How likely are you to play Arcbound?

[Notepad]

This is a thread to vote on and discuss how likely you will be to make an Arcbound creature deck now that the Darksteel set is out.

Is it powerful enough? Is it far too weak? Are you having trouble getting the cards? Are there too many of them in the set and in your packs?

Have fun discussing!

 

[Spiderman]

First I need to get some Darksteel...

 

[Notepad]

Personally, I'd been flipping back and forth between thinking a whole deck was good and thinking they're not worth my time. I finally am leaning towards making a whole deck.

Unfortunately, I too am low on Darksteel cards. I have a few Arcbound creatures here and there from buying six packs, and fortunately they show up enough to actually have a chance at making a deck from purchased packs. I just need to do more trading to size up my Arcbnound collection gained from buying six packs.

 

[train]

What do you need spidey - i might as well hand deliver cards if I'm going to see you...

"Only 2 days out of the year do I wear the red, cotton lined suit, with the bushy beard, black boots, and drive the reindeer powered sleigh..."

 

[Spiderman]

I don't want to cause you to bring a whole extra suitcase, but I don't have ANY Darksteel... that Mirrodin box from Valentine's Day was the last Magic cards I've gotten... just haven't played much recently (like once a month).

 

[train]

Well...

I really have no reason to keep any of the Blue Darksteel I got... and I can bring you extra other stuffs...

I was at least planning on taking a deck - just in case...

 

[Istanbul]

Darksteel is the first set in AGES that I haven't bought even a single pack of. And why should I? There are no places to play near me, so the cards I *do* buy simply rot on my shelves.

 

[Notepad]

What is with Darksteel's lack of acceptance anyway? Is it really all the weak cards that pollute the set, especially rare slots? Except for the same few people who always buy a box or two of every set just to brag, I don't know anybody in my area who's bought more than a few packs.

The Arcbound creatures make for a good reason to at least trade for some of the cards, in my opinion.

 

[train]

Isty - I'm missing how you have no place to play if hatter was running tourneys there...

 

[Reverend Love]

I bought a case of darksteel *pats self on back*. But I’m the guy who runs the local magic tournaments and with no stores selling magic cards it’s kind of up to me for the cardboard crack supply. I did open a few boxes of the case though. My favorite cards out of Darksteel is a three way tie between

Darksteel Colossus
The Swords
Whispersilk Cloak

While Juggernaut runs a close 2nd due to nostalgia.

The arcbound creatures have flavor shooting out their butt however they just plain suck. There's no two ways around it. Where joe-green-creatures is paying four mana for a Erhnam Djinn or hell uh Giant Caterpillar your paying 4 for an 1/1 Arcbound Crusher...but he'll get bigger you argue. Well not before my hog beast smashes your face a few times AND I've played yet another large creature.

but.. but... they're ARCBOUND! I'll make one of my creatures bigger after you kill him!

Yea that's nice but let me remind you that..

Green: Has simply larger creatures
Black: 50 different ways to kill your arcbound clown
Blue: has 50 different ways to bounce your arclown
Red: 51 varied shatters..not counting it's extensive BURN collection
White: Disenchant, Reliquary Monk, StP, etc etc.

They're interesting but cost too much for their respective abilities...which suck btw if YOU don't control another artifact creature.

 

[train]

a Reverend - A crack Dealer...

"stipends not enough anymore?"

 

[HOUTS]

There is NO doubt that Arcbound is amazing in Type 2, and block.
Just check it out www.sideboard.com

The first thing you'll notice is the abuse of this madman in block. With a Welding Jar out...he is beyond problematic. Affinity was expected to be so strong at this tournament, that all decks main decked artifact control.

Go to www.starcitygames.com and you'll see they are paying out $12.50 to anyone willing to sell them.

Why is that? Type 2 has Arcbound running rampant in affinity.

Go to www.brainburst.com and check out how many Pro's are putting them in their builds.

So the question shouldn't be how likely you ARE to play it, but WHY aren't you playing it already?

Of course, I could see with "casualplayers" who don't play competitively, and want to play with the 'fun' cards. Don't get me wrong...I consider myself a "casualplayer" but I also play competitively, and surrounded by those who do also.
Either way, if your looking for an amazing body in your artifact deck, you should be shipping him in.

But if your not playing artifacts-then obviously get rid of him.


Houts

 

[Reverend Love]

My Craw Wurm laughs in the face of your ArcClown.

BTW, One good card out an entire theme does not a good mechanic make.

 

[Istanbul]

Originally posted by train
Isty - I'm missing how you have no place to play if hatter was running tourneys there...

What *are* you talking about?

 

[HOUTS]

"My Craw Wurm laughs in the face of your ArcClown.

BTW, One good card out an entire theme does not a good mechanic make."

Things like this makes me giggle...

I don't even know where to begin with this one. But, let me give a crack, for fun.

1: Your Craw Wurm, cards that I used to cast 5 years ago, are a 6 casting cost 6/4 barely heavy set juggernaut.

2: WHEN you do cast it, you'll be already 4 turns in. That is IF you get your two elves, or birds, out to drop him on the 4th turn at fastest.

3: Oh, I don't remember saying anything about "theme" or focusing on "one good card". I merely pointed out how good it is. After all, the title is "How likely are you to play Arcbound?"
Friggin alot considering Arc uses Wurms as fishbait for much bigger fish.

4: I drop Arcbound SECOND turn, and you get your Wurm FOURTH turn-at fastest. I kill you on your FOURTH turn, before you even get to drop your 50 cent common card.

5: I see you haven't played Affinity yet, huh? In fact, I would love for you to play a deck with Craw Wurm and I'll just giggle. I'll sac a few artifacts and still live. Maybe I'll even welding jar my big fattie and then smirk.

6: Where are you playing that Craw Wurms are being played? If so, what time? I want to play...

7: "ArcClown" is a 20.00 rare that has will see more play than Jo-Lo.

Thanks for the great laugh-keep it up!

Your casual player,

Shawn Houtsinger
The one and only,
HOUTS

houts000@hotmail.com

[I will take any "AcrClowns" that you guys want to get rid of. And for The Rev. I have a few Wurms in my box for you...]

 

[train]

Houts - you can easily get the wurm out 3rd turn... 2nd if you get a great draw - and all this is with mono-green... no fastbond...

 

[HOUTS]

"Houts - you can easily get the wurm out 3rd turn... 2nd if you get a great draw - and all this is with mono-green... no fastbond"

First off, I was talking about Block and Type 2. Sure, you can get the Wurm out 3rd turn, but that would entail
First Turn: Forest, Bird
Second Turn: Forest, Bird, Bird
Third Turn Forest, and then Wurm.

And for it to be second turn.....would entail what? Nothing, you can't in Type 2, unless your playing Chrome Mox and Birds in the same deck. So I am lost as to what your talking about.

And an ideal hand to great, for this Arcbound would be to drop land, chrome mox, Ornothopter, Scales, Arcbound, and then Frogmite. Second turn....you'd be hurting, if not dead if they had the rest of the cards.

Building a card around Arc, to actually kill someone, is more feesible.

Please...now....everyone stop trying to defend the Wurm. It's just silly.

But funny...

HOUTS

 

[Rooser]

Okay, Houts, calm down.

This reminds me of a thread from a long time ago on the AUG boards where things got heated because multiple people weer incapable of noticing a basic semantics argument. I'd link the thread if I could because it was hilarious, (especially after I stepped in ).

Houts, you keep saying Arcbound as a singular noun. You are clearly referring to the card Arcbound Ravager, which is a house, no doubt, but when the rest of us say 'arcbound' we mean the modular mechanic in general. You did notice that there are about 6 other cards with 'Arcbound" in their title, right?

Now, consider again what the good Reverend meant when he said, "One good card does not a good mechanic make."

In other words, Reverend was saying, "Yes, Arcbound Ravager is a good card, but most of the Arcbound creatures are not very playable."

Yet you continue to prattle and mock the Reverend as if he has just disparraged the mighty secondary-market and its recent knighting of Arcbound Ravager.

Chill out, dude. We don't live in a cave. It's blatantly obvious that affinity decks with Arcbound Ravager are turbo good. We're just saying that, given five or six mana, we could probably do better than Arcbound Bruiser.

 

[Mikeymike]

Originally posted by Rooser
We're just saying that, given five or six mana, we could probably do better than Arcbound Bruiser.

That's what you think! Arcbound Bruiser is Le Funk, it absolutely owns in my Rhinobruiser variant.

Back to Arcbound in the casual world....

I think Arcbound Slith is a solid card. Its sub-par until it gets through for that first point of damage, but after it gets through once it is an extremely efficient 2/2 for 2 mana - colorless damage, colorless CC, continues to get bigger, can pass its strength upon death. A good card.

Arcbound Stinger is decent as well, though not awe inspiring.

Arcbound Overseer is completely overpriced (but at the worst is an 8 mana Rushwood Elemental w/o trample), but it is one of the cooler lords I have seen. I'd have fun trying to build a deck around him.

* On a side note, Mike pats himself on back for picking up 4x Ravager's from Starcity at $2 a pop before the set came out

 

[Reverend Love]

Well at least my Craw Wurm laughing in the Arclown's face was taken as the joke is was meant to be. I'm glad it was viewed as such.

And thanks for clearing up my statement Rooser concerning the "One good card.bla bla not make" reference.

HOUTS, the Ravager is quite the type 2 wrecking ball. I cede you this point. Statistics don't lie and you've definitely got statistics on your side. However because I play in a casual format....and post on a message board geared to such, my value of the arclown is different. My take on the Arclowns, ravager included, is that they sucks huge greasy goat balls. Why would I want to play Arclowns (all Arcbound creatures Encompass the term Arclown) where in a casual environment.

3rd Turn Colossus's, Tinkered, Metalworked, Copper Gnome’d, Oath'd and Proteus Staffed into play is common.

Stroke's, Braingeysers, Timetwister, Time Spirals and even once a Time Stretch are fueled by Mana Drains.

Duress, Duress, Juggernaut, Armageddon in that order by turn three is common?

3rd Turn Soul Foundry, Meddling Mage or Morphling is the latest rage.

Sword to Plowshare is still quite legal and EVERYONE owns at least 10 of'm...do we play with ten no..but you get the picture.

Your facing down at least 4 other players doing the same broken stuff.

My metagame can easily be summarized by the term:

Goofy Decks fueled by Power 9

Are they tier one? No. Will they ever be? No. Are they deadly? Yes.

In my environment Arclown's simply don't have the juice required to compete.

Your view of the card is limited by the type2 format. My view is contained within the multiplayer powered type 1 format. Both are drastically different.

BTW I'll pick up your gauntlet. I'll use the Craw Wurm...backed by cheesy power