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[Brainstorming] Legacy Pyromancer Ascension

2011-11-20T02:46:00.001-08:00

Before you ask: No, Pyromancer Ascension probably will not be a tier 1 deck in Legacy.

Ok, now see the list I used in testing:

Legacy Pyromancer Ascension

Mana (18)
4 Scalding Tarn
1 Polluted Delta
1 Flooded Strand
2 Volcanic Island
2 Mountain
8 Island

Spells (42)
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Brainstorm
4 Preordain
4 Ponder
4 Rite of Flame
4 Manamorphose
4 Remand
4 Pyromancer Ascension
4 Impulse
4 Peer Through Depths
2 Grapeshot

This list focuses on getting Pyromancer Ascension online as soon as possible. You'll easily find Pyromancer Ascension with the best 12 one mana cantrips in Legacy. There's a little protection in Remand and Force of Will which can replace either Impulse or Peer Through Depths or a mixture of the two. Two Grapeshot also makes the play-a-lotta-cantrips-double-Grapeshot-kill possible.

Critical Spells in Pyromancer Ascension

This may come as a big surprise to those without experience piloting the deck, but the most important spells in this deck are other than its namesake are Gitaxian Probe and Manamorphose.

Gitaxian Probe cuts a full turn off the deck's clock and allows it to combo off earliest turn 3. In the world of Legacy, that's huge! Just take a look at sample plays in this article and you'll see 2 turn 3 wins each beginning with a turn 1 Probe + cantrip, leading into turn 2 Ascension, and turn 3 Probe + cantrip + a whole lotta nonsense.

Without Gitaxian Probe, you'll only be able to combo off turn 4 or slower. That's the difference between winning or losing to Legacy aggro decks!

Manamorphose acts in a whole different way from Gitaxian Probe in that it gives essential mana while the deck is comboing off. The deck is essentially mana + cantrips and Manamorphose acts as both after you've ascended. It works in conjunction with Rite of Flame to give you 4 blue mana to add 4 storm count with your cantrips. This, and not Rite of Flame, is often the card that you'll be searching for after an active Ascension.

Speaking of searching, 1 Peer Through Depths looks through 10 cards deep if you have an active Ascension. 10 Cards! With so many cantrips in your deck, that'll often be 1/3 of your deck or more! This is why I'll cut Impulse rather than Peer Through Depths to accommodate Force of Will. Your 1 mana cantrips will often find you Pyromancer Ascension fast enough.

Why Legacy Pyromancer Ascension is not Tier 1

The short answer is that it is simply too slow. A turn 3 kill in Legacy unhindered is nothing - so many decks can do that! And Legacy Pyromancer Ascension only achieves that if it can draw Gitaxian Probe, another cantrip and Ascension. The odds are bad enough that you might as well play the more consistent Burn.

And I've not touched on how disruption can wreck you. Thoughtseize, Hymn to Tourach, Spell Snare, Qasali Pridemage, Ethersworn Canonist, Force of Will, blah blah blah... Even Stifle gives your opponent 1 more turn before you get Ascension active. I hope you get the drift.

So What's Next?

The pure combo version apparently will not work well enough to be tier 1 but it might be different if we're taking a control-combo stance. Force of Will will probably buy at least 1 turn for you to set up your combo. Who knows? Maybe Legacy Pyromancer Ascension will be a budget deck that plays out similarly to High Tide/Permanent Waves without expensive candlesticks. Let me know your testing results in the comments or over at my facebook page.

Full Graveborn Spoiler Legacy Applications

2011-11-13T05:06:00.001-08:00

Graveborn full spoiler is out! Foil Entomb, foil Reanimate, foil alternative art Cabal Therapy! Here's the decklist:

Graveborn Full Spoiler List

Lands (24)
21 Swamp
1 Polluted Mire
1 Ebon Stronghold
1 Crystal Vein

Creatures (13)
1 Avatar of Woe
1 Crosis, the Purger
1 Inkwell Leviathan
1 Sphinx of the Steel Wind
1 Terastodon
1 Verdant Force
1 Blazing Archon
2 Putrid Imp
2 Hidden Horror
1 Faceless Butcher
1 Twisted Abomination

Noncreature spells (23)
1 Reanimate
1 Entomb
1 Zombie Infestation
1 Cabal Therapy
2 Last Rites
2 Sickening Dreams
3 Exhume
3 Duress
3 Animate Dead
2 Buried Alive
2 Diabolic Servitude
2 Dread Return

If you bought it, you'll get these staple Legacy cards (also include playables):

1 Inkwell Leviathan (Reanimator, Vintage)
1 Sphinx of the Steel Wind (Reanimator, Goblin Welder decks)
1 Terastodon (Reanimator, Natural Order decks)
1 Blazing Archon (Reanimator)
2 Putrid Imp (Dredge)
1 Reanimate (Reanimator)
1 Entomb (Reanimator, Protean Hulk combo, potentially ANY Legacy and Vintage deck that utilizes its graveyard!)
1 Zombie Infestation (possible application in Legacy and Vintage decks, Worldgorger Dragon anyone?
1 Cabal Therapy (Dredge, Four Horsemen, Cephalid Breakfast)
2 Sickening Dreams (possible application in mono-black Reanimator)
3 Exhume (Reanimator)
3 Duress (ANT, TES, Belcher sideboard, Reanimator, Vintage decks)
3 Animate Dead (Reanimator, Vintage Dragon combo)
2 Buried Alive (With Vengevine in Elves!)
2 Dread Return (Dredge)
1 Crystal Vein (Metalworker decks, potential substitution for City of Traitors eg in ANT)

That's 26 foil cards out of 39 non basic-land cards in Graveborn! With 66% of the deck being Legacy playables, this is a great deck to secure if you want to get started in Legacy. Collectors can also get foil versions of Exhume, Reanimate and Animate Dead. These have never been printed in foil before. Now you can finally foil out your black Reanimator deck!

It's a good buy to help you get your Legacy collection started, especially if you like the foil bling bling so go buy your Graveborn deck now!

[Brainstorming] Designing a Budget Legacy Deck - Part 2

2011-11-05T10:26:00.000-07:00

In part 1, I mentioned that many budget Legacy decks tend to be weaker versions of established decks. In this 2nd part of the series, let's zoom in to aggro decks and see why there's a point in playing budget aggro decks in Legacy.

Note: many decks in this series reference spooky's awesome post on Legacy budget decks over at MTG Salvation.

Legacy Budget Aggro Decks

Boros/Sligh/White Weenie

We already have a Lightning Bolt on legs in Zoo and I don't see any reason in playing any other creatures + burn deck that is inferior to it. Sure, Zoo is 3 colors due to Wild Nacatl but the tradeoff of a weaker manabase in favor of power is definitely worth it. We're talking a free Lightning Bolt every turn here! How will Burn ever achieve that?

Also, Zoo has the flexibility to use Tarmogoyf and Knight of the Reliquary, 2 cheap (in mana cost) and big threats in Legacy right now. Any other creature won't match the power of these cards at the same mana cost. A simple aggro deck that focuses on ending the game via dealing fast damage simply has no point limiting itself to budget options like Boros or Sligh.

Unless it has tricks up its sleeves...

Remember Gaea's Might Get There?

Gaea's Might Get There - Raphael Levy (2007)

Mana (20)
2 Bloodstained Mire
1 Breeding Pool
2 Flooded Strand
1 Godless Shrine
1 Mountain
2 Sacred Foundry
1 Steam Vents
1 Stomping Ground
1 Temple Garden
4 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills

Creatures (24)
4 Boros Swiftblade
4 Grim Lavamancer
3 Isamaru, Hound of Konda
2 Kataki, War's Wage
4 Kird Ape
1 Savannah Lions
4 Watchwolf
2 Wild Mongrel

Others (16)
2 Armadillo Cloak
1 Brute Force
1 Firebolt
4 Gaea's Might
4 Sudden Shock
4 Tribal Flames

Sideboard (15)
1 Armadillo Cloak
2 Jotun Grunt
2 Kataki, War's Wage
2 Krosan Grip
2 Lightning Helix
1 Loxodon Hierarch
3 Meddling Mage
2 Umezawa's Jitte

Question: What's a faster clock than Wild Nacatl, Tarmogoyf, and Knight of the Reliquary? Answer: Double-striking Boros Swiftblade + a pump spell/equipment! It's out of budget, but imagine a double-striking creature wielding a Jitte. Beat that, Zoo!

I don't see a point playing plain old Boros with Wild Nacatl and Tarmogoyf wanna-bes, but load up on the double-striking Boros Swiftblade, Mirran Crusader, even Kor Duelist and you might have a winner! You can go the Metalcraft route with Flayer Husk, artifact lands, Galvanic Blast, Auriok Edgewright, and Shrapnel Blast. Another route is to have Blazing Shoal + Greater Gargadon/Reaper King for that 1 hit kill.

Point is, though a Legacy budget deck uses less powerful cards than the usual suspects, we can abuse the unique abilities they possess. Incorporating a combo plan makes the budget deck not just a weaker Zoo as it can actually kill faster (double-strike + Shoal) and have burn spells that deal more damage (Galvanic/Shrapnel).

Making alterations to the deck's strategy via budget options opens up to new ways of winning, some of which will fit the metagame better. If your meta is wide open for this kind of deck, seize the opportunity and beat thousand dollar decks with a budget Legacy deck!

[Brainstorming] Designing a Budget Legacy Deck - Part 1

2011-10-31T08:09:00.000-07:00

I have a problem. I want to build a winning budget Legacy deck. I want to do well in Legacy without spending thousands on dual lands, Jace, Tarmogoyfs, Wastelands, and Dark Confidants. I want to be a hero and inspire new players to join Legacy with a $100 budget deck.

The problem is, I've not built a budget deck that beats fully-powered Legacy decks yet.

The Harsh Reality of Legacy

The harsh reality is that Legacy is defined by staples which simply trump any other card at the same mana cost but also in pricing. If you have 1g, what would you cast? Tarmogoyf or Werebear? How about 1b? Dark Confidant or Night's Whisper? Budget cards simply can't beat the expensive cards! Get what I mean?

It has been quoted before, but let's hear it again from Drew Levin:

"The problem with budget decks in Legacy is that they often try to be strictly inferior versions of the expensive decks."

If all we're doing when designing a budget Legacy deck is to net-deck and replace the expensive cards with inferior replacements, then we're doing it all wrong. For each Werebear you cast, your opponent will cast an original Tarmogoyf that will beat the crap our of the budget replacement.

So How Do We Build a Winning Budget Deck?

This is the probably the easier part to figure out.

If we know that inferior replacements can never beat the real deal, simply play a deck that doesn't seek to replace expensive cards with cheaper alternatives!

Looking for an example? Look no further than Enchantress and Dredge which I've used to success previously.

Just take a look at those decks and see that they do not seek to be a budget version of some other deck. Legacy Boros is a weaker Zoo, both these decks have the same strategy of playing creatures that smash face and burning the opponent out. Enchantress and Dredge, however, have strategies wildly different from other decks. Which other deck replaces each draw with "drawing" 6 cards into the graveyard? Which other deck makes each removal card a cantrip while building up to a combo finish?

To emphasize further, I didn't use Moat in my Enchantress deck not because I don't have the money for it (true by the way), but because I actively avoid being blown out by a top-decked Qasali Pridemage! Plus, maximizing the number of removals (Journey to NowHere and Oblivion Ring) increases consistency and consistency wins games.

Moral of the Story

If we're using budget options, make sure that there is a point to it! And that point should be based on its effectiveness in winning a game instead of just the price alone.

So what kind of budget decks can we use in Legacy?

Wait till the next article to find out the budget options in Legacy, plus the point of playing them (i.e. why they are simply not worse versions of existing decks).

Singapore Magic the Gathering Card Shops – JCube

2011-10-24T08:22:00.000-07:00

If you drop by Singapore and want some Magic the Gathering fun, this post is for you! In this series of articles, I give detailed instructions on the various card shops in Singapore for you to draft and duel with other players (see part 1 – Games Haven here, part 2 - Card Master Games here). I'm also planning a series of interviews with the people behind them for you to know them better (see part 1 – Games Haven here).

Without further ado, here's more information on the third covered Singapore Magic the Gathering card shop – JCube!

JCube

JCube is probably the most accessible card shop in the whole of Singapore. Located at a shop front within the Dhoby Ghaut MRT (Singapore's Metro) interchange complex, it is smack right in the middle of the city area. It'll take maybe half an hour for you to reach here from any other MRT station.

It's right at the number 8!

Now the MRT (Metro) system may be quite complicated to someone who's not used to it, so let me guide you through.

There's 2 main ways you can get to the station. You can get to the station via the North-South line (red line) by changing trains at Raffles Place or City Hall station, or get there via the North-East line (purple line) by changing trains at Outram Park station.

If you're lost, just ask anyone around. Singaporeans may not be the warmest people, but we'll still respond to pleas of help.

Reaching JCube From the Red Line

If you alight on the red line, go up to the concourse level where the gates are at but do not go out! Instead, turn around and you'll see this:

Walk towards the signs on the ceiling...

Yup, that's where you'll see that the purple North-East is just to you left. And proceed to walk straight to find a conveyor belt which will ferry you along.

Stroll along the conveyor belt towards the North-East Line. JCube is located at that part of the interchange.

When you reach the end of the conveyor belt, you'll see a bunch of escalators:

Just go down and look for the "Way Out" sign in this picture

Follow the sign by walking towards your left and find this sign pointing up the escalator:

Go up the escalator and you'll end up at the North-East (purple) Line concourse. Now there's 2 exits you can go through. Most people will walk through the gates that look somewhat like this.

Do NOT go through the gates here. Instead, go through the ones opposite them. It is located next to the passenger service and looks somewhat like this:

After you've gone through the gates, you'll find a flight of stairs. Look at the sign on the pillar to find "J Cube Games"!!!

Walk up the flight of stairs and you'll find not JCube, but Zone X, another entertainment center at Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station.

Continue walking along the path on the left and you'll finally reach JCube! Get into a draft!

Or just approach the staff at the counter for the good stuff they have.

Drop by after work and have fun!

Singapore Legacy Metagame update!

2011-10-14T22:58:00.000-07:00

For those of you keen on knowing the latest decks used in Singapore's Legacy Tournament, you'll find the deck names convenient pack in a spreadsheet documenting the Singapore Metagame here!

As mentioned before several times in the past, note that it's mostly the players, but not the decks!

Pour through the metagame and decide break it in the tourney next week!

[Brainstorming] Modern Pauper Ideas

2011-10-09T23:26:00.000-07:00

I'm digressing. Having taken a break in blogging, I'm digressing some more and venturing off from Legacy into another Magic Eternal format - Modern. But not just any kind of Modern. With the overall power level muted down to the bare minimum, it is perhaps the most skilled intensive Eternal format ever! I've been racking my brains for deck ideas in Modern Pauper.

What is Modern Pauper

Modern Pauper is simply Pauper in the Modern format.

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Ok. Firstly, Modern Pauper is a Modern format. Meaning it only includes card sets from Mirrodin onwards and core sets from Eight Edition onwards (full list here!).

Second, the Pauper in Modern Pauper means that it is super budget friendly. It is a format where you can only use common cards. That means no uncommons and Rare-B-Gone!

A card can only be used if it is printed as a common in the Modern legal sets. If a card has been printed in common in older sets but is reprinted in uncommon, it CANNOT be used. For example, Corrupt cannot be used as it is reprinted as an uncommon in Modern legal sets (eg M11), even though it is printed as a common in Urza's Saga. Also, Pestilence cannot be used at all as it is not printed from Mirrodin onwards nor from Eighth Ed onwards, though it is a common in older editions.

Timeshifted cards are considered as rare cards and cannot be used at all. That is unless some miracle happened that they are reprinted as a common in Modern legal sets. (Who knows when Disenchant will be reprinted as a common?)

Lastly, Modern Pauper has its own ban list which is now basically a combination of the Modern ban list, the Pauper ban list, and some extra cards (scroll down for reasons for banning). These cards are banned:
Artifact Lands
Cloudpost
Cranial Plating
Empty the Warrens
Kor Skyfisher
Mystical Teachings
Ponder
Preordain
Rite of Flame

So we've effectively banned Affinity, killed Storm combo, and weakened control.

Oh, and Kor Skyfisher says "Wahht?"

What does that leave us with? Here's some ideas.

Momentary Blink

Enter the enter-the-battlefield-creature.dec. Build a deck with 187-creatures, get double the effect with Momentary Blink, and get triple the effect by flashing Blink back! Mulldrifter anyone?

Flashback itself is perhaps the most efficient way to get card advantage in the Pauper format. When combined with other cards that draws you cards, it can get out of hand. Sea Gate Oracle does a mini Mulldrifter impression. I'm more interested though, in other cards.

Trinket Mage (that's me!) restricts you to fetching Bonesplitter, Pyrite Spellbomb, and Viridian Longbow, but those are huge in pauper. With Squadron Hawk drawing you 3 cards, Bonesplitter can quickly make your fliers fast killers. In Pauper, several creatures have toughness 2 or lower. Pyrite Spellbomb handles all of those. Viridian Longbow handles all the Hawks as well, and if you have enough mana and untapped creatures, you can make each of them a Prodigal Sorcerer. That's effectively a 1-sided Wrath!

To abuse Momentary Blink and Trinket Mage further, another ETB/187 creature that brings much card advantage is Leonin Squire. Fetch a Pyrite Spellbomb via your first Trinket Mage, use it to kill a creature, and each of your Leonin has a Shock attached onto it. Of if you prefer, replace Pyrite Spellbomb with Executioner's Capsule and each Leonin Squire becomes a Nekrataal! How's that for card advantage?

Having the core engine of Momentary Blink, Trinket Mage and Leonin Squire, I'll leave you to fill it up with Squadron Hawk and other stuff.

Boros Weenies Hawk Metalcraft Blade

Ok, I'm cheating here. Boros, White Weenie, Hawk Blade and Metalcraft each should be viable in Modern Pauper. But if you combine them all, you'll have a lotta fun!

Squadron Hawk and Bonesplitter from the core of the deck. Add in some Flayer Husk to make each top-decked creature deadlier. Then enable Metalcraft with Court Homunculus and get yourself a flying 3/3 for 1w with Auriok Sunchaser. Want a Wild Nacatl? Get a Ardent Recruit instead! Add some Lightning Bolt and some Morbid Brimstone Volley and you ready to serve a can of kickass.

Want a twist? With so many equipments boosting the power of your creature, may I suggest Spikeshot Goblin? Would you like to play with Grim Lavamancer in Pauper? Get your Spikeshot Goblin equipped to a Bonesplitter and kill those Aven Riftwatcher instead! Do it every turn! And if your opponent kills your goblin, get it and that Court Homunculus back with Remember the Fallen (or you might choose to get Pyrite Spellbomb back instead).

Now another idea for a control deck.

UBr Dreamspoiler Witches (Faeries)

With almost all the format's creatures having 2 or fewer toughness, Dreamspoiler Witches makes each of your instant half a Terminate. Flashback Think Twice to draw a card and kill a creature. Cast Spellstutter Sprite to counter a spell and kill a creature. Lightning Bolt to kill a creature and kill another creature. Terminate some creature to kill a creature and kill another creature.

You get the drift.

Green Based Beast Hunt (eg Slivers, Elves etc)

Yes, Mulldrifter may be the best draw spell in Modern Pauper but Green has its own Beast Hunt. Fill a deck with creatures, reduced number of lands, and 4 Beast Hunt and draw 3 for 4 mana! Make a Sliver deck with Gemhide Sliver. Make another deck with Llanowar Elves and Elvish Visionary. Draw cards and overwhelm your opponent with card advantage! Mix in another colour and get in there with your creatures tagged with ETB spells.

Or just play a bunch of Allies and Changelings instead.

Just go green. It's only limited by your imagination.

Arcane Glacial Ray Control

Did someone say Kamigawa sucks? Well probably, but in a low power level environment, Splice onto Arcane gets in there everytime to kill a creature. And did I mention that most creatures in Modern Pauper have 2 or less toughness.

With Glacial Ray as the key spell, add in some low mana costed fillers to Splice onto. Reach through Mists turns your Glacial Ray into an Electrolyze. Peer through Depths lets you find a Glacial Ray faster and even allows you to Splice more. Even better, Splice Glacial Ray onto a Rend Flesh and get a fattie along with a weenie. Soulless Revival works well too, but you'd wish Hana Kami is a common (it isn't). So why not use Grim Harvest instead?

With all that arcane spells zapping around, you might wanna consider something like Skullmane Baku and Soul of Magma to really crush creatures. Or just skip creatures entirely and finish off with something like 2 x Ire of Kaminari.

So, how hyped up are you about Modern Pauper? A new format is always ripe for innovations, so get in there and get dirty! If you have more ideas for Modern Pauper, let me know by posting at my Facebook page or via the comments below!

Innistrad Legacy Preview 3

2011-09-18T00:24:00.000-07:00

182 of 264 cards in Innistrad Spoiled! And low and behold, some great cards for the eternal formats of Legacy and Vintage! Let's get down to it! Also look at Innistrad Legacy previews part 1 and part 2!

Nevermore
Meddling Mage in enchantment form. At 1 more mana, this makes it uncounterable by Spell Snare, which is significant at this point in time where the blue counterspell is prevalent (and probably will remain so).

I've been playing Enchantress in some local tournaments and have previously considered Null Chamber since it prevents combo players from blasting through my locks with eg Burning Wish/bounce. Now Nevermore is much better and will be in my sideboard to name the cards that gets your opponent out of the pit. (Runed Halo is still main as it's that much faster in naming Tendrils/Empty the Warrens etc).

Now I only have to pray I can survive the first 2 turns against combo!

Stony Silence
Null Rod in enchantment. It seems like everything is going to have an enchantment form with Dark Tutelage, Nevermore, and now this. Wonder when I'll have Black Lotus in enchantment form...

Anyway, I've been using Null Rod in my sideboard to stop the LED, Lotus Petal, Chrome Mox in my Enchantress sideboard against combo. This is a decent replacement though it makes a Back to Nature effect a greater blowout.

As for Vintage, prepare for the true blowout of 8 Null Rod.dec!!! And it's immune to Ancient Grudge, which means it's much better than the stick in Vintage! But wait... How many Rods does a "Fish" deck want? Dilute threat density? And if the archetype becomes great, expect Workshop decks to go beatdown (already are with Cat Stax). Also expect more Nature's Claim, which also deals with Demon Oath.

Forbidden Alchemy
Why are all these cards so good in Vintage? The guys at Eternal Central have argued for the unrestriction of Fact or Fiction in Vintage. Now Forbidden Alchemy, my friends, is much better than Fact or Fiction. A full turn faster and about just around the same number of cards seen! You get to keep the best card and the rest of the 4 go into the graveyard, waiting for a big Yawgmoth's Will turn. Plus, the winning point is that you can chain Alchemy into Alchemy much more efficiently at 3 mana while leaving the 4cmc slot for Jace. I dare say that other than Stony Silence, this will be an absolutely game changer for Vintage.

Oh wait... Intuition isn't restricted? There's a card that grants all instants and sorceries flashback? Ok, we'll just have to wait till Intuition's banned before this shows up in force.

Now in Legacy, it's difficult to assess what impact Alchemy will have. Stocking up of your graveyard is relevant in some decks like Reanimator, Dredge, Loam decks and many of those deck aren't really blue or don't require Alchemy.

For example, Reanimator has a rather fragile manabase of ~18 lands. Though Alchemy may function like a Mystical Tutor like effect in helping you get to that bounce/Pithing Needle for Relic, you're probably better off with Show and Tell at 3cmc. Similarly, Lands already have Intuition to get what they want instead of slowly filtering through the deck.

And don't tell me Dredge wants this.

Blue Control? How does this beat Standstill or Ancestral Vision? Heck, how does this beat Intuition?

In all, Alchemy's a solid card, but probably has limited impact on Legacy if any. Anyway, get 4 of these as throw-ins since it's a common!

Memory's Journey
Vintage darling, you're getting all the great stuff. This replaces Krosan Reclamation in Oath decks just for being blue.

In Legacy? It'll actually not be a long shot if some blue control deck wants to use this instead of Tormod's Crypt as sideboard hate just because it has Flashback!

Corpse Lunge
I read the card wrong as it targets creatures only. Remember guys, reading is tech!

Heartless Summoning
This is the exact kind of card that makes Johnny tickle. Combolicious on first sight until you try to figure out cards that can play well on its own without this in play. Most likely, cards that don't cost a ton don't need this to be good.

Unbreathing Horde
Soulless One is going to be so sad. Anyway, the Zombie tribe is lacking good 1, 2-drops to make it competitive. Just a bunch of 3-4cmc lords won't make it good, even with Vial. Until those are printed, it'll just be a casual card.

Victim of Night
Reminds me of Rend Flesh, which means it kills just about everything. To prove my point, name me any Vampire, Werewolf or Zombie that sees play in Legacy.

Ok, you'd probably have Gatekeeper of Malakir, Vampire Nighthawk, and Bloodghast. And that's shows this is pretty good, if you can generate the double black consistently. It's not stellar, and probably won't be used that much just because of its casting cost. Anyway, grab a playset for being common!

Infernal Plunge
A weaker Culling the Weak in red. Culling the Weak isn't played, so this won't either, as we already have Rite of Flame, Pyretic Ritual, and Seething Song.

Past in Flames
Perhaps this set should be named Time Spiral 2, as there's so many throwbacks to previous cards. Recoup was used in Vintage together with the Gifts Ungiven package. Just resolving a Tinker/Time Walk/Yawgmoth's Will will win the game. Now that you can resolve all of them ON THE SAME TURN, there's probably be major repercussions in Vintage.

Oh, and start with 4 ~~Forbidden Alchemy~~ Intuition, 1 Gift Ungiven, 4 Mana Drain? (Intuition, be prepared to get restricted).

Legacy? Not so much, but you might want to get your Intuitions.

Essence of the Wild
Please don't play this over Regal Force in Elves.

Parallel Lives
What? Doubling Season is sold out at $25 at SCG?

Splinterfright
Don't bother when you have KotR and Tarmogoyf.

So that's it for now. Vintage is riped for a big shakeout with Stony Silence, Forbidden Alchemy, Memory's Journey and Past in Flames. Legacy, on the other hand, probably will have to wait until the other set.

What do you think? Do you think Intuition will be busted with Past in Flames in Vintage Mana Drain decks? Or do you think Stony Silence will completely bust the archetype out? Let me know by commenting below or over at the mtgtrinket facebook page.

Innistrad Legacy Preview 2

2011-09-13T08:43:00.000-07:00

Now at 116/264 spoiled, there's more goodies for Legacy in Innistrad. Let's take a look! (Innistrad Legacy Preview 1 here!)

Champion of the Parish
An aggressive 1 drop for the Human tribal deck, but it suffers from the same weakness as Lorescale Coatl – it needs time to grow. As a pure beater, that really doesn't make the cut anymore. You're better off with Mother of Runes.

As I've previously mentioned a list of good Humans in Legacy, so if you're adamant on building a Human tribal deck to kick some goblin butt, Champion of the Parish can be your premier 1-drop.

Divine Reckoning
A bad Cataclysm.

Cackling Counterpart
Why not spend 1 mana less and have Phantasmal Image? You'll hardly Flashback.

Laboratory Maniac
Leveler, win the game? Go funky with Sundial of the Infinite, Torpor Orb, and other 187 creatures like Phyrexian Dreadnought. Oh, and better get some stuff like Merfolk Looter to draw a card!

Mindshrieker
Worldly Tutor an Emrakul and get in BIG! And there's Erratic Explosion as well as. If you don't like the top of library manipulation, you can just use it alongside Show and Tell/Through the Breach decks with Progenitus and the spaghetti monster. Interesting card that has potential.

Mirror-Mad Phantasm
Other than almost never dying to removal, this is a good way to mill a large chunk of your deck for the Visions of Beyond stuck in your hand. It'll probably make some control deck in Standard, but does that make a good blue based control deck in Legacy? Just play Jace instead.

Skaab Ruinator
Just because this is Patrick Chapin's preview card doesn't mean that it's going to break Legacy wide open. Then again, I'd play 2-3 of this in a “Fish” deck with disruptive bears and counterspells as it can be Vialed out as well as be hard casted while not killing yourself when revealed by Dark Confidant. This, together with Vendilion Clique, may solve the slow clock problem of disruptive bears.dec.

Snapcaster Mage
The Big One! Patrick isn't exaggerating when he thinks it a GOOD card cause this is pure card advantage. Probably translates to end of turn Plow/Brainstorm in Legacy though you can reuse your Mental Misstep for free card advantage.

Though note that it doesn't work with Ancestral Vision as it doesn't have a casting cost (different from having a casting cost of 0). Also doesn't work with Force of Will as the Flashback cost will be 3UU.

And kudos to Allan for alerting me of the Riptide Laboratory combo! Buy your Riptides now!

Stitched Drake
This or Skaab Ruinator? That depends on how often my weenies Dark Confidant, Mother of Runes, Vendilion Clique, Tidehollow Sculler, Snapcaster Mage die. What if I use Voidmage Prodigy to hasten the process? At the very least, this is easier, and cheaper to get!

Liliana of the Veil
Disappointing that this is not the 5 ability Planeswalker.

Anyway, I'd love to make this work in Legacy, as she'll decimate any creature based deck all by itself, that is if her edict ability costs -1 instead. How about using it in a deck with Bloodghast, Life from the Loam, Cabal Therapy? I think it'd be good in Pox as both of you will generally end up with an empty board and hand and Liliana continues to clear your opponent's board and hand while you top-deck other permanents. This prevents the scenario that your opponent top-decks better than you to win the game. Will it make Pox tier 1? I don't know but it really beefs the archetype up a notch.

Oh, and the ultimate sucks. Ever heard anyone decimated by Curse of the Cabal? Seriously, an Armageddon or Wrath of God of your opponent's choice doesn't make the cut. Punisher mechanics are not really terrific.

Garruk Relentless // Garruk, the Veil-Cursed
Let's see... Elspeth costs 4, churns out 1/1 tokens and is played in Legacy. Evil Tezzeret costs 4, makes 5/5 artifact creatures and is played in Legacy. Garruk costs 4, make tokens (that sometimes kill) on both sides, and it mangles a weenie by fighting it. Incremental card advantage engine that I'd play anytime! I expect it to be as good as Elspeth. Now you can play BUG control with Jace and this!

Innistrad brought some interesting toys to Legacy in the form of Snapcaster Mage, Liliana, Garruk, Mindshrieker, Stitched Drake and Skaab Ruinator. With so many cards that fit nicely into established Legacy archetype, Innistrad is bound to shake things up pretty good!

So what do you think of Innistrad? Let me know by commenting below or on my facebook page.

Innistrad Legacy Preview 1

2011-08-30T08:01:00.000-07:00

As of now, there's 59 out of 264 cards spoiled for Innistrad (including 15 basic lands). And so far, it's been rather disappointing for Legacy. Let's take a quick look. (Innistrad Legacy Preview part 2 here)

Transform Mechanic

About Magic's first double-faced cards, I really disliked the design on first sight. Logistical problems aside, if I drew a checklist card and forget the card text, my opponent will know that I have a double-faced card in hand if I read the actual card somewhere else. Information is king.

Now onto actual cards.

Dearly Departed
Lord effect that is -ve card advantage but not easily dealt with in the usual sense (ie plow/bolt). And a human lord? What humans are there? Dark Confidant, Grim Lavamancer, Keldon Marauders, Knight Exemplar, Knight of the Reliquary, Meddling Mage, Mother of Runes, Noble Hierarch, Patron Wizard, Rafiq of the Many, Tireless Tribe, Trinket Mage, Venser, Shaper Savant, Voidmage Prodigy, Weathered Wayfarer, basically a bunch of wizards, knights, soldiers, and random. Human tribal? Even if that's possible, how're you going to discard Dearly Departed? Hope you get your Human deck working!

Elite Inquisitor
Protection is irrelevant and there's better stuff for double white (eg Serra Avenger).

Mentor of the Meek
Great if you have Aether Vial. Also, disruptive weenies (refer to list of humans above) are likely to have their power small. Then again, there's Dark Confidant, so why this?

Mikaeus, the Lunarch
I don't know what a Lunarch is but I know this does almost nothing to Legacy.

Ludevic's Test Subject // Ludevic's Abomination
There's Moonmist, but it doesn't transform this card.

Murder of Crows
Would be fun to see it put all your cards into the graveyard with a sacrifice outlet and a card that gets you token creatures when you do so. Then again, there's Mesmeric Orb + Basalt Monolith and the whole Dredge deck.

Bloodgift Demon
Not as fast/resistant to removal as Phyrexian Arena, and the latter is not very much used in Legacy.

Diregraf Ghoul
Would you aggro with 1 black mana (when there's Wild Nacatl) or would you cast Thoughtseize and remove the Goyf?

Reaper from the Abyss
EDH.

Boneyard Wurm
As a 4-of, this isn't big enough in the beginning. As a 1-off, Terravore is probably a better target for Green Sun's Zenith. And Scavenging Ooze says hi!

Mayor of Avabruck // Howlpack Alpha
Another Human lord! Green white black with Dark Confidant, Noble Hierarch, Mother of Runes, Knight of the Reliquary and discard? Potentially viable as there's many good cards there. But goyf probably is bigger.
Moonmist Werewolf deck? Affinity is probably the only 'block' deck that has a decent chance in Legacy but artifacts are everywhere throughout Magic's history. Werewolves? Not so much.

Olivia Voldaren
Nice card for your vampire EDH deck!

Clifftop Retreat / Hinterland Harbor / Isolated Chapel / Sulfur Falls / Woodland Cemetery
Viable duals for budget Legacy decks? Probably! Hope they get reprinted and become cheap enough.

There's more to go and my hopes are for useful flashback cards the likes of Ancient Grudge. And of course, the 5 ability Liliana (edit: sadly it's not Liliana... Innistrad Legacy Preview part 2 here). With so much flexibility, hopefully it'll be Jace in black.

Weekly Tourney Announcement! (JCube)

2011-08-15T06:02:00.001-07:00

Legacy is getting more popular by the day! We've now a weekly tournament over at JCube! More information below:

Weekly Cardmaster @ DG Mini Legacy Tournament

0 Proxy Sanction Tournament.
7.00pm start time
registration 6.00 - 6.45pm
Entry Fee S$10

New Tournament Structure. 3 Round Swiss.

3 wins - Umezawa's Jitte (Betrayers)
2 wins - Maelstrom Pulse
1 win - FnM Fact of Fiction
0 win - Lotus Petal (Tempest)

Previous turn out ends as early as 9+ pm before 10pm, so if you're staying in Singapore, you can train your Legacy skills before the bigger monthly tournament! Bonus points if you beat Kaiser (my idol)!

Also, Lionel has also offered to add on Legacy prizes (eg dual, FoW etc) if the turnout increases! Awesome!

Contact Lionel for more details on Cardmaster @ DG and their products!
MIRAGE2
Lionel Yuen
Executive Manager
Cardmaster Games @ DG
HP: +65-90361574
Email: cardmaster2_bkk@hotmail.com
CARDMASTER GAMES
Taipei-Singapore-Bangkok

Singapore MTG Card Shop Interview Part 1 – Games Haven

2011-08-13T23:47:00.000-07:00

If you've already been to Games Haven, then you'll meet the good folks behind what is probably Singapore's largest card shop. Otherwise, Jeff and gang have shared their backgrounds in this short interview here. Read more to find out!

Wow, you own a shop! Are you making millions now?

Haha, no lah. Dont have so much profits one. We are trying to keep the shop alive.

Care to introduce us to the people in your team? Who are they and what do they do? How did they got into Magic?

The few guys behind the shop are mainly
Jeff, Stanley doing sales, Teddy shop manager, Chris events manager, and Loo IT specialist.

Loo started Hougang Playgroup for casuals to draft, then Stanley and Chris came in to kick our asses (unsuccessfully). Teddy and friends made up the core of the group and we migrate from void deck stone tables to Loo's house after a few gatherings. Jeff would come in when he's free to draft too. Good times there and that's how we got to know each other.

Tell us more about the history of your shop. What made you want to set up such a store?

Well the history isn't long, we have only been around since 2010 June. The major motivation was to source a good conducive place for players to hang around with. The place had to be big, AIR-CON (!!), and easily accessible. The shop hunt last for months but we finally settled for the current location at Paya Lebar.

Prior to GH, players had to play in open-air spaces, sometimes without sufficient facilities. The magic community has come a long way from playing behind Bishan MRT station, to the appearance of more Card Shops contributing to the community. So in this aspect, we are proud to have contributed back to the local community, and honored to have their continued support.

What events do you hold and any special treats (eg loyalty system, handsome smiling faces etc) do you offer to players?

Well, We are always looking for ideas to make Planeswalkers feel at home @ GH.
At the moment, we hold Saturday Lucky Draws, as well as maintaining the GH Club, a scheme that rewards players for playing our events.
Previously, our GHC appeals to more competitive players, now we are revamping it to expand the scope to all facets of MTG.

Lastly, yes, handsome smiling faces included :)

What can players expect in the future? How can they know it first hand?

All our events, promotions and campaigns, we update it at our site.

We also have a phone number so folks can call us. 67442454

Overtime, we will refine and improve our store's initial purpose : To provide a conducive place for players. That's why you see our pre-releases are now hosted at mid-nights, the regular Saturday events prizes converted to cash payout etc. That's what the players wanted, if we can balance it within the business margins, we always try to achieve.

GH is not just a brick and mortar shop. We are part of the local community and your feedback really matters to us and affect how we contribute back to the community. So if you have got any ideas, just talk to us!

Any other words you want to speak to MtgTrinket's readers?

We want to thank you MtgTrinket for this interview.

For local players who have not been to our shop, whether you are a veteran or new player, come drop by and have fun.

For the international readers, if you ever come to Singapore, you are always welcome here to catch a glimpse of our local communities. It is a unique sight to observe the Saturday Bazaar flooding with so many players, trading, playing and having fun.

For more information on gh,
www.gameshaven.com.sg
sales@gameshaven.com.sg (yes we trade internationally too)

That's it! If you're interested to trade your first newborn for these foily stuff, Japanese cards, and other Legacy staples, then Games haven is the place to go.

And thanks to Jeff and gang for allowing us to use the venue for the monthly Legacy tourney!

Singapore Magic the Gathering Card Shops Part 2– Card Master Games

2011-08-07T04:50:00.000-07:00

Hey guys from outside Singapore! If you happen to visit Singapore and are itching for some Magic the Gathering, this site helps you cure your itch! In this series of articles, I give detailed instructions on the various card shops in Singapore for you to draft and duel with other players (see part 1 – Games Haven here). I'm also planning a series of interviews with the people behind them for you to know them better (see part 1 – Games Haven here).

Without further ado, here's more information on the next Singapore Magic the Gathering card shop – Card Master Games!

Card Master Games

Located along Bukit Timah road, this shop proves to be one of the best Magic the Gathering card shop in the western part of Singapore. It holds Friday Night Magic (FNM) events regularly as well as drafts on demand.

And the best thing is, the folks over there are amongst the most friendliest you can ever find! (An interview with them is in the process... Wait for it!)

Here's a map of the area:

X marks the spot where Card Master Games is (hint, it's called Beauty World Center), and when the new Beauty World Mass Rapid Transit(MRT, Singapore's name for the Metro) station is completed around 2015, it'll just be a 5 minutes walk in the sun. Until then, 1 easy route is to start from Bukit Batok MRT station.

From Bukit Batok MRT station (point 'M' in picture below), walk all the way out to the bus stop at Bukit Batok Central (point 'B') and take either bus 66, 157, or 174. Hint: if you don't know how to read a map, ask passersby for directions to Bukit Batok Central bus stop, and ask frequently.

Alight just before the junction of Jalan Jurong Kecil and Upper Bukit Timah Road (point 'A' of the first map), at bus stop code 42159.

Since the area in under construction as of writing, a relatively immobile landmark is the Esso petrol station right opposite the bus stop across the road.

From the bus stop, walk straight up towards the road junction and turn left into Upper Bukit Timah Road

After turning left, you should see this 3-storey Goh & Goh Building with a Maybank outlet at the ground floor.

You'll find 2 Beauty Worlds after Goh & Goh Building. They're called Beauty World Plaza and Beauty World Centre. The latter is where Card Master Games is located.

Continue walking down the road and you'll find this Beauty World Plaza opposite the road.

Cross at the traffic light.

Turn left and you'll see Hong Leong Finance on the ground level of Beauty World Plaza.

After the left turn (facing Beauty World Plaza), walk along the plaza and you'll find the entrance/exit of the carpark in just 1min. Beware of exiting cars!

Continue walking down the road and you'll finally find Beauty World Center.

You know you're at the right building when you see a MacDonalds at the ground floor. Don't you just love globalization?

Walk along the front of the Mac towards the blue POSB Automated Teller Machine (ATM).

You'll come the to entrance of the air-conditioned (!!!) building.

Yup, just beside the MacDonalds.

Take the escalator up to the 2nd floor.

And take the escalator another time to the 3rd floor.

From there, turn right 180 degrees and walk towards the corner of the building.

You know you're right when you see the toilet sign.

From there on, just walk in the direction opposite the toilet sign all the way down.

You'll pass by this 'Carpark' sign.

And this 'More Shops' sign.

And you'll find Card Master Games on the right! (I arrived too early on that day, it opens after noon.)

Happy playing!

These pictures (and more) are also at the MtgTrinket Facebook page, so it you have a smart phone, just refer to them online.

M12 Vampire Onslaught Event Deck Legacy Commentary

2011-08-03T05:48:00.000-07:00

The M12 event decklists are out and Vampire Onslaught is a great buy for newcomers to Magic and Legacy! Here's the decklist:

M12 Vampire Onslaught Event Deck

Mana (24)
23 Swamp
1 Verdant Catacombs

Creatures (29)
2 Bloodghast
4 Bloodthrone Vampire
4 Gatekeeper of Malakir
1 Kalastria Highborn
4 Pawn of Ulamog
1 Vampire Hexmage
4 Vampire Lacerator
2 Vampire Nighthawk
3 Vampire Outcasts
4 Viscera Seer

Others (7)
2 Blade of the Bloodchief
4 Dismember
1 Mimic Vat

Sideboard (15)
4 Distress
2 Go for the Throat
4 Skinrender
3 Vampire Hexmage
2 Vampire Nighthawk

Yup, that's awesome. For Legacy, you gain the following playables:
1 Verdant Catacombs
2 Bloodghast
4 Gatekeeper of Malakir
4 Vampire Hexmage
4 Vampire Nighthawk
4 Dismember
2 Go for the Throat

All that just for USD$24.99 (if you can get it at that price, that is). Seems like a bargain!

Now all you have to do is to get Dark Confidant, Hymn to Tourach, and you can form a black based Legacy deck with the above.
Stay mono black and you have The Gate,
add white and you get Deadguy Ale,
add green and you get Eva Green,
add red and you have Red Death (warning, thread is dead),
add red and white and you have Team Italia,
and finally, add white and green and you have Junk.

And several of the above are budget friendly! Sooo, good times for Legacy newcomers!

[Tourney Coverage] 24-07-11 Legacy Tourney Commentary

2011-07-27T06:57:00.000-07:00

The Singapore Legacy tourney last Sunday was marked with a 32-player turnout, the largest ever so far since Angus organized the monthly series. Here's what appeared that day:

Deck	Numbers
Zoo	5 (2 Cat Sligh, 3 Blue Zoo)
Reanimator	3
UW Stoneblade	3
BW Stoneblade	2
Belcher	2
Forgemaster Combo	2
Landstill	2 (BUG and UW)
NO Bant	1
NO RUG	1
Rock	1
Junk	1
Loam-a-tog	1
ANT	1
Elves	1
Affinity	1
Imperial Painter	1
MUD	1
GW Maverick	1
Red Deck Wins	1
Scepter Chant	1
Total	32

You can find all decklists at the MtgTrinket facebook page.

5 Zoos, 8 combo (excluding Elves and Forgemaster) fielded the day with a couple of blue control, black-based midrange and some other decks. Makes quite a diversified field even though 7 decks in total packed the Stoneforge Mystic package.

Since the SFM package consists of about only 5-7 cards and a single white mana, this versatility allows it to be incorporated into different shells (blue-based control, black-based midrange, green-based aggro etc). So, Standard players who are reading these have a chance to play Legacy with your arsenal (if you haven't sold them yet)! See you next tourney. ;)

If Stoneforge Mystic continues to grow in popularity, Qasali Pridemage will likely be the answer (another good sign for Standard players entering the format). Being on color, Knight of the Reliquary and Green Sun's Zenith fit in naturally (another good sign for Standard players!) and you almost have a deck! It's just a matter of choosing which shell to fit those into – add blue and you get Bant, add black and it's Junk, add red and it's Zoo, add nothing and you get either Green & Taxes or GW Maverick. Newcomers into the Legacy scene are spoilt for choices!

For those of you who have been visiting my facebook page, you'd have known that I thought Blood Moon was a card that is positioned well against most of the decks played by the top players. It seems great against Loam-a-tog, MUD, and Team America, while being decent against Dreadstill and Zoo. Coincidentally, an Imperial Painter deck was played with 7 Moon effects but did not make top-8. Was I wrong or was it because of other reasons (eg Qasali Pridemage)? I don't know. Please let me know what your guesses if any!

Anyway, the Singapore Metagame Spreadsheet is now updated and you can just click on the image over at this page to access it. If you spotted any errors, please inform me and I'll update it. Will also appreciate any inputs to make it complete!

[Tourney Coverage] 24-07-11 Legacy Tourney Photo Coverage

2011-07-24T06:47:00.000-07:00

Legacy is growing! A record 32 players played in Singapore's monthly Legacy tournament today with Tundras, Taigas, Wastelands, and Knights of the Reliquary as prizes! Here's a big shout out to Mike: Congrats! You've finally gotten the top-4 you deserve! Congrats to all others who performed well too!

Edit: Decklists available over at my facebook page.

If you weren't over at Games Haven today, here's a view of what happened:

People mountain people sea. Hope to see more of that next tourney!

Yes, the grass is greener on the Pokemon side. But it's yellowish green, not much better than our crispy-brown.

Too bad I didn't get a group photo of all 32 players, but here's what they look like seated at the tables:

First round pairings.

First kill of the day by non-other than Mark with Belcher. Of course, Zhiming regretted lending him the deck when he didn't make top-8 while Mark made top-4.

Nearby, our tourney organizer got himself an 8/8 KotR and a 10/10 Hydra against his opponent.

Somewhere else, Raymond Entombed an Elesh Norn. That, and Jin-Gitaxis fielded 3 players today.

And Kaiser seems to be in full control with Standstill after popping Batterskull into play via Stoneforge Mystic. That will be a move seen repeatedly with the multiple decks with the SFM package.

Lemme guess... He's thinking: “How do I beat Elfball with my Affinity deck?”

Ok. He can't.

And Green-White Maverick faces off Painter-Grindstone. Qasali Pridemage seems good against that as well as the multiple Batterskulls, Jittes, and Swords in the field.

Andrew from Malaysia was playing Reanimator as well, but his graveyard was kept in check by Kaiser's Relic of Progenitus one card each end of turn step.

Why so bored? Cause there's no grass here?

Maybe if we all get cute stuff like Domo, the girls will come flocking over from the Pokemon side. (That is, if you're not picky...)

Jace and Pernicious Deed against an empty board? How to win?

And Jace seals the deal against an empty board again.

Old trusty Psychatog against Vampire Nighthawk!

Pithing Needle, Phyrexian Revoker, and 2x Phyrexian Metamorph copying Revoker. All that beating down against Belcher. How to win?

Blightsteel Colossus threatening a kill next turn? Just cast Price of Progress and win on the spot!

Blue Zoo (or Red Bant) bringing the beats with Tarmos and KotRs.

“Yay, I'm playing Affinity!”
“Yay, I landed a turn 1 Trinisphere!”
“(T_T)”

Yup, that's a 10/10 KotR with a Sylvan Library.

Guy: “I Love Adalia”
Girl: “I Love Edeson”
Yup, you guessed it. They're playing Pokemon.

Can Sun Droplet gaining 2 life each round stave off Qasali and a 5/5 Knight? See what I mean about Qasali being a good card this tourney? If the SFM madness continues, the cat should see more play.

It's not Jace, but Elspeth against an empty board is good as well.

I'll play this, that, and that and draw a ton of card with Ad Nauseam.
What? I didn't draw a LED? ARGH!

As if Foil Iona and Foil Jin-Gitaxi are not enough, Andrew had to Animate Dead Terastodon and churn out 2 more elephants.

Remember Psychatog against Nighthawk? Now it's just Bitterblossom trumping the control deck.

Somewhere else, 2 Glimpse of Nature face off a Dark Confidant. Guess who won?

Mike enjoys playing Land-D with his Junk deck.

Albert loves drawing cards with Jin.

Albert hates drawing cards with Jin.

Top-8 players: Teng Siang, Kaiser, Benjamin, Ryan, Mark, Ryan, Raymond, and Mike!

At first, Raymond had 3 lands.

The next turn, 2 Wastelands and a Vindicate cleared Raymond's side of the board clear of all permanents. See what I told you about Mike and his Land-D tendencies?

And Perish is still as good as always against green decks.

Of course, all the above is possible cause the peep at Games Haven are kind enough to give us some space on a Sunday. Kudos to them!

So if you're not playing Legacy yet, what are you waiting for? If you already have the Stoneforge Mystic package, you can mix it into almost any shell and stand a good chance against myriad Legacy decks!

See you next tourney!

PS. More photos are over at my Facebook page

[Brainstorming] Legacy Metalcraft

2011-07-15T20:29:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: this deck is not going to win any tournament any time soon. But hey, at least you get to play monsters that make Tarmogoyf look puny. ;)

Deck Philosophy

It is a mana and bombs deck, but unlike other such decks it has a more manageable mana curve. This diminishes the problem of having to include mana accelerants that take up slots for bombs, thereby allowing you to have more consistency (you don't draw those mana accelerants you don't need in the late game).

Plus, your bombs are bigger than Zoo's, if you consider Tarmogoyf and Knight of the Reliquary as bombs. Master of Etherium is frequently 7/7 and bigger; Ezuri's Brigade is an 8/8 trampler; even a lowly Ornithopter is a threat when you tutor out a Cranial Plating via Tezzeret. In addition to the equipment, Tezzeret the Seeker allows you to search out a monster Master of Etherium, and its ultimate is yet another bomb that will almost always guarantee a win. 15 cards that deal big damage, that's a quarter of your deck!

Here's the list I tired:

Legacy Metalcraft

Mana (22 + 4)
3 Seat of the Synod
4 Vault of Whispers
4 Tree of Tales
4 Great Furnace
4 Darksteel Citadel
3 Mox Opal
4 Springleaf Drum

Threats (22)
4 Ornithopter
3 Memnite
4 Cranial Plating
4 Master of Etherium
4 Ezuri's Brigade
3 Tezzeret the Seeker

Disruption (8)
4 Vedalken Certarch
4 Executioner's Capsule

Others (4)
4 Thoughtcast

Sample Game Play

This just happened yesterday:

Opening hand: 2 artifact lands, 2 Ornithopter, 2 Thoughtcast, 1 Springleaf Drum
Turn 1:
Artifact land + 2x Ornithopter + Springleaf Drum, tap Ornithopter and Drum for blue, Thoughtcast. Draw Mox Opal and Master of Etherium, play Mox, cast 2nd Thoughtcast, draw Cranial Plating and something else, end the turn.
On board: 1 land, 1 Mox, 2 Thopters, 1 Drum

Turn 2:
2nd Artifact land, cast a 7/7 Master of Etherium, beat for 2 in the air.

Turn 3:
Cranial Plating on a flyer, oops I dropped my 2nd Master of Etherium in my hand. GG.

Of course, hands like this are typical of Affinity decks, but this deck offers a better late game with bigger creatures that makes your opponent chump block with Tarmogoyf (Affinity can't do that).

Improvements

What you see is the 2nd try at this casual deck. Vedalken Certarch replaced Frogmite as I needed disruption, but everytime I drew it, I wish it was Galvanic Blast or Dispatch. Executioner's Capsule is decent, but since the deck does a good job of lowering your opponent's life points by a big chunk with just 1 hit, it could be Shrapnel Blast.

Also, Frogmite should be back instead of things like Memnite just because it's bigger and costs the same most of the time. However, I'd prefer something with evasion to carry Cranial Plating, perhaps Glint Hawk/Somber Hoverguard/Qumulox. Otherwise, these will just be chump blockers/trade with creatures in the late game.

Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas is probably the better planeswalker than the Seeker, so replace it if you have it.

Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer seems to be another bomb that warrants consideration.

Lastly, as a man of discipline, I refuse to bow down to my inner desire to play the optimum number of Seat of the Synod when I have the luxury of playing 3 (ie, I don't have a 4th blue artifact land, buy me one by clicking on the button at the top left corner? :P).

Caveat Emptor

On a grander level, mana and bombs decks tend to not be tournament winning. With a higher mana curve, you can anticipate playing only 1 spell per turn, making you susceptible to counterspells (not a good choice considering the revival of UW control nowadays). Plus, cheap removal = 1 mana Time Walk.

In more detail, Null Rod and Ancient Grudge own the deck. Plus, the fact that there's problems of having the wrong colored mana warrants inclusion of Glimmervoid and/or City of Brass, perhaps in the off-color artifact land slot or to replace Darksteel Citadel. It'll probably still be weak to Wasteland though.

Conclusion

If you're a Timmy and like to play BIG creatures, this is the deck for you. Turn 2 7/7 Master of Etherium, turn 3 8/8 trampling Ezuri's Brigade, turn 4 Cranial Plating? Hope you'll enjoy modifying the deck! If you want to share the fun times with others, you can post a comment over at my facebook page!

M12 Spoiler Legacy Preview

2011-07-08T20:58:00.000-07:00

Core sets having new cards means new ideas for Legacy! M12 seems particularly interesting for Legacy with its fixed Ancestral Recall, Abeyance on a stick, and Angel's Mercy (hey, I had to continue the words starting with “A” theme...). Let's jump in at take a look at the new cards!

Aegis Angel
Hi, I'm more expensive than Tombstalker, less impactful than Baneslayer Angel, and I hope you'll buy me for your EDH Angel deck!

Angelic Destiny
This card beefs weenies up like what the blue pill does to grandpas. The Rancor effect tries to solve the card-disadvantage of creature enchantments/auras but we all know when to Plow the creature in response to casting it.

Oh, and there's already the Stoneforge Mystic package, so why this?

Gideon's Avenger
Quick question: Why is Knight of the Reliquary played but not Lorescale Coatl?

It's because KotR comes in huge IMMEDIATELY while you have to wait around and stroke the snake a little with cards like Brainstorm to make it big. Even though you don't have to alter your deck in significant ways (you'll be casting Brainstorm anyway), it seems that people just can't wait for things to happen in Legacy.

Now Gideon's Avenger seems that it can get big, but my bet is that people won't play it. Like why play Quirion Dryad when you can play Tarmogoyf?

PS. This applies to all creatures that grow. So if you're thinking of playing Soul Sisters and Ajani's Pridemate in Legacy, think again. (Serra Ascendant is different btw)

Grand Abolisher
Abeyance on a stick! Your spells are now counterspell proof. Your opponent can't fetch during your upkeep/end phase. No more Flashing in of Vendilion Clique nor Vialing in of creatures. And Batterskull comes in only on his turn. Your opponent must choose to activate Pernicious Deed or to cast spells with the mana he has on his turn. It's like making your opponent play fair... while you get to do them yourselves.

I'd buy a playset just because it's irritating, but I don't know what kind of deck would want to use it. Vial decks with Stifle (aka UW Tempo)? Ultimately, I think this punishes the skilled players less than others and opens up avenues of mistakes for your opponents. Being a pessimist on new cards in general, I'd say this is something fun, something like Phyrexian Revoker.

Griffin Rider
This reminds me, Harry Potter will be in cinemas July 14th!

Jace, Memory Adept
Jace, the Mind Sculptor, just cause Standard abandoned you doesn't mean you have to sell yourself for your debut price. Legacy loves you! Look at all the people buying you at $60 and you'll see how much potential you have!

Huh? You're the 3rd Jace? Oops. But if Innistrad really revolves around the graveyard, then things will become interesting in Standard. Still, given the ample Lords in M12, the power of Red with Grim Lavamancer and Goblin Grenade, control will be getting a hard time in the new Standard.

Jace's Archivist
Too slow... Next!

Lord of the Unreal / Phantasmal Bear / Phantasmal Dragon / Phantasmal Image
Blue finally gets a 1 mana 2/2. Though it dies when something touches it, which other 2/2 doesn't? (ok, maybe you can't equip it with your own Jitte) The rest are just more unreal than real, just because there's Phantasmal Mount and Phantasmal Sphere to beef up your tribal deck.

Mind Unbound
Eh... Hive Mind wins faster?

Sphinx of Uthuun
I'd play this in EDH.

Visions of Beyond
The fixed Ancestral Recall. Some people mentioned using it in Dredge, but I don't see it. First, it ain't better than Breakthrough and will only replace cards like Careful Study or some other discard outlet like Putrid Imp if it sees play. In that case, you be diluting the discard portion of your deck and an discard outlet is more necessary to get your engine started than draw spells.

What's interesting in such a build is that it can play slower as a control-combo deck, mixing in Force of Will or what not and aim to win the game turns 3-4 or later with a burst of speed (maybe even with Gitaxian Probe). Try it, and let me know how it turns out.

In other decks, 20 cards in the graveyard is hard to fulfil and you don't want to play a cantrip most of the time. Recall your games and you'll discover that it's only in the control mirror that you'll get to live the dream. Still, an interesting card that I'll pick up if it drops to crap status. (But with people betting on Innistrad, it's unlikely to happen anytime soon)

Monomania
I wonder why I want to even make type so much on Thoughtseize when it's pretty obvious that its high cmc and the fact that it lets your opponent keeps his best card makes it bad.

Rune-Scarred Demon
Yay, Wizards love EDH/Commander!

Sutured Ghoul
Those of you who don't have one please ask for this as a throw-in. It's used sparingly in decks like Cephalid Breakfast.

Vengeful Pharaoh
This is the kind of card advantage I'm interested in. With Zombie Infestation, you get a 2/2 that blocks the biggest threat while you take damage from the smaller one. This then destroys the fattie staring at you across the table. Do it again next turn. Love to see some control deck in Standard playing this. Blue-black? Or Black-Red with Chandra's Phoenix? Speaking of which...

Chandra, the Firebrand / Chandra's Phoenix
I hear people saying it's the next best thing after Jace and I laugh. 1 damage doesn't kill much but it does bring back the flying hasty Phoenix (just reminds you of Harry Potter doesn't it?). Phoenix reminds me of Bloodghast though the important thing is that it blocks. This reminds me of the good old times when counterburn is fun to play.

In Legacy? I don't see it.

Furyborn Hellkite
I'm Big! I'm Fat! I'm Angry!

Arachnus Spinner
Pew pew! Just like Spiderman.

Dungrove Elder
The issue is whether it will be an undercosted fatty just like Tarmogoyf. The answer is likely to be sorry.

Garruk, Primal Hunter
I initially thought its second ability is like Acidic Slime. Then I read again and saw its triple green mana cost. Then again, it has to be mentioned that generating a 3/3 every turn is much better than Elspeth spitting out 1/1 soldier tokens and can win the if left undisturbed.

Primordial Hydra
EDH staple!

Skinshifter
Is the flexibility worth the additional green mana every turn? Just play Tarmogoyf instead.

Adaptive Automaton
Anything Lord! It's bound to be a casual chase as it fits into your Saproling deck along with Thelon of Havenwood. It fits into your Sliver deck as the 3rd Muscle Sliver. Standard now has 8 Goblin lords, 8 Elf lords, 8 Zombie lords, and 8 Illusion lords (12 if you can copy 1 with Phantasmal Image).

But in Legacy? The usual Merfolk, Goblins, Elf tribal decks don't need that as they have better lords available. So what will? Let me know if you can think of any.

Druidic Satchel
Small effects for small costs don't win you the game

Sundial of the Infinite
And if you don't want to play Grand Abolisher to mess around with end of turn stunts, you can play this. Cute, especially with come into play triggers that hurt a lot e.g. Eater of Days, Phyrexian Dreadnought. Doesn't this sound like Torpor Orb? Hmmmm..... Combo lovers will want to mess around with this.

Buried Ruin
Academy Ruins for the non-blue/budget folks.

Conclusion

M12 has interesting stuff for Legacy. Amongst them, Grand Abolisher probably has the best chance of making into viable decks. There's also the bet of Sundial of the Infinite/Torpor Orb redundancy in a combo deck that makes you feel high when you live the dream. I'd love to see them happen so drop me a photo on my facebook page wall if you see it.

First to do that gets nothing!

24 July 2011 Singapore Legacy Tournament Announcement

2011-07-08T18:38:00.000-07:00

The monthly Singapore Legacy Tournament is here once again, courtesy of Ang!

Event Information
Date: Sunday 24 July 2011
Registration Time: 12.15am to 12.45pm
Round 1 Start Time: 1pm
Venue: Games Haven (Games Haven directions here)

Non-Sanctioned Tournament Style:
Since this is non-sanctioned, up to 8 proxies are allowed.

The following link is the resources on Legacy Format Deck Construction:
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=judge/resources/sfrlegacy

For 9 to 16 players, there will be 4 swiss rounds followed by top 4 playoffs.
For 17 to 32 players, there will be 5 swiss rounds followed by top 8 playoffs.

Entry Fee: $20

Prizes
For turnout of less than 14 ppl:
Cash payout for top 4, depending on amount of entry fees collected.

For turnout of 14 or 15 ppl
1st: 1 Wasteland (Tempest)
2nd: 1 Wasteland (Tempest)
3rd: 1 Plateau (Revised)
4th: 1 Plateau (Revised)
5th to 8th: Nil, since there will only be 4 swiss rounds followed by top 4 playoffs.

For turnout of 16 ppl
1st: 1 Wasteland (Tempest)
2nd: 1 Wasteland (Tempest)
3rd: 1 Plateau (Revised)
4th: 1 Plateau (Revised)
5th to 8th: 2 Knight of the Reliquary (Conflux) each

For turnout of 20 ppl
1st: 1 Taiga (Revised)
2nd: 1 Taiga (Revised)
3rd: 1 Wasteland (Tempest)
4th: 1 Wasteland (Tempest)
5th to 8th: 2 Knight of the Reliquary (Conflux) each

For previous Legacy Tournament results, take a look at the spreadsheet on the Singapore metagame here.

Singapore Magic the Gathering Card Shops – Games Haven

2011-06-26T08:05:00.000-07:00

Hiya folks from US, Europe, Malaysia, the Philippines, or any other country you're staying in. If you're not staying in Singapore, this series of articles is for you (and other Singaporeans looking for places to play mtg).

So you're visiting Singapore and have already visited Resort World Sentosa, Night Safari, and broke into Har Par Villa at night. You're itching and need a dose of mtg before flying back to your country. Where can you go?

You should definitely consider Games Haven. (An interview with the folks behind Games Haven in in the works.)

Since it opened in 2010, Games Haven has become the premier card shop in Singapore dedicated to Magic the Gathering. Other than the usual FNM, drafts, PTQs, Games Haven also has its own player club and ranking system to reward its players for taking part in its tournaments. The best players are rewarded with boosters, complete sets of cards, and invitations to their in-house tourney for fame and glory!

Plus, it is huge and spacious and the air-conditioning makes you feel glad you're not outside under the sweltering sun of Singapore.

And did I mention it's a 5-minutes walk from the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) train station? Here's how you reach Games Haven:

After alighting at Changi Airport, take the MRT to Paya Lebar station (station number EW8).

Alight at Paya Lebar station and walk past the gates here:

Then walk towards the exit of the station where it'll look somewhat like this:

When you look close at the centre top of the picture, you'll find a sign board telling you that Paya Lebar Road and 2 bus stops are on the left, and Sims Avenue + Taxi/pick-up point are on the right. Take the left turn towards Paya Lebar road.

After turning left, you should see a row of shops just below the MRT tracks on your left.

Keep walking until you reach the end of the road. You should see an exit (identified by the MRT signboards with the station name on it) directly in front of you across the street.

Turn left and walk down the road.

You'll soon come to a crossroads where you have to cross to your right. Continue walking down the road and you'll see an orange building - City Plaza – on your left.

Keep walking down the path, and in a few minutes time, you'll come to another crossroads.

See the 2 storey building across the street? That's where Games Haven is located. Sometimes, you'll find a mtg banner across the 2nd level. Other times, you'll have to cross the street, turn right, and search for this door:

Walk up the flight of stairs and look for unit 736A on your left.

Walk past the gates to Games Haven.

I hope you'll have fun!

Directions are also available here on the mtgtrinket facebook page.

Commander Spoiler Legacy Preview

2011-06-18T22:09:00.000-07:00

Legacy is an efficient format filled with spells of converted mana cost (cmc) 4 and below. In Legacy, cards with high cmc usually don't get played. The Commander/EDH format is the exact opposite as players cast big splashy spells all the time. Thus, most commander cards don't fit into Legacy format unless they can be cheated into play somehow (Show and Tell, Natural Order, Reanimate etc). Even so, they face stiff competition (Emrakul, Iona). Most of the 51 new cards in Commander are unlikely to see play in Legacy, but there are some possible plays in here. Let's run down the list of new cards one by one and see what I mean.

Alliance of Arms
One way of valuing cards is to compare with older cards that fulfill the same purpose. As a massive token producer, Alliance of Arms is a Decree of Justice variant which is counterable (by Mental Misstep), and gives your opponent a free ride (though if you're playing a deck with cards like this, it's built to abuse it). Decree of Justice is no longer played, so this won't either.

As a card that churns out smaller number of tokens, you have cards like Elspeth, which is more flexible. And seriously, who wants to pay 4 mana to put 3 1/1 tokens into play when you can do more broken things like Armageddon (hi Knight of the Reliquary, Terravore, Magus of the Tabernacle!)?

Archangel of Strife
Erm... Hasn't Elesh Norn just been printed? Dredge would just use her instead.

Celestial Force
8cmc and all I get is 3 life a turn?

Crescendo of War
All your Bitterblossom tokens get larger than life. Would a weird control deck want to use this? Probably. Is it Legacy viable? Gut feeling no. Prove me wrong.

Martyr's Bond
Eh... What am I supposed to do with this? Cast Greater Gargadon with The Cheese Stands Alone and this in play? (Yeah, I know about Barren Glory... The cheese is just so much cheesier...)

Soul Snare
I can see myself playing a few copies of Seal of Plowshares in Enchantress or control decks. Though at 1cmc it's susceptible to Misstep, it can compete with Sensei's Divining Top, and Ancestral Vision for the 1-drop in UW control (at the risk of being Wastelanded). There's also the possibility of your opponent not wanting to drop their Dark Confidant early when there's a Seal on board, which buys time for the control deck. Legacy playable.

Vow of Duty
Vow of Flight
Vow of Malice
Vow of Lightning
Vow of Wildness
The only politics in Legacy duels is when ...

Ok, I can't think of any.

Flusterstorm
A Storm counter to deal with Storm decks?

People compare this to Spell Pierce, as the opponent will have to pay at least 2 mana to resolve their sorcery/instant. But is the benefit in counter wars and against storm decks worth the loss against non-sorcery/instant spells? It probably depends on your local metagame. If it's filled with blue-based control decks and counter wars happen everyday, then Flusterstorm (or heck, more Jaces) should be in your deck. If everyone's playing Storm combo, then you're simply underestimating your opponents if you play either Flusterstorm or Spell Pierce. Try other hate instead.

Against all other archetypes, Spell Pierce is better, so why use this? I think this will see fringe levels of play.

Minds Aglow
I'm waiting for someone to play this in some wacky combo deck.

Riddlekeeper
Is mill Legacy viable other than the 2-card combo?

Spell Crumple
Oh Hinder, how I love you in Legacy (not).

Trench Gorger
I would LOL if Wenhao plays this in his Lands deck.

Dread Cacodemon
If you cast it from your hand? Would that ever happen in Legacy?

Scythe Specter
Look Specter, it's not you, it's me.

Sewer Nemesis
What are the odds for a mid-range black based deck in Legacy with Cabal Therapy, Bloodghast, Hymn, Tarmogoyf, (maybe even Life from the Loam?) etc and this? Someone brew it up and tell me.

I wanted to raise this and Tombstalker in MBC but I realised there's already Obliterator (Abyssal Persecutor is kinda small when compared to Sewer Nemesis).

Shared Trauma
There's more efficient means to move cards from your library to the graveyard.

Syphon Flesh
Sometimes, I ask myself whey I spend so much time thinking about how these cards can be useful.

Avatar of Slaughter
Love the art.

Chaos Warp
Whats the thing about red not being able to deal with enchantments again?

Death by Dragons
This

Magmatic Force
Magnetic Force?

Mana-Charged Dragon
Let's move on.

Stranglehold
Vintage Time Vault hoser!

Collective Voyage
It's Legacy, but decks still play basics.

Hornet Queen
Why am I running through all the cards?

Hydra Omnivore
Each opponent has his head.

Scavenging Ooze
This is harder to grow than Quirion Dryad.

Tribute to the Wild
Non-targeted removal for artifacts and enchantments, but there's not a lot of artifacts/enchantments with Shroud. Maybe not...

Animar, Soul of Elements
Hard to grow as well.

Basandra, Battle Seraph
Is this a portrait or a drawing?

Damia, Sage of Stone
7cmc is not much different from 10cmc, but this is very different from Jin-Gitaxis.

Edric, Spymaster of Trest
I love this the first time I saw it. But I was reminded by Mike that Cold-Eyed Selkie has Islandwalk and isn't played. Still, this creature has "Haste" and it's something I can't ignore. It has potential, but like many others, it might not make the cut.

Ghave, Guru of Spores
Yawn...

Kaalia of the Vast
My vote for best art in the set. But don't build a deck around her, as she dies so easily.

Karador, Ghost Chieftain
Potential 3 mana 3/4 that is a Yawgmoth's Will for creatures is definitely interesting, though Sun Titan is probably better and is used sporadically as a 1-of in midrange rockish decks.

Nin, the Pain Artist
I hope my opponent uses this.

Riku of Two Reflections
How often would you copy a Tarmo after untapping with this? You'd probably want to untap with Goblin Welder instead.

Ruhan of the Fomori
4 mana for a 7/7 that attacks every turn. It's just good, though not amazing. Someone would want to make it happen, but that's not me.

Skullbriar, the Walking Grave
The biggest problem I have is that it has to hit the player multiple times to grow into Goyf size. But having Haste is great. If it has an inbuilt come back to play from graveyard ability, I'd love it in a deck with Vengevines. But as of now, nope.

Tariel, Reckoner of Souls
Oh, I'm reviewing the Commander set!

The Mimeoplasm
Hi, I'm a Tombstalker that grew after feeding on a Goyf!

Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter
I'll suck your blood, and I'll spit it on him!

Zedruu the Greathearted
Magic the Gathering. Zebra the Crossing.

Acorn Catapult
Yay, we all need a colorless source of damage that's deals 1 damage.

Champion's Helm
Makes good Cardboard Carapace.

Command Tower
Format staple.

Homeward Path
This, my friend, is the super secret tech against Sower of Temptation.

And there you have it. We have playables in Soul Snare and Edric, interesting cards in Flusterstorm, Chaos Warp, Tribute to the Wild, and Ruhan, and the format staple Command Tower (I didn't say which format). Hope you have fun with these.

Let me know if you agree/disagree with the evaluations over at the mtgtrinket facebook page.

[Brainstorming] Pitch World 2.0

2011-06-04T21:51:00.000-07:00

If you want a wacky combo deck in Legacy that wins without tapping any land for mana, Pitch World is for you! First widely publicized during Worlds 2007 coverage by Wizards, it has been picked updated by Bryan in our monthly Legacy tournament (all decklists here, my tourney report here). Here's the decklist for Pitch World ver 2.0:

Pitch World 2.0 by Bryan Lim 22 May 11

Threats (15)
4 Memnite
4 Chancellor of the Forge
4 Dryad Arbor
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Verdant Catacombs

Combo Kill (18)
4 Blazing Shoal
4 Shining Shoal
4 Progenitus
4 Reaper King
2 Coalition Victory

Disruption (27)
4 Chancellor of the Annex
4 Force of Will
4 Misdirection
4 Mental Misstep
4 Cave-In
4 Pyrokinesis
3 Scars of the Veteran

Sideboard (15)
4 Mindbreak Trap
4 Surgical Extraction
4 Ravenous Trap
2 Snapback
1 Scars of the Veteran

How the Deck Works

Step 1) Get 1 or more FREE creatures into play (you have 15 chances to draw those)

Step 2) Attack for a couple of turns, using your FREE disruption package to clear the way.

Step 3) When your opponent's at 11 life or less, cast Blazing Shoal for FREE, removing Progenitus/Reaper King for +10/+0.
Step 3.1) Or if your opponent attacks you, block his biggest creature, cast Blazing Shoal to pump HIS creature, and cast Shining Shoal for free to redirect his face for massive.

Step 4) Shake hand.

All these, without paying a single mana.

Variations

The folks over at The Source has proposed many variations of the deck. All of them stayed true to the deck idea of using pitch spells and casting a massive Blazing Shoal on a creature for the win.

One particular version which I liked is the one-hit-Infect version with Glistener Elf and Inkmoth Nexus. Infect, in fact, is totally broken with Blazing Shoal as all of them creatures effectively have Double strike. The good old days of Gaea's Might Get There!

Here's a non-comprehensive list of free cards so you can build your own:
Free spells from Alliances to Prophecy

Mirrodin
Ornithopter
Chalice of the Void

Betrayers of Kamigawa
Blazing Shoal
Disrupting Shoal
Shining Shoal
Sickening Shoal

Coldsnap
Allosaurus Rider
Commandeer
Fury of the Horde
Soul Spike
Sunscour

Time Spiral
Snapback

Shards of Alara
Salvage Titan

Zendikar
Archive Trap
Mindbreak Trap
Ravenous Trap
Summoning Trap

Scars of Mirrodin
Memnite

New Phyrexia
Chancellor of the Annex
Chancellor of the Dross
Chancellor of the Forge
Chancellor of the Spires
Chancellor of the Tangle
Mental Misstep
Surgical Extraction

M11
Demon of Death's Gate

Have fun brewing!

[Tourney Report] Top-4 Split with Enchantress

2011-05-28T22:23:00.000-07:00

Despite a clash with GPT Singapore, 17 players gathered on 22 May 2011 in a fight for duals. All 17 decklists can be found on the MtgTrinket facebook page, as well as on our venue host Games Haven. And if you want pictures, you can find them on my facebook page.

Here's the breakdown of the decks played (Top-4 in bold):
2 Team America
2 NO Bant
2 Gbw Junk
1 Psychatog
1 Enchantress
1 Dreadstill
1 MUD
1 Team Italia
1 Rock
1 Zoo
1 Pitch World
1 Dragon Stompy
1 Sneaky Show
1 Elves

Preparation

With the advent of New Phyrexia and Mental Misstep, I've actually predicted beforehand that the field will be filled with Merfolk and Landstill decks. These decks have benefited the most from the additional free counter and have been performing well in the recent SCG Orlando Legacy Open. Unexpectedly, my prediction failed and players brought what they were accustomed to playing.

Like, DUH! Haven't I mentioned this before? I should gun for the players instead of the decks next time!

Anyway, I had already prepared Merfolk beforehand for the battle. However, I dislike having a bull's eye on my forehead. In addition, I did not practice the mirror matchup and want a deck that can beat Landstill hands-down, even if they manage to stick a Humility.

What else to do but bring Enchantress?

Enchantress (60 cards)

Mana (22 + 8)
4 Windswept Heath
1 Savannah
2 Serra's Sanctum
13 Forest
2 Plains
4 Wild Growth
4 Utopia Sprawl

Disruption (17)
2 Elephant Grass
1 Runed Halo
4 Sterling Grove
4 Journey to Nowhere
4 Oblivion Ring
2 Solitary Confinement

Threats (3)
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
2 Sigil of the Empty Throne

Others (10)
4 Argothian Enchantress
4 Enchantress's Presence
2 Replenish

Sideboard (15)
3 Enlightened Tutor
2 Choke
1 Silence
1 Mindbreak Trap
1 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Runed Halo
1 Leyline of Sanctity
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Tormod's Crypt
1 Aura of Silence
1 Humility
1 Karmic Justice

Force of Will and Wasteland prices rising through the roof? Try this Moat-less version instead!

Having played Merfolk and detesting playing against 4 Plows and 4 Paths, 4 Journeys and 4 O-Rings play a similar role, despite being more expensive (cmc). This added consistency also reduced the dependency on tutors for 1-card hoses (Moat, Solitary Confinement) which are easily disrupted by Pridemage and Grip. If that's not clear enough,

DO NOT DEPEND ON 1 CARD RESOLVING AND STAYING ON THE FIELD!

It's like hanging on a thread and hoping it won't break.

Against Landstill, Emrakul provides a trump card that control decks have fits against. Casting it with Serra's Sanctum is not difficult in the mid to late game and it's probably game when you do so. Unfortunately, there's no way to tutor for the creature though Enlightened Tutors from the board get you Chokes in this matchup. It'll also be a walk in the park should you resolve an Enchantress effect or a Replenish after a counterspell frenzy.

Even though I got the metagame wrong, Enchantress still fields a good matchup against non-combo decks (ie all decks present in the tournament). To cover my behind in case of a combo backlash, 3 Enlightened Tutors seek out Ethersworn Canonist, Runed Halo, and Leyline of Sanctity. Silence and Mindbreak Trap are there too for surprises though I used none of the anti-combo cards that tourney. (Lucky ain't I?) Looking back, these cards seem too slow against the fast combo and I'd still remain a sitting duck if I do meet a Storm deck.

Humility is a concession to the Show and Tell brothers Raymond and Ryan. And Aura of Silence does a little duty against Storm combo's artifact mana and players like Yong Xin who adore MUD. To close the loop, Karmic Justice protects against Pernicious Deed as Rock players like Derek are bound to spot them in their 75. In fact, I'd up that card to 2 if I had another copy.

Enough of the deck choice and preparation mumblings, now to the report proper!

I made a right deck choice last tournament with Dredge and I repeated it this tournament as well. Though I'd like to say that I've correctly predicted that Mental Misstep has changed how people approached tournaments, the reality is people stick to their styles and played decks they are familiar with. (Not that I haven't said it before...) Mental Misstep is just another addition that made some deck choices appear more appealing. Enchantress just happens to be good against those decks.

Going forward, I need to break out of my cycle of Merfolk, Enchantress, Merfolk, Enchantress. I had a Breakthrough in Dredge, but I need more. Any suggestions?

Props
8 Journeys/Rings redundancy deck building strategy
Angus for organising the tourney
The 16 other Legacy lovers for making it possible

Slops
Not able to co-make top-8 with Mike
Making the wrong prediction about the meta
Not recalling how I sideboard

Chess Skills, Magic Skills

2011-05-08T01:19:00.000-07:00

When I was in secondary school, I was part of the Chinese Chess school team. I was lucky to have a professional coach who not only imparted technical knowledge, but also mental skills that helped me both in chess and in Magic! Here's what he taught me:

Stop shaking your legs!

I remember having picked up a habit of shaking legs while schooling. Don't ask me why when it isn't cool at all! Whenever my coach sees me or any of my teammates do this, he'll always ask us to stop.

Now I bet you're thinking what this has to do with Magic.

At that point in time, I have no idea what they has to do with playing chess as well. But looking back, changing a habit requires concentration and internal focus, one skill which helps immensely in a game of the mind.

In chess and in Magic, there are times when you just make an internalised move. Whenever a chess piece is open, you tend to capture it. Whenever you draw a land, you tend to play it. Observing your impulse to shake your leg and stopping it opens up plays that may be better. Even if you're playing Bolt.dec, there are things to consider. Holding that internalised play of burning at the end of the opponent's turn may be the right play most of the time, but holding that urge sometimes will enable you to dodge that counterspell waiting for you.

So, stop shaking your legs and start observing your inner tendencies. It'll lead you to better plays.

Or at least annoy your coach less.

Don't move if there's no good moves

Another mantra my coach had stuck to is to not make any move if there are no good options. In Magic, this translates to playing to your win/outs.

Magic, like chess, is a game of the mind. Wins come from making brilliant choices amongst the multiple options you have in your hand, board, graveyard, even your Wishboard. You just have to spend the time and effort to analyse them and to make a good choice.

This is especially important when you're in a losing position. Think through how you can dig yourself out of the hole and play towards that. If you need to top deck a Time Spiral within 2 turns to win, that is the only good move and you have to save that Brainstorm until the very last minute. If you absolutely need to open a hand with Leyline of the Void, mulligan all the way down until 1.

Ask yourself how you can win, starting from turn 0, and play the match that way. Don't be a headless fly. Don't move unless you have a good move.

When he's grabbing your crotch, go for his throat!

That's just exactly what you expect from a bunch of guys.

In Chinese Chess, pieces differ in power. The Chariot/Castle is more powerful than the Pawn, but the most powerful piece is the King – without it, you lose the game! Thus, my coach always told us that whenever the opponent is threatening your Knight, you threaten his Chariot. If he's threatening your Chariot, aim at his King.

Don't keep defending where the enemy attacks. You won't develop your board position. The best attack is the best defence. Attack where the enemy must defend!

In a game of Magic, your opponent may be doing fanciful things such as casting Hymn to Tourach and Stifling your fetchland. Yes, these are powerful plays at early points in the game but as the game goes on, their usefulness decreased and they often make poor topdecks. Find out what your strategy is, defend by Forcing that spell if you must. Otherwise, save it to counter the opponent's Plow when he needs it most.

Know the matchup well and know what is important to your opponent. Then play towards that. Go for the throat!

Summary

These are just some of the things that I've learn from chess. What do you think about them? Let me know if you have more to share by commenting below or on my facebook page!

New Phyrexia Spoiler Legacy Preview 2

2011-04-23T02:57:00.000-07:00

For those of you who do not yet know it, New Phyrexia full spoiler is up on MtgSalvation here, and you can find part 1 of the New Phyrexia Spoiler Legacy Preview here.

Ok enough said! Let's just dive in and take a look at The Good, Bad, and how I Expect New Phyrexia will impact Legacy!

Mental Misstep

The Good
If you play Legacy, it's not too difficult to realise that this is the best card out of New Phyrexia. Much has been said by Star City Games' Drew Levin on Mental Misstep and I refer you to him for avoidance of duplication.

The main point in which I disagree with Drew is that he thinks Chalice of the Void will play a big part in the coming metagame. As you can see from the Star City Games Metagame, Ancient Tomb/Chalice of the Void decks has more than underperform ever since the start of the games. As I argued before, Stax is well known for its inconsistency and its slow clock does it no justice either (with the plethora of answers in Legacy, don't assume you're winning when you lock the game up). How will Mental Misstep revive Tomb/Chalice decks? It's not as if any player will stop bringing decks filled with 1-drops just because it can get countered.

Rather, the metagame will remain roughly similar in my opinion. Just that players will be accustomed to the presence of Mental Misstep and the better ones will account for the risk of playing a 1cmc spell when his opponent has 1 or more cards in hand. I think that it's going to be more of a mental adjustment than a substantial shift in the metagame.

p.s. The more I think about it, the more I'm persuaded that Mental Misstep can be used maindeck in non-blue decks with fast clocks like Zoo and Goblins. Against combo decks, this allows you to (perhaps) buy a turn, which may be all you need. Against other decks, you gain free protection from the most played removal in the format. The problem only lies in what you remove for them. Nonetheless, get multiple playsets of them if you can. It's at least worth Path to Exile in price, and I think more than that.

The Bad
It's a super uncommon, so pay for it as early as you can.

Expected
4-of in many viable Legacy deck you own.

Now that we have that out of our way, let's get back to card number order.

Dispatch
The Good
Zoo has Wild Nacatl, Affinity has Ardent Recruit. Zoo has Chain Lightning, Affinity has Galvanic Blast. Zoo has Path to Exile, Affinity has Dispatch. Zoo has Tarmogoyf, Affinity has Tarmogoyf, Cranial Plating, and Master of Etherium. Why play Zoo?

The Bad
Affinity's manabase is much much weaker than Zoo's and Affinity simply folds to a resolved Null Rod. And if you build Affinity like you build Zoo, it's more susceptible to cards like Qasali Pridemage/Ancient Grudge as it has a lower artifact density. This in turn lowers the effectiveness of Dispatch and Galvanic Blast.

Non-Affinity decks? Name me one that can consistently activate Metalcraft and would not want Swords to Plowshares.

Expected
Affinity is well known for its early explosiveness and the Zoo-like build deserves some testing. Affinity is unlikely to make tier 1 unless a suitable answer against Null Rod is found.

Inquisior Exarch
The Good
White Weenie now has direct damage.

The Bad
Other than Death and Taxes, no other forms of White Weenie exists. Even with its bounce effects, DnT cannot effectively turn this card into a semi-auto machine-gun for 2 life that it wants to break locks/standstills.

And there are better things to cast with 2 mana.

Expected
Why did I even mention this card?

Gitaxian Probe
The Good
Hi Street Wraith, meet your more future wife Gitaxian Probe and your new home – 52 cards combo.dec! Thanks to the Probe, you can now see whether your opponent is holding a counterspell the turn you're about to go off. You like it?

The Bad
Sorry but your deck is still prone to making bad mulligan decisions.

Expected
Free card that cycles for free and Peeks as a result. Interesting but not very exciting.

Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
The Good
I'll draw all your cards in EDH!

The Bad
You'll all gang up against me when I show you what's my general...

Expected
Wasn't this a Legacy blog? Why am I talking about EDH?

Despise
The Good
Another Duress variant! This time an Ostracize that hits Planeswalkers!

The Bad
Ostracize wasn't played, why would this?

Expected
More bad than good.

Dismember
The Good
Remember when I said in New Phyrexia Legacy Preview 1 that cost reduction is always something to consider especially when it has an useful effect? Dismember is effectively a Snuff Out that costs 1 and kills creatures of any color Goyf size or smaller. That's about almost everything on the block except bigger Goyfs, KotR, Emrakul, Progenitus, Phyrexian Dreadnought. For those, you have Diabolic Edict.

If you're a green mage, you'd love this!

The Bad
It's still 4 life to cast it if you want it at 1. Otherwise you're splashing black and there's better options like Go for the Throat.

Expected
Perhaps only considered in non-black decks. Even so, there's Slaughter Pact for combo decks. Otherwise, why not consider splashing for black/white when it's so easy to do so with fetchlands and duals? (unless you're on a budget of course)

Geth's Verdict
The Good
And we were talking about Diabolic Edict earlier on. Less splashier but it pings for 1. Between this, Go for the Throat, and Innistrad, watch out for black decks in standard!

The Bad
In Legacy, a single colored mana is easy to splash but 2 isn't due to the presence of Wasteland. Why this than Edict? Unless you honestly think that a Legacy mono-black deck is tier-1 (I don't think so).

Expected
More for Standard than Legacy just because of Edict.

Act of Aggression
The Good
At best, it's a 3cmc instant that says: “Pay 4 life: Choose 1 – Destroy 2 of your opponent's creatures or target opponent's blocker becomes your attacker until the end of turn”. Both are likely to win your the game.

The Bad
Difficult to imagine how it'll git in any Legacy deck.

Expected
This is going to be in the vaults for some time before someone finds a use for it. Until then, forget about it.

Furnace Scamp
The Good
1 mana for 4 damage? Sign me up!

The Bad
You have to hit the player with it and this is puny compared to Cats and Fishies.

Expected
Would Burn be better with this? Is it worth opening your deck up to removals or trading 1 Bolt for a blocking creature? I don't think so. But you can give it a try and tell me your thoughts.

Geosurge
The Good
4 mana and a card for 7 mana. That's a lot of creatures and artifacts you can dump on 1 turn.

The Bad
With its casting cost, possibly used only in a deck with either lotsa mountains or lotsa Red Rituals. Belcher and Dragon Stompy comes into mind. Belcher already has better Rituals and Dragon Stompy has Ancient Tomb and City of Traitors which do not tap for Red mana. Now which other deck can and want to use Geosurge?

Expected
Maybe only kinky-yet-to-be-known-decks.

Priest of Urabrask
The Good
It's a free 2/1! Add some cost reduction and some infinite combo will be waiting for it!

The Bad
This, a cost reduction engine, and a kill condition makes for 3 cards. 2 card comboes such as Painter-Grindstone, Flash-Hulk, Cephalid-Nomad are doable, but 3 cards? Kinda difficult (hi non-Imperial Aluren!).

Expected
Who knows? It might be useful some other day... But not now.

Beast Within
The Good
Destroy. Target. Permanent. In Green. At Instant Speed. Karn? What Karn?

The Bad
3/3.

Expected
Use it! Even if it's just because it's cheap!

Glistener Elf
The Good
Now you have 2 1cmc infect creatures (together with Virulent Sliver) to make your curve complete!

The Bad
Infect deck only.

Expected
Infect viable in Legacy with free pump spells like Invigorate? Being the pessimist that I am, I'd say no. But I'd like to be proved wrong! Especially with Mental Misstep as pseudo-removal and protection against removal!

Mutagenic Growth
The Good
You know, the mini Invigorate in the Legacy Infect deck.

The Bad
Probably only in Infect decks.

Expected
Invigorate, Mutagenic Growth, Mental Misstep, Snuff Out, black-green infect deck? Seems fun to me at the very minimum.

Noxious Revival
The Good
Reclaim is now for every colour! Relic/Crypt bothering you? You can save that Loam you want the most. Pay 2 life to pseudo-Time Walk someone by putting a useless Land on the top of their deck!

The Bad
Seems to do remarkably little for a remarkably cheap card.

Expected
Some cards are meant to be kept in your cupboard before they turn useful. Expect a few years to pass before this does. And you may want this in your Pyromancer Ascension deck just for fun.

Triumph of the Hordes
The Good
Elves can now poison someone to death!

The Bad
Glimpse, Pact/Green Sun, and this in an elf deck? Would it dilute your elf density?

Expected
Not likely to make an impact in Legacy this point in time.

Mycosynth Wellspring
The Good
Mana fixing for any deck that's not green! Basic lands preventing your Second Sunrise deck from going-off? Use this (and Time Sieve)!

The Bad
Just a basic land? That's like worse than Realms Uncharted.

Expected
At least this goes into EDH decks...

Myr Superion
The Good
Now this is Goyf size for Goyf cost!

The Bad
Only if you're playing Birds/Hierarch/Elf/Dryad Arbor, and at turn 3 earliest

Expected
8 Goyf in decks with Noble Hierarch, Dryad Arbor, and Green Sun's Zenith? Now possible.

Soul Conduit
I'd love to use this in EDH to make Chris scoop again!

Sword of War and Peace
The Good
You won't believe how hard this equipment can hit someone. I'm thinking just 2 hits will make the player KO! Plus, the equipped creature is basically immune from targeted removal. Watch as the game goes into hyper-drive mode when this lands.

The Bad
It can just be a sign that says “Use Edict on me!”

Expected
With Stoneforge Mystic around Swords will definitely see play. This Sword will probably beat Sword of Feast and Famine to take the number 2 slot just behind Sword of Fire and Ice, just because of the immunity to Plow/Bolt and the huge life swing this provides.

Torpor Orb
The Good
I was stuck on this card but I found out the interaction with Phyrexian Dreadnought thank to this thread. And it stops Matron, Ringleader, Siege-Gang!

The Bad
The danger of this is to put in trash like Eater of Days and draw lotsa dead cards that don't immediately win you the game when you resolve the combo.

Expected
Do you need to go out and buy Phyrexian Dreadnought? I don't think so. Stifle is good enough and the splash damage of Torpor Orb on your opponent's cip effects doesn't really make a big dent to justify the deck being great. I do hope to see innovators proving me wrong though. Who knows? Maybe Day of Eaters may be playable...

Summary

The biggest contribution of New Phyrexia is Mental Misstep. Good job Wizards, for printing a great answer to Vial and a great answer to the answer to Vial all in 1 card! Some interesting cards like Karn, Gitaxian Probe, and Torpor Orb were printed and I'm eager to see how much Legacy is changed (I'd think little).

What do you think? Are there cards I've missed out that you think are great? Let me know by commenting or by posting on my facebook page!