Magic the Gathering Arena

[spectre]

Yeah, this event felt pointless, UG Flash still does god's work without the Brineborn clutching its spiky penis. Or you could just replace Steam Kuns with whatever low curve creature and light up the stage with Risk Factors and breeze through it all. In the end, 3/4 of what I encountered was dinos. So much for shaking things up.

Although, this event had the best art unlocks, so there's that.

Also, thought Erasure did nothing wrong.

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

Although, this event had the best art unlocks, so there's that.

Bullshitz. The Guay lands are peak MTGA land-performance, and the only reason you should use anything else is if it fits your deck better thematically.
(Although the Mirage lands are the first time MTGA's had lands I actually own in paper, but the Rebecca Guay lands are fantastic. I would've been all over that shit if I played paper whenever they were added)

Also, MTGA is coming to the Epic Game Store this winter. The version from WotC will apparently still be running so Tim Sweeney didn't completely shit on us, but still.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[spectre]

What can I say, I love Rebecca Guay, she goes very well with the old-timey frames. This one in particular is something I consider the perfect MtG card - everything just comes together.

However, on the basic land front, while I quite like and use her swamps in most of my decks that can use them (tho Vampires seem to work better with the M20 swamp), but her Islands are really, really meh. It looks like they were cropped as an afterthought from the background of an actually decent picture.
But let's be honest, few things can compare with these two babies:

I'm not a big fan of John Avon. Some of his stuff are decent, most of the stuff I remember was too flashy for my taste and overused the lens flare. But I gotta give it to the man, this red thing above is THE fucking MOUNTAIN.

 

[new fucking guy]

I like the unhinged lands more, but still run mirage mountains for intimidation value

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

Well son of a bitch. This next planecation event sounds like it takes the shit-cake. Every time a land enters the battlefield under your control you look at the top card of your library. If it's a land, you put it in your hand. Creature, put it on the bottom and get a 1/1 saproling token. Non-creature, put it on the bottom and deal 1 damage to your opponent and gain 1 life. No bans at all, which means everyone'll be playing scapeshift because it's already (One of) the better decks and now it'll be shitting out value all over too.

Not really sure how best to handle this one.

 

[Dawkinsfan69]

Fuuck why they gotta do dumb shit like this and mornir every time

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

or... play saprolings

*Timewipes you after ramping 7 land ahead of you*
Pssh, nothin' personnaile

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[spectre]

You should want a muldrotha in there. Most people playing GBU need a bit of muldortha in their lives. Though you may want to give it something to work with: 1x Field of Ruin, 1x Memorial to Folly, maybe 1x Evolving Wilds and you can setup a meatgrinder engine that'll make people cry.
Play what you want from the graveyard, recur Glowspore Shamen so that you won't deck yourself.

Another thing is Llanowar Elves. They are puny and disgusting. You want Paradise Druids there because they mana fix and don't die to every fart coming in their direction.

Another thing you need is Tamiyo. Great card for filling the bin and picks up what you need. Solid backup plan, because sticther's etc. can bin shit that you want on hand.

Finally, I cannot fathom why would anyone play UB and not pack a full set of Thought Erasures. Sure, not enough room, but this card really does it all (including win the game on turn two because someone suffered an emotional episode over a full cavity search)


But, the question was what to cut. That'd be 6 cards + 2 lands (or 7 cards + 1 land if you want to keep it conservative). I'd start with shaving one Mirror Image. The big pay off looks to be the Cavalier and maybe Plaguecrafter, so unless the big idea is to copy mana dorks, stitchers or shamen, you don't need a full set here.

Let's look at your entire self-mill engine: 4x Stitchers, 4x Shaman, 2x Ashiok 3x Tomebound Lich - I think you can safely lose at least three cards here. Since they pretty much all do the same thing, focus on the ones who perform, or fit the mana curve the best.

Next comes Haunt of Hightower. It's a shit mythic, I'd leave him out of your business.

Next, Molderhulks. They are cute and all, but somehow they don't see a lot of play. Feel free to cut any number here, unless you really need that 6/6 body. I think there are better choices for the slot, e.g. Embodiment of Agonies or one more Cavalier, when you get it.

Final thing to look at is the board wipes - I think you'd be better off running spot removal instead, Cast Downs, Legion's Ends, Ass Trophies. Find // Finality is okay and versatile, so it'd be a tough break losing it, but Ritual of Soot still hits a lot of your shit.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

Even though scapeshift should've been never-ending in this event, I only ran into it once the entire time. I ended up switching off of my scapeshift-hate deck to an Orzhov lifegain deck simply because of how little scapeshift there was. Don't know if I just had freakish luck or if the scapeshift players are still just grinding ranked or what. Orzhov lifegain was/is tolerable enough, especially with the ETB heal cards like Ajani's Welcome and Impassioned Orator to benefit from the tokens you shit out. Good enough to get me through it for alternate land art at least.

 

[Scruffy]

this event was mostly pointless really, but it was interesting to see how this method could, in fact, stop mana screw. i played a 26 land deck that also has some draw and was fine most of the time.

also the best basic lands bar none are the unglued lands

 

[Jason Liang]

I know we have an actual Magic thread, but I need some input in putting together a Modern deck (which is mostly what people play in China in paper). Especially since the past 3 sets have completely upheavalled the format.

The three decks that I like in Legacy are-
Enchantress -> built Enchantress on my own, putting together Enchantress's Presence and Sterling Grove wasn't that difficult
Oath of Druids -> basically a creatureless deck that wins by cheating a creature into play
Solidarity -> yes it's blue but Solidarity is just too cool :\

So as you see, Green is by far my favorite color. Second favorite would probably be Black for a "Persephone" theme, but I admit Blue is probably the best complement to Green.

Anyway, my original thought was to use Risen Reef with Evoke elementals. I'd originally tried Evoke elementals last year with Sarkhan's Unsealing but a 4cc enchantment is just too slow. Of recent creatures I also like Vine Mare.

Recently, the Leyline of Abundance + Birds of Paradise infinite mana combo deck is intriguing as Birds of Paradise is one of my favorite creatures. I like Paradise Druid too in spite of the tranny art.

Of course the most recent spell that I would like to build around is Veil of Summer. I would love recur that with Eternal Witness and Regrowth to curb stomp on black and blue.

Another recent card that I have my eye on is Growth Spiral + Karoo lands (for example Simic Growth Chamber).

Sadly, many of my favorite spells are still not legal in modern including Wild Mongrel, Natural Order, Sylvan Library, Tornado, Gaia's Touch, Argothian Enchantress, Summer Bloom, Titania's Song, Bazaar of Wonders, Oath, Wildgrowth, Compost, Seed Time, Reap, Choke, Demonic Consultation, Dread Return, etc...

Anyway, I made a list of my favorite spells in modern -

green creatures
Birds of Paradise
Nimble Mongoose
Paradise Druid
Wood Elves
Eternal Witness
Great Sable Stag
Briarhorn
Verdant Eidolon
Stampeding Wildebeests
Vine Mare
Majestic Myriarch
Skalla Wolf
Rampaging Hippo
Liege of the Tangle
Cloudthresher
Hornet Queen
Walker of the Grove

green enchantments
Leyline of Abundance
Ayula's Influence
Fecundity
Utopia Sprawl

green sorcery
Seasons Past
Rain of Thorns
Scapeshift
Primal Command
Life from the Loam
Nature's Way
Regrowth
Ancient Stirrings

green instants
Regenesis
Back to Nature
Fog
Blossoming Defense
Veil of Summer

colorless/ artifact
Karn, the Great Creator
Traxos, Scourge of Kroog
Isochron Scepter
Mox Amber

lands
Simic Growth Chamber/ Karoo lands

nongreen spells
Raider's Wake
Quicksilver Dragon
Aethersnipe
Ingot Chewer
Mulldrifter
Paradoxical Outcome
Whirl of Invention
Hurkyl's Recall

multicolor
Tamiyo
Fathom Mage
Horizon Chimera
Risen Reef
Knights of Autumn
Bloodbraid Elf
Cindervines
Death Sprout
Abrupt Decay
Assassin's Trophy
Growth Spiral
Assault // Battery and other split cards
Flower // Flourish

So if you have any ideas, I really appreciate it!

 

[Jason Liang]

HOLYSHIT HOLYSHIT HOLYSHIT HOLYSHIT HOLYSHIT HOLYSHIT

Fastbond was unrestricted in Vintage!!!!!!

+

+

 

[new fucking guy]

So as you see, Green is by far my favorite color.

have you considered playing green devotion? some variants go heavier on land destruction, you can even play plow under
https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1951964#online

 

[Jason Liang]

So as you see, Green is by far my favorite color.

have you considered playing green devotion? some variants go heavier on land destruction, you can even play plow under
https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1951964#online

... not sure what's blue about that deck though

 

[new fucking guy]

I think one of the older versions played hydroid krasis and shit like repudiate
repudiate dude. playing stifle in modern.

 

[Jason Liang]

I'm thinking more in the lines of Urborg + Spreading Algae + Choke + Spreading Seas + Root Maze + Veil of Summer.

+

+

+

+

 

[Scruffy]

the fuck is happening, use the correct thread before i send everything to retardoland

 

[spectre]

They posted some new shit.
https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/magic-digital/mtg-arena-state-beta-august-29-2019

Stuff that caught my eye:

1. There will be a catchup mechanic for the M20 mastery, so it should be possible to max it out completely f2p.

2. They will be handing out loads of freebies on release of the next set.

3. A bunch of good stuff about Historic - ranked mode is planned, and they will keep adding cards to it quarterly with special events and such. New additions are supposed to include "cards from Magic's history", which sounds interesting, as we can potentially get... anything.

4. And then they completely fuck this up by removing the ability to buy boosters for rotated sets (only buy a box option) and by making you spend 2 wildcards to craft one historic card.
And the best bit is that it's supposed to make Historic more accessible for new players. I mean, seriously people, what the fuck?

 

[Jason Liang]

They posted some new shit.
https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/magic-digital/mtg-arena-state-beta-august-29-2019

Stuff that caught my eye:

1. There will be a catchup mechanic for the M20 mastery, so it should be possible to max it out completely f2p.

2. They will be handing out loads of freebies on release of the next set.

3. A bunch of good stuff about Historic - ranked mode is planned, and they will keep adding cards to it quarterly with special events and such. New additions are supposed to include "cards from Magic's history", which sounds interesting, as we can potentially get... anything.

4. And then they completely fuck this up by removing the ability to buy boosters for rotated sets (only buy a box option) and by making you spend 2 wildcards to craft one historic card.
And the best bit is that it's supposed to make Historic more accessible for new players. I mean, seriously people, what the fuck?

So... we got to spend our wildcards NOW on Ixalan/ Dominaria/ M19?

Sounds like a short-term cash grab.
Doesn't really affect me as I was never going to get anymore boosters from those sets. Just means I have to spend a chunk of my mythic/ rare wildcard trove on useful/ useless shit.

 

[Dawkinsfan69]

But we also needed to look at the long-term impact Historic would have on MTG Arena as a whole, as we move toward supporting it as a true non-rotating format.

It's a difficult problem to tackle, but to do so, we're changing how Wildcards work for Historic cards. Starting after an update in November, crafting a Historic card will require you to redeem two Wildcards of the appropriate rarity instead of one.

 

[spectre]

Sounds like a short-term cash grab.

Looks a bit like it. And they almost got to me too. For a second I contemplated getting that fourth Mox Amber and Scapeshift, or blowing all my gold on packs instead of drafting.
But fuck that. I'm still about 5-6 wildcards short of getting everything for the Kethis combo. Didn't get any Fblthps, or wazzitsname, from packs and ICRs, and there will be time to think about it in November.

It's been obvious for some time that the entire Historic shtick is them taking shots in the dark, so none of the things they announce is set in stone.
Good thing is I got all the rare lands some time ago, cause getting all those checklands will be a major turd sandwitch to chew through for any newcomer.
At this rate, they'd better allow us to use historic shit in standard if it ever gets reprinted.