Magic: The Gathering (Spoiler-free)

It's probably worth noting that Stronghold was released pretty early in the game's existence, and the colour pie has evolved a lot since 1998.

True, but why is this thing not used more if people are hurting for white card draw?

Just pitch some cantrips into it and it'll pay you back with 7 cards.

And it works really, really well with my Elsha Enchantress Deck. Because I don't need to draw those cards - Elsha lets me play them from on top of my deck.

Edited by NickTheSwing on Jan 5th 2020 at 9:48:36 AM

Overlooking that it's a delayed-impact 4-drop with no protection from removal that will leave you down 2-3 cards if it's destroyed before it can be used, it's also 22 years old in a game where a not inconsiderable chunk of the playerbase is below the age of 25. People wouldn't get it for their Standard or Modern decks, because it's literally not allowed in Standard or Modern, nor would they get it for Legacy or Vintage, because it's underpowered compared to the strong cards in those formats, and its vulnerability to removal makes it a less than incredible play in Commander unless you have a deck that's specifically able to make use of it.

Like, it's not useless, but if you're holding it up as an incredible source of draw power, um, no, it's not that; it's a tool for inefficiently removing an opponent's enchantment removal.

Okay admittedly, I'm speaking from a spot where my Commander playgroup doesn't really involve that much intensive enchantment removal.

So, what new draw-power cards for White are there?

White is supposed to be experimenting with symmetrical draw but the only thing we've seen so far is a cantrip but worse, and white can already do cantrips.

Symmetrical draw would be nice with Smothering Tithe and other possible effects of the same nature.

Maybe like a White Rhystic Study. Pay 2 when you attack me or I draw a card.

How does Ith, High Arcanist work?

Ith's middle ability works the same way as his Maze. When I see the latter card pop un in Commander games, it's usually used defensively to stop an incoming attacking creature cold.

I will assume you're talking about the tap ability rather than suspend.

You use his ability during combat. When you do, you target an attacking creature, and the creature gets untapped. It also can't take or deal combat damage that turn. It's essentially removing the creature from combat, but it's still considered an attacking creature for effects that care about that sort of thing, like Aetherize. And if something like Skullcrack is active, then the damage will still go through.

You can use this in two ways:

1. Your opponent attacks you with something, and then you target it with Ith to say "no, that creature isn't going to do damage this turn".
2. Your opponent has a really big blocker and you have a few smaller attacking creatures. You swing with them, your opponent blocks to try to kill one, and then you use Ith on the blocked creature to save it.

Edited by Serac on Jan 6th 2020 at 8:30:22 AM

There's also the use with creatures with "when this creature attacks, do x" abilities, and your opponent having big blockers.

You can also use him with Freed From The Real to basically turn him into U: remove target creature from combat.

Which is really, really good.

Edit - Let me just say I look forward to using Icthyomorphosis in my Enchantress deck and intoning in a really deep, impressive voice, "YOU ARE A FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISH."

Edited by NickTheSwing on Jan 6th 2020 at 10:38:02 AM

January 13, 2020 Banned and Restricted Announcement

• Modern
  • Mox Opal is banned.
  • Oko, Thief of Crowns is banned.
  • Mycosynth Lattice is banned.

This makes 4 out of a possible 7 Wizards-supported formats that Oko is now banned in for its general broken-ness. Mox Opal is banned for its general Mox-ness, and Mycosynth Lattice is banned for its interaction with Karn, the Great Creator.

Usually, abilities that prevent artifact ability activations make exceptions for mana abilities. I wonder, why they didn't do so with Karn?

Edited by Lightblade on Jan 14th 2020 at 11:00:39 AM

Well, now I know I'm gonna pick up a Mycosynth Lattice and Karn The Great Creator for one of my Commander decks. Maybe I'll pick something already horribly oppressive, like the Oloro Deck I want to make.

My guess is they wanted him to shut down mana rocks and weren't really thinking about the Lattice making everything into a mana rock. They generally don't concern themselves too much with older formats when designing cards for Standard.

So, do you guys prefer not to play against Stax decks in Commander?

To give an idea for what my Stax deck does, a combo it has is War's Toll and Ghostly Prison, making opponents choose between attacking me or casting things during their turn.

It would not bother me, but to each there own: at the end of the day, magic is a social game, and lack of interaction between players has long been something the game and its designers have tried to move away from. Primarily this means trying to rub out any oppressive permission or land destruction shells to keep them out of Standard and Modern; for EDH, this means banning certain tutors and diggers and let the singleton nature sort itself out.

If your deck is built around such effects, it seems closer to an option eater control shell; genuine Stax uses land destruction and oppressive, overwhelming restrictions that ideally prevent the opponent from playing any cards at all. War's Toll is a delayer, and Ghostly Prison is a cornerstone of pillowfort; assuming you are not also running Smokestack and a set of resistance artifacts.

Edited by ViperMagnum357 on Feb 22nd 2020 at 6:59:20 AM

There's also Armageddon + Boros Charm, Decree of Annihilation, Phyrexian Unlife + Solemnity, Decree of Silence, Rhystic Study, Mana Barbs, Aether Flash, and a few others.

Kind of Enchantress Stax.

And yeah, communication is key. If people don't like stax, they'll ask you to please play something else. If they're okay with stax, I play it.

Edited by NickTheSwing on Feb 22nd 2020 at 1:33:09 AM

I generally play Commander, and a stax deck in that generally gets pummelled by the rest of the table. So I don't much mind playing against it.

B&R update:

• Golos, Tireless Pilgrim banned in Brawl for being twice as popular as any other option and undermining the spirit of singleton by being a super reliable tutor engine
• Once Upon a Time, Veil of Summer and Oko, Thief of Crowns move from suspended in Historic to banned; Field of the Dead unsuspended, because they're planning to bring in Ghost Quarter and Goblin Ruinblaster in the next Historic Anthology to provide an answer.
• Once Upon a Time also banned in Modern
• Underworld Breach banned in Legacy for being problematic with Lion's Eye Diamond.
• Also a note that while they are aware there are concerns about a few Pioneer decks, they don't believe they pose a significant threat to the meta at this time, but will be keeping an eye on things.

Hey so what do you guys think about my newest Commander deck, this Najeela deck.

It's aimed at an aggro and combat step looping combo strategy, and has shown the ability with the right draws to go infinite turn 4 or 5.

Edited by NickTheSwing on Apr 9th 2020 at 7:05:01 AM

So Ikoria is out on Arena, and that 1-drop vampire with deathtouch and lifelink is kinda nuts with mutate if you can protect it. Turn that crappy 1-drop into a 6/6 with lifelink, why not?

I'm thinking of building a Mutate deck. I'm now trying to decide if it should be Temur or Sultai.

Me when my Keruga-companion Titanoth Rex/Void Beckoner/Kogla reanimator deck manages a win somehow:

I think I powered up my Najeela deck too far. It's winning on turn 4 or 5 consistently, and even when I deliberately tried not to tutor for game ending pieces of the combo, I ended up attacking for something like 800 damage thanks to Jazal Goldmane.

Lore Question: Who names the planes?