I'm going to name a bad card as my favourite card. Desolation Angel-- the art is cool, the effect is sweet, and you're left with a 5/4 flyer. Playing big multiplayer games with this guy is awesome, but in the end, you have to work so hard to make it marginally playable.
Why do they always put the best art on the worst cards?
1x Abzan Guide
1x Anafenza, the Foremost
1x Armament Corps
1x Winterflame
1x Ojutai, Soul of Winter
1x Ponyback Brigade
2x Ethereal Ambush
1x Master the Way
1x Mindswipe
1x Sultai Soothsayer
White:
1x Sandsteppe Outcast
1x Abzan Skycaptain
1x Ainok Bond-Kin
1x Dragonscale General
1x Mardu Hordechief
1x Sage-Eye Harrier
2x Abzan Advantage
1x Soul Summons
1x Aven Skirmisher
1x Great-Horn Krushok
1x Honor's Reward
Green:
1x Windstorm
1x Map the Wastes
1x Return to the Earth
1x Hunt the Weak
1x Tusked Colossodon
1x Savage Punch
1x Archers of Qarsi
1x Awaken the Bear
2x Formless Nurturing
1x Kin-Tree Warden
1x Disowned Ancestor
1x Gurmag Angler
1x Hooded Assassin
1x Noxious Dragon
1x Swarm of Bloodflies
1x Crux of Fate
1x Douse in Gloom
1x Throttle
1x Raiders' Spoils
1x Grave Strength
1x Despise
1x Molting Snakeskin
1x Rakshasa's Secret
1x Tasigur's Cruelty
Red:
1x Collateral Damage
1x Bloodfire Enforcers
1x Bloodfire Expert
1x Shatter
1x Smoldering Efreet
1x Act of Treason
1x Swift Kick
1x Arrow Storm
1x Hungering Yeti
1x Goblinslide
1x Mardu Runemark
1x Lightning Shrieker
1x Temur Battle Rage
1x Trumpet Blast
1x Wild Slash
1x Waterwhirl
1x Taigam's Scheming
1x Weave Fate
1x Cancel
1x Enhanced Awareness
1x Force Away
1x Jeskai Windscout
1x Lotus Path Djinn
1x Mindscour Dragon
2x Refocus
2x Will of the Naga
Colourless:
1x Ugin's Construct
1x Altar of the Brood
1x Goblin Boom Keg
1x Temur Banner
Land:
2x Jungle Hollow
1x Scoured Barrens
1x Bloodfell Caves
1x Swiftwater Cliffs
2x Wind-Scarred Crag
I was passed a pretty odd pool this past weekend, built a sub-optimal Abzan deck and took it to a 2-3-1 record. There are obvious improvements to the original deck that revealed themselves to me over my matches. However, I took the pool home and tried building a few different decks out of it. I think a couple are viable, others less so. Take a look at the pool, and then the decks I built - also there may be a 5-colour deck in there, but I'm not sure how to even begin with that one.
The Original Abzan Deck and Full Pool: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/frf-pptq-sealed-2-3-1-abzan/
UBw Control: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/ubw-sealed-frfktk-potential-build/
UBr Control: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/ubr-control-sealed-potential/
Wbr Aggro: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/wbr-sealed-potential/
WBrg Greedy: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/wbrg-sealed-potential/
Jeskai: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/jeskai-sealed-potential/
UBw doesn't seem good to me, while UBr seems a bit better with more removal. WBr Aggro seems decent, but doesn't have much reach, and aggro is tough to pull off. WBrg Greedy seems inconsistent, but more powerful than straight Abzan perhaps. Jeskai seems decent though creature-light.
What are your thoughts on the pool and the different builds? What direction would you have taken it? Is there a 5-colour deck hiding in there?
Had this scenario come up at the pre-release today. My opponent controls Temur Sabertooth and another creature. He attacks and I block with my 1/1, marking one damage on the Sabertooth. If I cast Ethereal Ambush with an Orc Sureshot in play, and target the Temur Sabertooth with both -1/-1 effects. Can my opponent activate the Sabertooth's ability to save it?
What would you suggest in place of Sign in Blood? More Phyrexian Arena style effects?
I like the lifegain guys (at least the Suture Priest) because it keeps me in the game longer, and can start chipping away at life totals before I start swinging.
I upped the Lingerings and Screeches to 4 each, since that makes sense.
1x Bitterblossom
3x Intangible Virtue
1x Phyrexian Arena
Creatures: 11
4x Suture Priest
3x Blood Artist
3x Geist-Honored Monk
1x Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
Sorceries: 10
3x Lingering Souls
3x Sign in Blood
2x Battle Screech
1x Entreat the Angels
1x Return to the Ranks
2x Devouring Light
2x Zealous Persecution
Planeswalkers: 4
3x Ajani Goldmane
1x Sorin, Lord of Innistrad
Artifacts: 3
2x Vedalken Orrery
1x Skullclamp
Lands: 23
4x Caves of Koilos
3x Orzhov Basilica
2x Fetid Heath
2x Vault of the Archangel
2x Windbrisk Heights
6x Plains
4x Swamp
Open to any and all suggestions.
Sit 1)
Player A controls Prophet of Kruphix
Player B controls Runeclaw Bear
Player C controls Spreading Plague
At the end of Player C's turn, Player A flashes in Runeclaw Bear.
Sit 2)
Player A controls Prophet of Kruphix.
Player B controls Runeclaw Bear.
Player C controls Spreading Plague.
At the end of Player C's turn, Player A flashes in Thragtusk.
Sit 3)
Player A controls Prophet of Kruphix.
Player B controls Runeclaw Bear and Grave Pact.
Player C controls Spreading Plague.
Player A flashes in Thragtusk.
Near the end of the game I had flashed in and bounced two Sylvan Primordials twice, had 16 lands in play, and was able to repeatedly bounce Thragtusk for an army of 3/3s and near-infinite life, every-single-turn. I had probably drawn 10-14 extra cards off of Sphinx as well.
Cloudstone Curio makes the deck ridiculous. I'm thinking either Survival of the Fittest or Fauna Shaman would make the deck even more consistent/mean.
This build is mostly built on card availability. After more testing/tweaking I'll make the purchases necessary to make it better.
4x Llanowar Elves
4x Coiling Oracle
4x Prophet of Kruphix
4x Consecrated Sphinx
4x Sylvan Primordial
3x Solemn Simulacrum
2x Acidic Slime
2x Wickerbough Elder
2x Wood Elves
1x Kitchen Finks
1x Keiga, the Tide Star
1x Thragtusk
2x Cloudstone Curio
1x Skullclamp
Sorceries: 1
1x Multani's Decree
Lands: 24
4x Hinterland Harbor
4x Temple of Mystery
2x Breeding Pool
10x Forest
4x Island
Skullclamp can turn those early drops into cards, I play in an echantment-heavy meta so Multani's is good to regain some lost life.
What do you guys think about Wakethrasher here?
If I go UG, I may do an Elf shell, with Priest of Titania and co powering out Garruk's Horde, Acidic Slime, Regal Force, Sylvan Primordial, Thornling and/or Simic Sky Swallower.
The deck would be 90% creatures, hopefully reveal the top card of my library, or keep a full hand and just flash in big, hard-to-deal-with threats every turn.
Thoughts?