Random Standard!

[Shax]

Yo this is Shax and I wanted to give you guys my spill on ''Random Standard'', one of those formats you make yourself. I did not make this of course, but delievering the message to other players to play on Cockatrice'' is doing my job of getting people interested.

http://forum.cockatrice.de/index.php?topic=859.msg4400#new
    go there
    to learn how to play random standard

The format changes every month, with this month having a interesting power creep of Show and Tell decks, Sneak Attack, Tinker decks, Frantic Search decks, Goblins, Red Green Aggro, Solar Flare from Standard, Replenish decks. There are tons more options than these, but that is a example of what is possible in this format choosen randomly. Tourneys are going to be ran if enough support is gotten and alot of people on trice' are already making the switch to play because the format has alot of benefits.

There are 7 sets in rotation at a time. That makes two Blocks, (3 sets a piece) and a core set are choosen to make 7. The core sets will be from 4th edition onward and I think P3K has the possibility of being choosen as a block. (it would be all 3 portal sets if that is the case). This makes for alot more skill intensive matches because cards are not always familier, and makes you a master of the game as a whole because you go through all of Magic mixing and mashing sets and new deck concepts. There are powerful broken cards of course, but the format is balanced enough for me and I have confident in the commitee to vote on cards that should and should not be banned in a upcoming set/current metagame. The standalone sets like Antiquties, Arabian Nights, etc I don't think will be used.

[Delha]

1 month seems like a very short time for a meta to reach maturity. Seems really cool from the perspective of just dreaming up new brews, but can't say I agree with the claim about skill intensive matches. The inherent variance of the format is going to lend itself to random blowouts where one side or the other has no answers. In a more typical format, you can build your board with that in mind, but good luck doing so in such highly dynamic meta.

[Shax]

1 month seems like a very short time for a meta to reach maturity. Seems really cool from the perspective of just dreaming up new brews, but can't say I agree with the claim about skill intensive matches. The inherent variance of the format is going to lend itself to random blowouts where one side or the other has no answers. In a more typical format, you can build your board with that in mind, but good luck doing so in such highly dynamic meta.

1 month is long enough to adjust to a metagame (IMO), and have a end of the month tournament for a winner take all. By time about 2 weeks in, we would know what should be banned, the 3rd week is testing for the big dance. Then by time the end of it all the metagame changes of course. This is also for a reason I think is because anything longer than a 1 month metagame will make the top decks unreachable. They will be OP, and then by time then the rotation occurs. Everyone is happy. Also this is a much like you said, interenet format. So a 1 month metagame at a time makes for internet players to get a new metagame and flesh it out, because lets face it, internet players play alot of Magic. The brews are good yes, but it makes the players really think. I have had alot of skill intensive matches.

This metagame with Urzas Block, Rav block reminds me of Legacy alot. The win conditions are all broken and kill you fast. The fastest deck I know of in the format is Goblins (Goblin Lackey, Goblin Grenade, Matron, Arsonist.) it can kill turn 3 right now. Yes the metagame might be ethier you have card X or you lose. But that is also how Legacy/Vintage plays out alot if you play Storm Combo, etc. By time the end of the month, the only people getting randomly blown out will be the last minute entries into the tourney. The people that have tested and succeeded most likely will win. The cream rises to the top, and even in Vintage this is true. People can pick up good decks and still do well of course, but it seems like every time I look at the Top 8 it is the same people jocking for 1st.

To be honest my sideboards right now are general answers to what people CAN play against me. There are only 7 sets like I said. If you break those sets down the card pool is very limited or sometimes bigger depending on what sets are in rotation. The answers to threats become obvious. I have only been playing this format for 2 days and I have two competitive decks I would be fine to take to the tourney at the end of the month or whenever. SB and all included.

Also, Monoblack control is really really good in a format with Dark Ritual, Dark Confidant, Distress, Duress, Persecute, Avatar of Discord, Phyrexian Negator, Reanimation-Type spells.

Darkblast makes the archtype super teched since you can also play x4 Yawgmoths Will.

The more interesting thing is what kind of combo deck will be used around Tinker-Nullstone Gargoyle.

[Delha]

...I have only been playing this format for 2 days and I have two competitive decks I would be fine to take to the tourney at the end of the month or whenever. SB and all included.

If it's seriously true that one can waltz in and spend just two days thowing together a deck that's every bit as competitive as anything else in the format, that speaks poorly of the format. No matter who you are, that's a very short window to refine in. I'm not saying it can't be done, just that I think you're vastly overestimating how quickly the potential of a metagame is fulfilled.