Extremely casual player here, recently moved into proximity of a Grand Prix location (Nashville) and considering going. What are these events like, from the perspective of not-WotC's-site? I normally play casual and EDH with friends; the biggest event I've attended was a prerelease.

Ok, what's different in a PTQ from a GP?

>>18064770
Addendum: what exactly are "Tournament Byes"?

So, recently I was challenged by a friend to construct a modern Laboratory Maniac/Mirror of Fate deck that was at least passable. Here is the decklist I just came up with off the top of my head.

// Lands
3 Breeding Pool
3 Forest
3 Island
4 Misty Rainforest
3 Overgrown Tomb
2 Swamp
3 Watery Grave
2 Yavimaya Coast

// Creatures
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Laboratory Maniac
4 Llanowar Elves
3 Sakura-Tribe Elder

// Spells
2 Diabolic Tutor
4 Explore
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Mirror of Fate
3 Rampant Growth
3 Serum Visions
3 Spell Pierce

// Sideboard
SB: 3 Autumn's Veil
SB: 4 Kessig Cagebreakers
SB: 2 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
SB: 2 Spider Spawning
SB: 4 Zombie Infestation

I know its terrible, the whole concept is. Suggestions?

>>18064770
For one, they're huge. The GP in Austin last month was over 1000 people, and that was just the main event.

They're generally aimed at a more 'competitive' player; the GP itself is competitive with cash prizes and tickets to the Pro Tour for top players. However, there's LOTS of casual players just there to dick around with the other several hundred people, there's side events aplenty, artists and vendors. If you live near enough that it's not a long trip, I nearly DEMAND that you go hit it up for the weekend, it's a goddamned blast.

Not all of them are the same, but for example the GP in Austin had 18 dollar "go infinite" events [15 for Draft methinks]. First place got like 8 packs, plus free entry into another side-event. They had Modern ones, Standard, Extended, Legacy, Draft, basically any sanctionable event that had 8 players wanting in.

Go. Enjoy yourself. Have fun. Eat lunch with new friends.

>>18064771
A PTQ is a store-based event where the winner gets an invite to the next Pro Tour event. They're a lot smaller than GPs, and the only real 'reason' to be at the event is the PTQ itself [though some have a side event like a Starcity Games IQ for the people who scrub out of the main event]

A GP is a huge public event that has an emphasis on fun side events and 'Holy shit look at all this stuff and all these people this is awesome' as well as the GP itself.

>>18064796
A 'bye' is a free win, essentially.

Do I have a promising future in Token creation?

>>18064835
Yes.

>>18064847

Okay sending portfolio to Wizards

Say I have a 2/2 creature with first strike being blocked by an opponent's 2/2 creature and a separate 3/3 creature, neither of which have first strike. Now, with first strike damage, I can kill the 2/2. Would I then be allowed to use a Morbid-enabled Tragic Slip to kill the 3/3 before the regular damage step?

>>18064802
Shouldn't it be black, blue with as many Diabolic Tutors and Foresee as possible?

How about some defense like Lantern Spirit or Reassembling Skeletons?

It's late and I'm sleepy, what is the green doing for you?

>>18064868

Yes.

>>18064868
Yes, placers receive priority between the first strike damage step and the regular damage step.

Will mono-red ever be a playable deck without Ball Lightning?

>>18064802
Diabolic Tutor needs to be a better card, you have too much manaramp and not enough draw filtering/control elements.
Spellskite is essential for protecting your Maniac and I believe you do want to play 4 Sleight of Hand 4 Serum Visions in any blue combo deck. Remand is a must for combo decks too, buys time and digs deeper.

>>18064868
Yep. Your First Strike dude kills the 2/2, and you get priority after combat damage is dealt and SBAs are checked, still in the First Strike damage step. You can cast a Slip on the 3/3 to kill it then, before it gets to do damage in the regular Combat Damage Step.

>>18064881
I'd say yes, since Legacy Burn is mono-red, as are many Legacy Goblins decks, and they've never used Ball "I'm a burn spell that dies to removal" Lightning.

>>18064881
You don't follow standard at all do you? Monored has been a good deck several separate times after Ball Lightning rotated out.

>>18064881
Hellspark Elemental is the Ball Lightning of choice.

>>18064870
Tossing in the extra two tutors for a playset makes sense.
Not sure about the foresee though due to cost. I'm trying to ramp into a turn 4 or 5 win with the green.

After having wasted valuable download time and money on Magic Online, and finding its far far worse then the free alternatives, I have to wonder:

Why do people actually use this heap of crap? Lackey is better, and Lackey is the crashiest motherfucker that ever did crash.

>>18064802
>>18064884
Oh god I only now noticed your sideboard. It's absolutely terrible, none of those cards are what you want to be doing.
Counterspells, Mutagenic Growth, removal, hand disruption. Or an actual plan B instead of Kessig "I die to removal after you've already lost the game anyway" Cagebreakers.

>>18064884
This also makes sense.

>>18064919
For the events.

Basic question, but my idiot friend thinks that when a 2/2 creature blocks a 4/4 creature, he takes no life pool damage.

This is wrong, right? He takes 2.

He keeps mouthing off about trample.

>>18064907
No it doesn't. Diabolic Tutor is a terrible card and you will probably lose any game where you tap out for it. Take out the two you have. Heck, play Gifts if you want a tutor.
I'm assuming no budget restrictions, seeing your manabase.
Could be that your green is better off as just more draw filtering and answers, your combo works on turn 5 anyway assuming you hit your land drops.

>>18064942

You made me giggle.

>>18064873
>>18064879
>>18064892

Thanks for the answers everyone.,I thought that was the case, but my opponent said no and I didn't want to stall things out. I'm definitely going to remember that for next time.

>>18064928
Eh, figured it would need an overhaul. It was an afterthought at best.

>>18064942

Lifepool, really?

And he's correct, unless the attacking creature has trample, a blocker negates all damage done to the defending player.

>>18064942
Either terrible troll or level 0 rules skill.
Blocking a creature means that creature only deals damage to its blockers unless something says otherwise.

>>18064942
If the 4/4 doesn't have trample he takes nothing, if it does he takes 2.

>>18064919
I've not heard about it being crash-prone.

But unlike Lackey, MODO has a built in rules-engine that handles things for you, and there's ALWAYS events going on. Pros swear by it for testing and constant drafting.

can I get some feedback on this reaper king deck?

>>18064970
I find that being rules enabled is a bit of a burden sometimes, especially with mechanics like graft. I'm shuddering just thinking about it.

>>18064958
Cagebreakers isn't even really good enough for standard and modern is faster and has more answers for 3/4 dudes that cost lots of mana.

>>18064947
Gift! Holy crap I forgot it existed.
Yea, no real cost restriction. If it could be better while cutting down on the mana base's ridiculous cost I wont complain though. The whole idea is that my friend and I have 3 weeks to build different versions of the deck, then see who made a better version.

Say I am attacking with a 6/6 Double Strike and my opponent blocks with a 4/4 with regenerate. The creature dies during the first strike damage step, and then is regenerated. Is that creature allowed to block my creature a second time?

>>18064970
Same here, it's a great program that is a bit old looking but it works just fine. The beta client is amazing and when it hits public MODO is going to get a lot better. For any one who is playing MODO and is interested in Pauper, I've started a clan called Poor Fatguys, send Babam a message for an invite
>>18064989
MODO handles things really well, it makes a lot of sense when you first start using it

>>18064983
Why are you playing the changeling instants, I'm not seeing any synergy here.
Unless you just want a theme.
Just gotta say, other than Crib Swap they don't really do much anything relevant in a game of Magic.

>>18065007
Nope. When you regen something, it's removed from combat.

So, your 6/6 slaps his Thrun for 6, and kills it. Regen replaces "kills it" with "Tap it, remove all damage from it, remove it from combat". Your Double-striker is now blocked, but has no blocking creature to assign damage to, so it doesn't deal any damage in the normal damage step.

>>18064919
I play MTGO because the rules are enforced. And because the rules are enforced the play goes faster because the mechanics are streamlined. And because the mechanics are streamlined the players are better because they have to play well.

And quite frankly, I would gladly pay for this because I avoid all the godawful shit that comes with the Magic community. Stupid players saying stupid shit and being wrong all the time. I play paper Magic with my friends but the game store people are easily 95% mentally retarded. If I want a real competitive game and my friends aren't available I'll play on MTGO instead of the crapshoot that is FNM.

The free programs are worse than FNM because there are no penalties. You have people who don't know how to play the game and they are not punished for not knowing so you sit there arguing or watching do the wrong shit all the time. And the free programs are infested with shitty players who will ditch you the moment they feel they're losing. Not-MTGO you don't get a sense of community but at least you get fucking competent players. With the free programs you get absolutely NO benefits. If you feel that good things are not worth paying for then fine, but me, I will gladly pay for good things.

>>18065022
playing them because with reaper king out they have a free removal effect attached to them, they count as scarecrow spells.

>>18065022

Nameless inversion is pretty good I think.

>>18065007
Your creature is already blocked so it can't or doesn't need to be blocked a second time.
Using up the regeneration shield removes the regenerated creature from combat.

>>18065030
Except Reaper King only triggers when a Scarecrow PERMANENT enters the battlefield under your control, not when you cast a Scarecrow spell.

>>18065030
>When a scarecrow enters the battlefield
That doesn't work the way you want it to.

>>18064809
Thanks for the reply. I live perhaps half an hour from where the GP is going to be held, so it's conveniently close. The size of the gathering is a little off-putting (being as I presently require medication to be around people), but I'll probably give it a shot, since you insist.

>>18065041
well that makes me sad. I'll have to remove them and add better supporting spells then.

>>18065004
Going just UB would cut down on the manabase costs at least. And free you a LOT of slots for spells that do more relevant things.

>>18064983
If you want to play with reaper king you'd probably be better off doing it in EDH.

>>18065052
Oh, well, if you have social anxieties you may want to avoid it. They're amazingly fun, but you might freak the fuck out being around that many people, especially if you have personal space issues.

>>18065075
That awkward moment when you realize that you may be playing your Omnath EDH deck a bit too much.

How does this deck look? What look to be some major weaknesses? What can I add to it to help me pull of the winning combo? I was thinking elixir or immortality, but I'm not sure.

>>18065077
I've never really played edh, I was hoping to make a real deck based around reaper king

>>18065101
Whatever, you could build that thing in 5 colors and win.

You'd just have to play it against me and draw whatever you need! Fucking witch.

>>18065115
Reaper King is like MADE for EDH, though.

>>18065109
I'm not sure what your 'winning combo' is, exactly. It seems like you 'win' by just milling the opponent... eventually?

>>18065079
I'm willing to give it a try, since I have the aforementioned medication. Valium is like +10 to saves vs. anxiety, although it does tend to impact my Spot checks against pickpockets. The idea of getting a card or two signed by the artist sounds kinda neat, anyway.

>>18065124
Heh, I was sorta wondering when this would come up.
But its a valid point, who else here is going to run anything in modern anyway?

>>18065124
Oh sorry. I assumed you might know at a glance. My bad. The combo is having two Panoptic Mirrors on the field, one with Beacon of Immortality and one with Beacon of Tomorrows.

>>18065109
>>18065109
what format is it for
also i dont see a win condition

>>18065158
...so your 'winning combo' is to hope your opponent concedes, since you have literally no way in the entire deck to actually kill them? Your 'winning combo' gives you infinite turns and infinite life, but that's all it does. You don't win unless they concede.

>>18065158
just because you have infinit turns doesn't mean you win

the deck as it currently is will probably just end up milling yourself

>>18065193
Well, he won't mill himself because he'll have other Beacons in his deck, so as long as he has one Beacon left he'll never lose. But like you said, he has no actual way to WIN outside of ragequit.

>>18065158
Toss in a zuran spellcaster and call it a day.

>>18065183

But why wouldn't someone concede? If they have nothing to do, then why bother playing? I can't be killed with instants nor can I be attacked. It's going to be a long match otherwise.

Regardless, I can see your point. Maybe I will run some simple enchantments to allow my walls to attack.

>>18065223
Well, technically you can tell them "I have more Beacons in my deck, it's literally impossible for you to win this game, do you concede?". They can also counter with "You ALSO have literally no way to win, do you want to call this game a draw?". But let's wait until that actually HAPPENS.

>>18065223

Put a Beacon of Destruction in there.
With infinite turns you'll draw it eventually, then you can imprint it with a third mirror (should have with infinite turns) and start casting that to actually win.

When I sac a creature with an Undying to the Pod, which one resolves first?
If I were to crack my Shrine of Burning Rage, can the opponent respond to it with a counterspell?

Can I cascade "Development" with a Bloodbraid elf?, only "Research?", both?
Why?

>>18065236

With that logic, I can just run one in the deck and imprint it on the Mirror that has BoI on it. I can imprint multiple cards on it and cast any single one of them.

>>18065223
Why would anyone concede before you show them a win condition?

>>18065267
To save time because they assume you have one. Not that it doesn't make that line of thinking a mistake.

>>18065257
708.6a An effect that performs a positive comparison (such as asking if a card is red) or a relative comparison (such as asking if a card’s converted mana cost is less than 2) involving characteristics of one or more split cards in any zone other than the stack gets only one answer. This answer is “yes” if either side of each split card in the comparison would return a “yes” answer if compared individually.

If either half of it has a CMC low enough, you can cast EITHER half. You can cast Research or Development, your choice.

>>18065109
drop the divinations and get some preordains and serum visions or ponders depending on the format

drop the cancels there are plenty of better counters out there like remand, rune snag, or even stoic rebuttal since you are running artifacts.

>>18065281
Fair enough, I guess.

Would it be bad form to alter a card just to trade it to someone who off-handedly said it would be awesome if it were altered that way?

>>18065316
And by alter, I mean commission an alter.

>>18065316
I doubt it'd be 'bad form', since your friend has to AGREE to the trade. Though I can see you feeling bad because you could have just told them about the alterer yourself and not gotten anything out of it.

I'm guessing you don't play Armchair Rules Manager for custom cards?

>>18065144
I play aggro elves cause what the heck, it's fun to play.

Suggestion for Mirror Maniac deck list:

4 Laboratory Maniac
2 Spellskite

4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Sleight of Hand
4 Serum Visions
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
3 Spell Pierce
3 Dismember
4 Remand
4 Mirror of Fate

4 Drowned Catacomb
4 Watery Grave
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Misty Rainforest
8 Island

For sideboard either a bunch of matchup-specific normal SB cards or a reanimator transformative plan.

How does that new event deck look with the goblins and the mono-red?
Mono-red seems like fun so I was considering it.

>>18065328
I do not. I personally have a great disdain for custom cards, due to months of me participating in those threads and wasting my time trying to help people who wouldn't listen to me.

>>18065256
Sacking is a cost so Undying resolves first.
Most counterspells don't say "Counter target activated ability"

>>18065316
As long as you don't mislead the friend, I don't see any problem.

>>18064983
take two, changeling spells removed.

>>18065336
Gives you two Inkmoth Nexuses so it's not a bad buy if you can find it for RRP. Does need tweaking, obviously, but it's a start for an RDW deck.

>>18065357
Maybe add in something more that helps cast Reaper King for less than 10 mana, like Sphere of the Suns.

>>18065336
I think that the Besieged Goblin Event Deck was much better. This one seems like a theme deck with Inkmoths added in.

>>18065338
This.
You see something utterly ridiculous and you tell them the rules don't bend that way/the card has too many abilities/breaks color pie in a major way/is needlessly convoluted design/whatever and all you ever get is "FUCK YOU AND YOUR FAMILY THIS CARD IS FINE"
Most people who custom cards don't even understand basic templating, trying to participate is pretty much a waste of time, regrettably.

>>18065373
do you think its necessary even when i have the etherium sculptors and evolving wilds to fetch the colors i don;t have?

>>18065377
Of course it was, it had Guides.
This one has no Stromkirk Nobles.

>>18065399
Dunno. Depends on how you deel about it. If you want more color filtering in your lands, go for Terramorphic Expanse and Vivid Creek.

>>18065389
Exactly.

Most of the custom card people are polite people who, while having a prevalence for top-down design, at least know when to call it quits on a card for being too complex or too off-color or too "What the almighty fuck".

Then you have a few rotten apples who clearly have absolutely no fucking clue how to design cards AT ALL, no clue how modern Magic templating works, and they shoot down any constructive criticism or outright ignore it.

That, and for every 5 cards I'd comment on, 10 more were posted, so I was always playing catchup. It was too exhausting.

>>18065409
I'm really just not sure what I would remove for some sphere of the suns. I like the idea of adding terramorphic expanse as well though.

>>18065401
Nobles can be found on the DKA intro deck. Which is kinda gay

>>18065447
Noble. Singular.

>>18065417
One time, I tried to offer constructive criticism in a /co/ custom Magic card thread. The worst guy got so pissed that he posted a card called "Power Gauntlet" with the types "Legendary Creature - Complainer". Had some MS Paint art and everything.

I felt honored.

>>18065449
Terrible, just terrible, complainer isn't even a real creature type!

>>18065463

should be advisor

>>18065449
Exactly what I mean. It really sucks, too; you have a thread full of people who honestly WANT constructive advice on if their shit is worded right, in-color, fairly priced, flavorful, etc, and they're very happy to have any input even if it's criticism, because they CAME for criticism.

But all it takes is the one or two dickwads that show up EVERY thread. Hell, what eventually killed it for me was a polite guy who just didn't get the message. He tried to convert Yugioh cards to Magic cards, basing the color off of the color that the monster in the art was, dividing the ATK/DEF by 400 to get the P/T, using their 'star level' as their CMC, it was a goddamned train wreck. He admitted several times that he had never played Magic and had no idea how to template it, he just did it because he was bored. And he ignored all suggestions.

>>18065481
To be fair, you can usually tell the color of a card by the color of the art. Especially if it's black.

I do make custom cards out of boredom, but most... aren't great. I'm pretty sure that a lot of the bottom-up ones, while templated competently, don't work under the current rules. For example, an Equipment with "Equipped creature is attacking".

Well guys, I'm gonna crash for the night. See you tomorrow.

>>18065575
I've made plenty because designing cards is interesting and fun, they're mostly pretty ridiculous. I do try to make sure they work ruleswise though, they're just stupid. That's what trying to make cards out of Type-Moon characters does. Although I've recently been feeling a need to make more legit versions out of them, something that might actually have a remote chance of seeing print, instead of
>wall of text every card
>can't be exiled
>planeswalkers that change into creatures by tutoring the creature from any zone and exiling themselves
Just a few examples

That example of yours sure seems iffy, although I'm not sure anything in the rules actually prevents it. Gives it permanent bonuses for "Attacking creatures you control" etc and can always be Condemned.

Why don't they make more UN sets?

Kekeke.

>>18065687
Because they don't want us to have our delicious full art lands.

>>18065660
Holy fuck I just realized DFC are now out and I can make stuff like characters turning into different versions of themselves in a way that functions sensibly. Time to go home and have an MSE masturbation session.

>>18065692
Best thing I've seen on /tg/ in a while.

>>18065702
But they do, that's what Zendikar was for.
>my smug face when I bought 4 fat packs with fullart Zendikar lands
I do have to get myself some Unhinged Swamps at some point though, too beautiful.

Sorry, I made this question the other day but didint got to see the answer

If I want, can I cast terror just because? even if there is nothing on the table? will it just fail and go to the graveyard, or do I have to untap my lands and pretend nothing happened?

>>18065660
I that the worst I ever did was "Batman can't be chosen". Any effect that said "Choose a permanent" didn't work on Batman.

The runner-up would be "If John Constantine would leave the battlefield, instead discard a card."

>>18065773
No. It has to have a valid target upon cast and upon resolving.

>>18065780
Leaves the battlefield replacement effects are pretty retarded, tried to make them myself too. But that can't be chosen. That's a really good one, I actually laughed.
>>18065773
The last one. You don't have a target so you can't cast it.

>>18065773
A spell has to have valid targets to be cast. See: Hex.

>>18065780
>Batman can't be chosen
This is both amazing and horrifying at the same time.

>>18065798
My god would Hex have been amazing if it had said up to six.

Alright, but that´s not all the question
I already casted it, but there were no valid targets. What now?
Does it goes to the graveyard? Do I send it back to my hand and untap the lands? what now?

>>18065813
If you had a valid target, cast the spell, and the target became invalid for some reason, it fizzles. Goes to the graveyard.

>>18065813
>I already casted it, but there were no valid targets. What now?

There's the problem, you didn't cast it with no legal targets. You only mistakenly stated that you did.

Since you were never able to cast terror in the first place it's still in your hand.

>>18065813
If no valid targets upon casting, rewind the whole casting process and pretend it didn't happen. That's how you handle all game rule violations, just backtrack until you're at a point where no rules have been broken. Unless the mistake happened so long ago that backtracking isn't sensible or possible.

>>18065813
If you try to cast Terror and can't, you rewind to the point before you made the illegal action.

If you can cast Terror and the creature is a legal target, but goes away, it's countered on resolution.

>>18065800
The idea was to make Batman immune to Omega Beams. (This was before Final Crisis, of course.)

Darkseid's card read: "T: Choose a creature. Exile it."

>>18065953
I understand your intention, it just feels awkward.

Then again, my jimmies are seriously ruffled by runic repetition, so I may not be in a good position to comment.

Pretty nooby question. If i block something with a globlin fireslinger and then tap it for it's ability, it will not deal combat damage to the blocked creature but the attacking creature will still deal damage to the fireslinger. Is this correct?

>>18066041
No. Both the fireslinger, and the blocked creature will deal combat damage as normal. Tapping a blocker after it has been assigned as a blocker does not a thing to combat damage.

>>18066041
Incorrect, blockers can tap for abilities in the declare blockers step and they will still deal combat damage.

>>18066059
>>18066060
ahuh, well this is great news, I woulda gone into a tournament not knowing how to use my goblin fireslinger correctly. Thanks!

>>18065687
Because they sold poorly.

whats a good multiplayer deck that doesnt suck but wont make everyone instantly gang up to rape you? if i play my aura or elf deck everyone tries to kill me asap if i play my other decks i cant do shit as they are mostly used to fight one person.

>>18065660

i would play the shit out of a type-moon set if it was well thought out and balanced

I'm back, boys and girls.

Savor the Moment + Unwinding Clock.
What happens.

if a 2/2 with double strike is unblocked, how much damage does he do to opponent?

4 Gravecrawler
4 Diregraf Captain
4 Diregraf Ghoul
4 Geralf's Messenger
4 Drowned Catacomb
4 Cemetery Reaper
4 Island
10 Swamp
4 Phantasmal Image
3 Tragic Slip
2 Geth's Verdict
4 Darkslick Shores
2 Ghost Quarter
3 Highborn Ghoul
4 Altar’s Reap

This is my Zombie deck. What does /tg/ think? It's meant to be for casual play, maybe some FNM? I'm kinda new to any kind of Magic that's not played at a kitchen table.

>>18069204
Assuming you don't control the Clock and you cast the Moment?

The Clock won't 'fire off'. It's not "don't untap your stuff", It's literally "skip that step. It does not happen, at all. You start the turn in your Upkeep step".

>>18069237
4. 2 First Strike damage, 2 regular damage.

>>18069242
You should croup your lands together better, I thought you were only running 14 for a bit there.

It seems okay. I'm not a huge fan of Highborn Ghoul, and I feel that you might want to try and fit a Forbidden Alchemy or two in there.

>>18069265
Highborn was added on a whim; I'm not sold on them. I had three slots (formally Forbidden Alchemy) and it was suggested that I add dudes.
I'd be down for an alchemy or two, but I think three would be pushing it.

>>18069242
I'd add spectral flight.
Also, I disagree with gA. Highborn Ghoul can devastate.

Try out Duskhunter Bat for your two slot. It works well when you have 8 one drops.

>>18069283
Probably. I just feel that you might want to put in a little more draw power than JUST the Altar's Reap, is all.

Oh! Y'know what'd be funny? It's not as funny as running it with Drogskol Captain, but try Cackling Counterpart. It's an instant-speed copy of your Captain [or your Reaper, honestly] for a funny little combat trick, and you can do it twice per Counterpart.

>>18069351
That's... A great idea. I like it. I was considering running either it or Metamorph before I settled on the Phantasmal Images.

>>18069385

>>18069385

my drogskol captain deck runs 4 phantasmal and 2 metamorphs.

i got 4/4 hexproof flyers all over the place

>>18069401
I would cut Metamorph and run Counterpart, seriously. Nine times out of ten you're gonna be cloning your own Captain, and this gives you the ability to do it for the same mana cost and no life loss, at instant speed. And you can do it TWICE per Counterpart. Nothing beats trollfacing with a Cackling Counterpart in response to a Whipflare that now does nothing.

>>18069242
I think Skinrenders is pretty awesome in zombie decks.

I saw a similar deck last friday (no Geralf, Altar's reap or Phantasmal Images though) doing pretty good vs a Delver/Snappy/Illusion deck.

>>18069415
honestly i've never even seen counterpart before. now that i know about it i'll definitely be switching over.

also just bought my geist of saint traft. they are only 20 bucks on tcgplayer right now if anyone is interested.

I think Lingering Spirits is my favorite standard archetype right now, I just wish snapcasters weren't so damn expensive

I have 2 Etherium Sculptor on BF.
I cast Chimeric Mass for 0.
It does *not* get 2 counters, right?

>>18069620
Not if you call X as 0, no. However, you can declare X is 2, and end up PAYING 0.

>>18069620
Not if you cast it for zero, but there's nothing stopping you casting it for two and paying no mana.

>>18069626
Got it. So the cast is effectively still 2, but in actuality is 0.

>>18069645
Right. You declare what X is before you pay, so with the Sculptors out, you can basically just say X is 2 more than you can physically pay, and they'll 'reduce' it for you.

Can this card target cards in graveyards/exiled cards

>>18069706
Permanents are cards on the battlefield, so no.

>>18069706
Nope.jpg

Permanents exist only on the battlefield.

>>18069706
No. A permanent is anything on the battlefield. In graveyards/exile, they aren't permanents, they're permanent CARDS.

>>18069719
>>18069723
>>18069729
Thank you guys for helping solve and argument between my friend and me.

Is there any cheap, reliable way to prevent lifeloss from stuff like Phyrexian Arena or Bob? Thinking WGB commander.

>>18069854
Do -not- put Bob in a Commander deck. As glorious as that card is, it has an ugly tendency to kill the shit out of you in Commander. Stick with Arena, especially since you're in G/W so you can blow it up if you need to.

That said, you're better off trying to offset the life loss. Essence Warden/Soul Warden should probably help out. As long as one creature gets played per turn cycle, it'll offset the 1 life you lose from Arena.

>>18069872
I put him in my first EDH I made. The next turn I drew a Rune-Scarred Demon and realized what I had done.

Never again.

>>18069894
Yep. Same as putting an Ad Nauseum into a deck that's not built for it. One of my friends cast it and off of THREE CARDS he lost 20 fucking life.

>>18069894
>>18069872
Yeah, bob is a lot worse when you aren't working with the delicious low curves of legacy.

>>18069914
What was that W/U creature that did what Bob did but let you win life instead, and it needed to connect an attack to go off, rather than the upkeep?

>>18069941
Yep. Bob's biggest strengths are the fact that he costs 1 less than Arena [which is important in a faster paced format like Legacy], he can get in there for 2 damage a turn to help you kill THEM faster, he's played in a format where you can make sure you hardly ever lose more than 2 off of him [and frequently lose 0 off of lands], and he's easy to get rid of with a chump block or a bad attack if you need him to die.

Arena is better for Commander because by and large, enchantments are a lot more durable in the long run [less prone to board wipes taking them out unintentionally], you'll lose less life overall, etc, etc.

>>18069961
>>18069961
Augury Adept.

>Summon Rune-Scarred Demon, get Buried Alive
>Use Buried Alive and get Eternal Witness, Mikaeus and Karmic Guide
>Reanimate Karmic Guide, get Miakeus out.
>Attack with Sun Titan, get Eternal Witness back and retrieve Buried Alive
>No more open mana for Buried Alive

Commander is Grand.

My question is simple. I've brought this up a few times.

If I copy a creature with Phyrexian Metamorph, does the creatures casting cost become Phyrexian Metamorphs for the purpose of Birthing Pod?

I've had one person tell me yes, and another tell me no.

I need closure.

Can I block. Let's say a 4/4 with a 2/2 then fling it to finish it off? Another question I have with block sacrifice the blocking sacrificed creature would negate the combat damage unless it has trample right? Oh and last one. If a card is indestructible can it still be sacrificed for example with birthing pod?

>>18070034
I know, right?

>>18070041
No. When you copy something with a Clone or a Metamorph or the like, it becomes an exact copy of that thing. Mana Cost is a copiable value.

So, if you copy a Titan with your Metamorph, Pod will fetch you a CMC 7 thing, not CMC 5.

>>18070079
Here is a question I can answer with the Jewish test.

Is "Arcane" "Spirit"? No? There you go, sport.

>>18070081
1) No. You can block and then fling, but your 2/2 won't be there to do damage. You can block and do damage, but your 2/2 will be dead before you can fling it.

2) Right. A blocked creature stays blocked, even if all its blockers leave combat. If it HAS no blockers left, it deals no damage that combat, unless it has trample.

3) Yes. Indestructible only stops destroy effects, and saccing isn't one of those.

Can vines of vastwoof be used as a counter? Or do I have to use it before opponent announces a targetted spell. If I'm right and it counters the spell does my opponent spell become wasted?

>>18070181
It can be used as a counter, sorta. Target legality for spells and abilities is checked twice: once when the spell is cast/ability put on the stack, and again when the spell or ability goes to resolve. After they cast their removal spell, they have to give you priority before it can resolve. Using that priority, you cast Vines. Vines resolves, your dude can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control this turn, and when their removal goes to resolve, it sees an illegal target and the spell fizzles; it's countered on resolution, and NONE of its effects happen.

>>18070101
So if im reading this correctly, you can still block and sacrifice a creature, you just cant block, sacrifice, and have it deal combat damage?

If my opponent announcers all his or her attackers to attack my planeswalkers (knowing I have enough blockers that he would have to to get a shot at killing it) and I let the attack go through. Do all his or her attackers still target my planeswalker even though its overkill or does my opponent get to distribute his damage?

>>18070239
Right-o. You get priority after blocks are declared, but before damage is dealt. So, you can declare your block, then sac your dude for an effect if you want. It just won't do damage if you do that.

Back in the day, combat damage used the stack, so you could block with a Mogg Fanatic, have it assign damage, and with that 1 damage on the stack, sac it to deal 1 to your opponent or to his x/2 you were already blocking, or to another x/1 creature. They undid that with M10, so you basically have to choose between combat damage or saccing them now.

>>18070245
1) Attacking does not 'target'.

2) You decide which opponent or which Planeswalker you're attacking when you attack with the creatures. If he aims 30 power worth of damage at your Karn, and you let all of it through, he doesn't get to send 'the rest' at you.

With summoning sickness, does it where off on your upkeep? What if I played a creature after my battlephase would sickness where off after my next combatp phase?

>>18070346
Wear* on mobile sorry

>>18070346
Summoning sickness 'wears off' when you begin the turn with a creature. A creature can't attack or activate abilities with the Tap or Untap symbol in their cost unless you've controlled it non-stop since the beginning of your most recent turn. Doesn't matter when the creature entered the battlefield, only "Have you controlled this thing non-stop since the beginning of your most recent turn?"

If a creature gets Haste with an external effect (Like say, from being suspended), would a copy of that creature also have haste?

>>18070346
So even with something like bringer of the red dawn will vines prevent my opponent from taking control of one of my creature or does he/she get to choose another target

>>18070400
If you do it in response to the trigger, by which point they've already chosen their target, the ability will fizzle. They don't get to go "oh, so I can't take that one now? I pick this instead".

>>18070396
Nope. Copy effects copy the card as it's printed [well, Oracle text]. The only way to 'change' it is with other copy effects [IE, if I use Metamorph on your Primeval Titan, anything that copies MetaTitan will ALSO be an artifact, because that's part of the Metamorph's copy effect]

Who gets the effect of "die" effects, the controller or the owner? Say my opponent uses Control Magic on my Solemn Simulacrum and the thing dies. Who draws a card?

>>18070506
Controller.

Let's say I announce an attack with atog and a couple of frogs with plating equipped. My opponent blocks the 2 frogs and decides to let atog go through. Can I then sac everything to buff atog and end the game? Assuming my opponent didn't have much life

>>18070506
The controller.

>>18070534
Sure. You can sac all your shit before damage, assuming all that shit is artifacts.

>>18070534
You can sac the frogs after blockers are declared, but they won't deal any damage to the creatures that blocked them.

I'm probably going to the PTQ in Lenexa, KS this weekend. I'm a fairly experienced player, but I've never been to a REL Competitive tournament before. Is there anything I need to know so I don't cause trouble or make myself look like an ass?

I have Rite of Passage, Sages of Fables and attack with a 2/2. My opponent blocks with a 3/2. Damage is dealt and Rite of Passage puts a +1/+1 counter on my 2/2, making it 3/3. Before it dies because of damage, could I use Sage of Fables's ability to remove the +1/+1 counter and draw a card?

Ok last one for me. Let's say my opponent exiles and imprints my huntmaster of the fells with duplicant. His imprinted card doesn't flip does it? Thanks again for all the answers OP. This is the first I see this thread and my friend an I are always arguing about our scenarios.

>>18070577
Nope. The 2/2 never gets a counter on it. Your 2/2 takes 3 damage, and triggers Rite of Passage. Before the trigger is even put onto the stack, SBAs are checked and your creature is destroyed for having lethal damage on it. The counter is put onto nothing, so you never have a chance to draw.

>>18070582
Nope, and in fact, it'll be a 2/2 Human Werewolf, not a 4/4. Outside of the battlefield, DFCs are always face-up.

>>18070564
http://www.wizards.com/wpn/Events/Rules.aspx?category=magic:thegathering

Read the IPG and the MTR. In particular, learn what you can get disqualified for, and DO NOT DO THOSE THINGS.

Do you have Skype? I'd be happy to add you on Skype and help 'tutor' you about Comp REL.

I made my first fun EDH deck last night (using wort as my commander) now where do you think I can find people to play with?

>>18070619

Cockatrice, if you don't mind playing on the net.

why the fuck i never saw a thallid deck with deathpits of rath??

>>18070601
I don't have a Skype, sorry. I'm not too concerned anyway. I've been playing since Worldwake came out and I know my way around. I just needed to know if there was anything important to keep in mind, and your links seem to have provided that. Thanks for the offer, though!

Also, don't take EDH advice from that tripfag judge, he's terrible.

>>18070651
Mmkay. I also have Yahoo, if you prefer. It's really not a big deal if you'd like to have a judge to talk to about specific things. Hell, even talk about it here in the thread if you want.

A few big things: If ANYTHING AT ALL seems off, call a judge. Period. Your opponent does not have your best interests at heart, so call a judge if anything needs to get settled.

Do not ever offer to see who wins a tie-game with a dice roll or a coin flip or anything like that. If your opponent makes that offer, call a judge IMMEDIATELY.

If you notice your opponent doing something against the rules, call a judge. If you notice something going wrong and don't say anything, you're cheating.

If your opponent wants to do a prize split, call a judge to make sure that it all goes down smooth and you guys ask in the proper way. It'd really suck to get DQed because you accidentally asked 'wanna split the prizes?' the wrong way.

I only started playing a few months ago (Innistrad wasn't even new at the time) yet I clearly have a better handle of the rules then most people at the local store (many have played much much longer).

I blame you, galvanicAutogenitor, for everyone at the store thinking I am an asshole because I point out illegal moves.

>>18070701
If they think you're an asshole for trying to follow the rules, you might be playing with assholes.

>>18070701
I'm sorry! I know what you mean, though. There's some players I know that have been playing for years, and playing WRONG. And there's few things as hate-filled as the stare of an old grognard who's trying to hate you out of existence for telling him he can't cast a counterspell with no target.

>>18070701
>tfw "State based effects are going to check anyway"
>"What does that even mean?"

How do you playtest your EDH decks, GA? Do you, at all? I've tried solo games, but most of my decks are made for multiplayer games and I get headaches trying to play multiplayer alone.

>>18070720
>who's trying to hate you out of existence for telling him he can't cast a counterspell with no target.

Wow that's exactly one of the things I had to tell someone and they got upset about.

>>18070739
I got shoved on my ass by a goddamned Marine for telling him that exact thing.

>>18070727
Eh, my 'playtesting' is 'play it in my group. Take out what doesn't work, test out shit to fix problems'. I playtest the old fashioned way.

>>18070722
>mfw SBE is an outdated terminology

>>18070749
outdated smhated, was playing with an old set when it came up.

>>18064646

I'm completely ignorant about this game etc. but why is that card posted every time?

>>18070765
For denoted reference that it's a gA MTG AAJ thread.

Where does Faithless Looting fit into a Legacy Dredge list?
It's pretty vanilla Dredge, by the way.
No LEDs, no Bloodghost/Undiscovered Paradise.
Do I still run x4 Careful Study and Breakthrough?

>>18070789

It doesn't fit in legacy dredge.

>>18070648

>>18070789
It doesn't, because it's off-color.

Where do you guys play online for free? I would like to play test a couple of decks I have

>>18070833

>>18070637

>>18070831
>>18070798

>>18070833
Cockatrice.
Be forewarned there's no rules handling so it's only really good if you play with people you know. Having to deal with the online players can be upsetting.

>>18070637
Is it fairly simple to set up and use? I've never tried playing on the computer because it seems like it could be a lot of headaches.

>>18070848
It's pretty simple, yeah. You download the client, set up the pathways to the folders that it automatically makes, run the Oracle tool to fill your card database, and get cracking.

>>18070848

It's pretty good actually. It doesn't do any sort of rules handling on its own; it's strictly a virtual Magic table.

>>18070789
In ledless dredge looting does nothing that careful study doesn't do. It could be better than breakthrough though, I don't really know.

It's good with leds because it's another four copies of deep analysis, which adds consistency.

>>18070831
>off-color
Dredge can be and often is built as a 5 colour deck.

>>18070831
Lol, dredge runs rainbow lands, if you don't know something, don't answer because terrible players on /tg/ will eat your shit up.

>>18070669
> you accidentally asked 'wanna split the prizes?' the wrong way.

what is the wrong way to ask? i've just been ranking much higher in tournaments is my reason for asking.

last one was pretty funny, 2 of us wanted to split it between the top 4. they said no and the 2 of us who wanted to split got 1st and 2nd.

>>18070863
It usually CONTAINS 5 colors, but how often does it want to generate mana outside of the same 2 or 3 when it can avoid it?

>>18070868
Basically, you can discuss it as you please, but if there's ever any link between how the prizes will be split and who concedes/draws, that's VERY BAD.

Example of fine:
"The winner gets the ticket to the SCG Invitational, and 250 bucks cash, plus some packs, right? Second gets packs. How about this: Winner of this round gets the ticket and 100 bucks of the cash. Second place takes the packs, and 150 bucks. Fair?"

Other player agrees, then one of them concedes on the spot. There was no link between who gets what and 'if you scoop/if I win', etc.

BAD EXAMPLE
"Hey, I don't need the cash, just the invite. If you scoop to me, I'll give you 150 bucks."

BAD. VERY VERY VERY BAD.

>>18070888
Nobody plays LED in dredge anymore, it can generate any colour of mana.

>>18070909
But it has to be all of one color, doesn't it? I thought that it was usually cracked in response to an Infernal Tutor so they can search for exactly what they need, and cracked for mana to cast whatever spell they draw.

Plus, y'know. Good luck casting anything out of your hand with mana from a LED.

>>18070863
>It's good with leds because it's another four copies of deep analysis, which adds consistency.

Oh and in addition to this, looting can still be a careful study on turn 1 when you don't draw an led.

Looting is nuts in led dredge.

>>18070888
Dredge doesn't want to end up needing red or green mana, but people run hate and it's usually in your best interest to be able to handle it. Chain of vapor is not nearly enough.

Dredge runs rainbow lands because it needs white, blue and black on turn 1, so it has access to all 5 colours anyway.

>>18070924
>dredge
>infernal tutor

What? "it can generate any colour of mana" referred to dredge deck as a whole.

Watching a Legacy game: Dredge versus Bant KotR, Dredge goes first.

>LED and Land
>Crack LED and cast Faithless Lotting
>Discard Hand and Dredge 6 off Golgari Grave Troll for the first draw
>Mills another Grave Troll, Dredges another 6 off of it
>Uses his floating mana to flashback looting
>Mills the one that dredges for 5 and a Narcomoeba
>Flashes back a Cabal Therapy that he milled earlier, names KotR and Bant player has 2 in hand
>Mills another Grave Troll for the last Dredge
>Bant Player scoops

Then the Dredge player turns to me and say 'And thats how you play real magic'

Was pretty funny

>>18070924
Faithless Looting is nuts in LED Dredge.

Imagine this hand:
LED, Land, Faithless Lootings, Two Dredgers.

Cast Faithless Looting off of the land, pop your LED before it resolves.
You Dredge for ten, discard the dredgers again and use the mana to flashback Faithless Looting.

BAM, half of your library gone turn 1.

>>18070957
>Crack LED to pay for a spell in your hand
Uh....

>>18070970
Sorry, he cast it off the land and cracked in response or something

>>18070981
Ah, that makes a lot more sense.

>>18070957
Dredge players don't play magic, they play dredge.

Let's say my opponent has a Soul Seizer in play and I use Act of Treason on it.

If it deals combat damage to him would I get to take permanent control of one of his other creatures?

I'm bored, anybody wants to play EDH on cockatrice?

Just wanted confirmation, Omnibian's tap ability will NOT do anything to the target aside from changing its P/T, right (i.e. it will retain all abilities)?

>>18071038
Nope. You'd hit him, Soul Seizer triggers, and you flip it and attach it to one of his dudes. Now you control that creature!

But at the end of the turn, the control-changing effect that gave you control of Soul Seizer in the first place ends. He gets back the object [which is now a Ghastly Haunting] and since he controls Haunting now, he controls the enchanted creature.

>>18071065
Right. The only things Omnibian changes are the creature type [it erases all types that it has and replaces them with Frog] and P/T [sets to 3/3].

>>18070968
It's really just an absurd opener for an already absurd deck. It's way more resilient then charbelcher too, which is I think the only other deck that can pull off a turn one win consistently.

>>18071100
>deck that can pull off a turn one win consistently

It's called Spanish Inquisition.

>>18071085
I see. At least it'd be viable enough to get rid of a creature and hope he has another creature with a handy activated ability.

>>18070994
Dredge blew my mind the first time some one played it against me, it really is on a whole other level of game.

>>18071123
Well, using the Treason will let you steal his Soul Seizer and temporarily steal one of his other creatures. Plus, it basically 'wastes' Soul Seizer, keeps it from taking your stuff.

Also, Soul Seizer doesn't have an activated ability.

>>18071148
well yeah that's what I mean, since I used my combat phase to take another creature temporarily I wouldn't be able to attack with it but hope I could utilize it in my second main phase.

>Playing Modern for first time with a borrowed deck (Elf Aggro)
>Draw against Boros
>Next game is Dredge played by a really good player
>Think I'm fucked
>Triple Nettle Sentinel opening hand first game
>Aggro to death
>Next game he dredges loads of stuff but doesnt play much
>I have turn 5 Joraga Warcaller with 7 kicks
>He played 3 spells over both matches

Is Modern Dredge that much worse or was it just bad draws?

>>18071165
Only if it had an activated ability without a tap or untap symbol as a cost, since the creature taken by Haunting won't have haste.

Just felt I'd share an idea I had today after our discussion last night about Precursor Golem + Rite of Replication.

Add a Falkenrath Noble to the mix, just in case they're tempted to wipe out your golems.