Magic the Gathering Arena

[Dawkinsfan69]

At this rate, they'd better allow us to use historic shit in standard if it ever gets reprinted.

I think they said they would but at this point I wouldn't be surprised if they walk that back

 

[spectre]

At this rate, they'd better allow us to use historic shit in standard if it ever gets reprinted.

I think they said they would but at this point I wouldn't be surprised if they walk that back

I had doubts, because when I was checking reprinted shit like Negate or Luminous Bonds some time ago, the older versions would have the disclaimer that it's not going to be playable post rotation on the crafting screen.
Just checked it out, and the text is no longer there for reprints. But hey, you never know with these people.

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

What the goddamn FUCK. I probably wasn't going to play historic anyway (Especially whenever they start rolling in a few of the older sets like Amonkhet) but that double cost to craft singles and only buying boxes of rotated cards is obscenely stupid. So much so that I almost wonder if they're taking that retarded stance just so people can bitch at them and they can say "We heard you and we rolled it back, we sure are good guys ". That's just fucking obscene. Their reasoning is they don't want new players to dive into the "Crusty old man" format of historic so they're deterring them by making it more expensive? Jesus H Christ.

The one interesting part was that they plan on drip-feed cards from ALL of MTG, not just the recent sets like Amonkhet, into historic. Which still (Likely) isn't interesting enough to make me want to play historic over standard anyway, but lobotomized-modern is... Something I guess. Until they helpfully add fetchlands and then offer them at double wildcard price, you do want to play historic don't you? You want to be competitive, right?

Definitely not going to craft anything yet just to see if they'll back off of this retarded bullshit, but if they don't then I guess I'll have to seriously consider if I want to buy-in on historic before the price goes up. Like I said, I don't particularly WANT to play historic, but I've got a bunch of wildcards so I'd feel the need to consider if I wanted to pick up some good shit now before the window closes just in the event I do ever decide I want to play it.

 

[Jason Liang]

I mean a carefully curated nu-Modern COULD be awesome. Since actual Modern is stoopid.

Very unlikely though.

I will some some checklists/ shopping lists for the rotating sets soon.

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

Speaking of WotC making everything terrible for everyone forever, once we (Fucking finally) get the new/current starter decks as existing players, we'll just get the cards we're missing. No vault progress, no extra gems, so all those shockland dupes and krasis dupe will just be deleted. Not entirely unexpected and not nearly as bad as the historic news, but still a kick in the sack regardless.
https://clips.twitch.tv/ExquisiteSplendidGnatLeeroyJenkins

I will some some checklists/ shopping lists for the rotating sets soon.

The painful part with that is trying to decide if you want to pick up some jank. Like star of extinction is a cool card, but it's really questionable in standard and will probably be even more garbage in pseudo-modern. But then maybe we'll get Urza lands added and it'll be acceptable. Picking up stuff like Karn, Teferi, Lyra Dawnbringer, etc is a safer bet if you want to play historic but oddballs like that are fiddly.

 

[Scruffy]

i barely have the time to make gold in limited and constructed, historic will never be a concern of mine, but this is stupid nonetheless

 

[Dawkinsfan69]

I've been bouncing between hearthstone draft and grn draft since I don't have a full collection of grn rares yet and oh boy, I sure as hell don't miss drawing an opening hand in a 16 creature deck of 4 lands and 3 combat tricks, mulliganing to another 4 land hand, then top decking 3 lands multiple games in a row.

People complain about rng in hearthstone? They'd shit themselves every day playing magic!

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

omniscience draft doesnt progress draft rank?

Correct, only "Ranked draft" does.

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

Brawl event is kinda fun even though I'm being absolutely destroyed. Haven't won a single match yet which I'm sure is partially my fault for how I'm playing, but I also have drawn 0 pieces of removal in all my games too so I'll blame divine intervention at least partly. Not sure I'll play brawl much when it actually goes live but assuming it isn't completely dead it might be fun to fuck with.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[spectre]

Brawl event is kinda fun even though I'm being absolutely destroyed. Haven't won a single match yet which I'm sure is partially my fault for how I'm playing, but I also have drawn 0 pieces of removal in all my games too so I'll blame divine intervention at least partly. Not sure I'll play brawl much when it actually goes live but assuming it isn't completely dead it might be fun to fuck with.

Well, it's basically singleton, so variance will be high. If you start with Arcane Signet, for example, it's a significant boost.
Each deck seems to be based on a nutty combo based around the commander, so look out for those. For example, the WUG one needs to plop Chulane asap and ramp as much as possible with his ability. When you do, you can, for example, counterspell every turn with Frilled Mystic, Destroy a Permanent with Meteor Golem, or plop the Boar God afew times and just roflstomp.

Didn't play too much with other stuff, but I got the 6 wins fairly easily with the WUB deck. The game plan was pretty basic - hold on to the cheap artifacts until drop the commander, make a bunch of tokens, upgrade them to 5/5 demons with the altar. It's also possible to make the opponent overextend into a Massacre Girl and Kaya's Wrath, you just need to make sure you're hitting important stuff with your removals, because the number is just below adequate. It's always good sport to Frogify the enemy commander... if you can get the card.

 

[Scruffy]

Brawl event is kinda fun even though I'm being absolutely destroyed. Haven't won a single match yet which I'm sure is partially my fault for how I'm playing, but I also have drawn 0 pieces of removal in all my games too so I'll blame divine intervention at least partly. Not sure I'll play brawl much when it actually goes live but assuming it isn't completely dead it might be fun to fuck with.

you must be playing the chulane deck

don't, it absolute shit

 

[spectre]

So, what are you guys using for the 2020 events?

Yesterday was all about Elementals, today I keep bumping into shit netdecked verbatim from that one channel/fireball article,
which is fine by me, most of that shit sucks Negerschwanz (although the nu-Field of the Dead can be one heck of a meatgrinder once it gets going,
one game I Carnarium'd that shit every turn for 5 turns straight (with help from Tamiyo recursion)).

The trick is getting those 2-win streaks reliably and I am only getting such performance from a few decks.

4 Thrashing Brontodon (RIX) 148
4 Stomping Ground (RNA) 259
4 Paradise Druid (WAR) 171
7 Forest (ANA) 65
2 Nissa, Who Shakes the World (WAR) 169
4 Gruul Spellbreaker (RNA) 179
2 Nullhide Ferox (GRN) 138
2 Skarrgan Hellkite (RNA) 114
2 Domri, Anarch of Bolas (WAR) 191
1 Sarkhan the Masterless (WAR) 143
2 Chandra, Fire Artisan (WAR) 119
3 Shifting Ceratops (M20) 194
3 Shock (M19) 156
6 Mountain (M20) 273
4 Rugged Highlands (M20) 250
2 Mobilized District (WAR) 249
3 Voracious Hydra (M20) 200
2 Lava Coil (GRN) 108
3 Incubation Druid (RNA) 131

So, this is the Grull pile that's been performing well enough. Probably needs a few adjustments for optimal performance, for instance, I'm never happy about the Incubation Druid.
Maybe I should try some other ramp (Behemoth Beckoner maybe). Could probably use throwing a few more wildcards at it, but I'm being stingy.
I've seen people use Chamber Guardians, but they keep underperforming for me.

3 Ritual of Soot (GRN) 84
2 Kasmina, Enigmatic Mentor (WAR) 56
4 Thought Erasure (GRN) 206
3 Duress (M19) 94
4 Bond of Revival (WAR) 80
2 Assassin's Trophy (GRN) 152
4 Tomebound Lich (M20) 219
4 Drakuseth, Maw of Flames (M20) 136
3 Tamiyo, Collector of Tales (WAR) 220
2 Negate (RIX) 44
4 Breeding Pool (RNA) 246
4 Overgrown Tomb (GRN) 253
1 Forest (ANA) 65
2 Temple of Malady (M20) 254
4 Watery Grave (GRN) 259
1 Evolving Wilds (RIX) 186
1 Blast Zone (WAR) 244
2 Dismal Backwater (M20) 245
3 Swamp (M20) 271
3 Island (M20) 265
2 Cry of the Carnarium (RNA) 70
1 Legion's End (M20) 106
2 Discovery // Dispersal (GRN) 223

EDIT: Better version
And this is the attempt to make reanimator work post-rotation. Mana base for three colors is a bit shit, but I'm not having too many mana problems.

The loss of Chart the Course was the most painful, I am coping with Kasmina and Discovery, which is all right. Sometimes you can lower the other guy's life total with Liches and Wizard tokens so that a single strafing run by Drakuseth is enough.

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

Haven't really been dicking with the standard 2020 event. I played some Orzhov lifegain (Worked fine, especially because I was hitting a lot of aggro) and that was basically it. I have been thinking about making a Dimir self-mill deck based around creatures and Konrad and stuff like clear the mind, because Konrad will ping on every creature in the graveyard being shuffled back into the deck. So you have two potential win conditions, lethal from attacks/pings/creeping chills, and potentially self milling with Jace (And tearing through your deck with stuff like the mill-wall, self mill vulture, etc etc etc). I'm pretty sure there's a deck in there somewhere even though I'm also relatively sure it won't be a very strong deck, but as I've said many times before I really like that kind of shit and Konrad's making my brain putter.

 

[Dawkinsfan69]

2 of my favorite cards (immortal sun and ixalan's binding) not in standard 2020 so fuck that event

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

Konrad-mill was a failure. Not really unexpected, but I never even managed to get Konrad to work since it's hard to play any reasonable threats to bait removal so he doesn't stick around to do work. Might try rejiggering it to put some more threats in there like thief of sanity, but I don't think that'll do near enough. Probably would have more luck with just plain old simic fog-mill.

 

[spectre]

Yea, they always go out of their way to make such effects as unwieldy as possible. Like put it on an 5/4 legendary cow to drive the cost up and prevent stacking. But hey, you'se got a useless activated ability to go with it.
I would love him long time at 2/3 and 1BB.

What approach did you try? The way I see it, the quickest pay off would be to self-mill 20 creatures then either exile or shuffle the whole graveyard into your library.
So, if you're self-milling with drowned secrets, you can trigger all the Narcoamoebas and Creeping Chills you find along the way (possibily reducing the required creature count in the process), then reanimate with Blood for Bones (though reanimating a 5 cmc hardly feels worth it) using a narcoamoeba + Clear the Mind or Loaming Shaman at 7 mana.

Not great, not terrible. An advantage over a regular mill would be you might not need to dump the entire lubrary, half or two thirds might be enough.

Spark Double might be an important piece of the puzzle to double the damage output on Konrad as well as Lazav's to have backups when the guy gets killed.

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

I was doing drowned secrets, narco, and chill. Spark double would be too slow since Konrad never once managed to do anything. I got him on the board a few times and he ate removal faster than I could even clear the mind, much less spark double. Was also running the M20 vulture (Self mill and some healing), trying the 3cmc blue 2/3 that mills every time a blue creature ETBs, and... I think there was some other shit. The self milling part of the equation is fine enough, it's just Konrad's big fat ass is so unwieldy that you can't really utilize him. Like you said, if he was 3cmc he might even work. Hell, even 2cmc and limit the scope of his ability to self-milling to put him more in line with corpse knight and cruel celebrant and he'd probably work better, even if you didn't have the payoff of clear the mind.

 

[spectre]

Damn, I wanted to be wrong about that one. So instead of being the combo wonder we deserve, he'll just be a boring curve topper for the inevitable knight tribal.

These faggots better repring a fucking Wasteland in Throne of Elderiane because the new Golos Field of the Dead wrapped in the guildgate package looks like it's the shit.

2 Golos, Tireless Pilgrim (M20) 226
4 Field of the Dead (M20) 247
4 Plaza of Harmony (RNA) 254
1 Forest (ANA) 65
1 Orzhov Guildgate (RNA) 253
1 Breeding Pool (RNA) 246
1 Stomping Ground (RNA) 259
1 Steam Vents (GRN) 257
2 Simic Guildgate (RNA) 258
2 Gruul Guildgate (RNA) 250
1 Izzet Guildgate (GRN) 252
2 Azorius Guildgate (RNA) 244
1 Dimir Guildgate (GRN) 246
2 Selesnya Guildgate (GRN) 256
1 Golgari Guildgate (GRN) 249
1 Boros Guildgate (GRN) 244
1 Rakdos Guildgate (RNA) 256
3 Guild Summit (GRN) 41
4 Gates Ablaze (RNA) 102
4 Circuitous Route (GRN) 125
4 Growth Spiral (RNA) 178
1 Gateway Plaza (GRN) 247
3 Hydroid Krasis (RNA) 183
1 Gate Colossus (RNA) 232
4 Gatebreaker Ram (RNA) 126
4 Arboreal Grazer (WAR) 149
2 Archway Angel (RNA) 3
2 Prison Realm (WAR) 26


Have some. It only loses to the shuffler and really fast aggro.

 

[lukaszek]

deterministic system > RNG

 

[spectre]

An update on Historic
https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/magic-digital/mtg-arena-update-historic-2019-09-12

Looks like they're backing down from the 2:1 wildcard nonsense as well as packs being only available in bundles.
At first I thought these fucktards were throwing out the baby with the bathwater by downgrading historic play queue to only progress quests,
but it actually makes sense. All paid in Historic Events (including drafts) and Bo3 will progress everything, which works for me.

 

[Dawkinsfan69]

A best-of-one Historic Play Queue will be added to MTG Arena on September 26 and will be a way to play Historic that is always available. You will be able to complete daily quests for the Historic Play Queue. This play queue will not progress a player's daily or weekly win rewards.

Why? Wtf is wrong with these assholes? I've never played a game where the devs consistently make such bafflingly retarded design decisions.

It's offensive that they would even consider the 2:1 wildcard redemption in the first place btw

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

We did it Reddit!

It's obnoxious that you can't progress daily or weekly wins in historic, but on the bright side that might be how they try to discourage newer players from burning wildcards/gold/gems on historic cards rather than standard. You'd think they could just lock historic until you have all the newbie starter decks unlocked and then pop up with a new tutorial that explains the eternal format, but apparently they don't trust tutorials for that. On the bright side now I can ignore historic and if I change my mind and it sounds amazing I'll be able to craft shit.

 

[spectre]

A best-of-one Historic Play Queue will be added to MTG Arena on September 26 and will be a way to play Historic that is always available. You will be able to complete daily quests for the Historic Play Queue. This play queue will not progress a player's daily or weekly win rewards.

Why? Wtf is wrong with these assholes? I've never played a game where the devs consistently make such bafflingly retarded design decisions.

It's offensive that they would even consider the 2:1 wildcard redemption in the first place btw

Yeah, that wildcard thing was beyond retarded. I mean the whole point of a wildcard is trading 1 for 1, so why break that rule?
It doesn't make the format more accessible, it doesn't even make sense when we take reprints into account. If a key card gets reprinted in standard, you can craft it for 1:1 and use it in historic anyway.
And if you already own it, you won't have to craft it anyway.

At first I thought that play not counting wins was retarded, but they seem desperate to have some sort of casual queue, so it might just be it.
If it's going to have deck pairing like the current Play mode, I'm not interested in it anyway, and perhaps all those casual whiners will be able to get their safe space.

I'm fine with wins being counted in Historic Events and, more importantly, Historic Bo3. Honestly, I don't think there's much point in playing with such a cardpool without a sideboard, because as the cardpool grows, you can really face anything.

What I am curious about is the queue times. Some folks report it going up to several minutes as it is now, with the split in 2020 and standard events.