Messages

[untapped]

This duals are looking nice in deed. The artworks are great. In my opinion they are a bit too strong - I would add "sacrifice untapped....". A problem could be legendary vs indestructible -> what happen if a second copy of one of this lands enters the game? Both indestructible lands would be destroyed? Sounds paradox to me

Q: My opponent has cast Bribery on me and taken an Academy Rector. If the Rector later dies, can my opponent fetch an enchantment from his deck?

A: Yes, he can. When the Rector is destroyed, it triggers for the player who controlled it when it went to the graveyard. The Rector goes to its owner's graveyard, and if it's still there when the ability resolves, the player who controls the triggered ability can choose to remove it from the game, which allow him to search for an enchantment.

Sure the LftL is very match defining in control mirrors. But control decks need yard removal, and if one knows how to play vs. Life from the Loam - that is do NOT try to remove LftL, but remove cycling lands/wasteland instead - the card loses quite some of its power.

Maybe you're right but the combination of Gifts and LftL brings often a huge card- and landadvantage - especially if you can protect the engine. Like you said it isn't just easy to remove LftL (cause of instant card draw e.g. Cyleland) so sometimes you have to handle/remove much more cards -> e.g. cyclelands, wasteland, ghost quarter, maze, karakas, volrath's and some more

Because i've been asked a few times how it exactly works enchanting Akroma with Animate Dead -> here are the weird!  explanation for:

Q: Akroma, Angel of Wrath is in the graveyard. I cast Animate Dead. What happens? I've been told two things: that Akroma will remain in play without the Animate Dead, and that she will go to the graveyard. I've also been told that one of these rulings is old and was changed. Which is correct now?

A: Here is how it currently works. Animate Dead resolves and comes into play. When it does, its comes-into-play ability triggers. You target Akroma with this triggered ability. When this triggered ability resolves, Akroma is put into play and Animate Dead become an Aura. It will try attach itself to Akroma, but will not, due to Akroma's protection from black ability. Then, because it is not attached to anything, this Aura will go to the graveyard, but Akroma will remain in play.

It is true that this is not how this interaction has always worked. The rules that govern what an Aura can be attached to were tweaked last summer when the Aura subtype was introduced. In the past, local enchantments could become attached to a protected permanent; now they cannot become attached at all.


Enchanting Simic Sky Swallower:

Q: Can Dance of the Dead or Animate Dead bring Simic Sky Swallower into play without being removed afterwards?

A: Yes. The ability of Simic Sky Swallower does not work when it is in the graveyard, only when it is in play - and enchantments only target creatures when they're played. Since in order to dig Simic Sky Swallower out from the graveyard, the Animate Dead has to have fully resolved first (thus being well beyond the initial phase of playing it and choosing targets), it is legal for it to be attached to the Simic Sky Swallower. And since you've been clever enough to get around its untargetability restriction, it does not fall off. (However, targeting a Simic Sky Swallower that is in play is always a definite no-no.)



Q: I put Simic Sky Swallower into play with Animate Dead (or Dance of the Dead or Necromancy). Then my opponent destroys the Animate Dead. What happened with the Simic Sky Swallower, because it can't be the target of abilities, and the Animate says: if the Animate Dead leaves play to destroy the enchanted creature? Will the Simic Sky Swallower be in play without the Animate, or will be destroyed by the Animate Dead?

A: The Multani will be destroyed. Animate Dead's / Necromancy's / Dance of the Dead's leaves play triggered ability does not target, so it will affect the creature that it was enchanting even if this creature can not be targeted.

i think LFTL should be careful watched... its very abusive especially with cycle lands, wasteland.

it can easily be fetched with intuition, gifts.. etc..

...that's why you have to add shred memory, cremate and/or coffin purge to your 5c Control  , LftL-Engine it's very often the matchwinner and "depressive" for the opponent to watch to

the same reason for banning jitte (fun-breaking card, randomness, always deciding aggro-mirror) could be used for banning LftL the same way, just exchange aggro with control 

My favorite is Coffin Queen Maybe I would play her again with such a good looking artwork; the original at least sucks

In my opinion the effect on HL won't be a big one. But i like that wizard introducing some new mechanics to the game. I'm looking forward to see those guys in some future hl games but don't think they become dominant. We won't see them too often in hl tourneys - i bet.

In the beginning I was some kind of doubtful if this special mulligan rule for HL (which is "borrowed" from TCG Spoils) will be accepted by the community; the ruling sounds just a bit strange to me.   

Personally I've made good experience with the "new" mulligan rule, BUT I've made only good experience with the FREE mulligan (like in THG) too.

In my opinion the interesting and most positive part of the new HL mulligan is the point that you have to act more tactical before the game started (rejecting cards).

The worst thing is obviously that it is a huge advantage knowing the opponent's deck.

But now you've made some experience with the mulligan rule too - what are your first impressions?

Is it useful to play the Decree of Silence just for the Acedemy Rector? ...i mean if you draw the decree its the 6cc cantrip counter or you will need to hardcast it for 8 mana  ..is that realy useful?

In my opinion you should have at least some (~2 or 3) good aims for Academy Rector and Decree of Silence is of course a very good one. But there are alternatives as well, e. g. Debtor's Knell, Mirari's Wake, Future Sight, Treachery, or even Privileged Position - i would play maximum two of them (cc5+), it depends which fits best.

In a 5C Control i would play following Enchantments:

Moat
Pernicious Deed
Animate Dead and/or Necromancy
Treachery

maybe Holistic Wisdom, Decree of Silence, Solitary Confinement, Counterbalance, Sterling Grove

Even if I prefer playing real magic to virtual one, I would be interested in playing via MWS. The only problem is that I have problems running MWS on Windows Vista. For some reasen he doesnt like to accept the card pool 

I know Sturmgott is using Vista too - maybe he can give you a good advise.

I myself do not play with MWS too often, so I will not get angry (like most players there get  ) if you would do a mistake or just play slow because you have to search something

To meet in RL for playing highlander is surely the better way but however I've played on MWS today the very first time and what can i say: It has been funny 

Anyone interested testing his HL-Deck via Internet by using MWS? But maybe u should have a look on the small prints first 










Some points i have to add 

First of all: I'm an absolute beginner using MWS and have never tried to play via internet - I'm willing to learn, but maybe need some time    a helping hand would be nice

Second: I'm no computer scientist, sometimes it's hard for me to handle my computer the right way, so maybe there will be some complications 

[Spellsnare]

Spellsnare - imo weak counterspell, i prefer even force spike // stronger alternatives: dissipate, complicate, hinder, good old power sink, memory lapse...
Very powerful spell. Most threats to my key-cards will be countered and it can counter a Bob even if my opponent started. None of your listed spells can do that.

But Force Spike can do - it has been always a big surprise for opponents if their early gamebreaking spoiler has been countered that way - but maybe your right. I've played Spellsnare a few times and always cut it after some tests.

Search for Tomorrow - what do you think about Nature's Lore
I already cut Farseek - which is most likely a lot better than Lore. I just don't see any more slots. Search has permission to stay in the Deck since i don't have many 1drops already - but I wanna use my mana round2.

I wouldn't play many basic lands cause you need lots of duals (old school, Rav), Fetchlands and Utilitylands in this deck. Nature's Lore > Farseek cause the Land comes into play untapped. Nature's Lore > Search cause you get your preferred Forest-Dual.

I'm missing badly Recurring Nightmare and Gifts Ungiven in your deck.
Recurring Nightmare: I simply forgot that card existed =) It will be added. Gifts: What for? I already don't like Intuition, but Gifts doesn't seem to do much apart from useing a lot of mana just for moving your bombs from your Library into your GY in this deck.

Gifts is the best! Tutor you can have in many cases, instant speed and only cc +1 than rhystic tutor:

Some examples:
Gifts eot for Life from the loam, Cycleland #1, Cycleland # 2, Wasteland or Cycleland #3 BTW: i would add LftL and Gifts
Gifts eot for Regrowth, Eternal Witness, Survival, Squee
Gifts eot for Recurring Nightmare, Squee, Welder, Survival
and so on......

[Rhystic Tutor]

I would play 32 lands and cut this 5 cards:

Rhystic Tutor - in late game often a dead card

Magus of the Moat - honestly i don't know why you've added this card; i think it's some kind of "counterproductive" in your deck (Hunted Troll + Magus  )

Magus of the Moon - you have a multicolour deck and imo you need to play at least fetch lands to have a solid mana base - i don't think MofM works well in this deck

Spellsnare - imo weak counterspell, i prefer even force spike // stronger alternatives: dissipate, complicate, hinder, good old power sink, memory lapse...


Sudden Shock - i prefer Magma Jet (Scry vs. SS), Lightning Bolt (cheaper + more dam vs SS)

Search for Tomorrow - what do you think about Nature's Lore



I'm missing badly Recurring Nightmare and Gifts Ungiven in your deck.

EDIT: I don't find the first version anymore - what cards have been cut?

And to say it openly: While almost all German Highlander players already play according to MagicPlayer.org, there is a small village in the far south corner of the country whose inhabitants constantly refuse to be assimilated
I guess there's no more than 20 players who belong to this "2nd largest German Highlander Community", just to give you an idea of the dimensions we're talking about here.

We have had highlander tourneys with round 100 players in our small village in the far southwest corner of Germany in former times too - long before anyone even thought about organizing a highlander GP the first time The only problem we have is the lack of enthusiastic organizers (like Frank ) nowadays. Btw. there are belonging by far more than 20 people to that 2nd largest community - but however, back to topic 

The discussion that zimagic pointed us to on themanadrain.com was lately rather going in a more general direction as to find the right criteria upon which banning decisions should be made. It is my experience that discussing single cards is often not very productive as different people have many different views on single cards.

For me it's too abstract and theoretical to discuss the right criteria for your banning policy. I think you've made a good job and i undersign the principles the "Highlander Rat" established. I think the more interesting and difficult part is to subsume this criteria for every single card...for some it seems easy for some imo impossible.

Let's start with...uhmm...maybe Trinisphere? A banned Trinisphere and unbanned Workshop must be a bit confusing for people who check the magicplayer.org banned list the first time. Isn't it so, zigmagic?

We shouldn't forget RDW which have had a great performance in the past tourneys (quite better than e.g. 5c-Oath and Captain America). Maybe R/G will take its place but I'm not sure about that. Firesgeddon should be mentioned too.