Monday, February 9th, 2015
Do you love Commander (Elder Dragon Highlander/EDH)? Then this is a video series you don’t want to miss, brought to you by local gaming group-turned media powerhouse TapNTurnGaming, in association with your’s truly – Battleground Games & Hobbies!
Check out Episode One – Dimir Vs. Gruul:
Wondering what this is all about? Check out the introduction to this great new series by TapNTurnGaming:
Finally, here is all the deck techs for the decks that TapNTurnGaming will be playing:
From their YouTube Channel: We love Magic: The Gathering. Specifically the EDH or Commander format. On this channel we will be going over all sorts of things pertaining to our favorite format:
And anything else you, the viewers, may want to see – let us know!
Tags: Commander, EDH, Elder Dragon Highlander, Magic the Gathering, MTG, Ravnica Battles, TapNTurnGaming, YouTube
Posted in Blog, Card Games, Featured Post, Magic: The Gathering, Store Related | No Comments »
Thursday, February 5th, 2015
It’s time for another installment of “This Week in Magic.” With the recent bannings in Modern, I’ve been having a tough time coming up with a deck I want to play. For a while, I was playing UR Delver like many other people, and like many, I had a very successful run with it. However, that is no longer the case and it’s almost like times have reverted back to pre-Khans of Tarkir periods with a a few exceptions.
First thing on the agenda is to figure out what I’m going to play. I don’t think it’s a terrible choice to go back to playing what I was playing before – Mono Red Burn. In fact, thanks to the recent bannings, it may have gotten better in a way. Before Treasure Cruise was removed from the picture, I had seen many Mono Red Burn lists forcing the card into the decklists. I tried it out myself. At that point, you might as well be playing UR Delver. However, without the Delver package, it had become a whole new beast. I felt it was trying to do too much.
Now that we know what we’re playing let’s take a look at a sample decklist.
Mono Red Burn
4 Goblin Guide
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
4 Monastery Swiftspear
3 Grim Lavamancer
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Shard Volley
4 Lava Spike
4 Rift Bolt
4 Searing Blaze
4 Skull Crack
3 Flames of the Blood Hand
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Bloodstained Mire
9 Mountain
1 Stomping Ground
When it comes to Mono Red Burn, I want to burn you as fast as possible. With such a low mana curve, I don’t want to risk any chance of flooding. In this case, I will gladly go with an 18 land package. I feel that the eight fetchlands are self-explanatory. Not triggering the landfall on Searing Blaze is the worse thing that can happen to a Burn player. More importantly it helps fuel the fire for Grim Lavamancer.
Helping make sure that there is plenty of wood to burn for your Grim Lavamancer is very important because Affinity is sure to make a surge thanks to the recent bannings. Grim Lavamancer will be one of your keys to being successful on a consistent basis.
The biggest change from the list I ran at GP Boston last summer has to be the Monastery Swiftspear. Some would consider her to be better than the Goblin Guide. However, I say we take the best of both worlds and run them together. There is a catch though. When it comes to running the Swiftspear, I feel that it’s important to remember that it’s okay to swing with her as a 1/2. When you start pouring your instant spells into her just to make her bigger, you begin to put yourself at a disadvantage. If you have patience with her, she’ll take you a long way.
For the most part, the deck hasn’t really changed. We’ve added a creature to the list and cut down on one burn spell. Khans of Tarkir and Fate Reforged didn’t help us out either way. One thing you may have all been wondering about is why is there a long Stomping Ground? This is for the multiple copies of Destructive Revelry that will most likely go in the side board. Speaking of side board, let’s take a look at the rest of our possible side.
2 Blood Moon
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Combust
2 Torpor Orb
4 Searing Blood
3 Destructive Revelry
Thanks to the bannings Junk is set to take the number one spot in Modern. A big reason is due to Siege Rhino. It was one of the biggest reasons why Birthing Pod began to get out of hand. There was a reason Birthing Pod changed it’s name to Rhino Pod.
I’m not going to get into too much detail here, but this side board is pretty versatile against different versions of Junk. Blood Moons are pretty good here, but are not completely necessary for the matchup. Keep in mind, though, we are dealing with a deck that is greedy when it comes to it’s mana. While it doesn’t need to, it wants to hit that third color. Combust will be one of our best removal spells against Siege Rhino. As for Torpor Orb, this is another card that is not necessary, but can still help the cause by stopping those Siege Rhino activations.
Surprisingly enough, Relic of Progenitus is a solid choice to bring in here. While Burn decks can typically outburn a Tarmogoyf, having a backup plan is still nice. Not to mention Scavenging Ooze could potentially be a problem. Relic can help make sure the graveyards are clear of any creatures. Once an Ooze gets going it can be a little hard to stop.
I feel Mono Red is poised to be one of the top decks, again, in Modern. Any deck that has a high chance to play a turn one fetchland, into an untapped shock land, followed by casting Thoughtseize is our best friend. Sadly, not everyone will be playing Junk. If Affinity makes a move for the top, that’s when Mono Red Burn players will have to be concerned. This has always been a coin flip in my experience. Nonetheless, have confidence in your play and you’ll be just fine.
Well that’s it for now. I hope you all enjoyed this week’s topic and if there is a specific topic you’d like me to cover, then let me know.
Simeon is now the Community Manager for Battleground Games & Hobbies. If you have any questions or inquiries, then you can reach him at Sims@battlegroundgames.com. He is also an avid gamer who loves to play board games and video games. He graduated college with a degree in Political Science, and now serves the public by writing about games. You can check that out here. Don’t forget to “like” him on Facebook as well. It’ll update you on all of his newest content. Best of all, you can follow Simeon on Twitter (@SimeonCortezano) for some real time hilarity. Thanks for reading!
Join the Battleground Games & Hobbies community forums!
Please don’t forget to check us out on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @battleground_gh!
Tags: Modern, mono red burn, Simeon Cortezano
Posted in Blog, Card Games, Featured Author, Featured Post, Magic: The Gathering, Popular Posts | 3 Comments »
Monday, February 2nd, 2015
Do you love Commander (Elder Dragon Highlander/EDH)? Then this is a video series you don’t want to miss, brought to you by local gaming group-turned media powerhouse TapNTurnGaming, in association with your’s truly – Battleground Games & Hobbies!
Check out Episode One – Dimir Vs. Orzhov:
Wondering what this is all about? Check out the introduction to this great new series by TapNTurnGaming:
Finally, here is all the deck techs for the decks that TapNTurnGaming will be playing:
From their YouTube Channel: We love Magic: The Gathering. Specifically the EDH or Commander format. On this channel we will be going over all sorts of things pertaining to our favorite format:
And anything else you, the viewers, may want to see – let us know!
Tags: Commander, EDH, Elder Dragon Highlander, Magic the Gathering, MTG, Ravnica Battles, TapNTurnGaming, YouTube
Posted in Blog, Card Games, Featured Post, Magic: The Gathering, Store Related | 1 Comment »
Thursday, January 29th, 2015
Welcome back to another “This week in Magic.” I hope many of you who live on the East Coast had a wonderful experience during the Blizzard. I, for the most part, sat back and thought about Magic. What exactly did I think about? I mostly reflected upon how much Fate Reforged has changed the face of Standard (and in some instances, Modern as well). With a major tournament also in the books, players have a clearer idea as to what the competitive meta may look like going forward.
For those of you who don’t know. Starcitygames held another Standard open series this past weekend in Washington, D.C. This was a pretty important event, and, based on the results, a lot of interesting things happened. The biggest headline would have to be that Abzan did not take the top spot at the end of the tournament. Instead, players found Sultai Control piloted by familiar pro, Gerard Fabiano. Unlike the Sultai Whip decks we had been used to seeing in Khans, Sultai has gone full control thanks to the introduction of Fate Reforged.
So what exactly caused the change? The introduction of a Black board sweeper has really changed how things are approached in Standard. In addition to the Black board wipe, Ugin has made its presence known in control decks who look to go the distance in their plans. The new Sultair Control deck reminds me of a BUG Superfriends deck. It looks like the point of the decks is to keep the board as clear as possible for as long as possible. All the while, you’re setting your board up to ultimate Kiora and start making little 9/9s at the end of every turn.
Another deck that may be emerging is a new version of Boat Brew. If you know me at all or know anyone who knows me, then you should know I am a big fan of Boat Brew. Back in the day, Boat Brew was a fun RW deck (originally designed by Brian Kowal) that played small, super efficient creatures combined with a fun-loving burn package and a key card known as Reveillark. It was quite the aggro deck and certainly made some people furious.
While the present version of the deck doesn’t have Reveillark to really abuse the deck, the rest of the cast can hold it’s own. Today you have creatures like Soulfire Grandmaster and Monastery Mentor who can make and break games on their own. Together, this duo make for a killer combo.
For the most part, Abzan Aggro didn’t change very much. However, it welcomed, with arms wide open, it’s newest cast member: Tasigur, the Golden Fang. So what’s so special about Tasigur? Some of you may recall a card from Khans by the name of Hooting Mandrils. This card was so popular that some professionals tried to find numerous ways to fit it their Standard deck. Now players have Tasigur. She may cost the same, but her added defense and ability now make her worthwhile.
This past weekend I played in another PPTQ. This time I decided to pilot UB Control. There was huge catch to this though. I wasn’t able to get my hands on any Crux’s. So I found myself in quite a bit of a bind. I ended up playing the older lists which contained four copies of Perilous Vaults. I did, however, have a couple copies of the new planeswalker, Ugin. Ironically, he was easier to obtain than Crux of Fate.
Interestingly enough, it wasn’t so bad not playing any Crux’s. That’s not to say it was the right play. Having talked to many people at the event, it seems like a package of two Crux’s and three Perilous Vaults may be the way to go in the end. Although, after six rounds on Sunday, it may not be a crazy idea of main boarding multiple copies of Drown in Sorrow. Why main board Drown in Sorrow? First we can thank the emergence of the new Boat Brew. Secondly, the breakthrough of this new deck may be another good reason.
Just when you thought there was only one, a brand new combo has come bursting through the doors. This combo works via a Voyaging Satyr, a Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx, an Ascendancy, and a Temur Sabertooth. The ultimate goal is to make unlimited mana by tapping your Nykthos, untapping it with your Voyaging Satyr, bouncing your Satyr with the use of the Sabertooth, and then replaying the Satyr. Then you simply repeat the step, make all the mana you want and the play your whole deck thanks to a Genesis Hydra.
The deck may not have made the Top 8, but it is still one you’ll have to look out for. It put up a legitimate performance and looks like a lot of fun to play.
Well that’s it for now. What do you think of the new face of Standard? Are there any new decks that you think were missed? If so, sound off below in the comment section and let us know!
Simeon is now the Community Manager for Battleground Games & Hobbies. If you have any questions or inquiries, then you can reach him at Sims@battlegroundgames.com. He is also an avid gamer who loves to play board games and video games. He graduated college with a degree in Political Science, and now serves the public by writing about games. You can check that out here. Don’t forget to “like” him on Facebook as well. It’ll update you on all of his newest content. Best of all, you can follow Simeon on Twitter (@SimeonCortezano) for some real time hilarity. Thanks for reading!
Join the Battleground Games & Hobbies community forums!
Please don’t forget to check us out on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @battleground_gh!
Tags: Fate Reforged, Magic the Gathering, MTG, Simeon Cortezano, Standard
Posted in Blog, Card Games, Featured Author, Featured Post, Magic: The Gathering, Popular Posts | 1 Comment »
Monday, January 26th, 2015
Do you love Commander (Elder Dragon Highlander/EDH)? Then this is a video series you don’t want to miss, brought to you by local gaming group-turned media powerhouse TapNTurnGaming, in association with your’s truly – Battleground Games & Hobbies!
Check out Episode One – Selesnya Vs Azorius:
Wondering what this is all about? Check out the introduction to this great new series by TapNTurnGaming:
Finally, here is all the deck techs for the decks that TapNTurnGaming will be playing:
From their YouTube Channel: We love Magic: The Gathering. Specifically the EDH or Commander format. On this channel we will be going over all sorts of things pertaining to our favorite format:
And anything else you, the viewers, may want to see – let us know!
Tags: Commander, EDH, Elder Dragon Highlander, Magic the Gathering, MTG, Ravnica Battles, TapNTurnGaming, YouTube
Posted in Blog, Card Games, Featured Post, Magic: The Gathering, Store Related | No Comments »
Saturday, January 24th, 2015
Format: Standard
Date: January 25th, 2015 – a SUNDAY
Time: Doors open at 10:00am, Round 1 pairings at 12:00pm
Entrance Fee: $25.00 per person
Address:
1423 Bedford Street
Abington MA 02351
781.261.9669
Parking on site
This event is being run as a Preliminary Pro Tour Qualifier for Vancouver:
• Competitive REL
• Decklists required
• Cut to top 8
Prizes:
6 Booster Packs per person will be entered into the prize pool. These packs will be awarded to the top 8 finishers. Additional prizes may be awarded based on turnout.
We look forward to seeing you there- TOMORROW!
Tags: Magic the Gathering, MTG, pPTQ, Tournament, Wizards of the Coast
Posted in Blog, Card Games, Events, Featured Post, Magic: The Gathering, Store Related | No Comments »
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