Category Archives: magic

magic

Ravnica Allegiance Simic Standard Deck First Draft

Deck tech, magic, MtG, MtG Deck Building


Last week I wrote a post about cards I was thinking of putting in a new standard deck for the upcoming Standard Showdown season. Which I believe is kicking off this coming weekend.

So it was about time I came up with a first build of the deck. That’s where the decked app comes in handy. It keeps track of the number of cards, mana curve etc.

Before giving you the deck listing, the stats and boring you with talk of it’s tactics, here is my boiler plate disclaimer.

“I’m not claiming these are the best decks in the world, they certainly are not top competitive decks. They are hopefully fun, affordable (subjective I know) decks. I don’t try and keep to a target price point. I try and use as many cards in my collection as possible to keep my costs down. I’m certainly not a master deck builder claiming this deck will win tournaments, if it is fun to play and does it thing then I’ll be happy.“

Tactics

So the deck wants to ramp, get lots of land out early. To do that I have Llanowar Elves, Open the Gates and Growth Spiral. The more mana I can get out the better for this deck. Or that’s the plan.

There are three cards that love having lots of mana available in the deck. The first is Hydroid Krasis. The bigger I can make that X when casting the better. Not just from being a big thing to swing in with on the battlefield. But the life gain and card draw is half (rounded down) of that value of X.

The other two are mana sinks. Which if I have multiple copies of Wilderness Reclamation are going to be abused a lot in the end step.

The first of these mana sinks is Biogenic Ooze. Before it’s end step ability kicks in, the end step ability of Wilderness Reclamation needs to fire off. For illustration of how this can be abused, let’s assume there are six lands out, two Wilderness Reclamation’s along with a Biogenic Ooze. On this turn I’ve not cast anything. So there is six untapped lands. Start of the end step the Ooze trigger goes on the stack followed by the two reclamation triggers. In response to the first reclamation trigger I tap all six lands. So I now have six mana in the pool. The first trigger resolves untapping the lands. Then in response to the second reclamation trigger I once again tap all the lands and add six more mana to the pool, which is now sitting at twelve mana. The lands untap. I can now decide to tap the lands again, or leave them untapped to cast any counter spell during the opponents turn. For this illustration I’m going to tap the lands again now in response to the Ooze trigger, taking me to eighteen mana in the pool. Still in response to this trigger I now add four 2/2 Ooze tokens to the battlefield. The trigger now resolves making these new tokens 3/3 and puts addition +1/+1 counters on any other oozes on the battlefield.

If the other mana sink Simic Ascendancy is out this little shenanigans above adds five +1/+1 counters plus on to that. Plus a similar abuse of multiple Wilderness Reclamation’s can be done on that instead. Also if I had kept the mana open and not used it on my opponents turn. During their end step I can spend it on Ascendancy’s activated ability.

Both these mana sinks force the opponent to do something about them. If they are left to do their thing as you can see things could potentially get out of hand.

But the key card for me in this deck has to be Wilderness Reclamation. I really love the card. Why decide whether to cast a creature on your turn or hold off and use a counter spell or some other trick on your opponents turn? This let’s you do both. Plus as you can see how it can be used to abuse paid abilities.

The Decked App stats

Ok here is the bit you really want to see the actual cards in the deck. Let me know what you think, or how would you change it?

I’m not sure over the land base for the deck. It may be too slow. I’ll have to see how the Memorials go. Flipping them to basics may help.

Creatures:17

4 Llanowar Elves
2 Hydroid Krasis
3 Wall of Lost Thoughts
2 Steel Leaf Champion
2 Zegana, Utopian Speaker
2 Biogenic Ooze
2 Carnage Tyrant

Spells:21

2 Open the Gates
2 Applied Biomancy
2 Blink of an Eye
3 Essence Capture
3 Growth Spiral
2 Simic Ascendancy
3 Thought Collapse
3 Wilderness Reclamation
1 Vivien Reid

Lands:22

2 Breeding Pool
6 Forest
1 Hinterland Harbor
5 Island
1 Memorial to Genius
2 Memorial to Unity
4 Simic Guildgate
1 Woodland Stream

Sideboard:15

1 Hydroid Krasis
1 Steel Leaf Champion
3 Thrashing Brontodon
1 Biogenic Ooze
1 Carnage Tyrant
1 Open the Gates
1 Blink of an Eye
1 Essence Capture
1 Simic Ascendancy
2 Slimebind
1 Thought Collapse
1 Wilderness Reclamation

Planning a Simic Deck for Standard Showdown

Deck tech, magic, MtG, MtG Deck Building

I bet you are a bit tired with my current fixation with the Android universe, the Genesys RPG system and my untested theories about creating campaigns for a RPG.

The posting of cute attack chihuahua pictures may not be enough for you. Maybe you want a return to discussing MtG or even gaming reports.

So who am I to disappoint. Well ok I give you that, I do disappoint often. But not today, depending on your point of view.

In this post I’m going to look at my plans for my next deck for Standard Showdown and then finish off with a brief reveal of a possible update to the standard mill deck I built.

For this new deck I’m going Simic aka blue/green. So I have access to big stompy creatures, ramp, and the usual annoying blue control shenanigans.

Let’s look at some of the creatures I want to put into the deck.

Is it even conceivable to run green without Llanowar Elves? With it out early I’m casting bigger stuff ahead of curve. Which is why Steel Leaf Champion is in. Get that dream opening hand, and turn three I’m swinging in for 5 damage.

Hydroid Krasis is a card that can come out early if need be. But ideally this is the late game finisher. Pumping lots of mana into it so it comes in big, plus that when cast trigger tops up life and draws cards.

Wall of Lost Thoughts I like as a cheap blocker, buys some time to get pieces into place. In fact I also like it as an addition to the mono blue mill deck because of it’s etb of getting my opponent to put the top four of their library into their graveyard. And even though this deck isn’t a mill deck, it doesn’t hurt as a benefit. Might give my opponent the wrong idea about the deck.

Zegana, Utopian Speaker I like as a four drop. Especially considering I can Adapt 4 her and make her an 8/8. I only have one of her at the moment. A second and third wouldn’t go amiss.

Carnage Tyrant had to be in this deck. It’s the poster child for green in the current standard. Plus imagine how sick it will be with the odd +1/+1 counter on it.

Open the Gates is part of the ramp suite for the deck. This allows me to go get that key land early on. Plus that all important shuffle of the library.

Blink of an Eye cheap early removal, buys me a turn from a threat. With the ability to kick it and draw a card.

Ok Essence Capture is creatures only. But still a cheap counter spell that also puts a counter on one of my creatures. I like that.

Another piece in the ramp suite is Growth Spiral. Card draw, and being able to put out an extra land on the turn. I love it.

Thought Collapse same cost as the no longer legal Disallow. Sadly it doesn’t counter triggered abilities. But it does mill three cards. So not only a good counter spell for this deck, but also the mill deck.

Now Wilderness Reclamation is the reason why I’ve not gone with more creatures that tap for mana in the deck. I love love this card.

Vivien Reid is another card I like, and I need at least one more copy really for this deck and my golgari deck. Such a great utility card.

Simic Guildgate, comes in tapped. But on a budget I’ll take it. Plus I can fetch it with Open the Gates.

Biogenic Ooze I think has a lot of potential to be a game winner. With a possibility to abuse that activated ability with two or more Wilderness Reclamation’s out in that end step.

Applied Biomancy I like a lot. Bounce and a counter. Yeah I’ll take that. Especially with the next card out.

Simic Ascendancy. Pump up your creatures with its activated ability. Which I’ve already shown could be abused in the end step. But whether I’m abusing it’s activated ability and triggering its other ability. Or just triggering its ability another way. This is an alternative win condition for me.

Slimebind, just great cheap defanging a threat on the board.

Breeding Pool I’d love a playset of. But reality of finances means I will play with two copies.

Saruli Caretaker might make it as a sideboard creature. Nice card.

Shimmer of Possibility. Cheap. Find that card hopefully that you want, without revealing it. Yeah like it.

I didn’t pull any Mass Manipulation but I’m considering a copy in the sideboard.

Sagittar’s Volley, I kind a like. It’s removal against flying, and gets rid of the weenie flyers. Most likely a sideboard card.

The final card Persistent Petitioners not only has me wanting to rebuild the mill deck round this card. But I’m thinking maybe a Commander deck also might be fun.

I still need to work out exact number of copies for cards. Although finances do restrict one or two of the cards. But as first thoughts on the deck go, I’m pretty happy with it. Just need to see how it does in the real world against real decks.

UPDATE: Oops forgot to add in this little gem.

It’s got to be in the sideboard. Somehow!

Ravnica Allegiance Prerelease

Game day, magic, MtG

Prerelease day starts just like any other. Wake up. Let loose the attack chihuahuas on the world. Who show their usual contempt and utter disregard for the world by emptying their bladders on the scattered remains of long departed post and waste disposal persons. Bath. Coffee and choc chip brioche, while watching tv. The mornings visual entertainment was the second season of The Punisher on Netflix.

At an appropriate stopping point in the current episode, pause, dig out my clothes and get dressed.

Count out fifteen of each land type. Find forty sleeves plus some spares. Although, either or both of these steps often get forgotten. Only later to be remembered once at The Hobbit Hole. But today I’m lucid and remember both.

Pack a small bag with dice, battery extender and cables, plus the remembered lands and sleeves. Put in a small bottle of hand sanitiser. Stuff cheese and onion sarnies into hoodie pocket. Select play mat to use for the day. I decide on the following one.

Then hit the road.

I remember to pick the cat litter for mum’s cat up on the way out of Wisbech. I don’t have to worry about finishing in time to buy it now. I mentally give myself a pat on the back for that. It removes a source of stress and distraction while playing later on.

The drive from Wisbech to Chatteris is uneventful. I arrive in good time. I see friends already there and say hello. Money exchanges hand between myself and the store.

While waiting I mingle and chat with my friends.

So far the morning leading up to the Prerelease is as perfect as I could want.

In the dying minutes before the official start the prerelease kit for each guild are handed out. Naturally I had already said I was having Simic.

11am we are given the go ahead to open our prerelease kits and start building our forty card decks based on the cards inside.

I like sealed events like this and the Magic League. They are great levellers for new and old players. It’s all about the luck of opening the pack, and your ability to build a deck.

My promo in the kit was Zegana, Utopian Speaker.

Looking at my cards I decide to stick with my guild and build a Simic deck for the tournament.

Round 1 – Thomas S (Rakdos or Gruul)

Despite the final result of this match up, the games were pretty close. My undoing in the second game was Mirror March. My opponent had a run of six heads before I conceded. That was six copies of the creature he’d just played (can’t remember which, it was a 2/2 or 2/3 something like that power wise). I had no way stopping that much damage swinging in and killing me.

Result: Loss 2-0

Round 2 – H (Rakdos)

This was an easy win. My opponent was a young girl newish to MtG, more intent on interacting with her none playing friend who was there, and a boy they had invited to the shop, who was turning up any second while we were playing.

It didn’t help that she kept a starting hand with high cost cards in our first game that she was unable to cast. The second game wasn’t much better for her with the added distraction already discussed.

Her deck needed work I thought. So I left her getting help from the on duty store expert, who also happened to be running the Prerelease.

Result: Win 2-0

Round 3 – Nathan Hall (not sure of guild)

This round started off well with me doing my thing and getting the win. Second game Nathan pulled it back and had a reasonably comfortable win. The deciding game I went into feeling confident. Nathan had gone down to five cards. I was going first. But still despite me having that early card advantage, I ended up losing.

Result: Loss 2-1

Round 4 – N (Azorius)

The final round saw me against the elder sister of the young girl I had beaten in round. two.

I took the first game comfortably, and lost the second game. In our decider it was in the end an easy win. Although I was made to work for it.

You could see the difference between the two sisters. This one was more into playing MtG. A lot more focused.

You won’t see this too often but I kind of felt a little guilty about my two victories. I must have been feeling ill or something.

Result: Win 2-1

Overall record 2-2

During the final round everyone was given two participation booster packs from Ravnica Allegiance.

Final position 13th out of 24

Naturally I’m not going to list all the cards from six booster packs here. It makes sense only to share with you the deck that I built.

The other nice thing about sealed events like this that I didn’t mention earlier, is that you play cards you probably wouldn’t in a constructed format.

The star card for me was wilderness reclamation. Being able to untap your lands at the end of your turn is massive. Especially with blue counter spells in your hand. I think the games I won were the ones that was out early.

I liked the Adapt mechanic. Being able to beef up a creature is nice. Plus there are cards that interact, or do something if you have creatures out with +1/+1 counters on. The only drawback for me is that you can only use Adapt once on a creature.

So here is my Simic deck that I built.

Creatures:12

1 Saruli Caretaker
2 Faerie Duelist
1 Growth-Chamber Guardian
1 Aeromunculus
2 Coral Commando
1 Gatebreaker Ram
1 Steeple Creeper
1 Sylvan Brushstrider
1 Zegana, Utopian Speaker
1 Scuttlegator

Spells:15

1 Incubation // Incongruity
1 Open the Gates
1 Stony Strength
1 Applied Biomancy
1 Essence Capture
1 Growth Spiral
2 Quench
1 Slimebind
1 Sagittars’ Volley
2 Simic Locket
1 Thought Collapse
1 Wilderness Reclamation
1 Biogenic Upgrade

Lands:13

5 Forest
1 Gateway Plaza
5 Island
2 Simic Guildgate

Commander Deck Ideas Update January 2019

Commander, magic, MtG

Long time sufferers of this blog will recall that from time to time I like to update my list of Commander deck ideas.

With the arrival of some cards to use in Commander decks I thought I’d share with you the new cards that have arrived and latest version of the list of deck ideas.

These first three cards I want to find homes in existing decks. Waste Not can slot into two of my decks. The first will be the Death and Taxes deck. I think it would also be good in the Scarab God Zombie deck I have. My only concern is that I don’t remember having cards in the deck to force opponents to discard. So most of the time I don’t think it would be doing anything. I’ll have to revisit the deck list.

Return to the Earth definitely will be going in decks that have green. Big Green Stompy needs more flying removal, and the fact it can target artifacts or enchantments also. I like it.

Murmuring Mystic will be going into my upgraded wizards precon, I can’t remember the Commander, but I went in the spellslinger direction. So getting a 1/1 body each time I cast a spell, I’ll take that. Plus a 1/5 as a blocker, so hard to remove and can block. Sweet.


Rooftop Storm, how did I not know about this card? Thanks to Dean (he also put me onto some of these other cards also) I now do. This has to find a place in the Scarab God zombie deck. Cast them for free? Yes please. Only time I wouldn’t want to do this is with an X cost. But I don’t think,I had any zombies like that.

Pitiless Plunderer is in for a new deck idea. That idea is an artifacts deck. It will hopefully combo with Revel in Riches and Mechanised Production. I’m also looking at using it in a standard deck, that will either be blue/black or possible black/white.

I so wish Kaya, Ghost Assassin had blue instead of white in it’s casting costs. It would have been nice to have the card in the ninja/assassin deck. But she will go nicely into the planned abuse etb deck.

The final card to arrive was Profane Command. This has to be a prime candidate for a Commander staple that should be in every deck that splashes black. It’s a card that should go alongside Torment of Hailfire.

Here is the updated list of deck ideas:

Trostani token spam
Infect/wither deck (Atraxa as the commander possibly)
Atraxa deck upgraded
Death and Taxes
Care bear
Abuse etb
Saproling and fungus (go wide or go home!) possible Commander Slimefoot, the Stowaway
Ninja/Assassin
Artifacts deck
Eldrazi
Demon tribal

MtG: Arena – Dead To Me

magic, MtG, rant

Apparently if the rumours are true, then I will never ever, ever, ever play MtG: Arena.

The rumour started over on Reddit via a post from a disgruntled just made jobless customer support person, who spilled the alleged plans WotC have for Arena, and then removed that part of the post minutes after putting up for the world to read.

Naturally 10 minutes is an eternity on the Internet, and that was more than enough time for some folks to read those words, and take copies as evidence.

Any hoo, yesterday MTGLion on YouTube, shared this rumour with the rest of the world, along with his thoughts on it’s implications.

For me I was gobsmacked that WotC would even consider doing this. And it doesn’t make sense.

WotC have been spending lots of money to push Arena to the masses and get Hearthstone players. They have paid Hearthstone streamers to do Arena content on their channels. They are even trying to push it as an esport. WotC are also supporting Arena streamers with stuff like free packs, promoting them via their social media, etc.

All that money spent, which must be in the millions of dollars to get people playing the game and take on the 800 pound gorilla that is Hearthstone.

It doesn’t make sense to restrict yourself to what is basically the smaller market, while your competitor is on all the platforms. You’ll never get the same numbers or better them that way. There is a reason why AAA game developers are prepared to upset their PC owning fans and go for the bigger mobile market with their next releases (I know it’s much more complicated than that, but the simplification supports my point).

According to the rumour, there is a new mobile only product currently being developed instead. Why?

Well I’ve seen it mention by some (like Mike Hatcher on YouTube) that the Arena interface isn’t particularly mobile friendly. And that is the reason why we won’t see it on mobile. I’ve not played it, can’t because it’s not on Apple platforms (iOS and MacOS). However the videos I’ve seen, or the bits of the game looks very Hearthstone like. So I’d imagine or hope that the deck building etc is also similar. Well we know that the Hearthstone interface works across platforms, so, if I was developing a new card game I’d be learning from that.

So because of a poor mobile interface, WotC are handicapping Arena and spending the what will be a lot of time and money to develop a new mobile friendly MtG game? Surely considering that Arena is technically in beta, they should be tweaking the interface, or even redesigning the “broken” bits to work across platform.

It doesn’t seem right to me.

Developing a mobile app isn’t cheap, especially with all the supporting infrastructure that it will need (servers for starters). Then they will have to spend even more money promoting it. And then I feel the mobile app would potentially impact the numbers playing Arena. It all depends on what the mystery app offers.

But we have to remember these are rumours. Until announcements are made, or hard evidence surfaces, we have to take them with a pinch of salt. Naturally WotC haven’t said anything yet, and I don’t think they will until they are good and ready. Why would they want to effect the uptake of Arena and the amount people invest in the game financially and time wise? But if the rumours are not true wouldn’t they just come out and straight deny them?

WotC have announced that they have a solution to the fifth card problem. Which is nice, I still have a problem with the economy and redeeming codes given in boosters and the handicapping of that.

But while Arena is not on iOS, it will remain dead to me. I’ll keep an eye on developments. But my advice even to fans of MtG that own PC’s I’d be advising to hold off. See how this rumour plays out, and then decide where you want to spend your time and money on digital MtG.

So if you are on Hearthstone, I play casual, and you can hit me up for a game on the following id.


I’m also on the Epic the Card Game Beta as the same name. Yes Epic looks uglier, but boy is that dark draft a lot of fun.

Ravnica Allegiance Prerelease This Weekend

magic, MtG


This coming weekend starting at midnight Friday, many MtG players will be opening up the guild kit for their favourite guild. After assessing their cards for value, they will then build a 40 card deck, play some MtG, get some participation packs, and go home. Or hang around and repeat the whole thing again.

Also at the prerelease your FLGS will be able to sell you a booster box a week early, or the two Planeswalker decks for this set. The booster box comes with a buy-a-box promo (see below) that is only available while stocks last from buying a booster box.

I like prereleases, they are great fun. There is a buzz of excitement in the air. You play decks that you would never play normally.

Personally for new players I think they are a step too far. The deck building side too early in the players journey with the game. I know prereleases are more casual and friendly than other organised play. But still having time to help a new player and building your own deck is near on impossible. You might be able to help if you get finished deck building early. But in reality there isn’t usually that much time to help.

But it doesn’t mean the new player won’t have a great time. I think they can. It’s just the deck building might be a little daunting.

I’ll be at the Saturday day time Prerelease at my FLGS, and I’ve chosen the Simic guild. Hope to see you there.

Ravnica Allegiance Open House @ The Hobbit Hole

Game day, magic, MtG

Yesterday was the Ravnica Allegiance Open House at my FLGS The Hobbit Hole. Yep free Welcome deck, promo card, learn and play MtG. For a new and returning player doesn’t get better than that. For an existing player there is still a lot on offer as well.

You get to teach the game to new players, and share in the start of their journey into addiction and madness. The sweet sweet promo card. Playing with unsleeved cards. It’s so rare that we get to play with unsleeved cards. Tournament play requires sleeved cards, sleeves protect your more valuable cards while playing, and insert any other reasons you sleeve here. So it’s refreshing to play with cards in their natural state.

I took my spellslinger decks with me (to teach with) and last years 2018 Commander decks (in case of any new players wanting to try Commander also). Plus I had my Muldrotha and my dinosaur Commander decks.

I went with the red deck box, that was a red/blue or Izzet deck if we are going with the Guilds theme of the current and the imminent set.

Games 1 & 2 – Paul (white/blue aka Azorius)

I’ve played Paul before at Standard Showdown. Paul is an experienced but casual MtG player, and always fun to play against.

Our first game I was able with the blue side of my deck to delay the inevitable of the game with cards like Uncomfortable Chill, Waterknot and Sleep. But unable to get any real presence out. I did some direct damage with a lightning strike and shock, and used them to remove a couple of threats. My Hostile Minotaur hit once then became the victim of Paul’s Waterknot. I held on for as long as I could but Paul built up a formidable flying attack of angels and sphinxes that did me in.

The second game was better for me. For starters Paul was only putting out plains, so I knew there was no blue shenanigans coming my way. I was also getting my creatures out like the Hostile Minotaur, while being able to stop Paul building up any real threat. I don’t think I took any damage in this game at all.

Result: 1 – 1

Game 3 – Dean (can’t remember Dean’s deck I think it was black something)

Now I knew my red side of the deck had a Shivan Dragon. Which was the card I was expecting to trigger the flying ability of Kargan Dragonrider. So I was pleasantly surprised to see Sparktongue Dragon and Volcanic Dragon show up. It was even better because I had a Goblin Motivator out that meant any creature played could be given haste. So even my Snapping Drake’s when they hit the battlefield were an immediate threat.

By the time Dean had started to build up a board state, it was too late. I had dragons and drakes out, plus a dragonrider. He was unable to stop the final killing blow from above.

Result: Win

Game 4 – Glen (mirror match)

I’d already got my required number of games to get the days reward. But Glen still needed games. So I kindly obliged.

This was a game of who got to their good cards first. Sadly it wasn’t me.

Result: Loss

The days reward…

I didn’t keep my Welcome Deck I gave that away to one of Dean’s nephews.

Dean sat next to me, he was looking through a trade folder that belonged to Glen. One or two cards caught my eye.

So I got the following three cards to go into the Horrors from the Deep Commander deck. They looked like fun cards to try out, and well fitted the theme of the deck.


I also got another assassin for the slow brew ninja/assassin deck I’m brewing. Plus a card that would combo with others in the Death and Taxes deck, and could go in a potential demon deck I’m thinking of.

I did buy three Guild packs (Golgari, Selesnya, and Dimir). These are a themed booster built around one of the five Guilds containing 35 cards for that Guild, plus a MtG Arena code to give you three free in game boosters.


I’m going to rant here. This is useless to me. I don’t have a PC. I’m an Apple fanboy. MtG Arena isn’t available on iOS or MacOS. Plus I bought three of these decks, yet would only be able to redeem the code once! Yeah WotC aren’t very generous on this front. Yet sitting on the stores shelf’s are Pokemon product all proudly proclaiming on the packets/boxes that I could get that booster or deck to play free online.

I’ve said before considering the engine WotC are using, there is no reason why MtG Arena can’t be beta tested on these platforms also. It would make sense to be testing in these at the same time.

But then I think about how stingy WotC are being with the redeeming of codes. The stuff I hear online about it’s in game economy and it the deck building, 5th card issue, and I’m thinking maybe I’m lucky it’s not on my iPad.

I’m currently playing Hearthstone again, and keep dipping into Epic the card game beta to play it’s dark draft (I love that format). WotC are throwing ridiculous amounts at marketing MtG Arena, and even trialing best of one in certain unlucky FLGS in an attempt to attract digital players to the physical game.

WotC have lost me as a MtG Arena player when they do eventually release on the iPad. I’d have invested too much in the game they want to knock off it’s throne.

Anyway back to these guild packs. £6 for 35 cards, is not bad value. You are getting 5 more cards than if you had bought 2 boosters. Plus they are cards in colours you want. So you are improving the odds of getting something useful for building a deck for that Guild. I pulled another Assassin’s Trophy in the Golgari pack.

The days MtG was finished off with a 6 Player Commander game. Glen used his competitive deck and toyed with us all. We were just twiddling our thumbs before Glen was in a position to combo off and kill us all in a single go. I’ve talked before about using competitive decks against lesser decks. It still holds true, and I stand by my words. It’s not really a fun experience.

It was a fairly successful Open House for the FLGS. There was a constant stream of people wanting to play. It was a good day of MtG.

My Welcome Deck List

Red Side
1 Shivan Dragon
1 Fire Elemental
1 Goblin Motivator
2 Hostile Minotaur
2 Onakke Ogre
1 Sparktongue Dragon
1 Volcanic Dragon
2 Kargan Dragonrider
1 Fiery Finish
1 Electrify
1 Lightning Strike
1 Shock
1 Trumpet Blast
1 Radiating Lightning
13 Mountain

Blue Side
1 Riddlemaster Sphinx
1 Aven Wind Mage
1 Frilled Sea Serpent
2 Snapping Drake
2 Tolarian Scholar
1 Wall of Mist
1 Air Elemental
1 Mist-Cloaked Herald
2 Divination
1 Sleep
1 Uncomfortable Chill
1 Befuddle
2 Waterknot
13 Island

Ravnica Allegiance Open House Weekend

magic, MtG

This weekend is Open House weekend at your FLGS.

I’ll repeat myself from previous posts. I have had new people to the blog, and they may not know about these events.

Stealing the WotC image from their LGS pages, you can see that these Open House events are aimed at new players. They also hope to hook players back into the game.


So you want to learn to play MtG, or are a returning player and want to get back into the game. Turn up to your FLGS this weekend, get a free Welcome deck, and either the store owner or one of the MtG regulars will teach you to play the game.

After a few games of MtG you keep the free deck, and also get the following promo card.

This promo card will guarantee that there will be plenty of MtG regulars there to teach you how to play and play against.

I’m not sure if the Welcome decks will have any Ravnica cards in them. They won’t have any “value” cards in them, after all they are free. But they are a great way to try the game for free.

I’ll be at my FLGS The Hobbit Hole’s Open House event this Saturday. There might even be a Commander game to join in if I’m lucky. If you are in the area then pop in and catch a game with me.

Just for those that might be interested this is the upcoming schedule for MtG over the next few weeks as Ravnica Allegiance comes out.

If you did make it to the Open House, and had a good time. Then the following weekends Prerelease weekend is a fun event to attend. But I’ll talk more about that at the start of next week.

From Golgari to Simic

magic, MtG


And we are back to some MtG coverage. I know some of you will skip this post altogether, while others will be lapping this up. As they say you can’t please everyone all the time. Although it would make a nice change to please some of you.

With the next MtG set Ravnica Allegiance just three weeks or so away, spoiler season in full swing, it’s time to decide which guild I’m going to be for the upcoming pre-release event, and look at some of the spoiled cards.

A quick disclaimer.

“This isn’t a comprehensive look at the spoiled cards. It’s a look at cards that caught my eye at the time of starting the post (a week ago now).

I’m certainly not a master deck builder claiming these cards will win tournaments, if they look like they are fun to play and do a thing then I’ll be happy.

A lot of the time when I’m evaluating cards I’m thinking whether they will fit into an existing deck, or go into one of the deck ideas I have. Sometimes they may even spark the idea for a deck.“

I have to say there have been some sweet cards shown so far. But I saw one that spoke to me and my horrors from the deep commander deck.

What a great card that will be. In Commander X can potentially be a big number. If this hits mid to late game, it’s a game changer. Handful of cards, life top up, and a big bad on the board. Plus the art is pretty cool.

With the horrors from the deep deck being a Simic deck, Allegiance will give me a tonne of new cards to consider for it.

I don’t think I do much, if anything with +1/+1 counters in the deck, or activated abilities. I’ll have to check that one. So at the moment Biomancer’s Familiar is a border line utility card for me. But it does combo off with the other two cards I’ve included with it below.

Simic Ascendancy, gives me a mana sink that makes my big creatures scarier, plus an alternate win condition. Zegana, comes in as a 4/4 but can quickly join the big creature squad with it’s adapt 4. And has that synergy with Simic Ascendancy.

Aeromunculus will not see play in my Commander deck, but I can see it being of use in a standard deck. I do think that these cards so far have potential for a Simic Standard deck.

Now Growth Spiral is just what the doctor ordered for my deck, card draw and ramp. Perfect. I like the split card. Removal and dig for a creature. The costs aren’t too bad. I’d prefer not giving an opponent a 3/3 body to hit me with next turn. But if it’s a choice between that and a much bigger dude I’ll take the 3/3 option every day.

These next cards will go in other decks. For instance Lavinia will certainly be welcome in my death and taxes deck. That deck is all about frustrating the other players and punishing them for playing the game. I can’t see how Mass Manipulation is anything but a Commander card. It’d be a funny card to play, but is it a great card? I don’t think so. 6 CMC to gain control of a single creature, 8 CMC for two, 10 for CMC for three. It’s an expensive card to play. I’d play it for that shit and giggles, it could be a game winner. Stealing a Planeswalker just before it ultimates and doing the ultimate yourself would be hilarious.

Wilderness Reclamation will definitely have a home in my big green stompy deck. But I can see it in the horrors from the deep, my elf deck, basically anything that splashes green.

Smothering Tithe and Verity Circle are so going into the death and taxes deck. I really love Smothering Tithe. It’s going to give so much ramp in Commander. By the time things get back to you, you could be 3 treasure tokens better off. So you are able to play big cards ahead of the curve.


Sphinx of Foresight I like the scry ability. Potential creature for the death and taxes. But I think in Standard this can be a powerful card too. That opening hand ability to sort your first 3 card draws isn’t to be sneezed at.

All the art from the spoilers I have seen has been awesome so far. I particularly like the rakdos stuff that’s been coming out.

When it came to choosing a guild for Allegiance, and especially the pre-release event, it was hard. I really do like a couple of the new mechanics, and the cards in one or two of the other guilds.

But it was the lure of going after cards for the horrors of deep deck, and trying to increase my chances of getting that Hydroid Krasis that finally swung it for me to chose Simic as my guild. I also like the idea of playing around with +1/+1 counters in Standard.

Beaten by the formula

Deck tech, Game day, magic, MtG, MtG Deck Building


I got lucky Saturday morning. The post arrived with copies of the core 2 cards for the mono blue mill I needed. Which meant I was able to put together an initial build of my take on the whole mono blue mill deck thing.

I’d found it easier to get the 60 cards to make the main deck, than I did getting down to the 15 to make the sideboard. So I decided I’d throw a sideboard together at The Hobbit Hole.

At The Hobbit Hole I bought some sleeves for the new deck, and a couple of extra copies of Surge Mare and Howling Golem. There was a Pokemon tournament going on when I arrived. Kar-Fai was participating in that instead of the Standard Showdown today. Don’t blame him, there was a booster box of Pokemon cards up for grabs as the first prize.

After sleeving my new deck an opportunity to take it out for a test drive presented itself. A young lad keen to play some magic before Standard Showdown wanted a game. I was curious to how the deck would do, so we shuffled our decks.

Friendly Game 1 – William

I was unsure how my deck was going to work. Obviously I knew my game plan. But would it actually get time to do it’s thing? Williams deck seemed to present no real danger. My pieces fell into place, and then it was just a matter of executing the plan. I milled William out.

The deck had worked. But to be fair, and I’m not being mean on William but his deck wasn’t a real test. William is learning, his deck building skills are still in their infancy. Mine aren’t much further along the path. But I knew I’d be facing tougher, more powerful decks in the Standard Showdown. However there was enough here to make the decision for me that I’d give the deck an outing in the Standard Showdown.

Result: Win

I decided to play William again but this time with my Golgari deck. I thought it was important he got an idea of the sort of decks he’d be up against power wise.

Friendly Game 2 – William

This was a by the numbers game for the deck. I didn’t hit any of my removal spells. But with two Steel Leaf Champions and a Vicious Conquistador out I didn’t really need to. The only “removal” I did hit was a Ravenous Chupacabra.

Result: Win

I left William and Michael (re)building William a deck.

Dean arrived and had a couple of cards for me that were going into the ninja/assassin commander deck. I’d traded an Assassin’s Trophy with him the previous week. I was pretty happy with the trade. The deck I’m building is a slow build, just ticking away in the background.

Andy had joined in the deck building effort for William. I hope William was listening and learning from the advice he was being given. But he did have a better deck to play with.

Right it was showtime, the first round pairings were called out.

Round 1 – Rebecca

I’d never played Rebecca before, I believe this was the first time she’d been to the store with her partner. She wasn’t a standard player either and like me thrown a deck together for today.

Our first game although I started milling Rebecca, I had no real answer for her 1/1 flyer that was getting pumped every now and again. And that was the one doing all the damage. I eventually bled out to that damn flyer.

Game two was a different story. I milled Rebecca out. She had cards in hand that it turned out afterwards she didn’t have the mana to cast. A little mana screwed.

The deciding game went to time. We didn’t need the five turns. When time was called, we had reached a point in the game that either of us could win it on our next turn. Rebecca needed to do five points of damage to me to win with that cursed flier, and I only had three cards to mill, that would happen when I started my next turn. Luckily for me, but sadly for Rebecca on her turn she could only get to dealing four points of damage to me. I was alive to start my turn and win.

I had won by the skin of my teeth.

Result: Win 2-1

Round 2 – Alfie

I’d played Alfie before but with the Golgari deck. After a little banter to lighten the mood and make it a bit more fun for Alfie, we started duelling.

Our first game went the same way as my first round first game. I was killing but not fast enough, and just got my butt kicked by creatures.

Game two went my way with the mill getting me a win. Alfie didn’t enjoy that experience much seeing his good cards going into the graveyard.

Game three the decider went my way also. It could easily have been a mill win or a creature smash win. I went for the creature smash for a change! It had to be done, because although that’s an option with the 16 creatures in the deck, it’s not the main win condition for the deck. They are mainly there to keep me alive long enough to get the win condition. So I don’t imagine with this deck that it will get many wins this way.

Result: Win 2-1

Friendly Game 3 – Kar-Fai

The Pokemon tournament had ended with Kar-Fai coming in second place, just missing out on the big prize again.

So to fill time between my next and final round we played our blue decks against each other. Kar-Fai had thrown some of his blue cards together to make a deck (his words).

There was some back and forth between the two decks. Kar-Fai had that unblockable 1/1 merfolk out. Which was annoying. But in the end mill ruled the day.

Result: Win

Round 3 – Dean

Time to face Alfie’s uncle.

I knew this deck, it’s a fast Golgari aggro deck. My Golgari deck has beaten it. But would this new deck?

The simple answer is no. My meagre collection of creatures thrown out as a defensive shield did little to stop the onslaught. I did mill away some of his big nasty creatures like both of his Ghaltas. But in the end it was little consolation to being wiped out.

So the uncle had avenged the nephew.

Result: Loss 2-0

I think there was only one player who went 3-0 and won. Three ended up 1-2, with the rest having a 2-1 record. So that meant the WotC software would once again be applying the rules and deciding positions based on how well opponents had done. Which meant my position wouldn’t be too high. The two people I’d beaten had finished 9th and 8th.

Final position: 6th out of 10 with a 2-1 record.

I only got a participation pack this week, missing out on a Showdown booster.

Afterwards we had a five player game of Commander with the Planeschase cards. I was playing my Death and Taxes deck. There was a nice combo between one planes that forced a player to discard their hand and draw a new hand equal in size to the one they just discarded in their end step, and a creature of mine. My creature had an ability that said an opponent lost a life each time they drew a card. Which was funny. I think over twenty points of damage was done before my creature was removed.

In the end we ran out of time because once again apparently John wanted to eat, and spend time with his family! So there was no winner.

For those interested, or can’t remember what I wrote but for some inexplicable reason want to read more of my words, you can read my thoughts on putting the deck together in my post earlier in the week HERE.

For those that did go off and read my previous post on this deck I’ll apologise for repeating this disclaimer for those that didn’t.

“I’m not claiming these are the best decks in the world, they certainly are not top competitive decks. They are hopefully fun, affordable (subjective I know) decks. I don’t try and keep to a target price point. I try and use as many cards in my collection as possible to keep my costs down. I’m certainly not a master deck builder claiming this deck will win tournaments, if it is fun to play and does it thing then I’ll be happy.“

So I suppose you want to know what cards make up the deck and sideboard I used yesterday.

Creatures:16
2 Diamond Mare
4 Surge Mare
4 Vodalian Arcanist
2 Howling Golem
3 Homarid Explorer
1 Fleet Swallower

Spells:22
4 Opt
4 Blink of an Eye
4 Drowned Secrets
4 Psychic Corrosion
4 Secrets of the Golden City
2 Kumena’s Awakening

Lands:22
20 Island
2 Memorial to Genius

Sideboard:15
1 Windreader Sphinx
2 Fountain of Renewal
4 Essence Scatter
1 Millstone
4 Cancel
2 Patient Rebuilding
1 River’s Rebuke

In a change from tradition I’m presenting the deck’d apps graphs and pricing now instead of before.

Wow that’s a lot of 2 drops. I like the AMC, that means I can be casting at least a couple of spells a turn from turn 5 onwards. Which is what I want to be doing once Drowned Secrets is out.

I’m gobsmacked by how cheap the deck is to put together if I ever needed to build it again from scratch.

The deck was fun to play, well for me. So I’m glad I built it and played it.