Miracle Control

[TheArchitect]

Again, lets look at next best alternatives.

1) YP is something you definitely need to deal with urgently. You choice will then be limited to:
- His current turn (first priority you get, his EOT)
- Your turn
- Before his next draw step

Assuming now that he has no sorceries, or he would have already cast them, and we can't do much about instants anyway, why deal with it later when you can deal with it now, and have additional mana in your next turn if you do draw a Jace or Ponder?

The only real reason i can see waiting to your turn is if you are worried about a FOW, and want to land the flooded strands so you can STP with pyroblast backup.

Why deal with it now when you can deal with it later? 6 mana is more than enough to cast a STP and do something else if you draw anything. And maybe you draw a better answer, like a terminus! Unless your hand is like Jace, CB and you want to cast them both, you basically get nothing by casting it EoT, and have a lot to gain if you wait.

[KZhang]

Why deal with it now when you can deal with it later? 6 mana is more than enough to cast a STP and do something else if you draw anything. And maybe you draw a better answer, like a terminus! Unless your hand is like Jace, CB and you want to cast them both, you basically get nothing by casting it EoT, and have a lot to gain if you wait.

If you draw a Jace, you wont be able to cast it with daze and pyroblast backup. You are also risking token generating from him pyroblasting your Jace.

If you draw a Ponder, similarly risking pyroblast and token. If you ponder into a CB, you can cast it with pierce and pyroblast backup.

If you draw an Entreat, not having to worry about counterspells generating tokens.


My point is this: the only situation where holding the STP is better is if you topdeck a terminus (the only better answer, and <10% out), or if you are playing around the FOW. for almost every other card you draw, STP during his EOT would have been better.

[nwrobinson]

If you draw a Jace, you wont be able to cast it with daze and pyroblast backup. You are also risking token generating from him pyroblasting your Jace.

If you draw a Ponder, similarly risking pyroblast and token. If you ponder into a CB, you can cast it with pierce and pyroblast backup.

If you draw an Entreat, not having to worry about counterspells generating tokens.


My point is this: the only situation where holding the STP is better is if you topdeck a terminus (the only better answer, and <10% out), or if you are playing around the FOW. for almost every other card you draw, STP during his EOT would have been better.

but does it really matter if he gets a token? that is not a lot of pressure you're being put under. this deck has a heavy reliance on giving away small things in the early game to gain larger advantages from your bomb late game. in this situation by StP, you arent giving your deck the opportunity to operate the way it is supposed to.

[YamiJoey]

1% of the time it's better, the other 99% it's exactly the same. So you wait. There is NO downside.

I personally don't like waiting for their untap. They have more mana to do stuff. Give them one token for your StP and move on. If you let them untap they can Brainstorm and Bolt you or whatever, and get yet more value. I think your Main is the best opportunity here. Waiting for their untap feels too greedy, but I would not say it was wrong.

EDIT: Recently watched the SCG thing. The Red Blast on Joe's Brainstorm was backbreakingly good, and listening to the commentry on it was painful. "What is he digging for?" NOTHING YOU TOOL! He's casting U: Put a card fromyour hand on top of your library.

[KZhang]

1% of the time it's better, the other 99% it's exactly the same. So you wait. There is NO downside.

I personally don't like waiting for their untap. They have more mana to do stuff. Give them one token for your StP and move on. If you let them untap they can Brainstorm and Bolt you or whatever, and get yet more value. I think your Main is the best opportunity here. Waiting for their untap feels too greedy, but I would not say it was wrong.

EDIT: Recently watched the SCG thing. The Red Blast on Joe's Brainstorm was backbreakingly good, and listening to the commentry on it was painful. "What is he digging for?" NOTHING YOU TOOL! He's casting U: Put a card fromyour hand on top of your library.

Actually, 10% of the time its better (only if you draw a terminus), 20% of the time it's worse (draw a Jace, entreat, Ponder, CB) and 70% of the time its the same. So why would you wait?

Tokens are annoying. the only way to can get rid of a token with value is with a terminus. the alternative is to blow a STP or chump blocking it with a SCM.

maybe this just comes down to play style difference.

[Arksz]

Phillip

I remember some time back you had the intent of redoing the primer. Was just curious if it was still on your long list of things to accomplish?

[Einherjer]

Phillip

I remember some time back you had the intent of redoing the primer. Was just curious if it was still on your long list of things to accomplish?

Not really as many people here have been incredibly annoying. But I think if you take my articles they should provide you with a very good primer, though only one for my version. I am sorry.

Greetings

[Dragonslayer_90]

Phillip

I remember some time back you had the intent of redoing the primer. Was just curious if it was still on your long list of things to accomplish?

If you're looking for an updated primer you should know that there is a community one in progress still that I and a couple others are responsible for editing that is linked in my sig. Right now it still has a little ways to go, but I'm planning to have it mostly done and up on the site by the end of December since I'll be on Winter break from school Mid-December. Feel free to contribute if you want.

[t3hdh]

the blasphemous cards i play with (the jaces need to be altered and i'm missing 2x islands):



also, i do switch in disenchant, mountain, keranos, stoneforge package, etc. whenever i'm bored

That is beutiful, I have gotten to all unlimited cards I can have, but havent been able to succesfully white border any of the newer cards

[Koplinchen]

Congrats on your good placings while in America Phillip, I was sitting next to Tomas at the player meeting and he convinced me to drop Blood Moon from my SB before we had to turn in lists lol.

Hehe. I hope you dont regret it! I certainly told you that it is up to everbodys playstyle to decide what they want to play. Not playing Blood Moon is certainly right but some people cant imagine SB without it. My T2 Delver opponent played all G2 around Blood Moon and lost horribly. :-)

Tom

[YamiJoey]

Actually, 10% of the time its better (only if you draw a terminus), 20% of the time it's worse (draw a Jace, entreat, Ponder, CB) and 70% of the time its the same. So why would you wait?

Tokens are annoying. the only way to can get rid of a token with value is with a terminus. the alternative is to blow a STP or chump blocking it with a SCM.

maybe this just comes down to play style difference.

It's not worse if you draw an Entreat, CB, or cantrip. If you Entreat you don't need StP. Ponder -> CB -> StP leaves you with two mana. Plenty to play around with. Jace is probably marginally worse. Unable to play around Daze and Force/Pierce at the same time. That is the only time it's worse, but you can just wait a turn, and you will lose way less. StP will force plays from them which opens the gate for Jace to put Terminus and Entreat back to take the game.

So again, I disagree. I think waiting it exactly what you want to do here. Untap, draw, then flip the Terminus, or if you draw anything else cast the StP. You could wait, but I think it's greedy and opens you up to too much. If we draw a Ponder we're a mana shorter for the turn, but get to find a better hand. If we draw Brainstorm we can put the Terminus back, take three on the untap, and then Wrath them out, hopefully with more backup from the Draw 3 we just cast.

[KZhang]

It's not worse if you draw an Entreat, CB, or cantrip. If you Entreat you don't need StP. Ponder -> CB -> StP leaves you with two mana. Plenty to play around with. Jace is probably marginally worse. Unable to play around Daze and Force/Pierce at the same time. That is the only time it's worse, but you can just wait a turn, and you will lose way less. StP will force plays from them which opens the gate for Jace to put Terminus and Entreat back to take the game.

So again, I disagree. I think waiting it exactly what you want to do here. Untap, draw, then flip the Terminus, or if you draw anything else cast the StP. You could wait, but I think it's greedy and opens you up to too much. If we draw a Ponder we're a mana shorter for the turn, but get to find a better hand. If we draw Brainstorm we can put the Terminus back, take three on the untap, and then Wrath them out, hopefully with more backup from the Draw 3 we just cast.

i don't see how STP at their EOT makes it any different in terms of forcing their play.

i think this boils down to what you value more.

1) the blind terminus flip (the only time when its better)

or

2) the extra mana to work with on your turn

[nwrobinson]

i don't see how STP at their EOT makes it any different in terms of forcing their play.

i think this boils down to what you value more.

1) the blind terminus flip (the only time when its better)

or

2) the extra mana to work with on your turn

you seem to operate under this context that every other card besides a terminus makes it a bad play. maybe you should just consider that the point of the deck isnt to make one for ones to stay ahead. the pyro isnt going to kill you in the next 3 turns, so it is better to just relax and see how the game plays out.

[KZhang]

you seem to operate under this context that every other card besides a terminus makes it a bad play. maybe you should just consider that the point of the deck isnt to make one for ones to stay ahead. the pyro isnt going to kill you in the next 3 turns, so it is better to just relax and see how the game plays out.

i think its already agreed upon that there are only 3 windows to STP here that we consider.

1) His EOT
2) Your Main phase
2) before his next draw step.

What im talking about is playing to your best outs.

also, waiting 3 turns to deal with the YP is just asking for a game loss.

[KZhang]

you seem to operate under this context that every other card besides a terminus makes it a bad play. maybe you should just consider that the point of the deck isnt to make one for ones to stay ahead. the pyro isnt going to kill you in the next 3 turns, so it is better to just relax and see how the game plays out.

i think its already agreed upon that there are only 3 windows to STP here that we consider.

1) His EOT
2) Your Main phase
2) before his next draw step.

What im talking about is playing to your best outs.

Nope. it will not. but it might put you within burn range that on top of a terminus, you also need a counterbalance. Waiting 3 turns to deal with the YP is just asking for a game loss.

[Poron]

Ein, please, tell us something.

I'm 100% sure you would have win the final if you could have reach it. You only lost to those techy lands. What is a card that you would have liked to play in that situation? Blood Moon or Tsabo's Web or Pithing Needle?

[Einherjer]

Ein, please, tell us something.

I'm 100% sure you would have win the final if you could have reach it. You only lost to those techy lands. What is a card that you would have liked to play in that situation? Blood Moon or Tsabo's Web or Pithing Needle?

Yes, the Finals looked very easy, but so did the one in Paris, which I also didn't reach.

Infect isn't easy, but due to its low popularity I wouldn't worry too much. For what card would have been good in that situation... I guess Brainstorm/Ponder/Snapcaster Mage, to be honest, as my deck had everything I needed. Additionally neither Moon nor Web or Needle fit my decks philosphy as they're neither flashbackable (mostly instants) spells nor flash creatures.

But if I had to choose between any of them I'd take Needle due to its versatility, but all three cards aren't good enough for my current sideboard, and they're not even #16 or #17, as far as a theoretical different sideboard is considered.

Greetings

[Poron]

So... we would just scope to Infect? They play Crop Rotation we will always have Inkmoth on the field against them.. that's the only card I'd fear

[Einherjer]

So... we would just scope to Infect? They play Crop Rotation we will always have Inkmoth on the field against them.. that's the only card I'd fear

We don't scoop to Infect. It's no good MU, and that's what we are working with. We don't have a 51%+ win-rate against Infect, but against literally any other deck, and once again, I am fine with that. We have the tools to beat them, convert what you got into the best position possible and win the highest amount of matches you can. It'll still not be a lot, but doing that should be fine as long as not everybody plays Infect. In the end, it's still creatures.

Greetings

[twndomn]

also, waiting 3 turns to deal with the YP is just asking for a game loss.

That's a bit of stretch.