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Eternal Formats / Eternal Article Discussion / Re: [Premium Article] The 2016 Vintage Checklist
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on: January 21, 2016, 11:35:43 am
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Thanks for the spreadsheet! Looks useful. I will use the list to build my own spreadsheet to manage my Vintage/Legacy modo collection.
Looking through the lists I saw a Cabal Pit there and it caught my eye. I have never seen that card before and could only find a legacy pox list that runs it. What's the cards function in Vintage and has it seen play recently?
Cabal Pit saw some play recently as a way for Dredge lists to remove Containment Priest. I can't remember the argument for using it over Barbarian Ring, which also casts Ingot Chewer. Perhaps easier to activate (e.g. with Dakmor Salvage)? |
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Eternal Formats / General Strategy Discussion / Re: [OGW] Thought-Knot Seer
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on: January 07, 2016, 06:49:29 pm
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http://tabakrules.tumblr.com/post/129667561469/do-the-eldrazi-processors-have-infinite-cards-toThe ability asks that you move a card from exile to the graveyard, which you do. The Leyline replacement ability then kicks in, and exiles the card instead. The end result: a new object (though the same card) in exile, and your cost is paid. It doesn't care whether the card actually ends up in the graveyard, just that there was a card try to put there. This is consistent with Standstill (it needs the Standstill to still be there to be sacrificed). The only major restriction is that you can't use the same card twice for the same ability, i.e. if your opponent only has a single basic land in the Exile zone, you can't pay for Blight Herder's ability. You could, however, use Void Attendant's ability as many times as you have mana for. http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=401819http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=402092These Leyline effects could make your deck a lot better, if you want to go after a focused graveyard-hate angle.
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Eternal Formats / General Strategy Discussion / Re: [OGW] Thought-Knot Seer
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on: January 07, 2016, 12:24:14 pm
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Processors work just fine with Leyline of the Void:
117.12. Some spells, activated abilities, and triggered abilities read, “[Do something]. If [a player] [does or doesn’t], [effect].” or “[A player] may [do something]. If [that player] [does or doesn’t], [effect].” The action [do something] is a cost, paid when the spell or ability resolves. The “If [a player] [does or doesn’t]” clause checks whether the player chose to pay an optional cost or started to pay a mandatory cost, regardless of what events actually occurred.
Example: You control Standstill, an enchantment that says “When a player casts a spell, sacrifice Standstill. If you do, each of that player’s opponents draws three cards.” A spell is cast, causing Standstill’s ability to trigger. Then an ability is activated that exiles Standstill. When Standstill’s ability resolves, you’re unable to pay the “sacrifice Standstill” cost. No player will draw cards.
Example: Your opponent has cast Gather Specimens, a spell that says “If a creature would enter the battlefield under an opponent’s control this turn, it enters the battlefield under your control instead.” You control a face-down Dermoplasm, a creature with morph that says “When Dermoplasm is turned face up, you may put a creature card with morph from your hand onto the battlefield face up. If you do, return Dermoplasm to its owner’s hand.” You turn Dermoplasm face up, and you choose to put a creature card with morph from your hand onto the battlefield. Due to Gather Specimens, it enters the battlefield under your opponent’s control instead of yours. However, since you chose to pay the cost, Dermoplasm is still returned to its owner’s hand.
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Eternal Formats / General Strategy Discussion / Re: [OGW] Warping Wail
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on: January 06, 2016, 06:30:16 pm
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This is a first glance analysis from a Shop's perspective.
First mode targets: Goblin Welder, Kataki, Viashino Heretic, Metalworker, Phyrexian Revoker, Thalia, Stoneforge Mystic, DR Shaman, Gorilla Shaman, Painter's Servant, Baby Jace, Human Delver, Young Pyromancer, Dark Confidant, Porcelain Legionnaire, Vendilion Clique, Notion Thief, Hammer Mage, Fiend Hunter, and 1/1 tokens. These are only the creatures I've personally seen cast in the last couple years, I'm sure there are more. This affects almost every list running creatures, and hits a ton of creatures that Shop decks hate. This mode compares unfavorably to Dismember, which is better in the mirror and has a much larger target list.
Second mode targets: probably the biggest one here is Tinker, but this has a lot of targets in lists that care less about the first mode (Dark Petition, Time Walk, Demonic Tutor, Pulverize, draw 7s). Sorceries shouldn't generally be easy to cast against you in the first place, and it seems unlikely that you would have spare mana to cast this in the event that they are. The only comparable options we currently have are Mental Misstep (for Preordain or other 1cc Sorceries, are there any others?) or Mindbreak Trap (which doesn't typically help against Tinker or Pulverize, two of the more important targets); there just isn't much else in this card pool unless we're looking at things like Null Brooch.
Third mode is interesting: it allows the card to double as a Flash-permanent (which makes it neat to use against Tangle Wire and a live card against Smokestack), giving it some utility in the mirror. It also is a neat chump blocker, preventing Lifelink on Batterskull or Wurmcoil engine. Not sure if the mana acceleration aspect is terribly useful, but it is cheap enough to be castable when mana short and could be nice to hit a big mana finisher if you're stuck at 5 mana perhaps? The appeal of the card is clearly in the first two modes, with this as a bonus.
So I suppose ultimately the closest comparison to this card is Dismember, which is currently seeing a lot of play in Shop sideboards and has previously seen play as 4-ofs in certain lists. That card does a lot of work in the mirror, but is also brought in for other match-ups as utility to hit many of the same problem creatures that Warping Wail would target. It's also useful against Tinker in limited circumstances, such as being used to survive a Blightsteel attack for a lethal counter-swing or to combat trick a Sphinx of the Steel Wind, but offers no benefit against other Sorceries.
TLDR: This is a neat card that has a lot of little applications. I'm not sure if it will see play in any of the existing lists, but it is an easily justified inclusion. If nothing else, it gives Shops players an option we didn't have before.
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Eternal Formats / General Strategy Discussion / Re: New card-draw land
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on: December 18, 2015, 11:05:24 am
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This seems to hit a real sweetspot for shops: either you have a bunch of action in your hand and need mana to dump it onto the board, or you have an empty hand and lots of mana doing nothing. This helps in both cases. It's only matter of whether this marginal utility is greater than the existing options. Regardless, it's an option we didn't really have before.
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Eternal Formats / Global Vintage Tournament Reports and Results / Re: Team Serious Open Results - Sandusky, OH - November 14
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on: December 04, 2015, 03:25:13 pm
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I've always seen Gaea's Cradle in those Genesis Chamber decks. Any reason why it was absent? The #1 copy seems better than #4 contested war zone. At a very minimum, Gaea's Cradle is better than Strip Mine here.
Also, with contested warzone, how many people played it correctly? Each time you lose control of it, you are supposed to tap it for colorless mana so the opponent gets it tapped.
Honestly, the only reason I didn't try a Cradle is because I don't own one. Tolarian Academy was (of course) really solid all day, but, looking back, I'm not sure if Cradle would have been nearly as good: if you have a few dudes out, you're probably in a pretty good spot already and probably would prefer a utility land. Even Tolarian wasn't as necessary as I thought it was going to be when I included Expedition Map. The Maps didn't do any work all day, being cast once and never activated. They were great for siding out, though. I'm considering leaving one in the 75 and adding a Karakas, as Oath is probably the worst matchup. The Warzones were a ton of fun, but I'm not sure if they are a tactically better choice than the Wastelands I replaced: all but one of my opponents seemed to have never seen the card before. It was very good as a followup to Genesis Chamber, as beating with three or four 1/1s and an active Warzone ended many of my games. It was also useful to sandbag in my hand until I had enough guys on board to swing for lethal after the activation. Most of the time I didn't mind if the Warzone changed hands, as I had a ton of dudes that could claim it back during my next turn before they could untap it. The one time my opponent was able to activate (and kill me with) my Warzones, I think I would have lost anyway. Though I definitely punted a game because I wasn't using the card correctly. |
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Eternal Formats / Workshop-Based Prison / Re: What to run for Lands 15-18/19 in shops?
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on: August 20, 2015, 12:49:27 pm
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Factory seems by far the best in a vacuum:
-Beats on planeswalkers
-Good against oath
-Great in ground combat in general
-Extra artifact for Forgemaster
Cavern could be better in a metagame saturated in Blue control decks filled with Mana Drains, but it seems like most counterspells we're running into these days are Force of Wills. Resolving a threat doesn't help against a grip of Chewers/Bolts/Plows.
Buried Ruin has really fallen out of favor, but it seems like a decent alternative if you're playing with big guys or utility cards that you want to reuse (Wurmcoil or Trike, Ratchet Bomb, etc.) or if you want extra lands that are solid against Dredge. Very slow card though.
Ghost Quarter seems a bit dodgy in the mainboard unless you're running Crucible or are confident in running into a ton of mirrors.
Homeward Path is better if you're running a lot of dangerous things that need to avoid getting dack'd (Wurmcoil Engine, Legionnaire, etc.). Is it worth including instead of/in combination with Ravager?
It's been a while since I've seen Karakas being used, but a heavy prison/mana denial build might like these to really put the squeeze on Oath. I think those builds are already stronger than general in that matchup, though, and Oath seems to be underplayed now in general since the printing of Containment Priest.
Does anyone else have any experience running Urborg? I've been seeing a lot of Dismembers being played, but not many of this land. I know that I suffer a lot of life loss in those lists, but I'm not sure if it's worth the opportunity cost of another utility land and/or potentially mana fixing an opponent.
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Eternal Formats / Global Vintage Tournament Reports and Results / TO Report: Team Serious Invitational III aka Mishra's Sweatshop
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on: July 28, 2015, 07:33:31 pm
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7/18/15 Twenty-one people gathered in the shadow of the Big House to battle it out in unforgiving, unairconditioned weather for five rounds of unsanctioned vintage. The field was diverse, containing elements of Oath, Shops, Dredge, blue-based control, and even a couple of Belcher decks (though Delver was strangely absent): 9 Blue-based combo-control2 Grixis 2 OmniOath 1 Fenton Oath 1 Esper Bomberman 1 Glass City Vault 1 Jeskai Ascendency 1 Rector 5 Blue-based tempo1 RWU Mentor 1 Merfolk 1 Grixis Pyromancer 1 BUG 1 UG Wizards 3 Mishra's Workshop1 Forgemaster 1 Terranova 1 Metalworker Combo 2 Dredge1 Dredge & Dragons 1 'Turtle' dredge 2 Belcher1 Blue 1 RG A day's worth of brews, Yangtimes, and Zingerman's sandwiches later, we unceremoniously awarded our 9th place player a beaten Scrubland (sorry Brian Fisher) and cut to top8: Kevin Cron (RUW Mentor) vs. Bret Nemeth (OmniOath), Kevin wins Jimmy McCarthy (BUG) vs. Duane Haddix (Terranova), Duane wins Nam Tran (Metalworker MUD) vs. Justin Waller (Forgemaster MUD), Justin wins Steven Sasala (Merfolk) vs. Kevin Poenisch (Dredge & Dragons), Steven wins Kevin Cron (RUW Mentor) vs. Steven Sasala (Merfolk), Kevin wins Justin Waller (Forgemaster MUD) vs. Duane Haddix (Terranova), Justin wins Kevin Cron (RUW Mentor) vs. Justin Waller (Forgemaster MUD), Kevin wins  1. Kevin Cron "Monastery-mora" 1 Snapcaster Mage 4 Monastery Mentor 3 Mystic Remora 1 Sensei's Divining Top 2 Dack Fayden 1 Ancestral Recall 1 Brainstorm 1 Ponder 1 Time Walk 1 Treasure Cruise 3 Gush 3 Dig Through Time 2 Swords to Plowshares 1 Hurkyl's Recall 1 Mindbreak Trap 4 Flusterstorm 4 Mental Misstep 1 Misdirection 4 Force of Will 1 Sol Ring 1 Black Lotus 1 Mox Sapphire 1 Mox Ruby 1 Mox Pearl 3 Tundra 3 Volcanic Island 2 Island 2 Flooded Strand 4 Scalding Tarn 2 Cavern of Souls SB: 4 Ingot Chewer SB: 4 Containment Priest SB: 1 Hurkyl's Recall SB: 3 Engineered Explosives SB: 1 Path to Exile SB: 1 Mountain SB: 1 Plains  2. Justin Waller "Swiss Army Shops" 1 Mana Crypt 1 Black Lotus 1 Mox Emerald 1 Mox Jet 1 Mox Pearl 1 Mox Ruby 1 Mox Sapphire 4 Mishra's Workshop 1 Cavern of Souls 2 Mishra's Factory 1 Tolarian Academy 4 Ancient Tomb 4 Wasteland 1 Strip Mine 1 Buried Ruin 1 Sol Ring 4 Chalice of the Void 1 Dismember 4 Phyrexian Revoker 4 Lodestone Golem 3 Batterskull 3 Kuldotha Forgemaster 1 Sundering Titan 2 Arcbound Ravager 4 Tangle Wire 1 Trinisphere 4 Thorn of Amethyst 2 Sphere of Resistance 1 Phyrexian Metamorph 1 Karn, Silver Golem SB: 1 Dismember SB: 1 Duplicant SB: 1 Phyrexian Metamorph SB: 1 Sphere of Resistance SB: 2 Crucible of Worlds SB: 1 Ghost Quarter SB: 1 Tormod's Crypt SB: 1 Leyline of the Void SB: 3 Grafdigger's Cage SB: 2 Null Rod SB: 1 Steel Hellkite  3. Steven Sasala Merfolk 4 Lord of Atlantis 4 Master of the Pearl Trident 4 Cursecatcher 4 Silvergill Adept 4 True-Name Nemesis 3 Phantasmal Image 4 Cavern of Souls 4 Wasteland 1 Strip Mine 11 Island 1 Black Lotus 1 Mox Sapphire 4 Chalice of the Void 1 Ancestral Recall 1 Time Walk 4 Force of Will 1 Misdirection 1 Flusterstorm SB: 4 Grafdigger's Cage SB: 1 Flusterstorm SB: 3 Dismember SB: 1 Hurkyl's Recall SB: 1 Steel Sabotage SB: 2 Null Rod SB: 1 Tormod's Crypt SB: 1 Echoing Truth SB: 1 Mindbreak Trap  4. Duane Haddix "Pikula-nova" 4 Mishra's Workshop 4 Ancient Tomb 4 Wasteland 1 Strip Mine 4 Mishra's Factory 4 Mutavault 2 Blinkmoth Nexus 1 Tolarian Academy 1 Mox Emerald 1 Mox Jet 1 Mox Pearl 1 Mox Ruby 1 Mox Sapphire 4 Lodestone Golem 4 Phyrexian Revoker 4 Phyrexian Metamorph 4 Thorn of Amethyst 4 Sphere of Resistance 3 Null Rod 3 Chalice of the Void 3 Dismember 1 Sculpting Steel 1 Arcbound Ravager SB: 1 Sol Ring SB: 3 Grafdigger's Cage SB: 3 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale SB: 1 Chalice of the Void SB: 1 Precursor Golem SB: 1 Ghost Quarter SB: 1 Ratchet Bomb SB: 1 Sculpting Steel SB: 2 Crucible of Worlds SB: 1 Pithing Needle  5. Bret Nemeth OmniOath 3 Mental Misstep 4 Force of Will 4 Omniscience 4 Dig Through Time 4 Oath of Druids 1 Black Lotus 2 Tropical Island 1 Mox Jet 1 Griselbrand 1 Misty Rainforest 1 Boseiju, Who Shelters All 1 Flusterstorm 1 Brainstorm 1 Time Walk 4 Preordain 4 Show and Tell 2 Underground Sea 1 Volcanic Island 1 Thoughtseize 4 Scalding Tarn 1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn 4 Forbidden Orchard 1 Ponder 1 Mox Sapphire 1 Misdirection 1 Demonic Tutor 1 Mox Emerald 1 Island 1 Vampiric Tutor 1 Gitaxian Probe 1 Mana Crypt 1 Ancestral Recall SB: 1 Toxic Deluge SB: 1 Mental Misstep SB: 1 Mountain SB: 1 Boseiju, Who Shelters All SB: 2 Abrupt Decay SB: 3 Leyline of Sanctity SB: 3 Ingot Chewer SB: 1 Ancient Grudge SB: 1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite SB: 1 Ravenous Trap  6. Nam Tran Metalworker MUD 4 Sphere of Resistance 4 Metalworker 3 Staff of Domination 4 Tangle Wire 4 Chalice of the Void 4 Lodestone Golem 2 Steel Hellkite 3 Wurmcoil Engine 4 Phyrexian Revoker 1 Sol Ring 1 Mox Emerald 1 Mox Jet 1 Mox Pearl 1 Mox Ruby 1 Mox Sapphire 4 Mishra's Workshop 4 Mishra's Factory 4 Wasteland 4 Ancient Tomb 1 Strip Mine 1 Tolarian Academy 2 Crucible of Worlds 1 City of Traitors 1 Mana Crypt SB: 4 Grafdigger's Cage SB: 2 Triskelion SB: 2 Expedition Map SB: 2 Karakas SB: 3 Relic of Progenitus SB: 2 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale  7. Kevin Poenisch "Dredge & Dragons" 4 Serum Powder 3 Chromatic Lantern 1 Black Lotus 1 Mox Emerald 1 Mox Jet 1 Mox Pearl 1 Mox Ruby 1 Mox Sapphire 3 Ancient Tomb 2 Dakmor Salvage 2 City of Brass 4 Mana Confluence 4 Bazaar of Baghdad 1 Ancestral Recall 4 Bridge from Below 4 Narcomoeba 3 Cabal Therapy 4 Bloodghast 4 Street Wraith 4 Golgari Grave-Troll 4 Stinkweed Imp 4 Dack Fayden SB: 3 Dragonlord Dromoka SB: 1 Dragonlord Silumgar SB: 1 Dragonlord Ojutai SB: 2 Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker SB: 1 Chromatic Lantern SB: 3 Consecrated Sphinx SB: 2 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite SB: 1 Sol Ring SB: 1 Mana Crypt  8. Jimmy McCarthy BUG 2 Trygon Predator 2 Notion Thief 3 Abrupt Decay 1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang 1 Demonic Tutor 1 Crucible of Worlds 4 Deathrite Shaman 4 Force of Will 3 Mental Misstep 1 Misdirection 1 Flusterstorm 3 Dig Through Time 2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor 3 Snapcaster Mage 1 Ancestral Recall 1 Ponder 1 Treasure Cruise 1 Brainstorm 1 Time Walk 2 Tropical Island 3 Underground Sea 1 Bayou 1 Mox Jet 1 Mox Sapphire 1 Mox Emerald 1 Black Lotus 2 Thought Scour 1 Strip Mine 1 Swamp 1 Polluted Delta 2 Misty Rainforest 3 Verdant Catacombs 4 Wasteland SB: 1 Null Rod SB: 4 Grafdigger's Cage SB: 1 Snuff Out SB: 3 Nature's Claim SB: 2 Virulent Plague SB: 2 Pack Rat SB: 1 Abrupt Decay SB: 1 Forest While this was taking place, the true glory was unfolding in an Onslaught cube.  Booze and cookies was the order of the day.  If you want to see a ton of other cool pictures, check out Kevin Poenisch's album: https://www.flickr.com/gp/132768380@N07/4s13u8It's hard to put into words how much fun this event was. It was truly a pleasure to host. Props: Kevin Cron for crushing BOTH Ohio State jerseys in the top 8. Nat Moes for encouragement, logistics, and damn fine baking. JACO for helping with prize support and being a model house-guest. Kevin Poenisch for helping with organizing the event and top 8ing with a hilarious deck. Jimmy McCarthy for setting up and managing our stream. Slops: Michigan weather -- no air conditioning obviously meant it was going to be the hottest day of the year. Our stream lighting making the top8 painful to follow. Seroogy leaving his sandwich unprotected. If you missed the stream our archived footage is here (over six hours of vintage!). Also contains some footage of what happens when you don't protect your sandwich: http://www.twitch.tv/seriousvintage/b/678754353Also, feel free to check out Justin Waller's tournament report: http://legitmtg.com/competitive/the-road-to-philly-no-bans-full-speed-ahead/ |
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Eternal Formats / Workshop-Based Prison / Re: Vintage Affinity
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on: January 23, 2014, 11:05:38 am
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I wouldn't think of Plating as interacting with Ravager, I'd think of it as a complement: Plating beefs up your creatures for a very modest cost, without requiring you to sacrifice your board. Its ability to let you swing big without making a massive commitment was very valuable when I tested the deck.
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