Magic: the Gathering [Official Topic]

[jwolf0]

2 Deathmask Replicator

Not familiar with that card at all, the rest of the deck looks pretty standard although I'm curious as to how Red Akroma is working out. I'd guess the SB has Indrik Stomphowlers for Art/Ench removal, Platinum Angels, etc?

Maybe a Harmonize (2GG, Sorcery, Draw Three Cards) or two in those replicator slots?

 

[GenocideHeart]

2 Deathmask Replicator

Not familiar with that card at all, the rest of the deck looks pretty standard although I'm curious as to how Red Akroma is working out. I'd guess the SB has Indrik Stomphowlers for Art/Ench removal, Platinum Angels, etc?

Maybe a Harmonize (2GG, Sorcery, Draw Three Cards) or two in those replicator slots?

Sorry, meant Death-Mask Duplicant.

http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetail...ask%20Duplicant

It is specifically for when the opponent manages to take out one or more of the two Akromas. It basically lets them return to play as an artifact.

And yeah, the Stomphowlers are in the sideboard, although getting Akroma, Angel of Wrath out pretty much shuts down the most popular anti-creature enchantments.

As for the Red Akroma... it gave the blue decks running around here major fits. :snigger:

The Abuna/Platinum Angel combo is also in the side. I like to keep my options plentiful.

 

[lord geryon]

The Abuna/Platinum Angel combo is also in the side. I like to keep my options plentiful.

Instead of the Abuna, I'd use Hanna's Custody. People are less likely to have enchantment removal than they are creature removal. Plus, it's cheaper in casting cost. ^.^

 

[GenocideHeart]

The Abuna/Platinum Angel combo is also in the side. I like to keep my options plentiful.

Instead of the Abuna, I'd use Hanna's Custody. People are less likely to have enchantment removal than they are creature removal. Plus, it's cheaper in casting cost. ^.^

Not around here. Thanks to Pillory of the Sleepless, Indrik Stomphowlers and other enchantment kills are all over the place.

 

[lord geryon]

The Abuna/Platinum Angel combo is also in the side. I like to keep my options plentiful.

Instead of the Abuna, I'd use Hanna's Custody. People are less likely to have enchantment removal than they are creature removal. Plus, it's cheaper in casting cost. ^.^

Not around here. Thanks to Pillory of the Sleepless, Indrik Stomphowlers and other enchantment kills are all over the place.

You could use both, if you really wanted to make the angel a pain to get rid of.

An Abuna/Custody/Angel combo would require a good number of your opponent's removal spells to get rid of the Angel, provided they even had them all in hand. And, even if they did manage to do it, you've still cost them three cards for your three that are harder to get back than your Angel and Abuna. A favorable outcome, if they manage to get rid of them all.

 

[GenocideHeart]

The Abuna/Platinum Angel combo is also in the side. I like to keep my options plentiful.

Instead of the Abuna, I'd use Hanna's Custody. People are less likely to have enchantment removal than they are creature removal. Plus, it's cheaper in casting cost. ^.^

Not around here. Thanks to Pillory of the Sleepless, Indrik Stomphowlers and other enchantment kills are all over the place.

You could use both, if you really wanted to make the angel a pain to get rid of.

An Abuna/Custody/Angel combo would require a good number of your opponent's removal spells to get rid of the Angel, provided they even had them all in hand. And, even if they did manage to do it, you've still cost them three cards for your three that are harder to get back than your Angel and Abuna. A favorable outcome, if they manage to get rid of them all.

The big problem is that you can't tutor for Hanna's Custody with Tooth & Nail. It's creatures only.

 

[lord geryon]

The Abuna/Platinum Angel combo is also in the side. I like to keep my options plentiful.

Instead of the Abuna, I'd use Hanna's Custody. People are less likely to have enchantment removal than they are creature removal. Plus, it's cheaper in casting cost. ^.^

Not around here. Thanks to Pillory of the Sleepless, Indrik Stomphowlers and other enchantment kills are all over the place.

You could use both, if you really wanted to make the angel a pain to get rid of.

An Abuna/Custody/Angel combo would require a good number of your opponent's removal spells to get rid of the Angel, provided they even had them all in hand. And, even if they did manage to do it, you've still cost them three cards for your three that are harder to get back than your Angel and Abuna. A favorable outcome, if they manage to get rid of them all.

The big problem is that you can't tutor for Hanna's Custody with Tooth & Nail. It's creatures only.

Alas, ye must resort to the old ways of top-decking.

 

[grant]

Of course custody isn't legal in Extended, and its common to see decks using wrath and damnation.

 

[GenocideHeart]

Of course custody isn't legal in Extended, and its common to see decks using wrath and damnation.

That's a minor factor, since lately I play strictly casual...

 

[GenocideHeart]

One more deck I've been mucking around with:

CREATURES: (23)

4x Dauthi Slayer
4x Plagued Rusalka
4x Dross Golem
4x Withered Wretch
4x Nightshade Assassin
2x Graveborn Muse
1x Plague Sliver

SPELLS: (15)

4x Umezawa's Jitte
4x Phthisis
3x Rime Transfusion
3x Phyrexian Totem
1x Debtors' Knell


LANDS: (22)
2x Mouth of Ronom
1x Urborg
19x Snow-Covered Swamp

EDIT: Edited out the Italian. :snigger:

 

[jwolf0]

The Nightshade Assassins seem out of place GH. You have no way to discard them for profit (madness) and black has lots of ways to kill things. If you want to keep creature kill in, Tendrils of Corruption would work as well and gain life to boot. Of course, if you still want the 2/1 body Nekrataal works too.

I'm assuming you want to go aggro, so Nether Traitor and Bad Moon (both in Time Spiral) are good options for you too. Nether Traitor can come back, so you can have semi-constant beats. The singleton Debtor's Knell is kinda odd - 7 mana with 22 lands + 3 Totems is asking a lot.

Of course since you're playing casually, mise well go whole hog and play Hatred too, right? :snigger:

Don't have much to contribute on the decklist side - shipping to Kuwait means playing MODO to get my Magic fix, and right slow too. Means I'll be behind on collecting 10th and the Lorwyn block as well... did anyone here go to Magic Game Day? If so, thoughts on 10th Edition?

 

[GenocideHeart]

The Nightshade Assassins seem out of place GH.? You have no way to discard them for profit (madness) and black has lots of ways to kill things.? If you want to keep creature kill in, Tendrils of Corruption would work as well and gain life to boot.? Of course, if you still want the 2/1 body Nekrataal works too.?

The Nightshade Assassins are in because everyone and their mom where I live plays Stuffy Doll, and neither Nekrataal nor Tendrils can deal with it (it's indestructible, and damaging it will just kill me. And I'm NOT letting those Red decks play Shivan Meteor on it...).

I COULD use something like Riot Spikes to get rid of it (it's just0/1 after all), but that'd mean taking four creatures out. And the First Strike is nice along with Jitte.

The Debtor's Knell is a lategame card that can get me out of a pinch if the opponent has somehow locked my creatures down. By recurring more creatures than they can handle, I can break most stalemates.

I would LIKE to use Nether Traitor, but I don't own any in real life, and I only have a single Bad Moon (which I would have punted for the Jitte anyway)... so...

The Totems aren't there for just mana, they are there to deal with Wrath/Damnation. Most of the time, casting either when I have a Totem out is just asking for an ass-kicking, so they are a very potent means of discouraging such plays.

Of course, I could make this deck Standard-legal by ditching the non-Standard cards (the Kamigawa ones and the Wretches, which IIRC weren't timeshifted and are thus Onslaught block only). But that severely dumbs it down, and forces me to spend way too much on a casual deck...

(alternatively to the Assassins, I could use the Keening Banshees from Ravnica, who are 2/2 flyers that slap any creature for -2/-2 when they enter play, but I only have 2...)

 

[jwolf0]

The Nightshade Assassins are in because everyone and their mom where I live plays Stuffy Doll, and neither Nekrataal nor Tendrils can deal with it (it's indestructible, and damaging it will just kill me. And I'm NOT letting those Red decks play Shivan Meteor on it...).

I COULD use something like Riot Spikes to get rid of it (it's just0/1 after all), but that'd mean taking four creatures out. And the First Strike is nice along with Jitte.

The Debtor's Knell is a lategame card that can get me out of a pinch if the opponent has somehow locked my creatures down. By recurring more creatures than they can handle, I can break most stalemates.

I would LIKE to use Nether Traitor, but I don't own any in real life, and I only have a single Bad Moon (which I would have punted for the Jitte anyway)... so...

The Totems aren't there for just mana, they are there to deal with Wrath/Damnation. Most of the time, casting either when I have a Totem out is just asking for an ass-kicking, so they are a very potent means of discouraging such plays.

Of course, I could make this deck Standard-legal by ditching the non-Standard cards (the Kamigawa ones and the Wretches, which IIRC weren't timeshifted and are thus Onslaught block only). But that severely dumbs it down, and forces me to spend way too much on a casual deck...

(alternatively to the Assassins, I could use the Keening Banshees from Ravnica, who are 2/2 flyers that slap any creature for -2/-2 when they enter play, but I only have 2...)

Ah, good 'ol Stuffy Doll. Are people using it with snow lands and Skred too? Good times.... That explains the Rusalkas then. I do like Riot Spikes, although you do need more creatures in that case. I understand the Knell, but I'm guessing the standoffs you're referring to at a bunch of creatures staring at each other? A control deck shouldn't have issues countering the Knell....

Good points about the casual/Standard, although Wretches were timeshifted. Using Jittes in casual matches seems mean to me , but I haven't really played casual since I thought flipping coins to keep my creatures in play was cool. :hmm:

Course, it's not like I've played on the Pro Tour or anything either. :sweat2:

Incidentally I dunno how many follow the Pro Tour and stuff, but the last PT (Two-Headed Giant format) were won by guys who drafted slivers all day. They poisoned at least two teams by turn 6. Also a deck featuring 30+ slivers is currently the big rage online. Article and decklist here: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=mtgcom/daily/bd288

 

[MannequinMuse]

Does anyone else feel that reprinting Platinum Angel in Tenth was not a good idea?

Seriously Counter-Tron does not need something new.

 

[GenocideHeart]

Ah, good 'ol Stuffy Doll. Are people using it with snow lands and Skred too? Good times.... That explains the Rusalkas then. I do like Riot Spikes, although you do need more creatures in that case. I understand the Knell, but I'm guessing the standoffs you're referring to at a bunch of creatures staring at each other? A control deck shouldn't have issues countering the Knell....

Two clarifications:

1) The Rusalka aren't there to deal with Stuffy Doll, they are there to keep nasty auras from resolving (like Faith's Fetters or Pillory of the Sleepless). By taking out the creature they are aiming at, I can keep them from landing those things. Admittedly, that'd be extra effective if I could recur the creatures I sack, but alas, I lack Nether Traitor...

2) Debtor's Knell I found breaks the mirror match, and is also phenomenally bad news for people who try to abuse mass reset later in the game. I might remove it in favor of another Plague Sliver (wich really ruins a Sliver player's day).

Good points about the casual/Standard, although Wretches were timeshifted. Using Jittes in casual matches seems mean to me , but I haven't really played casual since I thought flipping coins to keep my creatures in play was cool.

My so-called 'friends' have no qualms using Power Nine in casual matches, so why should I hesitate in using Jitte? I do occasionally replace them with Kusari-Gama, mind you. The one-sided Pyroclasm that ensues should one of my creatures be blocked tends to be discouragement enough to make people let my critters through.

Does anyone else feel that reprinting Platinum Angel in Tenth was not a good idea?

Seriously Counter-Tron does not need something new.

Please, tell me they did not also reprint Tooth and Nail. I really don't want to see a new T&N in Standard. :no:

 

[jwolf0]

They reprinted Platinum Angel (voted in by fans), but Tooth & Nail and the Urzatron are both out.

Although I can't pick up any of the 10th cards, I like that they brought back the Man-lands (Treetop Village, Faerie Conclave, etc.) and some legends. Squee! :yay:

 

[GenocideHeart]

Hopefully they didn't do anything silly like reprinting Cloudpost. Otherwise, Vesuva and the Post will replace the Tron just fine.

 

[grant]

Already found four of the Masticore's, now to find Sqee's. For the decklist, I'd try to add phyrexian arena. But why exactly do you have an Urborg?

 

[GenocideHeart]

For the decklist, I'd try to add phyrexian arena. But why exactly do you have an Urborg?

The Graveborn Muses effectively replace Phyrexian Arena. As for 'why Urborg'... It's mostly to get rid of Skulking Knights, which some suicide black decks use around here. It doesn't matter if the target doesn't have the abilities that Urborg can remove, you can still target the creature with the effect, and as soon as the Knights are targeted they die.

The Knights are infrequent enough around here that I can get away with only running one copy of Urborg, and since it still gives me black mana, it's all fine and dandy.

 

[MannequinMuse]

For the decklist, I'd try to add phyrexian arena. But why exactly do you have an Urborg?

The Graveborn Muses effectively replace Phyrexian Arena. As for 'why Urborg'... It's mostly to get rid of Skulking Knights, which some suicide black decks use around here. It doesn't matter if the target doesn't have the abilities that Urborg can remove, you can still target the creature with the effect, and as soon as the Knights are targeted they die.

The Knights are infrequent enough around here that I can get away with only running one copy of Urborg, and since it still gives me black mana, it's all fine and dandy.

Arena will still be good because creature removal is much more common that enchantment removal

 

[GenocideHeart]

Arena will still be good because creature removal is much more common that enchantment removal

Not in my metagame, it isn't. Faith's Fetters and Pillory of the Sleepless, not to mention Palliation Accord and Paradox Haze, are EVERYWHERE, so enchantment kill goes a dime a dozen in my metagame.

If I use the Arenas, they'll nuke them as soon as I bring them out. With the Muses, it's less likely to happen - worst case scenario, they'd try to Fetter them, to which I'd respond by Rusalka'ing them and making them waste the damn thing, possibly gtting a 2-for-1 exchange.

 

[MannequinMuse]

Arena will still be good because creature removal is much more common that enchantment removal

Not in my metagame, it isn't. Faith's Fetters and Pillory of the Sleepless, not to mention Palliation Accord and Paradox Haze, are EVERYWHERE, so enchantment kill goes a dime a dozen in my metagame.

If I use the Arenas, they'll nuke them as soon as I bring them out. With the Muses, it's less likely to happen - worst case scenario, they'd try to Fetter them, to which I'd respond by Rusalka'ing them and making them waste the damn thing, possibly gtting a 2-for-1 exchange.

Eh, my meta is really different due to large amounts of MGA and white weenie.

Personally I run either Tug or 21.

Edit: I just realized I can't run tug anymore NOOO

 

[grant]

I thought the Urborg was the more recent Tomb of Yawgmoth.

 

[GenocideHeart]

I thought the Urborg was the more recent Tomb of Yawgmoth.

No, it's classic Urborg. If I really wanted to abuse the Tomb of Yawgmoth, I'd run four of it and either swampwalkers or four copies of Corrupt. :snigger:

 

[GenocideHeart]

I tinkered with the deck. Thoughts?

CREATURES: (23)

4x Dauthi Slayer
4x Plagued Rusalka
4x Dross Golem
4x Withered Wretch
4x Nightshade Assassin
2x Graveborn Muse
1x Plague Sliver

SPELLS: (15)

4x Umezawa's Jitte
4x Phthisis
4x Grafted Wargear
3x Phyrexian Totem


LANDS: (22)
3x Mouth of Ronom
19x Snow-Covered Swamp

Note the Grafted Wargears. They tend to be lethal along with Shadow creatures - they take them out of most burn range and allow them to smash for 5 every turn. They also make the Nightshade Assassins a pain to deal with - a 2/1 first striker is one thing, but a 5/3 first striker is something most people can't handle in combat, and it is STILL out of Shock range.

I also killed Urborg and added one more Mouth of Ronom.