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Magic the Gathering Arena

lukaszek

the determinator
Patron
Joined
Jan 15, 2015
Messages
13,158
deterministic system > RNG
 
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thesheeep

Arcane
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Joined
Mar 16, 2007
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10,098
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Tampere, Finland
Codex 2012 Strap Yourselves In Codex Year of the Donut Codex+ Now Streaming! Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Torment: Tides of Numenera Codex USB, 2014 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 BattleTech Bubbles In Memoria A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
Is it just me or has Ranked Draft become relatively pointless?
I always spend my gold on that to gain gems (generally, gold->gem activities are the most worthwhile for those who didn't know), but ever since they changed the format so that you play against people of the same rank instead of against decks with a similar win/loss ratio...
Basically, I play until I reach gold rank, and then stop - because from Gold rank on, people generally know what they are doing and getting even 3 wins in consistently isn't really possible anymore, especially not if you get a shitty draft with no real synergies (happens).

Honestly, I just wish they'd finally implement some more interesting formats (EDH, proper pauper outside of rare events, etc.) instead of fumbling around with their milking schemes...
That Mastery stuff, even with the revamps, is just not worth it for me as I don't really play enough to hit XP level 80+ (at which point it generally becomes worthwhile).
 
Joined
Oct 1, 2018
Messages
2,323
Location
Illinois
I swear, there's a goddamn conspiracy. When I play my Orzhov lifegain deck that's full of Tomiks I never run in to Nissa decks, but as soon as I play anything else I get opponents who go mana dork, mana dork, Nissa. The matchmaker's trying to make me take Tomik out but god damn it I'm not going to.
 

spectre

Arcane
Joined
Oct 26, 2008
Messages
5,597
Same here. Whenever I whip out my reanimator (which was designed to shit all over RDW and UG Flash), I keep getting five espers in a row. Whenever I swap in Unmoored Egos and Thieves of Sanity, bam, it's RDW day.
 

Dawkinsfan69

Dumbfuck!
Dumbfuck Bethestard
Joined
Jun 3, 2016
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2,815
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inside ur mom ᕦ( ▀̿ Ĺ̯ ▀̿ )ᕤ
Dawkinsfan69 ive tried reef self scroll deck. Enemy was playing more 'regular' reef.

After playing that game for 1h its time to delete this deck lol

Yea the self mill is funny but it's a bit shit tbh lol. It'd be funny if you put in a mirror march though and have a chance at getting like a billion reef triggers on one turn.

Draft is designed to force you into a 50% win rate tho so I don't really feel bad if I lose some in a row unless I make some really stupid plays. Draft is just a nice way to get away from the annoying netdecks in standard
 

Jason Liang

Arcane
Joined
Oct 26, 2014
Messages
8,515
Location
Crait
So it turns out the best deck in standard is land combo with Field of the Dead

probably in a simic, bant or sultai shell

This game is so hateful
 

Jason Liang

Arcane
Joined
Oct 26, 2014
Messages
8,515
Location
Crait
So I had some to brew today and I was thinking -

- Field of the Dead requires you to play a weird landbase with a lot of singleton lands, which probably produce several colors
- Pirates is a three color tribe
- Why not both?

Piratescape: Torment

Plankswalkers (2) -
1 Karn, the Great Creator (WAR) 1
1 Karn, Scion of Urza (DAR) 1

Pirate Men (16) -
1 Hostage Taker (XLN) 223
2 Ruin Raider (XLN) 118
4 Kitesail Freebooter (XLN) 110
2 Dire Fleet Poisoner (RIX) 68
3 Brineborn Cutthroat (M20) 50
4 Spectral Sailor (M20) 76

Chanteys (5) -
4 Scapeshift (M19) 201
1 Thought Erasure (GRN) 206

Fast Chanteys (9) -
4 Lookout's Dispersal (XLN) 62
4 Growth Spiral (RNA) 178
1 Siren's Ruse (XLN) 80

Lands (28) -
4 Field of the Dead (M20) 247
1 Plaza of Harmony (RNA) 254
1 Unclaimed Territory (XLN) 258
1 Gateway Plaza (GRN) 247
1 Breeding Pool (RNA) 246
1 Hinterland Harbor (DAR) 240
1 Temple of Mystery (M20) 255
1 Thornwood Falls (M20) 258
1 Simic Guildgate (WAR) 274
1 Watery Grave (GRN) 259
1 Drowned Catacomb (XLN) 253
1 Dismal Backwater (M20) 245
1 Dimir Guildgate (GRN) 246
1 Overgrown Tomb (GRN) 253
1 Woodland Cemetery (DAR) 248
1 Temple of Malady (M20) 254
1 Jungle Hollow (M20) 248
1 Golgari Guildgate (GRN) 249
1 Reliquary Tower (M19) 254
1 Field of Ruin (XLN) 254
1 Evolving Wilds (RIX) 186
2 Island (M20) 265
1 Swamp (M20) 271
1 Forest (M20) 277

Trinkets (15) -
1 Traxos, Scourge of Kroog (DAR) 234
1 Helm of the Host (DAR) 217
1 Sigiled Sword of Valeron (M19) 244
1 Mox Amber (DAR) 224
1 Gate Colossus (RNA) 232
1 Skittering Surveyor (DAR) 230
1 Skyscanner (M19) 245
1 Conqueror's Galleon (XLN) 234
1 Pirate's Cutlass (XLN) 242
1 Icy Manipulator (DAR) 219
1 Damping Sphere (DAR) 213
1 Guild Globe (WAR) 239
1 Fountain of Renewal (M19) 235
1 Traveler's Amulet (RIX) 184
1 Thaumatic Compass (XLN) 249

mtga098.jpg

Scapeshift is a stupid spell but never doubt that it's one of the most powerful green cards ever made.

At first I was making a traditional ubr pirate fields of the dead deck, but then I noticed red wasn't bringing much to the table - mostly just Light the Stages and those aren't even Pirate cards. And anyway I had always wanted to make sultai pirates... so voila. Also I should have a pirate boat in there too but I guess it didn't save. Also should have a Tamiyo in here, she must have gotten thrown overboard at some point.

I like the deck quite a lot but I don't like having lands coming into play tapped so I'm thinking let's just switch the landbase to to simple 10 shockland, 10 checkland 5 colors of piracy. Other than the land, I like the other parts of the deck. Except it's easier to die to Ruin Raider, that happened a few times.
 
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Jason Liang

Arcane
Joined
Oct 26, 2014
Messages
8,515
Location
Crait
So. The mirror.

mtga099.jpg


Every game ends with a zombiepocalypse. One of those hostage takers is theirs that I took from them! Also not my Risen Reef. I think it's likely Scapeshift gets the Nexus of Fate treatment, which is one reason I felt minimal risk in splurging on them.

4 colors now, still see no reason for red at this point. I wonder if there's a way to make my rotting zombies rioting zombies instead.
 
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Pope Amole II

Nerd Commando Game Studios
Developer
Joined
Mar 1, 2012
Messages
2,052
My thicc hamp? I thought wizards went sjw and are not making jokes like this? And what is a hamp?
 

Scruffy

Ex-janitor
Patron
Joined
May 16, 2008
Messages
18,150
Codex 2012 Torment: Tides of Numenera Codex USB, 2014
risen reef and field of the dead need to be banned

here's a silly post-rotation version of the blinker deck:

4 Teferi, Time Raveler (WAR) 221
3 Plains (RIX) 192
5 Island (RIX) 193
4 Growth Spiral (RNA) 178
3 Hydroid Krasis (RNA) 183
3 Deputy of Detention (RNA) 165
2 Teferi's Time Twist (WAR) 72
3 Agent of Treachery (M20) 43
3 Elite Guardmage (WAR) 195
3 Knight of Autumn (GRN) 183
4 Justiciar's Portal (RNA) 13
4 Hallowed Fountain (RNA) 251
4 Temple Garden (GRN) 258
4 Breeding Pool (RNA) 246
1 Tranquil Cove (M20) 259
1 Blossoming Sands (M20) 243
1 Thornwood Falls (M20) 258
2 Scholar of the Ages (M20) 74
3 Fblthp, the Lost (WAR) 50
2 Golos, Tireless Pilgrim (M20) 226
2 Bloodfell Caves (M20) 242
1 Forest (ANA) 60


Golos always looks for Bloodfell Caves (2x of those in play is the only way to activate it), Tiny Teferi can bounce your own stuff and, well, once you have the lands going, blinking agent of treachery ends the game quickly. Late game, you literally steal a land a turn
 
Joined
Apr 3, 2013
Messages
2,071
Location
Siberia
Came back to the game recently, spent nearly all of my wildcard bank on vampire deck and got bored with it in about 2 days, I don't even know why I liked vampire tribe so much. Guess I used to run Twilight Prophet in a bunch of my janky machinegun decks back in the day and it somehow duped me into thinking that this deck could have some interesting synergies... but yeah.

:negative:

Used whatever was left on B/W Aristocrats and now I'm slowly building WC bank to get a proper Mardu Aristocrats deck for some incredible gayness potential (Priest of Forgotten Gods into 3M Chandra), while grinding constructed event with Cavalcade RDW variant, guess I just love my machineguns, can't help it.

Also trying to figure out a deck, that will allow me slowly drain my opponent with something like Ill gotten inhertiance, or better yet, like 6M Chandra's emblem, while denying their board presence. I do love me some DoT gameplay in RPGs and what have you so I'v been trying to emulate it in one way or the other, with current sets available this could be possible I think.
 
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Jason Liang

Arcane
Joined
Oct 26, 2014
Messages
8,515
Location
Crait
Came back to the game recently, spent nearly all of my wildcard bank on vampire deck and got bored with it in about 2 days, I don't even know why I liked vampire tribe so much. Guess I used to run Twilight Prophet in a bunch of my janky machinegun decks back in the day and it somehow duped me into thinking that this deck could have some interesting synergies... but yeah.

:negative:

Used whatever was left on B/W Aristocrats and now I'm slowly building WC bank to get a proper Mardu Aristocrats deck for some incredible gayness potential (Priest of Forgotten Gods into 3M Chandra), while grinding constructed event with Cavalcade RDW variant, guess I just love my machineguns, can't help it.

Also trying to figure out a deck, that will allow me slowly drain my opponent with something like Ill gotten inhertiance, or better yet, like 6M Chandra's emblem, while denying their board presence. I do love me some DoT gameplay in RPGs and what have you so I'v been trying to emulate it in one way or the other, with current sets available this could be possible I think.
3cc Sorin is quite the sexy boy
 

Jason Liang

Arcane
Joined
Oct 26, 2014
Messages
8,515
Location
Crait
So I had the thought today that, if one is committed to playing Arena for the foreseeable future, now would be a strategic time to register and maintain an alt account.

Since the next set after 2020, Throne of the Eldrazine, is going to be the first set to NOT rotate a year from now, the cards you start collecting with the alt account will continue to be standard legal after rotation next year. Whereas when rotation happens next year, all of the Ravnica stuff in our collections will be useless for standard constructed.

I was watching Matt Nass (a famous vintage player but damn he's shitty at standard) stream Arena and noticed he was basically using a fresh account for the stream. So I was thinking hm the pros must make a lot of alt accounts. It probably makes sense if you want to test several standard decks to have a fresh account for each deck. So I started thinking there actually are some benefits to having an alt even if it takes extra work to maintain it.

So the idea is that the alt would mostly be for draft - so you would register the account now and start banking gold and gems to draft with when Throne drops. You'd still use your main account for standard constructed. But when rotation happens next year, your alt becomes your standard account while your main collection would retire to historic format. This way you can be a lot more liberal about wildcarding on your main account since you don't need to worry about staying standard constructed competitive indefinitely, and you can also bank wild cards for Amonkhet and Kaladesh when those drop.

Another example if there are two or more good standard decks in a few months, and one has mostly cards from Ravnica and the other from Thrones, you can play both with two accounts.

So I think it's at least worth considering. Besides, constructed is kind of shit right now anyway until Scapeshift rotates. I wildcarded a set of Scapeshifts but that was more a long term investment for historic format. I like the Scapeshift/ Fields of the Dead combo, but it's not what I want to be playing all the time for constructed.
 

Scruffy

Ex-janitor
Patron
Joined
May 16, 2008
Messages
18,150
Codex 2012 Torment: Tides of Numenera Codex USB, 2014
Came back to the game recently, spent nearly all of my wildcard bank on vampire deck and got bored with it in about 2 days, I don't even know why I liked vampire tribe so much. Guess I used to run Twilight Prophet in a bunch of my janky machinegun decks back in the day and it somehow duped me into thinking that this deck could have some interesting synergies... but yeah.

:negative:

Used whatever was left on B/W Aristocrats and now I'm slowly building WC bank to get a proper Mardu Aristocrats deck for some incredible gayness potential (Priest of Forgotten Gods into 3M Chandra), while grinding constructed event with Cavalcade RDW variant, guess I just love my machineguns, can't help it.

Also trying to figure out a deck, that will allow me slowly drain my opponent with something like Ill gotten inhertiance, or better yet, like 6M Chandra's emblem, while denying their board presence. I do love me some DoT gameplay in RPGs and what have you so I'v been trying to emulate it in one way or the other, with current sets available this could be possible I think.

This is a post-rotation ready homebrew that actually does quite well in my experience:

4 Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord (M20) 115
10 Swamp (RIX) 194
4 Cruel Celebrant (WAR) 188
4 Plains (RIX) 192
4 Knight of the Ebon Legion (M20) 105
3 Sorin, Vengeful Bloodlord (WAR) 217
4 Savage Gorger (M20) 291
4 Bloodthirsty Aerialist (M20) 91
4 Thirsting Bloodlord (M20) 293
3 Epicure of Blood (M20) 99
4 Pitiless Pontiff (RNA) 194
4 Godless Shrine (RNA) 248
4 Scoured Barrens (M20) 251
4 Mortify (RNA) 192
 

lukaszek

the determinator
Patron
Joined
Jan 15, 2015
Messages
13,158
deterministic system > RNG
 
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