i picked selesnya, because i expect it'll have some solid support cards, and if i add another color uWG and WGb both seem pretty solid.
also, i thought the land was better than it actually is. :< it'll never activate compared to, like, every other rare.
but it only takes up a land slot, so... that part's pretty good.
i picked selesnya, because i expect it'll have some solid support cards, and if i add another color uWG and WGb both seem pretty solid.
also, i thought the land was better than it actually is. :< it'll never activate compared to, like, every other rare.
but it only takes up a land slot, so... that part's pretty good.
Yeah, I'm going Selesnaya also. My heart is with Izzet, but I don't think I could stomach pulling one of those Foresight of the Firemind or whatever it's called.
Also I want to build a gonzo deck: Selesnaya zombies using Cellar Door, Intangible Virtue, maybe something like Terminus, and lots of populate effects.
I know it won't be competitive, but it will be hilarious, running nearly-mono-white zombies.
Getting to really play with Unleash has demonstrated it to be about as bad as most people assumed it would be. That may prove to be untrue when played against more realistic RTR boardstates, but in these drafts that decision to unleash is always "yes", and even then you're just thinking "shit, I just paid 2B for a 3/4 that can't block? my deck sucks..."
On the other hand, Detain has been surprisingly brutal in small doses, and Martial Law is a goddamn beating. The difference between it and Prison Term is clear once you have it active in a relative stalemate.
This is largely what I'm expecting from the set. I am very underwhelmed by Unleash. Those creatures need evasion badly. It might be better if you can get a couple of Deviant Glees - an Unleashed Splatter Thug with a Deviant Glee on him is a 5/4 First Strike Trample. Not bad for turn 4.
Alternatively, I think the smart Unleash player will splash blue to get access to Teleportal or Pursuit of Flight.
I expect Detain to be good. Even a single detain card can give you a tempo boost in the early game, and you can slow-roll them against larger creatures in the mid-game.
Populate might be better with better collated packs.
A single Overloaded Street Spasm, Blustersquall, or Teleportal at the right time can win the game.
every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.
i am going to turn up and play whatever the store has the most stock unused
so probably rakdos if the internet is any gauge
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silence1186Character shields down!As a wingmanRegistered Userregular
I signed up for a midnight and a day of release. And then I found out the store has 2HG, so I signed up for that as well. Sigh at being a consumer whore. Oh well, still mega psyched for this set.
I plan on being Rakdos at least once (intentionally) this weekend. Of course, I'm also attending four events. Not sure which of Golgari or Izzet I'm going to skip.
I think if you get a ton of Unleash creatures you're in good shape and you can keep crashing into them over and over.
But this set definately seems like it'll be a slower format, with expensive removal with some huge creatures.
I think Izzet looks the worst of the combinations. Splashing the other izzet colour in your deck seems fine though.
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silence1186Character shields down!As a wingmanRegistered Userregular
I still feel like curving turn one 2 power turn two 3 power and turn three 3 power is an excellent curve and not terrible for Rakdos. Not sure how often it will be pulled off though.
maybe rakdos will be popular in my area though who knows! im just trying to be nice and use up the stores unwanted stock
red has several burn spells at common and ultimate price is common too, it might not be so bad
Ultimate Price is uncommon. But so is Street Spasm, and Rakdos is the only two-color combination that can use both. Rakdos also might get better use out of Guttersnipe than Izzet; turning all of your removal into mini-Lash Outs is good times. Rakdos Ragemutt might be surprising; not being able to block with half of your team isn't so bad when you have a hasty 3/3 lifelinker (who can block, if it comes to that) lurking about. Also worth noting? The Rakdos Keyrune beats three of the other four Keyrunes in a fight (4 out of 4 if the Azorious Keyrune has to block it).
But what I really want to open when I go Rakdos is the Rix Maadi Guildmage. If they can't kill her then that thing will dominate the board, and if they choose to detain her then that's just more opportunity for my big dorks to swing through.
Rakdos seems to be more popular than I figured it would be. The pre-registration list at the store I'm going to is surprisingly even across the guilds. No one seems to like Selesnya though.
Random observation from BETA queues: Street Spasm not being able to hit fliers has been pretty annoying so far, as it makes the Heat Ray half surprisingly frustrating to use on a worthwhile target. Not to mention, a lot of the worthwhile ground guys have huge butts, so it's usually 3R+ "unkicked". Not feeling it as a high pick, unlike what I would have expected from such a flexible card.
Also, I have yet to play with any of the new Guildmages, which is weird. Almost like they aren't in the MTGO files yet.
Niv-Mizzet and Armada Wurm seem like the two biggest Mythic Bombs, as 5 toughness is a vital threshold to meet (though still quite beatable), and Niv-Mizzet's activated ability isn't really something that can be played around.
Rakdos seems to be more popular than I figured it would be. The pre-registration list at the store I'm going to is surprisingly even across the guilds. No one seems to like Selesnya though.
I was not super sold on Selesnya until I saw they had two cheap useful effects at common and that almost all of them were common. Plus a ton of big fatties in what looks like a slow environment. Splash a little blue for the extra detain effects and it looks pretty solid.
Random observation from BETA queues: Street Spasm not being able to hit fliers has been pretty annoying so far, as it makes the Heat Ray half surprisingly frustrating to use on a worthwhile target. Not to mention, a lot of the worthwhile ground guys have huge butts, so it's usually 3R+ "unkicked". Not feeling it as a high pick, unlike what I would have expected from such a flexible card.
Also, I have yet to play with any of the new Guildmages, which is weird. Almost like they aren't in the MTGO files yet.
Niv-Mizzet and Armada Wurm seem like the two biggest Mythic Bombs, as 5 toughness is a vital threshold to meet (though still quite beatable), and Niv-Mizzet's activated ability isn't really something that can be played around.
What is this BETA MTGO thing where you can play with RTR?
Rakdos seems to be more popular than I figured it would be. The pre-registration list at the store I'm going to is surprisingly even across the guilds. No one seems to like Selesnya though.
I was not super sold on Selesnya until I saw they had two cheap useful effects at common and that almost all of them were common. Plus a ton of big fatties in what looks like a slow environment. Splash a little blue for the extra detain effects and it looks pretty solid.
If I had to guess, I would say that about 45% of people are going to pick what guild they want based on money cards, 45% will pick based on which one they think is the coolest, and, at most, 10% will pick a guild based on its power in limited.
Well personally I figure holding out until you can make an 8/8 vigilance dude and then if they try killing it making it indestructible or fogging and getting another one is going to be pretty goddamn cool.
I'm going Azorius for the Two Headed Dragon one I'm going to though.
Rakdos seems underrated. It has the best common, Auger Spree, has a 6/4 for five and a 4/4 for four if you manage to pick up a few gates. On the red side, you have two excellent burn cards at common, a 3/3 first strike for three and a 3/2 for two.
Don't underestimate the Lord of Riots.
I can't betray my guild though. I WILL open Niv-Mizzet this time! (I never got one during old Ravnica.)
Man... if you ever need to point out white's capacity for evil (read: fascism) to someone, the flavor text on Martial Law sums it up nicely: "The good of society matters much more than the inconvenience of a few." It's not one I'm adding to my rotating sig, but I love the reminder that white isn't all sunshine and goody-goodies.
What is this BETA MTGO thing where you can play with RTR?
I can't really remember how I got added to the beta, it's definitely something you sign up for somewhere. I think I found the link through twitter. I also don't know if it's something where they're adding people all the time, or if it was just during a window.
Well personally I figure holding out until you can make an 8/8 vigilance dude and then if they try killing it making it indestructible or fogging and getting another one is going to be pretty goddamn cool.
The problem with the token-land is that you have Voidwielder and Dramatic Rescue at common and Azorius Charm at uncommon. I'm not 100% sure how the timing on Populate will work out, but I suspect that you will be able to use an instant to get rid of a token as a response to a Populate card before it resolves.
So against anybody playing blue, the Selesnya token-land is a risky proposition. Against any other color, you're probably fine.
I still feel like curving turn one 2 power turn two 3 power and turn three 3 power is an excellent curve and not terrible for Rakdos. Not sure how often it will be pulled off though.
I did notice that Rakdos is tuned to deal with Selesnya's centaurs well. When unleashed, cards like Dead Reveler, Bloodfray Giant, and Splatter Thug will kill a centaur token without dying.
Feral on
every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.
I'm not 100% sure how the timing on Populate will work out, but I suspect that you will be able to use an instant to get rid of a token as a response to a Populate card before it resolves.
Depends on the populate effect in question. But what populate does not do in any incarnation is target, so as long as at least one token remains then you'll get to populate when the effect resolves.
Populate effects that are riders on spells ("create a token, then populate") cannot be interrupted. There is nothing you can do to prevent your opponent from getting at least two birds from Eyes in the Sky (short of countering the spell), for example.
EDIT: yeah, bounce will screw with populate. on the other hand, the only thing that kills that 8/8 token besides bounce spells is dreadbore or abrupt decay.
I'm not 100% sure how the timing on Populate will work out, but I suspect that you will be able to use an instant to get rid of a token as a response to a Populate card before it resolves.
Depends on the populate effect in question. But what populate does not do in any incarnation is target, so as long as at least one token remains then you'll get to populate when the effect resolves.
Well, I'm referring specifically to using Populate to copy a Grove of the Guardian. Obviously you can't interrupt an Eye in the Sky while it is resolving.
Feral on
every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
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ShadowenSnores in the morningLoserdomRegistered Userregular
I'm not 100% sure how the timing on Populate will work out, but I suspect that you will be able to use an instant to get rid of a token as a response to a Populate card before it resolves.
Depends on the populate effect in question. But what populate does not do in any incarnation is target, so as long as at least one token remains then you'll get to populate when the effect resolves.
Well, I'm referring specifically to using Populate to copy a Grove of the Guardian. Obviously you can't interrupt an Eye in the Sky while it is resolving.
I think it will work like this:
scenario A) I control an 8/8 token. My opponent casts a bounce spell/ability at my token. In response I cast Rootborn Defense, which gives me a copy of my token. I then control 2 tokens. Finally my opponent's bounce resolves and I lose my first token.
scenario I control that same token. End of my opponent's turn I cast Eyes in the Sky. In response he casts Dramatic Rescue on my 8/8. It gets bounced, ceases to be, and then Eyes in the Sky resolves and I get two birds.
As an aside, I am ALSO psyched to curve 3/3 centaur token into Rootborn Defense into Eyes in the Sky, for Selesnya. That seems like a beating.
scenario A) I control an 8/8 token. My opponent casts a bounce spell/ability at my token. In response I cast Rootborn Defense, which gives me a copy of my token. I then control 2 tokens. Finally my opponent's bounce resolves and I lose my first token.
scenario I control that same token. End of my opponent's turn I cast Eyes in the Sky. In response he casts Dramatic Rescue on my 8/8. It gets bounced, ceases to be, and then Eyes in the Sky resolves and I get two birds.
That is exactly what I'm thinking.
every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.
It is weird that black's best way to kill a 8/8 vanilla token at common is a four mana Bone Splinters. At uncommon there's only a six mana sorcery. At least Azorius has detain.
To extrapolate, there might be a subtle rock-paper-scissors going on. It's just a theory, but I'm thinking along the lines of Selesnya > Rakdos > Azorius > Golgari > Izzet.
Selesnya overwhelms Rakdos (provided they don't populate one available target with open r/b mana);
Rakdos swarms Azorius and kills their small fliers;
Azorius detains Golgari's scavenged creatures;
Golgari are eventually too big for Izzet to handle;
Izzet overload all over Selesnya's populate strategy.
It is weird that black's best way to kill a 8/8 vanilla token at common is a four mana Bone Splinters. At uncommon there's only a six mana sorcery. At least Azorius has detain.
Game one, maybe. Although a well-timed Traitorous Instinct (common this time around) might make killing the token irrelevant. For games two and three they have access to two different common five-mana Stone Rains, which can probably hit before the token shows up (since they need five mana in addition to the Grove).
Also, keep in mind that Selesnya can't get the 8/8 if they can't keep two other dudes alive.
silence1186Character shields down!As a wingmanRegistered Userregular
edited September 2012
I wonder if he got a hold of the print runs, since iirc cards don't appear truly randomly. At least that was the case with the original Ravnica. It was possible to know what common your opponents picked based on what was left in the pack. You know, if you memorized the whole print run.
admanbunionize your workplaceSeattle, WARegistered Userregular
I would assume he has no idea what the print runs are and is just randomly picking cards; possibly with an algorithm that stops it from picking the same card twice.
Posts
also, i thought the land was better than it actually is. :< it'll never activate compared to, like, every other rare.
but it only takes up a land slot, so... that part's pretty good.
Yeah, I'm going Selesnaya also. My heart is with Izzet, but I don't think I could stomach pulling one of those Foresight of the Firemind or whatever it's called.
Also I want to build a gonzo deck: Selesnaya zombies using Cellar Door, Intangible Virtue, maybe something like Terminus, and lots of populate effects.
I know it won't be competitive, but it will be hilarious, running nearly-mono-white zombies.
This is largely what I'm expecting from the set. I am very underwhelmed by Unleash. Those creatures need evasion badly. It might be better if you can get a couple of Deviant Glees - an Unleashed Splatter Thug with a Deviant Glee on him is a 5/4 First Strike Trample. Not bad for turn 4.
Alternatively, I think the smart Unleash player will splash blue to get access to Teleportal or Pursuit of Flight.
I expect Detain to be good. Even a single detain card can give you a tempo boost in the early game, and you can slow-roll them against larger creatures in the mid-game.
Populate might be better with better collated packs.
A single Overloaded Street Spasm, Blustersquall, or Teleportal at the right time can win the game.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
so probably rakdos if the internet is any gauge
Thanks for the new thread title.
like, those were the nuts sealed pools i won events with.
i just think it's ironic that it looks SO BAD in ravnica.
i think it's mostly set speed that's doing that.
But this set definately seems like it'll be a slower format, with expensive removal with some huge creatures.
I think Izzet looks the worst of the combinations. Splashing the other izzet colour in your deck seems fine though.
red has several burn spells at common and ultimate price is common too, it might not be so bad
Ultimate Price is uncommon. But so is Street Spasm, and Rakdos is the only two-color combination that can use both. Rakdos also might get better use out of Guttersnipe than Izzet; turning all of your removal into mini-Lash Outs is good times. Rakdos Ragemutt might be surprising; not being able to block with half of your team isn't so bad when you have a hasty 3/3 lifelinker (who can block, if it comes to that) lurking about. Also worth noting? The Rakdos Keyrune beats three of the other four Keyrunes in a fight (4 out of 4 if the Azorious Keyrune has to block it).
But what I really want to open when I go Rakdos is the Rix Maadi Guildmage. If they can't kill her then that thing will dominate the board, and if they choose to detain her then that's just more opportunity for my big dorks to swing through.
Also, I have yet to play with any of the new Guildmages, which is weird. Almost like they aren't in the MTGO files yet.
Niv-Mizzet and Armada Wurm seem like the two biggest Mythic Bombs, as 5 toughness is a vital threshold to meet (though still quite beatable), and Niv-Mizzet's activated ability isn't really something that can be played around.
I was not super sold on Selesnya until I saw they had two cheap useful effects at common and that almost all of them were common. Plus a ton of big fatties in what looks like a slow environment. Splash a little blue for the extra detain effects and it looks pretty solid.
What is this BETA MTGO thing where you can play with RTR?
I'm going Azorius for the Two Headed Dragon one I'm going to though.
Don't underestimate the Lord of Riots.
I can't betray my guild though. I WILL open Niv-Mizzet this time! (I never got one during old Ravnica.)
I can't really remember how I got added to the beta, it's definitely something you sign up for somewhere. I think I found the link through twitter. I also don't know if it's something where they're adding people all the time, or if it was just during a window.
Poke around the internets.
The problem with the token-land is that you have Voidwielder and Dramatic Rescue at common and Azorius Charm at uncommon. I'm not 100% sure how the timing on Populate will work out, but I suspect that you will be able to use an instant to get rid of a token as a response to a Populate card before it resolves.
So against anybody playing blue, the Selesnya token-land is a risky proposition. Against any other color, you're probably fine.
I did notice that Rakdos is tuned to deal with Selesnya's centaurs well. When unleashed, cards like Dead Reveler, Bloodfray Giant, and Splatter Thug will kill a centaur token without dying.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
Depends on the populate effect in question. But what populate does not do in any incarnation is target, so as long as at least one token remains then you'll get to populate when the effect resolves.
Populate effects that are riders on spells ("create a token, then populate") cannot be interrupted. There is nothing you can do to prevent your opponent from getting at least two birds from Eyes in the Sky (short of countering the spell), for example.
selesnya: ALL OF THE CENTAURS. All of the time.
EDIT: yeah, bounce will screw with populate. on the other hand, the only thing that kills that 8/8 token besides bounce spells is dreadbore or abrupt decay.
Well, I'm referring specifically to using Populate to copy a Grove of the Guardian. Obviously you can't interrupt an Eye in the Sky while it is resolving.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
I think it will work like this:
scenario A) I control an 8/8 token. My opponent casts a bounce spell/ability at my token. In response I cast Rootborn Defense, which gives me a copy of my token. I then control 2 tokens. Finally my opponent's bounce resolves and I lose my first token.
scenario
As an aside, I am ALSO psyched to curve 3/3 centaur token into Rootborn Defense into Eyes in the Sky, for Selesnya. That seems like a beating.
To be fair, that was all colors being evil.
That is exactly what I'm thinking.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
dramatic rescue
voidwielder
cyclonic rift
also: grove token doesn't die to ultimate price, which makes me happy.
like rakdos straight up cannot deal with that token, short of dreadbore.
EDIT: No I am dumb, Rakdos charm doesn't make creatures deal damage equal to its power to their controller, dummy.
To extrapolate, there might be a subtle rock-paper-scissors going on. It's just a theory, but I'm thinking along the lines of Selesnya > Rakdos > Azorius > Golgari > Izzet.
Selesnya overwhelms Rakdos (provided they don't populate one available target with open r/b mana);
Rakdos swarms Azorius and kills their small fliers;
Azorius detains Golgari's scavenged creatures;
Golgari are eventually too big for Izzet to handle;
Izzet overload all over Selesnya's populate strategy.
Game one, maybe. Although a well-timed Traitorous Instinct (common this time around) might make killing the token irrelevant. For games two and three they have access to two different common five-mana Stone Rains, which can probably hit before the token shows up (since they need five mana in addition to the Grove).
Also, keep in mind that Selesnya can't get the 8/8 if they can't keep two other dudes alive.
http://www.reddit.com/r/magicTCG/comments/108mqv/my_try_at_a_rtr_boostersealedguild_pack_simulator/
E: For those interested http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/print.php?Article=11138