Adept Q&A Requests

Starting in the next day or so, we will be starting a new forum for Adept Q&A. The forum will only be postable by Adepts on this site. The sole purpose of this thread is for Adepts to have an opportunity to provide their thoughts on topics important to the community at large. (This concept was inspired by Bardo's excellent SCG article.)

Here's how it will work:

1. As mentioned, an Adepts-only forum will be created.

2. All members may post questions or topics in this thread which they would like to be discussed in detail by this site's Adepts. These questions should (obviously) be Legacy related, but beyond that there are no limitations. Questions about specific decks, metagame concerns, general play advice, tournament preparation discussion, prediction of metagame shifts, etc. are all viable topics.

3. Each week, the Mod staff will select one question posted in this thread which we feel is most interesting or topical. A new thread will be started in the Adept Q&A forum for this question.

4. Each of the site's Adepts will take the time to create a detailed, in-depth response to the selected question. In order to keep the threads focused and on-topic, each Adept will only be allowed one post (though they may edit their posts if they like). This is less about discussion than it is about gauging the opinions of each Adept as an individiual, to allow for a clear, unfettered look at differing viewpoints on important issues.


If we find that we're having trouble choosing from questions, or if the Adepts are willing, we may increase the number of times we choose a question per week, but for now we'll start with one.

Go ahead and post any questions you'd like to see discussed here. Please try to avoid cross-talk. We want questions only. Any posts not containing a question you would like to see discussed will likely be deleted.

The forum is up and operational. Adepts, feel free to post your answer, and members, feel free to post suggestions for questions here.

So, people should pose some questions for our adepts to answer. We have one for the next round, but some community support would be great.

Post-Hulk where do you see combo in the format? Will combo dramatically effect the metagame? Lastly, where do you see combo down the road.

With some recent additions(i.e SSG and ETW), the non-flash combo decks(namely, TES and Belcher) in the format has been increasing in power. Do you think the format can take it, or is consistent Turn 1 - 2 kill is just too fast for the format? Should LED be added on the 'watch list'?

EDIT: seeing Wastedlife's post makes me wonder: if you axe something to keep combo in check, what should be banned? assuming that we're banning a card or two.

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Originally Posted by C.P.

With some recent additions(i.e SSG and ETW), the non-flash combo decks(namely, TES and Belcher) in the format has been increasing in power. Do you think the format can take it, or is consistent Turn 1 - 2 kill is just too fast for the format? Should LED be added on the 'watch list'?

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My life would be completely perfect if both Flash and LED got banned. Imagine being able to play red, green, and white again! Combo decks would still exist yet be far less ridiculous.

My question for the Adepts concerns Protection from White.

The two black-based aggro decks packed a whopping 17 creatures with the ability (7 Order of the Ebon Hand, 4 Hand of Cruelty, 6 Stromgald Crusader.) And so I have four questions:

1. Was the strategy of being immune to Swords to Plowshares (And to a lesser degree, Meddling Mage, Vindicate, White creatures, and so forth) so strong that it carried these archetypes through matches that would be otherwise quite troublesome?

2. Is it enough that these three creatures have Protection from White, or is it highly relevant that all three of them are capable of swinging into one of Legacy's flagship creatures, Nimble Mongoose, which usually shows up in a deck that's a troublesome match for Black-based aggro?

3. Do these creatures have a future in Legacy?

4. Do other creatures with this ability (or potential to grant it) like Blood Knight, Eight-and-a-Half Tails, Dross Harvester, or Goblin Wizard have potential in Legacy waiting to be unlocked?

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Originally Posted by wastedlife

I don't believe LED is what puts Belcher over the top. If anything is making combo run rampant right now it's 10+ goblins on turn one.

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You might be right at that. 1/1 aggro beats is such a different form of combo than anything we're used to that it makes running any sort of combo hate incredibly difficult.

When going to an event, is it better to pack a (post-hulk) better deck(say thresh or gobs) or a pet deck that you are more comfortable piloting? This is just a general question, the fun deck or the (arguably) better one?

1) Where do you forsee control to go? Stax, Landstill, MWC, MUC. Will these ever be tier one?

2) What direction do you think the metagame will go towards?

When Hulk first erupted on the scene, Fish decks became immensely popular, if flash were to be banned, do you foresee these decks staying on the scene and composing a larger part of our metagame? Also, do these aggro-control decks have sufficient means to combat each other and our run of the mill aggro decks like goblins?

Quick question: one card out of Future Sight that recently caught my attention was Delay. Given the speed of decks like Slivers or Thresh when on the kill, it seems like it would be a better version of Counterspell when playing a three or more color deck. It would also be relevant against storm since resolving a key spell three turns after you tried to go off is bad, and it allows the aggro-control player to find a solution. Is it good enough to see play? Just wonderin'.

EDIT: okay, not much substance to that one. How about this: what is the consesus (or is there one) on the use of Counterbalance 'n' friends maindeck? It's popped up in a couple sideboards (mostly Thresh ones) and in Hulk (not your scheduled Legacy programming), but would it be possible to build, say, a viable aggro-control deck utilizing Counterbalance as a keystone disruption piece? Or is it just not worth it? I want to hear what the Pros have to say on this one...and I also want to hear what they have to say about Delay. :P

I really like Taco's question about pro white, and not just because it affects a deck we're building, lol.


Also, I really like a more philosophical question that came up in the discussion of the latest Legacy article:

Is the OUR format?

I have always thought of the relationship between players and WotC similar to the relationship between myself and the government. They can do things I don't like, and they're going to be ok, but piss off too many of us, and they're the ones who are fucked.

Some people on the thread seemed to believe that the format was the format, and just play it and don't complain because you are not the one making the decisions (I hope I'm not misrepresenting their opinions here). I'll put a direct quote from Tom LaPille so I don't fuck it up "Stop trying to own your world, and just play in it." and "The thing that most Legacy players don't seem to understand is that THIS IS NOT YOUR FORMAT. Type 2 isn't the Standard players' format, and Block Constructed isn't either. The reality is that the DCI can do whatever they want, and they will take their sweet time in cleaning up the format, and providing whatever support they want."

Now I'm not looking to bash him (god knows we can do that back on the other thread) but I find this fascinating thinking, probably because it's so goddamn different from the way I think. I WANT to own my world, and I will do everything in my power to change it to the way I want it.

Anyway, I'd like to see the question posed to the adepts.

And since I already posted a serious question:

How much money do you guys think I would have to slip someone to get an Adept nomination? (snicker)

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Originally Posted by Tacosnape

And since I already posted a serious question:

How much money do you guys think I would have to slip someone to get an Adept nomination? (snicker)

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Apparently none. Congrats, you earned it.

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Originally Posted by Phantom

Is this OUR format?

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I'm really intrigued by this question. I'm working out a way to write an article about it, because I think the topic needs addressing, and I need an article to write.

EDIT - Keep the Q's coming everyone, we're gonna need a steady flow of them!

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Originally Posted by Nightmare

Apparently none. Congrats, you earned it.

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(Sniffle) I'd like to thank the academy...(Tosses Burritos-in-a-can to the audience)

Another question I'd like to see is:

"What are the ten most underrated/underutilized cards in Legacy?"

Or in other words, What ten cards aren't people playing enough that they should look into?

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Originally Posted by Tacosnape

(Sniffle) I'd like to thank the academy...(Tosses Burritos-in-a-can to the audience)

Another question I'd like to see is:

"What are the ten most underrated/underutilized cards in Legacy?"

Or in other words, What ten cards aren't people playing enough that they should look into?

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I think this is more a question of opinion than anything, so maybe we'll get a semi-concensus of the Adepts.

My question is: Is control a truly viable archetype for tier one standing, or does the high power level of aggro and combo keep it from being competitive? Does control have to play Blue for counters against combo, or can decks like Truffle Shuffle maintain a solid enough combo matchup through sideboarding to aschew blue? What factors have permitted decks like Truffle Shuffle, which has an excellent matchup against Aggro and Aggro-Control, from becoming tier one?

Okay, so I guess it's a few questions. You can handle it.

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Originally Posted by dre4m

I think this is more a question of opinion than anything, so maybe we'll get a semi-concensus of the Adepts

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I think every question on here that's not a statistic is a question of opinion.:cool:

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Originally Posted by Tacosnape

I think every question on here that's not a statistic is a question of opinion.:cool:

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But is is so reliant upon opinion that it will not provide any widely applicable data in its reponses?

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Originally Posted by dre4m

But is is so reliant upon opinion that it will not provide any widely applicable data in its reponses?

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I think if you take that attitude, the entire concept of Adept Q&A is pointless.

I doubt you'll get a perfect consensus on this or any other question, but there will always be relevant information to take from the responses. What you'll have is close to 20 detailed, well-thought out answers to read through and from which to assimilate knowledge and develop ideas.

I think you'll get consensus on a few points, too. (IE, Nobody said "Why the hell did they ban Flash? Stupid Aaron Forsythe and his ban-happy self!")

Some people are clamoring for LED and EtW to be banned. If this were to happen, what would each banning mean for decks such as TES and CRET Belcher? Would they still be strong enough to be a major factor in the metagame? Would they fall out of contention?