Scars Limited First Impressions

Just like the original Mirrodin block, this one will probably teach you more about limited than any other set. Drafting a synergetic deck in this format is more important than in recent sets like M11 or Zendikar. Rise briefly touched on synergy, but you could still succeed without much of it. However, it's no surprise that ROE was one of the best received limited sets in years. I imagine Scars will be more of the same.

From what I've seen, it looks like you either want to be drafting Metalcraft or Infect. There are some hybrids in there that take advantage of Proliferate, but overall you want to be leaning toward one side or the other.

Metalcraft: You are probably not taking Myrs or Spellbombs high enough. There aren't enough quality artifacts in the set to be squandering your picks. These are the ones that will be always solid and turn on your metalcraft early.

In the old Mirrodin format, there were plenty of good artifacts, including artifact lands, which Scars sorely lacks. The good threats like Myr Enforcer and Somber Hoverguard were great first picks because cheap, good artifacts were a premium. Now, without artifact lands, it seems like you need to prioritize the artifacts.

Metalcraft can be an amazing thing if you activate it early, but if you can't find any artifacts, your metalcraft cards are embarrassing compared to what you could be facing down in this format.

Cards to watch for: Trigon Rage, Tumble Magnet, Myrs, Spellbombs, Metalcraft cards that become absurd

Infect: Drafting this type of deck is pretty straight forward. Prioritize cheap infect dudes with pump spells and ways to break through. Proliferate suddenly turns into a valuable clock.

Cards to watch for: Trigon of Rage, Tumble Magnet, Contagion Clasp, Infiltration Lens

Proliferate: Thrumming Bird and Contagion Clasp can start doing sick stuff really early. Typically, you're a metalcraft deck (or at least heavy artifact deck) where you proliferate to continually use Trigons or things like Lux Cannon. With Infect, Proliferate becomes a clock.

So, knowing all that, it becomes a game of trying to find what beats those decks, or at least something that you can draft none of those cards seem to be flowing.

Can't wait for the MTGO Scars release.

What I Would Play in Standard

4 Birds of Paradise
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Lotus Cobra
4 Fauna Shaman
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Vengevine
3 Bloodbraid Elf
1 Meddling Mage
1 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Cunning Sparkmage
1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
1 Sovereigns of Lost Alara

1 Basilisk Collar
1 Eldrazi Conscription

4 Ancient Ziggurat
4 Misty Rainforest
3 Verdant Catacombs
3 Arid Mesa
1 Celestial Colonnade
1 Raging Ravine
1 Sejiri Steppe
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Island
1 Mountain
2 Plains
4 Forest

Sideboard
3 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
3 Cunning Sparkmage
4 Unified Will
1 Realm Razer
1 Meddling Mage
1 Bojuka Bog
2 Celestial Purge

Article up on Thursday or so.

My Intinerary

I set off for Grand Prix Portland in search of the five pro points necessary for me to attend Worlds. After some poor play, luck, and solid drafting, I ended up in 14th place, good for three pro points. I wasn't sure how close I would be to ratings Q-ing, but I figured I would just play it by ear. Turns out I ended up in 42nd for North America, when I only needed top 50.

Either way, I think we may have gotten there. Gerard expressed some concern about other people passing us, and maybe I'll try to shark a draft at some point, but I think I'm safe. Plus, if things go poorly, I still have the backup plan for GP Nashville to get the last two points.

In order to sit on my rating (something I've literally never done before, and something I always tell people that they are stupid for doing), I have to skip:

SCG Baltimore
States
SCG Nashville
GP Toronto

After that, I will probably try to hit up SCG Boston and SCG Charlotte. I will definitely hit up GP Nashville and SCG Richmond, and then obviously Worlds.

I'm sad to be skipping events, but it'll be nice to save some dough.  I had some nice decks for Baltimore, so it sucks that I'm not going, but what can you do?

For Standard, I was going to play a Dredge deck with a  LOT of colors. Not entirely sure if it's good or not, but who knows?

In Legacy, I was going to play Ken Adam's deck from SCG Minneapolis. It doesn't seem to be getting nearly enough press, looked incredibly cool, and gives the player a lot of options.

Probably would have won both tournaments, therefore embarrassing Alex Bertoncini in what has otherwise been a lopsided Player of the Year race. However, skipping two SCG Opens is like conceding the POY race.

So Alex, I guess this is my concession speech.

MTGO Happenings #1

9:13 PM Thage casts Scroll Thief.
9:13 PM DMACK711:  how 5 in a deck ?
9:13 PM DMACK711 activates ability of Reassembling Skeleton.
9:14 PM Turn 11: DMACK711.
9:14 PM Thage is being attacked by: Greater Basilisk
9:14 PM Wall of Frost blocks Greater Basilisk.
9:14 PM Thage puts triggered ability from Wall of Frost onto the stack.
9:14 PM DMACK711:  ?
9:14 PM DMACK711 casts Giant Spider.
9:14 PM Thage casts Cancel targeting Giant Spider.
9:14 PM Turn 11: Thage.
9:15 PM DMACK711 is being attacked by: Scroll Thief, Scroll Thief, Scroll Thief
9:15 PM Reassembling Skeleton blocks Scroll Thief.
9:15 PM DMACK711:  No response ?
9:15 PM Thage:  i cheat obviously
9:15 PM DMACK711:  whatever dude
9:15 PM DMACK711:  theres always one

Bant Dredgevine

The list that I used to take down an admittedly soft, 30 man TCG qualifier, by somewhat popular demand:

4 Birds of Paradise
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Hedron Crab
1 Enclave Cryptologist
1 Meddling Mage
2 Lotus Cobra
4 Fauna Shaman
4 Knight of the Reliquary
4 Vengevine
3 Ranger of Eos
1 Æther Adept
1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence

2 Path to Exile

1 Celestial Colonnade
1 Sejiri Steppe
1 Halimar Depths
1 Terramorphic Expanse
2 Plains
2 Island
5 Forest
4 Ancient Ziggurat
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Verdant Catacombs

Sideboard
3 Linvala, Keeper of Silence
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Path to Exile
1 Meddling Mage
4 Unified Will
1 Emeria Angel
1 Obstinate Baloth
1 Qasali Pridemage
2 Pithing Needle

I won't go too in depth on the deck, since I will be writing an article on it for SCG. This list plays out differently than my 4c list from the SCG Open. It isn't suicidally aggressive and therefore you don't need things like Renegade Doppelganger and Extractor Demon. While it's a lot slower and the Crabs are a lot worse, you gain the ability to deal with problematic permanents, Linvalas to steal games, and counterspells and Meddling Mages for combo decks.

I'm not entirely sure if this version is better than the 4c one. They're both Vengevine decks, but hard to compare.