Uba Stax article for BMG

[Bibendum]

http://www.blackmagicgaming.com/musing-of-the-mages-the-boogeyman-is-back/

Quick little blurb on Uba Mask.

Mostly just a list and a little commentary for people unfamiliar with the card
 

[Albarkhane]

Thanks for this nice little article.

I have been playing a quite similar list at the last LCV tournament and went 14th out of 38 with it. Running Uba Mask has been a quite last time call but i have been very happy with it during the whole tournament. I lost several very close games because of missplays (i was a bit out of training since i had not played vintage for quite a long time) but the deck could have made much better results than i did actually. I agree Uba Mask is a great choice in the current meta.
My 10 cents.

[GNU]

Fantastic read.

Whilst I love Caverns, did you test the old Mountain & Barbarian Ring combination as another route to victory under the ensnaring bridge? I've found it amazing in the dredge match up.

[Albarkhane]

I find dredge to be quite a good matchup for that kind of deck (even pre-side) so i would not choose caverns/circles because of it.

IMHO, having in the deck a way to ping creatures and/or player is an absolute requirement. I have been using staff of nim for quite some time and so i could run cavern instead of circles. I was quite happy with it. Because of the rise of null rod after chalice ban, i chose to come back to circles again.
Nowadays, people are running more creatures removal than they used to so make welder non-counterable is less relevant.

My mind is not set on that choice so far and i think it might be a meta choice (use circles as a way to get rid of small creatures) but i would give a slight advantage to circles.

[Bibendum]

Hey sorry I have been away for a bit so didn't get to respond. The reason I went on the cavern plan is every deck in my meta is jamming quad misstep. Uba mask invalidates all other counter spells which just leaves targeted removal. I have an event this weekend and I will test out which route I prefer. I do however understand the barbarian ring approach and if I give it more time might find that to be the proper route.

[dangerlinto]

Hey sorry I have been away for a bit so didn't get to respond. The reason I went on the cavern plan is every deck in my meta is jamming quad misstep. Uba mask invalidates all other counter spells which just leaves targeted removal. I have an event this weekend and I will test out which route I prefer. I do however understand the barbarian ring approach and if I give it more time might find that to be the proper route.

While Uba Mask is awesome when it hits the ground, I think you need to be a little more careful with statements like "Uba Mask invalidates all other counter spells".  If you have mask and two welders, ya you're golden, but just having Uba Mask out doesn't stop your opponent from using the counters they have in hand, nor does it stop your opponent from casting or playing instant draw to a spell you've just cast and then using a counter they've just drawn.  It also doesn't stop Dark Confidant, Gifts Ungiven or Dig Though Time.  Sensei's Divining Top is also fairly good vs uba, since you can arrange when you'll draw the cards you can afford to play and the ones on the top deck you might need.

Sufficed to say, playing against a landed Uba Mask is very hard , but I think your language in describing it is a little strong.

[Bibendum]

A single mask invalidates all naturally  drawn counters from then on but yes I should have specified

[vaughnbros]

It also doesn't stop Dark Confidant, Gifts Ungiven or Dig Though Time. 

Are these ways to get cards in your hand without drawing? Yes.  Confidant and Gifts are few and far between in the mentor meta.  Dig Through Time is obviously restricted.  These are reasons that Uba Mask is much better than it was a few years ago.

Sensei's Divining Top is also fairly good vs uba, since you can arrange when you'll draw the cards you can afford to play and the ones on the top deck you might need.

You are still a shops deck so your opponent having to invest mana every turn just to return the regular function of their draw step, seems like a big win for Uba mask.

[dangerlinto]

It also doesn't stop Dark Confidant, Gifts Ungiven or Dig Though Time.  

Are these ways to get cards in your hand without drawing? Yes.  Confidant and Gifts are few and far between in the mentor meta.  Dig Through Time is obviously restricted.  These are reasons that Uba Mask is much better than it was a few years ago.

Sensei's Divining Top is also fairly good vs uba, since you can arrange when you'll draw the cards you can afford to play and the ones on the top deck you might need.

You are still a shops deck so your opponent having to invest mana every turn just to return the regular function of their draw step, seems like a big win for Uba mask.

I wasn't attempting to diminish how effective Uba Mask is in todays game chalk full of gushs, preordains and gitaxian probes.  Merely the language used to describe it's effectiveness by Bibendum.

[Bibendum]

I hyperbolize. That was a case of it. One good thing is it makes force harder to cast since none of the blue cards will end up in your hand.