Magic the Gathering Arena

[Jason Liang]

just discovered that you can swap quests. doh!

Changes-

I could do without ICRs... mostly uncommons and then once and a while upgrade to a rare or a mythic. After playing for about... 2 months? I've gotten perhaps 5-6 competitive rare or mythic ICRs- a Carnage Tyrant, a Doom Whisperer, a March of the Multitudes, and two Karns. And at least half of those were guaranteed rare/ mythic from events. ICRs are currently mostly for filling out uncommon collection, in about two more months it would have been pointless.

This new system does create a lot more incentive to play limited since you get additional rewards for limited rank. Limited events seem to be the main way this game is going to make money (since the economy of this game is actually selling crystals).

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

I didn't know jack shit about ICRs being the best way to build a collection, so I guess that's beneficial to me. Although I still haven't even unlocked all the dual color starter decks so I probably shouldn't be trying to do something in constructed like that. Truth be told I dunno if I'll play enough MTGA to really warrant hard collecting (Have they said what they're going to do when they phase cards out of standard? Will you get wildcard refunds or something?) but oddly enough it's been taking my casual time really well. Artifact typically has more going on and each individual game takes longer, and Hearthstone would be some decent casual fun if not for the fact that all my opponents fully run the timer out every fucking turn, but MTGA players actually know what's going on so games move at a good pace. I'm massively out of the loop since I haven't played paper Magic for around 20 years and my only digital Magic between then and now were the Duels of the Planeswalkers preconstructed deck games, but I dunno. I'm having a good time. Some of the new mechanics like planeswalkers and sagas and kickers are pretty cool.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[spectre]

Niv Mizzet Parun should draw all the fucking cards once you untap. If you want a planeswanker solution, yeah, Ral's the man.
Or maybe you got a random Tezzeret from somewhere, I think I got one, but can't remember from where. You want the one that draws one card, two if you have artifacts.
Treasure Map is a bit on the slow side, but you get amazing value out of it in the end. It even acts as a colorless mana ramp and and Ascend enabler. I put it in all sorts of decks all the time, so I don't regret crafting it.
It's even better if you have other treasure generators.

Consider this, Risk Factor isn't really card draw. It's a burn spell for 4 with flashback you can feed extra lands to. If they let you draw cards with that, it means you're close to winning.
Same goes with Sword-Point diplomacy, chewing through big chunks of life is what it's for.

Chemister's Insight is currently the go to instant speed draw in the format, if you flashback it, the card advantage is awesome. If you expect to hit 4 mana every game, there's no reason not to use it.
Your alternatives, as long as you're running a bunch of creatures creatures, are: Chart the Course, Curious Obsession (if you can't craft it, you should have some rogue's gloves lying about.
They're pretty shite, but hey), if you don't, go for Secrets of the Golden City (helps if you can ascent semi-reliably) and Expansion // Explosion (if you can get decent mana for the X cost, or you can expansion other draw spells).
You generally shouldn't feel bad about crafting Obsession + Chart the Course, cause they go into all sorts of decks - Mehrvolks, mono U aggro, UR wizards, UB flyers.

Best draw in the format, imo, is Agruel's Blood Fast.

 

[Jason Liang]

First, your deck's win condition IS zap their face, so if you feel you don't have enough card draw that probably means you aren't running enough zaps. Shock is YMMV but you should be running full sets of Lightning Strike and Wizard's Lightning. Since Viashino Pyromancer is Shock with legs, that's usually considered zaps 9-12.

The premiere card draw right now is Chart a Course, who is also the main reason you would run Guttersnipe over Electrostatic Fields, although if you are running enough jump-start cards casting it without Raid is pretty good too.

Opt and Radical Idea don't provide actual card advantage but they are dig/ fix color correction staples.

Chemister's Insight is ok in limited copies but the format is too fast to run a playset.

The most common form of actual card advantage are Planeswalkers, starting with Karn at 4cc who is definitely a good choice to spend a mythic wild card. Ral, Tezzeret and Teferi round out blue's card advantage studs at 5cc. Each has a card advantage ability, giving you extra cards each turn at no additional mana cost, as long as you have Electrostatic Fields up to defend them and the occasional Lava Coil/ Beacon Bolt to take down pesky flyers.

OTOH it sounds like one direction you might be interested in taking is Pirates. I'm working on that right now so let me know if you want some basic ideas for that.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Scruffy]

Chemister's Insight is currently the go to instant speed draw in the format, if you flashback it, the card advantage is awesome. If you expect to hit 4 mana every game, there's no reason not to use it.

My games are prolonged. On top of that with goblin electromancers I bring cost down. This is why instants are more preferable. Problem with sorcery is having less mana to react to opponent turn.

chemister's insight IS an instant

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Jason Liang]

yes you have to assume guttersnipe is going to die asap so you should cast him when you can spam 2-3 other spells on the same turn, i.e. with 5+ mana available. The goal is to get 4-6 damage out of him, which is already good value.

Drakes are just a retro-active guttersnipe, deals 1 damage/ spell per attack.

For Dimir, both my decks need my topend game winners to beat them. For Golgari that's Carnage Tyrant and occasionally Vine Mare. For Izzet that's Niv Mizzet backed by counterspells and dive downs.

There are only four legitimate ways to deal with Carnage Tyrant as Izzet. The first is to trade it with a 6+ power drake- this is the easiest solution (but loses if they also have Finality). The second is to splash white and double Deafening Clarion (or Expand + Deafening Clarion). The third is to splash black for Discovery/ Dispersal and hope your opponent plays into Dispersal. The fourth is to play Detection Tower.

Actually there's a fifth way that I haven't seen anyone use yet which is to play Metamorphic Alteration to clone your own Carnage Tyrant.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Jason Liang]

I won in the end but im still scratching my head at what I just experienced.

exciting dragon v dragon combat

Similar game a few days ago. There are two dead Mizzets in each graveyard.

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

Appears a mono-red burn deck would be the cheapest/easiest to attain gud-gittin' playable constructed deck for me right out of the gate. Using a modified mono green fatasses deck at the moment which still gets trounced pretty easily. Think I might bite the bullet and try playing some draft when Ravnica draft starts in a few days, got 10k gold in the bank and it sounds like that may be a better option for me even if I go 0-2 twice rather than just buying 10 packs with it since I've got fuck-all cards. Then again maybe I'd be better off using my wildcards to make a decent mono-red and then play those constructed events for cards.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

Well, making mono-red and then playing the constructed event went well. Went 6-3 and only 1 point off lethal from going 7-2. Would've been happy even just getting a couple wins, but that was pretty nice. Looks like I'll have to start playing that to try to earn some cards.

 

[Dawkinsfan69]

yea that's a really good way to get rares especially. Return is so good I only play that mode and never run out of gold (even tho I suck and play some jank ass shit lolol)

 

[sebas]

I don't know if mono-red is really the best idea considering the meta, Golgari mid is popular and will eat red decks. Especially one without phoenixes. It's probably more efficient to go with a budget Izzet Drakes. Eg. https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1527390#arena

 

[spectre]

I haven't been tracking my winrate vs. Golgari, but it's not a terrible matchup. Depends on the variant, if they play Moment's Craving and Golden Shower (so far none seem to do).
The only card that's always there at 4x and is problematic is Wildgrowth Wanker, and you have twice as many Bolts.
I also pack 2x Fire with Fire main just to be sure. Sometimes they get a good streak, drawing two, then Finding them back, but that's a minority of their games and you can always try and burn it in response to a Jadelight being cast.

I think WR angels is actually more problematic if they curve out to Shalom, Voice of Oy Vey, then immediately Lyra Dawnbringerova.

There's nothing wrong in having a budget Mono R around. You will want to have 2-3 such decks for daily grinding, because of the inherently high variance of Bo1.
Sometimes my budget (no steam kins) RDW rolls two, three streaks of 7 wins, then just the next day you go off with a derpy 1:3. That's the game telling me it's time to change decks.

 

[Projas]

Mono Blue is generally the best choice for a good cheap deck because it only needs 4 rares (Tempest Djinns). Mono Red is a bit more expensive, but easier to play. Both are a p. good choice for the meta though.

 

[spectre]

That's 3 rares, one djinn comes in the blue starter deck, although you pretty much have to craft all the commons and uncommons. I think budget Blue handles slightly better in Bo3 environment because it benefits much more from a good sideboard.

Here's a decent writeup if someone's interested.
https://www.reddit.com/r/spikes/comments/9uxeti/standard_mono_blue_tempo_strategy_guide/

OR if you already have the cards for mono U, RDW and Drakes, you could throw together a hybrid UR build.
Some guy posted it on the official forums:

Creatures (16)
4 Ghitu Lavarunner
4 Siren Stormtamer
4 Viashino Pyromancer
2 Guttersnipe
2 Goblin Electromancer

Spells (20)
4 Shock
4 Lightning Strike
4 Wizard's Lightning
3 Chart a Course
2 Risk Factor
2 Opt
1 Blink of an Eye

Enchantments (6)
4 Curious Obsession
2 The Flame of Keld

Lands (18)
7 Island
9 Mountain
1 Steam Vents
1 Sulfur Falls

Gotta say, it performs better than it looks, and I really wouldn't change anything in the main lineup (maybe swap around an extra Erectionmancer for Pyromancer), but it really needs an upgrade to 4 Steam Vents and 3-4 Sulfur Falls.
The budget mana base will crap out on you and you will lose games because of insufficient mountains.
The cheap sweeps will ruin your day, so don't play into them. Still, in my experience, very few people play Fiery Cannonade and Golden Shower in Bo1, and it's a great deck to teach them why.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[v1rus]

Whos favored in Golgari midrange v Izzet Drakes matchup?

Does the same go for bo1 and bo3?

Gave up on Boros Angels, seems silly to spend 10 mythic wildcards and 10 rare ones month before a new expansion, even if most of those craft seem perfectly safe. Thinking of making Izzet Drakes, im missing 2 phoenixes and two checklands for full deck with sideboard (and perhaps one silly rare, depending on the list.) Wanna try Constructed events out, since I've only been ladder for now. Bo3 constructed payoff seems silly good, but none of my decks (well, only mono blue is a real deck, grixis dragons and merfolk are both jank) have sideboard, neither do I know how to use 'em.

Ill prolly give constructed bo1 a try later this week, since, as I said, from what I've seen, all you care about in this game economy-wise are rares and mythics.

 

[v1rus]

so... whats so great about chart a course? it appears that everyone runs and people rarely support it with critter making it basically draw 2 discard 1 deal.

why is it chosen over anticipate which is common instant?

From what I've seen its about discarding Arclihgt Phoenix mostly.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Projas]

so... whats so great about chart a course? it appears that everyone runs and people rarely support it with critter making it basically draw 2 discard 1 deal.

why is it chosen over anticipate which is common instant?

Chart a Course is mostly in Izzet and Mono Blue. In Mono Blue you are almost always attacking because you have a lot of cheap creatures making it straight up draw 2 for 2. In Izzet what's most relevant is that it puts cards into the graveyard instead of the bottom of your deck like Anticipate. This is absolutely crucial for Phoenix, but it's also important for Drakes, Beacon Bolts and everything with the jump-start keyword.

Whos favored in Golgari midrange v Izzet Drakes matchup?

Izzet. Not entirely sure how different bo3 would be since I've been mostly playing bo1 lately, but I think it should still be favoured for Izzet.