Posts Tagged ‘Wizards of the Coast’
This week in Magic: Pick a deck, and stick with it
Thursday, June 12th, 2014
This past weekend, I tried my luck at the SCG Open Series in Providence. The format: Standard. How did I do? I did terrible. However, like all my failures, I learned a lot, and maybe you can learn from them as well.
Lesson one: Pick a deck
Pick a deck and learn it. Days leading up to the event, I had decided to play Mono-Black with a splash of Green for SCG Providence. However, also, leading up to the day of the tournament, I couldn’t make up my mind and stick with a deck. I was able to play test a few decks to “run the gauntlet.” While playing those decks, they seemed more and more appealing to play. Sadly, I didn’t realize I was headed for a rabbit hole I would never find myself climbing out of in time.
Some of the other decks I played around with included RW Burn, and a form of GB Constellation. I would eventually end up on Esper Control. It’s a deck I, technically, have been playing since the beginning of the Theros block. The early incarnations of the deck even helped me get second place at the Massachusetts TCG States tournament last fall. So, by default it was a deck I had the most experience with.
Unfortunately this decision had come a little too late, as it was made the night before the event. This was the one thing that I wanted to avoid the most, and it still happened. I guess I was doomed all the way through.
Lesson two: Play something you’re most comfortable with
I’ve had equal success with all the decks I previously mentioned. I’ve also had equal amounts of failure with them as well. However, I don’t think playing Esper Control was a terrible decision. Out of all the decks, it may have been the one I was most comfortable with. Well, it was probably a toss-up between that deck and RW Burn.
I’m not a very strong Pack Rat player, and thus why Mono-Black would have been a bad choice for me. I know I put on the early work, but I’m sure I would have been worse off with that deck. In retrospect, I think I should have gone with RW Burn. I know I talked about having the most experience with Esper, though. So, which is more important? Comfort level or experience level. I think they go hand-in-hand. Given the situation though, Esper is a much more complicated deck. At least, it’s more complicated than RW Burn.
Final verdict: it should have been RW Burn from the very beginning. I’ve always had a knack for that deck ever since I started playing it. However, I got discouraged after one poor FNM performance. I gave up too easily, and that’s my fault. I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned it in the blogs, but I know I’ve probably said it to other people. I wanted to play it at the Boxborough 5K a couple of months ago, and I joked about making an audible to it the night before SCG Providence. Next time I have a gut feeling, maybe I should go with it, especially if it comes to playing RW Burn.
I’ve been having the same inclination in modern as well. I’ve been wanting to play Mono Red Burn. However, I’m worried about how it will do in the later rounds. I guess I’ll never know until I take it to a tournament and run with it.
Looking back at SCG Providence
If the results of last week could speak, they would say that the state of the Standard format is very alive and healthy. Remember the days of Caw Blade? Out of the Top 8 decks, only two were the same. In the end, Ross Merriam and his Mono-Blue Devotion deck took the top prize.
Some people say that Mono-Blue was well positioned to win, but who even remembered that this was a deck? I didn’t. In fact, it wasn’t even part of the “gauntlet” I had put together in my failed play testing sessions.
For those of you who are interested, Ross has written a wonderful primer on the deck based on his run at this past SCG Open. In the article he wonderfully states, “Sometimes, you just have to accept your limitations and play to your strengths.” Here he’s referring to the fact that a lot of his success has come from only playing “cheap blue creatures and mana elves.”
I remember looking at the results and thinking to myself how great of an example Ross is to the lessons I wrote about above. Now, I don’t know what his play testing was like or his preparations were heading in the SCG Open in Providence. Just from the first two paragraphs he wrote in his article, it’s obvious he went with a deck he knows best and not a deck he thought would be the best out there. “I tried playing Sphinx’s Revelation once in Theros Standard and turned a 4-0 performance in Legacy into a 4-4 day 1 at the Indianapolis Invitational and a pile of frustration.”
A small announcement
If you know me personally, you’d know that I’m pretty much glued to Twitter and Facebook, and all other sorts of social media. Well, since I’m always online, I figured I’d do Battleground Games a solid and offer some of my social media services. For whatever reason, they were crazy enough to accept my offer. So, I guess this is my little formal announcement letting you all know that I’ll be taking on the role of “Community Manager.”
What does this mean? Aside from “word-of-mouth,” social media is a huge means of communication. So, if you’re not on Facebook or Twitter, or anything else, you may want to consider getting on board. One of the things I’m hoping to improve upon is getting the word out about in-store events. For example, did you know that this Saturday, June 14th, there is a Grand Prix Trial for GP Worcester/Boston? It’ll be held at the Plainville location. It’ll be a Modern format event, and the top prize will be a two-round bye at GP Worcester/Boston in July. Other prizes will include store credit based on attendance. For more information make sure to click here.
See? That wasn’t too bad right? I’m going to try my best to make sure that people know what’s going on at both stores. I’m not talking just about “Magic: The Gathering” either (although, forgive me if you see a focus there). I’m going to do my best to get the word out about Warhammer 40K, Warmachine, DnD, Weiss Schwarz, Board Game Night, etc.
Hopefully I’ll eventually become a centralized point where you can ask me something and I can get you an answer. That way you’re not chasing numerous people down to get a single question answered. So, if you haven’t already, make sure you follow Battleground Games & Hobbies on Twitter (@Battleground_GH) and on Facebook (click here for a link to their page).
That’s it for now. Let me know what you think of this post, of my new role, or what’s on your mind. If you want, you can also follow me on Twitter @SimeonCortezano. Make sure you say hello!
About the author
Simeon is now the Community Manager for Battleground Games & Hobbies. 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!
Donate to the Extra-Life fundraiser!
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: Magic the Gathering, MTG, Simeon Cortezano, Wizards of the Coast
Posted in Blog, Card Games, Dungeons & Dragons, Events, Featured Author, Featured Post, Magic: The Gathering, Miniature Games, Popular Posts, Role-Playing Games, Warhammer 40K, Weis Schwartz | 1 Comment »
New ‘Duels of the Planeswalkers’ Trailer Released Today!
Monday, June 9th, 2014
Wizards of the Coast, publishers of both Magic the Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons (among other hit games) released today a brand new trailer to their upcoming ‘Duels of the Planeswalkers’ video game release. First announced at PAX East in Boston, Massachusetts earlier this year (see “Wizards of the Coast Announces ‘Duels of the Planeswalker 2015’ @ PAX East“). Check it out!
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Tags: Duels of the Planeswalkers, Magic 2015, Magic the Gathering, MTG, Spoiler, Trailer, Video Game, Wizards of the Coast
Posted in Blog, Card Games, Featured Post, Magic: The Gathering | 1 Comment »
This week in magic: Brace Yourself, Modern is coming!
Thursday, June 5th, 2014
Welcome to another “This Week in Magic.” What do you folks think of that title? I have to admit, I borrowed it from one of my favorite shows growing up, “This Week in Baseball” or “TWIB” as some people know it. Not a baseball fan? Okay, moving on.
This week I present a fun little deck you and your buddies can try out at this Friday’s FNM. Now, those of you at Battleground Games & Hobbies may have seen it played already, but in case you weren’t there, here’s the decklist:
Main board:
4 Elvish Mystic
4 Sylvan Caryatid
4 Courser of Kruphix
4 Jace, Architect of Thought
4 Peregrination
4 Riddle of Lightning
4 Blast of Genius
4 Worldspine Wurm
4 Enter the Infinite
4 Temple of Epiphany
2 Temple of Abandon
4 Temple of Mystery
4 Breeding Pool
2 Stomping Sround
4 Forest
2 Mountain
2 Island
Side board:
4 Mizzium Mortars
2 Prognostic Sphinx
1 Opportunity
2 Negate
2 Gainsay
2 Unravel the Aether
2 Agoraphobia
This is a list that Tomoharu Saito posted on his Twitter page when Journey Into Nyx came out. This is a really fun deck to play and the look on your opponent will not disappoint you. The trick is knowing when to pull the trigger for Riddle of Lightning. There are definitely going to be a few occasions when you swing and miss with that card. However, when you hit, you hit hard. The best card in the deck is Blast of Genius. What you really want to do is draw into another Blast of Genius. There is going to be a great chance that you’ll already have one of your big spells in your hand to discard. So drawing into multiple Blasts is the best thing that could happen to you.
One suggestion I have for this list is to try Dictate of Karametra in place of Peregrination. Dictate costs one extra, but you should be okay considering you’re running a little bit of ramp in the Caryatids. Speaking of which, the Caryatids and Course will be your best friends because they’ll be your only line of defense from the onslaught of early and aggressive decks. Luckily they have big butts and this should carry you until you can go off.
It should be important to note that this deck plays more like a combo deck than anything. Try to hold out as long as you can in casting your burn spells until you know you can kill your opponent in one swing. The side board is just a suggestion. So change it up however you feel. Otherwise, good luck and have fun!
Modern is coming!
Actually, it’s been here for a while already. However, now that June is here we can really talk about Modern. Speaking of which, did you know that Battleground Games & Hobbies in Abington and Plainville are hosting GPTs for GP Worcester? The first one will be held on Saturday, June 14, in Plainville. The second one will be held Sunday, June 29, in Abington. Of course the format for both events will be Modern, and entrance into both will be $25 for each event.
The trial in Abington will also feature a box of Modern Masters to first place in addition to the byes for GP Worcester. The times of the event are different though. For more information click here.
Are you still wondering what to play for Modern? It can be a little expensive to get into Modern. Currently you can try your hands on the new Event Deck that was recently released. Battleground Games does have them in stock. The new event deck features a decent introduction to B/W Tokens. The thing to remember about this deck is that it’s a stepping stone into Modern. So, please, don’t expect to win a major tournament with it. However, with the right tweaks and tools, you could be well on your way.
If that’s not your cup of tea, though, you can always try your hand at a more “budget” oriented deck. Something you could try is good ol’ mono red burn. Here’s the list:
Main board:
20 Mountain
4 Goblin Guide
4 Hellspark Elemental
4 Spark Elemental
4 Flames of the Blood Hand
4 Lava Spike
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Rift Bolt
4 Searing Blaze
4 Shard Volley
4 Skullcrack
Side board:
3 Combust
2 Molten Rain
2 Relic of Progenitus
2 Satyr Firedancer
3 Searing Blood
3 Smash to Smithereens
It’s simple and straight to the point. In Modern, thanks to fetch lands and shock lands, sometimes you’ll find your opponent starting at 17 or even 14 life. That means with a few well placed burn spells, you could be on your way winning game after game, and so on.
Modern can be a very skill intensive format, so don’t go in thinking all you have to do is tap your lands and play stuff to win. Look both ways before you cross the street. Practice and get to know your deck. Those are the keys to success.
Besides the Goblin Guides, this is a very affordable deck. The Guides can go anywhere between $10-$12. You just have to keep your eye out for the right deal. I know for a fact the online store (at the time of this writing) has some in stock. However, don’t wait too long to pull the trigger, because they’ll go fast now that the season is underway.
If you really want to try your luck, you can always play the Standard R/W Boros Burn deck and play that in Modern. It might be a little bit slower, but it could be just as effective. Give it a shot!
For more information on GP Worcester, then click here. GP Worcester will be held from July 25-27 at the DCU Convention Center in Worcester, Mass.
Extra Life
Hey everyone! Just letting you know that May was a pretty successful month in getting closer to my goal of $1000 for Extra Life. June is here and it’s time to step up even more. I fell a little short of my month goal, but no worries. It’s time to hit it out of the ballpark for this month. For June, I’ve set a target of $400! That means I’m looking to raise just $200. You can donate anywhere from $5 to $500. If I hit that goal of $400, I’m going to pick two random people who donated. One lucky winner will get a copy of “Takenoko” and the other will get a copy of “Rampage!” How cool is that? And all this goes towards a great charity and cause, the Children’s Miracle Network and, in particular, the Boston Children’s Hospital.
So what are you waiting for? Click on the Extra Life banner below and donate today, please. Thanks! (Oh, and tell all your friends and family members about it)
About the author
Simeon is 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!
Donate to the Extra-Life fundraiser!
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: FNM, Magic the Gathering, Modern, MTG, Simeon Cortezano, Standard, Wizards of the Coast
Posted in Blog, Card Games, Events, Featured Author, Featured Post, Magic: The Gathering, Popular Posts | 4 Comments »
This Week in Magic: Game Day results, Conspiracy, and missing cards
Thursday, May 29th, 2014
This one is for Maynard
This past weekend I won one of the Game Day tournaments that Battleground Games had at the Abington store. I also dedicated my win to Aaron Maynard for the heck of it. Considering what happened last time, I definitely learned my lesson from the previous Game Day, and made sure I suggested a split in the Top 4. For those of you who don’t know, during the last Game Day I tried to win it all, and failed miserably.
Even though I struggled with it the last time I played the deck, I felt that Mono Black would give me the best chance to win the tournament, or at least do well. I once again made some changes to the deck the last time I talked about it. For reference, here is what I played.
Main board:
4 Desecration Demon
4 Lifebane Zombie
4 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
4 Pack Rat
4 Hero’s Downfall
4 Thoughtseize
4 Underworld Connections
2 Devour Flesh
2 Bile Blight
3 Abrupt Decay
4 Temple of Malady
4 Overgrown Tomb
4 Mutavault
2 Mana Confluence
11 Swamp
Side board:
4 Duress
3 Erebos, God of the Undead
2 Dark Betrayal
2 Golgari Charm
3 Doom Blade
1 Devour Flesh
I’m not going to get into a full report here, but I feel like this is the best configuration of the deck. While, originally, this may have been set up to take on the mirror match, having Abrupt Decay in the deck is a nice addition. It’s especially nice in the control match-up where your opponent may Detention Sphere or Banishing Light a permanent that is vital to your success.
Having Lifebane Zombie in my sideboard was a choice I made in order to give myself more options in the side board. I have had quite a few discussions over whether or not Nightveil Specter is better in the main board, and my personal choice is the Lifebane Zombie. This allowed me to fit more removal in the side board for the more random aggro decks that can, sometimes, just blow me out of the water.
I think it really helps that I learned more about the deck, especially how to sideboard. When I went into the Boxborough TCG Player 5K, I was still really new to the deck, and I guess I still am. For this Game Day, though, I took the time to read more into the deck and learn how to sideboard for various decks out there.
I have a feeling this is the deck I’ll be playing if I attend the upcoming Starcitygames.com Open Series in Rhode Island, June 7.
A Conspiracy is coming
Also coming next week are the Conspiracy release tournaments.
These are looking like a lot of fun. Here is a quick breakdown of how the tournaments will run at Battleground Games & Hobbies:
• Players will be sat in 8-man pods as soon as we have 8 people registered. Seating will be determined randomly.
• Each player will receive 3 Conspiracy booster packs to draft. The draft itself and deck building period will not be timed.
• Once all players have finished building their decks, we will seat the first round by breaking the players up into two different 4-player groups. Each group will play one game together.
• Each event will last for 2 rounds, each round will have a 75 minute time limit.
• At the conclusion of the first round we will take the winner and the last player eliminated (the top 2) from each of the 4 player groups and pair them together in round 2. We will also take the first two players eliminated from each group (bottom 2) and pair them together in round 2.
• If time expires in a round and the top two players have not been determined, the two players with the most life will be considered the “winners.”
• In round two, the group made up the the “winners” will receive 3 booster packs for each player they eliminate from the game. Players that are not in the “winners group” will receive 1 booster pack for each player they eliminate.
• The only way to win booster packs is to eliminate players from the game in round 2.
• Players will be expected to provide any additional product their draft may require.
If you plan on participating in these events, there are a few cards to keep your eyes out for. From some of the videos provided by Wizards of the Coast, a couple of the cards players can expect in the set are Brainstorm and Swords to Plowshares. This is very exciting because not only are these great cards to play with, but it gives newer players a chance to get their hands on older, and more powerful, spells that might, otherwise, be out of reach for them. In addition, Wizards reprinted Misdirection and Exploration. This is very exciting for players and collectors. Misdirection and Exploration are key cards in a few Legacy decks. However, they’re not limited to those types of players. If you play EDH, then these are some cards that you may want to add to your decks because they can do some silly things.
Be aware though, Wizards recently put out an article already banning the 13 “Conspiracy” cards from tournament play in the Vintage format. With their bans comes a banning in EDH as well since the lists coincide with one another.
Have you seen my Tarmogoyf?
This past Friday, someone lost a Tarmogoyf during FNM. Derek took the time to address the situation and, politely, ask if anyone had to return it. When he made the announcement, the tone in his voice was that there was slim to none chance that the card would be returned. This was a little disheartening because, for the most part, I knew most of the people in the room and no one spoke up. Now, I don’t know if the card was later found or not, but at that moment, I would have thought someone would have had it.
There were a few people that were not familiar to me that night. It may have been because we were running a Modern tournament as well, and so a few fresh faces come out every now and then. Still, I thought our community was tighter than that.
Obviously I don’t know all of the details surrounding the missing card, but there is something I’d like to say. If it turns out you found the card and you happen to be a regular at the store, then there should be no hesitation in returning the card and giving the owner a hard time about almost losing it. However, if you did keep the card, then that is sad. Why would you do that to one of your peers? Whether you play Magic or not.
I would hope that, in the future, if something like this were to ever happen, the situation be resolved immediately and without any kind of loss. We all come to the store to have a good time and to socialize with our friends. If you don’t know any of us, then say hello. We don’t bite. Some of us may be weird, and others may be weirder, but we’re all friendly in the end.
If that’s not your prerogative and you come just to play the game to win, then that’s fine, but please don’t ruin a game that we all like to have fun with. And yes, I like to have fun with the game, even if you’ve just beaten me and I look like I want to punch you. I’d punch you with all of my love.
Ps. There is only a few days left in May to get me to my goal of $300 for the month. Please click on the Extra Life banner below and donate today! I have other giveaways planned, but I want this to succeed before I can do the others. Thanks!
About the author
Simeon is 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!
Donate to the Extra-Life fundraiser!
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: Conspiracy, Game Day, Magic the Gathering, Simeon Cortezano, Wizards of the Coast
Posted in Blog, Card Games, Featured Author, Featured Post, Magic: The Gathering, Popular Posts | 3 Comments »
Wizards of the Coast to Publish Free ‘Basic D&D’ PDF
Wednesday, May 28th, 2014
Popular hobby industry new website ICv2.com reported yesterday that Wizards of the Coast announced plans to release Basic D&D as a free PDF downloadable from its website in July, coinciding with the release of the D&D Starter Set.
In an article on their website, Mike Mearls, senior manager for the Dungeons & Dragons research and design team, outlined the material that would be included in the Basic D&D download, comparing it to the D&D Rules Cyclopedia of previous editions, but without as much detail. “We want to put D&D in as many hands as possible, and a free, digital file is the best way to do that.”
The release will cover the basic core of the game, including material needed to create characters and advance to 20th level. It will cover basic classes (cleric, fighter, rogue, wizard) and essential subclasses, as well as basic race options (dwarf, elf, halfling, human). The introduction is positioned to steer players toward purchasing more extensive material in the Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, and Dungeon Master’s Guide. But, Mearls also states, “Basic D&D is the true heart of the game and could easily provide a lifetime of gaming.”
When the Player’s Handbook releases in August, Basic D&D will expand to include essential monsters, magic items and DM rules to run the game, as well as rules for different settings (wilderness, dungeon, urban). When storylines like Tyranny of Dragons launch, Wizards will make new PDF’s available that provide the rules and stats to run the adventures tied to the story. This way, Mearls says, players are not required to purchase any of the core rulebooks or the Starter Set to participate in adventures.
The free distribution of rules is another example of WotC’s strategy of free sampling to get people involved in the new Dungeons and Dragons; the company is also making the first part of the adventures in its D&D Encounters organized play storyline events free.
For more information on the upcoming D&D releases and organized play, see “Wizards of the Coast Announces Changes to D&D OP.“
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Tags: D&D Next, Dungeons & Dragons, Free Basic D&D, ICv2.com, PDF, Role-playing Games, RPG, Tyranny of Dragons, Wizards of the Coast, WOTC
Posted in Blog, Board Games, Dungeons & Dragons, Featured Post, Role-Playing Games, Store Related | No Comments »
Wizards of the Coast Released Changes to D&D Organized Play
Wednesday, May 28th, 2014
Wizards of the Coast has released details for changes coming to the Dungeons and Dragons Organized Play program, now titled the D&D Adventurers League, which will accompany the release of Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition according to hobby news website ICv2.com. In addition to the new name, Wizards has announced a new three-part program with overarching storyline themes (D&D Encounters, D&D Expeditions, and D&D Epics), as well as a new monthly scheduling and reporting structure for stores.
Each storyline event, in this case, The Tyranny of Dragons, will begin with a D&D Epics kickoff event hosted by Wizards at a select major conventions. For Tyranny of Dragons, this event will take place at Gen Con Indy in August. The goal of the event is to create buzz about the new season of OP, and get players excited to head back to stores to participate in the weekly D&D Encounters or D&D Expeditions sessions.
D&D Encounters will be the baseline store events, presenting the first portion of each storyline published adventure in an organized play kit. The kits, which are free to participating Wizards Play Network (WPN) retailers at Gateway level or above, will introduce players to the main storyline and provide enough play to get players from 1st level to about 5th level. Afterwards, players may continue by purchasing the rest of the adventure from stores, or participate in other play programs. For the first season, the adventure will lead to a purchase of Hoard of the Dragon Queen, the first adventure published for the new edition of D&D.
The redesigned kits support up to 20 players and four Dungeon Masters, and will include gameplay aids and new components like certificates for special items or awards, table tents, blank character sheets, and more. The adventure portion will be available as a complimentary PDF from Wizards.
D&D Expeditions play is intended for higher-level character play, either for experienced players or those that have completed the D&D Encounters portion of OP. The organized play kits are available free to any WPN retailer at Core level or above. Each month, these smaller monthly kits will contain a series of “convention-style” adventures, usually one-offs (about 4 hours), and certificates for special items in the adventure. Stores are encouraged to use these kits to support local convention events, and contact Wizards’ retail support team if they require more than one kit.
Scheduling and reporting will be updated for the August D&D Encounters session, and qualifying stores can begin scheduling on June 8. On July 8, scheduling opens for the September D&D Expeditions sessions, as well as that month’s D&D Encounters. The process for reporting D&D Play has been simplified as well: stores only need to enter their DMs and add players as a list now, rather than table by table.
What do you think gamers? Do these changes to the Dungeons & Dragons organized play program sound interesting? Let us know in the comments below!
Please be sure to join us at your local Battleground Games & Hobbies each and every Wednesday night for D&D Encounters; a night not to be missed!
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: D&D Adventures, D&D Encounters, D&D Next, Dungeons & Dragons, ICv2.com, Organized Play, Tyranny of Dragons, Wizards of the Coast
Posted in Blog, Board Games, Dungeons & Dragons, Events, Role-Playing Games, Store Related | No Comments »
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