Foreward: I was going to post this in the tournament thread, but I deem this way too long to clutter up that fine discussion. Here is a lengthy tournament report with some Red Mage observations at the end. I hope this helps somebody out there.
Enjoy.
Last Friday night (12/7/2012) I went to play FNM at a different store. I went undefeated and 2-0’d all my games, except for one. Here is that tale.
After acing my exams in record time, I prepared for my journey to Dunedin (pronounced “done eatin’”) by purchasing a 4-pack of Miller Highlife tallboys. After all, every great fire needs fuel. My fire just so happens to require Highlife. I slammed a 5-Hour Energy (I gave myself haste and first strike just like Ash Zealot, what can I say?) and proceeded to make my 20 minute jaunt to Birds of Paradise, a store I’ve not been to since a few days before States.
Sidenote: The 20 minute drive to Dunedin is not the only reason why I don’t frequent that store. The last time I was there was a few days before States. I met up with an old buddy of mine to trade for a playset of Falkenrath Aristocrats and to play in an RTR draft. The store owner pulled me aside before I left and told me I couldn’t come back if I continued to wear T-shirts that were “over the top.” The shirt in question was all black (typical for me) except for the writing on it, which said, “*****. The most expensive meal you will ever eat.” I am a Red Mage and I will NOT be told what to wear. So I just chose to not come back. Also, the FNM’s there run really late there. I usually at work on Saturday morning by 5 a.m. so I normally play at The Wizard’s Cupboard in Seminole since I’m home by 11. I was off for the weekend and I had “cooled off’ since that night, so I decided to go back to Birds.
Anyways, I got there pretty early and started shooting the bull with a few of the people there that I know from the Birds of Paradises group on Facebook – Gathering: for Magic (I suggest you check it out. There are some of Judges on this group, and even a level 3, that can answer some questions too. Friend me on Facebook too while you’re at it! ;)) I found a fellow Red Mage and helped him assemble a working Dos Rakis list, one that’s very similar to hamfactorial’s deck. My buddy and his brother showed up later and we discussed everything Red under the sun, since the brother had taken down the FNM a week prior with a Pyreheart Sligh build. I talked about our nice little home here on MTGS and the awesome Fires of Salvation Clan that awaits should they decide to become proactive here. I made a few trips to the “car bar” and we fired off a game of Type 4. If you’ve never played Type 4, then you’re missing out!
Sidenote:A very large interactive game with the locals was what I needed to assess the meta there. I quickly sized up most of the people there in terms of skill and had a quick deck discussion with my two fellow Red Mages. Somehow, I was talked into playing 2 Thunderbolts in my sideboard over Flames of the Firebrand. Except I later found out that the majority of the Bant /Rest Angel players were away for the weekend at a pig roast in St. Augustine (jealous!). Anyhoo, it seemed like a good idea at the time.
It resembles zemanjaski’s early Sligh build (before the MD Hounds were added). Maybe I was channeling my inner “Z” when I took out my Brimstone Volleys for Lightning Maulers, I dunno. I kept 4 Pillars main because, well, that’s what Pinellas County’s meta demands.
We fired off FNM after Type 4 and it was on like Donkey Kong!
Round 1 VS Mono Red Sligh
Game 1: Dude leads off with Vexing Devil.
Okay. I take 4.
I think his whole plan was to Vexing Volley me repeatedly during our games. Needless to say, I played around his Vexing Devils and secured a swift victory by nailing him with little critters attacking with Pyreheart Wolf.
Game 2: I go big in this game by yanking out my Cacklers, Nobles, Chainwalkers, and Maulers. In comes everything. Note that I’m assuming he’s boarding in Archwing Dragon so the Thunderbolt is still a smart play. This game goes exactly as planned: I burn his critters, hardcast a Bonfire for 2, play a Hound, and then miracle a Bonfire, followed by an Alpha Strike. Okay, the miracle wasn’t planned, but I did what I was hoping to do: I controlled the aggro deck and took it down when he was exhausted.
Record 1-0
Afterwards, he tells me he slapped the deck together on his way there and that Vexing Devil was so good (I think he believes it’s his best card. As I slammed a beer, I gave him a rebuttal worthy of redthirst. I can only hope that this guy has seen the light now.
Round 2 VS 4 Color Conley Woods.dec (or as I like to call, “Dirty” Naya)
Game 1: I’m on the play and lead off with a Noble. He follows up with a mana dork, which I proceed to burn away with a Pillar of Flame. The beating commences after that and I quickly overtake him with 2 Hellriders on the board. He lost because he was devoted to the early game mana fixing and ramp while I provided immense pressure to take away the game.
Game 2: Fighting midrange is tough. I still need to be aggressive here, but I know that in the fight against midrange deck, complicated boardstates can arise. Sometimes there are turns of simply just casting creatures and waiting. I took out Cacklers, Chainwalkers, a Hellrider, and a Pillar for 3 Bonfires, 3 Hounds, 1 Crucible, 2 Thunderbolt and a Mortars. However, none of this was needed. It seems my opponent stumbled on mana after he mulliganed. I took advantage with an aggressive start. I played a Noble into Lightning Mauler, and then paired with a Pyreheart on turn 3. My wave was formidable and he succumbed to the inferno.
Record 2-0
Round 3 VS Travis Woo’s 5-Color WTF.dec
Game 1: We both mulligan to 5 (so ****ty!). My opponent is really screwed on mana and I win very quickly. Really, there’s no point in going into detail here.
Game 2: I really don’t know what to expect here. I really don’t. The game went by so fast I didn’t know what to make of the deck. I never bothered to actually memorize the list after I read Woo’s article on the deck either, so I just took a shot in the dark and didn’t sideboard. The consistency of my deck paid off and, after only encountering a single Temporal Master and a Spinx’s Revelation for 1, I stole the game. Apparently his deck stumbled again. Well, that’s what my deck does – it takes advantage of my opponents that stumble. Even if it’s for two games in a row.
Record: 3-0
Round 4 VS Selesnya Aggro
Game 1: He offered to draw with me. Apparently, these guys over here have it to a science in a 5 Round FNM – if you’re 3-0 you can double draw into Top 8. I came to play and burn people, so I refused. Plus I was getting buzzed after a trip to the “car bar,” and dammit, I wanted to represent Red tonight! We played and it was over in a flash. Guy got greedy and depended solely on his mana dork, which I burned away. By the time he cast a Smiter, I already had a Stonewright paired Wolf and a growing Stromkirk Noble. An attack followed by 2 Searing Spears did him in.
Game 2: I go big, but I had a nuts aggro draw in my keeper hand. He mulls to 5 and I just KNOW that he kept a 1 lander with a mana dork. Turns out I was right. I burned the critter away and laughed like a madman as I took him down. Our match was so fast that the other guys that intentionally drew thought I had drawn as well. Nope.
Record: 4-0
Afterwards, me and some of the guys went to the Mexican joint next door for beer and tacos in between rounds. Fun times.
At this point I’m running full throttle on my beer buzz and, after talking about Kung-Fu, Ip Man, and You Tube’ing Bruce Lee fighting a beardless Chuck Norris, we grab as much Dos Equis from the Wal-Greens as we can carry in anticipation of the rest of the night. I may or may not have driven to said Wal-Greens.
Round 5 VS….HUH?
Apparently there was clear-cut Top 8. I was at the top and combined with the people that had drawn, we were going straight to Top 8. Um, okay.
Top 8 Round 1 VS Mono Red Aggro
Game 1: I was on the play and man, it was just bonkers. Slobber-knockers left and right! We pretty much raced, but I feel that the fact I had a full set of Pillars MD put the odds in my favor. See, he was pretty much on the Brimstone Volley plan to chop me down but I had more cheap removal than he did. I could kill a guy and still play my own to increase my board position. He ran out of gas before I did and I won.
Game 2: Going big! My deck gave me exactly what I need. I burned his guys up and then smacked him around with a couple of Hounds. He boarded in Pillars, and I knew he would. However, I knew he would just spend them on my Ash Zealots and Wolves. Which he did. I did expect an Archwing Dragon but I never saw one. I ended up killing him with my saved Thunderbolt after a mighty attack.
Semifinals VS Selesnya Aggro
Game 1: I was on the play. This may sound old, but I swear it was a repeat of the last GW MU I played. I led with a Noble and later burned his Arbor Elf. My Noble grows as I walk past a Pilgrim and then Searing Spear his Silverblade. A Wolf and a Hellrider show up to the party to finish him off.
Sidenote:I was informed that this deck is superior to the other GW decks at this shop since it doesn’t play Resto or Thragtusk. But it does play a full set of Centaur Healers postboard. Good to know.
Game 2: I go big. And this is what my deck was made for – the Selesnya decks. He played guys, I countered (yes, friends. Red Mages can indeed counter! ;)) by burning them. I Thunderbolted that damn Sublime Archangel. I Mortared his Smiters. I (miracle) Bonfired my way to an empty board. I played a Hound and paired it with a Stonewright and attacked. When he bonded a Silverheart to a mana dork, I kept my blockers ready. When he played another angel, I Spear’ed it. I dropped a Lightning Mauler and he made a Knight with his Charm. I drew a Wolf and paired with the Lightning Mauler and attacked, killing his bonded mana dork. When his topdeck was a land, I knew I had the game. I drew a Hellrider and swung into victory!
Game 1: Man, after this round, I should just name my deck the Punisher. I don’t know what’s up with these ambitious 4 Color decks, but holy hell do they have potential to stumble. And stumble they do because that’s exactly how I took down this match. Every land he played came into play tapped. He’d Farseek, but put himself behind on board presence. Because of this, my blitzkrieg took it away.
Game 2: I felt really good about this MU and I didn’t board. I just had a feeling that staying aggro would get there. We did a lot of trading – apparently when he gets his mana, he can kill my guys. Soon he has a bonded Staticaster with a Nightshade Peddler. An Olivia hits the board and I groan. However, he gets greedy and later plays a Falkenrath Aristocrat and starts swinging. Meanwhile I have no burn in sight, but through the dedication of my attacks, I have him at 1 Life.
I’m at 4 and he’s at 1. It’s my turn. I have a Pyrheart Wolf and a Gore-House Chainwalker (unleashed, duh!). He has a tapped Olivia and Aristocrat, an untapped Staticaster paired with a Peddler. I draw a Mauler and think that I may have him. I play the Mauler and pair with the Wolf. While the soulbond is on the stack, he flashes in another Staticaster and pings my Wolf. It “undies” and is now a different Wolf. The Soulbond trigger fails. He taps his bonded Staticaster to kill my Chainwalker, and all I’m left with is two sick creatures.
Fail.
As he goes to shuffle his cards, he says to me, “Yep, that’s what happens when my deck gets going. It wins!”
To which I reply, “I will rape your face next game. Mark my words, you will lose.” He laughed, but I wanted vengeance.
Then I hear,” What the hell, Alderman!? You’re playing Red! This should be over by now!” I look behind me and see that I have both Red Mages behind me watching our game.
‘Don’t worry,” I say. “It will be over soon.”
Game 3: My opening hand was insane: Mountain, Mountain, Mountain, Noble, Mauler, Wolf, Hellrider. Holy ****! Is this the nuts or what!? I curve out perfectly and my opponent sits on 3 land – Sulfur Falls, Woodland Cemetery, and a Forest. Needless to say, I had the nut draw and his dream was crushed.
Guys, this is what happens to you when you have ambitious manabases: you lose!
Record: 7-0
Victory! And at this point I was pretty drunk. Payout was 50-35-25-10 and I walked away 50 bucks the richer. Now I just need a reason to go back and spend the store credit. Well, Gatecrash will be out soon enough.
The rest of the night was spent in the parking lot downing the remaining beers. I talked to the Dos Rakis guy about his games. Apparently one game was stolen on the back of Rogue’s Passage and a Stromkirk Noble against a GW Midrange opponent. Interesting little bit of tech, I guess.
My buddy’s brother with the RDW finished 3rd, so overall, it was a good night for Red Mages.
Now, I know this is a lengthy report. It’s achieved essay-like proportions, but I want to point out a few key things that make Red so good right now.
For one, it is consistent. I never had a problem getting my mana. And even then, I curve out at 4. I do not have a struggle to play anything in my deck. I am reliable and my deck is very forgiving when I stumble. Consistency is what allows me to take advantage and punish a stumbling opponent. With today’s decks pushing the envelope in what’s playable, mana bases are being pushed to the limit. Increasingly, opponents are becoming mana screwed, thus making them vulnerable to our attacks.
Two, Red is aggressive and resilient right now. Since people are boarding to fight Thundermaws, they are in a poor spot to face off against multiple Hounds. Either Pillar of Flame is getting shuffled around into sideboards, or it is being wasted on Ash Zealots and Nobles instead of Hounds and Wolves. The undying creatures give us some flexibility when facing other decks with removal. Our high creature count is capable of efficiently allowing ourselves to fight back after a boardwipe.
Finally, Red synergy is good. Red has a solid backup plan with mana sinks such as Hellion Crucible and Stonewright. Red can play the longer game with heavy hitting threats like Hound of Griselbrand and Thundermaw Hellkite. Hellrider combined with hordes of hasty critters can steal games. Right now we have a good card pool of which to draw from and use. Little “two card combos” like Mauler and Wolf or Stonewright and Ash Zealot / Hound of Griselbrand are easy to use and hideously lethal. Red even has solid sweeper spells to use in the right match-ups with Bonfire of the Damned and Mizzium Mortars.
The things also make up the Four Fundamentals of Fire, and it’s best not to forget them:
Aggressive Speed
Consistency
Efficiency
Synergy
We have the weapons right now in Standard. We have the right recipe to make killer decks. And we’re certainly putting them to good use.
Red is certainly blessed right now to have such a great card pool fitting the Sligh curve.
Thoughts on the FNM:
I didn’t see any Restoration Angels. They were in some of the decks I faced, yet I didn’t see any. Whether or not I’m lucky, I still need to evaluate the Thunderbolt slot. Was it effective? Sorta. Did I wish it was something else? Yes, I wanted a Flames of the Firebrand. Would Flames have made a difference? Maybe. I won either way. With this line of thought, I think I’ll keep the 2 Thunderbolts in for the next Friday outing. Besides, hardcasting a Bonfire for 1 or 2 can effectively do the job of Flames anyway.
Were my match-ups easy? Yes. Some were. However, I was prepared for aggro and I faced aggro. I was prepared for my meta. Did I make concessions for something else I would face? Yes – I played Thunderbolt. My preparation for the metagame, however paid off. I knew my roles in all of the match-ups and I made intuitive decisions (some aided with beer!) that allowed me to sideboard accordingly. I was Sledgehammer when I needed to be and Sligh when it counted (haha, Sly? Get it?). I utilized the Four Principles of Pyromancy.
Was I lucky that I didn’t face durdle Bant? Yes, I was. All the snotty money players (whom I call “Nigels,” the OTHER Magic: The Gathering Personality) were enjoying the rum and roasted pig in St. Augustine! They were living the dream!!! Do I wish I was there instead? Hell yeah!!! Instead, I was mopping up their stomping grounds with Mono Red Sligh. My legend will be but a passing story when they return:
“Man, you guys should’ve been here last week! A bunch of Red Mages came in here and slapped us around like a bunch of Sallies!”
And they’ll prepare for Red. But I won’t be there. I’ll be somewhere else. I live in a 10 mile radius of 4 different card shops. By the time Red gets hated out at Birds, I’ll make my rounds again and they won’t be ready. However, in the meantime, I’ll wander around like a lonesome Kung-Fu Warrior and spread the Gospel of Fire, striking down my opponents with haste…and, uh, first strike!
Anyways, I lucked out in that I didn’t face durdle Bant – maybe I will next time. If so, I’ll gladly embrace the challenge. In the meantime, any feedback or criticism on my deck, decisions, or writing will help keep me prepared for the next go-round.
That was one epic read. I hope we see more reports like this. Ideally we will as more of us stream or take notes of epic battles with fire.
That soulbound stack took me a second to figure out and at first perusal I thought it was wrong but the second time thru I guess the bound trigger on the stack stops the source from seeing the undying guy as it thinks it may be bound?
Nice! Well done! Just one thing though.. I believe that soulbond does not actually target; when a creature with soulbond ETB's you choose the creature to bond with on resolution, so if he pings in response to you 'choosing the wolf' you can just choose a different creature instead, namely the recently undied wolf.
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Quote from hamfactorial »
When you ruin a blue mage's day, do their tears look like symbols?
@ Big Jim ~ sometimes they bring in cheap removal to kill your early guys, so you sidestep their plan by going big. Other times, your early guts matchup poorly with theirs, so you wouldn't want to draw them, eg: Cackler vs GW.
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Yeah looking again Soulbond checks the board when a new creature enters the field. If theres an unbound source it can attempt to bond when the new creature ETB.
Not sure why "going big" is a good sideboard plan though, what could they board in that would make the main deck plan not as good?
Maybe I'm just ADD or something. I like to switch gears. Sometimes, an opponent will board in aggro hate or make a transformation as well. I like to change things out by going into a controlling type deck that's a little more suited for the long haul.
Sometimes aggro match-ups can be a coinflip. Sometimes not, but I'm prepared to put the odds in my favor Game 2.
Simply put: Game 1, I want to be the aggro deck. That's all I want. If I can't be the aggro deck, I will change into a mid-range deck on Game 2 to beat the aggro deck. In Game 2 against control, I'll still be the aggro deck, but I will have the tools to prepare me for a longer game.
Nice report, although I feel like a lot of your games are more about why people shouldn't play 4-colour decks (yet), rather than why RDW is good. Yes, you do get to take advantage of people stumbling but in most of those matchups you probably lose if they don't.
I’m at 4 and he’s at 1. It’s my turn. I have a Pyrheart Wolf and a Gore-House Chainwalker (unleashed, duh!). He has a tapped Olivia and Aristocrat, an untapped Staticaster paired with a Peddler. I draw a Mauler and think that I may have him. I play the Mauler and pair with the Wolf. While the soulbond is on the stack, he flashes in another Staticaster and pings my Wolf. It “undies” and is now a different Wolf. The Soulbond trigger fails. He taps his bonded Staticaster to kill my Chainwalker, and all I’m left with is two sick creatures.
Don't you get a chance to rebond to the new wolf that's entering the battlefield? This is why I like mtgo, I don't have to think about these rules
Also drink driving isn't "red mage", it's just stupid...
Yeah looking again Soulbond checks the board when a new creature enters the field. If theres an unbound source it can attempt to bond when the new creature ETB.
Hm.... I was under the impression it was a targeted effect when it comes in. It stacks and if ti leaves play and comes back, it is now a different target. Kind of like when you try to bolt a Tusk and your opponent Restoration Angels the tusk in response to save it.
I could be wrong. If I am, I won't make the same mistake again.
[strike]If your wolf wasn't an undying creature, I think that it's pretty clear that your soulbond would fail in that circumstance. You target it, it gets killed, you don't get a chance to re-target the soulbond from the lightning mauler to a new creature.[/strike] [This is wrong, see my response below]
My only query is whether the undying returning wolf allows you to retarget the trigger from the lightning mauler to the now-entering creature. Perhaps the lightning mauler isn't yet on the battlefield though so you don't get a chance do this. I'm not very good at rules b/c i just play on MTGO so I'm not the right person to answer this question :).
If your wolf wasn't an undying creature, I think that it's pretty clear that your soulbond would fail in that circumstance. You target it, it gets killed, you don't get a chance to re-target the soulbond from the lightning mauler to a new creature.
My only query is whether the undying returning wolf allows you to retarget the trigger from the lightning mauler to the now-entering creature. Perhaps the lightning mauler isn't yet on the battlefield though so you don't get a chance do this. I'm not very good at rules b/c i just play on MTGO so I'm not the right person to answer this question :).
There's definitely some grey area in there. The Judge there (and I use that term loosely, since he is also the shop owner playing in the tournament), along with the "majority" there pretty much ruled against me. There's valid points on both sides. I'm not a rules lawyer, sadly. I just want to tap Mountains.
This is why I shouldn't answer rules questions. I was completely wrong in the first part of my post (which I'll now go back and strike out):
While it's true that soulbond is a triggered ability that can be responded to, the choice of what creature you are going to pair with wolfir silverheart is not done until the triggered ability resolves. If your opponent kills the mirran crusader in response to it, you can pair wolfir silverheart with another creature if you have one.
So this means that no matter how your opponent used the staticaster in your example, you would have been able to rebond with the wolf. Either they used it before the trigger resolved and you can simply target the +1/+1 wolf as the mauler is entering the battlefield, or they use it after it resolves and you can use it on the wolf when it re-enters the battlefield after undying.
This is why I shouldn't answer rules questions. I was completely wrong in the first part of my post (which I'll now go back and strike out):
So this means that no matter how your opponent used the staticaster in your example, you would have been able to rebond with the wolf. Either they used it before the trigger resolved and you can simply target the +1/+1 wolf as the mauler is entering the battlefield, or they use it after it resolves and you can use it on the wolf when it re-enters the battlefield after undying.
Thanks, man. So, I got bamboozled. Well, it won't happen to me again. Thanks for the clarification!
You have a great writing style! I could definitely relate to your "performance-enhanced" fnm, it made for a fun read. When you play another fnm that could be a pt. II follow up to this one, I'm sure everyone here would love to read the account. Cheers.
Man, two scummy rules questions in one night! I'm glad that the posters here helped you out with that Soulbond trigger stuff, because you got scammed. No wonder you weren't in a hurry to get back to Birds of Paradise.
Epic battle report and exactly the type of action I plan at my local FNM when I get a chance sometime over the holidays.
I love the idea of cutting the 3cc burn, Brimstone Volley and Flames of the Firebrand in favor of 2cc burn and pillars. I don't think it's a meta call, I think it's wise use of slot space to dump more creatures while holding a red 'counterspell'.
I also fully understand your desire to side in the hounds against aggro decks. They're using the 3cc flames as a sideboard option against you and are cutting valuable damage to do so. Why not remove cheap targets and dominate them with fatties?
Is being drunk at FNM allowed where you live? It is not allowed where I am from, as LGS's are considered to be family friendly and public drunkeness is illegal. The shirt is definitely inappropriare for a family friendly venue. Drinking and driving is definately illegal almost everywhere. If you were carrying on like that I would tell you not to return to my store too.
I think his whole plan was to Vexing Volley me repeatedly during our games. Needless to say, I played around his Vexing Devils and secured a swift victory by nailing him with little critters attacking with Pyreheart Wolf.
So he was playing burn? Not sligh? I don't see brim or vex alot anymore. The only time I do see them is in mono red burn.
BTW congrats on the report. The deck looks solid and tournament worthy. I've gotten a few copies of Hound myself and was wondering in what matches you would side him in and what you'd remove from your list for him.
I think LGS's are like any other public entertainment venue--the rules of conduct are dependent largely upon the cross-section of attendees. We have a couple of places here locally that cater to and are frequented generally by a more "liberated" Friday night crowd. The owners make no pretense about it and encourages (very appropriately) more PG-oriented players to attend some of the more family-oriented tourneys in the area. Both stores I'm thinking of also run their FNM's with a very late start, again catering to the all-night "guys night out" crowd. My store OTOH is very tight with regards to conduct and the like as it has huge contingents of Pokemon and Yugioh players, some of whom cross over into MtG and FNM at the pre-teen level. My great-nephew (age 8) plays whenever his dad is there running FNM, and we have a number of other two-generation groups that attend most Fridays. Thus, it's not uncommon for someone at our FNM to cuff someone else upside the head for yelling out an expletive...often followed by embarrassed apologies from the language-abuser in question.
It's all a matter of priorities...if someone wants to cut up and play altered lands with naked anime chicks tweaking themselves, they have to take the responsibility to choose an environment where the behavior fits. The mom who takes her teenage son to a 10PM start FNM at a shop that has a sign stating FNM "18 and older strongly encouraged" has no room to gasp if her kid comes home with wild stories; by the same token, the guy who sits down across from my kid using f-bombs as his primary vocabulary substitute while shuffling up his deck full of sexpot altered cards has no room to take offense for getting his chops busted. Like everything else involving the public, common sense should be on one's lead foot.
I think LGS's are like any other public entertainment venue--the rules of conduct are dependent largely upon the cross-section of attendees. We have a couple of places here locally that cater to and are frequented generally by a more "liberated" Friday night crowd. The owners make no pretense about it and encourages (very appropriately) more PG-oriented players to attend some of the more family-oriented tourneys in the area. Both stores I'm thinking of also run their FNM's with a very late start, again catering to the all-night "guys night out" crowd. My store OTOH is very tight with regards to conduct and the like as it has huge contingents of Pokemon and Yugioh players, some of whom cross over into MtG and FNM at the pre-teen level. My great-nephew (age 8) plays whenever his dad is there running FNM, and we have a number of other two-generation groups that attend most Fridays. Thus, it's not uncommon for someone at our FNM to cuff someone else upside the head for yelling out an expletive...often followed by embarrassed apologies from the language-abuser in question.
It's all a matter of priorities...if someone wants to cut up and play altered lands with naked anime chicks tweaking themselves, they have to take the responsibility to choose an environment where the behavior fits. The mom who takes her teenage son to a 10PM start FNM at a shop that has a sign stating FNM "18 and older strongly encouraged" has no room to gasp if her kid comes home with wild stories; by the same token, the guy who sits down across from my kid using f-bombs as his primary vocabulary substitute while shuffling up his deck full of sexpot altered cards has no room to take offense for getting his chops busted. Like everything else involving the public, common sense should be on one's lead foot.
[/PSA]
The naked anime girl sleeves are definitely a thing over here, and I don't know how it flies. It makes me uncomfortable, because they aren't naked anime women, they are depicting under aged girls. If I owned the store I wouldn't allow it, but that's me. I am aware that I'm biased because I'm a teacher, am I have nothing for contempt for anyone who has those kind of fantasies about someone my students' age.
they are not underage girls.. they are fictional characters, so they dont have any age. they are not real persons. and if you follow anime and manga, there are a lot of persons there, who look underage in western culture eyes, but are far over 18 in the manga or anime.
also there are a lot of persons who look much older than they actualy are.
also: they are not naked normaly... i never saw sleeves with really naked anime girls.
its not like i use them, but i dont see anything bad about it.
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Enjoy.
Last Friday night (12/7/2012) I went to play FNM at a different store. I went undefeated and 2-0’d all my games, except for one. Here is that tale.
After acing my exams in record time, I prepared for my journey to Dunedin (pronounced “done eatin’”) by purchasing a 4-pack of Miller Highlife tallboys. After all, every great fire needs fuel. My fire just so happens to require Highlife. I slammed a 5-Hour Energy (I gave myself haste and first strike just like Ash Zealot, what can I say?) and proceeded to make my 20 minute jaunt to Birds of Paradise, a store I’ve not been to since a few days before States.
Sidenote: The 20 minute drive to Dunedin is not the only reason why I don’t frequent that store. The last time I was there was a few days before States. I met up with an old buddy of mine to trade for a playset of Falkenrath Aristocrats and to play in an RTR draft. The store owner pulled me aside before I left and told me I couldn’t come back if I continued to wear T-shirts that were “over the top.” The shirt in question was all black (typical for me) except for the writing on it, which said, “*****. The most expensive meal you will ever eat.” I am a Red Mage and I will NOT be told what to wear. So I just chose to not come back. Also, the FNM’s there run really late there. I usually at work on Saturday morning by 5 a.m. so I normally play at The Wizard’s Cupboard in Seminole since I’m home by 11. I was off for the weekend and I had “cooled off’ since that night, so I decided to go back to Birds.
Anyways, I got there pretty early and started shooting the bull with a few of the people there that I know from the Birds of Paradises group on Facebook – Gathering: for Magic (I suggest you check it out. There are some of Judges on this group, and even a level 3, that can answer some questions too. Friend me on Facebook too while you’re at it! ;)) I found a fellow Red Mage and helped him assemble a working Dos Rakis list, one that’s very similar to hamfactorial’s deck. My buddy and his brother showed up later and we discussed everything Red under the sun, since the brother had taken down the FNM a week prior with a Pyreheart Sligh build. I talked about our nice little home here on MTGS and the awesome Fires of Salvation Clan that awaits should they decide to become proactive here. I made a few trips to the “car bar” and we fired off a game of Type 4. If you’ve never played Type 4, then you’re missing out!
Sidenote: A very large interactive game with the locals was what I needed to assess the meta there. I quickly sized up most of the people there in terms of skill and had a quick deck discussion with my two fellow Red Mages. Somehow, I was talked into playing 2 Thunderbolts in my sideboard over Flames of the Firebrand. Except I later found out that the majority of the Bant /Rest Angel players were away for the weekend at a pig roast in St. Augustine (jealous!). Anyhoo, it seemed like a good idea at the time.
Here’s what my build looked like:
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Stromkirk Noble
3 Stonewright
4 Ash Zealot
4 Gore-House Chainwalker
3 Lightning Mauler
4 Pyreheart Wolf
4 Hellrider
4 Pillar of Flame
4 Searing Spear
Land (22)
2 Hellion Crucible
20 Mountain
3 Bonfire of the Damned
4 Mizzium Mortars
2 Thunderbolt
2 Hellion Crucible
4 Hound of Griselbrand
It resembles zemanjaski’s early Sligh build (before the MD Hounds were added). Maybe I was channeling my inner “Z” when I took out my Brimstone Volleys for Lightning Maulers, I dunno. I kept 4 Pillars main because, well, that’s what Pinellas County’s meta demands.
We fired off FNM after Type 4 and it was on like Donkey Kong!
Round 1 VS Mono Red Sligh
Game 1: Dude leads off with Vexing Devil.
Okay. I take 4.
I think his whole plan was to Vexing Volley me repeatedly during our games. Needless to say, I played around his Vexing Devils and secured a swift victory by nailing him with little critters attacking with Pyreheart Wolf.
Game 2: I go big in this game by yanking out my Cacklers, Nobles, Chainwalkers, and Maulers. In comes everything. Note that I’m assuming he’s boarding in Archwing Dragon so the Thunderbolt is still a smart play. This game goes exactly as planned: I burn his critters, hardcast a Bonfire for 2, play a Hound, and then miracle a Bonfire, followed by an Alpha Strike. Okay, the miracle wasn’t planned, but I did what I was hoping to do: I controlled the aggro deck and took it down when he was exhausted.
Record 1-0
Afterwards, he tells me he slapped the deck together on his way there and that Vexing Devil was so good (I think he believes it’s his best card. As I slammed a beer, I gave him a rebuttal worthy of redthirst. I can only hope that this guy has seen the light now.
Round 2 VS 4 Color Conley Woods.dec (or as I like to call, “Dirty” Naya)
Game 1: I’m on the play and lead off with a Noble. He follows up with a mana dork, which I proceed to burn away with a Pillar of Flame. The beating commences after that and I quickly overtake him with 2 Hellriders on the board. He lost because he was devoted to the early game mana fixing and ramp while I provided immense pressure to take away the game.
Game 2: Fighting midrange is tough. I still need to be aggressive here, but I know that in the fight against midrange deck, complicated boardstates can arise. Sometimes there are turns of simply just casting creatures and waiting. I took out Cacklers, Chainwalkers, a Hellrider, and a Pillar for 3 Bonfires, 3 Hounds, 1 Crucible, 2 Thunderbolt and a Mortars. However, none of this was needed. It seems my opponent stumbled on mana after he mulliganed. I took advantage with an aggressive start. I played a Noble into Lightning Mauler, and then paired with a Pyreheart on turn 3. My wave was formidable and he succumbed to the inferno.
Record 2-0
Round 3 VS Travis Woo’s 5-Color WTF.dec
Game 1: We both mulligan to 5 (so ****ty!). My opponent is really screwed on mana and I win very quickly. Really, there’s no point in going into detail here.
Game 2: I really don’t know what to expect here. I really don’t. The game went by so fast I didn’t know what to make of the deck. I never bothered to actually memorize the list after I read Woo’s article on the deck either, so I just took a shot in the dark and didn’t sideboard. The consistency of my deck paid off and, after only encountering a single Temporal Master and a Spinx’s Revelation for 1, I stole the game. Apparently his deck stumbled again. Well, that’s what my deck does – it takes advantage of my opponents that stumble. Even if it’s for two games in a row.
Record: 3-0
Round 4 VS Selesnya Aggro
Game 1: He offered to draw with me. Apparently, these guys over here have it to a science in a 5 Round FNM – if you’re 3-0 you can double draw into Top 8. I came to play and burn people, so I refused. Plus I was getting buzzed after a trip to the “car bar,” and dammit, I wanted to represent Red tonight! We played and it was over in a flash. Guy got greedy and depended solely on his mana dork, which I burned away. By the time he cast a Smiter, I already had a Stonewright paired Wolf and a growing Stromkirk Noble. An attack followed by 2 Searing Spears did him in.
Game 2: I go big, but I had a nuts aggro draw in my keeper hand. He mulls to 5 and I just KNOW that he kept a 1 lander with a mana dork. Turns out I was right. I burned the critter away and laughed like a madman as I took him down. Our match was so fast that the other guys that intentionally drew thought I had drawn as well. Nope.
Record: 4-0
Afterwards, me and some of the guys went to the Mexican joint next door for beer and tacos in between rounds. Fun times.
At this point I’m running full throttle on my beer buzz and, after talking about Kung-Fu, Ip Man, and You Tube’ing Bruce Lee fighting a beardless Chuck Norris, we grab as much Dos Equis from the Wal-Greens as we can carry in anticipation of the rest of the night. I may or may not have driven to said Wal-Greens.
Round 5 VS….HUH?
Apparently there was clear-cut Top 8. I was at the top and combined with the people that had drawn, we were going straight to Top 8. Um, okay.
Top 8 Round 1 VS Mono Red Aggro
Game 1: I was on the play and man, it was just bonkers. Slobber-knockers left and right! We pretty much raced, but I feel that the fact I had a full set of Pillars MD put the odds in my favor. See, he was pretty much on the Brimstone Volley plan to chop me down but I had more cheap removal than he did. I could kill a guy and still play my own to increase my board position. He ran out of gas before I did and I won.
Game 2: Going big! My deck gave me exactly what I need. I burned his guys up and then smacked him around with a couple of Hounds. He boarded in Pillars, and I knew he would. However, I knew he would just spend them on my Ash Zealots and Wolves. Which he did. I did expect an Archwing Dragon but I never saw one. I ended up killing him with my saved Thunderbolt after a mighty attack.
Semifinals VS Selesnya Aggro
Game 1: I was on the play. This may sound old, but I swear it was a repeat of the last GW MU I played. I led with a Noble and later burned his Arbor Elf. My Noble grows as I walk past a Pilgrim and then Searing Spear his Silverblade. A Wolf and a Hellrider show up to the party to finish him off.
Sidenote: I was informed that this deck is superior to the other GW decks at this shop since it doesn’t play Resto or Thragtusk. But it does play a full set of Centaur Healers postboard. Good to know.
Game 2: I go big. And this is what my deck was made for – the Selesnya decks. He played guys, I countered (yes, friends. Red Mages can indeed counter! ;)) by burning them. I Thunderbolted that damn Sublime Archangel. I Mortared his Smiters. I (miracle) Bonfired my way to an empty board. I played a Hound and paired it with a Stonewright and attacked. When he bonded a Silverheart to a mana dork, I kept my blockers ready. When he played another angel, I Spear’ed it. I dropped a Lightning Mauler and he made a Knight with his Charm. I drew a Wolf and paired with the Lightning Mauler and attacked, killing his bonded mana dork. When his topdeck was a land, I knew I had the game. I drew a Hellrider and swung into victory!
Record 6-0 (All 2-0 wins!)
The Finals VS 4 Color Jund aka Jund with Izzet Staticaster and Nightshade Peddler combo
Game 1: Man, after this round, I should just name my deck the Punisher. I don’t know what’s up with these ambitious 4 Color decks, but holy hell do they have potential to stumble. And stumble they do because that’s exactly how I took down this match. Every land he played came into play tapped. He’d Farseek, but put himself behind on board presence. Because of this, my blitzkrieg took it away.
Game 2: I felt really good about this MU and I didn’t board. I just had a feeling that staying aggro would get there. We did a lot of trading – apparently when he gets his mana, he can kill my guys. Soon he has a bonded Staticaster with a Nightshade Peddler. An Olivia hits the board and I groan. However, he gets greedy and later plays a Falkenrath Aristocrat and starts swinging. Meanwhile I have no burn in sight, but through the dedication of my attacks, I have him at 1 Life.
I’m at 4 and he’s at 1. It’s my turn. I have a Pyrheart Wolf and a Gore-House Chainwalker (unleashed, duh!). He has a tapped Olivia and Aristocrat, an untapped Staticaster paired with a Peddler. I draw a Mauler and think that I may have him. I play the Mauler and pair with the Wolf. While the soulbond is on the stack, he flashes in another Staticaster and pings my Wolf. It “undies” and is now a different Wolf. The Soulbond trigger fails. He taps his bonded Staticaster to kill my Chainwalker, and all I’m left with is two sick creatures.
Fail.
As he goes to shuffle his cards, he says to me, “Yep, that’s what happens when my deck gets going. It wins!”
To which I reply, “I will rape your face next game. Mark my words, you will lose.” He laughed, but I wanted vengeance.
Then I hear,” What the hell, Alderman!? You’re playing Red! This should be over by now!” I look behind me and see that I have both Red Mages behind me watching our game.
‘Don’t worry,” I say. “It will be over soon.”
Game 3: My opening hand was insane: Mountain, Mountain, Mountain, Noble, Mauler, Wolf, Hellrider. Holy ****! Is this the nuts or what!? I curve out perfectly and my opponent sits on 3 land – Sulfur Falls, Woodland Cemetery, and a Forest. Needless to say, I had the nut draw and his dream was crushed.
Guys, this is what happens to you when you have ambitious manabases: you lose!
Record: 7-0
Victory! And at this point I was pretty drunk. Payout was 50-35-25-10 and I walked away 50 bucks the richer. Now I just need a reason to go back and spend the store credit. Well, Gatecrash will be out soon enough.
The rest of the night was spent in the parking lot downing the remaining beers. I talked to the Dos Rakis guy about his games. Apparently one game was stolen on the back of Rogue’s Passage and a Stromkirk Noble against a GW Midrange opponent. Interesting little bit of tech, I guess.
My buddy’s brother with the RDW finished 3rd, so overall, it was a good night for Red Mages.
Now, I know this is a lengthy report. It’s achieved essay-like proportions, but I want to point out a few key things that make Red so good right now.
For one, it is consistent. I never had a problem getting my mana. And even then, I curve out at 4. I do not have a struggle to play anything in my deck. I am reliable and my deck is very forgiving when I stumble. Consistency is what allows me to take advantage and punish a stumbling opponent. With today’s decks pushing the envelope in what’s playable, mana bases are being pushed to the limit. Increasingly, opponents are becoming mana screwed, thus making them vulnerable to our attacks.
Two, Red is aggressive and resilient right now. Since people are boarding to fight Thundermaws, they are in a poor spot to face off against multiple Hounds. Either Pillar of Flame is getting shuffled around into sideboards, or it is being wasted on Ash Zealots and Nobles instead of Hounds and Wolves. The undying creatures give us some flexibility when facing other decks with removal. Our high creature count is capable of efficiently allowing ourselves to fight back after a boardwipe.
Finally, Red synergy is good. Red has a solid backup plan with mana sinks such as Hellion Crucible and Stonewright. Red can play the longer game with heavy hitting threats like Hound of Griselbrand and Thundermaw Hellkite. Hellrider combined with hordes of hasty critters can steal games. Right now we have a good card pool of which to draw from and use. Little “two card combos” like Mauler and Wolf or Stonewright and Ash Zealot / Hound of Griselbrand are easy to use and hideously lethal. Red even has solid sweeper spells to use in the right match-ups with Bonfire of the Damned and Mizzium Mortars.
The things also make up the Four Fundamentals of Fire, and it’s best not to forget them:
Aggressive Speed
Consistency
Efficiency
Synergy
We have the weapons right now in Standard. We have the right recipe to make killer decks. And we’re certainly putting them to good use.
Red is certainly blessed right now to have such a great card pool fitting the Sligh curve.
Thoughts on the FNM:
I didn’t see any Restoration Angels. They were in some of the decks I faced, yet I didn’t see any. Whether or not I’m lucky, I still need to evaluate the Thunderbolt slot. Was it effective? Sorta. Did I wish it was something else? Yes, I wanted a Flames of the Firebrand. Would Flames have made a difference? Maybe. I won either way. With this line of thought, I think I’ll keep the 2 Thunderbolts in for the next Friday outing. Besides, hardcasting a Bonfire for 1 or 2 can effectively do the job of Flames anyway.
Were my match-ups easy? Yes. Some were. However, I was prepared for aggro and I faced aggro. I was prepared for my meta. Did I make concessions for something else I would face? Yes – I played Thunderbolt. My preparation for the metagame, however paid off. I knew my roles in all of the match-ups and I made intuitive decisions (some aided with beer!) that allowed me to sideboard accordingly. I was Sledgehammer when I needed to be and Sligh when it counted (haha, Sly? Get it?). I utilized the Four Principles of Pyromancy.
Was I lucky that I didn’t face durdle Bant? Yes, I was. All the snotty money players (whom I call “Nigels,” the OTHER Magic: The Gathering Personality) were enjoying the rum and roasted pig in St. Augustine! They were living the dream!!! Do I wish I was there instead? Hell yeah!!! Instead, I was mopping up their stomping grounds with Mono Red Sligh. My legend will be but a passing story when they return:
“Man, you guys should’ve been here last week! A bunch of Red Mages came in here and slapped us around like a bunch of Sallies!”
And they’ll prepare for Red. But I won’t be there. I’ll be somewhere else. I live in a 10 mile radius of 4 different card shops. By the time Red gets hated out at Birds, I’ll make my rounds again and they won’t be ready. However, in the meantime, I’ll wander around like a lonesome Kung-Fu Warrior and spread the Gospel of Fire, striking down my opponents with haste…and, uh, first strike!
Anyways, I lucked out in that I didn’t face durdle Bant – maybe I will next time. If so, I’ll gladly embrace the challenge. In the meantime, any feedback or criticism on my deck, decisions, or writing will help keep me prepared for the next go-round.
May your decks run hot and your beer stay cold!
Not sure why "going big" is a good sideboard plan though, what could they board in that would make the main deck plan not as good?
That was one epic read. I hope we see more reports like this. Ideally we will as more of us stream or take notes of epic battles with fire.
That soulbound stack took me a second to figure out and at first perusal I thought it was wrong but the second time thru I guess the bound trigger on the stack stops the source from seeing the undying guy as it thinks it may be bound?
Cockatrice: lorddax MWS: lorddax MODO: lorddax
==Decks==
Standard - R Slighred
Modern - Seeking red list
Legacy - RBurning Red || BGContamination Pox
EDH - BRThe Wort Conspiracy
Thanks!
@ Big Jim ~ sometimes they bring in cheap removal to kill your early guys, so you sidestep their plan by going big. Other times, your early guts matchup poorly with theirs, so you wouldn't want to draw them, eg: Cackler vs GW.
Want to see me in action? Check out my stream! Currently broadcasting Boros Burn in Standard. Full archive available.
Want to play better magic? Come join us at diestoremoval.com
Cockatrice: lorddax MWS: lorddax MODO: lorddax
==Decks==
Standard - R Slighred
Modern - Seeking red list
Legacy - RBurning Red || BGContamination Pox
EDH - BRThe Wort Conspiracy
Maybe I'm just ADD or something. I like to switch gears. Sometimes, an opponent will board in aggro hate or make a transformation as well. I like to change things out by going into a controlling type deck that's a little more suited for the long haul.
Sometimes aggro match-ups can be a coinflip. Sometimes not, but I'm prepared to put the odds in my favor Game 2.
Simply put: Game 1, I want to be the aggro deck. That's all I want. If I can't be the aggro deck, I will change into a mid-range deck on Game 2 to beat the aggro deck. In Game 2 against control, I'll still be the aggro deck, but I will have the tools to prepare me for a longer game.
Don't you get a chance to rebond to the new wolf that's entering the battlefield? This is why I like mtgo, I don't have to think about these rules
Also drink driving isn't "red mage", it's just stupid...
Hm.... I was under the impression it was a targeted effect when it comes in. It stacks and if ti leaves play and comes back, it is now a different target. Kind of like when you try to bolt a Tusk and your opponent Restoration Angels the tusk in response to save it.
I could be wrong. If I am, I won't make the same mistake again.
Stupid, yes. Did I admit to it? No.
My only query is whether the undying returning wolf allows you to retarget the trigger from the lightning mauler to the now-entering creature. Perhaps the lightning mauler isn't yet on the battlefield though so you don't get a chance do this. I'm not very good at rules b/c i just play on MTGO so I'm not the right person to answer this question :).
There's definitely some grey area in there. The Judge there (and I use that term loosely, since he is also the shop owner playing in the tournament), along with the "majority" there pretty much ruled against me. There's valid points on both sides. I'm not a rules lawyer, sadly. I just want to tap Mountains.
So this means that no matter how your opponent used the staticaster in your example, you would have been able to rebond with the wolf. Either they used it before the trigger resolved and you can simply target the +1/+1 wolf as the mauler is entering the battlefield, or they use it after it resolves and you can use it on the wolf when it re-enters the battlefield after undying.
Thanks, man. So, I got bamboozled. Well, it won't happen to me again. Thanks for the clarification!
On a serious note. It's great to see red doing so well lately. It kinda makes me regret spending money on expensive chase rares.
Watch my Twitch.tv stream.
Take the Ham Challenge.
I love the idea of cutting the 3cc burn, Brimstone Volley and Flames of the Firebrand in favor of 2cc burn and pillars. I don't think it's a meta call, I think it's wise use of slot space to dump more creatures while holding a red 'counterspell'.
I also fully understand your desire to side in the hounds against aggro decks. They're using the 3cc flames as a sideboard option against you and are cutting valuable damage to do so. Why not remove cheap targets and dominate them with fatties?
Cheers!
So he was playing burn? Not sligh? I don't see brim or vex alot anymore. The only time I do see them is in mono red burn.
BTW congrats on the report. The deck looks solid and tournament worthy. I've gotten a few copies of Hound myself and was wondering in what matches you would side him in and what you'd remove from your list for him.
It's all a matter of priorities...if someone wants to cut up and play altered lands with naked anime chicks tweaking themselves, they have to take the responsibility to choose an environment where the behavior fits. The mom who takes her teenage son to a 10PM start FNM at a shop that has a sign stating FNM "18 and older strongly encouraged" has no room to gasp if her kid comes home with wild stories; by the same token, the guy who sits down across from my kid using f-bombs as his primary vocabulary substitute while shuffling up his deck full of sexpot altered cards has no room to take offense for getting his chops busted. Like everything else involving the public, common sense should be on one's lead foot.
[/PSA]
The naked anime girl sleeves are definitely a thing over here, and I don't know how it flies. It makes me uncomfortable, because they aren't naked anime women, they are depicting under aged girls. If I owned the store I wouldn't allow it, but that's me. I am aware that I'm biased because I'm a teacher, am I have nothing for contempt for anyone who has those kind of fantasies about someone my students' age.
Want to see me in action? Check out my stream! Currently broadcasting Boros Burn in Standard. Full archive available.
Want to play better magic? Come join us at diestoremoval.com
also there are a lot of persons who look much older than they actualy are.
also: they are not naked normaly... i never saw sleeves with really naked anime girls.
its not like i use them, but i dont see anything bad about it.