The General Magic: The Gathering Thread

[ForOhFor Error]

Just got done building my first cube, just from cards I have around. THe theme is artifacts:
Cube List

[Volafortis]

Your link is borked.

Also, bah, my last post got new page'd. Oh well. Just showing off a booster sleeve I made for my cube. I can upload the template once it's done, if anyone wants it. I also can resize it for non-double sleeved cards, either single sleeves, or bare cards.

[ForOhFor Error]

Thanks, I fixed up the link. Forgot these forums truncated links.

Anyway, those boosters look fantastic. From that pack, it looks like a powerful cube.

I think I'd seriously consider taking Mother of Runes there. That, or Traft.

[Volafortis]

For some cube building advice, you have too many cards that don't really pay off for any strategy in it. Mesa Enchantress is basically dead. Agent of the Fates is mediocre. If you want to have that heavy of an artifact focus, you'll want all of your colors playing well with artifact, or you'll have one color that plays better witch them stomping all of the other decks.

What I do is try to envision deck archetypes, and put cards in to enable those archetypes.

For instance, by cube has:

Mono W Weenies
Mono U Control
Mono B Control
Mono R Goblin Burn
Mono G Dinosaurs
Azorious Control
Orzhov Tokens
Boros Blitz
Selesnya Midrange
Dimir Tezzerator
Izzet Counterburn
Simic Tempo
Rakdos Rack
Golgari Dredge
Gruul Midrange
Grixis Combo
Esper Contol
Naya Zoo
Jund Midrange
Bant Toolbox
Colorless Affinity

Each of these decks is viable in some form in my cube. My cube is 720 cards total, though, so only half of the cards get used in any given draft, so obviously not all of them will always show up, but each deck is planned out, and has an ideal set of cards, with a number of extra cards they can substitute for others. I've only drafted it 3 times so far, but it's been quite fun each time.

Basically, just know what decks players will want to build with what you give them, and make sure those decks work.

[Jenelmo]

Out of that booster my pick would be Jitte

[Volafortis]

Jitte would be my first pick too. Honestly, I don't think there's much anything in any cube that's worth first picking over Jitte.

[Lord Hosk]

I get really tired of people telling me I am wrong then go on to explain how something I didnt say was wrong.

today I tried to watch the pro tour a little in the lrl twitch channel even though all the bad habits REALLY annoy me.

The player did the following action.

Took Thundering Giant from his hand and put it on the table in the "redzone" horizontally, tapped his other creatures, then while moving his hand back from the table tapped his land.

I said "I hate when people cast spells before they pay for them, that's now how it works." I then immediately said "thats NOT how it works rather not now how it works"

5 people then went on to tell me that I was wrong and that is how it works and explaining how casting spells works and why it works like that.

I didnt say put the card on the table, I didnt say he declared his spell before paying for it, or any of the other crap people were saying, I said cast.

In the game of magic "To cast a spell is to take it from where it is (usually the hand), put it on the stack, and pay its costs, so that it will eventually resolve and have its effect." Casting a spell includes paying its costs, a spell is CAST only after all costs and possible responses have been taken care of.

The player in question put it on the table tapped and attacking, then declared other attackers then paid for the spell. Either he cast it in main phase without paying its cost and put onto the field in a illegal way then moved to combat and declared other attackers then floated mana or he cast it in his combat phase which he cant do because it doesnt have flash, then put it on the field in a illegal manner, then declared other attackers while still in the process of casting, then paid its cost, cast it and then passed priority to his opponent to block.

I understand Magic and I wasn't using the term CAST in the wrong way as it was implied. He cast his spells before paying the costs.

Perhaps I should have said "I hate when people illegally cast their spells and then float mana which dissipates because it doesnt get used and they move to the next step."

I understand that playing magic you streamline steps, phases, and priority passing by just skipping things where nothing happens so that each game doesn't last a decade but I still hate it when people do stuff like this especially on the pro tour because then "spikes" at the LGS do stuff like this and it becomes accepted practice.

Allowing sloppy play like that on the pro tour because "everyone knows whats going on and it just streamlines things" leads to this situation at a LGS

Player 1 casts Leeching Sliver then immediately declares their other 6 slivers as attackers and player 2 says "Before attackers I declare Peel from Reality on that leeching sliver and my coral barrier" player 1 then replies "NO, I already declared them as a attacker so the 6 loss of life happen with the declare attacker trigger before you cast your instant" Player 2 calls judge, and explained what happened, player one says "They cast the peel AFTER I had declared attackers and then wanted to apply it before attackers" Judge says "well if it was after attackers were declared the 6 life loss happens"

Please stop telling me that im wrong because something I didn't say is wrong. It pisses me the F* off.

[Volafortis]

You need to clarify the situation with the judge, in that case, I'd say this:

"I was not given the opportunity to cast my spell at the end of my opponents main phase. They cast the Leeching Sliver, and then immediately declared attackers, without announcing the move to the combat step."

Every single judge in the world will give you this argument. If they do not, submit a report to the DCI/WOTC about the incident.

[Kapol]

Jitte would be my first pick too. Honestly, I don't think there's much anything in any cube that's worth first picking over Jitte.

Plus, it has the benefit of being colorless, so it can go into any deck. It was my pick as well.

[Duckay]

The number of arguments I have gotten into about casting spells in combat is mind-boggling.

Like on the one hand you have:
Opponent: okay, attacks, ordeal trigger -
Me: before attacks, I cast my instant
Opponent: I already attacked.
Me: I get priority between you saying you've finished your main phase and when you attack, I get the opportunity to do this.
Opponent: well let's pretend you did it in my main phase.
(No, I did it in your beginning of combat step, but whatever makes you happy, buddy.)

Or alternatively:
Opponent: attack with these three guys.
Me: okay, go to blocks?
Opponent: yes.
Me: okay, I block here and here.
Opponent: I bounce your big guy, you take 5?
Me: no, I blocked your guy, and he doesn't have trample.
Opponent: but I bounced your creature!
Me: yes, but I blocked first.
Opponent: I meant to do it before blocks!

(Don't tell me I didn't give you a chance, I'm fucking meticulous about declaring my phases and steps because I hate it when people shortcut in a way that would compromise the game.)

None of that, however, is as bad as:
Opponent: I attack with these guys. *expectant look*
Me: go to blocks?
Opponent: yes.
Me: okay, block here and here.
Opponent: *expectant look*
Me: go to damage?
Opponent: no, if you're not doing anything, I want to cast this spell.

(Dude, you have priority first, if you pass without action and so do I, it moves to the next phase. I know I should ask directly "are you passing priority?" But when you sit in silence with an expectant look, I shouldn't have to.)

Or worst of all:
Opponent: go to damage?
Me: okay.
Opponent: okay, I cast a pump spell?
Me: you said "go to damage", you passed priority.
Opponent: well, I meant, "before damage".

(If you meant "before damage" you would have cast your spell instead of waiting for me to say "yes".)

Although I note none of the players I've had disputes like that with are people I would call "spikes". I'm more spike-y than any of them.

[Antitonic]

I've been trying to work out where I fit into WotC's player profile, because it doesn't sound like I fit anywhere. If anything, I'd say I'm Johnny-Lite, because I like the cards that do cool things (perhaps unexpectedly), but I don't necessarily care about combos. Heck, I don't necessarily care about winning. If I can make a cool/funny/interesting experience for someone, so they've got a story to tell, then I've done my job.

I know the whole "not letting labels define you" thing, but psychology interests me.

[steric hindrance]

I've been trying to work out where I fit into WotC's player profile, because it doesn't sound like I fit anywhere. If anything, I'd say I'm Johnny-Lite, because I like the cards that do cool things (perhaps unexpectedly), but I don't necessarily care about combos. Heck, I don't necessarily care about winning. If I can make a cool/funny/interesting experience for someone, so they've got a story to tell, then I've done my job.

I know the whole "not letting labels define you" thing, but psychology interests me.

That sounds a lot like Johnny to me:

Johnny is happiest when he’s exploring uncharted territory. Like Timmy, Johnny cares more about the quality of his wins than the quantity. For example, let's say Johnny builds a new deck that has a neat but difficult way to win. He plays ten games and manages to get his deck to do its thing… once. Johnny walks away happy.

[Kapol]

So... I pulled something neat in my draft. A Jalira without the foil stamp at the bottom. Like, you can tell where it should be, but it doesn't seem to have been put in it's little socket

[Antitonic]

That sounds a lot like Johnny to me:

Johnny is happiest when he’s exploring uncharted territory. Like Timmy, Johnny cares more about the quality of his wins than the quantity. For example, let's say Johnny builds a new deck that has a neat but difficult way to win. He plays ten games and manages to get his deck to do its thing… once. Johnny walks away happy.

Well, not counting the "winning" thing, that sounds pretty on par. I guess I was just looking at different descriptions though, because I can't recall reading that specific passage.

[Utilitarian]

So... I pulled something neat in my draft. A Jalira without the foil stamp at the bottom. Like, you can tell where it should be, but it doesn't seem to have been put in it's little socket

Seems par for the course for the general much lower quality print runs for m15 cards

[Phosphatide]

MaRo confirmed how to pronounce Garruk's name, along with a Tales from the Pit comic about it:
https://twitter.com/maro254/status/495217905877794816
https://twitter.com/maro254/status/495222178921447424
https://twitter.com/maro254/status/495223239421865984




I hope he doesn't later tell us that Nicol Bolas is in fact pronounced "Nicole Bolas" like how he does in his podcasts, instead of "Nickel Bolas" like... everyone else ever.

[Jamfalcon]

Woo, I've been saying it right! I win!

[Duckay]

I've always said "Nichole" Bolas, because that's what it looks like to me. Also GAH-ruk for Garruk. I know a lot of people who said Gah-ROOK but a lot of them picked it up once we all started calling Gray Merchant "Gary" so they didn't sound so similar.

[Jenelmo]

Jitte would be my first pick too. Honestly, I don't think there's much anything in any cube that's worth first picking over Jitte.

The only card i can think off that i would pick over Jitte P1P1 is Sword of body and mind because it is insane in limited

[Kapol]

So, can anyone thing of cards that force (or at least encourage heavily) your opponent to search their library for something? Especially in standard, but anywhere. I'm just trying to think of some way to abuse Ob Nixilis and his 'lose 10 life' ability. Like "I path your guy" opponent nods and searches their library for the land. At which point they lose 10 life and have to sac another creature.

[korvys]

It's not perfect, but here's some: http://bit.ly/UXYWxL

[Kapol]

I looked for something similar, but used the wrong terms I suppose. Not much in terms of standard. But I could see a Ob Nixilis EDH deck with Maralen of the Mornsong being really mean.

[WickedBoy6]

I just did a simple search for any card that had the word "Search" in the Standard format on Gatherer, and every card mentions you searching, not the opponent searching. Sadly, Path is Modern, and while there's probably a lot of other cards like it in Modern, in Standard, you'll have to bank on the opponent forgetting you have Ob Nixilis out and plays a Hoarding Dragon.

[Volafortis]

In the past I've used both Path to Exile and Ghost Quarter to get my opponent to search to turn on Archive Traps. But Archive Trap has the benefit of the opponent not being sure if I have it.

The issue with Ob Nixilis is most cards don't require the search. It's almost always a "may" and the few that aren't arent really playable outside of EDH.

[jkefka]

If you're not restricted by standard, may I recommend Boldwyr Heavyweights. Sure, they don't HAVE to search, but you have an 8/8 trample for 4 with no downside. It almost becomes a question of whether they want the 10 off of Ob or to take lots from the Heavys every turn.