Messages

x

I am in.

sent wrong version of my deck, if possible I'd like to correct that:

Code: tsci1868

6kt345cs

Yes if there were more actual Wastelands available in the card pool the problem would not be as severe as playing around these cards would increase your chances of winning. As there are only 1 Wasteland in each deck, you never should mulligan your hand if it was otherwise keepable but loses to Wasteland. On the other hand you should definitely build your deck with the aforementioned hate cards (B2B, moon etc.) in mind and play around those cards. Wasteland is just a card that randomly gets you even if you had the perfect two color manabase but suddenly can't play around it due to inherent random nature of the game. In this format Wasteland is just too close a Strip Mine that it's not fun

This represents a whole vein of thinking that compares HL directly to the 4 of formats. It isn't. The 1-of nature will lead to blowouts with a comparatively higher chance than in the regular formats. You have to embrace this, because on the other side of the coin are the bannings. If you get annoyed with seemingly random blowouts (nonbasic hosers, drain on 3 mana spell + followup, academy start etc.) there is no end to the banlist, until you banned all the older cards with a high powerlevel.
If you play too few lands then you will run into the 2 land hands more often than not. But this comes with the trade for more bussiness. But I guess I don't have to tell you this.

If anything there are way too many cards on the banlist. P9 + fast mana belongs there, but not much else, in my opinion.
OR and that is also a viable route: Ban all the high power cards, e.g. academy, oath, drain, demonic, worldly, eladamri, and so on. This will ultimately lead to a meta like goodstuff vs izzet vs rdw vs GU/x. Combo will almost disappear except for creature based ones, but without the tutors it won't be as good as before.

Where do you draw the line between good or bad for the format? Do pricetags come into view aswell?

Edit: I meant blowouts will feel more awkward, cause of the 1-of a kind.

[Name:]

Name:
coldcrow

How do you rate the banned-list on a scale from 1 to 10 (1=poor, 10=great)?
7

Which mulligan-rule do you prefer?
Free mulligan

How do you rate the free mulligan on a scale from 1 to 10?
8

How often do you play Highlander (mp.org-rules)
online almost daily

How often have you played on a HL-GP / -Cup?
none

Which cards are missing on the banned-list and why? (max. the 5 most important ones)
none

Which cards should be deleted from the banned-list and why? (max. the 5 most important ones)
NO, mind twist, stoneforge, birthing pod, mystical tutor, grindstone, survival

I'd stand in, if no one else.

B

I updated my monoU prison deck to a somewhat successful state.


artifacts:

1 Winter Orb
1 Static Orb
1 Mox Diamond
1 Chrome Mox
1 Expedition Map
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Grim Monolith
1 Worn Powerstone
1 Thran Dynamo
1 Gilded Lotus
1 Tangle Wire
1 Talisman of Dominance
1 Talisman of Progress
1 Mind Stone
1 Prismatic Lens
1 Ensnaring Bridge
1 Crumbling Sanctuary
1 Staff of Nin
1 Trading Post
1 Coalition Relic
1 Pithing Needle
1 Trinisphere
1 Everflowing Chalice
1 Meekstone
1 Batterskull
1 Mox Opal

creatures:

1 Sundering Titan
1 Trinket Mage
1 Snapcaster Mage
1 Solemn Simulacrum

enchantments:

1 Pendrell Mists
1 Dream Tides
1 Propaganda
1 Back to Basics
1 Future Sight
1 Rising Waters

pws:

1 Tezzeret the Seeker
1 Jace Beleren
1 Jace, Architect of Thought
1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
1 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
1 Karn Liberated

sorceries:

1 Transmute Artifact
1 Fabricate
1 Reshape
1 Ponder
1 Preordain
1 Upheaval
1 Bribery
1 Merchant Scroll

instants:

1 Counterspell
1 Mana Drain
1 Mana Leak
1 Miscalculation
1 Daze
1 Force Spike
1 Spell Pierce
1 Cryptic Command
1 Repeal
1 Into the Roil
1 Thirst for Knowledge
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Gush
1 Force of Will
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Remand
1 Thwart
1 Deprive

lands:

25 Snow-Covered Island
1 Mishra's Workshop
1 Ancient Tomb
1 City of Traitors
1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
1 Academy Ruins
1 Wasteland
1 Seat of the Synod

I had some modest success on on cockatrice with it. It can hold quite well vs agressive decks if it lands an early lockpiece or curves ideally on the play. Problem is usually the reach of burn spells.
I welcome constructive criticism :-)

Black is good if you go for a combo/control artifact approach. Tutors, cheap discard, Obeyline, Sharuum make it worthwhile.

Red is way better for a pure control angle. Superior burn/utility spells and nonbasic hate if applicable.

Yup unban mystical and TA and while you are at it, vamp, at the same time
That can only end very well.
Not that I wouldn't dislike it.

The program itself is probably better than cockatrice, though.

www.octgn.net

This has come a long way and is highly polished by now. The functionality exceeds cockatrice by far, as far as I understand even matchmaking is possible (or in progress of being added) and the deck editor is great.

Cons would be the .net 4 requirement and the need to download and include the setfiles/pics manually.
http://octgn.gamersjudgement.com/viewforum.php?f=8

Hopefully this will keep the online HL alive.

Some clarification, I didn't send Vazdru a decklist, he assigned a very old and bad one to me. I found that unfair, but didn't want to delay the tournament any longer by pulling out.

I'd play if possible.

One point raised by some irks me: The "random" wins of some cards. It is a singleton format, there will, per definition be, alot of randomness included. I could also raise a point where the "random" Garruk or Jace or Clique or [insert any swinging or situational spell] just wins a game, just needs some more turns.
I do not want to play a tamed format where I am still limited in my strategical options due to no 4 ofs but can't even play powerful effects. There will always be a next best card to ban.
If you do not like NO, play U/R/x control. I hear countering the thing is good and R/x gives lots of removal for their pressure.
I also do not get why there is this fetish about maximum card diversity. Every other format has its staples, even more so than singleton. It is like aces in poker, some cards will be best, no matter what.

/rant