Dear new deck building world (kinda a rant)
General forum
Posted on Aug. 22, 2010, 2:07 p.m. by omgyoav
If you are new to deck building and you are using blue there is one thing that bothers me like no other. Do not run cards such as Tome Scour unless you have a dedicated deck to milling your opponent. The amount of decks i have seen running Traumatize for no reason is killing me. Sorry about this rant but seeing people do this over and over again makes me angry.
I currently play in a local environment that when I hit their library with Tome Scour and Traumatize I generally get a huge lead up on them. In my last Tournament If it was not for Tome Scour I would have lost my first match. I was able to Scour away nearly all his burn spells.
August 22, 2010 7:54 p.m.
KrazyCaley says... #4
I always state this rule to beginners as "never mix mill and kill."
August 22, 2010 8:14 p.m.
Qyas, If he only had 5 burn spells that might be a problem. draft/sealed is a little different of course but they mill and kill tends not to take out anything major.
August 22, 2010 11:13 p.m.
Not sure if this belongs in Modern or Social, went with my best guess.
I just felt like telling this game now while it's still fresh on my mind. I was playing Gifts Control against UWR Control on Cockatrice. This is Game 3.
I kept an opener with one land (a fetch) BoP, some discard, Negate, Snaps, and Liliana. In hindsight, I should not have kept it, but it wasn't like a tournament match.
My opponent mulled to 4. Needless to say, neither of us had a great start.
I'm on the play and immediately fetch, shock, BoP. Opponent plays a fetch and passes.
And... I did not get the second land. So no T2 Liliana. I play Duress and see 3 lands and Clique. Ouch. Went ahead and played Inquisition to get rid of it.
Opponent plays a land and passes. I draw... not a land. Again. I pass and do nothing. In my endstep, opponent Bolts the Bird, which I Negate.
There were a few turns of literally nothing happening. He was flooding and I was screwed. Eventually he hardcasts Leyline of Sanctity, which kinda wrecks my Life from the Loam + Raven's Crime combo.
But of course I would then finally topdeck a second land and Maelstrom Pulse the Leyline.
More nothing happens, he counters my Lili.
Eventually I resolve Gifts Ungiven in response to his Cryptic and get Raven's Crime, Life from the Loam, Academy Ruins, and a fetch. I already had out Tect Edge and Urborg, so I didn't need to get them specifically.
At this point, I tear his hand apart and finally start getting enough lands to play the game thanks to Loam, and it feels like I'm finally about to do stuff.
But then he uses Moorland Haunt to exile the Clique from the beginning of the game and literally pings me for one every turn. I sided out most of my removal and all my sweepers in favor of anti-control stuff. I only have 2 Paths and a Slaughter Pact left for removal and I can't draw them for love or money.
I played Batterskull, hoping to gain enough life to keep him from burning me to death, but he immediately killed the token. I need to do something immediately or he's going to kill me, and even if I replay Batterskull, it can't block the Spirit token.
This single 1/1 Spirit token that he's had since like turn 4.
I topdeck Lingering Souls and have a way to block the stupid 1/1 Spirit token that's killing me. But for some dumb reason, I never fetched a white source. I'm at 5 life and he's playing burn spells. So I have to wait a turn.
I play Life from the Loam and get a couple fetches, play one and pass the turn.
He pings me for 1 again, knocking me to 4. Endstep, I fetch a white source, going down to 3, and he Bolts me in response.
But I STILL have the Snapcaster Mage in hand from the beginning of the game. And the Negate in the yard. Counter the Bolt, barely survive.
Untap, equip the Batterskull (that I never bounced back to hand]] to Snaps and gain 6 life, finally stabilizing.
He topdecks Cryptic, bounces Batterskull, cantrips into a burn spell and I'm back to like 4 or something.
I cast and flashback Lingering Souls three turns in a row. He finally just can't do anything about it, and I snatch a win I really didn't deserve.
Well, thanks for reading. I just wanted to tell the story. I doubt it was as fun a read as Spootyone's articles, but it was definitely fun to play, even if frustrating for a good portion.
Does anyone else have any bizarre games?
December 5, 2014 5:13 a.m.
JexInfinite says... #7
One time I played Leyline of Sanctity against a mill deck.
I love making an entire deck useless on turn 0.
December 5, 2014 5:25 a.m.
gnarlicide says... #8
I once played Shatterstorm against an over-extended affinity opponent on turn four. he had no hand, lands or dudes. So I attack with Bob and Goyf... then play Slaughter Pact on my own Bob (since i am already at like, 6 life, i dont need to fall on my own sword), then i proceed to bash his robot testicles in with a meaty 6/7 Tarmogoyf.
My really bizarre games, though, come from back in 2006. But I cannot recall the whole matches. I did have a rakdos aggro deck during the first ravnica block that managed to completely shut down the popular "protection from black/red mono white decks". just straight trolling.
December 5, 2014 5:45 a.m.
JexInfinite I once got a Leyline of Sanctity played turn one against my mill deck.
I hate getting my entire deck useless on turn 0.
December 5, 2014 6:10 a.m.
Back before my friends and I built more competitively, I had a game that stalled out when I top decked a Platinum Emperion at 1 life. he had the capability of swinging for over 11K. His last card Brightflame, allowed him to win.
December 5, 2014 6:37 a.m.
gnarlicide - you can't slaughter pact a black creature like Bob.
December 5, 2014 6:55 a.m.
I had a game against hatebears where I literally coudn't do anything, but he couldn't swing at me because I had a 3/3 Scooze and a Courser of Kruphix. Neither of us could swing into the other one safely so nothing happened at all. I was hoping for a Damnation to kill his Thalia, Guardian of Thraben so I could get stuff done, but he was running enough creatures that it wouldn't REALLY have mattered. I eventually lost to Phyrexian Arena. Like 15 turns of losing life to Phyrexian Arena and we were both just completely stalled out ALL.GAME.
December 5, 2014 6:58 a.m.
GeeksterPlays says... #13
I once had a ridiculous match where my Palisade Giant got equipped with Darksteel Plate, Spirit Link and Mask of Avacyn. I had ultimated Ajani Goldmane for the X/X creature, and equipped that with Lifelink and Mask of Avacyn too.
I'd also put a Spirit Link onto two of his creatures as well.
No matter what my opponent tried to do, all I did was gain more life, however I had no trample and he had an indestructible creature ( Karametra, God of Harvests I think) so when my X/X creature attacked I doubled my life total but couldn't touch his life... I eventually won by topdecking a Armored Ascension and flying over for the win.
I think we worked out that I ended on over 100,000 life... we should have called that game much earlier but it was too much crazy fun!
December 5, 2014 6:58 a.m.
NIce story. I enjoyed reading it. At least you were both struggling. I played an EDH game a few weeks ago and went for more than 10 turns without drawing a creature or fetch card, and I have more than a few of both types of cards. My ally in misery didn't draw any land. The only guy having a good game just mercy killed us both after hemming and hawing about it for about 6 turns longer than he should have waiting haha
December 5, 2014 7:39 a.m.
Ohthenoises says... #15
I was playing my bant life gain deck back in INN/RTR standard against Naya blitz, I ended that game at 52 life after going to 4.
At one point I got out an Angel of Serenity and copied it with Progenitor Mimic with a Trostani, Selesnya's Voice.
Feels good man.
December 5, 2014 7:51 a.m.
A couple weeks ago, I was playing my Abzan Constellation deck against a Simic deck.
I let a Daring Thief untap, which traded my Whip of Erebos for his Singing Bell Strike. The game went downhill from there. He began to use Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx to make the double-black necessary to activate Whip and get back his little dudes.
At one point, he whipped back a Daring Thief, attacked with it, untapped it DURING COMBAT with Kiora's Follower, and traded my Doomwake Giant for his other Singing Bell Strike.
December 5, 2014 8:23 a.m.
EddCrawley says... #17
I was in a FNM modern format one Friday, my opponent was playing some variety of Soul Sisters, and i had my Boros Aggro Deck. After the initial rush settled down, we both built an impressive board presence, him with a couple of sisters out, gaining life gradually, and a monstrous Ajani's Pridemate which was about 30/30.
My board was 2 Cerodon Yearling, 3 Chandra's Phoenix and 2 Boros Reckoner 2 Legion's Initiative.
Nothing was happening, and he had nothing in the air, so my 3 Chandra's Phoenix was keeping his life from getting out of hand, i think he was at 25 life, so in an effort to break the stalemate, he turns the cat sideways and looks at me.
For half a minute i wait for him to see his error, and take it back, then i ask 'is that all your attacking with' with him looking at his board, and at mine, he says 'yes' so i put my Boros Reckoner in front of his Ajani's Pridemate. And i say, 'that's my block'.
He then says, 'ok, your guys dies, pass turn.' I then have to explain how he has just killed himself.
Looking at the card, he says 'Oh, i didn't know he did that'
This took place about 2 weeks into Theros block, so not exactly a new card not to know about.
December 5, 2014 9:28 a.m.
My most bizarre and silly game was a few rounds into GP Richmond. I was on Bogles and my opponent was playing RW Soul Sisters. I had ran him over Game 1, but Game 2 he was able to stabilize by making some chump blocks and delay enough to get the engines online.
So he has a few Soul Sisters, Norin the Wary, Purphoros, God of the Forge, Genesis Chamber, etc, and I have a fairly big Bogle suited up.
So for several turns we are just trading 40+ point life swings. I'd hit him for ~40 and gain ~40. He'd make some plays, trigger a million things, and gain a ton of life and deal me a bunch of damage. So we stalemate for a while.
Eventually I realize that my only option is to put all the eggs into a Kor Spiritdancer basket and hope he didn't leave any Path to Exile in his deck. Over the next few turns I proceed to cantrip and build Kor Spiritdancer into a 80+ power creature, which I finally slap with a Spirit Mantle to one-shot him.
December 5, 2014 11:34 a.m.
A few Legacy SCG's ago I was playing Dredge and came to the mirror match. I won game 1 on the 2nd turn, and didn't even get to find out what he was playing. He won game 2 on turn 2. Game 3 I sided in Leyline of the Void, mulled to 3 to find it, found it, played it. During the course of the game using Careful Study and Faithless Looting, he eventually found enough Putrid Imps, Golgari Thugs and Narcomoebas to get me down to 1 life before I combo'ed out and stole game 3.
It was one of those weird situations where I found myself cheering for my opponent. We're now friends.
December 5, 2014 11:40 a.m.
Hjaltrohir says... #21
Sorry, even dumber, it is Birds of Paradise isn't it?
December 5, 2014 12:06 p.m.
Hjaltrohir says... #22
In answer to the actual question, I was playing UWR control against ascendancy (god I hate that deck) and I had burned and geisted him to 1 life, when he decided to go off. I Remanded a cantrip, drawing into another Remand with which I countered the same cantrip, drawing into a Lightning Bolt at last and winning the game.
December 5, 2014 12:12 p.m.
Nigeltastic says... #23
Back when Journey into Nyx had just released I was playing constellation dredge and untapped vs. R/G monsters with 3 life, a Lotleth Troll, Pharika, God of Affliction, and 1 Strength from the Fallen on the board, one in hand and 6 creatures in my 'yard. After drawing a forest for turn I was able to pump my troll to 33/32 and murder him from 20 through his Polukranos, World Eater and some mana dorks. He was terrified of that deck for a long time after that lol.
December 5, 2014 12:37 p.m.
Ok, you want to hear a really dumb game?
I had this Omnath, Locus of Mana. He was a 72/72... (it was EDH). Yea. I thought: "Hey, why don't I play this Soul's Majesty?"... So I did. Guess what... I only had 52 cards left in my deck...
December 5, 2014 1:38 p.m.
I loved that deck for that very reason, Nigeltastic. I played the same deck before rotation and won many games I had no business in winning, but mine were usually thanks to Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord.
December 5, 2014 1:38 p.m.
@ChiefBell: Wow lol that does sound like an incredibly dumb game.
@meecht: That is awful, and completely hilarious.
@Slycne: Great story, sounds like the kind of game where both players had fun no matter who won.
@naynay666: Those are the best games.
@awesomeguy37: Yes, Birds of Paradise is what I was referring to when I said BoP. I probably should have linked all the cards I was mentioning.
December 5, 2014 1:47 p.m.
aeonstoremyliver says... #27
First time I played against Dredge, a friend of mine piloted it, I lost with two Forests in play. Yep...
December 5, 2014 4:21 p.m.
Playing vs Jeskai Control with a Sultai Dredge deck. I'm at 1 life, my friend at about 20 with a Tromokratis and Pearl Lake Ancient, both have 8 lands. Tromokratis I tapped due to Crippling Chill, but was going to untap next turn. My turn, delve into Dig Through Time, find Sultai Scavenger and Sidisi, and I play a Ruthless Ripper face-down. EoT, Murderous Cut into a bounce of Pearl Lake Ancient. I did that instead of Tromokratis because I was not thinking. Me draws nothing, swing with the Kraken. Reveal Scavenger, flip the Ripper and knock off his kraken. EoT, he plays Lightning Strike, I drop Swan Song. I'm not afraid of the token. My turn, my hand almost out, topdeck a... yes! A Sultai Ascendancy. Play Ascendancy, play Sidisi, making 1 token, play Sultai Scavenger. He doesn't counter anything, as the Lightning Strike was the card he drew. Pass turn with no hand for me, only Pearl Lake Ancient for him. He draws land, passes. My turn, Ascendancy sets up a Taigam's Scheming. Play Taigam's Scheming, set up 2 creatures at the top, mill 1. Attack with Sidisi and the Zombie, get 2 tokens. This is continued with a next turn assault and I eventually won. This game was exciting becuase I was at 1 life and there was multiple chances where I could have lost.
December 5, 2014 6:14 p.m.
NotSoLuckyLydia says... #29
During Old Extended, I was playing a gifts/teachings 4 color control deck. This wasn't a super common deck, but it wasn't rare. Mirror matches were the most miserable thing ever. This deck had several possibilities for win conditions, but I was using Urza's Factory. Yeah. In a format with decks that could easily turn 2-3 win. The deck was great, though.
At one point, however, in a GP, I got paired up match one in the mirror. I managed to scrape by with a win in turns. As I walked over to my next match, I prayed quietly that it wouldn't be another mirror. I sat down for the game, and played against, you guessed it, another mirror. This one may have been using Dralnu, I'm not sure. (I had my fill of dralnu in standard, I wasn't playing him) I wound up tying that game. I got matched up against FOUR MORE 4c gifts/teachings matchups throughout day one, and my record was 4-2-2. TWO TIES. (My losses were to a mirror match and some aggro deck, maybe miracle-gro)
December 5, 2014 8:25 p.m.
I hate to tell this story cuz i lost, but i was playing against Tron with Infect in game 3. I thought "theres no way i can lose this match-up, right?" Wrong.
My only land is a Dryad Arbor and Breeding Pool, but i had a Noble Hierarch to back it up. I also had a Blighted Agent on board. The guy slams a turn 2 Pyroclasm. Then i have nothing to do. So its his turn and he goes with a turn 3 karn and couldnt exile my land faster. Next turn i hit a land, but it was exiled by karn on his fourth turn. About 20 turns later, im drawing dead and the opponent has 3 Spellskites out. He finally drops and Emrakul, the Aeons Torn, but instead of me dying on his hands, i killed myself with triple Mutagenic Growth :).
The game was sad, and crazy. It sucked that i couldnt win since Tron is probably my best match-up, but i think that was the longest, slowest game ive ever played in my life.
December 6, 2014 11:43 a.m.
At my first Modern event, I went up against a Tron deck that cast a T3 Karn. I was just lucky enough to have a Spell Pierce in hand and a single Island untapped.
I won that game. It felt SO GOOD.
December 6, 2014 11:36 p.m.
@meecht: That is the best thing I've heard all day, literally made me laugh out loud.
cardcoin says... #2
@omgyoav
I hear ya...
there are 2 reasons to run tomb-scour...
- To empty an opponents grave, or
- To fill yours with creatures you can then bring back into play.
It makes me wonder though if WoTC will be bringing out another creatures that work based out of creatures in graves... Oh boy... there better not be! :)August 22, 2010 4:09 p.m.