Critical Miss: #24

[Bloodstain]

Ahaha, I totally know that. I've been playing M:TG for about 9 years now, good to see a comic about it.

 

[The Wooster]

LOL i know exactly what you mean. my old deck from the timespiral set deffinatly had this effect. my current vampire deck has that "oh crud, he just summoned my doom" kinda feel to it. a Vampire nighthawk is annoying. but when four vampire nocturnus come into play one right after the other, it becomes one of the most feared cards i own. XD that or the treefolk deck my friend runs with.

Pah. Vampire nighthawk. It is a poor man's Chimney Imp [http://sales.starcitygames.com/cardscans/MAGMDN/chimney_imp.jpg].

 

[Karlaxx]

I had this card called the Sliver Queen that basically mades tons of little 1/1 cannonfodder. Everybody was like "oooh, scary" until I played an Overrun.

There is no greater sense of satisfaction than killing all three opponents in a 4 way duel in one turn thanks to a horde of 1/1 Slivers.

Dear lord. We had a guy with a sliver deck at school... I'm so glad he graduated.
That deck screwed people's stuff up on a daily basis for a while.

 

[fanklok]

I just got back from a draft so that was glorious. Friend of mine has what he calls his Castelvania deck every card in it is something you would see in a Castelvania game. The sad part is it wins a lot.

 

[Firia]

I shed a tear of joy for my Magic the Gathering days. Back when Lightning Bolts were 3 damage for 1 red mana, birds of paradise were highly coveted, and my blue/black counterspell deck was a thing of beauty.

I imagined the seagull was a bird of paradise with fire-breathing enchanted on it.

 

[Firia]

I had this card called the Sliver Queen that basically mades tons of little 1/1 cannonfodder. Everybody was like "oooh, scary" until I played an Overrun.

There is no greater sense of satisfaction than killing all three opponents in a 4 way duel in one turn thanks to a horde of 1/1 Slivers.

Dear lord. We had a guy with a sliver deck at school... I'm so glad he graduated.
That deck screwed people's stuff up on a daily basis for a while.

Sounds like my sliver deck. I intentionally went out of my way to insure it was the baddest deck I had in my arsenal; Coat of Arms comes to mind.

 

[NihilCredo]

I shed a tear of joy for my Magic the Gathering days. Back when Lightning Bolts were 3 damage for 1 red mana, birds of paradise were highly coveted, and my blue/black counterspell deck was a thing of beauty.

Bolts have been back for over a year, rejoice!

 

[Firia]

I shed a tear of joy for my Magic the Gathering days. Back when Lightning Bolts were 3 damage for 1 red mana, birds of paradise were highly coveted, and my blue/black counterspell deck was a thing of beauty.

Bolts have been back for over a year, rejoice!

For reals? I thought they were phased out due to being overpowered. I've always thought I was sitting on a trove of classical gold mines. Oh well.

 

[The Wooster]

I shed a tear of joy for my Magic the Gathering days. Back when Lightning Bolts were 3 damage for 1 red mana, birds of paradise were highly coveted, and my blue/black counterspell deck was a thing of beauty.

Bolts have been back for over a year, rejoice!

For reals? I thought they were phased out due to being overpowered. I've always thought I was sitting on a trove of classical gold mines. Oh well.

They're absolutely everywhere now. Birds of paradise not so much but they've been replaced with the similar but better/worse depending on your colour, Llanowar Elves who are so numerous they come with boxes of cereal. In my opinion it's a better card when combined with the absolute mana humping horseshit that is elvish archdruid.

 

[Godavari]

I shed a tear of joy for my Magic the Gathering days. Back when Lightning Bolts were 3 damage for 1 red mana, birds of paradise were highly coveted, and my blue/black counterspell deck was a thing of beauty.

I imagined the seagull was a bird of paradise with fire-breathing enchanted on it.

You know, they reprinted Lightning Bolt and Birds of Paradise in the 2011 core set. Both of them can still kick ass - Lightning Bolt especially so when you have a pair of these [http://magiccards.info/query?q=fire+servant&v=card&s=cname] in play.

 

[zorrandur]

21/21 pridemate?! that would mean that you would have had to have gained life for like 20 turns how long did that freakin game last? 0_o

Last night on MTGO I was faced with a loop, it was aweful. I could get him down to 8 life in both games but then through scrying and other such cards he has all that he needs and opens up an infinite loop which negates my turn and then uses infinite direct damages.
I too love playing with my friends with as you say ridiculous theme decks (we can't make a deck without a theme) but I like the challenge of Tournament play.

Great comic as usual, reminds me of when my friend, using his saporling deck, equipped this ridiculous black legendary scythe and took on my then 21/21 Ajani's Pridemate. I love literal translations of what's happening in magic, it's crazy.

21/21 pridemate?! that would mean that you would have had to have gained life for like 20 turns how long did that freakin game last? 0_o

 

[FBPH]

I had this card called the Sliver Queen that basically mades tons of little 1/1 cannonfodder. Everybody was like "oooh, scary" until I played an Overrun.

There is no greater sense of satisfaction than killing all three opponents in a 4 way duel in one turn thanks to a horde of 1/1 Slivers.

I have a sliver deck as well and everyone fears my little 1/1 army. I also have an overrun and a Garruk I can substitute in if I would so please to do so. Lets just say that by a few turns all my 1/1 slivers ended up becoming 3/3-6/7 with vigilance, haste, trample, reach, flanking, double strike, (tap) regenerate target sliver, and I cast overrun. I beat everyone else in one turn as well.

 

[FBPH]

It's always fun to play bullshit cards when you're playing casually. I have a lot of them that i don't put into decks simply because i rather like my friends and don't want to make MTG into the next monopoly. But its also fun to wipe the floor with them.

Lightning Bolt especially so when you have a pair of these [http://magiccards.info/query?q=fire+servant&v=card&s=cname] in play.

I also have a fire servant [http://magiccards.info/query?q=fire+servant&v=card&s=cname], but my red deck also has one of these [http://magiccards.info/zen/en/140.html], and [http://magiccards.info/query?q=raid+mother&v=card&s=cname], one [http://magiccards.info/m11/en/150.html], of [http://magiccards.info/query?q=din+of+the+fireherd&v=card&s=cname], these [http://magiccards.info/shm/en/99.html]
Lets just say that it all of that and lightning bolts, lava axes, and a dragons claw makes for a fun win.

 

[mechanixis]

Wow, really? That's the worst attitude towards mtg I've ever seen. I can't play kitchen table types because they're so bad at the game... don't know resource management, think that "living the dream" decks actually win, etc. I've got no problem playing casual formats like EDH but it'd still be no fun if your opponents don't get that 2 for 1s are good and all that.

Also, tournament decks aren't expensive. There are always the cheap one that's like 150-200 to make, and the most expensive you can go (if it's even still viable) is 700 for a deck that goes out of its way to play the most expensive cards. That's for Type 2 where you generally need new stuff every set; older decks are more expensive assuming you need dual lands but they never change.

EDIT - omg people are talking about Sliver Queen and Elvish Piper like they're viable in this thread... *facepalm*

oh my GOD I'm so goddamn ANGRY about how other people I don't know play CARDGAMES AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH

Magic is a game, not a job

 

[MaxFan]

I've often argued that the kitchen table is the natural habitat of Magic: the Gathering games. Tournament play is all right I guess if you've got lots of money and no friends (or if you're completely hyper competitive) but, like most things when there's money to be won, it's ruined by the single-minded determination to win, win at any cost. Combo decks and ludicrously cheap loops rule the day (though many players would decry me as a 'scrub' for using the word cheap), whatever, tournament play simply isn't for me.

So, you refuse to learn to play the game the way it's played competitively, therefore anyone who goes to tournaments is scum? Stay at the kitchen table, thanks. Merely using the word "cheap" does not make you a scrub. Complaining about and banning strategies instead of finding ways to counteract them does. [http://www.sirlin.net/ptw-book/intermediates-guide.html] Also, it's virtually impossible to play tournament Magic without friends. Never know who might have the card you need to borrow.

It's too bad the commentary ruined the comic, which I thought was pretty funny. I have a bunch of Tempest Owls I've written "Not Welkin Tern" onto, because I kept picking them by mistake thinking they were Terns in ZZW draft.

 

[The Wooster]

I've often argued that the kitchen table is the natural habitat of Magic: the Gathering games. Tournament play is all right I guess if you've got lots of money and no friends (or if you're completely hyper competitive) but, like most things when there's money to be won, it's ruined by the single-minded determination to win, win at any cost. Combo decks and ludicrously cheap loops rule the day (though many players would decry me as a 'scrub' for using the word cheap), whatever, tournament play simply isn't for me.

So, you refuse to learn to play the game the way it's played competitively, therefore anyone who goes to tournaments is scum?

Yes, Yes! That's exactly what I was saying! You can tell from the part where I said "people who go to tournaments are scum" instead of "tournament play simply isn't for me." Also, how could I comment on higher level play if I'd never played a higher level game. I simply prefer the atmosphere of a kitchen table match.

Seriously, all this paranoid anger really isn't helping to prove you tourney player's points.

And linking to Sirlin, Bible of the docuhebag? Probably not doing you any favours either.

In short. I like X, you like Y. I post in jest, you are super serious.

 

[sl0th]

I can recall the last time I tried to play Magic. Well not really it was 2004 and I've had a lot of alcohol since then. But I made some Green deck and thought it was okay then I played against my friend's red deck (one out of eight decks). Maybe it was brown, it was some colour that was the polar opposite of green. The moral is he kicked my ass before I had 2 monsters out and as with first time I played Guitar Hero (1) I said "F--- this game!" And never played again, Magic that is not Guitar Hero. You have to know how play guitar hero/rock band if you have nerdy friends because pretending to play is easier than really playing!

It's not that I don't like Magic, I just don't like playing a game where you can't ever beat the friend that got you started on it but I guess it's slightly more fair than DnD.

 

[TraderJimmy]

I really enjoy your series. Have seen all of them so far.

It's nothing 'special' in terms of style or whatever (barring the art style, which is a little quirky, I'm talking setting, general theme of jokes etc.), but it's fantastically executed.

Is Grey's Corner new? I don't remember seeing it before. It kind of reminds me of the penny-arcade front-page 'news' rambles, which might be a bad thing, just thinking long-term. But this one was definitely relatable. I remember using a death deck almost completely full of rats, and a light deck that had a wall of light (0/5, I think it forced creatures to attack it), Something's Blessing (+3/+3, flying), and something that made it invincible - hey, it was a long time ago! - but yeah, they were terrible decks that sometimes did awesome things. Loads of fun. Once I started getting good decks together, I quickly grew bored with the limited permutations possible at mid level play - dread to think what high level was like. I gave away several shoeboxes of the things, and sold a couple more for some charity event.

It was fun while it lasted, tho.

 

[Karousawai]

Also, tournament decks aren't expensive. There are always the cheap one that's like 150-200 to make, and the most expensive you can go (if it's even still viable) is 700 for a deck that goes out of its way to play the most expensive cards. That's for Type 2 where you generally need new stuff every set; older decks are more expensive assuming you need dual lands but they never change.

Way to go defending the elitist and expensive tournament decks. 150-200? For a deck that might be relevant for a month, maybe two? Christ I bought both my ally decks for under £30 and I've had fun with them since zendikar, and the red/white one actually does not bad against some archtypes. Its people like you that make me understand why my missus won't play at prereleases. Magic pros are the enemies of fun sometimes.

If anyone wants a laugh look up the price for a playset of baneslayer angel or jace, the mind sculptor on ebay.

 

[Godavari]

I do feel kind of bad because they prove those people who've been whining about power creep for the past few years like nine different flavours of right.

Some of them just stray into complete bullshit territory. Especially when combined with everyone's favourite fatty dropper, Elvish Piper.

True, though I think people often dismiss or forget about some of the crazy stuff in older editions. There are some very powerful cards like Balance "I'm resetting the game for 2 mana." Though almost every deck I construct now includes Enchantment destruction to deal with 2011 core set Leylines, those are annoying as all hell.

Oh God yes. Leyline of sanctity [http://magiccards.info/m11/en/21.html] may as well read "Players with red or black decks may not win the game."

I [http://magiccards.info/query?q=diabolic+tutor&v=card&s=cname] beg [http://magiccards.info/query?q=leyline+of+punishment&v=card&s=cname] to [http://magiccards.info/query?q=kargan+dragonlord&v=card&s=cname] differ [http://magiccards.info/query?q=obsidian+fireheart&v=card&s=cname]. These are all in my Red/Black deck.