MTG Strats/Cards that you Like and Dislike

[Ryan Minns]

Like: Seance! Back in the day I would enjoy it when people would give me a weird as hell look when I played it... only to watch their land vanish shortly afterwards!
Also love: Most white cards. I have built many enchantment based decks and when enchantment creatures came out it was like a gift to me

Dislike: If you play Blue please proceed to shove any and all counter cards into certain locations between your buttocks. Building a deck based on counter spells makes you Hitler!

 

[RJ 17]

I dislike anything that says anything along the lines of "Win the game" or "Lose the game". Some people may like it a lot with a build up to using Door to Nothingness in a 5 color deck. But for me, it's like the ultimate jerk move.

Pffft, there's no such thing as a "jerk move" in MTG...there's moves that win the game. Plain and simple. You don't get bonus points for losing while playing without using any dirty back-door tricks. You get a loss, and that's all that matters. So long as you don't out-right cheat, then any tactic is fair play.

Like the putting Time Warp in your Panoptic Mirror for infinite turns! That's a fun one. :3

Fun stuff that I've done in Draft tournaments:

"Stall For The Fish" Deck: got a Stormtide Leviathan in the draft (8/8 islandwalk, all lands are islands in addition to their regular type, creatures without flying or islandwalk can't attack). As the name of my deck implies: it's entire purpose is to stall the game out until I can get out my big ol' fish. As such, I had 4 Wall of Frosts, 3 Sleeps, 3 Harbor Serpents, a few various forms of counterspells, and some other stuff that was suited for stalling out a game. Once my big ol' fish hit the board, I'd unleash hell.

A very wet, watery, unblockable hell. :3

"Blitz-Shank" Deck: I managed to draft 3 Sorin's Vengeance cards in a draft, everything else was either small poke damage or a fast weeny creature. The objective: deal 10 damage as quickly as possible then drop Sorin's Vengeance for the win.

I ended up winning the tournament with this deck and strategy.

 

[Slenn]

Pffft, there's no such thing as a "jerk move" in MTG...there's moves that win the game. Plain and simple. You don't get bonus points for losing while playing without using any dirty back-door tricks. You get a loss, and that's all that matters. So long as you don't out-right cheat, then any tactic is fair play.

I didn't say it was cheating. And sure, on the card it clearly reads "loses the game." And since it's an official card, I can't say it's cheating. But that doesn't mean I have to like the mechanic. In the same way some people on here don't like mono-red burn, or mono-blue counter, or the entirety of white. Everything in those colors is fair game, but not everyone likes them.

To be clear on this, I started playing in June. At one point since then, I was in a commander game against a 5 color deck. There was nearly no way I could've expected "Door To Nothingness" to appear with so little experience on me. And I had no knowledge that "lose the game" mechanics were present in Magic. And it was a normal uncompetitive match. To see it being played for the first time felt like a slap in the face.

Maybe not so much now since I've learned how to work around that. But I still think the mechanic is quite ludicrous.

 

[RJ 17]

I didn't say it was cheating. And sure, on the card it clearly reads "loses the game." And since it's an official card, I can't say it's cheating.

I never said that you said it was cheating, I said there's no such thing as a "jerk move" - which is what you did call it - in Magic.

To be clear on this, I started playing in June. At one point since then, I was in a commander game against a 5 color deck. There was nearly no way I could've expected "Door To Nothingness" to appear with so little experience on me. And I had no knowledge that "lose the game" mechanics were present in Magic. And it was a normal uncompetitive match. To see it being played for the first time felt like a slap in the face.

Oh you haven't seen anything yet, my friend. You're in for a fun-filled world of surprises when you see some of the hilarious cards and combos that you can pull out and pull off in this game...like the combo I described in my previous post that can allow you to automatically win due to having infinite consecutive turns. :3

There's a 10/10 Hydra that has "Protection From Everything" printed right there on the card. If by some miracle it ends up getting sent to the graveyard, it gets shuffled back into the library.

Maybe not so much now since I've learned how to work around that. But I still think the mechanic is quite ludicrous.

Nah, what's ludicrous is how strict the meta is for this game. Competitively speaking, if you're not using one of the top 3 meta decks you might as well not even bother showing up to a tournament. There's decks that, with the right opening hand, can win by turn 3.

Goofing around with friends at home is one thing, but I'd recommend staying away from the competitive scene.

 

[Slycne]

Like a lot of folks I've played Magic off and on for quite a while now. But in the last few years I've dived into it more deeply, becoming a judge and playing more competitively. For better or worse, this tends to have a muting aspect on what cards and strategies you enjoy/dislike. Certainly everyone still has their tendencies and go-to, but a lot of my enjoyment comes from the competition and interplay of the game itself. Did I bring the right deck and sideboard to this tournament? Magic is a fun game regardless, so I'm likely to play whatever deck I feel is best or well-positioned at the time. Control, tempo, combo, aggro, etc. Magic is Magic.

Likewise I don't have anything I particularly dislike, with an exception for mana denial strategies in EDH, [mtg_card=Winter Orb] and kin. It just creates long drawn-out and ultimately uninteresting games.

 

[Dragon Zero]

I like a lot of strategies, both in constructed and limited. I seem to go more aggro in my constructed but I have had more success in limited playing the slow decks, mainly U/B. My favorite color combo are Abzan (WBG) and Orzhov (WB) though I don't really dislike any color either. I do tend to get annoyed by blue because I hate counterspells and the whole "Blue gets no support" whining, which I won't start up that argument for our collective sanity, but other than those minor irritants I don't really have qualms.

 

[RJ 17]

Did I bring the right deck and sideboard to this tournament? Magic is a fun game regardless, so I'm likely to play whatever deck I feel is best or well-positioned at the time. Control, tempo, combo, aggro, etc. Magic is Magic.

Personally that's the question that dissuades me from playing competitively. Unless you reconstruct one of the top meta decks at the time, you don't really stand a chance in a tournament...at all. Might as well save on gas money and not show up.

That's why the only tournaments I go to are Draft and Sealed tournaments...at least then everyone starts on an even level and it's more about "build the best deck you can out of what you have" rather than "build the best deck in the meta because that's the only deck anyone will be playing/winning with." It forces you to be creative with the pieces you're given...such as the "Stall For The Fish" deck I mentioned in my first post in this topic.

 

[Slenn]

I never said that you said it was cheating, I said there's no such thing as a "jerk move" - which is what you did call it - in Magic.

If you're implying that there's no such thing as being a jerk in Magic, then I suppose that's true. But it's not a fun mechanic for me, which is what I was implying. The person that used the aforementioned deck, for the record, is a good friend of mine. When the move was played, I didn't feel like I was having fun. I don't know how else to explain it.

Nah, what's ludicrous is how strict the meta is for this game. Competitively speaking, if you're not using one of the top 3 meta decks you might as well not even bother showing up to a tournament. There's decks that, with the right opening hand, can win by turn 3.

Goofing around with friends at home is one thing, but I'd recommend staying away from the competitive scene.

I never really pay attention to that stuff. Which is why I like playing this game a whole lot more than League of Legends. There's a lot of cards throughout its history, and there's so much creativity that's seen. Because of that, the meta doesn't feel like it's as strict as League of Legends.

 

[Slycne]

Personally that's the question that dissuades me from playing competitively. Unless you reconstruct one of the top meta decks at the time, you don't really stand a chance in a tournament...at all. Might as well save on gas money and not show up.

That's why the only tournaments I go to are Draft and Sealed tournaments...at least then everyone starts on an even level and it's more about "build the best deck you can out of what you have" rather than "build the best deck in the meta because that's the only deck anyone will be playing/winning with." It forces you to be creative with the pieces you're given...such as the "Stall For The Fish" deck I mentioned in my first post in this topic.

Something I parade around a lot is that I think the best aspect of Magic is that it can be a different game in a wide variety of situations. It's great that the game can simultaneously be folks playing in competitive Vintage tournaments with decks worth thousands of dollars and friends playing EDH over a few beers.

As for competitive tournaments, I admit it's certainly not for everyone. It just flat out requires a different mindset. Unless you're in a very rare class of players that truly understands the ebb and flow of a metagame and can brew decks to attack that, you're pretty much always going to netdeck - *gasp scream*. Frankly, there are smarter deckbuilers with more time doing the legwork and you should almost always take advantage of that. As mentioned the interest comes from the games itself by thinking ahead as to what decks you think will be popular that week, and playing something well positioned against them, or sticking to something until you know it inside and out.

And it doesn't hurt to every now and then go play Magic for a few hours and win a few hundred dollars.

 

[RJ 17]

If you're implying that there's no such thing as being a jerk in Magic, then I suppose that's true. But it's not a fun mechanic for me, which is what I was implying. The person that used the aforementioned deck, for the record, is a good friend of mine. When the move was played, I didn't feel like I was having fun. I don't know how else to explain it.

And that's fine and understandable. All I'm saying is that you're in for a lot of surprises that can come across like a slap to the face.

Now if you're just sticking to the casual level where you've got a group of buddies that like to hang out and play some Magic with each other, it's much different because...

I never really pay attention to that stuff. Which is why I like playing this game a whole lot more than League of Legends. There's a lot of cards throughout its history, and there's so much creativity that's seen. Because of that, the meta doesn't feel like it's as strict as League of Legends.

Generally speaking when playing with friends, you don't really have to worry about what's working the the current meta. Unless you're group includes someone who plays in tournaments, chances are you're all just building the decks you like with the cards and combos you like. In that way, it can be very fun to pit your deck against a friend's.

In tournaments, however, the meta is as strict - if not more strict - than in League of Legends. As Slycne says below: you have to know the meta so that you can either A: play a strong meta-deck or B: at least have the knowledge of what the current meta is so that you can build a deck specifically designed to counter the current meta. Either way, there's a lot of homework to be done, and what works against your friends won't always work in a tournament.

Something I parade around a lot is that I think the best aspect of Magic is that it can be a different game in a wide variety of situations. It's great that the game can simultaneously be folks playing in competitive Vintage tournaments with decks worth thousands of dollars and friends playing EDH over a few beers.

As for competitive tournaments, I admit it's certainly not for everyone. It just flat out requires a different mindset. Unless you're in a very rare class of players that truly understands the ebb and flow of a metagame and can brew decks to attack that, you're pretty much always going to netdeck - *gasp scream*. Frankly, there are smarter deckbuilers with more time doing the legwork and you should almost always take advantage of that. As mentioned the interest comes from the games itself by thinking ahead as to what decks you think will be popular that week, and playing something well positioned against them, or sticking to something until you know it inside and out.

Yeah, as I mentioned: personally the only tournaments I ever go to are local Sealed or Draft tournaments. Beyond that I prefer just sticking with my circle of friends that gets together on Saturdays to throw down with some MTG. Hehehe, I remember the day we bought an Arch Enemy set for the first time...that was a lot of fun. Trading cards back and forth, working all week to construct a deck with the specific intent of tearing down your friend's deck that utterly destroyed you the previous week...it's all great fun. :3

 

[ccggenius12]

*Disclaimer* I have not done this yet. However, I certainly plan on it.
My current EDH decks are getting stale, so I've decided to build something for fun. Basically, I'm going to use Godo, Bandit Warlord as the general, and the overall goal will be a "simple" one. I will get Mycosinth Lattice in play, to make everything an artifact. I will then play Bludgeon Brawl, to make every non-creature artifact an equipment. Following that up is Golem-Skin Gauntlets, which give equipped creature +1/+0 for every equipment attached to it. Finally, I will cast Vulshok Battlemaster, and laugh maniacally as the ENTIRE BOARD gets equipped to my creature. Not just my stuff, EVERYONE'S STUFF. This is some straight TTGL galaxy throwing, "pierce the heavens with my drill," shit.

Also, I'm building Lantern Control for modern, because The Salt must flow.

I've only played a little bit, and mostly EDH, but i personally love weird boardstates that lead to weird things. Like one time, we had a black enchantment in play that said when something died, you gave it to an opponent's battlefieds instead of it going to your graveyard, but hushwing griffan was also out, which said creatures enetering the battlefield can't cause abilities to trigger, so when we got out a creature with base P/T 0/0 that came out with +1+1 counters, it cycled endlessly from player to player. I love ridiculous gamestates like that!

That's not how that works... at all. The enchantment you're thinking of is Endless Whispers, and it's not worded to go infinite. "at the beginning of the next end step" means exactly that; once the trigger has resolved once, it's no longer the beginning of the end step, and it will have to wait for THE NEXT end step to come back again. (I realize that your use of "endlessly" is ambiguous enough that you might not have meant "endlessly, right just now", but I'm addressing that for the sake of other readers.) Additionally, "As ~ enters the battlefield" is different from "When ~ enters the battlefield". "As" modifies HOW something enters the battlefield, "When" triggers UPON it entering the battlefield. Only the latter is relevant to Hushwing Gryff. You'd need something like a Skyreach Manta, Ivy Elemental, or anything else that's base 0/0 and whose effect allows for 0 to be a potentiality. that or a bunch of 1/1's and a Night of Souls Betrayal.

 

[Estranged180]

Does it count that I've been playing the game since the Channel/Fireball combo was legal? Back when being "exiled" meant there was no way back into the game, and Swords to Plowshares did that rather efficiently. I've seen people lose because someone played The Rack back to back with The Black Vise.

Back then, there was no "Commander" format. It was basically a free-for-all, and people didn't understand the purpose of proper deck building. I had beaten almost everyone I had played with a 45 card deck, and the aforementioned combo wasn't in it. A friend of mine was adamant on using a 150 card deck that didn't have enough land to draw, and then kept wondering why he lost all the time.

One of the cards that you just don't see anymore was an asswhooping in disguise. Howl From Beyond. If you had a creature attack, and go unblocked, with enough black mana, you'd play that for 1, then tap all the black mana you had. Each one gave the creature +1/+0. In the end, that card ended many a game.

My best deck however, is a toss up. Either it's the deck that only has 3 creatures in it, and relies on direct damage in the form of Fanning the Flames (a fireball with a buyback), and hand manipulation (opponents hand, mind you) with things like Capsize, which would put any creature back into the owner's hand, and it had a buyback, so it could be used again, and again, over and over. It also had Reins of Power, which took all the creatures from one opponent, put them all on your side for one turn, and gave them haste. Or the mono black deck centered around Megrim, which causes any opponent that discards a card to lose a life for the number of cards they discarded. With 3 of those in the deck, there was a good chance of drawing it early, or more than once. Then it had creatures that, if they hit, you'd discard, and discard spells. Often I'd win without having ever attacked.

Best combo though has to be Wrath of God + Armageddon + Dingus Egg + Reverse Polarity. Granted, Wrath of God doesn't matter in that combo, but it's fun to watch people's reactions when you wipe the table clear of the creatures they spent so long to cast. The Dingus Egg caused 1 damage for every land that was buried. Armageddon destroys all land. Reverse Polarity (an Interrupt) reverses the damaging effect of any artifact, so instead of losing the life from the Dingus Egg, you'd gain that many life.

I'm also a DCI judge, and often have to judge local events.

 

[Bad Jim]

One card in the Tempest block that was extremely overpowered but flew completely under the radar was Recycle

Spoiler

Throw in some elves for fast mana, Summer Bloom/Exploration to play additional land, and you would sooner or later go critical and be able to play the whole deck in one turn. My friend had a deck like this and it used Killer Bees to kill, or Overrun if I had blockers. It was pretty strong. Ghost Town or Quirion Ranger could be used to put land in your hand as a way of dealing with discard effects.

Favourite Combo?
Verdant Touch / Eradicate. Not amazingly powerful, but pretty funny.

Spoiler