With a nod to Ken Krouner, Tom Martell, Billy Moreno, Mark Rosewater, Michael Flores, Anne Landers, and everyone else that invented the reader
mailbag format, let’s see what we have in the mailbag!
Do you have a particular topic for the mailbag? Standard, Limited, deckbuilding in general, or no holds barred…?
-Torero
No holds barred!
What is the best deck in Standard?
–Gabriel Nassif
Creatures (11)
Planeswalkers (4)
Lands (27)
Spells (18)
Sideboard
A number of sources I trust had suggested to me in the past few weeks that the “Rug” deck was on the rise. The StarCityGames.com Open this past
weekend certainly seemed to agree with the intel. The Top 8 contained three copies of Michael Jacob-style R/U/G, as well as a fourth copy of R/U/G piloted by Donnie Noland that had a very different flavor to it but contained a lot of overlap (Lotus Cobra, Frost Titan, Goblin Ruinblaster, Mana Leak, Jace,
the Mind Sculptor, Explore, mana base).
Creatures (21)
Planeswalkers (6)
Lands (25)
Spells (8)
From the looks of things, R/U/G is the current best deck, and Dan Jordan list seems like the ideal version to put in your gauntlet. Everyone had their sights set on beating U/W, Valakut, Eldrazi Green, U/R Control, White Weenie, and Elves. While many of these more traditional decks made Top 16 (two U/W, two Valakut, two White Weenie), the Top 8 was filled out with somewhat rogue decks, providing fresh looks at the format and interesting angles of attack.
The first notable rogue deck was Christopher Canon’s Mono-Red Goblins list, revolving around Kuldotha Rebirth.
Creatures (20)
- 4 Goblin Chieftain
- 4 Goblin Bushwhacker
- 4 Goblin Guide
- 4 Memnite
- 1 Molten-Tail Masticore
- 3 Spikeshot Elder
Lands (10)
Spells (30)
- 4 Lightning Bolt
- 9 Mountain
- 1 Trusty Machete
- 1 Basilisk Collar
- 1 Devastating Summons
- 1 Forked Bolt
- 2 Mox Opal
- 1 Chimeric Mass
- 2 Galvanic Blast
- 4 Kuldotha Rebirth
- 1 Infiltration Lens
- 3 Panic Spellbomb
Sideboard
You may recall a very similar list winning Georgia’s State Championships recently… It was Canon, himself!
Christopher Canon continues to put his money where his mouth is. He claimed Goblins was the real deal, and first-place and second-place finishes go a long way towards arguing his case. Additionally, this list isn’t even particularly expensive. Fetchlands aren’t vital to this build, and even Mox
Opal can be trimmed a bit. All the various rares are relatively low-dollar, with the primary exception being the three Molten-Tail Masticores, which are a pretty important element of the deck; though even shaving one of these isn’t out of the question if budget is a concern.
We’ve already discussed Spikeshot Elder at length, but the big new push to actually rock the Goblin tribe is Kuldotha Rebirth, comboing with the plentiful, cheap artifacts to provide a “better Wild Nacatl.” Canon’s build has a real weakness to Pyroclasm but comes out the gate so fast that many players won’t have time to properly defend themselves, even with cards like Day of Judgment. I don’t see Goblins taking over the format, but it
should see an increase in play as more players realize this deck isn’t just a gimmick.
The evolution from U/W Control to U/R Control continues, now reaching U/B.
Creatures (5)
Planeswalkers (6)
Lands (25)
Spells (24)
Spagnolo was the only U/B deck in the Top 8, with another reaching Top 16, but this build is a little more indicative of last week, whereas I expect
a surge of U/B if Gerry Thompson new brew takes off (perhaps after a little tuning). Gerry will undoubtedly be discussing his list and his
experiences later this week, but just to give a little advance info, his list featured three Mimic Vats, as well as varying numbers of Abyssal Persecutors, Grave Titans, and Seagate Oracles. While it looks like U/W is finally dipping in popularity, it remains to be seen if U/B is going to take over. I love the look of this style of new blue decks, though there’s one glaring weakness: the “Rug Deck.”
Now, I haven’t had the opportunity to get results firsthand, but I can tell you from watching feature matches that it sure looked like the mana advantage built by MJ-style R/U/G gave it a marked advantage over the less proactive U/B decks. Still, there’s no reason to believe that U/B won’t be able to develop some technology to help them here; it’s just that they have a weakness to ramp decks that’s usually shored up by Memoricide, a card that R/U/G doesn’t care about.
The somewhat neglected Fauna Shaman sees a little love, in a B/U/G Vengevine build piloted by Michael McDermott that combines some of the elements of Ramp with U/B Control, inside a Fauna Shaman shell. This is certainly an ambitious amalgamation of themes that I suspect is probably a bad R/U/G
deck, though perhaps it is an R/U/G deck that people won’t have tested against.
Creatures (19)
- 3 Birds of Paradise
- 3 Lotus Cobra
- 1 Ob Nixilis, the Fallen
- 1 Vampire Hexmage
- 1 Avenger of Zendikar
- 1 Bloodhusk Ritualist
- 3 Vengevine
- 4 Fauna Shaman
- 2 Frost Titan
Planeswalkers (4)
Lands (25)
Spells (12)
Sideboard
The final slot in the Top 8 went to Stephen Mercatoris piloting Pyromancer Ascension. I think this is a great strategy right now and should continue
to gain in popularity. Additionally, the Mind Sculptors in the sideboard are good but not necessary if one is looking to build within a certain budget. I’d consider more Jace Belerens or perhaps Calcite Snappers. It’s strange to call Pyromancer Ascension “rogue,” but since the rotation of Time Warp
and Ponder, the strategy has been just under the radar.
Spells (51)
- 4 Lightning Bolt
- 7 Mountain
- 9 Island
- 4 Mana Leak
- 4 Foresee
- 4 Burst Lightning
- 3 Into the Roil
- 4 Pyromancer Ascension
- 2 Spell Pierce
- 4 See Beyond
- 4 Preordain
- 2 Call to Mind
Sideboard
What’s your favorite sport’s blog?
–AJ Sacher
It really is Cedric Phillips‘
View from the Pine,
and it isn’t even because he’s my friend. I don’t care much about sports, but Cedric is a very compelling sports writer, and I’ve gotten into the habit of reading each of his blog posts.
What does it take to play Magic as a Pro, if you aren’t in the US or in a place that doesn’t have Grand Prix, PTQs, or Regionals?
-XLuis Carlosx Tenorio
Well, that pretty much depends on your definition of “Pro,” but in general it sounds like you’re asking about someone that doesn’t play near any sort of professional-level events or events that feed into them.
The best answer is “move,” but since that’s unlikely to be an easy solution, Magic Online is probably your path. Magic Online PTQs feed into Pro
Tours. Win an invite and a travel award, and you’ll have a chance to compete against the best in the world. Make Top 50, and you’ll be invited back (or accumulate more Pro Points, a high rating, etc). This can be the beginning of the journey towards “going infinite,” IRL. A Top 50 finish will
certainly win more than enough to pay for your next event, allowing you to start amassing Pro Points. Build a name for yourself, and learn the “meta-game” (the game outside the game, as opposed to the metagame of decks people play), and you’ll start to discover other ways to further your aspiring career,
such as writing, team connections, or sponsorships.
What is your favorite EDH general?
-Jayson Saumer
Azami, Lady of Scrolls. For serious, after reading
his
article
on Azusa, Lost but Seeking as a general, I’d love to read Sam Black take on building an Azami deck for EDH.
Does Affinity have a chance in Legacy, post-Scars of Mirrodin?
-Mark Beck
Absolutely. First, I think the best starting point is Cedric Phillips‘ list:
Affinity by Cedric Phillips
4 Memnite
4 Ornithopter
4 Glint Hawk
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Erayo, Soratami Ascendant
4 Frogmite
4 Myr Enforcer
4 Mox Opal
4 Springleaf Drum
4 Glimpse of Nature
4 Thoughtcast
2 Cranial Plating
4 Ancient Den
4 Seat of the Synod
4 Tree of Tales
2 Glimmervoid
Sideboard
4 Ethersworn Canonist
4 Tormod’s Crypt
4 Pithing Needle
3 ???
To start with, I think it’s probably worth splitting the Tormod’s Crypts into two Crypts and two Nihil Spellbombs, to help protect against Pithing Needle. With ten sources, you’re going to get the extra card much of the time anyway, but that isn’t what it’s about. Pithing Needle is so potent against all Crypts, there’s little reason not to split them (and risk the increased casting cost of the Spellbomb). I suggest adding two Mindbreak Traps and a Tormod’s Crypt or a Relic of Progenitus.
Yes, you can’t possibly ever beat Null Rod ever. Currently, few play this card. If they ever start, I actually like the idea of adding a little more mana in the form of a Gaea’s Cradle or two, as well as maybe two sideboard Elvish Spirit Guides to support sideboard Nature’s Claims.
How much do Pros “hold back” when publishing decklists?
-Cameron Copper Leehay
I can’t speak for everyone, as every player/writer is different. As for me, my policy is:
1)
Never
lie about technology in articles. Integrity is worth far more than some perceived advantage.
2) I generally only “hold back” technology when I come into information from someone that doesn’t want it shared or am working on a closed team for
an event (again, not mine to share), such as Pro Tours/Worlds. I make no secret of this policy, and most readers aren’t playing in these events. Additionally, the one-weekend nature of the event, as opposed to an on-going season, changes the dynamics.
Additionally, there’s only so much time in the day. Sometimes the material I feel that’s more appropriate for my article isn’t going to be the same deck I’m playing in some random event that week, especially if it’s during a format that’s constantly evolving, where my deck is rarely the same from week to week.
3) I write about Magic professionally, and I’m heavily incentivized to provide the best possible information that’s the most helpful. Every time someone wins with technology or advice I’ve shared with them, it helps me more than it hurts me when the information is used against me. There’s no question it hurts me, as this is one of the big factors behind why I generally do well at Pro Tours but have less big finishes at Grand Prix. At
Grand Prix, I regularly lose games to opponents playing decks I’ve built, know my list, or who, after they beat me, thank me for things I’ve taught them.
At Pro Tours, it’s less common to face current decks I’ve built and people that know my current list, and the players thanking me are going on to
bring glory to our team armed with information that I’m happy to help supply.
Why do you write?
-Luke Williams
I love it. I love Magic, and I love the community.
Do you think that having the mythic rarity is destroying the competitive side of the game?
-Jarryd Cathcart
- Magic tournament attendance is at an all-time high.
- There are more active tournament players today than ever before.
- Most Premier events are experiencing record-breaking and ever-increasing attendance.
- An unprecedented number of major non-WotC tournaments have sprung up, most notably the StarCityGames.com Open Series, regularly featuring events of 400, 500, 600, or more competitors. The demand for such events is through the roof, and the community is alive and very well.
-
Magic sales are doing fantastic, which will lead to an increase of major events at every
level. The schedule for 2010 is already set, but it’s possible that we’ll see the return of a fifth Pro Tour/Worlds-level event in one year by as soon as 2011, perhaps a team event. Pretty much the only reason they won’t is if they think there’s something even more useful to take advantage of this prosperous time of growth in the game. Magic is now widely regarded as one of Hasbro’s big three brands. We stuck with WotC through the hard times,
and it would be incredibly shortsighted to assume they just want to try to maximize dollars today. They’re in business for the long haul. They love this game as much as we do, and they certainly still want to be making money off of it long into the future.
While we may or may not agree on how much of an impact mythics are having on any of these factors, I think it is fair to say that, “No, the mythic rarity isn’t
destroying the competitive side of the game.”
Do you think Jace, the Mind Sculptor would have seen as much play if he cost 3UU?
-Thrawnseg
No. One of the biggest reasons why Jace TMS has seen as much play as he has is his power level. A truly amazing card at four may still be playable at five, but it’s generally going to be much weaker.
Do you think the rising popularity of Frost Titan is serious, an adjustment to the metagame, or just hype?
-Philipp_Staat
The recent increase in popularity of Frost Titan was serious, it was an adjustment to the metagame, it was partially driven by hype (though hype that was all accurate), and perhaps most importantly, is over. That’s right; I think that Frost Titan is certainly no longer “underrated.” He’s generally properly rated as one of the best Titans. He’s a format staple and will remain such, though his popularity should cool off a little.
Conley Woods is going to love this, but yes, it is
finally
Abyssal Persecutor’s time to shine. I agree with GerryT that Abyssal Persecutor
is the new “Frost Titan,” in the sense that he’s grossly underrated right now, and that in a few weeks, everyone will pretend they always liked it, much the same way that everyone likes Frost Titan now. The only adjustment I’d make is that I think it’s Mimic Vat that’s truly the most underrated card
in the format. I know that Gabriel Nassif shares my love for the Mimic Vat, and Gerry unveiled a U/B Control deck this past weekend that he brewed up after discussing theory with Nassif.
Mimic Vat goes in tons of decks, but it’s at its best with black and Doom Blade. It’s a very proactive Tome that both “draws cards” and “affects the board.”
Not actually entirely unrelated, I agree with Lewis Laskin and Michael Jacob that Admonition Angel is comically underrated, right now.
What do you think is necessary in Mirrodin Besieged to make infect a viable archetype for competitive play in Standard?
-JoshuaGD
Well, I’d argue that it’s already a “viable” archetype, albeit Tier 2 at best. To even hit Tier 1.5, there could just be a huge amount of power, but more realistically, a couple new dimensions besides “you can Giant Growth them.” Additionally, a 1/1 infect creature for one mana (total) seems like
a pretty important piece of the puzzle, letting infect get a certain number of “sick” openings. Give me the 1/1 infect for one, a good four-mana black planeswalker, and a new support spell, as well as a few possible minor upgrades at a position or two, and I think you’ll really be talking.
There was a Mono-Green Infect deck receiving a little attention at the SCG Open: Charlotte, this past weekend. It isn’t quite done cooking yet, but this build featured twelve “Giant Growth” and Livewire Lashes for a bit of reach.
Now that the world of Magic has been “infected,” have you or other Magic theorists been able to find or define the link between (poison) andcard advantage, tempo, and the Philosophy of Fire?
-Diego Rivera
The number poison counters you can receive before dying has long since been covered in the Philosophy of Fire, as has how many cards are left in your library. The Philosophy of Fire covers resources that measure your ability to continue to play the game, the resources that you start the game with, but do not gain naturally over the course of the game. Infect is an awful lot like wither against creatures, double strike against players, and deals damage that ignores life gain and payment of life, while not mixing with traditional damage sources.
What do you do for money in the real world?
-Chad Cottle
I’m a professional Magic player!
Do you think Legacy will start evolving against Survival like it did for Threshold, Goblins, Fish, etc.? If so, how? Will there need to bededicated board slots like Dredge used to demand?
-Bryan Mohr
Yes, I think Legacy will start evolving against Survival, as it has clearly proven itself a powerful Tier 1 strategy. There are a variety of ways to combat Survival of the Fittest, some more hosy than others. For instance, Leonin Arbiter is a potential tournament monster, both disrupting mana
bases and greatly slowing Survival decks. It should be remembered, however, that it only takes one Bone Shredder or Shriekmaw to take out an Arbiter, if
the Survival deck gets up to three mana.
Pithing Needle is another card surely on the rise. Outside of Trinket Mage applications and the above home in Affinity, it’s just an easy, versatile catch-all that happens to address the real problem, Survival, itself. I expect this to be a very popular sideboard card for the time being.
One possible future is that of an increase in fast combo decks. Fast combo is traditionally difficult for Survival, particularly if they don’t play Force of Will. A possible resurgence in Dark Ritual decks could be coming, if they aren’t over-oppressed by blue decks like Counterbalance and
Merfolk.
Another key way to attack Survival decks is the graveyard. Vengevine (with Wonder) is the most popular Survival engine, though the only other popular angle is Loyal Retainer with Anger and Squee, Goblin Nabob. All of these strategies are severally impaired by graveyard hate. Graveyard hate seems at the surface that it would totally shut down the Survival engine, but the perpetual tutoring that’s possible makes it easy to use Harmonic Sliver and other creature-based solutions to get out of this sort of problem (albeit after being slowed a bit).
Unlike with Dredge, which is often powerless against graveyard hate, against a Survival deck, it’s mostly just mildly disruptive. One possible way to take advantage of the time you’ve bought yourself is to combine this strategy with a fast, proactive approach, such as combo. Trinket Mage with
Pithing Needle and Nihil Spellbomb is one such approach, in a Painter’s Servant deck. Another approach is Matt Sperling Helm-Line Tendrils:
Lands (18)
Spells (42)
- 4 Sensei's Divining Top
- 3 Tendrils of Agony
- 4 Cabal Ritual
- 1 Forest
- 4 Duress
- 4 Dark Ritual
- 1 Helm of Obedience
- 2 Ill-Gotten Gains
- 3 Lotus Petal
- 4 Lion's Eye Diamond
- 2 Chrome Mox
- 4 Leyline of the Void
- 4 Infernal Tutor
- 2 Thoughtseize
Sideboard
Sperling was in town for the StarCityGames.com Open in Charlotte, this past weekend. However, his flight out on Sunday didn’t permit him to play in
the Sunday event, instead entering the Saturday evening Legacy event where he defeated Elf Combo, Zoo, and Survival, while dropping a match against Merfolk.
How many licks does it take to get to center of a Tootsie Pop?
-Daniel Eggbert
665
Do you feel the comments Geordie Tait has made about MTG and WotC in general have positively or adversely effected the Magic community?Furthermore, do you agree or disagree with his statements?
-Adam Norris
I certainly think that Geordie’s comments positively impact the community. He’s a brilliant writer who’s helping spark good discussion on important topics, while being entertaining and provoking thought. He’s also pretty wrong about a lot of things, sees a lot of things through very narrow
glasses, has a sense of entitlement, doesn’t always look big picture, actively plays things up a bit for dramatic purposes (to great effect), and has a little bit of an ax to grind. Geordie is awesome, no question, but he’s an entertainer, so be careful about taking his positions too seriously. He’d be the first to remind you, that, “(He) is just a guy.”
If you don’t like what he has to say about how bad everyone is at designing custom cards, he is just a guy.
If you don’t like what he has to say about mythics, he is just a guy.
If you don’t like what he has to say about race, money, or gender, he is just a guy.
If you don’t like what he has to say about Magic Online, he is just a guy.
If you don’t like what he has to say about flavor text, he is just a guy.
You may agree with him on some of these subjects; you may disagree with him, oftentimes both in the same subject. I agree with him much on flavor
text and card design, in some but not all areas for Magic Online “improvements.” I disagree with him heavily on his views regarding money, mythics, race, and gender. Do I think he’s
way
off base in some areas? For sure, but the game is better with everyone sharing their honest perspective, especially when the speaker is as talented as Mr. Tait is.
Personally, I think it’s good that Magic is at an all-time high in all of the ways detailed above, and I truly believe that mythic rares are a piece
of that puzzle. The execution hasn’t yet been mastered, as we initially saw sets with too few good mythics, followed by too many. It’s a learning
process, and I’m very sure that WotC will continue to do a better and better job of producing the game we all love. Remember, they operate as a business, and the key to them making money isn’t the price of the product, as a high price and terrible product would result in few sales.
You may be quick to talk about how terrible Magic Online is, but at the end of the day, it’s damn good compared to what else you could be doing with your time. The proof is in the pudding.
Could it be better? Absolutely, and you better believe there are a lot of smart people that work full-time to continue to make it better and better. Just think of where we were at two years ago! Often, when decisions are made, there are a lot more factors to consider than just the ones that
pertain directly to the issue at hand.
For instance, what if Change A, Change B, and Change C made Magic Online appear a lot better to some customers and increased Magic Online revenue by
$5 million dollars but relied on the cannibalization of paper Magic to a degree that cost $10 million dollars in that area? From the Magic Online player perspective, why not do it? But if this move loses the company $5 million dollars, even the Magic Online player will feel it when Pro Tours are cut, rewards reduced, or, even closer to home,
event prizes are decreased to make up for lost revenue as a result of the cannibalization.
This isn’t to say that we shouldn’t speak up to help WotC know how to make a product that we’ll enjoy and want to continue to use. All I’m suggesting is a little perspective. There seems to be a percentage of players with an unreal sense of entitlement that fantasize about a world where WotC is oppressing them and forcing them to use a horrible product, or worse, violating them on a fundamental level. Really? Really? Ever think about not playing this game if it’s that bad?
Obviously I’m not suggesting that if you’re unhappy, quit. What I’m suggesting is remembering the difference between being able to imagine things better and things being “bad.”
Bad? Compared to what? Pokémon Online? You’re being oppressed? Please, you’re playing the best damn game in the world, Magic, and now you don’t even have to leave your freaking home, even if it
is
3 a.m. on a Tuesday. If having an opportunity to play Magic Online is the same as being violated in your eyes, you have a lot to learn about the world.
So speak up, argue for change, but do it the way that Geordie does, by proposing ideas, engaging in respectful discussion, looking for perceived
problems, and attempting to find solutions. He isn’t married to all eighteen of the ideas he proposed last week,
here.
The idea was to provide positive, possible ways to improve the experience. I don’t agree with everything Geordie says, but I’m very thankful he says it.
Patrick Chapin
“The Innovator”