Born of the Gods : the Blues in you ?

Ok it's Born of the Gods Review time again, two weeks away from Online playtesting. I was whispered by the Muses Blue gets a few interesting cards from the set.

Full visual spoiler can be found here again :

http://mythicspoiler.com/

Dimir Mill, Mono Blue, Azorius Control / Aggro, Simic Aggro Permission, Izzet builds could competitively take advantage of new efficient cards in the current Standard Metagame.

Here are the cards that caught my eye.

Flying sirens?!

Of course. There are 3 on the art just like in Greek Mythology, according to many authors, though only one normally sings and the other two are supposed to be playing music instruments.

 The Heroic triggered ability is not that interesting, and I guess it will only see play because of a 3/2 flying body. Maybe in a Mono Blue build, and only for Standard Pauper Constructed !










I know it's crisis time, but look at this casting cost !
Prescient Chimera is just better in the format, even if this Human Wizard can help us draw and get card advantage. Sure?

Two toughness makes him a weak target for Red removal like Shock. If you are to spend 5 manas for something solid, just keep away from that card.












A 2/3 Merfolk for three manas is not bad. It's Nimbus Naiad without Flying but +1 Toughness. Same bestow cost. A +2/+3 boost is interesting in any creature based deck. Temptation is here Bestow-playing it on a Flying or Unblockable creature. Beware though, Pacifism is stil around and kicking.

I like that art and that card and think it will see play. Just because Atlantis is burning and sinking in the background.










So much to write about that Serpent. In short : this card definitly has a potential. It can enter any deck playing blue - and enchantments. The serpent is Fate Foretold's best friend for a draw combo. He can return any Bestow creature in your hand so you can play them according to the changing situation. The enchantments returned to your hands can trigger Heroic every turn !

Of course you want that  serpent to be unblockable so the fun never stops. So many options to build around, granted a 4/4 body for 5 manas is quite decent.

That is a weird and unusual card in blue. It triggers Heroic for sure, can be helpful as combat trick. Beware, the Tritons are taking over the city !

This really would shine in a Nivix Cyclops deck for a big or fatal blow. Even it can trigger an Inspired ability on demand. In fact this card is so versatile we'll have to wait to know what its real potential  in the format is. Just a pity the card does not read "protection from color" as well.








Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !!

Maybe the best art ever for Divination in Magic history, what do you think?

Still draw two cards at sorcery speed. The flavor text really makes the link between Divination and Gods, wether you like it or not. And that's brand new ! Not much else to say.

Now here's a card Mono Blue or Dimir Mill decks could take advantage of in the current Standard Pauper metagame.
Great card.

About The Dimir Slow Mill deck, one card from Born of the Gods previously reviewed on this blog will definitly give it another chance to shine. I kept the information hidden and did not mention it in the card comment.

Wich card and why ? Please post in the comments if you can guess, I'll offer a playset of that card to anyone giving the correct answer in the comments below.

Frost breath and Scry. Not much more to talk about. May help some aggressive Izzet Build, maybe a Nivix Cyclops one again or a Mono Blue Aggro clearing their path to victory.







So here we are. I've been a Sea Mage and in love with shores  for so long I have to admit I can't really be neutral giving my opinion on those cards.

Is there any card in Blue missing here for Standard Pauper Competition?

Say so in the comments below, and answer the question about the Dimir Mill Deck to claim your prize !

Born of the Gods : additions for Mono Black Control ?

The second set of the Theros Block, called "Born of the Gods" is coming mid-february online.

Full visual spoiler is available, you can have a look there :


http://mythicspoiler.com/index.html

Amongst existing and well performing archetypes in the current Standard Pauper Format, White seems clearly favored by the gods, and that's what we've been reviewing in the last post. Another successful archetype is Mono Black Control, also known as MBC.

- So, will Born of the Gods bring any Bomb to try and beat the upsetting Auras decks?

- Here are the Born of the Gods Black commons that caught my attention browsing the spoiler.

We are missing Murder so much !!
That is way too conditionnal. Sorcery speed is just so bad it's asphyxiating me. Even with luck we can only destroy a creature the opponent just played on his turn, if that creature does not have Haste. The suffocating man on the art is in bed, that card makes me want to reach for mine. But hey ! May see play considering the few or too expansive removals in Black.

That card is not so good, not so bad. It can be a finisher if your opponent is at 2 life and you have 4 manas available. The risk of being "two for oned " says : play it at your own risk ! Playing this on a Servant of Tymaret could be interesting though.. But we're far from improving the MBC lists with that.

I'm split on this one. Instant speed is good, but minus 1 is not enough. May well end up being a sideboard card for the Nivix Cyclops matchup if this Izzet archetype sticks around. This card would really scare me if I were a cyclops though.

Could definitly see play in the MBC build. A turn 4 play at best though, and there's already a Bomb in Disciple of Phenax to play on that turn. Well depending on the situation, you may be interested in playing one or the other first. Flavor text says it's a favorite of Erebos, maybe in limited. A 4/5 giant for 4 manas is decent though.

This one caught my attention because it's so terrible. Do we want to play this really? There are way better 2 drops available for MBC, and the bestow cost is really impossible. Even the flavor text is bad. Is the art worth it at least? Hmmmmmm.
Agree?

Beurrrrkkkk of the Gods

I think this Zombie is the best Black common reviewed for Standard Pauper so far in this post. His Inspired ability is really interesting : drain !! Notice that he taps when he dies if you pay the 3 manas regeneration cost, and only if he dies. So he can be a nice chumpblocker, but also be targeted with Claim of Erebos for more life loss, and more mana activation. I think he could fit in a B/U deck with a Hidden Strings combo, or in a B/R build with Epiphany Storm. Not quite sure he can find a slot in MBC really, time and deckbuilders will tell.

So now we come to the verdict : Feast or Famine ??

Five cards eventually make the cut.

Only Five and I can't see more than one of them really taking a slot in MBC, except for the sideboard.

Or did I miss something ?

Let me know before this guy makes a feast of me !

Beurrrrkkkk of the Gods

Born of the Gods : more threats for WW ?

The second set of the Theros Block, called "Born of the Gods" is coming mid-february online.

Full visual spoiler is available, you can have a look there :


http://mythicspoiler.com/index.html

Amongst existing and well performing archetypes in the current Standard Pauper Format, White seems clearly favored by the gods. 

Needless to say, "White Weenie Enchantments" shall take advantage of this new set like no other color or archetype, at least is that my opinion. So what "gems" are to be found in the WW Standard Pauper decklists when the new set is available online?




- Some say it's a superior version of War Falcon. I tend to disagree.
War Falcon could attack on turn 2 if you played a Soldier or Knight on turn 2. As a turn one option, Loyal Pegasus won't attack on turn 2 unless you play a creature with haste. There are none in white commons currently. Still 2 points in the air are good for one mana. So it may see some play. Interesting is the fact that on the art, that Pegasus seems to be waiting for a rider so it can attack or block.













- Here is Wingsteed Rider's young brother ! He could fit a Boros build as well. A good turn 2 threat with flying evasion, just cast a Nyxborn Shieldmate on him on turn 3 and you get a big Skyguard ready for the swing and more pump. Another top target for your beloved Ethereal Armor. Great art by the way ! He's a flying soldier, remember that if you like Tribal decks. Tribal Standard Pauper, may be an idea for a special event.

- I do love that art, it's great !
Here's the lowest bestow cost amongst white enchantment creatures so far. Just a 1/2 boost, but it does trigger Heroic for 3 manas. And it also boosts Ethereal Armor, so I guess it may see play. He's also a soldier, keep that in mind if you like tribal deckbuilding.

- More Lifegain options for WW, as if Hopeful Eidolon was not enough ! Inspired is a great mechanic. But what if that cat can't attack ? You may combo him with Ephara's radiance and go for 5 health points each turn?!

- Griffin Dreamfinder is a flying 1/4 Auramancer. "He's bad" !!!
He can be, considering most WW creatures  top at a casting cost of 3 manas. He's too expansive, is out of the curve. But if played as a one or two of's, he may bring WW more reach on the late game and even sometimes win out of nowhere. He's a good flying blocker, I will be one of those giving him a try.









- This excellent card is a reprint from Scars of Mirrodin.
Disenchant at sorcery speed but the upside is that the artefact or enchantment is simply exiled ! In an environment like Theros Block, it's pretty handy ! Tired of Ethereal Armor or Razortip Whip, Stab Wound, even all those Bestow cards ?

What will be your choice, mainboard or sideboard ?

This reprint comes back with an amazingly good art and a really nice and hopeful flavor text.
Dedicated to all you philosophy adepts.

So here are the common white cards that caught my eyes in the Born of the Gods Visual spoiler.

Will they improve the White Weenie Enchantment archetype ?

Did I miss any other promising gem ? Just let me know in the comments !

And don't forget you still can vote on the previous Poll post, just scroll down a bit.

Poll : Entrance Fee Standard Pauper Player Run Events ?

To pay or not to pay, that is today's main scheme !

Today is a special post !

Why would it be more special than any other post previously posted on the blog?

Because it's basically a try at HTML editing for me, Blogger does not allow easy ways for submitting the readers a poll wich is straight post-integrated.

And also because as a poll post, you can spend a few time reading and answering the questions below. You usually (and too rarely) only get to comments so your voice is heard.


 What is this poll about?

Entrance Fee Player Run Events are being discussed within the Clan, and  that takes place on the - restricted to members only - Clan forums. We want to share that discussion with interested players so they can give their feedback.

Why would you pay  for attending a Player-Run-Event when there are free-to-enter events scheduled already?

- Because it all makes sense, considering a main objective and goal amongst our growing community is to have Standard Pauper standing as a sanctionned format on MTGO.

- Because depending on the attendance, it could make those events more rewarding and appealing than they actually are for the Top 8 finishers.


Nothing is set up yet, we don't even know wether we can make it happen or not in the near future, we have to get ready for it just in case many of you are interested. So please, take a little time clicking your mind on the following question !!!

(Edit : it appears I can't poll multiple questions on a single post with Blogger : help me if you can !)

Would you attend Tix Entrance Fee Standard Pauper "PRE" Events?

Follow us by Email !

That is a first Design attempt. Sorry !

May I have your attention please ?!

You can follow what's going on here by using the "Follow us by Email" widget in the right-hand column of this blog.

Just enter a valid Email adress and submit, you'll then receive an email each and everytime the blog contents are updated, it's really fast and easy !

No boring ads, certified !

Time to give it a try ?

Reminder : Clan Forum

This short post to keep you informed on the Forum situation.

I hear you loud and clear. I repeat, loud and clear !

We have a Clan Members restricted platform, known as the Clan Forum (scroll up !), and it's used for discussing a wide variety of topics including projects, trades, clan organization, Player Run Events, deckbuilding and so on.

It's still young, only 2 months old and needs improvements for sure, but I would like to encourage clan members to register and take a more active role in the Forum. 

The Clan is what we make it !

Nearly 30 clan members (out of 70) registered on the Forum, and that is good, but though being active on it is not mandatory, it's a good way letting your voice be heard and keeping in touch with clanmates, getting rid of timezones.

About future improvements, we would like to have your feedback, maybe we are doing it wrong, only registered members can tell us in such case. Use the comments below or open a new thread on the forum so you can tell us what you think !

- Do you think the Forum should be open to non Clan members ?

- If you are registered, were the informations and discussions found there useful ?

- What could be added in order to make it better ?

The Beauty of Format Solving Itself Out

During the holiday season with no MPDC tournaments out there, the meta didn‘t have a chance to change much, but weeks before marked strangely unglorified, but very important event - Dimir‘s fall from the throne. While the archetype is still a strong contender in Standard Pauper, it stopped winning back-to-back tournaments, while BigBee and his White Weenie reigned supreme. So what has happened that an unbeatable deck taken into consideration for a ban couldn‘t win anymore?

I personally believe that players quickly adapted to the meta,letting various aggro decks invade the tournaments, with White Weenie standing strong in the front and Mono-red as well as colourful bestow strategies just a little behind it. Consequently with Dimir‘s rise, the numbers of Mono-black and other midrange strategies (the best match-ups for Control) have dwindled too. Those Mono-black players, who decided to stick to their guns now pack a bunch of disruption in Duresses and Mind Rots, making post-board games much more of a challenge. The biggest change, to my despair, was that EVERYONE began to play Razortip Whip, undoubtedly the best card against Dimir Mill. While a resolved Whip is beatable, the probability is low and the game has to contain successful Crypt Incursions to give Control player additional time. An interesting line against Dimir is not play anything and don't give opponent a chance to fill your graveyard with creatures, when Whip is in play. In order to beat the Whip with my deck, I have chosen splashing a third colour for artifact removal, but I haven‘t put up any good results since then and I can‘t convince you that this is the best choice.
 

The art might not be telling much, but the power of this card is underwhelming.

For a moment, I would like to let it sink in, how beautifully our narrow format with only four sets of commons in the pool managed to deal with a threat to it‘s diversity. Efficient answers were found and newly available archetypes stepped onto the scene. Since the rotation the metagame of Standard Pauper never actually became stale and kept moving. I no longer believe that playing control in an unfriendly meta right now is the best choice for a tournament. If you have a new deck to handle the rushes, or a more efficient and consistent aggro deck than the current, I‘m eager to see it! In a format, explored by a limited number of players, probability of „breaking the format“ has to be high, right?

Here is a short wrap-up list of recent changes in our format:
* Dimir is no longer unbeatable.

* In order to beat it, you should have Razortip Whips between your 75.

* If you're playing Mill, splashing additional colour could be helpful to beat Whips.

* Aggro decks make up a big part of the metagame, your deck has to be able to stop aggression.
* With Control getting weaker, Mono-black is getting stronger.

* Mono-white currently seems to be the strongest deck.
* Format never stopped evolving and there still is space for improvement.

That's all I wanted to say to break the silence, see you in the next MPDC tournament!

Competitive Standard Pauper Ups and Downs

I don't even want to give it a try, I'm too scared of the regulars Mum'.

Gwyned just published the New Player Primer / 2014 Edition for Players Run Events (PRE).

In case you missed it, you can find it here :

http://puremtgo.com/articles/writer-adept-new-player-primer-2014

It provides all information needed to get started if you are a new MTGO player and updates the old version if you are a Players Run Event regular in the format, for both MPDC and SPDC. Hope is it will bring more new players to the game and the Standard Pauper format, increasing attendance of these awsome Free to enter and Tix-rewarded Events, and having them running in a smoother way. Thanks Gwyned for this great walkthrough !!!

While registering and entering MPDC or SPDC for the first time is really exciting, as I can tell from my first experience, way back 5 years ago, it can also quicly turn into a disappointing and even frustrating adventure.

Why? Well in fact it all depends on what you are expecting from attending these competitive events. Let me explain that further...

The regulars

There is a growing standard Pauper Community Online, and many experienced players have been attending these events for years. Some are skilled deck brewers willing to share and discuss innovation, some show up with the best decks around because a list fits their playstyle, others are focused on the Metagame and always trying fun and more or less competitive builds. A few regulars are using MTGO to test the lists they'll be playing on Paper at their local game store sooner or later. Regulars will attend each and every event or be around from time to time depending on their time schedule or their will to play there.
Yes, those guys are experienced and looking for competitive play, some may even care about their Win / Loss Ratio record on Gatherling. But there's no need to fear them. They will beat you often, but you'll learn from them, their gameplay, and they will make you stronger. Then you will beat them down sometimes. Most of them are really kind and talkative people and will give you hints or feedback on your missplays if you ask them (sometimes even if you don't, how does it feel?). Don't ever forget MTGO is a game, and Standard Pauper is a cheap and fun format. There are experienced regulars as well as begginners in our Clan, so all the resources are within to all get better at this game. Short version : you'll have Ups and Downs with regulars, as well as with clanmates.

The shuffler

Shuffler hates me whatever I play, Mum'.

You will be facing many different opponents in MPDC or SPDC, regulars, just starting out,  and you can make friends with all of them, except for one. The Shuffler ! If you are used to playing paper Magic before you fall in love with MTGO, he will be the greatest obstacle in your way and will often make you feel like you want to quit. Random, what is randomness? Before entering an event, I suggest you try and draw several starting hands samples using the Solitaire game feature, and see how it goes. Maybe there's a problem with your deck manabase. When I say several, I like it to be statistically viable, so I usually test like 30 or more starting hands and the 4 or 5 draws after that. It really will give you ideas and thoughts on your list's potential in events. Still, the shuffler is the same for all and you'll have to deal with it. It can bring regulars to their end as well as you. Luck takes a big role at Magic, and it's also true for the Standard Pauper Format !
You can expect Ups and downs from the Shuffler.

The Gameplay

Coming up with a good decklist in the Standard Pauper Format is nice. Being aware of what others play in the Online Metagame, and building an adapted sideboard accordingly is really nice. Knowing how well the decklist you copied or created fares in its environment is the best. Some players are good pilots for easy to play lists but may have problems when it comes to more complicated strategies, or in-game choices. Mastering the playstyle of a decklist depending on the matchup can really give you Ups, but requires a lot of play experience. Sometimes you'll think you're lost, feel like you don't know what to do, like there's no out to the situation and wonder if it was all your fault in the end. The rememberance of your past missplays may even make you an insomniac. No big deal ! You'll have Ups and downs with your gameplay.
Until you master it and finally blame the regulars or the shuffler only. Or maybe....

The Mood of the Day !

Am I really Up for a six hours long Marathon? Who knows?

Sometimes you just feel like you just don't want to play at all. But you can't help turning your PC on and joining your buddies on MTGO for a few competitive games. Surprisingly then, you'll be successful, avoiding the regulars in swiss and beating them down in the finals. Other case scenario : you'll be hot with a brand new list full of hopes and get your 0-2 record in swisses and just drop the event. Both MPDC and SPDC are seasonal cycles, and you'll be awarded points even for your losses there, so what matters is  just your overall result at the end of the whole season. The mood of the day is really the most important part of the game in my opinion. Some game moves or turnovers will make you happy and keep thinking this Card game is great, others will just make you want to turn your PC off and go to bed. How can you manage this from event to event in the long term of a season? Real life is only made of Ups and Downs.
 
So what' the point not joining the Standard Pauper Competition Online? 

- Events are full of regulars and grinders, 

- Shuffler is your real best friend, 

- You do trust your decklist and gameplay skills, 

- Today was another day in real life and you are attending a Free to Enter Event for FUN !

Join the MPDC and SPDC

 Competitive Standard Pauper Events 

NOW !

Edit : added the SPDC Report Event Section on Clan Blog Home, scroll up !

Happy - New Player Primer - Year 2014

It's worldwide now, so let's celebrate 2014.

Happy New  Standard Pauper Year to you all !!!

And it starts so well, Gwyned bringing us the 

NEW PLAYER PRIMER 2014