Mean Deck Gifts Opening hand plays

[drgrieve]

MD Gifts opening hand plays. You are going first in the first game, you opponent A is Mirror and opponent B is Stax.

Hand 1
Island, Mana Vault, Fetchland, Brainstorm, Gifts, FOW, Manadrain


Hand 2
Island, Mana Vault, Fetchland, Brainstorm, Fact or Fiction, FOW, Manadrain


Hand 3
Island, Mox Emerald, Fetchland, Merchant Scroll, Brainstorm, Manadrain, Demonic Tutor


Outline your first turn plays and make note of when you play the card eg opponent upkeep / opponent eot and why.

If you are setting your hand up for a turn 2 play, what are you intending to do?

I will reveal the opponents opening hand and draw in a few days time (this will be a real draw for a keepable hand) and reply to your plays with the opponents.

Hopefully we can learn from these plays!

[PucktheCat]

Hand 1 and 2 are the same except for Gifts and Fact right?  I think the plays change based on whether you are playing 5c Stax or Uba Stax with this hand.  Vs. 5c Stax you don't need to worry about draw hosers so much (Chains, but they only play like 2) but Sphere of Resistance is a concern, so you lay the Vault first there.  Against Uba Stax you want to use the Brainstorm before he can hose it with a Mask and a first turn vault might draw a Null Rod earlier.  In either case you would REALLY like to avoid using Force first turn because both Brainstorm and Mana Drain -> Gifts/Fact are both really important plays against Stax.

The third hand is the most interesting.  I think you can't cast either of your tutors first turn against Stax because the Demonic will force you to fetch a non-basic and the Merchant Scroll (presumably for Ancestral) would give the Stax player a turn knowing Ancestral was in your hand to do something about it (like Chalice for 1, Chains, Uba Mask).  I would definately Brainstorm.

In all of the cases where I would Brainstorm I would do it on my first turn main phase, because if I come across and artifact mana I will want to play it this turn.

I would always drop the Island first because I am going to cast something right away so the Fetch can't protect my land for me.

Leo

Edit: to follow up on my play with the first two hands, I think you would have to judge what to Force very carefully, and it might change depending on what your hand looked like after the Brainstorm.  I don't think I would Force a turn one Uba Mask with that hand because you are already pretty stocked on Counters and you have a draw spell in hand.  Smokestack would be tough not to counter, but the Vault buys you a turn against it.  I would definately let Crucible go.  You lose if they have Strip Mine, but you have to take that risk.  Chalice would be fine.  Welder would be fine.  Even though you plan to Drain something next turn you don't care that much if it comes into play - all you want is the mana boost.

Actually, I find I force very little against Stax when I am playing Gifts.  Force is an illusion of security against that deck because every card in it is a threat and you can't Force them all.  You have to use the cards you would be Forcing away to find your basic lands and bounce spells as much as you possibly can.

Leo