Board 8 > Magic the Gathering: Adventures in the Forgotten Realms

(+) Yeah! (+)

I think Strixhaven is a significantly stronger set for constructed than Kaldheim tbqh.

---

The Mana Sword posted...

I think Strixhaven is a significantly stronger set for constructed than Kaldheim tbqh.

This is what my instincts said also, but actually looking through the list I'm not sure. Kaldheim did have Binding, Showdown of the Skalds, and Goldspan Dragon which were really strong, and then a host of other cards like Koma, Vorinclex, and Clarion Spirit which have seen a bit of play
---

I think Iteration alone is better than anything Kaldheim has to offer.

---

I think Iteration is the most impactful card from either set, yes.
---

Speaking of, I literally pulled another Expressive Iteration today.

---

Bahamut seems a bit underwhelming.

---

Bahamut is a very weird design that I think is interesting but not good. Odd that they chose such a big name to experiment with.

---

HeroDelTiempo17 posted...

Bahamut is a very weird design that I think is interesting but not good. Odd that they chose such a big name to experiment with.

I actually think the design of replacing an ultimate with a static is kind of cool.

The card just sucks. Its like a bad icy manipulator

Edit: Missed that he can recruit from graveyards. Not as bad as I thought, but Im still highly skeptical

---

I've been playing a fair amount of Cycling in Standard lately. This deck is obnoxious as heck but I actually think it's super well positioned in the current meta where not a ton of people are playing Embercleave. I'm convinced it has winning matchups against the rest of the top decks though*. Weird to say about a deck that hasn't gotten anything new besides lands since Ikoria and is made of almost all commons/uncommons, but that has been my experience.

The deck has a surprising amount of versatility compared to what it looks like playing against it. Lots of decks have trouble answering Irencrag Pyromancer and Improbable Alliance, and the ones that can answer those (like Sultai) tend to be weak to the plan of sideboarding in a bunch of counterspells. (Again, this does not apply to decks with Embercleave which I think all have a good matchup here, as it nullifies the plan of chump-blocking with 1/1's while on the defensive)

*Except possibly Jeskai Mutate. I have not had the chance to play this matchup at all and I have a relatively poor understanding of the Mutate deck.
---

What is it about Embercleave that makes it good against Cycling? Im dumb.

---

Embercleave is just good against any deck trying to race or block (trample/double strike is an insane combo that means chump blocking doesn't work).

---

ChaosTonyV4 posted...

What is it about Embercleave that makes it good against Cycling? Im dumb.

One of the main ways for Cycling to fight back against decks that are faster than it is by making a bunch of 1/1's with either Valiant Rescuer or Improbable Alliance. The deck can make quite a lot of these which it then uses to chump block, but if Embercleave is still allowing the opponent to push through all that damage anyways then the Cycling deck just gets run over before it can assemble a way to win the game. It's not really Embercleave specifically as much as it is just Trample in general. Mono-green aggro has been a bit problematic for me for similar reasons, though mono-green is somewhat slower which makes that more manageable.
---

UltimaterializerX posted...

I know nothing about DND. Why is Bahamut a human and not a dragon?

Bahamut is a dragon that wanders the world in a human form.

---

BlackDra90n posted...

Bahamut seems a bit underwhelming.

i agree

but at least the card is named something weird like "grand master of flowers" instead of wasting the actual card name "bahamut"

---

I played cycling at an fnm as their free deck. The vibe I got over and over was that its a combo deck where the combo doesnt necessarily mean you win. Had a bit too much variance for my taste.

---

Holy shit.

Acererak + Aluren.

Would you like infinite mana*? Would you like to draw your entire deck? Would you like an infinite Drain Life*? Have at it, pal! All this and more can be yours with this two card Legacy combo.

Is it competitive? I have no idea, but it sure sounds fun.

---

Two card three mana combo is pretty nuts. I also think it gets banned

---

Well, Aluren is 4 mana. And remember, the Witherbloom Apprentice / Chain of Smog thing did actual nothing in Legacy.

There are more safety valves in that format. Not to say this new combo is in the clear, but I think it's possible it's actually just not good enough.

---

Oh for some reason I thought aluren was 3. Probably because it let's you cast stuff for 3

Yeah Chain of smog was the reason I thought it would be great because it was a full mana cheaper. At 4 I rescind my comment, and I think it might just be straight worse than chain combo

---

splinter twin isn't banned in legacy and i'd consider lich aluren the same difficulty or perhaps only slightly easier to pull off

typical play pattern for splinter twin is to flash in deceiver exarch on their turn 3 eot, play splinter twin on your turn 4 first main phase, make a billion copies, then swing for the win

typical play pattern for lich aluren will be to play aluren on your turn 4, then play/bounce acererac enough times to win.

lich aluren is a little more complicated because you have to have enough cards in your deck to not die to an empty library vs mill (phandelver) or need to stuff other win conditions in your deck (mad mage). lich aluren is a little more resilient because only half of your combo dies to instant speed creature removal, and i guess you get to cast whatever you want on turn 3

splinter twin also has the advantage because blue & red are just better than green & black

---

I'm shocked they didn't make an Elminster card. Other than Drizzt I don't think there's a more well known character in the Forgotten Realms.

---

Forgotten Realms is up on Arena. Currently drafting a complete disaster of a deck.

---

I never do this, and the set isnt even good, but my nostalgia for the companions of the hall made me buy the 50 pack pre-order for Arena last night.

Gonna open them here in a bit.

---

I have a feeling I'm not going to like this limited format, but time to give it a try!

---

Well UW venture did not impress me very much.

---

Yeah I don't think I'm gonna be a huge fan of this limited format but oh well. First draft played one match so far with a mostly red goblin deck since my rare was the Hobgoblin Bandit Lord. Don't think it's that great but I won my first match.

Accidentally clicked on Traditional Draft instead of Premiere Draft though RIP. Hopefully I get to at least 2 wins so I don't just lose most of the entry cost.
---

Man, I pre-ordered and got a free Lolth and then my 2nd pack had Lolth in it.

---

UltimaterializerX posted...

Are there any archetypes youre thinking of yet? Youre a good drafter, so Im looking for any help I can get.

I drafted for the first time right now and it seems like a very simplified set (Which makes sense as it replaced a core set)

General good drafting principles like valuing removal seems like it is going to work here.

---

Sealed deck attempt. I have very little removal but Drizzt and Ochre Jelly are insane rates and I hope bombs carry, plus I have some Ajani's Pridemate wannabes.

I have a spiked pit trap, maybe worth putting in over something but I'm probably overvaluing it.

---

Just won a game with the Dimir Beholder legend guy by casting the last 3 cards in my opponent's library, decking them

lol

---

Im having pretty good luck with my sealed w/b venture deck right now. Its pretty easy to plow through the shortest dungeon quickly if youve got some stuff. Three Deathtouch venture guys are doing work.
---

Logged in 3 drafts this afternoon.

0-3 with UW Venture - this deck seemed real impotent. A bunch of below rate cards that get slightly above rate much later. It's possible I didn't have the right mix to make this work - didn't have the UW uncommon for example, but not really in a rush to try this one again.

5-3 with UB Stuff - wasn't a real theme here, it was sort of control-ish, but absolutely won off the back of the mythic blue dragon and the dimir beholder guy.

7-1 with UR Coinflips - this deck starts off slow, but once if you can get to turn 4 or so without your opponent flooding the board, its gets pretty out of control once you have your pixies online. Super interested in fiddling with this deck a bit more.

With the exception of Dragon's Fire, the common removal in this set feels pretty lousy. All the instant speed stuff is super expensive.

Also I basically never found myself in a situation where I wanted to venture into any dungeon other than the mine. Small sample size, but I think you're going to use that one like 75% at least.

---

The Mana Sword posted...

UR Coinflips

This deck definitely felt a lot like it could have been strong if I'd made picks leaning into this archetype instead of ending up in the more traditional red aggro splashing blue
---

Hmm went 2-3 in my first draft with what felt like a pretty crappy B/W deck. Almost every card performed worse than I expected.

---

Also I basically never found myself in a situation where I wanted to venture into any dungeon other than the mine. Small sample size, but I think you're going to use that one like 75% at least.

I did the tomb once because my opponent was also in the tomb (he had that mythic guy who cares about the tomb) and I was able to drain him for the last bit of health he had

otherwise its been 100% mines so far. The long one just seems like a mostly bad idea. If youre a heavy venture deck, you probably have cards that care about completing dungeons so its no good, and if youre more casually venturing you cant count on getting to the big pay off.
Maybe if the first room was better it would be worth trying, but its so bad.
---

That sealed deck went 2-3. Either I had a bad run and am on tilt or this sealed format is even more bomb-dependent than usual. Either way: bad! Now that it's out of the way it's time to ignore it and play draft as Maro intended.

The Mana Sword posted...

Also I basically never found myself in a situation where I wanted to venture into any dungeon other than the mine. Small sample size, but I think you're going to use that one like 75% at least.

In the GW deck I played there were situations where I had the pridemate clones out where I would go into Undermountain (forget the actual name) to get the 1 life trigger from Yawning Portal and then proceed to ignore the mechanic, but every other time it was Phandelver.

---

I actually think the moment my opponent played the blink at the end of turn rare when I had a hand of 3 of the blue tap removal spells might be the most depressed I have ever been in a game of magic

I did not win

---

UltimaterializerX posted...

This guy? http://mythicspoiler.com/dnd/cards/dragonturtle.html

It seems good but not "the most depressing card to lose to ever", unless I'm missing something.

I think he means the other player had the Conjurers Closet type thing that lets you blink one of your creature at end of turn, which would make his own aura-based removal basically useless
---

Yeah the auras

---

I somehow pulled three Demiliches

---

ChaosTonyV4 posted...

I somehow pulled three Demiliches

I'd love to see the math on how often that could happen. Anyway, hope you have the instants and sorcs to support them.

---

My draft deck with 5 hobgoblin capitans is currently 5-0

Shocker

---