Magic: The Gathering

[Icemage]

Re: Magic: The Gathering

Re: Purphoros
Most red decks are running Burning Tree Emissary (because why wouldn't you?) and Chandra's Phoenix (again, why wouldn't you?), and Purphoros himself only requires 5 Devotion. Even with critter removal and combat, that's still a very likely trigger unless you're deliberately trying to avoid activating him in expectation that someone's going to try to nail him with Chained to the Rocks or some other exile effect.


Icemage

[Malacite]

Re: Magic: The Gathering

Yeah so more new insane cards.

As usual the idiots at MTGSalvation are downplaying the blue mythic but he's freaking nuts... remove 5 counters for an extra turn?! and he's only 1U to cast?! @___@ the abuse...


New GW Ajani is also pretty sick. 4 CMC would have been amazing but also horribly OP, so 5's OK.

[Icemage]

Re: Magic: The Gathering

Sage of Hours is OK, but gimmicky. There's tons of creature hate and getting to 5 +1/+1 counters on a 1/1 base creature is tricky. Are there any counter-doubling cards left in Standard? If there aren't, then he's terrible and useless.

Of the early spoiled cards, I think Dictate of Kruphix is the winner:

1UU
Flash
At the beginning of each player's draw step, that player draws an additional card.

It's basically a Howling Mine where the caster gets the first drawn card (or alternately you can view it as replacing itself). Also being Flash, you don't have to commit mana until the end of your opponent's turn.


Icemage

[Malacite]

Re: Magic: The Gathering

Someone's gonna break the sage I'm sure of it. Particularly with Simic thanks to cards like Bioshift you don't have to play him before hand, just build up your Evolve critters as you normally would then drop him and immediately bioshift for jank. Vorel just makes it even more insane.


I agree however that Krpuhix is insane (both dictates are) and paired with Notion Thief is freaking hilarious.

The Red Dictate is going to end games though, at least until Boros Reckoner rotates out. EoT drop the dictate and then all you need is to damage the reckoner somehow and use boros charm and that's game.

[cidbahamut]

Re: Magic: The Gathering

Sage will get broken in Modern or Legacy but I doubt it will get too much play in Standard. Seems like a Johnny card and those don't tend to do well until they have the toolbox of other sets to work with.

[cidbahamut]

Re: Magic: The Gathering

Do any of you guys remember what all I put in the one Modern deck I built in Cockatrice?
I remember some of it but I'm missing something.

Tattermunge Maniac
That other r/g goblin with wither
Lightning Bolt
Jund Hackblade
Viashino Slaughtermaster
RG spell - +4/+2 trample
Violent Outburst
Bloodbraid Elf

There was something else in there but I can't for the life of me remember what and I really wanna rebuild that deck IRL.

[Malacite]

Re: Magic: The Gathering

I still think UG has lots of tools - mix in W or B as needed.

[cidbahamut]

Re: Magic: The Gathering

Good job getting quoted in this article YM: https://www.wizards.com/magic/magazi...g/daily/ct/294

[Yellow Mage]

Re: Magic: The Gathering

Sage will get broken in Modern or Legacy but I doubt it will get too much play in Standard. Seems like a Johnny card and those don't tend to do well until they have the toolbox of other sets to work with.

I played someone at a convention who had a UB Heroic deck that made plentiful use of Cipher. Fairly casual, obviously slower than most anything I'd play, but it had solid potential. Sage of Hours, just being a 1/1, that gets bigger, for 2, in Blue, makes it a fine inclusion in that deck. The extra turn gimmick is really just gravy--if you were going to win with it, you were probably already going to win anyway.

(It probably says "Remove all counters" instead of "Remove five counters" precisely because of counter-doubling shenanigans, anyway--Vorel of the Hull Clade is still in Standard, IM.)

[Icemage]

Re: Magic: The Gathering

^ Still, if he has 5 +1/+1 counters on him, he's a 6/6 and already likely to win the game for you if hes survived that long. At that rate, what do you need an extra turn for? I still think he's a bad gimmick.


Icemage

[Yellow Mage]

Re: Magic: The Gathering

Yes. Alternatively, you could invoke some obtuse combo with Elite Arcanist and Triton Tactics. Again, though, if you're able to stick that, you've probably already won some other way, anyway.

[cidbahamut]

Re: Magic: The Gathering

Got rolled at the draft tonight, but my garbage ass Standard deck managed to beat a legit Boros burn deck once. I was amused.

deckList

Mountain 20

Nyxborn Rollicker 4
Akroan Crusader 2
Impetuous Sunchaser 2
Reckless Reveler 2
Arena Athlete 1
Deathbellow Raider 1
Spearpoint Oread 2
Kragma Butcher 1
Flamespeaker Adept 1
Archetype of Aggression 1
Stormcaller of Keranos 1
Two-headed Cerberus 2
Minotaur Skullcleaver 1
Ill-tempered Cyclops 1
Purphoros's Emissary 1

Spark Jolt 2
Epiphany Storm 1
Coordinated Assault 1
Titan's Strength 1
Dragon Mantle 1
Rise to the Challenge 1
Ordeal of Purphoros 1
Thunderous Might 1
Searing Blood 1
Magma Jet 1
Lightning Strike 2
Fall of the Hammer 1
Fearsome Temper 1
Bolt of Keranos 2

[Malacite]

Re: Magic: The Gathering

So Ritual of the Returned & Worst Fears both look like janky fun for Monoblack.

Green dictate is utter crap since it can't end the game like Red nor can you actively deny your opponent their share of the bonus (notion thief) off blue's. Wondering now if white will be something stupid like global lifelink (that could be black too) or buffs.

Really just love the flash furnace so damn much though.



EDIT: WHAT THE EVER LOVING CRAP!? This is the 5th time now I've gone to edit a post, hit save changes and it erased half my post. Can someone please tell me wtf is doing this!?

[Yellow Mage]

Re: Magic: The Gathering

cid. cid. Your deck needs 4-of stuff that's not Nyxborn Rollicker.

What's hot

Akroan Crusader
Minotaur Skullcleaver
Spark Jolt
Coordinated Assault
Titan's Strength
Dragon Mantle
Ordeal of Purphoros
Magma Jet
Lightning Strike

What's not

Nyxborn Rollicker
Reckless Reveler
Arena Athlete (use Firefist Striker instead)
Two-Headed Cerberus
Ill-Tempered Cyclops
Purphoros's Emissary
Epiphany Storm
Rise to the Challenge
Fall of the Hammer
Bolt of Keranos

Also notably missing: Shock, Young Pyromancer, and Chandra's Phoenix.

[cidbahamut]

Re: Magic: The Gathering

Give me a break, I literally put that deck together from stuff I've pulled from a handful of Theros block sealed deck and draft events.