Magic Arena OO talk

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El Guapo
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by El Guapo »

What I'm really dying for is for them to allow for private drafts (either in this or MTG: Online), so that I can do draft tournaments with friends who do not live nearby.
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Paingod
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

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I made the mistake of playing something other than a Green/* deck yesterday. My second opponent while testing out a solid Red deck pulled out a deck filled with nothing but Persistent Petitioners.

Persistent Petitioners: (1)+1B 1/3 Human Advisor Creature - (1), Tap > Target player puts the top card of their library into their graveyard. Tap four untapped Advisors you control: Target player puts the top twelve cards of their library into their graveyard. A deck can have any number of cards named Persistent Petitioners.

I simply could not draw enough damage cards to kill his creatures as fast as he put them down. By the time he had five on the table and I had killed just three with direct damage, I quit.

Of course, I return to Green/* with Gaea's Blessing and I never see the deck again. I really want to have 1/3 of my opponents use Corrosion against that. My win ratios would be astronomical.

On the bright side, my Merfolk deck feels like a well-tuned monster now. The only thing that ever consistently beats me is luck. When I either draw nothing but land, or draw no land. As long as I get a mix, I tend to win. It's potent early, mid, and late as long as I get a mix.

The Deck and how I use it:
Spoiler:
  • 1x Curious Obsession: 1B, Enchant. When creature hits player, draw a card. Discard if creature doesn't attack this turn. Good for unblockable creatures.
  • 2x Fountain of Renewal: (1) Artifact, Heal 1 health each turn, or (3) to sacrifice and draw three cards. As my only healing in the deck, it's saved me from a lot of direct damage deaths and being picked apart by tiny flying creatures.
  • 3x Blink of an Eye: (1) 1B, Return target non-land permanent to owner's hand, or kick for (1) 1B and draw a card too. Always useful, especially with a Kick.
  • 2x River Sneak: (1) 1B - 1/1 Merfolk, unblockable, +1/+1 for the turn when another Merfolk comes out. Good with the Curious Obsession, tends to be a priority for opponents, which is fine.
  • 4x Silvergill Adept: (1) 1B - 2/1 Merfolk. Reveal a Merfolk or pay (3) extra, draw a card. An essential part of the deck as I get a creature and draw a card.
  • 1x Deeproot Elite: (1) 1G - 1/1 Merfolk. Put +1/+1 counter on any creature when a Merfolk comes into play. Tends to be a priority for opponents.
  • 2x Gaea's Blessing: (1) 1G - Return up to three cards from my graveyard to my library and draw a card - or - when put into graveyard from Library, shuffle the entire graveyard into my Library. Ensures I don't face Corrosion decks, and is generally useful.
  • 1x Combine Guildmage: 1G 1B - 1/1 Merfolk. (1) 1G & Tap: All creatures get +1/+1 counters when they enter the battlefield this turn. (1) 1B & Tap: Move a +1 counter from one creature to another. Low priority target for opponents.
  • 3x Growth Spiral: 1G 1B - Put down an extra land this turn, draw a card. Awesome for early hands, still useful later as I get to Draw.
  • 4x Merfolk Mistbinder: 1G 1B, 2/2 Merfolk. Other Merfolk get +1/+1. High priority for opponents.
  • 1x Simic Ascendancy: 1G 1B, Enchantment. (1) 1G 1B: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature, put a counter on this card. When a creature gets a +1 counter, put a counter on this card. When this card has 20 counters, you win. I've never won with it, but I have used it to easily buff creatures with free mana.
  • 2x Deeproot Waters: (2) 1B: When a Merfolk is cast, put a 1/1 Merfolk token with Hexproof into play. I've lost count of how many games this has let me win. They might be able to beat back the normies, but they get lost in the hoarde.
  • 1x Kumena, Tyrant of Orazca: (1) 1G 1B - 2/4 obligatory Legendary merfolk, tap three Merfolk to draw a card, tap 5 Merfolk to put +1 counters on all Merfolk. Very high priority for opponents.
  • 1x Shapers of Nature: (1) 1G 1B - 3/3 Merfolk. (3) 1G to put +1 counter on creature, (3) 1B to remove +1 counter and draw a card. One of the stronger base Merfolk I have, but I never seem to utilize its abilities. It's mostly a lure for damage.
  • 1x Seafloor Oracle: (2) 2B - 2/3 Merfolk. Whenever a Merfolk deals combat damage to a player, draw a card. Useful, but not essential. A middling priority for opponents.
  • 2x Sleep: (2) 2B - Sorcery. Tap all creatures an opponent controls, they don't untap during their next untap phase. The finishing move.
  • 1x Tempest Caller: (2) 2B - 2/3 Merfolk. Tap all creatures an opponent controls. Another finishing move. Not too bad with Blink of an Eye.
  • 1x Forerunner of the Heralds: (3) 1G - 3/2 Merfolk. Put Merfolk in Library on top of Library, gets +1 when other Merfolk enter the battlefield. Quickly becomes a serious hazard.
  • 1x Wilderness Reclaimation: (3) 1G - Enchantment. All lands untap at the end phase. Great with Simic Ascendancy and other off-turn cards.
  • 1x Zegana, Utopian Speaker: (2) 1G 1B - 4/4 Legendary Merfolk. Draw a card if another creature has a +1 counter when entering the battlefield.(4) 1G 1B, put 4 +1 counters on this creature. All creatures with +1 counters get Trample. A game-enter if she gets warmed up. A very high priority for enemies.
  • 1x Vanquisher's Banner: (5) Artifact, Choose a creature type. Creatures of that type get +1/+1, draw a card when casting that type.
  • 1x The Immortal Sun: (6) Artifact. Draw an extra card on your Draw phase, all creatures get +1/+1, Spells cost (1) less.
  • 10x Islands
  • 1x Memorial to Genius: Tap for 1B, starts tapped. (4) 1B & tap, sacrifice, Draw two cards. Just because, I suppose.
  • 8x Forests
  • 1x Rare Blue/Green land, doesn't come in tapped if I control an Island or a Forest already.
  • 4x Uncommon Blue/Green lands, come into play tapped.
The underutilized cards are:
  • 1x Combine Guildmage - I never seem to use the abilities on this and treat it like a Lure.
  • Shapers of Nature - I never seem to use the abilities on this and treat it like a Lure.
  • River Sneak - Usually dies as soon as it comes out. No one likes unblockable creatures. I tend to think of it as a Lure more than a power play.
  • Curious Obsession - Because the River Sneaks die so quickly, this really doesn't get much play.
  • Memorial to Genius - I could swap this for a regular island, but I like it for some reason.
Things I like about this deck:
  • 19 cards that include some way to "Draw a Card" - sometimes permanently.
  • No one or two cards are so essential that the whole thing collapses when they go. Everything is disposable.
  • It's possible to get up to +6/+6 on all creatures.
  • It's possible to build up really fast with the right combo of Draw + Play extra land.
Things this deck is weak against:
  • Heavy damage flying.
  • Lots of direct damage or counter spells
  • Lots of generally beefy creatures. Dinosaur and other +1 decks put up a really good fight.
Also: What's up with Hexproof not being Hexproof? A Hexproof creature can still be killed with "Destroy All" and still be Enchanted by enemies.
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LordMortis
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by LordMortis »

I don't generally have a problem when that deck comes up.

Gate decks have me playing very little though and most of my time playing is really spent watching youtube stalling out some slow acting player who chose to play a slow deck, so I force them to play the whole game while I watch youtube.

I found my best match for the gate deck is creature regeneration in my deathtouch green black deck with additional gate land kill but the deck isn't very good otherwise and I don't want to play that same deck all of the time because it's gate deck killer. That's just not interesting for me.
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by Paingod »

Deathtouch would put a damper on Gate decks, but they generally come with a mountain of Trample and "Deal Damage Equal to the Number of Gate" spells to handle your army.

I've been testing a Goblin Berserker deck and having some success. The linchpin card is the Goblin commander (3) 2R that creates 3 tokens and lets you sacrifice a Goblin to do 2 damage to any target. I've used that to completely lock up a few otherwise annoying decks, and it could probably kill a Gate beast or two as long as my draws were solid and I kept spawning tokens.
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LordMortis
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by LordMortis »

It's not so much that deathtouch cramps them it's the fact that their uber gate critters die, yay! while my critters either spawn new critters on death or are recoverable from graveyard on their turn, so they can attack on my turn. Because of this they have to have constant barrage of kill all creatures to hold me at bay and if they get the my elves out, they lose life for the privilege.

I haven't even added in the field of ruin? land yet, which gate decks that do not put in basic forests hate. Of course if they put in basic forrests, they water down their gateyness, so that's OK too.
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by Paingod »

Apparently Nexus of Fate was annoying too many people who got tired of waiting forever to simply die. It's banned.
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by LordMortis »

how technology handles the ability to repeat actions.
From your link

That's why my playtime is at weak pulse. The technology makes me wait with none of the social aspects of a live game to fill in the void. I get sick of that too quick and behave inappropriately at what feels like the other player placing no value on my time, so I show them how that feels. Decks designed to have me sit there while you decision make and decision make and decision make until it is a convenient for your deck to make a move annoy me. It takes fifty rounds? Fine. If it takes fifty rounds of you surveiling and weighing which of your seven cards is the best route to stall? Nope.

My play time is currently down to, can a change daily from 500 to 750 gold? Can I pursue meet a 750 gold objective.
If it is the weekend and I have 5000 gold, I play draft.

But that's still cool for a game I only paid $5 for, so *shrug*. To the rest enjoy the game you purchased, I guess.
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Paingod
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by Paingod »

LordMortis wrote: Thu Feb 14, 2019 5:13 pmMy play time is currently down to, can a change daily from 500 to 750 gold? Can I pursue meet a 750 gold objective.
I've found that I'm often able to hit the 500/750 objectives simultaneously if I wait a couple days between sessions - I think up to three days worth of rewards will accumulate. 500 gold for Black/White spells. 750 Gold for 30 Creatures. Looks like it's time for my Vampire Deck. Boom. Done.
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by LordMortis »

I log in every day. I usually have a 500 I try to change to 750 and then I only pursue the a 750. If there are no 750s or if I am at 3 daily tasks, I'll still play for a 500 gold or to get the first couple of high gold wins.
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by Isgrimnur »

Paingod wrote: Thu Feb 14, 2019 4:14 pm Apparently Nexus of Fate was annoying too many people who got tired of waiting forever to simply die. It's banned.
To be replaced by Shahrazad. :P
It's almost as if people are the problem.
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Paingod
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by Paingod »

Corrosion decks got hip to Gaea's Blessing and can now include the Ixalan card "Sentinel's Totem" - which lets you immediately exile all cards from all graveyards. The only 'good' thing about this is that using it slows them down by a turn, letting me get more critters out... but it's an effective counter to Gaea's Blessing as it immediately exiles it before it can restore your graveyard to your library.

Darn.
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Exodor
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by Exodor »

I'm playing every day, usually with my white/black vampire life gain deck.

Twice this weekend I was in the middle of a long game (10+ minutes) when I disconnected. Before this current patch I could click reconnect and re-join the game but this time when I clicked reconnect it dumped me back to the main page and the game was gone.

Of course both times I was very close to winning which makes me wonder if there's some sort of exploit out there.

Anyone else run into this?
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LordMortis
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by LordMortis »

On Sunday I have found the connections to be very slow. With my patience often already tried with players making slow decisions in blue or gate decks, I played a total of five games on Sunday two of which I disconnected, even though my Internet was solid. I had 3 500 dailies, so I will have lost a daily as well as having 0 wins on the day. Ah well. I'm not hurt as I play less and am often dumped in to games against a zillion rares/mythics anyway. I like to collect gold because I really like the drafts but I think they are too expensive for my gaming dollar at their current price point.
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by MindToyGames »

This version I started a few days ago, and its pretty good actually! Slick interface, decent reward rate. Have a blue/black/red deck that's 13-2 in single game play sessions.
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Paingod
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by Paingod »

I kind of stopped playing a few days ago. :hawk:

Between matchmaking that seems all to aware of my deck composition, and the feeling of needing to play every day to keep up, I couldn't sustain it. I wasn't having enough fun to warrant the time spent getting to the end of my dailies. :oops:
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by LordMortis »

Still checking in. Still changing 500 daily to 750 daily before pursuing. Still getting to play a 5000 gold draft most weekends, but as example of where I'm at on play or effort to enjoyment, I got my 15th win for the week, accumulating my 3rd pack just yesterday. So that's 15 wins in four days. I don't know how many games. I have two decks that can probably win something short of 50% of the time but dynamic and exploration isn't fun for me, so there is no way I'm grinding with my white knight deck where most of my rare/mythic wilds have been spent just to get a few hundred gold and uncommon cards. Especially when so many opponent decks are sooooo sloooow.

But slowed to very few games, I still play and play every day, if nothing else to reset or hit a daily goal and win at least once.

New season kicks off very soon. We'll see if that somehow resets match making.


(And still even if it's annoying to play with deck ideas without having all the cards against players with their great big competitive decks, that's still not my major turn off. The major turn off remains my struggles with my own patience. Out class my let's see how this deck woks deck against slow guy gate guy with 4 critters, land draw and denial, then I'm playing RimWorld while you time out round after round after round. This doesn't happen too much now that I'm only playing three or five games a day.)
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Paingod
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by Paingod »

LordMortis wrote: Thu Feb 28, 2019 1:03 pmThe major turn off remains my struggles with my own patience.
You should run two or three different "Card" games at once so you're always doing something instead of waiting. Maybe a Windowed Turn-Based strategy game or something in the background?
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by LordMortis »

Paingod wrote: Thu Feb 28, 2019 2:24 pm
LordMortis wrote: Thu Feb 28, 2019 1:03 pmThe major turn off remains my struggles with my own patience.
You should run two or three different "Card" games at once so you're always doing something instead of waiting. Maybe a Windowed Turn-Based strategy game or something in the background?
I now do RimWorld. It's a good combo for me. If I am not playing all slow players playing slow play decks, then I play magic (and still have a crazy bad losing record). If I am playing against slow players playing slow play decks then I'm losing to them at their own game, I get in 30 minutes of RimWorld they get 30 minutes win waiting for me to take my single action before returning to RimWorld.
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

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This last week marks the first week I didn't play enough to get 15 wins in a week, much less a day. I still play enough to never get to the point where a 4th daily goal comes up and daily goals plus 1 or 2 wins most days is still was enough to play a draft over the weekend.

Got my 4th rare buy for my 4th red elemental red mana charger, so I built my first pure red deck. Played the light creature gimmick deck that turns instants in to damage. Naturally the opponent finder instantly changes my opponents to creature kill decks. Decks that my white knight, white heal, green/black undead deathtouch, and assorted token weenie decks all would handle easily. And all those five of those decks combined to a total of 12 wins in seven days to probably 4 times that many losses. Maybe more. I'd think match making would be randomish based on I don't know what, but you know it can't be that because I consistently hit waves of deck types, like it finds buckets of commonality and cycles through them.

Anyhoo, still playing but I went from playing obsessively to get 15 wins a day to playing sort of obsessively to get 15 wins a week and then some to checking every day to try and get a daily switched to 750 and playing enough to make sure I never never see a day end with three daily rewards unfulfilled. This is probably where I should have been all along. We'll see if not being obsessive about the game and having a win percentage or like 20% (be that my ability to build and play or the match maker. Either way, 20% is 20%) will hold my attention.
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by Paingod »

LordMortis wrote: Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:57 amI'd think match making would be randomish based on I don't know what, but you know it can't be that because I consistently hit waves of deck types, like it finds buckets of commonality and cycles through them.
The matchmaking is a big part of why I'm not playing regularly. It just stops being fun when it seems like I'm consistently paired against decks that are designed to counter mine. It doesn't feel random - like sitting down at a table opposite a stranger. It feels more like the stranger got to see my deck and pick out out that will work well against it, but I don't get the same advantage. Maybe I just wasn't seeing it because the negative stings so much that you remember it over the positive.

When I was playing through the Ranked, I got to the Gold tier and stalled - because I was pretty much getting just enough losses to keep me from advancing after every win. It didn't matter what decks I used. Even if I had an equal opponent, my draws would be stupid - like I'd start with 3 mana and 8 turns later, I'd still have 3 mana - or I'd start with 4 mana and draw a land every turn for the next 5 turns. 9 of my first 12 cards are land? Really?

Anyway - I stopped playing maybe three weeks ago and haven't felt any urge to pick it back up. I know I'm "lagging behind" in terms of getting free cards for dailies and weeklies but can't bring myself to care about it.
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by LordMortis »

Oh I forgot to say in my 20% is 20% that I still play too many thinkers playing slow decks. So I get one out of five wins where I have high exposure to watching a screen where I can see them mousing over stuff and doing not acting for 20 seconds at a pop. There isn't a cure for that and my impatience is what will drive me away, not the 20% in itself. I can handle masses of losses. I continue to be a bad loser when it comes to feeling like my time is spent watching a screen with nothing happening (and continue to play RimWorld concurrent with magic unless I am playing in a draft)
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

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I still maintain that when I played, maybe 5% of the people I played against were so badly inclined towards dawdling. I'd probably rage-quit the game if 1/5 of the players were simply wasting my time.
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by LordMortis »

Looks like the new set releases on April 25th. I guess I'll start saving my gold (and gems and wilds, I guess) for drafting from the new set.

As of the new season, my generic matching seemed better. I haven't played ranked matches yet this season. The thing is though, once the "magic" wore off, there is no urge for me to play a lot. I literally play enough get make sure I never have three dailies to be completed where a fourth would not show up the next day. As mentioned before, I have no longer even get my 15 wins in a week, much less a day. Though that looks like it will change this week. With the season reset, my matches seem to have become a better mix of opponents for the moment. I think M/Tu saw me back to 50/50ish and I've only seen one maybe one or two gate decks of annoyance.

We'll see if the new set makes things more interesting to me.
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by Exodor »

I've also cut way back on my play time. Part of that is The Division 2 claiming my free time and part is repetition - I just kept playing against the same decks over and over with little variation.

I have about 26000 gold banked up so I'll dump that into the new set and see if there's anything interesting.
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LordMortis
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by LordMortis »

New set dropped today. I have 1700 gems and about 23,000 gold. I'm tempted to buy packs but I think I'll wait to draft from the new set instead and just face hoards of new cards with what I got. I *do* have quite a few wilds saved. I might dip in to them after I get a chance to peak at what's new.

At the end of this season, I finally see some good variation in decks though they still always seem to come in waves. Ironically by this time, I've pretty much pigeonholed myself into red low cost deck with elemental mana generation and draw power. it was probably going 60-40 at the end which was good enough to make sure I got my 15 wins a week in addition to timing 750 gold dailies.

I've been trying to build a green speed deck based on card cycle. Nothing seems to be working quite as intended though. It's not mana-ing fast enough. It's not defending itself. It's not cycling enough. I feel it can work but it must need a lot more tweaking.

I'd think about buying cards to enhance some neat stuff but I figure in July, everything pre-ravnica goes away, doesn't it?

4 Llanowar Elves
1 Shapers Sanctuary (I'd use more if I had them)
4 Druid of Cowl (Just added to little effect to increase early mana generation)
2 Gea's Blessing (down from 4)
4 Growth Chamber Guradian (at the core of my draw recycle)
4 Incubation Druid (Surpsingly ineffective. I never have time to adapt them)
3 Thunderherd Migration (Down from 4)
4 Blanchwood Armor
1 Growing Rites of Itlimoc
4 Raging Raptors
1 Sylvan Awakening (not as effective as I'd ever hope and yet I'd put in more if I had them)
1 Circuitous Route (I have more but they are expensive and getting even two your opening hand hurt)
1 The mending of Dominaria
1 Vivian Reid
1 Pelakka Wurm
1 Verdant Sun Avatar
23 Forrest

This is my current failure. I'm thinking about keeping it all forrests but taking it multicolor with lockets and mana of any color spells.

...thinking...
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LordMortis
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by LordMortis »

The new promocode is up PlayWarSpark will get you three packs of the new set.

I tried tweaking my green deck last night and it tweaked itself into an ooze deck. Ah well.

Looks like the new set really encourages playing multicolor. There seem to be a ton of "generate two many, one of two different color" type effects. I'm sitting here waiting for my ability to draft from the new set with my gold. So, I'm likely to see a lot of already perefect new set decks over the next few days while I have nothing... 23,000 gold will get me in four drafts. That's a nice 16 pack start for me, where I get to consider every card from every pack. Who knows, maybe I'll even bite on their one 3500 gems for $15. It still seems steep for what you get but I've played enough that I should throw them some money. 3500 gems is almost enough to get you in to 2 six pack sealed tourneys with a 3 pack reward. $15 feels steep for that but *shrug*
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LordMortis
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by LordMortis »

Been playing a Red Speed deck with the Dreadhorde Aracanist to great effect. I am little surprised that it took until today to see one from the other side. I imagine it's only time until it becomes popular and then is countered.

I still have virtually now War of the Spark cards band I blew all my gold over the weekend drafting for the last Ravnica set because reasons.
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by LordMortis »

For the first two weeks no one knew how to handle the Dreadhorde Aracanist. They didn't know what to make of them, to their demise. Beginning yesterday, I see them a lot. I guess I now have to find a way to deal with them. :D
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by LordMortis »

It's not particularly effective and I only built it with cards I own, but I build my first you lose combo deck.

I have three battlements, as many clones as (7 I think) and my three search for a creature cards, as wall as nothing but "when this creature enters play" creatures. The idea is to hit a critical mass of three battle flags one way or another and then loop the three with at least one "when this creature enters play your oppenent suffers" card. Usually it's a wall that mills four of your cards.

If I had a good set, I think it would play better. Right now it's maybe a 25% win but it's fun (for me) when it does. I'm surprised at the number of people who don't conceded and just watch my cycle until they lose. They're better people than I am. I have no patience for that. I'll concede the moment I realize a game is over.

My current deck apparently is

3 Lumbering Battlement (RNA) 15
6 Island (RIX) 193
1 Finale of Devastation (WAR) 160
6 Forest (RIX) 196
1 Plains (RIX) 192
2 Prime Speaker Vannifar (RNA) 195
1 Impassioned Orator (RNA) 12
4 Wall of Lost Thoughts (RNA) 59
4 Exclusion Mage (M19) 55
1 Fblthp, the Lost (WAR) 50
1 Knight of Autumn (GRN) 183
1 Dwarven Priest (M19) 11
3 Spark Double (WAR) 68
4 Paradise Druid (WAR) 171
1 Centaur Nurturer (WAR) 156
1 Glacial Fortress (XLN) 255
3 Hallowed Fountain (RNA) 251
1 Sunpetal Grove (XLN) 257
4 Temple Garden (GRN) 258
2 Breeding Pool (RNA) 246
1 Hinterland Harbor (DAR) 240
3 Mirror Image (M19) 61
2 Sailor of Means (RIX) 49
4 Generous Stray (GRN) 129

I'm thinking I might tweak it to become four colors. Red and/or black have some devastating "when this x enters" creatures.

I wonder how the game will change come July 2nd.

Also, still hate the black/blue. So much that I don't even want to copy the decks to perfect them. And I never seem to face them when I'm playing a red speed deck would just pop a thief of sanity again and again.
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

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LordMortis wrote: Tue Jun 18, 2019 8:50 pm I have no patience for that. I'll concede the moment I realize a game is over.
See, i'm like that too. Life is too short to sit there when you know there is no coming back to watch someone replay their lock cycle over and over again. That's not "quitting" in my eyes, that's common sense.
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by Isgrimnur »

If chess has a resignation mechanic, who are we to question the wisdom of the ages?
It's almost as if people are the problem.
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Paingod
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by Paingod »

MindToyGames wrote: Fri Jun 21, 2019 10:02 am
LordMortis wrote: Tue Jun 18, 2019 8:50 pm I have no patience for that. I'll concede the moment I realize a game is over.
See, i'm like that too. Life is too short to sit there when you know there is no coming back to watch someone replay their lock cycle over and over again. That's not "quitting" in my eyes, that's common sense.
I've had people declare "Good Game" on me before and then I ended up winning, but that's a damn rare sight.

I've completely dropped out of this game. Turns out, for the same reasons I stopped playing back in 1996. Too many expansions, too fast. Too much of a competition to see who can get more cards and less of a competition to see who can play better.
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LordMortis
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by LordMortis »

Paingod wrote: Mon Jun 24, 2019 11:50 am
MindToyGames wrote: Fri Jun 21, 2019 10:02 am
LordMortis wrote: Tue Jun 18, 2019 8:50 pm I have no patience for that. I'll concede the moment I realize a game is over.
See, i'm like that too. Life is too short to sit there when you know there is no coming back to watch someone replay their lock cycle over and over again. That's not "quitting" in my eyes, that's common sense.
I've had people declare "Good Game" on me before and then I ended up winning, but that's a damn rare sight.

I've completely dropped out of this game. Turns out, for the same reasons I stopped playing back in 1996. Too many expansions, too fast. Too much of a competition to see who can get more cards and less of a competition to see who can play better.

I rather enjoy it when someone declares GG and I attack with one guy and their settle the wreckage is single creature kill and my army is still waiting for the next turn. It happens a lot.

I don't mind the pace of expansions. I actually kinda like the idea that 3 sets should be phasing out. It should totally change the game for a while. And that includes forcing me redo my five or so go to decks.

I'm currently sitting on 90 wilds of various degrees because I don't want to be bothered coming up with the perfect black/blue thief of sanity deck or the perfect black/white creatureless deck. And now that the new set is about to come out, I don't even want to use them to tweak my battleflag deck (Is that you call a metadeck?)
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

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I stopped playing because I kept seeing the same two or three decks over and over and it got boring.
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by MindToyGames »

Exodor wrote: Mon Jun 24, 2019 2:53 pm I stopped playing because I kept seeing the same two or three decks over and over and it got boring.
Yep, I see this too. I at least try to be interesting. My 'Rats & Bats' deck with blue for counterspells, my 'Spiders Oh My!' deck with black for elimination, etc. If I see one more fast burn mono red deck, I will literally scream.
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by LordMortis »

When 20 drops tomorrow, it looks like there will be a bunch of changes

https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/a ... ne-27-2019
Ranked Draft

On the topic of the event schedule, there is something else we'd like to call out. Starting with Core Set 2020, once the current set is available for Ranked Draft, it will remain as a drafting option until the next set is released. This is something we know that players have been asking for, and since we've reached the point where we feel like we can support multiple Ranked Draft formats simultaneously, we are more than happy to make this option available. Yes, multiple. While the most recent set will be available, we're also going to continue to provide a second Ranked Draft event that will continue to rotate every few weeks. Starting in August, the schedule for Ranked Draft will begin to look like this:
Mastery System—and Meow!

Back in February, we introduced a revamped tutorial and on-boarding system for players new to Magic: The Gathering Arena, generally referred to as the "New Player Experience" (or NPE for short). This new system changed the way players unlocked decks and rewards, adding more autonomy to their choices as well as a more interesting way for players to learn the basics of Magic: The Gathering Arena. We received a lot of positive feedback with the new system, so we decided to expand it beyond something just for new players. With Core Set 2020, we're introducing a Set Mastery system to help players explore the latest card set release—and earn more rewards in the process.

All players will gain access to the standard Set Mastery system, with the Mastery Tree and reward track (which will replace the Weekly Win rewards). Each Set Mastery will be available once a new set is released on MTG Arena, and players will have access to it until the next set releases. Using Core Set 2020 as an example, players will have access to the M20 Set Mastery starting on July 2 and will be able to earn rewards from the Core Set Mastery until the release of our fall set.
Players looking to earn even more rewards can do so by purchasing a Mastery Pass, which expands the number and types of items players can receive by playing. In addition to more booster packs, the Mastery Pass adds gold, gems, individual card rewards, card sleeves, and, yes, an Elemental Cat companion to your rewards. Your new feline friend will celebrate your victories, comfort you in defeat, and . . . yep, cough up fur balls (or are they fire balls?). Players who purchase the Mastery Pass will gain access to the Elemental Cat and it's five color options immediately (yes, it's WUBRG; yes, we checked), and as you increase your Set Mastery, you will unlock additional upgrades for your cat companion.

The Core Set Mastery Pass can be purchased for 3,400 gems and will be available starting on July 2. Just like the Set Mastery, the Mastery Pass will be available until the next set is released, and whenever you decide to purchase it, you'll receive all the Mastery Pass rewards up to your current level.
London Mulligan

Lastly, a general reminder that with the release of Core Set 2020, the mulligan rules will be updated to the "London Mulligan" across digital and tabletop: each time you take a mulligan, you draw seven cards. Once you decide which hand to keep, you must put a number of cards from your hand equal to the number of times you have mulliganed this game on the bottom of your library in the order of your choice. If you mulliganed once, you have to put one card back, etc.

Technical changes and the plans for card rotation are also in the link.


... I have been playing as if 19 was going to go out when 20 starts. It looks like rotation won't happen until October. I guess I can go on to tweaking decks I thought were about to become useless. I'm still not trying to gather cards from the 19 back though. Either I have them or I do not. Beyond being bummed that I've stop hunting 19 and older cards, I'm a little bummed rotation isn't happening to change the decks out there. I'm ready for players doing new things.

Also the newer version of the card tracker I use, I forget the name, I don't like it. I hope it gets a good update soon. I can't complain as it's free. Only I liked what I had I don't care for what I have.


I've been spending my gems on drafts, I will have to see what the Mastery Pass is. I've played enough that I'll be happy to throw them $20 if Mastery Pass somehow feels like it has value.

And if you haven't been watching your email, they've sent a ton of codes in the last few months. I'm sure you can look them up. I'm not sure what's good and what's not.
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by LordMortis »

Bought in to mastery. I think it was a waste but $20 so far isn't too bad for the play I've had.

I still have almost no M20 cards though I did break down and wild card 4 of the rare one black vampire that gets stronger every time yo do four damage and can be pumped and given deathtouch for 1 black 2 other. The text is not consistent. It says when a player take more than 4 damage. It only works when an opponent takes more than for damage.

Elemental decks are now en vogue and I have not counter for them or leylines. We'll see what happens after the M20 ranked drafts start this week and I fill in my collection.

I'm trying to decide if I'm going to hoard my gems for next seasons mastery costs or if I'm going to continue so spend them on drafts, which is are the real pleasure of the game for me.
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by LordMortis »

So I had finally gotten over my passive aggressive slow the game down game except against the slowest of the slowest. And then this week flash counterspell decks come en vouge and look like they are here to stay. And every one is learning and debating with themselves how to play them. And my "Oh that's one of those decks" and players streaks returns.

For the love of all that is made from badder, if you are playing blue learn your deck against the bot. Keep playing the bot until the fuse isn't your catalyst for decision making.

And so I'm back to playing enough to get my weekly mastery and try to work on daily 750 gold bonuses while I save for gold based events I think I'd like.
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by LordMortis »

What is it that drives slow thinkers to blues decks that play long games?

Still this
For the love of all that is made from badder, if you are playing blue learn your deck against the bot. Keep playing the bot until the fuse isn't your catalyst for decision making.
Blue decks are fine thing in person but onlline where 30 seconds of silence is noticeable and you do it again and again and again.

Anyhoo, I'm still playing. I never get in my 15 wins a day nor even try. I usually play on breaks in my day until such a time as I start feeling passive aggressive and then I set the game down. Losing, meh. Slow ass blue decks acting like there's a real prize for one non ranked match, makes me nuts. I still play mainly to build for drafts, which I still enjoy.
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Re: Magic Arena OO talk

Post by Zarathud »

Fell into this addiction again. Keep thinking about new deck ideas but only have two really reliable ones. My Adventure based deck needs optimizing.
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