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

Boogiepop

Member
Hoozah, got and played some Commander with friends with the new decks (and some old, as it was 6 people), with me grabbing the cat one. And I do indeed like playing it. First off: those curses can be brutal. The guy playing the vampire deck got tagged with the draw based one, and that brought the aggro straight on him till he was dead, pretty much.

But anyway, I very much like my cats, I think. Somehow ended up in quite a bizarre situation late-game, though, which was fun. Played the little 2/2 Lynx that spits out the rats, then played the Hammer of Nazahn to make him indestructible, nuked the field of everything else with Rout. Then ended up getting out my commander along with the Luxodon Hammer, which also went on the Lynx.

Anyway, long story short, I had my tiny little 2/2 base lynx buffed up by holding two hammers, a +1/+1 from a rat dying, the eminence, and the doubling effect from the commander to swing for like 20 damage (which I also recovered via lifelink) with a tiny cat. Which was awesome, but then both of his hammers got nuked from existence as that drew all the aggro in a 6 player game. Actually seems like it's REAL easy to draw aggro in general with this deck...

Btw, what are some tips for subs for this deck? In particular, it'd be nice to have some tips on what I should be looking to take out at least, as I'm not a great judge of that. (At the bare minimum I have a Sword of Light and Shadow that's going in for sure, plus a few more to consider. And then I'd maybe be up for pickiny up a few singles to sub in, though I really don't want to go crazy with sinking money into Magic.)

Oh, and any recommendations as to what sort of thing I should be looking at for a deck box? Thought "oh sweet, perfect" when I saw it came in a little reusable box... but that doesn't work at all once the cards are sleeved.
 

Yeef

Member
"shudder"

edit: it is a shame Felidar Guardian is banned, he would be great in a GW cat deck.
Felidar Guardian is only banned in Standard; that card's not in standard. Since it's from a Commander set, it's only legal in eternal formats like Legacy & EDH.
 

Justin

Member
wantedscoundrels.jpg


That flavor text...
 

Zubz

Banned
black colorless 4/2 is a good deal for an early game, but this card would be a target for its ability.

Yup. I could also see this being useful early game, if kept safe until Mana becomes less of an issue late-game. It's strong, & cheap for the first few rounds. It's a liability later on, however, & I love how the flavor text reflects that.

Wonder if this will be a viable strategy.

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I was obsessed w/ unconventional win conditions back in the day. I absolutely want to try to to do this.
 
I was wanting to brew up Mechanized Production and Anointed Procession myself.
Just need to see what gives the most Treasure tokens.
 

Justin

Member
Panharmonicon does not work with either of those cards though correct? Has to be a ETB effect or triggered by creater/artifact ETB
 

traveler

Not Wario
Yeah, not seeing the panharmonicon synergy there.

Gotta say, it's a real shame this set leaked early. This is one of the better looking designs they've put out since I returned to the game with BfZ and I feel like hype would be super high if spoiler season hadn't gotten a huge handicap.
 

OnPoint

Member
Gotta say, it's a real shame this set leaked early. This is one of the better looking designs they've put out since I returned to the game with BfZ and I feel like hype would be super high if spoiler season hadn't gotten a huge handicap.

I actually am personally way more excited after the disappointment of Amonkhet block. I don't think this is going to be an amazing set power level wise, but it looks fun and exciting.
 
I actually am personally way more excited after the disappointment of Amonkhet block. I don't think this is going to be an amazing set power level wise, but it looks fun and exciting.

People frequently underestimate how much significance the first set after a rotation winds up having, anyway.
 

OnPoint

Member
People frequently underestimate how much significance the first set after a rotation winds up having, anyway.

Oh, well, I expect it to turn standard on its head to some degree. I just don't know if it's going to do much for the Eternal formats, is more what I meant. I mean I could be very wrong, we do have a new 3CMC Jace after all, and I was quite wrong about The Last Hope.
 

Justin

Member
Oh, well, I expect it to turn standard on its head to some degree. I just don't know if it's going to do much for the Eternal formats, is more what I meant. I mean I could be very wrong, we do have a new 3CMC Jace after all, and I was quite wrong about The Last Hope.

Are you a modern player? I don't know much about modern but I had one of the SCG events on in the background and saw a decent number of Amonkhet block cards being played. Since WOTC is pretty clear that they don't design cards for modern it seems likely that only a very small number of new cards from a new set will make their way into those decks. MaRo even posted a few days ago they don't even test the new cards in modern decks. That might change with the new play design team though especially if WOTC is looking to start running more modern gps.
 
Made out with two boxes plus a bit in prizes from PAX, and opened a random Mana Vault in a sealed pool. Not a bad event.

I think it was enormously, ridiculously stupid for them to not be pimping Magic Arena at the event, though. The number of people I met over the weekend who A) expressed an interest in Magic, B) play Hearthstone, and C) have not even heard Magic Arena is going to be a thing was, to put it bluntly, completely ridiculous.

Even just a freaking standee out next to where they were running Mini Masters would have probably been better advertising than all of Hascon will be for it.
 
The art's a little underwhelming for it's effect.

They've run up against it when it comes to evocative "destroy all creatures" art considering they started with some pretty kick-ass concepts and then chewed through the rest like a woodchipper.

We're down to, "Dinosaur who knocks too enthusiastically" on the list, now.
 

OnPoint

Member
Are you a modern player? I don't know much about modern but I had one of the SCG events on in the background and saw a decent number of Amonkhet block cards being played. Since WOTC is pretty clear that they don't design cards for modern it seems likely that only a very small number of new cards from a new set will make their way into those decks. MaRo even posted a few days ago they don't even test the new cards in modern decks. That might change with the new play design team though especially if WOTC is looking to start running more modern gps.

I am pretty into Modern. I think Solemnity, Hollow One and Claim to Fame stand out from Hour, and Amonkhet got us some new lands to use... but that's kind of it, unless I'm missing something?

I've watched Saffron Olive play a ton of decks using the new cards in Modern and none of them seem all that impressive. Solemnity is almost there, but the combo takes too many pieces for me to consider "good". Perhaps the planeswalker legendary rule will change that and make Gideon Tribal tier 1?
 

Santiako

Member
I am pretty into Modern. I think Solemnity, Hollow One and Claim to Fame stand out from Hour, and Amonkhet got us some new lands to use... but that's kind of it, unless I'm missing something?

I've watched Saffron Olive play a ton of decks using the new cards in Modern and none of them seem all that impressive. Solemnity is almost there, but the combo takes too many pieces for me to consider "good". Perhaps the planeswalker legendary rule will change that and make Gideon Tribal tier 1?

From Hour, the big one is Hour of Promise. From Amonkhet, Vizier of Remedies and the one mana cyclers for Living End.
 

Violet_0

Banned
as far as can I tell, there hasn't been a single card that looks like it could be notably valuable/powerful in this set so far? And by the way, I hate everyone for bumping up the price of Scarab God before I got one

and I did my first and only Hour draft. Got the Demon and Last Stand, but it was pretty meh otherwise
 
as far as can I tell, there hasn't been a single card that looks like it could be notably valuable/powerful in this set so far? And by the way, I hate everyone for bumping up the price of Scarab God before I got one

and I did my first and only Hour draft. Got the Demon and Last Stand, but it was pretty meh otherwise

A lot of people around here said the same about Hour of Devastation, so idk
 

Justin

Member
ta7ndw2xj2kz.png

"whenever creatures under your control explore put +1/+1 counter on this creature and gain 3 life. "

note: translation taken from random reddit poster
 

GoutPatrol

Forgotten in his cell
Felidar Guardian is only banned in Standard; that card's not in standard. Since it's from a Commander set, it's only legal in eternal formats like Legacy & EDH.

Oh, I thought that was something from Ixalan. My mistake. I was getting real pumped to play that in Standard.
 

OnPoint

Member
From Hour, the big one is Hour of Promise. From Amonkhet, Vizier of Remedies and the one mana cyclers for Living End.

I'll cede that I forgot about those, Vizier is probably the most impactful. The cyclers and the demon probably take Living End from tier 3 to tier 2. Also, someone mentioned Rhonas as well. I still don't think this block has taken the format by storm, however.
 

DrArchon

Member
wantedscoundrels.jpg


That flavor text...

This would've been fucking awesome if Abrade, Lightning Strike, and Harnessed Lightning weren't going to be in the same standard.

Still though, this and that 2 mana 4/3 Minotaur that makes you discard a card sounds pretty cool for an unorthodox BR deck.
 

Justin

Member
I'll cede that I forgot about those, Vizier is probably the most impactful. The cyclers and the demon probably take Living End from tier 3 to tier 2. Also, someone mentioned Rhonas as well. I still don't think this block has taken the format by storm, however.

In a format consisting of 12,000+ cards how many cards out of a new 270 card set can you realistically expect to make an impact on the format considering they give no consideration to modern when designing the new cards?

Also isn't Hollow One making its way into a few decks?
 
In a format consisting of 12,000+ cards how many cards out of a new 270 card set can you realistically expect to make an impact on the format considering they give no consideration to modern when designing the new cards?

Also isn't Hollow One making its way into a few decks?
Well between BFZ Block SOI Block Kaladesh Block Amonkhet Block.

least modern played cards have to be between Amonkhet and Kaladesh.

BFZ would rank lowest if it wasn't for Eldrazi.

Ammonkhet also has censor and by force that see play.
 

DrArchon

Member
I really like that for EDH. Recursion is so hard to come by in some colors. I'm willing to jump through some hoops and spend a bunch of mana if it means I get a card back every turn.
 

duxstar

Member
Such a weird card, crew 4, 4 mana, doesnt hit hard.

And still requires mana to do anything on the backside.

What deck wants this ? Control ? Midrange ? Not aggro.
 

Santiako

Member
Well between BFZ Block SOI Block Kaladesh Block Amonkhet Block.

least modern played cards have to be between Amonkhet and Kaladesh.

BFZ would rank lowest if it wasn't for Eldrazi.

Ammonkhet also has censor and by force that see play.

Kaladesh has quite a lot of cards that see Modern play, off the top of my head it has Chandra, Ceremonious Rejection, Copter, the 5 fast lands, Inventor's Fair, Saheeli, Madcap Experiment.


EDIT: Cathartic Reunion, too, how could I forget that one!
 
Kaladesh has quite a lot of cards that see Modern play, off the top of my head it has Chandra, Ceremonious Rejection, Copter, the 5 fast lands, Inventor's Fair, Saheeli, Madcap Experiment.
I blanked on a bunch of them.

SOI has blessed alliance, flayer, Liliana, the spirits (mausoleum wanderer, selfless, queller), tracker, recruiter.

Then it's probably between BFZ and Amonkhet. BFZ has Gideon, Newlamog (and seldomly Kozilek), a bunch of Eldrazi (more when Bant was a thing) and Cleetus.
 

bigkrev

Member
Hey, there is the rare vehicle for the guy complaining there would be no rare ones last week!

I have no idea how to evaluate the card at all LOL. I -think- it's good?

It's a gamebreaking "I win" in a control mirror, it just seems nigh-impossible to flip short of us getitng a tournament quality Gideon again
 

Justin

Member
Someone on twitter mentioned that it says "transformed under your control" so you can steal the ship and keep the land after transforming it.
 

DrArchon

Member
It's a gamebreaking "I win" in a control mirror, it just seems nigh-impossible to flip short of us getitng a tournament quality Gideon again

Gideon of the Trials does have 4 power. Everyone's been sleeping on him while AoZ stole the spotlight. Maybe it's his time to shine now?
 

ultron87

Member
It's kind of weird that that this one Exiles before it transforms, but the other ones don't. I guess there might be a little more general weirdness with going from Creature to Land, instead of Artifact to Land.
 
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