What's the play: Episode 2

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FAMOUSWATERMELON

7 March 2016

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Hello, and welcome back for a second episode of What's the Play, Tapped Out edition! I hope that you... ALL HAIL OUR ELDRAZI OVERLORDS!

...Sorry, what was I saying?

Modern Nacatl Burn(1) (Game 1)

4 Eidolon of the Great Revel 3 Arid Mesa 4 Atarka's Command 3 Bloodstained Mire 4 Boros Charm 2 Copperline Gorge 4 Goblin Guide 2 Grim Lavamancer 4 Lava Spike 4 Lightning Bolt 4 Wild Nacatl 4 Monastery Swiftspear 2 Mountain 3 Scalding Tarn 4 Rift Bolt 2 Sacred Foundry 2 Searing Blaze 2 Stomping Ground 3 Wooded Foothills

Situation 2

Life totals: You: 14 - Your opponent: 13

Your hand: Rift Bolt, Boros Charm, Lightning Bolt, and Wild Nacatl

Your opponent's hand: 3 unknown cards, 1 Reality Smasher, 1 Ghost Quarter (revealed from Goblin Guide swings)

Your board state: 1 Grim Lavamancer, 1 Goblin Guide, 2 untapped lands (Sacred Foundry and Stomping Ground)

Your opponent's board state: 1 untapped creature (Thought-Knot Seer), 2 tapped lands (both Eldrazi Temple)

Additionally, you have 3 cards in your graveyard: two fetches and a Lightning Bolt.

As expected, it's been a fast game for both sides. You've managed to get in a few Goblin Guide swings and a bolt, but your opponent landed a T2 Thought-Knot Seer, choosing to exile your Atarka's Command. It's the first main phase of T3, and you drew into Wild Nacatl. Finally, you know that your opponent has an ugly-looking Reality Smasher in hand from your last Goblin Guide swing. What's your move? Comment down below and put it in spoilers!

After the pilot episode of this series, I decided to take out the "Pointers" part of the article, because many people found the problem too uninteresting with them (and there weren't that many for this episode anyway!). If the pointers were helpful to some people, I will happily put them back up, though they will be in spoilers.

Enjoy!


(1): Nacatl Burn is a variant of the traditional Burn that uses Wild Nacatl. This is a controversial choice that has sparked many debates among players, but both versions (with and without the Nacatl) have seen success in tournaments.

(2): Eldrazi Aggro is a colorless deck that uses the "Sol Lands" (named after Sol Ring), Eldrazi Temple and Eye of Ugin to power out big creatures early, such as the Thought-Knot Seer in this problem. There are many variants, from Aggro to another colorless variant using Endbringer to the current "best" version of the deck.

FAMOUSWATERMELON

This article is a follow-up to What's the play: Episode 1

ChiefBell says... #1

March 7, 2016 12:18 p.m.

ChiefBell says... #2

If you click the button with the explanation mark in it it adds a spoiler. Spoilers can be used to hide text from other people.

Title of spoiler Show

March 7, 2016 12:22 p.m.

luisserpa says... #3

Another great article, here is my answer:

Title goes here Show

March 7, 2016 12:49 p.m.

ChiefBell says... #4

My solution Show

March 7, 2016 1:03 p.m.

lemmingllama says... #5

Solution Show

March 7, 2016 1:22 p.m.

asasinater13 says... #6

Here's my answer Show

March 7, 2016 1:32 p.m.

asasinater13 says... #7

the issue I see with Chiefbell's Show

March 7, 2016 1:37 p.m.

ChiefBell says... #8

Response to Asasinater13 Show

March 7, 2016 1:43 p.m.

asasinater13 says... #9

fair enough.

March 7, 2016 1:49 p.m.

ChiefBell says... #10

Another point Show

March 7, 2016 1:49 p.m.

asasinater13 says... #11

Title goes here Show

March 7, 2016 1:56 p.m.

buildingadeck says... #12

I don't know how to do that fancy thing, so I'm just going to say my answer. I think you Suspend the Rift Bolt holding up Lightning Bolt on his turn for the end step. Don't attack because you don't want to lose Guide in combat, and you certainly don't want to If he attacks with both of his derp-monsters, you go to five, and he's at seven before your next turn on which you just win with Boros Charm and attacks. If he doesn't swing both, then you have the Grim Lavamancer to secure the victory in the long game, trading your Goblin Guide on his second swing while staying alive at 4 to burn him to death with the Lavamancer activated ability.

March 7, 2016 2:22 p.m.

TheHroth says... #13

Quite a sticky situation but I came to the same conclusion as others have already stated so yay me :)

Also, maybe include a blurb at the end about how to use the spoiler button in the text box because apparently people still don't know it exists. Makes linking pages really easy, even on mobile.

Great series so far mate, I'm really looking forward to more.

March 7, 2016 5:56 p.m. Edited.

Mortem says... #14

My Answer Show

March 7, 2016 6:50 p.m.

AwesomeSean says... #15

Title goes here Show

March 7, 2016 8:16 p.m.

I'll just point out that people are assuming your opponent will block/not block and attack/not attack with his stuff. Don't make any assumptions unless you are sure they will make a certain play given what they know of your hand, and consider what other relevant cards they might have.

AwesomeSean wut

March 7, 2016 8:54 p.m. Edited.

TheHroth says... #17

AwesomeSean

Ghost Quartering an opponent after they miss a 3rd land drop will hose just about any deck, not just burn.

March 7, 2016 8:56 p.m.

AwesomeSean says... #18

I get that but what I'm really pointing out is the fact the deck only contains two basics. Leaving a land up while missing one of your land drops can still be turned in your favor in this situation if the opponent decides to get rid of one your lands.

March 7, 2016 9:09 p.m.

TheHroth Good point, I'll definitely put that in the next one. And glad you like it :)

March 7, 2016 9:34 p.m.

asasinater13 says... #20

the ghost quarter issue is a lack of a plains in the deck, which doesn't make sense to run. Not a lack of a land to fetch for.

March 7, 2016 10:14 p.m.

Bovine073 says... #21

Which cards in your hand does the opponent know you have from TKS? This would influence my choice (particulary the Boros Charm). FAMOUSWATERMELON

March 8, 2016 2:02 a.m.

ironcore says... #22

My Answer Show

March 8, 2016 2:37 a.m.

Bovine073 says... #23

My solution (Also disregard earlier comment) Show

March 8, 2016 5:43 a.m.

al5464 says... #24

My "Correct" Solution Show

March 8, 2016 7:23 a.m.

square711 says... #25

The first italicized line in Bovine073's post is the best answer.

March 8, 2016 10:02 a.m.

I mean, Nacatl is definitely a controversial choice, but both versions have seen success (with and without the cat). I just chose this version because it was one of the first to come up on MTG Top 8 :)

March 8, 2016 12:33 p.m.

square711 says... #27

Yeah, I know. Part of me is just being annoying, heh. But I also said that because

not quite a spoiler, but... Show

March 8, 2016 3:31 p.m.

Gidgetimer says... #28

My answer Show

March 8, 2016 7:33 p.m.

answer Show

March 8, 2016 7:38 p.m.

Gidgetimer says... #30

After reading the other comments Show

March 8, 2016 8 p.m.

ceji3 says... #31

Wanna know the play guys? It's eldrazi. Concede.

March 8, 2016 8:39 p.m.

Owlteeth says... #32

My Solution Show

March 8, 2016 10:21 p.m.

Owlteeth says... #33

oh wow, I forgot about the Ghost Quarter. I guess that doesn't really affect my plan too much, just hope for a land? other than that, it should be fairly similar to what I just explained.

March 8, 2016 10:23 p.m.

Owlteeth says... #34

no, maybe not play the nacatl? I don't really know at this point. oh well, this was fun. I hope you keep this series up, it's really cool.

March 8, 2016 10:26 p.m.

Gidgetimer says... #35

Problems as I see them with Pro_Noob's answer Show

March 9, 2016 4:48 a.m.

Bovine073 says... #36

Agreed, Gidgetimer.

March 9, 2016 6:05 a.m.

lordmalphas says... #37

Mal's Answer Show

March 9, 2016 2:47 p.m.

Owlteeth says... #38

ah, I see your point. I didn't really take the life total into account there. I'm used to playing pretty control/removal heavy decks and I guess I was still thinking like that. Thanks for the insight.

March 9, 2016 3:41 p.m.

Finally got around to my answer:

Answer Show

March 9, 2016 7:13 p.m. Edited.

Note that you're simply trying to widen the number of outs you have as much as possible. Some people's solutions require at least an additional burn spell to win the game (in addition to a land), whereas mine makes land an out or a burn spell.

March 9, 2016 7:20 p.m.

Scouty says... #41

My Answer is Show

March 9, 2016 9:30 p.m.

I feel that the difficulty in this problem is deciding which line to follow. It's hard to find out which line is best without knowing what your opponent does next turn, and it's impossible to tell what's on the top of your deck if your gameplan takes more than one turn. I guess it just adds to the difficulty.

March 9, 2016 10:38 p.m.

Bovine073 says... #43

GlistenerAgent, I completely agree with your solutiion. Not playing the Nacatl is absolutely key. It is favored to us if he does play the smasher. The only trouble I can see us into is if he has multiple smashers.

March 10, 2016 1:40 a.m.

NarejED says... #44

My Answer Show

March 14, 2016 1:40 a.m.

My Answer Show

Suspend Rift Bolt. Pass turn. Ignore Reality Smasher. On his EOT, Lightning Bolt him. He's down to 10. Grim Lavamancer him. He's down to 8.

Upkeep, Rift Bolt him. He's down to 5. Grim Lavamancer again. He's down to 3. He's at -1. Boros Charm him. GGWP.

March 14, 2016 2:17 a.m.

Gidgetimer says... #46

I think you may have made a mistake on how many lands were out. You have 2 mana each turn to spend, not 3.

March 14, 2016 6:56 a.m.

Are you talking to me, @Gidgetimer?

Suspending Rift Bolt in order to cast it without paying its mana cost on your next upkeep, followed by Lightning Bolt your opponent on their EOT, followed by Grim Lavamancer, followed by untap, cast Rift Bolt for free, lavamancer again, then Boros Charm is perfectly doable with a Sacred Foundry and a Stomping grounds. Am I just insane, or what?

March 14, 2016 9 a.m.

lemmingllama says... #48

Suspending Rift Bolt takes one mana. Lightning Bolt takes one mana. Activating Grim Lavamancer takes one mana. That's a total of three mana, which is higher than the two we have. Same with your second turn, you use three mana in your plan when you only have two

March 14, 2016 9:05 a.m.

Lavamancers ability costs 1.

March 14, 2016 10:53 a.m.

Gidgetimer says... #50

As the two before me said, Lavamancer costs a mana to activate. So you are using 3 mana each turn.

March 14, 2016 9:06 p.m.

Well...oh boy...ummm...

facepalm

If you need me, I'll be over in the RTFC corner.

March 14, 2016 9:47 p.m.

TheHroth says... #52

Hey FAMOUSWATERMELON, will there be an episode 3 sometime soon?

April 5, 2016 5:49 p.m.

Hopefully :) I've been really busy lately, so I haven't been able to get something I'm happy with off the ground. But now that Modern is interesting again, I'm hoping that I'll be able to finally get it done soon.

April 7, 2016 10:35 p.m.

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