He just couldn't find the damned Returns in his commons box? :wink:
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He just couldn't find the damned Returns in his commons box? :wink:
I've been torn on both myself recently. Although DR is technically easier to cast in the situations when you need it, because most of the time your in top deck mode trying to rip a wish, you may not have the initial mana, and even though I like that you get to untap your lands off TS, though in this deck you may only have 1-2 lands in play. As a tide player as well, TS is legit IN THAT deck because it's a land-centric combo deck that's immune to wasteland.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bryant Cook
I just feel like TS is slightly win more and "cute" when your showing off to inexperienced players. DR (as a desperation attempt; a la, I'm going to lose anyways, I can barely muster UU2 after wish) I feel has a slight edge in most situations in which you wish for it, IMO.
I don't know how many times I have to say it. Diminishing Returns is not a "Desperation Attempt" or "O-Shit" button. It's best used when not under a huge amount of pressure so that if it does fail there's always next turn.
Beat Esperblade 2-0 tonight at my LGS. Game one with an Empty for 14 on turn two. Game two with a Diminishing Returns. Passed the turn, untapped and won.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bryant Cook
Did I need to wish for returns? No. But he didn't have a clock.
Spun the wheel and: My 7 > His 7.
The Diminishing Returns roulette is by far the best part about TES.Quote:
Originally Posted by RaNDoMxGeSTuReS
Hey I've been trying to learn the deck, and was goldfishing. This scenario came up:
On the play against an unknown opponent, your hand is Gemstone mine, Brainstorm, ETW, Silence, Duress, Ponder, Infernal Tutor
Play gemstone, Ponder
You see
Burning Wish
LED
Lotus Petal
What do you do?
I was leaning towards shuffling since I don't see an out without at least one more mana source, and the brainstorm might not get there.
SPOILER ALERT:
The two cards under those three were Gemstone Mine & LED
I wouldn't shuffle. Draw Petal now. Draw LED next turn. Then play Brainstorm and proceed to win the game?
Even without the spoiler alert, chances of getting a third mana source are very high.
But the keep was a bit shaky. You have no accelleration whatsoever, and only one land.
Get that one land Wasted, and you might be in serious trouble. And there's no Probe to figure out how to play your hand best.
Your mana sources are the LED and Petal. You have a Brainstorm to dig deeper, and don't forget you're setting up not going off. Like what Asthereal did, you draw the petal with LED ontop of BW. Better hope you don't get hit with a Thoughtseize or Wasteland. Untap and draw the LED. From there you it really depends on what is ontop of your deck. Given that Gemstome Mine and LED were ontop, a gutsy decision to move in on turn three would be rewarded. I wouldn't shuffle either. I dunno if I'd keep that hand to be honest, vs. an unknown opponent...Quote:
Originally Posted by Star|Scream
I guess you can keep it with Double protection and Double cantrips. This should make it for a Turn 3 action unless you get blown by your ponder and Hit by Wasteland.
I side with drawing petal and LED floating. Next turn i would Brainstorm to Stick EtW Second from Top in any case and depending on the cards BS reveals, duress the Turn Off a Second Land or chantwalk. Turn 3 you can use the Second protection and/or the Infernal to go for EtW (duress/silence if you have a second land, Petal, LED, infernal, EtW = at least 10 gobbos here) or ad Nauseam depending in your t2 brainstorm
Hand is good vs combo and control but sux vs Tempo and aggro. The ponder is insane! It reveals big mana, Stormcount and a Second Tutor in Case you get thoughtseized Off your infernal. I have no clue why you would shuffle those away in favor of a random draw off ponder especially with Brainstorm still around.
Edit: a thoughtseize taking your Brainstorm however would be devastating. Against Tempo you have to Play petal before Brainstorm 4 daze
A thing that has bothered me for quite some time, but didn't ask your opinion about it if I remember correctly.
You have one land, gemstone mine. Your hand doesn't allow you to kill your opponent, you have two cantrips. Ponder and brainstorm.
Which do you play first? I usually lead with ponder, it allows me to see 3 cards and then shuffle if cards are bad. On next turn I can brainstorm and see new 3 fresh cards. Or would you rather brainstorm first, put one card to the top and then ponder, shuffling one useless card out?
Also, Bryant hasn't had the chance/time to update the sideboarding for each MU, and I'll have a tournament this weekend. Xantid Swarm is sided in against merfolk, SnT decks and other permission decks that run light/don't run removal?
I would say that your #1 is to find a second land. If you Brainstorm First and fail to dig one and got hit by wasteland it's over. Not so if you lead with ponder. The only cards you want to shuffle back in some scenarios are AN, EtW and brickin moxen. Stay with ponder first in your case.Quote:
Originally Posted by Machahiko
Have no advice for your SB. I'm with the Confidant + Therapy plan to fight my discard-heavy meta
The thing to remember is that brainstorm goes up in value the longer you hold it. Pondering first is usually the correct play. Yes, that is when you use Xantid Swarm. It's good against SnT, Reanimator, Merfolk, High Tide, etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by Machahiko
I'm sorry. I'm very new with the deck.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lemnear
np, we're here to help. Sry if I sound rude sometimes.Quote:
Originally Posted by Star|Scream
Dark Ritual, LED and Tutor/wish are golden flops off any cantrip. You need those raw acceleration to Tutor into buisness which means 7 mana for the Infernal->AN chain. If you calculate with Protection, mox imprint, bricking with Lands/moxen, etc you need to make it up with mana sources which give you more than 1 mana per card, which is obvious. Having Big mana and a Tutor/wish in a flop is a snap-keep in 95% of all cases
Regarding mulligans,
If you do mulligan, and are then faced with a sub-par 6 card hand, how often would you go down to 5 cards?
You can give a few random examples that bug you and we can give advice for those Sample hands against specific or random opponents.Quote:
Originally Posted by Star|Scream
Some Starting 7 or mulled 6 aren't that bad as they appear on first sight. I rather sculpt for 2-3 turns than mull into oblivion. I only dismiss hands flooded with Lands and/or moxen instantly
Depends if I'm up a game or what I'm playing against (talking BUG or CB), but I'll generally keep a loose/greedy 6 before mulling to 5.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lemnear
Lucksacking gets there... sometimes.
I guess I'm thinking of 6-card hands with no mana source or maybe just a petal and a probe... or hands with chrome mox, petal, land, silence, silence. Hands where there's no real moves from the first turn, and you have to count on your first few draws to get there.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lemnear
Hands without initial mana are garbage because drawn Rituals or LED have no value. You can be fine with chrome mox feat. Imprint or a petal if your Hand includes a Brainstorm or ponder. Petal + Probe is no buisness i would keep in a starting 6 on the play unless the remaining cards are the real shit of mana like Dark Rituals/LED's so you only need a Tutor/wish or cantrip to GftT.Quote:
Originally Posted by Star|Scream
I'm in the same boat, does this mean you never mull to five?Quote:
Originally Posted by RaNDoMxGeSTuReS