Casual Net Gaming: April 2012

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Bramble On #5: Archiving and Milestones

Friday, April 20, 2012

In the Deck Box #5: Intet, the Dreamer

Hey guys, David here! Here's the introduction of the much anticipated review of my Intet, the Dreamer EDH/Commander deck. I've been testing the build for the past 4-5 months and it's definitely streamlined to combat my Orlando, Fl metagame.

But first, some history! I approached building a Casual deck for Intet in 2008 and designed a ramp deck that played a bunch of bomb creatures and used Clone effects to make copies of huge fatties to take names and crush dreams. The deck was really funny; I remember controlling 5 copies of Darksteel Colossus in a Casual game, which actually convinced my friend, Sean Wang to start playing Magic. Going one story deeper (Inception!), Sean and I were participating in an on-campus event called Mudfest (TWERN, for you UF dorm- savy individuals) at the University of Florida and I played Intet alongside Sean's first U/G Zendikar concoction in a 2v2 and... we lost. Ironically, losing made me want to build better decks to fight random opponents and never lose that badly again. After that, Intet was thrown into a box and left alone for a couple years. What does all of this mean? The amount of nostalgia that Intet carries is pretty heavy.

So if you didn't get a chance to look at the sneak peek, click HERE to see the decklist.

There's a few small differences between this version and the version posted a couple weeks ago

-Far Wanderings
-Garruk Wildspeaker
-Asceticism

For

+Exploration
+Mind's Eye
+Kodama's Reach

Threshold for Far Wanderings was a little difficult to obtain in the early/midgame. Garruk often sat in my hand as a mana accelerant that was late to the party. Finally, Asceticism is a bit mana intensive to hexproof your team which usually gets shut out by Damnation anyways. Asceticism was generally good at protecting Blightsteel Colossus from Mind Control effects, but people just made Cloned copies of it anyways (that Hexproof can't unfortunately stop), so it didn't really get the job done. Goblin Bombardment and Lightning Greaves will have to carry a little more work, but I think the pair can handle it.

Exploration is just a really strong accelerant that's cheaper to cast than Garruk and works better with Future Sight/Magus of the Future. It's also my counter to C.J., who runs Burgeoning in Rith, the Awakener, since it can go toe-toe with Burgeoning land drop speed at about the same rate and it forces/encourages my opponent to overextend land drops so you can see how many nonland cards they have in hand.

Mind's Eye is in there to break stalemates a little better. I played Intet in a 4 man FFA at the University of Central Florida against Memnarch, Jhoira of the Gitu, and Thraximundar. Rough set of opponents. Although I did eventually win, the game took longer than was necessary (3 freaking hours) since I couldn't break through the stalemate quickly enough. And finally, Kodama's Reach makes our Exploration stronger and is better in the early game compared to Far Wanderings. Although the Far Wanderings gave our Avenger of Zendikar some insane mileage out of Landfalling Plant Token madness, I'll have to sacrifice shennanigans for better development.. this time.

So, why did I pick Intet, the Dreamer and how does Intet compare to Animar, Soul of Elements and Riku of Two Reflections?

It's a dragon, who doesn't like dragons? It's also a huge beater. Animar is less exciting because it can combo kill players very easily. Personally, I don't like playing generals whose lists of 99 are consistent across the board with little variation. The Animar build is also very Animar-dependent and without Animar (being the victim of a Hinder or Spell Crumple), only really wins by playing R/U/G good stuff. As for Riku, it's difficult to ignore the possibility of copying a Tooth and Nail entwined. After all, I love gimmicks. But copying things isn't always necessary and the strategy is extremely mana intensive. One Armaggedon or Jokulhaups sends you so far back that you're sitting on a very irrelvant 2/2 general. Intet can fight with her 6/6 body and has an ability that creates very unique gameplay with a different experience every time.

What theme did you use for your deck and are themes a good idea to use?

The theme of the deck is a simple idea taken to an extreme complexity. I manipulate the top card of my library in order to cast spells for free; well, more like a bargain discount. Knowing what you're going to draw is useful when compiling your next couple turns, which gives you an edge against your opponents. Although your opponents get to see what you're drawing, once the turns become really complicated, they generally forget or are unable to keep track of what's going on (unless they're writing it down).

Personally, I think it's very healthy to have themes. It gives the deck some personality and you know the role you'll be playing so it makes piloting much more manageable. In terms of gameplay, themes generally give you strong synergy between the cards in your deck, which increases the weight each card in your list of 99 can hold. Themes also keep your build unpredictable, since you'll be using cards that are less mainstream in the EDH/Commander format. I also feel themes give you a set of guidelines to follow. A lot of color combinations, especially for R/U/G, it's very easy to fall into the good stuff trap since there's so many cards available to play. The deck just becomes a poor accumulation of good cards in the right colors. I have nothing against these types of players, but I don't feel there's much creativity put into this type of deck building.

What decks did you play against in testing and how do you think Intet faired against them?

If you follow the Bramble On series, you'll know our metagame is pretty diverse. I've tested against Dromar, the Banisher, Ertai, the Corrupted, Rith, the Awakener, Arcum Daggson, various builds of Kaalia of the Vast, Sharuum the Hegemon, and Oona, Queen of the Fae in our metagame. I also had some experience tackling Ghave, Ghuru of Spores and Sheoldred, Whispering One. Testing always takes a long time; I spent about a month grinding out the deck and making small changes. Once I'm happy with how the deck plays, I move towards playing tech that's specifically good against my friends. It's cruel, I know. Getting a handle of how the deck plays and how to tutor up the right answers at the right time can take some practice.

I think Intet faired very well against most of the decks in our format I didn't feel I had any particularly bad matchups. The most difficult matches were against Arcum Daggson in the beginning, but I teched against Darksteel Forge with Into the Core and Cryptic Command. The aggro decks did pose a problem towards the end of testing, so I added in Savage Twister and Comet Storm to close out those matchups more cleanly. Unfortunately, I don't play as much removal as I'd like to (other than sneaky Clone effects to kill off opposing generals), so I expect to have problems against G/B/x Rock decks but I haven't encountered the matchup yet.

Finally, if you'd like to check out Sheldon Menery's version of Intet, the Dreamer click HERE! I made my deck completely independent of his list (although I credit him to the inclusion of Noxious Revival). In his Starcitygames articles he frequently refers to Intet as a very difficult deck to pilot, which gives you some idea of the skill level behind the strategy. I will have to agree, Intet is a very difficult deck to pilot and you deceptively need to have a lot of knowledge of what's in the deck to play it effectively. If you're looking for a real challenge and an interesting play style, Intet might be the general for you. Compare my list to Sheldon's and let me know what you think! Until the next deck insider, Magic players!

Can't get enough Commander/EDH content? Check out the Commander Series on the MTG Casual Network Archive!

-David J.

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Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Standard Corner #9: Standard Before Avacyn Restored

Today's Standard Corner doesn't come from experience as the past few have, but from an analysis of the current metagame. Though I know the Avacyn Restored Pre-Release is scheduled for the end of the month, I figured today's article can serve as something of a snapshot of Standard before the next set changes.

Since the launch of Dark Ascension, we've seen tier 1 decks tweak their toolboxes and new decks prove themselves as significant players in the current meta. U/W Delver has gotten an incredible new toy in Lingering Souls--whose card advantage is enough that any deck even mildly supporting either White or Black is willing to splash for (see Esper-blade in Legacy) and Drogskol Captain, who buffs and protects the army. Wolf Run has gotten so much mileage out of Huntmaster of the Fells/Ravager of the fells that the deck is now called Wolf Run Ravager.

With these top decks in mind, new decks have risen that show how effective analyzing the metagame while building a deck can be. Solar Flare has since transformed into Frites (French Rites) by swapping out Blue and counter-magic in favor of Red and Whipflare/Slagstorm. Faithless Looting makes a suitable, more efficient replacement for Forbidden Alchemy and Inferno Titan is simply another finisher that doubles as a potential board wipe. U/B and B/R Zombies also had a strong run by simply playing stronger, removal-proof threats with Gravecrawler and Geralf's Messenger while having a faster clock with Brimstone Volley or Phantasmal Image copying the Messenger (for 2 mana Shock and play a threat that Shocks again when targeted; not bad).

Finally, the current contender for the best built-around-the-format would probably be R/G Aggro. Cards like Strangleroot Geist and Huntmaster of the Fells provide both tempo and card advantage--demanding two point-removal spells each--while support cards like Slagstorm and Daybreak Ranger help to quell swarms and individual fliers while not being useless in other match-ups (4/4 for three in control seems good and 3 damage to each player can be of use in a pinch). R/G Aggro currently has one of the best match-ups against U/W Delver, so keep this in mind before your next FNM.

That's it for your weekend update. Keep this in mind while retooling your current deck and keep an eye out for Avacyn Restored spoilers that might make good additions (or threats) to your deck. 'Til next time!

Interested in more Magic content? Check out the Standard Corner series on the MTG Casual Network Archive!

-Javier Remy

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Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Bramble On #4: April Fools' Assessment

This assessment today isn't about technical gameplay, cool innovations, or anything educational. this is about Skeletal Grimace, Goblin Bombardment, and 5 idiots.

So, why is the cover art for this post a Skeletal Grimace, you ask? This inside joke begins with a common theme; validation. See, the Orlando playgroup has to put up with me and my derisive comments about others' deck building and Magic-playing prowess. Call it elitism. You would say, you should be nicer to them; I would say, look who you're dealing with; Evan and CJ, who want nothing more than to kamikaze each other, Gyula, who's only objective is to 'not care about the game' and finally Jav, who's the only player with victory in his sights to be crushed by the aftermath of an Austere Command cast out of malice and hate. What does all of this mean? I'm playing with a bunch of emotionally driven fools; and it's fucking hilarious. I love Casual Magic for the politics and the out-of-game elements at work during the game that keeps it fresh and unpredictable.

So after discussing some Magic related topics, Evan asked what I thought about some of the decks in our metagame. Once we reached Jav's version of Kaalia of the Vast. I didn't know what to really say, so I gave a slight grin. With that grin, I remembered the art of Skeletal Grimace and decided to show Evan the card and said 'this is my response.' After he giggled for several minutes, he decided to text Jav my response and Jav took it with many grains of salt. Since I tend to win a majority of the games we play, I'm frequently asked 'what do you think of my deck?' I don't know how to answer this question objectively or without hurting anyone's feelings. So, my response will forever be Skeletal Grimace.

Skeletal Grimace also got an honorable mention during the POOVOO -Podcast that Evan, Jav, and myself did this past Saturday. If you'd like to check it out, click HERE.

This next one has a less interesting foundation, but is just pure awesome. Someone asked my why I put Goblin Bombardment in my Intet EDH deck and I didn't know what else to say other than a sacrifice outlet and I didn't want to use Greater Good. Plus, sac your guy and shoot them for 1? How's that not cool? One game, Evan was playing Jenara and cast a Sundering Titan, then made a copy. Unfortunately, I had no choice but to use Into the Core on the pair and C.J. and I were left with nothing but our nonbasic lands. After a few turns of pummeling Evan to death for his insolence with our small creature force, he cast a Stonehorn Dignitary to prevent my attacks as he stabilized at 2 life. I peeled off the next card and what do you know? I laid my enchantment on the board and shot Evan's last pair of life points, consequentially sending him to the shadow realm.

GOBLIN BOMBARDMENT KILL #1!!

The next bit is pretty grand. After C.J. resolved a Defense of the Heart and Gyula holding a lot of angst against me for killing off his general, I was looking at a really quick death coming my way. I didn't do much but play lands and lay an early Goblin Bombardment. After a huge battle, and C.J.'s 2 HUGE misplays, the board stabilized with everyone at 20 something life. This allowed me to get in a Genesis Wave for 15 which grabbed me 10 lands. Frustrating. Then I found a Regrowth and looked at my graveyard for something useful. With a bunch of cards, I found Avenger of Zendikar hiding underneath some fetch lands. Hm. I cast Avenger of Zendikar. I asked what Gyula what his life total was. He responded with 22. I then took 22 of my 23 plant tokens and machine gunned him for 22. He thought it was hilarious. KILL NUMBER 2.

After wiping Gyula away. I wanted to kill C.J., but it had to be done with style. I dug a few cards deep while he struggled against my huge arsenal of lands. I eventually found an Into the Roil. Sweet. I used the spell to bounce Avenger and recast it on the same turn and committed what C.J. would call 'a drive by shooting' for 24 points. YEAH! I think it was the first game where after we all scooped up our cards and started walking to our cars, everyone seemed happy. Smiles everywhere, Skeletal Grimaces for all.

Goblin Bombardment Victims: 3.. and counting

Who will be next? Maybe it will be you!

Interested in more Magic content? Check out the Bramble On series on the MTG Casual Network Archive!

-David J.

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Monday, April 2, 2012

COMMANDER! Review: Avacyn, Angel of Hope

Well, how about THAT for an angel? David here and I'm going to talk to you about WotC's latest spoiler to open the gates for the last set in the Innistrad block, Avacyn Restored with Avacyn, Angel of Hope.

WotC's Facebook page for Magic: The Gathering featured a 'mystery' within the Helvault and if they received 10k shares of their link, they were going to release the spoiler for Avacyn. Unfortunately (and quite comically), their link was a broken link and their FB promotion crumbled throughout the day. Good effort; another day, guys.

This card is impressive. I don't know what else to say. An 8 mana 8/8 flier with Vigilance and Indestructibility (not to mention grants all of your other permanents Indestructibility) is absolutely bananas. She's a huge flyer, has the ability to block and frankly, just doesn't die. This card reminds me of Empyrial Archangel and the idea of impenetrability by casting a huge flying fortress. The difference, Avacyn can swing. And she can swing hard. In casual, this card is an excellent finisher. Curving out with a G/W ramp deck with Primeval Titan can be extremely brutal. The triple WWW in the casting cost is a little difficult to hit in Casual, but is easily attainable if you stick to mono-White or W/x. Also, Avacyn is a pretty sick reanimation target and can be extremely problematic for other players at the table to deal with her if they're able get her on the battlefield early with a flashback Unburial Rites. She's very reminiscent of Akroma, Angel of Wrath, but extremely different; trading protection for Indestructible, and losing Trample for size. Although Avacyn can be chump blocked, if you choose not to block for one combat step, that's 8 whopping damage you'll be eating; and it won't feel good. She's also incredibly difficult to remove, aside from Unsummon-like effects and Oblivion Ring. Although Innistrad is full of cheap/efficient blue temporary removal spells, Avacyn is still very scary to see on the battlefield. Again, those are just 'temporary' answers.

Flavor-wise, I really like Avacyn. Being locked away in the Helvault is mechanically very accurate, since you're unable to 'destroy' her, she needs to be exiled away and hidden until the vault is destroyed. If you didn't get a chance to check out the really sweet promotional video for Avacyn Restored, click HERE.

For Standard, I don't expect Avacyn to see much play unless some other sweet card gets printed that supports her. The reanimator strategies will still look to Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite to bring on the hate against U/B Zombies, R/G Aggro, U/W Delver, and let's not forget Lingering Souls. As for Modern, Legacy, etc, Avacyn probably won't impact any of the formats because she doesn't handle creature heavy decks as well as Blazing Archon. She also doesn't interact favorably against Melira-Pod or Aggro Loam in Modern and doesn't stop the creature onslaught of the now R/U/G tempo heavy Legacy format.

The real meat and potatoes of this card is in Commander and Casual. Avacyn is a true Timmy card; huge, flashy, and powerful. Since Avacyn was spoiled tonight, she's already at a pre-order sale of $16. I'm hoping Avacyn's price doesn't increase, because I really want to snag a foil copy for collecting purposes. I predict Avacyn to drop to a more reasonable price around $6-8 and a foil copy demanding a $30-35 price tag upon release and dropping to $25 once the set has been out for a while.

How is Avacyn as a general? Well, I think she's a little lacking in power. Although I expect to see quite a few mono-White Innistrad/Human-themed Commander decks come out, I feel like she doesn't deliver as much as the other mono-White generals; Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, Crovax, Ascendant Hero, and finally Akroma, Angel of Wrath. Akroma's Haste and the other two creatures that Glorious Anthem your team apply a ton of pressure in the mid-late game that make the decks very iconic. In contrast, Avacyn is very defensive (without Haste) and susceptible to cruel deaths by popular choices of Path to Exile and Swords to Plowshares that turn your 8 mana investment into a lost turn. Although mono-White is renown for its equipment heavy packages with Stoneforge Mystic and Stonehewer Giant to grab Hexproof/Shroud equipment to protect Avacyn, she just requires a little more work that the other generals don't require.

However, the Indestructibly clause is nothing to look past. She protects all of your permanents against most removal and she sits on the board, menacingly staring down your opponents. As your general, Avacyn just needs 3 hits to take out an opponent, which is significantly faster than any of the other more popular mono-White generals. Even faster with buff equipment. Remember Double Strike with True Conviction? She has great applicability for a really flavorful general and will probably be a blast to play with.

I think Avacyn really shines as an enabler. I think she enables a lot of interesting board states and requires an answer, otherwise she'll smite opponents with righteousness one at a time. Avacyn does everything Bant players have been trying to package up in one card for a while, combine Doubling Season and Elspeth, Knight-Errant. Creatures with Exalted and equipment are good, right? What about protecting all of that with Indestructibility? Seems pretty busted.

She also works really well with Wrath of God effects. Oblivion Stone, Planar Cleansing, and Nevinyrral's Disk all would love to join the Avacyn party. What about Armageddon and Obliterate? Now, we're starting to get degenerate. A deck revolving around Avacyn would have the luxury of running many, many board sweepers of all varieties without the risk of losing your stuff. Although your opponents could respond with a bounce/specialized removal spell for Avacyn and you could destroy your own things, that's generally a small price to pay for upside when Avacyn actually remains on the field. Multi-sided Wrath effects that don't touch you, I'm speechless.

EDIT: Although I don't think it needs mentioning, Avacyn is an auto-include in Kaalia of the Vast EDH. If you can manage a consistent hasty Kaalia on turn 3-5, Avacyn will be a common card you'll be tutoring up to cheat into play during combat to apply tons of pressure on your opponent. Avacyn also protects Kaalia from dying in combat (with Kaalia's frail 2 toughness build, could use all the help she can get) and does a better job than Aegis Angel in assuring you're not sending Kaalia in the red zone kamikaze-style. Avacyn also fits into mono-White Akroma, R/W Voltron, U/W/G Bant, and W/B/x Rock decks.

Overall, Avacyn gets my stamp of approval and I'm really looking forward to getting a copy and casting her myself. I really like her in a W/x/x deck and will probably see her put into a lot of EDH decks for a while. If you're big on the Commander/Casual scene, don't be surprised to see this gem show up time after time on the battlefield. Until the next Avacyn Restored Commander!

Can't get enough Commander/EDH content? Check out the Commander Series on the MTG Casual Network Archive!

-David J.

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