POST 100! - Jim breaks magic!

By Jim Marlow

Hey everyone,

Before i get started, being the 100th post and all, i thought i would just say a few things. Firstly, i want to say how pleased i am that the blog has managed to survive to 100 posts, which is no doubt because of the full support i have had from Ben Heath, Mick Edwards and Rob Wagner, who have done loads to keep this thing ticking over when i havent been able to. Also, 100 posts on im still glad that people are reading it too, obviously there wouldnt be much point doing this without your supportive, and constructive, comments. I have no plans to stop doing the blog as long as both these things exist so hopefully i will be saying similar words in a few months time in the 200th post, fingers crossed.

So for those non-Leeds readers, and for people who havent finished making a deck for the upcoming unsanctioned multiplayer planechase event happening at TJ's club in Leeds this wednesday, then i am about to offer you an absolute peach.

Obviously, this event is pretty casual, and most of you will be preparing some mixed bag of hilarious combo's, ridiculous 8 mana enchantments, and various other piles dragged straight from the kitchen table of a 10 year old near you......not me im afraid.

I decided i would take this seriously, put in the hours, evaluate the metagame, and create an unbeatable deck.

It was meant to be a secret, but i wanted to nab the 100th post (i'd told wagz he could do it but he hasnt posted in a while), so i thought i would get it on the internet before it gets sprawled across StarCity and Channel Fireball....just remember folks, you saw it here first.

.....Oh, and have a sickbag ready.

Mono W Enchantress

4 x mesa enchantress
1 x reveillark

4 x martial coup
3 x idylic tutor

3 x sigil of the empty throne
4 x oblivion ring
4 x curse of chains
4 x pacafism
4 x runed halo
1 x armoured ascension
1 x rise of the hobgoblins
1 x endless horizons
1 x greater auramancy

23 x plains
2 x gargoyle castle


Yep.


Im looking forward to wednesday, almost as much as im looking forward to the zendikar release, i may buy a box of Zendikar as well...goddam priceless treasures making me buy boosters, as if the fetchlands were'nt tempting enough.

Untill then,


Jim


As always, feel free to comment on this article, or anything related or unrelated to magic whatsoever. If you would like to contribute to the TLM blog, please email any pictures, ideas or articles to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk

Zendikar Prerelease - Leeds 26th September

By Jim Marlow

Hey everyone,

In my last article i discussed how wizards often make sets that contain plenty of money rares but are not so great in limited play. Well zendikar is certainly not one of these. Sure, the enemy fetchlands are serious money cards, and will be staple in any and all formats which they will be legal in forever, but Zendikar limited, or what i have seen so far, looks insane!

My sealed pool was pretty average. I had decent removal in the form of 2 x burst lightning, 2 x arrow volley trap, a journey to nowhere and 2 x goblin torchrunner. However, my creatures were all a bit pants, most of them 3 mana 2/2's, i think i may have had 3 guys which had more than 2 power.

Sadly (well not really i suppose), i manage to organise a draft afterwards with prize boosters we all got, so i managed to mix my deck and pool into my draft wares so i cant give an exact list of my pool and deck.

I was pretty happy with my deck, most creatures were 2 toughness so i could easily deal with most guys, but i knew i would have a problem against any of the green landfall fatties.

I ended up 2/3 before i dropped to try and do some trading (trust me, im not protecting any kind of rating), which was awesome, except i didnt have any fetchlands and everyone else did.

My 3 losses were kind of annoying, 1 match i totally punted game 1, making a ridiculous error where i thought i was burning my opponant out only to realise i had a teetering peeks, and not a mountain, and then game 2 my opponant topdecked a removal spell when i had fought back from near defeat, but with him threatening a 7/1 hastey elemental trampler. I had decided to keep back a goblin torchrunner to remove any creatures he found....sadly he found gatekeeper of malakair.

Another game i lost to a better deck, piloted by Rob Catton, no slouch at magic, and certainly someone who i seem to not be able to beat right now. I seem to have random bogey opponants (mostly people who are better than me!), and he seems to be one, beating me with his 5/5 shroud flyer sphinx, which got the job done despite my arrow volley trap and journey to nowhere in hand. To be fair, in the funzies game we played his landfall guy got in for 16 in one turn, so i wasnt annoyed at losing this one.

My other loss was single handedly caused by the 8/8 trample green guy. Both games my opponant found it, immediately halting my attack, and although he was cautious attacking with it because i had some threats down, i could even find removal to create a 2/3 for 1....so it soon killed me.


Anyway, the draft afterwards was awesome, it looks like a really cool set to draft, i already have some limited favourites from what i have played with....although due to my pool this is mostly the bad cards in the set.


Anyway, here are some cards i really like in the set so far.

1) Journey to nowhere - obv, really nice

2) Kor shyfisher - one of my favourite creatures in the set so far, its good at any point in the game....so like tarmogoyf yeah?

3) Torch slinger - really good guy who can also be a removal spell, i like.

4) Steppe Lynx - sick beater, it seems like its a slower set than some, so this guy can easily get in for 6-8 without fetches/harrow

5) Harrow - probably the best mana fixing and combat trick in the set, i wouldnt count on seeing these in draft later than pick 2, they really are that good.

6) windrider eel - solid guy, as are most with landfall. I also like the green guy who gains 2 life. Its less amazing than the gets +10/+10 or whatever, but the life gained from 1 or 2 of these and lands is really important in the race.

7) Expeditions - The two green ones (one gets lands, other gives counters), the red one who makes a 7/1, and the blue one who draws cards are all really solid.

In the draft i managed to make turn 2 khalni heart expedition, turn 3 land then end of turn harrow and break the expidition.....turn 4 - untap with 6 lands in play! (who says you need a lotus cobra for turn 4 ultimatums!)

8) Vampire Hexmage - 2 power and first strike means he can rumble with about 75% of the creatures in the set.

9) Marsh casualties - sick

10) traps - i had two arrow volley trap, and it was activated approximately zero times. However, fire at will was awesome, so 5 damage for 5 is pretty hot two, and if you ever pay the alternate, you are really shitting one someone.


Anyway, im not trying to say these are the best 10 cards in limited, just some great cards to watch in the common and uncommon slot, because early on in the format you can get some late picks when people havent realised how good cards are....(for reference, i am the worst player ever at evaluating new sets, so i will probably be badmouthing every one of the aforementioned cards in weeks to come)


As for my current favourite card in the set.... it has to be Kor Skyfisher. I really love this guy.


Anyway, its unsanctioned planechase multiplayer this wednesday as a bit of funzies before the release, and my deck is HOT!. Watch out tomorrow, as i may post it.

Untill then,


Jim


As always, feel free to comment on this article, or anything related or unrelated to magic whatsoever. If you would like to contribute to the TLM blog, please email any pictures, ideas or articles to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk

Leeds WNM - saying goodbye to Lorwyn

By Jim Marlow

Hey everyone,

This week's T2 standard constructed event marked the last time to play lorwyn block before zendikar rotates in. The lack of recent articles, and the content of the few produced, have surely made my feelings clear on the current state of standard.

All in all, it was a good season. There were plenty of winning, and potentially winning decks made, made better, and unmade in the last 18 months. However, like anything, after 18 months the format was fairly exhausted, the metagame unpredictable (at high level, let alone fnm).

So this left me with quite the dilemma over what to play, with days untill wnm i was speaking to wagz about how i had no deck, whereas Rob is decktesting his decks for unsanctioned multiplayer planechase over a week away (dedicated?)

I had a choice between many decks, because i have been lucky enough to bag sets of most key cards in the format up till now, only really excluding m10. But, looking around i didnt see a deck i either liked, or hadnt played to death for the last year.

In the end i played this.

4 x noble heirarch
4 x treefolk harbinger
4 x putrid leech
3 x gaddock teeg
4 x doran the siege tower
4 x kitchen finks
4 x wilt leaf liege
2 x chameleon colossus

4 x maelstrom pulse
4 x path to exile
1 x behemoth sledge

4 x murmuring bosk
4 x gilt leaf palace
3 x twilight mire
2 x wooded bastion
2 x sunpetal grove
2 x reflecting pool
3 x forest
1 x plains
1 x swamp

S/B

2 x primal command
1 x behemoth sledge
3 x garruk wildspeaker
4 x great sable stag
2 x cloudthresher
3 x infest

Im not going to do a massively in depth report, but i ended up 2/2 on wednesday, which is respectable, but not quite what i was hoping for. My two wins were to a doran splash red for bloodbraid deck, and faeries. MY losses, were of course, to warp world and a goat deck. I did manage to bag 4th place for my troubles, and overall it was a really nice end to a really nice format.

The zendikar prerelease looms, im sure i am not the only one who is massively excited by this set. If nothing else, a fetch land almost pays for the entire prerelease, and there seem to be some interesting cards in the set.

Having talked about it recently however, it seems Wizards has a habit of making sets with a larger number of money and ridiculous rares in, but its a horrible limited environment (especially sealed),

Or

a set with very few money rares, but it makes for an awesome drafting and sealed environment.

Fetch lands of course worried me because i hoped this wasnt a money rare set, but looking at zendikar it looks like loads of fun, and that with landfall it looks like the set has been really well worked to integrate the money rares into the whole theme of the limited environment.

Anyway, ill have a report from the prerelease up early next week,


Untill then,


Jim


As always, feel free to comment on this article, or anything related or unrelated to magic whatsoever. If you would like to contribute to the TLM blog, please email any pictures, ideas or articles to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk

September Update - Back in Leeds

By Jim Marlow

Hey everyone,


Once again, if you havent read my post on the Team Leeds facebook page then i must apologise for the lack of activity on the site. Sadly, when i am back home, especially now without a car, i can play far less magic than i would like. However, even when i am back my computer was not working properly so i couldnt access the internet.

Luckily though i am now both back in Leeds, and back on the internet...so whats been happening then.

....nothing really.

Sadly its been quite a quiet few weeks for me and most others. The play the game, see the world tournament has been the only thing of interest to me in the last couple of weeks and i couldnt get back to leeds in time to attend (faeries won, woo!).

Other than that this is a fairly quiet time in the season. Even the GP season has seen only prague in the last weeks i believe.

However, i think having a quiet time for magic is the perfect time to build tension for the oncoming horizon of Zendikar, which i think has already proved itself to be a financially sound set, if nothing else.

I think Zendikar, more than any set i have been around for the release of, has created a great deal of arguing from both pros and amateurs alike. It seems no-one can really get their head round whether Zendikar is a completely busted set, or whether it just includes some ridiculous money cards which will affect the format, and loads of other underwhelming stuff.

Also, i really like the fact that the sealed and draft environment will be different. In the last couple of weeks i have convinced myself that m10 drafting isnt too bad, but i have come to the conclusion that this is in comparison to m10 sealed, and that really it is pretty shit.

For everyone saying its better than other core sets, i really dont care, its still pretty poo.

So although the last few weeks have been quiet, the next few weeks are sure to be full of some crazy happenings.

With the Zen pre-release and release party's to go to the pro tour qualifier season for San Diego will be open, and sealed, which is going to be sick.

Also, we are now coming up to GP Paris, and not long after, Worlds (which i am desperate to attend, but pretty sure i cant due to money). Im sure there will be players from Leeds going in my stead and if mick goes he will obv win.


This Wednesday is Standard at TJ's. I am really not sure what to play yet as i cant bring myself to play most decks in standard right now. I think if i had the cards i would probably play time sieve for laughs.

Look out for the report, if i play or not, on wednesday night.


Untill then,


Jim


As always, feel free to comment on this article, or anything related or unrelated to magic whatsoever. If you would like to contribute to the TLM blog, please email any pictures, ideas or articles to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk

Forthcoming PtG,StW Qualifier (Extended)

By Wagz

This Saturday Fanboy3 in Manchester will host a Play the Game, See the World Qualifier. This is a qualifying tournament for a particular side-event at Worlds. The player(s) who qualifies get to go to Worlds and attempt to grind in through this side event, if I'm correct. The format for the qualifier is Extended, which should be very interesting for 2 reasons:

1) Extended has been out of season since March, and

2) This format is relevant for one tournament since Zendikar is a-coming.

With this in mind, I'm not sure how much it will pay to try to read the metagame so I think a good deck for the tournament will be something that doesn't care what your opponent is playing. Here's what I'm currently toying with:

4 Spark Elemental

4 Mogg Fanatic

4 Keldon Marauders

4 Ball Lightning

4 Rift Bolt

4 Lava Spike

4 Lightning Bolt

4 Shrapnel Blast

4 Incinerate

4 Flames of the Blood Hand

3 Blinkmoth Nexus

3 Darksteel Citadel

4 Great Furnace

10 Mountain

With a currently undecided Sideboard. Ball Lightning and Lightning Bolt may well have rejuvenated this deck to the point of playability. Also, not having to worry about what my opponent is doing is certainly an advantage!! Anyway, wish me luck.

------------------------------------------------------

Extra: Screenshot from the final of a ME3 draft sent in by Ben Scoones. Won that game apparently.

First thoughts on Zendikar

By Jim Marlow

Hey everyone,

I hope everyone in ok in Leeds, no doubt planning how best to defeat Rob Catton's merfolk deck. Seriously this week im hoping for 60%+ RDW....

Anyway, mtgsalvation has now got 51 cards spoiled, and even though a fair few of those are land, there are still enough cards worth commenting about, which certainly says something about the set. It seems that wizards of the coast are doing exactly what was expected, and making sure that Zendikar will be able to fit it's tiny little toes into the big empty shoes of Lorwyn block.

First of all, surely the reprint of Cancel is a joke right?? If cancel is seriously in Zendikar then my only thoughts are that Wotc are actually taking the piss, and this will only become funny if they reprint it in the next 2 or 3 sets, at which point it will still only be mildy funny.

Anyway, here's a few cards i'v picked out from Zen which i think are interesting.

1) Day of Judgement - Yes, its wrath; no, regeneration will not matter after this comes out; no, i dont care about shelling out for a new set of wraths; yes, this is awesome, and it will be great to have a 4 mana reset in the format.....im pretty sure this card has been talked about enough.

2) Mindbreak Trap - I think possibly the most exciting of the trap cards spoiled so far - its just a shame that it wont be as useful in post rotation extended because there will be no tendrils and minds desire. Nevertheless, if swath storm becomes big it will be awesome, and certainly has some relevency in legacy and vintage.

3) Vampire Lacerator - 2/2's for 1 have always been pretty damn nuts, and this is no exception. A largely irrelevant drawback for this little chap, he will no doubt be seeing a load of play in future standard. He might as well read 'lose 3 life' because if you play this guy and dont have your opponant to less than 10 life 3 turns later - you're doing it wrong!

4) Warren Instigator - Finally Evan Irwin's incessant hyperbole is actually deserved, this guy is the nuts. the printing of this is no doubt timed with the rotation of all the onslaught block goblins, but this guy is going to be nutty, like really nutty.

5) Lavaball trap - why are'nt you Wildfire....

Well thats all for now, it's only 5 cards, but considering the number of cards spoiled, i cant remember being so excited about a set.

I was really unsure whether wizards would print an absolutely cracker of a block to keep standard sick for another couple years or they would print a stinker to keep the power creep haters happy, at least i may play standard come october now....Happy Birthday to me i guess.

See you all soon,


Untill then,


Jim


As always, feel free to comment on this article, or anything related or unrelated to magic whatsoever. If you would like to contribute to the TLM blog, please email any pictures, ideas or articles to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk

My favourite ever Magic cards

By Jim Marlow

Hey everyone,


Following the disaster i had at PTQ coventry.....

Yep, thats 30 points a just lost for a draft, yay for bad drafting, bad opponants and not being bothered to play anymore.

I decided to write something a little more light hearted, and hopefully something that other people can interact with.

I have recently been trying to figure out what i was going to play in the post rotation extended ptq season which will feed the second ptq of 2010....San Juan i think, and realised how much i love some of the cards in the decks im thinking of playing (more on these will come later this week, although they are obv not finished without zen block being released)

What i love about extended, and older formats in general, is that there are cards that i actually enjoy casting, unlike standard where very few plays actually get me excited. This got me thinking as to what my favourite magic cards were ever. If you know me, you should know my all time favourite card anyway.

...

...

...

No?, really should get some friends.

Anyway, im going to post a list of my 5 favourite cards from magic, ever. They are not necessarily the most powerful, just the ones which i love the most, although they generally are fairly good, as well as some other cards that come very close to the list. I am really interested in what would be on other people's lists, so please either post them at the bottom or email me at ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk and i will upload them for us all to look at.

1) Ancestral Vision

2) Dark Confidant

3) Force of Will

4) Reveillark

5) Jace Beleren

Other cards that are close to these 5 are; standstill, cryptic command, harmonize, vendilion clique, loxodon heirarch, thirst for knowledge, engineered explosives, umezawa's jitte and Skred.

Well these are the spells that i have had the most fun to cast since i have began playing magic, so i would love to know what other people enjoy playing the most, and what people think of my list - except if this involves bitching about ancestral vision because it is just the best!.

Anyway, see you all soon, im afraid i may not make it back for the event at Fanboy3 on the 12 of september, depending on when i can come back to Leeds, but i should be up some time the following week, so i will see everyone then.

See you all soon

Untill then,

Jim

As always, feel free to comment on this article, or anything related or unrelated to magic whatsoever. If you would like to contribute to the TLM blog, please email any pictures, ideas or articles to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk

Heathy reports on PTQ conventry

By Ben Heath

PTQ Austin in Coventry – A Heathy Adventure

Howdy
Having had two days to look back at the PTQ in Coventry, here’s my personal report on the day.

Deck: G/W Overrun
Experience with deck: Not enough. Five matches tops I’d say.
Prediction: Anything better than 3-3 would do.
Deck tech: Three Great Sable Stag main, one sneaky Martial Coup in there as well. 22 land and more mana bugs as well. This was gonna be interesting.

Round 1
Vs. Fae

Pre-Match – I had never met this player before, never mind played against him, so I didn’t know what to expect really.

Game 1 – Spec Proc turn 3, Cloudgoat Ranger turn 4. Draw land for the next five turns. I get Vendilion Clique’d twice, revealing land hands of 4 and then 6. However Ajani Goldmane comes to town, then leaves thanks to Cryptic Command. Garruk arrives along with Great Sable Stag and somehow I win Game 1.

Game 2 – Turn 2 Bitterblossom gets me worried. The deck is still working far too slowly, but I eke out a result due to my opponent not getting any Spellstutter Sprites or Mistbind Cliques. With both players getting bad draws in this match it wasn’t easy on the eye.

Aftermath – This guy went on to recover to 3-1 but lost the last two rounds.

Round 2
Vs. Neo-Fae

Pre-Match – Next up, some ginger guy. He’s from Leeds too, apparently. Jim is one of my deck-testing partners and we both knew each others decks inside out. I hadn’t lost to Jim in 3 competetive matches of Magic, so I was quietly confident going into this.

Game 1 – Stag and 3 Spirit tokens on the board with Overrun in hand. Firespout from Jim puts an end to that plan. Cloudgoat Ranger resolves, flip a Windbrisk to reveal Spec Proc. Jim makes the play of the game by scooping.

Game 2 – Quick out of the blocks again, but this time Jim’s deck was having a party, and countered everything and anything. My frustration was clear to see and despite having 24 life, that quickly disintegrated thanks to double Scion and double Bitterblossom.

Game 3 – If Game 2 was the Fae party, Game 3 was the morning after, the hangover. No red mana source meant no Firespout or Lightning Bolt, and it was one of those games that made you appreciate the traditional Fae build. Not how I wanted to win but a win is a win.

Aftermath – Jim went on to 1-2 drop. Shame.

Round 3
Vs Bant Aggro

Pre-match – The draw I had been dreading. Thomas whooped Rik 2-0 in Round 1 as this deck is very fast. He had Top 8’d at the last PTQ and had improved the deck since then. This wasn’t going to be fun.

Game 1 – Thomas shoots out of the blocks, landing double Hierarch and Rafiq. This usually means victory, but as I’m playing tokens I just kept on generating blockers until I had enough to swarm him. Wilt-Leaf Liege under the Windbrisk helped immensely.

Game 2 – He casts silence on my turns 4 and 5. With only 3 Spirit Tokens to save me, I don’t last long. It didn’t help that I had to mulligan to 5 and the only non-land cards I drew were Spec Proc, Ajani and Overrun.

Game 3 – This is the first game where I feel I was truly outwitted. I didn’t expect to see Jenara in the deck. After he Paths my Cloudgoat Ranger, I have two turns to find Spec Proc. It doesn’t come. I lose.

Round 4
Vs Kithkin

Pre-match – I had never met Steffano before, but had watched his last game against Mick Edwards so I knew what to expect. This guy was a very competent Magic player and a better player than I. He was also playing Kithkin. I didn’t think I was going to win this.

Game 1 – He plays Honor of the Pure and two Wizened Cenn. That’s right, on Turn 4 he has two 4/4 Kithkin on the table and 5 cards in hand. I’m stuck with two lowly 1/1 Spirit tokens and I’m staring defeat in the face. Suddenly though I find myself on the front foot thanks to token generators. He makes two Figures, which both promptly bite the dust. A second Honor of the Pure can’t save him from Ajani, Spirit Tokens and Cloudgoat Ranger though and we’re onto Game 2.

Game 2 – Another Rapido start from Steffano and I promptly find myself on 6 life. Martial Coup makes it’s first appearance of the tournament for 5 and it seems to swing the match in my fasvour…until two Cloudgoat Rangers appear on his side of the board. We’re onto Game 3 folks.

Game 3-
WARNING. THIS GAME CONTAINS SCENES OF EXTREME LUCKSACKERY. PEOPLE WITH HEART CONDITIONS, PREGNANT WOMEN AND RIK POWELL SHOULD NOT LOOK. SERIOUSLY, THIS MAKES ROB WAGNER LOOK LIKE A LUCKSACKING N00B.
I’m on the play, It doesn’t matter though as Steffano immediately hits the front foot with Double Stillmoon Cavalier, 3 Spirit Tokens and Honor of the Pure in play. I’m sat there with a single Cloudgoat Ranger, no tokens, 4 life, manaflooded (9 land), 1 card in hand (Ajani). One hope, a one in forty chance of drawing it. I do the corniest thing I can think off. I copy Gabriel Nassif. I arrange my mana for Martial Coup for 7. I draw the card, face down. If it’s not Martial Coup, I lose. I flip it over. I win the game.

Aftermath – Steffano drops after being lucksacked out of the tournament. I realise that in that one instance, I have used up all my luck. How right I was…

Round 5
Vs. 5 Color Cascade

Pre-Match – A PTQ debutant, Jake was 3-1 with a pretty darn good Cascade build. I went into this round 8th in the standings. I was on the bubble, I had to win.

Game 1 – Jake plays. Kitchen Finks followed by Bloodbraid Elf into Kitchen Finks puts him in ridiculously good position. At this point I only have Spirit Tokens. They soon get Pulsed. Only 3 land on the table, all the cards in hand need 4 or more to play. We’re onto game 2 and I fear the end is nigh.

Games 2 and 3 – These were exactly the same so I’ll put them up together. Spirit tokens + Cloudgoat Ranger + Ajani + Overrun under a Windbrisk. Jake’s starts were slower this time round and by the time he played anything with any meaning, it was too little too late.

Aftermath – Jake would go on to finish 3-3, a good first outing to a PTQ then, considering mine was 3-3-1.

Round 6
Vs. Time Sieve

Pre-match – I was 7th going into this final round, and I was up against Daniel, who was in 8th place. We had to play. Richard Bland wanted to make us the feature match, and from the spectators it quickly drew I could see why. But we both refused. Not sure why really, it would have been cool. But this was it. Winner would be 1st seed, loser would crash out of the PTQ.

Game 1 – I keep a good hand on the draw. However my opponent decides to get God hands and draws all 4 cryptics. I see no Stags. I don’t stand a chance.
I force him to combo out hoping he’ll screw up. I’m not worried about time because I know I have to beat him quickly anyway to stand a chance of winning. He doesn’t screw up. I’m 1 game away from falling at the last.

Game 2 – Again God hands gets two Cryptics and a Pollen Lullaby in his opening hand. However, I draw two Gutteral Responses and despite preventing one wave of attacks, Daniel can’t prevent the second wave and it’s 1-1.

Pre-Game 3 – I quickly make a note saying that I’ve pushed my luck far enough, and that I’ll be happy no matter what the result was. That last one turned out to be BS…

Game 3 – Double Noble Hierarch, Great Sable Stag, and 6 Spirit Tokens. Ajani hits the board. Game over, surely? No! Pollen Lullaby No. 1 appears. He’s some way to comboing off, here comes wave number 2. Pollen lullaby again! I’m glad to see the back of them. After his good luck in drawing the previous two games, surely he hasn’t drawn like a God again? He has! Pollen lullaby number 3 appears. I couldn’t believe it. It’s bought him all the time he needs. All he has to do now is not to make a mistake. First warning! Missed trigger off of the Howling Mine. Three of his turns later...second warning! All he has to do is screw up a trigger again!


He doesn’t. Game over. After not seeing a turn for 20 minutes, I actually fell asleep. I won’t lie, I was devastated. Despite Rik trying to comfort me, I couldn’t believe it. I thought I’d blown it. In hind sight I hadn’t, Daniel had drawn better than I had. Looking back I’m happy with how things went. Bring on the next PTQ season! Oh wait, it’s sealed…I won’t bother then.

Tournament Report - PTQ Coventry

By Jim Marlow

Hey Everyone,

This weekend saw the penultimate (thank God) Standard constructed PTQ of the season for Austin, before London on the 5th of September, which i consider being unable to attend a bit of a blessing.

I was pretty set on playing faeries for the event, because i know faeries, i loved the deck that Wagz took to nationals, and i thought that with some minor changes it was the best deck to combat the u/w baneslayer deck, which, unfortunately, i wrongly assumed everyone would be playing.

This is the deck i took to the ptq for reference

4 x mistbind clique
4 x spellstutter sprite
4 x scion of oona
2 x shriekmaw

4 x bitterblossom

4 x broken ambitions
4 x cryptic command
3 x jace beleren

2 x firespout
4 x lightning bolt

4 x vivid creek
3 x vivid marsh
2 x reflecting pool
2 x cascade bluffs
2 x sunken ruins
4 x secluded glen
3 x mutavault
4 x island
1 x swamp

S/B

4 x anathemancer
2 x banefire
2 x sower of temptation
2 x deathmark
1 x shriekmaw
2 x firespout
2 x plumeveil

Overall i was really happy with the list, and i think any other day with some tighter play and a little bit of luck this could have easily gone the distance, despite a slight misevaluation of the metagame.

Round 1 - Nick playing ubr faeries

Its not great playing nick doroupolous at any stage of a tournament, because he is an incredibly tight player, and of course a close friend of the Leeds community.

Game 1 - I mull to 6 on the draw, but luckily Nick's 2 land bitterblossom hand begins to look increasingly bad when he fails to draw a 3rd land for 3 or 4 turns. By the time Nick has found more lands the damage has already been done, and now with a blossom of my own the game is soon over.

Game 2 - I bring in the anathemancers and banefire's for the shriekmaws, firespouts and 2 bolts. I was tempted to bring in the sowers for the other bolts, as i hear a lot of people say sower is good in the mirror, but i have never been a fan. I start on a fairly contentious mulligan, with 4 lands, 2 jace and an anathemancer. This was really tempting but i was pretty sure i could do better with 6, what do people think. Either way this game was a little closer than the last, but this time Nick found himself flooded, and having landed an anathemancer for 4, then bouncing and replaying for 7, a banefire was the only other spell i needed to resolve, which wasnt much trouble when i played it for lots.

1-0 (2-0)

Round 2 - Ben Heath - g/w little kid

urgh, another Leeds player in the first 2 rounds, i always seem to be driving miles to these events and playing the same guys i play every week at WNM. Also, i thought i was a slight dog in this match if ben got good draws, because it only really takes the resolution of either 1 spectral procession or cloudgoat ranger to really swing the game in his favour.

Game 1 - I kept a pretty decent 7 with broken ambitions, which i know is important in the match for keeping of Ben of his key spells. After some trading of resources, including me firespouting away a great sable stag and 3 spirit tokens and then countering another threat i felt like i was doing okay. Sadly, i couldnt stop the cloudgoat renger, and then windbrisk heights revealed another spectral procession, and sadly that was about all she wrote.

Game 2 - I kept a triple ambitions hand on the play, with a firespout backup. I countered the onslaught on spells Ben tried to resolve and firespouted some other stuff away, eventually allowing me to play the bitterblossom from my opener, and then i had double scion to make sure the clock wasnt long enough for Ben to come back from.

Game 3 - Annoyingly, losing the dice roll meant ben got 2 games on the play, at least, which i knew was pretty relevant in this match for him at least, my only hope being that he didnt have sick draws. Luckily, his first play was a great sable stag, which is fine by me, i think. I have double bolt and a firespout with a reflecting pool, so im ok with some beats as long as i can draw a vivid of cascade bluffs eventually. Sadly, i never draw the red source, and a second sable stag as well as a finks and cloudgoat ranger put me slightly on the backfoot, to say the least. I have 2 turns to draw the red source i have needed all game, with ben with 1 card in hand. Sadly, the red never comes, and im done.


1-1 (3-2)


Round 3 - Kevin Blake - Merfolk

Kevin seemed like a nice guy, and i havent met him before so its always good to meet new chaps. Annoyingly however, he's playing merfolk, which is another matchup where i think im a slight dog, which is made a lot harder if he wins the die roll, and if he gets a sick draw.

Game 1 - He wins the die roll.....and gets a sick draw.

Game 2 - i spend the entire game trying to play around sygg, eventually allowing me to firespout his team. Sadly he drew the backup sygg, which again i start the long process of trying to get him to tap out so i can remove it. However, playing round sage's dousing i manage to niggle away with bitterblossom tokens and use scions and cryptics to shorten his clock. An end of turn mistbind clique which gets dismissed allows me to cryptic in order to get my mutavaults through for the winsies.

Game 3 - sadly i lose this one, another close game which could have gone either way. Kevin draws double sygg again, which he shows me afterwards, althought he only needed 1 to get the job done.


Well, 1-2 is a bit of an improvement on the last 2 ptq's i have been to. I am looking forward to coming back to Leeds, because it is no surprise to see the guys who play the most and take it seriously getting good results, so i cant wait to get back to Leeds for some serious play before the next ptq season....o wait its sealed.

Congratulations to Rob Catton and Mick Edwards for top 8'ing, i have heard that both sadly didnt make it past the quarters but congratulations nevertheless.

After the ptq me and rik did a m10 draft, which Rik 2-1'd, while i drafted an ok deck but managed to crap out spectacularly nevertheless. I should have drafted straight r/b, but dipped into white because its my favourite colour in m10 and i cant help myself when i get a flyer or two.

Also in the draft was the arrogant one, and now i know why they call him that.


Im back in leeds around the 15th of september, i might come up for the play the game, see the world thing at Fanboy on the 12th, but i dont know yet. Ill see everyone when i get back in Leeds.


See you all soon


Untill then,


Jim


As always, feel free to comment on this article, or anything related or unrelated to magic whatsoever. If you would like to contribute to the TLM blog, please email any pictures, ideas or articles to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk

A deck for PTQ Coventry

By Jim Marlow

Hey everyone,

I hope everyone in Leeds is well, i was certainly excited by the 14? man strong turn out despite being out of term time in a predominately student based group on Wednesday, so who knows how many Team Leeds will be getting come September.

I am, as the title suggests, going to slog out some Standard constructed (ill just write T2 from now on as just writing these words makes me want to vomit), mostly in a bid to try and and get a better result than my last two PTQ's (consecutive 0-2 drop...olous, yay!)

Im pretty torn between 2 decks, a ubr faeries list, and combo elves. I am leaning towards fae because i love me some faeries and i hate combo so much, as i always feel like your just hoping your deck doesnt crap out every round.

I would imagine the simultaneous articles from LSV and MOJ on starcity and channelfireball will have every man and his dog playing the baneslayer deck this weekend, and i think faeries will beat it more consistently than elves will, i think. I would like to play the deck too, but when i played it i found myself pretty tight for mana, particularly if my knight of the white orchid got countered.

Here's the faeries list i would play, possibly with some minor adjustments.

4 x mistbind clique
4 x spellstutter sprite
4 x scion of oona
2 x vendilion clique

4 x bitterblossom

4 x broken ambitions
4 x cryptic command
2 x jace beleren

2 x firespout
4 x lightning bolt
1 x doom blade

2 x cascade bluffs
3 x crumbling necropolis
4 x island
4 x mutavault
2 x reflecting pool
4 x secluded glen
1 x swamp
2 x sunken ruins
3 x vivid creek

S/B

4 x anathemancer
2 x firespout
2 x banefire
1 x jace beleren
3 x thought hemorrhage
3 x deathmark


Im sure i will have tinkered with the list before next weekend, or more likely abandoned it altogether, but i will hopefully be bringing this to Leeds for this weeks standard event to see how it does.

See you all soon.


Until then,


Jim


As always, feel free to comment on this article, or on anything related or unrelated to magic whatsoever. If you would like to contribute to the TLM blog, please email any ideas, pictures, articles or anything else to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk

Guest Column: Nationals with Mick #4th

By Mick Edwards

Editors Introduction: Presented here is the first of a two-part article by Mick Edwards on his very successful run at Nats, coming in 4th and getting his place in Worlds - well done Mick!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Despite two days of solid play testing with Rob and Jim, I was very worried as we left for Nationals on Wednesday as I wasn’t too happy with my deck. I much preferred the ‘Fae splash red’ list that Rob was taking, but had neither the cards nor the experience to play that.

My worries only increased as the bus was delayed, we had to rush to the venue and quickly fill in deck lists. To see my constructed deck list, check out the Wizards website (netdecker - editor). Soon enough I found myself in round one.

Round One – 5 Colour Control

The first game was over very quickly as my deck shifted into aggro mode. On the play I managed to get a turn 3 4/4 Figure of Destiny. So while other spells were drawn, countered and killed, my Figure manage to reduce his life total to 2 before it was dealt with; luckily for me I had the uncounterable 2 damage spell in hand.

Game 2 – After boarding my deck became much more control oriented and I spent the early game protecting planeswalkers rather than attacking. I was able to use Elspeth’s ultimate which was very handy and by the time he started casting Cruel Ultimatum, I had him at a low life total and Call the Skybreaker in my Graveyard. In desperation he tried to Firespout + Fallout my Elemental fliers away, but I reminded him they were indestructible and he scooped.

Round Two – 5 Colour Blood

My second round opponent was running a very interesting 5 colour Bloodbraid list, including both Doran and Reveilark. I ended up on the wrong side of multiple Anathemancers since my deck contains a large amount of non-basic lands. Getting stuck on 3 mana didn’t help, as although I cast 3 Kitchen Finks to help the stall (until I could cast my Hallowed Burial) he swarmed past them making several creatures per turn (Bloodbraid Elf is pretty good!).

Round Three – Turbo Fog

Game 1 – I initially thought my opponent was playing Time Sieve combo, since we had heard the traders had sold a lot of Time Sieve the previous day. When I eventually discovered it was the old Turbo Fog build I realised it made little difference as my game plan against both is to aim plenty of ‘High Boltage’ (Danger! Danger!.. playtest with us next year for more of this - Editor) at them before they draw enough counters/fogs.

Game 2 – By the time I had reduced him to 1 life he had played enough Runed Halos, Pithing Needles and Burrenton Forge Tenders to render my deck pretty harmless. I considered playing it out to see if he ran out of fog effects but noticing only 15 minutes were left in the round decided to move to Game 3 where I would have a better chance.

Between games I sideboarded in two Austere Command that I should have put in for Game 2 – sometimes it’s hard to look at Austere Command and not read ‘Wrath of God for 2 extra mana’.

Game 3 – Similar to Game 2, only this time I drew more creatures rather than burn spells, and he was at a higher life total by the time he had ‘protection from target deck’. Luckily I managed to get him to tap out leaving me free to blow up about 4 Runed Halos, 2 Pithing Needle and 3 Borderposts. With Ajani Vengeant on 7 counters I was also able to blow up all his lands, leaving a Burrenton Forge-Tender staring down my hordes of Figures and Finks (the Forge-Tender did not win this battle).

---Draft Time---

I was fairly pleased with 2 wins out of 3 in the standard portion and eager to open some amazing bomb in Shards-Conflux-Reborn Draft.

Turns out I didn’t get a bomb in Shards but picked the solid removal spell ‘Agony Warp’ and after second pick Blood Cultist, third pick Fire-Fiend Ogre I found myself solidly in Grixis, a shard I usually prefer to avoid.

With the Conflux booster I opened Goblin Razerunners, a card I get passed very often but consider to be one of the best bombs in the format. A second pick Rupture Spire, third pick Armillary Sphere over removal sorted out my mana a little. Things really got interesting when eighth pick I received Esper Cormorants! Unless I am very much mistaken, the 3/3 flier is one of the best commons in Conflux, so imagine my surprise when I was also able to pick one ninth pick as well! Clearly no-one at the table was drafting Esper.

In Alara Reborn I opened Behemoth Sledge. I made the decision that since I already had mana fixing (and double Cormorants) I would attempt to splash the green-white bomb in my blue-black-red deck.

Also in the pack I managed to get a fourth or fifth pick Terminate, double blue-black Borderpost and triple Sewn-Eye Drake.

Round 4 – Naya

This guy had a lot of very powerful bombs that demanded good answers:

He played Ajani Vengeant and Helixed one of my creatures – I responded with Sewn-Eye Drake!

He killed my team with Martial Coup and made 9 Soliders – I responded with Sewn-Eye Drake (equipped with silly hammer)!

He tried to win – I responded with Sewn-Eye Drake!

Round 5 – Grixis

My Behemoth Sledge got stuck in my hand every game, but my very solid Grixis deck won anyway!

Afterwards my opponent was quick to point out how much of a fool I was for ruining my mana base and running ‘bad’ cards like Obelisk of Jund to fit in the Sledge (I've splashed 3 colours for Finest Hour before, it's worth it - Editor).

Round 6

I felt a bit dirty after this round as in both games I landed an early Behemoth Sledge and both games became very unwinnable for my opponent very quickly. Still, I felt it justified my gamble to play the sledge.

--- Draft 2---

A lot of this draft is mentioned in the official coverage, especially the bit where I opened the Battlegrace Angel! Here are a few other interesting bits:

· I got passed a second pick Feral Hydra.

· I picked Couriers Capsule and

Rhox War Monk intending to go Bant.

· I could have picked 4 Aven Squire, but

chose a Ember Weaver over one of them.

· I got a 13^th pick Filigree Fracture in a

pack of ‘land, Fillagree Fracture, Sludge Strider’.

· I decided Twinclaws was a better

pick for my deck than Knight of New Alara.

· I picked Glory of Warfare over Intimidation Bolt.

· I tabled a Stun Sniper!

I left the draft table with a huge grin on my face as I was very pleased with my second draft deck and was certain it would go 3-0.

I was almost proved wrong very soon though:

Round 7 – Bant

My opponent had managed to get third and fourth pick Knight of New Alara! With no removal to speak of, when he put both of them ‘onto the battlefield’ things started to look grim. He also had double Lorescale Coatl in play which were approximately 20/20 each! Waveskimmer Aven particularly gained benefit from the Knights becoming an 8/10 flying exalted creature!

Luckily in the other two games I was aggressive enough with my very efficient two-drops and bombs to be able to leave day on a 5-1 record, leaving me fifth in the standings at that point. To celebrate we went to an Italian Restaurant and got rained on a lot.

---Day Two Coming Soon---

Mick

It was a good Day One (and was very very rainy when we left). Could Mick improve on fifth? Wait for the Day Two report to find out :D

Legacy (+ GP: Brighton) Report and Play of the Week #1

By Wagz

Hi guys. Jim's asked me to write a report on the Legacy event and GP Brighton. I don't have much to write on the second of these so I've included the first play of the week as a counterpoint to punt of the week.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Grand Prix: Brighton

M10 sealed was the format for this and it is widely accepted as a fairly bad sealed format. The best core set sealed, but bad regardless. The fundamental reason for this is that the creatures aren't generally good enough, there are no real sources of card advantage and some huge bomb will get you there a lot of the time, more than normal. It is also decided by 2 uncommons, which due to the decreased number of cards in the set, occur quite a lot - Overrun and Fireball. If you don't have these or have an answer for these then you're likely to be in trouble.

My sealed pool put me in trouble. I basically had 2 Rampant Growth to get me to big creatures, but if my opponent had anything interesting then I was in trouble. With two byes I needed 5-2 to get to day 2. I won my first two matches by turning creatures sideways but I lost to Overrun, Master of the Wild Hunt and Whispersilk Cloak to drop at 4-3. Matt Kitchen was the only Leeds player carrying on after this if I recall correctly and ended the day at 5-4. I won't be unhappy when Zendikar comes along.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Legacy

After bombing out of the Grand Prix, a few Team Leeds plucky hopefuls borrowed decks off Rik to enter the Legacy side event. Having played Faeries for days I tried testing the Counterbalance deck but lost to Zoo over and over again so brough the creature menagerie to the tables. This tournament included such great players as Antti Malin and Jim Marlow so it was going to be tough to get there.

I faced Stax in round 1 but my guys got me there and the burn finished him off when he got a Humility down. Goblins fell to me next before I beat a BW discard based deck. A Doran deck got the better of me but two successive Counterbalance decks (landing Choke against these is a killing) gave me the wins needed to ID into the top 8. I was pretty happy at this point but didn't really know what I was doing. I didn't know what the good or bad matchups were so I was just playing the situation I had - probably a good attitude to have in competitions as I felt very relaxed the whole time.

In the quarters I faced the guy I ID'd with using Merfolk. He let me land several creatures in play which was unfortunate for him my guys are much bigger than his (well, Grim Lavamancer means his Lords don't stop that fact). I won this match pretty quickly and wandered the venue for some food before the semis. After the match, the judge commented to my opponent that he'd kept pretty bad hands. I thought this was a bit unprofessional but my opponent seemed fine with it and it was his first Legacy event - Legacy events are pretty easy to top-X if you've not done one before. This was my second event and I top 4'd both so I should probably stop playing soon before I figure out what goes on.

In the semi finals I played against a spanish guy using Standard GW Elves combo. This was a surprisingly well positioned deck for the tournament since the control decks don't have the right counters for it and the Burrenton Forge-Tenders shut down my stuff a little bit. I couldn't get enough damage through against him but if I owned Ethersworn Canonists instead of Gaddock Teegs then the story might have been different. I landed Grim Lavamancers but you just can't get enough cards in the graveyard to deal with all the guys they play.

I walked away with 9 boosters but it would have been nice to get to the final and win the iPod. Maybe next time, eh?

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Play of the week #1

After making this one I had to take a minute off before sideboarding for game 3. After the match I ran around telling people. It's a bit of a doozy. Here's the situation:

Opp on 12, you on 14, plenty of lands in play on both sides (9ish easy). I have a Tidehollow Strix and he has a 3/2 ground guy plus a Maelstrom Nexus. I attack him to 10 and pass the turn.

He plays Magister Sphinx, cascading into Igneous Pouncer. The Sphinx's trigger puts me to 10 and he attacks me to 2. Ouch.

I untap and use Soul's Fire to deathtouch kill his Sphinx (had to explain that rule), attack him to 8.

He makes a Borderpost, perhaps not realising it counts as a spell for the Maelstrom Nexus. It cascades into Wretched Banquet, targeting my Strix. Here's the silliness. I cast Agony Warp, giving the 5/1 -0/-3 and the 3/2 -3/-0. This leaves him with just a 0/2 in play. The Wretched Banquet is countered on resolution due to my guy not being tied for the lowest power. He makes a Grixis Slavedriver (I had to stop him Cascading here) and passes the turn.

I untap and attack with my little man that can, the Tidehollow Strix, taking him to 6. I tap 8 of my lands and cycle the Resounding Thunder I'd been sandbagging to take the game for exactly lethal. Re-diculous. I've got there with just a Strix for 21 damage before but this was more satisfying.

Tournament Report - Nationals LCQ standard

By Jim Marlow

Hey everyone,

The TLM blog repot on the past week's festivities begins sadly with my failure to grind into nationals last wednesday with 5 colour control. Im afraid that after a promising 3-0 start i ended up dropping at the slightly dissapointing 4-3, which was a huge shame. This is another example of me getting getting a good start of stringing wins together then for some reasons proceeding to lose a succession of rounds, which is a bit worrying as i need to work on capitalising the promising starts which i can produce at magic events.

My notes on the matches are a little hazt because i am usually to engrossed to make any solid notes, especially when losing (maybe this is a reason for losing and not because im losing....), and its proved hard to decipher what i mean by scribbled words a week of intense magic playing later where almost all recolection of the tournament has left my minute brain.

Here is the list which i ran for the LCQ, following a hugely successful and solid 2 day testing period before the event.

2 x broodmate dragon
1 x baneslayer angel
3 x plumeveil
2 x mulldrifter

4 x cryptic command
3 x broken ambitions
2 x negate
4 x esper charm

2 x ajani vengeant
1 x jace beleren
3 x cruel ultimatum
1 x obelisk of alara

2 x volcanic fallout
2 x firespout
2 x hallowed burial

4 x vivid creek
3 x vivid marsh
2 x vivid meadow
2 x vivid crag
4 x reflecting pool
3 x sunken ruins
2 x mystic gate
2 x cascade bluffs
1 x exotic orchid
3 x island

S/B

3 x runed halo
2 x identity crisis
2 x jace beleren
2 x firespout
2 x volcanic fallout
4 x great sable stag


The list i ran was totally solid, with the only minor alterations i would make being that i would run all 3 baneslayers as finishers, because it's just sick, and i would run a 3rd hallowed burial in the board over a firespout, as well as reintroducing a couple of thought hemorrhage's into the board, which i was undecided on the night before (although as it happened the choice to leave them out was irrelevent)

Here's my sideboard plan for the list

Vs 5cc

Out
2 x volcanic fallou
3 x plumeveil
2 x broodmate dragon
2 x firespout

In
2 x jace beleren
2 x identity crisis
4 x great sable stag
1 x runed halo


Vs UB Fae

Out
2 x hallowed burial
1 x cruel ultimatum
2 x firespout
2 x broodmate dragon
1 x obelisk of alara

In
4 x great sable stag
2 x jace beleren
2 x volcanic fallout


Vs Kithkin / combo elves

Out
1 x obelisk of alara
2 x cruel ultimatum
1 x broken ambitions

In
2 x volcanic fallout
2 x firespout


Vs Jund / Blightning

Out
2 x negate
1 x jace beleren
2 x cruel ultimatum

In
2 x firespout
3 x runed halo


Round 1 - Chris - Doran

Game 1 - I lose the die roll and go to 6, which is exacerbated by a turn 1 thoughtseize from my opponant, which strips the esper charm from my hand, the only other spell im holding being cruel ultimatum (loose keep amirite?), i draw an esper charm to draw some more and manage to find a hallowed burial for chris' doran and chameleon colossus, which is nice. Chris finds more gas but i have my turn 7 cruel waiting, and thats a pretty lucky win from a bad spot.

Game 2 - turn 1 thoughtseize rips a hallowed burial this time, and another turn 3 doran hits me for 6 with a heirarch on board. More gas and no immediate answer makes this game a quick blowout for my opponant, crap

Game 3 - Chris again finds action with doran, and gets in for 5 putting me to 15. My sable stag seems like a sweet answer, although the chameleon colossus is annoying. My plumeveil envokes a pump leaving me able to cast ajani to keep the colossus tapped with stag on defense......no maelstrom pulse draw means im pretty safe here. Eventually chris finds more creatures but right on cue i can firespout and helix meaning my cruel ultimatum leaves Chris cardless, creatureless....and very shortly thereafter....lifeless!

Round 2 - Lewis - 5cc

Sadly i cant remember a lot from this match because lewis is a pretty awesome guy, who beat me last year with RDW in this very competition. Sadly all this chat means i didnt really write anything about the match down, although i basically got on top via superior card draw, made lands which resulted in the resolution of cruel ultimatums....something which sadly evaded me for the many 5 colour mirrors which followed.

Round 3 - Peter Rodway - Kithkin

Kithkin is a pretty good match for my deck and this was a nice surprise after the mirror the last match. No mulligans from me and 10 wrath effects post board made this round a pretty simple affair. I later saw peter win a feature match against Neil Rigby so i dont think for one second that i faced a bad opponant, so i think i could have dodged a potential bullet by winning this round.

Round's 4 and 5!!!! two subsequent 5 colour mirrors....


These two rounds were both losses for me, basically through a combination of bad mulligan decisions (debatable really, but certainly still one of my flaws as a player) and, certainly in the 5th round a bad reaction to the round 4 loss having felt unbeatable in the first 3 rounds even though i was behind in some of the matches.

In round 5 i had to mull to 4 in the first game, keeping a hand of just cascade bluffs and 3 spells, including cruel ultimatum. I made land drops on turns 3 and 4, and a draw spell. From here, i managed to resolve a turn 7 cruel ultimatum and lose the match....as turns 6 and 7 broodmates made it difficult. I find out my opponant kept a 5 land and broodmate dragon 6 as his opener, urgh!

More mulligans in game 2, but this time my opponant had gas and i didnt have a chance......


In round 6 i beat another kithkin deck before losing my 3rd out of 4 mirrors in round 7 and dropping from the tournament.


Overall i was hugely disappointed because my modifications to other decklists around was meant to ensure i had an edge in the mirror but sacrificed some percentage against random aggro decks such as jund and kithkin by not packing spot removal. It was really annoying to lose 3 mirrors, as i was well on top of my deck but i was forced to mulligan and missed important lands drops when the top of my deck offered little help.


So that was it, all hopes of nationals dashed by the deck i came to beat, ironically. Overall i think i probably didnt recognise that as much maindeck hate for 5 colour you put into your own build, the matches are still very much decided by drawing more cards and playing more lands. In one 5 colour mirror i kept a game 1 hand of double plumeveil, firespout, hallowed burial and 3 lands. If i was playing any other deck than 5 colour control im in fantastic shape here i am basically a huge favourite.....luckily for me my opponant makes turn 1 vivid, i miss my 5th land and lose the game, the BEST!

overall, if you expect 5 colour, dont play 5 colour yourself, just beat it with another deck.

Hope you enjoyed this, more stuff to follow.


See you all soon


Until then,


Jim


As always, feel free to comment on this article, or on anything related or unrelated to magic whatsoever. If you would like to contribute to the TLM blog, please email any ideas, pictures, articles or anything else to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk

A Post Nats/GP update from Team Leeds

By Jim Marlow

Hey everyone,

As the millions of readers of the blog will no doubt be aware already, the recent lack of articles is due to Me, Wagz and Mick's trip to Brighton for the British Nationals and the Grand Prix that followed.

Im sure many of you will have heard already or will soon find out that everyone that went from Leeds had a certain degree of success, and i'm sure i speak for all when i say that even those who fell slightly short of expectations had an awesome time down in Brighton. My only regret is that more of Team Leeds couldnt make it down, and if anyone is yet to experiance the comradary and atmosphere that comes with large magic events then i would thoroughly recommend that you do your best to get to one in the near future, they never fail to dissapoint.

Obviously there is a lot to report on the blog so between Wagz, Mick and myself i hope we can cover the entirity of the events of the week.

I will be starting with my (failed) attempt at grinding into Nats, and will also report on a Shards block sealed event which i was lucky enough to top 8, Mick will obviously be retelling us his story of nats and im hoping Wagz will be so kind to report on the legacy tournament which he did well in, as well as giving a report on the Grand Prix.

So thats what to expect over the next week or two, in between the usual stream of rubbish that we strive to publish for your benefit, hopefully the three of us can do the events of the week proud and allow those of you who couldnt attend just what you missed.

Look out for the start of these articles tomorrow, and i will be seeing the rest of Team Leeds soon when i return to Leeds for a few days in August for some exams.


P.S - for those of you who care....

You're the best around,
Nothings gonna ever keep you down.

now we know.


See you all soon


Until then,


Jim


As always, feel free to comment on this article, or on anything related or unrelated to magic whatsoever. If you would like to contribute to the TLM blog, please email any ideas, pictures, articles or anything else to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk

Ready to Grind at Brighton

By Jim Marlow

Hey everyone,

This will almost certainly be my lost article before 'winning' (scrubbing out of....but for me the first player to the bar is the real winner) nats and GP brighton next week, so i thought i would reveal my finished deck with which im hoping to grind in.

It is similar to my previously posted 5 colour deck but i am gearing it more towards the mirror, because i think 5 colour will almost certainly be the most played deck, then faeries, kithkin and combo elves.

3 x broodmate dragon
3 x plumeveil
2 x mulldrifter

4 x cryptic command
3 x broken ambitions
2 x negate

4 x esper charm
2 x ajani vengeant
1 x jace beleren
3 x cruel ultimatum
1 x obelisk of alara

2 x volcanic fallout
2 x firespout
2 x hallowed burial

4 x vivid creek
3 x vivid marsh
2 x vivid meadow
2 x vivid crag
4 x reflecting pool
3 x sunken ruins
2 x mystic gate
2 x cascade bluffs
1 x exotic orchid
3 x island

S/B

2 x thought hemorrhage
2 x runed halo
2 x identity crisis
1 x jace beleren
2 x wall of reverence
2 x volcanic fallout
4 x great sable stag


Im really happy with the deck, hopefully if i play tight and get a bit lucky i can get there no problems with it, because the raw power of the deck is under no question.

Not entirely sold on the wall of reverence's in the sideboard, or the configuration of sweepers i hae between main deck and sideboard, as i may switch a firespout and fallout round, depending on the showing of faeries in the grinders. If i take the wall of reverences out they will almost certainly become puppeteer cliques, as i wanted to get some.

The thought hemorrhage's are another last minute addition because i have trouble dealing with baneslayer angel, although i may just add a 3rd hallowed burial into the board. I think i just have a soft spot for thought hemorrhage because i love the card.

Obviously with these minor changes as possibilities i havent fully devised a sideboard plan yet....its obviously one for tuesday night.


The very best of luck goes out to all the players coming from Leeds and anyone else i know, im sure that some of the guys will do well, in either Nats or the GP....hopefully i can do the same.

See you all soon


Until then,


Jim
(GB National Champion, 2009)

As always,feel free to comment on anything about this article, or anything unrelated to magic whatsoever. If you would like to contribute to the TLM blog, please email any ideas, articles, pictures or anything else to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk

Drafting with Wagz (and Andy) #5 - Being Responsive

By Wagz

Tonight I had Andy Edwards round for some draft action. We did a draft where we 2-0'd twice then got the old screw-flood in the final. We had a Malfegor for kicks which we topdecked at precisely the right time, and during the draft I called a 4th pick Armillary Sphere and the exact slot it was going to appear in before the booster showed so we felt that whatever is the source of luck was being pretty nice to us. We therefore decided to go into another draft, one which was much more fraught with decisions.

In reports on drafting we often hear about 'signals'. These are important but it is never really made clear why. For the most part it is a matter of course of being responsive and seeing that our desired strategy is being taken, such as not getting any good fat creatures for a fatty Naya deck. Rather than pig-headedly carrying on with the picks we have, we need to exercise more self-control and respond to the signals. This can involve abandoning your previous picks completely (I once abandoned my first 6 picks to take the deck being shipped to me and won the draft) or simply altering your strategy to cope with the situation - such as taking WG weenie when the RG fatties are drying up.

The draft presented here is an extreme example - taking cards which fit in multiple strategies and being aware of those strategies and what we can easily abandon, so as to be completely aware of what's being shipped in time to salvage our picks:

------ ALA ------

Pack 1 pick 1:

Naturalize, Obelisk of Grixis, Resounding Scream, Bloodthorn Taunter, Knight of the Skyward Eye, Cavern Thoctar, Shore Snapper, Waveskimmer Aven, Coma Veil, Soul's Grace, Rockslide Elemental, Necrogenesis, Swerve, Clarion Ultimatum, Island

Nothing obvious here. When you have an unobvious opening pack there are two choices really - take something okay and force it, or take the best card and pretend the booster you get passed was the first. Knight of the Skyward Eye, Rockslide Elemental and Necrogenesis are the only cards worth considering here.

GW aggro is always terrible for me due to a lack of removal and bad exalted creatures in Alara Reborn, which means Knight is forcing Naya aggro = 1 strategy.

Rockslide Elemental fits in any deck playing red and most befits an aggro deck. Goes well in unearth, devour and weenie decks = 3 strategies.

Necrogenesis is a powerhouse, but is in an awkward colour combination. It looks like it fits only in Jund but secretly (don't tell anyone) you can splash it in a deck with only one of the colours main. Hence, this fits in control decks playing black and/or green = lots of stratgies, all of which are control.

We take the Necrogenesis after a lot of discussion and were prepared to abandon it but it is powerful, turning off Unearth and working wonders against Exalted.

Pack 1 pick 2:

Vectis Silencers, Resounding Silence, Deathgreeter, Kederekt Creeper, Cancel, Obelisk of Jund, Volcanic Submersion, Rakeclaw Gargantuan, Onyx Goblet, Spell Snip, Fatestitcher, Qasali Ambusher, Kiss of the Amesha, Plains

No card here clearly goes with the 'genesis, but we are prepared to change. The best cards are Resounding Silence, Fatestitcher and Kiss of the Amesha. Qasali Ambusher used to be great but has lost lustre recently as if you're not attacking in GW then you're not doing it right which means you generally have to hardcast the guy. So it therefore falls to the three blue-white cards. These all want to be in control decks and Kiss is the best in that role, so we take it. A GB and a UW card so far, great..

Pack 1 pick 3:

Cancel, Rakeclaw Gargantuan, Bloodthorn Taunter, Naturalize, Angelsong, Blister Beetle, Sighted-Caste Sorcerer, Tortoise Formation, Coma Veil, Skeletonize, Corpse Connoisseur, Jhessian Infiltrator, Plains

Best card here is Red.. We notice the second Rakeclaw Gargantuan and realise we are probably shipping Naya, which means some kind of UB based deck is mostly likely to be rewarding. At this point a 5-colour control deck could be the order to use all our picks and we're certainly not being shown a good aggro deck. Take Skeletonize.

Pack 1 pick 4:

Skeletal Kathari, Goblin Deathraiders, Mosstodon, Dragon Fodder, Gift of the Gargantuan, Filigree Sages (FOIL), Outrider of Jhess, Grixis Panorama, Infest, Scourge Devil, Behemoth's Herald, Mountain

Before this booster came up Andy and I were just saying how a 5cc deck really needs a mass removal spell. If you don't get Jund Charm this usually means opening Volcanic Fallout or Martial Coup. We get passed an Infest here and are very happy with it. 5 colour control with a black base is being presented to us here if 3 people passed Infest (which got better with the Blades).

Pack 1 pick 5:

Sanctum Gargoyle, Rip-Clan Crasher, Lush Growth, Gift of the Gargantuan, Obelisk of Bant, Incurable Ogre, Grixis Panorama, Carrion Thrash, Grixis Battlemage, Scourglass, Swamp

This booster is a very curious one. Clearly the person that opened it wanted to pass Esper signals by shipping Sanctum Gargoyle and Scourglass. However, the next 3 people didn't want to know about it. Therefore, it's decision time. If we take a Scourglass (Gargoyle is not an option due to power and decktype reasons) then we may put the guy to our left in Esper but we have already shipped some mediocre Naya and the guys to our right will pass us Esper in pack 3 (the better control cards are in pack 3, the better aggro ones in pack 2). If we take Grixis Panorama then we get a better manabase but are losing out on a fantastic card. We take the Scourglass and are tempted by 5-colour Esper control.

Pack 1 pick 6:

Cylian Elf, Lightning Talons, Naya Panorama, Onyx Goblet, Obelisk of Esper, Godtoucher, Gustrider Exuberant, Esper Battlemage, Scourge Devil, Mountain

Esper Battlemage is a great Esper control card and helps us ship Naya more.

Pack 1 pick 7:

Yoked Plowbeast, Kederekt Creeper, Savage Hunger, Coma Veil, Shadowfeed, Waveskimmer Aven, Tidehollow Sculler, Exuberant Firestoker, Forest

Tidehollow Sculler is a very good card for us. I always wondered when this guy gets taken, and now I know.

Pack 1 pick 8:

Ridge Rannet, Courier's Capsule, Akrasan Squire, Dispeller's Capsule, Godtoucher, Cathartic Adept, Lightning Talons, Plains

That's a very late Akrasan Squire, but the Courier's Capsule is for us. We have found our stategy and are going with it - hooray for being responsive to the cards!

Pack 1 pick 9:

Obelisk of Grixis, Resounding Scream, Bloodthorn Taunter, Shore Snapper, Coma Veil, Swerve, Island

Obelisk of Grixis is a card which is very good in 5cc decks.

Pack 1 pick 10:

Kederekt Creeper, Cancel, Volcanic Submersion, Onyx Goblet, Spell Snip, Plains

This pick isn't automatic but we took Kederekt Creeper as a sideboard card (deathtouch, you see).

Pack 1 pick 11:

Bloodthorn Taunter, Naturalize, Tortoise Formation, Coma Veil, Plains

One less Naturalize to face.

Pack 1 pick 12:

Filigree Sages (FOIL), Grixis Panorama, Behemoth's Herald, Mountain

Tabled the Panorama, nice.

Pack 1 pick 13-15

Carrion Thrash, Godtoucher, Forest

------ CON ------

Pack 2 pick 1:

Sedraxis Alchemist, Beacon Behemoth, Darklit Gargoyle, Unsummon, Armillary Sphere, Kranioceros, Valiant Guard, Grixis Illusionist, Yoke of the Damned, Vectis Agents, Hellspark Elemental, Elder Mastery, Viashino Slaughtermaster, Mark of Asylum, Forest

Nothing hugely exciting here, but Armillary Sphere is an auto-include in 5cc. It'll certainly help us splash anything off-colour if we want to. We are on the lookout for manafixing in Conflux, as always.

Pack 2 pick 2:

Absorb Vis, Kranioceros, Mana Cylix, Gleam of Resistance, Wild Leotau, Goblin Outlander, Constricting Tendrils, Tukatongue Thallid, Asha's Favor, Dragonsoul Knight, Spore Burst, Skyward Eye Prophets, Sigil of the Empty Throne, Island

Absorb Vis is manafixing and a decent control card. The pack is a bit light though, we don't expect to wheel anything significant.

Pack 2 pick 3:

Beacon Behemoth, Darklit Gargoyle, Unsummon, Armillary Sphere, Kranioceros, Valiant Guard, Grixis Illusionist, Yoke of the Damned, Vectis Agents, Gluttonous Slime, Fusion Elemental, Sludge Strider, Swamp

Decision time - think fast! Armillary Sphere, Fusion Elemental or Sludge Strider? Sphere removes our mana worries, Fusion Elemental is a huge creature and Sludge Strider pushes for Esper. Though we are resolved to be 5-colour, a stable manabase and on-colour spells is a good thing to have, splashing only for the best cards. If we are to take a creature, I much prefer Sludge Strider here as it stops leaking Esper control signals and Fusion Elementals do sometimes table.

Pack 2 pick 4:

Esper Cormorants, Aven Trailblazer, Kaleidostone, Toxic Iguanar, Scattershot Archer, Yoke of the Damned, Nacatl Savage, Wandering Goblins, Corrupted Roots, Fusion Elemental, Skyward Eye Prophets, Swamp

Another Fusion Elemental is good, sure, but Esper Cormorants is so on colour and a very big flier.

Pack 2 pick 5:

Zombie Outlander, Matca Rioters, Darklit Gargoyle, Asha's Favor, Nacatl Outlander, Grixis Illusionist, Exploding Borders, Lapse of Certainty, Paragon of the Amesha, Controlled Instincts, Island

At this point we are satisfied with the Esper strategy and take Darklit Gargoyle. We would still like to splash the off-shard bombs but a more solid spellbase is the key to 5cc really. He has evasion and allows us to play aggro if we need to.

Pack 2 pick 6:

Absorb Vis, Kranioceros, Mana Cylix, Gleam of Resistance, Constricting Tendrils, Tukatongue Thallid, Asha's Favor, Paragon of the Amesha, Aerie Mystics, Forest

Absorb Vis or Gleam of Resistance? Both are fine but we go Absorb Vis for the black focus to the deck (Infest etc).

Pack 2 pick 7:

Pestilent Kathari, Matca Rioters, Bone Saw, Constricting Tendrils, Court Homunculus, Molten Frame, Infectious Horror, Manaforce Mace, Forest

I want to take Court Homonculus, but Andy convinces me to take Matca Rioters. Both are unlikely to make the deck but I concede we have more support for a 4/4 or 5/5 Rioters.

Pack 2 pick 8:

Traumatic Visions, Zombie Outlander, Kaleidostone, Brackwater Elemental, Maniacal Rage, Nacatl Savage, Countersquall, Mountain

Traumatic Visions, Zombie Outlander or Brackwater Elemental? All require us to play blue, in which event manafixing is very much needed so we take the Visions.

Pack 2 pick 9:

Sedraxis Alchemist, Unsummon, Kranioceros, Valiant Guard, Grixis Illusionist, Elder Mastery, Forest

Sedraxis Alchemist. Some cards don't need thinking about.

Pack 2 pick 10:

Kranioceros, Constricting Tendrils, Tukatongue Thallid, Asha's Favor, Skyward Eye Prophets, Island

Skyward Eye Prophets. It's looking a bit slow now, hope Reborn is alright for us.

Pack 2 pick 11-15:

Vectis Agents, Scattershot Archer, Controlled Instincts, Constricting Tendrils, Forest

------ ARB ------

Pack 3 pick 1:

Wildfield Borderpost, Sewn-Eye Drake, Mistvein Borderpost, Glassdust Hulk, Bant Sureblade, Terminate, Demonic Dread, Offering to Asha, Firewild Borderpost, Naya Hushblade, Mask of Riddles, Wall of Denial, Etherwrought Page, Knight of New Alara, Swamp

We take Wall of Denial. An excellent control card. We would still like some kind of creature with which to win but are in some kind of decent shape.

Pack 3 pick 2:

Winged Coatl, Deadshot Minotaur, Veinfire Borderpost, Esper Stormblade, Deny Reality, Rhox Brute, Sigiled Behemoth, Zealous Persecution (FOIL), Grixis Sojourners, Ethercaste Knight, Kathari Remnant, Mage Slayer, Anathemancer, Island

Esper Stormblade is a fine creature with which to swing. We could occasionally aggro with it too, but just having a 3/2 flier is good.

Pack 3 pick 3:

Wildfield Borderpost, Architects of Will, Terminate, Cerodon Yearling, Deny Reality, Grizzled Leotau, Valley Rannet, Bant Sojourners, Sanctum Plowbeast, Shield of the Righteous, Sigil Captain, Tainted Sigil, Plains

*enter Dalek mode* TERRMINATE!!

Pack 3 pick 4:

Sanity Gnawers, Island, Grixis Sojourners, Valley Rannet, Sanctum Plowbeast, Igneous Pouncer, Demonspine Whip, Singe-Mind Ogre, Bant Sureblade, Pale Recluse, Stormcaller's Boon, Brainbite

This pick took a while, but we settled on the UW 2-drop in Bant Sureblade. There are a few manafixers in here which would have been nice, but you need spells to cast with all this fixed mana.

Pack 3 pick 5:

Unbender Tine, Forest, Godtracker of Jund, Igneous Pouncer, Esper Sojourners, Grizzled Leotau, Ardent Plea, Jhessian Zombies, Ethersworn Shieldmage, Naya Sojourners, Gorger Wurm

I wish Shieldmage had Fear so he would truly be the Spanish Inquisition SURPRISE! What a guy.

Pack 3 pick 6:

Architects of Will, Deny Reality, Grizzled Leotau, Valley Rannet, Bant Sojourners, Sanctum Plowbeast, Skyclaw Thrash, Drastic Revelation, Mind Funeral, Swamp

Andy makes me take Skyclaw Thrash. Very good pick, we are splashing anyway and he's an artifact.

Pack 3 pick 7:

Wildfield Borderpost, Architects of Will, Valley Rannet, Bant Sojourners, Sanctum Plowbeast, Enlisted Wurm, Double Negative, Flurry of Wings, Forest

I repeat - "Pack 3 pick 7:". Enlisted Wurm...

Pack 3 pick 8:

Offering to Asha, Vithian Renegades, Mountain, Putrid Leech, Demonic Dread, Magefire Wings, Arsenal Thresher, Glassdust Hulk

Putrid Leech...

Pack 3 pick 9:

Wildfield Borderpost, Mistvein Borderpost, Demonic Dread, Offering to Asha, Mask of Riddles, Etherwrought Page, Swamp

Just the droid we were looking for, GW borderpost.

Pack 3 pick 10:

Deny Reality, Sigiled Behemoth, Kathari Remnant, Mage Slayer, Anathemancer, Island

Kathari Remnant is a solid control card, keeping dirt away all game and fetching up a creature to make up for the fact that you're playing a wall.

Pack 3 pick 11:

Bant Sojourners, Sanctum Plowbeast, Shield of the Righteous, Tainted Sigil, Plains

Sanctum Plowbeast helps us fix our mana.

Pack 3 pick 12-15:

Grixis Sojourners, Esper Sojourners, Sanctum Plowbeast, Forest

Another Plowbeast helps us fix the manas if we needs it. We came through with a good control deck in the end. We got a 4-11 one match with the Scourglass. Blew out a 12/9 First Strike creature with Shieldmage in the same game. One guy Unsummoned our Enlisted Wurm too, when he was in approximately zero danger, much appreciated.

With this article we make special mention to say goodbye to Damage on the Stack. Magic Online's update tomorrow brings with it the new rules. Farewell old friend, R.I.P. xxx

M10 Sealed

By Jim Marlow

Hey everyone,

I have been busy at work and with various other distractions so im afraid i havent been doing too many articles or anything. I won a couple of boosters and got some more to make up a sealed pool, i was going to look at it and build it but seeing as the last one got a solid response i thought i would publish the pool anyway... although from the looks of it, the build is almost certainly g/b/r in some form.

1 x open the vaults
1 x master of the wild hunt
1 x goblin artillery
1 x prodigal pyromancer
1 x assassinate
2 x bramble creeper
1 x howl of the night pack
1 x overrun
1 x stampeding rhino
1 x siege gang commander
1 x darksteel colossus
1 x naturalize (foil)
1 x llanowar elves
1 x rampant growth
1 x pyroclasm
2 x deadly recluse
1 x disentomb
2 x doom blade
2 x razorfoot griffen
2 x essence scatter
1 x raging goblin
1 x excommunicate
1 x soul warden
1 x merfolk looter
2 x burst of speed
1 x ornithoper
1 x stone giant
1 x negate
2 x zombie goliath
1 x horned turtle
2 x kindled fury
1 x entangling vines
1 x lava axe
1 x divine verdict
1 x kelinore bat
1 x howling mine
1 x howling banshee
1 x wurm's tooth
1 x white knight
1 x jump
1 x palace guard
1 x sparkmage apprentice
1 x shatter
2 x burning inquiry
1 x serpent of the endless sea
1 x soul bleed
1 x lifelink
1 x jackal familiar
1 x convincing mirage
1 x air elemental
1 x wall of faith
1 x trumpet blast
1 x stormfront pegasus
1 x undead slayer
1 x diabolic tutor
1 x time scour
1 x righteousness
1 x telepathy
1 x unsummon
1 x veteran swordsmith
1 x unholy strength

Well that's the pool, i will add to the post with my final build tomorrow morning, but from where im sitting it's pretty straightforward, just a case of how much to splash black, because the g/r doesnt offer too many 3-5 mana dudes, but the deeper you go into black the less effective the howl of the night pack is, although the howl plus master of the wild hunt is pretty sexy, and so is siege gang, so i guess i would only splash for the 2 doom blades, assassinate and the kelinore bat maybe.

Anyway, have fun messing with this pool, once again i imagine iv missed a trick here.

More fun to come soon


Until then,


Jim


As always,feel free to comment on anything about this article, or anything unrelated to magic whatsoever. If you would like to contribute to the TLM blog, please email any ideas, articles, pictures or anything else to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk

Punt of the Week #3

By Ben Scoones

Hey everyone, this is Ben Scoones from Cambridge. Some of you probably know me already or we've met briefly at a PTQ. I've been told by Wagz that you like to read about punts, so here's one that happened the other day.

It's a Shadowmoor sealed event, as I'm pretty bored of ACR draft and prep for nats so feel like playing an actual fun format. It's round 2, game 1 and the (relevant) board state is the following:

Me: Wickerbough Elder (with counter still on), 1 untapped Forest, Duergar Assailant.

My opponent: An attacking Duergar Mine Captain (untapped after his ability was activated) equipped with Scourge of the Nobilis (so it's a 5/3). He also has Bloodmark Mentor and 3 white mana untapped.

I assume that he has some form of trick, most likely a Fire at Will (having tapped his mana specifically to leave WWW). So, before blocking I remove the -1/-1 counter from my Wickerbough Elder to destroy the Scourge of the Nobilis, making his Duergar Mine Captain a 3/1 first striker. I then block with the Wickerbough thinking if he has fire at will he stacks damage, kills my guy and then I kill his with the duergar assailant (this is online btw, for those of you questioning why damage is still stacking). Instead of making this play however, he decides to Fire at Will my Wickerbough Elder before damage. Rather than letting my Elder die, I shoot his Mine Captain with my Assailant. The end result of this is that his guy dies, he's wasted a very good trick, lost a Scourge of the Nobilis and all it's cost me is my Duergar Assailant and my guy getting +1/+1. As if this wasn't enough, following his rather poor play he decides to concede the entire match! Sure, why not, I'll take that win.

Standard musings

By Jim Marlow

Hey everyone,

I had hoped to not write about my current thoughts on standard, and what i'll be playing for quite some time, mainly because i had very few thoughts at all on it. I was hoping to wait for the US nationals to get me a netdeck for nationals (if i need one), in case i decide to go on the grind with a T2 deck.

Having said that, i think it would be foolish to ignore the other nats going on around this time, in particular the japanese and australian nats, which yielded some interesting decks, and lead me to pretty much decide on what ill be playing come August.

This is a slightly tweaked version of Shuuhei's list from Japanese Nats, ill probably be playing something similar, dependant on various tech revelations from US nats.

3 x mulldrifter
3 x plumeveil
3 x broodmate dragon

4 x cryptic command
3 x broken ambitions
3 x agony warp
4 x esper charm

4 x firespout
2 x hallowed burial

3 x cruel ultimatum
2 x ajani vengeant

4 x vivid creek
3 x vivid marsh
2 x vivid meadow
2 x vivid crag
4 x reflecting pool
3 x sunken ruins
2 x mystic gate
2 x cascade bluffs
1 x exotic orchid
3 x island

S/B
3 x anathemancer
2 x identity crisis
2 x runed halo
2 x wall or reverence
1 x hallowed burial
2 x volcanic fallout
3 x great sable stag


This is what im playing at the moment, it seems to be pretty good, so its probably what ill be playing at grinders, so fingers crossed. I think all the matchups are ok, i would like to see how this does against combo elves, but im guessing that anything with counterspells and sweepers should be ok because as long as i can counter the primals and regal forces i can sweep before being swarmed.

More sealed and draft articles to come this week so look out for them,


See you Soon.


Until then,


Jim


As always,feel free to comment on anything about this article, or anything unrelated to magic whatsoever. If you would like to contribute to the TLM blog, please email any ideas, articles, pictures or anything else to ss07jm@leeds.ac.uk

Drafting with Wagz #4 - With added Fu

By Wagz

Tonight's draft was in conjunction with Fu. It is a good idea to draft with other people because you get to discuss picks and plays. If you cannot justify your pick/play to another person then maybe it isn't the best idea anyway. It also means you both might find new cards you otherwise wouldn't play with and such. I have drafted with Rik, Joe Churcher, Martin, Ben Heath, Andy Edwards and Mick Edwards at various points and it's always more fun in numbers :). Note that this is illegal in real life Magic but unenforcable online. Onto the picks:

------ ALA ------

Pack 1 pick 1:

Sigil Blessing, Court Archers, Viashino Skeleton, Call to Heel, Excommunicate, Viscera Dragger, Carrion Thrash, Vithian Stinger, Gift of the Gargantuan, Outrider of Jhess, Blood Cultist, Dragon's Herald, Corpse Connoisseur, Tezzeret the Seeker, Mountain

We take the Mythic Rare. Online you are more prone to take cards worth Tix since you can more easily get your money back, but Planeswalkers are nearly always great anyway. Tezzeret is IMO by far the weakest Planeswalker, at least in Draft, but you can build a deck around him and is an excellent start to an Artifact deck.

Pack 1 pick 2:

Cancel, Obelisk of Jund, Volcanic Submersion, Rakeclaw Gargantuan, Onyx Goblet, Spell Snip, Guardians of Akrasa, Goblin Mountaineer, Shore Snapper, Qasali Ambusher, Demon's Herald, Sangrite Surge, Quietus Spike, Island

I am always happy to abandon Tezzeret after picking him and want to take Qasali Ambusher but Fu convinces me to go with the Quietus Spike since UB and UW have good fliers you can equip it to. I don't like paying 3 to equip stuff unless it's a Hammer since it is not good tempo until late late game.

Pack 1 pick 3:

Viashino Skeleton, Call to Heel, Excommunicate, Viscera Dragger, Druid of the Anima, Thorn-Thrash Viashino, Soul's Grace, Mosstodon, Waveskimmer Aven, Elvish Visionary, Jund Battlemage, Angel's Herald, Forest

The green drafter in me again wants me to take Waveskimmer Aven but we take the Viscera Dragger. It's a fairly solid card anyway and helps us to pass a lot of Green cards for signals.

Pack 1 pick 4:

Kederekt Creeper, Resounding Roar, Jhessian Lookout, Welkin Guide, Undead Leotau, Obelisk of Grixis, Blister Beetle, Cavern Thoctar, Angelic Benediction, Sphinx's Herald, Gather Specimens, Swamp

Still good Naya cards in here, but Blister Beetle is good - better than it used to be even, so we take the little critter. We are wary of having too few artifacts - not many getting passed is not a good sign.

Pack 1 pick 5:

Tortoise Formation, Coma Veil, Sanctum Gargoyle, Etherium Sculptor (FOIL), Outrider of Jhess, Grixis Panorama, Obelisk of Bant, Seaside Citadel, Bant Battlemage, Scourge Devil, Mountain

Or is it? We obv take Sanctum Gargoyle but are not sure what's going on. Was there a better artifact in there? We just need to buckle down and cut our colours heavily now since there's not really anything to move into.

Pack 1 pick 6:

Thorn-Thrash Viashino, Yoked Plowbeast, Banewasp Affliction, Rakeclaw Gargantuan (FOIL), Soul's Grace, Kathari Screecher, Scavenger Drake, Dawnray Archer, Immortal Coil, Plains

I convince Fu to take the Kathari Screecher now as it curves well and has Unearth but he wanted the Scavenger Drake. I like that guy as well but it just doesn't do enough quick enough any more.

Pack 1 pick 7:

Steelclad Serpent, Marble Chalice, Viscera Dragger, Obelisk of Grixis, Resounding Scream, Bloodthorn Taunter, Cavern Thoctar, Sunseed Nurturer, Plains

A second Viscera Dragger is much better than a Steelclad Serpent and gives us a better Black deck. We are losing the artifact focus and may just be splashing Sanctum Gargoyle, we'll see.

Pack 1 pick 8:

Goblin Mountaineer, Carrion Thrash, Glaze Fiend, Gift of the Gargantuan, Obelisk of Bant, Esper Charm, Cunning Lethemancer, Forest

Esper Charm isn't a bad pick here, it means the guys a couple to our right probably aren't in Esper, or that the shard is under-drafted around the table.

Pack 1 pick 9:

Viashino Skeleton, Carrion Thrash, Gift of the Gargantuan, Outrider of Jhess, Dragon's Herald, Corpse Connoisseur, Mountain

Corpse Connoisseur is not as good as he used to be. Having said that, we have 3 Unearth cards already so we do take it.

Pack 1 pick 10:

Volcanic Submersion, Onyx Goblet, Shore Snapper, Demon's Herald, Sangrite Surge, Island

Onyx Goblet might combo with Tezzeret?

Pack 1 pick 11-15

Excommunicate, Undead Leotau, Coma Veil, Soul's Grace, Plains

Leotau is fine, not much to see here.

------ CON ------

Pack 2 pick 1:

Esper Cormorants, Unsummon, Rhox Meditant, Vedalken Outlander, Absorb Vis, Brackwater Elemental, Suicidal Charge, Maniacal Rage, Rotting Rats, Goblin Outlander, Vagrant Plowbeasts, Gluttonous Slime, Esperzoa, Rakka Mar, Island

I have come to the conclusion that Esperzoa is a trick, he's far too slow in real life. Doesn't work without several Moxen. Esper Cormorants is obviously fine but I make us take Rakka Mar. She is an absolute bomb if we are willing to splash Red and it doesn't look like artifacts are working out for us.

Pack 2 pick 2:

Matca Rioters, Darklit Gargoyle, Wretched Banquet, Esper Cormorants, Quenchable Fire, Tukatongue Thallid, Lapse of Certainty, Rupture Spire, Suicidal Charge, Ancient Ziggurat, Nacatl Hunt-Pride, Viashino Slaughtermaster, Exotic Orchard, Plains

Shame to pass a second Esper Cormorants, but Exotic Orchard is really great in the format.

Pack 2 pick 3:

Dark Temper, Frontline Sage, Aven Squire, Wretched Banquet, Sylvan Bounty, Canyon Minotaur, Constricting Tendrils, Tukatongue Thallid, Asha's Favor, Corrupted Roots, Spore Burst, Dreadwing, Island

Dark Temper is a fine removal spell if we are increasing our Red quotient with so many Black creatures already.

Pack 2 pick 4:

Pestilent Kathari, Valeron Outlander, Armillary Sphere, Aven Trailblazer, Brackwater Elemental, Exploding Borders, Maniacal Rage, Nacatl Outlander, Sludge Strider (FOIL), Cumber Stone, Reliquary Tower, Plains

Armillary Sphere will obviously help our mana, but Sludge Strider is what we take, hoping to revive our artifact theme.

Pack 2 pick 5:

Bone Saw, Sedraxis Alchemist, Vedalken Outlander, Rhox Bodyguard, Wandering Goblins, Valiant Guard, Salvage Slasher, Jhessian Balmgiver, Nacatl Hunt-Pride, Elder Mastery, Mountain

We take Sedraxis Alchemist, and excellent creature in UB.

Pack 2 pick 6:

Absorb Vis, Valeron Outlander, Sylvan Bounty, Aven Squire, Pestilent Kathari, Asha's Favor, Grixis Illusionist, Lapse of Certainty, Shard Convergence, Forest

We'll need this Absorb Vis to cast our splashed spells.

Pack 2 pick 7:

Darklit Gargoyle, Wretched Banquet, Quenchable Fire, Tukatongue Thallid, Lapse of Certainty, Rupture Spire, Suicidal Charge, Gluttonous Slime, Mountain

Ditto about Rupture Spire

Pack 2 pick 8:

Absorb Vis, Unsummon (FOIL), Asha's Favor, Grixis Illusionist, Lapse of Certainty, Ancient Ziggurat, Controlled Instincts, Swamp

I think I put together a decent case for Ziggurat but we go with the more consistent Absorb Vis, which will help cast any Thopter Foundries or Terminates we see in pack 3.

Pack 2 pick 9:

Unsummon, Rhox Meditant, Vedalken Outlander, Brackwater Elemental, Rotting Rats, Goblin Outlander, Island

Can't argue with an Outlander. We take the Goblin one but I can see Fu's not keen. Probably should have taken the artifact one as it's fetchable, but pro: white is much more relevant in shards limited.

Pack 2 pick 10:

Wretched Banquet, Quenchable Fire, Tukatongue Thallid, Lapse of Certainty, Ancient Ziggurat, Plains

Wretched Banquet is a removal spell, which we sorely need.

Pack 2 pick 11-15:

Corrupted Roots, Cumber Stone, Salvage Slasher, Asha's Favor, Mountain

Cumber Stone is a good sideboard card. I like to play it main if I have 2 or more.

------ ARB ------

Pack 3 pick 1:

Vithian Renegades, Meddling Mage, Mountain, Bant Sojourners, Sigiled Behemoth, Etherium Abomination, Esper Sojourners, Enlisted Wurm, Marrow Chomper, Sewn-Eye Drake, Mistvein Borderpost, Glassdust Hulk, Bant Sureblade, Terminate, Igneous Pouncer

A quick check reveals Meddling Mage is going for 1.2 Tix, so we take the Terminate.

Pack 3 pick 2:

Sanity Gnawers, Sages of the Anima, Forest, Godtracker of Jund, Igneous Pouncer, Esper Sojourners, Grizzled Leotau, Stun Sniper, Singe-Mind Ogre, Deadshot Minotaur, Talon Trooper, Grixis Grimblade, Soul Manipulation, Offering to Asha

Grixis Grimblade is one of my preferred Blades and is welcome in our early-drop-light deck.

Pack 3 pick 3:

Colossal Might, Jhessian Zombies, Ethersworn Shieldmage, Naya Sojourners, Gorger Wurm, Vedalken Ghoul, Violent Outburst, Naya Hushblade, Vectis Dominator, Firewild Borderpost, Demonspine Whip, Etherwrought Page, Plains

We want to take the Shieldmage, but Fu's brother (a national team member) won a draft with 3 Etherwrought Pages so we take it to try it out.

Pack 3 pick 4:

Fieldmist Borderpost, Putrid Leech, Colossal Might, Pale Recluse, Naya Sojourners, Demonic Dread, Magefire Wings, Sigil of the Nayan Gods, Arsenal Thresher, Unbender Tine, Dragon Appeasement, Mountain

Fieldmist Borderpost helps us a lot.

Pack 3 pick 5:

Singe-Mind Ogre, Soul Manipulation, Stormcaller's Boon, Veinfire Borderpost, Jund Sojourners, Breath of Malfegor, Etherium Abomination, Gloryscale Viashino, Mage Slayer, Anathemancer, Island

As does Veinfire Borderpost.

Pack 3 pick 6:

Gorger Wurm, Leonin Armorguard, Architects of Will, Fieldmist Borderpost, Arsenal Thresher, Demonic Dread, Offering to Asha, Firewild Borderpost, Morbid Bloom, Mountain

As does Fieldmist Borderpost. We now have good mana, possibly.

Pack 3 pick 7:

Swamp, Godtracker of Jund, Igneous Pouncer, Esper Sojourners, Grizzled Leotau, Zealous Persecution, Singe-Mind Ogre, Jhessian Zombies (FOIL), Offering to Asha

Fu wants Esper Sojourners, I want Igneous Pouncer. We take Zealous Persecution as it is really strong.

Pack 3 pick 8:

Jhessian Zombies, Ethersworn Shieldmage, Naya Sojourners, Vedalken Ghoul, Violent Outburst, Vectis Dominator, Fight to the Death, Mountain

I think we just got flashed by a Shieldmage. This guy is the nuts.

Pack 3 pick 9:

Mountain, Bant Sojourners, Esper Sojourners, Mistvein Borderpost, Glassdust Hulk, Bant Sureblade, Igneous Pouncer

The good thing about few people drafting Esper is that you get stuff like Glassdust Hulk tabling.

Pack 3 pick 10:

Sages of the Anima, Forest, Godtracker of Jund, Igneous Pouncer, Esper Sojourners, Offering to Asha

Got my Igneous Pouncer. I love this guy. I've swung for the win out of nowhere for no reason with him a few times.

Pack 3 pick 11:

Ethersworn Shieldmage, Vedalken Ghoul, Violent Outburst, Vectis Dominator, Plains

2nd Shieldmage is very welcome.

Pack 3 pick 12-15:

Unbender Tine, Etherium Abomination, Demonic Dread, Swamp

We won the draft with more than a bit of luck. We didn't play optimally (I had the mouse, so it was mostly my fault) but curved out pretty well and didn't get manascrewed. We managed to Shieldmage our opponents first guy game one all 3 matches, but one of them had Call to Heel for his own guy. We never did draw Rakka Mar but always had the mana for her, which never interfered with playing our other guys. Tezzeret was less than awesome for us, getting us 3 Borderposts and 1 Etherwrought Page. He did save us some damage and fix our mana though, so he was probably worth it. I drew the right lands at the right time a lot too, Fu had a face of disbelief :).

Anyway, the moral is: draft with other people because you will get a new experience out of it. If anyone wants to draft with me (and has a draft set on MTGO) then let me know and I'll try to find some time. Cheers guys, Wagz