Good Gamery

Category: strategy

  • NJ’s Shadowmoor Constructed Review

    Check out NicotineJones’ Shadowmoor constructed review here.

  • 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.

  • Arguing About Morningtide in Limited

    Ballyrush Banneret – 1W
    Creature – Kithkin Soldier (Common)
    Kithkin spells and Soldier spells you play cost {1} less to play.
    2/1
    Illus. Ralph Horsley
    #1/150

    About the Bannerets in general: They're kind of like mana myr, except they don't color-fix and their mana is a little more restrictive? There is also the possibility of an explosive turn 3 if you have a two-drop and a three-drop. In general it seems like the bannerets in the more expensive races will be more valuable. This one is a 2/1 which isn't bad for two mana. It does seem like almost all the Kithkin are Soldiers and vice versa though, so this is one of the smaller effects.

    Burrenton Bombardier – 2W
    Creature – Kithkin Soldier (Common)
    Flying
    Reinforce 2 – {2}{W}
    2/2
    Illus. Ron Spencer
    #3/150

    This is obviously pretty good. If you have a lot of bears, you can probably force them to try to trade when they're tapped out, and this trick can wreck them. Also, wind drake.

    Burrenton Shield-Bearers – 4W
    Creature – Kithkin Soldier (Common)
    Whenever Burrenton Shield-Bearers attacks, target creature gets +0/+3 until end of turn.
    3/3
    Illus. Daren Bader
    #4/150

    If you don't get any Plover Knights, I guess this is okay…. Some decks would have trouble blocking a 3/6 or a 3/3 and a 2/5.

    Cenn's Tactician – W
    Creature – Kithkin Soldier (Common)
    {W}, {T}: Put a +1/+1 counter on target Soldier creature.
    Each creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it can block an additional creature.
    1/1

    This still does not seem like a common to me at all. Nuts in general.

    EDIT: Turns out it's believed not to be a common now, and instead we have:

    Forfend – 1W
    Instant (Common)
    Prevent all damage that would be dealt to creatures this turn.

    This seems pretty awful in general. I guess you can use it sort of like a one-shot surprise Dolmen's Gate, or as a bad fog if you have enough blockers. It can answer Thundercloud Shaman and might combo with first strike.

    Changeling Sentinel – 3W
    Creature – Shapeshifter (Common)
    Changeling
    Vigilance
    3/2
    Illus. Chuck Lukacs
    #6/150

    A four drop that trades with a two-drop isn't that exciting, but I guess this guy can be a house with reinforce or any lord. Normally white decks aren't super tribal but that might change.

    Coordinated Barrage – W
    Instant (Common)
    Choose a creature type. Coordinated Barrage deals damage to target attacking or blocking creature equal to the number of permanents of that type.

    Seems like it will be big enough at any stage of the game. Kind of like Skred, I expect this to be underrated at first.

    Kithkin Zephyrnaut – 2W
    Creature – Kithkin Soldier (Common)
    Kinship – At the beginning of your upkeep, you may look at the top card of your library. If it shares a creature type with Kithkin Zephyrnaut, you may reveal it. If you do, Kithkin Zephyrnaut gets +2/+2 and gains flying and vigilance until end of turn.
    2/2

    It's a little better than Springjack Knight because you at least know how big it is before you attack. I still don't like how it does nothing the majority of the time.

    Mosquito Guard – W
    Creature – Kithkin Soldier (Common)
    First strike
    Reinforce 1 – {1}{W} ({1}{W}, Discard this card: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.)
    1/1

    I don't think I would ever play this turn 1 unless I had a Wizened Cenn in hand. It's a bit worse than Triclopean Sight but that card can definitely play a role.

    Order of the Golden Cricket – 1W
    Creature – Kithkin Knight (Common)
    Whenever Order of the Golden Cricket attacks, you may pay {W}. If you do, it gains flying until end of turn.
    2/2

    Seems pretty solid all around, but it gets worse if you're afraid to trade it early on.

    Shinewend – 1W
    Creature – Elemental (Common)
    Flying
    Shinewend comes into play with a +1/+1 counter on it.
    {1}{W}, Remove a +1/+1 counter from Shinewend: Destroy target enchantment.
    0/0
    #23/150

    Sideboard material I guess.

    Stonybrook Schoolmaster – 2W
    Creature – Merfolk Wizard (Common)
    Whenever Stonybrook Schoolmaster becomes tapped, you may put a 1/1 blue Merfolk Wizard creature token into play.
    Merrow schools rarely form by design. They come together naturally as eager learners surround the wisest teachers.
    1/2
    Illus. Quinton Hoover and Val Mayerik
    #25/150

    As the token common white merfolk, you will pretty much know by the third pack whether you can support this. It needs more work than either Judge of Currents (which works with any of your guys that tap) or Fallowsage/Veteran of the Depths (which can just swing in if you have nothing better to do).

    Weight of Conscience – 1W
    Enchantment – Aura (Common)
    Enchant creature
    Enchanted creature can't attack.
    Tap two untapped creatures you control that share a creature type: Remove enchanted creature from the game.
    #28/150

    This is really unexciting for the average Kithkin deck, amazing for Merfolk, and somewhere in the middle for other decks. I think you take it around as high as Lignify.

    Dewdrop Spy – 1UU
    Creature – Faerie Rogue (Common)
    Flash
    Flying
    When Dewdrop Spy comes into play, look at the top card of target player's library.
    2/2
    Illus. Wayne England
    #30/150

    A little worse than Pestermite, but still good assuming the UU won't be a problem.

    Disperse – 1U
    Instant (Common)
    Return target nonland permanent to its owner's hand.

    Whirlpool Whelm without the possibility of being great if you win the clash. Bouncing your own guys may be more useful with old and new evokers.

    Distant Melody – 3U
    Sorcery (Common)
    Choose a creature type. Draw a card for each permanent you control of that type.
    Oona's song is like a twisted dinner chime. All the faeries return home, but it is Oona who feasts – on the stolen dreams and rumors they serve her.
    Illus. Omar Rayyan
    #32/150

    I don't think this is as good as people think it is. You need three creatures with the same type before it's any good. Decent in a stalemate, but you can't exactly dig for answers like you can by evoking Mulldrifter.

    Fencer Clique – 2UU
    Creature – Faerie Soldier (Common)
    Flying
    {U}: Put Fencer Clique on top of its owner's library.
    3/2
    #33/150

    Powerful flyer that doesn't die. You can play a few clash/kinship tricks as well.

    Floodchaser – 5U
    Creature – Elemental (Common)
    Floodchaser comes into play with six +1/+1 counters on it.
    Floodchaser can't attack unless defending player controls an Island.
    {U}, Remove a +1/+1 counter from Floodchaser: Target land becomes an Island until end of turn.
    0/0

    I kind of liked Sea Monster to hold the ground in core set draft against green decks, and occasionally be awesome against other blue decks. This guy can do that, and also swing in a few times. It's no Aethersnipe, but really not bad.

    Ink Dissolver – 1U
    Creature – Merfolk Wizard (Common)
    Kinship – At the beginning of your upkeep, you may look at the top card of your library. If it shares a creature type with Ink Dissolver you may reveal it. If you do, each opponent puts the top three cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
    2/1

    I don't know if you could really get there with this and Broken Ambitions and the 1/1 below. I think you need a Drowner or Forced Fruition. Still it's a 2/1 for 2.

    Latchkey Faerie – 3U
    Creature – Faerie Rogue (Common)
    Flying
    Prowl {2}{U} (You may play this for its prowl cost if you dealt combat damage to a player this turn with a Faerie or Rogue.)
    When Latchkey Faerie comes into play, if its prowl cost was paid, draw a card.
    3/1
    Illus. Warren Mahy
    #39/150

    This is huge if you prowl it out on turn 3-4. It's a decent flyer to hardcast, if a little fragile.

    Merrow Witsniper – U
    Creature – Merfolk Rogue (Common)
    When Merrow Witsniper comes into play, target player puts the top card of his or her library into his or her graveyard.
    1/1

    I think only if you really want a turn 1 prowl enabler.

    Mothdust Changeling – U
    Creature – Shapeshifter (Common)
    Changeling
    Tap an untapped creature you control: Mothdust Changeling gains flying until end of turn.
    1/1
    #42/150

    Seems to be pretty much a Merfolk, and not a bad one for triggering assorted tap effects. Otherwise, I guess you side this in against faerie deck, or play if you need a changeling for whatever reason.

    Negate – 1U
    Instant (Common)
    Counter target noncreature spell.
    Masters of the arcane savor a delicious irony. Their study of deep and complex arcana leads to such a simple end: the ability to merely say yes or no

    I don't think you ever maindeck this, but maybe you side it in if they have something like a planeswalker/final revels that you can't play around or deal with otherwise.

    Stonybrook Banneret – 1U
    Creature – Merfolk Wizard (Common)
    Islandwalk
    Merfolk spells and Wizard spells you play cost {1} less to play.
    1/1
    #51/150

    There's a number of decent merfolk at 2 and 3 so this could make for a solid turn 3. Islandwalk lets this guy get in for a few points.

    Stream of Unconsciousness – U
    Tribal Instant – Wizard (Common)
    Target creature gets -4/-0 until end of turn. If you control a Wizard, draw a card.

    If you have enough wizards, this can be a great trick, or at least prevents a few damage and cycles.

    Blightsoil Druid – 1B
    Creature – Elf Druid (Common)
    {T}, Pay 1 life: Add {G} to your mana pool.
    1/2
    Illus. Nils Haam
    #59/150

    I expect this to be underrated like Vesper Ghoul was. It's pretty solid though.

    Festercreep – 1B
    Creature – Elemental (Common)
    Festercreep comes into play with a +1/+1 counter on it.
    {1}{B}, Remove a +1/+1 counter from Festercreep: All other creatures get -1/-1 until end of turn.
    0/0

    I like this guy a lot. Seems like he'll usually do something.

    Frogtosser Banneret – 1B
    Creature – Goblin Rogue (Common)
    Haste
    Goblin spells and Rogue Spells you play cost {1} less to play.
    The Frogtossers thread feathers, bones, and trophies from past raids into their standards, believing they fuel the warren with the anger of its victims.
    1/1
    Illus. Ralph Horsley
    #64/150

    Oh boy, haste. I don't think this affects prowl costs? edit: apparently it does

    Final-Sting Faerie – 3B
    Creature – Faerie Assassin (Common)
    Flying
    When Final-Sting Faerie comes into play, destroy target creature that was dealt damage this turn.
    2/2
    #65/150

    People may play into this by blocking your random guys with their Cloudcrown Oak or whatever. You may need to play this before combat if they have a skeletal changeling or something though.

    edit: that is an awful example because you can just target the changeling. Now that I think about it, this is not very likely to backfire since there are not that many 1/4 type guys in the format.

    Moonglove Changeling – 2B
    Creature – Shapeshifter (Common)
    Changeling (This card is every creature type at all times.)
    {B}: Moonglove Changeling gains deathtouch until end of turn. (Whenever it deals damage to a creature, destroy that creature.)
    2/2
    Illus. Wayne England

    Seems decent, although having to keep a mana open can be annoying.

    Morsel Theft – 2BB
    Tribal Sorcery – Rogue (Common)
    Prowl {1}{B}
    Target player loses 3 life and you gain 3 life. If Morsel Theft's prowl cost was paid, draw a card.
    #68/150

    Seems marginal unless you're really turbo-prowl.

    Pack's Disdain – 1B
    Instant (Common)
    Choose a creature type. Target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn for each permanent you control of that type.

    Doesn't count your opponent's stuff like the white one, but still not bad. You don't have the option of just removing their 2/1 if you get manascrewed though.

    Prickly Boggart – B
    Creature – Goblin Rogue (Common)
    Fear
    "Not now chief, I'm in the zone"
    1/1

    Some people like Lantern Kami a lot. This guy probably gets in for a fair amount, and enables prowl.

    Pulling Teeth – 1B
    Sorcery (Common)
    Clash with an opponent. If you win, target player discards two cards. Otherwise, that player discards a card.

    Costing a mana or two less than it usually does to make them discard 2 isn't really that much help, because you often wait on those kind of spells until they're low on cards anyway. It doesn't help that clashing at sorcery speed is usually a disadvantage.

    Squeaking-Pie Grubfellows – 3B
    Creature – Goblin Shaman (Common)
    Kinship – At the beginning of your upkeep, you may look at the top card of your library. If it shares a creature type with Squeaking-Pie Grubfellows, you may reveal it. If you do, each opponent discards a card.
    3/2
    #78/150

    Seems okay, nothing special.

    Violet Pall – 4B
    Tribal Instant – Faerie (Common)
    Destroy target nonblack creature.
    Put a 1/1 black Faerie Rogue creature token with flying into play.
    Illus. Jeff Miracola
    #81/150

    It doesn't kill people as fast as Shriekmaw, but this is still great removal. Especially good with Dreamspoiler Witches on their attack.

    Weed-Pruner Poplar – 4B
    Creature – Treefolk Assassin (Common)
    At the beginning of your upkeep, target creature other than Weed-Pruner Poplar gets -1/-1 until end of turn.
    3/3

    People will underrate this guy. This format has almost no ping effects and a lot of annoying x/1 utility guys (Douser, Ameboid Changeling, Spitfire, Harrier, Judge, Skeletal Changeling). A number of faeries die to this too. If it doesn't kill something, it can help get your guy in by downgrading their 3/3 or whatever.

    Brighthearth Banneret – 1R
    Creature – Elemental Warrior (Common)
    Elemental spells and Warrior spells you play cost {1} less to play.
    Reinforce 1 – {1}{R} ({1}{R}, Discard this card: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature)
    1/1

    I like this one a lot because reinforce is useful in the midgame. Warrior hits a lot of stuff in R/G too.

    Fire Juggler – 2R
    Creature – Goblin Shaman (Common)
    Whenever Fire Juggler becomes blocked, clash with an opponent. If you win, Fire Juggler deals 4 damage to each creature blocking it.
    2/2
    #90/150

    Your opponent may well be terrified of losing this clash and let this guy through too often. Kind of like Mudbutton Torchrunner.

    Hostile Realm – 2R
    Enchantment – Aura (Common)
    Enchant land.
    Enchanted land has "{T}: Target creature can't block this turn."

    The effect is okay. I liked Goblin Rimerunner a lot more because it was a 2/2 body.

    Kindled Fury – R
    Instant (Common)
    Target creature get +1/+0 and gains first strike until end of turn.
    #92/150

    Guided Strike minus the draw, or Hundred-Talon Strike minus the splice. In white or green this would mostly suck, but Brute Force showed that combat tricks are somehow more valuable to a red deck. I think you'll be able to catch someone with this.

    Lunk Errant – 5R
    Creature – Giant Warrior (Common)
    Whenever Lunk Errant attacks alone, it gets +1/+1 and gains trample until end of turn.
    4/4

    Seems fine for a six-drop, maybe better than Axegrinder.

    Mudbutton Clanger – R
    Creature – Goblin Warrior (Common)
    Kinship – At the beginning of your upkeep, you may look at the top card of your library. If it shares a creature type with Mudbutton Clanger, you may reveal it. If you do, Mudbutton Clanger gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
    1/1

    It's like a Goblin Cohort that works less often. Yay.

    Roar of the Crowd – 3R
    Sorcery (Common)
    Choose a creature type. Roar of the Crowd deals damage to target creature or player equal to the number of permanents of that type you control.

    So in exchange for hitting players, it becomes a sorcery and costs twice as much? Probably still playable, but unexciting.

    Seething Pathblazer – 2R
    Creature – Elemental Warrior (Common)
    Sacrifice an Elemental: Seething Pathblazer gets +2/+0 and gains first strike until end of turn.
    2/2
    Illus. Steve Prescott
    #101/150

    Huskerrific. Note this triggers the uncommon leaves-play guys. Pretty solid, although you can definitely get blown out with it.

    Shard Volley – R
    Instant (Common)
    As an additional cost to play Shard Volley, sacrifice a land.
    Shard Volley deals 3 damage to target creature or player.
    "Let the mountain's teeth pierce our oppressors"

    Worse in a number of ways than Lightning Axe, but it seems worthwhile in general. Like the axe, I think being a one-mana removal spell can let you make up the card disadvantage, when you use it in response to a pump spell or something like that.

    Stingmoogie – 3R
    Creature – Elemental (Common)
    Stingmoogie comes into play with two +1/+1 counters on it.
    {3}{R}, Remove a +1/+1 counter from Stingmoogie: Destroy target artifact or land.
    0/0

    I hope I don't have to play this.

    Sunflare Shaman – 1R
    Creature – Elemental Shaman (Common)
    {1}{R}, {T}: Sunflare Shaman deals X damage to target creature or player and X damage to itself, where X is the number of Elemental cards in your graveyard.
    2/1

    I heard Barbarian Lunatic was never very good. This is cheaper though, and in the late game could deal 4-5 to the face.

    War-Spike Changeling – 3R
    Creature – Shapeshifter (Common)
    Changeling
    {R}: War-Spike Changeling gains first strike until end of turn.
    3/3
    Illus. Mark Poole
    #112/150

    This guy seems huge. 4+ toughness is fairly rare in the format. Also, changeling etc.

    Green (28/)
    Ambassador Oak – 3G
    Creature – Treefolk Warrior (Common)
    When Ambassador Oak comes into play, put a 1/1 green Elf Warrior creature token into play.
    3/3
    #113/150

    I think it's a bit worse than Cloudcrown Oak, but I can't really see ever being unhappy to play this.

    Bosk Banneret – 1G
    Creature – Treefolk Shaman (Common)
    Treefolk spells and Shaman spells you play cost {1} less to play.
    1/3

    I like this guy a lot with the assorted 4-5 drop treefolk guys. He blocks for a few turns too.

    Deglamer – 1G
    Instant (Common)
    Choose target artifact or enchantment. Its owner shuffles it into his or her library.
    #118/150

    A slightly worse Naturalize that you may or may not play in sealed.

    Earthbrawn – 1G
    Instant (Common)
    Target creature gets +3/+3 until end of turn.
    Reinforce 1 – {1}{G} ({1}{G}, Discard this card: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature.)
    Gremil finally felt in touch with nature – and felt a need to share the experience with others.
    Illus. Kev Walker

    I think this is normally just the Giant Growth, but once in a while the reinforce will be a blowout.

    Elvish Warrior – GG
    Creature – Elf Warrior (Common)
    2/3

    Good if you have 10+ green sources, less so if you don't. 2/3 isn't the magic p/t like it was in morph block though.

    Everbark Shaman – 4G
    Creature – Treefolk Shaman (Common)
    {T}, Remove a Treefolk card in your graveyard from the game: Search your library for up to two Forest cards and put them into play tapped. Then shuffle your library.
    3/5

    The ability gives you a little thinning, and maybe you can cast Cloudthresher with it? Shuffling is an interesting ability with clash/kinship in the format, and you could use this guy on upkeep if the board is stalled or you're desperate.

    Fertilid – 2G
    Creature – Elemental (Common)
    Fertilid comes into play with two +1/+1 counters on it.
    {1}{G}, Remove a +1/+1 counter from Fertilid: Target player searches his or her library for a basic land card and puts it into play tapped. Then that player shuffles his or her library.
    0/0

    It's a lot of work if you really need the mana. I think it's probably best to just get a land or two when this trades in combat. Note that you can force your opponent to shuffle.

    Game-Trail Changeling – 3GG
    Creature – Shapeshifter (Common)
    Changeling
    Trample
    4/4
    #123/150

    Fangren Hunter was a solid guy in a block where people played 14 land and Bonesplitter was common. Now he also has changeling. Seems pretty awesome.

    Luminescent Rain – 2G
    Instant (Common)
    Choose a creature type. You gain 2 life for each permanent you control of that type.

    I'm having some trouble thinking of when a green deck might want this. Maybe you board it in against faeries. Or merfolk could splash?

    Lys Alana Bowmaster – 2G
    Creature – Elf Archer (Common)
    Reach
    Whenever you play an Elf spell, you may have Lys Alana Bowmaster deal 2 damage to target creature with flying.
    2/2
    #130/150

    I usually play guys like this that are mediocre most of the time but sometimes flat-out win.

    Reins of the Vinesteed – 3G
    Enchantment – Aura (Common)
    Enchant creature
    Enchanted creature gets +2/+2.
    When enchanted creature is put into a graveyard, you may return Reins of the Vinesteed from your graveyard to play attached to a creature that shares a creature type with that creature.
    #134/150

    It may take a little work to make this useful. You can't just equip it somewhere else if your guy gets lignified or whatever.

    Winnower Patrol – 2G
    Creature – Elf Warrior (Common)
    Kinship – At the beginning of your upkeep, you may look at the top card of your library. If it shares a creature type with Winnower Patrol, you may reveal it. If you do, put a +1/+1 counter on Winnower Patrol.
    3/2
    Illus. Eric Fortune
    #139/150

    Solid guy, and he could get out of control fairly quickly.

  • Doping with Dolphins II: The Terrible Trinket

    Doping with Dolphins II: The Terrible Trinket

    These days, it seems like sensei’s divining top is an auto-include in a lot of decks, and sometimes it makes sense. You want it in Aggro Red for shrapnel blast, and in TEPS because of its amazing interaction with mind’s desire. However, I am constantly stunned by its inclusion in 4, 5, or more-colour concoctions which attempt to combine it with counterbalance.

    Let’s take a look at one of these decks:

    Do not go gentle into that good night, as suggested by Remi Fortier



    Basing his deck on the popular 1951 villanelle by Dylan Thomas may have won Fortier PT: Valencia, but it did not build a good deck. We can likely attribute his success to lucky draws – watching the top 8 I didn’t see him draw a second SDT a single time, unless it was to be discarded to thirst for knowledge – and solid play. The fact that a second SDT is at best a two-mana cantrip didn’t escape Fortier, who only played three, although worse players are often seen upping the number to four.

    Now I’m not going to claim that there aren’t worse decks to put SDT into, and this deck actually has some good synergies with the card. Let’s look at some of them:

    1. Can be fetched by trinket mage
    2. Can be shuffled away by trinket mage
    3. Can be shuffled away by a fetchland
    4. Can find you a fetchland or trinket mage with which to shuffle it away
    5. Artifact in graveyard for tarmogoyf if you destroy it with your engineered explosives
    6. Allows stifle to cantrip by countering the put on top of library ability
    7. Fills in the crucial 3-drop in the number of words in each card name curve
    8. Easy to take out for sideboard bullets

    That said, these are far outweighed by its detriments. The lesser offenses first:

    1. Pumps other player’s tarmogoyfs if in graveyard
    2. Low CC-card makes you less likely to cut to higher converted mana cost in a format where going first is crucial
    3. You play kataki, retard
    4. Risk of being shut down by your own pithing needle, especially under mindslaver (more problematic on modo, where you often need to turn off sensei golden-tail when you get paired against the first round random, and when you get paired against the guys in the 0-x bracket in later rounds).
    5. Burning-tree shaman
    6. Can’t be copied by vesuvan shapeshifter

    Far and away though, the problem is tempo. The ablative singular form of the latin noun tempus, English for storm (tempest, temper, and New Orleans through French), tempo plays a crucial role in Magic: The Gathering as a mechanic from OLS block. Some decks can use tempo to kill you as soon as turn two with a flurry of rituals, artifacts, and then a large mind’s desire or tendrils of corruption.

    Now this deck is seeking to not create tempo, as it can be used by your opponent to kill you, and yet tempo is the exact thing that SDT creates. With a low mana cost, SDT threatens to create one storm as early as your first turn, and considering that you can put it on top of your library to play it again the next turn, pretty quickly you can wind up with rains washing out the first day of the pro tour due to excessive testing, as happened in Valencia.

    In contrast, you could be playing another threat in SDT’s place. One of the deck’s weaknesses is the difficulty it has in finding a win condition, and if SDT was simply replaced with Sundering Titan this problem would surely be averted.

    When in doubt during deck building, just remember the rhyme: if it begins with Sensei, you’d rather have plenty. Of cabbage.

  • Doping with Dolphins I

    With christmas about to come after weeks of shoving its cock down consumers’ throats, it’s time to reflect on the little things that the year has brought us. Now I’m not going to lie, from hurricanes to music to magic, this year has been a load of shit, but I think if we pry a little deeper we’ll find that it’s full of tasty grubs and nitrogen, and if not we can post our attempt on the internet.

    The year of magic ended earlier this month when the Jews and Swiss took time out from taking our money and using it to make very precise watches to destroy us at Worlds in New York. And let me tell you, the snow outside didn’t stop the event from being hotter than a beach in Brazil. The finals came down to Uri Peleg, who once upon a time provided Nick Eisel with a rough list which Eisel fine-tuned into a killing machine that we look back on as Food Chain Goblins, defeating Patrick Chapin, the grouchy American boasting a decade of mediocrity, by a very prominent nose.

    Peleg piloted an innovative black-green-white deck which stood with history on its side as it vividly recreated the trope of a black caddy carrying a white man’s clubs on a golf course. Let’s take a look at the list:

    As you can see the deck runs the time-tested white:other proportion used by the British throughout their empire. Cards like Doran, Oblivion Ring, and Riftsweeper can provide guidance for the other, more powerful but less organized cards, as well as providing specialized services to pull the most possible out of an economy burgeoning with slave labor. Apparently Peleg went to the forest so that he could test deliberately prior to the tournament, and I’m going to give 10:1 odds that he did it on a raft in the Congo.

    Now let’s take a look at the deck he beat. Chapin showed up with the buzz of the tournament, a 75-card number with a plummeting neck-line bringing attention to mountains that could kill at a moment’s notice. Here she is, in all her glory:

    Chapin said that he based the deck on his ex-girlfriend, which is probably the best explanation for the snow-covered lands. And let me tell you, it made from some awkward chit-chat when he met Gabriel Nassif, who he had been quite close to leading up to the tournament, in the semi-finals only to find that Nassif was running the same deck with an up-to-date sideboard, although his maindeck looked like it’d put on a few pounds. The tension escalated further as Nassif made it evident that he’d been fucking all night with his abysmal play.

    The deck seeks to lure you into complacency with slow foreplay using the game’s most sexually enticing manabase, and then freak the hell out on you, throw your favorite models at the wall, and put four dragons into play. Unfortunately for Chapin, he returned home in the finals to find that Uri had had his friends over and they’d killed the cat with a shotgun.

    It was a great tournament, with plenty of celebrities attending and no crashes. But it was the exception for the year. MODO has gotten worse and one of the PTs was hosted in Spain.

    Take a moment to look back and be thankful for what we’ve had, and what we’re promised. Version 3.0 will probably be out sometime next year, and the next PT is in Kuala Lumpur.

    I mean, what could go wrong?

    Discuss this in the forums!