[Premium Article] Gifts Dissected, Part Two

[Smmenen]

http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/article/11209.html

In this article I show the full composite decklist with composite SB.

It took me a REALLY long time to aggregate 47 different Gifts decklists - so I hope you guys enjoy the product of my effort. 

Feedback is really welcome. 

[Evenpence]

I read this a while before a topic was posted about it (this one), and I think your analysis of Gifts is amazing.

I really can't say much more than that other than great job, and I, for one, am very appreciative of your work on the subject, and it must have taken you forever.  The articles you've provided on Stax/Gifts so far will be some of the most amazing things to look back on a year or two from now, like reading your primer on Mono-U.  I loved that thing.

Good work.

If I have to make a critism, I would say that there isn't enough match analysis in your articles, like, for instance, why certain cards are included with others, or what the philosophy is betwen either having 4 thirsts and two scrolls, or 3 scrolls and 3 thirsts, etc.

EDIT:  Just looking over the article, I think I understand a little bit more about you:  You have TONS of information on the format in general, like, just look with me about your analysis of REB:

"The reason is simple: Red Elemental Blast is an amazing card. For one mana it is the strongest anti-control card in the format. It is a huge tempo boost and extremely efficient. Frankly, I'm surprised that people aren't running more. I'm also surprised that only twenty-eight out of forty-seven lists had two Rack and Ruin in their sideboard. I suppose the diversity reflects the view that a different anti-Stax card is better than a second Rack and Ruin."

I hope I can post this without getting killed or something, am I not supposed to quote anything from a premium article?

You have an absurd knowledge of the format as a whole, which is why you can make huge, sweeping arguments like, "This card is just good.  Period.  Against most everybody."  And not stuff like, "This card is great in the mirror, because you get to counter their Gifts for only one mana, and it's not a good mana drain target, etc."

I'm not really looking for the second, as vintage players know that, but I understand why I say that match analysis is lacking - it's because you look at Gifts from the outward-in, and not the inward-out.  What I mean is that you're not taking a Gifts perspective on this, and explaining things from the perspective of a Gifts player, but instead, taking the perspective of the Vintage Format and looking at Gifts.

Which is great, but it lacks opinion issues a good bit, because you don't give the arguments for different Gifts Players, like, why do some Gifts players play with Flame Vault over just Colossus?

[Lunar]

The article is good for getting a statistical sample of what you can expect from gifts on average...the article itself though was not really anything new to me after reading your meandeck gifts article, probascos article and the original cab gifts article...this kinda just summed it all up...

interesting work, and we always need more on vintage popping up on SCG...I like the stax one better though, although that is probably just personal preference at play, heh...

[vartemis]

Good solid article.  I was looking at playing gifts now that I have finished building oath and cs.  No one in my group really plays competitively, so I really had no where to turn.  I saw your article on SCG and decided to sign up for the year (I spend more on Tim Hortons coffee in a month than an annual membership costs hehehe).  I feel like I have some good knowledge that helped me better understand the deck, as well as where it is heading.

Question:  Regarding the kill, is Belcher pretty much dead now?  Has everyone switched over to either Timevault or Colossus?  If not, what are the overall ratios, where are they located, and when was the last time belcher was used?

good work.

j

[Smmenen]

Thanks for the feedback. I have taken note.