A Planeswalker's Guide to SPPf (Magic: the Gathering)

[Rey Alejandro]

I've looked at it, but I don't really use Cockatrice unless I'm drafting sealed or playing Legacy.

[Kamotz]

So I've spent all my free time* for the entire week (since GTC was fully-revealed on Monday) prepping for GTC. I've done Sealed Simulations, Constructed Tests, and just read a crap-ton of articles. I've spent over 60 hours testing with Gatecrash cards. Now it's time to see if it all paid off.

*Free time, in this instance, is greater than average due to not having started classes yet and having no work either. It makes playing MTG much easier, but paying rent harder.


EDIT: Went 3-2 Last night, largely due to a janky hand and a pair of critical misplays. Full deck and report here.

[swampertforever]

Well, I had a fun time at my prerelease today!
Too bad I went 4-1 Down...
Pulled a Clan Defiance and a foil Firemane Avenger, which was nice.
Went Naya (Maining Gruul), and, well, almost all of the games went down to the Wire.
Game 1: Boros, Lost 1-2
Game 2: Dimir, Won 2-0
Game 3: Simic, Lost 0-2
Game 4: Simic, Lost 0-2
Game 5: Orzhov, Lost 1-2
Seriously, the First Simic Deck flew right over me, the second removed all my guys and hit me with Scramblesharks and Croconuras.
Best Moment: My very first Bloodrush, swinging in with an unblocked Firefist Striker then going "Swing for 2, (Drop a Slaughterhorn) 5, (Drop a Second Slaughterhorn) 8, (Drop a Skinbrand Goblin) 10!" Got three achievements for it!
Worst Moment: Losing the tiebreaker to the Boros deck because I didn't draw a plains. I had a Slaughterhorn equipped with a Skyblinder Staff and a Martial Glory in hand. He was tapped out (with flyers) and was on 5 Life. That Plains could have won me the match
Funniest Moment: Everytime I played Madcap Skills. That card rules, end of. I have a new respect for that card. Even though it annoyed my opponents to no end

26/28, but oh well, I've got a booster box coming, so I didn't really mind not winning anything.

[Rey Alejandro]

I lost every Naya game today, but won every straight Boros game save for one (I entered twice, once with Gruul and once with Boros). I won 4 packs though. Made 5th place hurray!

[DucksGoMooful]

My pre-release went pretty well. There were so many people it took an hour before we could actually get started, but my friends and I were first in line so we got in first. I went Orzhov. Rares I got were the promo card (obviously), Merciless Eviction, Crypt Shade, Glaring Spotlight, Ooze Flux, Illusionist's Bracers, and Aurelia the Warleader! I ran an Orzhov deck splashing Boros guildgate and 2 mountains to use Aurelia and Act of Treason (neither of which I ever ended up using).

ROUND 1:
First game I won using One Thousand Lashes and Extort.
Second game I lost.
Third game I won, again due to One Thousand Lashes and Extort.

ROUND 2:
I lost the first game because of Wojek Halberdiers. I had a Dutiful Thrull out with the mana to regenerate it, but because I thought the Halberdiers had Flying, I wasn't blocking. I'm convinced I lost the game because of that.
Game 2 I had some Spirit tokens and Hold the Gates, and kept attacking and Extorting every turn. Win for me.
Game 3 I won as well. Nothing of note.

ROUND 3:
I was playing another Orzhov deck, so you can guess how this went.
Game 1 the other guy got all his Extort guys out early while I was still setting up, so halfway through the game he was at about 40 life and I was at about 5. He had a combo going with his Vizkopa Guildmage's 2nd ability and animating and attacking with his Orzhov Charm (which I blocked with my own Orzhov charm, so I would only lose 1 life per turn). I eventually drew One Thousand Lashes and put it on his Guildmage to stop that combo, then drew Merciless Eviction and exiled all creatures. Now down by a lot, I drew all my Extort guys and proceeded to get all my life back while eliminating him. That took most of the round time.
Game 2 I got all my guys early on and just destroyed him.

ROUND 4:
Now I'm 3-0, and if I win this round I win a lot of cards. However I'm against a Simic guy and I hated it
Game 1 He got a bunch of counters on his Elusive Krasis and Fathom Mage, and killed me easily.
Game 2 Same story.

So I'm 3-1 at the end, and there's a 3-way tie for first and a 5-way tie for second. Huge conflict, because the person running it said we were going to play a 3-round mini-tournament to determine the standings, but no one wanted to. So the 3 first place players took all the top 3 spot prizes and divided it amongst themselves, and the 5 second place players took all their prizes and divided it amongst themselves. I was one of the second place guys and I got 5 Gatecrash packs and 5 RTR packs.

All in all it was a good pre-release. A friend of mine got Obzedat so I traded Aurelia to him for Obzedat, Gift of Orzhova, and Orzhov charm. Planning on building an Orzhov standard deck now (and maybe an Esper Spirit deck).

[the3rdH0kage]

So even though Gatecrash hasn't even had a legit release yet. Wizards has already released infomation about the guild packs for Dragon's Maze.

[Rey Alejandro]

I'm incredibly excited for the next prerelease. Maybe then my Naya limited deck will work......

[the3rdH0kage]

So I got some Gatecrash stuff Friday Night, pulled a foil Breeding Pool (a really pretty looking foil card), a foil Gift of Orzhova (the prettiest foil card I've seen). I traded the Breeding Pool, for a Aurelia, the Warleader. I know money wise that wasn't good on my part but the price will be going down soon and I really needed Aurelia. But I competed and since it wa a release we got a pack. The shop had foriegn language packs. So I got a Japenese pack and got some things that I ran in my deck. So they are now in my deck.

[Kamotz]

So the list for the Event Decks was revealed.

Simic gets you Thragtusk, Yeva, Wolfir Silverheart, Sphinx of Uthuun, Deadeye Navigator, Dungeon Geists, and Gruul Ragebeast.

Boros gives you Clifftop Retreat, Slayers' Stronghold, Ash Zealot, Champion of the Parish, Silverblade Paladin, Spark Trooper, and Thalia.

[niedude]

I might buy Boros just because it gives you TONS of good cards for minimum price O.o

[the3rdH0kage]

I'm so gonna buy both. I need the cards from both for my Naya deck. and how would Gruul Ragebeasts work out. It has Red in it's mana cost?

[Kamotz]

The deck has 1 mountain, 4 Farseeks, and 2 Evolving Wilds. Also Verdant Haven and Urban Evolution to help get to that mountain.

[D-World]

I've playtested each event deck one against the other on Cockatrice, and Boros eats Simic for breakfast. I would have maybe put a little more red, and thrown in more Ground Assaults. That's a really good card. But the Boros owns them all the way.

[the3rdH0kage]

I've playtested each event deck one against the other on Cockatrice, and Boros eats Simic for breakfast. I would have maybe put a little more red, and thrown in more Ground Assaults. That's a really good card. But the Boros owns them all the way.

Thats because the Legion is amazing. Just sayin :3

[Kamotz]

They also included like...NO actual Simic Cards. It's just sort of a crummy Flicker Deck without the White of Cloudshift and Restoration Angel. No Simic Charm, Guildmage, Cloudfin Raptor, ANYTHING with Evolve...Are there any actual RTR/GTC cards in it? Not many, right? It's a little bizarre.

[the3rdH0kage]

I'm only getting it for some of the Rares............... Thragtusk!!!! I have a friend lending me a Thragtusk so theres 1, then the event deck makes 2.

[palingensia]

the boros one looks like it actually contains a fair bit of value.

[the3rdH0kage]

The Thragrusk in the Simic one is $25. But anyway made a new deck. Nay midrange-ish. I'll make a thread and post the link to MTGmint

[palingensia]

what is their rrp anyway? us$30?

[the3rdH0kage]

No Thragtusk, is $25. Or are you talking about Event Decks. They are $25 at the shop I go to.