free after the Time Spiral rules update. Being able to cast Hypergenesis on turn 3, or even turn 2 off of a Simian Spirit Guide could let you drop any number of broken things into play. The downside, of course, is that you are necessarily limited in the disruption cards combo decks usually need to be viable. Against a field of Spellstutter Sprites, Toils of Night and Day won’t get you there.

    With that in mind, I wondered if the combo would be viable in MODO Classic (a format similar to Legacy). You would have to deal with Force of Will and Counterbalance, but you gain your own forces as well as Elvish Spirit Guide for the potentially t1 kill.

    I am currently testing with the following list.

    A walkthrough of the elements of the deck, starting with the combo:


    4 Ardent Plea

    4 Violent Outburst

    3 Hypergenesis

    Ardent Plea and Violent Outburst are the only two Cascade spells that don’t require a target. Demonic Dread is unplayable, as cards like Forbidden Orchard don’t make it work with consistency and also interfere with your gushing.

    The Fat:


    4 Hellkite Overlord

    4 Progenitus

    4 Inkwell Leviathan

    2 Bogardan Hellkite

    I am using a much smaller creature base, as I found that comboing out in the first place is more important than guaranteeing you the kill once you do. Without effective disruption, you don’t have inevitability and card afford to sculpt a perfect hand, and that means often only being able to cheat out one creature. Also, with the pitch spells, you often are throwing away extra dudes either to stay alive or to push through the combo. Progenitus and Inkwell are the hardest to kill creatures available. The Hellkites are quick sources of damage to the face, which can be important against combo.

    The Support:


    4 Serum Powder

    4 Force of Will

    4 Gush

    Serum Powder sucks, but makes do. The Gushes are here because I wanted other spells that an opposing control deck would care about. Also, with the low land count, you often can Gush to ensure you hit your third mana.

    The Mana:


    4 Flooded Strand

    4 Wooded Foothills

    2 Breeding Pool

    2 Steam Vents

    1 Savannah

    1 Tundra

    1 Gemstone Caverns

    4 Elvish Spirit Guide

    4 Simian Spirit Guide

    I’m not sold on Gemstone Caverns, but the speed can help. Savannah is in the awkward spot of being a non-island, but you need to be able to fetch a white source out of Wooded Foothills, so it gets the call.

    The Sideboard:


    4 Commandeer

    4 Krosan Grip

    4 Pyrokinesis

    3 Eureka

    Krosan Grip is for Counterbalance and Chalice of the Void that can easily lock you out. Pyrokinesis is an early drop that takes care of Ethersworn Canonist and Meddling Mage, as well as aggro and elves combo. Eureka is also for blue decks, which often have trouble with top-of-the-curve answers. Usually Force is their only hard counter, and they rely on Daze, Counterbalance, Swords to Plowshares and Spell Snare to mop up the rest. Being able to suspend hypergenesis can set up a turn where you can potentially overrun them with three must-counter spells between a consecutive end-of-turn, upkeep and main phase.

    I was actually surprised how viable the deck is. Blue decks aren’t the autoloss they appeared to be, partially because you have card draw and as mentioned, their hard counters are limited. Meddling Mage and Counterbalance were the hardest to beat, so it’s definitely not a favorable matchup, but I’d be ok if you can bring it up to 40/60. The real draw of the deck is you also have several near-bye matchups against mono-red, zoo and other creature decks.

    The downside is that the deck is pretty inconsistent. You have no control over your draws and you need the right mix of land/spells/creatures to go off, including which lands you are lucky enough to draw. This makes mulliganing both absolutely necessary and especially costly, though, and also means you will often keep hands that are missing one component and die to decks that would ordinarily have no right beating you. The deck has a huge problem with Necropotence that goes away, but I’m not sure it fares any better versus Ad Nauseam Tendrils. It’s also not a cheap deck, considering the forces, so it’s definitely not as good as any other deck you could build for about the same money, but it’s insanely fun to play.

    Next steps regarding the deck are figuring out if I can fix the lands, if the creature mix is ok, and if the sideboard could be better. Other considerations are Magus of the Moon, Natural Order over Commandeer and maybe grip.

  • AoD’s Kyoto Survival Guide

    As someone who has lived in Kyoto for several months now, I thought it might be helpful to write a basic guide for the people who are going to the PT. The guide covers transportation, some basic advice, and recommendations (for food, drinking, recreation, sightseeing), and contains some basic Japanese phrases and words at the end.

    GETTING AROUND

    To Kyoto from KIX: There is a train station
    a couple minutes’ walk from International Arrivals. Take the Haruka
    train to Kyoto Station. If you have purchased a JR pass, you can use
    it to cover this fare; otherwise it will cost 2980 for a non-reserved
    seat. The ride takes about 75 minutes. Trains leave on every half-hour,
    with the last one departing at 8:30.

    Within Kyoto:

    There are several train and subway lines
    in Kyoto, as well as a bus system. I’m only going to list the ones that
    I think are important,

    1) The KEIHAN line goes from Demachiyanagi
    station (Imperial Palace, Ginkakuji temple) all the way south to Osaka.
    The important stops are Sanjo (shopping, nightlife), Gion-Shijo
    (shopping, nightlife, Yasaka shrine, Heian shrine), Kiyomizu-Gojo
    (Kiyomizu temple), Fushimi-Inari (Fushimi-Inari Shrine), Tambabashi
    (transfer to the Kintetsu line), and Yodoyabashi (a large station
    in Osaka, if you plan to go there).

    2) The KINTETSU line goes from Kyoto
    station down to Nara. The important stops are Kyoto (main transportation
    hub, shopping), Takeda (the PT venue, one of my favorite izakayas),
    Tambabashi     (transfer to the Keihan line), and Yamato-Saidaiji
    (terminus in Nara if you plan to go there, Saidaiji temple).

    3) The HANKYU KYOTO line goes from the
    Shijo/Kawaramachi intersection to Osaka. I don’t use it much, but it
    does take you to Umeda (a cool part of Osaka). The important stops are
    Kawaramachi     (a couple minutes down Shijo street from Keihan Gion-Shijo
    station), Karasuma (transfer to the Karasuma Subway line at Karasuma
    Shijo station), and Umeda (Osaka: shopping, transfer to other
    Osaka train lines).

    4) The KARASUMA SUBWAY line goes from
    northeast Kyoto to Takeda, the PT venue. The important stops are
    Imadegawa     (Imperial Palace), Shijo
    (transfer to the Hankyu line at Hankyu Karasuma station), Kyoto,
    and Takeda.

    5) I rarely use the JAPAN RAIL (JR) lines
    because the previous ones take me everywhere I usually go, but they’re
    important because JR runs the Shinkansen (bullet train), which is the
    best way to get to Tokyo, Hiroshima, or any other relatively far destinations
    you may visit. JR operates out of Kyoto Station.

    6) I don’t have much experience with
    the KYOTO CITY BUSES, but there are many routes, and the system covers
    most of the important sightseeing, shopping and nightlife sites. The
    buses all have their destination and notable stops listed below the
    route number at each bus stop, as well as a map showing the routes on
    a simple layout of Kyoto’s streets. They’re somewhat slow when compared
    to the trains, but cover a wider area. A single ride costs 220, while
    a day pass is 500.

    Important: if you go out at night,
    make sure you don’t miss the last train!
    Japanese trains end relatively early, and the last one usually departs
    around 12 AM, depending on the station and destination. If you don’t
    want to pay for a cab (~1500 – 2000, depending on the trip), head back
    towards your train station by 11:45. Leave even earlier if your trip
    requires a transfer somewhere.

    PROTIPS

    Most people in stores and restaurants
    speak limited english, so if you find yourself lost or have questions
    about a purchase/meal, you should be alright. Generally, the more traditional
    or hole-in-the-wall a place looks, the less chance there is of anyone
    speaking english.

    Police boxes (recognizable from the words
    KOBAN and a picture of a policeman riding a horse) are very useful when
    you’re lost. Just tell the policeman where you want to go and he’ll
    show you on a map.

    Most convenience stores have incredibly
    clean restrooms, so if you need a bathroom while you’re out, just go
    to the nearest 7-11/Lawson/Circle-K/Family Mart.

    If you think you’re near the place you
    want to go to but can’t find it, just ask any random by saying the name
    of the place you want to go. If you’re close to it, they’ll be able
    to point you in the right direction, and some people are nice enough
    to walk you there.

    DOWNTOWN

    Virtually all of the following recommendations
    for restaurants and bars are in the downtown area of Shijo and Sanjo.
    The best way to get there is KEIHAN, using Gion-Shijo
    and Sanjo stations.

    If your hotel is close to the KARASUMA
    SUBWAY line, take the subway to Shijo station and transfer to
    the HANKYU KYOTO line. Take Hankyu to Kawaramachi station, and
    you’ll be in Shijo.

    If your hotel is close to the KINTETSU
    line, take the train to Tambabashi and transfer there to KEIHAN,
    then take the Keihan train to Gion-Shijo
    or Sanjo station.

    If your hotel is close to the HANKYU
    KYOTO line, just take the train to Kawaramachi station, and you’ll
    be in Shijo.

    RECOMMENDATIONS

    I’m a college student on a budget, so
    here are some pretty good places that may not blow your mind but definitely
    won’t bust your wallet. This is by no means an exhaustive list of all
    that Kyoto has to offer; these are just the places I like and frequently
    visit.

    FOOD

    Kyoto is full of all sorts of restaurants,
    but be warned that most "foreign" food is a Japanized version.
    Some places specialize in tabehoudai (all you can eat buffet);
    if no sign mentions it, don’t be afraid to ask.

    Unlike American ones, Japanese convenience
    stores are full of surprisingly high-quality food for cheap. Beyond
    regular snack foods, you can get fried food, meat buns, sushi, rice
    balls, sandwiches, bento (Japanese box-lunches) and even pasta
    that the cashier will microwave for you. Convenience stores are all
    open 24/7.

    Fast food: Many fast food joints in Japan
    are open 24/7, and the food is generally much higher-quality than food
    of a comparable price in the US. Aside from McDonald’s, Japan has:

    Mos
    Burger – A tastier and more expensive burger chain than McDonald’s,
    but the portions are somewhat small. A set is ~600-800, depending on
    the burger.

    Sukiya
    – Japanese rice bowls, curries, and traditional side dishes in the 300-600
    range.

    Matsuya
    – Like Sukiya, but with more emphasis on the rice bowls and less on
    the curry. Rice bowls are from ~350 to 500.

    CoCo
    Curry – Japanese curry with rice. Wide variety, tasty, runs from ~600-1000.

    Shakey’s
    Pizza – For those brave enough to try Japanese pizza, Shakey’s is the
    place to go. Shakey’s offers "Lunch Viking" and "Dinner
    Viking," which is an odd way of saying "all you can eat buffet,"
    for stupidly cheap – lunch for ~650, dinner for ~850. In addition to
    pizza, you can also get curry rice, pasta and salad. Try the banana
    chocolate dessert pizza; it’s actually pretty good. Shakey’s pizza is
    on Teramachi, between Shijo and Sanjo streets (for how to get
    to Teramachi, look at the SHOPPING section).

    Sushi: It’s hard to go wrong with the
    sushi here, but unless you get it from a convenience store it will be
    relatively expensive (compared to other options). The two sushi places
    I usually frequent represent opposite sides of the quality/quantity
    argument, and are both on Sanjo street.

    Ganko-zushi
    – From Keihan Sanjo station, cross the bridge west towards Starbucks,
    on the right-hand side of the street. Continue past Starbucks and you’ll
    soon be in front of Ganko-zushi, recognizable by its logo of a serious-looking
    sushi chef’s head. The food is very good, and the sashimi’s quality
    is excellent, but expect to pay a minimum of 2000 yen if you don’t want
    to leave hungry. They have an English menu.

    Kappa
    Sushi – Follow the same directions as Ganko-zushi, but continue along
    down Sanjo street until the street ends. As soon as you cross Kawaramachi
    street, Kappa sushi will be on the left-hand side, recognizable by its
    logo of a cute vaguely-turtleish green cartoon character dressed up
    like a sushi chef. Kappa Sushi is a kaitenzushi (conveyor-belt
    sushi) establishment. After you’re seated, you can freely grab sushi
    as it comes by on small trays. You can also place a special order using
    the touch screen at each table, and the food will come on a minature
    bullet train. Just remember to press the red button to send the train
    back! Most plates have 2 pieces of sushi and cost 105 yen.

    Okonomiyaki: Also called "Japanese
    pizza," okonomiyaki is a pancake-like batter filled with various
    vegetables and meat/seafood and cooked on a hot plate. Okonomiyaki restaurants
    may not have a sign in English, but the Japanese looks like this:     お好み焼き. You
    can’t go wrong with buta (pork) or niku (beef), and for
    those who like seafood there’s ika (squid) and ebi (shrimp).

    I
    forget the name – From Keihan Sanjo station, cross the bridge
    west towards Starbucks, on the left-hand side of the street. Continue
    until you reach an intersection with a light (Sanjo and Kiyamachi),
    and turn left onto Kiyamachi street. Walk down Kiyamachi on the left-hand
    side of the street until you see a 7-11. Next to the entrance of the
    7-11 there is an elevator, and next to the elevator are a bunch of signs,
    including one for okonomiyaki. Go to the floor that sign advertises.
    The okonomiyaki will be about 800-1000 on average.

    Ramen: Ramen shops are as delicious as
    they are ubiquitous. Recognize them by the Japanese     ラーメン or らーめん. The basic shoyu ramen (soy-sauce ramen)
    will cost between 500-700, and is very filling. Gyoza (chinese
    pot-stickers) make a good side dish, and should be between 200-300 for
    5 or 6.

    DRINKING

    Japan is a great place to get drunk.
    There are no penalties for public drinking or public drunkenness, so
    as long as you aren’t being an obnoxious dickhead you’ll be fine. There
    are a couple main types of drinking establishments in Japan:

    The izakaya – the Japanese characters
    for izakaya literally translate to "eat drink store,"
    and that’s what you’ll do. Izakaya are the traditional bars of
    Japan, with a food menu full of authentic Japanese fried and grilled
    dishes and a hybrid drink selection consisting of sake (rice
    wine) and shochu (potato liquor, somewhat similar to vodka) alongside
    the usual beer and mixed drinks.

    The bar – your usual bar; cocktails and
    mixed nuts.

    Undoubtedly, the best thing about drinking
    in Japan is nomihoudai (all you can drink buffet). Instead of
    paying for drinks, you pay a fixed price for 1.5 to 3 hours of as many
    drinks as you can have. Some places charge extra to include beer as
    part of the buffet. Not all bars offer nomihoudai, so be sure
    to ask. Also, beware that some places underhandedly limit the number
    of drinks you have, through slow service or watery drinks.

    A Bar: One of my favorite bars in Kyoto,
    A Bar has reasonably priced Yebisu beers, good food selection, and a
    great atmosphere. Instead of the usual setup, there are several smaller
    booths with a huge table in the center. Sharpie grafitti left by prior
    celebrants covers the walls, and on weekends it’s hard not to make new
    friends, whether Japanese or fellow foreigners. A large beer will run
    you ~600, and mixed drinks are 500. From Keihan Shijo
    station, cross the bridge west toward McDonalds. Make a right onto Kiyamachi
    street, and cross over to the left (far) side of the river on Kiyamachi.
    Pass club world, and go straight into the alley. Continue straight into
    the next alley until you see the sign for A Bar on your left, on the
    second floor.

    Cafe La Siesta: My other favorite bar
    in Kyoto, Cafe La Siesta is a gamer’s paradise. The music is always
    8-bit, a Super Street Fighter 2 machine sits next to the bar, and there’s
    a giant Game Boy with a TV inside hooked up to a NES with a sizable
    collection of the best games. The Thai curry (700) is great, and while
    original drinks named 1-Up, Bonus Stage and Continue start at 600, you
    can get 1.5 hours of nomihoudai for 2100. The service is usually
    fast, the owners are good people, and you can request the drinks strong.
    The directions are the same as A Bar, but Cafe La Siesta is on the first
    floor instead of the second.

    Jidaiya: This izakaya chain is
    probably the best drinking deal in town. Located right next to Takeda
    station, Jidaiya has great, cheap traditional Japanese bar snacks, but
    the real draw is 1.5 hours of nomihoudai for 900 yen. Try the
    yakitori     (grilled chicken sticks); they’re delicious, and a steal
    at only 80 yen a stick. For nomihoudai, you have to reserve in
    advance; it fills up quickly on weekends, so the sooner you figure out
    how many people and when, the better. Also, they speak very limited
    English, so you might want to have a Japanese judge reserve for you.
    The number is 075 622 0765. I don’t remember exactly what exit it’s
    next to, but if just say "Jidaiya? Izakaya?" to an employee
    at Takeda station, they’ll be able to direct you.

    Seagulls: While they also offer food,
    the main draw for Seagulls is getting as smashed as possible. 3 hours
    of nomihoudai costs 2000 (2300 with beer included), but you can
    order your drinks strong. Be sure to order a drink whenever you receive
    one, as the service can be a bit slow unless you’re insistent about
    getting your way. From Keihan Sanjo station, cross the bridge
    west towards Lawson. Make a left onto Kiyamachi street, and continue
    straight until you see an izakaya called "Watami" on
    a corner on the right-hand side of the street. Turn right and walk straight
    past the Watami and the bowling alley. Seagulls will be on the right
    side of the street on the 3rd floor, across from the Hub.

    SHOPPING

    Things are more expensive here than in
    America, but there are many stores where you can shop duty-free. Otherwise,
    check out the outdoor shopping arcades of Teramachi and Shinkyogoku
    in Sanjo/Shijo.

    Kyoto Station: Kyoto station is a huge
    complex of restaurants and stores, with an underground mall. If you
    want to buy things duty-free, go to Bic Camera for a giant selection
    of electronics.

    Teramachi/Shinkyogoku: The shopping arcades
    of Teramachi and Shinkyogoku, bordered by Sanjo street at the north
    end and Shijo street in the south, offer the best shopping in Kyoto.
    Lined with stores, restaurants and even a couple game centers, there’s
    little you won’t be able to find. To get to Teramamachi and Shinkyogoku:

    From
    KEIHAN Sanjo station, cross the bridge west towards Lawson. Continue
    going straight along Sanjo street until the street becomes a dead end.
    Cross the street, and walk into the covered walkway. The arcades will
    trail off to the left; the nearer one is Shinkyogoku, and the further
    one is Teramachi.

    From
    KEIHAN Gion-Shijo station, cross the bridge west towards McDonalds.
    Continue straight along Shijo street until you see a sign on your right
    for Shinkyogoku; if you go a bit further, you will see a sign on your
    right for Teramachi.

    From
    HANKYU Kawaramachi station: Kawaramachi station has many exits.
    Take any of the exits that lets you out on Shijo Street, and from there
    walk west down Shijo street until you see the signs for Shinkyogoku
    and Teramachi. If you accidentally find yourself exiting into the Takashimaya
    department store, you can ask any of the workers to direct you to Shijo
    street.

    Taniyama Electronics Store: Like Bic
    Camera but smaller, Taniyama is a several-story shop where you can buy
    electronics, and the entire 5th floor is duty free. To get
    there, follow the same directions as for getting to Teramachi from
    Gion-Shijo     or Kawaramachi stations, but when you get to the
    sign that says “Teramachi,” instead of going into the arcade, go
    the opposite direction down the street. Taniyama will be on your right
    after a short walk.

    RECREATION

    Karaoke: Japanese karaoke centers are
    multi-storied affairs with private rooms for each party, room service
    for food and drinks, and large song selections. If you’ve never tried
    it, you really should—anyone who has played Rock Band knows the awesome
    fun of singing poorly to your favorite music. Songs you must try: “Welcome
    to the Jungle,” “Say It Ain’t So,” and “Snake Eater Song”
    from MGS3. They’re virtually everywhere, but if you don’t
    see “Karaoke” in English, you can recognize a karaoke center by
    the Japanese     カラオケ. You pay by the hour, and the cheapest times
    are from around 12 PM to around 5 PM.

    Game Centers (Arcades): If you have an
    absurd craving to get your ass kicked at Street Fighter IV, there are
    two good arcades in the Shijo/Sanjo downtown area.

    Round
    1 is a large complex with ticket games, air hockey and crane games aside
    your usual fighters, racers and gun games. From KEIHAN Sanjo
    station, cross the bridge west towards Lawson. Continue straight down
    Sanjo street until the road ends at Kawaramachi street. Cross to the
    dead-end side, and turn left. Walk south down Kawaramachi street towards
    Shijo street. After a short walk, Round 1 will be on your right. The
    real games are all from the 3rd floor up. Most games are
    100 yen per play, but SFIV gives you two plays.

    For
    the hardcore, Amusement A-Cho on Teramachi street is a no-nonsense
    arcade stacked with almost every major fighter from the last two decades.
    The competition is much better than at Round 1, so don’t be surprised
    if you lose. A lot. To get there, follow the directions for Teramachi
    street from Gion-Shijo station. Enter Teramachi, and after a
    short walk you will see a sign for Amusement A-Cho high up on your right.
    Go up the escalator, and you’ll be on the gaming floor. Most games
    are 50 yen per play.

    Clubs: The downtown area has more than
    a few clubs, but I’ve only been to a couple of them. Japanese dancing
    etiquette is different, as people often dance by themselves, and depending
    on the place may not be as receptive to your advances as they would
    in America. Be courteous, get drunk and rock out.

    Sam & Dave: This gaijin-owned
    chain is very popular in Kansai (western Japan), and its Kyoto
    location is on Kiyamachi street between Sanjo and Shijo, close
    to 7-11 and the okonomiyaki restaurant. Entry for men is 2000 and comes
    with 2 drink tickets. The first floor has a pool table, and the second
    floor is the main dance area. Sam & Dave is known for its foreigner
    population, so you’ll see a lot of other gaijin as well as
    questionable Japanese girls looking to hook up with said gaijin.

    Club World: The biggest club in Kyoto,
    Club World is classier, has better music, and is frequented by fewer
    gaijin than Sam & Dave. However, the entry is a hefty 3000 yen,
    and only comes with 1 drink ticket. From Gion-Shijo
    station, cross the bridge towards the McDonalds. Turn right at the first
    intersection (Kiyamachi street), and walk down Kiyamachi on the left-hand
    (far) side of the river. You will soon be at Club World.

    SIGHTSEEING

    While the Pro Tour will take up most
    of your time, this may be the only chance you have to come to Japan,
    and it’d be a shame not to see one of the many beautiful, easily accessible
    cultural spots in Kyoto.

    Kinkakuji: Also known as the Temple of
    the Golden Pavilion, this gilded Buddhist temple sits atop a placid
    pond. It’s a bit out of the way, but well worth it. Admission is ~500.
    To get there, take the 101 or 205 bus from Kyoto Station (or
    any stop along the way). Alternately, a faster method is to take the
    KARASUMA SUBWAY line to Kitaoji station, and take a bus or taxi
    from there to Kinkakuji.

    Ginkakuji: Although the name literally
    translates as “Temple of the Silver Pavilion,” Ginkakuji is actually
    a wooden structure. While it’s currently under construction, the real
    draw is the traditional walking garden path that winds through the carefully
    sculpted grounds. Admission is ~500. To get there, take the 5, 17 or
    100 bus from Kyoto Station. If you’re already near a KEIHAN
    station, it’s a better idea to take the train to Demachiyanagi
    station, and take one of the same buses from there.

    Kiyomizu-dera: Sitting on a hill, the
    beautiful Kiyomizu temple offers a great view of Kyoto. One of the older
    temples in Japan, Kiyomizu-dera is known for its sacred water that is
    purported to bring longevity, wisdom, and health. Lesser-known but close
    by lies a massive Japanese graveyard with stones dating back to the
    mid-1800s. From KEIHAN Kiyomizu-Gojo station, walk west towards
    the row of convenience stores. Continue straight along Gojo street until
    you come upon a diagonal cross-street and a steep hill straight ahead.
    Go up the hill; Kiyomizu-dera is a the top.

    Fushimi-Inari Taisha: My favorite place
    in Kyoto, Fushimi-Inari shrine offers a pleasant hike and some valuable
    silence, both of which are relatively hard to come by in Japan. The
    main shrine for the god of fortune, Fushimi-Inari is a hill criss-crossed
    with dozens of paths that are lined with 10,000 red gates in total.
    Along the hike, you’ll encounter many side paths leading to shrines
    of various sizes, and countless statues of foxes in red bibs. The shrines
    at the top of the hill are full of friendly cats, and I highly recommend
    making the whole circuit. The best time to go is at sundown; hundreds
    of lamps illuminate the mountain, and you won’t run into to too many
    other people. From KEIHAN Fushimi-Inari station, head across
    the train tracks going uphill. Just follow the path straight, and go
    in the same direction as the other tourists. Make sure you don’t get
    lost on the mountain; the paths can be confusing. Trivia: While hiking
    at Fushimi-Inari, the idea of foxes in red bibs flying through gates
    inspired Shigeru Miyamoto to create Starfox.

    FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WANT TO TRY: BASIC
    JAPANESE

    Japanese is a fairly difficult language,
    and the grammar is very different from that of English. Here’s a basic
    pronunciation guide, a list of important questions and phrases, and
    a list of words you can substitute into said sentences.

    Pronunciation: Japanese pronunciation
    is much simpler than you might imagine. There are five vowels: A, I,
    U, E, and O.

    A is pronounced ah, as in law or saab.

    I is pronounced ee, as in feed or knee.

    U is pronounced ooh, as in you or do.

    E is pronounced ay, as in play or way.

    O is pronounced oh, as in low or dough.

    All the consonants are similar to those
    in English, with the exception of:

    “R” sounds like a mix of L and R;
    try saying “R” while touching the tip of your tongue to the roof
    of your mouth.

    “F” sounds like a mix of F and H;
    try saying “F” without touching your upper teeth to your lower lip.

    Additionally, Japanese uses “Tsu,”
    which is pronounced how it is written.

    “J” is ALWAYS pronounced like J as
    in “jam” or “jump”.

    Useful sentence Patterns:

    WHERE: _______ wa doko desu ka? (where
    is ___?)

    HOW MUCH: _______ wa ikura desu ka?
    (how much is ___?)

    DIRECTIONS: _______ ni dou ikimasu ka?
    (how do I get to ___?)

    DO YOU HAVE: _______ wa arimasu ka?
    (do you have/is there ___?)

    WHEN: ______ wa itsu desu ka? (when
    is ___?)

    Useful phrases:

    Konnichiwa. (Hello)

    Jaa ne! (Goodbye!)

    Arigatou. (Thank you.)

    Onegaishimasu. (Please.)

    Sumimasen. (Excuse me.)

    Gomen nasai. (Sorry.)

    Eigo o hanasemasu ka? (Do you speak
    English?)

    Nihongo o hanasemasen. (I don’t
    speak Japanese.)

    Useful words:

    Places:

    Train station: Eki

    Toilet: Toire

    Convenience Store: Konbini

    Bar: Izakaya, Baa

    Restaurant: Resutoran

    Police Box: Koban

    Bakery: Panya

    Sushi restaurant: Sushiya

    Bookstore: Honya

    Arcade: Geemu Senta

    Japan: Nihon

    Japanese (language): Nihongo

    Japanese (person): Nihonjin

    Things:

    Train: Densha

    Taxi: Takushii

    Food: Tabemono

    Drinks: Nomimono

    Alcohol: Sake

    Beer: Biiru

    Lunch: Hirugohan

    Dinner: Bangohan

    END

    I hope some of this has been useful.
    This basic guide is by no means exhaustive, and I can already think
    of a few cool things I haven’t even had the time to write yet, but
    it should help you get around reasonably well. Good luck in the PT!

    P.S.: If I know you from GG or MT and
    you’d like my number for emergency contact or general information
    purposes, send me a request via GMail at srosenblum.




    (Discuss this item in the forum!)

  • MagicTheGathering.com Decoder

    user posted image

    mtg.goodgamery.com

    Daily MTG

    News List – Columns List

    Event Coverage

    PTQ Honolulu Information

    “Decks of the Week” archive

    DCI ratings

    Spoiler of Standard-Legal Vanguard Avatars

    The Rules

  • Social Empathy and the Magic Condition

    As Magic players, there’s a certain stigma attached to us. Sad but true, the standard mental picture of a “Magic player” to those unfamiliar with the community (at least, in America – talk to Richie Hagon about the fabulous life of European GP competitors), is somewhat of a “basement dweller”. Because I have no interest in being more negative than that term already is, I won’t expound more than that, but you get the idea.

    The problem with this so-called Plutonic ideal of a Magic player is that it’s completely inaccurate. Though this disparaging image of Magic players proves somewhat true at the PTQ level — at large-scale tournaments (like, for example, Nationals) nary a smelly dude can be found. But why is that? Why the stark dichotomy between the top-level players and those below that? How can it be that the better players are consistently better kept? This is the exact issue some of us were discussing last weekend. A very smart person attributed it to a theory of “social empathy”. I’m going to talk a little about my thoughts on that theory and how it might even help you to become a better Magic player in the process.

    *I’m leaving the name of the theory’s owner out of this article, not because I’m an egomaniacal jerk, but because some could view this theory as negative towards certain people and I don’t want to incriminate anyone other than myself. Though this idea is not meant negatively at all, I do see how it could be taken that way.*

    Our group discussed the idea that all decent-to-good Magic players share at least one common characteristic; they are smart. Just like any decent basketball player is going to be athletic, Magic players have to be able to exercise their brain muscle more often than they’d like to admit. But brains doesn’t really mean much else. So although your average PTQ-er is going to be alright with the brain mechanics, they might not be the physical pillar of respectability (look at me, I’m slipping into the negative already). So it’s not just an IQ difference. There must be some other reason to why these players don’t they have what it takes to compete at the Pro Tour level?

    Someone suggested Social Empathy. The ability to relate and commiserate with the people around you. The people who tend not to take good care of their bodies, or who can’t carry on a conversation without being judgmental, arrogant or just plain old rude, as a general rule, have a lower level of social empathy than those who can carry conversations better. And having this empathy isn’t just for your dueling partner, but also the people at your drafting table (to better define the correct picks), or the people who you playtest with (the better your social interactions the more you can play against the people it’s beneficial to play against–because they’ll want to play against you in the first place). Now, social empathy is far from a strictly positive attribute. Too much social empathy and you can become paranoid or an inactive over-thinker. But for the purposes of this article assume when I say “social empathy” I mean “a healthy and positive level of social empathy.”

    How empathy can divide the decent players from the good players is very simple; if you are able to get into the minds of your opponents, it will be easier to deduce why they made the decisions they did, and thus making it much easier to play against them. Mike Flores talks all the time about this issue. When you’re getting ready to make a play, he says, ask yourself what your opponent would want you to do. Though this play doesn’t always differ from the play you eventually make, it will always help to figure out what your opponent is thinking. And if you’re in their head, you’ll be able to pull out that grinding, off-the-top game more often than not.

    Sadly, For the most part, the people who decide it’s not in their best interest to appear kind, or presentable, either don’t have a great grasp on social empathy or choose to not care about it. And mastering this trait is a great way to master Magic. Because there are always three games going on at any given time in Magic: the game your deck is playing, the game your opponent’s deck is playing, and the game in which those two games overlap. Decent players can see two of those games, but good players always see the third: the game their opponents’ decks are playing. This idea extends further than, “He left three mana up; does he have Broken Ambitions?” But instead leads somewhere else: “If he’s got the Broken Ambitions, what is he expecting to counter? What would he let through? Why?” These are the type of questions that aim to get into that elusive third game, that, although they won’t always translate to wins, they will put you in a much better position to figure what your opponent is holding, what they are afraid of, and how you can take advantage of that information.

    This is not to say, “If your opponent smells, you’re better than him.” This theory is merely a sociological idea attempting to get to the heart of why there is consistently a physical and social difference between people playing the Pro Tour and those that aren’t. This of course doesn’t mean that if you have social empathy you are a good player. As a PTQ scrub and someone who thinks about everybody else before me, I can tell you, all those strategy and skill articles are pretty damn important too as is practicing like hell.

    But what the social empathy theory does mean, is if you constantly scour those strategy articles, always practice the right match-ups in a good way, and play the best decks for the given tournament, and you still don’t perform the level you want to, perhaps your level of social empathy is what’s keeping you down. Next time, when you’re testing all night, try to “put the read” on your opponent deeper than, “Is that a Flame Javelin, or an Incinerate?” Think about what he’d be saving such burn for in the first place. Think about what he’s hoping to top-deck, and how cool could he play it if he did draw the spell he’s hoping for. Oh, also this theory means take a shower before you get in the car.

    (Discuss this item in the forum!)

  • PS Elves Yu: FNM Report

    The story of an FNM with B/G elves!

    First a decklist:

    This is going to be a significantly shorter report than my last one, and I apologize for this (but, what can you expect from a 3 hour tournament on Fridays?)

    Round 1: Steven Gorrie (U/B Faeries)
    This guy kind of plays slow in general, but is an OK player.

    Game 1: He gets stuck on 3 mana, I get turn 2 perfect, turn 3 perfect, turn 4 Colossus, and the game ends veryyyyyyyyyyyyyy quickly!

    Game 2: He mulligans to 6 on the play, misses his 4th land drop, so I don’t play stuff until I can deploy 2 threats per turn to play around counters.

    Round 2: Yoel Iszak (G/B/W Doran)

    I knew what he was playing beforehand, because we talk a decent amount online…;_;

    Game 1: I keep the following opening hand which is slightly suspect: Forest, Forest, Pendelhaven, Llanowar*2, Boreal, Perfect. My first few topdecks are all black cards, then I finally draw a palace, when my hand is 2 profane commands.

    I proceed to lose the the massive amount of faerie tokens being produced by bitterblossom.

    Game 2: Turn 1: Palace, Llanowar. Turn 2: Treetop, play goyf. Turn 3: Play Goyf, thoughtseize his inversion, attack. Turn 4: Garruk, untap 2 lands, play vanquisher. The game ends pretty quickly after that.

    Game 3: I get a fairly good draw, turn 1 llanowar, turn 2 vanquisher, but he gets a draw with turn 2 doran, turn 3 bitterblossom, turn 4 inversion. He eventually lets me overcommit into a damnation, where he can recover by attacking with 2 treetops and faerie tokens :[

    Round 3: Chris Denault (Mono-red burn).

    Game 1: I keep a kind of slow hand after mulliganing to 6, and get promptly destroyed by turn 1 suspend gargs, turn 2 marauders, turn 3 crusher, turn 4 burn my guy, turn 5 burn my guy.

    Game 2: I side in the 3rd colossus, both primal commands, and the 3rd terror for 4 imperious perfect, and 1 wayfinder. My draw involves a turn 3 colossus, turn 4 primal command, finding another colossus, turn 5, kill his martyr of ashes and play another colossus. He loses pretty quickly to 8/8s after that.

    Game 3: He mulligans to 5, and I play a colossus which does not die.

    Kind of a short report, I know, so a bonus decklist!

  • PS Goblins Yu: GP Philadelphia Report

    For a month or two, I had been playtesting Goblins extensively (for the PTQ season, obviously).

    After 0-2ing the Richmond PTQ, and winning the GPT that started after round 2 (lol 0-2 drop!),
    I come up with a pretty optimal list of Goblins after talking to Brad Taulbee (who managed to make
    it to two PTQ finals, losing to Aggro Loam both times).

    Of course, what would any good Magic article be without a decklist?

    The Sparksmith got added in to beat Tarmogoyfs/Myr Enforcers/Dorans, etc. I felt having 4 Goblin Matron
    was too slow many a time, especially with the number of Cabal Therapies running around (see Dredge/Doran).

    Before the tournament arrives, about a week in advance, I ship Tristal a Domain Zoo list, which he proceeds
    to smash face with! {e}

    Round 1-3: Byes,

    walking around the venue, meeting up with various Maryland players, and Tristal and RobRoy.

    Round 4: Christopher R. Schaut.

    I recognize this guy from the last Rockville PTQ, where he played my friend Hans Mahler in an Ideal mirror, so I auto-put him on Ideal.

    Game 1: He wins the die roll, and casts a turn 2 Form of the Dragon off a sacland and double Seething Song. I proceed to sharpshooter him for 5 damage on turn 4 (while being at 5!)

    Sideboarding: -4 Gempalm, -1 Ringleader, -1 Sparksmith, +3 Therapy, +3 grip

    Game 2: He keeps a weird hand (i think, 3 sacland, wish, 2*prism, star). I therapy him for Sensei Top, because his first play is a sacland, and I don’t really want him recovering from my Therapies. On my turn 2, I lay a Mogg War Marshal, flashback therapy to hit both his prisms, in the meantime, he has drawn another burning wish. The next turn, I Earwig Squad him for 2 confinements and a form, and note that he doesn’t play top, instead playing insidious dreams/draco/explosion.


    However, the game ends pretty quickly after that since he is taking 6 per turn.

    Round 5: Robert E. Moore.

    He is playing some sort of dumb Leaf-Crowned Elder deck (apparently he only had 1 bye, so he managed to win 3 rounds in a row!).

    Game 1: He triggers Elder about 6 times, getting Eternal Witness, Doran, Troll Ascetic, but multiple ringleaders just bash him in combo with a pyromancer.

    Sideboarding: +3 grip, -3 Fanatic

    Game 2: The same thing happens, but he Engineered Plagues for goblin, but I have a goblin king in play, so he still dies to pyromancer.

    Round 6: Christian Calcano.

    He is playing Doran with maindeck Jitte ;_;

    Game 1: It is a fairly tense game that goes back and forth. I Gempalm two early goyfs, and have a bunch of 1/1s in play, but he eventually gets Doran/Shizo/Jitte, and I lose.

    Sideboarding: +3 therapy, -1 Matron, -2 piledriver

    Game 2: I keep his Jitte in check with Skirk Prospector, so he bites it to a lot of 1/1 tokens.

    Game 3: He gets turn 2 doran, turn 3 vindicate, turn 4 witness ;_;

    I was pretty pissed after this match, because I don’t think he could have won game 1 without drawing his singleton Shizo.

    Round 7: BENJI ASHMAN (AKA FAKEHAT!)

    Game 1: Fakehat obvobvobv draws it afgain, and combos me on turn 4.

    Sideboarding: +3 therapy, +2 Grip, -4 gempalm, -1 sparksmith

    Game 2: I threaten lethal on my turn 4, so he has to wish on turn 3 for pyroclasm, then later fizzles on a desire for 6.

    Game 3: He mulligans to 5 and puts up no fight.

    Round 8: Jason Imperiale

    Dredge idiot, and I know this from reading mtg.com :-p He is also kind of a douche.

    Game 1: I obvobvobv lose because he has early darkblast and dredging.

    Sideboarding: +4 Extirpate, +3 Earwig, -2 Piledriver, -1 Matron, -2 Ringleader, -1 Pyromancer, -1 Tin Street


    Game 2: He mulls to 5, and I just roll him on turn 4 with the 2 piledrivers I left in.

    Game 3: He keeps a 7 card hand, but does nothing for the first few turns. I correctly put him on darkblast, when all he does is fetch up 2 watery graves. I finally play into his darkblast so I can extirpate it, and earwig him for 3 narcs, then 2 dread return and an ichorid.


    He starts bitching and whining about how lucky and terrible I am to not do anything early and he eventually decks when he can’t make it past my fanatics.

    Round 9: Nicolas J. Cuenca

    Goblins mirror!

    Game 1: He gets stuck on 3 mana, whereas I don’t miss land drops and resolve several ringleaders which end the game in short order.

    Game 2: He gets stuck on 3 mana again, but my hand is kind of slow, so I start cabal therapying him to try to stay alive, and eventually draw my one goblin king to lethal him with my mogg tokens.

    End of day 1.

    I am pretty excited because I am 8-1, so I am in relatively good shape to at least money, if not top 8.

    Round 10: Zack Hall

    U/W tron. I put this guy on a tron strategy, since he obviously did well in Vancouver with it.

    Game 1: He wins the die roll, and leads with a power plant, and chrome mox imprinting condescend. I play a fanatic into his represented counterspell, and sure enough it gets remanded.

    He trons up on turn 3, so I get slavered on turn 4, and he gets the lock on turn 5 by a transmuted tolaria west.

    Sideboarding: -4 Mogg Fanatic, -1 Sparksmith, -2 Gempalm, +3 Cabal Therapy, +3 Krosan Grip (I leave in 2 gempalms, for triskelion so I can attack past it).

    Game 2: He mulligans to 5, and my draw involves: turn 1, land mox, imprint gempalm, piledriver, turn 2, warchief, turn 3 ringleader. That doesn’t last long, even though he plays a sphere of law on turn 3 from a turn 3 signet.

    Game 3: He keeps a slow hand, and I get early pressure. He eventually taps low to oblivion ring a piledriver, so I sneak out a warchief. The next turn, he lays a sphere of law, then I untap and pyromancer him for exactly enough through the sphere.

    Round 11: Joshua Schneier

    Blue Counterbalance variant with Engineered Plagues.

    Game 1: I win the dieroll, lay turn 1 prospector, turn 2 sparksmith. He reads the card carefully and slumps back in his chair as he starts laying tarmogoyfs only to see them sparksmithed to death. Not close at all.

    Sideboarding: -4 Mogg Fanatic, -1 Pyromancer, +3 Krosan Grip, +2 Dralnu’s Crusade

    Game 2: He force spikes my prospector, counterspells my piledriver, then lays a plague. I die to tarmogoyfs shortly after.

    Game 3: My hand is ok, I resolve a piledrive ron turn 2, then start laying some small guys like moggs, and he draws 7 fetchlands in a row and dies.

    At this point, I’m extremely psyched, since I only need to 2-1 the next 3 rounds to top 8.

    Round 12: Matt Hansen.

    Cymbro #2, obvobvobv.

    Game 1: I draw a tonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn of lands, like 6 after I keep an opener of 3 lands, mogg fanatic, prospector, piledriver.

    Sideboarding: -1 Tin Street Hooligan, -2 SKirk Prospector, +3 Krosan Grip

    Game 2: I get an early sparksmith, which contains his guys long enough for me to piledriver him to death.

    Game 3: I commit the WORST blunder ever, which probably costs me the game. My board is, goblin king, sparksmith, prospector, piledriver, his board is only a chameleon colossus, and he is tapped out.

    All I need to do is sparksmith his colossus (since it would take 5 damage since it counts all goblins in play). Instead, I convince myself that I need to sparksmith it and fanatic it. So I lose a fanatic for no reason
    which would have been instrumental in keeping his 2nd phantom centaur under control so it would not get cloaked*2.

    Instead I lose to that centaur, and Hansen goes on to top 8.

    Round 13: Michael Mushaty.

    Counterbalance idiot #2

    Game 1: I get a fast draw, and roll him, while he does dumb stuff like repeal my chrome mox 3 times.

    Sideboarding: –

    Game 2: He plays an early goyf, then a forge-tender, then another goyf. I can’t really do anything through his forge-tenders and goyfs, because gempalm incinerator is basically dead.

    Game 3: I draw all of my chrome moxen, after keeping a hand with land, land, mox, piledriver, warchief, prospector. He then repeals my mox on his turn 1. After which, he proceeds to go goyf, forge-tender, shackles. At some point, he shackles my mogg war marshal, and chooses to untap his shackles and STEAL THE SAME MOGG WAR MARSHAL AGAIN.

    Round 14: Dean C. Bilz

    TEPS guy #2.

    Game 1: Comboed on turn 4, when he was gonna die on my turn 4, but he won the die roll ;[

    Game 2: I am pretty sure that I can’t dodge the bullet again and win this matchup, but in game 2, I decide to matron for a ringleader, whereas if I matron for a mogg fanatic, he just dies.

    Round 15: Daniel OMahoney-Schwartz

    I recognize his name, since he is one of the 3 people part of Team Antarctica, so I know he is probably pretty good.
    He is playing Domain Zoo.

    Game 1: I clog the board with 3 mogg war marshals, then ghost quarter his temple garden, which strands his hand full of lightning helixes and vindicates, and shrinks his kird ape to a 1/1.

    Game 2: He gets turn 1 ape, turn 2 goyf, turn 3 jitte/tarfire a guy of mine. I lose this one pretty handily.

    Game 3: I get turn 1 prospector, turn 2 mogg war marshal which keeps his jitte in check while I build up a critical mass of goblins to goblin king him to death.

    All-in all, it’s a pretty good tournament for me, and playtesting paid off in spades, giving me 2 pro points, and 400 dollars.

    If I had won one more match, I would have qualified for hollywood, but this is not too bad of a performance for my 3rd GP ever.


    Looking at the pre-rotation decklist, we can see that a few cards are lost for the next season of extended.

    In particular, Goblin Matron and Goblin Ringleader disappear from the maindeck, as well as Dralnu’s Crusade and Cabal Therapy from the sideboard.

    Looking from Onslaught/MDF type 2 for goblins, we can either run clickslither, or siege-gang commander.

    In particular, I would restructure the deck in the following way:

    My gut-feeling is that post rotation, Affinity and Tron will be HUGE. You need sprees vs affinity and maindeck sparksmith as a 4-of helps a lot vs them. Grip is an uncounterable way of killing their titans or platinums. Clickslither is a hasty trampling threat that is hard to deal with.

  • Team Fortress 2: Badlands, First Impressions Review

    Check out Changeling_Bob’s review of Team Fortress 2: Badlands here.

  • Massive Gameplay-Related SSB:Brawl Spoiler

    okay, so this game is goddamn awesome. i went to my friend's place last night around 8, and passed around the controllers from then until 3AM when i had to leave because the only other person still up went to bed. it’s a ridiculous amount of fun.

    CONTROLS/GAMEPLAY

    this game is not melee. everyone is floatier and jumps higher, and the game speed lands somewhere between melee and 64. most kills were vertical or horizontal, and it was uncommon to see someone fall to their death. people generally get to higher %ages, and comboing is harder because attacks have further knockback. characters automatically grab ledges off of jumps and most recovery attacks, so edge-guarding is much harder in brawl than in melee. all the physics exploits from melee are gone, and air dodges don't go in a direction anymore–they follow your current momentum.

    CHARACTERS

    i used: samus/zero (a ton), luigi, ike, marth, sonic, sheik, fox (a few to several times each), meta-knight, link, pit, pokemon trainer, snake, mario, and rob (once each). i saw every character played throughout the night, with the exception of game & watch, toon link, jigglypuff and wolf because they hadn't been unlocked and peach and zelda because nobody liked them.

    samus/zero: zero samus is fucking amazing; great jumps, great aerials, long-range smashes, a useful projectile, a ranged throw that goes fairly fast with minimal lag, and good speed. regular samus is a worthless pile. she's much floatier and slower in the air than in melee, her missiles aren't as good, the charge shot takes longer to charge, her n air and dash attacks aren't as good, and her other issues (slow roll, mediocre vertical recovery) remain intact. i think the screw attack might be better this time around, but does it matter?

    B: paralyzer – energy pistol shot that does decent damage and stuns based on charge time, with a maximum charge of a few seconds before it automatically fires. it's about as fast as a boomerang, but the range is somewhat limited.

    >B: whip – whips out further than her smash, but with longer lag. i don't know much about attack; i didn't use it much.

    vB: backflip – she performs a backflip that arcs in the direction she was facing, with decent vertical and horizontal range. it’s fairly fast, making it a fun combat tactic and a crucial third jump.

    ^B: whip – whips straight up or to the nearest ledge. decent range, although i haven't used it in combat as much as her better anti-air alternatives. still, it means zero samus has four great jumps, so her recovery is awesome.

    final smash: power suit samus – she dons the power suit in a storm of energy, and deals some damage + knockback to anyone close to her. sadly, this final smash is 1) not that powerful, 2) leaves you vulnerable when you first transform into samus, and 3) leaves you as samus, but according to today's smashbros.com update you can lose the armor by mashing up + down taunts repeatedly!

    notable A moves: her >/^ smashes are both whip attacks with good range (and knockback in the case of >), and her down smash inflicts a good few seconds of stun. zero’s aerials are all fairly good, and lead to juggling opportunities with her great jumps. i'm not sure what to make of her v air though, as it's one of the kicks (like sheik's and sonic's) that launches downward until it hits a platform, and has some predictability/lag issues.

    samus moves:

    final smash: zero laser – one of my favorite final smashes, because it's everything a final smash should be: powerful, useful on any stage, skill-rewarding, and escapable. it blows the holy hell out of anyone sorry enough to get hit, and leaves you as zero samus which is great.

    luigi: anyone who loved luigi in ssb and hated his movement issues will be pleased to find that luigi kicks ass now. he is not nearly as floaty or slippery as melee, and has the same moveset with a few key upgrades.

    >B: green missile – this time, the green missile doesn't require as much charge to hit hard, and when it misfires it doesn't rocket as far off the stage. it has more knockback, and works as a finisher.

    ^B: jump punch – i've found this easier to sweetspot in brawl, and much more powerful, leading to countless shouts of "SHOOOORYUKEN" last night ^____^. the only problem is that luigi can't grab ledges after using it, so it's a poor recovery move.

    final smash: crazy dance – a large circle of inverted colors spreads outward from luigi, and he dances for several seconds to odd music. opponents in the circle fall into a trance and are prime targets for shoryukens. the whole effect lasts around 15 seconds, and after the first 10 or so the circle begins to shrink. you can avoid getting caught in the circle as long as you play intelligently, and it’s possible to escape the trance by wiggling the analog (although i can’t do it reliably).

    ike: ike is awesome, but requires timing. most of his moves are much slower than marth's, but they have range and are ungodly powerful. i routinely killed people at 50-70% using his >smash, and when he connects it makes the sound of a gunshot holy fuck

    B: eruption – unlike marth's charge B, ike stabs down into the stage to create a fiery explosion. the charge can be held indefinitely (like most charge moves this game, including green missile and shield breaker). the base damage is not much lower than fully charged, but i have yet to master the timing. it can stab through floors, which kicks huge amounts of ass.

    >B: quick draw – another charge move. when you release, ike shoots forward and slices whomever was in his way. longer charges go further. like the fox illusion, you are vulnerable after performing this in the air. it’s a great move to balance out ike's slower attacks, as it lets you quickly close the distance on opponents. projectiles stop it.

    vB: counter – like marth's, but a bit slower and more powerful.

    ^B: aether – imagine if final cutter looked awesome. now pretend that it was useful. you now have a rough idea of aether. ike throws his sword up fairly far, which smacks anyone who gets hit by it, and then jumps up to catch it and slash downward a la final cutter. ike doesn't flinch throughout this entire move, which has a large range and does good damage.

    final smash: great aether – spectacularly awesome. ike throws up his sword, and jumps after it as it spins in the air. he then proceeds to beat the hell out of anyone caught in the initial throw for several seconds, and brings everyone back down in a huge final strike. i’m not sure if this is an instant kill regardless of percentage, but i never used it without KOing someone.

    notable A moves: i didn’t spend much time with his aerials, but his > smash has good range and ridiculous power (if a slow windup), and his jab combo does a huge amount of damage and knockback for a “weak” move.

    marth: marth is still one of the better characters, and retains his excellent speed, range, and tipping power from melee. his shield breaker is now a thrust instead of an arc, and can be held indefinitely like most of the other charge moves.

    final smash: critical strike – marth flashes forward and scores a critical hit on anyone in his way. fast, but can be anticipated and dodged. i’m fairly sure this is an instant kill

    sonic: while I didn’t get that great of a feel for him, i can confidently say that sonic is a good character. he moves and attacks with great speed, has some good aerials, and can even perform some moves after using his ^B.

    B: homing attack – sonic charges in spin mode for a bit, then attacks the nearest opponent.

    >B/vB: spindash – i didn’t use sonic enough to figure out the different uses for these moves, but in either case sonic charges a spindash and rockets at a fool.

    ^B: spring – sonic bounces off of a spring. great vertical distance, if a bit lacking horizontally. if used on the ground, other players can also jump on the spring until it disappears.

    final smash: OVER NINE THOUSAAAAAAAAAAAND – sonic transforms into super sonic, loses all his moves and gains the ability to zoom around and run into people. he flies very fast, so it’s hard to control, but the damage and knockback are excellent and I never saw someone transform into super sonic without getting at least 2 kills. it lasts 15+ seconds, but can be dodged and takes some degree of skill to use effectively.

    notable A moves: sonic’s ^ air is very similar to fox’s, and his > air is a horizontal drill kick that has good priority. it’s worth noting that drill/multiple hit moves are almost as good in brawl as they were in 64. like sheik and zero samus, sonic’s v air doesn’t stop until it hits a platform.

    sheik: sheik lost some power with the transition from melee to brawl; because of the increased floatiness, it’s harder to combo and juggle with her. sheik’s attacks are essentially unchanged, with the exception of needles (which, unless completely charged, don’t fire unless you press B twice) and v air (which, as mentioned previously, doesn’t stop until it hits a platform, and doesn’t have nearly as much initial lag as it used to).

    final smash: light arrow – this move is another of my favorite final smashes. sheik draws back her bow and lets loose a lightning-fast arrow. if it connects, it freezes time and shows the doomed characters for a split second before they rocket off the screen. it’s like the zero laser, but much faster (and harder to dodge), much narrower (and harder to hit with), and kills instantly. shooting someone who just respawned with a light arrow feels really, really good, and leads to excessive profanity.

    fox: like sheik, fox is also hurt by brawl’s physics changes. his quick air game has been cut back in terms of power. his moves are essentially unchanged as well, although his side smash looks different.

    final smash: landmaster – the landmaster is fucking retarded. fox calls down a gigantic tank and proceeds to ream everyone. while it doesn’t hurt to touch the tank, it only takes a couple blasts to get killed by it, and it’s easy to push people off the edge and shoot them as they try to recover. i’m sure i’d have a better time of dodging it once i gained more experience with the game, but for now landmaster is unstoppable on pretty much any stage smaller than, say, melee corneria. expect to die. a lot.

    meta-knight: meta-knight is a bit tricky to use. he’s fairly fast and his attacks are quick, but nobody who used him last night was able to figure out his best finishers. he has excellent horizontal recovery, thanks to a combination of gliding, jumps, and his >B.

    B: tornado – meta-knight begins whirling around, and damages everyone he touches. The path of the tornado can be controlled, and it works just as well in midair as it does on the ground (as opposed to the luigi cyclone).

    >B: cannon drill – meta-knight launches forward, and damages anyone he touches. useful for recovery and, and a reliable way to close distance and get in some percentage.

    vB: teleport – some sort of teleport move. i never used it, but some of my friends did.

    ^B: glide – to be honest, i have no idea how to use this move effectively. meta-knight launches into the air, loops around a bit and then SDs off the stage. twice. in one match. that i was about to win god dammit.

    final smash: dimensional cape – meta-knight throws his cape around an opponent, the screen goes dark, and all opponents are cut with a huge slash that deals big damage and knockback, although it’s not an instant kill. in order to work properly, you have to perform it right next to someone; otherwise, nothing happens.

    notable A moves: i only played one match with him, but holding A to unleash a flurry of sword strikes on an enemy is tons of fun. his moves are somewhat hard to hit with in general, because you must be precise with them due to their speed.

    link: link was alright. he has good range as always, but his attacks are still somewhat slow and i don’t know if the spin attack is as good as it was in melee. the spin attack can be charged now, and the gale boomerang can suck opponents back towards link.

    final smash: triforce slash – another of my favorites. link holds out the back of his fist, and a golden beam of light shoots from the triforce on his gauntlet. if it hits someone, two triforces imprison them as link goes to town with a barrage of slashes before winding up for a few seconds and finishing them off with a huge blow. i think it’s an instant kill, but make sure you’re actually going to connect before you press B, because every time someone whiffs a triforce slash maro considers putting one with nothing in 11th.

    pit: pit stands with zero samus and sonic as one of the better newcomers. he has insane vertical and horizontal recovery thanks to his ^B, a good final smash, a reflector, a bevy of useful sword strikes, and one of the best/most goddamn annoying projectiles ever.

    B: palutena’s arrow – pit shoots out a very quick arrow. charging increases the distance, and you can change the direction of the arrow by pressing up or down while it’s in motion. pit can also aim straight up with his bow. unlike the boomerang, the arrow’s direction can be changed by degrees, so given enough practice i imagine one can become quite the marksman.

    >B: spinning blades – pit charges forward a short distance, spinning his knives. the spin continues for as long as you continue to mash B, and is hard to attack into. additionally, the wind from the spinning blades reflects projectiles. good attack, but i hope to god they’ve changed his battle cry for the american version because it makes me want to shoot someone.

    vB: mirror shield – pit holds out a magical shield, which reflects items. it comes out fairly quickly, although i don’t think it can be used as an attack.

    ^B: wings of palutena – pits wings glow blue, and he flies upward in whatever direction you choose for what seems like forever. no joke, one of my friends accidentally killed himself with this by jumping into a star KO.

    final smash: palutena’s army – pit calls on a bunch of small, irritating fairy soldiers, who are like more powerful, homing unown. this final smash gets worse as the stage gets bigger, but it’s always a fairly annoying move and relatively hard to dodge. it can kill at 0%, but you’d have to be really, really bad.

    notable A moves: i don’t remember too much about him, but i believe his >smash is like link’s (2 blows you can stagger), and he does well in aerial combat.

    pokemon trainer: it’s hard enough to get a sense for one character’s moveset in only one match, let alone three, so all i can give you is what you have probably already figured out: squirtle is fast and weak, ivysaur is mid-range, and charizard is slower and more powerful. however, i can tell you that the final smash is kickass.

    final smash: team attack – hydro pump, solar beam and flamethrower. it has a decent width, comes out instantly, and has killed everyone it touched (though i’m not sure if it kills from 0%). it’s super effective!

    when you lose all your stock as pokemon trainer, he stays in the background looking worried for his pokemon for the rest of the match.

    snake: snake is a hard character to use, and i expect he’ll take a lot of practice to use well, but that the practice will be worth it. his moves are slower and sloppier than you would think, but if you get used to his timing he’s fairly powerful. he can crawl around to avoid most projectiles, and his box taunt damages if the box hits someone as it falls.

    B: grenade – snake throws a grenade. after a couple seconds, it explodes. duh.

    >B: nikita missile – snake shoots a nikita missile, which can be guided. to stop guiding the missile, l-cancel. the nikita inflicts decent damage and knockback.

    vB: claymore – i didn’t use this.

    ^B: cypher – snake ascends for a few seconds using the remote sentry. snake can still perform some attacks after using the cypher.

    final smash: grenade launcher – snake jumps into a helicopter and takes control of a grenade launcher. grenades do ~18 damage, have a lot of knockback, and explode large enough to catch more than one enemy in the blast. this is a very fair smash: powerful, but skill-intensive.

    mario: mario, from the one game i played with him, is about the same as he was in melee. the only notable change is that the mario tornado is now v air, and his vB is now FLUDD, which i have no idea how to use well. i never got his final smash off, but you’ve all seen it so i won’t go into great detail.

    rob: rob is surprisingly good. it deals acceptable damage, has good jumps, an excellent ^B, a good projectile, and a devastating < air.

    B: laser – rob shoots a laser that deals a good amount of damage and goes through players to damage players behind them, like a wave beam. it has a cooldown period, though, and if you try to spam it you will not get very good results.

    >B: to be honest, i don’t even remember.

    vB: same.

    ^B: booster – rob uses the jets its his base to boost through the air. you have about 5 seconds of boost, but you can space them apart instead of using it all up at once.

    final smash: robot rampage – rob shoots a sort of laser flamethrower from his eyes for the duration of the smash, and his attacks are replaced by a powerful spin move. the smash lasts for about 10-15 seconds.

    further observations about characters i didn’t use:

    -kirby doesn’t completely suck anymore; same for pikachu
    -dedede is very slow, but the waddle-dee army is so cute >:3
    -diddy is apparently worthless
    -bowser is still awful, even with giga bowser taken into account
    -ganondorf’s final smash is great: he transforms into beast ganon from twilight princess and charges off the screen before reappearing in human form. anyone taken down by beast ganon is instantly killed.
    -lucario is basically mewtwo two. his A attacks seems to be better, but he’s still very floaty and has a similar ^B/B. hyper beam is ridiculous, though; lucario teleports to the top of the stage and shoots out a huge, powerful beam of energy, which you can slowly guide to the left or right.
    -falco is not so good anymore—too floaty, too slow

    ITEMS

    the guy who owned the wii had already turned off many of the items, so i’ll just talk about the ones i thought were pretty cool.

    -smash ball: this was done surprisingly well. the smash ball floats around the stage, and takes a number of hits to break. scrambling to get the smash ball is tense, exciting, and a whole lot of fun; you don’t get it so much as you win it. to use it, just press B. if you haven’t used it and somebody hits you hard enough, it floats free again.

    -dragoon: once the first dragoon piece appears, it’s assured that the next two are coming. this creates a new and interesting dynamic, as players go after other players who have the pieces they need. the dragoon itself is fun to use as well; you have a limited amount of time to try and hit an enemy, and you only get one shot. if it hits, it’s an instant kill.

    -firework launcher: you can alter the trajectory of your fireworks by tilting the analog, and the fireworks are fairly fast and powerful.

    -assist trophy: some of them kind of suck, but andross, little mac, knuckle joe, gray fox, saki amiyama or whatever and the custom robos are all really good.

    -beam sword: my favorite beam sword yet. its default length is almost longer than it ever got in melee, and it grows to fairly ridiculous proportions during a smash attack. each character uses the beam sword in a unique manner, which adds another layer of strategy.

    i think i am done typing this ridiculous thing, so if you’d like to know about stages or music as well, i’ll answer any questions.