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Magic: the Gathering |OT10| Aether Revolt - That shit that make your Soul Burn slow

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Four rounds into the five round prerelease, and I've gotten my ass kicked by everyone. I haven't won a single game. I had a bad pool with little good removal, including none in black, and no good threats that didn't also have bad cards in the rest of that color. I started out U/B/G but then changed to R/G splashing blue for a Confiscation Coup. But then every single match, I drew the three Islands I included (I also had two Renegade Maps). For a while, I chocked it up to bad draws, but I just had to relearn the lesson that, no, it's my fault for building my deck like that. It's too late to win any prizes, but I just removed blue and the maps from my deck, and hopefully I can win this last one.
 

jph139

Member
Went 3-1 overall at my prerelease. Originally was GW with a splash of blue, but ended up dropping the blue midway (which left me short on removal but a lot more consistent). Real MVP was Walking Ballista - being able to machine gun down creatures or get that last few points of direct damage in changed the game every time.

I also pulled an Ajani, who I got to ult in the one game I played him and swung with two tramplers for 19 damage. So overall? Pretty happy with it.

That being said, I do get the feeling that it doesn't add much to Kaladesh. I didn't see people using either of the new mechanics in a major way.
 

TheGrue

Member
Did the event last night starting at midnight after having done normal FNM. Basically played 12+ hours of Magic, playing from 6 PM to 6:30 AM. I got Mechanized Production as my promo foil, so I made a deck with the thought that if I could get one win with 8 servos during the night I would consider my night a success. I managed it on the second to last game.

I'd like to try to build a real Standard deck with cards that could get servo tokens out much quicker than I could manage with the cards I happened to pull.
 

Wulfric

Member
I went 2-3 today, with a single Fatal Push for my troubles.

Also I had this really janky interaction occur a few times during the day. It's also my new standard deck.

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Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
Four rounds into the five round prerelease, and I've gotten my ass kicked by everyone. I haven't won a single game. I had a bad pool with little good removal, including none in black, and no good threats that didn't also have bad cards in the rest of that color. I started out U/B/G but then changed to R/G splashing blue for a Confiscation Coup. But then every single match, I drew the three Islands I included (I also had two Renegade Maps). For a while, I chocked it up to bad draws, but I just had to relearn the lesson that, no, it's my fault for building my deck like that. It's too late to win any prizes, but I just removed blue and the maps from my deck, and hopefully I can win this last one.
My pool sucked too.

I just went to the bar they built next door and sucked it up.
 

Fuzzery

Member
Did a prerelease, went 2 0 and then tied the last cuz it was like 3am

Boring but solid UW fliers, aetherstorm roc and long finned skywhale, with 2 eddytrail hawks and the 3/1s that can't be blocked by artifact creatures

that 2/1 flier in blue that doubles counters is pretty good, one game I got a turtle out turn 1 on the play, and had that on turn 2, won the game by itself right there by increasing the +1/+1 counters
 
As an update, I've lost every game I played. As luck would have it, my last opponent went off with Winding Constrictor. Don't think I'll do my usual deck post, since there's not much to say. The cards I included did the best they could, but it wasn't enough.

BTW, this is another store that had someone open Saheeli and Felidar Guardian, though he didn't get the combo to go off.
 

MoxManiac

Member
Miserable Pre-release for me. Went 1-3 with what i thought was a decent pile of cards. Routinely either flooded out or had mana issues. Never been this frustrated before, I usually go at least 3-1 (my LGS does four rounds) Not sure if it was my mana base or what, I ran 17 lands (red splash) + attune with aether, the 1/3 mana dork, and that mana land enchantment you can sac for a card.

Notable pulls with any value include Ajani Unyielding, prerelease foil Metallic Mimic, and Baral, chief of compliance. Oh, and I was playing Ajani's colors so of course I was playing him. I saw him ONCE in like 10 games. How does that even happen.
 

Ashodin

Member
WINDING CONSTRICTOR

Snek is the best card

I also went 3-1, and as you saw earlier, opened Heart of Kiran in one of my prize packs. Also I retrofitted my Saskia Samurai deck with better removal and protection and took out the combat chaff that was clogging up the deck, and slapped in Exploration and Burgeoning because goddamn I need to ramp fast to pop out Samurai. It was GLORIOUS too

I was on Jund (BG/r) using Prophetic Prism, Renegade Map for filter into red, Combustible Gearhulk (fucking amazing), lots of +1/+1 counters green cards and revolt combo shenanigans. Here's the main cards that did work

SNEK ABOVE ALL
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(datestamp) +
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+
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Do you know how backbreaking it is to put down the Tusker and drop two +1/+1s on your whole team
 

Yeef

Member
Got to play one of the most miserable matches I've ever had in a prerelease today against a friend. He had two Hidden Stockpiles and a Tezzeret. Both games he craked a Map on turn 2 and played a stockpile to gum up the ground. Once he got the second out, it was just about impossible to do anything on the ground. Eventually, Tezzeret means he gets to spit out 5/5s instead of 1/1s.

With the exception of that match, I've been enjoying this format a lot so far.
 

Wulfric

Member
WINDING CONSTRICTOR

Do you know how backbreaking it is to put down the Tusker and drop two +1/+1s on your whole team

I loved this card. I just finished the Abzan version of the deck. It's called "Sneks on a plane(swalker)". It's only $125 and is super funny.

4x Fretwork Colony
3x Rishkar, Peema Renegade
4x Scrounging Bandar
2x Thalia, Heretic Cathar
4x Tireless Tracker
4x Winding Constrictor
3x Yahenni, Undying Partisan

4x Fatal Push
4x Animation Module
3x Oath of Ajani
2x Nissa, Vital Force

1x Aether Hub
2x Blooming Marsh
2x Canopy Vista
8x Forest
2x Fortified Village
3x Hissing Quagmire
1x Shambling Vent
4x Swamp
 

NameGenerated

Who paid you to grab Dr. Pavel?
Did anyone else's pre-release have kits that contained a bunch of yellow/faded cards. Our store had tons of them, mostly the Kaladesh cards, but some Aether Revolt too. They look like piss. Even my Black Vise that I opened from my prize packs (so not from the pre-release kits, but an actual booster box) is faded.

On the bright side, I went 2-2 and fluked my way into top 8. Played the undefeated top seed who had the Saheeli+Cat combo (he got it off 5 times total in the 5 rounds, once against me) and beat him.
 
Random thought exercise: expand what can be done with red polymorphing.
* To reduce shuffling, only look at the top N cards of the library. The fact that it's possible to miss would likely mean increasing the mana cost if it can target opponents' creatures, or restricting it to yourself.

4R
Sorcery
Exile target creature. That creature's controller looks at the top six cards of his or her library, puts up to one creature card from among them onto the battlefield, and puts the rest on the bottom of his or her library in any order.

2R
Instant
Exile target creature you control. Look at the top six cards of your library. Put up to one creature card from among them onto the battlefield. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.

* Creating a range for the creatures that can be polymorphed into.

3R
Sorcery
Exile target creature. Its controller reveals cards from the top of his or her library until he or she reveals a creature card with converted mana cost less than that of the exiled card, puts that card onto the battlefield, then shuffles the rest into his or her library.

* Adding other effects to it.

2R
Socery
Exile target creature an opponent controls. Its controller reveals cards from the top of his or her library until he or she reveals a creature card, puts that card onto the battlefield, then shuffles the rest into his or her library. Draw a card.

* Making it a mode in a modal spell.

2R
Sorcery
Choose one--
* CARDNAME deals 3 damage to target creature or player.
* Exile target creature an opponent controls. That player reveals cards from the top of his or her library until he or she reveals a creature card, puts that card onto the battlefield, then shuffles the rest into his or her library.
 

Ri'Orius

Member
Went 3-1 with GWr. Had some good +1/+1 counter shenanigans with Animation Module/Greenwheel Liberator/Scrounging Bandar (glad to see there's now a cat monkey worth playing!) and even Lifecrafter's Gift. And of course the usual Renegade Freighter/Gearshift Ace for a ridiculously quick win.

One of my AER packs had Quicksmith Rebel(foil) and Quicksmith Spy, which I thought was cute. I'm still disappointed this wasn't a full cycle, though: was there a reason? Something storyline-related or something? My other rares were pretty terrible: Lightning Runner (am I missing something? A neighbor referred to him as a 'bomb' and one of us is horribly wrong about him) and two Peacewalker Colossuses (almost considered running them and an Aradara Express, but figured it was too inconsistent, even with a Trophy Mage as a third Peacewalker).

On the whole, though, it was a lot of fun. Had some great games. Lost to Aethertide Whale, who still seems super dumb (although in hindsight I did have one out: Airdrop Aeronauts). I'm not fully sold on AER as a limited format; I feel like I might conclude that straight KLD is more my style, but time will tell. I have seen some a Johnny-esque draft deck that ran hardcore Improvise to some success...
 
One of my AER packs had Quicksmith Rebel(foil) and Quicksmith Spy, which I thought was cute. I'm still disappointed this wasn't a full cycle, though: was there a reason? Something storyline-related or something?

No, it's to tie into the draft strategy for red and blue. Those are the colors that care most about having artifacts on the battlefield. It's the same reason why only white and red have Modification cards that turn vehicles into creatures: those are the colors in draft that care most about vehicles.
 
My other rares were pretty terrible: Lightning Runner (am I missing something? A neighbor referred to him as a 'bomb' and one of us is horribly wrong about him)
Your neighbour is, at least in sealed. Energy creation has been very toned down compared to Kaladesh and it does get blocked to trade by 2/3s. You could make it work with enough combat tricks but then again it's a 2/2 that dies to pretty much anything.
 

Santiako

Member
I forgot to mention, the guy that had 2 felidar and Saheeli in his pool also had a ninth bridge patrol, and won one of his rounds with an infinitely big ninth bridge. Fun.
 

Violet_0

Banned
I decided that it was probably not worth it to drive one and a half hours in one direction in the midst of winter to participate in the pre-release
seeing how everyone else is miserable, it was probably the right choice :p
oh well, I'm more excited for Amonkhet anyway
 

Santiako

Member
I decided that it was probably not worth it to drive one and a half hours in one direction in the midst of winter to participate in the pre-release
seeing how everyone else is miserable, it was probably the right choice :p
oh well, I'm more excited for Amonkhet anyway

Oh no, the format is fantastic. It's only bad in the very small chance that someone opens Saheeli and Felidar Guardian.
 

Tea Time

Neo Member
Enjoyed yesterday's prerelease despite going 1-4 with what was probably the worst prerelease pool I've ever had - No removal and no bombs.
Best interaction I had was this, but it just wasn't enough:
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We had one guy open a Saheeli and Guardian, but he only managed to land it once.
Got another event today so fingers crossed for a better pool.
 

Xis

Member
Did anyone else's pre-release have kits that contained a bunch of yellow/faded cards. Our store had tons of them, mostly the Kaladesh cards, but some Aether Revolt too. They look like piss. Even my Black Vise that I opened from my prize packs (so not from the pre-release kits, but an actual booster box) is faded.

All of my cards from the last prerelease (Kaladesh) are noticeably yellow, it's very visible on the white cards especially.
 

Yeef

Member
My other rares were pretty terrible: Lightning Runner (am I missing something? A neighbor referred to him as a 'bomb' and one of us is horribly wrong about him)
It's really good in a RG energy deck, but not terribly exciting elsewhere. A lot of the red and green energy creatures have attack triggers, so getting a second combat phase is a big deal. It's a bit of a win-more card though.
 

Xis

Member
At a morning prerelease now; my promo was Ajani! But I think he was a trap; built a blue/white deck, splashing green for Ajani and got ran over in game one. Switched to red/blue and crushed my opponent game two.
 

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
Do people not understand that Fatal Push is not that good in Standard yet?
 

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
I mean, you can't trigger revolt without goofy stuff in Standard. I'm just wondering why people keep saying "yeah but X dies to Fatal Push!" as though people are going to play decks with 4 Fatal Push in them.
 

Ri'Orius

Member
No, it's to tie into the draft strategy for red and blue. Those are the colors that care most about having artifacts on the battlefield. It's the same reason why only white and red have Modification cards that turn vehicles into creatures: those are the colors in draft that care most about vehicles.

Wait, really? That was definitely a black think in KLD, and I'm not seeing much of a change in AER. Red's got a couple Improvisers at common, but it still looks to me like black is at least as artifacts-matters as red is, especially when you add a pack of KLD into the mix...
 

Xis

Member
Went 3-1! Pretty happy. Saw a real weird interaction where one player attacked with two menace cards, and defending player blocked both with Night Market Guard (can block an additional creature each combat) + 2 other creatures.
 
Dropped from the THG after losing in the 5th round. My partner drew 12 lands with 2 more on top of the deck while I was trying to hold up the fort against 2 decks that drew just the right amount of lands. Except one of them was looking for an island to CopyCat us.

We faced the combo twice when I specifically named our team PLS NO COPYCAT.

Our pool was so bad I made a Dynavolt Tower combo deck. With Era of Invention + the enchantment that makes Thopter when you play artifact spells as energy generation and Saheeli's artistry as the only bomb to speak of. Release the Gremlins a Welding Sparks 2 Mana Leaks a Negate and the enchantment that drains as the only removal. It was a janky deck but when it worked it was sweet.
My partner had to both play the creatures and the removal.

Foil Paradox Engine and Heart of Kiran where the only notable pulls. Promos where Yahenni and Sram. The guys behind us and next to us opened a Sword of War and Peace and an Oblivion Stone. I really don't like this lottery as it doesn't seem to like me.
 

Angry Grimace

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
Yeah, it's a clear modern plant.

The interesting question is how many decks it enables that couldn't compete with Path and Lightning Bolt.

Jund and Abzan might be joined by Sultai (although I still think Abzan and Jund are better tbh)
 
I wonder if it might be a good idea for Prerelease Packs to start including one piece of common removal from each color. Ex:

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Unlike the Theros method of including a particular rare with the packs, this wouldn't make games too samey, since who the hell's going to notice that everyone playing red has Chandra's Revolution? Though this needs to be removal that doesn't become too great if you have multiples, which is why I didn't include Shock.

This should help bad pools, since you're always guaranteed some removal, without making good pools less exciting.

Wait, really? That was definitely a black think in KLD, and I'm not seeing much of a change in AER. Red's got a couple Improvisers at common, but it still looks to me like black is at least as artifacts-matters as red is, especially when you add a pack of KLD into the mix...

Every color cares about artifacts in Kaladesh block, but each cares in different ways. If you look at black's commons, black cares more about sacrificing artifacts in this set, which is also part of the black/red draft strategy.
 

MoxManiac

Member
I wonder if it might be a good idea for Prerelease Packs to start including one piece of common removal from each color. Ex:

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Image.ashx
Image.ashx
Image.ashx
Image.ashx


Unlike the Theros method of including a particular rare with the packs, this wouldn't make games too samey, since who the hell's going to notice that everyone playing red has Chandra's Revolution? Though this needs to be removal that doesn't become too great if you have multiples, which is why I didn't include Shock.

This should help bad pools, since you're always guaranteed some removal, without making good pools less exciting.



Every color cares about artifacts in Kaladesh block, but each cares in different ways. If you look at black's commons, black cares more about sacrificing artifacts in this set, which is also part of the black/red draft strategy.

I had literally zero artifact removal in my pool. Any my removal was sorcery speed. I spent a lot of time getting run over by vehicles.
 
Back from my second prerelease ever (first was Kaladesh). Again went 4-2-1. At least I seem to be consistent at an okay level, I guess... Pool wasn't really good. I had the Aetherborn lord as promo, some decent aetherborn and some removal in black sothat was a lock. The problem was the second color. Green had very good average card quality but it was only like 6 cards in total and none of them wanted the same strategy as black. I ended up playing Grixis (actually more like black with blue and red splash).

Opening value was complete trash. Not one Mythic (including the three price packs) and no money rare.

I general I think I like mono-Kaladesh better. It was more focused. Although blue seems to be on par with the other colors now. And I just want to say again that vehicles are a great addition to limited. They add a really cool additional layer.
 

Lee N

Membre
I've been meaning to post my legacy elves for a while but never really gotten around to taking pictures of the deck. It's fully altered (save for the cradles) right now...

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Pictures are a bit grainy, and I had some issues with glare but at least you can see what they look like.
 

Haly

One day I realized that sadness is just another word for not enough coffee.
Holy shit

How much did that project cost you?
 

panzone

Member
Did 3-1 because my promo was the angel and I wanted to play white even if I couldn't. After a quick switch to red it was pretty easy. The main color needed to be black since I opened
fatal push/essence extraction/battle at bridge/midnight entourage.

My only problem is that I opened a great pool for playing but without anything that I really wanted. I'm quite sad that I didn't open a Hope of Ghirapur or an ornithopter.
 
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