He's Back

One of my favorite pros is returning to the scene. Hall of Famer Frank Karsten

He finished his PhD and is getting into the game. He joined Channel Fireball and is already busy writing, check out his most recent article here: http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/frank-analysis-standard-talk/

Let's Win a PTQ

Gentlemen, the time has come. Let's win some plane tickets.

Pro Tour Born of the Gods in Valencia
Season runs August 17 – December 1, 2013
Schedules and Information

Bent and I have had some limited (groan) success. I think he has 3 top  8s but i'm sure will correct me in the comments if I am wrong. Anywhoo I came close once, thought I was in but had to play because I was in 9th on breakers and lost the last round.

The bottom line is we can do it. We can make some good runs. But we need to do a little planning and preparation. The plan as I see it is simple.

1. Break the sealed format
2. Tighten up our play

If we do those two things we will get a top 8 this season. No doubt about it. As far as the top 8 goes well usually we spent so much time on sealed we didn't learn how to draft. Not to mention draft is a lot harder to practice than sealed. So I've divided this post into two sections with a game plan for each.

Sealed

I suggest we do the following. Everyone pick up a box of Theros (except Brent is isolated in Cville so perhaps he should just grind MODO 8-4s, from that he can easily screen cap up packs to build sealeds from). Then every chance you get you crack 6 and build a sealed pool. It is critical to record your boosters so we can create additional pseudo-pools later on. I believe Brent will volunteer to make up the spreadsheet. I myself went through my rares today and amassed a pile to sell to Card Kingdom to finance my box (heh!).  For playing the pools find someone local to test with, or barring that, you can punch the deck up on OCTGN and duel remotely. I will do the leg work and figure out how long you actually have to build your pool (in my mind it is like 30 min, but I will double check). As we do this we will learn the format and start to piece together how to build properly.

Draft

I think it has to be MODO 8-4s. You can learn a lot from watching the pro draft videos over at channel fireball but nothing is a replacement for practice. Usually for draft the plan is to know what decks are possible and try to assemble one of them. We really need to flesh out the archetypes. Once we know what to draft then the skill transitions to knowing when those guys are available. Perhaps a little divide and conquer here. I think Brent is best suited to working the MODO and Stefan might be down on that as well.

Other stuff

We gotta look up the schedules and know what's what. We should probably have a few blog posts reviewing sealed combos to look for, a full rundown of combat tricks and how valid they are, certainly discussions about: speed of format, 2 color + splash, or 3 color, etc.

get pumped

Manpower

Me, Stefan, Jed, Kaz, Michael, Brent, Jonathan. Can anyone think of someone else. Get them online!

Frederik's First Magic Game

Michael and I were planning on getting a little fat stack Magic action on over lunch last week. But then his entire office decided to join for lunch. What ensued was a multiplayer game with five players, one of whom had never played before. Check out this action!

It was super fun. I remembered hating multiplayer magic because of the politics angle but the game was still a blast. It was also very useful for teaching. I was surprised to learn that. I thought teaching the game would be a debacle with so many players but it worked just fine. Basically I was able to talk the new player through what the other people were doing on their turns. The game kept moving along and there was time to teach! I recommend this approach.


But you probably want to know how the game turned out. Well I was absolutely crushing it. I managed to bounce my Trostani's Summoner and replay it for extreme value.

Take a look at the board it produced.

However this is multiplayer and what is good is actually bad! I was the first to lose. 

ps: blogger does not recognize "multiplayer" as a word.

Let's talk about Wring Flesh

I love this card. There I said it. Do I think it's the best spell in black, absolutely not. Let's not get carried away. But it is a card I really like. When I drafted my monoblack deck I wound up with two in my pool. Not from picking them highly, mind you. They were coming around late (especially since I was the only heavy black player at the table).

A word from the pros

Before I begin let's see what the pros have to say about this guy:

Limited: 3.0 This card makes me want to play this color. (Given that I’m playing that color, I will play this card 100% of the time.))

I’m a pretty big fan of this card. It seems pretty easy to wring a card’s worth of value out of it, and at only one mana it is usually a good deal. Sometimes you do have to set yourself up to get 2-for-1′d, but much of the time you don’t, and did I mention it only costs 1? I love cheap spells, since they let me get back the time I wasted casting a bunch of Divinations…

That was from LSV [1]. He's pretty emphatically pro Wring Flesh. The highlight of the comment is easily "easy to wring a card’s worth of value out of it". Total genius. Onto our next pro, Owen Turtenwald from his article on combat tricks in M14 limited [2]: 

Wring Flesh is a decent card that I usually maindeck because it works well with Child of Nightand acts as a cheap play to protect from losing quick games to Manaweft Sliver, Elvish Mystic,Academy Raider, or Regathan Firecat. 

Again a ringing endorsement. So far they likes it. But what about your unassuming bloggers [3]:

"The power of the wring flesh surprises me a little. Is it just kind of like an inverted Thunder Strike?" ~Jed
"wring flesh is the weakest kind of instant black removal, but I would still much rather it than the thunder strike. "~caruthers

Ok so now that we've done our literature review let's get down to it. What are the different modes where I may cast this spell? We've got as a straight removal spell against guys with 1 toughness. We've also got as a combat trick. Finally we've got some corner cases, involving the fight mechanic, ping effects, etc. (let's ignore those for now).

Compared to similar spells in its color

So how does this guy stack up as a removal spell, compared to the other spells in its color [4]? First a quick refresher.

The top tier. These guys can't be beat!

The rest. We're not even going to discuss Artificer's Hex.

So I'm not picking Wring Flesh over anything in the top tier. I would say that Quag Sickness is in the same ballpark. Odds are most of the time Quag Sickness will be better from a removal spell standpoint, however the versatility of Wring at Instant is nothing to sneeze at.

As a removal spell

Now that we have it nailed down in the context of its color. Let's look at the removal spell potential. Firing up the gatherer we see that there are 78 creatures [5] in the set and 21 of them have 1 toughness [6], this guy is going to kill 27% of creatures out right. For this discussion I have placed a cut on Rare/Mystic because we're talking about limited... and let's be clear, Wring Flesh is not a card that will deal with bombs. Sadly there is no cut in the gatherer for "playable" so there is some chaff in those numbers. But Turtenwald did point out several choice targets. Assuming every deck is playing two colors they are probably gonna have one or two places where Wring Flesh would be great to have.

As a combat trick

So how does this guy figure as a combat trick? From my earlier comment "in M14 there are 5 (7) common (uncommon) creatures with more than 3 power. As opposed to 66 creatures with power 3 or less. So basically you can't lose the combat." Holy cow! Everything has 3 power or less. It doesn't matter what they come at you with in the red zone. I think in this format the card is really poised to be quite impactful (is that really a word?).

As an asside I've really been trying to work combat tricks into my game. Previously I would pick Giant Growth and always leave it in the board. I just didn't know how to use them. Part of that I think has to do with how much the game has changed since I started drafting (the original Ravnica). Now combat is so vital to every game and the removal has been marginalized (although with Doom Blade and Putrefy back, perhaps not). Combat tricks when used effectively can really function as a removal spell. But it is more than that.

People expect you to play removal spells on them. It's just par for the course. They stick a legit threat and hope you don't have the Doom Blade. But in combat people just aren't as prepared. They should be expecting the tricks, looking at your mana, and planning accordingly. But still when you fire one off correctly it can just be a huge beating. Like a removal spell that is also a demoralized. I don't know maybe these comments seem a bit flighty. I'm just working these ideas out. But the point is in limited I really now want all my decks to have a combat trick in them.

Intangibles

This guy only costs one to cast and is an Instant. HUGE! Can't get better than that (go away Force of Will). It is as cheap as they come and as "play whenever you want" as they come. For me that is a solid bump in the value of the card.

Also there was that sweet time when a Villain came at me with:

++

And I was all, Wring Flesh you and block with my Child of Night. Man that felt good. He had invested 3+2+5+3 mana in that move. And I defused it with 3mana. But you're not always gonna get that lucky. I know it's a best case scenario but hey, it happened and I loved it. llusionary Armor is terrible btw. Just asking to get blown up and then have you lose the creature in combat as well.

The bottom line

If you're playing black in limited the first Wring Flesh is an auto include (unless it's christmas). The second ... maybe not. But be looking to board depending on your opponents creatures.

[1] http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/magic-2014-set-review-black/
[2] http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/owens-a-win-m14-tricks/
[3] http://magicanotes.blogspot.com/2013/08/m14-draft-1-draft-and-deck-building.html
[4] http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?action=advanced&color=+[B]&type=+![%22Creature%22]&set=+[%22Magic%202014%20Core%20Set%22]
[5] http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?action=advanced&set=+[%22Magic%202014%20Core%20Set%22]&type=+[%22Creature%22]&rarity=|[C]|[U]
[6] http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?action=advanced&set=+[%22Magic%202014%20Core%20Set%22]&type=+[%22Creature%22]&rarity=|[C]|[U]&tough=+=[1]

Ravnica Bloc Draft #12

About 2 hours before Marshall and Brian dropped a podcast about going infinite, in which they discuss when is the right time to switch to single-elimination 8-4 drafts, I make the jump myself and enter my first big boy queue. It's time to sink or swim.

  Pack 1 pick 1:

Reap Intellect is not a real card, so I am freed from the bonds of rare-drafting. There are plenty of first-pick worthy cards here and my eye is drawn to Bronzebeak Moa, which I hear can be a real beating. I like Beetleform a lot and I think the Gorgon can be the keystone of a really good deck, but I've been in Simic a lot recently and still don't have that many natural +1/+1 counters. So I hem and haw a bit before noticing the strong, mono-colored instant burn int he pack and going with that.

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 2:

For all the good stuff in the first pack, this one is pretty vanilla. Maaka is nice, Wind Drake in unexciting, and I was just talking bad about Fatal Fumes in Loreto's comments. Rot Farm Skeleton his recurring four power for four mana, but I'll stick with red for the time being.

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 3:

Tithe Drinker tempts me to pick my three colors and go, but I'd rather stick to one guild for the first few picks. Toil//Trouble could be saucy in an aggro Rakdos deck. The Roc is okay in Boros, but none of these are enough to pass up an on-color gate.

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 4:

This is the same weak print run. Maaka again.

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 5:

I take this as my first strong signal. I love the insect warrior and since there is little chance I am going mono-red, I think this is the time to try out a second color instead of Riot Piker. That being said, Piker is decent in a deck with bloodrush. Since it has to attack, they will never see the trick coming.

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 6:

Another Riot Piker, but also another insect.

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 7:

None of the things in this pack seem better than a speculative Simic gate.

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 8:

Sure.

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 9:

I was thinking the Gorgon might be my first pick. Gone ahead of this are the 0/5 wall, the white gatekeeper, and the weird rare.

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 10:

Clearly no one wants the Goglari cards. I could think about a black splash.

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 11:

In a perfect world, I won't run a cluestone for my two primary colors.

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 12:

  My Pick:


  Pack 1 pick 13:

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  Pack 1 pick 14:

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  Pack 1 pick 15:

  My Pick:


After one pack, I have an unusual number of early single-color picks.

  Pack 2 pick 1:

Another quality two-drop or a big fatty that might nuke an aura when it comes down? With an emphasis on bloodrush, I need a critical mass of two-drops.

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 2:

This time I have my choice of two-drops.

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 3:

Not my favorite pack. Act can do some damage in my aggressive-looking deck.

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 4:

Predator is a thought here, but I can't pass a denizen of Ivy Lane.

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 5:

Oooo! Late removal.

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 6:

And back to virtually nothing for me. Spire tracer wears +1/+1 counters well, while Hellraiser will sometimes cause trouble by running my army into blockers.

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 7:

Bloodrush + two-drop. Sign me up. Yet another Scab-Clan passed by your hero. Scab-clan is probably better than I rate it, but again, critical mass of two drops is important.

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 8:

Miming Slime is perfect for me. Turn four bloodrush a small guy and copy it into a 5/5 token. Yes please.

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 9:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 10:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 11:

I don't think I'll want a second Spire Tracer.

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 12:

This is late. Will it make the deck on the splash? Maybe.

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 13:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 14:

  My Pick:


  Pack 2 pick 15:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 1:

It's time to Mythic draft. At least I'm not missing out on too much of consequence. Jailbreaker or Decoy are the choices.

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 2:

And now I'll take the shock land. At least it isn't a pure rare draft, since I'll use it to splash. Without those two picks, I'd have a handful fewer tickets and two extra four-drops.

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 3:

A really good aggressive card here. Better not on the splash, but much better for me than Giant Spider.

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 4:

MOAR TWO-DROPS PLZ!

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 5:

Let's put another pump spell in the pile. Not ideal, but okay.

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 6:

Dynacharge, Giant Growth, or Cluestone Crusher (Batterhorn)? Another cheap pump!

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 7:

Shred-Freak is not what I'm looking for in a two-drop. I think Ragemutt is actually kind of good, but the deck would have worked with another two.

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 8:

Racketeer isn't great but I will probably have some extra land to ditch.

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 9:

Now I'll take Dynacharge. This card seems bad, since it is only good at one thing, but if I have it in my grip, then I can set up a board state race that will take Villain by surprise.

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 10:

I am short on playables (double rare draft what?) so the lizard might even make the cut. It is terrible firebreathing, but at least there is some upside for the one-drop.

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 11:

Probably not on the splash.

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 12:

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  Pack 3 pick 13:

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  Pack 3 pick 14:

  My Pick:


  Pack 3 pick 15:

  My Pick:


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In deckbuilding, I lay out the good cards I want to run in Green-Red and come up a little short on playables.

Ivy-Lane Denizen is not that strong, but Villains won't know that.

I have two ways I could take this deck: blazing fast with some weaker cards or slower with a bigger black splash.

Skeleton, Balustrade Spy, and Raketeer feed the Drown in Filth

Two questionable one-drops and Dynacharge in place of some of the black cards.

 I decided to pare the black to just the essential aggressive cards and try to blitz my way to victory.

In game one, I lay down two-, three-, and four drops, while Villain has the Bronzebeak Moa. My two-drop was Firefist striker, my three-drop can't be killed on the attack and my four-drop will keep coming back, so Villain is having trouble setting up blocks. When he goes for Unflinching Courage on the Moa, I Punish my Enemy and seal the win.

Creature enchantment? Punished.

In game two, Villain makes some trades on my early guys and gets down his Armadillo Cloak unmolested this time, making a 5/4 trampling lifelinker. He's stuck on three land but doing fine. Meanwhile I need time to draw an answer, so I Act of Treason his 5-power lifelinker to gain five and get in for a big chunk. This does let me get the answer I need in the form of Rakdos Ragemutt. If Villain does 5 every turn and gains five, but I do seven every turn gaining three, who wins that race? Answer: I do, since I have a good deal of pump in hand that will either take out his creature, gain me extra life while doing extra damage, or just win outright.

I could kill his guy with Giant Growth - or - I could win on the swing back for 16 with Villain at 15.

On to round two. I mulligan, since three forests and red cards is not a recipe for aggro success.

Mull. I keep a land-heavy hand with two castable two-drops.

I feel like I am doing great with an active Guildmage holding blockers at bay.

Double guldmage activation incoming

Villain spends five mana to exile my guildmage, leaving me with an unimpressive team. I add Kraul Warrior, which will provide some pressure, but then I rip one of my many pump spells off the top to make it no question.

Just offscreen: Dynacharge on the stack

In game two, i keep a sketchy hand with no forests, but some action that puts Villain  in the unenviable position of having to beat down with two 1/2s, since they won't be blocking.

I call this "1/2 Beatdown". Alternately, "Leashed Thrill-Kill Assassin Attacks"

Shortly thereafter, Villain has gotten rid of my guildmage with exiling again and whittled me down to four with fliers and extort, but what he doesn't know will most certainly kill him.

Attack and double pump for 12. If Villain blocks with the Keyrune, I lose to extort on any spell that costs less than five next turn. Villain doesn't block.

Sweet, we're in the finals. If we lose at this point, we still turn a profit on the draft.

Bringer of Birdlets holds off some of my worse creatures, then once I get the beats going, Villain gains FIFTEEN off an Alive//Well. Ouch.

15 is a lot of life to gain against an aggro start.

He attacks for four, leaving back Centaur, so I Act of Treason and get in for 11 with removal in hand at which point he "ggs" me in the chat window while I'm at sixteen. That might be the MODO behavior that irks me the most.

Who Dynacharges? (on the splash)

So we go off to game two, where I mull a hand with no early action into a two-lander with one, two, three, and four-drops.

Mull

Keep

I drop Spire Tracer, Disciple of the Old Ways, Armored Transport, then Rix Maadi Guildmage. I only have three land on turn five, but when Villain makes Cluestone on turn three and no blocks on my turn five at 13, that's game.

Seriously, who Dynacharges?

In the deciding game, I keep a sweet curve, make a one-drop, two-drop, two-drop plus guildgate, then four-drop. I am beating down while Villain makes turn-three Keyrune.

Against my deck, turn three is the mid-game and I don't think a mana rock is going to cut the mustard.

Villain's turn-four follow-up of Cluestone into Hellraiser Goblin that attacks to 18 is similarly unthreatening. My next draw of Dynacharge should make the rest of this game academic.

Villain, at 11, needs to leave back two blockers to not die, but his guys must attack.

Villain plays pre-combat Courser's Accord, which allows him an attack for eight, but Dynacharge slams the door. Interesting that Trumpet Blast won all three games in the finals. Speaking of which, I have a fun two-headed giant sealed story full of Fogs and Trumpet Blasts. Maybe I'll get into that in more detail in the future.

What a beautiful sight. Plus two rare-drafts!