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micronesia
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
United States24752 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-07-02 18:21:50
July 02 2013 18:20 GMT
#8181
I think trying to stick to cards which affect the board directly also will make it easier to get better at drafting since it narrows down what you have to do with the short amount of time allotted.

I don't know if I agree with your analysis of purge the profane vs reap intellect, but since that's basically your point I'll just focus on cards that affect the board.
ModeratorThere are animal crackers for people and there are people crackers for animals.
Cel.erity
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
United States4890 Posts
July 02 2013 18:22 GMT
#8182
On July 03 2013 03:20 micronesia wrote:
I think trying to stick to cards which affect the board directly also will make it easier to get better at drafting since it narrows down what you have to do with the short amount of time allotted.


There you go.
We found Dove in a soapless place.
mavignon
Profile Joined November 2010
France369 Posts
July 02 2013 19:49 GMT
#8183
Twice somebody played Zhur-Taa Ancient against me. First time I had the XGU flier (don't remember the name), second time I had biomass mutation. Good times! I have played it once myself and I remember regretting it. Should I play it again, I'll make sure my opponent has 0 or 1 card in his hand.

It's more of a late game card I think. If you play it turn 5, your opponent will play all his hand that may include bombs and/or 'X' cards and/or a removal.
MoonBear
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
Straight outta Johto18973 Posts
July 02 2013 20:57 GMT
#8184
Wow, Witchstalker is so efficient I think it's actually maindeck-able in Modern. This is pretty nuts.
ModeratorA dream. Do you have one that has cursed you like that? Or maybe... a wish?
Judicator
Profile Blog Joined August 2004
United States7270 Posts
July 02 2013 21:00 GMT
#8185
It's a finisher card. The drawback like you said, is not insignificant, and its definitely not a card for every deck.

@micronesia

I feel like you are over-evaluating those cards because you don't have everything in your head yet as a new(er) player on what to watch out for and evaluating game states with incomplete information.
Get it by your hands...
Audemed
Profile Joined November 2010
United States893 Posts
July 02 2013 22:39 GMT
#8186
On July 03 2013 05:57 MoonBear wrote:
Wow, Witchstalker is so efficient I think it's actually maindeck-able in Modern. This is pretty nuts.


It's really strong for sure. Not happy about *yet another* control hoser, though. Granted, it's not as rough as Voice but something that I cant target, that grows whenever I azorius charm or rev or counterspell or whatever is just...annoying. It's not UBx control is in a great spot to start with.
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -George Orwell
cLAN.Anax
Profile Blog Joined July 2012
United States2847 Posts
July 02 2013 23:11 GMT
#8187
On July 03 2013 06:00 Judicator wrote:
It's a finisher card. The drawback like you said, is not insignificant, and its definitely not a card for every deck.

@micronesia

I feel like you are over-evaluating those cards because you don't have everything in your head yet as a new(er) player on what to watch out for and evaluating game states with incomplete information.


Judi's got a point. I did the exact same thing as a noobie, and sometimes I still take forever when it comes to my turn. (being a very casual player adds to that however, lol) Some advice for you: just go with a certain plan even if you're kind of leery on it. The best thing you can do for yourself is gain more experience playing Magic, and the best way to do that is play lots and lots of Magic. The time you spend over-analyzing cards would be better spent actually playing the game, in my opinion. Go with a build, see how it turns out, then evaluate it some, tweak it, and try again. Think of it as trial and error: the more you try, the sooner you'll get to success. No, that doesn't mean intentionally pick junk cards, lol. But if you're stuck, don't waste time picking over "the best build" when you could be playtesting it.

Basically, don't worry about losing. Everyone loses. Keep your head up, your brain cranking, and your cards playing.
┬─┬___(ツ)_/¯ 彡┻━┻ I am the 4%. "I cant believe i saw ANAL backwards before i saw the word LAN." - Capped
Octothorpe
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
United States52 Posts
July 02 2013 23:11 GMT
#8188
If I were to see a Zhur-Taa Ancient in my Sealed pool, and I was leaning toward R/G, it would likely make the final cut into the main deck, as it's a pretty efficiently priced creature. It's not something that I would be tempted to build a deck around, however. How much mileage you are able to get out of its ability is entirely up to the deck that you've constructed around it. As such, it's not something I would windmill slam when I opened it in a draft. You generally want to prioritize picking cheaper spells earlier in the draft, and the Ancient requires you to be somewhat invested in higher CC spells, which can make it very hard to evaluate on the fly.

If you'd like to know about what you can expect out of it at a glance, look at where it falls on your mana curve. If you notice that its sitting near the top of your mana curve, you are less likely to be able to utilize its ability to the fullest. Generally the best case scenario in this kind of situation is when the Ancient eliminates the choice of you having to either play a creature, or keep mana open for a spell. However, it will do the same for your opponent, so it may need to be removed G2/3 if your opponent has built a deck that can easily take advantage of the ability.

As for Reap Intellect, it should really never make your starting 40. By the time that you have the mana to remove multiple cards from an opponent's hand, it's very likely that your opponent has an empty hand. The reason that effects like this have been historically powerful on cards like Duress, Thoughtseize, and to a lesser extent, Cabal Therapy, is because those cards cost one mana. On turn one or two, your opponent hasn't had multiple opportunities to put whatever it is you're trying to get rid of on the board already. Reap Intellect costs a whopping 6 mana to get rid of just two cards. That's twice as much as mind rot, which is already not a card you really want to put in your deck.

Constructed decks have consistency that limited decks do not. You are much more likely to hit the 1/4 copies of the important cog in your opponent's deck than you are to hit whatever the highest power level or most threatening card in his limited deck is. You are also much more likely to have one of your copies of a card that produces this type of effect in your opening hand, where it will be the most effective.

In limited, the search function is mostly irrelevant, and usually isn't all that powerful even if it incidentally hits something. As awesome as the dream of hitting your opponent's 3 Stab Wounds sounds, the reality is that those Stab Wounds have probably already impacted the game in your opponent's favor by the time that your Reap Intellect goes off. If you're worried about certain cards that your deck has difficulty with, you're much better off playing a counterspell instead. Trying to predict when your opponent might have the one thing that beats you in his hand is a very daunting task, and you will miss more often than not. Missing with your one mana Cabal Therapy is painful. Missing with your 5-6 mana Reap Intellect if you have a specific intention for it is devastating.

I'm trying to come up with a situation where I would even want to side this card in, and I just don't see it happening. If you are alive to cast it at a point where it would get you an advantage, you're probably already winning and you really don't need it.
#
slyboogie
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
United States3423 Posts
July 03 2013 02:33 GMT
#8189
On July 03 2013 05:57 MoonBear wrote:
Wow, Witchstalker is so efficient I think it's actually maindeck-able in Modern. This is pretty nuts.


It's a strong creature but I doubt it's Modern-Quality. I don't think it does enough for 2 green symbols except be buff.
"We dug coal together." Boyd Crowder, Justified
Dreamer.T
Profile Joined December 2009
United States3584 Posts
July 03 2013 06:04 GMT
#8190
Lol at Kalonian Hydra. I know there are a lot of cards that say "Remove me or Die," But this one is probably the biggest one, since he comes out pretty early.
Forever the best, IMMvp <3
micronesia
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
United States24752 Posts
July 03 2013 06:06 GMT
#8191
There are a lot of simic cards that will work well alongside that mechanic... I will start preparing a deck lol
ModeratorThere are animal crackers for people and there are people crackers for animals.
mavignon
Profile Joined November 2010
France369 Posts
July 03 2013 07:54 GMT
#8192
He will be better in a Jund deck with Exava and Corpsejack Menace
Cel.erity
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
United States4890 Posts
July 03 2013 10:41 GMT
#8193
On July 03 2013 16:54 mavignon wrote:
He will be better in a Jund deck with Exava and Corpsejack Menace


That feels way too cute to me, but maybe it's viable. I feel like you'd probably run either Exava or Menace, but not both.
We found Dove in a soapless place.
mavignon
Profile Joined November 2010
France369 Posts
July 03 2013 11:33 GMT
#8194
Yeah Menace is maybe a bit overkill. But having a haste source is very needed imo. And Exava is very good on her own.

Savage summoning + Kalonian Hydra EOT may be a thing, too.
MoonBear
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
Straight outta Johto18973 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-07-03 12:42:59
July 03 2013 12:19 GMT
#8195
On July 03 2013 11:33 slyboogie wrote:
Show nested quote +
On July 03 2013 05:57 MoonBear wrote:
Wow, Witchstalker is so efficient I think it's actually maindeck-able in Modern. This is pretty nuts.


It's a strong creature but I doubt it's Modern-Quality. I don't think it does enough for 2 green symbols except be buff.

Hm. Well it's not something for every deck and I wouldn't play it as 4-of. But I'd be interested in say having him as a Loxodon Smiter number five and six. Would have to actually test it at some point though. Might be too heavy on three drops.
ModeratorA dream. Do you have one that has cursed you like that? Or maybe... a wish?
Judicator
Profile Blog Joined August 2004
United States7270 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-07-03 14:07:07
July 03 2013 14:05 GMT
#8196
Think Tidebinder is a bigger thing. Tempo on stick that can grow with lords is pretty big deal.

Edit:

Also I started testing in Standard again, playing Bant walkers to see how it goes, so far its been pretty fun. Don't know if actually good, but fun.
Get it by your hands...
MCMcEmcee
Profile Joined April 2008
United States1609 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-07-03 20:53:22
July 03 2013 20:44 GMT
#8197
Tidebender into geist sounds good.

Gonna start testing m14 ideas soon, young pyromancer seems sweet. Might also run back wild naya flash again.
[iHs]MCMcEmcee@UFO | のヮの
NotSorry
Profile Blog Joined October 2002
United States6722 Posts
July 03 2013 23:07 GMT
#8198
been testing some human based aristocrat builds around Xathrid Necromancer and trying Fiendslayer Paladin/Archangel of Thune
We have now sunk to a depth at which restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men. - Orwell
micronesia
Profile Blog Joined July 2006
United States24752 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-07-03 23:19:15
July 03 2013 23:17 GMT
#8199
How do you guys test decks utilizing sets that have not come out yet (or am I misunderstanding)?

Unrelated, I'm putting together some 60 card constructed decks for casual free for all games I do with friends. I made an Orzhov deck using all 1,2,3 drop extort creatures, pontiff of blight x3, vizkopa guildmage x2, debt to the deathless x4, godless shrine x3, and guildgate x4; 22 lands (I think I threw in an angelic edict also). I think it is going to be successful in most formats. This will be my first deck which doesn't use any big creatures (none have more than 2 power). Separately I'm going to make an Orzhov deck that doesn't utilize extort (save for that creature who gives you double black mana from swamps) but has lots of large B, W, and BW creatures. I will include some stones/keyrunes to help accelerate to the bigger creatures, and only use it in casual team play (I doubt it would work one on one). There will also be a few small pump-able creatures and the like, as well as a few of the better non-creature spells.
ModeratorThere are animal crackers for people and there are people crackers for animals.
NotSorry
Profile Blog Joined October 2002
United States6722 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-07-03 23:22:36
July 03 2013 23:19 GMT
#8200
Just proxy out some of the cards that have been leaked and play them against current decks or other proxied decks just to get a realistic feel for how the decks flow.


If only Mortify was reprinted instead of Putrefy
We have now sunk to a depth at which restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men. - Orwell
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