Magic: The Gathering Thread XXV: 3 Vorthoses barely clinging to sanity and 45 Spikes

[Amidus Drexel]

There are also some unusual edge cases worth mentioning (especially in older formats with larger card pools) where you can get value by just being able to cast a spell or target a creature, even if your spell won't resolve (due to ward or some other ability).

For example, giving Phantasmal Image hexproof is much more useful than giving it ward 10, and you can make a blocker with Shark Typhoon + a removal spell against a creature with ward 10, but not against one with hexproof.

[Dienekes]

A bit of a weird question, but... what are people's favorite characters we haven't gotten a card for yet? I'm fond of Matoc the lavamancer and Cevraya the Golgari Shaman.

For the longest time that was Jaya Ballard. I was very happy when she got a card in Time Spiral and became a mainstay Planeswalker.

General Khurzog has a place in my heart for my personal favorite flavor text in Orcish Artillery.

Astor the Upstart for having a fun little story where he makes a dragon's head explode.

And I'm not really certain if she counts as not having a card, since she does appear as a creature on three cards. But I like Mileva of the Tenth District and hope she becomes a legend at some point.

[Androgeus]

As for Foretell and Kicker, I was referring to the idea of "Casting a spell in a more expensive way". Kicker does it through mana, a hard-to-change mechanic and they're usually ETB, so it's not really anything your opponent can do anything about. Foretell, on the other hand, has you pay a cost sooner to cast a telegraphed spell later, like a better version of Suspend. Kicker spends mana, Foretell costs time and surprise, but both essentially fill a similar goal of "Do this thing at a higher cost for a better effect", one just happens to be easier for your opponent to play around.

This is the most convoluted “every mechanic is kicker” I’ve seen.

[noob]

This is the most convoluted “every mechanic is kicker” I’ve seen.

Except "can not be countered" which is approximatively the opposite of kicker

[Giggling Ghast]

So how’s everyone liking the new standard?

Enjoying the lack of Eldraine. But gotta say, for The Werewolf set, I’m a bit disappointed that I seem to be the only one playing werewolves. Though looking at my win rate I can’t say I blame everyone else.

I have a Midnight Hunt Werewolf deck, though unfortunately it’s a bit underpowered. Vampires are more my thing anyway.

Personally, I’ll be glad to see Zendikar Rising rotated out. Lifegain decks dominate the field in Arena and losing Kor Celebrant will go a long way to balancing them.

[Giggling Ghast]

I want to add that Croaking Counterpart is one of my favourite cards of the set. Yes, it’s goofy, but you’d be surprised how much mileage you can get out of two 1/1 Clones.

[RayGallade]

So how’s everyone liking the new standard?

Enjoying the lack of Eldraine. But gotta say, for The Werewolf set, I’m a bit disappointed that I seem to be the only one playing werewolves. Though looking at my win rate I can’t say I blame everyone else.

I'm having a lot of fun running a Selesnya Teleportation Circle deck. Granted, I'm currently only running Overgrown Farmlands as my only MID cards in it, but it is quite fun to abuse enters the battlefield effects. Skyclave Apparitions for everyone!

[Personification]

Happy Crimson Vow preview season, everyone!

Spoiler: undefined

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[LaZodiac]

Chandra has an amazing dress and Kaya never looks less than badass. Excited for vampire wedding.

[Giggling Ghast]

I have to admit, I laughed at the flavour text for Massive Might.

[Amechra]

Chandra has an amazing dress

Yes.

Spoiler: Spoiled because it's a card

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[Emmerlaus]

Yes.

Spoiler: Spoiled because it's a card

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I prefer the regular art strangely

[Amechra]

I can see why (it's more dynamic), but the alt-art is the one where she's in her amazing party dress.

I also personally prefer it because we have a lot of art of Chandra fighting stuff, and not much art of her chilling at a party.

[Dienekes]

I have a Midnight Hunt Werewolf deck, though unfortunately it’s a bit underpowered. Vampires are more my thing anyway.

Bah, gaudy leeches with delusions of grandeur. Give me the twisted body horror of the feral rage within us all any day.

Personally, I’ll be glad to see Zendikar Rising rotated out. Lifegain decks dominate the field in Arena and losing Kor Celebrant will go a long way to balancing them.

Yeah, that’s a popular deck. And more than a little annoying. Though I personally prefer facing it than the various Blue/Red decks.

I'm having a lot of fun running a Selesnya Teleportation Circle deck. Granted, I'm currently only running Overgrown Farmlands as my only MID cards in it, but it is quite fun to abuse enters the battlefield effects. Skyclave Apparitions for everyone!

Yeah I’ve seen some very funny things with teleport circle. That just seems a great card for funny nonsense.

[Giggling Ghast]

I think Blue/Red Decks are going to get worse with the introduction of Alchemical Gambit, which gives an extra turn for three mana.

[mythmonster2]

I think Blue/Red Decks are going to get worse with the introduction of Alchemical Gambit, which gives an extra turn for three mana.

We've seen these types of extra turn spells before, including one in the latest return to Ravnica, and they pretty much never see play.

[Giggling Ghast]

Yeah, but this one lets you avoid the “You lose the game” effect for seven mana.

[Dienekes]

I think Blue/Red Decks are going to get worse with the introduction of Alchemical Gambit, which gives an extra turn for three mana.

Perhaps, though, personally I think it won’t see more than maybe two copies in decks already running Alrund’s.

So, a friend of mine was talking about the Midnight Hunt story, and I wanted to hear from you guys if his take was in any way right.

Spoiler

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According to him, the werewolf story is really just about the vampires. Take them out and not much changes.

The nights are getting longer, to fix it the protagonists seek help, mainly from the two main vampires of the setting Sorrin and Olivia. Then when they do collect the MacGuffin pieces and fix it Olivia flies in and takes control.

The werewolves of the werewolf story are basically reduced to one minor grudge match between ex lovers or something.

Now admittedly the friend that told me this has some, I’ll say, interesting takes on stories. But I wanted to hear from you lot if this is in any way correct. Because that’d be disappointingly amusing for me.

[Spore]

We've seen these types of extra turn spells before, including one in the latest return to Ravnica, and they pretty much never see play.

Possibly, but I have run and seen the Boros one in an Aurelia Aggro/Midrange deck back in the day.

[LaZodiac]

Perhaps, though, personally I think it won’t see more than maybe two copies in decks already running Alrund’s.

So, a friend of mine was talking about the Midnight Hunt story, and I wanted to hear from you guys if his take was in any way right.

Spoiler

Show

According to him, the werewolf story is really just about the vampires. Take them out and not much changes.

The nights are getting longer, to fix it the protagonists seek help, mainly from the two main vampires of the setting Sorrin and Olivia. Then when they do collect the MacGuffin pieces and fix it Olivia flies in and takes control.

The werewolves of the werewolf story are basically reduced to one minor grudge match between ex lovers or something.

Now admittedly the friend that told me this has some, I’ll say, interesting takes on stories. But I wanted to hear from you lot if this is in any way correct. Because that’d be disappointingly amusing for me.

That's inaccurate. The vampires come in at the last minute for a surprise "**** you you don't get to win!", but otherwise the werewolves are vital to the werewolf set.

[Emmerlaus]

I can see why (it's more dynamic), but the alt-art is the one where she's in her amazing party dress.

I also personally prefer it because we have a lot of art of Chandra fighting stuff, and not much art of her chilling at a party.

Meh, I would have prefer she started to kill with that "amazing party dress" and have her simply look good in that normal art AWESOME dress. The original art look a bit more to my taste, no matter how dynamic it looks.

The only thing I find weird on her original art dress is that tube thing on her shoulder. Not sure what that is. Bit otherwise, that dress is more beautiful... and clash more with Innistrad vampire sense of fashion. Seem even more provocative this way.

[LaZodiac]

Meh, I would have prefer she started to kill with that "amazing party dress" and have her simply look good in that normal art AWESOME dress. The original art look a bit more to my taste, no matter how dynamic it looks.

The only thing I find weird on her original art dress is that tube thing on her shoulder. Not sure what that is. Bit otherwise, that dress is more beautiful... and clash more with Innistrad vampire sense of fashion. Seem even more provocative this way.

The tube is the regulator her parents gave her as a kid way back when. She sort of incorporated it into her outfit once she grew older.

And yeah, her dress outfit is clearly designed to provoke and be like, enticing. Wearing red at someone's wedding is one of the biggest faux pax you can DO, next only to wearing white as well, and given she's also a pyromancer and how that evokes vampire's weaknesses, it is clearly intended as an open threat.

[Dienekes]

That's inaccurate. The vampires come in at the last minute for a surprise "**** you you don't get to win!", but otherwise the werewolves are vital to the werewolf set.

Good good. For a story I don't really want to read, it is crucial important that the fury rage monsters are treated well.

[TeChameleon]

So, this is my first time posting to this thread... is it kosher to request deckbuilding help here? I've got a stompy dinosaur deck in Arena (for... historic brawl, I think is the format..? Not great with knowing which is what) that seems to be standing the test of time, but I think there's room for improvement. See it here if such things are allowed.

[Spore]

So, this is my first time posting to this thread... is it kosher to request deckbuilding help here? I've got a stompy dinosaur deck in Arena (for... historic brawl, I think is the format..? Not great with knowing which is what) that seems to be standing the test of time, but I think there's room for improvement. See it here if such things are allowed.

Why should this be "not allowed"? I like Drover of the Mighty as acceleration as they are beatsticks with a dino out, but Paradise Druids are better protected.. Similarly Savage Stomp is imho the superior fight spell, I would advise for more Thrashing Brontodons, also Ripjaw Raptors and Ranging Raptors are nice card draw and ramp. Commune with Dinosaurs is worth a second look for more lands and Dinosaurs. Rampaging Brontodon is too slow, I would switch it for a second Ghalta. Shifting Ceratops is a nice card vs blue.

I really don't like some cards in your deck. Ram through is a better Rabid Bite (fight mechanic would let you trigger Enrage, plus your creatures should be bigger than your enemies).Inscription of Abundance has more options to dump superfluous mana. Heck, Primal Might is a better card.

Blanchwood Armor should just leave. Replace it with creatures. Just fill up on Thrashing Brontodons or Runic Armasaurs. Consider going Gruul for Regisaur Alpha, the card was the backbone of my Dino deck when I started Arena (though at the time I played it in standard).

[noob]

So, this is my first time posting to this thread... is it kosher to request deckbuilding help here? I've got a stompy dinosaur deck in Arena (for... historic brawl, I think is the format..? Not great with knowing which is what) that seems to be standing the test of time, but I think there's room for improvement. See it here if such things are allowed.

Is the land untapping elf available?
Since you have a land enchantment the land untapping elf is essentially better than a lianowar elf.(same mana cost, can do the same thing, can provide 2 mana when you have the enchantment on a land)

[Spore]

Is the land untapping elf available?
Since you have a land enchantment the land untapping elf is essentially better than a lianowar elf.(same mana cost, can do the same thing, can provide 2 mana when you have the enchantment on a land)

Llanowar is cheaper and faster though. Stompy has a subtheme of tempo, if your big creatures dont hit the field fast enough your mana dork could create three mana if they are already facing viable enemy creatures.

[noob]

Llanowar is cheaper and faster though. Stompy has a subtheme of tempo, if your big creatures dont hit the field fast enough your mana dork could create three mana if they are already facing viable enemy creatures.

The untap elf I was talking about costs g.
How is the lianowar elf cheaper and faster: you will necessarily have at least one forest when you play a lianowar elf or the untap elf.
https://scryfall.com/card/a25/160/ar...utm_source=api
His deck have only forests as lands so he should probably be using that elf if it is available.
hence my question which was: is it available(I just forgot what name it had)

[Techwarrior]

The untap elf I was talking about costs g.
How is the lianowar elf cheaper and faster: you will necessarily have at least one forest when you play a lianowar elf or the untap elf.
https://scryfall.com/card/a25/160/ar...utm_source=api
His deck have only forests as lands so he should probably be using that elf if it is available.
hence my question which was: is it available(I just forgot what name it had)

There's an untap elf in historic and I believe current standard for 1G. That's probably why there was confusion. Arbor Elf is not legal in that format.

[Amechra]

Arbor Elf isn't Historic legal, which is probably for the best. And I'm saying this as one of those degenerates who loves turbo-ramp.

...

Looking over your list, TeChameleon... I hate to say this, but it looks like it needs a bunch of work.

Your game plan looks like:

1. Play a bunch of ramp.
2. Ramp into a big dino.
3. ???
4. Profit!

However, your list doesn't have very good synergy with itself — you actually have too much ramp, and auras are generally pretty terrible unless you're using them on creatures that have Ward or Hexproof. I'm actually having a little trouble with giving you advice about what to cut, because my first instinct is "all of it — start over".

Personally, I'd use the following as the core of my personal Mono-Green Historic Dinosaur Stompy deck:

4x Llanowar Elves
3x Commune with Dinosaurs

3x Ranging Raptors
3x Ripjaw Raptor
3x Thrashing Brontodon

4x Savage Stomp

As many copies of Castle Garenbrig as I can get without breaking the bank.

You have a little ramp, some nicely-sized creatures, and cheap removal spell that triggers your dinos' abilities (Ranging Raptor finds you more lands and Ripjaw draws you a card).

Then I'd toss in a few copies of Ghalta and Carnage Titan or whatever.