They built it. I played it. And it made me feel dirty.
Last week I listed the Isperia deck, and this week I took it to EDH League. I made a few changes, some out of necessity, some out of desire.
First off, Top was out. I play it all the time. I took Sean McKeown suggestion of Scrying Glass, which combos nicely with the General. I actually couldn’t find an Eternal Dragon in my piles of cards, so I replaced it with Archon of Redemption, which the deck really seemed to miss. My Paths to Exile were all busy, so I just dumped in Swords to Plowshares. Similarly, I didn’t have an available Martial Coup, so I played Akroma’s Vengeance instead. I couldn’t find a Muddle the Mixture (I’m not sure what happened to my RAV block commons—I’m out of the bounce lands too), so I put in one of my favorite counterspells, Desertion. Finally, I’d just sold off all my of my Coalition Relics, so I went completely random: Ur-Golem’s Eye (mostly because a foil one happened to be laying on top of the pile). Could have been Sisay’s Ring. I’m sure if I play the deck more often, I’ll replace it with something better.
For this iteration of the league, there are some changes. First of all, there are new points. Armada did a contest to suggest new ones, and I had a few selected. Here are all the new ones (and who came up with them):
-1 Point
It’s only there for its colors — Finish a game without playing your General. You must have had the ability to play your general at some point in the game to get this award. [Ross C.]
Stupidity Minor — Arguing with another player over a card you are playing and being wrong about the card. [Nate K.]
Variable Points
You must be shrooming – +1 Point for each full 5 letters in your general’s name — Have permanents in play whose first letters completely spell out the name of your general. [Sheldon]
+1 Point
Bandwagon — Play a spell when there are already 3+ spells on the stack. [Sheldon]
Clash of the Titans — Control 5+ Legendary Creatures [Sheldon]
Collusion FTW — Give another player an extra turn. [Sheldon]
Danger Zone — Eliminate an opponent while your life is less than 5. [Christian S.]
Flow of Ideas — Control 3 or more permanents with chainable names. Example: Sword of Fire and Ice -> Ice Cage -> Cage of Hands. An additional point is awarded for each additional card that makes the chain. [Brian R.]
Hey, That Mine! — Gain control of a permanent you own from another player. [Keith B.]
I Brought Friends — Control 3+ Planeswalkers at the same time. [Nate K]
I Suck — Be eliminated from the game or have it end when you have 0 points. This checks after “It was a valiant effort.” [Sheldon]
Mine. Mine! MINE! — Control 1+ permanent owned by each other player that started the game. [Aaron D.]
+2 Points
Here we come again! — Have 2+ extra combat steps in a single turn. [Sheldon]
+3 Points
‘Goyf is not good enough – Deal damage to a creature or player with one of each type of card, excluding Tribal and Planeswalker, in the same turn. [Sheldon]
It’s interesting to note that Ross, who suggested “It’s Only There for the Colors” doesn’t actually play in the League. I think it might be my favorite new one.
Additionally, Michael and Aaron decided to throw in a little chaos: Randomly determined, and starting with turn 1, there is an Enchant World in effect. Every half hour, the Enchant World changes. We’re using the following list:
Arboria – Creatures can’t attack a player unless that player cast a spell or put a nontoken permanent onto the battlefield during his or her last turn.
Caverns of Despair – No more than two creatures can attack each combat. No more than two creatures can block each combat.
Chaosphere – Creatures with flying can block only creatures with flying.
Creatures without flying have reach. (They can block creatures with flying.)
Concordant Crossroads — All creatures have haste.
Eye of Singularity —When Eye of Singularity enters the battlefield, destroy each permanent with the same name as another permanent, except for basic lands. They can’t be regenerated. Whenever a permanent other than a basic land enters the battlefield, destroy all other permanents with that name. They can’t be regenerated.
Field of Dreams — Players play with the top card of their libraries revealed.
Forsaken Wastes — Players can’t gain life.
At the beginning of each player’s upkeep, that player loses 1 life.
Whenever Forsaken Wastes becomes the target of a spell, that spell’s controller loses 5 life.
Gravity Sphere — All creatures lose flying.
In the Eye of Chaos — Whenever a player casts an instant spell, counter it unless that player pays {X}, where X is its converted mana cost.
Land’s Edge — Discard a card: If the discarded card is a land card, Land’s Edge deals 2 damage to target player. Any player may activate this ability.
Mystic Decree — All creatures lose flying and islandwalk.
Revelation — All players play with their hands revealed.
Serra Aviary — Creatures with flying get +1/+1.
Storm World — At the beginning of each player’s upkeep, Storm World deals X damage to that player, where X is 4 minus the number of cards in his or her hand.
Teferi’s Realm — At the beginning of each player’s upkeep, that player chooses artifact, creature, land, or non-Aura enchantment. All nontoken permanents of that type phase out. (While they’re phased out, they’re treated as though they don’t exist. Each one phases in before its controller untaps during his or her next untap step.)
We have 20 players show up for the League, which is awesome. We’re divided into five tables of four. I’m seated with Shea (Ghost Council), David (Jhoira, which immediately raises an eyebrow—although he explains he just wanted to play blue/red and isn’t about to Suspend a bunch of Eldrazi), and Keith (Rubinia Soulsinger).
I also have another deck in play, as Matt Cross has called the shop on his way from work and asked if he can borrow one. I give him the choice of what I have with me, which is Phelddagrif, Karrthus, Kresh, and Lord of Tresserhorn. He choices to eat brains. He decides to not look through the deck, but let stuff be a surprise as he draws things. He’s at the next table over, and at one point he reaches back with Patriarch’s Bidding in his hand, exclaiming “This thing is freaking AWESOME!”
GAME 1
The first Enchant World is Caverns of Despair
TURN 1
Keith: Coastal Tower
Me: Flooded Strand, crack it for Tundra (39).
Shea: Plains, Sol Ring
David: Island
TURN 2
Keith: Greypelt Refuge (41)
Me: Island, Azorius Guildmage. Also later known as ‘bacon-saver.’
Shea: Bounceland
David: Mountain, Izzet Signet
TURN 3
Keith: Tropical Island, Mobilization
Me: Coastal Tower. Attack Shea (38). That Guildmage is awesome.
Shea: Sculpting Steel his own Sol Ring.
David: Island, Jace Beleren. We all draw. I begin to suspect David wasn’t completely honest with his intentions regarding Jhoira.
TURN 4
Keith: Reflecting Pool, and in the continuing tradition of Keith’s cards that I must pick up and read, Jotun Owl-Keeper.
Me: Plains, Ruin Ghost.
Shea: Swamp, Deathless Angel
David: Draws off of Jace. WTF? No love for the table? Now I really wonder. Sisay’s Ring, and Wizardcycles Vedalken Archmage to get Azami. EOT, Keith Worldly Tutors for Wall of Denial.
TURN 5
Keith: Pays the upkeep, plays the Wall.
Me: Nimbus Maze. Since it’s clear that David’s not sharing, I attack Jace.
Shea: Swamp, Battlegrace Angel. Attack me with Deathless Angel (33), him to (41).
David: Island, Azami, we all draw. Sure, now he wants to be friendly.
TURN 6
Keith: Pay upkeep, Qasali Pridemage. Attacks Shea, who trades with the Battlegrace.
Me: Plains, Knight-Captain of Eos
Shea: Eldrazi Temple, Rise from the Grave on Battlegrace Angel.
David: Draws with Jace. Telemin Performance on Shea and then Reiterates it, getting me. Gets It That Betrays from Shea and Patrone of the Kitsune from me.
TURN 7
Keith: Attacks Jace with Bird token for 2. Enclave Cryptologist. I start to panic and then realize it’s not the good one (Lighthouse Chronologist).
Me: I keep mana open to either counter activations or tap Annihilators.
Shea: Mortify It That Betrays. Sins of the Past, getting Rise from the Grave, and regrowing the Eldrazi. Bojuka Bog, targeting David.
David: Jhoira. Suspends Sphinx, which is OK. Suspends Stalking Vengeance, a card I am very familiar with, which is not. Casts Rift Elemental.
TURN 8
Keith: Level up x3.
Me: Keep mana open still. Eldrazi are frightening.
Shea: Declares attacks, I ask who he’s attacking, and he says David. I trust that he’s not lying, so I say ‘go ahead.’ He’s a man of his word. He sacrifices his Signet and asks what happens if he sacrifices Jhoira. This is an interesting ruling, which I completely donkey. I tell him it goes to the Command Zone, so he sacrifices it. Of course, I look it up when I get home just to make sure, and realize I’m wrong. Rule 400.7d applies here: Abilities that trigger when an object moves from one zone to another (for example, “When Rancor is put into a graveyard from the battlefield”) can find the new object that it became in the zone it moved to when the ability triggered. It only cares that the card was sacrificed. David goes to (30), Shea to (56). Casts Ghost Council, ruining my evil plan (I’ll explain later) and drops Dakmor Salvage.
David: Crackleburr and Linessa, Zephyr Mage.
TURN 9
Keith: Treva’s Ruins, and one of the best-named cards ever, Fable of Wolf and Owl. Wall of Blossoms, getting a Wolf and drawing a card. At EOT, I tap David’s two Wizards. I figure I’ll make him draw the cards now, and not have the guys available to block if Shea attacks him again.
Me: My evil plan involves my five creatures, It That Betrays, and Mirrorweave. Ghost Council has thrown a monkey wrench into that. Instead, I cast Opposition, hoping that Keith sees the value in not blowing it up with Pridemage. He does.
Shea: Attacks David again with It That Betrays, Battlegrace and Deathless Angels. David gains 3 from the Patron (33), sacrifices an Island and Rift Elemental and blocks with the Patron (22). Shea then Wraths and responds by sacrificing It That Betrays to Ghost Council. He says “count what goes to the graveyard,” and Keith says “I know what’s coming next!” Indeed, it’s Bitter Ordeal (for 20). David Twincasts, hoping he’ll get 20. I correct him, and we even offer takebacks, but he declines. Shea decides that instead of searching our libraries, he’ll just mill X cards, 7 from me, 7 from Keith, and 6 from David. I pull up 6 lands and Pride of the Clouds, which is better than it could have been. Strategically a dubious choice, but certainly a time-saver. Ghost Council drains Keith (40) when it comes back in, Shea to (57).
David: Niv-Mizzet. Not his General.
TURN 10
Keith: Symbiotic Wurm.
Me: Scroll Rack, Idyllic Tutor for Moat. Someone gives me crap that it’s Italian, not English.
Shea: Using David’s stolen mana, hardcasts Emrakul. I’m so glad I have Opposition. Oh, wait, no dudes.
Shea (Extra Turn): Beacon of Unrest on It That Betrays. This is going to get ugly. Attacks Keith, who sacs Symbiotic Wurm as one of the six, as well as Mobilization.
David: Pings Shea on his draw (56). Knowledge Exploitation on Shea, getting Damnation. Shea responds by sacrificing Symbiotic Wurm to Ghost Council. Fury Charms the last counter off the Sphinx and attacks Shea (50). EOT, drains David (21). Shea to (51).
TURN 11
Keith: Rubinia, Tolarian Academy.
Me: Mistmeadow Witch and Moat.
Shea: Iona for Blue. I wonder now if I’ll ever get to play my General and suffer the penalty.
David: Chandra, pings Shea (50).
TURN 12
Keith: Coalition Relic, steals Iona.
Me: Calciform Pools. Keith asks if I want to cast blue spells, I say “of course,” so he casts Momentous Fall on Iona. Very sporting of him. I cast Isperia and Lightning Greaves, which I equip. At this point, the World Enchantment changes to Mystic Decree. Moat seems REALLY good right now.
Shea: Dread Return on Iona, once again naming blue. Makes some tokens.
David: Pings Shea with Chandra.
TURN 13
Keith: Mystic Gate, Skullclamp, once again steals Iona. Kazandu Tuskcaller. Murganda Petroglyphs, and Enlightened Tutor for Awakening Zone. EOT, I put counter on Calciform Pools.
Me: Nothing. I have nothing.
Shea: Kalastria Highborn. Makes more tokens. I assume he’s doing it on his own turn to save time.
David: Burns Iona. I figured he would wait until he could use the ultimate, but OK. Casts Sphinx of the Magosi. Guess that’s why. At EOT, Shea casts Makeshift Mannequin on, you guessed it, Iona.
TURN 14
Keith: Awakening Zone. Targets Iona with Rubinia, killing it. Again. Stay dead, damn you! Levels up Tuskcaller x2.
Me: Rack for 5, turning up Djinn of Wishes, which I cast. I have Emrakul in hand as well, so there seems like a plan here. It doesn’t go past casting Emrakul for 4, but that seems like a reasonable start.
Shea: Makes tokens. EOT, David draws and puts counters on Sphinx.
David: Recasts Jhoira, pings Shea (48).
TURN 15
Keith: Breeding Pool tapped, Clamps a token. Wall of Omens. Steals Jhoira, suspends Ant Queen.
Me: Oblivion Stone, which David Counterspells. Rack for 2, putting Emrakul on top and Tidespout below it. Activate the Djinn.
Me (extra turn): Realize I don’t have quite what I need in place yet to get all crazy. Drop Celestial Colonnade and Trinket Mage, getting Relic of Progenitus. Rack, putting the Tidespout on top (realizing I should have just put it third last time), Djinn the Tidespout into play, bouncing Mobilization. Shea’s made enough guys, and if that Moat goes away, he’s going to be trouble. If all this is still around next turn, I’m off to the races.
Shea: Lightkeeper Kicked x4 (56).
David: Kederekt Leviathan. Jhoira.
TURN 16
Keith: Just as the turn changes, the Enchant World changes to Forsaken Wastes. Benalish Commander and Hanna.
Me: I have enough counters on Calciform Pools to do what I want if I can Rack up another land. Seems like a reasonable gamble, so I go for it. Djinn of Wishes, Rack, put Emrakul on top (and other stuff beneath it), digging up a land. Cast Emrakul and we’re pretty much done. I need to be careful to not incur too many penalties here for too many extra turns. Additionally, I’ll suffer Chasm penalties if I attack someone with Emrakul and all they have left is six or fewer land. I attack David this turn, then kill him on the extra turn with the Tidespout, taking a big chunk out of Keith. I take another turn, bouncing and recasting the Djinn, with which I bounce Emrakul and start the process again. On the third extra turn, I kill Keith with the Tidespout and Djinn, and take Shea to (44). I Rack, and find Storm Herd, which I have to cast! I get 33 guys. It’s still not quite enough to kill him without Emrakul, so he has one turn.
Shea: He casts Sculpting Steel, copies my Scroll Rack, and digs for an answer. He has none, and when I cast Thistledown Liege on my turn, a swarm of Pegasus tokens swing for the win.
I have become dirty combo player. I hate myself.
GAME 2
I’m seated with Nate (whose playmat I got John Avon to draw on at PT: SJ, then promptly forgot to bring to Nate this week) with his new Crovax, Ascendant Hero deck, Tory with Niv-Mizzet, Ryan, also with a new deck in Razia, and Brian, playing his 80-Mountain Ashling deck. Storm World is the first Enchant World, which doesn’t seem like it’s going to do much in the first half hour.
TURN 1
Nate: Plains
Ryan: Plains
Brian: Mountain
Tory: Steam Vents
Me: Plains, Dispeller’s Capsule
TURN 2
Nate: Plains, Leonin Shikari
Ryan: Plains
Brian: Mountain, Ashling
Tory: Island, Relic of Progenitus
Me: Island
TURN 3
Nate: Attack Brian (38), Kjeldoran Outpost
Ryan: Mountain, Pariah enchanting Ashling. It will get amusing.
Brian: Attack Tory (38)
Tory: Mountain
Me: Sejiri Steppe (41)
TURN 4
Nate: Attack Brian (35)
Ryan: Mountain. Indestructibility on Ashling. That’s funny.
Brian: Lord of Shatterskull Pass.
Tory: Evoke Mulldrifter
Me: Plains, Gomazoa. Everyone goes “Ooh, I like that dude.”
TURN 5
Nate: Attack Tory (34), Shield of Kaldra.
Ryan: Emeria, land, get a Bird
Brian: Level up x2, attack Nate (34).
Tory: Top
Me: Island, Isperia. It seems funny to me that I can attack Brian and name Mountain, knowing I’ll always get something.
TURN 6
Nate: Daru Warchief, attack Tory (26)
Ryan: Magma Phoenix
Brian: Activates Ashling for 4 damage to everything, killing Magma Phoenix, so we all take a net of 7. Attacks me (33).
Tory: Telemin Performance targeting Brian. We all wonder how many dozens of cards will get milled, and are disappointed when the third card down is Scourge of Kher Ridges.
Me: High Market, Patron of Kitsune.
TURN 7
Nate: Benalish Commander Suspended for 2
Ryan: Commander Eesha
Brian: Grab the Reins, Entwined, getting the Scourge, flinging it at Tory (13). Then attacks Tory (12), me to (34). Seems like Brian has drawn a reasonable number of spells despite only having 19 in the deck.
Tory: Sphinx of Lost Truths
Me: Scroll Rack
TURN 8
Nate: Gets token, Rhox Pikemaster.
Ryan: Spirit Loop on Commander Eesha. Seems reasonable.
Brian: Akroma, Angel of Fury.
Tory: Trade Secrets, the ultimate collusion card, targeting Brian. Brian falls for Tory’s “Let me combo out soon” plan (I wonder if Tory’s had the ‘creativity’ to put Curiosity in his deck), and they both draw a pile of cards. Don’t get me wrong, playing Trade Secrets is really smart: you can generally always talk someone else into doing your heavy lifting for you. Thinking that the guy targeting you with Trade Secrets has any noble motivations in mind is kind of silly. Especially when that guy is playing Niv.
Me: Recast Isperia. I also feel a migraine start creeping up on me. I know there’s medicine in the car, but I figure I can fight it off for a bit (this is, always, by the way, the wrong answer). If you suffer from migraines, I literally feel your pain. I’m not a doctor (nor have I played one on TV, although there was this one time with a nurse…I digress), but I highly recommend Immitrex or its generic substitute.
TURN 9
Nate: Benalish Commander comes in. Catapult Master. Nate’s Soldier deck now officially way better than mine.
Ryan: Attack Brian (26), Ryan to (42).
Brian: Valakut, Loxodon Warhammer. Equips to Akroma. Attacks Ryan (31), Brian to (37).
Tory: Island, Clone Akroma. Brian yells “Pro Blue!” to no avail.
Me: Attack Brian with Isperia (34), get the Archon of Redemption. Having seen Brian’s hand, I cast Vendilion Clique to tuck his Devastating Dreams. Cast Trinket Mage, getting Everflowing Chalice.
TURN 10
Nate: Loxodon Gatekeeper, attacks Ryan with 3 guys (21).
Ryan: Spelltithe Enforcer. Seems nicely anti-combo.
Brian: Mountain, Valakut killing the Enforcer. Molten Disaster, Kicked, for 6. Life totals getting low.
Tory: Lightning Greaves. Niv-Mizzet. Equips. I Rack, don’t see much.
Me: Scrying Glass. Nate last turn mentioned having three token-generators in hand. I turn to Michael Fortino, who has sat down to watch, and muse about how tricky Nate might be. I decide on “not tricky at all,” and activate the Glass for White and 3. I’m right, at least this time. I attack Nate, getting the creature I realize I should have last turn, Linvala.
TURN 11
Nate: Recasts Crovax.
Ryan: Blinding Angel
Brian: Mountain, damage Crovax. Kumano, Master Yamabushi, kill Crovax.
Tory: Transmutes Drift of Phantasms into Ophidian Eye (ooh, more ‘creativity’). Moves Greaves to Sphinx, puts Eye onto Niv-Mizzet, kills Ryan and Brian. Discards, which includes Ulamog, so he shuffles back his graveyard.
Me: My upkeep, he starts the combo again, I Rack and have no answers. Yay Tory.
My headache has reached a peak, so when the guys suggest we play another one, I tell them I’m taking off. Michael points out that I had a Mirrorweave in my hand after I Racked, and I could have stopped Tory, at least for my turn and on Nate’s upkeep . I say “Mirrorweave says nonlegendary,” and he points out that I could have turned everything—which includes Niv—into something else. D’oh! I’ll blame the headache and hand-wave the weak play skills.*
I still kick myself for not getting the Linvala in the first place, knowing that he was playing Niv. In summary, Tory was combo-fun-wrecker-guy, and I failed when I had the chance to stop him. Now I hate myself a little more.
As far as the deck goes, I’ll have to play it a little more to see how much I really like it. I can see that it has some power, but despite the infi turns combo (which admittedly takes a fair amount of mana and is subject to relatively easy disruption), seems reasonably balanced for a social play environment. It looks like it’s full of playing some dudes, gaining some life, and having some tricks, which can be fun.
I’m a little concerned with the power creep in the League, but we’ll see how that works out over the next several weeks. I’ve been thinking about building “Grixis Mean Deck,” featuring cards like Spiteful Visions, Underworld Dreams, Sadistic Sacrament, Jester’s Cap, Bitter Ordeal, Nightmare Incursion, and the like—but that seems, well, too mean. I’d much rather Embrace the Chaos in a friendlier fashion—like a 40/40 Kresh to the face. Guess we all have our definitions of friendly.
* Which didn’t inhibit me from 7-0’ing FNM following night. Mythic Bant did all the work. Eldrazi Conscription also gives +10 to your play skills.