So help me figure out this game, again...

[Ransac]

I have yet to play any cards from the Kamigawa Cycle and have BARELY played anything from the Mirrodin cycle. From the time I've played on Magic Online, it seems to me that cards have gotten insanely powerful when compared to sets like Onslaught and Odyssey.

Additionally, the R&D has still been on par for about 6 new keyword abilities per cycle (which in MY opinion is absolutely ridiculous). So, there have been several times in my Online wars that I've stalled games while looking at ability that I've never heard of before and have to click on the picture to get a description.


SO, I've gone from being a veteran of local tournament victories, studying decktypes and new combos, to almost feeling like a newbie (ALMOST, mind you) not knowing what to expect when I see the first couple of cards laid on the table.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not LOSING on MGO. I've been playing extended and my Elf deck has won 85% or so of the singles matches I've played, while my multi games have been around 40% or so. I'm just requesting for a description of what popular deck-types in today's environment are......... and and answer to why EVERY deck I play against has Sensei's Diving Top (I understand card advantage, but EVERY deck?).


Ransac, cpa trash man

 

[orgg]

1) Account Name is... Ransac, I assume?

2) Quickie on Divining Top: Most people play it because it has the price of a rare, but is uncommon. Most people should not play it without knowing when it is good. It is good when there are at LEAST six shuffle effects in the deck that exist not only for the sake of shuffling. The usual number is eight or twelve. This makes the card like an excellent Sylvan Library that cannot be disenchanted, along with a few little 'tricks' like activating it then sacing it before it resolves to just 'cycle' a bit.

3) The feeling of rediscovery is quite fun, isn't it?

 

[Ransac]

Yeah, my account name is Ransac (ADD ME TO THE CLAN, DARN YOU).

Anyway, I like studying the game when I have time. But I've been away for so long that I can't anticipate anymore, due to new cards that I've never seen before. But, I do enjoy pulling some old tricks out of the closet (if I ever get my hands on the old cards, that is).

A lot of the guys online aren't used to play against someone that's played as long as I have (Arabian Nights). Some of the "new" combos they come up with are just newER versions of old stuff, so I can expect how to recover from it. But, it's wierd when I ask how long they've been playing and one "kid" will reply with "I bet longer than anyone here: Nemesis". To which I laugh and reply with the fact that I've played for several years when that set came out (and my favorite response that I've heard is "What's Arabian Nights?").

Ransac, cpa trash man

 

[Spiderman]

If you're looking for a description of popular decks (and I assume you mean Standard in a tourney format, because in casual almost anything can go), check WOTC's articles on Thursday - one of them is a list of what decks popped up at tourneys (I think from Mike Flores).

 

[Nightstalkers]

Yeah, as spidey said, your best bet is to check good old WotC online because they always have the casually played crap on there... I call it crap because after they release it I have to put up with some idiot who net decks it.

 

[Hetemti]

Well, I saw a bit of this Mirridin (note the resurgance of cat warriors) and Kamigawa (あ!日本語の言葉に話しましょう!十手?オッパイ?万歳!) and here's my opinion.

Mirrodin: I came in with Masques, so I remember popping piles of Saga packs, and Mirrodin was the first time I had as much fun. That being said, WizCo ruined everything with Affinity stupidity. They built our decks, and later, banned them.
Darksteel: Pack quality was low, but like Nemesis, it had a few gems in it.
Fifth Dawn: I wandered away from Magic again at this time, I drafted MDF twice and it just wasn't exciting.

Overall, Mirrodin was fun (I got two Chromies and turned one into a BoP, completing my playset), but the rest of the block just contriubted little combo pieces (SKULLCLAMP zoomg) that killed the fun, and led ultimately to the dozen-card ban.

Kamilamidingdong: Drafted it thrice, and I decided to protest the whole block. I met with moderate success with my classic "cards people didn't think were any good" deck, filled with grotesque foxes (the rat people looked like rat people, but the fox people looked like aliens. No clue...) and red stuff that make people frown. But otherwise, the set was filled with chaff. In the limited block world, I guess it was okay, but coming off of Mirrodin's potency, it was like Masques after Saga, except that Masques had pretty awesome commons overall, while everything in J-block seemed to be old cards reprinted with less potency. Like that shower of sparks that doesn't really shower.

Oh yeah. Jitte. Nothin' like a "you kill it or it kills you" equipment. I wound up tweaking my T1-legal stuff just to punk this little turd. Why did WizCo think they needed to throw something this studly in the mix?

So, I'm saving up my drafting dollars for Ravnica. Here's hoping they don't make R/W too good...I worked hard to make R/W cool, they better not turn it into a WizCo made the deck for you pairing.

Which they will.