Mind you, Whispering Madness/Windfall is HILARIOUS if you flash in Notion Thief... but alas, that's the EDH part of me speaking there...

577

(18 replies, posted in Decks and Deckbuilding)

The alternative that's starting to see a lot more constructed play is Underworld Connections.  Many people doubted it would be useful as it's three mana and doesn't actually net you a card until you can tap the land again to draw the card, but the repeated instances of card advantage is undeniable.  That and enchantment and land removal are considerably less frequent than creature removal.  As elpablo says, you could cast Altar's Reap on a mana dork to draw cards, they can Shock the mana dork at instant speed, putting theirs on top of the stack and meaning when time comes for the reap to resolve... no dork to sack.  With the Connections, you're far more likely to have success drawing cards for turns and turns and turns.

ben_weis wrote:

windfall is awesome but it's banned
in legacy. as is memory jar.

I'm not going to pretend that I keep up with Legacy, but wouldn't Whispering Madness achieve the same thing as Windfall?

579

(3 replies, posted in Decks and Deckbuilding)

This isn't really striking me as an aggro build as much as you're going for something mid-rangey.

That being said, you really have two choices - go with the mid-range strategy and keep Farseek (but you're going to need removal or some life gain to survive very long) OR take it to an aggro build, at which point you NEED to lower the curve dramatically - as you're not really going to be pressuring the opponent in the early turns as currently constructed.

Think about how the solid aggro decks run.  It's incredibly common to have 6 power's worth of creatures on the board on turn 2.  Your deck, best case scenario could manage 5 power, one of them being a mana dork.  Not only does it require a PERFECT draw, but it will have it spread on two creatures, as opposed to the 3 for the more traditional aggro decks. 

Going Naya is fine, but I don't see you reliably being able to cast the Reckoners on T3... perhaps knock them down to 2-3x.  If you're aggro in these colors, where is Burning-Tree Emissary?  They give you the red mana you need for a T2 Domri if you manage a dork on T1.  No Elvish Mystics or Arbor Elf?  I'd also consider Voice to be more of a defensive card than an aggro one.  You could easily cut Rubblebelt Raiders as well.

As you're currently constructed I just see you being too split, especially considering the number of shocks you're going to be playing... but then again, I could be wrong.  I just don't see this performing consistently without the checklands.  Which raises the question, why aren't they in here?  You have several other cards that are rotating out... so why not them too for the time being?

580

(3 replies, posted in Decks and Deckbuilding)

First off, you need to pick between standard or modern as both of them have considerably different decklists that perform well.

Secondly, the deck is full of far too many 1-offs that don't see much competitive play.  You need to build something that has 3-4 of most cards to ensure it has consistency.  To name just a few of the pieces you really just don't need/want to run in here: Goblin Arsonist, Warclamp Mastiff, Goblin Shortcutter, Hellraiser Goblin, Staff of the Flame Magus, etc etc

The real question is how competitive you really want to be.  You can easily brew your own list using seldom used stuff, but be ready to lose a lot of games at FNM (or all your games at a GP).  However, if you're wanting to compete, my suggestion, as much as it pains me to say it (as I despise net-decking), would be to look on TCGPlayer's decks page for the decklists that are finishing well that are closest to what you want to do.  Then make small adaptations from there.

581

(18 replies, posted in Decks and Deckbuilding)

I'm not going to lie, four color is definitely out of my comfort zone, but it almost seems silly not to be taking advantage of the gatekeepers from DGM (especially Saruli Gatekeepers) and Greenside Watcher.  To be honest, I'm not entirely sure Hold the Gates is as effective as Sphere of Safety or something like that.  You could easily toss in Detention Sphere, Pacifism and things of that like to up your enchantment count.  Or maybe you could do more of a control build with it.

All that being said, I know a potential finisher would be to toss in Prophet of Kruphix to maximize your ability to burn them out with Crackling Perimeter.  I could also see where Maze's End should be in here to let you tutor up the gates needed to play what's in your hand.

Am I correct that the real win-con is to smash them with Gateway Shade?  It certainly is different...

As you can tell I'm pretty much just spitballing here... let me know if any of that helps.

582

(1 replies, posted in General Discussion)

Not that I'm aware of.  You could send him a private message simply requesting that he finish the trade, but if he wants to leave the trade open on his end I don't know that any of the trade rules require him to take action.  I'd send a private message, see if he/she responds.  If not, you can always reach out to one of the site admins to see if they can do something (or if there's even anything to be done).

As long as you've put tracking on it, that's about all that you can do.  If the USPS is just bouncing it around, you might be able to ask that they simply put a stop on it and return it to you so that you could send it via UPS or another private courier.  The better question is, did the other person send you cards and did they get to you (at which point things get more complicated).

584

(18 replies, posted in Decks and Deckbuilding)

morph66 wrote:

ahh ok cool, so as long as your card is still in the new sets, you can still have the old version

You are correct.

585

(18 replies, posted in Decks and Deckbuilding)

morph66 wrote:

so what goes out in 2 weeks? is that innistrad? or is there more stuff

Both M13 and the entire Innistrad block (Innistrad, Dark Ascension, and Avacyn Restored) will rotate on the 27th. 

Keep in mind that any cards from those sets that have been reprinted in M14, RTR, GTC, or DGM will still be legal as they're printed in a current set.  So just because your Doom Blade is from M12 doesn't make it illegal to play, as Doom Blade is currently legal from its printing in M14.

586

(1 replies, posted in Decks and Deckbuilding)

Given the similarity in build I'm going to point you toward a similar discussion that has already been taking place.  Look at what has been said in the following thread:  http://deckbox.org/forum/viewtopic.php?id=12927

You have a slightly different build going, but still basically the same evolve sort of premise.  After looking that through, let me know and I can give your build a closer look.

587

(18 replies, posted in Decks and Deckbuilding)

I think post-rotation three color builds are going to be harder to operate given the departure of the checklands (and the continued presence of Burning Earth in red sideboards).  Personally I'm looking to build simple G/B with an emphasis on Reaper of the Wild, Desecration Demon, and things of that nature.  Ramping into a rather large Gaze of Granite with 1 or more Reapers out will essentially turn into a tutor effect, while also maintaining some serious board presence.

That being said, even mono-black control is looking more and more promising every day.

588

(18 replies, posted in Decks and Deckbuilding)

joecat wrote:
morph66 wrote:

ok cool, do i have alot of stuff in there that isn't standard?  is there a place where i can get lists of what is acceptable for each type of game?  thanks

http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/a … frstandard

This is a good resource.  But to simplify things, standard (as rotation will hit in about 2 weeks) includes all cards printed in M14 and the Return to Ravnica block (RTR, Gatecrash, and Dragon's Maze) for the moment (technically M13 and the Innistrad block are still legal, but don't worry about them).  Theros, once released, will also be standard legal starting September 27th (once it officially releases).

So again, M14, RTR, GTC, and DGM and potentially Theros spoilers are the sets to consider for the moment.

589

(18 replies, posted in Decks and Deckbuilding)

joecat wrote:
morph66 wrote:

I guess the goal would be to muster up some courage and go to a friday night magic. Right now I just use my cards to play casual with a buddy.

The problem is i don't even know what format FNM is, or any of the rulings. I've basically just been collecting cards... The point is i need some kind of inspiration.

That is not an FNM legal deck. FNM is standard play only.

This is incorrect - FNM varies by location and over-time.  I used to go to a store that would cycle between standard, modern, and sealed play for FNMs.  Even having just relocated, I can say that both the stores I've scouted out also vary between drafts, standard constructed, and other formats.

590

(18 replies, posted in Decks and Deckbuilding)

morph66 wrote:

I guess the goal would be to muster up some courage and go to a friday night magic. Right now I just use my cards to play casual with a buddy.

The problem is i don't even know what format FNM is, or any of the rulings. I've basically just been collecting cards... The point is i need some kind of inspiration.

Given this, I would suggest you and your buddy just go down to your LGS to watch an FNM.  They typically will vary in format by store and often from week to week.  This would dictate whether to try to aim for standard or modern format (since you're a newer player, I would suggest standard as the format to shoot for as it will end up being easier to collect cards to play). 

Ask questions, watch games, converse with people.  FNMs are meant to be a casual, welcoming environment where everyone from pros to beginners can come play.  That being said, some FNMs are more competitive than others, so hopefully you have more than one LGS to choose from.  But ultimately, talk to people, find out what they're playing and why they're playing it.  Take a deck or two to play casually - or otherwise to see if people want to help you out.  Obviously they're not just going to build decks for you, but it's worth talking to them to see how competitive the environment is and that sort of stuff.

Having said all of that... after you've gone and seen some play, talked to people, and really figured things out a bit more THEN it would be good to figure out deck ideas on here.  This isn't to suggest that I and the rest of the Deckbox community are unwilling to help, you had best believe we are, but rather to give you more of a feel for the game before you go leaping into competitive play (because it is a very different animal than the kitchen table).  Lastly, remember to have fun!

591

(18 replies, posted in Decks and Deckbuilding)

What're you aiming for?  Casual play?  FNMs?  Any format preference?

Simply stating "I have four Deathrite Shamans, someone build me a deck" isn't likely to generate a lot of input - especially when you offer little to no guidance regarding what you want to play.  Even the decklist you provide isn't able to be critiqued unless we have a sense of what you're aiming for.

As always, you guys are a godsend.  Nicely done!

593

(11 replies, posted in Reddit MTG Trades)

Not to be a stickler, but the Deckbox trading rules stipulate that you allow up to two weeks for shipping before filing a BTR.  That aside, relax a bit.  I know it can be nerve racking to ship out $20+ worth of cards in the mail with no guarantee that you'll be getting your agreed compensation in return, but alas, such are the perils of online trading. 

If the person has a high enough trade rating (more than 10) then I would imagine that, as UnstableFlux said, something probably just popped up.  Leave them a message in the trade box and feel free to privately message them, but again, just relax and let things play out.  If after two weeks you still don't have anything and the user doesn't respond, then you can go ahead with posting a BTR.

594

(3 replies, posted in Decks and Deckbuilding)

So just giving it a quick glance... a few things jump out at me:

1) Gyre Sage - now there is promise here and I'm not saying this is definitely the way to go, but I could see where Elvish Mystic is going to be a more consistent help.  The sage has the ability to grow and really help the cause, BUT it requires at least one evolve trigger before it ever produces any mana (which leads to inconsistency).  If you're looking to ramp, I can see where the mystic is just going to be better most of the time.

2) You need to pick between Crowned Ceratok or Sapphire Drake.  You should worry about either going over or through the opponent's defenses, but you needn't stress both.  Giving a 5/4 flying Renegade Krasis trample will just be redundant.  Personally, I would say to stick with the drakes, but playtest it both ways to see which you prefer and which performs better.

3) Towering Indrik?  Why?  I get that it's a beast, but at the four you're soooo much better suited with Rumbling Baloth... think... 2/4 reach or 4/4.  I'm going with the 4/4 because you're planning on giving things flying via the Sapphire Drake anyway, right?

4) I would drop Rogue's Passage and two forests for the full set of Simic Guildgates. They might come into play tapped, but they guarantee you'll be able to play both colors more consistently.  Again, when you're giving things flying late game, you won't need unblockable.

As way of looking forward, I would suggest making the above changes and playtesting the deck.  It might work, it might not.  BUT, whatever you can learn about the weak links in the deck is great as you're about to have another 249 cards to draw upon that are going to introduce a lot of interesting dynamics to the game.

595

(3 replies, posted in Decks and Deckbuilding)

I'd had the thought of doing a tribal beast deck when Advocate of the Beast was first spoiled, but the biggest problem is that your #1 option beast is rotating, #goodbyeThragtusk.  It MIGHT still be feasible but I don't see where it will be all that competitive, as you're essentially just playing a collection of sub-par creatures that don't normally see play because of a combo with one guy that only equates to adding one counter to a creature per turn (not exactly the scariest thing in the world).  Your opponents will likely catch on after the first game and can easily just pick off the Advocates when they hit the field... trust me on this, I tried a similar thing with Slumbering Dragon when M13 hit.

That being said, if you're set on the deck idea, here are some ideas for you.

1) Elvish Mystics - not beasts, but mana rampers to help your curve.  Think T2 Advocate, T3 Rumbling Baloth.  Then you're at least attacking with a 5/5 on T4.  Still not ideal though as you could just CAST a 5/5 Deadbridge Goliath on T3... Also, Reverent Hunter could easily be a 5/5 on T2 in the right build once Theros hits.

2) Species Gorger - you NEED to remove this card.  The 6/6 body is attractive, but you HAVE to return a creature to your hand.  If the opponent is smart, they clear out your other creatures and you end up just casting and re-casting the gorger (which you really don't want to do, as you'll never be able to attack with him).  Again, I had grand ideas for Roaring Primadox in M13 and ran into the same issues.

3) Sapphire Drake - I could see as a 2x or 3x, but at 4x you're really making your curve top heavy.  Sure, it will evolve some stuff and give flying, but odds are your creatures are going to be pretty large to start with.  The flying strikes me almost like overkill in most cases.

4) Pit Fight - Decent removal, but I would suggest you use Rapid Hybridization instead.  It's cheaper, it can remove their major threats and replace them with 3/3s OR in a pinch can be used to upgrade one of your underperforming creatures.

5) Why not go with a full playset of Renegade Krasis?

6) Prime Speaker Zegana?  Evolves EVERYTHING and gets you some pretty sick card draw?

7) You don't really have one-drops.  This solidifies the need for Elvish Mystic.

8) I would actually suggest using Agoraphobia.  It's soft removal that is REALLY versatile for what you're doing.  You could either a) use it to negate one of their threats or b) reduce the power of one Renegade Krasis, ensuring that it will evolve no matter what you put onto the field.  Best of all, you can use even one copy for both purposes given that you can return it to your hand.

9) Given that you're in blue, you REALLY need some means of generating additional card advantage - whether it be Zameck Guildmage or Fathom Mage either one gives you card draw and some versatility.  I would suggest the guildmage as it can both bring things in larger, helping to trigger evolve and guarantee everything has counters, AND it can remove counters from Renegade Krasis letting it evolve.

10) Kalonian Hydra says hello (Expensive, yes.  But also perfectly suited for this deck.)

Having said all of this, if Renegade Krasis operates as the central piece behind the counter generation, you NEED to be sure that you have numerous creatures that will evolve it without any added pieces.  Rumbling Baloth will trigger it up to two times, Sapphire Drake could up to 3 times... but that's it.  Adding Zegana, Agoraphobia, and Zameck Guildmage will go a LONG way toward helping you with this.

Either way, it could be fun.  I hope some of this helps.  Good luck.

PKRios1 wrote:

oh yeah i got my cards months ago and the DC show he got his on july 19

how do i get in contact with Sebi or Catinca

I can think of two ways to sort this out.  1) You could either start a thread in the Bad Traders Forum, which Catinca moderates very closely simply bringing the issue to their attention and asking for their assistance.  OR  2) You could just go to one of their respective individual pages and send them an e-mail.

To be honest, I would go with option 1 over option 2 as there's no need to send either of them an e-mail, making them think something is wrong when it's just a matter of cleaning things up for your profile.

597

(1 replies, posted in Decks and Deckbuilding)

First off, if you're R/G (aka Gruul), why do you have Temple Gardens?  A normal mountain would be more effective in casting Boros Reckoner as it will never enter the field tapped and can be used to cast it.  You don't have any other white in the deck...

Second, you have nothing to actually drop with Burning-Tree Emissary other than another BTE or perhaps your one-drops.  You need to have some two drops to give you options.

Third, I don't know that I'd run Purphoros or Domri as 4x.  Not only would this require you to obtain 4x Purphoros (who is pre-ordering at like $25), but they're legendary - making ANY duplicates of either in your hand dead cards.  I could see Domri as 3x at the most and Purphoros perhaps as a 2x or MAYBE a 3x.

Fourth, I don't know that I'd run Madcap Skills in here.  Sure, it works wonders in sealed and is a monster card in the right instances, but given the small size of the creatures you're using, it's inviting you to get two-for-one'd a LOT.  Think, you put it on a BTE, they hit it with Magma Jet.  Now you're out two cards to their one.

I'd actually suggest looking at Craig Wescoe's list and then see what changes here or there that you want to make it more your flavor.  You can see his article here: http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=11358

For cards you're leaving out from Theros, simply put, go look at Reverent Hunter, Satyr Hedonist, and Xenagos (although I'm thinking he'll be best for a more mid-rangey deck).

So to save time, there's already been a discussion of a similar themed deck... please see it here:

http://deckbox.org/forum/viewtopic.php?id=12835

Did you receive cards from him?  I'm assuming your delivery confirmation states that your cards were delivered, right?  My guess would be that either Sebi or Catinca can force finish the trade.

600

(5 replies, posted in Decks and Deckbuilding)

DarylD wrote:

I liked your suggestions TyWooOneTime.  I have been transforming my black/white vampire deck into an extort/discard deck.  I'm concerned it's not balanced enough and that I don't have enough discard options early in the game to reduce my opponents options.  Any suggestions to make it better?

http://deckbox.org/sets/469308

My sideboard isn't really complete.  I dumped a few things in there when weeding out things from the deck.  This deck is mainly for fun, but would also like it to be competetive at FNM.

taporsnap17 - check it out and see if anything in there might help your deck as well.

Most of the pieces are there.  You have several pieces that you could easily swap out.  Syndic of Tithes is great in sealed play, but constructed, it's just a 2/2 and that's not going to do you much - especially in a situation where your opponent would be dropping Burning-Tree Emissary and other stuff.  You'll end up using it for blocking more than anything else.  Either drop them AND the Basilica Guards or drop them and swap them for more guards (although I'd suggest dropping all of them).  You can use those spaces to toss in another Crypt Ghast and Desecration Demon (this guy is a BEAST, offering repeated removal/defense).

I'd suggest swapping Ultimate Price with Doom Blade - it will take out more opposing creatures, hands down.  Lose the confessor and Treasury Thrull for another Blood Baron and/or Obzedats.  I would ultimately try to keep the curve down as much as possible - unless you want to toss in a BIG one-off for grins (i.e. Lord of the Void).  The latter option has a lot higher odds of failing to go off, sticking you with an uncastable creature in hand... but when it does work... all the more amusement.

Duress is a SB card.  Purge the Profane is just bad... you can get the same effect off of Mind Rot for one cheaper (you don't get the life... but given that the whole deck is extorting, you're going to be gaining it all the time anyway).  To some degree, you might not mind Devour Flesh too much either - rather than 4x Celestial Flare.  Sure, they gain some life, but you'll get rid of their creature AND you will get to extort more.

Again, extort isn't a really competitive strategy just yet, but it might get a little better with Theros - Erebos would make some noise in said deck... Devour Flesh with no drawback... extort and then pay to draw cards.