[Modern] Mono Green Lots of Creatures

I have used this deck with a lot of success in Standard, and now in Modern it is also really effective. I even almost beat a RDW Modern deck. (The ultimate test for any deck is to beat an RDW deck!!!).

Here is a match in Just for Fun that I won. My opponent used Aurelia and Eldrazi Conscription.

With Quicksilver Amulet I was able to play Elderscale Wurm, a 15/15 that dies to become three 5/5 tokens with Trample!!! So awesome!!!

Here is an example of why this deck is so awesome: a 19/19 soulbonded Wurm with trample!!!

And this will be my first "historical deck" or one I buy the paper cards for and keep as a deck for the future based on my digital performance.

And here is the more-optimized online version. I am not planning to get more cards online for this deck, at least for now.

Theros Prices Online

It is always interesting to see which cards are valued most when they are first issued. Some of these cards will inevitably crash once they are proven unsatisfactory for constructed tournament decks, and a small number will actually increase in value once they are proven as satisfactory in these same decks.

The Scry lands are starting high at $5 a piece....I guess they are in standard. I am very disappointed we did not get better rare dual lands in Theros. On the flip side, I can't wait to try out all kinds of devotion decks in Modern with the new god cards, and it three of them are starting at $10 a piece, once it becomes obvious that it is nearly impossible to make them creatures in standard constructed I expect them to tank.

October 8, 2013 update: Ashiok $13.95; Thoughtseize $8.92:::Heliod $3.92; Thassa $6.87; Erebos $3.58; Purphoros $6.25; Nylea $5.03. These prices are going in the direction I need them to go: way down!

RTR Block Monowhite Deck

This deck works well out of the gate. I even beat a much more expensive deck with it.

Keening Apparition is perfect in an enchantment-heavy metagame.

And Renounce the Guilds can take care of Boros Reckoner.

Chandra took out some of my creatures, but eventually I took care of it.

Here I take out a second Legion's Initiative.

Its pretty much GG after that.

Decks for RTR-Theros Standard

I have added a first batch of Theros cards, mostly in Simic and Gruul.

1--White

1.1 Here is a first attempt only with RTR block cards.

2--Blue

2.1 Here is a first attempt only with RTR block cards.

3--Black

3.1 Here is a first attempt only with RTR block cards.

4--Red

4.1 Here is a first attempt only with RTR block cards.

5--Green

5.1 Here is a first attempt only with RTR block cards.

5.2 Devotion to Green. This deck avoids expensive cards and plays very well.

6. I am not sure if there will be a viable all-artifacts deck.

6.1 Here is a first attempt only with RTR block cards. This deck needs a lot of help.

The Ravnica guilds are:

7-- Azorius Senate (white/blue)

7.1 Here is a first attempt only with RTR block cards.

8-- The Orzhov Syndicate (white/black)

8.1 Here is a first attempt only with RTR block cards.

9-- The Boros Legion (red/white)

9.1 Here is a first attempt only with RTR block cards.

10-  The Selesnya Conclave (green/white)

10.1 Here is a first attempt only with RTR block cards.

11-  House Dimir (blue/black)

11.1 Here is a first attempt only with RTR block cards.
 
12- The Izzet League (blue/red)

12.1 Here is a first attempt only with RTR block cards.

13- The Simic Combine (green/blue)

13.1 Here is a first attempt mostly with RTR block cards.

13.2 Simic Junk Rare Deck: Artisan of Forms
 Just like is the case for all creatures that transform from another creature, it is a stalled step in the play sequence and is almost always a step behind faster decks. Still, its a lot of fun. Because you can have Artisan of Forms become a creature in mana your deck may not support, don't leave home without cards like Shimmering Grotto.

14- The Cult of Rakdos (black/red)

14.1 Here is a first attempt mostly with RTR block cards.

14.2 Rakdos for the current meta. Out of the gate many decks are playing Rakdos, Dimir to play Ashiok, Gruul to play Xenagos, and tons of Boros. Reckoner is the new Thragtusk all right. This card is in almost every deck I have played in tournament practice. I have also come against some token decks.

15- The Golgari Swarm (green/black)

15.1 Here is a first attempt mostly with RTR block cards.

15.2 Varolz for RTR to Theros setThis deck works on using Varolz to drop counters on hexproof creatures, and let Vraska and Abrupt Decay wipe out pesky permanents.

16- The Gruul Clans (red/green)

16.1 Here is a first attempt mostly with RTR block cards.

16.2 Plain old Gruul.

16.3 Gruul to test Devotion.

16.4 Gruul to test both weapons.

The shards from Shards of Alara are (with guilds to build them in brackets):

17--Bant is White Green Blue [Selesnya, Simic, Azorious]

17.1 Pre-Theros Bant Deck
Three color decks with guild gates are painfully slow and clunky. Here is one of those.... Its a good training deck, I will say that much!

18--Esper is Blue White Black [Dimir, Orzhov, Azorious]

18.1 Pre-Theros Esper Deck
Three color decks with guild gates are painfully slow and clunky. Here is one of those.... Its a good training deck, I will day that much!

19--Grixis is Black Blue Red [Rakdos, Dimir, Izzet]

19.1 Pre-Theros Grixis Deck
Three color decks with guild gates are painfully slow and clunky. At least in this deck I am using my four Blood Crypts, and playing from my complete play set of RTR block black cards!

20--Jund is Red Black Green [Rakdos, Golgari, Gruul]
21--Naya is Green Red White [Gruul, Boros, Selesnya]

There are also three color combinations that are not shards. When these are combined with the shards, we get an even repetition for all Ravnica guilds of three times. These have names from an early set yet the use of these other terms did not receive wide use. There is ocassional mention, but nothing like how commonly the term "Jund midrange" is used.

22--Ana is Green Blue Black [Simic, Dimir, Golgari]
23--Ceta is Red Green Blue [Gruul, Simic, Izzet]
24--Dega is White Black Red [Orzhov, Rakdos, Boros]
25--Necra is Black White Green [Orzhov, Selesnya, Golgari]
26--Raka is Red White Blue [Boros, Azorious, Izzet]

Ravnica Block Draft Online

Did not pull any of the money cards for the block. Still, had some fun.

This was a lot of fun but it is quite the lottery ticket: no more of these.

Fun Rotating Cards for Future Casual Cubes

These are the cards I am interested in picking up. These are all iconic for their standard play. The number I currently have is in parenthesis.

• Thundermaw Hellkite (0 paper)
• Thragtusk (1 paper)
• Garruk Relentless ISD (0 paper)
• Vexing Devil (0 paper)
• Bonfire of the Damned (0 paper)
• Garruk Primal Hunter M13 (0 paper)
• Tamiyo the Moon Sage (0 paper)
• Temporal Mastery (4 paper)
• Sorin, Lord of Innistrad (0 paper)
• Hellrider (0 paper) 
• Cavern of Souls (0 paper)
• Craterhoof Behemoth (0 paper)

Dual Lands for the Two Ravnicas Cube

I will be using the 10th edition, Magic 2010/11/12/13 and Innistrad Block rare dual lands. I am sure I will not be able to afford play sets of all of these, but I plan to get a solid sample.

10th edition

Adarkar Wastes    
Battlefield Forge    
Brushland    
Caves of Koilos
Karplusan Forest    
Llanowar Wastes    
Shivan Reef
Sulfurous Springs
Underground River
Yavimaya Coast

core set

Cathedral of War    
Dragonskull Summit    
Drowned Catacomb    
Glacial Fortress    
Hellion Crucible        
Rootbound Crag    
Sunpetal Grove

innistrad

Clifftop Retreat    
Gavony Township    
Hinterland Harbor    
Isolated Chapel
Kessig Wolf Run    
Moorland Haunt    
Nephalia Drownyard        
Stensia Bloodhall    
Sulfur Falls    
Woodland Cemetery

dark ascension

Grim Backwoods    
Vault of the Archangel

avacyn restored

Alchemist's Refuge
Cavern of Souls    
Desolate Lighthouse
Slayers' Stronghold

Ravnicas

Blood Crypt   
Breeding Pool   
Godless Shrine   
Grove of the Guardian       
Hallowed Fountain       
Overgrown Tomb   
Sacred Foundry   
Steam Vents   
Stomping Ground
Temple Garden   
Thespian's Stage
Watery Grave

Summary of Theros Prerelease

1. I pulled one of the bombs.

 

2. The cards are beautiful.

3. I pulled my favorite land, not in my build.

4. I pulled one of the god weapons.

5. I played against red-green and got crushed. Despite all of the home work I did I have a long way to become even passable as a limited player. Limited has a completely different type of play, its like playing some other game. I unfortunately  have a strong suspicion also that at paper pre-releases some players get crafty and switch in cards not in their pool....just a strong suspicion and no evidence, but still, if it quacks like a duck... I am OK with that since my objective is to get the cards and go home. Magic real play for me is MTGO.

Overall the set feels Dragon's Maze clunky and not Return to Ravnica super playable. I get the 'enchatments matter' business, but to make enchantments work this set plays a lot like if you only played Avacyn Restored cards: like playing while wearing a duct tape and foam bear protection suit, really clunky. I can almost write the paragraph in Mark Rosewater's State of Design for the Theros block right now. Something about 'we gave you what you wanted with an enchantment block, we will have to try again.' This set has the Champions of Kamigawa 'thing' and it may even turn out to be Return to Kamigawa:

1. Themed on a specific culture/phase of human history (Japanese culture, Greek Mythology) This one is the huge plus that makes Kamigawa and Theros a great two-block standard for a Flavor Cube: Theros is dripping with awesome flavor. Greek Mythology and Japanese culture get lots of love. Theros is a ton of flavor fun.
2. The effects lend themselves to either 'all cards with that ability together' (Heroic is a lot like Infect, all or nothing-yes, I know, Infect was in Scars of Mirrodin and not in Kamigawa), or can lead to play that is slow as molasses (Number of cards in hand for Kamigawa, Bestow and devotion to a color for Theros)
3. Set-wide over-costing and lots of set-specific cards that will likely not work in Modern


Perversely, I need Theros to be the block I sample because I really love the RTR block.

Online Modern Planning

I have taken my first tentative steps to play Modern online. In this post I will track the cards I buy as I finish up my ISD + M13 redemption. The objective is to get a play set of digital. If I can buy more digital Snapcaster Mage to trade later, I will. These cards are current Modern and/or Legacy staples (Geist of Saint Traft, Terminus, Entreat the Angels and Griselbrand only in Legacy). The list is a short one (ranked from most important to least):

1. Liliana of the Veil (0 digital, 0 paper) Too Expensive
2. Snapcaster Mage (4 digital)
3. Huntmaster of the Fells (1 digital, 1 paper) In redemption, will not need it
4. Restoration Angel (4 digital, 0 paper)
5. Geist of Saint Traft (0 digital, 1 paper) Too Expensive
6. Terminus (4 digital, 0 paper)
7. Entreat the Angels (1 digital) In redemption, will not need it
8. Griselbrand (1 digital) Too Expensive
9. Thalia, Guardian of Thraben (4 digital)

$26 to the bots September 27, 2013 to complete play sets of Snapcaster Mage and Restoration Angel. I am done! I will make the best I can with the cards I could afford to buy. Post-rotation season buying is over for this particular aspect.

Theros Pre-release Sealed Pool: Green, Multicolored, Artifacts, and a Dual Land

I would have played green if my pulls weren't all over the place.

I love this artwork.