The StarCityGames.com Digest for the Week Ending 12/26/2003
10 G’s for helping to catch thieves, Sullivan and Aten are qualifyin’, and Knut season greets with some Christmas beats all in the lastest edition of the StarCityGames.com Digest.
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What Are You Implying? U/R In Mirrodin Draft
Wizards has apparently taken a liking to the Blue/Red color combination in the last two blocks, as it has been completely dominant in the format before either of the small expansions are released. Last year it was Sparksmith, Lavamancer’s Skill, and Mistform Wall. This year it’s Electrostatic Bolt, Spikeshot Goblin, and Neurok Spy. Go figure.
While I wouldn’t go as far to say the U/R is absolutely unbeatable in triple Mirrodin Limited, I’ll say that there have been very few times when I’ve had a solid version of the archetype that I’ve actually lost.
From Right Field: Whipping Out the White Weenie
It’s probably no surprise that I felt that Bonesplitter needed to be in here. Nothing says”aggressive” like a spell that gives +2/+0 and keeps on giving even after the creature dies. I also wanted something cheap to stop other creatures. Pacifism had been my spell of choice ever since those impotent, slack-jawed cretins in R&D decided to drop Reprisal from 8th Edition. Why did you do that? Why? Why, dear, God, oh, why? What Rhodes Scholar decided that a White spell that costs 1W and only blows up creatures that are really big was too good?
I’m sorry, what were we talking about?
You CAN Play Type I #118 – Back to Basics, Part VIII: Revisiting Card Advantage
To begin, I’d like to go back to something I glossed over in”Counting Card Advantage.” A lot of the forum discussion touched on”virtual” card advantage, but I doubt all readers know exactly what this is. It was a term coined by Eric”Danger” Taylor in”Virtual Card Advantage in Urza’s Block, a Sub-Category of Card Advantage Theory” (The Dojo, August 4, 1999). EDT’s classic article actually discussed two specific sets of scenarios, and the first concluded:
You can’t ignore tokens when counting card advantage.
You CAN Play Type I #118 – Back to Basics, Part VIII: Revisiting Card Advantage Part 2
Continued discussion of Card Advantage Theory, including cards headed to the graveyard, and a treasure from the Usenet archives.
Oscar Takes On All Comers!
When you read this, I’d like you to e-mail me the most confusing, perplexing, tooth-gnashing, ball-breaking card advantage conundrum you can think of. And I’ll do my best to explain it to you in one stroke, using a very short checklist. In other words, I’d like you to help me write the next column.
If I can’t – again, take note of the grain of common sense needed – then I admit defeat and will shut up.
The Comprehensive 8th Edition Draft Review: Artifacts
The colorless cards in 8th Edition are a mixed bunch. There are some very good, first-pick quality cards. There are also a large number of awful cards. Here are some points to note about artifacts in the format. Note that I have also included the non-basic lands in this section, for the sake of completeness. Not that there are enough of them to interfere with the flow of the article much.
- Some artifacts should be picked higher than the equivalent colored card, because they don’t commit you to a color. Phyrexian Hulk for example is a perfectly acceptable first pick, because it is going to make your deck and be a reasonable card regardless of what colors you end up playing.
- On the other hand, when using artifact creatures, remember that Naturalize and Shatter can rain on your parade just as well as any creature destruction spell. Bear this in mind when setting up gang blocks or alpha strikes.
Mixed kNuts: Season’s Beatings For One and All
Wow, I can’t tell you the last time I wrote an actual”Mixed kNuts” column. You know, the kind with the Kitchen Sink, and the Cheesecake, and the randomness generally associated with, uh, me? Since it’s Christmas, I’m gifting myself (and verbing too) the time to write something fun, and since it’s not particularly fair to post some other writer on Christmas (nobody reads Christmas Day, silly), I’ll proudly fill the void.
On The Wings Of Angels – A Christmas Qualification
Jingle Bells
Mike Aten Smells
Geordie Laid an Egg
Nick Eisel Lost To Ken Krouner
And Somebody Qualified For Kobe
We attempted to find Christmas cheer in Tim’s article, but we are not miracle workers.
The StarCityGame.com Digest for the Week Ending 12/19/2003
Ben Rubin shows his Blue Collar, Romeo returns from the dead, and Type I Week causes a raucous ruckus, all in the lastest edition of The StarCityGames.com Digest.
Power, Consistency, and Resiliency – Dabbling With Desires In Extended, Part Two
Metagame/hate decks are something I never recommend for the reason that they aren’t very powerful – and even if they are, they usually don’t even approach the power level of the targeted decks. Despite effective hosers, the lack of inherent power is most visible in match-ups outside the scope of its hate. Another risk is that you may not even play the deck you are supposed to be hosing. The second reason is that in degenerate formats, more powerful decks have the best chance of just being more broken and faster than another incredibly powerful deck.
Konfrontin’ Kartin’ Ken and his Krazy Konklusions
I want to talk about how Ken Krouner isn’t right when he says Green is the best color in Mirrodin draft.
One of the things posted recently in response to an Eisel article on Red pick orders was that when you argue with someone, you’re saying they’re”stupid and wrong.” I feel Ken is wrong in his observations – but I don’t feel Ken is the least bit stupid. The man is known for being somewhat unorthodox and at times even a little ahead of the curve; neither of which are attributes I personally find offensive in writing. That being said, I do disagree. And I do bite my thumb at him.
Sullivan Library: Who Needs A Way To Win? Just Win…
In essence, this deck does what Baron Harkonnen did back in 1997. It tries to devote itself to just making sure that the opponent does not win. When you play Chronoscepter, your basic plan is this:
- Have enough countermagic to stop the opponent’s plan, even if only temporarily
- Start gaining card advantage (real or virtual) off of card draw or using a Scepter
- Use Cunning Wish to access a direct answer to any threats, or if there are none, to lock up the game
- Once the game is locked, kill the opponent as an afterthought
If you are looking for a completely rogue creation to play both before and after the Bannings, don’t miss this article!
From Right Field – Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!
Of course, we headed right back down the yellow-brick road to my old stomping grounds in Louisiana. Yep, we headed to the Swamps. Looking down bayou way gave us access to creatures that allowed us to sacrifice that stolen critter. We had Carrion Feeder, Nantuko Husk, Fallen Angel, and Phyrexian Plaguelord. (Thank you, 8th Edition!) The great thing about those last two was that, while they’re rares, they’re rares that are cheap. Not cheap like a truck stop floozy. I mean, inexpensive to purchase.
High Treason Against Type I
Is it just me, or has the Type One community seemed particularly irate these past few weeks? Some advocates of Type One have been whining more than my four-year-old sister when she wants cheese. What is all of the hullabaloo about, anyway? Mark Rosewater reprinting an article with a few extra blurbs? This article, however, is not really geared towards people who have their minds made up, so don’t confuse them with the facts. Instead, it is focused on the average person whose head is spinning from all of the Type One Speak. I will try to speak English to you, and in doing so, will probably annoy an entire chunk of the Type One community.