Locations
First, an Explanation
I need to apologize to my loyal readers. Many of you may be accustomed to reading my articles every Friday here at Mananation.com. Yet, last week there was nothing for you to enjoy from my pen. There were still some great entries by other writers/artist in Tricks stable by I was missing. The couple of readers who email/tweeted me with their concerns need not be alarmed. I missed last Friday on my own volition.
You see, writing articles every week is rather taxing. I know that everyone has 5 or 6 good works in them but keeping a continual stream of articles has started to weigh heavily on me. Just a casual look at the list of Mananation authors will show how few writers even make it to double digits. Myself, Trick, and Kelly Reid are the only writers with over 50 contributions. It's Tricks site and Kelly deals with cards as his main employment. I'm trying to squeeze writing in with Fatherhood, Teaching, Coaching, and playing the game. I'm not trying to sound like I'm making excuses I just want you, the reader, know where I'm coming from.
After talking to Trick I've decided to drop my regular Friday column and become either a biweekly or irregular columnists. That way I can still write for you but without the burden of a weekly deadline. I want everyone to know that this was totally of my own directive and the Trick has been very understanding.
My hope is that life will still give me time and inspiration to write weekly every once in awhile but I don't want to force out work just to meet a deadline. As always if you have an idea that you would like me to research and expand upon just drop me a line a daneckstein@hotmail.com or tweet me (@MtgXman).
Mnemonics
In my classroom as a Math Teacher I've taught so many Mnemonic Devices it'll make your head spin. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the idea a Mnemonic device is a tool to help you remember something. Often it's a phrase or saying that triggers a list or sequence by sharing the same first letters. In Math I imagine many of you have heard the phrase "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally". The first letters PEMDAS are reminders of the order of operations Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, and Subtraction. It's a classic but it has flaws. Sometimes students think that you should always add before you subtract when the truth is that those two operations are equally important so you do whichever you read first. I often see a problem like 10-2+8 yielding an answer of 0 instead of 16.
The reason why I mention this is sometimes an old dog needs to learn new tricks. I've been teaching for 16 years now and just recently discovered a remedy for the flaws of PEMDAS. It's a new device called GEMA. GEMA stands for Grouping symbols, Exponentials, Multipliers, and Addends. This device is much simpler to use and covers areas of concern like Brackets and which multiplier comes first. It's important to teach students that division is really multiplying by a reciprocal and that subtraction is really adding a negative. But the real idea is that a person to change Mnemonics.
Give us this day...
One of the Mnemonics that I've taught my Magic players over the years deals with Sealed tournaments. The key phrase is BREAD. Many of you have probably heard it before referring to drafting as well as sealed. I learned it back in Onslaught when I attended my first PTQ. BREAD stands for "Bombs, Removal, Enchantments, Artifacts or Abilities and Damage sources." The idea is simple, when building your deck first sort by these categories. Then decide which color/cards you will play based on which color has the best cards with B being more important than R which in turn is more important than E etc…
In my first PTQ I had no real B's in any way, shape, or form so I ended up with a READ only deck. I was able to pilot my rareless creation to a 5-0 start and ID'ed my way into the top 8. The fact that I had a ton of R in the deck really helped. At that point I participated in my first draft EVER and landed in the 5-8 slot. I got more cards in prize than I actually owned at the time. It was a great day and it showed me how valuable removal of any kind is.
Then two things happened to the game. First Mirrodin and more importantly equipment was added to the game. Then the "power creep" began to be noticeable. To be fair I think the creep really started with Onslaught but with Mirrodin it began to get noticeable. With the addition of much cooler artifacts and the more imaginative and powerful keyword abilities I felt our Mnemonic Device needed updating. It was at this point that I converted.
Brush your shoulders off
The new keyword BRUSH became my mantra. Bombs and Removal were the same level of importance but now I followed the with Utility, Strength, and Helper. The Utility category is a little vague but it basically is for cards that have multiple uses and many of the cooler mechanics fall into here. Strength is a strict analysis of Power/Toughness versus Mana Cost. Finally, Helpers are cards that make other cards better.
For a pretty good summation of my BRUSH technique click here. [Trick –please link. http://www.mananation.com/magic-the-classroom-limited-lesson/]
Grasping the Situation
Recently I've change my moniker again. The title "bomb" has started to set me off. Lately it seems that cards aren't as "bomb" like as people claim. It's like the word "Awesome". In the 1950's you said awesome only when something inspired awe in you. You would use it when godlike event changed your entire perspective. Now we say "Awesome" because we just found a dollar that we left in our winter jacket last year. So I've dropped the title "bomb" and now use GRASP.
G – Great cards. Great cards are cards that you build a deck around. Mostly these are bombs but some rare occasions they just great synergy cards that make a deck tick.
R – Still the classic Removal. There is just no getting away from it. Removal is always one of the most aspects of the game. Even more magnified in sealed. In fact I've often tried to make a Mnemonic starting with R but I just can't bring myself to move the Great/Bomb cards to a lesser level.
A – Abilities. Most of the time we're talking about keyword concepts but sometimes it can be as simple as a mana dork. The hardest part about evaluating abilities is when the ability is good and when it should just be ignored.
S – Strength. Does it have enough power? Does it have enough toughness? If you can say yes to these questions then the card belongs here. Basically ask yourself this Flores style question. If I get to play this card will it help me become the beatdown or maintain my beatdown status? That's the goal with S cards. To be able to drop something so large that the table top starts to tilt your direction.
P – Plausible. This is a general catch all. Cards in this category help shore up gaps that we might have missed. Sometimes they create a synergy with other cards that make our Great cards even better. Sometimes they're cards that make the list because we have to have 40 and they're better than more land.
The Six Pack Challenge.
For this article a student of mine we'll call Adam and myself cracked 6 six packs and built our own decks. We then played a best of 5 match with the ability to totally rebuild between games. I want to share with you our card pool and see what you think about what I built and what you think Adam should have built. For my cards I will separate them into GRASP and then show you my build, but for Adam's I'll just show you his pull. I would like to hear both positives and negatives about your opinion of my build and what you would do if you were Adam.
G
Blight Mamba – I know some of you just flipped but I really like the Snake. When played right he is an ultimate Defender that eventually turns into removal as well.
Ratchet Bomb – The bomb can be hard to play but multiple card removal is nothing to ignore.
R
Revoke Existence (x2) – With the number of artifacts you'll almost guaranteed to see a use from this card.
Arrest (x2)
Fulgent Distraction (x2) – This is very weak/temporary removal but it's still a stop gap removal.
Sylvok Replica (x2) – Same as Revoke only more expensive.
Withstand death – I put this in removal for its ability to alter combat to your favor. Weak.
Wing Puncture – Situation removal but still cheap and instant speed so worth some interest.
Grasp of Darkness – Some of the best removal in this set.
Oxidda Scrapmelter – Shatter on a stick. A pretty big stick as well.
Turn to Slag – There are very few critters that can survive this card. Problem is the CMC.
Bonds of Quicksilver (x3) – I do feel that there is a lack of enchantment removal in this set so Bonds can be quite good. You still get hit once though.
Volition Reins – The best type of Removal. Take from you and give to me. At 6 CMC with a double blue component you better have some other good blue stuff. If the casting of the card were any different I would have listed it in the G's.
Disperse (x3) – Once again. Temporary removal. Weak but needs to be mentioned.
Halt Order – I classify counterspells as removal. They're just preemptive in nature.
A
Gold Myr, Iron Myr – Myr help get mana and Metalcraft.
Moriok Replica – Slow Sign in Blood with chump block potential.
Vector Asp (x2), Necropede (x2), Ichorclaw Myr, Carrion Call, Blackcleave Goblin, and Contagious Nim (x2) – As I sorted this pile I couldn't help but notice the high amount of Infect there was in the deck. With a Hand in the G pile it's not too hard to see where I'm leaning.
Corpse Cur – While this is just another Infect guy I feel he is worth noting separately because of the card advantage he yields as well.
Blade-Tribe Berserkers, Auriok Edgewright, Ezuri's Brigade, Screeching Silcaw, Carapace Forger, and Chrome Stead- This is my Metalcraft family. Green has potential and it's important to note that Forger, Brigade and Edgewright can be listed under S as well if we don't go for Metalcraft.
S
Molder Beast – 5 power with Trample and maybe a Spellbomb trick or two.
Blistergrub – a 2/2 for 3 normally wouldn't do it but the 2 life guaranteed makes it to this list.
Kuldotha Rebirth (x2) – Assume an artifact. 3 power for 1 mana. That's an S card.
Ogre Geargrabber – 6 is high to pay but 4/4 with extra potential still makes the list.
Assault Strobe – Probably not playable but it does the S job. They could have made this an instant I think and then it would see some play.
Glimmerpoint Stag – The Vigilance puts it here.
Glint Hawk Idol – 2/2 flyer that ducks Sorcery speed removal for 2.
Scrapdiver Serpent – basically will always be unblockable by the time it hits the table.
Darksteel Axe – If your critter didn't start strong. It can be.
Memnite – sure it's just a 1/1 but it cost NOTHING.
Golem Artisan – at 3/3 he isn't an S card but with mana open he's all that and more.
P
Kemba's Skyguard (x2)
Goblin Gaveleer – Love the flavor text
Horizon Spellbomb (x2) – Tempting 3 colors
Kuldotha Forgemaster (foil)
Necrogen Censer (x2)
Glimmerpost (x2)
What I thought
So the cards say this. G- says Green/ Black. R – is a fan of Blue/White. A – is pretty colorless in terms of infect and Green for Metalcraft. S - is screaming go red with a hint of Green. P- are pretty passive except for Horizon Spellbomb who keeps saying I can go 3 colors. As with most packs I'm just too diluted and confused. My first impression was to go Infect and say removal be damned. Then I look at the Blue/White and know that I can hold my own for quite some time with all the removal abilities but can I depend on Golem Artisan, Scrapdiver, and Stag to be finishers for me. Eventually I went Infect with the following list.
[cardlist]
1 Memnite
2 Horizon Spellbomb
1 Sylvok Lifestaff
1 Darksteel Axe
2 Vector Asp
2 Necropede
1 Ichorclaw Myr
1 Grasp the Darkness
1 Ratchet Bomb
1 Blight Mamba
2 Contagious Nim
1 Moriok Replica
2 Sylvok Replica
1 Hand of the Praetors
1 Corpse Cur
1 Blackcleave Goblin
1 Carrion Call
1 Golem Artisan
8 Forest
9 Swamp
[/cardlist]
Adam's cards
Now remember for Adam's cards I want to hear what you would do. Feel free to talk in generalities if you want to save time but I would really like to see a list. If your list is significantly different than the deck he built I'll play against it as well. In a future article I'll report the results.
Silver Myr (x2)
Vulshok Replica (x2)
Saberclaw Golem (x2)
Sunspear Shikari (x2)
Wing Puncture (x2)
Untamed Might (x2)
Alpha Tyrranax (x2)
Shatter (x2)
Embersmith (x2)
Turn to Slag (x3)
Tainted Strike (x2)
Psychic Miasma (x2)
Screeching Silcaw (x2)
Sky-Eel School (x2)
Bell time
That's the list. Feel free to tell me how bad my build is and how superior you can build Adam's. I have think skin. Remember to check with Mananation daily since you never know when I'll pop up.
