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Magic: the Gathering |OT13| Ixalan - Port to Sideboard

Ashodin

Member
Looks like we will be getting the article MaRo has been hinting at for a few months soon


Also lol

This is not "warming up to the changes". This is hoping the furor goes away (which it always does). Companies avoid something that is minor that has some uproar. If it's major and has uproar, they fix it.

This is a minor uproar.
 
"In response to the Hostage Taker issue, we're returning to our old policy of having Jimmy read all the cards out loud before we print them."
 
With the planeswalker damage rule change coming, we've talked about cards like Earthquake only dealing damage to players and not planeswalkers. But would it be that big a deal to have them damage players and planeswalkers?

Earthquake - XR
Sorcery
Earthquake deals X damage to each creature without flying, each planeswalker, and each player.
 
Is there any resource for cards lists for decks that are balanced against each other? I bought the two Ixalan Planeswalker decks for my wife and I to play with each other and they're fine for what they are, but I'm trying to get her more into the game and they suck for teaching deck building since they're mostly made of single cards and don't have much a strategy besides "Pray you draw your Planeswalker or one of your rares." I made a list for a +1/+1 counter deck centered around Herald of Storms that it would be easy to convert the Jace deck into, but I don't really know where to go from there.

Also, what is it with nerds and the "Alt-right"/ Nazis? I started watching some YouTube videos about Magic and it seems like every other channel randomly drops in their far-right political ideology, apropos of nothing, every few videos. My favorite so far is Tolarian Community College, and he seems like a fine guy. I also really like the Alpha Investments guy, even though some of his videos get boring quickly since he doesn't talk about the actual game.

But then there's been a few times where I'll listen to a few videos by someone like Desolator Magic, who has an interesting series about bizarre cards that have odd or unique mechanics, and suddenly auto-play brings up one where he's claiming that Anita Sarkeesian is as terrible as Hitler. I watched a single video by some other guy whose channel name I forgot, and in the very next one he's wondering aloud if the Tolarian Community College guy is sexually attracted to transgender people since he "spends a disproportionate amount of time interacting with them on Twitter."

I don't get off work in time for FNM most weeks anyway, but it turns me off wanting to go to events. It seems like these attitudes are pervasive in the online community and even if a fraction of the people at the local game store are like that I don't have any interest in being around them.
 

Ashodin

Member
Do not look at anything by Desolator Magic

at

all

Also Magic before it really REALLY blew up was, much like comic books, mostly thought of as a hardcore nerd pastime. So those types usually attracted the more unsavory and people who enjoyed being with "their type" and away from others.
 
Is there any resource for cards lists for decks that are balanced against each other? I bought the two Ixalan Planeswalker decks for my wife and I to play with each other and they're fine for what they are, but I'm trying to get her more into the game and they suck for teaching deck building since they're mostly made of single cards and don't have much a strategy besides "Pray you draw your Planeswalker or one of your rares." I made a list for a +1/+1 counter deck centered around Herald of Storms that it would be easy to convert the Jace deck into, but I don't really know where to go from there.

Unless the Ixalan ones are a big departure, they shouldn't honestly have most of these problems. The only one-ofs in the PWs decks are usually a couple of Rares from the set and the PW themselves, the rest should be 2-, 3-, or even 4-ofs.

Also, while the PWs are the most (raw) powerful cards in the deck, they're poorly costed in terms of CMC and usually pound-for-pound less powerful than other cards in the deck. Like, a quick glance at the dinosaur deck does show it to be a bit underwhelming (could've done with some stompy green workhorse uncommons), but frankly Jade Guardian's probably a better overall card than Jace in his deck.

For what it's worth, I've played with the Liliana, Death Wielder and paired Gideon decks, and they're much more synergy-driven. (The Liliana deck is a decent -1/-1 counter value engine deck, and the Gideon deck is a R/W Exert aggro deck.) I'm guessing the Ixalan counterparts just suffered from the fact that Ixalan tribes have identity issues.
 

GoutPatrol

Forgotten in his cell
Unless the Ixalan ones are a big departure, they shouldn't honestly have most of these problems. The only one-ofs in the PWs decks are usually a couple of Rares from the set and the PW themselves, the rest should be 2-, 3-, or even 4-ofs.

Also, while the PWs are the most (raw) powerful cards in the deck, they're poorly costed in terms of CMC and usually pound-for-pound less powerful than other cards in the deck. Like, a quick glance at the dinosaur deck does show it to be a bit underwhelming (could've done with some stompy green workhorse uncommons), but frankly Jade Guardian's probably a better overall card than Jace in his deck.

For what it's worth, I've played with the Liliana, Death Wielder and paired Gideon decks, and they're much more synergy-driven. (The Liliana deck is a decent -1/-1 counter value engine deck, and the Gideon deck is a R/W Exert aggro deck.) I'm guessing the Ixalan counterparts just suffered from the fact that Ixalan tribes have identity issues.

https://mtg.gamepedia.com/Ixalan/Planeswalker_decks

The PW decks may have multiples of commons/uncommons, but few rares. Nothing can teach the constructed experience without going to 4-ofs for major rares. Besides building up 2 Temur Energy decks, it is hard to have completely "balanced" decks against each other.
 

Santiako

Member
Is there any resource for cards lists for decks that are balanced against each other? I bought the two Ixalan Planeswalker decks for my wife and I to play with each other and they're fine for what they are, but I'm trying to get her more into the game and they suck for teaching deck building since they're mostly made of single cards and don't have much a strategy besides "Pray you draw your Planeswalker or one of your rares." I made a list for a +1/+1 counter deck centered around Herald of Storms that it would be easy to convert the Jace deck into, but I don't really know where to go from there.

Also, what is it with nerds and the "Alt-right"/ Nazis? I started watching some YouTube videos about Magic and it seems like every other channel randomly drops in their far-right political ideology, apropos of nothing, every few videos. My favorite so far is Tolarian Community College, and he seems like a fine guy. I also really like the Alpha Investments guy, even though some of his videos get boring quickly since he doesn't talk about the actual game.

But then there's been a few times where I'll listen to a few videos by someone like Desolator Magic, who has an interesting series about bizarre cards that have odd or unique mechanics, and suddenly auto-play brings up one where he's claiming that Anita Sarkeesian is as terrible as Hitler. I watched a single video by some other guy whose channel name I forgot, and in the very next one he's wondering aloud if the Tolarian Community College guy is sexually attracted to transgender people since he "spends a disproportionate amount of time interacting with them on Twitter."

I don't get off work in time for FNM most weeks anyway, but it turns me off wanting to go to events. It seems like these attitudes are pervasive in the online community and even if a fraction of the people at the local game store are like that I don't have any interest in being around them.

If you are in the US, cardkingdom sells what they call "battle decks", which are cheap (10 bucks), fully built theme decks, they are supposed to be close in power level with each other. https://www.cardkingdom.com/catalog/shop/battle-decks
 

Card Boy

Banned
Is there any resource for cards lists for decks that are balanced against each other? I bought the two Ixalan Planeswalker decks for my wife and I to play with each other and they're fine for what they are, but I'm trying to get her more into the game and they suck for teaching deck building since they're mostly made of single cards and don't have much a strategy besides "Pray you draw your Planeswalker or one of your rares." I made a list for a +1/+1 counter deck centered around Herald of Storms that it would be easy to convert the Jace deck into, but I don't really know where to go from there.

Also, what is it with nerds and the "Alt-right"/ Nazis? I started watching some YouTube videos about Magic and it seems like every other channel randomly drops in their far-right political ideology, apropos of nothing, every few videos. My favorite so far is Tolarian Community College, and he seems like a fine guy. I also really like the Alpha Investments guy, even though some of his videos get boring quickly since he doesn't talk about the actual game.

But then there's been a few times where I'll listen to a few videos by someone like Desolator Magic, who has an interesting series about bizarre cards that have odd or unique mechanics, and suddenly auto-play brings up one where he's claiming that Anita Sarkeesian is as terrible as Hitler. I watched a single video by some other guy whose channel name I forgot, and in the very next one he's wondering aloud if the Tolarian Community College guy is sexually attracted to transgender people since he "spends a disproportionate amount of time interacting with them on Twitter."

I don't get off work in time for FNM most weeks anyway, but it turns me off wanting to go to events. It seems like these attitudes are pervasive in the online community and even if a fraction of the people at the local game store are like that I don't have any interest in being around them.

3 more channels i would recommend in additional to Tolarian Community College.

Strictly Better MTG
The Mana Source
Magic the Greatening

Each of those channels always talk about the game itself and often do deck techs.

You should look into Pauper into building some cheap decks. These are the 'top tier' Pauper decks

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/metagame/pauper#paper

They should never cost more than $90, average is around $45. You can build some fun decks for as little as $5 like the Fungus deck. My favorite is the $10 Shadow unblockable deck.

Good thing about Pauper is you see alot of cards been played that are not Standard or even Modern legal like Ponder, or anything pre-8th edition.

I currently have a Zombies, Unblockable, Bogles, Burn and Infect decks in pauper.
 

Tunoku

Member
Haven’t played Magic since the prerelease, but the PPTQ season is starting soon. Before sleeving up Temur Energy again, I wanna catch up on Ixalan sealed. Anyone here with some serious experience with the format and what the current take on it is? (not counting the prerelease)

I guess I could watch some Numot streams in the next couple of days.
 

Violet_0

Banned
I don't get off work in time for FNM most weeks anyway, but it turns me off wanting to go to events. It seems like these attitudes are pervasive in the online community and even if a fraction of the people at the local game store are like that I don't have any interest in being around them.

a fraction of the people are like that everywhere you go
 

Justin

Member
Also, what is it with nerds and the "Alt-right"/ Nazis? I started watching some YouTube videos about Magic and it seems like every other channel randomly drops in their far-right political ideology, apropos of nothing, every few videos. My favorite so far is Tolarian Community College, and he seems like a fine guy. I also really like the Alpha Investments guy, even though some of his videos get boring quickly since he doesn't talk about the actual game.

Take anything you like and these people like those things too. It's a product of geeky/nerdy things being mainstream. I would say you found 1 of the 2 MTG channels that are pretty reprehensible. I have found most of the MTG community to be very inclusive and friendly, more so than I assumed it would be when I started playing.
 

Boogiepop

Member
So, here's a kind of weird question for you guys: What's the best possible "all female card" deck that could be thrown together for Commander? Like, obviously on the creatures, and preferably on the instants/sorceries too. Guessing I'd need to give a pass on the lands and proooobably the artifacts (though it'd be great if those could be tagged too). Like, just needs to be a card with a clear female character in the art. Would be up for being pretty loose with that, though would say no, like, technically female cards (IE "this legendary elephant is stated to be female by lore!" or whatever) or, like, a goblin hag or whatever that'd stray waaaaay too far aesthetically, but like, for example, there are plenty of merfolk and whatnot that'd be just fine, so I'm not specifying Human female or anything. And then just preferably nothing too jank art-wise, since it'd be an art-based project more than anything were it to actually happen.

But yeah, just kind of got curious as to how possible such an endeavor would be, without ending up complete garbage. More of a thought experiment than anything else right now, but it's something that came to mind. (Note that this isn't some waifu creepy junk, just noticed that I tend to find myself more attached/related to cards with female characters in the art, and they usually end up being the ones I favor in a lot of ways, at least artistically.)
 
looking much better than planechase on a quick glance.
So, here's a kind of weird question for you guys: What's the best possible "all female card" deck that could be thrown together for Commander? Like, obviously on the creatures, and preferably on the instants/sorceries too. Guessing I'd need to give a pass on the lands and proooobably the artifacts (though it'd be great if those could be tagged too). Like, just needs to be a card with a clear female character in the art. Would be up for being pretty loose with that, though would say no, like, technically female cards (IE "this legendary elephant is stated to be female by lore!" or whatever) or, like, a goblin hag or whatever that'd stray waaaaay too far aesthetically, but like, for example, there are plenty of merfolk and whatnot that'd be just fine, so I'm not specifying Human female or anything. And then just preferably nothing too jank art-wise, since it'd be an art-based project more than anything were it to actually happen.

But yeah, just kind of got curious as to how possible such an endeavor would be, without ending up complete garbage. More of a thought experiment than anything else right now, but it's something that came to mind. (Note that this isn't some waifu creepy junk, just noticed that I tend to find myself more attached/related to cards with female characters in the art, and they usually end up being the ones I favor in a lot of ways, at least artistically.)
you can find lists of this already but my personal recommendation is
119.jpg

My Archangel Avacyn deck is all female except for the dude on land tax.
 

Joe Molotov

Member
So, here's a kind of weird question for you guys: What's the best possible "all female card" deck that could be thrown together for Commander? Like, obviously on the creatures, and preferably on the instants/sorceries too. Guessing I'd need to give a pass on the lands and proooobably the artifacts (though it'd be great if those could be tagged too). Like, just needs to be a card with a clear female character in the art. Would be up for being pretty loose with that, though would say no, like, technically female cards (IE "this legendary elephant is stated to be female by lore!" or whatever) or, like, a goblin hag or whatever that'd stray waaaaay too far aesthetically, but like, for example, there are plenty of merfolk and whatnot that'd be just fine, so I'm not specifying Human female or anything. And then just preferably nothing too jank art-wise, since it'd be an art-based project more than anything were it to actually happen.

But yeah, just kind of got curious as to how possible such an endeavor would be, without ending up complete garbage. More of a thought experiment than anything else right now, but it's something that came to mind. (Note that this isn't some waifu creepy junk, just noticed that I tend to find myself more attached/related to cards with female characters in the art, and they usually end up being the ones I favor in a lot of ways, at least artistically.)

Angel Tribal, and your creature base is already sorted.
 
But yeah, just kind of got curious as to how possible such an endeavor would be, without ending up complete garbage.

The biggest challenge is going to be actually picking out the cards, since you're gonna have to trawl through cards manually to find options. Magic easily has one of the most even gender ratios of any major game brand so there will be lots of options, but without research I think i'd propose Captain Sisay -- a cool female character as the commander that lets you fetch up other cool characters (I think this list of legends you can play in a Sisay deck tilts noticeably female), you get access to some fun planeswalkers like three Elspeths and a billion Nissas, and the fact that 90+% of angels in Magic's history are female gives you one good place to start from for creatures.

Non-creature spells is rougher, but scanning through white/green spells by EDH ranking there's a lot of them that have a clear option: Cultivate and Path to Exile both have a printing that would fit well, for example.

Dont leave out!

Yeah I get not wanting to have characters who are like invisibly female to a degree, but I do think it's important and cool that Magic makes sure its less human characters aren't all defaulted to male. Emrakul is the #1 example (I mean not this one obviously, but Promised End is still legal), but on the lines of the green-white deck I was sketching out there Dromoka is explicitly female so that's two cool dragons you can include.
 

DrArchon

Member
the flicker/exert banishing light angel and banishing light embalm angel are great, that's 2 out of 5 angels total from amonkhet.

I'd only really recommend the banishing light embalm angel. I just think the exert one is too slow, and there's no way someone won't throw a kill spell at it. Guess that's what Greaves/Boots are for.

Another idea for all girls EDH might be Mirri from the new Cat-mander deck. Plenty of cat girl cards to chose from.
 
I'd only really recommend the banishing light embalm angel. I just think the exert one is too slow, and there's no way someone won't throw a kill spell at it. Guess that's what Greaves/Boots are for.

Another idea for all girls EDH might be Mirri from the new Cat-mander deck. Plenty of cat girl cards to chose from.
you can flicker/banish your own creatures and aurelia untaps it. It's filthy.
 

Korgill

Member
Explorers of Ixalan
https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/exploring-explorers-ixalan-2017-10-10

Looks like some really good value in the few cards they showed
Shared Animosity, Time Warp and Aggravated Assault are all around $20. Even the Regisaur Alpha is around 10.

Definitely getting this either way, but I have a few questions.

1) How well will it work with Commander?

2) How well does it work with Planeschase? I think there is going to be too much overlap and both halves will suffer, but I would love to be wrong.

3) How scalable is it? Is two player good? Is 6 player good?

4) How many, if any, of the cards are specific to this game like Fractured Powerstone for Planeschase?
 

Type2

Member
Hey, I’m looking to get back into drafting with this new set. Anyone have any good resources for me to read or watch to familiarize myself with some synergies or must pick cards?
 

Justin

Member
So Explorers is a boxed product with all the same cards? Any other details?

Sorry, can't watch at work

They don't give much details but they said it contains 4 sixty card decks. They look like they will contain some pretty valuable reprints (3 of them they showed are around $20 currently). They only gave really basic info on how it plays but it looks like you make a map of random hexes that have mana costs on them (1,3,6). You can tap mana to flip the piece and they have events or benefits on them. They mentioned there was a way to take the pieces from other players.

Examples on the hexes
- Whenever you deal damage to the player on your right, draw a card
- At the begining of your endstep you may discard a card, if you do draw a card
- For each opponent destroy up to one target permanent that opponent controls
- When you reveal this tile or take it from another player draw two cards, at the beginning of your upkeep draw two cards and deal three damage to each opponent
 

DrArchon

Member
Hey, I’m looking to get back into drafting with this new set. Anyone have any good resources for me to read or watch to familiarize myself with some synergies or must pick cards?

LSV did some reviews of each card for limited a couple of weeks back.

https://www.channelfireball.com/articles/ixalan-limited-set-review-white/
https://www.channelfireball.com/articles/ixalan-limited-set-review-blue/
https://www.channelfireball.com/articles/ixalan-limited-set-review-black/
https://www.channelfireball.com/articles/ixalan-limited-set-review-red/
https://www.channelfireball.com/articles/ixalan-limited-set-review-green/
https://www.channelfireball.com/articles/ixalan-limited-set-review-gold-artifacts-and-lands/

Should help with getting a broad overview of which cards are high on the totem poll.
 
Definitely getting this either way, but I have a few questions.

1) How well will it work with Commander?

2) How well does it work with Planeschase? I think there is going to be too much overlap and both halves will suffer, but I would love to be wrong.

3) How scalable is it? Is two player good? Is 6 player good?

4) How many, if any, of the cards are specific to this game like Fractured Powerstone for Planeschase?
1) hard to say

2) that depends on whether you think planechase works at all

3) 4 player looks like the envisioned use case

4) 0
 
Another idea for all girls EDH might be Mirri from the new Cat-mander deck. Plenty of cat girl cards to chose from.

She fits well thematically if someone goes for my Sisay idea from earlier, too.

1) How well will it work with Commander?

In practice if people play this at all outside the prebuilt decks in the box it'll be in Commander so I am confident they tested it out that way during design.

2) How well does it work with Planeschase? I think there is going to be too much overlap and both halves will suffer, but I would love to be wrong.

It fills the exact same game role (an all-purpose mana sink tied to semi-unpredictable effects) so I would imagine it'd be kind of redundant and confusing. (Plus, obviously, thematically incoherent.)

4) How many, if any, of the cards are specific to this game like Fractured Powerstone for Planeschase?

One of the things about their new strategy for supplemental casual products, which is clear from their renumbering of these to E01, E02, etc. but which they didn't announce explicitly is that they've moved from "multiple separate individual decks with different contents and new cards" to "standalone-playable box set" as their business model. One of the results of that is that these products aren't going to have new cards anymore.
 
Explorers of Ixalan
https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/exploring-explorers-ixalan-2017-10-10

Looks like some really good value in the few cards they showed
Shared Animosity, Time Warp and Aggravated Assault are all around $20. Even the Regisaur Alpha is around 10.

Interesting. Being a boxed product, I wonder how it will change the price of those cards. Like I wonder if it's worth trying to unload them now or just hang on to them if the difference isn't worth the hassle.
 

Card Boy

Banned
Explorers of Ixalan
https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/feature/exploring-explorers-ixalan-2017-10-10

Looks like some really good value in the few cards they showed
Shared Animosity, Time Warp and Aggravated Assault are all around $20. Even the Regisaur Alpha is around 10.

This is amazing. I loved Nicole Bolas Archenemy. Defiantly getting.

November is going to be expensive AF for Magic.

Duel Decks: Merfolk vs. Goblins (plz have a Kiki-Jiki or Warren Instigator in the deck)
Iconic Masters
Explorers of Ixalan
From the Vault: Transform
 

Ashodin

Member
This is amazing. I loved Nicole Bolas Archenemy. Defiantly getting.

November is going to be expensive AF for Magic.

Duel Decks: Merfolk vs. Goblins (plz have a Kiki-Jiki or Warren Instigator in the deck)
Iconic Masters
Explorers of Ixalan
From the Vault: Transform

Who are you being defiant to? :p

I'm likely only getting From the Vault: Transform

Well and the wife might go ham on Iconic Masters.
 

Tunoku

Member
All these November products and I want to build a damn PC next month. Fuck me. At least all the video games decided to came out this month.
 
This is amazing. I loved Nicole Bolas Archenemy. Defiantly getting.

November is going to be expensive AF for Magic.

Duel Decks: Merfolk vs. Goblins (plz have a Kiki-Jiki or Warren Instigator in the deck)
Iconic Masters
Explorers of Ixalan
From the Vault: Transform

Next time they do a Planar Chaos style set, I want this.
 
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