Comments on: Practice Session #2: Building a Shards of Alara Sealed Deck http://magicgameplan.com/blog/practice-session-2-shards-sealed/ Fri, 11 May 2012 19:29:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Steve http://magicgameplan.com/blog/practice-session-2-shards-sealed/comment-page-1/#comment-628 Steve Sat, 06 Dec 2008 01:12:20 +0000 http://magicgameplan.com/blog/practice-session-2-shards-sealed/#comment-628 Running 5-color control in seald is just to risky. When you're playing 7-8 rounds in a PTQ with a 5c deck, you have a much higher chance of getting screwed on land in crucial games, and losing. I've done well building a consistent 3 or 3c with a splash as my registered deck, and making a greedier deck that I can sideboard into if I feel an opponents deck is to slow, or just bad. Thats my 2 cents on it. Running 5-color control in seald is just to risky. When you’re playing 7-8 rounds in a PTQ with a 5c deck, you have a much higher chance of getting screwed on land in crucial games, and losing. I’ve done well building a consistent 3 or 3c with a splash as my registered deck, and making a greedier deck that I can sideboard into if I feel an opponents deck is to slow, or just bad. Thats my 2 cents on it.

]]> By: Steve http://magicgameplan.com/blog/practice-session-2-shards-sealed/comment-page-1/#comment-627 Steve Sat, 06 Dec 2008 01:10:01 +0000 http://magicgameplan.com/blog/practice-session-2-shards-sealed/#comment-627 2x Resounding Silence 1x Knight of the Skyward Eye 1x Excomunicate 1x Oblivion Ring 1x Gift of the Gargantuan 1x Feral Hydra 2x Resounding Wave 1x Tidehollow Strix 1x Agony Warp 1x Tower Gargoyle 1x Ethersworn Cannonist 1x Steelclad Serpent 1x Puppet Conjurer 1x Scavenger Drake 1x Esper Battlemage 1x Dredgescape Zombie 1x Viscera Dragger 1x Blister Beetle 1x Jhessian Lookout 1x Obelisk of Esper 1x Obelisk of Bant 1x Esper Panorama 1x Crumbling Necropolis 2x Resounding Silence
1x Knight of the Skyward Eye
1x Excomunicate
1x Oblivion Ring
1x Gift of the Gargantuan
1x Feral Hydra
2x Resounding Wave
1x Tidehollow Strix
1x Agony Warp
1x Tower Gargoyle
1x Ethersworn Cannonist
1x Steelclad Serpent
1x Puppet Conjurer
1x Scavenger Drake
1x Esper Battlemage
1x Dredgescape Zombie
1x Viscera Dragger
1x Blister Beetle
1x Jhessian Lookout
1x Obelisk of Esper
1x Obelisk of Bant

1x Esper Panorama
1x Crumbling Necropolis

]]> By: Winz http://magicgameplan.com/blog/practice-session-2-shards-sealed/comment-page-1/#comment-551 Winz Fri, 07 Nov 2008 11:22:04 +0000 http://magicgameplan.com/blog/practice-session-2-shards-sealed/#comment-551 1x feral Hydra 1x Knight of the Skyward Eye 1x Agony Warp 1x Puppet Conjurer 1x Jund Battlemage 1x Wolly Thoctar 1x Naya Charm 1x Exuberant Firestoker 1x Oblivion Ring 1x Gift of the Gargantuan 1 each of Obelisk of Esper/Naya/Grixis 1x Fire-Fiend Ogre 1x Tower Gargoyle 2x Resounding Silence 2x Bloodpyre Elemental 1x Kiss of the Amesha 1x Cavern Thoctar 1x Ridge Rannet 1x Archdemon of Unx 1x Bant Panorama 1x Esper Panorama 1x Crumbling Necropolis My 5-color build Decided on 3x Obelisk. Defending some of my card exclusions... Jund Charm-Not good enough for sealed. 2x Resounding wave-Silence is just better Tidehollow Strix-meh not gonna win you the game Scavenger Drake and Viscera were my last cuts. And I really want to play both of them. Godtoucher should never see play in any deck...ever. Ever. However, you and I ended up with very similar builds...but thats to be expected with 5-color. Was fun. 1x feral Hydra
1x Knight of the Skyward Eye
1x Agony Warp
1x Puppet Conjurer
1x Jund Battlemage
1x Wolly Thoctar
1x Naya Charm
1x Exuberant Firestoker
1x Oblivion Ring
1x Gift of the Gargantuan
1 each of Obelisk of Esper/Naya/Grixis
1x Fire-Fiend Ogre
1x Tower Gargoyle
2x Resounding Silence
2x Bloodpyre Elemental
1x Kiss of the Amesha
1x Cavern Thoctar
1x Ridge Rannet
1x Archdemon of Unx

1x Bant Panorama
1x Esper Panorama
1x Crumbling Necropolis

My 5-color build
Decided on 3x Obelisk.
Defending some of my card exclusions…

Jund Charm-Not good enough for sealed.
2x Resounding wave-Silence is just better
Tidehollow Strix-meh not gonna win you the game
Scavenger Drake and Viscera were my last cuts. And I really want to play both of them.

Godtoucher should never see play in any deck…ever. Ever.

However, you and I ended up with very similar builds…but thats to be expected with 5-color.

Was fun.

]]> By: Dee http://magicgameplan.com/blog/practice-session-2-shards-sealed/comment-page-1/#comment-533 Dee Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:24:47 +0000 http://magicgameplan.com/blog/practice-session-2-shards-sealed/#comment-533 Yeah, the creatures in this pool were pretty bad lol. I did see your deck in your PTQ tournament report. I didn't realize this before. You had multiple Resounding spells and you cycled them a bunch of times. Plus, you had an eight drop, Prince of Thralls. Having 20 or more mana sources may be the right call with 3 or more Resounding spells. It's weird. I've played many Resounding spells but I've cycled them only three times. And that's over 30+ matches! In your deck of this pool, you included both Resounding Waves while I didn't. This means you have 2 extra cards that can be played at eight mana. I've never played Resounding Wave. It doesn't seem that strong to me, but I could be wrong. There was always a better card imo whenever I played blue. Anyways, good luck at your PTQ! I hope you write another tournament report. The first one was great. Yeah, the creatures in this pool were pretty bad lol.

I did see your deck in your PTQ tournament report. I didn’t realize this before. You had multiple Resounding spells and you cycled them a bunch of times. Plus, you had an eight drop, Prince of Thralls.

Having 20 or more mana sources may be the right call with 3 or more Resounding spells.

It’s weird. I’ve played many Resounding spells but I’ve cycled them only three times. And that’s over 30+ matches!

In your deck of this pool, you included both Resounding Waves while I didn’t. This means you have 2 extra cards that can be played at eight mana. I’ve never played Resounding Wave. It doesn’t seem that strong to me, but I could be wrong. There was always a better card imo whenever I played blue.

Anyways, good luck at your PTQ! I hope you write another tournament report. The first one was great.

]]> By: Gifts Ungiven http://magicgameplan.com/blog/practice-session-2-shards-sealed/comment-page-1/#comment-528 Gifts Ungiven Fri, 31 Oct 2008 04:23:58 +0000 http://magicgameplan.com/blog/practice-session-2-shards-sealed/#comment-528 I do think I went a little low in creatures on that build, but I was just that unenthused with the creatures in the pool. In my first PTQ of this season, I ran 17 land, 12 creatures, 7 general-purpose spells, and 4 obelisks. Although that is 21 non-creature mana sources, I didn't find flooding an issue, and I did find the obelisk-based acceleration pretty valuable. I'll be attending at least one more PTQ toward the latter end of this season, schedule permitting. There's one about 2 hours away in early December, and another locally in late December. I do think I went a little low in creatures on that build, but I was just that unenthused with the creatures in the pool.

In my first PTQ of this season, I ran 17 land, 12 creatures, 7 general-purpose spells, and 4 obelisks. Although that is 21 non-creature mana sources, I didn’t find flooding an issue, and I did find the obelisk-based acceleration pretty valuable.

I’ll be attending at least one more PTQ toward the latter end of this season, schedule permitting. There’s one about 2 hours away in early December, and another locally in late December.

]]> By: Dee http://magicgameplan.com/blog/practice-session-2-shards-sealed/comment-page-1/#comment-527 Dee Fri, 31 Oct 2008 01:22:29 +0000 http://magicgameplan.com/blog/practice-session-2-shards-sealed/#comment-527 Yep. Here is the link to the plugin: <a href="http://www.backseatsurfer.de/wp-mtg-helper/" rel="nofollow">WP MtG-Helper</a>. Yep. Here is the link to the plugin: WP MtG-Helper.

]]> By: Norman Huelsman http://magicgameplan.com/blog/practice-session-2-shards-sealed/comment-page-1/#comment-526 Norman Huelsman Fri, 31 Oct 2008 01:20:58 +0000 http://magicgameplan.com/blog/practice-session-2-shards-sealed/#comment-526 That is a great feature you have that allows me to highlight a card and see it display. Is that a wordpress plugin? That is a great feature you have that allows me to highlight a card and see it display. Is that a wordpress plugin?

]]> By: Dee http://magicgameplan.com/blog/practice-session-2-shards-sealed/comment-page-1/#comment-525 Dee Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:18:45 +0000 http://magicgameplan.com/blog/practice-session-2-shards-sealed/#comment-525 I like to do what you did. It's good practice to build sealed decks out of other people's card pools and compare your deck to theirs. You have an interesting build. I can see some great draws with an early Glaze Fiend and then a flurry of artifacts. I do think it is a mistake to have less than 14 creatures. My theory is that you need a lot of creatures in this format because there are a lot of common removal spells. Also, in my experience, 20 non-creature mana sources is too much unless you have a lot of card draw. It's too easy to get mana flooded. But anyways, thanks for your comment. By the way, are you going to another limited PTQ this season? I like to do what you did. It’s good practice to build sealed decks out of other people’s card pools and compare your deck to theirs.

You have an interesting build. I can see some great draws with an early Glaze Fiend and then a flurry of artifacts.

I do think it is a mistake to have less than 14 creatures. My theory is that you need a lot of creatures in this format because there are a lot of common removal spells.

Also, in my experience, 20 non-creature mana sources is too much unless you have a lot of card draw. It’s too easy to get mana flooded.

But anyways, thanks for your comment.

By the way, are you going to another limited PTQ this season?

]]> By: Gifts Ungiven http://magicgameplan.com/blog/practice-session-2-shards-sealed/comment-page-1/#comment-524 Gifts Ungiven Wed, 29 Oct 2008 04:09:35 +0000 http://magicgameplan.com/blog/practice-session-2-shards-sealed/#comment-524 That is an ugly card pool. I stopped after the pool, built my own deck from it, then moved on to the rest of your post. I chose to go for consistency in my control, because none of the red or green cards felt like they merited a splash. Here's my build: Creatures: (10) Etherium Sculptor Jhessian Lookout Blister Beetle Glaze Fiend Puppet Conjurer Tidehollow Strix Esper Battlemage Viscera Dragger Tower Gargoyle Archdemon of Unx Spells: (13) Agony Warp Hindering Light Obelisk of Bant Obelisk of Esper Obelisk of Grixis Excommunicate Oblivion Ring 2 Resounding Wave Onyx Goblet 2 Resounding Silence Kiss of the Amesha Land: (17) 1 Bant Panorama 1 Crumbling Necropolis 1 Esper Panorama 4 Plains 5 Island 5 Swamp My goal is to control the heck out of things, keep their bombs off the board, and then beat them to death with little dorks, as the only vaguely aggressive creatures here are the Gargoyle and the Archdemon. Good luck at your PTQ! That is an ugly card pool. I stopped after the pool, built my own deck from it, then moved on to the rest of your post. I chose to go for consistency in my control, because none of the red or green cards felt like they merited a splash. Here’s my build:

Creatures: (10)

Etherium Sculptor
Jhessian Lookout
Blister Beetle
Glaze Fiend
Puppet Conjurer
Tidehollow Strix
Esper Battlemage
Viscera Dragger
Tower Gargoyle
Archdemon of Unx

Spells: (13)

Agony Warp
Hindering Light
Obelisk of Bant
Obelisk of Esper
Obelisk of Grixis
Excommunicate
Oblivion Ring
2 Resounding Wave
Onyx Goblet
2 Resounding Silence
Kiss of the Amesha

Land: (17)

1 Bant Panorama
1 Crumbling Necropolis
1 Esper Panorama
4 Plains
5 Island
5 Swamp

My goal is to control the heck out of things, keep their bombs off the board, and then beat them to death with little dorks, as the only vaguely aggressive creatures here are the Gargoyle and the Archdemon.

Good luck at your PTQ!

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