Messages

46

General Magic / Re: What are some good decks to build around Chandra, Torch of Defiance

« on: April 06, 2017, 12:45:36 am »

She's not really a build-around card. If your deck has Mountains, she's probably good in it.

47

Deck Reviews / Re: [Casual] Ultra-Budget Atogs

« on: April 05, 2017, 08:16:15 pm »

I'd cut Ugin's Nexus in a moment if I came up with another deck that could use it better than this one. Would probably let me shave a land or two, which would be great.

I just feel like there must be some kind of home for an extra turn with potential upside.

As for the sculptor, I'm not keen on adding blue. Budget manabases, you know? I'd rather get that effect from Foundry Inspector, even though it costs more.

48

Deck Reviews / Re: [Casual] Ultra-Budget Atogs

« on: April 05, 2017, 07:08:42 pm »

On the other hand, I think I'd prefer Fling to Shrapnel Blast.

Alright, I'll make the swap.

Specifically, I'm not sure the wellspring is good enough, even though there's the same mana:card as the implement. Maybe cut the Scrap Trawler (though the 3rd creature is important, see below), and definitely cut the Ugin's Nexus: they both have some cute combo-like synergy with the 'togs, and it will be fun to pull it off, but I suspect this deck needs to be more cutthroat with your mana.

I'm confident that Scrap Trawler is worth including. It can generate massive card advantage, especially when Urza's Bauble is available, and as you said this deck needs bodies.

I don't want to cut Ugin's Nexus. I want to make the bulk mythic work. But you're probably right.

Ichor Wellspring I'm not so sure about. Could go either way on it, honestly.

Also, I'm worried about removal. I play a pauper deck that also relies on combo-ing off a creature and it's functional reprint (Nivix-kiln fiend.) It's a super fun deck, (and I bet this will be too) but let me tell you, 8 creatures is not enough. I back it up with Delver, and have at a minimum 4 protection spells in the deck at all times, and I still lose a decent amount by having no creatures on the board. Thus, I highly recommend finding some (cheap) artifacts that protect your Atogs somehow. I'll leave you to decide exactly which ones, and how to slot them in, but you'll have games where you need to find a way to keep that last Atog on the board, and popping a Glaring Spotlight is probably the way you'll do that.

I'm suspicious of Glaring Spotlight. This deck doesn't really want to leave mana open. Swiftfoot Boots and Lightning Greaves seem better, but a little hard on the budget.

The deck can draw a fair number of cards. Maybe I can use that to replace lost Atogs. Forgotten Cave might help with that, since unlike a lot of draw-heavy decks this one doesn't want a huge pile of lands.

I could also try adding more threats, I guess. The closest Atog equivalents, Ferrovore, Megatog, and Krark-Clan Grunt, seem kinda bad. (Ignoring Arcbound Ravager for budget reasons, obviously.) But going a bit further out...Pia and Kiran Nalaar is great against spot removal, two edible artifacts, and an artifact sac-outlet. Might be a good include.

Thoughts?

Good Luck, and let us know how it works out!

Will do. Thanks.

49

Deck Reviews / Re: [Casual] Bouncing Enchantments

« on: April 05, 2017, 06:38:11 pm »

Here I am, worrying about the aggro matchup, when WotC goes and prints Trial of Ambition. I need a set of those.

The question is, what should I take out? And should I add some Cartouches?

Trial of Knowledge seems worse than Colfenor's Plans, so I don't think I'll be adding that.

50

Deck Reviews / Re: UG Trophy Pummeler - Comments

« on: April 05, 2017, 08:07:33 am »

Revision 2

Added/removed cards:
-1 Crawlspace

Changed amounts:
+1 Blossoming Defense

51

Deck Reviews / Re: [Casual] UG Trophy Pummeler

« on: April 05, 2017, 08:05:57 am »

Traverse is pretty tempting. Could potentially be awesome. Would take a bit of reworking and cost a bit of money, but it might be worth it...I'll think about it.

Problem with Silent Arbiter is that it's not a Trophy Mage target. The idea behind Crawlspace is that I can tutor it up when I face a swarm.

Then again, this deck should be pretty solid against swarms anyway. Unless we're talking infinite swarms, but I don't expect to face many of those.

Now that you've got me thinking about it, Crawlspace seems like a weak link. Maybe a third Blossoming Defense would be better. Or maybe it could go to make room for a Traverse.

Well, it's one of the more expensive cards in the deck so I think I'll just not get it. Another Blossoming Defense can fill its slot for now.

52

Deck Reviews / Re: [Casual] Ultra-Budget Atogs

« on: April 05, 2017, 07:52:27 am »

My experience with the deck so far is non-existent; I've put it up here to get opinions before I go out and buy anything. Same goes for the bouncing enchantment and pummeler decks, although not for the brain deck. That one I actually built, right in time for WotC to pull the rug out from under me.

And yeah, the deck can win on turn 4. But it's way underpowered for Legacy, and in Modern you'd have to replace Urza's Bauble with Mishra's Bauble. And if you're gonna pay almost $200 for a playset of Mishra's Bauble, you can do better than Atog beatdown.

Fling definitely has potential. Seems like it'd occupy the Shrapnel Blast or Temur Battle Rage spot. Maybe I should cut the Blast, I'd really rather feed my atogs...then again, I don't have any other answer to large-ish creatures.

Chromatic Star is indeed too pricey. Three bucks apiece is more than I care to spend on a goofy deck like this one.

I like the looks of Myr Retriever. It loops with Scrap Trawler, too.

The question is, what to cut?

Anyway, I'm glad you like the deck. And thanks for the critique.

53

General Magic / Re: [Casual] Swiss army knife of Sideboards?

« on: April 05, 2017, 07:41:11 am »

In a deck without big creatures, Meekstone can be brutal.

Elixir of Immortality is pretty great against mill. Solid against burn, too.

Black Vise can be incredibly brutal against control decks that want to keep a full hand.

54

Deck Reviews / [Casual] Ultra-Budget Atogs

« on: April 05, 2017, 07:01:24 am »

Ultra-Budget Atogs

A mono-red deck designed to exploit Atog and Ravenous Intruder to their fullest.

Most of the artifacts are there as food for the two-mana 1/2s. Scrap Trawler and Pia's Revolution are there to let them eat the same artifact again and again, unless your opponent is willing to take terrible amounts of damage. Ugin's Nexus is there for extra turns, and Temur Battle Rage is there to enable the occasional turn four kill.

Note that Ugin's Nexus doesn't interact very well with Pia's Revolution or Scrap Trawler. Also note that Urza's Bauble interacts extremely well with both.

This deck pushes my personal definition of ultra-budget a little. Cut the Great Furnaces if you want to lower the price.

Feedback would be appreciated.

55

Deck Reviews / [Casual] UG Trophy Pummeler

« on: April 04, 2017, 08:25:30 am »

UG Trophy Pummeler

A midrange-combo deck built around efficient energy creatures, Electrostatic Pummeler, and Trophy Mage.

Some games you just play random dudes like Longtusk Cub, and Rogue Refiner, then attack until you win. Other games you play Electrostatic Pummeler and use either equipment or pump spells or both to kill in one hit. Other games you lean on the tutoring power of Trophy Mage, which is pretty significant in this deck - beyond the four Pummelers, this deck has six singleton CMC3 artifacts that are good in a wide variety of matchups and situations.

This list is pretty untuned. There are some choices I'm unsure of, and I'm a bit concerned by the spike at 3 in the mana curve. Feedback is definitely welcome.

56

Deck Reviews / [Casual] WUBRG Fusion Brain

« on: April 04, 2017, 08:16:30 am »

WUBRG Fusion Brain

A five-colour combo-control deck that exploits the split card-Brain in a Jar interaction.

Unfortunately, WotC is changing the rules and erasing this deck. Obnoxious of them, but this isn't the place to complain.

Was planning to add Yahenni's Expertise, but I guess I'll have to shelve this one.

57

Deck Reviews / Re: [Casual] world war z

« on: April 03, 2017, 11:57:04 pm »

I don't much like Altar of Dementia in this deck. You're not aiming to mill, so there are better sac outlets. I don't like Elixir of Immortality either; you don't want to shuffle away your Gravecrawlers or your Liliana targets.

Also, your mana curve seems a bit high. I think some cheaper Zombies would be worth playing in place of some of your expensive stuff. Options include Carrion Feeder, Cryptbreaker, Relentless Dead, Nantuko Husk, and Geralf's Messenger.

As for replacing the Zombie Masters, maybe fill out your set of Death Baron or Undead Warchief.

58

Deck Reviews / [Casual] Bouncing Enchantments

« on: April 02, 2017, 04:06:46 am »

Bouncing Enchantments

Play enchantments with enter-the-battlefield effects. Return them to your hand. Play them again.

Sarcomancy + Riptide Chimera turns drawbacks into advantages, giving your creatures that are actually better than a 2/2 for 1 and a 3/4 flier for 3.

Reality Acid + Aether Tradewinds lets you destroy one land and bounce another, setting your opponent back pretty brutally.

Demonic Pact + Vedalken Mastermind lets you cycle through the good options endlessly, without ever losing the game.

And so on. The synergies are too numerous to describe here, but they all work on the basic plan of play enchantment, bounce enchantment.

The deck's still very untuned and I'm concerned about the fast aggro matchup, but I'm reasonably happy with the way it works.

Feedback would be appreciated.

59

Deck Reviews / Re: [Standard] standard panharmonicon saheeli rei

« on: April 01, 2017, 03:20:20 am »

Looks like you're pretty close to four-colour copycat already.

Why not go a step closer, and play Servant of the Conduit and Whirler Virtuoso? They synergize pretty well with Panharmonicon.

Cloudblazer and Ishkanah are worth a look too.

As for what to cut...the whole "spell deck" package looks expendable to me. This isn't really a Baral/Rise From The Tides kind of deck.

60

Deck Reviews / Re: the best colour in mtg (standard)

« on: April 01, 2017, 01:07:35 am »

I think this belongs on the General Magic Forum.