tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55288376124446756392024-02-20T20:30:36.479-08:00Magic the Gathering AdventuresUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1719125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5528837612444675639.post-86642080590070374632023-09-10T06:25:00.013-07:002023-09-10T06:32:24.948-07:00Falco MTGO Solitarie Test Deck<p> I build these decks to understand how cards interact. In order to make this deck work against an opponent, you can substitue 10 or so cards with cards that interact with opponents (destroy creatures, counter spells, and so on). Falco is a lot of fun. Add a bunch of counters, build up mana, and then start casting from the top of your library. Tribute to the World Tree and Satsuki are the first to go to make the deck have more synergy.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAA8Ceer-Bv4CAIYgC4GOfboqCRwpMUSj8CtCqGcDDxAUs5Tm8YJUkopoLQ3jbXjk4eH-19kgaBO57OIr_P0Vn5mwu8AF2B3JidGsI0uI0poRvZTsybB8luuWUB9ZBcG_vWeeesxNLzKsfT2zETPeB6_D4hKv4D-zGBhFKuJxJG-9sLFP8zttI-caKVbI/s610/falco-01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAA8Ceer-Bv4CAIYgC4GOfboqCRwpMUSj8CtCqGcDDxAUs5Tm8YJUkopoLQ3jbXjk4eH-19kgaBO57OIr_P0Vn5mwu8AF2B3JidGsI0uI0poRvZTsybB8luuWUB9ZBcG_vWeeesxNLzKsfT2zETPeB6_D4hKv4D-zGBhFKuJxJG-9sLFP8zttI-caKVbI/s16000/falco-01.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPGaVYkv5rRHkMu3URcd9gFpx55yShP74P6YcBWh5ua62Ultr4RUndneFSPCvqeL6KkBuT5uAOSEoeI_62nD30Tr2faKq0u2TVD3DYUyCDGAGiXDCAc7Iki4FGlqR4x0XDjPxQI69QxWeYUNTvLp07OjlLLN9a19pyFFxK7EtJe1AY3GJjz6Ca3OW2Y7g/s700/falco-02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPGaVYkv5rRHkMu3URcd9gFpx55yShP74P6YcBWh5ua62Ultr4RUndneFSPCvqeL6KkBuT5uAOSEoeI_62nD30Tr2faKq0u2TVD3DYUyCDGAGiXDCAc7Iki4FGlqR4x0XDjPxQI69QxWeYUNTvLp07OjlLLN9a19pyFFxK7EtJe1AY3GJjz6Ca3OW2Y7g/s16000/falco-02.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-XyT3CsCEUzQIJDCBHiFNwfOyzjS2oLgcWqsjdA8z-E1Xk3zAJKT4QjRGGz-2YmrNRdVgA0g_j62T-n7M1wFsZNFgJnA8LqMXipABUoqVsjnP4nXWqQLMA98sFMOTJ_JfGOgrL2RVdiy8TI7rLW_EqYfjTGy34Wg0yEnAVnw0L9x6wIvfQTQP4frgCg/s700/falco-03.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-XyT3CsCEUzQIJDCBHiFNwfOyzjS2oLgcWqsjdA8z-E1Xk3zAJKT4QjRGGz-2YmrNRdVgA0g_j62T-n7M1wFsZNFgJnA8LqMXipABUoqVsjnP4nXWqQLMA98sFMOTJ_JfGOgrL2RVdiy8TI7rLW_EqYfjTGy34Wg0yEnAVnw0L9x6wIvfQTQP4frgCg/s16000/falco-03.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd9L56UVJQUFiRAfsvl7tEJI5ty1ZCwtiUJaTDsW5JkkWpwcuBS4KWU3hkVcClgWX64CaB6VP6ygOchtuXg9v2veXWmUTs_FlH20nN2KFG_j0KvHIeGtPta41Lb7z8UXQA11AZ6bXtOgCHFhFmLpeUF_JCIbRABpPx1Ybab0DCfw3JtmDqIzLOUekD1CM/s700/falco-04.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd9L56UVJQUFiRAfsvl7tEJI5ty1ZCwtiUJaTDsW5JkkWpwcuBS4KWU3hkVcClgWX64CaB6VP6ygOchtuXg9v2veXWmUTs_FlH20nN2KFG_j0KvHIeGtPta41Lb7z8UXQA11AZ6bXtOgCHFhFmLpeUF_JCIbRABpPx1Ybab0DCfw3JtmDqIzLOUekD1CM/s16000/falco-04.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ3ZqFeoG33dVQh25FazBvPjmyi329B17OX6BFWAIaleepo9j-K3HGMmmRzlMvrQvLU4CPK9BEp0Bvsh4mMqzjWg4KogZL5oO8CHthkwfIkro3pPTYVJG73HVWW48GtQgnFUnUHaa09m2Vj2OerhwNyE7zP_2ZE5ukNSdwPr2RivLaTo6tZ3OQBe--m18/s700/falco-05.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ3ZqFeoG33dVQh25FazBvPjmyi329B17OX6BFWAIaleepo9j-K3HGMmmRzlMvrQvLU4CPK9BEp0Bvsh4mMqzjWg4KogZL5oO8CHthkwfIkro3pPTYVJG73HVWW48GtQgnFUnUHaa09m2Vj2OerhwNyE7zP_2ZE5ukNSdwPr2RivLaTo6tZ3OQBe--m18/s16000/falco-05.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWnVgLSiSGOAypfedjtZ8eN-07v3qKotlUHOE19Odbwhe0GhLGY_asnlZxupIPIcVqr592eY7GZy8zUkmlBeu_4XdLvyo3tGcIWC1Aib9QJWcNc563qNgQ7wiYNGU3VUv-7xaFJ-Ih8GSdfhAsFhlgIRQtUJB-mjTTjQ3IiiAwI2vZJ5styk108a4pjw/s700/falco-06.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="487" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWnVgLSiSGOAypfedjtZ8eN-07v3qKotlUHOE19Odbwhe0GhLGY_asnlZxupIPIcVqr592eY7GZy8zUkmlBeu_4XdLvyo3tGcIWC1Aib9QJWcNc563qNgQ7wiYNGU3VUv-7xaFJ-Ih8GSdfhAsFhlgIRQtUJB-mjTTjQ3IiiAwI2vZJ5styk108a4pjw/s16000/falco-06.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVM9la2j8Q8MY2-7mR-YvGPxQp2VSOSxrNGZnUtJt7SDVAHHKLkDeM146qhG09bSREbdfg1tIwb5hZ6gfAAlk3SLyLkyNEqot1X3uYVIrJpWGgvoU1wMDB2DQlMY3-we4FWitbk7Blaszf46q4ML4C52bZk44l01wVxxhQXpgbtnUyqdOnLxHn7j9B6aQ/s700/falco-07.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVM9la2j8Q8MY2-7mR-YvGPxQp2VSOSxrNGZnUtJt7SDVAHHKLkDeM146qhG09bSREbdfg1tIwb5hZ6gfAAlk3SLyLkyNEqot1X3uYVIrJpWGgvoU1wMDB2DQlMY3-we4FWitbk7Blaszf46q4ML4C52bZk44l01wVxxhQXpgbtnUyqdOnLxHn7j9B6aQ/s16000/falco-07.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTUKcMi4g0QBlEYdfU9riYXPwIrXm0q84WxHC20FYGPOZJijHj4bI4XfkmZO9FHa0NrgvYbo_h8uD62YgjZ_XP5huxaVwIT3MXbzePd8zVPs6BZeHUCsIHcWx6rBt0Nuobh_790qzDCMdUs5shKc5AUh9KHZIX6e3qV0oZibC65UHYTB0hox5G1NWfQ40/s700/falco-08.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTUKcMi4g0QBlEYdfU9riYXPwIrXm0q84WxHC20FYGPOZJijHj4bI4XfkmZO9FHa0NrgvYbo_h8uD62YgjZ_XP5huxaVwIT3MXbzePd8zVPs6BZeHUCsIHcWx6rBt0Nuobh_790qzDCMdUs5shKc5AUh9KHZIX6e3qV0oZibC65UHYTB0hox5G1NWfQ40/s16000/falco-08.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_pjMHJn1-9rdZJtYhBBl5H0wABI6tfUWP2-_KYuiMS0QwiFMsT2fLE5kGt5MEEFoNZaz-t6stuPizgOuAWA94fws-wBTphgz-jMDWjb4sNLwBK4Rl6fQiB5aL-QEKBd_j2N7Y80ilmETCHnPiqZb0GhoIUsS6gjwaZjQTp5Iuwcs__2igukkxnSDFrl8/s700/falco-09.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_pjMHJn1-9rdZJtYhBBl5H0wABI6tfUWP2-_KYuiMS0QwiFMsT2fLE5kGt5MEEFoNZaz-t6stuPizgOuAWA94fws-wBTphgz-jMDWjb4sNLwBK4Rl6fQiB5aL-QEKBd_j2N7Y80ilmETCHnPiqZb0GhoIUsS6gjwaZjQTp5Iuwcs__2igukkxnSDFrl8/s16000/falco-09.jpg" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5528837612444675639.post-68053117719919972502023-09-02T15:51:00.004-07:002023-09-03T08:43:03.153-07:00A Standard Cube Begins<p> I cracked seven packs (IRL: in real life) of Midnight Hunt and made four decks with the cards. I reconstructed each deck in Arena and am playing them against the bots. It's my way to see how many of the cards play. These three decks are very low-power. As I crack more packs, I will be able to make stronger decks.</p><p>The first one is WG.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHAAaClLP4GR4jb1HOgwcOD7g_bNt_MlzlgQic0_0du_bH_pNcyWhzeYyYXG_pV579p0gG6DRjkCWV7oVCtXuhAXr3qyqgwxLBf5A4weZTHH5ALdAbQ8bZTCVN5CmIvyKNLE2Yy7CnIuVXwioFkT2XHRI4gG6-39w-tf6fKThM-KRtX0-bs42q6VNlZ_k/s700/CR001-WG.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHAAaClLP4GR4jb1HOgwcOD7g_bNt_MlzlgQic0_0du_bH_pNcyWhzeYyYXG_pV579p0gG6DRjkCWV7oVCtXuhAXr3qyqgwxLBf5A4weZTHH5ALdAbQ8bZTCVN5CmIvyKNLE2Yy7CnIuVXwioFkT2XHRI4gG6-39w-tf6fKThM-KRtX0-bs42q6VNlZ_k/s16000/CR001-WG.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The second one is BR.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hxj-1qGWThtRH0tpcCJm_Ioy-hjqh268lDzw7VAZWugAFBtTztnmvis6iEWtNNj9ZNU7MuHwG-ogHCjaMbQZ4Sq4x7I-uDRzPuNMTnLb8nGFaG5OAko3DXkraAw3e7SSFnArOTREGIzcW0yKLdlM7uV6nW-mZoaqfWG8WhjkEgnJTquSw0G9u1KiEDA/s700/CR002-RB.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hxj-1qGWThtRH0tpcCJm_Ioy-hjqh268lDzw7VAZWugAFBtTztnmvis6iEWtNNj9ZNU7MuHwG-ogHCjaMbQZ4Sq4x7I-uDRzPuNMTnLb8nGFaG5OAko3DXkraAw3e7SSFnArOTREGIzcW0yKLdlM7uV6nW-mZoaqfWG8WhjkEgnJTquSw0G9u1KiEDA/s16000/CR002-RB.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The third one is UG.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqcaNDpOzFt6-Mwlpx878iGkdIpCPImWLpT8YWmz0ZaQrhJmGu-AwAG8bS-BD7iwx8ECGevoMCN6_M5bcPATkf4SgQrJwJQwTwIU0ki9c2fAgp_R2w-3AslVzO-p9J_8IsJopXoEP_mKn9zF9YSDWG29CR4TTbLU2wXJBN8mfxYLMqBTRINxFtPn1eGE/s700/CR003-UG.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqcaNDpOzFt6-Mwlpx878iGkdIpCPImWLpT8YWmz0ZaQrhJmGu-AwAG8bS-BD7iwx8ECGevoMCN6_M5bcPATkf4SgQrJwJQwTwIU0ki9c2fAgp_R2w-3AslVzO-p9J_8IsJopXoEP_mKn9zF9YSDWG29CR4TTbLU2wXJBN8mfxYLMqBTRINxFtPn1eGE/s16000/CR003-UG.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The fourth deck is WB</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic51lsULXNqvbDarIugoCMRt0sfKbqi1h1rCyaOrzrTWm8jsJ55n_rEcA-09tERX0X3JtshOEhKfcmZ2fXgD4aiKWHIAHQgiGPcs_ZaWGFrHTSY77ifN0WtZD-CNClTXwud-aL0v65r9kCHtnM9SbF_nx70jUhUTIcF6C9WZQQL_kzyAdhL4SUqk2P_NA/s700/CR004-WB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic51lsULXNqvbDarIugoCMRt0sfKbqi1h1rCyaOrzrTWm8jsJ55n_rEcA-09tERX0X3JtshOEhKfcmZ2fXgD4aiKWHIAHQgiGPcs_ZaWGFrHTSY77ifN0WtZD-CNClTXwud-aL0v65r9kCHtnM9SbF_nx70jUhUTIcF6C9WZQQL_kzyAdhL4SUqk2P_NA/s16000/CR004-WB.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>The major pulls from these packs are:<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6U8rXv6xlSqu8_Ufzn1EFVtWbZ-zbbHqg5dTpvwLUhssvhFEnDRVz8AZuNysngHRHxww08ue_ZNdAuewrTulB8Ou-WkDx17MnObI2-_NOe8b7ga9425kOcdXVJqFeDhDYdb13RhdbhL8cg9JVSp09S-dT8GuRg-uFHtcSjuSSYKJK6gWOdu8TC54ehw/s700/CR001-pulls.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="325" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6U8rXv6xlSqu8_Ufzn1EFVtWbZ-zbbHqg5dTpvwLUhssvhFEnDRVz8AZuNysngHRHxww08ue_ZNdAuewrTulB8Ou-WkDx17MnObI2-_NOe8b7ga9425kOcdXVJqFeDhDYdb13RhdbhL8cg9JVSp09S-dT8GuRg-uFHtcSjuSSYKJK6gWOdu8TC54ehw/s16000/CR001-pulls.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div>I am sure these three cards will continue to be used as I crack more packs and make more decks. Here are the deck lists. These decks are very low-powered. The game here is to make enough decks with this selection to have all of the cards in at least one deck.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROoIi7jf6nMLMdRSnz5aZWcgSby_F-G1f-ENj3wAkCJoch-f96O5TErWap-az071rjPJNY4XcgpiTPN1cgAOy0okky0rV5jQAhGODLBLndjrGrxRNZ44aGjIxDP9SsrsmMRKMWT67NBHUSuXmbzAkIXEpfRv0g-7Aa5CpwV7H6BiJXh-uVnIoVaDVBbI/s700/Decks001-03-1.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROoIi7jf6nMLMdRSnz5aZWcgSby_F-G1f-ENj3wAkCJoch-f96O5TErWap-az071rjPJNY4XcgpiTPN1cgAOy0okky0rV5jQAhGODLBLndjrGrxRNZ44aGjIxDP9SsrsmMRKMWT67NBHUSuXmbzAkIXEpfRv0g-7Aa5CpwV7H6BiJXh-uVnIoVaDVBbI/s16000/Decks001-03-1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYCGW1ZnnPDveLcpcTolU6vwMCqsjpFkqL2-et2h8SLlrpC9dxnEAeJJQfQp8ib1j2W7Zgh-xRb0dN_haAhDQVkC8YTtrMBUhKssfmhrvMiEkw4afu9e-wDbWCBZzIY0ZlN0CA2SHlkVau33jirmyPw4dIfej3SZP5-MRIoJEjnoF9-CmhkFFKvTpKCHw/s700/Decks001-03-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYCGW1ZnnPDveLcpcTolU6vwMCqsjpFkqL2-et2h8SLlrpC9dxnEAeJJQfQp8ib1j2W7Zgh-xRb0dN_haAhDQVkC8YTtrMBUhKssfmhrvMiEkw4afu9e-wDbWCBZzIY0ZlN0CA2SHlkVau33jirmyPw4dIfej3SZP5-MRIoJEjnoF9-CmhkFFKvTpKCHw/s16000/Decks001-03-2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2hLOH_i6QltKwsZQ2pBSL_7m8Aln6FNO2NDbvlS2dbguZy5TVBY1yG93a-fQON0JQAQ4HbTYdmzGGjbDLV781_yTozNkMXRAvGlQ57DROxNpQDu7tYABVHdW2ognZ2uJlruAGYzgIYLqMBKOl6Ld9jiRbpk28F6J4FMtlycLDAArR8tfxdEbiFC0IXao/s586/Decks004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2hLOH_i6QltKwsZQ2pBSL_7m8Aln6FNO2NDbvlS2dbguZy5TVBY1yG93a-fQON0JQAQ4HbTYdmzGGjbDLV781_yTozNkMXRAvGlQ57DROxNpQDu7tYABVHdW2ognZ2uJlruAGYzgIYLqMBKOl6Ld9jiRbpk28F6J4FMtlycLDAArR8tfxdEbiFC0IXao/s16000/Decks004.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5528837612444675639.post-28364079120613871892022-01-13T17:36:00.004-08:002022-01-13T17:46:22.579-08:00Strixhaven Mystical Archives are a home run<p> Yeah! I loooove these cards. I am having a lot of fun collecting them. Including one in every pack of Strixhaven is a stroke of genius, the design is just perfect, and the cards are iconic and playable. What more can we ask?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaAGp5plEoV-XWNz45_RmfngfEGni8Jwn07-DE1XTLgSJUzKomzHkBo8jrFDRrex4EUhYJ2tqD9oF3sqXTJcZKSCVNcUd6DPvNXV_jH_BlKW3VdTjIdy-QS6v8I3F0p47nf8nKvxfbW6R3RE3x6a1TLGocZkMRHP0ekUeQP6cWE1qY6qPcA2JMs_lM=s680" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaAGp5plEoV-XWNz45_RmfngfEGni8Jwn07-DE1XTLgSJUzKomzHkBo8jrFDRrex4EUhYJ2tqD9oF3sqXTJcZKSCVNcUd6DPvNXV_jH_BlKW3VdTjIdy-QS6v8I3F0p47nf8nKvxfbW6R3RE3x6a1TLGocZkMRHP0ekUeQP6cWE1qY6qPcA2JMs_lM=s16000" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLA3iPcuw8sxl7PiQ5mHtnSyLGW21ekRZjuYv0dBq-qxT33Pq3qLoKc_KpaYK50iN8gallrNYbNXJ_qVCYidexd1nHwa1O4YKaJX0ErQI2EzUqLbWpB_PXEBhnZQqBdVMCUBGkrwlZVyKUeqd4en5rcfPPRYCr5OsA0F7pUsutlQFmoeQbK-awALHP=s680" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLA3iPcuw8sxl7PiQ5mHtnSyLGW21ekRZjuYv0dBq-qxT33Pq3qLoKc_KpaYK50iN8gallrNYbNXJ_qVCYidexd1nHwa1O4YKaJX0ErQI2EzUqLbWpB_PXEBhnZQqBdVMCUBGkrwlZVyKUeqd4en5rcfPPRYCr5OsA0F7pUsutlQFmoeQbK-awALHP=s16000" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMe6YuDH6DRAh3XsP95wtVqB6lgk3Mt7guNtKwQzqH42zlgcT6AwobukUUdoVXujslry4AVYCkyRNqTt_W8yDvEO6L2Wgkxdp96ytG2ZN58YMHA1ZxaZ6F8-ovMR0UKS2Z_PJGX51K9YXW1AEtgeO4u0UJhxRLvINU2dteiq9wK9blLsxYGoaE9akv=s680" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMe6YuDH6DRAh3XsP95wtVqB6lgk3Mt7guNtKwQzqH42zlgcT6AwobukUUdoVXujslry4AVYCkyRNqTt_W8yDvEO6L2Wgkxdp96ytG2ZN58YMHA1ZxaZ6F8-ovMR0UKS2Z_PJGX51K9YXW1AEtgeO4u0UJhxRLvINU2dteiq9wK9blLsxYGoaE9akv=s16000" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7g8J_I1Fs4khBQJhsK9ZR3T8PRDx6xmw3yAFnn-ACjwJBxW8CW2bGVHSrBXqxr07u3bJSCkVGOTN3HsGlT6o8C7QXlDiRhYBrphx1CeXCXEJ5F5PR0sBUyHc7z-ca1HTcWtgMrx6iYMYn3E-zcGeYfalTEbSL1LXvFIp9Bb-IlKv2VDbobdUsfvT1=s680" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7g8J_I1Fs4khBQJhsK9ZR3T8PRDx6xmw3yAFnn-ACjwJBxW8CW2bGVHSrBXqxr07u3bJSCkVGOTN3HsGlT6o8C7QXlDiRhYBrphx1CeXCXEJ5F5PR0sBUyHc7z-ca1HTcWtgMrx6iYMYn3E-zcGeYfalTEbSL1LXvFIp9Bb-IlKv2VDbobdUsfvT1=s16000" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9Tc0PAvjwVA6Mwr0AStU-Un9wrMHN76P6rRCJSGaJgcFx7dE_-6ErpmKjSjwKMliWJk6NwxZew7jb4QXrwOewAAxi4TAZZImRIbmI-RYR2-IoFMHQGZU6TL_u145YOpOA65zgeANRSWk_68tSgqvYAPVxp2wg0bFS0gJ3BE__Pqt20E7viNza7J2f=s680" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9Tc0PAvjwVA6Mwr0AStU-Un9wrMHN76P6rRCJSGaJgcFx7dE_-6ErpmKjSjwKMliWJk6NwxZew7jb4QXrwOewAAxi4TAZZImRIbmI-RYR2-IoFMHQGZU6TL_u145YOpOA65zgeANRSWk_68tSgqvYAPVxp2wg0bFS0gJ3BE__Pqt20E7viNza7J2f=s16000" /></a></div><br /><p>I have these and most of the others. Out of 63, as of now, I am only missing 15. I had to order many as singles just because I wanted to collect them. Home run, Wizards, home run!</p><p>I go through some of these in this video:</p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tewJ86ghAys" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5528837612444675639.post-89031207083638745382021-05-12T02:42:00.005-07:002021-05-12T03:29:52.821-07:00The Tiered Model is Thriving<p> I applaud Wizards for getting players to be in tiers like they do in sports cards. More power to them. The fetchlands have been used to create an artificial environment in which the entry to Modern is through $6 to $10 packs, depending on which set (I am going back all the way to the original Modern Masters) we are talking about. There is nothing wrong with these sets. On the contrary, they are great. The whales can feed on them, and that's great for whales, and even great for everyone because those Wotc profits will trickle down as high production quality for the peasant tier: Standard sets. This is Reaganomics, but for Magic.</p><p>There are people who are not whales who buy into these products. Here Wotc has slowly gotten people to adapt to paying a lot more for the same product they were getting 10 years ago. Some came in after the prices went up and don't even know that there was a time when five of the fetchlands were in Standard. The player base has almost no memory, and Wotc is very smart in using this lack of memory to gate keep Modern.</p><p>Someone at Wotc did the equation and figured out that there are enough whales for these products and that peasants would go about their business buying Standard packs. I know in my case, beginning with Modern Masters, I began to seek affordable alternatives in other games (Pokemon before the bubble, Yugioh, and Force of Will). For as long as there are very few people like me, Wotc will be fine with the tiered model.</p><p>It sucks for me because I was quite the Modern fan boy when it got started. If all of the Modern Masters products had been $4 packs, I would have built a sizable Modern collection. I was planning just that, and then Modern Masters came out. I changed my mind. And this is the crux of the matter: the long term effect of decisions people like me made almost 10 years ago. Do I represent a tiny tiny minority of the player base? Based on the pallets of super expensive products Wotc has issued since Modern Masters, I must be in the smallest of minorities.</p><p>I agree with Rudy and MTG Lion that it won't take much for Magic to experience an all-out speculative bubble like the one we have in Pokemon. A couple of high profile YouTubers opening boxes of Legends will do it. I think the conditions are there. It's just a matter of time. Not only that, I think Wizards has a $1000 box ready to be issued once the conditions are right. It is not an IF, it's a WHEN. </p><p>Modern Horizons II will be a home run. There are many whales waiting to feast on this product. We are just waiting for the Pokemon scalpers to add Magic to their portfolio, and when they do, everyone who bought into all of the premium products Wizards has issued recently will make a fortune.</p><p>We will likely experience a rotation similar to the one in Pokemon: people who play the game will be priced out and take a break from it as they are replaced by people who only want to invest in the product and don't know and don't care to play the game. I think this is the next phase for Magic. I have my popcorn ready.</p><p>Such a missed opportunity for Wizards that I believe will come back to haunt the game. 1,000 whales is better than 100,000 budget players, that's the current equation, and this is a big miss because the value of Magic collections needs the 100,000 budget players who act as ambassadors to the game. The 1,000 anonymous whales are not ambassadors to the game, and the second they see the value of their large holdings go down, they will walk out on the game, whereas the 100,000 budget players will stick with the game through thick and thin.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimjAVfaHI0cNcQ6jhZdSus4xQnf8dDWbFYZwX-3M_UM5qawEcWSumBHhdADkaf7qIBsrJUMVG_9ltrTpjECoeK9brDl03LeA5skhodrX7ZFgUdA0O76NYXuGsVNNt4BTClcrnUezZZQfE/s713/tezzeret.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="533" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimjAVfaHI0cNcQ6jhZdSus4xQnf8dDWbFYZwX-3M_UM5qawEcWSumBHhdADkaf7qIBsrJUMVG_9ltrTpjECoeK9brDl03LeA5skhodrX7ZFgUdA0O76NYXuGsVNNt4BTClcrnUezZZQfE/s16000/tezzeret.jpg" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5528837612444675639.post-9265063238231447912021-05-09T08:57:00.009-07:002021-05-09T08:59:29.870-07:00Late March, 2021<p> Umm, that seems like a random date range. It isn't. This is the date range some people found out that the Onslaught fetch lands were going to be in Modern Horizons 2, and this is the date range when all those people went on a buying spree for the Onslaught versions of the cards.</p><p>Polluted Delta</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjqGLDqvmXvSLY2Ky0DBgQppAqM5i97ApBuHJqZToR1miFEhTFpEABVa1PqVajtnnyCIdNwlSvXRBq5E1x49uNZZnkm1_N7-dFzyjuO3w-NtGjZ91FccOJpd0bznzTvbrJeABmdEZrsEU/s1298/polluted+delta.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="255" data-original-width="1298" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjqGLDqvmXvSLY2Ky0DBgQppAqM5i97ApBuHJqZToR1miFEhTFpEABVa1PqVajtnnyCIdNwlSvXRBq5E1x49uNZZnkm1_N7-dFzyjuO3w-NtGjZ91FccOJpd0bznzTvbrJeABmdEZrsEU/w640-h126/polluted+delta.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>Blood-Stained Mire</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJXQlv3zGPNQHFY_eSZtkQk7Bpum5nZKBJNI-TL835HQaF7PIgrljdrq04vayJECMjoaYCVduF12X4Apjo8QvvYm5nUVkRSgLaA677YVqlyJcJhCrXw1abXwpvftV4bfrKKiraUrnFKzY/s1299/blood-stained+mire.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="246" data-original-width="1299" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJXQlv3zGPNQHFY_eSZtkQk7Bpum5nZKBJNI-TL835HQaF7PIgrljdrq04vayJECMjoaYCVduF12X4Apjo8QvvYm5nUVkRSgLaA677YVqlyJcJhCrXw1abXwpvftV4bfrKKiraUrnFKzY/w640-h122/blood-stained+mire.png" width="640" /></a></div><p>Ummm, what a coincidence... Well, except it sure does not look like a coincidence that all of these cards doubled in price within the same week and more than a month before we the peasants found out.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5528837612444675639.post-42598890117648903802021-05-09T07:53:00.005-07:002021-05-09T08:06:12.172-07:00Show me the fetches<p> In response to someone predicting the fetches would tank in value in the near future:</p><div data-reddit-rtjson="{"entityMap":{},"blocks":[{"key":"3dktb","text":"It will be great if your predictions prove correct, but you have several major unkowns, and any or all can make prices stay the same, even go higher:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"6msh5","text":"We don't really know when people will be back at 90 percent of LGSs. When this point is reached, there will be a wave of demand for everything TCG.","type":"ordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"f948d","text":"There is a lot of pent up demand for fetches. Wizards knows this, and has been able to use fetches to prop up products. ","type":"ordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"1s53p","text":"Modern could experience a come-back, a resurgence.","type":"ordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"939to","text":"There may be enough speculators in Magic post the trillions of free government tendies to fuel a wave of non-player increases in the value of fetches, and that wave could take one, two, three years to finally dissipate.","type":"ordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"8946k","text":"What will help your prediction:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"dbh61","text":"A bad economy, and no one is seeing this in like the next five years.","type":"ordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"3cv6i","text":"The LGS model continues an inevitable decline.","type":"ordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4rein","text":"Modern does not pick up steam.","type":"ordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"735ng","text":"Wallet fatigue finally catches up to Wizards reprinting many versions of the same card in many different products.","type":"ordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"1bu8a","text":"Specualtors find some other shiny object to speculate on and move on from fetches.","type":"ordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"fkl6f","text":"I think in balance the four aspects of fetches continuing to valuable, even increas in value, seem a lot stronger than the four aspects pointing to a decline in valuation.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}}]}"><div data-block="true" data-editor="ff628f" data-offset-key="ff628f_initial-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="ff628f_initial-0-0"><span data-offset-key="ff628f_initial-0-0">It will be great if your predictions prove correct, but you have several major unkowns, and any or all can make prices stay the same, even go higher:</span></div></div><ol><li><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="178mf-0-0"><span data-offset-key="178mf-0-0">We don't really know when people will be back at 90 percent of LGSs. When this point is reached, there will be a wave of demand for everything TCG.</span></div></li><li><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="2oqs0-0-0"><span data-offset-key="2oqs0-0-0">There is a lot of pent up demand for fetches. Wizards knows this, and has been able to use fetches to prop up products. </span></div></li><li><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="8fgsv-0-0"><span data-offset-key="8fgsv-0-0">Modern could experience a come-back, a resurgence.</span></div></li><li><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="djjgk-0-0"><span data-offset-key="djjgk-0-0">There may be enough speculators in Magic post the trillions of free government tendies to fuel a wave of non-player increases in the value of fetches, and that wave could take one, two, three years to finally dissipate.</span></div></li></ol><div data-block="true" data-editor="ff628f" data-offset-key="3ie6u-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="3ie6u-0-0"><span data-offset-key="3ie6u-0-0">What will help your prediction:</span></div></div><ol><li><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="fglsi-0-0"><span data-offset-key="fglsi-0-0">A bad economy, and no one is seeing this in like the next five years.</span></div></li><li><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="scqh-0-0"><span data-offset-key="scqh-0-0">The LGS model continues an inevitable decline.</span></div></li><li><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="adbj0-0-0"><span data-offset-key="adbj0-0-0">Modern does not pick up steam.</span></div></li><li><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="e7huq-0-0"><span data-offset-key="e7huq-0-0">Wallet fatigue finally catches up to Wizards reprinting many versions of the same card in many different products.</span></div></li><li><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="96oi4-0-0"><span data-offset-key="96oi4-0-0">Speculators find some other shiny object to speculate on and move on from fetches.</span></div></li></ol><div data-block="true" data-editor="ff628f" data-offset-key="8nqra-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="8nqra-0-0"><span data-offset-key="8nqra-0-0">I think in balance the four aspects of fetches continuing to be valuable, even increase in value, seem a lot stronger than the four aspects pointing to a decline in valuation. The valuation of the fetches has a lot more to do with the ABU lands being in the reserved list than any other factor. Add to this that Wizards is giving Modern the appeal Legacy used to have: a really deep card pool and pushed decks that are very powerful. Wizards has a ten step program to turn Modern into Legacy minus the Reserved List, and two or three Modern Horizons sets down the line, fetches could be as valuable to players as the ABU duals are today. I think the speculation on fetches cointinuing to go up in value is where the money will go.</span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="8nqra-0-0"><span data-offset-key="8nqra-0-0"><br /></span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="8nqra-0-0"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfXx6eFTPqvAvDZRrrs4_A0mV-e7cHKOCeHFXDVdtiiTxt6PfHsC0a1tIIHx5PjRDcVawO7afhoYFBqSXEP255NWN_WzRp44CAjeNz1mCjFYbvz1gqwjPXXMCWcbaxpVDXAlLORL6utus/s837/WG-02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="837" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfXx6eFTPqvAvDZRrrs4_A0mV-e7cHKOCeHFXDVdtiiTxt6PfHsC0a1tIIHx5PjRDcVawO7afhoYFBqSXEP255NWN_WzRp44CAjeNz1mCjFYbvz1gqwjPXXMCWcbaxpVDXAlLORL6utus/s16000/WG-02.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span data-offset-key="8nqra-0-0"><br /></span></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5528837612444675639.post-89371189613562164392021-04-28T06:07:00.003-07:002021-04-28T06:07:41.276-07:00Jund Arena deck<p> This deck got me all the way to Mythic during March 2021. I am not planning to update it for Strixhaven because I took red out of it and switched in blue. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjPDy-KiSdJE35AxplJnT-9qrZxyPrIF6H7DDTB6HAT0sUljhteCP5bVTDmXs6NSLDoFt3SDuEb672KR_IV3GkaxkIilq8mJjqo2wqTEZ9EyVmCaksVHgXbduQN0IUVD66SE_Go7kxljQ/s800/jund.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjPDy-KiSdJE35AxplJnT-9qrZxyPrIF6H7DDTB6HAT0sUljhteCP5bVTDmXs6NSLDoFt3SDuEb672KR_IV3GkaxkIilq8mJjqo2wqTEZ9EyVmCaksVHgXbduQN0IUVD66SE_Go7kxljQ/s16000/jund.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5528837612444675639.post-11168498367301818822021-04-28T05:58:00.000-07:002021-04-28T05:58:00.331-07:00Blue Deck Wins Arena deck<p> We are used to the acronym RDW for Red Deck Wins, a very fast deck that beats face hard and wins quickly, but here is a twist: Blue Deck Wins. If I get enough unsummon effects going against any creature heavy deck, I can win fairly consistently. It's one heck of a troll deck!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEOX7eUSsqWv0jKrixY1K0apzKNGA96_OfZqj59owFgKRpA4625xbHcYfbz71NumOf1dG06duZFI8pI_7Q_r3nezo93gBbqv3YjjCC5hZAl5BXqo4L04MlP38trtJO18iWsDqWp22tkXU/s800/BDW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="329" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEOX7eUSsqWv0jKrixY1K0apzKNGA96_OfZqj59owFgKRpA4625xbHcYfbz71NumOf1dG06duZFI8pI_7Q_r3nezo93gBbqv3YjjCC5hZAl5BXqo4L04MlP38trtJO18iWsDqWp22tkXU/s16000/BDW.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5528837612444675639.post-46176329532057584092021-04-25T13:41:00.005-07:002021-04-25T13:42:25.919-07:00I will get with the program: set boosters<p> I have been negative about set boosters because I am used to draft boosters, but I have come to the realization that I don't mind if Wizards has weaseled a way to increase the price of boosters by 20 percent. I don't consider myself an entitled player and it's OK for Wizards to make a little more money. I am not a fan of the master sets or any of the other $6 to $8 packs, and to date I have cracked exactly zero of those packs. The company seems to be run by corporate overlords who don't have Magic in their hearts, and that is bad karma. We need the people who run this game to bleed Magic, and they seem to be bleeding dollars and euros... But I will get with the program. I love the large set era, and plan to get some Strixhaven set boosters. Why not? It's a hobby. By the way, the Japanese cards in the Strixhaven collector packs are some of the most beautiful cards ever issued, period: Magic out Force of Willed the Force of Will TCG.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf4zmoqP836FkkPZpciL9P3fICLoIkwumyfYiMSKXAxx8lFDXLc9K6_eRqnew2pmisau0_-fgxkbncK1tBX6JXeuY0D-5nypFccTxDb-XeQukJ3TPV3xJ8Hn3OudPdpUa2-51JdymBHGc/s703/japanese+strixhaven+copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="703" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf4zmoqP836FkkPZpciL9P3fICLoIkwumyfYiMSKXAxx8lFDXLc9K6_eRqnew2pmisau0_-fgxkbncK1tBX6JXeuY0D-5nypFccTxDb-XeQukJ3TPV3xJ8Hn3OudPdpUa2-51JdymBHGc/s16000/japanese+strixhaven+copy.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>Here's my money, Wizards, take it, just take it, all right!</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5528837612444675639.post-81072780434974511592021-04-25T03:54:00.003-07:002021-04-25T03:55:33.482-07:00What will be the impact of Flesh and Blood on Magic?<p> We are on the eve of Monarch coming out in Flesh and Blood (FaB). </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrEHOvs1uGG8uIV1j6qyWcXPFXy1FE4jZpfVRdWYyurZLV5jTBfJ6j4LJggv3CRjGtlu5NAsvkNIFL54aoPugPC8aoIdnKGLBUW6DqGJMo4cRsGqHgRoiOTVLmr-7rhalKANRlqBu_BUc/s800/legendary.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrEHOvs1uGG8uIV1j6qyWcXPFXy1FE4jZpfVRdWYyurZLV5jTBfJ6j4LJggv3CRjGtlu5NAsvkNIFL54aoPugPC8aoIdnKGLBUW6DqGJMo4cRsGqHgRoiOTVLmr-7rhalKANRlqBu_BUc/s16000/legendary.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p>FaB has already gone into full speculative bubble mode for some of the more collectable cards, with a handful of cards valued in the thousands of dollars. The game seems to be well-managed, and is currently in the middle of a most passionate honeymoon. The game plays a lot like the World of Warcraft TCG (a hero outfitted with weapons and armor), but with an innovative pitch resource system. I plan to crack some FaB just because I want to be in the action. Let's see where FaB is in one year. Every TCG is always one set away from a major blunder: Homelands, Fallen Empires, and Chronicles for Magic; Millennia of Ages for Force of Will TCG.</p><p>Will FaB take a big bite out of Magic? It does not seem that way right now. Magic is doing well, and has weathered the pandemic in great shape thanks to Arena. FaB does not have or intend to have an online player. That's unfortunate, even if the company is selling this missstep as a feature of the game. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5528837612444675639.post-77256905983282100552021-02-07T14:23:00.004-08:002021-02-07T14:27:43.831-08:00I am glad I cracked all those pre-pandemic packs!!!<p>Even though this blog is dedicated to Magic, I write here about my Yugioh collection.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sVIj3YxsZ8SCVwzQBlrSCE97AudxcNacX4GQZmev9c90nWeJOu3UZ40-7vr5pCflVnk9RJlgWbQIZvNc34AERjjrd_TZ-eEI_5F1GTeSepHLc-WspHWSfaCbzS5-IZrqlNxmyi2q4mc/s861/LOB-2-1-1-600.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="861" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2sVIj3YxsZ8SCVwzQBlrSCE97AudxcNacX4GQZmev9c90nWeJOu3UZ40-7vr5pCflVnk9RJlgWbQIZvNc34AERjjrd_TZ-eEI_5F1GTeSepHLc-WspHWSfaCbzS5-IZrqlNxmyi2q4mc/s16000/LOB-2-1-1-600.jpg" /></a></div><br /> I came the conclusion back in 2015 or so that Yugioh was ten years behind in collecting when compared to Magic: that the same price increases would happen in Yugioh, but delayed roughly by a decade. BUT, the two TCGs are not comparable in many ways, and these comparisons are not labeled as positive or negative, because beauty is in the eye of the beholder:<p></p><div data-reddit-rtjson="{"entityMap":{},"blocks":[{"key":"9rsoi","text":"I came to a similar conclusion about Yugioh back in 2015 or so: that the same price increases would happen in Yugioh, but delayed roughly by a decade. BUT, the two TCGs are not comparable in many ways, and these comparisons are not labeled as positive or negative, because beauty is in the eye of the beholder:","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"bkv9s","text":"Yugioh is the quintessential casual player's paradise. You like JTMS? OK, we issued it at Mythic first, then a year later we issue it as a common in a precon, and it will get another twenty reprints. Dante is exhibit A here. You want it, wou got it. The reprinting is very aggressive, which means that collecting Yugioh is nothing like collecting Magic. Not only is everything up for a reprint, everything is up for a dizzying rarity change. The downside is that prices tank a lot. The upside is that if you want to collect Yugioh, you will fill many slots at bargain prices; they just won't be cards anyone will pay you any money for, at least for the next decade.","type":"ordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"1nu3k","text":"There are many treasures in the 1st edition printings, many many. This is where your mention of the LOB (first Yugioh English set, 2002) 1st Edition cards go. Of course, the whole set in a whole booster box has been faked! You need to know your Yugioh if you are going to buy LOB 1st Edition. Same as with ABU Duals, you need lots of comparison cards, you need to know the colors, the feel of the cardboard, the ridges in the cardboard (the early cardboard has a unique look and feel)... you need to know what you are doing.","type":"ordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"3sefp","text":"The iconic cards are always in demand, always increasing in value, even the ones that have been reprinted a zillion times. Black Rose Dragon: bought unlimited from original set-crossroads of chaos, a playset, at like $5 each card a few years back, it's $10 per card today.","type":"ordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4cm52","text":"The pandemic has hit the big three in a similar way. A lot of Yugioh is getting cracked... a lot. Packs I used to get for a song are now $10 packs, packs like unlimited 2002 and 2003 packs. Even packs from the Zexal era (which at the time seemed like they were printed into oblivion) are getting expensive. Everything in the big three TCGs is getting cracked at like ten times the rate it was being cracked before this awful pandemic. I mean, look at Theros... ridiculous, those boxes sat in storage for almost a decade.","type":"ordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"66k3m","text":"Yugioh collectors will have a lot more money to spend ten years out when many of them are five years into their professional careers. This is a no-brainer. Right now, most of them are broke high school and college kids. ","type":"ordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"fda35","text":"Yugioh hits you from many angles, Japan-style: manga, anime, cards, movies. If you want to get into the lore, it's panoramic, even if quality varies across the various formats. Magic needs to improve a ton in this department. Magic needs a movie every two years, a really well done comic series, a cartoon series.... it's a content gap the size of the Grand Canyon.","type":"ordered-list-item","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"1vf5j","text":"I was very lucky to build my sample collection of Yugioh 2015 to right up to the beginning of the pandemic. I will never get that opportunity again. I seized the moment. I cracked unlimited packs of every set except for Invasion of Chaos and Magician's Force. I cracked several Ghost Rares for 5Ds and Zexal, most unlimited, but a Ghost Rare is a Ghost Rare (these are equivalent to the lottery cards in Magic). I even got some on video.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"88dbe","text":"If you cracked a lot of Magic, Pokemon and Yugioh before the pandemic, consider yourself lucky. We probably still have 6 to 9 months of being holed up in the pandemic, and there will be a lot more packs getting cracked while we all wait to resume our normal lifes. Prices of sealed product for the big three for everything produced before the pandemic will increase. Simple supply and demand.","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}}]}"><ol><li><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="1kfnl-0-0"><span data-offset-key="1kfnl-0-0">Yugioh is the quintessential casual player's paradise. You like JTMS? OK, we issued it at Mythic first, then a year later we issue it as a common in a precon, and it will get another twenty reprints. Dante is exhibit A here. You want it, wou got it. The reprinting is very aggressive, which means that collecting Yugioh is nothing like collecting Magic. Not only is everything up for a reprint, everything is up for a dizzying rarity change. The downside is that prices tank a lot. The upside is that if you want to collect Yugioh, you will fill many slots at bargain prices; they just won't be cards anyone will pay you any money for, at least for the next decade.</span></div></li><li><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="9ks6o-0-0"><span data-offset-key="9ks6o-0-0">There are many treasures in the 1st edition printings, many many. This is where your mention of the LOB (first Yugioh English set, 2002) 1st Edition cards go. Of course, the whole set in a whole booster box has been faked! You need to know your Yugioh if you are going to buy LOB 1st Edition. Same as with ABU Duals, you need lots of comparison cards, you need to know the colors, the feel of the cardboard, the ridges in the cardboard (the early cardboard has a unique look and feel)... you need to know what you are doing.</span></div></li><li><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="dbs0-0-0"><span data-offset-key="dbs0-0-0">The iconic cards are always in demand, always increasing in value, even the ones that have been reprinted a zillion times. Black Rose Dragon: bought unlimited from original set-crossroads of chaos, a playset, at like $5 each card a few years back, it's $10 per card today.</span></div></li><li><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="28mi1-0-0"><span data-offset-key="28mi1-0-0">The pandemic has hit the big three in a similar way. A lot of Yugioh is getting cracked... a lot. Packs I used to get for a song are now $10 packs, packs like unlimited 2002 and 2003 packs. Even packs from the Zexal era (which at the time seemed like they were printed into oblivion) are getting expensive. Everything in the big three TCGs is getting cracked at like ten times the rate it was being cracked before this awful pandemic. I mean, look at Theros... ridiculous, those boxes sat in storage for almost a decade.</span></div></li><li><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="87qdk-0-0"><span data-offset-key="87qdk-0-0">Yugioh collectors will have a lot more money to spend ten years out when many of them are five years into their professional careers. This is a no-brainer. Right now, most of them are broke high school and college kids. </span></div></li><li><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="4e9p9-0-0"><span data-offset-key="4e9p9-0-0">Yugioh hits you from many angles, Japan-style: manga, anime, cards, movies. If you want to get into the lore, it's panoramic, even if quality varies across the various formats. Magic needs to improve a ton in this department. Magic needs a movie every two years, a really well done comic series, a cartoon series.... it's a content gap the size of the Grand Canyon.</span></div></li></ol><div data-block="true" data-editor="a0e463" data-offset-key="dhppo-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="dhppo-0-0"><span data-offset-key="dhppo-0-0">I was very lucky to build my sample collection of Yugioh 2015 to right up to the beginning of the pandemic. I will never get that opportunity again. I seized the moment. I cracked unlimited packs of every set except for Invasion of Chaos and Magician's Force. I cracked several Ghost Rares for 5Ds and Zexal, most unlimited, but a Ghost Rare is a Ghost Rare (these are equivalent to the lottery cards in Magic). I even got some on video.</span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="dhppo-0-0"><span data-offset-key="dhppo-0-0"><br /></span></div></div><div data-block="true" data-editor="a0e463" data-offset-key="6u05j-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="6u05j-0-0"><span data-offset-key="6u05j-0-0">If you cracked a lot of Magic, Pokemon and Yugioh before the pandemic, consider yourself lucky. We probably still have 6 to 9 months of being holed up in the pandemic, and there will be a lot more packs getting cracked while we all wait to resume our normal lives. Prices of sealed product for the big three for everything produced before the pandemic will increase. Simple supply and demand.</span></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5528837612444675639.post-44487772511488334902021-01-10T06:54:00.006-08:002021-01-10T07:01:25.199-08:00The Fundamental Failure of the Variants in One Set Blocks and no Core Set era<p> I can imagine being present at the meetings where the one set block was sold (and bought) by the people at Wizards with the power to implement this significant mistake. The logic is simple, as it often is for great successes and great failures: </p><p>our players love many types of sets and many types of worlds >> we can visit more worlds and a wider variety of game mechanics new and old the faster we shift from block to block >> our traditional blocks last a whole year in three sets >> we can triple the frequency of visits by going to one set blocks >> one set blocks are the answer </p><p>The logic of great successes is equally simple:</p><p>Our large sets are drafted best in two-color archetypes >> let's make a three set block that is designed around two-color archetypes >> Ravnica I, II, III, and someday, I hope, IV, V, VI, and infinity.</p><p>But it gets worse because there is an additional logical sequence for failure that has been sold and bought at Wizards: that the core set needs to be replaced by a set that sells better. This one makes sense from a short-term financial perspective. It is true that core sets don't sell as well, initially, as other sets do. But long term, core sets sell for many more years than block sets do. Why? well, because people like me, when we build cubes, we need core set cards to glue the cube together. I still buy M12 and M13 packs. I use those cards in cubes. In addition, Magic without new players will wither and die, and the core set is that introductory product. By getting rid of the core set (again!), Wizards is reducing the number of new players. You don't believe me, right? I have no evidence, right? If I am wrong, I am just one random dude. If I am right, Magic will have some rough times ahead specifically because of several major mistakes I discuss here: variants in products that cannibalize casual products, the one set block, and the abandonment of the core set. </p><p>Here is the logic then:</p><p>our players love many types of sets and many types of worlds >> we can visit more worlds and a wider variety of game mechanics new and old the faster we shift from block to block >> our traditional blocks last a whole year in three sets >> we can triple the frequency of visits by going to one set blocks >> one set blocks are the answer >> oh and the core sets sells like crap >> out with the core set >> we can quadruple the frequency of visits</p><p>We have a precendent for what can happen when the core set is abandoned, and even if the Amonkhet era is not exactly comparable, it is similar. Back then, we had two block sets with one large set and one small set. Complete cycles, especially complete uncommon cycles, are important sellers of packs. The Ranvica I, II, and III cycles of uncommons, and commons make those packs eternally in high demand. It's dumb to crack packs for rares and mythics, but if there is a solid and complete common or uncommon cycle, those packs will get cracked into oblivion (the signets, the guild mages, the guild charms. The Eldraine+ era at least does have some complete cycles, and all sets are large. This is great. At least this mistaken era does not have the problem of incomplete cycles. This mistaken era only shares the lack of a core set with that other mistaken era. With all large sets, we do have plenty of cards that make decks better in a way we did not during the Amonkhet era. </p><p>Enter cash-generating ideas that can be sold to managers who get paid to deliver a higher stock valuation this financial reporting quarter: variants that sell packs at a higher price point. </p><p>Here is the logic then:</p><p>our players love many types of sets and many types of worlds >> we can visit more worlds and a wider variety of game mechanics new and old the faster we shift from block to block >> our traditional blocks last a whole year in three sets >> we can triple the frequency of visits by going to one set blocks >> one set blocks are the answer >> oh and the core sets sells like crap >> out with the core set >> we can quadruple the frequency of visits >> many variants increases collectability and allow us to make more expensive packs</p><p>So what do we have?</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Variants triggering whales into a speculative wave that prices out the casual player out of collecting complete sets. These variants and the products they are sold in canibalize causal products.</li><li>Sets that live in their own worlds generating decks that are mostly one-set decks.</li><li>Fewer products like Ravnica III to get today's new players to be tomorrow's cube builders.</li></ol><p></p><p>There are solid counters to all of my points:</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>If Wizards makes more money, it's better for the game.</li><li>Look at all these worlds we are visiting. Aren't they cool?</li><li>One-set blocks have good drafting environments (Eldraine, Ikoria, others).</li></ol><div>So what is this fundamental failure? Today's Magic is for whales and it is not for casual players. Whales give Wizards managers a short term fix. Casual players generate long term income. Can someone in Wizards management tell the difference between long term income and short term cash grabs before it is too late? Let's hope so. This peasant is on another Amonkhet-like fat packs only break. When the next three sets of Ravnica get announced, can someone reach out to me?</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDFB39o3AcT-HQoHWfI25x6cdjZl28rm-EE07_f7smYCyQkDtFwKEKxeZAlxks74W3PV2pPbV6mblV_Lg1HHybRFVCNnMlC_2TnOBmNplldXQJ2T7MSWyTB6wRGNHsKjma1hJGutSv6mE/s600/utility-08-2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDFB39o3AcT-HQoHWfI25x6cdjZl28rm-EE07_f7smYCyQkDtFwKEKxeZAlxks74W3PV2pPbV6mblV_Lg1HHybRFVCNnMlC_2TnOBmNplldXQJ2T7MSWyTB6wRGNHsKjma1hJGutSv6mE/s16000/utility-08-2.jpg" /></a></div><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5528837612444675639.post-25761936738158783792020-10-10T06:36:00.003-07:002020-10-10T06:37:18.346-07:00Jace, the Mind Sculptor as a Yugioh card<p> Having played a lot with JTMS in Legacy on MTGO, this card is missing a lot of how the card would translate into Yugioh,</p><p><a href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?printed=true&multiverseid=195297">https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?printed=true&multiverseid=195297</a></p><p>IMHO. Jace is not a beat stick planeswalker, instead good at controlling the game. ATK 0 DEF 1000 is enough (think Relinquished with a def buff). If you can remove JTMS when he lands, he is easy enough to remove. In that sense, he is a lot more like Yata Garasu + Relinquished. The effects are the ones that matter. Jace controlling the top of your opponent's deck is super strong. In Magic, you make your opponent keep drawing lands and it's usually game over. I would translate that to something like 'If your opponent has at least one effect monster on the field, look at the top of your opponent's deck and choose from placing that card back on the top of the deck or at the bottom of opponent's deck.' The second effect is Brainstorm, and I would translate that to 'If you control no monsters on the field, look at the top three cards of your deck and place two of those cards back on the top of your deck in any order.' I would translate the Unsummon effect to 'If your opponent controls at least two monsters, send one of those monsters back to the hand.'</p><p>And then, of course, the JTMS ultimate is just sick in Magic. But in Yugioh, unlike Magic, there are many ways to interact with the exile/banish zone. There is one, just one lonely creature in Magic that can be played from exile (Misthollow Griffin from Avacyn Restored), and nothing else interacts with the exile zone, period. This one is very difficult to translate. Because in Yugioh your opponent could use the newly exiled graveyard a lot more, I would change the hand draw clause. I think a JTMS ultimate in Yugioh could read something like: 'If you have less than 2000 life points than your opponent, banish your opponent's graveyard and hand, then your opponent draws five cards from their banish zone.'</p><p>And for the final flavor fix, I would have JTMS as a ritual monster since he is blue in Magic.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePSp-FQT_EbChEwPgu2EmPwjDMv3ByHkDTqTceLU92xcSHeE5kLO1HSbrezY3aPR5UyFUdfN2ddcqEGsTtsP-D-cSM4htXstFnKps6K2Hk7_Pu6buj8uLJ1LAM2ZLe1xvyTPcwStmYu8/s600/deck0002-10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="515" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgePSp-FQT_EbChEwPgu2EmPwjDMv3ByHkDTqTceLU92xcSHeE5kLO1HSbrezY3aPR5UyFUdfN2ddcqEGsTtsP-D-cSM4htXstFnKps6K2Hk7_Pu6buj8uLJ1LAM2ZLe1xvyTPcwStmYu8/s16000/deck0002-10.jpg" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5528837612444675639.post-28032733865035602782020-09-26T07:42:00.010-07:002020-09-30T05:55:50.119-07:00Fetchland Reprints Program (FRP) might as well be money printing.<p> Wizards has done such a great job milking the fetchlands. First, some background:</p><p>The best dual lands in Magic come in untapped and have basic land types. For example, Tropical Island is both a Forest and an Island, and it enters untapped.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrlc1SCLI_FXjjmCuxbqt7I7hAWRHijhyphenhyphen6iM-7Go4KyVAyfywEBWvyUU5PfSl0E3mA7q3gx2EufJw9wbeUjg6MgjfZxQeXqHT6zaXmmOJ8Ldy8z8zQjWm_ZH6pVR8kjzggC4-IqsoKoU/s800/tropical_island.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrlc1SCLI_FXjjmCuxbqt7I7hAWRHijhyphenhyphen6iM-7Go4KyVAyfywEBWvyUU5PfSl0E3mA7q3gx2EufJw9wbeUjg6MgjfZxQeXqHT6zaXmmOJ8Ldy8z8zQjWm_ZH6pVR8kjzggC4-IqsoKoU/s16000/tropical_island.jpg" /></a></div><p>The next best dual lands in Magic are the fetchlands. The fetchlands come in, are sacrificed for 1 life, and fetch basic lands. Enter the Reserved List, and Wizards does not reprint the original duals. Therefore, the fetchlands are the best dual lands that Wizards can print for as long as the company abides by the Reserved List. </p><p>The first cycle of fetchlands, in allied colors, were printed in Onslaught, and reprinted in Khans of Tarkir. The second cycle of fetchlands, in enemy colors, were printed in Zendikar. These have been the three instances when fetchlands have been in Standard. The supply of allied fetchlands is larger than the supply of enemy fetchlands, at least judging by how often they have been printed in Standard, and that the Khans of Tarkir printing was for the much larger, post Return to Ravnica player population. </p><p>After the Khans of Tarkir allied fetchland printing, the ten fetchlands have become the greatest source of reprint equity for Wizards. These ten lands are the targets for reprinting in specialty products. The ten fetchlands have been reprinted as expeditions for Battle for Zendikar (or Zendikar II) and Zendikar Rising (or Zendikar III). The enemy fetchlands have been additionally reprinted in Modern Masters 2017.</p><p>Enter the formats: </p><p>1. Vintage and Legacy, pretty much dead formats. These 'boutique' formats are played with proxies, or played with original dual lands by players who either bought these cards before they became uber-expensive, or spent ungodly amounts of money on cardboard.</p><p>2. Modern, which does not have access to the original dual lands. In Modern, the fetchlands rule the format, and are the main barrier to entry. I don't think it's debatable that Modern has endured a decline as the fetchlands have increased in price.</p><p>3. Pioneer, which begins with Return to Ravnica, and in which the five allied fetchlands from Khans of Tarkir are banned. Pioneer does not care about fetchlands.</p><p>4. Historic (Arena-only format Ixalan forward), and Standard also do not care about fetchlands.</p><p>Therefore, when we talk about fetchlands, we are talking about Modern price gate-keeping. Wizards has announced that the ten fetchlands will be in the Modern Horizons 2 set as regular booster cards. The questions that need to be answered are:</p><p>1. Will the reprinting of fetchlands as Zendikar III expeditions lower the price of the fetchlands, and to what level?</p><p>2. Will the reprinting of fetchlands in Modern Horizons 2, next year, lower the price of the fetchlands, and to what level?</p><p>I believe that Wizards has decided to keep the floor for the most sought-after fetchlands at $40, and that this floor will not go below $40. Because of how long it has taken the company to reprint the fetchlands (since either Khans of Tarkir or Modern Masters 2017), many players who wanted to play Modern at near-competitive or competitive levels have not been able to afford to do so.</p><p>The only way for this floor to go lower is for the Modern player population to go down despite the availability of fetchlands, and I don't think that will happen. I think there is a large number of potential players wanting to enter the Modern format, and that is why I believe that:</p><p>1. Wizards might as well be printing money every time they reprint fetchlands.</p><p>2. The $40 floor for the most sought-after fetchlands will remain.</p><p>Even if in a post-COVID scenario we can all go on vacation and spend less money on Magic, that will mean that less of Modern Horizons 2 will be printed, and even in that scenario, the $40 floor for the most sought-after fetchlands will remain. </p><p>The answer to both questions above, unless the player population decreases, is that the $40 floor for the most sought-after fetchlands will remain.</p><p>P.S. Commander has slowly displaced Standard as the most popular format, or so we believe. But Commander players only need one of each fetchland. They will be willing to pay exorbitant amounts of money for these cards regardless of how many get reprinted. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5528837612444675639.post-71082448294266089452020-08-31T13:54:00.002-07:002020-08-31T13:54:35.613-07:00Trostani 8-set Standard This deck has some fun interactions.<div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ57J2N0ebnmgGmEc9D-uimm3Pi8eCAVT38gSdyTBmDPRDUSO4ftp_WQ31ZxrEGbx-Asz0Mpv_0aATmVdxmjkkm8SLWH6LakzkPIiiaDR6z9CVWlSw0qfxsNaSUTxmqjDIrVXiX5enXpo/s782/trostani-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="782" data-original-width="727" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ57J2N0ebnmgGmEc9D-uimm3Pi8eCAVT38gSdyTBmDPRDUSO4ftp_WQ31ZxrEGbx-Asz0Mpv_0aATmVdxmjkkm8SLWH6LakzkPIiiaDR6z9CVWlSw0qfxsNaSUTxmqjDIrVXiX5enXpo/s640/trostani-01.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4jnX2alxOq6ylr7yYX1P3EkXF8hR8J_TzxDY7K63-HFNvrqQpynvcXzJcmQutVt4jHurlbzDoKlmNTXNAV31ymDtzDIc_0WdBxsInHiWgfonpi4VAht6pMRu97Jf1NjDW4R4TjKpqwuc/s747/trostani-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="747" data-original-width="723" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4jnX2alxOq6ylr7yYX1P3EkXF8hR8J_TzxDY7K63-HFNvrqQpynvcXzJcmQutVt4jHurlbzDoKlmNTXNAV31ymDtzDIc_0WdBxsInHiWgfonpi4VAht6pMRu97Jf1NjDW4R4TjKpqwuc/s640/trostani-02.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Constellation triggers tokens from casting enchantments.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwFGD2SV8ekiXcdQxF-cVc8hu1cS8Cz1LgIPCwkQsENkOUkpSRf1Rz4bmso1mtCCRlCpwFopkftp4a3vJ6bIMCG6Zam5tfGnrh50-dEtDBDipSmRzvd5vR9B94LTp9M4ZpgcESEtCgZIk/s800/trostani-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="521" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwFGD2SV8ekiXcdQxF-cVc8hu1cS8Cz1LgIPCwkQsENkOUkpSRf1Rz4bmso1mtCCRlCpwFopkftp4a3vJ6bIMCG6Zam5tfGnrh50-dEtDBDipSmRzvd5vR9B94LTp9M4ZpgcESEtCgZIk/s640/trostani-03.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Beast Whisperer draws me cards every time I cast a creature.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8unHPFwl_1xIuZcpn_eO1kDIH4iBe7dKEm2JxELFJp4Huj6Dp6LdVjXFi7uUbCtxcOftXA14pJyrkPz1oithLB2CVrLTOWCLCAWoFN_Szah3vcehh2BMWMwu3QBVNO4ExgL3OPlvN8LM/s800/trostani-04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="511" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8unHPFwl_1xIuZcpn_eO1kDIH4iBe7dKEm2JxELFJp4Huj6Dp6LdVjXFi7uUbCtxcOftXA14pJyrkPz1oithLB2CVrLTOWCLCAWoFN_Szah3vcehh2BMWMwu3QBVNO4ExgL3OPlvN8LM/s640/trostani-04.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Arboreal Grazer is great to drop two lands early game and also to trigger Beast Whisperer middle to late game.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhciFqhe4h7r-zJGRnG1dtnb3DeEyK0B5FOClw82thrQpOYIxm7BZ2-PYaz-cVxUH6u1mW6JquuuJnqEa5l3AvF1Wo1o6_LzlmyrR7vJAGRimbGe9qlZ6gtHSqPrGqlgFZH7vng8yK9pA4/s600/trostani-05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhciFqhe4h7r-zJGRnG1dtnb3DeEyK0B5FOClw82thrQpOYIxm7BZ2-PYaz-cVxUH6u1mW6JquuuJnqEa5l3AvF1Wo1o6_LzlmyrR7vJAGRimbGe9qlZ6gtHSqPrGqlgFZH7vng8yK9pA4/s0/trostani-05.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>What's better than Beast Whisperer? Multiple Beast Whisperers. It's a 4-drop, though.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0fvbJ3BvQWS-hXUn5Jljk4kOl5E3QPC77EQU6wTWpoVOcILu1Zo-GwvhJzmcDfvJVgumJVjbf6d9xMxwK41ui9KKicIRp_Xpwq8VN-EGUpZRuucMk7eKcLwsxFj07p3UcR3XiidGws4/s800/trostani-06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0fvbJ3BvQWS-hXUn5Jljk4kOl5E3QPC77EQU6wTWpoVOcILu1Zo-GwvhJzmcDfvJVgumJVjbf6d9xMxwK41ui9KKicIRp_Xpwq8VN-EGUpZRuucMk7eKcLwsxFj07p3UcR3XiidGws4/s640/trostani-06.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>This will rarely happen, but it's what makes this deck fun.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgstQvTD1mRIYdUDnciAyXhWEOOEmN6ceRrMvhWx9eciWm2LoA0hAvZznRN5zntMOceFzWHPVG58CXmvp-94-ZWLJ0bBqUNGf05awJHV-RQophwW7D8yK1cvI3Leq_jlXVPUK-ez1meoms/s800/trostani-07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgstQvTD1mRIYdUDnciAyXhWEOOEmN6ceRrMvhWx9eciWm2LoA0hAvZznRN5zntMOceFzWHPVG58CXmvp-94-ZWLJ0bBqUNGf05awJHV-RQophwW7D8yK1cvI3Leq_jlXVPUK-ez1meoms/s640/trostani-07.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Trostani drops two tokens.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlWt4kriOHNzeNTYLCrlQCRcLH11qVu0XZqaNgZ4pLm23h5ZlAiVySfYqUUd3hub87ve4OKY2yRLqw2uPEuS0vMya9cDC2tcpaYJVWb2TL96REPNZUIN_UbDxFHFUk7aDZd1omvP4OeHI/s800/trostani-08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlWt4kriOHNzeNTYLCrlQCRcLH11qVu0XZqaNgZ4pLm23h5ZlAiVySfYqUUd3hub87ve4OKY2yRLqw2uPEuS0vMya9cDC2tcpaYJVWb2TL96REPNZUIN_UbDxFHFUk7aDZd1omvP4OeHI/s640/trostani-08.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Making one of the creatures hexproof is really useful. I have used this trick in so many decks!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYvxW7lVteYiROYoaP2Xbvmuipgz2CUkh69ODxp9wuf-SFPp16bC2-Mx2B1HgOq94SRqADVdcVLWLt0xttpMimTq-DmjcQeZIpWoeURdmGUVfdwMgLR2pRv0sHQyeHU2dmBpQoEfNb8pM/s800/trostani-09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYvxW7lVteYiROYoaP2Xbvmuipgz2CUkh69ODxp9wuf-SFPp16bC2-Mx2B1HgOq94SRqADVdcVLWLt0xttpMimTq-DmjcQeZIpWoeURdmGUVfdwMgLR2pRv0sHQyeHU2dmBpQoEfNb8pM/s640/trostani-09.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>And when combined with Hydra's Growth, it's a key feature of the deck.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj00gc-7_YcL0ZkIuVwLDNyO1vm_Ct_4dtq4z52dNBN6F1KgQu-H4vWHMgRFCq0Vt1rVVcO29e3I-P2NghghjU7KjSP-FgdvZZnWCxw459rHcSGjo3Y0xPaU91XJHAKQYqO6nJudlZTnL4/s800/trostani-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="390" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj00gc-7_YcL0ZkIuVwLDNyO1vm_Ct_4dtq4z52dNBN6F1KgQu-H4vWHMgRFCq0Vt1rVVcO29e3I-P2NghghjU7KjSP-FgdvZZnWCxw459rHcSGjo3Y0xPaU91XJHAKQYqO6nJudlZTnL4/s640/trostani-10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiww8TEJzNMTTIGEHr5JIeJYof-zJjDqsc6A5ZrLt2-UYMMro9lJWWrFwU0NjOgsv5jTYrQt9tJPzJQ7YM9lqUIs0QFPM6hXsg5T_3gSaV4ulrFfOUqvntb733bEGzg49Lp0vsNVBl8bZo/s459/trostani-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="459" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiww8TEJzNMTTIGEHr5JIeJYof-zJjDqsc6A5ZrLt2-UYMMro9lJWWrFwU0NjOgsv5jTYrQt9tJPzJQ7YM9lqUIs0QFPM6hXsg5T_3gSaV4ulrFfOUqvntb733bEGzg49Lp0vsNVBl8bZo/s0/trostani-11.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Victory's Envoy only needs to be on the board one turn to make all creatures bigger.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwY1j8zecBociq2LEE6J_OFHeJwPJPyWw3nnk3aCsNGJ158Ef5-58wawvhDTa4y0nGQB5duvqqbAJE3QwNT-QhBynpXdmPx2JnI-O95fkiLc8Drgo9XkcEFShQuZQr9M7vaFtL8_aVsw/s800/trostani-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwY1j8zecBociq2LEE6J_OFHeJwPJPyWw3nnk3aCsNGJ158Ef5-58wawvhDTa4y0nGQB5duvqqbAJE3QwNT-QhBynpXdmPx2JnI-O95fkiLc8Drgo9XkcEFShQuZQr9M7vaFtL8_aVsw/s640/trostani-12.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5528837612444675639.post-20179656883670943072020-08-22T03:32:00.009-07:002020-08-30T14:11:36.170-07:00Inflating the Magic Bubble<p> I have been watching the Magic bubble inflate for a while. I have also seen many call the impending burst of the bubble, and it has not happened. I believe that none of us know when the bubble will burst. First, I would like to go through the logic of why we are in a bubble.</p><p>A bubble in any collectible is defined by an increasing demand followed by large increases in prices that is not organic. In Magic, organic means that the cards see a lot of play. We have two sub-bubbles within the larger Magic bubble that are unsustainable:</p><p>Sub-bubble 1. The Reserved List bubble, which I have been documenting, in my very small, peasant way, for a few years on this blog. I will add another chapter here. There is no play reason for most of the reserved list cards to continue to go up in value. The supply is small and fixed, and the demand is ever-increasing and purely speculative. Demand is based on the premise of an ever-expanding collector and speculator base.</p><p>Sub-bubble 2. The variants bubble, which has just gotten started this year, and coincides with the COVID pandemic, a time in which many of us are stuck at home. Those who have disposable money, some from government relief checks, are spending some of this extra money on Magic. In many cases, that money would have been spent on vacations. I plan for the first chapter of my variants bubble watch in some other post, maybe after Zendikar Rising comes out. Fancy variants can only be less playable than the base card since most players will want their base cards to sustain play wear, but will keep their beautiful variants pristine. Even though most of the variants are playable, they will remain a collectible to look at and not to play, Once again, demand is based on the premise of an ever-expanding collector and speculator base.</p><p>Collectors and speculators are fueling the bubble. Players stuck at home are also feeding the bubble because they are spending vacation money (and any other non-Magic money, such as checks from the government) on Magic.</p><p>Back to the Reserved List bubble. There are many cards on the reserved list that are playable, such as Tolarian Academy.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyh_t16O8M-LoJHRWKhJii6-ClatEk4mSGk7nykowhOUmsA0u78aMl3LQUnDlW55B8HHpQ0QrCJBLmQB9oPY_s7esXgyHozWwy4V2QsUTohGyPZtLVGMh-v6we8AE8_-gEtvDj1KBAtjg/s800/bubble-01.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyh_t16O8M-LoJHRWKhJii6-ClatEk4mSGk7nykowhOUmsA0u78aMl3LQUnDlW55B8HHpQ0QrCJBLmQB9oPY_s7esXgyHozWwy4V2QsUTohGyPZtLVGMh-v6we8AE8_-gEtvDj1KBAtjg/s640/bubble-01.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Tolarian Academy has seen three large increases in value:</div><div><br /></div><div>1. Summer 2016, from $20 to $35 (all values approximate).</div><div>2. Summer 2017, all the way up to $80 and then down to $50.</div><div>3. Summer 2020 (COVID), to $100, and still fluctuating.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYCyQb_WVjboxEsx6PBSSHRbw-LVVFu_ij-honGAtvjMeAXypmFGsbzTr9syMF3c3E91V4VvFXLJMvHZys7MCmqEc7ISBjPefU83M6yIxDDKIvA_N1EOelWPzeASqiMn9Iq-0yzWD_WI/s800/bubble-02.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYCyQb_WVjboxEsx6PBSSHRbw-LVVFu_ij-honGAtvjMeAXypmFGsbzTr9syMF3c3E91V4VvFXLJMvHZys7MCmqEc7ISBjPefU83M6yIxDDKIvA_N1EOelWPzeASqiMn9Iq-0yzWD_WI/s640/bubble-02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Tolarian Academy is not a good example of the Reserved List bubble. It could be that more people want to own this one very playable card (I know I do). The best examples of inorganic growth in value are cards that under no circumstances will ever see any play. These cards are subject to attempted buyouts (I will just call them buyouts). The perfect targets for these buyouts are rares from the earliest sets. The cards saw low printings, but not low enough to demand the current valuations (I am making this statement assuming common sense, and not based on any empirical evidence). Here are two examples, picked randomly, and there are many more. </div><div><br /></div><div>Exhibit A: City in a Bottle.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_JJSFqeE968KWFocvDjy9e1fOtDplTfsb-Bg2OwSDhtDe_bBXYlOAo_4yri-q0jjH4HQ2ZIbYVyglKYvvGNP5_9ywlBtUvQgE3iilGPfHE90e2NV6cRqE2LGrZkByvelAS5JxQJeHHxM/s800/bubble-03.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_JJSFqeE968KWFocvDjy9e1fOtDplTfsb-Bg2OwSDhtDe_bBXYlOAo_4yri-q0jjH4HQ2ZIbYVyglKYvvGNP5_9ywlBtUvQgE3iilGPfHE90e2NV6cRqE2LGrZkByvelAS5JxQJeHHxM/s640/bubble-03.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>City in a Bottle has experienced what I would call buyouts, beginning in 2015.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02Mh9OCA277Q4bhi0mP1xgqnG94zWOtnfSa982mJmV0DneyFbhp4QCu4OOZBDMp25UtD87jJo01T-WMMt4dLeXlQxeFeZmjr0PVdYa21xJ2fxfa0e086nF16MRRum6h_yeaHixuEXCA4/s800/bubble-04.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02Mh9OCA277Q4bhi0mP1xgqnG94zWOtnfSa982mJmV0DneyFbhp4QCu4OOZBDMp25UtD87jJo01T-WMMt4dLeXlQxeFeZmjr0PVdYa21xJ2fxfa0e086nF16MRRum6h_yeaHixuEXCA4/s640/bubble-04.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>In the original buyout, in late 2015, the card went from $15 to $60, a four-fold increase.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4T3z4UgKUaB5k5CLw-tjrJNBGvkBU7pArsvg-uB0ZKzeoAdhz9IZwxc95gx225ct8JhuqH2JnN2vKI0loHZetG7jbXy-XRFxoBppWU0vY5EProOKkIGt5OC3y4fP0qacEkm0giPrnEZs/s769/bubble-05.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="769" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4T3z4UgKUaB5k5CLw-tjrJNBGvkBU7pArsvg-uB0ZKzeoAdhz9IZwxc95gx225ct8JhuqH2JnN2vKI0loHZetG7jbXy-XRFxoBppWU0vY5EProOKkIGt5OC3y4fP0qacEkm0giPrnEZs/s640/bubble-05.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The card experienced a second buyout in late 2017, and went to $200. You get the picture... it happened again in late 2018 and this COVID summer. A completely unplayable yet reasonably scarce card is $400, the price of four booster boxes of a recent Standard set.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihrFre0k88cAbGzl-QH2HFeXgLzECPfEguVWCBQUVlAsCYU8eT_Wn7qAx4kmF1PhFbGmKcllCh9RyIrBF2b7YRIaDlx9OdcM0DCYybmv7BQlF7VwE1csCd0l1AIp_5bRoX82c5Xq3WhI/s767/bubble-06.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="441" data-original-width="767" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihrFre0k88cAbGzl-QH2HFeXgLzECPfEguVWCBQUVlAsCYU8eT_Wn7qAx4kmF1PhFbGmKcllCh9RyIrBF2b7YRIaDlx9OdcM0DCYybmv7BQlF7VwE1csCd0l1AIp_5bRoX82c5Xq3WhI/s640/bubble-06.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I had another card to discuss, but it doesn't matter. Any one rare from the Reserved List has gone through at least one buyout in recent years. Most of these cards will never see play. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, how does a collectible bubble burst? A collectible bubble bursts when we run out of buyers willing to pay ever-increasing prices, and, specifically for Magic, when the game undergoes a significant exit of players. We are not seeing either of these signs. For as long as many of us are stuck at home, we will be spending what would have been vacation money on Magic.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Bubble deflation scenarios:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Scenario 1. The economy tanks and the government stops issuing free money checks, even though the virus is not yet held in check. Such a downturn (which, of course, I very much pray and hope does not happen), would hurt collectors, speculators, and players.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Scenario 2. The economy remains flaky, but the government continues to pump out "free" money, and the virus is not yet held in check. This is a 'things continue as they are' scenario.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Scenario 3. The economy booms once the virus is held at bay enough for everyone to be able to go on vacation again. There will be less substitution of vacation money going to Magic, yet there will also be enough people with money to maintain their Magic hobby. (I want this scenario. I want us all to be happy, even if we have to put up with this silly collectibles bubble).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A prolonged scenario 1 would definitely burst the bubble. It would take much longer for scenario 2 to burst the bubble. In scenario 3, the bubble may not be expanded much, but it would remain inflated. I can't think of any other scenario. In any scenario in which the the virus is held at bay enough for everyone to be able to go on vacation again, the economy will be in good, even great shape. There is plenty of pent-up economic activity that would inevitably happen once the virus is held at bay.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The bubble we now have remains sustainable. We could even say that these valuations make sense (they don't to me, but who am I to know better?). After all, someone is willing to pay these prices. When will it end? I don't know, and I am betting neither do you. The cliff-hanger is the variants bubble, but that one has not yet matured. It may burst before it matures. Only time will tell.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5528837612444675639.post-6491069057798960722020-08-20T09:10:00.002-07:002020-08-20T09:10:42.565-07:00Five Color Gates Standard Deck Part 2<p> I made a few changes by adding some flyers.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhcENHlV6ufQ7UQadh7Elwo0rACpiD5BZJSb9OFuq1gxYY6GTMnVBQx13Ai0GeGSnQHAaKViv_paAcbd3OhmqlEUEmCKisGCazT1LF8LBzT04C7DFcV2rROGbCUefG5IDKRy2dBy350RA/s593/gates-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="593" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhcENHlV6ufQ7UQadh7Elwo0rACpiD5BZJSb9OFuq1gxYY6GTMnVBQx13Ai0GeGSnQHAaKViv_paAcbd3OhmqlEUEmCKisGCazT1LF8LBzT04C7DFcV2rROGbCUefG5IDKRy2dBy350RA/s0/gates-15.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMF-mnVqVEcQOuoFex0g-ijaBgZU0AHagEeud6dDoemmwhT43tUm7mzf_OGwFltW6gXrseDDTRTlaM35qsTdUeilBc4AG9wrZavHuoOsFQmBR6GQDk4cxDvzie0CdQ8z5knMQcU83FsPg/s785/gates-16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="785" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMF-mnVqVEcQOuoFex0g-ijaBgZU0AHagEeud6dDoemmwhT43tUm7mzf_OGwFltW6gXrseDDTRTlaM35qsTdUeilBc4AG9wrZavHuoOsFQmBR6GQDk4cxDvzie0CdQ8z5knMQcU83FsPg/s640/gates-16.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Here is another early Gate Colossus.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCd5-11I-30yUISJHklTkFSJxoeNZkTQrzhRhyphenhyphenMRdYFiGreigpgh-OHX_kIF2Xsgze64LNSuZpsWIJnzlhsk8DFNy16jrRUYi56QhQCugc82S7wlyEGQvQSvqILoj5UBVYUyJTg-ZFYA/s800/gates-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCd5-11I-30yUISJHklTkFSJxoeNZkTQrzhRhyphenhyphenMRdYFiGreigpgh-OHX_kIF2Xsgze64LNSuZpsWIJnzlhsk8DFNy16jrRUYi56QhQCugc82S7wlyEGQvQSvqILoj5UBVYUyJTg-ZFYA/s640/gates-17.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Here is a pair of Gate Colussus early game.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sf_ynMHzbPRpCrlXCpPdEvEXOGV5O0RzQFZGtzIgAZOFj7ND_vSCLtGUoD7ysbDbIpSIgZ1cMvC_9h7ui9w5bOJwWYprALcXNRBx9TzGmpdhDHx70hBvFewYJkk_oPu8Lp2rw0cMSwc/s800/gates-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="331" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sf_ynMHzbPRpCrlXCpPdEvEXOGV5O0RzQFZGtzIgAZOFj7ND_vSCLtGUoD7ysbDbIpSIgZ1cMvC_9h7ui9w5bOJwWYprALcXNRBx9TzGmpdhDHx70hBvFewYJkk_oPu8Lp2rw0cMSwc/s640/gates-18.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdTiKmLNmOKb0oFyDqJWpcDLZ5V9r9aWsr3mnsli6fVjYgDmCVu-BnqvHduR6ZMWw4Kw7bBI9S7RRW7L9nRjHo7KQhs0LyKKP9KWFB7SHRIscdmJno03RqnGX5tp-X2hz9OqpOE2R34YY/s713/gates-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="312" data-original-width="713" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdTiKmLNmOKb0oFyDqJWpcDLZ5V9r9aWsr3mnsli6fVjYgDmCVu-BnqvHduR6ZMWw4Kw7bBI9S7RRW7L9nRjHo7KQhs0LyKKP9KWFB7SHRIscdmJno03RqnGX5tp-X2hz9OqpOE2R34YY/s640/gates-19.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Guild Summit must be a playset in this deck. It's a great card draw engine almost every turn after it drops.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHcYHmTr_Vjgg40MNRSM7g8-4-ZevgagFpCIB3awX0ICB8QG1p1GEovQdHrXxQ82dQEbo29qwsILlLaZzYasEDkzNcE3SWv4Ul89IbbDC4nYZ_qsSG0Ys2Ynl2yGXXYtsBJWWDZyoIDnU/s800/gates-20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHcYHmTr_Vjgg40MNRSM7g8-4-ZevgagFpCIB3awX0ICB8QG1p1GEovQdHrXxQ82dQEbo29qwsILlLaZzYasEDkzNcE3SWv4Ul89IbbDC4nYZ_qsSG0Ys2Ynl2yGXXYtsBJWWDZyoIDnU/s640/gates-20.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>And especially when a second one drops mid to late game and you can draw cards off your untapped Gates.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRPmKb3lkSnhR_oKBFE-61vYcPhjG0gboSKEOcPmhyLvHVUgweTw3j3rd89M8XyDhJDAQa06Hdmb7e6CyB_2FVHmUFLLulhpxk2CkhJJyyFcH6fGbHd23JZwYruqfpQPRHmGf0K_sRCQA/s800/gates-21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRPmKb3lkSnhR_oKBFE-61vYcPhjG0gboSKEOcPmhyLvHVUgweTw3j3rd89M8XyDhJDAQa06Hdmb7e6CyB_2FVHmUFLLulhpxk2CkhJJyyFcH6fGbHd23JZwYruqfpQPRHmGf0K_sRCQA/s640/gates-21.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Nice full hand for the late game!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8omDzw3vwvGQfG028UOy7lm-fZna9LHftJVg1kXMankShg_VvkACeZ0yqXyCnVRPx_2NpbOHLbLueYX0AEBjDGb9a1wMClAYFa2wKe8iPKdm0rnJRyqaCPCftD7r9bQtNu-VFiTSEN4c/s800/gates-22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="456" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8omDzw3vwvGQfG028UOy7lm-fZna9LHftJVg1kXMankShg_VvkACeZ0yqXyCnVRPx_2NpbOHLbLueYX0AEBjDGb9a1wMClAYFa2wKe8iPKdm0rnJRyqaCPCftD7r9bQtNu-VFiTSEN4c/s640/gates-22.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The deck can brick hard, and that's where Gates Ablaze comes in.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdxU7r1X-SEz7BuhMjGPygENb_Vtl81ssDjVO3tvuRauYUwv9maJbvyp6I46sPMx3xHXuT7NkvBaH3Eo0G9PH57v5c5CTN7lFBH7eMc0bTgelL51pzk7EzSuh8qnK_FnJBX2LkfNKdEgc/s800/gates-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdxU7r1X-SEz7BuhMjGPygENb_Vtl81ssDjVO3tvuRauYUwv9maJbvyp6I46sPMx3xHXuT7NkvBaH3Eo0G9PH57v5c5CTN7lFBH7eMc0bTgelL51pzk7EzSuh8qnK_FnJBX2LkfNKdEgc/s640/gates-23.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>You will only need flyers for late game top-decking.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6JBvtQXHdU08A3fJRhS4yml1X3fUhs9g_WBqxPsUUJXHD09t2fPmelOyDteydWDml0VMnZGWwe3-whC_GzTEoSDkTOmto9u0xXjBgthR-l0FvabFS0IPJ0KiqaJ_gByZxvvpu5SbyPfQ/s800/gates-24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6JBvtQXHdU08A3fJRhS4yml1X3fUhs9g_WBqxPsUUJXHD09t2fPmelOyDteydWDml0VMnZGWwe3-whC_GzTEoSDkTOmto9u0xXjBgthR-l0FvabFS0IPJ0KiqaJ_gByZxvvpu5SbyPfQ/s640/gates-24.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Here is the Arena version. I am missing several of the key cards, yet it plays well because I have some powerful end-game flyers.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2BHI-oa7I280e1r0PV63Fb7hUOhrykrtWZaoAfIhUXbjeiWq8VtA2XZkg6Lt1UX8WPaCB2Wu6xWvj6Bo-KMYn3AcZGW5zaASB7AFTfOU-3TFeL3Xs8hK0VyHqSP9BjsF7MvM5INuNCv4/s800/gates-25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2BHI-oa7I280e1r0PV63Fb7hUOhrykrtWZaoAfIhUXbjeiWq8VtA2XZkg6Lt1UX8WPaCB2Wu6xWvj6Bo-KMYn3AcZGW5zaASB7AFTfOU-3TFeL3Xs8hK0VyHqSP9BjsF7MvM5INuNCv4/s640/gates-25.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5528837612444675639.post-3929039595599925702020-08-20T09:06:00.001-07:002020-08-20T09:06:33.857-07:00Five Color Gates Standard Deck Part 1<p> This deck is a lot of fun. I will describe it in two posts, one before high end flyers are added, and one after. All screenshots are MTGO solitaire. Here is the deck:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibH8PrAR4_jpJdlme6gNjWP9WTIw2dBWOzAWQR_mdwdnmEgZmk9FZL1sK3-iE-ptAcVTRYL3OkbDFp8WRkhTL8uvTG4hZsuDe4U17O9SjZX32isTIaS20Ck7dxPj0hpPOSpAMk_JPALM/s849/gates-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="849" data-original-width="787" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiibH8PrAR4_jpJdlme6gNjWP9WTIw2dBWOzAWQR_mdwdnmEgZmk9FZL1sK3-iE-ptAcVTRYL3OkbDFp8WRkhTL8uvTG4hZsuDe4U17O9SjZX32isTIaS20Ck7dxPj0hpPOSpAMk_JPALM/s640/gates-01.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0SLvVeUXbbveZqW7t51jSYUIpDBenfieT5lbUdrw6W2j2okKkHo6xmZYBfEMoGvY2ltsp27RxQgU1qWMWpmiosJEj1u4mzDZIyVU7roXCHNzSYAV1udgghlM_1Ix8UFfBEd16xcFOBIM/s818/gates-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="818" data-original-width="783" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0SLvVeUXbbveZqW7t51jSYUIpDBenfieT5lbUdrw6W2j2okKkHo6xmZYBfEMoGvY2ltsp27RxQgU1qWMWpmiosJEj1u4mzDZIyVU7roXCHNzSYAV1udgghlM_1Ix8UFfBEd16xcFOBIM/s640/gates-02.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmRWihZXj86WRpttGL3Yol-B9OmyQuSSJjdIbc-4cNnvGV3Q9cAVx-F36YkUY5xKLR7DTMtWDMSYR6fr7FtjGq0eBX5y8zcab6PGd0BjaO7kX3WjDsEWB_Z6Wk7Ha6tX1eAvXHzJWn7ww/s819/gates-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="819" data-original-width="781" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmRWihZXj86WRpttGL3Yol-B9OmyQuSSJjdIbc-4cNnvGV3Q9cAVx-F36YkUY5xKLR7DTMtWDMSYR6fr7FtjGq0eBX5y8zcab6PGd0BjaO7kX3WjDsEWB_Z6Wk7Ha6tX1eAvXHzJWn7ww/s640/gates-03.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1mQwMNQa0lUffgNLcdrlfm1J5M2RefFZ3HwcWgPXh4LedJkY4Y-JD6MuLfeQQ8jdN6a2tCONwYTwMUF6jfMDdcCInQ3TMiCPALAJWCjnkPZB9pCoUKY9JY-fWQXcI64pfr0ljSkyleho/s783/gates-04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="277" data-original-width="783" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1mQwMNQa0lUffgNLcdrlfm1J5M2RefFZ3HwcWgPXh4LedJkY4Y-JD6MuLfeQQ8jdN6a2tCONwYTwMUF6jfMDdcCInQ3TMiCPALAJWCjnkPZB9pCoUKY9JY-fWQXcI64pfr0ljSkyleho/s640/gates-04.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>We will need at least one Arboreal Grazer in our opening hand.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrbDzfo2keSXsoGZV_X4iH9eLr0ahRAePF3zlU9Q5h4_fMm6SO58xU0Je04pDWmsQoa-x3G1nOTKXOuKQ0SRKS1JA2FfYWrW4lz_ojo-IIsO721V2bIWxVYmEWhad_JRkAq0rag5iSexg/s800/gates-05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrbDzfo2keSXsoGZV_X4iH9eLr0ahRAePF3zlU9Q5h4_fMm6SO58xU0Je04pDWmsQoa-x3G1nOTKXOuKQ0SRKS1JA2FfYWrW4lz_ojo-IIsO721V2bIWxVYmEWhad_JRkAq0rag5iSexg/s640/gates-05.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2gOzXgIynXlf7c4ngsnIXbd6By6OXLOwDormWUzX2_pDdX79YO_Cpy07xLEKa6h8RagArhIUEC0j7OqjpU1BbxUJNurfEKL58JHhe0fe_zmBQ_q3dtkWWhF8VDyY_lbKASU7X0gBoPe4/s800/gates-06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="698" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2gOzXgIynXlf7c4ngsnIXbd6By6OXLOwDormWUzX2_pDdX79YO_Cpy07xLEKa6h8RagArhIUEC0j7OqjpU1BbxUJNurfEKL58JHhe0fe_zmBQ_q3dtkWWhF8VDyY_lbKASU7X0gBoPe4/s640/gates-06.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>District Guide will help us get the colors we need, but we have to be careful about which 3-drops we add, otherwise the deck is mostly 3-drops. I only have a couple of this card in this deck.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgp-3GLqqXL82IBa7WUC1_1YnAtyX6UOg-Es1zzQMLBmDT0oqCSqqtUqCpazaywLJPOj_C5lzwVUrZYORdpb3iRacigcsUUZIwNPdJUy_8x_6QOZbB_KFBeNa5V8OjUdvnZT77ml_lx0/s726/gates-07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="654" data-original-width="726" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgp-3GLqqXL82IBa7WUC1_1YnAtyX6UOg-Es1zzQMLBmDT0oqCSqqtUqCpazaywLJPOj_C5lzwVUrZYORdpb3iRacigcsUUZIwNPdJUy_8x_6QOZbB_KFBeNa5V8OjUdvnZT77ml_lx0/s640/gates-07.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The deck plays out well most of the time except for the obvious lack of flyers, which I fix in the second post in this blog.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9FoSsV7YwTC2MJ7c_vDkBhYMYAjbgRmM7QVLWjnfRChXW610k8GMnkOt781XhIL2488H-VAkPmL8MbErnfh0nqYzvw78ZODMvqzfIVGPAtc-gbAE1I4Qg7FSxY-zgbkeYNZfjbjvYas/s791/gates-08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="791" data-original-width="698" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9FoSsV7YwTC2MJ7c_vDkBhYMYAjbgRmM7QVLWjnfRChXW610k8GMnkOt781XhIL2488H-VAkPmL8MbErnfh0nqYzvw78ZODMvqzfIVGPAtc-gbAE1I4Qg7FSxY-zgbkeYNZfjbjvYas/s640/gates-08.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Gatebreaker Ram does not fly, but is always big in this deck.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOqhMc4DUeI2ZzhBkaUSelJD-92q62DmwekleQnSGsFYGfZTCoI3Gda_YyT9vtu8cuSA55CYXrQUiWARShCQ8iwQ3ObThNqstyu3wM3OAPBNuEtj4cpJOLhH5d1mltnUITl2Xu_s9y9zU/s313/gates-09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOqhMc4DUeI2ZzhBkaUSelJD-92q62DmwekleQnSGsFYGfZTCoI3Gda_YyT9vtu8cuSA55CYXrQUiWARShCQ8iwQ3ObThNqstyu3wM3OAPBNuEtj4cpJOLhH5d1mltnUITl2Xu_s9y9zU/s0/gates-09.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Here is another good first hand.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9HlW25gIwon5JefKHn7e9o_ISoLgmw1gBnUOSg7DbgCDcf4cJ6trbo5g6bpzxAU5D-zpNV7FeLonVqZ27Y4G1pyJmkUsxj3OJbcXnhSeDlcsiGeVRDr9HlxtG_Y6wOtIZlq4Owp94Rm0/s800/gates-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="198" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9HlW25gIwon5JefKHn7e9o_ISoLgmw1gBnUOSg7DbgCDcf4cJ6trbo5g6bpzxAU5D-zpNV7FeLonVqZ27Y4G1pyJmkUsxj3OJbcXnhSeDlcsiGeVRDr9HlxtG_Y6wOtIZlq4Owp94Rm0/s640/gates-10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Here Gate Colossus is only costing me 3 mana to cast.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyxq19KcfZXkX_1HSAyKiZFUeWijSNRmdEX8T5V577vZdNvbHK8XL9R9yNX5WxCOQmEQ1wq4YnWovgQUrEAe2XWSsXdTfNgIR4KBNEZny1cA0iZ7siYfrlACoeJFPrfB1w5v4Im62acJw/s800/gates-11-3mana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="643" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyxq19KcfZXkX_1HSAyKiZFUeWijSNRmdEX8T5V577vZdNvbHK8XL9R9yNX5WxCOQmEQ1wq4YnWovgQUrEAe2XWSsXdTfNgIR4KBNEZny1cA0iZ7siYfrlACoeJFPrfB1w5v4Im62acJw/s640/gates-11-3mana.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Gateway Sneak becomes indestructible on any turn in which I play a Gate.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju7LroIZa0ak4M_Ht0O3YhTbErq6KyccAvY3lsTEDWhIijIoh95T__M5i2r0d1nmNqgHj6iCoyn9yyFBgJr9LYNzGVa8E8NWaTn8b5VfG-CrtTD7XkyX7sCSjN9zo5-7_N3GoLNgIThi8/s800/gates-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju7LroIZa0ak4M_Ht0O3YhTbErq6KyccAvY3lsTEDWhIijIoh95T__M5i2r0d1nmNqgHj6iCoyn9yyFBgJr9LYNzGVa8E8NWaTn8b5VfG-CrtTD7XkyX7sCSjN9zo5-7_N3GoLNgIThi8/s640/gates-12.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Gates Ablaze is my board wipe. I only have a couple in the deck because I also use Banishing Light, which works for all non-land permanents. </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh5yuWA3rBr9a37cxt2I9oIhetILhnHlneoL6SZDynsBFgBSumWrUuPQL2RFXkjxijnmQfPMzkHxV3vtv0ckFVSwCSOaFLrtsyQGmNVzitj-XH1z3tkaCZbl6SqQxoEhPyufq31gz35a4/s648/gates-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="648" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh5yuWA3rBr9a37cxt2I9oIhetILhnHlneoL6SZDynsBFgBSumWrUuPQL2RFXkjxijnmQfPMzkHxV3vtv0ckFVSwCSOaFLrtsyQGmNVzitj-XH1z3tkaCZbl6SqQxoEhPyufq31gz35a4/s640/gates-13.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Sometimes I can drop four gates with two Arboreal Grazers. It's a rare occurrence, but it feels great.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh28A7AMfuqPJSm0W8068fA8aH35A5b_bcHZJZArHHrdAhLB1xTI9gMFLe5nGqTk4MZKE0dKFVIfeYzkn57Kp7zcG9QD70rsNhZJsacmUW3DaaXu8IKShAVONc3Xz-U_lhHKkL6IILhvY0/s800/gates-14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh28A7AMfuqPJSm0W8068fA8aH35A5b_bcHZJZArHHrdAhLB1xTI9gMFLe5nGqTk4MZKE0dKFVIfeYzkn57Kp7zcG9QD70rsNhZJsacmUW3DaaXu8IKShAVONc3Xz-U_lhHKkL6IILhvY0/s640/gates-14.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5528837612444675639.post-7384804222984026312020-08-16T13:29:00.001-07:002020-08-16T13:29:39.147-07:00I love Ikoria<p> I love Ikoria, and I think long-term, the set opened up new design space for Magic that is wide open for exploration. The first time is always hard because there is no precedent. I am betting that Return to Ikoria is already on the schedule. And if it isn't, that's a major mistake. Wizards will be a fool not to explore Mutate and Companion a lot more.</p><div data-reddit-rtjson="{"entityMap":{},"blocks":[{"key":"735tt","text":"I love Ikoria, and I think long-term, the set opened up new design space for Magic that is wide open for exploration. The first time is always hard because there is no precedent. I am betting that Return to Ikoria is already on the schedule. And if it isn't, that's a major mistake. Wizards will be a fool not to explore Mutate and Companion a lot more. ","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"4fnvj","text":"The mistake with Coompanion's costing, and perhaps how some of the Companion cards work, is understandable. Companions are deck-building heaven, warts and all. Wizards deserves respect for daring new designs instead of just re-hatching old designs. I also don't mind when Wizards blatantly steals from other games (Mutate is a more open form of Pokemon evolution). Like Picasso used to say: 'good artists borrow, great artists steal.' ","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}},{"key":"dl0k7","text":"The Mutate cost-benefit was well thought out. Eldraine adventures are two cards in one whereas Mutate plays are one card from multiple cards, and that is a vulnerability; yet many of the Mutate cards hold their own in a format that has Eldrain adventures; although, parenthetically, I do find [[Unsummon]] effects to be the Achiles heel of Mutate. ","type":"unstyled","depth":0,"inlineStyleRanges":[],"entityRanges":[],"data":{}}]}"><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="262973" data-offset-key="454s3-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="454s3-0-0"><span data-offset-key="454s3-0-0">The mistake with Coompanion's costing, and perhaps how some of the Companion cards work, is understandable. Companions are deck-building heaven, warts and all. Wizards deserves respect for daring new designs instead of just re-hatching old designs. I also don't mind when Wizards blatantly steals from other games (Mutate is a more open form of Pokemon evolution). Like Picasso used to say: 'good artists borrow, great artists steal.' </span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="454s3-0-0"><span data-offset-key="454s3-0-0"><br /></span></div></div><div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="262973" data-offset-key="ehcbb-0-0"><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="ehcbb-0-0"><span data-offset-key="ehcbb-0-0">The Mutate cost-benefit was well thought out. Eldraine adventures are two cards in one whereas Mutate plays are one card from multiple cards, and that is a vulnerability; yet many of the Mutate cards hold their own in a format that has Eldrain adventures; although, parenthetically, I do find [[Unsummon]] effects to be the Achiles heel of Mutate. </span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="ehcbb-0-0"><span data-offset-key="ehcbb-0-0"><br /></span></div><div class="public-DraftStyleDefault-block public-DraftStyleDefault-ltr" data-offset-key="ehcbb-0-0"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS7xPJgDEaXgrwW9aarklpXBYscXHBdqhC1EKlZlpwiKviMcj4D-Gv5MNV3CqvlWkyL2dmyNlOQiBrjOOQbhBaiNaHp5fhqXI1KFhgPZphXZB4dm0C5AWJG9fJ0-M-yTChmv5qnNse9Ns/s631/keruga-deck-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="631" data-original-width="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS7xPJgDEaXgrwW9aarklpXBYscXHBdqhC1EKlZlpwiKviMcj4D-Gv5MNV3CqvlWkyL2dmyNlOQiBrjOOQbhBaiNaHp5fhqXI1KFhgPZphXZB4dm0C5AWJG9fJ0-M-yTChmv5qnNse9Ns/s0/keruga-deck-01.jpg" /></a></div><span data-offset-key="ehcbb-0-0"><br /></span></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5528837612444675639.post-41735516158592959512020-08-10T03:32:00.004-07:002020-08-10T03:44:29.356-07:00Monoblue Ominous Seas in Standard (MTG Arena)<p> Here are links to two matchups I played against and then seven iterations of my monoblue version of an Ominous Seas deck. The decklist:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5_8-r8Sqo347f2akbknFBZy-lYZehKNAGd9LieEcNWggVJ9OxPkdk-UsNPgtLdKsz_EB5Yx99xqVQ0lCsSNs1VkY0HS6ozSzx6gncWE3lQH5qfiwCGjoZHc5hXgcxd6mkE0rkF5kAN3I/s1015/Arena+Ominous+Seas+20200810.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="1015" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5_8-r8Sqo347f2akbknFBZy-lYZehKNAGd9LieEcNWggVJ9OxPkdk-UsNPgtLdKsz_EB5Yx99xqVQ0lCsSNs1VkY0HS6ozSzx6gncWE3lQH5qfiwCGjoZHc5hXgcxd6mkE0rkF5kAN3I/w800-h244/Arena+Ominous+Seas+20200810.png" width="800" /></a></div>
<p>1. Encountered (I played against) </p>
<p> Azorius Manabase</p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zfsL-96Cx4E" width="560"></iframe>
<p> Izzet Manabase</p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FSMfU8tYils" width="560"></iframe>
<p>1. My Deck </p>
<p> Version 1 vs Green Stompy</p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LAcRUksk-0o" width="560"></iframe>
<p> Version 2 vs Yorion Dimir</p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o9bvLG9SEZA" width="560"></iframe>
<p> Version 3 vs Monoblue Teferi's Tutelage Milling</p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_e_BRN2u25M" width="560"></iframe>
<p> Version 4 vs Monoblue Teferi's Tutelage Milling</p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XnTRG8z17ig" width="560"></iframe>
<p> Version 5 vs Gruul</p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/K5_LxuWdyx8" width="560"></iframe>
<p> Version 6 vs Izzet</p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l-LFyWf3bYM" width="560"></iframe>
<p> Version 7 (final as of today) vs Green Stompy</p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/R6cuAN9QbCE" width="560"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5528837612444675639.post-35257709133544298062020-08-09T09:27:00.005-07:002020-08-10T03:57:55.798-07:002019-2020 8-set Standard MTG Arena Match-ups<p> In this post, I plan to annotate the match-ups I have been uploading to my YouTube channel as I work my way through a cube I am building for the very first 8-set Standard with all large sets in Magic's now long and beautiful history. There are multiple posts, given that for some decks I have recorded many games I played with the deck or many games in which I played against the deck (looking at you Ominous Seas and RDW).</p>
<p>1. Rakdos </p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KvQT4FsPSuk" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>2. WU Flyers
</p><p>Game 1</p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lwIe5WNH5tM" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</p><p>Game 2</p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-t4il78QNR8" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>3. Selesnya </p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QRErod6KHsk" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>4. Gruul </p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wj3KiGZCH7g" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>5. Orzhov Vampires </p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OzjCbuyq83w" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>6. Red Deck Wins </p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2xLYmJQeQAo" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>7. Lurrus </p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OC7a7EeZRjU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>8. Abzan Stompy </p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ie7mVHwgDjA" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>9. BUG Flash </p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rOeUs8BXyh0" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>10. Mono-black WAR Ugin (A loooooooong game) </p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bywjhlZxTXs" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>11. Post-ban Simic Ramp </p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WViNPD1z_jE" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5528837612444675639.post-57611293535757067182020-06-11T01:52:00.001-07:002020-06-11T03:20:18.783-07:00The best is yet to come for MagicEvery now and then someone will post on reddit worrying about the eventual demise of this great game. This is what I reply:<br />
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There are things Wizards does that annoy me (I don't care for any pack that costs more than $4, period), and I think sometimes that Wizards would be better off by itself, but that is just wishful thinking. It's easy to forget the good an umbrella company like Hasbro does for a company like Wizards. For a textbook case, look at the Force of Will TCG. FOW TCG made one dumb decision after another and there were no adults in the room. All things considered, I think Hasbro IS good for Wizards.<br />
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My perspective is a little different because I have been collecting stamps since the late 1970s (I am an old dude). The biggest threat to Magic is that my 11 year old son will not pick it up, and this is what happened to stamp collecting. I was unable to get my son into stamp collecting because none of his friends are interested. Magic, on the other hand, and Dungeons and Dragons, ARE getting picked up. Just last night my son and I did a brief round of D&D, and he has several friends his age who play the game.<br />
<br />
I think Arena is a home run, and even MTGO can stick around for a while longer, but paper Magic will go on for a very long time. These are not ORs, these are ANDs: Arena AND MTGO AND Paper.<br />
Wizards has a deep pool of design talent, and a really devoted player base. It ain't going nowhere. Even if the execs committed professional hara kiri, there would be a dozen well managed companies willing to take on the IP, and no, none of those companies would be stupid enough to get rid of the reserved list, as much as I would want them to.<br />
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This game has decades of success ahead of it. The company is willing to turn around on a dime when they go in the wrong direction. They brought back the core set. A poorly run company would have stuck to those dreadful two-set blocks just because of false pride. And they will reprint the fetchlands and make them cheaper, or kill Modern for Pioneer, but they will do something that, however annoying to some, will keep the game strong.<br />
<br />
I collect Pokemon and Yugioh when Magic is going through what I think is not the best of times (did a lot of both when the core set was taken out). These days, I am 100 percent Magic. The 'all sets are large' era is so awesome. We are getting Zendikar III, possibly New Phyrexia II, possibly a Norse set... man, oh, man. I think the best for Magic is yet to come.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5528837612444675639.post-16628760943117541552020-06-04T09:13:00.000-07:002020-06-04T09:13:04.866-07:00Deckbuilding with CompanionsThis is an aggregated post for builds with the ten companions from Ikoria. The builds can be constructed Standard, constructed Modern, and also Commander.<br />
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Commander Builds:<br />
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Eutropia with Keruga Companion Casual Commander Build<br />
<a href="http://mtgadventures.blogspot.com/2020/06/eutropia-with-keruga-companion-casual.html">http://mtgadventures.blogspot.com/2020/06/eutropia-with-keruga-companion-casual.html</a><br />
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Lazav Mastermind with Gyruda Companion Casual Commander Build<br />
<a href="http://mtgadventures.blogspot.com/2020/06/lazav-mastermind-with-gyruda-companion.html">http://mtgadventures.blogspot.com/2020/06/lazav-mastermind-with-gyruda-companion.html</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5528837612444675639.post-7739865580228449942020-06-04T09:09:00.001-07:002020-06-06T03:09:21.876-07:00Lazav Mastermind with Gyruda Companion Casual Commander Build This build is somewhat more restrictive because the commander has to have an even casting cost. This is not a good deck to model on MTGO because I can't tell which one of the creatures Gyruda sends to the graveyard is associated with each Lazav trigger. <br />
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As with other ETB's, you want to be able to pop it back to your hand to give it another whirl. It's otherwise a 6 CMC 6/6 critter. The ETB is what matters for this card. <br />
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Sphinx of Foresight was in my starting hand for this modeled game. <br />
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Anticipate is very useful in this deck.<br />
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Tyrant's Scorn lets me pop Gyruda for another whirl. <br />
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I can sacrifice rats from Piper of the Swarm. Here, just as an example, I sacrificed Orzhov Enforcer to draw cards off Erebos. <br />
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Lazav becoming Atemsis is good. I can tap it and draw and discard. <br />
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Bloodsoaked Altar is also really good in this. I can sacrifice/discard for a 5/5/ Demon token. <br />
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Forever Young lets me make use of all of the other cards that land on the graveyard via Gyruda. <br />
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I can also have Spark Double become a copy of Piper of the Swarm. <br />
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Last, but not least, Unexplained Disappearance allows me to recast Gyruda. </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5528837612444675639.post-57113886169624696032020-06-04T07:36:00.002-07:002020-06-04T13:54:32.811-07:00Eutropia with Keruga Companion Casual Commander BuildThe fix has been applied to MTGO for nerfing Companions. As usual, game screenshots are from solitaire games, and the card pool is Standard-only.<br />
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Minus the Enter-the-battlefield bonus, Keruga is an otherwise unremarkable 5 drop 5/4. The key to this deck is dropping Keruga when you have lots of permanents in the same turn in which you have the mana to xast those permanents AND having cards that can bounce Keruga back to your hand. The 3+ CMC limitation is not too onerous in casual Commander. <br />
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There are several cards in Standard that make this deck shine: Nadir Kraken generates tokens turn after turn to up your permanent count. You can also use the tokens as Mutate targets, but that's a secondary bonus that decreases your permanent count. Then we have two cards to bounce Keruga for additional ETB triggers: Arrester's Admonition and Rescuer Sphinx.<br />
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Europia is perfect for Kruga. With a reasonable manbase, it can be reliably cast turn 3. I would add more enchantments when expanding the card pool out of Standard. <br />
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Farfinder is a great Mutate target plus the land drop it triggers. <br />
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Keruga requires 3 extra mana. It's a late play after the nerf. <br />
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Even though I want a high permanent count for Keruga, I am also having fun testing Mutate triggers. <br />
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Eutropia gets me a counter, and so does New Horizons. Setessan Champion nets me cards. <br />
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Keruga draws a ton!! It's a lot of late game fun! <br />
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Here I am after casting post Keruga. <br />
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An early game Nadir Kraken is a beast. If not addressed, it will get your opponent a really high permanent count for Keruga. <br />
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Here I am at the turn when I put Keruga in my hand. <br />
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Proliferate. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQL-iKeISYxN-t3ag-BCIv2ECcPJaBcsjntEmOpgHyoZ7g_dGl7BAqlk6XzMR4qITKBzRDe_D8HvOnwDsyolFQeBMi0fKl7QgOK8xxPE6Clp1WeCPr85OyvK4vpDKjVINJT5b9T_E7BA/s1600/keruga-deck-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUQL-iKeISYxN-t3ag-BCIv2ECcPJaBcsjntEmOpgHyoZ7g_dGl7BAqlk6XzMR4qITKBzRDe_D8HvOnwDsyolFQeBMi0fKl7QgOK8xxPE6Clp1WeCPr85OyvK4vpDKjVINJT5b9T_E7BA/s1600/keruga-deck-17.jpg" /></a></div>
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Card draw from Keruga triggers a zillion tokens.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGm6YDppIozreIaxVyrCcT7SD5itNpJmU0rOLT8D81JTN0O6UHKHnhFpCRMdgjKf6XAa9Bp0dUE70g8m1UmYbs6zJF5WII5Tbu61vYquzWlJUdtgh1r_Voq0a-dOLD9eXKJIgBOcu1kqY/s1600/keruga-deck-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGm6YDppIozreIaxVyrCcT7SD5itNpJmU0rOLT8D81JTN0O6UHKHnhFpCRMdgjKf6XAa9Bp0dUE70g8m1UmYbs6zJF5WII5Tbu61vYquzWlJUdtgh1r_Voq0a-dOLD9eXKJIgBOcu1kqY/s1600/keruga-deck-18.jpg" /></a></div>
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Atermis also triggers Nadir Kraken for tokens.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxyYBbF-lVGzgGPxR0CWSKvaAo7BRBn68JL3UkgyRwe3UKWz0-ORygDilj35x7s8_1MuDEUqg9V9h7dE33HSRN6JCZuF-498IdanabRjHmFZSgcz1WWHw20LuTog7X0NygpahTzPvJyw/s1600/keruga-deck-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="710" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxyYBbF-lVGzgGPxR0CWSKvaAo7BRBn68JL3UkgyRwe3UKWz0-ORygDilj35x7s8_1MuDEUqg9V9h7dE33HSRN6JCZuF-498IdanabRjHmFZSgcz1WWHw20LuTog7X0NygpahTzPvJyw/s1600/keruga-deck-19.jpg" /></a></div>
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