Red Alert!

Or should I say *colorless* alert! (#topical). We interrupt our regular programming of irregular posting to bring you this potentially breaking news. I dunno, maybe everyone else has been discussing this for weeks. But they have CHANGED the colorless mana symbol! Behold!

Dungeo and DragoNotes: Reader Email

Well readers it turns out Michael was paying attention and has already replied to our last post, here's what he had to say:

I haven't played since middle school, and am quite interested in what the new editions have to bring. I have to imagine it's even more stats about combat, hearing perception, etc. That stuff is much less fun than the way you resolved your plate armor hearing challenge.

Well Michael, the new edition is a breath of fresh air. They realized that fourth edition was a grave error and now the combat rules and skill check details have taken a back seat to good old role playing. You are encouraged to solve your problems the way I tackled the plate mail issue. And for those that want the rules lawyering there is plenty of room to argue hearing a person in plate mail is 'very easy' not 'easy'.

And as a parting thought. The vibe is very similar to the West End Games Star Wars d6 system. also known as the greatest role playing game system of all time.

Our first post about D&D

So it shouldn't come as a shock to our readership that some of your bloggers are also D&D players. Therefore you probably have been clamoring for us to write a post or two about the new edition of D&D. Well today is your lucky day. You can stop filling our inbox ... Michael.

Today's post is simple. I was working out an encounter and one of the NPCs happened to be wearing plate mail. She was to stumble upon my PC who was busy searching the charred remains of a local tavern. So we needed to check the PCs passive perception (aka hearing) versus the DC of someone wearing plate mail walking down the street.

I had no clue what the DC of plate mail walking is. Does anyone know? I google several permutations of: D&D, 5th edition, plate mail, passive perception, sound, etc. And got nothing.

In the end the show must go on so I decided that hearing someone coming down the street wearing plate mail is 'easy'. Which equates to a DC of 10. Which means your passive perception always succeeds barring a poor Wisdom modifier.

thoughts?

The Un-loved decks: Landfall

Everyone knows the sexy killing machines right now: B/W lifegain, U/R devoid, converge-y allies, U/W flier-pile. However there are other good decks that can be very sweet but they require not fighting another player for key playables. The R/G landfall agro can work but you better not be fighting your neighbor for reasonably powerful red cards as well as someone else sniping high quality, specific uncommons.

Landfall
I think I accidentally discovered a secret: landfall wants to transition to allies late. Early pressure with their powered up 2-3 drops and then try to burst through with allies boosting power. Don't try and a force an expensive landfall creature and you're reducing to topdecking lands to make it happen. Snipe high value cards from underplayed color combos (mostly green) and build a solid in-your-face deck with a couple of late win conditions.

Actual insight alert: blue/black isn't control

Okay, enough ripping off Limited Resources. I think I have the beginnings of the germ of a thread that may eventually lead to an insight about magic cards. That may be putting it too strongly. But it goes like this: I don't think blue/black is control is this expansion.

"Whaaaat?!" you cry. "But look at all these sexy controlling cards!"

  

And I think you have a good point. But the problem is that it just doesn't WORK very well. I ran this on Saturday and you land some sweet combos, unsummon a creature... and doink them for 1 damage with your Benthic Infiltrator. They resummon their 2/3 griffin and we're back where we started. The pace isn't there. Let's start with the basics: a tempo deck is an archetype that trades cards for time. The vanilla tempo cards are tappers and unsummons.

Decks to target in Zendikar

This is basically a transcription of the LR episode that goes over this. I mean, even more so than the normal posts we write. But by researching and cut and pasting cards helps me remember, rather than just passively listening. Their thesis (one I entirely agree with) is that Zendikar is heavy on the synergy decks. The individual card strength is pretty low; you can't just have a smooth 2-3-4 curve out and beat down. Any draft in Zendikar needs a synergistic deck where you are enabling a lot of low-power cards. This makes it a lot more important to know the archetypes, know how to get into them, and what the most important pieces are.

Lacking a punchline

Pack 1 Pick1

   

This is a pretty tough call imo. The power level is pretty high on Brutal Expulsion but I really don't like taking a gold card dead first. I went with pretty solid removal with Complete Disregard, a card that will go into any black deck on the planet.

Worst. Draft. Ever. 10-4-15

Pack 1 Pick 1

  

Drowner of Hope is a pretty clear win here as it's pretty close to a quadrant all-star. 7 points of stats for 6 mana and a non-insignificant ability to break a stalemate is pretty sweet.

What is the world coming to?

In preparation for my glorious return to playing magic I was flipping through the card list for the new set. And then I stumbled across this surprise:

So white does this now? I know I've been away for too long but certainly not long enough for the world to be flipped upside down. Bring back ...

Which, by the way, hasn't been reprinted since M11.

Pre-Release recap!

Round 1

I'm playing against a Black/Red deck that seems fine. Game one I keep a 5-land hand that has
 

Battle for Zendikar Tokens

Lots of weird stuff running around, but do we have any good throwbacks?

Eldrazi Scion

These will obviously be the bread and butter. Like with the Thopters of Origins, three different artworks, each creepy in their own way! I personally prefer the one swimming amongst the kelp beds.

  

Zendikar Pre-release! 9-26-15

Let's freaking do this!!!! Some interesting notes is that they are no longer seeding color packs: it's straight up 6 packs plus a randomized promo card. Also, they switched to a mulligan scry. If you mull any number of times, you get a free Scry 1 before your first draw step.

Pretty quickly I was able to narrow it down to three colors. Let's take a look:

The L is Silent - 00010

Pete, Jed and Brent have another Hearthstone Arena podcast and Brent hogs the mic yet again. This time, they'll talk about drafting and playing strategies for all nine classes as well as drop some tips about how to play against each class.

What's the best way to counter a Hunter? What makes Paladin so boss? Why does Jed know so much about armor classes? Find out in this week's ep.

• Subscribe to The L is Silent at http://feeds.feedburner.com/thelissilent-magicanotes
• Some sound effects and music courtesy of  freesfx.co.uk

The L is Silent - 00009

Pete, Jed and Brent finally get back to podcasting, but only because Jed has decided to jump in with both feet to Brent's current obsession: Hearthstone Arena.

How did Jed's first Arena go? What are some limited Hearthstone basics? Where are the best locations to play a game or two of Hearthstone? Find out in this week's ep.

• Subscribe to The L is Silent at http://feeds.feedburner.com/thelissilent-magicanotes
• Some sound effects and music courtesy of  freesfx.co.uk

Jed's First Arena Deck

Hunter's Mark
Timber Wolf
Webspinner x2
Two
Freezing Trap
Quick Shot
Snipe
Haunted Creeper
Scavenging Hyena x2
Sunfury Protector
Three
Animal Companion
Unleash the Hounds
Arcane Golem
Harvest Golem
Ogre Brute
raid Leader
Wolfrider
Multi-Shot
Four
Ancient Brewmaster
Houndmaster
Cobra Shot x2
Five
Frostwolf Warlord
King of Beasts
Sludge Belcher
Starving Buzzard
Six
Reckless Rocketeer
Corehound

Origins Draft 7/25/15

The draft was pretty close to everything that could go wrong, went wrong. Neighbors moved into colors I was looking for and I never really put together a deck, really just had a pile of cards.

Pack 1 Pick 1

   

First draft tomorrow, what to watch for?

Final theorycraft post before I go wade into the trenches tomorrow. Not only is it a tournament but it's also the Capitol Hill block party; two demographics collide!

Annoying Combat Tricks

 

God, and we thought Feat of Resistance was annoying.

"Better have an answer" 5 drops

  

These bastards are at all common. COMMON. So you will see them and you will need a plan to deal with them. 5/3 first strike, 4/4 to 6/6, or a 3/3 fliers can all close out a game in a hurry. So don't blow your removal too soon.

Speaking of removal

  

 
   
   


Slim pickings my friends (lolgreen). Blue has a fair amount of tempo play as well but I would not consider that serious removal.

Blue Tempo

  

Goofy Control Deck Win Conditions

      

Can you stall your way to victory with a few of these? You betcha! They are all uncommon but if you see them late, be aware.