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Magic the Gathering: Arena |OT| Tapped Out of Witty Titles
- Thread starter Nirolak
- Start date
Fuck, probably would have won that game and not ended up with a damn 0-3 record on that sealed. Had an awful pull to work with though anyway, so wasn't getting far regardless. Didn't stop it from sucking, though.
people say 'do bo3, keep a sideboard' but like, not every color will have counters for stuff like that, and the only real counter against nexus of fate is saving your counter spells(if you're blue and they don't have a counter spell ready) or unmoored ego
I can totally see what you mean. Its very likely I'll never play paper Magic. Ironically I tried playing the white/blue planeswalker deck that is all about tapping the opponents creature and it was super tedious in Arena! Maybe it's because I'm still new and have to think about when can tap (during resolves etc).
If you don't like counterspells and destruction, Magic is DEFINITELY not the game to play.
Please don't compare games to cancer. I have lost multiple family members die to cancer and I guarantee you it is worse than an annoying virtual card game.
I think newer players and especially those coming from other card games can get a little frustrated with how control decks in magic can lock you out completely. And it's always those players who complain about it, anyone who's been around a little longer knows creatures have been outpacing answers for a long time.
Personally, the level of interaction in mtg is the biggest reason I enjoy the game, I really dislike uninteractive "I win" decks that litter other ccgs. And yes I know about modern and no it's not a good comparison.
Personally, the level of interaction in mtg is the biggest reason I enjoy the game, I really dislike uninteractive "I win" decks that litter other ccgs. And yes I know about modern and no it's not a good comparison.
I think one thing that takes getting used to (compared to many other games) is the fact that the defender gets to choose who blocks, vs the attacker getting to choose who to attack (ie Hearthstone). This leaves room for utility creatures who can stay alive despite their fragility. It also means large creatures can gum up the ground especially in limited, while in other cases they can attack right past it.
With 3 colors being easier this set, you either splash blue for counter spells/Nezahal or splash red for banefire. I havent seen a single nexus deck this season but I've also barely played ranked and I'm just in platinum. But general control are much easier to deal with if you're running one of those 2 colors. Oh, and Carnage Tyrant, always Carnage Tyrant...
Pretty sure I'm going to do the same thing. Pretty much the only thing I enjoy playing right now that's viable in the meta is Esper Control, so I'm just going to be banking stuff until War of the Spark.
I guess from me and my experience with other card games... my problem isn't that control exists, it's this specific brand of HARD control. Like, when I think of control (admittedly from old Yugioh, mostly. Which I can fully acknowledge was a pretty busted game), I think more of something akin to Golgari Midrange that we just had. Like, it will deal with a LOT of your board, constantly, but they actually have to use their answers wisely rather than just preventing ANYTHING from happening. And I mean, the fact that it seems like nobody is having any fun when a control deck is being played kinda seems like an issue, too... But I get that too much aggro running amok can be a problem, too. I just don't think "I refuse to let you ever play a card" control is a very enjoyable solution.
Also, I don't know if it's even any good compared to the other options out there anyway, but today I saw the Wilderness Reclamation + Nexus of Fate combo creeping into Gates decks, and it's like... just makes me kinda sad to see the fun combo deck I just picked up get infected with that. :(
Personally I love the gate nexus/wr deck, and I find it way more appealing than the creature based variant. The deck has so many different layers and avenues of play, and cards like WR, Guild Summit and Expansion/Explosion just feel great to cast. It's everything I love about magic, and if you had told me two years ago that we'd ever see a deck like it in Standard again I'd have called you a crazy person.
IMO if you're tapping for mana, the timer should pause. It's takes way too long to Explosion for the full amount (you can see I still have 20 floating) if you have multiple WR out.
That might be a new high score for me. In a 40-card sealed deck with 18 lands, my starting hand was 5 lands, and my first 4 draws were also lands.
11/17 before losing.
11/17 before losing.
How do you do, fellow kids?
I have some questions that I will post at the bottom so you can tl/dr if you want.
I started playing paper 17 years ago, had a hiatus of about 9 years and came back by 2012, a little standard, modern and eventually shifted full time to Commander with an obscene amount of decks by now.
I started playing Arena about a week ago, I plan not to spend any money on it.
I could not start during the launch due to a crappy PC that could not run the game, having solved that I gave it a go,
So far thanks to the playallegiance code, a prerelease code from a commander friend that does not play arena and that led to a decent draft (2 Guardians and a Hydroid + 3 wins) it was clear I could play Some adapt.
my current main deck
Should I start thinking playing ranked, to get a shot at leveling up for the rewards, or should I continue grinding on the quick 1 match games, where i am doing well and completing the daily missions in about 2-3 hours?
Should I open Ixalan packs in hopes to get cards for Sultai, I have no pieces for the explore strategy other than the couple of jadelight?
I have some questions that I will post at the bottom so you can tl/dr if you want.
I started playing paper 17 years ago, had a hiatus of about 9 years and came back by 2012, a little standard, modern and eventually shifted full time to Commander with an obscene amount of decks by now.
I started playing Arena about a week ago, I plan not to spend any money on it.
I could not start during the launch due to a crappy PC that could not run the game, having solved that I gave it a go,
So far thanks to the playallegiance code, a prerelease code from a commander friend that does not play arena and that led to a decent draft (2 Guardians and a Hydroid + 3 wins) it was clear I could play Some adapt.
my current main deck
Code:
2 Hinterland Harbor (DAR) 240
7 Island (RIX) 193
13 Forest (RIX) 196
2 Wilderness Reclamation (RNA) 149
2 Guardian Project (RNA) 130
3 Titanic Brawl (RNA) 146
3 Incubation // Incongruity (RNA) 226
2 Hydroid Krasis (RNA) 183
2 Scuttlegator (RNA) 218
2 Sharktocrab (RNA) 206
4 Llanowar Elves (DAR) 168
4 Growth-Chamber Guardian (RNA) 128
1 Ghalta, Primal Hunger (RIX) 130
1 Aggressive Mammoth (M19) 302
2 Biomancer's Familiar (RNA) 158
3 Frilled Mystic (RNA) 174
2 Jadelight Ranger (RIX) 136
2 Incubation Druid (RNA) 131
2 Ranging Raptors (XLN) 201
1 Hungering Hydra (M19) 189
------------------------------------------------------------
2 Rabid Bite (M19) 195
2 Plummet (RIX) 143
1 Prodigious Growth (M19) 194
1 Growth Spiral (RNA) 178
1 Applied Biomancy (RNA) 153
1 Herald of Secret Streams (XLN) 59
1 Incubation // Incongruity (RNA) 226
3 Wrecking Beast (RNA) 150
1 Scuttlegator (RNA) 218
1 Gaea's Blessing (DAR) 161
1 Verdant Rebirth (XLN) 212Should I start thinking playing ranked, to get a shot at leveling up for the rewards, or should I continue grinding on the quick 1 match games, where i am doing well and completing the daily missions in about 2-3 hours?
Should I open Ixalan packs in hopes to get cards for Sultai, I have no pieces for the explore strategy other than the couple of jadelight?
I guess there's no reason to not play Ranked over QM, right? Unless I'm missing something, if you're just playing for daily rewards you may as well try and get some ranked rewards while you're at it.
EDIT: As for the pack thing, it's complex. Basically, you need to figure out which set has the highest concentration of cards you're interested in, and open those.
EDIT: As for the pack thing, it's complex. Basically, you need to figure out which set has the highest concentration of cards you're interested in, and open those.
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Yup there is no reason not to play ranked over QM unless losing some rank occasionally will upset you or something like that. You earn extra seasonal rewards for any rank you end up at I believe.
Ranked is worthless as far as building a collection goes. People looking to get cards do the paid events and or draft.
I see, I am mostly afraid to get curbs-tombed in ranked if its a cutthroat / netdeck fest, that might hinder me reaching the daily win goals.
I guess Ill kep focusing on Allegiance boosters, a shockland would not hurt me, nor extra copies of the familiar and at least one of those 1 mana adapters
I have to imagine it's self correcting, and eventually you'll fall out of the tiers where people are using optimized decks.
Will give a try to Ranked tonight.
Regarding that code, I think that expired when the PlayAllegiance started.
That code definitely still worked even after Allegiance was released, they might have canceled it by now though.
Will give it a go later today, I just read it should still be valid.
I've been having great success with the more Dimir variant of Sultai Midrange in ranked....but I just find it really boring to play. I need more jank in my life. I need like 5 mythic wildcards to make this Mardu midrange deck tho....the jack calls to me....
Do you have a decklist?
I totally get you on the boring, i must be close to a 100 games with the simic adapt. But hey it works fine! But i am starting to wish for more variety, thats how I end with lots of decks in paper and dozens of repeated staples, good thing here and in MTGO one only need a set tops.
Got a couple of mytics wildcards left don't know if spend one on a third krasis or in something else like history of benalia, or pray that I open a planeswalker.
any thoughts on this deck? seems cheap enough for me to make, though i'll burn all my rares:
https://www.mtggoldfish.com/archetype/standard-izzet-drakes-63500#arena
https://www.mtggoldfish.com/archetype/standard-izzet-drakes-63500#arena
Sultai is pretty entertaining because there's so many variations you can make. Sure, you'll probably have the Explore package + Krasis, but you have a ton of choices after that. I'm on Vivien, Cast Downs and Contempts right now, but Karn or the Vraskas could be options as well. And more Assassin's Trophies? I've got one Hostage Taker right now as well, but definitely thinking about adding another. And seeing people with an Incubation Druid as well.
Though boy if you run into another grindy deck and you both end up in the "well we're both recurring all the nonsense" portion of the game it is going to take a while.
Though boy if you run into another grindy deck and you both end up in the "well we're both recurring all the nonsense" portion of the game it is going to take a while.
I personally like the less combo-ey versions that don't have the all the cantrips (Crash Through/Warlord's Fury) and Maximize Velocity/Thud and instead have Discovery, Beacon Bolt and a few more lands (like this list ), but you can go between the two variants with mostly commons/uncommons, so it's definitely a decent list to put together. I could definitely see the combo version being better in BO1 if that's what you're planning to play.
Since most of the rares are the lands, that's generally a safe investment.
I ve been seeing that one a lot but has not convinced me at all, I might have lose to it once maybe? The issue i see is that to power the drakes you start burning spells on minor threats and might run out of gas to fight the real threats later or defend the drakes.
On the other hand the only rares in maindeck are the lands and is never bad to have them, you will use them constantly and will remain and return to standard and other formats frequently.
This is a good point for those new to Magic. For those that don't know, WotC re-prints cards with the same name in new sets (a decent number of of the Core sets are re-prints). In paper Magic, if the unique card name is legal in Standard set, you can use that card, even if you own its old version. For example, the Cycle of "shock lands" seems to come around every 3-4 years.
Speaking of Drakes, CFB actually posted a really good primer for the deck today:
https://www.channelfireball.com/videos/izzet-drakes-deck-and-sideboard-guide-standard/
I have a bit of experience with it, and if the siren call of Gate Nexus hadn't lured me away I'd probably still be playing it. It's a terrific, high skill deck that has game into basically everything. My favorite play with it is kind of basic, but I coiled my own guy, held priority, and cast Dive Down on it to get the last two points of power I needed for lethal.
https://www.channelfireball.com/videos/izzet-drakes-deck-and-sideboard-guide-standard/
I have a bit of experience with it, and if the siren call of Gate Nexus hadn't lured me away I'd probably still be playing it. It's a terrific, high skill deck that has game into basically everything. My favorite play with it is kind of basic, but I coiled my own guy, held priority, and cast Dive Down on it to get the last two points of power I needed for lethal.
Since you mention playing Gate Nexus + Wilderness Reclamation, do you play it with a victory condition, or with the Arena mechanic exploit so you can just do infinite turns with no effect until your opponent surrenders because you avoid the timeout?
I'm running basically this: https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1623517#arena
Victory conditions ordered by often they happen:
1. Float mana for Explosion using WR and dome the opponent for a huge chunk.
2. Krasis beat down during Nexus turns.
3. Opponent conceding while my first Nexus is on the stack.
I've never had the opportunity to go for the loop. The closest I've come is attacking a UW control player with a 1/1 Krasis (the biggest I could make it without milling myself at the time) over and over while my Library was down to 3 NoF that I kept drawing and casting.
Even if it was my only out, I don't think I'd go for the loop because:
1. There's no guarantee my opponent will ever concede and I'm more likely to get bored than they are.
2. I've spent enough real money on this game that I'd feel like a moron if I got banned for doing it.
3. Life's too short to spend an hour on a ranked pip. It's better value to drop the game and just queue again.
3 Jade Bearer (RIX) 134
2 Forest (M19) 277
4 Hinterland Harbor (DAR) 240
4 Kumena's Speaker (XLN) 196
2 River Sneak (XLN) 70
6 Island (M19) 265
4 Merfolk Mistbinder (RIX) 164
3 Silvergill Adept (RIX) 53
2 Watertrap Weaver (XLN) 87
2 Tempest Caller (XLN) 86
3 River Heralds' Boon (XLN) 204
1 Deeproot Elite (RIX) 127
1 Seafloor Oracle (RIX) 51
4 Unclaimed Territory (XLN) 258
1 Jadelight Ranger (RIX) 136
1 Herald of Secret Streams (XLN) 59
1 Search for Azcanta (XLN) 74
4 Zegana, Utopian Speaker (RNA) 214
3 Essence Capture (RNA) 37
2 Curious Obsession (RIX) 35
1 Memorial to Unity (DAR) 245
4 Breeding Pool (RNA) 246
1 Skatewing Spy (RNA) 52
1 Deeproot Waters (XLN) 51
input or anything? just jungle secrets with some of the newer cards i've pulled. 10-6 in ranked, i just enjoy the playstyle more than blue merfolk (which is obviously a superior build). i don't even know where i'd begin to build a sideboard for it, what would be good cards to side?
2 Forest (M19) 277
4 Hinterland Harbor (DAR) 240
4 Kumena's Speaker (XLN) 196
2 River Sneak (XLN) 70
6 Island (M19) 265
4 Merfolk Mistbinder (RIX) 164
3 Silvergill Adept (RIX) 53
2 Watertrap Weaver (XLN) 87
2 Tempest Caller (XLN) 86
3 River Heralds' Boon (XLN) 204
1 Deeproot Elite (RIX) 127
1 Seafloor Oracle (RIX) 51
4 Unclaimed Territory (XLN) 258
1 Jadelight Ranger (RIX) 136
1 Herald of Secret Streams (XLN) 59
1 Search for Azcanta (XLN) 74
4 Zegana, Utopian Speaker (RNA) 214
3 Essence Capture (RNA) 37
2 Curious Obsession (RIX) 35
1 Memorial to Unity (DAR) 245
4 Breeding Pool (RNA) 246
1 Skatewing Spy (RNA) 52
1 Deeproot Waters (XLN) 51
input or anything? just jungle secrets with some of the newer cards i've pulled. 10-6 in ranked, i just enjoy the playstyle more than blue merfolk (which is obviously a superior build). i don't even know where i'd begin to build a sideboard for it, what would be good cards to side?
Sorry, maybe this is a bitchy request, but could you post the deck how it looks in the arena deck builder? Or organized by type with spaces between? I find it really hard to parse decklists like that when they're just a big block of text.
I will say that if I was going to play any sort of fish build, I'd probably run the full 4 silver gills. Personally, I also think that if you're going to run that many explore guys (you should also probably run 4 of both the exploring merfolk), there's no reason to not run Wildgrowth Walker. It's not a Merfolk, but it's so easy to cast that it doesn't really matter, and the life gain and huge ass can win you some Bo1s just by resolving one or two explores.
I will say that if I was going to play any sort of fish build, I'd probably run the full 4 silver gills. Personally, I also think that if you're going to run that many explore guys (you should also probably run 4 of both the exploring merfolk), there's no reason to not run Wildgrowth Walker. It's not a Merfolk, but it's so easy to cast that it doesn't really matter, and the life gain and huge ass can win you some Bo1s just by resolving one or two explores.
Wildgrowth Walker is a great counter to burn/aggro since you're running explore cards. It's uncommon too so should be easy enough to get and slot in.
Is this the healthiest standard has ever been? Here's list of decks off the top of my head that are all competitively viable:
Mono Red
RW Aggro
Drakes
Azorius Aggro
Mono Blue
BG Explore
Sultai climb
UW Control
Esper Control
Bant Nexus
Caveman Gates
Genius Gates
There's probably others I forgot, and there's also a bunch of fringe decks (Gruul Stompy, Jund Whirler, RB Aggro) that are very good but just unexplored.
It's interesting that the metagame seems really good, but the last time a card had as much vitriol directed at it as Nexus does, it was AWM and that was one of the worst standards of all time.
Mono Red
RW Aggro
Drakes
Azorius Aggro
Mono Blue
BG Explore
Sultai climb
UW Control
Esper Control
Bant Nexus
Caveman Gates
Genius Gates
There's probably others I forgot, and there's also a bunch of fringe decks (Gruul Stompy, Jund Whirler, RB Aggro) that are very good but just unexplored.
It's interesting that the metagame seems really good, but the last time a card had as much vitriol directed at it as Nexus does, it was AWM and that was one of the worst standards of all time.
sideboard is a mass manipulation and essence scatter that you cant see. I gotta sieboard hard for certain aggro decks but it does pretty well. I should prob main deck a few cast downs but meh...
That Pelakka Wurm has saved me so many times...one of my favorite magic cards, It use to be uncommon!