Tainted Mask

[Os-Vegeta]

Quote Just a question?  Seeing as how most of the deck is hosed by Chalice for one.  Would it not be imprudent to use Gorilla Shaman as your artifact killer?  

Well, what else would you want?  You could use Keg, but it wouldn't do much good.  Why?  Chalice is even worse for you then.  If you can't stop Chalice for 2, you're done.  In the side I would probably have some Chalice hate to make sure Chalice for 2 doesn't happen.

Quote Unfortunately with a few more days of testing under the belt, I am really not sure that Mask is playable.  Not that I am saying it is unplayable, but it does suffer alot from Chalice in particular and from all the artifact hate in the new meta-game in general.

You're starting to come to the conclusion that Matt and I came to - Tainted Mask has been dead since GAT first appeared.  The format is just too fast now for a deck like this, especially when it's not even totally reliable and takes 2 cards to "combo" kill in 2 turns.

[Tatanka]

Tainted Mask is an Aggro/combo and a lot more aggro than combo so the only way it's gonna give you good results is by playing it as an aggro deck.  

I'm sure you can find an answer to artifacts in blue, shaman is not so good in the deck or at least doesn't deserve to split red for.

[Os-Vegeta]

Quote Tainted Mask is an Aggro/combo and a lot more aggro than combo so the only way it's gonna give you good results is by playing it as an aggro deck.

Tainted Mask is aggro (That's why I put the "combo" in quotes).  In any case, to play it you have to get a threat out quick, either Mask-Nought or Negator, and you have to have the disruption too.  Most of the time, you'll be wanting to go Mask-Nought, and that is why so much of the deck is devoted to getting them out quickly.  

Quote I'm sure you can find an answer to artifacts in blue, shaman is not so good in the deck or at least doesn't deserve to split red for.

Let's see...  Hurkyl's Recall (also 1 cc, and doesn't get rid of the Chalice permanently) and Energy Flux (not even worth running).   Recoil could be an option, but it really seems like it's a bit slow.

Red, on the other hand, offers Gorilla Shaman (permanent solution), Overload, Rack and Ruin (not a great choice in some cases), Meltdown, etc...  Now we know that Keeper deck armed with Chalice will cause problems for this deck, let alone other decks packing Chalice that can get 4 mana quickly enough (wMUD, Chalice Black), so red seems like a logical choice to make a countermeasure if you really want to play Tainted Mask.

[glenchuy]

Quote (Tatanka @ Oct. 31 2003,07:41)glenchuy: maybe you could try something like 1 strip and 2-3 waste if your mana base can't support more.

There are a lot of choice to replace gators, specters/shades/Lord of tresserhorn/skittering horror

i already have 4-shades,  the specters are too slow, but i'll try them again.  i forgot all about lord of tresserhorn, but i'll probably just run 1 if i do run them.  

i'll try out horror.

[Tatanka]

No No No, stop to worry about chalice as I said before it's a good thing, chalice is great against many deck but doen't do that much against mask. Chalice for 0 do nothing but slow you a litle in the first turns, for 1 is good if they drop it turn 1 as you'll be much slower and probably won't explode as you loose duress and dark ritual but from turn 2.... all of your treats cost 2-3-4 you loose rituals, sol ring, duress, spoil and consult,  it's not that bad you can still play a mask and beat them to hell with unconterable stuff.  Chalice at 2 would be the most annoying as it stop mask??? bah! hardcast gators and specters they just found themself with no conters and they spent 4 mana on the chalice(seriously how often do you see control setting chalice at 2, the deck is designed for chalice at 0 and1)). C'mon we'll don't talk about chalice for 3 and 4....  I still think mask is one of the deck wich is the less hosed by chalice.

glenchuy: I haven't tested the horror but I know CF did a while ago, lord is of course a 1 of, specters are too slow against a lot of deck but they are gold vs control.  I don't know how will your mana base support shades, specialy if you just added strip and wastes.

Seb

[Eastman]

I realize this is a little out there but...


Has anyone ever tested 1996 world champion in this deck? A single WC could be a very powerful tool when you've got the mask out but can't find a creature.

[Matt The Great]

...wow. That's the best tech I have ever seen. Go proxy tournaments!\n\n

[Eastman]

yah that's what I'm thinking... I wonder if anyone who's ever actually played the deck has tried it :-p

[Smmenen]

I've been playing Mask heavily the last three weeks. I was *this* close to playing it in KC. My next SCG article is on it.  As soon as it goes up, I'd like to dive right into some of these discussions.

However, my opinoin is that Chalice for 1 is a serious pain in the ass for Mask, but that Chalice in the SB is superb.  

Steve

[Eastman]

Quote (Smmenen @ Nov. 06 2003,17:02)I've been playing Mask heavily the last three weeks. I was *this* close to playing it in KC. My next SCG article is on it.  As soon as it goes up, I'd like to dive right into some of these discussions.

However, my opinoin is that Chalice for 1 is a serious pain in the ass for Mask, but that Chalice in the SB is superb.  

Steve

You ever tested 1996 World Champ Steve? Does your article break  open this secret tech ?

[Jacob Orlove]

Quote (Matt The Great @ Nov. 06 2003,16:52)...wow. That's the best tech I have ever seen. Go proxy tournaments!

I've seen it mentioned as a discard enabler for Madness before.

The general consensus was that you can't proxy one up, the same way you can't proxy up, say, Splendid Genesis. Of course, the TO could allow it, but it really goes against the spirit of the card.

[Smmenen]

you know it.  I highly suggest you sb out the combo for that Svelt technology.

Steve